After more than two years of research, experimentation, and cross-border cooperation, DAIRY+ is coming to an end, leaving behind a valuable body of knowledge and practical tools for dairy businesses in the cross-border area between Italy and Slovenia.
The DAIRY+ project (Shared circular bioeconomy approaches for the valorisation of dairy industry by-products), co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia 2021–2027 Programme, with a total budget of approximately €917,000, officially comes to an end, leaving behind a tangible and directly applicable legacy for the development of a circular bioeconomy in the dairy sector.
What until recently was considered a disposal cost or waste—particularly sweet and acid whey—has been transformed into a nutritional, economic, and ecological resource for the agri-food sector as a whole.
The results achieved by the research and innovation team will not remain confined to university laboratories: they have been translated into practical tools and publications that are freely accessible to dairy farms, small and medium-sized dairies, cooperative dairies, and industry experts.
🔗 Good Practices Manual: a comprehensive and accessible guide for a wide audience, bringing together technical information, case studies, and practical examples. It includes recipes developed and tested in the laboratories for the production of high-value-added products (such as high-protein spreadable cheeses, probiotic yogurts, and ice cream), as well as innovative applications in the cosmetics and livestock sectors.
📘 Technical Manual for the Hygienic and Sanitary Management of By-products: an essential resource for guiding dairies and producers in the proper hygienic and sanitary management of by-products, ensuring safety, traceability, and compliance with legal requirements.
🔬 Replicable Model for the Circular Recovery and Innovative Reuse of Whey for the Development of New Functional Foods: a comprehensive technical and economic analysis, complemented by a life cycle assessment, demonstrating the economic and environmental sustainability of whey reuse in dairies.
📋 Policy Paper: Un documento di sintesi indirizzato ai decisori politici e ai portatori di interesse con proposte concrete per promuovere la bioeconomia circolare di filiera su scala transfrontaliera.
The story of DAIRY+ and its human and scientific impact have been documented in two video productions available on the project’s YouTube channel:
🎬 " Alpine Pastures: Guardians of the Environment" –
Available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWOTTHbLrkk
🎬 " DAIRY+: A Circular Bioeconomy for the Dairy Sector " –
Available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNvoYyGoAqg
The successful implementation of a complex cross-border project such as DAIRY+ is the result of the synergies within an outstanding network that has brought together expertise in scientific research, territorial development, health and safety, and technology transfer:
Posoški razvojni center (Lead Partner), led and coordinated the project across the cross-border area.
Univerza v Ljubljani - Biotehniška fakulteta (Inštitut za Mlekarstvo in Probiotike), contributed to the scientific activities by exploring new ways of valorising whey and conducting a study on the environmental sustainability of the processes tested.
Università degli Studi di Udine (Dipartimento di Scienze Agroalimentari, Ambientali e Animali - DI4A), conducted experimental activities using pilot plants and analytical testing..
Fondazione Agrifood & Bioeconomy FVG, facilitated engagement with the local business community, outreach, and technology transfer to local SMEs..
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe), provided support on food hygiene, health, and food safety aspects.
Finally, our thanks go to the associated partners, dairy managers, alpine dairy farmers, livestock farmers, and all the operators along the value chain who welcomed us into their facilities, raised practical questions, and demonstrated that tradition is renewed every day with courage and a forward-looking vision.
