THE Public University of Navarre (UPNA) This was the scene last Friday of the “Resto Zéro” Conference, an innovative event during which more than fifty students in the field of food took up the challenge of transforming kitchen waste into innovative culinary preparations.
Participants, from the UPNA diploma in Food Processes and Product Innovation and the Vocational Training (FP) diplomas in hospitality from the Integrated Center FP Burlada, they faced five challenges proposed by industry experts, focused on raising awareness and training students in waste reduction in professional kitchens.
During the day, students created recipes such as kimchi made from leftover watermelon, tomato panzanella, noodles made from old bread, broccoli salad and truffles made from coffee grounds. The teams worked in a multidisciplinary manner under the direction of professionals from the food sector and presented their creations in a tasting and debate format, where creativity and efficiency in resource management stood out.
The event, organized by the ISFOOD Institute of UPNA, EIT Food and Mycelium Gastronomyhad the participation of specialists from various areas of the food chain. Among them, María José Montilla, an expert in fermentation to avoid waste; Maite Muruzábal, focused on the value chain from the field to the HORECA sector; Elisabet Piggròs, specialized in consumer behavior; Paula Torán-Pereg, who addressed multidisciplinary collaboration in gastronomy; and Víctor Quintilla, an expert in restaurant management.
Coordinated by Idoya Fernandez stoveresearcher at ISFOOD, and Estefanía Simón-Sasyk, consultant at Mycelium Gastronomy, the event also benefited from the support of Iranzu Zalba, predoctoral researcher at UPNA, and Raquel Mestre, professor at the Basque Culinary Center.
The day included the participation of professors of the Higher Technical School of Agronomic Engineering and Biosciences (ETSIAB) of UPNA, technical staff of EIT Food and representatives of institutions such as the Department of Rural Development and Environment of the Government of Navarre, the public company GAN-NIK and the Grupo AN Foundation.
During the event, the importance of providing the food sector with practical tools and effective in preventing waste and reducing waste generation, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
