Grape Marc and the Circular Bioeconomy in the Fight Against AMR
NeoGiANT at ICPD 2025: Pioneering Natural Antimicrobial Solutions in Animal Health
julio 14, 2025
Grape Marc and the Circular Bioeconomy in the Fight Against AMR
The wine industry produces millions of tonnes of waste every year. After grapes are pressed, what remains is grape marc, and most of it ends up in landfill or low-value compost. This grape marc is made of skins, seeds, and stems. But at the same time, European farms face mounting pressure to cut antibiotic use. The EU has committed to reducing sales of antimicrobials for animal use by 50% by 2030, and farmers need practical tools to meet that target while keeping animals healthy and productive. At NEOGIANT, we saw an opportunity to solve both problems at once.
What if we could recover high-value bioactive compounds from local white grape marc and turn them into natural formulations that help animals stay healthy and reduce their need for antibiotics? That question has become the foundation of a Horizon 2020 project that demonstrates how circular bioeconomy principles can support animal health, fight antimicrobial resistance, and align with EU Green Deal and One Health objectives.
How Much Grape Marc Does the Wine Industry Waste?
Wine production is massive. Europe alone produces over 15.000 million litres of wine annually, and that scale means enormous volumes of grape marc. For every tonne of grapes processed, roughly 13% becomes grape marc. This low-value by-product must be managed by wineries, generally being disposed of. In some regions, this adds up to hundreds of thousands of tonnes per year.
The environmental and economic impact is real. Unmanaged grape marc can ferment and generate organic pollution if it leaches into soil or water. Disposal costs money. Composting ties up resources and space. Most wineries have limited options, so grape marc sits as a burden rather than a resource.
But this by-product does not have to be waste. White grape marc is rich in polyphenols and other bioactive compounds, like antimicrobial and antioxidant molecules. Research has shown these can support animal health and immune function. The challenge has always been extraction: how do you recover these compounds cost-effectively while being able to scale?
How We Turn Grape Marc into Animal Health Solutions
We start with local supply. NEOGIANT works with wineries across Europe to source white grape marc responsibly and consistently. Using an advanced green extraction technology, we disrupt the grape marc and isolate eVitis, our multicomponent extract rich in bioactive polyphenols. The process is simple, uses mild conditions and low energy, and can be easily scaled up for industrial use.
Once we have the extract, we integrate it into three main types of products:
- Feed additives: Farmers can mix these into regular diets for cattle, pigs, poultry and farmed fish. These formulations support immunity and reduce the need for preventive antibiotics in healthy animals.
- Treatment products: designed for acute health challenges and packed with antimicrobial and antioxidant compounds. Vets can use these natural formulations alongside, or in some cases instead of, conventional antibiotics. This is especially valuable for infections that do not require the full strength of a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
- Reproduction boosters: These are semen extenders. Antimicrobial and antioxidant protection is crucial for sperm viability, so adding our extracts to semen extenders improves breeding success and reduces losses in cattle, pigs and aquaculture operations.
Local Biomass and Cost-Effective Green Production
The three pillars of NEOGIANT’s model are intentional. We use local biomass because it keeps sourcing costs down, supports regional economies and reduces transport emissions. Our green extraction process is energy-efficient and uses mild conditions, making it affordable for feed producers and pharmaceutical companies to scale. And because we focus on sustainable production, the end product is a truly circular solution.
This matters to farmers. Natural alternatives only work if producers can actually afford them. By building our supply chain around a low-value winery by-product available locally across wine regions, we keep formulation costs competitive with synthetic alternatives and conventional antibiotics.
Circular Bioeconomy Meets the Fight Against AMR
When a farmer uses NEOGIANT grape marc formulations, several things happen at once. The animal receives natural antimicrobial and antioxidant support, so its natural defences are stronger and it is less likely to need an antibiotic. That reduces the farm’s antimicrobial use and contributes to the EU’s 50% reduction target by 2030.
At the same time, the winery that supplied the grape marc has a buyer for what was previously waste. Transport and processing stay local, keeping the carbon footprint small. And because fewer synthetic antibiotics and preservatives are used on the farm, the food system becomes safer and more aligned with consumer expectations for antibiotic-smart production.
This is circular bioeconomy in practice. We are not creating new demand or new waste, but closing a loop between two industries and improving outcomes for animals, farmers, the environment and public health.
Why This Model Fits the EU Green Deal
NEOGIANT’s approach maps directly onto EU Green Deal priorities. We reduce agricultural and food-processing waste by valorising a by-product that would otherwise require disposal. We support climate-friendly production by using local biomass and green extraction processes. We contribute to healthier, more resilient animals and safer food systems by reducing dependence on synthetic inputs.
We also support One Health. By reducing antibiotic use on farms, we help slow the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, protecting human health downstream. And because we are creating new economic opportunities for wineries, feed producers and farms, we are building a more resilient and sustainable agri-food chain.
We work within the reality that antibiotics are still essential for serious infections and that good husbandry, vaccination and proper veterinary oversight remain cornerstones of animal health. But by offering farmers and vets a practical, natural alternative that genuinely improves animal resilience, we help shift the conversation toward prevention and support of natural defences.
NEOGIANT shows that solving major challenges such as waste, antimicrobial resistance, and sustainability does not require choosing between them. Nature, science and circular thinking can deliver all three at once.
