18 de December de 2025
Innovación
Calidad y cadena alimentaria
Resiliencia y competitividad
The PISTACHIO 4.0 Operational Group proposes to innovate in the pistachio cultivation and drying process
The PISTACHIO 4.0 Operational Group proposes to innovate in the pistachio cultivation and drying process
It will allow the consumer to ensure the quality of the pistachio through a digital labeling system
In 2024, nearly 76,000 hectares in Spain were dedicated to pistachio cultivation, especially in dryland areas, according to a study by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA). The Association of Pistachio Producers and Marketers (APPISTACO) explains that it is an alternative crop to traditional ones, designed to increase the profitability of farms.
However, it is a sector with little specialization, low yields, and a lack of homogeneity, which hinders its commercialization. APPISTACO believes that digitalization and innovation are opportunities that will increase profits, efficiency, and productivity. In this context, the Operational Group (OG) “PISTACHIO 4.0 ” was created in Andalusia, which, between 2023 and 2025, has proposed ideas for new food traceability systems for the origin of agricultural products based on the geochemical footprint of the soils of origin.
Goals
“Pistachio 4.0” aims to digitize all parts of the process, from cultivation to marketing, and equip it with a traceability tool. Its objectives are as follows:
Identification, study and selection of superior quality varieties .
Innovation in transformation processes for obtaining products for the fourth and fifth range industry.
Digitization of agronomic and industrial processing variables of pistachios using 4.0 technologies.
Commercial valorization of the product transformation chain through advanced digital labeling systems on the final packaging.
Activities
During these two years, the GO has carried out the following actions:
Innovation in pistachio cultivation , through the study of agronomic factors in five regions of Andalusia (soil composition, climate and management).
Innovation in processing and new co-products, for which new drying systems and the quality of pistachios under different temperature and processing time conditions have been studied.
Digitization in the field and process, with the Implementation of a computer system for managing the traceability of the production process up to the final industrial batching.
Outreach activities on social media and at events.
Results
The results obtained from this work are as follows:
Creation of a comprehensive application for traceability in the industry, CONNECTED COMPANY PISTACHIO 4.0. , which integrates a module for managing agricultural plots from the mobile device.
At the level of geographical origin, correlations have been obtained between the metallic and semi-metallic traces of some elements with the studied cultivation areas.
Processing dehydrated pistachios under mild temperature conditions (40-60°C) using convection dryers is a viable option that maintains the organoleptic properties of pistachios from the field.
Coding for the first time of dried pistachios at 40°C within thenutritional standards of the European Food Safety Agency .
According to Juan Antonio Espejo, the project director, further improvements in pistachio quality and traceability require a nationwide project and the creation of a more robust database of chemical analyses of the product and the soil. “This would allow us to establish a traceability observatory that guarantees the origin of Spanish pistachios compared to those from third countries.” He also advocates for continued advancements in drying systems and the development of a quality and origin labeling system.
Participants and funding
The GO PISTACHIO 4.0 project , which is regional in scope, is coordinated by AppistacoTrade SL , with the participation of:
Tecnofood R&D Solutions SL
And with the following subcontracted entities
It has had a total budget of €300,000 and has received a grant of €291,508.94, financed 90% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development ( EAFRD ) within the framework of the Rural Development Programme of Andalusia 2014-2022 and 10% by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía .