Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HOLiFOOD (Holistic approach for tackling food systems risks in a changing global environment)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-10-01 al 2024-03-31
Current food systems and practices are challenged by the transitions in European food systems to more sustainable systems embedded in the Green Deal. In order to promote safe, resilient and secure food systems, improvements are needed at all key components in the risk analysis framework, and these must be integrated into governance practices in line with stakeholder requirements and priorities.
The overall objective of HOLiFOOD is to improve the integrated food safety risk analysis (RA) framework in Europe to i) meet future challenges arising from Green Deal policy driven transitions in particular in relation to climate driven changes, ii) contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and iii) support the realization of a truly secure and sustainable food production. HOLiFOOD applies a system approach, which takes the whole environment into account in which food is being produced, including economic, environmental and social aspects.
An effective impact pathway is developed and implemented through integration of the HOLiFOOD outputs into the legal framework associated with the food risk analysis process. The impact pathway is supported by an electronic data and knowledge sharing platform aiming at the full digitalization of food (safety) systems and supporting transparency and impact for all stakeholders. In order to align with stakeholder priorities, preferences and user requirements, the HOLiFOOD innovations are designed and tested in multi actor approach (i.e. Living Lab) involving all stakeholders.
The overall objective of HOLiFOOD is to improve the integrated food safety risk analysis (RA) framework in Europe to i) meet future challenges arising from Green Deal policy driven transitions in particular in relation to climate driven changes, ii) contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and iii) support the realization of a truly secure and sustainable food production. HOLiFOOD applies a system approach, which takes the whole environment into account in which food is being produced, including economic, environmental and social aspects.
An effective impact pathway is developed and implemented through integration of the HOLiFOOD outputs into the legal framework associated with the food risk analysis process. The impact pathway is supported by an electronic data and knowledge sharing platform aiming at the full digitalization of food (safety) systems and supporting transparency and impact for all stakeholders. In order to align with stakeholder priorities, preferences and user requirements, the HOLiFOOD innovations are designed and tested in multi actor approach (i.e. Living Lab) involving all stakeholders.
The HOLiFOOD project considers three supply chains (i.e. cereals [maize], legumes [lentils] and poultry [chicken]). It is divided into eight different content related Work-Packages, which focus on: applying Big Data technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the development of methods and tools to identify and monitor existing and emerging food safety risks (ERI) that will anticipate on the drivers of change due to a changing global environment and which will support risk managers to take timely mitigating measures. Furthermore, the project will develop and validate methods and devices for the identification and characterization of existing and (re-)emerging hazards; as well as holistic risk assessment methods and tools to support regulation in a changing global environment. Three virtual HOLiFOOD Living Labs (LLs) will be established, aimed at addressing the following priorities: 1) Identification and monitoring of food safety risks 2) Holistic risk assessment and acceptance 3) Platform co-design. This will bridge the gap between research and practice by facilitating discussions among the stakeholders, while systemically integrating the Multi Actor Approach (MAA) into all HOLiFOOD activities. The project optimises adoption and acceptance of the emerging food safety risk framework developed in the project by identifying barriers to, and faciliatory of, policy adoption. It will ensure effective knowledge exchange with the public regarding emerging food risk identification. Finally, the project designs and develops an integrated European data and knowledge exchange platform that will be able to power an ecosystem of decision support systems for the identification, assessment and mitigation of emerging food safety issues.
A variety of communication activities will be employed to maximise the project outreach and impact. Legal and compliance mechanisms will be designed and implemented to be incorporated in the platform which will support automated and robust controls on compliance of legal rights for all involved parties.
A variety of communication activities will be employed to maximise the project outreach and impact. Legal and compliance mechanisms will be designed and implemented to be incorporated in the platform which will support automated and robust controls on compliance of legal rights for all involved parties.
1. HOLiFOOD will respond to the need to develop new methods for Early Warning (EW) and Emerging Risk Prediction (ERI) and will apply AI and big data technologies to automatically extract data relevant to drivers of food safety risks from publicly available websites and databases, and integrate these in AI ERI prediction models. Text mining systems using traditional and social media texts (EMM) will be improved by implementing AI technology.
2. HOLiFOOD will develop and validate methods and devices for the identification and characterization of existing and (re-)emerging hazards (chemical and biological [bacteria and viruses]) with the aim of anticipating and possibly mitigating/preventing impacts (preparedness). These include both targeted and untargeted methods. It will develop an untargeted pathogen detection procedure that combines non-selective enrichments, metagenomics analyses, and proof of concept for the poultry and legume chains. It will develop and validate (TRL2→4) novel aptamer-based test kits for the simultaneous detection of tyramine/histamine in poultry meat, and aflatoxin B1/fumonisin B1 in maize. Lateral flow devices for detecting glyphosate in cereals and products of animal origin are developed and validated (TRL 2 →4). It develops and validates rapid screening tests based on handheld molecular spectroscopy coupled to AI, allowing the simultaneous detection of 5 pesticides at EU regulatory limits, and the detection of aflatoxin at the regulatory limit in maize. Deep Learning algorithms based on AI will be developed for feature detection in MS Data from Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-hrMS).
3. Holistic risk assessment for regulation: HOLiFOOD will deliver validated, generic, adaptive holistic risk assessment methods and tools which can be used to support regulation in a changing global environment. Current RBA methodology will be adapted in line with stakeholder requirements.
4. Data and knowledge sharing infrastructures: HOLiFOOD will take the next step in aligning and harmonizing existing work that is carried out by both public and private stakeholders, boosting it with the development of a joint data and model infrastructure of which all European stakeholders can take advantage. It will particularly focus on creating a shared registry of datasources and datasets that may be used for food risk mitigation, by connecting existing ones and extending them further. It will also develop a unique registry of predictive models that have been particularly developed and trained in order to predict risks associated with specific supply chains or ingredients.
5. Codesign and citizen science: In order to understand the food safety system, interested stakeholders, and their interests, role and influence within the system and in relation to ERI will be conducted. This will ensure representation from relevant SMEs sectors as well as food safety institutions are included. The approach has been used successfully in the food safety sector, although to date has not been applied within the context of ERI.
2. HOLiFOOD will develop and validate methods and devices for the identification and characterization of existing and (re-)emerging hazards (chemical and biological [bacteria and viruses]) with the aim of anticipating and possibly mitigating/preventing impacts (preparedness). These include both targeted and untargeted methods. It will develop an untargeted pathogen detection procedure that combines non-selective enrichments, metagenomics analyses, and proof of concept for the poultry and legume chains. It will develop and validate (TRL2→4) novel aptamer-based test kits for the simultaneous detection of tyramine/histamine in poultry meat, and aflatoxin B1/fumonisin B1 in maize. Lateral flow devices for detecting glyphosate in cereals and products of animal origin are developed and validated (TRL 2 →4). It develops and validates rapid screening tests based on handheld molecular spectroscopy coupled to AI, allowing the simultaneous detection of 5 pesticides at EU regulatory limits, and the detection of aflatoxin at the regulatory limit in maize. Deep Learning algorithms based on AI will be developed for feature detection in MS Data from Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-hrMS).
3. Holistic risk assessment for regulation: HOLiFOOD will deliver validated, generic, adaptive holistic risk assessment methods and tools which can be used to support regulation in a changing global environment. Current RBA methodology will be adapted in line with stakeholder requirements.
4. Data and knowledge sharing infrastructures: HOLiFOOD will take the next step in aligning and harmonizing existing work that is carried out by both public and private stakeholders, boosting it with the development of a joint data and model infrastructure of which all European stakeholders can take advantage. It will particularly focus on creating a shared registry of datasources and datasets that may be used for food risk mitigation, by connecting existing ones and extending them further. It will also develop a unique registry of predictive models that have been particularly developed and trained in order to predict risks associated with specific supply chains or ingredients.
5. Codesign and citizen science: In order to understand the food safety system, interested stakeholders, and their interests, role and influence within the system and in relation to ERI will be conducted. This will ensure representation from relevant SMEs sectors as well as food safety institutions are included. The approach has been used successfully in the food safety sector, although to date has not been applied within the context of ERI.