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MICROORC: ORCHESTRATING FOOD SYSTEM MICROBIOMES TO MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE

Project description

A global solution for the food waste crisis

Mountains of discarded food contribute to a staggering global challenge: food waste. Each year, billions of tonnes end up in landfills, straining economies, and the environment. It is a problem that requires urgent intervention. In this context, the EU-funded MICROORC project aims to tackle the root causes of food waste. Specifically, the project will develop tools and guidelines designed to improve process control, accurate shelf-life prediction, and dynamic date labelling. Its multinational consortium, comprising cutting-edge companies and research institutions, will assess consumer acceptance, environmental sustainability, and regulatory challenges, guiding the shift towards a more sustainable and healthy food future.

Objective

The MICROORC project aims to provide business innovations for monitoring and orchestrating the microbiome and by that reduce the amount of avoidable food waste – by developing tools, technologies, services, and guidelines for i) improved food process control, accurate shelf life prediction and dynamic date labelling, and ii) extension of shelf life by bioprotection and packaging technologies that control the growth of spoilage or pathogenic organisms. Five areas are selected for the potential for predicting and extending shelf life, reduction in food waste and fostering a sustainable food system:

• Predictive analytics models incorporating microbiome information to predict shelf life
• Time-temperature indicators (TTIs), sensoring and smart label solutions for dynamic shelf life labelling
• Rapid detection assays for microbial indicators of food spoilage
• Microbiome based protection technologies to replace synthetic chemicals and increase shelf life and safety
• Novel packaging solutions targeting spoilage for sustainable development and increased shelf life

MICROORC will support the transition to more sustainable and healthy food systems by considering raw chicken and salmon as well as plant-based meat analogues. To guide and demonstrate the industrial, social and economic relevance of the MICROORC innovations, the project will evaluate consumer acceptance and the environmental sustainability aspects of all stages of the product life cycle, identify and help resolve legislative and regulatory challenges to implementation of new technologies, and propose a novel policy framework for microbiome control in the food system. A multinational, multi-actor and trans-disciplinary consortium including cutting-edge companies and experienced research institutions has been established to develop and pilot tools, technologies and guidelines that utilize and control microbiomes for fighting food waste to ensure transition to more sustainable food production and consumption.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01

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Coordinator

NOFIMA AS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 923 773,75
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 923 773,75

Participants (18)

Partners (1)

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