Descrizione del progetto
Gli smartphone sono protagonisti della sicurezza alimentare
Gli attuali metodi di analisi della qualità e della sicurezza degli alimenti sono costosi, richiedono molto tempo e non sono in grado di garantire la sicurezza degli alimenti per tutti i consumatori, evitando al contempo diffusi episodi di frode. È possibile invertire questa tendenza. Il progetto FoodSmartphone, finanziato dall’UE, sfrutterà strumenti di rilevamento e diagnostica (bio)analitica basati su smartphone per semplificare il rapido esame preventivo in loco dei parametri di qualità e sicurezza degli alimenti. Con un approccio olistico, il progetto riunirà esperti di diversi settori come la chimica (bio)analitica, la biologia, la fisica, la microingegneria, la matematica e la chimica alimentare. L’obiettivo è anche quello di coinvolgere il pubblico e aumentare la consapevolezza scientifica attraverso attività di sensibilizzazione. Per garantire un impatto ad ampio raggio, FoodSmartphone diffonderà i suoi risultati tra i principali portatori di interessi.
Obiettivo
Current food quality and safety testing is, to a large extent, an inefficient, expensive and ineffective process, unable to assure food safety for all consumers and unable to prevent major food fraud incidents. A paradigm shift in quality and safety testing is urgently required in order to free resources for an intensified combat against fraud in the food chain. As an enabling technology solution, the FoodSmartphone ETN proposes the development of smartphone-based (bio)analytical sensing and diagnostics tools for simplified on-site rapid pre-screening of food quality and safety parameters and wireless data transfer to servers of relevant stakeholders. FoodSmartphone comprises 7 Training Sites (3 universities, 3 research centres, 1 innovation SME), plus 5 Partner Organisations (1 global food industry, 1 diagnostics SME and 3 universities awarding doctoral degrees). The consortium has been built upon highly complementary disciplines: (bio)analytical chemists, biologists, physicists, micro-engineers, mathematicians and food chemists will work together on the joint supra-disciplinary goal. FoodSmartphone provides a unique mix of exciting local PhD research covering all aspects of smartphone-based screening tools plus a wealth of network-wide science & innovation and transferable skills training: the ETN provides more than 14 network-wide and transferable skills training events and 16 optional- and 11 mandatory intersectoral secondment opportunities. The ETN and results thereof will be widely disseminated to key stakeholders, embedded in continuous education programs and translated into a final exploitation plan. Scientific awareness of the next generation and public engagement will be boosted by several well-targeted outreach activities. The scientific training in novel smartphone-based sensing technologies plus the complementary skills training provided will have a major impact on future EU monitoring practices and, moreover, pave the road for Citizen Science approaches to food quality and safety testing.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsbiosensors
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesmicrotechnologylab on a chip
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesfood technologyfood safety
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsmobile phones
- social sciencespolitical sciencespolitical policiescivil society
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-ITN-ETN - European Training NetworksCoordinatore
6708 PB Wageningen
Paesi Bassi