Project description
Fighting food fraud with science and technology
Europe’s dry-cured ham industry is under pressure. Fraud, weak supply chain transparency, and difficulties in verifying protected designation of origin and geographic indication (PDO and PGI certifications) threaten both consumer trust and market competitiveness. Existing traceability systems, based mainly on QR codes, fall short of ensuring authenticity. Smaller producers, meanwhile, lack the resources to adopt advanced tools. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the HAMTRACE project combines chemical fingerprinting, AI, blockchain, and hyperspectral imaging, and will create a robust, privacy-preserving traceability framework. With tamper-proof smart tags and real-time fraud detection, HAMTRACE will protect regional certifications, boost consumer confidence, and set new standards for food integrity.
Objective
The EU dry-cured ham (DCH) sector faces growing challenges related to fraud, supply chain transparency, and compliance with PDO/PGI certification standards, threatening consumer trust and market competitiveness. While blockchain-based traceability is emerging, current systems rely solely on QR codes and labeling, lacking integration with chemical fingerprinting authentication to verify product authenticity at a granular level. Additionally, smaller producers struggle with resource limitations to adopt cutting-edge traceability solutions, restricting their ability to compete in premium markets.
HAMTRACE addresses these gaps by developing an interoperable, privacy-preserving, and regulation-compliant traceability framework, integrating advanced analytical chemistry, AI, blockchain, and federated learning. The project will 1) Map critical control points across the value chain to enhance risk assessment. 2) Implement high-precision elemental fingerprinting to distinguish authentic DCH from fraudulent imitations. 3) Leverage AI-driven hyperspectral imaging and elemental fingerprinting to authenticate curing time and regional specificity. 4) Develop a Hyperledger Fabric blockchain system, embedding tamper-proof smart tags and real-time fraud detection using AI-enhanced anomaly detection.
HAMTRACE goes beyond conventional traceability by introducing a human-in-the-loop AI model, ensuring ethical compliance and transparent decision-making. This aligns with GDPR, the EU AI Act, the Green Deal, or the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, reinforcing EU’s leadership in food safety R&I. By offering scalable, industry-ready solutions, HAMTRACE enhances consumer confidence, protects PDO/PGI certifications, and strengthens the EU DCH sector’s competitive edge globally. This groundbreaking fusion of analytical chemistry and digital technologies will set new industry standards for authenticity, transparency, and food integrity, shaping the future of fraud-resistant premium food traceability in EU
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences computer security cryptography
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology food safety
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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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
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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-TMA-MSCA-SE - HORIZON TMA MSCA Staff Exchanges
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-SE-01
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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.
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
Spain
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.