Cascading Call for Southern Italian Firms: Spoke 3, Food Safety of Traditional and Novel Foods, University of Bari

Spoke 3 focuses on the needs and expectations of the modern consumer by improving the quality of food products and dietary patterns through reformulation, the use of innovative and sustainable technologies, and a move towards personalized nutrition. It emphasizes increasing the qualitative and nutritional values of food to meet the needs and expectations of consumers. To achieve this goal, the project employs various tools, such as food reformulation, the adoption of innovative and sustainable technologies, and the design of new foods. The ultimate goal is to protect the health of the population, taking into account the emerging individual differences that are driving the change towards personalized nutrition.

The research activities of Spoke 3 pay particular attention to ensuring food safety within the framework of new and more sustainable processing technologies, also considering the increased consumption of new foods.

There are three main themes of the call, with ten topics distributed among them. A research project is expected to be funded for each topic.
 

Theme 01. Assessment of new and (re)emerging risks in innovative and traditional food production systems

• Topic 1: Identification and characterization of new and (re)emerging hazards in traditional food products
  Project budget: €570,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%

• Topic 2: Integrated methodologies for the risk assessment and risk-benefit analysis of innovative foods and supplements
  Project budget: €555,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%

• Topic 3: Functional characterization and risk assessment of new/existing packaging materials or systems in contact with food
  Project budget: €555,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%

• Topic 4: Characterization and risk assessment of genetically modified microorganisms for use in the agri-food industry
  Project budget: €555,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%
   

Theme 02. Development of strategies for risk mitigation in the production, processing, storage, and retail of food products

• Topic 5: New strategies to mitigate chemical and biological (re)emerging risk through the use of model systems
  Project budget: €555,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%
   

• Topic 6: Improving food safety through the development of innovative biotechnological and/or technological approaches to be integrated into the production of traditional foods
  Project budget: €570,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%

• Topic 7: Biotechnological and technological approaches to improve the quality and safety of innovative foods
  Project budget: €555,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%

• Topic 8: Extension of shelf life and improvement of the hygienic and health quality of food products through innovative and sustainable packaging systems
  Project budget: €555,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%
   

Theme 03. Development of advanced methods to assess the safety parameters of both traditional and innovative foods.

• Topic 9: Advanced and integrated analytical methods to ensure the chemical/biological safety of traditional and innovative foods
  Project budget: €400,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%

• Topic 10: Development of digital solutions to improve safety in food supply chains through the use of dedicated algorithms for traceability and risk assessment
  Project budget: €400,000.00
  Budget allocated to the South: 100%