Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Use of biocontrols and non-thermal approcahes to stabilize and improve...
Highlights
Coordinator
The task includes: a) the development of advanced predictive models describing the effects of uncontrolled or unexpected processing/storage conditions on chemical biological risks; b) the reduction of the allergenic potential/toxicity of foods
Innovative mitigation measures to reduce the risks through the application of bacterial pathogens challenges in food models. Tailored fermentation processes, based on QPS microorganisms (i.e., biocontrol agents, lactic acid bacteria, non-conventional yeasts, symbiotic culture of microorganisms) and hydrolysed food matrices, will be set-up and integrated in traditional food production protocols to increase food safety. Selected natural antimicrobials (e.g., essential oils) and hydrolysed raw matrices will be used to inactivate pathogens at food processing, storage, and retail levels.
Advanced predictive model(s) and novel strategies to mitigate the biological/chemical risks (M18)
Protective bacterial and phage cultures
Protocol of innovative microbiological cultures and fermentation for food improvement.
Growing consumer interest in healthier foods and beverages will increase the corresponding global market in the coming years. The stabilization of products, both from the point of view of shelf-life and safety, requires the use of innovative and sustainable technologies. Among others, high-pressure homogenization can reduce both naturally occurring and intentionally added microorganisms. It leads to physical modifications of the matrix that increase - or do not change - the content of functional compounds. In addition, the addition of natural antimicrobials (essential oils) or biocontrol cultures (lactic acid bacteria and bacteriocin producers) has been proposed to replace chemical preservatives. The use of lactic acid bacteria for fermentation of vegetable and non-dairy products is gaining more and more interest. Fermentations with tailored bacteria are a fundamental tool to improve safety, shelf life, functionality and sensory properties of plant-based foods and beverages.
First, microorganisms will be selected based on their fermentation kinetics and bacteriocin production. Experimental approaches will be designed to test different concentrations of lactic acid bacteria, essential oils, and/or HPH treatments on the growth of indigenous bacteria (spoilage). In addition, challenge tests will be conducted inoculating specific pathogenic bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli) and monitoring their inactivation kinetics. The selected and most appropriated combination of technologies will be evaluated in the final product, which it will be tested for safety, nutritional value and stability (shelf-life). Non-thermal assisted (e.g. pulsed electric fields and ultrasound) biotechnologies could be developed, in order to promote/modify the metabolic activities of selected microorganisms and/or to favor positive mass transfer for specific substrates.
