Food quality and nutrition

Rather than eliminating individual ingredients, the research promoted holistic redesign strategies aimed at preserving sensory properties while improving nutritional profiles. Prototypes and reformulated products — including bakery items, plant-based alternatives, artisanal ice creams and ready-to-eat meals — demonstrated that meaningful reductions in salt and saturated fats can be achieved without compromising taste and texture.

A major research axis explored microbial biotechnologies and advanced foodomics approaches. Selected probiotic strains were integrated into different food matrices to modulate specific physiological processes, while molecular characterisation techniques enabled the identification of biomarkers related to food quality, authenticity and nutrient bioavailability.

Another key line of work investigated personalised nutrition, highlighting how metabolic characteristics and gut microbiota composition influence inter-individual variability in dietary responses. Controlled studies and advanced experimental models provided evidence supporting more targeted and scientifically grounded dietary recommendations.

In parallel, the Spoke invested in scaling-up and technology transfer, bringing several prototypes to advanced levels of industrial maturity and involving industrial partners from early development stages. The results show that nutritional innovation becomes effective only when scientific robustness, industrial feasibility and consumer acceptance are addressed jointly.

WP 4.1 developed reformulated food products and innovative processing strategies aimed at improving nutritional quality, safety and sustainability. Through controlled fermentation, enzymatic treatments, encapsulation technologies and smart monitoring systems, the work demonstrated measurable reductions in critical nutrients and enhanced micronutrient bioavailability, supporting scalable and industry-ready solutions.

WP 4.2 developed integrated analytical frameworks and omics-based approaches to generate comprehensive “digital fingerprints” of food products. By combining spectroscopic, chromatographic and predictive modelling tools, the work strengthened quality verification, process control and assessment of nutrient bioaccessibility in real production contexts.

WP 4.3 developed and validated predictive models integrating metabolic, genetic and lifestyle data to support personalised and sustainable dietary interventions. By investigating bioactive compounds, digestive processes and microbiota-mediated responses, the work contributed to defining actionable nutritional phenotypes with potential clinical and preventive applications.

WP 4.4 translated research outcomes into scalable food innovations, developing functional ingredients, plant-based analogues and biotechnological solutions tested up to industrial scale. By integrating product design, sensory evaluation and circular economy strategies, the work supported market-ready, sustainable and nutritionally improved food solutions.