Orchestrating food system microbiomes to minimize food waste

The MICROORC project aims to provide business innovations for monitoring and orchestrating the microbiome and by that reduce the amount of avoidable food waste – by developing tools, technologies, services, and guidelines for i) improved food process control, accurate shelf life prediction and dynamic date labelling, and ii) extension of shelf life by bioprotection and packaging technologies that control the growth of spoilage or pathogenic organisms. Five areas are selected for the potential for predicting and extending shelf life, reduction in food waste and fostering a sustainable food system:
• Predictive analytics models incorporating microbiome information to predict shelf life
• Time-temperature indicators (TTIs), sensoring and smart label solutions for dynamic shelf life labelling
• Rapid detection assays for microbial indicators of food spoilage
• Microbiome based protection technologies to replace synthetic chemicals and increase shelf life and safety
• Novel packaging solutions targeting spoilage for sustainable development and increased shelf life

MICROORC will support the transition to more sustainable and healthy food systems by considering raw chicken and salmon as well as plant-based meat analogues. To guide and demonstrate the industrial, social and economic relevance of the MICROORC innovations, the project will evaluate consumer acceptance and the environmental sustainability aspects of all stages of the product life cycle, identify and help resolve legislative and regulatory challenges to implementation of new technologies, and propose a novel policy framework for microbiome control in the food system. A multinational, multi-actor and trans-disciplinary consortium including cutting-edge companies and experienced research institutions has been established to develop and pilot tools, technologies and guidelines that utilize and control microbiomes for fighting food waste to ensure transition to more sustainable food production and consumption.