WP 3.3Spoke 03

Advanced methods for food safety

  1. Home

     / 

  2. Spoke 03

     / 

  3. WP 3.3

Highlights

Research projects
Outputs

Spoke 03

WP 3.1WP 3.2
WP 3.3
Research projects
The research falling under Work Package 3.3 of Spoke 3 focuses on advanced methods for food safety. 

The project aims to evaluate the safety parameters of both traditional and innovative foods through a variety of methods, including chemical and immunological sensors for detecting toxins and allergens, portable devices using laser photoacoustic spectroscopy and other spectroscopic techniques, ambient desorption ionisation with high-resolution mass spectrometry, and RT-PCR and digital droplet-PCR for detecting foodborne pathogens.

In addition, metabolomics and proteomics will be used to evaluate the effects of contaminants, and new matrix reference materials will be developed for food safety parameters. The project also involves developing digital solutions for food supply chains, such as smart labels for detecting food oxidation and shelf life and implementing an IoT platform for real-time traceability data analysis. The results will be shared nationally through a new platform using ReCaS DataCenter in Bari.

Task and deliverables

Task 3.3.1.

The task includes evaluation of safety parameters in traditional and novel foods through the development of: a) chemical sensors and immunosensors for the selective detection of algal and plant toxins, and trace allergens; b) portable devices based on laser photoacoustic spectroscopy (LPAS) and other spectroscopy techniques; c) Ambient Desorption Ionisation methods with High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (DESI-HRMS); e) use of rt-PCR and digital droplet-PCR to evaluate new and (re)-emerging foodborne pathogenic species; f) metabolomics and proteomics strategies coupled to pathway analysis to evaluate the effects of emerging and re-emerging contaminants; d) analytical techniques, i.e., spectroscopic and MS-based, to determine biogenic amines, pesticides, veterinary drug residues, mycotoxins and processing toxicants; and g) new Matrix-Reference Materials to be characterised for food safety parameters will be developed, including preparation of test-lots, their characterization and homogeneity and stability studies.

Task 3.3.2.

Digital solutions will be developed by transfer of digitization models within the food supply chains and the development of data economy (IoT, Big Data, Edge Computing, etc.) and new “green solutions” in support to food safety, risk assessment and traceability. In addition, smart labels for food oxidation detection and shelf-life assessment will be considered. Tools to address metrological principles for reliability of measurement results and confidence in data for FAIR principles’ implementation will be applied. Finally, a database of food traceability data will be realised by implementing an IoT platform using a specific AI algorithm in real time, and data from WP1 and WP2 will be shared at national level by developing a new platform using ReCaS DataCenter.

Milestones

M3.3.1.1.

Optimised advanced strategies for targeted and untargeted analyses (M12)

M3.3.2.1.

List of available methodologies for digital solutions in food safety (M18)

M3.3.2.2.

List of stakeholders’ needs for traceability purposes (M18)