Food sector

Productive efficiency

1. Efficient water management in food processes
2. Recovery of nutrients and valuable compounds from process water
3. Food waste prevention and reduction
4. Valorisation of food by-products
5. Process optimisation using data-driven management

Food sustainability – Environmental assessment

1. Environmental footprinting (carbon and water)
2. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
3. Environmental and social indicators for local products
4. ENVIRODIGITAL

Eco-design

1. Sustainable product and facility design
2. Formulation optimisation to minimise waste
3. Circular materials derived from by-products

Environmental communication

1. Environmental labelling
2. Sustainability-based differentiation strategies
3. ENVIROSCORE

New protein sources and bioproducts from by-products

1. Technologies to convert biomass into circular ingredients
2. Nutritional and functional characterisation of new ingredients
3. Selection and validation of by-product valorisation alternatives

1. New biocontrol tools for the agri-food sector
2. Microorganism-based biotechnology developments
3. Extraction, filtration, fermentation, hydrolysis and stabilisation of food biomass
4. Digitalisation and automation of biosensors and rapid test kits

1. Personalised foods for children, older adults and individuals with specific needs
2. Healthy, consumer-oriented formats: finger foods, snacking, nutritionally balanced products, allergen-free foods
3. Sustainable formulations with upcycled ingredients
4. Ingredient characterisation and impact on food matrices (digestibility, protein quality, rheology)
5. Alternative proteins in food design

1. Ultra-High-Pressure Homogenisation (UHPH)
2. Structural design of foods
3. High-Pressure Processing (HPP)
4. Co-extrusion technologies for new products
5. Laser technologies for food marking and other applications
6. Validation of new equipment and appliances
7. Digital twins for process control and standardisation

1. Smart, non-destructive quality control systems
2. AI-based quality prediction
3. Industry 4.0 diagnostics for efficient processes

Minimising food safety risks

1. Bacteriophages for biocontrol of pathogens and unwanted bacteria
2. Rapid methods for detecting chemical contaminants
3. Shelf-life and durability studies, including challenge tests

Quality and traceability

1. Genetic systems for quality self-monitoring and authenticity
2. DNA-based authentication of foods, raw materials and processes
3. Continuous monitoring through advanced sensor platforms

Impact of diet on health

1. Clinical studies, molecular profiling and biomarker identification
2. Personalised nutritional recommendations

Precision nutrition technologies

1. AI algorithms for nutritional assessment
2. Digital capture of dietary and lifestyle habits
3. Metabolic assessment using minimally invasive technologies
4. Multi-omics platform for precision nutritional diagnosis

Development of health-oriented food products

1. Product development for children
2. Product development for older adults
3. Products for individuals with cancer
4. Products for people with dysphagia
5. Products for people with allergies
6. Vegan and alternative-protein products
7. Products enriched with omega-3 and other bioactive compounds

Identifying trends and patterns in food consumption

1. Competitive intelligence and innovation monitoring
2. Consumer observatory

Analysis of behaviour

1. Quantitative and qualitative studies
2. Consumer-interaction platforms

Emotional response (neuromarketing)

1. Emotional response prediction (neuromarketing)
2. Product emotional testing
3. User-experience evaluation
4. Online-shopping behaviour studies
5. Support in product and service design

Sensory analysis and consumer preferences

1. Expert panel assessments
2. Sensory studies (acceptability, home-use tests, benchmarking)
3. Preference mapping techniques