Project Title: Bio-protective cultures and bioactive extracts as sustainable combined strategies to improve the shelf-life of perishable Mediterranean food (BIO PROMED FOOD)

 This project is coordinated by Çukurova University (Prof. Fatih Ozogul)

 

This project is part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union.

 

 

 

BioProMedFood aims are to enhance safety and quality of Mediterranean perishable products through the exploitation of two innovative and sustainable approaches, evaluated individually and in combination: the use of compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial potential and the application of bio-protective or functional microbial cultures. Bioactive natural compounds or bio-protective Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) strains will be studied to reduce microbiological risks and extend the shelf life in six Mediterranean foods (fresh or fermented pork sausages and fish products, aubergine and RTE fruit). The application of new LAB cultures and natural bioactive compounds will provide new biotechnological tools to meet consumer demand for safe minimally processed products, reducing small-scale traditional production safety concerns and valorising sustainable sources and by-products. The built-up of a meat fermenting bacteria collection will safeguard the recognisability and differentiation of traditional products, promoting their competitiveness. The project multidisciplinary and multi-actor approaches will lead to sustainable strategies tested in laboratory environment (TRL3) and validated in relevant environment (TRL5) with the involvement of stakeholders and Mediterranean industries.

 

Project management team:

-           Prof. Fatih Özogul

-           Prof. Vida Šimat

-           Prof. Fausto Gardini

 

Objectives:

The objective of the project titled “Bio-protective cultures and bioactive extracts as sustainable combined strategies to improve the shelf-life of perishable Mediterranean food” (BioProMedFood) is to solve the challenges and priorities coming from present research and innovations dealing with Mediterranean (Med) food safety and quality.

Specific Objectives and Activities set to achieve them:

1.Establishing R&I platform (consortium) which will improve and strengthen the capabilities of investigating, proving the concept, implementing and transferring the know-how of participants into food practices;

2.Screening for sustainable source of compounds with strong bioactive potential among brown macro algae and agro-food by-products (olive pomace and leaves, grape pomace, berry skin):

3.Chemical identification of the bioactive compounds, their purification and in vitro testing of their biological activity (antimicrobial and antioxidant) in relation to the most important factors influencing their biological activity in foods with the aim to define the best condition for their extraction and application;

4.Investigation of bioactive compounds activity against individual food-borne pathogenic and spoilage strains and their cocktails in 6 different food models (fresh pork sausages, fermented pork sausages, fresh and fermented fish, fish burgers, aubergine and ready to eat (RTE) fruit) using green and GRAS technologies.

5.Isolation of autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from spontaneously fermented foods and screening for their potential as bio-protective and starter cultures. Strains will be characterized for their inhibiting activity against foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms and for their technological properties with the aim to select a significant number of strains to be used in the further steps of the project.

6.Use of selected bio-protective strains for the shelf life extension and safety enhancement of Med food models by limiting spoilage or pathogen microbiota growth and activities.

7.Pilot scale trials for the production of fermented sausages using selected functional starter strains.

8.Evaluation of the possible synergic effects between the bio-protective strain and the bioactive molecules studied at point 3 against food borne pathogens and aminobiogenic strains in in vitro systems.

9.Development of active packaging films with incorporated bioactive compounds aimed to inhibit microbial and chemical spoilage of food, thus enhancing product safety and quality during storage, commercialization and household handle of the products.

10.Test the combined effects of active packaging and bio-protective cultures or LAB cell free extracts on quality of fish or RTE aubergine.