One of the biggest challenges for the sustainable development of the production chains of the agri-food sector is the detailed monitoring of the production processes and the traceability of the entire production chain. Although the field of quality assurance is already at a very advanced stage, a fact recognized by the market, in the production process the issues of traceability remain open, which require the integration of new innovative technologies, in order to curb the remaining signs of distrust on the part of markets and consumers.
In recent years, consumers’ sensitivity to the quality and origin of the products that arrive on their plate has increased significantly, which is why the majority of them now want to know the history of the products they consume. The above-mentioned insecurity could be covered by the “Blockchain” technology, which allows the distribution and non-falsification of digital information among users. It is a time series of invariant data, which are encrypted and interconnected. This data (block of data) is managed by a computer network, is difficult to corrupt and is available to anyone who have access authority. Thus, utilizing the Blockchain technology, every user (both the business and the end consumer) can follow all processes, certificates, analyzes and information that accompanies the product, from the moment of its production until its purchase by the end user.
The aim of the research project would be the development of a fully digitized traceability and quality assurance system for new or existing products of the companies involved, based on the Blockchain technology.
The system will collect all information that accompanies the product, in order to better inform consumers and at the same time protect and enhance the reputation of the company’s products in the National and/ or international markets.
The result of the project’s implementation would be the utilization of the technology’s advances in management and accessibility of data within the company’s daily operations, aiming at optimizing the traceability of its products and consequently the strengthening of its competitiveness and exports.
The implementation of the project is expected to contribute the following to the companies involved:
The expected commercial results of the project are estimated as follows:
Since the beginning, the agri-food sector’s products have been an important part of nutrition, providing man with the nutrients necessary for proper growth and health.
In recent years, the increased awareness about the possibility of promoting health and improving the quality of life, through proper nutrition, has brought to the foreground the need to capture and highlight the nutritional value of products in the agri-food sector. This development also guides companies through the development they must follow in order to meet future needs of consumers (from fork to farm).
The aim of the research project would be the creation of a molecular nutritional identity using cutting-edge analytical technologies for the Cluster companies’ products, in order to highlight their uniqueness, quality and differentiation from international competition while satisfying claims raised by consumers due to the incomplete characterization of their nutritional properties.
The result of the project’s implementation would be the creation of an Electronic Database, owned by the Cluster, for the systematic recording and updating of the nutritional characteristics of the participating companies’ products. The database could be a key tool for promoting the products but it could also assist management in undertaking the necessary actions in order to coordinate efforts of recording the nutritional components of Greek food and promoting their nutritional characteristics to international markets.
In recent years, the buying behavior of European and Greek consumers is constantly changing as they look, for the foods they consume, both at higher standards in terms of hygiene and certification/ confirmation of their origin and methods of production.
For this reason, the development of traceability systems is an absolute prerequisite for agricultural products of plant or animal origin. The ability to identify or detect the primary product and especially the species of origin, using molecular markers (eg DNA), is an important goal for the preservation and further utilization and promotion of products in the agri-food sector. These new technologies and innovative approaches are changing the way genetic certification and food traceability are implemented, with significant benefits for both consumers and businesses, because of their added value.
The aim of the research project would be the creation of genetic identity (Food Identity) of the Cluster’s companies’ products, a fact that will contribute to the protection and the improvement of the productive and processing processes.
The result of the project’s implementation would be the creation of the identity of the Cluster’s companies’ Greek products in relation to their genetic profile that could evolve into a national databank. The above event will contribute to the strengthening of the “brand name” of Greek products in the agri-food sector.
Functional foods are foods that have a beneficial effect on humans. They usually achieve this effect because they contain substances or microorganisms (for example probiotic bacteria, prebiotic fibers (eg oats), fungi), which affect biochemical functions in human bodies by improving health and well-being.
Among them are foods with prebiotics and probiotics that aim to improve the intestinal microbiome. Many studies have shown that the alteration of the intestinal microbiome contributes to the development of metabolic and chronic diseases, while a well-balanced microbial population in the intestine is essential for human health.
The aim of the research project would be to investigate the isolation and characterization of new or existing strains, possibly with probiotic characteristics, derived from the Cluster’s companies’ products. The new microorganisms will be examined as to what extent they can be characterized as next generation probiotics, as well as to the possibility of their commercial use and what that would entail for future business developments.
The result of the project’s implementation would be both the isolation and characterization of new microbes of commercial interest and the characterization of microbes of traditional products as tools that would help their entry into the market of functional foods, giving them added value and competitive advantage.
The methodology and the results of the project are in relation to the research that INEB is already conducting in other foods, so that the whole project, among other things, could become an incentive for attracting new members to the Cluster.
All foods, during their preservation, are subject to a number of changes, which lead to the alteration of their organoleptic and morphological characteristics. These changes are divided into two categories, those due to microbial contamination and growth and those resulting from physicochemical changes in their components.
The aim of the research project would be the development of prognostic models, which describe the “behavior” of various microorganisms and metabolites found in the food environment, with the aim of predicting and avoiding its subsequent deterioration.
The result of the project’s implementation would be the creation of an informational tool that could be used by the Cluster’s companies to assess/ predict the growth, survival and inactivation of pathogenic and malignant food-borne microorganisms, which are created during handling, processing and transportation.
This tool would be tested in order to determine whether it could be a secure and functionally designed software, linked to any company’s quality assurance systems.
An increasing number of consumers along with food and beverage industries are turning to packaging with a reduced environmental footprint. Consumers still choose and distinguish paper packaging as more environmentally friendly than the rest, while more than 50% believe that the use of organic origin’s plastic enhances even more the environmental profile of paper packaging.
Therefore, it is considered particularly important how agri-food companies will face this challenge in creating more environmentally friendly packaging for their products.
The aim of the research project would be to explore alternatives regarding the use of more environmentally friendly packaging by product category of the Cluster’s members.
The result of the project’s implementation would be to attribute new features to the products to the Cluster’s companies’ products, aiming at strengthening their brand name, competitiveness and export dynamics and laying the foundations for the respective packaging certification, in terms of its friendliness to the environment.
Research Projects Blockchain Nutritional Value Food Identity – DNA Functional Foods Preventive Alteration Models Labelling Μια από τις μεγαλύτερες προκλήσεις για την αειφόρο ανάπτυξη των
