Microbes4SustainableFoods Cluster Welcomes Four New Projects

The Microbes4SustainableFoods cluster is growing! Microbiomes4Soy joins in welcoming the four projects DELICIOUS, FLAVOURFERM, FOODGUARD and MICROORC. The projects joined the cluster at the end of 2025. Together, the projects under the Microbes4SustainableFoods cluster share a commitment to advance sustainable food systems, health and environmental resilience through the study of microbiomes along food system value chains. Learn more about the cluster and its activities here.

DELICIOUS (01.11.2024 – 31.10.2028) is a Horizon Europe Innovation Action developing affordable, tasty and safe plant-based dairy alternatives, focusing on cheese and kefir. It combines microbial products with plant raw materials, using precision fermentation, high-throughput methods and bioinformatics to improve flavour, odour and texture without additives or ultra-processing. The project also targets higher nutritional value (protein, vitamins, fibres and probiotics) and a lower environmental footprint through reduced land and water use and the use of residual raw materials, while running safety, consumer and technoeconomic assessments to accelerate market uptake.

FLAVOURFERM (01.11.2024 – 30.04.2028) aims to leverage cutting-edge fermentation technologies to transform the taste, texture, and nutritional value of plant-based foods. It has 4 main objectives: unlock flavour potential through fermentation, improve sensory properties like taste and texture, enhance protein content and bioavailability, and scale up production in collaboration with industrial partners.

FOODGUARD (01.01.2024 – 31.12.2026) aims to develop and demonstrate co-created solutions that will support innovations and advances based on microbiome, microbial activities and hubs of technology to address food, health, economic and environmental challenges. The envisioned approach consists of a framework of toolsets and methodologies to provide sustainable solutions in food processing, packaging and across the food value chain to address, in a holistic manner, food shelf-life increase and waste reduction.

MICROORC (01.11.2023 – 31.10.2027) will develop sustainable solutions that reduce and prevent food spoilage and food waste, with a focus on technologies, services, tools, policies, and practices that are based on monitoring, utilising, and targeting microbiomes in food and the food processing chain. The tools and technologies developed in MICROORC are positioned at a high level of research and innovation (R&I) maturity and are expected to achieve TRL6-7 by the end of the project.

Understanding Soya Plant Microbiomes: Enhancing Crop Productivity

MICROBIOMES4SOY aims to explore the dynamics and potential of plant microbiomes, specifically focusing on the soya bean model. The project seeks to understand how plant microbiomes impact soya crop productivity. Additionally, it aims to develop microbiome-informed approaches, including agricultural strategies and prediction models, to improve yield stability, promote environmental sustainability, and ensure food safety and quality during production.

Soya-Based Aquafeeds: Innovating Aquaculture Sustainability

In the realm of aquaculture, MICROBIOMES4SOY seeks to pioneer solutions by creating innovative soya-based aquafeeds. The project aims to evaluate the effects of these novel feeds on the fish gut microbiome and overall health, addressing both environmental and nutritional aspects of aquaculture.

Joint Efforts for Food Systems Transformation

MICROBIOMES4SOY aims to work collaboratively with food system stakeholders to define regional transition pathways towards plant-based protein diets, contributing to broader shifts in dietary practices.

Improved Microbiome-Based Knowledge and Skills for Food System Actors

Knowledge and skill empowerment is a key objective, intending to equip food system actors with expertise on microbiome interactions, benefits, and industrial applications. This will be achieved through a multi-actor approach, that shares understanding of microbiomes within the broader context of food systems.

Microbiome-Informed Dietary Recommendations:
Exploring Human Health Impacts

Moreover, human health is a central theme, with a dedicated objective to investigate the impact of soya-derived protein diets on the human gut microbiome. The project aims to provide microbiome-informed dietary recommendations, contributing valuable insights to the intersection of nutrition and microbiology.