TECH4PATH

D.D. del MUR n. 104 del 02/02/2022

CUP: 2022YB8ABM

Coordinatore di progetto: Unibo

Ruolo UNIBO: PI

Sostegno finanziario UE: 127.193,00 €

Ambiti di ricerca: Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari, Microbiologia Agroalimentare e degli Alimenti

Responsabile Scientifico: Silvia Tappi

Durata: 12/10/2023 - 11/10/2025

Gruppo di ricerca: Silvia Tappi, Pietro Rocculi, Marco Dalla Rosa, Junior Molina Hernandez.

Objectives and Purposes

The general objective of the TECH4PATH project is to promote the increase of food chain safety through the process optimization of non-thermal technologies for the decontamination of fruit and vegetable food products from emerging safety hazards.

In particular, among the specific objectives, the project aims to:

• Define the process parameters for the decontamination of food products with each proposed technology and for each type of pathogen considered;

• Increase the shelf life of food products and reduce food loss and waste;

• Characterize the environmental sustainability of the proposed technological solutions;

• Communicate the project results to the general public to increase people's trust in innovative food technologies and disseminate the results as seeds for new business applications.

Expected results

The following results are expected to be obtained from the TECH4PATH project activities:

• Increased knowledge on the investigated safety hazards, which are still poorly known, and on the possible control measures, also allowing to suggest updates of the relevant legislation;

• Optimized process protocols aimed at decontamination based on the peculiar characteristics of the treated products;

• Increased knowledge and possible reduction of the environmental impact related to the production of safe processed plant products.

Results achieved

For each of the proposed technologies, different processing parameters were applied and evaluated for the decontamination of specific pathogens. In particular, fruit and vegetable products were artificially inoculated with the selected pathogens and subsequently treated with different cold plasma configurations or high hydrostatic pressure, while varying the main processing parameters.

By combining the inactivation results with the observed effects on product quality and nutritional properties, the optimal processing conditions were identified for each technology–product combination.

The application of the proposed emerging technologies made it possible to achieve different levels of inactivation of the selected pathogens, depending on the processing parameters adopted and the food matrix considered. These results represent an important contribution to improving the safety of fruit and vegetable products and, in some cases, constitute the first assessment of decontamination efficacy in real food products.

The shelf life of fruit and vegetable products treated under the optimized CP and HHP protocols was assessed. The results demonstrated a significant extension of shelf life, together with a substantial improvement in product quality. These findings may facilitate the acceptance of the proposed technologies at both industrial and consumer levels. In addition, the extension of product shelf life represents an important contribution to the reduction of food loss and waste.

A complete Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed for the proposed technologies, taking into account the associated shelf life of the treated products and comparing the results with those of conventional processing methods commonly adopted by industry. The analysis provided relevant information on the main environmental sustainability indicators of the proposed technologies and, particularly in the case of CP, represents, to the best of our knowledge, one of the first attempts of this kind. These results may provide valuable support for the future industrial implementation of the proposed technologies.

The project outcomes were disseminated and communicated through a range of activities, including the creation of a project logo, the development of a dedicated project website, the presentation of the project objectives and main results at national and international conferences, participation in national fairs through a dedicated stand, and presentations delivered at workshops.

The results obtained within the project have contributed to advancing knowledge on the potential of non-thermal technologies for food decontamination, offering valuable opportunities to extend their application beyond conventional microbial control and to promote their adoption within the food supply chain, in line with SDG 9, “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.” In addition, TECH4PATH may support the development of more robust food safety regulatory frameworks by providing scientific evidence on possible strategies to prevent foodborne diseases associated with new and emerging food safety risks.