ALLIANCE

In the consortium meeting in Gijón (ES), EuroFIR delivered presentations on the progress uses case scenarios, planning and preparation (T4.1) and innovation management, market analysis and commercial roadmap (T5.3). Gaps and needs of were discussed, particularly risk management, detailed timelines for delivery, documentation, validation, stakeholder engagement, and scaling plans. Business model canvases are being used with use case leaders and the tool developers, to tease-out details, establishing what the demonstrators will look like and how these can be exploited either in research or commercial environments after the project finishes.

WATSON

In the recent general assembly (12.11.2024), WATSON partners discussed project developments and progress during the first 18 months. The pilot design methodologies have been fully developed, which has allowed WATSON to meet its milestones. In addition, participation in 52 events across the EU, including scientific conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and policy meetings, has ensured a solid foundation for future communication and dissemination activities. EuroFIR continues to support efforts to address data privacy and legal requirements in collaboration with DBC Europe. Other highlights include the decision of JRC to join the project, and the synergies with five other European projects including ALLIANCE and FISHEUTRUST, leading to the engagement of more than 90000 stakeholders. The next phase includes validation campaigns and stakeholder feedbacl to test the WATSON framework across multiple food chain sectors.

FishEUTrust

The consortium met in Olhão (PT, 4-6^th November 2024) for the project meeting, a cross-pollination workshop, and technological demonstration sessions. Having been asked by the coordinator, Nives Ogrinc (JSI, SI) to “make it fun”, Siân Astley explored issues of gender, specifically how meetings impact caring responsibilities, especially with weekend travel, whether fish sex matter in – for example – palatability or management of fisheries, and if women are under-represented in the various aspects of fisheries or aquaculture covered by FISHEUTRUST. More than three-quarter of participants have caring responsibilities (children, older adults, furry friends) and most had to travel at the weekend, necessitating alternative arrangements for care or other roles (e.g., volunteering), factors that should be considered when organising meetings. The matter of fish sex and whether we know enough and if it should be considered more in research stimulated much discussion, as did representation of women in different aquafood sectors. These issues will be further explored to inform the project gender action plan (M48). EuroFIR is continuing work with JSI (SI) on adapting SEAFOODTOMORROW benchmark tool for FishEUTrust.

EUOpenFood

Version 2 of D1.6 Draft Guidance for Collection, Storage, and Maintenance of the EU FCDB has been submitted to EFSA following initial feedback. This deliverable delivers a roadmap for managing and updating the European EU FCDB, offering practical and technical solutions for creating and maintaining an open access database that is not only comprehensive but also of the highest quality with regularly updated. The deliverable emphasises the importance of sustaining a harmonised and accessible resource for food, nutrition, and health research across Europe. Key recommendations include guidelines for submitting and accessing data, handling missing values, and ensuring data quality through standardised analytical and recipe calculation methods are thoroughly covered; growing importance of detailed information about fortified foods and supplements; adoption of a key food approach; and accurate recipe calculations and appropriate retention and yield factors. Through continued collaboration, standardisation, and harmonisation, these recommendations aim to create a powerful resource for policy development, risk assessments, and research.

Zero Hidden Hunger EU

In partnership with EFSA, in October, IMR (RS) and EuroFIR hosted an immersive workshop designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the FoodEx2 system. This two-day workshop was an excellent opportunity for those working with food composition data in either Zero Hidden Hunger EU (WP3) or EUOpenFood to enhance their coding skills and better understand the role of FoodEx2 in amongst other things dietary exposure assessments. Anastasia Livaniou (EFSA) opened with an introduction to the basics of FoodEx2 coding, explaining why EFSA uses this system. Krystalia Niforou (EFSA) guided participants through the structure and usage of RPCs (raw primary commodities), with practical exercises for hands-on learning. Day 1 ended with coding branded foods and some of the different challenges, presented by Stephania Xanthopoulou, AUA (EL). Day 2 explored coding of complex foods and composite dishes, supplements, and fortified foods, led by Jelena Milešević from IMR (RS), focusing on managing multiple processes, derivatives, and ingredient selection to capture complex product characteristics accurately. Videos from the different sessions have been uploaded to the EuroFIR SharePoint. Anyone who wants access should contact [email protected]

VeriFish

Imagine stepping into a seafood market, armed with information about the journey of every product you might buy—not just where it was caught, but how it was caught, its environmental footprint, and nutritional profile. This is what VeriFish is striving to achieve with its sustainability indicator framework, and EuroFIR has been working on definitions underpinning the framework for fisheries, aquaculture, and nutrition. One of the biggest hurdles was standardising indicators across different contexts, whether coastal fishing or industrial fish farms, but core indicators have now been agreed. The VeriFish framework is more than just numbers and metrics. It is about enabling actors in the food chain and creating trust between consumers and the aquafood industries, making aquafood choices easier and more meaningful for everyone. The framework will be used in a prototype web app that could allow users to scan products and instantly access its “sustainability scorecard”, and indeed that will be the next task, developing a scoring system for the indicators that can be readily visualised.

WASTELESS

EuroFIR is actively engaged in WP7, which includes regular posts on the project’s social media channels, keeping stakeholders informed about key developments and events. Our efforts help ensure that WASTELESS’s progress and findings are accessible to a wide audience, from industry professionals to policymakers.

The project hosts Monthly Café Talks- a series of meetings aimed to foster a dialogue on food loss and waste (FLW) measurement, monitoring, and valorisation. These online sessions encourage active exchanges of best practices and ideas between all actors in the food value chain, including producers, consumers, researchers, and policymakers. Experts share insights on challenges, achievements, and emerging solutions, while engaging with participants’ questions and feedback.

You can catch up on all six sessions held so far

In parallel, EuroFIR is contributing to the exploitation of EU food loss and waste (FLW) streams via FoodWasteEXplorer (Task 5.5)- an online tool for exploring food waste composition data. EuroFIR is working on improving the platform by adding valorisation data for different waste streams. The goal is to not only provide users with information on the nutrients and bioactives found in various waste streams, but also to explore their potential for reuse in sustainable applications, such as food ingredients, biofuels, and natural fertilisers.

We have made significant progress by adding valorisation data for all prioritised food waste streams and are now expanding this work to include non-prioritised streams and additional information emerging from the project. This ongoing effort supports the development of circular economy solutions for food waste across Europe.

Data4Food2030

EuroFIR made significant progress in its dissemination activities, having recently completed the development and sharing of infographics for all case studies across our social media channels. These infographics provide clear visual summaries of the project’s work and goals, making it easier to understand the value of data in the agri-food sector. While dissemination activities are ongoing, the infographics serve as a key tool in helping explain how data can drive innovation and create value across the food sector.

Annual Consortium Meeting and Synergy Days 2024

In October, we participated in the annual Consortium Meeting in Barcelona, following the successful Synergy Days 2024 event. The meeting brought together project partners for discussions on key updates, future plans, and milestone celebrations, further strengthening collaboration and driving the project forward.

Synergy Days 2024 brought together 40 European research projects and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), with 400 participants from the agri-food sector. With the theme “Connecting Communities,” the event showcased the transformative work happening in the sector through workshops, pitches, and plenary sessions, highlighting the role of digital innovation in the food industry.