As the end of the project is fast approaching (31st October 2025) and EuroFIR has been particularly busy working on assessment of the use case scenarios and business development pathways. Following the consortium meeting (Arilje, RS – 21st–22nd May 2025), where Hana Mušinović shared key insights, EuroFIR has continued addressing information gaps related to the logistics of each use case focusing on different PGO and PDO high-value products. We aim to complete this work over the summer, ensuring alignment with innovation management, market analysis, and the commercial roadmap. Updated business model canvases and insights collected at each demonstration will inform IP and innovation management as well as commercial roadmap and impact assessments. The project final event and a policy workshop have been confirmed for Brussels on 7-8th October 2025.

As part of WATSON, EuroFIR has stepped up efforts supporting development of a comprehensive plan to evaluate pilot studies. These pilots will test both the methodological framework and systemic innovations developed during the project, with a focus on gathering outcomes and actionable feedback. Working closely with other partners, EuroFIR is analysing responses from end-user acceptance questionnaires—particularly those targeting food authorities. These insights will help assess the relevance, usability, and impact of the pilot solutions from the perspective of those who may ultimately implement or regulate them.

Looking ahead, the WATSON General Assembly and final event are now confirmed for Brussels on 26–27th November 2025, marking a key opportunity to showcase results and engage stakeholders in shaping the future of food safety innovation in Europe.

EuroFIR, in collaboration with DTU (DK) has contributed to application of health nutritional index (HENI) to seafood. Using a highly curated dataset focused on fish, the DTU team assessed nutritional health impact for 70 fish species. These results support disease burden estimation by linking fish consumption to mortality risk, providing valuable insights for nutrition and public health policy.

FishEUTrust was also featured prominently at the European Commission’s “R&I for a Competitive Green Transition” conference in Brussels (23rd–24th June 2025), having been selected as one of only 15 projects—out of more than 150 applicants—invited to present. FishEUTrust drew particular interest from Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, recognising the project’s contribution to sustainable food systems and consumer trust.

With Phase 1 of the EFSA EU Food Composition Database (EU FCDB) project successfully completed, partners have now begun implementing technical solutions for the pilot database. A dedicated consortium meeting in May focused on presenting and refining the Data Transmission Schema, covering key aspects of food composition data submission, validation, and workflow integration.

Since then, efforts have shifted toward defining the technical specifications and partner responsibilities required to enable seamless data transfer to the EFSA system. The pilot phase will involve three organisations using distinct compiler platforms—FoodCASE, FoodEXplorer, and DAP—ensuring the interoperability and robustness of the solution across different national and institutional systems. This pilot is a critical step towards establishing a unified, scalable, and harmonised EU-wide food composition database.

Since submitting the first Data Management Plan (D9.1) in June 2024, EuroFIR has continued efforts to enhance documentation of the digital objects—data, code, and databases—used or generated within Zero Hidden Hunger. This includes reaching out to partners to ensure inputs are accurately described and properly catalogued for future use and transparency.

Led by the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), EuroFIR has also contributed to a comprehensive review of EU policies and legal instruments related to micronutrient deficiencies. The associated search protocol is finalised and pending publication, marking a key step in aligning scientific outcomes with policy impact.

In support of stakeholder engagement, partners participated in a dedicated online demo of the Crowdhelix platform, with a spotlight on the Micronutrient Nutrition Helix. This virtual ecosystem is designed to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange around the project’s core themes. The session helped consortium members familiarise themselves with the platform and explore how it can support outreach and dissemination moving forward.

VeriFish consortium advances CWA and readies for first review

From 24–26th June 2025, the VeriFish consortium gathered in Copenhagen (DK) for a three-day meeting focused on final preparations for the RP1 review and the official launch of the CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) initiative. With partners and advisory board members attending in person and online, the meeting marked a major milestone in progress. The event opened with the CWA kick-off, where participants discussed how to translate VeriFish activities into European good practice recommendations for communicating sustainability of seafood. Discussions focused on audience segmentation, marketing language, label credibility, and how to address price sensitivity, legal compliance, and the inclusion of new seafood types such as algae and small pelagics. Chefs and fishmongers were also identified as crucial communication actors, alongside consumers. The consortium then turned its attention to internal matters, including a rehearsal of the upcoming RP1 review and working sessions on the indicator framework, scoring system, web app development, and media products (e.g., card game, posters, etc.). Updates were also shared on upcoming campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and key deliverables such as the seafood recipe book for children – led by EuroFIR – and a final dissemination event in 2026 in Brussels (BE). The meeting confirmed alignment across tasks and set a clear path towards finalising the CWA, strengthening stakeholder outreach, and enhancing impact on responsible seafood consumption.

FoodWasteEXplorer: Expanding and strengthening data on food side streams

FoodWasteEXplorer www.foodwasteexplorer.eu is getting an upgrade. As part of our ongoing activates within WASTELESS project, we aim to enrich the FoodWasteEXplorer database with new information on the composition and potential valorisation of food by-products and side streams—both data already in the database and new materials under consideration in WASTELESS, such as pruning firewood, stems and wine lees, and spent mushroom substrate. We have also cross-checked existing data with previously collected datasets from REFRESH (GA no. 101096858) to determine which values were integrated, which were left out, and assess whether remaining datasets can now be added. We are also examining the original REFRESH data sources and verifying references to ensure traceability and quality. Recently, we have been working to understand how data were originally found and extracted and exploring opportunities to harmonise FoodWasteEXplorer data with other databases—particularly food composition data—to ensure consistency and usability across applications.

Unlocking the value of food data: Data Act and Data4Food2030

The EU’s Data Act [Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 – 12th September 2025] is reshaping access to digital information across sectors, and the agri-food system is no exception. By clarifying who can use and share data generated by connected devices, the Act aims to support fairer data access, greater transparency, and innovation—whether for repairing farm machinery, improving food processing equipment, or integrating data across the food supply chain. These ambitions are echoed in Data4Food2030, which has published a series of documents on Zenodo delving into the construction of data spaces tailored for the food sector. The publications cover a wide array of topics—from innovative governance frameworks that propose clear roles and responsibilities for data stewardship, to detailed value chain mapping that traces the journey of data from production on the farm to its use in processing, distribution, and retail. They present concrete case studies, showcasing real-world applications that demonstrate how data sharing and analytics can drive improvements in efficiency, product quality, and sustainability, while also highlighting challenges and potential solutions in data interoperability and security. The next consortium meeting will 20th October 2025, attended by Paul Finglas, followed by Synergy Days 2025 (21st-22nd October 2025 – Rotterdam, NL), which offer a space to meet, debate and exchange knowledge by bringing together EU-funded projects, policy-makers, European and Digital Innovations Hubs and many more interested parties.

Bringing science and culture together: FLAVOURsome x FlavourFerm Workshop

On 4–5th June 2025, the FLAVOURsome COST Action and FlavourFerm joined forces in Brussels (BE) for a two-day hybrid workshop: Flavour Frontiers: Science, Culture, and Innovation in Fermentation. Hosted at COMET Louise, the event brought together researchers, innovators, and policymakers to explore how fermentation can help unlock the flavour potential of plant-based foods while supporting more sustainable and nutritious diets. The first day focused on the science and sensory experience of fermented foods. Talks ranged from microbial modelling and metagenomics to cultural understandings of taste and consumer acceptance. Speakers included John Leech (Teagasc – IE), Joachim Sundqvist (Umeå University – SE), and Sara R. Jaeger (Aarhus University – DK), culminating in a panel discussion on how fermentation can enhance flavour, sustainability, and nutrition in tandem. The second day turned to regulation, sustainability, and innovation. Fabrice Neiers (Université de Bourgogne – FR) highlighted the role of the oral microbiome in food choice, while Luca Bucchini (HYLO – IT) – one of EuroFIR’s Directors – addressed safety and regulatory hurdles for novel fermentation techniques. The event closed with a lively roundtable discussing next steps for shaping future food systems through interdisciplinary research, skills development, and responsible innovation. The workshop exemplified the power of collaborative research in bridging science, sensory experience, and societal needs—and confirmed the role of fermentation in the future of plant-based foods.