ALLIANCE

EuroFIR has been working closely with partners to refine the logistics for upcoming use case demonstrations focused on PGO and PDO high-value products. Building on previous efforts, the team has been addressing information gaps through a series of dedicated meetings with each use case. These discussions have provided critical updates and clarified key aspects for validation processes, stakeholder engagement, technical training, data handling, scaling strategies, risk management, and documentation. We expect to complete D4.2 by the summer, allowing sufficient time for partners to prepare related  deliverables and ensure alignment with innovation management, market analysis, and the commercial roadmap. Key insights will be shared by Hana Mušinović during the upcoming ALLIANCE Consortium Meeting, taking place in Arilje, Serbia, on 21–22 May 2025.

WATSON

Since the beginning of the year, EuroFIR has focused on adapting a draft questionnaire for food authorities specifically to evaluate the pilot demonstrations from an end-user acceptance perspective. In parallel, EuroFIR has contributed to exploitation strategies for WATSON results, specifically developing business model canvases for each use case to support future sustainability and commercial viability. Most recently, Hana Mušinović and Marion Buso represented EuroFIR at the WATSON General Assembly in Porto (28–30 April 2025), where project updates, inter-project synergies, and upcoming plans were discussed (despite the power outage across the country). A highlight of the meeting was a visit to the Portuguese vineyard involved in one of the WATSON pilot studies—a timely and tangible example of project implementation in action.

In February, WATSON hosted a joint Cluster Webinar on “Traceability and Verification in Food Supply Chains”, in collaboration with ALLIANCE, FishEUTrust, and other EU-funded initiatives. This event highlighted emerging technologies designed to strengthen trust and transparency in food systems.

FishEUTrust

EuroFIR and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have been working together to apply the health nutritional index (HENI) to seafood. Using food composition data available in EuroFIR’s FoodEXplorer, the DTU team has calculated the nutritional health impacts of 70 fish species. This will contribute to the assessment of disease burden by examining the relationship between fish consumption and mortality risk. The now updated SEAFOOD^TOMORROW dataset will be added to FoodEXplorer, offering valuable insights for users particularly interested in seafood data. In parallel, Belit has initiated work on integrating these data with the FishEUTrust (FEUT) Platform, aiming to streamline access to high-quality food data across both systems.

In recognition of its innovative work, FishEUTrust has been invited to participate in the upcoming European Commission event “R&I for a Competitive Green Transition”, organised by DG RTD and taking place on 23–24 June 2025 in Brussels. The project will be featured in the exhibition area, showcasing its contributions to sustainable, transparent food systems.

EUOpenFood

Following successful revisions to guidelines for the collection, storage, and maintenance of the EU Food Composition Database, this deliverable completed Phase 1. This milestone means implementation of technical solutions for a pilot version of the EU FCDB can begin. Upcoming meetings will focus on data transmission and responsibilities for data submission. The aim is for three organisations using different compiler systems—FoodCASE, FoodExplorer, and DAP—to participate in the pilot stage, helping to ensure that the approach is robust, interoperable, and ready for broader deployment.

Zero Hidden Hunger EU

Since the first data management plan (DMP) was submitted in June 2024 (D9.1), EuroFIR has continued search for additional information describing digital objects (data, code, databases, etc.) entering the project. Subsequently, the focus will shift to digital objects generated by the project. EuroFIR is also working with the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) to identify EU policies and legal instruments addressing micronutrient deficiencies.

March 2025 was eventful month with EuroFIR team (Siân Astley, Paul Finglas and Marion Buso) attending an intense but very productive General Assembly in Lyon (FR) and, then, Marion Buso, together with partners from University College Cork and EUFIC – European Food Information Council, attended the 2025 Village of Solutions: Nutrition for Growth (N4G) in Paris (FR). N4G Summit is a major international event dedicated to driving political and financial commitments to combat malnutrition that is bringing together key stakeholders from various sectors to present innovative and practical solutions for improving nutrition and building sustainable food systems.

VeriFish: Building tools for transparent communication about seafood

VeriFish continues to make strong progress in delivering a verifiable, FAIR data-driven framework to communicate sustainability in seafood. At the heart of recent activities was finalisation of the indicator framework—a comprehensive, three-pillar system assessing environmental, nutrition and health, and socio-economic performance in both capture fisheries and aquaculture. The indicator set now includes 84 indicators supported by over 35 robust data sources, many of which are being integrated into the evolving VeriFish knowledgebase (KB). Built on the Global Record of Stocks and Fisheries (GRSF), the knowledgebase is enriched with semantic links to additional datasets including FishBase, IUCN Red List, and FoodEXplorer. This infrastructure provides the foundation for upcoming tools such as the web application, factsheets, and scoring systems tailored for multiple stakeholder groups. In parallel, a suite of white-labelled media products is being prototyped, including games, calendars, educational posters, and interactive maps—all designed to raise awareness and improve understanding of seafood sustainability. These materials, based on the same indicator content, target retailers, food outlets, consumers, and educators, enabling broad reuse and localisation across regions and languages. Finally, in preparation for a CEN Workshop Agreement, VeriFish has issued its initial good practice recommendations for seafood communication. These are grounded in behavioural insights and segmentation strategies, helping seafood actors more effectively engage consumers with scientifically sound and culturally relevant messaging.

WASTELESS: Milestone in tackling food loss and waste

On 7th May 2025, the WASTELESS consortium came together for its 6th General Assembly to assess progress and align next steps in the mission to reduce food loss and waste (FLW) across Europe. The meeting, held online, brought together partners from research, technology, policy, and practice to share updates on all work packages and strengthen collaboration across the project’s interdisciplinary framework and was opened by project coordinator Ana Barros (UTAD – PT), who outlined key achievements to date. EuroFIR contributed with a presentation on WP4 – Data collection, management, and integration, highlighting the foundational role of robust, interoperable datasets in enabling accurate FLW measurement and effective intervention design. This WP is supported by both JSI (SI) and SDU (DK). A key highlight from WP5 – Strategic actions for FLW reduction was the continued development of FoodWasteEXplorer, a unique tool supporting valorisation of common EU food waste streams, originally developed under REFRESH (Grant Agreement No. 641933). Led by EuroFIR with partners including JSI, WIISE, CTIC CITA, and WBF-AGROSCOPE, our aim is to expand the dataset covering nutrients, bioactives, and toxicants in food waste and side streams as well as potential valorisation pathways. Updates from across the consortium also showcased advances in digital tool development (WP2), case study implementation (WP3), and the emerging systemic toolbox (WP6) that will support replication and scale-up. Stakeholder engagement and communication efforts (WP7) – supported by EuroFIR – reinforces the ambition to deliver real-world impact.

Data4Food2030: Shaping a Fair and Inclusive Data Economy for Food Systems

At the recent EuroFIR Food Forum, Ella Deroo (ILVO – BE) presented an engaging overview of the Data4Food2030—an ambitious Horizon Europe initiative working to define, monitor, and advance the data economy in agri-food systems. With 24 partners across 12 countries, the project takes a systemic approach to understanding how data is shared, valued, and used across the food chain. Ella emphasised that data sharing remains challenging for the agri-food sectors, where uncertainty about ownership, privacy, and value generation often hinders collaboration and innovation. More specifically, Data4Food2030 is developing a monitoring system to track development, performance, and impact of the data economy. It also seeks to identify barriers and drivers, providing evidence-based recommendations and future scenarios for policymakers and stakeholders. Importantly, the project now hosts a live monitoring platform, offering valuable insights into trends, gaps, and opportunities in digitalisation across Europe’s food system.

FlavourFerm: Driving communication, engagement, and regulatory insight

EuroFIR is responsible for guiding dissemination, exploitation, and stakeholder engagement in FlavourFerm. Our work will help ensure that scientific outputs and innovations—ranging from fermentation processes to regulatory insights—are clearly communicated and accessible to key audiences across research, industry, and policy sectors. We have developed and are managing a rolling Dissemination, Communication, and Engagement Plan (DCEP), which includes a framework for tailored messaging, stakeholder mapping, and a dynamic suite of outreach tools such as infographics, videos, and coordinated social media campaigns. We have also launched the project website, which serves as the central hub for project visibility, updates, and public engagement, and Zenodo Community. In parallel, we are also leading development of the FlavourFerm Toolkit for Novel Fermented Foods, a modular, interactive resource aimed at SMEs, researchers, and innovators, which will be informed by a regulatory frameworks review (T2.4). Using the Diátaxis framework, the toolkit will offer practical guidance on regulatory compliance, market entry, IP strategy, and data management. It is informed by expert input (Javier de la Cueva, Luca Buchinni – Hylobytes, IT, and Clare Mills – University of Surrey, UK – 10^th April 2025) and tested through stakeholder workshops later in the project to ensure relevance and usability. Through these efforts, we are helping to maximise FlavourFerm’s visibility, facilitate knowledge transfer, and support the uptake of innovations across the food system.