Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Further research is necessary to determine how the structural characteristics of plant-based foods deliver health benefits in modulating digestibility and in improving bioavailability of nutrients and how the physical structure may be modified by processing.
A food systems’ transformation is needed with a shift towards more healthy, safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable food for all, coupled with a respective change in the food production, distribution and consumption involving all the actors of the food chain.
A move to a plant-based diet with less red and processed meat, less salt, sugars, saturated and trans fats and additives, with more whole-grain cereals, fruit and vegetables, legumes and nuts, as well as processing efficiency and reduced losses and wastage along the food supply chains is needed.
This topic is focused on new healthy and sustainable food products and processes.
Detailed Call Description
Proposals are expected to address the following R&I activities:
- Develop and optimise new efficient methods/processes to reduce costs (e.g. energy, water, food raw materials) and impact on the environment to produce minimally processed functional food ingredients and food products and assess their nutritional, sensorial, structural and functional properties to enhance health and well-being, including the values provided by the plant/produce microbiome for nutritional qualities and its effects on the human gut microbiome.
- Develop new healthy, sustainable, diversified, minimally processed, reformulated, tasty and affordable food products and assess their nutritional, structural, sensorial and functional properties to enhance health and well-being and to improve nutrition status.
- Demonstrate the safety of the developed food products in accordance with relevant EU regulatory frameworks related to their placing on the market, and generate relevant data for pre-market authorisation,
- Investigate, assess and develop improved predictive realistic models for quantifying effects on human health (risks/benefits) of processing and food ingredients (and/or mixture of them).
- Study and optimise the role of the food matrix structure to make specific ingredients available or not (in case of caloric control) to our digestive system to reach the desired health effects/to combat non-communicable (NCDs).
- Ensure societal acceptance and the consumer buy in of new food products and processes in involving consumer at all stage of the product development process.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
EU Contribution per project: €5.00 million
Thematic Categories
- Agriculture - Food
- Environment and Climate Change
- Other Thematic Category
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Consumer Organisations
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
Proposals must implement the ‘multi-actor approach’ and ensure adequate involvement of academia, research-technology organizations, food businesses and other relevant actors of the value chain and take into account sex and gender analysis.
Proposals could consider cooperation with of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) research infrastructures (Nanobiotechnology laboratory) and its expertise at the interface between the research activities and regulatory aspects.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Marcia Trillidou
Scientific Officer A’
Email: trillidou@research.org.cy
Dr. Mary Economou
Scientific Officer
Email: meconomou@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact