Present in all European diets, fermented foods (FF) hold a strategic place due to the benefits they offer in terms of nutrition, sustainability, innovation, cultural heritage and consumer interest. The potential of FF for improving human health but also driving food innovation and local production in the next decades has become highly relevant. The challenge is therefore to federate the scientific community and other key stakeholders working on FF.
We want to collectively advance scientific evidence of their health benefits, building a benefits/risk approach in order to promote multi-modal innovation and respond to the expectations of different European communities.
The long-term goal of PIMENTO is to place Europe at the spearhead of innovation on microbial foods, promoting health, regional diversity, local production at different scales.
Major outputs
• Cartography of Fermented Foods in the diet of COST Countries
• European Fermented Foods Frequency questionnaire (FFFQ)
• Health benefits and risks of fermented foods
• Federating scientists and producers of Fermented Foods to boost innovation for society
• Survey on the bottlenecks for innovation in the field of Fermented Foods and starters dedicated to companies and the private sector
• Position paper on the needs of the food industry with recommendations from an European cluster of Fermented Foods companies.