Fedkito - FrEsh fooD sustainable pacKaging In The circular ecOnomy

The general objectives of FEDKITO are to: develop innovative strategies for fresh food pest and pathogens control at the post-harvest and storage stages, targeting key species for each of the products considered, such as Ceratitis capitata (Diptera Tephritidae) and Drosophila suzukii (Diptera Drosophilidae) for fresh fruits, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) for vegetables, Calliphora vomitoria and Lucilia sericata (Diptera Calliphoridae) for meat and Piophila casei (Diptera Piophilidae) for dairy products. As far as fungal pathogens concern, Penicillum spp., including the mycotoxin-producer P. expansum, will be included as target; create innovative packaging materials that will prevent attack from insect pests and fungal pathogens of fresh food by means of chitosan added with natural compounds such as plant essential oils, improved by low-cost biosensor technology that will monitor mycotoxins, pesticides, residues and various food quality characteristics; implement market-oriented new technical solutions with industrial relevance, that will promote advances in food security during fresh food processing and storage; establish new protocols for fresh food processing, storage, and trade; recycle waste and by-products of main production system by insect rearing to produce chitosan according to the circular economy criteria; evaluate the impact of the new technology on the nutritional and sensory attributes of fresh food