ABOUT US

MED Food TTHubs is a PRIMA project that seeks to support the implementation of full-path tracing practices through the whole distribution channel from seed to shelf in order to achieve safer and more sustainable Mediterranean food products for people all around the world. Aiming to implement full transparency concerning the traceability and authenticity in the food supply sector, MED Food TTHubs taps into cutting edge technologies and “Internet of Things” (IoT) solutions and builds on standardised approaches to food production processes and location identification, transparent monitoring procedures and innovative business partnerships. Therefore, MED Food TTHubs establishes and operates seven pilot Trace & Trust Hubs forming a transnational network playing the role of a one-stop-shop for traceability and authenticity for “added value” Mediterranean food products.

For more information please visit full project website

Period of Implementation

Apr 1, 2020 - Mar 31, 2023
Total Budget

EUR 1,519,000.00

OUR IMPACT

Goals

In South Mediterranean countries the vast majority of the units are small or very small enterprises who struggle to access funding institutions and rarely meet their requirements for loans, preventing them from investing in new and more efficient technologies. One of the main goals of the project is the development and validation of new tailored technologies, mainly focusing on quality and safety in order to comply with international quality standards and promote their commercialization both at national and international level. More specifically, the innovative tailored solutions will aim to minimize the lack of trust in Mediterranean food products, as well as to increase the overall quality of Mediterranean food products for enlarging the market they are able to reach according to new guaranteed high-quality and safety standards. More smallholders and SMEs will be able to adapt their current production facilities to the new model, wider will be the impact. Where the export of Mediterranean food products is mainly currently prerogative of large industrial groups which have the baseline to reach it, through the project's new solutions we expect the full implementation of an export system after the end of the project also by smaller entrepreneurs increasing their competitiveness on the market.

Objectives

The project will focus on Mediterranean food products as key points in the reform of tracing and authenticity procedures of traditional Mediterranean foods, adding value to high quality food products by providing documented traceability of the whole “seed-to-shelf” supply chain, through proofs of authenticity for final products and ingredients and including detailed information on the nutritional profile of the product. Therefore, the aim of the Med Food TTHubs is i) the establishment and ii) the pilot operation of seven Trace & Trust Hubs, which will form a permanent transnational network playing the role of a one-stop-shop for traceability and authenticity for ‘added value’ Mediterranean food products in each of the countries involved.

Problems and Needs Analysis

Listening to the needs of consumers and international markets, the conditions in the business environment have matured to incorporate traceability processes across the whole chain in the food sector beyond the regulatory requirements. To this end, the supply chain of food products must systematize a comprehensive tracing process of the entire chain, together with the need to balance between legislative requirements and the implementation of proven good business supply chain management practice at international level. One important aspect of traceability is the authentication of the species used as well as the authentication of the origin of ingredients. Genetic and genomic approaches along with isotope analysis can ensure a sufficient and documented authentication and traceability of agricultural products from seed to shelf as well as the detection of any adulteration. These approaches not only secure the production chain but at the same time could reveal any fraud and adulteration of any agricultural product. This is considered as extremely important for high added value products while through these approaches can also contribute towards a higher value of the selected products.

Intervention Strategy(ies)

Seven Trace & Trust Hubs will be established in the participating countries bringing together various actors belonging to services providers and services requesters/users. The seven Hubs will form a transnational network, which will play the role of a one-stop-shop for traceability and authenticity for Mediterranean food in each country. By following a “many-to-many” model, the Med Food TTHubs will connect: - Specialised laboratories, which can validate the authenticity and the trace of a food product - Competence Centres, which will provide know-how, R&D services for applied innovations in food traceability - Other EU projects and infrastructures working in the same field certification - Technology Providers, which will provide state-of-the-art solutions in various fields such as Internet of Things, Blockchain, Non-destructive testing - Consultants, which will facilitate the application of innovative approaches concerning cultivation, postharvest, food processing, packaging and logistics - Quality Auditors, which will certify quality assurance programs at farms, packing houses, processing facilities, logistic companies - Governmental Authorities and certification bodies, which will act as auditors and regulators of the supply chain - Users of the specialised services in LVC (e.g. producers, cooperatives, SMAEs, food processor companies,

Impact Pathway

The protocols that will be developed under Med Food TTHubs and the usage of the e-Platform will actively support the food industry in addressing both the demand for food security and food origin. The medium to long term expected impact of Med Food TTHubs can be summarised as: (i) Increasing companies’ interest in food safety and sustainable development. (ii) Promoting the usage of quality and authentication certificates for raw materials as a competitive advantage (iii) Providing full transparency and documentation for the origin of the products and their overall characteristics. (iv) Providing access to information concerning the production processes and the transport. (v) Supporting end-to-end tracking with GS1 standards for more effective re-call management. (vi) Utilization of information on best practices for their integration into the marketing of the company's products and for improving companies’ reputation. (vii) Fully documented coverage of even the most stringent requirements of major retailers abroad as well as food safety legislation. Companies will therefore increase their consumer’s share and increase their revenues

NEWS & EVENTS