HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-FARM2FORK-16

The increasing diversity of global food systems, in the context of climate change, population growth, and evolving consumer demands, has resulted in a heightened vulnerability to food safety risks. Consequently, the development of resilience within food systems is pivotal to safeguarding public health, ensuring food security, and maintaining consumer trust. Technological solutions offer powerful tools with which to enhance resilience by enabling more proactive, precise, and adaptive responses to emerging and persistent food safety challenges. This approach encompasses the implementation of advanced diagnostics, real-time monitoring sensors, blockchain-based traceability mechanisms, predictive analytics, and smart packaging. These elements collectively contribute to the enhancement of early detection, prompt response, and optimised risk management. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into surveillance systems has the capacity to identify patterns and forecast potential outbreaks. In addition, biotechnology innovations, including microbial starters and bacteriophage treatments, have the potential to reduce pathogen loads in food products.