HORIZON EUROPA SPOILCONTROL Project: Improving the quality and safety of fermented beverages through the management and control of spoilage microorganisms.
- Type Project
- Status Firmado
- Execution 2025 -2029
- Assigned Budget 3.974.796,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Main source of financing Horizonte Europa 2021-2027
- Project website https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101168618
With the global transition toward sustainability in the context of climate change, the demand for renewable alternatives to oil has reached an all-time high. Wood, a cornerstone of diverse industries, from construction to energy, faces growing demand due to policies promoting its use for energy generation. However, this increase threatens natural forests, leading to an increase in monoculture plantations and biodiversity loss.
Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program, the LigMo project emerges as a pioneering initiative. By introducing lignin biosynthetic genes into fast-growing moss species, such as Physcomitrium patens, LigMo seeks to develop innovative biomaterials that can reduce dependence on traditional wood sources and alleviate pressure on natural ecosystems.
SpoilControl will train the next generation of versatile researchers in the field of sustainable fermentation technologies, capable of addressing current and future challenges posed by microbial spoilage and improving the quality and safety of fermented beverages. Europe is the historical leader in fermented beverages, whose competitiveness is under intense challenge. Microbial spoilage in fermented foods is a growing concern from a financial (economic losses) and health perspective (increasing presence of pathogens, especially in non-homemade or artisanal production).
These quality and safety issues are amplified by social and environmental changes: consumer trends toward low-input products, sustainable practices, small-scale production, and climate change are associated with increased risks of microbial spoilage.
Furthermore, the fermentation sector sorely lacks a comprehensive framework and capacity across beverages, resulting in duplication of efforts and investment splits. SpoilControl will develop an original strategy based on multiple beverages (wine, spirits, beer, cider, kombucha, kefir), multiple disciplines (from environmental and life sciences to engineering and economics), and multiple solutions (development of sustainable biological, chemical, and physical treatments).
The consortium covers the entire fermentation chain, from fermentation to glass, with 34 partners, including universities, SMEs, large corporations, innovation clusters, startups, analytical laboratories, technical institutes, and homebrewer groups. SpoilControl will have multiple impacts: on a scientific level, the study of unconventional microbial species will be useful beyond the fermentation sector; on a societal level, SpoilControl will raise public awareness of safety issues in fermented foods and promote best practices for all end-users (industrial and consumer); the development of innovative solutions and treatments will have an immediate and long-term economic impact.
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