Quality and integrity in food: A challenge for chain communication and research (Transparent Food)
The core relevance of transparency as a critical success factor and the need for the delivery of appropriate support by research has been emphasized in the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of the European Technology Platform 'Food for Life' from where this proposal evolved. It utilizes its links with the European-wide network of more than 30 National Technology Platforms to link up with stakeholders of the food chain including industry, consumers, research, and sector representatives of different European countries. The complexities in reaching transparency are due to complexities in products and processes but also due to the dynamically changing open network organization of the food sector with its multitude of SMEs, its cultural diversity, its differences in expectations, its differences in the ability to serve transparency needs, and its lack of a consistent appropriate institutional infrastructure that could support coordinated initiatives towards higher levels of transparency throughout the food value chain. The project focus is on the analysis, documentation, and dissemination of our present knowledge (including from literature, expert knowledge, and best practice experiences) on transparency solutions and needs, their realization through chain communication schemes and the implementation environment required for the uptake of solutions and their success. The integration of the knowledge into a standardized general framework provides the basis for a GAP analysis that identifies a Strategic Research Agenda for future research that could have a major impact on the establishment of European transparency schemes.
Contract period:
2009 - 2011
Project code:
245003
Total budget:
995094
Coordinating Institution:
Institute for Food and Resource Economics (ILR) Details of ILR
Work package leader:
- Association for Technology and Structures in Agriculture
Details of Association for Technology and Structures in Agriculture
Feasibility and Traceability - Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry
Details of Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry
Quality and Safety - Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology
Details of Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology
Integrity and Sustainability - City University London
Details of City University London
Signals for transparency and trust - Ghent University
Details of Ghent University
Best practice and performance - Institute for Food and Resource Economics
Details of Institute for Food and Resource Economics
Integration and Coordination - Institute for Food and Resource Economics
Details of Institute for Food and Resource Economics
Exploiting and Dissemination of Results
Subprojects
Feasibility and Traceability
- European tracking and tracing backbone solution requirement analysis - Detailsof European tracking and tracing backbone solution requirement analysis
- European tracking and tracing backbone solution feasibility study - Detailsof European tracking and tracing backbone solution feasibility study
Quality and Safety
- Specification of information and information layers with relevance for food safety and quality - Detailsof Specification of information and information layers with relevance for food safety and quality
Integrity and Sustainability
- Specification of information and information layers with relevance for environmental, ethical or social concerns - Detailsof Specification of information and information layers with relevance for environmental, ethical or social concerns
Signals for transparency and trust
- Analysis and development of signals and their information base for transparency and trust - Detailsof Analysis and development of signals and their information base for transparency and trust
Best practice and performance
- Analysis, documentation and evaluation of best practice solutions implemented in enterprises with certain quality visibility - Detailsof Analysis, documentation and evaluation of best practice solutions implemented in enterprises with certain quality visibility
Integration and Coordination
- Documentation help for the analysis of production chains - Detailsof Documentation help for the analysis of production chains
Exploiting and Dissemination of Results
- Transparent Food: Exploiting and Dissemination of Results - Detailsof Transparent Food: Exploiting and Dissemination of Results