"The Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry will actively participate in all tasks of the project, with our major input focusing on the study of microbial cultures to replace synthetic chemical preservatives and the development of new packaging solutions, a working group that will be coordinated by us," explains Paula Teixeira, the project's principal investigator in Portugal and a member of the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry.

It is estimated that 20% of food produced in the European Union for human consumption is currently lost or wasted. In parallel, the manufacturing, processing, retailing, packaging, and transportation of these foods significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as air, soil, and water pollution, and exert pressure on land use. Based on these premises, the new European research project "Orchestrating Food System Microbiomes to Minimize Food Waste" is born, of which the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry at the Faculty of Biotechnology, Universidade Católica Portuguesa are part of. In total, there are 18 partners, both public and private, from nine European countries.

"The Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry will actively participate in all tasks of the project, with our major input focusing on the study of microbial cultures to replace synthetic chemical preservatives and the development of new packaging solutions, a working group that will be coordinated by us," explains Paula Teixeira, the project's principal investigator in Portugal and a member of the Center for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry.