HealthFerm: Innovative pulse and cereal-based food fermentations for human health and sustainable diets

HealthFerm is a European research project investigating innovative pulse and cereal-based food fermentations together with the health effects and consumer perception of novel fermented foods.

Enable an evidence-based transition in society and industry from traditional to sustainable plant-based fermented foods and diets that deliver health benefits to consumers by design.

Main objectives are

One: To disentangle the interaction between food fermentation microbiomes, fermented grain-based foods and the human gut microbiome and their implications for human health

Two: To use generated knowledge, microbial resources and fermentation technology to develop novel foods.

Focus areas

The aim of this project are divided into the following objectives:

Objective 1: To identify, characterize and functionalise existing and novel microbial resources for Innovative foods.

A community science approach in which food fermentation microbiomes will be collected from citizens, artisans and companies in Europe and across the globe and characterised for their potential to contribute to enhanced health benefits of foods. Data will be made public in a database and repositories.
Using innovative multi-omics systems biology approaches to rationally design microbial consortia for health-focused food fermentations based on genomic, metabolic & substrate compatibility.

Objective 2: To optimize fermentation processes for grain-based (cereal, wheat and oat) and pulse (faba bean and yellow pea) raw materials and develop applicable solutions for liquid, semi-solid and solid alternatives for dairy and meat-based foods.

Using optimised novel microbial consortia for efficient incorporation of grain-based materials in foods.
Understanding and directing the chemical and matrix-related impacts of novel food fermentations.

Objective 3:To create advanced knowledge on human health-related aspects of fermented grain-based foods.

Defining gut microbiota profiles related to cardiometabolic disease and health.
Providing scientific evidence on the effects of different diets on human microbiota profiles associated with cardiometabolic health or disease.
Studying mechanisms underlying potential (cardiometabolic) health benefits related to fermented foods.

Objective 4: To facilitate the inclusion of fermented plant-based foods in the diets of European consumers.

Investigating consumer perception towards fermented foods and plant-based foods.
Identifying and mitigating barriers for increased consumption of fermented plant-based foods.

Objective 5: To interact with stakeholders on food fermentation and project findings, build and ecosystem around this, and train researchers in order to generate long-term impact.

The establishment of a Stakeholder Board, including relevant organisations and ongoing EU projects, that will be regularly informed about and involved in the project’s activities.
The organisation of a series of webinars, workshops and summer schools for training of junior and senior researchers in the different research areas of the project.
The set-up of a unique European community and ecosystem that will last beyond the project.

Social media

Healthferm:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthferm/Twitter

Collaborating companies and investors

CHR. HANSEN A/S (Denmark)

Puratos (Belgium)

Valio Ltd (Finland)

Planted Foods AG (Switzerland)

B2F – Bridge 2 Food

HGF – HealthGrain Forum

Collaborating universities and institutions

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

ETH Zurich (Switzerland)

University of Helsinki (Finland)

Umeå University (Sweden)

European Research and Project Office GmbH (Germany)

Institute of Biology Bucharest (Romania)

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy)

University of Turku (Finland)

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden)

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland)

University of Eastern Finland (Finland)

Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology) (Belgium)

Chalmers University of Technology

Institut Paul Bocuse (France)

Researchers

Internal members:

Name	Title	Phone	E-mail
Helene Christine Reinbach	Lector	+4535323414	helene.reinbach@food.ku.dk
Michael Bom Frøst	Lector	+4525747546	mbf@food.ku.dk

Name	Title	Phone	E-mail
Search in Name	Search in Title	Search in Phone

Funded by:

HealthFerm has received 13.11 mil. euro a four year funding from the European Commission.

Project: HealthFerm: Innovative pulse and cereal-based food fermentations for human health and sustainable diets

Period: 22.09.2022 - 22.09.2026 (4 years)

Contact:

Team Leader

Helene Christine Reinbach
Associate Professor

helene.reinbach@food.ku.dk

Deputy Team Leader

Michael Bom Frøst

Michael Bom Frøst
Associate Professor
mbf@food.ku.dk

External members, researchers and companies:

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)

Prof. Christophe Courtin, Professor, Coordinator of HealthFerm (LFCB)

Dr Yamina De Bondt, Postdoctoral researcher, Scientific secretary of HealthFerm (LFCB)

Prof. Arno Wouters

Dr Kristof Brijs, Innovation manager (LFCB)

Dr Kurt Gebruers, Innovation manager (LFCB)

Dr Frederik Janssen, Postdoctoral researcher (LFCB)

Ir. Eline Lambrechts, PhD researcher (LFCB)

Ir. Ewoud Blontrock, PhD researcher (LFCB)

Prof. Kristin Verbeke, Professor, WP3 leader of HealthFerm (DigALab)

Riet Rosseel, PhD researcher (DigALab)

ETH Zurich (Switzerland)

Prof. Nicholas Bokulich, Assistant Professor (tenure-track), head of Laboratory of Food Systems Biotechnology

Prof. Laura Nyström, Professor of Food Biochemistry, Head of Department Health Science and Technology

Fabio Cavelti, Master student

Jan Patrick Tan, Junior Research Assistant at Nestlé

Rosy Mondardini, CC-CS Managing Director

University of Helsinki (Finland)

Dr Rossana Coda, University Researcher (Food Microbiology)

Dr Noora Mäkelä-Salmi, University Lecturer (Grain Technology)

MSc Fabio Tuccillo, PhD researcher

MSc Silvia Cera, PhD researcher

Prof. Pekka Varmanen, Professor of Food Science (Molecular Dairy Microbiology)

Associate Prof. Ndegwa Maina,Associate Professor (Food Chemistry)

Umeå University (Sweden) and Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden)

Prof. Armando F.J. Perez-Cueto, Professor

Jean-Paul Charles Garin, Project Assistant

European Research and Project Office GmbH (Germany)

Dr Chiara Lonoce, Project Manager

Léna Prochnow, Senior Research and Innovation Manager

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)

Prof. Dr Ir. Luc De Vuyst, Full Professor

Prof. Dr Stefan Weckx, Associate Professor

Thomas Gettemans, PhD student

Institute of Biology Bucharest (Romania)

Dr Medana Zamfir, Senior researcher

Dr Silvia Grosu-Tudor, Senior researcher

Dr Iulia-Roxana Angelescu, Postdoctoral researcher

Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy)

Prof. Marco Gobbetti, Full Professor in Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology

Prof. Raffaella Di Cagno, Full Professor in Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Technology

Dr Andrea Polo,Researcher

Dr Tlais Ali Zein Alabiden, Postdoctoral researcher

Dr Lena Granehäll, Postdoctoral researcher

University of Turku (Finland)

Prof. Kati Hanhineva, Professor

Dr Anna Kårlund, Senior scientist

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Sweden)

Prof. Maud Langton, Professor

Prof. Volkmar Passoth, Professor

Associate Prof. Galia Zamaratskaia, Associate Professor

Dr Anja Herneke, Postdoctoral researcher

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (Finland)

Prof. Nesli Sözer, Research professor focusing on smart & sustainable food production

Dr Hanna-Leena Alakomi, Principal scientist and research team leader of process microbiology and food safety team

University of Eastern Finland (Finland)

Prof. Marjukka Kolehmainen, Professor in Nutrition (Food and Health)

Dr Carlos Gómez Gallego, Senior researcher

Dr Suchetana De Storvik, Postdoctoral researcher

Ms Vilma Liikonen, Early Stage Researcher

Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology) (Belgium)

Prof. Jeroen Raes, Research group leader

Dr Gabriela Bravo-Ruiseco, Postdoctoral researcher

Institut Paul Bocuse (France)

Dr Maxime Michaud, Research group leader - social science

Estelle Petit, R&D manager

Julie Chupin, Grants administrator

Companies' scientists, researchers, engineers, founders and managers

CHR. HANSEN A/S (Denmark)

Puratos (Belgium)

Dr Fabienne Verté, Senior Research Manager Functional Fermentation

Dr Vimac Nolla,Research Manager Metabolomics

Dr Raluca Florea, Gut Health Leader Health & Wellbeing

Bernard Genot, Senior R&D Manager BU sourdough and grains

Valio Ltd (Finland)

Dr Riitta Partanen, Research manager

Mika Immonen, Research scientist

Dr Tuula Tuure, Senior research scientist

Dr Sari Puputti, Senior research scientist

Planted Foods AG (Switzerland)

Dr Edwina Romanens, Lead scientist biotechnology

Dr Lorenzo Peyer, Project scientist biotechnology

Dr Patrick Rühs, Head of science

Dr Lisa Zychowski, Lead scientist - raw materials and extrusion

Julia Schmucki, Process engineer

Elise Larsson, Associate scientist in the raw materials team

Institut Paul Bocuse (France)

Dr Maxime Michaud, Research group leader - social science

Estelle Petit, R&D manager

Julie Chupin, Grants administrator

B2F – Bridge 2 Food

Gerard Klein Essink, Founder & CIO

Andrea Ojembarrena, CX & Project coordination management

HGF – HealthGrain Forum

Dr Jan de Vries

HGF board member responsible for communication