EFFCA - European Food & Fermentation Cultures Association

🧫 EFFCA's Manifesto: Cultivating the Future of Microbial Food Cultures #EFFCA is proud to present its Manifesto, aiming to ensure the growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness of Europe’s microbial #foodcultures industry.  Microbial cultures are at the heart of many of our favourite food products, contributing to flavour, texture, safety, and nutrition. As we enter the 2024-2029 EU political term, we call on policymakers to support innovation, foster competitiveness, and recognise the sustainability potential of this vital sector. 📢 What We Ask: - Boost innovation and competitiveness;  - Ensure consistent market access for microbial food cultures;  - Recognize the key role of microbial cultures in sustainability and food waste reduction. Learn more about our priorities and recommendations in the full manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHj4Y-V6 #FoodCultures4Future

Can you spot the #microbes in your everyday food products? 🍷 In wine, yeast initiates the fermentation process, turning grape sugars into alcohol. Meanwhile, lactic acid bacteria stabilize the wine by converting malic acid into lactic acid, ensuring it improves with age. 🍺 In beer, yeast ferments sugars to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide, while also contributing to the distinct aromas that make each brew unique. 🍞 For bread, yeast plays another magical role, producing carbon dioxide that helps dough rise while adding to its flavour and texture. Discover more about the role of microbial cultures 👉 https://lnkd.in/dcufqcJq #SpotTheMicrobes

🔬 Boosting Innovation and Competitiveness One of the core priorities in the EFFCA Manifesto is fostering #innovation and ensuring Europe’s competitiveness. Non-transgenic #NGT microorganisms for the deliberate release are crucial to promote innovation (i.e., preservation or enhancement of nutritional content) and play a crucial role in food safety, nutrition, and sustainability. However, the regulatory framework needs to evolve to unlock its full potential. EFFCA’s recommendations: - Develop a clear regulatory framework to promote innovation while ensuring safety. - Encourage collaboration between industry, academia, and policymakers to explore new #microbial applications. - Provide funding and incentives for research in microbial genomics to drive growth. Learn more about our priorities and recommendations in the full manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHj4Y-V6. #FoodCultures4Future

🚀 Exploring Innovation in Food Safety at EFSA Stakeholder Forum On Wednesday, the EFFCA Secretariat attended the Seventh Meeting of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Stakeholder Forum: Innovation in Food Safety: Navigating the Future Together. At the Forum, we collectively explored how advancements in #biotechnology, digital tools, and methodologies are reshaping food safety risk assessment. These innovations bring exciting opportunities for competitiveness, sustainability, and efficiency—while also posing new complexities for risk assessors. EFFCA members are deeply committed to #foodsafety. We published 'Criteria for the Safety Assessment of Food Cultures'—a set of recommended guidelines developed by our members to ensure robust safety assessment and characterisation of food cultures. Learn more about EFFCA’s commitment to food safety and our guidelines here 👉 https://bit.ly/416opKm

♻️ Recognition of the Sustainability Potential of Microbial Food Cultures Did you know microbial cultures can extend the shelf life of food, helping reduce food waste? The EFFCA’s Manifesto emphasizes the need to recognize microbial food cultures as essential to sustainable food production. What are we asking for? Align sustainability policies with microbial cultures' benefits to promote food waste reduction. Encourage circular economy initiatives that incorporate microbial cultures for waste reduction and resource efficiency. These actions can make Europe’s food system more sustainable and resilient. Learn more about our priorities and recommendations in the full manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHj4Y-V6. #FoodCultures4Future

Can you spot the microbes in your everyday food products? 🥩 Microbial cultures do more than preserve flavour—they ensure food safety too. Meat starter cultures are used to make dried, fermented products such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo and dried ham. 🥓 While lactic bacteria contribute to the deep flavours and vibrant colour of cured meats, moulds help ripen the surface, creating a natural preservation layer. Discover more about the role of microbial cultures in meat products: https://bit.ly/4fXm88z #SpotTheMicrobes

♻️ Recognition of the Sustainability Potential of Microbial Food Cultures #Microbialfood cultures are not just about taste, colour, texture - they are essential to a sustainable food system. By extending shelf life and enhancing food safety, microbial cultures help prevent spoilage, reduce food waste, and contribute to a more resource-efficient food supply. In EFFCA’s Manifesto, the call is clear: recognize microbial cultures as key to building a sustainable food value chain. This means integrating these cultures into sustainability policies and circular economy initiatives, maximizing their impact on waste reduction and resource efficiency. Learn more about our priorities and recommendations in the full manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHj4Y-V6. #FoodCultures4Future

🧫 Advancing bio-based innovations in the food industry Last week, EFFCA’s Regulatory Affairs Manager Chiara Naddeo participated in DG GROW’s Workshop on ‘Advancing bio-based innovations in the food industry: Focus on Fermentation’, taking place in Brussels. The discussions focused on industrial applications of #fermentation technologies, with particular emphasis on SMEs employing biomass, precision, and gas fermentation.  EFFCA welcomed the European Commission’s initiatives with regards to future opportunities for fermentation-derived foods, such as the EU Biotech Act, aiming to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU, where #foodcultures play a crucial role. Currently, the regulatory landscape creates hurdles that hold in innovation and delay access to advanced microbial solutions, such as bioprotective cultures that improve food safety and reduce food waste. Learn more about our recommendations in the full manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHj4Y-V6.

📈🌍 Ensuring Consistent and Fair Market Access for Microbial Food Cultures In the fast-evolving field of microbial food cultures, consistent and fair market access is key to fostering innovation and maintaining Europe’s global competitiveness. What do we propose? - Consistent market access policies across all EU countries to streamline the introduction of microbial cultures, especially for bioprotective and innovative applications; - Maintaining the recognition of food cultures under General Food Law and simplifying the administrative processes required for bringing new microbial cultures to the market; - Recognition of microbial cultures as ingredients ensuring that they are acknowledged across various food applications to avoid regulatory discrepancies. Learn more about our priorities and recommendations in the full manifesto here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHj4Y-V6. #FoodCultures4Future 

#SpotTheMicrobes Can you spot the microbes in your everyday food products? 🧀 Microbial cultures are the backbone of many delicious dairy products. From the creamy consistency of yoghurt to the complex flavours of aged cheeses, microbial cultures are essential in bringing dairy products to life. 🥛 It all begins from the start... the starter culture. As the culture grows in the milk, it converts the sugar lactose into lactic acid, which ensures the correct level of acidity and gives the cheese its moisture. In cheese products, the culture gives it a balanced aroma, taste, texture. In yoghurt and other fermented milk products, the culture is responsible for the taste and texture of the final product.  🩺 In recent years, probiotic cultures have become popular in dairy products thanks to their health benefits improving digestion, safeguarding the immune system, and keeping the body’s intestinal flora in balance. Discover more about the role of microbial cultures in dairy: https://lnkd.in/dkibUiYY