Edward Sliwinski from TITAN’s partner European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) was interviewed by the Dutch online news site foodagribusiness.nl about the project.
The article showcased the goal of the EU Horizon project for more transparency in the food system and invited Edward to explain how the food industry will benefit from the research.
“The starting point of TITAN is to increase transparency in the food chain. Consumers value transparency and want to be able to check manufacturers’ claims. In addition, more and more regulations are being introduced that require producers to gain insight into their entire production chain.”
The article explores the current limited state of transparency in the food supply chain, particularly from food manufacturers to consumers. This while it is becoming increasingly important for end users, who seek greater assurance regarding the accuracy of shared information. How many calories does a food contain, which allergens, and perhaps most importantly: are the claims made correct? Confidence in foodstuffs is low, but consumers have little choice, they have to eat something. In addition, traceability through chains also leaves much to be desired, even though food manufacturers are increasingly asking for information. This does ensure that there is a movement to make the chain traceable, but there are still challenges, especially at the so-called ‘first mile’, the beginning of the chain.
When discussing how increased transparency can contribute to the transformation of the food system, Edward highlighted the three focus areas of TITAN: sustainability, health, and food safety. By increasing transparency, food products can become healthier, more sustainable, and safer because it forces manufacturers to outperform their competitors.
And what will TITAN bring in the next four years? Hopefully, we can at least provide inspiration to make food chains more transparent and foster collaborations between major industry players and the start-ups that are part of the project. Ultimately, the sector needs to commit to sustainability, health, and food safety.
You can find the whole article (in Dutch) here: https://www.foodagribusiness.nl/eu-project-titan-wil-transparantie-in-voeding-vergroten/
