Background
Microbes have been used to ferment foods for thousands of years, in part because they can preserve foods and improve their sensory properties. Studies have highlighted a broad microbial diversity in various fermented foods, like animal-based cheeses, yogurts, and salami, or plant-based sauerkraut and borscht.
Consumption of fermented foods has been related with improved gut microbiomes, but due to the high variability of the microbiome and inter- and intra- variability, it is challenging to obtain clinical results. Therefore, scientific evidence proving that fermented foods lead to better health is still limited.
Objectives & approach
The objectives of the DOMNIO are to:
- Demonstrate health impacts of fermented foods by conducting a study of the health effects of traditional milk-based fermented food (kefir) on a healthy population as well as a cohort suffering from metabolic syndrome.
- Leverage the information gained from cohort studies, to innovate plant-based fermented foods that further enable the transition from animal to plant-based diets.
- Restore citizen trust in (fermented) food systems by actively engaging relevant actors in the co-design and pilot production processes of innovative fermented foods via living labs.
Six plant-based fermented food case studies will be carried out using a citizen science framework. The results of these case studies will be used to develop an open-access database, and build computational tools that profile the metabolic interactions of microorganisms during food fermentations. This will help to connect fermented food profiles to healthy gut microbiomes and dietary recommendations.
The Athena Institute will be involved in organising and evaluating the co-creation activities around fermented foods, including activities that engage citizens, farmers, producers, and food service companies.