The EU project MICROORC focuses on developing new, sustainable solutions to extend the shelf life of foods by combining innovative technologies and advanced materials. With a strong emphasis on research and development in food safety and sustainability, the project is particularly focused on creating solutions to address the many challenges surrounding the shelf life of fresh and perishable foods. The aim is to reduce food waste by increasing the precision of shelf-life labeling and by extending the shelf life of food products using innovative methods and tools.

The MICROORC project aims to extend and more accurately determine the shelf life of perishable foods, thereby reducing avoidable food waste through two primary strategies:

1. By developing advanced tools, technologies, and guidelines that enable improved process control. This includes microbiome monitoring and new, more accurate predictions for shelf life and labeling. This precise monitoring strengthens food safety and provides better data for assessing products’ storage and shelf life, which can lead to better-informed consumers.
2. By extending shelf life using bio-based protection methods and packaging technologies that effectively reduce, control, or limit the growth of harmful and pathogenic microorganisms on or within food products. These measures not only improve food quality and safety but also optimize packaging solutions to be sustainable and better aligned with today’s environmental requirements.

To ensure a sustainable transition, new innovations within the project are not only developed but also evaluated from a broad sustainability perspective. Therefore, sustainability assessments are integrated into the innovation processes, also considering consumers’ perspectives. This approach ensures that the solutions developed meet technical and environmental standards while also accounting for social and economic factors, which is crucial for a comprehensive sustainability perspective.

Since current regulations are often static and unable to evolve in step with rapid technological and market changes, the project also actively works to identify and develop new methods for policy and regulatory innovation. This means MICROORC strives to develop concrete proposals and tools to adapt regulations quickly and efficiently, supporting a more sustainable and innovative food industry. A dynamic and forward-looking policy development approach is thus an important component to enable the practical implementation of technical solutions that benefit both the industry and consumers.

Efforts to limit the environmental impact from animal-based food are needed to meet the goals of Agenda 2030 but innovations within plant-based proteins options are lagging behind. Evidence-based knowledge within food processing, consumption and health benefits of plant-based proteins is currently scarce, which limits the necessary further development. 

PAN Sweden will, in a precision nutrition perspective, clarify the relationship between processing, structure, bioavailability, digestion and fermentation of proteins, and health effects in terms of gut, metabolic and mental health. Furthermore, sensory aspects and consumer behaviour determinants concerning plant-based proteins will be studied and gastronomic test environments will give access to various food consumption settings. The core approach of the centre is the development of an integrated model/method “toolbox” that facilitates innovations within plant-based products with proven benefits for health and wellbeing but also being the preferred choice of the consumer.

Pan Sweden’s vision is that sustainable-produced food with health benefits will be the consumer’s preferred choice. We bundle a globally unique set of interdisciplinary competence and infrastructure overarching food, nutritional, technical, medical and social sciences. Our approach will provide Sweden an exclusive chance to successfully build the knowledge, competences and skills to become a leading global player in plant-based protein food development.

Brewer´s spent grain (BSG) is a byproduct of beer manufacturing and is rich in fibers and protein. Today it is used as animal feed or discarded. The aim of FUNBREW is to establish bioprocessing technologies (fermentation and enzyme treatment) for the synthesis in situ of functional compounds in BSG, such as exopolysaccharides and antioxidants. Bioprocessing results in improved structure as well as enhanced bioavailability of BSG constituents. BSG will be used as an ingredient in pasta, bread and breakfast cereals.

This transnational project is part of the ERA-Net SUSFOOD2 with funding provided by national/ regional sources FORMAS and co-funding by the European Union´s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Bolus Studies

We conduct detailed bolus studies using real food and artificial human saliva, assessing the rheological properties with both younger and senior participants. These insights help us optimise food textures for various demographics and swallowing capabilities. To estimate frailty, and specifically oral frailty, we are using various devices in collaboration with scientists in Japan.

Our Offerings

• Texture Analysis: Measuring food texture, including hardness and crispiness, rheology in shear and extensional flow as well as e.g. cutting strength.
• Food modification for dysphagia management: Expertise from ingredient selection to 3D food printing for enhanced food aesthetics.
• Textural Changes During Oral Processing: Monitoring and analysis of food texture changes during consumption.
• Biomimetic Swallowing Device: The Gothenburg Throat for simulating and analysing swallowing behaviour in both healthy individuals and those suffering from dysphagia.

Welcome to RISE with your problem or idea – together we will find the way forward.

RISE has expertise in all areas needed to optimise energy use in a safe and sustainable way, which can include:

• Energy engineering and energy systems 
• Process technology 
• Measuring technologies and sensors
• Automation
• Microbiological risk assessment and analysis
• Comprehensive analysis lab

We offer the following services, among others:

Safe and hygienic energy solutions

Thanks to our broad expertise and long experience, we can offer food-safe and hygienic energy solutions which take the impact on product quality into account. Are you sure your product is best treated by the current process? Does it need to be stored at the current temperature, or have you based it on general industry guidelines?

We have a long track record of developing customised processes for a variety of operators, whether to streamline existing processes or develop new solutions.

These can include, among others:

• Achieving more flexible electricity and energy use
• Reducing cooling needs and utilising excess heat
• Achieving more efficient and circular water use

Consultation and process management

Need help assessing whether the supplier's proposal makes sense? Support to draw up a map of strategic choices together with the management team? Or maybe just a sounding board for a remodelling?

Get in touch, and we'll find someone who suits you.

Energy mapping and energy management

The new Energy Efficiency Directive, which is expected to be implemented in 2025, will mean that many industries will need to carry out a certified energy audit and/or introduce a certified energy management system.

RISE can, among other things, help you to:

• Advise on the implementation of ISO 50001, or certify your system.
• Become energy secure, i.e. gain control over your energy use.
• Simplify everyday life with easier energy reporting internally and externally.
• Get control over power peaks using, for example, batteries or redistribution of operations.
• Provide grid support services through demand response (flexible generation) or batteries.

Examples from the project “Food producers’ most important climate actions”

Reducing emissions from food production is becoming increasingly urgent. This also places higher demands on more actors to report and communicate their sustainability work. In a two-year project, financed by Region Västra Götaland, RISE helped six food producers take action with climate-improving measures. 

Map and create an action plan for climate measures

The aim of the project “Food producers’ most important climate actions" was to facilitate climate work for food companies in the Västra Götaland region, in order to reduce emissions from the region's food production in the long term. The target group was small and medium-sized companies that want to get started with their climate work. Experts from RISE supported participating companies with climate calculation and mapping, formulation of action plan and goals, as well as advising on areas such as raw materials, waste, packaging and transport. The companies were regularly invited to share their insights, which contributed to valuable networking and collaboration.

Tips, working methods and lessons learned from the project was compiled in a report that can be found on the right of this page. At this page, it is also possible to watch films where two of the participating companies share their experiences.  

Effective climate mapping - the key to sustainable business goals

By analysing their climate impact, companies can identify areas for improvement and set relevant goals. This gives a clear picture of the current situation and creates a decision basis for making the right priorities. The result of the climate mapping can then be used both for reporting and work with climate targets according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), which also strengthens the company's brand through increased transparency and credibility. Some lessons learned and tips:

• Integrate climate work as closely as possible to the business.
• Engage multiple parts of the company. 
• The most important thing is to get started; the earlier you prepare, the better.
• Focus on significant aspects, but also be prepared to adapt actions based on other conditions. 

Guidance by RISE

RISE offers expertise and support to food producers, through coaching and training. We guide you in data collection and with help of a simple calculation tool and access to current emission factors, you get help to quantify and analyse emissions from the entire value chain. It includes both direct emissions (e.g. from fuel consumption at the own facility) and indirect emissions (e.g. from purchase of electricity and raw materials). The methodology is adaptable and takes into account the company's specific needs and conditions.

With RISE as partner, you get help to identify large and small emission sources of your business, in order to be able to develop effective strategies and get started with improvement work to contribute to a more sustainable food industry. 

Do not hesitate to contact us!

The CircSyst solutions are based on nine demonstrators involving three of the priority value chains (plastic, packaging and water) of the European Commission's Circular Economy Action Plan. RISE will lead the Swedish demonstrator assessing integrated decision support tools and methodologies for water reuse and water symbiosis both in industry and the community. The demonstrator will be based in Gotland, Sweden and will include assessing aspects such as:

• Variations in supply and demand of water between actors 
• Need for water storage and treatment
• The use of water of different quality for different applications
• Microbiological risks of water storage for different qualities
• Future climate impacts
• Sustainability and economic aspects of different solutions

During the work RISE will use its biofilm testbed in Gothenburg to assess biological risks of storing and using water of different qualities. This knowledge will then be used to form guidelines around water reuse for food industry as well as being fed into the decision support tool. The decision support tool will be built on existing techniques in the field of system dynamics and systems thinking. This approach allows wholistic assessment of different water reuse options to find sustainable solutions for everybody involved.