In a global context of major transformation of food agriculture and production to meet sustainability and healthcare issues, the success of emerging food products still relies on sensory appreciation by the consumer. In particular, texture perceptions have been shown to play a major role in consumers’ preferences and choices. QUSToFood proposes to develop a method for the study of texture perceptions resulting from the interactions between the tongue, food and the palate during oral processing. These interactions induce the stimulation of tongue mechanoreceptors and enable the continuous evaluation of the mechanical status of each food product and at each moment of oral processing (from introduction into mouth to the triggering of swallowing). In this context, a better understanding of texture perception is critical for the design of new foods, appreciated by the consumer and safe for swallowing. The development of non-invasive methods is necessary to examine these issues in greater depth and to overcome the limitations of the indirect, ex situ and destructive techniques described in the literature. The innovative and ambitious objective of QUSToFood is to propose an original new method based on Quantitative Ultrasounds (QUS) for the non-destructive, non-invasive and real-time measurement of the mechanical properties of the tongue-food-palate system, directly on the individual. To achieve these objectives, QUSToFood proposes a multidisciplinary approach that combines expertise in biomechanics, acoustics, food science and sensory analysis. The structure of QUSToFood draws on seven work packages (WP) over a period of 48 months. The coordination of QUSToFood (WP0) will give the opportunity to a young researcher to develop his own research thematic and to lead his own research group. A bio-mimicking set-up will be developed (WP1) in order to reproduce in controlled in vitro conditions, the behavior of the tongue-palate system during food consumption. In parallel, a sensory engineering approach will be adopted to create sets of model foods (WP2) associated with specific attributes of texture perception (firmness, fattiness and smoothness). A QUS experimental device will be designed (WP3) to measure the temporal variations of the acoustic energy backscattered after the emission of acoustic stimuli in the tongue-food-palate system. Signal processing techniques will make it possible to develop quantitative indicators leading to information about the mechanical properties of the tongue-food-palate system. A crucial part of the project will then be to explore in vitro the sensitivity of the QUS device to the respective contributions of food properties and of oral physiology (WP4). Finally, feasibility studies will be conducted to demonstrate the adaptability of the technique in an in vivo configuration and to correlate physical and sensory dynamic parameters (WP5). The dissemination of the results of QUSToFood (WP6) should pave the way for various emerging projects with high potential economic, social and cultural benefits in agreement with Axis 5 of Challenge 5 defined by the French National Research Agency (ANR). In particular, the method developed in QUSToFood could thus help (i) to characterize the potential loss of sensory quality induced by the changes in production processes, (ii) to identify the origins of the differences of oral behavior leading to the food preferences of the consumers, (iii) to preserve sensory appreciation throughout the design of high added value products for consumers with personalized nutritional needs, and (iv) to meet comfort and safety criteria for specific populations like infants with sensory processing disorders or seniors suffering from swallowing disorders.

The Diet+ project proposes to analyse diets in France, by focusing on the relationships between the market mechanisms and the overall quality of diet, including the quality of the consumption, the possible improvements in the foods quality, the quality of the environment, the land use, and the possible improvements in public health. This project will particularly study the impact of diets changes on consumers, supply chains and farmers. These diets changes may come from both food innovations and/or policies aiming at improving both environment and public health. Applied microeconomics combined with food science/engineering will be used for analysing various markets adjustments and possible improvements in supply chains. Econometrics works, experimental economics, industrial analyses will lead to quantified estimates of various markets adjustments coming from these changes in diets. The objective of Diet+ is to provide precise estimates of impacts of diets changes on consumers, supply chains and farmers, by also considering both environment and public health. The project will be divided in three Work Packages (WP) taking into account various markets adjustments from the land use to the consumers’ health. The WP1 will focus on some changes in diets and their influences on markets and supply chains. The WP2 will detail the foods variety offered to consumers and the foods innovations with their impacts on market structures. Based on results of WP1 and WP2, the WP3 will examine the optimal policy that could improve the overall quality of diets. More precisely, the WP1 will focus on the overall change in diet, and its impact on both supply chains and characteristics related to environment and public health. We will focus on the meat sector that is often in front line regarding scientific and public debates. First, we will assess how a change in the demand for meat would impact overall consumers diet and agricultural production, by linking a demand model with an agricultural production model, assuming no food industry reactions. Second, we will study how this change in the demand for meat would influence consumers’ diet, firms’ profits and market shares of supply chains, by linking a demand model with a supply model for meat, assuming no agricultural producers’ responses. The WP2 will study recent consumption trends regarding food variety and innovation. The first task will focus on animal products with healthy and environmental-friendly characteristics, including the new-vegetal substitutes for meat. The second task will analyse the relationship between the market structure, the level of health and environmental-friendly varieties, and the innovations. We also plan to determine how the health and environmental-friendly characteristics affect the value sharing between producers, manufacturers and retailers. The third task is devoted to design one innovation in the cheese sector, by creating a mixed “animal-vegetal” cheese and by evaluating its consumers’ acceptance. The WP3 will analyse impacts of policies on diets, environment, public health, and their consequences on adjustments in supply chains. We will study the optimal choice of instruments such as per-unit taxes/subsidies, labels and/or standards/norms related to meat and dairy products. We will measure the impact of these policies on agents’ surpluses, environment and public health. Additionally, we will pay attention to the transition from the current agro-food sector to a new model aligned with nutrition and low-carbon objectives, which requires a precise study of “progressive” shifts at each stage of the supply chain. Eventually, WP3 will examine the complementarity between health and environment in the analysis of future policy choices. The combination of these different approaches will give a complete view regarding sustainable policies that directly or indirectly influences behaviours, market mechanisms and sustainability of diets.

Nowadays, a multiplicity of wines is proposed on the international market. The main characteristic that enables to discriminate these wines is their sensorial profile. In recent years, the “international” taste of wine consumers is rather focused on the fruity aromas. As a consequence, to maintain its competitiveness and to conquer new markets in the intensive international competition, the French winemaking industry is constantly requesting solutions to enhance the aromatic quality of its wines. To address this question, the overall objective of the STARWINE research project is to control the fruity flavour of wine through the development of innovative real-time control strategies of the winemaking fermentation process, using a predictive mathematical model. This aim will be reached through a multidisciplinary approach based on the following scientific competences: bioprocess management, yeast metabolism, experimental design, bioprocess modelling, control theory and implementation of sensors. Nitrogen and temperature have been recently identified as the main parameters impacting on aroma synthesis. Nevertheless, winemakers lack methods to monitor and adjust these parameters because their relative contributions and interactions have never been evaluated. Therefore, in the first part of the project, done on a laboratory scale, we will assess the impact on aroma production of a combined management of: (1) nitrogen addition during the fermentation process and (2) anisothermal profile of temperature. The obtained data will be used both to better understand the yeast physiology and to build a mechanistic mathematical model (representative of the main reactions of yeast metabolism). Then, a real-time control strategy based on this model will be proposed and validated on a laboratory scale using an online GC (gas chromatography) laboratory equipment. In parallel to this first part, we will assess the performances of a physical sensor based on photoacoustic spectroscopy to evaluate the industrial feasibility of an online monitoring of key aroma compounds. Finally, we will combine the results obtained on a laboratory scale and the calibrated physical sensor to test the control strategy in industrial conditions. The project STARWINE will contribute to the wine industry renewal through the optimization of the production process and the adaptation to consumer demands. The objective is not to maximize the final aroma content of the wine but to reach a predefined aroma profile through a constant adjustment of the control parameters of the fermentation process. Such a management of the fermentation will be very innovative because, using the real-time control law that will be developed in STARWINE, it will be possible for a winemaker to define his unique wine “style” and to adapt to consumer demands. As a consequence, the project STARWINE can be considered as a proof of concept of both the implementation of new online devices and breakthrough strategies for a better management of aromas in wineries and the real-time control of fermentation processes using microorganisms. The concepts and methods developed in the project will be generic enough to be applied, after adaptation, to other bioprocesses.

Multicriteria assessment of agrifood systems is essential to improve sustainability of food value chains. To perform such assessment, collection and management of data on the whole range of agrifood system activities are of primary importance. There is a real need of tools to structure, store and share data related to the transformation of agricultural products into food, domain currently poorly documented. With this purpose, three different and complementary approaches have been developed by the largest research institute in agriculture, food and environment: MEANS platform, which provides tools and database for Life Cycle Assessment practitioners; BaGaTel database, structured by PO² ontology, which contains data about transformation processes and food products; @Web, which is a web application which allows the management of data tables using semantic web languages. The aim of DataSusFood project is to develop an interoperable system taking advantage of these different approaches to deliver open access data in accordance with FAIR principles. Developments of adequate software, modules, scripts for interoperability (WP1), data entry (WP2) and data accessibility (WP3) will be performed in close collaboration between computer scientists and users. Three use cases will support the project: production of cheese, industrial dairy protein powders and food packaging. Tools and open access data delivered by DataSusFood project will be highly valuable for scientists, technical institutes, industries and governmental agencies dealing with open access data issues and/or sustainability goals related to agrifood systems.