This 5^th edition of the ISEKI_Food Conference series will have as driving topic “The Food System Approach – New challenges for Education, Research and Industry “.

A modern approach to face the societal, climate and nutritional challenges impairing food security and the global sustainability of the food chain has to consider all the activities related with food production, processing and packaging, distribution and retailing, and final consumption as part of a complex system where each element interacts with the other.

The Food System Approach shall contribute towards good food utilisation, access and availability, taking into consideration the social and environmental welfare, while promoting innovation.

The conference will focus on various aspects that will contribute to enhance the value of a Food Systems Approach, the challenges and opportunities for Education, Research and Industry along with their interactions within the continuous change of the food chains at global level.

CONFERENCE TOPICS

We welcome the contribution for oral and poster presentations on a series of topics within the three main areas: education, research and industry. The sessions will be, according to the main theme, dedicated to these topics.

Session 1: EDUCATION - TOWARDS AN INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEM FOR FOOD STUDIES

• Innovation and entrepreneurship
• Life-long learning in a networked world
• Quality methods and tools to evaluate and improve education
• Innovative learning design
• Competences and skills required for future learning, business and societies
• Academia-industry collaboration towards innovative educational models
  
  

Session 2: RESEARCH -  RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACROSS BOUNDARIES

• Advances on Food Processing and Impact on Food System Approach
  • Innovative and emerging technologies for food processing and preservation (including mild processing and decontamination i.e. plasma treatment...)
  • Food modelling and virtualisation
  • Packaging and labelling (smart, biodegradable, biobased)
    
    
• New challenges to valorize traditional products and promote innovative food
  • Food quality & safety (modelling microbial growth, food safety predictive modelling, food safety risk assessments)
  • Novel food functionalities (bioactives, etc...)
  • Traditional/Regional Food
  • Nutrition, health and food technology
    
    
• Challenges of the Food System Approach
  • Sustainable food production (Food waste and by-products recovery and valorisation)
  • Food of the future (food product design, new/alternative raw materials (algae, insects, etc.))
  • Organic food systems
  • Digitizing the agri-food sector (primary production, logistics, management, consumer science, marketing control)
  • Life cycle management (LCC and LCA in the food sector)
  • Process control and contactless/nondestructive methods
    
    

 Session 3: INDUSTRY -  BRIDGES FOR THE FOOD SYSTEM APPROACH - THE INDUSTRY AS A KEY PLAYER 

• Food industry 4.0
• Food system modelling
• Minimizing environmental impact and saving precious resources (best practice of water and energy saving)
• New potentials of production side streams
• Gaps and roadblocks in the cooperation between science/research and industry