Microbial Foods 2022
About the conference
Our current food production system is associated with a number of global challenges: Foremost, food production is the single most important driver of global greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for substantial water and land use, environmental pollution and reduction in biodiversity. Second, animal farming is associated with zoonotic diseases, evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance and ethical concerns regarding animal welfare. Third, many non-communicable diseases and human deaths are a consequence of malnutrition – including hunger, overconsumption and consumption of highly processed foods. Fourth, many valuable resources within the food production system are discarded as about one third of the produced food ends as food waste or byproducts that are not considered for human consumption.
These challenges are grand; however, tiny microorganisms might be part of their solution. Microorganisms can be used to convert inedible resources into edible food, to enhance taste and texture, to upcycle food waste and to improve the nutritional value of food. In addition, microbial biomass itself can serve as a nutritious source of food. Finally, genetic engineering allows us to improve and expand the natural abilities of microorganisms in this space and can allow us to produce food ingredients in microbial cell factories through precision fermentation.
**Conference topics: **
- History of fermentation and traditional ferments
- Microbial communities in fermented foods
- Novel organisms for food fermentation
- Sustainable protein made by novel organisms
- Microbial Biomass for food and feed
- Cell factories for the production of food ingredients
- Human perception and interaction with fermented foods
- Regulatory landscapes for novel or GMO based foods
