Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
A diet is much more than just a daily choice: it is a powerful tool to promote health and prevent chronic diseases. This is once again emphasized by Prof. Patrizia Riso.
Are we really eating well? Even in Italy, the home of the Mediterranean diet, the consumption of saturated fats, sugar, and salt is on the rise, while the intake of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes continues to decline.
OnFoods is addressing these challenges with innovative and sustainable solutions. Examples include developing biotech foods with specific nutrients for targeted populations, designing new plant-based dietary models, and conducting advanced studies on how our genomic and metabolic profiles influence dietary responses.
Among the key contributors, the Università degli Studi di Milano brings cutting-edge proteomics technology to the project, enabling the analysis of thousands of proteins. Prof. Patrizia Riso, who leads one of the research Spokes, focuses on the role of food and bioactive compounds in disease prevention, satiety, and the promotion of healthier, more sustainable diets.
"We are increasingly aware of the crucial role of diet in promoting health and reducing the risk of widespread chronic-degenerative diseases," explains the professor. According to Riso, food innovations are progressing on several fronts: improving the nutritional profile of foods, increasing the bioavailability of protective compounds, and reducing the presence of undesirable compounds. A central element is the focus on sustainability, both environmental and economic.
Among its key activities, particular attention is dedicated to personalized nutrition, supported by the acquisition of advanced tools such as a proteomic platform capable of analyzing over 11,000 proteins. This technology promises to transform diet into a tailored intervention based on individual genetic and metabolic characteristics.
Another area of focus is collective catering, with projects aimed at improving the sustainability of food systems. These initiatives could have a significant impact on a national scale.
Lombardy, with its universities and research institutions, stands out as fertile ground for tackling food-related challenges.
"Collaboration between public research and the private sector is essential for developing new products and innovative solutions," emphasizes Riso. "The Lombard food and technology sector is well-represented and committed to increasing competitiveness and sustainability."
The hope is that initiatives like OnFoods can become replicable models, fostering a virtuous collaboration between research and industry. As Riso concludes: "Only by combining expertise and resources can we transform food science into a driver of economic, social, and environmental development."
