SPOILOG: Development of a multi-channel & multi-criteria database to help food manufacturers better manage issues related to spoilage flora

Context:

Food spoilage bacteria cause manufacturing accidents (changes in food color, smell, taste, texture, swelling of packaging, etc.), rendering food unfit for consumption. This concept is reinforced in France by the Food Alert Management Guide, which now requires notification of products unfit for consumption.

• A major factor limiting the shelf life of food products
  Considerable losses in the agri-food industry: food waste, economic and ecological impact, loss of competitiveness. In Europe, it is estimated that 30% of food production is wasted, 25% of which is attributed to microbiological spoilage.
• This phenomenon is exacerbated by the Clean Label Greener Biocide trend, the reduction and recyclability of packaging, and the reduction of salt.
• There are very few standardized methods for identifying the organism responsible for spoilage and monitoring the process.
• There is no offer adapted to each level of need - little or no support (qualification of the problem, spoilage organisms, support until the implementation of appropriate control measures (challenge tests, process validation) 

SECALIM hosts a contract engineer during 18 months from march 2026, Reem Riachy.

Objectives:

• Build a database and service offering to guide manufacturers in controlling spoilage flora (flora characteristics, food matrices, analysis methods)
• Generate experimental data on innovative and poorly documented food matrices (protein substitutes)

Start date: November 2025

Duration: 4.5 years

Partners: Fleury Michon, Eurial, Silliker Mérieux Nutrisciences, Pays de la Loire Region

Coordination: Emmanuel Jaffres, Lecturer-researcher at SECALIM

Funding: Fleury Michon, Eurial, Silliker Mérieux Nutrisciences, Pays de la Loire Region