About this Research Topic
Present in all European diets, fermented foods hold a strategic place due to the benefits they offer in terms of nutrition, cultural heritage, innovation, sustainability, and consumer interest. In particular, the potential of fermented foods as part of the diet for improving human health has become highly relevant. In a context in which biodiversity is decreasing worldwide, a body of evidence positively associates dietary diversity to human health. Therefore, there is a critical need to maintain and improve food as a source of diverse beneficial microbiota and nutrients. Another urgent challenge is the transition towards more sustainable diets. This transition resonates with the growing consumer demand for natural and healthier products that are available at affordable prices. Fermented foods can meet the demands outlined above, owing to their unique properties, which include the presence of live microorganisms and microbial metabolites, vitamins, and bioactive compounds as well as extended shelf-life.
Despite a growing number of research papers published on this topic, there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the health benefits and risks of fermented foods. The COST Action CA20128 “Promoting innovation of fermented foods” (PIMENTO) sets out to conduct this assessment by reviewing the available evidence for a series of clinical and biological endpoints covering major health indicators across several organ systems, including the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, immune, and skeletal systems. Furthermore, biological questions associated with fermented foods will be addressed; these will include bioactive compounds and vitamin production in fermented foods, their bioavailability and bioaccessibility, the role of fermented foods in healthy diets and personalised nutrition, food safety, regulatory practices, and finally, the health properties of novel and ethnic fermented foods. For each of the above outcomes, an innovative approach will be adopted based on EFSA's guidance for health claim submissions, that combines a systematic evaluation of available human studies combined with a characterisation of the involved fermented foods and mechanisms of action. The evidence and research gaps derived from this PIMENTO initiative will be summarised and published in the form of a strategic road map that will pave the way for future research on fermented foods.
The strategy taken by PIMENTO will first be presented in details in a position paper. Briefly, PIMENTO will systematically evaluate the potential of fermented foods to modulate the clinical and biological endpoints described above via a series of 16, content-wise independent but methodologically harmonized, reviews. The scientific evidence and research gaps derived from the synthesis of these reviews will be published in the form of a strategic roadmap. The gaps will serve to define further research in the fields of food fermentation and human nutrition. On a broader scale, the methodology used by PIMENTO to address the health benefits and risks of fermented foods by combining an evaluation of human studies with food characteristics and mechanistic data, could be applied by the research community beyond fermented foods.
This initiative is not open for call of papers as the 16 teams were already formed as part of the COST Action PIMENTO.
The Topic Editors [B.Y, J.D.S, A.M] declare that they are affiliated with the COST Action CA20128 “Promoting Innovation of ferMENTed fOods" project
Despite a growing number of research papers published on this topic, there is a lack of systematic evaluation of the health benefits and risks of fermented foods. The COST Action CA20128 “Promoting innovation of fermented foods” (PIMENTO) sets out to conduct this assessment by reviewing the available evidence for a series of clinical and biological endpoints covering major health indicators across several organ systems, including the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, immune, and skeletal systems. Furthermore, biological questions associated with fermented foods will be addressed; these will include bioactive compounds and vitamin production in fermented foods, their bioavailability and bioaccessibility, the role of fermented foods in healthy diets and personalised nutrition, food safety, regulatory practices, and finally, the health properties of novel and ethnic fermented foods. For each of the above outcomes, an innovative approach will be adopted based on EFSA's guidance for health claim submissions, that combines a systematic evaluation of available human studies combined with a characterisation of the involved fermented foods and mechanisms of action. The evidence and research gaps derived from this PIMENTO initiative will be summarised and published in the form of a strategic road map that will pave the way for future research on fermented foods.
The strategy taken by PIMENTO will first be presented in details in a position paper. Briefly, PIMENTO will systematically evaluate the potential of fermented foods to modulate the clinical and biological endpoints described above via a series of 16, content-wise independent but methodologically harmonized, reviews. The scientific evidence and research gaps derived from the synthesis of these reviews will be published in the form of a strategic roadmap. The gaps will serve to define further research in the fields of food fermentation and human nutrition. On a broader scale, the methodology used by PIMENTO to address the health benefits and risks of fermented foods by combining an evaluation of human studies with food characteristics and mechanistic data, could be applied by the research community beyond fermented foods.
This initiative is not open for call of papers as the 16 teams were already formed as part of the COST Action PIMENTO.
The Topic Editors [B.Y, J.D.S, A.M] declare that they are affiliated with the COST Action CA20128 “Promoting Innovation of ferMENTed fOods" project
Keywords: fermented foods; health benefits; food characterisation; mechanism of action; food safety; microbiota; systematic review
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