PRO-METROFOOD is a project within the European Union program Horizon 2020 aimed to strengthen metrology in food and nutrition trough the reinforcement of the new-Pan European Research Infrastructure METROFOOD-RI “Infrastructure for Promoting Metrology in Food and Nutrition”, listed as “Emerging project” in the ESFRI Roadmap 2016 (Domain “Health & Food”). 17 different European Countries participate in the project.
The Project Coordinator in the Republic of Macedonia is the Institute of Public Health (IJRZM). The existing facilities of the IJRZM, as well as the facilities of the Faculty of Agricultural Science and Food, University Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (as a national partner of IJRZM) will be utilized to implement METROFOOD-RI in Macedonia. These two institutions will be part of a project’s network of laboratories which includes different research and experimental centers. The Macedonian team leader is M.Sc. Anita Najdenkoska.
The purpose of METROFOOD-RI is to ensure food safety and quality, promoting technological transfer, communication and dissemination of information relevant for consumers. METROFOOD-RI consists of a physical and a electronic infrastructure (P-RI and e-RI). P-RI will enable the development, production, characterization and certification of new reference materials, analytical methods and devices (METRO), while, experimental pilot fields/farms, plants and labs will support activities related to food quality, safety, authenticity and traceability, as well as characterization of raw materials and food products (FOOD).
The e-RI will provide useful information for the consumers and other stakeholders. Additionally, e-service will provide the laboratories with data for standardization and harmonization of the results of food analysis (databases), services for users with applications that rely on data analysis of food, information and training (e-learning platforms).
PRO-METROFOOD will enable METROFOOD-RI ESFRI project to enter the active list of projects in the ESFRI Roadmap 2018 by designing a strategy in the medium and long term, creating the organizational frameworks of the infrastructure, and demonstrating on-going opportunities of METROFOOD-RI to provide service in the scientific framework. In fact, its general objective is to bring the emerging METROFOOD-RI ESFRI project to the level of maturity required for entering in the active project list, strengthening the Consortium and planning the future phases. In the frame of PRO-METROFOOD, pilot services will be implemented in order to demonstrate the actual capability of METRODOO-RI to deliver its services. Certainly, one of the main objectives of this project is to integrate METROFOOD-RI in the European landscape and to position it also at a global level.
For more information visit the website:
www.metrofood.eu
