Industry
Shrimp and olive oil
Timeframe
2022-2026
Funded by
Swiss Confederation
European Union
UK Research and Innovation
Partners
Summary
The TITAN Project is a a 4-year initiative that aims to revolutionize the food system. Making it more transparent, fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly.
TITAN plans to roll out 15 innovative methods, including DNA-based Rapid Detection, Blockchain, AI, and IoT, concentrating on food safety, authenticity, traceability, health, sustainability, and consumer information enhancement. Central objectives encompass enhancing transparency in agri-food businesses, especially SMEs, and providing consumers with detailed food data.
TITAN collaborates with a varied cohort, including tech-focused SMEs, research institutions, and agrifood stakeholders, steered by prominent not-for-profit entities in Europe.
Their mission is to amplify the reach and effectiveness of TITAN's solutions, establishing a foundation for an economy that values healthful, sustainable, and accessible food.
Objectives
We are involved in 2 main work packages WP4 (Olive Oil) and WP5 (Shrimp). These work packages focus on the traceability of both items.
The overarching objectives of WP4 and WP5 are to showcase the potential of innovative technologies, encompassing rapid detection methods and digital tools, developed for and tailored to SMEs. These technologies aim to enhance transparency in the food chain, promoting both sustainability and food safety.
For producers, this means identifying market opportunities, and for buyers, diversifying procurement selection based on quality and ethical criteria. Access to clear and trustworthy information about food production conditions and quality control will further augment sustainability by reducing food waste, preventing disputes, and fostering fair and ethical trade.
Both WP4 and WP5 are dedicated to ensuring that these innovations facilitate seamless data and information exchange among the key players in the food chain, especially producers and buyers, spanning various commodities and nations.
WP4 (Olive oil)
WP4 is divided into two tasks: 4.1 and 4.2. Task 4.1 is further divided into sub-tasks from 4.1a to 4.1e. OFC is part of tasks 4.1a and 4.2.
Task 4.1
This task involves pilots for ensuring food authenticity, preventing food fraud, and maintaining food safety. In task 4.1a, our specific role is to use our blockchain technology and nanotechnology-based detection systems to guarantee traceability and confirm the authenticity of olive oil in the value chain.
Our primary responsibilities in the execution of this task include connecting the miniaturized DNA analysis device (from INL) to the blockchain system, identifying supply chain actors, refining the design, building and implementing the blockchain, onboarding the supply chain actors, and testing, reporting, and planning for scaling up. Additionally, OFC plays a role in integrating various modules and evaluating the integrated approach in the development of the miniaturized DNA device.
Task 4.2
Our contribution to this task involves developing recommendations for implementing new technologies to increase transparency on food safety. These recommendations will be presented to the FSC.
WP5 (Shrimp)
There are six detailed tasks in this project, and OFC is prominently involved in task ST5.1e.
The aim of this task is to improve the Vietnamese shrimp supply chain's transparency by implementing digital traceability (D10).
European retailers that source shrimp from Vietnam will benefit from this task as it will help them better understand the sustainable and ethical footprint of their products.
The task will explore the use of Open Food Chain to trace fish protein from the vessel to consumers, which includes shrimp farms, fish feed producers, fishmeal processors, and the vessels that catch fish species for feeding the shrimp.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that there is no forced labor or slavery in the supply chain by including labor information.