Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Food quality and nutrition for sustainable diets: the final meeting of OnFoods Spoke 4
On 16 February 2026, the University of Milan will host the final meeting of OnFoods Spoke 4, dedicated to Food Quality and Nutrition Research for Sustainable Diets.
Published: February 4, 2026
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On 16 February 2026, the University of Milan will host the final meeting of OnFoods Spoke 4, dedicated to Food Quality and Nutrition Research for Sustainable Diets. The event marks the conclusion of three years of research focused on one of the most complex challenges of the food transition: improving the nutritional quality of everyday foods while preserving taste, affordability and consumer acceptance.
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan. Room C03 – Via Mangiagalli 25, Milan
The programme brings together academic researchers, institutional representatives and industrial partners to reflect on the scientific results achieved and their future impact. After the institutional opening and final remarks from the OnFoods Foundation, the morning session will highlight Spoke 4’s contribution to sustainable nutrition, followed by selected case studies and results from Cascade Call projects. These projects span food reformulation, agri-food waste valorisation, functional foods and biotechnological innovation, demonstrating how nutritional improvement can be pursued alongside sustainability and industrial feasibility.
In the afternoon, a series of focused sessions will explore key research trajectories developed within Spoke 4: reformulation strategies for widely consumed foods, sustainable and personalised nutrition approaches, innovative bioprocesses, and advanced analytical tools to assess food quality and nutrient bioavailability. Together, these contributions show how nutrition research is moving beyond single-ingredient solutions towards integrated, science-based food redesign.
The programme
09:00–10:00
Registration and welcome coffee
10:00–10:15
Event opening and institutional greetings
Prof. Alessandro Banterle (Pro-Rector for Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, University of Milan)
Prof. Sabrina Dallavalle (Director of the Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences)
Prof. Patrizia Riso (University of Milan, Spoke 4 Leader)
10:15–10:35
OnFoods: final remarks
Prof. Daniele Del Rio, University of Parma – OnFoods Foundation
10:35–10:55
Spoke 4 contribution to food quality and nutrition challenges
Prof. Patrizia Riso, University of Milan – Spoke 4 Leader
10:55–11:25
Stories of impactful projects
- EFFORT “PLUS”. Prof. Daniela Martini, University of Milan
- LEGUMINIBUS. Prof. Paola Vitaglione, University of Naples Federico II
11:25–13:15
Results from Cascade Call Projects
- Biotechnological upcycling of wasted spent coffee grounds (BIOUPCOFFEE). Dr. Francesca Mauriello, ITP S.r.l.
- Development of functional goat and sheep dairy products with native strains and olive leaf polyphenols (FUNDAIRIES). Prof. Monica Deiana, University of Cagliari
- Smart solutions to support microbial-based biotechnological applications for efficient re-use of agri-food waste in the food industry (3SMicroBiotech4Food). Prof. Giovanni Pascoschi, Polytechnic University of Bari. Dr. Mariagiovanna Fragasso, University of Foggia
- Developing nutritionally balanced and sustainable ready-to-eat foods to improve dietary recommendation adherence in careless consumers (READY-TO-NUT). Prof. Mauro Serafini, University of Teramo
- Bio-technological solutions to reduce, recover and reuse fruit and vegetable waste (RE-WAVE). Prof. Teresa Zotta, University of Basilicata
- Reducing wine drawbacks (REWIND). Prof. Vito Michele Paradiso, University of Salento
13:15–14:30
Lunch and poster session
14:30–15:00
The RERITT Alliance for the future: what’s next?
Dr. Maria Cristina Di Domizio. Cluster Agrifood Nazionale (CLAN)
15:00–17:00
Pills of Spoke 4 Research and Innovation
15:00–15:30
Reformulation strategies: from theory to practice
Chairs: Prof. Daniela Martini, University of Milan, Dr. Fiorella Sinesio, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA)
- Technological and nutritional reformulation of meat analogues (COURAGE). Dr. Andrea Bresciani, University of Milan
- Valorization of wheat-alternative flours for high-fiber and high-protein traditional foods (LEAFLET). Prof. Maria Calasso, University of Bari
- Cereal-based processed foods: mitigation of unintended Maillard reaction effects (PRO-MITIGATION). Dr. Francesca Masciola, CREA
15:30–16:00
Sustainable and personalized nutrition: case studies for future recommendations
Chairs: Prof. Alessandra Bordoni, University of Bologna, Prof. Pedro Mena, University of Parma
- Evaluation of individual responses to targeted plant-based sustainable diets (INSTEAD). Dr. Massimiliano Tucci, University of Milan
- A multi-omics approach to tackle obesity at the individual level with plant-based diets (OBI-WAN-DIET). Dr. Joana Rebelo, University of Parma
- Effects of cooking and storage processes on nutrients and non-nutrients assessed through intestine-on-chip and preclinical models (EFFICACY). Dr. Costanza Ceccanti, University of Pisa
16:00–16:30
New or improved (bio)processes for better food quality and nutrition
Chairs: Prof. Matteo Scampicchio, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Prof. Lucia Vannini, University of Bologna
- Development of functional legume-based foods and ingredients through fermentation (FUTURE). Dr. Silvia Tagliamonte, University of Naples Federico II
- Scaling up fermented foods validated under real production conditions (SCAL-FERMFOODS). Dr. Francesca Bonazza, National Research Council of Italy (CNR)
16:30–17:00
From the plate to the human body: the importance of analytical implementation
Chairs: Prof. Luisa Mannina, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Dr. Veronica Sberveglieri, National Research Council of Italy (CNR)
- Fermented beverages studied through a metabolomics approach (FERMENT_AGES). Dr. Giacomo Di Matteo, University of Rome “La Sapienza”
- Plant biostimulants as a sustainable approach to increase functional quality and shelf life in post-harvest foods (BIOS). Dr. Pier Paolo Becchi, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- New approaches to elucidate the metabolism of nutritionally relevant bioactive compounds (NEW PRACTICE). Dr. Marta Berzaghi, University of Parma
17:00–17:30
Awards and closing remarks
This blog post is related to
Food quality and nutrition
To push towards sustainable and tailored food and nutrition
Lead organisationUniMi
Spoke leaderPatrizia Riso
