The 8th International IMEKOFOODS conference in Ljubljana took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, between 22-24.09.2025.

The 8th IMEKOFOODS Conference brought together leading scientists working in food-related fields, such as authenticity, traceability, nutrition, food safety, quality, and risk assessment, where metrology plays a crucial role. This conference provided a unique platform for experts to exchange knowledge, discuss innovations, and advance research to enhance consumer protection and ensure a safer, more transparent food system.

THEROS has a three fold participation:

  1. THEROS colleagues from Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI), namely Maria Alejandra Rubio & David Kocman submitted and presented a poster entitled “User-centred pilot testing of tools for organic and geographical indication of food products“. The poster is available here.
  2. THEROS colleagues namely Lefkothea Karapetsi (INAB-CERTH), Marios Kyriacou (eBOS), Kyriaki Psara (eBOS), Marilena Paraskeva(eBOS), Macarena Garcia Silva (KIWA), Joaquin Garrido (MEXILLON) & Panagiotis Madesis (INAB-CERTH), submitted and presented a poster entitled “Galician mussel species identification via HRM analysis and ML for automated DNA Classification“. The poster is available here.
  3. The EU Cluster for Food Traceability & Trust hosted a round-table bringing researchers and projects together to debate how technology, consumer trust, and EU policy can shape traceability’s future.

Key themes & takeaways

  • Emerging tech (Blockchain & AI):
    Useful for end-to-end traceability and data sharing, but impact is limited by poor standardisation/interoperability, unclear cases where blockchain beats a database, cost/complexity for SMEs, and responsible use/quality of (synthetic) data. Tech alone doesn’t create trust—value must be contextual and stakeholder-driven.

  • Consumer trust & communication:
    More data ≠ more trust. Consumers care about safety, sustainability, quality, not the tech stack. Communication should be audience-specific, in local languages, and non-jargony. Building trust requires user-oriented messaging and acknowledging varied data literacy. The scientist’s role is expanding—translation plus interdisciplinary collaboration (food science, ICT, social science, marketing).

  • Governance & policy:
    Standards are essential for interoperability and uptake. Knowledge-sharing platforms (e.g., ALLIANCE marketplace) curb duplication and promote reuse of tools/datasets/best practices. Policy suggestions: stronger sharing requirements across EU projects, joint cluster outputs (e.g., policy briefs), and funded communication resources within projects. The EU sets the framework for responsible, scalable solutions.

The roundtable discussion highlighted that while technological innovation in food traceability is advancing rapidly, its real-world impact depends on more than just technical progress. Three overarching lessons emerged:

  • There is no shortage of technological innovation – but without shared standards and frameworks, adoption and real-world impact remain limited. Emerging technologies like blockchain and AI hold promise, but their value depends on interoperability, clarity of purpose, and alignment with stakeholder needs. Standardisation is not just a technical issue – it is a prerequisite for trust, collaboration, and scalability.
  • Consumer trust is not built through data volume, but through relevance, clarity, and communication. More information does not automatically lead to more trust. In fact, excessive detail can obscure what matters most to consumers. Trust is built when communication is tailored, understandable, and aligned with what people care about – such as food safety, sustainability, and quality. This requires researchers and developers to engage in deliberate, user-oriented communication, and to recognise that data literacy varies widely.
  • Collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and policy alignment are essential for scaling responsible innovation. Projects must not operate in silos. Shared platforms, joint deliverables, and open access to tools and insights can accelerate learning and reduce duplication. The EU – as a major funder – plays a key role in fostering these conditions by encouraging interoperability, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the development of communication resources as part of project outputs.

Bottom line:
Innovation is abundant, but standards, trust-building communication, and collaboration/policy alignment are the levers that turn promising tools into real-world, scalable traceability.

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