HealthFerm is a European research project investigating innovative pulse and cereal-based food fermentations together with the health effects and consumer perception of novel fermented foods. Fermented foods have gained a reputation for being beneficial to health. However, with the exception of yoghurt and other cultured dairy products, little concrete evidence exists for the actual health benefits of fermented foods. Therefore, the HealthFerm project performs several human intervention studies to better understand the interaction between food fermentation microbiomes, fermented grain-based foods and the human gut microbiome and how they support human health. A community-science approach plays a vital part in collecting diverse food fermentation microbiomes used to design innovative fermented plant-based foods with optimal health benefits.

Fermented foods are present in our daily diet and across different food cultures: from (sourdough) bread to beer, wine, pickles, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha and many more. Fermentation is on the rise, and many people make their own fermented foods at home. Fermentation technology could help us transition to more plant-based diets. HealthFerm wants to understand the relationships between microorganisms involved in food fermentation, the fermented food products resulting from these processes, and their effects on human health. To reach this goal, the research team of HealthFerm needs the support of citizens willing to participate in this project. At first, citizen scientists will provide information about their fermentation practices and attitudes towards fermented foods. Based on two questionnaires, researchers will select up to 1,000 citizens who can send their fermented foods for analysis, with an initial focus on sourdough.

Get involved and be part of an international community advancing fermented food research! Please find all the details here.

More detailed information about HealthFerm project is available here www.healthferm.eu - Funded by the European Union.