Imagine your food supply chain as a long road trip where the temperature keeps changing unpredictably. Bacteria that spoil food or make people sick grow faster or differently when conditions shift — and climate change is doing exactly that. PROTECT built computer models that predict how rising temperatures and extreme weather will affect bacterial growth in food, from dairy products to irrigation water. Think of it as a weather forecast, but instead of telling you to bring an umbrella, it tells food companies where their safety risks will spike next.
Climate change is making food safety harder to manage. Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns change how bacteria grow in food products and water supplies, but most food safety plans are based on historical conditions that no longer apply. Companies face increasing spoilage losses, recall risks, and regulatory uncertainty without tools to predict how these biological hazards will evolve.
The project produced predictive modeling tools, including sensitivity and scenario analysis for microbial populations in dairy food and water systems, an integrated risk assessment with life cycle and energy methodology, and designs for hygienically efficient manufacturing systems. A total of 17 deliverables were completed, along with a decision support tool and a policy white paper.
If you are a dairy processor dealing with unpredictable spoilage rates as summer temperatures keep breaking records — this project developed predictive models and scenario analysis tools that forecast how changing environmental conditions affect microbial populations in dairy products. The consortium included 6 industry partners across 11 countries who helped shape these tools for real production environments.
If you are a food safety consultancy struggling to advise clients on future-proofing their HACCP plans against climate-driven risks — this project created an integrated risk assessment, life cycle analysis, and energy methodology that connects climate scenarios to food safety outcomes. With 14 consortium partners including a UN agency, the tools are designed for cross-border regulatory contexts.
If you are a water treatment provider worried about microbial contamination in irrigation and processing water as weather patterns shift — this project ran sensitivity and scenario analyses specifically on how environmental conditions affect microbial populations in irrigation, processing, and waste water. The results can inform treatment protocols and monitoring schedules.
Based on available project data, PROTECT was funded as an MSCA training network, not a commercial product. Licensing terms are not specified in the project documentation. You would need to contact the coordinator at University College Dublin to discuss access to the modeling tools and any associated costs.
The project developed sensitivity and scenario analysis tools tested on dairy food and water systems across a consortium of 14 partners in 11 countries. While the models were built with industry input from 6 industrial partners, scaling to full production environments would likely require customization and validation with your specific product lines.
IP ownership in MSCA-ITN projects typically follows Horizon 2020 grant agreement rules, meaning results belong to the partners who generated them. With 7 universities and 6 industry partners involved, IP may be distributed across institutions. University College Dublin as coordinator would be the starting point for IP discussions.
PROTECT aimed to develop a science-based decision support tool and policy guidance through a white paper. These outputs are designed to inform regulatory approaches to climate-driven food safety risks, covering both pathogenic bacteria and mycotoxins. This could help companies stay ahead of evolving EU food safety regulations.
Based on the project objectives, the models address two categories: food that is injurious to health (due to pathogenic bacteria or mycotoxins) and food unfit for human consumption (due to spoilage bacteria). The scenario analysis deliverable specifically examined microbial populations and kinetics in dairy food and water systems.
The project produced 17 deliverables including modeling tools and integrated methodologies. However, as an MSCA training network focused on training 8 early-stage researchers, the primary outputs are research tools rather than turnkey commercial software. A demonstration or pilot engagement would need to be arranged with the consortium.
The PROTECT consortium is unusually well-balanced for a training network, with 6 industry partners alongside 7 universities and a UN agency — giving it a 43% industry ratio that is high for an MSCA-ITN. The 14 partners span 11 countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, UK), providing broad European coverage of different climate zones and food safety regulatory environments. The 2 SMEs in the consortium suggest some entrepreneurial potential. University College Dublin coordinates from Ireland, a country with a strong agri-food export sector. For a business looking to engage, the wide geographic spread means potential local contacts in multiple European markets, and the industry partners likely have practical insight into commercial applicability.
University College Dublin, Ireland — use CORDIS contact form or search for the PROTECT ITN project lead in UCD's School of Agriculture and Food Science
Want to know if PROTECT's climate-food safety models fit your production line? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right consortium partner for your specific needs.
