DEFENSEFOOD: New Horizon Europe initiative launches to strengthen the EU food systems
14 November 2025
Today's food systems are complex and vulnerable. In a landscape that constantly changes politically, technologically, and socially, the idea of securing these systems against threats becomes more relevant than ever. Food fraud and adulteration are common, but food safety systems are not designed to handle systemic or malicious incidents.
The EU-Horizon project DEFENSEFOOD (Defending the food systems through science and innovation) aims to enhance the resilience of Europe’s food supply chain against chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) threats, ensuring robust preparedness, rapid response, and effective recovery. It runs until the end of September 2029.
Together with Prof. Dr. Gertrud Buchenrieder from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of the Bundeswehr Prof. Dr. Eva Herschinger from CISS is part of the EU-Horizon-project. They are part of a multidisciplinary consortium: Thirteen partners from nine countries will focus on a scientific approach designed to make a meaningful impact on society.
DEFENSEFOOD brings together a strong group of partners, including:
- Research institutes and public organisations with extensive work and expertise on food safety and applied research: Syreon Research Institute (Hungary), Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen Food Safety Research, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (The Netherlands), Sciensano (Belgium), McGill University (Canada), National Research Council (Italy), Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation (Spain), Fraunhofer (Germany),
- Security and defense experts: Sustainable Criminal Justice Solutions (United Kingdom), University of the Bundeswehr Munich (Germany),
- Sustainability and green tech experts: Ubuntoo (The Netherlands),
- Dissemination, exploitation, and communication leaders: reframe.food (Greece).
The project examines the entire food chain to understand where risks could appear and how they can be managed effectively. In addition, it focuses on three critical case studies (cereals, shellfish, and water supply), which are essential to public health and particularly vulnerable to contamination. To address these risks, the project aims to support the production, processing, and distribution of food by:
- developing AI-enabled risk identification and decision-making tools
- raising awareness among authorities, the food industry, producers, and consumers about potential food-related risks,
- providing training and guidance to help stakeholders respond confidently and effectively during crises (through an AI-powered knowledge platform and learning tools)
- sharing best practices across countries to improve Europe’s collective resilience
To achieve these goals, DEFENSEFOOD combines practical strategies with predictive analytics, laboratory techniques, and simulation models. This combination enables faster detection, more accurate assessment, and informed decision-making, ensuring that threats are contained and that supply chains recover swiftly.
By integrating scientific innovation, cross-border collaboration, and advanced technologies, the project sets a new standard for safeguarding Europe’s food systems, empowering stakeholders to anticipate, detect, and respond to threats effectively. Its work ensures that communities, economies, and public health are better protected, creating a resilient food supply chain for today and the future.
For those interested in the progress of the project: Follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Χ or visit the website of the project at defensefood.eu
Picture: https://defensefood.eu/
