KUŠAR ANITA1*, VRANKEN LIESBET2, PASCH KERSTIN3, PRAVST IGOR1
*Corresponding author
1.Nutrition institute, Slovenia
2. University of Leuven, Belgium
3. German Institute of Food Technologies, Germany

Abstract

Food processing in a box (FOX) is a research project, funded by the European Commission as part of the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme. FOX is focused into mildly processed fruits and vegetables through innovative, small-scale technologies in flexible processing units, which can be moved between production regions. This innovative approach simultaneously meets consumers’ expectations for a wider range of regionally produced foods, supports sustainable and healthier diets and provide business opportunities for food supply actors. Part of the project is focused into evaluation of nutritional quality of the newly produced foods, enabling health-impact assessment.

INTRODUCTION
Food systems have the potential to nurture human health and support environmental sustainability; however, which are both threatened (1-3). In fact, while in the EU average intakes of energy, red meat, sugars, salt, and fats continue to exceed recommendations, consumption of fruit and vegetables, legumes, whole-grain cereals and nuts is insufficient (3). Moving to a more plant-based diet with less red and processed meat and with more fruits and vegetables will reduce not only risks of life-threatening diseases, but also the environmental impact of the food system (4). It was estimated that in the EU in 2017 over 950,000 deaths (one out of five) and over 16 million lost healthy life years were attributable to unhealthy diets - mainly due to cardiovascular diseases and cancers (1). With this awareness, one of the most important objectives of the European commission’s Farm to fork (F2F) Strategy is ‘to increase the availability of healthy and sustainable food options’ (5), and this is also addressed in the FOod Processing in a bOX – FOX project (6), funded within the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme.

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