The European population is ageing, leading to an increase in metabolic and degenerative diseases, partly due to poor diets. Current European food products are not designed with sustainability or health in mind, hence are not equipped to meet modern dietary needs. Meanwhile, there is insufficient evidence about the health benefits of fermented foods, limiting dietary recommendations that could have potentially positive health outcomes. To add to these barriers, stakeholders and key actors who would be able to promote the development of healthy and sustainable foods and diets are not well connected, and this impairs short-term innovation potential and long-term EU food sovereignty. 

To address these issues, the DOMINO project aims to better understand what the concept of a healthy gut microbiome might be and how different fermented foods affect it. We will study how fermented foods impact individual health and use this knowledge to inform dietary strategies, which will help enhance the functionality of fermented foods. We will also improve our understanding of microbial processes in fermented foods to make them healthier and more sustainable. This will unlock innovation potentials for SMEs and support the food sector to reach key objectives along the whole food production system, such as input reduction and biowaste recycling, while also preventing hazards and spoilage by promoting environmental sustainability. Additionally, we will compile existing food-related microbial data and compare current and future food production methods for efficiency. Overall, DOMINO aims to promote higher levels of fermented food consumption in Western Society and improve awareness of the beneficial roles of microbiomes in health and sustainability along the food chain. 

DOMINO will create an Open Access Database of fermented food microbiome data. This open-access research will develop a workflow for designing functional healthy foods, enhancing biowaste valorisation, and ensuring process sustainability in both animal- and plant-based food production. The project will establish a decision framework for assessing the health benefits and risks of fermented foods to guide the food industry and policy makers. By uniting stakeholders through collaborative Living Lab approaches, we will address challenges in fermented food processes and meet local ecosystem needs. The benefits of this project include improved public health through better diets, increased sustainability in food production, enhanced innovation in the food sector, and greater trust and acceptance of fermented foods among consumers.