Innovation Interview: SavIA advances predictive food quality and safety control

Technological transformation in the food industry is opening up new possibilities for moving towards faster, more accurate and predictive control systems. Technologies such as advanced sensing, photonics, artificial intelligence and biotechnology make it possible to obtain information directly within the production environment and anticipate potential risks related to food quality and safety.

This is the context in which SavIA was created. The project brings together EMENASA, UBAGO, PERNISAL, LUCE IT, Digital Food Quality, ANFACO-CECOPESCA y CARTIF, combining technological capabilities and industry expertise to develop new solutions for fish and meat products.

In this interview, we take a closer look at the origins of the project, the technologies being investigated, its potential impact on sustainability and the team’s experience working with Evolution Europe throughout the funding process.

SavIA was submitted under INNTERCONECTA STEP, a funding programme managed by CDTI Innovation in Spain to support collaborative research and development (R&D) projects led by business consortia in strategic STEP sectors. These include digital and deep technologies, such as artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and cybersecurity; clean technologies, including renewable energy, smart grids and advanced batteries; and biotechnologies.

The project has 1.513.355,39 € approved funding, strengthening its scope and capacity to develop new technological solutions aimed at improving quality, safety and sustainability in the food industry.

Learn more about the project

1. What motivated the development of SavIA, and why is it important to move towards predictive food quality and safety systems?

SavIA was created in response to a very specific need in the food industry: traditional quality controls, based on laboratory analyses, are rigorous but slow, costly and, in many cases, destructive. In addition, because they work with limited samples, they do not always accurately reflect the heterogeneity of an entire batch, which delays the detection of problems. Moving towards predictive systems makes it possible to anticipate risks before they affect the product or process, instead of detecting them once the damage has already been done.

2. What are the main limitations of traditional quality control systems in the food industry?

There are mainly three: they are slow (laboratory results take time to arrive), they are destructive (they render the analysed sample unusable), and they work with partial samples that do not always accurately represent the entire batch. This makes early detection of problems more difficult and can lead to economic losses and avoidable food waste.

3. What role do advanced sensing and photonic technologies play in the project?

They are the basis for making non-invasive, in-situ control possible. SavIA combines photonic technologies such as NIR, HSI and FTIR with low-cost IoT sensors, making it possible to analyse the product without destroying it and obtain data directly within the production environment, instead of relying solely on laboratory analyses carried out afterwards.

4. How will artificial intelligence, machine learning and chemometrics contribute to improving decision-making?

The data captured by photonic and IoT sensors are complex on their own; AI, machine learning and chemometric models are what translate this information into interpretable and actionable quality and safety parameters. This is what makes it possible to move from raw data to a specific real-time decision about the process or product.

5. What opportunities do the biotechnology solutions being investigated offer for fish and meat products?

They open the door to cleaner and more sustainable preservation alternatives: the use of lactic acid bacteria and bioactive peptides from fishery by-products for biopreservation, and the application of cold plasma for non-thermal surface decontamination in cured meat products. These solutions are aligned with the circular economy and reduce dependence on more aggressive methods.

6. What impact could SavIA have on reducing food waste and improving sustainability?

By detecting quality and safety problems earlier, product rejections that are currently identified too late can be avoided. More predictive and proactive control reduces economic losses and waste, while the biotechnology solutions being investigated reinforce this sustainability by offering cleaner alternatives to traditional preservation methods.

7. What value does the collaboration between EMENASA, UBAGO, PERNISAL, LUCE IT, Digital Food Quality, ANFACO-CECOPESCA and CARTIF bring?

The project combines two product lines: smoked fish and cured ham. These require very different capabilities: sensing, IoT, AI/chemometrics, biotechnology and industry expertise. No single partner covers all of these areas on its own. At LUCE IT, we contribute the development of portable sensing/IoT systems (Activity 3) and also contribute to other project activities, which clearly illustrates how each partner provides its specific piece within a joint solution.

8. How has your experience been working with Evolution Europe during the funding process? What differentiating value would you highlight?

Our experience working with Evolution Europe has been very positive, particularly highlighting their close and constant attention throughout the entire process. Their differentiating value lies in their deep knowledge of R&D grants, providing technical, financial and administrative advice that has greatly facilitated the comprehensive management of complex projects such as Innterconecta. This combination of specialisation and continuous support has allowed us to approach the different stages of the process with greater confidence, optimising coordination and effectively minimising risks.

Innovation for a more predictive and sustainable food industry

SavIA demonstrates how combining different technologies and areas of expertise can contribute to transforming food quality and safety control systems. Collaboration between companies, technology organisations and research centres makes it possible to address complex challenges from different perspectives and develop solutions with direct applications in production environments.

At Evolution Europe, we continue to support innovative companies and consortia throughout the funding process for R&D projects, helping manage the technical, financial and administrative requirements needed to transform innovative ideas into impactful projects.