20.500.12556/RUL-184131 Mapping fermented foods across Europe insights from the PIMENTO COST action Fermented foods (FF) have long been integral to human diets, originally serving as a natural means of food preservation. Recently, they have gained renewed attention for their potential health benefits. This study, within the PIMENTO COST Action CA20128, aimed to map FF diversity, production volumes, fermentation technologies, challenges, and innovation trends across Europe and neighboring regions. Data were collected from 16 countries, including Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Europe, as well as Türkiye and Morocco, via a structured questionnaire covering production and certification, fermentation technologies, limitations and innovation trends. Information was obtained from EU or national databases and direct consultations with associations, companies and producers. Results showed that dairy products dominate FF across all countries, followed by meat-, cereal- and plant-based products. Lactic fermentation was most prevalent, followed by alcoholic, acetic and mixed fermentations, depending on the raw material. Northern and Western European countries primarily use commercial starter cultures and standardized industrial processes, while Southern and Eastern regions maintain strong artisanal traditions relying on spontaneous or back-slopping fermentations. Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certifications are concentrated in Southern Europe. Emerging innovation trends include low-fat, low-salt, hybrid (plant-animal) FF and probiotic-enriched products, aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key limitations include raw material scarcity, financial constraints for small producers and limited technology transfer. The diversity of FF, combined with a shared gastronomic heritage, underscores Europe's strong potential for sustainable innovation, sectoral growth and global leadership in fermented foods. fermented foods diversity production size product certification fermentation technologies limitations innovations Europe fermentirana živila kategorizacija tehnologija certifikacija inovacije Evropa true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-06-30 09:51:44 2026-06-30 09:51:53 2026-07-02 03:28:34 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 13 str. article no. 119737 Vol. 241 1 Oct. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 641 1873-7145 10.1016/j.foodres.2026.119737 283040259 RAZ_Papademas_Photis_2026.pdf RAZ_Papademas_Photis_2026.pdf 1 32D8C0C1999634AA76454FF5F3BDE58B 769628b4ce54b341d44cea69e7095f3fa2525e94b1040d316ddedfb2209657db 88c531e0-7458-11f1-9b0d-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=236641 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996926014201?via%3Dihub 1 786c3f9f-7458-11f1-9b0d-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=236640 Biotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0