Development of Innovative Control Methods to control emerging hazards associated with protein alternatives

Future demographic and environmental challenges are encouraging populations to explore new alternatives. Plant products and the use of insects are now recognized as potential alternatives to animal products. However, the measures already implemented to control the microbiological quality of conventional foodstuffs have not been developed for plant and insect-based protein substitutes.

The transposition of classic analytical methods is not suitable for controlling these emerging hazards. Indeed, for the insect matrix, limits have been highlighted for detecting pathogens and spoilage bacteria due to the richness and variability of their microbiota and these matrices can introduce new hazards that are not detected by the currently implemented targeted methods (Brulé et al 2024). Plant alternatives can significantly increase the exposure to already known hazards through their high level of consumption but also through the implementation of new processing processes.

The thesis project aims to characterize the bacterial diversity of these food alternatives, insects and plant products, and to evaluate the effectiveness of microbiological control methods and to develop them with a view to their future regulation and quality controls relevant to be implemented. Innovative methods such as metagenomics and quantitative PCR will be used in addition to the classical cultural methods for microbiology.

The ultimate objective is to assist public authorities in controlling the safety and quality of protein alternatives, particularly insect Novel Foods, as well as the booming plant-based alternatives. The results of this project will provide valuable scientific support for the development of agri-food industries, while meeting the growing needs of consumers looking for new safe and sustainable protein sources.

The PhD thesis will begin in December 2024, for three years.

UMR SecAlim

SECALIM (Food Safety and Microbiology) is an INRAE/Oniris Mixt Research Unit (UMR1014) which carries out its activities in the field of microbiological food safety. The mission of SECALIM is to produce and disseminate scientific knowledge and methods in the field of microbiological food safety to meet societal demands for public health and control of food losses. Its research actions aim to characterize and control the microbial risk (health and spoilage) in foods. The skills implemented in the unit combine classical and molecular microbiology, predictive microbiology and quantitative risk assessment. One of the purposes of these works is to contribute to the provision of innovative means of control for professionals or control authorities to ensure the microbiological safety of foods.

Web site : https://secalim.angers-nantes.hub.inrae.fr/

Prerequisites: the motivated candidate will have a Master 2 Research or equivalent in food microbiology and must register at doctoral school no. 642 VAAME at Oniris VetAgroBio (Nantes).

Knowledge and skills: rapid adaptability and autonomy, ability to work in a group, ability to listen and share tasks, microbiology, molecular biology, notions in bioinformatics, genomics and analysis of biological hazards, mastery of English, writing and organizational skills. The candidate will have to work in a class 2 biological safety level laboratory.