National Nodes
METROFOOD.BE is the Belgian national node of METROFOOD-RI. METROFOOD.BE’s mission is to provide a comprehensive and sustainable infrastructure for food quality and safety, including analysis, development of innovative solutions, data management, and training services. It offers extensive analytical and development services, focusing on food safety, quality, and innovation. This includes the analysis of toxins, contaminants, and food contact materials, as well as the characterization of nanoparticles. Sciensano, a key partner in METROFOOD.BE, supports these efforts. Future development includes expanding research capabilities and fostering scientific cooperation to advance the agri-food sector.
METROFOOD-CZ is the Czech national node of METROFOOD-RI and is the first large infrastructure in the Czech Republic. METROFOOD-CZ’s mission is to provide services from “farm to fork” covering the whole agri-food chain (primary production, food science & technology, food quality, safety and authenticity and nutrition). METROFOOD-CZ consists of three partners: Czech University of Life sciences Prague (CZU, main coordinator), University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague (UCT Prague), and Food Research Institute Prague (FRIP).
METROFOOD-DE is the German national node of METROFOOD-RI and it is located at the Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Its main research focus is the interaction between trace compounds in food and in humans. This includes the analysis and quantification of trace compounds in food (vitamins, mycotoxins and flavonoids, as well as their metabolites) by stable isotope dilution assays. Thus, predicting the positive or negative effects of these analytes is possible and can be applied to ensure food safety, assess bioactive substances in food or monitor the bioavailability of health-promoting compounds. The vision of the node is to include further German research institutes working in the field of food safety and food processing.
METROFOOD-MK is the North Macedonian national node of METROFOOD-RI. The mission of METROFOOD-MK is to provide metrology services for food quality and safety, including the characterisation of reference materials (RM). These services encompass analyses of inorganic contaminants (trace elements), organic contaminants (pesticides and mycotoxins), allergens, additives, and microbiological parameters, as well as the determination of food composition and nutritional value. The quality of testing performance is ensured by meeting harmonised professional standards, continuous professional education and maintenance of laboratory accreditation. Node consists of two Institutions: The Institution of the Public Health of the Republic North Macedonia (IJZRSM) and the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science – Skopje (FASF).
METROFOOD-PT is the Portugal national node of METROFOOD-RI. The Portuguese National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA) ensures its mission through research, technological development, and laboratory quality assurance. As the national reference laboratory and health observatory, INSA is at the forefront of various health science activities, including research, surveillance, reference services, training, and consultancy. Our expertise areas cover epidemiology, environmental health, food and nutrition, genetics, proteomics, infectious and chronic diseases, and health promotion. INSA leads the Portuguese national node of METROFOOD in collaboration with the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA) and NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT).
METROFOOD-RO is the Romanian national node of METROFOOD-RI. It consists of 9 research organizations (National R&D Institute of Food Bioresources – IBA Bucharest; “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galati; University of Life Sciences “King Michael I” Timisoara; National Institute of R&D for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry – INMA Bucharest; National Institute for R&D of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies – ITIM Cluj; University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest – USAMV Bucharest; INCDO-INOE 2000 subsidiary Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation - ICIA Cluj; University of Bucharest; Excellence Research Center for Gene and Cell Therapies in Cancer Treatment – OncoGen Timisoara) with a high level of multidisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity, resulting in synergies and complementarities in their efforts.
METROFOOD-RO's partner organizations have the resources and capacity to intervene when actors in the food system require studies, research, and solutions to address system issues, as well as to provide new knowledge that leads to new concepts and approaches (i.e., One Health concept, Agroecology, etc.). METROFOOD-RO is the only national-level research infrastructure in the ESFRI "Health&Food" domain.
METROFOOD-SI is the Slovenian national node of METROFOOD-RI. It consists of eight partners, including Jožef Stefan Institute, National Institute of Biology, Science and Research Centre-Koper, University of Ljubljana, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, University of Maribor and National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food. This network of laboratories provides research infrastructure for analyzing food quality, safety, and traceability, as well as conducting pilot experiments on experimental fields, farms, and plantations. Further, the JRU supports research in new technologies like sensor technologies, capsulation and new functional food development. Data management and open access will be facilitated through web portals, aligning with stakeholders' needs and European guidelines for data accessibility, interoperability, and re-use. Currently, the Jožef Stefan Institute manages an electronic food composition database available via the OPKP: Open Platform for Clinical Nutrition.
The Swiss national node is active on the digital part of METROFOOD-RI implementing the central user data management system as well as several data repositories, apps and digital services. Currently, the node is implementing the central Authentication and Authorisation infrastructure (AAI) for METROFOOD-RI as well as several data repositories such as analytical data repository or reference material database with focus on interoperability. Also, management, administration and community tools such as membership app, customer-relation management, survey app and conference app are implemented. As the law in Switzerland changed and allows to participate in ERICs, the Swiss node is currently enlarging the national network to apply in 2025 for the Swiss roadmap.
The Turkish national node is represented by TUBITAK LIFE SCIENCE - Vice Presidency of Life Sciences which is one of the world's leading research and development centers as an organization that can meet the needs of the age with its infrastructure equipped with advanced technologies and expert personnel in their fields. Life Sciences combines scientific research with commercial-industrial activities to conduct high value-added applied research and develop technologies and plays an important role in the improvement of the global competitive power of Turkey through sustainable development. Established under the leadership of Life Sciences with the mission of paving the way for the food sector to achieve greater goals by increasing its R&D and innovation capabilities for a sustainable future, TÜGİP offers holistic solutions from a single source with the approach of "collaboration and co-creation”.
