On 24 March 2026, partners of SAFOOD4MED gathered for the Mid-term Partners’ Meeting, marking a key milestone in the project’s implementation.

The meeting provided an opportunity to review the progress achieved across all work packages and to align on the next phases of research and innovation activities. Particular attention was given to advancements in the development of innovative antimicrobial bioplastics derived from agri-food waste, a core objective of the project.

SAFOOD4MED aims to establish a circular and sustainable value chain in the Mediterranean area, transforming food waste into high-value biomaterials for food packaging applications. The discussions highlighted significant progress in:

• food waste identification, pre-treatment, and fractionation processes
• development of bio-based polymers from lignocellulosic components
• processing and validation of bioplastics for food packaging
• environmental, social, and techno-economic assessments

The meeting also fostered constructive dialogue among partners from different countries, reinforcing collaboration and knowledge exchange across disciplines and regions.

As the project moves forward, efforts will increasingly focus on scaling up technologies, validating antimicrobial performance, and ensuring the sustainability and market potential of the developed solutions.

The consortium remains committed to contributing to food loss reduction, resource efficiency, and the transition toward a circular bioeconomy in the Mediterranean region.