The way we currently produce, process, package, transport, consume, recycle and waste food has implications on food safety, our health, the environment, the economy and social equality. In short: our current food systems are not future-proof!
CIRCLES aims to support the changes needed for sustainable, resilient, competitive, diverse, responsible and inclusive food systems by assessing the potential of microbes. Microbes are present in all parts of the food systems and are expected to have a significant impact on the functioning of our health and the planet.

CIRCLES is a 10 million € European Union funded project which runs from 01 November 2018 to 30 October 2023. In total, 30 organisations from across the whole of Europe have joined the effort to find solutions for the future food challenges by investigating the potential of microbes in the food system.

The researchers of CIRCLES are investigating whether and how natural microbiomes in the spinach, tomato, poultry, swine, farmed and wild salmon and seabream food chains can be exploited for a more sustainable, safe, productive and nutritious food production. The aim is to have concrete microbiome products, procedures, tools and applications by the end of the project which can be further developed for use in the (European) job market and economy.