Gentle processes for fresh products from harvest to consumption - to ensure healthy nutrition for both humans and animals
The programme area 'Healthy Foods' addresses complex scientific issues in the spectrum between primary production and processing of food and feed.
'Healthy foods', which are produced fairly taking into account environmental and animal welfare, include hitherto underutilized plant species such as legumes and pseudocereals, as well as alternative bioresources, e.g. land-cultivated macroalgae and insects.
Our research aims to minimize post-harvest losses, improve product quality and simultaneously increase resource and process efficiency embedded in the context of a circular bioeconomy. To this end, we develop innovative interdisciplinary approaches along the entire value chain and integrate side streams into bioeconomic process chains.
Following the concept of 'Quality by Design' in the optimization and development of sensors and control systems, we first analyze the respective system requirements and design the process based on this. The development of tailored physical, physicochemical and/or biological processes considers important ingredients and product properties as well as desirable or avoidable microbial systems. We also analyze environmental impacts in production and post-harvest, especially with regard to water, wastewater, energy, by-products and residues.
For our research, we have access to laboratory areas with high-end specialized equipment, including the freshness lab and microbiology laboratory.
Product properties and in-situ sensing
For the in-situ monitoring of the quality in perishable food products along the value chain, we develop sensor-based methods that allow us to analyze product properties non-destructively and to record process variables. In the field and post-harvest, we use methods including hyperspectral imaging, chlorophyll fluorescence spectroscopy, laser-induced multispectral backscatter analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The product information obtained is used in agronomic models as well as for the development of digital twins.
Dynamics of microbial communities
We develop methods for early and specific detection of microbial contamination in postharvest fresh produce. In this regard, we pursue both cultivation-dependent and cultivation-independent approaches based on the analysis of microbial DNA sequences. The characterization of microbial communities and their dynamics along the process chains from substrate to product will contribute to the application of methods for the targeted inactivation of pathogens or also for the promotion of desirable microorganisms.
Thermal and non-thermal processes for preservation and hygienization
The focus is on efficient, product-friendly solutions for the preservation of food and feed - from their fundamentals to their industrial implementation. We are investigating product-process interactions in drying as a fundamental thermal process in the preparation of bulk materials such as grain. Using apples as an example, we further develop the combination of process models with measured ingredient-specific reaction kinetics.
In the area of non-thermal treatment processes for sanitization, such as hydrostatic high pressure and low-temperature plasma, we are further expanding our expertise through upscaling and transfer to industrial applications. A newly established laboratory platform enables basic, large-scale experiments with pathogens in model processing chains.
Packaging and storage systems
We investigate the interactions between environmental conditions and product quality during cooling, storage and transportation of fresh food. We develop technologies for a tailored packaging or storage regime along the supply chain to reduce post-harvest food losses. In particular, our goal is to better understand the mechanisms of water vapor and condensation dynamics in packaged fresh produce and, on this basis, to develop optimized packaging in a moisture-regulating design, increasingly from bio-based materials such as cellulose or polylactic acid (PLA).
To the team of the programme area
News related to the programme
Strengthening German-Japanese research cooperation: Japanese Ambassador visits the ATB
Roadmaps for the High-Tech Agenda Germany: Leibniz Innovation Farm established as a key infrastructure
From Potsdam to India: ATB establishes strategic partnership for the global bioeconomy
Strong partners for the future: ATB and INIA Uruguay sign a memorandum of understanding
PhD Day at ATB: An opportunity to exchange ideas, meet new people and network
Novel tech for next-generation green agriculture
Successful FRUTIC Science Symposium provides impetus for the future of horticulture
Innovations for smart water strategies – GFFA expert panel 2026
Vision for agricultural robotics: Germany, France and the Netherlands pool their expertise
Successful doctorates: ATB congratulates its new graduates
Conference on sustainable food systems in Brazil
Artificial Peat from the Pressure Cooker: ATB in Potsdam achieves Breakthrough in Peat Replacement
Research projects
-
SALSA aims to reduce our dependence on chemical pesticides by developing and testing biobased alternatives for plant protection . The project uses agricultural and industrial waste from the tomato value chain to create i…
Start:
End:
01.06.2026
31.05.2029
Funding authority:
Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR)
-
The plan is to develop a novel process for producing super-short fibres from bast fibre plants, using hemp as an example. Normally, the two valuable components of the stem- bast and woody core - are separated directly fr…
Start:
End:
01.04.2026
31.03.2029
Funding authority:
Niedersächsisches Ministerium für den ländlichen Raum, Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz
Europäische Union - Europäischer Landwirtschaftsfonds für die Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums
-
Start:
End:
23.03.2026
31.03.2028
Funding authority:
Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Europaangelegenheiten des Landes Brandenburg
Europäische Union - Europäischer Fonds für regionale Entwicklung
-
Fresh fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities, and ethylene plays a central role in regulating ripening, senescence, and postharvest quality loss. Despite significant advances in ethylene sensing technolo…
Start:
End:
01.01.2026
31.12.2026
Funding authority:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
-
Start:
End:
01.09.2025
31.08.2028
Funding authority:
Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie
More projects within the programme area
Publications of the programme area
- Mahajan, P.; Nur Hanani, Z.; Chaiwong, S. (2026): Moisture Condensation and Antifogging Films for Fresh Produce Packaging. Reference Module in Food Science. : p. 1-10. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-34158-8.00018-9 1.0
- Tayyab, M.; Sturm, B.; Khoshnam, F.; Delele, M.; Arefi, A. (2026): 3D Point Cloud based Optical Tracking of Dynamic Quality Degradation during Drying of Fruits and Vegetables. Journal of Food Engineering. : p. 113017. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2026.113017 1.0
- Taheri Sedeh, H.; Hammerl, J.; Hertwig, S.; Schlüter, O. (2026): Bacteriophage-assisted non-thermal processing of foods: Challenges and innovative concepts to inactivate microbial pathogens. Current Opinion in Food Science. : p. 101380. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2026.101380 1.0
- Roth, A.; Franz, C.; Hertwig, S.; Holzhauser, T.; Hertel, C.; Humpf, H.; Engel, K.; Schwarzenbolz, U.; Schlüter, O.; Jäger, H.; Aganovic, K.; Heinz, V. (2026): Limitations and safety aspects related to the use of bacteriophages in food production. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. : p. 1-33. Online: https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuag002 1.0
- Wicaksono, W.; Zukancic, E.; Zlatnar, M.; Suwanto, A.; Berg, G. (2026): Traditional fermented foods of Indonesia harbour functionally redundant but phylogenetically diverse taxa. FEMS Microbes. (xtag005): p. 1-13. Online: https://doi.org/10.1093/femsmc/xtag005 1.0
- Jedermann, R.; Hoffmann, T.; Neuwald, D.; Büchele, F.; Mahajan, P. (2026): Dew point undershoot mechanisms driving surface condensation in commercial apple cold storage. Postharvest Biology and Technology. (June 2026): p. 114264. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2026.114264 1.0
- Dehn, L.; Psarianos, M.; Schlüter, O. (2026): Extraction and stability of R-phycoerythrin from the macroalga Palmaria palmata using conventional and nonthermal processes. Frontiers in Food Science and Technology. : p. 1800155. Online: https://doi.org/10.3389/frfst.2026.1800155 1.0
- Yu, J.; Qiang, H.; Hoffmann, T.; Mahajan, P.; Chaiwong, S.; An, X. (2026): From bruise to breakdown: Multi-omics of transport-induced deterioration in apples. Food Research International. (31 May 2026): p. 118900. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118900 1.0
- Rossi Ribeiro, L.; Leichtweis, M.; Landgräber, E.; Silva, B.; Azevedo, M.; Pereira, C.; Carocho, M.; Barros, L.; Schlüter, O. (2026): Enhancing shelf life of pumpkin pulp with natural-based preservative and high pressure processing. Frontiers in Food Science and Technology. : p. 1817509. Online: https://doi.org/10.3389/frfst.2026.1817509 1.0
- Padee, S.; Klinsukhon, W.; Wannid, P.; Suwannamek, N.; Trongsatitkul, T.; Lerslerwong, L.; Mahajan, P.; Wu, D.; Rattanakaran, J.; Chaiwong, S.; Prahsarn, C. (2026): Pineapple Leaf Fiber-based Nonwovens as Sustainable Thermal Insulation Liner for Distribution Packaging. Future Foods. : p. 101007. Online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fufo.2026.101007 1.0
More publications of the programme area