DELICIOUS kicks off to revolutionise plant-based dairy in Europe

On December 12th and 13th, the official kick-off meeting of the European project DELICIOUS was held at Fundació Alícia, located in Mont Sant Benet (Barcelona, Spain). This ambitious initiative, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, aims to transform the landscape of plant-based dairy by harnessing microbial fermentation and cutting-edge innovation.

The project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of 17 partners from 9 European countries, including research centres, universities, SMEs, large companies, clusters, and industry associations. Under the coordination of RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, DELICIOUS is set to play a leading role in accelerating the shift towards more sustainable and healthier food systems across Europe.

With the global plant-based food market expected to reach €40 billion by 2027, there is growing demand for high-quality, sustainable alternatives to animal-based products. However, plant-based dairy products still represent a small share of the market, largely due to ongoing challenges in replicating the taste, texture, and nutritional value of traditional dairy. DELICIOUS seeks to overcome these barriers by developing affordable, safe, and appealing alternatives—starting with plant-based cheeses and kefirs that can match or exceed consumer expectations.

Over the course of the next four years, the project will combine:

Advanced microbial fermentation to enhance flavour and functionality
High-throughput screening and machine learning to optimise microbial strains and ingredients
Culinary expertise to guide recipe development and sensory quality
Sustainable production models to reduce the environmental impact by up to 30% compared to conventional dairy processes

By integrating advanced technology with consumer insights, we aim to accelerate the shift towards plant-based diets and set a new standard for the plant-based dairy industry.

Charilaos Xiros, Project Coordinator from RISE.

In addition to developing next-generation dairy analogues, DELICIOUS will also equip the fermentation industry with state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools, empowering producers to drive efficiency and innovation throughout the value chain.

The kick-off meeting in Barcelona marked the official start of this four-year journey. Partners had the opportunity to align their visions, set the course for upcoming activities, and begin building the strong collaborative foundation needed to achieve the project’s ambitious objectives.

Stay tuned for more updates as DELICIOUS advances toward its goal: delivering plant-based dairy products that are not only better for the planet but also truly satisfying for consumers.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe innovation action under grant agreement No. 101181822.