Why should we ferment plant-based foods? A deep-dive into food chemistry.

Can fermentation improve plant-based foods? What happens during fermentation from a food chemistry perspective? What are concrete health benefits of eating fermented foods? 

Today I am at the faculty of bioengineering in Leuven, Belgium, to interview professor and researcher Christophe Courtin. Christophe knows everything about the chemistry of fermentation. He has been researching fermented cereals for 15 years and he is now coordinating the project HealthFerm (we will tell you more about this in the course of the episode). Helthferm is part of the FOOD 2030 network, under the CLEVERFOOD project. From farmers and chefs to activists and everyday eaters, CLEVERFOOD is about bringing everyone into the conversation on building a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system for the future.

Host: Valentina Gritti Guest: Christophe Courtin

Links: 

1. The link to the first paper on the HealthFerm Citizen Science project: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41538-026-00725-7
2. The link to the HealthFerm website: www.healthferm.eu

This episode is part of the podcast series "Tomorrow's Table: rethinking food as we know it" co-produced by Slow Food Youth Network and ICONS for the EU-funded CLEVERFOOD project. Post-production: Klets.media