World Food Day 2024: Get to know Riccardo Corina, PhD at University of Montpellier, CIRAD & CNR Bari

25 February 2025

Ensuring the right to food for all requires collective action to tackle hunger and poverty. This means prioritising the production and consumption of diverse, safe and nutritious foods, while building resilience against shocks, vulnerabilities, and stresses.

The academic community plays a crucial role in this mission. Research, data, technology, and innovation can be powerful tools for enhancing food safety and food security, as well as for transforming agrifood systems for a better future and a better life for all.

That’s why UPRISE is taking action by training 12 PhD students under joint EU-AU supervision to become future leaders and food safety ambassadors for Africa. These researchers will play a key role in supporting food safety risk assessment and management to reduce mycotoxin levels, by developing guides, toolkits, early warning systems and microbiome- based innovations.

Get to know Riccardo Corina, PhD at University of Montpellier (France), CIRAD (France) & CNR Bari (Italy)

Mycotoxins are toxic substances produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed, with harmful effects on health. In Europe, strict regulations and maximum limits are in place to prevent contamination. However, in Africa, monitoring is challenging due to a lack of resources, weak regulations, and insufficient agricultural practices. This is why it is crucial to explore alternative and cost-effective methods to reduce the levels of these toxic agents in food.

There is scientific evidence showing the effectiveness of bacterial colonies (such as Lactic Acid Bacteria, LAB) and yeasts in reducing mycotoxin levels. These microorganisms can bind to or break down mycotoxins, thus reducing health risks. Studies have shown that certain bacteria and yeasts can metabolize or absorb mycotoxins, making contaminated food safer. However, this field is still underexplored for selected fermented foods in the context of the Up-rise project. Riccardo’s task is to identify, with the help of other PhD students, bacterial colonies that can be incorporated into production processes to optimize them and reduce mycotoxin levels irreversibly, without altering the organoleptic and nutritional properties of the food.

In particular, his thesis will focus on investigating the mechanism through which these microorganisms reduce mycotoxin content, hoping that the knowledge gained will contribute to making food safer and improving the health and economy of the countries involved.

Video: Riccardo Corina, PhD at University of Montpellier, CIRAD & CNR Bari

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