Rapid Salmonella detection in complex food matrices
Challenge by Cargill

About

Cargill is an American multinational and a global leader in food, agriculture, financial, and industrial solutions, with a focus on sustainability, innovation and supply chain excellence. 

The Challenge

The challenge focuses on developing faster and cost-effective Salmonella detection methods in cocoa and chocolate production environments. It aims to:

• Overcome challenges in detecting low contamination levels in chocolate’s complex fat-rich matrix.
• Reduce total testing time to 8 hours or less, while maintaining high accuracy.
• Improve cost efficiency, aiming for a test cost of less than 50 euros per scale test.

The goal is to implement scalable, sensitive and efficient solutions that enhance food safety in chocolate production.

Reward

Successful applicants can receive up to $100,000 in funding, with the potential for additional support through co-development, licensing or technology acquisition. In addition, participants will have access to Cargill's cocoa and chocolate experts.

Timeframe

• Deadline for Submitting Proposals: 31 March, 2025

Who can apply

• Applicants with TRL 4-9 solutions that meet high accuracy and cost-efficiency standards.

How to apply

Application through HALO Platform.

Find here all the details and the submission page 

The SPIN4EIC consortium is not responsible for the challenges launched by private or public buyers. Each participating entity is solely responsible for its own challenge, including the selection process, communication with applicants, and all information provided to participants.