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The bacterial flora of food spoilage induces accidents industrial failures and limit the shelf-life of products (color, texture, flavor modification). Spoilage causes considerable losses that impact the competitiveness of companies. The environmental cost (energy, water, CO2) to produce these wasted foods is also very important. These spoilage bacteria, hosted in environmental reservoirs within factories (floors, walls, machine surfaces, etc.), can contaminate food during processing.
The aim of the ALTEROBIO project is to develop and validate an innovative molecular method (16S metabarcoding and quantitative PCR), with the aim of characterizing the microbiota of the plant as well as the product. This methodology will enable mapping of the plant's microbiota to identify critical contamination points. This data will be used to qualify and improve the cleaning and disinfection procedures in the company to ensure an optimal level of food quality over a longer period. The aim here is to reduce the waste of food and the carbon footprint of their production.
The ALTEROBIO project implements this strategy in the smoked salmon production sector and involves the companies Biofortis (MérieuxNutriSciences, Saint Herblain) and Thai Union-MerAlliance (Quimper), as well as public research laboratories: UMR SECALIM (Inra -Oniris, Nantes) and the EM3B (Ifremer, Nantes).

Keywords: microbiota - factory - environment - seafood - spoilage - contamination