HealthFerm Symposium on Fermented Grain-Based Foods at ICC Conference 2025, Vienna

During the 21st International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC) Conference “Cereals and Pulses: Bridging Science and Innovation to drive the Transformation of the Food System” held in Vienna from 23-25 September 2025, the HealthFerm “Plant-Based Fermented Foods Ecosystem” symposium took place, titled “Fermentation as a Processing Strategy to Improve Functionality and Health Properties of Grain-Based Foods.”

The 2-hour morning session brought together leading experts who shared recent advances in cereal- and pulse-based food research focused on fermentation.

Speakers offered targeted insights into specific areas of plant-based fermentation:

• Christophe Courtin presented on HealthFerm innovations in pulse & cereal fermentation.
• Silvia Cera explored β-glucan functionality in oat sourdough bread.
• Kristin Verbeke discussed short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) delivery, gut hormones, and appetite regulation.
• Fabio Tuccillo looked into faba bean flavour, perception and consumer acceptance.

The session was moderated by Jan de Vries, and closed with remarks from Kristof Brijs, creating a lively Q&A and dialogue around translating research into practice.

Taking place within the broader context of the ICC Conference—which featured plenary sessions, poster viewings, and an exhibition over multiple days—the HealthFerm symposium provided a focused venue for presenting and discussing cutting-edge research in fermentation of cereal and pulse-based foods. By aligning with the ICC agenda and leveraging the attendance of international scientists and industry stakeholders, the symposium reinforced HealthFerm’s role in fostering collaborative innovation in plant-based food systems.