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[The CIVIS Newsroom ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) 2. SUR researchers identify key elements for food safety and quality SUR researchers identify key elements for food safety and quality =================================================================== CIVIS Highlights 8 September 2025 In a breakthrough that could redefine food authentication, researchers from Sapienza University of Rome, in collaboration with the University of Bari Aldo Moro, have identified a unique spectroscopic signature in sourdough bread. Published in the [Food Chemistry journal](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.145758), the study reveals how near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) can non-destructively verify the natural fermentation of baked goods. This innovation advances the work towards robust models to ensure the safety and quality of agricultural and food products—beyond what labels alone can guarantee. And a spectroscopic signature is on the way! ![](/storage/files/labs-persone.jpg) METROFOOD-IT Laboratory © Cesare Manetti The spectroscopic signature is a unique and unambiguous indicator of a food's characteristics and properties, revealed the study of naturally leavened bread conducted by by the research teams. Researchers succeeded in ‘deciphering’ and recognising the ‘signature’ of bread made with natural yeast by using a spectroscopic method based on the interaction of electromagnetic waves with matter. This is a non-destructive method, as the sample is not necessarily lost, and is easy to use thanks to portable analysis equipment that provides automatic responses based on database comparisons. The study made particular use of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR), together with statistical models applied to chemistry and biochemistry and the analysis of data relating to biotechnology in the production of baked goods. A tool for authenticity and quality ------------------------------------ So what happens when an infrared ray passes through a slice of bread? It leaves a trace, represented by a curve that corresponds to the vibrations of the molecules, whose oscillations are conditioned by the material's characteristics. METROFOOD-IT Laboratory - Instrumentation for hyperspectral imaging in infrared region © Cesare Manetti ![](/storage/files/photo-3-bread.jpg)![](/storage/files/photo-02-pane-pc.jpg) The curve can therefore be interpreted as a signature, whose letters and the way in which they are written depend not only on the vibrations of the molecules, but also on their interaction and on the microscopic structure of the slice of bread, determined by the technological/ biotechnological process that characterises that production. Due to the complexity of the interactions, the trace will therefore unequivocally identify a specific product, becoming a useful tool for ascertaining its authenticity, as well as its consistently high-quality standard. As a matter of fact, quality attributes are not exclusively linked to ingredients, but also to technological processes (type of tools used in processing: mills, ovens, etc.) and biotechnological processes (fermentation phenomena often occur in production processes where particular microorganisms express different capacities for biotransformation of natural substrate molecules). ‘Food passports’ to protect excellence -------------------------------------- In the near future, the increasingly widespread sharing of ‘spectroscopic signatures’ will be central to the creation of reference databases aimed at producing authentication models for other products. This approach will be increasingly used with a view to creating genuine ‘food passports’ to protect food and wine excellence, where ‘spectroscopic signatures’ will constitute unalterable ‘photos’ of food. The study was conducted at the Department of Environmental Biology of Sapienza University, which has a research infrastructure laboratory. The expertise of spectroscopists and experts in statistics and mathematical models applied to chemistry and biochemistry was combined with that of food technologists and microbiologists to define methods for ascertaining the authenticity of bread made with natural yeast. Multidisciplinarity to ensure food safety and quality ------------------------------------------------------ SUR researchers involved in the project are part of the METROFOOD-IT research infrastructure, funded by the EU through [Italy’s recovery and resilience plan](https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility/country-pages/italys-recovery-and-resilience-plan_en). Its specific aim is to ensure the safety and quality of agri-food supply chains by implementing a multidisciplinary approach that provides a comprehensive description of production processes, from field to table. The unmistakable trace characteristic of bread made with sourdough starter identified now will help to ensure consistent quality standards for consumers, producers and distributors alike. **More details available in the [original story](https://www.uniroma1.it/it/notizia/la-firma-spettroscopica-del-pane-fatto-con-il-lievito-naturale), in Italian.** ### Latest Highlights: [*The University of Bucharest, internationally recognised for its commitment to sustainable development*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/the-university-of-bucharest-recognised-for-its-commitment-to-sustainable-development) [*Christian Möllmann: A "civizen" linking European and African universities*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/christian-mollmann-a-civizen-linking-european-and-african-universities) [*Aix-Marseille Université hosted the celebration of "25 Years of Téthys network"*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/aix-marseille-universite-hosted-celebration-25-years-tethys-network) [*European Round Table at UNIL, tackling Joint Doctoral Programmes*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/european-round-table-at-unil-tackled-joint-doctoral-programmes) [*Stockholm Declaration on Chemistry for the Future, launched during the Nobel Symposium*](https://civis.eu/en/get-informed/news/stockholm-declaration-chemistry-future-launched-during-nobel-symposium) Related news ------------ - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/at-irene-scifoni-02-sapienza-quantum-lab-copia-800x600.jpg?token=29eb8cbaf2383ed4bff95ad36bf7213b)SUR's modular photonic computer is now fully operational CIVIS Highlights 26 January 2026 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/sur-s-modular-photonic-computer-is-now-fully-operational) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/02-mlk-foto-di-stefania-sepulcri_2-800x600.jpg?token=5ce00b0649bc049397348a1e5df68500)An in-depth exhibition at Sapienza celebrating Martin Luther King - the icon of the Civil Rights Movement CIVIS Highlights 2 December 2025 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/an-in-depth-exhibition-at-sapienza-celebrating-martin-luther-king-the-icon-of-the-civil-rights-movement) - [ ![](https://civis.eu/storage/files/scalone-at-stefano-segati-800x600.jpg?token=734ed2f975bbbae331b190d46e57f25e)90 Years of Sapienza Main Campus: a celebration of renewal and solidarity CIVIS Highlights 22 October 2025 ](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/90-years-of-sapienza-main-campus-a-celebration-of-renewal-and-solidarity) [Discover all our stories](https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom) [ Earth observation and geoinformatics empower humanitarian response ](< https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/earth-observation-and-geoinformatics-empower-humanitarian-response >) [ The University of Bucharest, internationally recognised for its commitment to sustainable development ](< https://civis.eu/en/the-civis-newsroom/the-university-of-bucharest-recognised-for-its-commitment-to-sustainable-development >) ![CIVIS – Europe’s Civic University Alliance](https://civis.eu/build/assets/civis-CCpvK1nT.svg) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe’s Civic University Alliance ![Co-funded by the European Union](https://civis.eu/build/assets/co-funded-by-the-european-union-DSKLW1us.png)Views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). 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