What is FAroGels?
FAroGels (Food-Grade Aerogels for Sustainable Food Systems) is a four-year Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network coordinated by Middle East Technical University. It connects 23 academic, research and industrial organisations from eight countries through a shared programme focused on the future of food-grade aerogels.
Through 15 interconnected doctoral research projects, FAroGels will investigate renewable raw materials, controlled production methods, advanced characterisation, performance in complex food environments and application-relevant safety. The network combines academic expertise, industrial facilities, specialised training and cross-sector secondments to help promising aerogel concepts progress towards reliable and scalable uses in food processing, functional ingredients and food-contact applications.
Project Facts
Programme
Horizon Europe – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks
Programme
HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01
Grant Agreement
No. 101312450
Duration
1 January 2027 – 31 December 2030
EU contribution
€4,189,370.04
Coordination
Middle East Technical University
Network
23 organisations in 8 countries, comprising 11 beneficiaries and 12 associated partners
Doctoral Candidates
15
Why food-grade aerogels?
Aerogels are lightweight materials with an open, highly porous internal structure. When produced from suitable biopolymers and bio-based resources, they offer new possibilities for managing moisture, carrying functional compounds, influencing food texture and creating lightweight protective formats. Turning these possibilities into practical food-system solutions, however, requires reliable evidence on safety, reproducibility and performance under realistic conditions.
The challenge
Research on food-grade aerogels is still fragmented across different disciplines and laboratories. Production and testing methods are not always comparable, while performance is often examined in simplified model systems rather than complex foods or industrial environments. Wider adoption therefore depends on reproducible formulations, scalable processing, robust characterisation, appropriate safety assessment and validation throughout processing, storage and use.
The FAroGels response
FAroGels brings 15 connected doctoral research projects into a coordinated pathway that extends from renewable feedstocks and controlled aerogel production to food applications, protective formats, advanced integration and predictive modelling. Shared methods, cross-site analysis, industrial participation, specialised training and secondments will help the network build a stronger evidence base while preparing researchers to work across scientific and industrial boundaries.