h-ALO – Photonic technology for next-generation food-quality monitoring

Project acronym:

h-ALO

Programme:

Horizon 2020 – Industrial Leadership – ICT

Grant:

Horizon 2020 – H2020-EU.2.1.1 “Industrial Leadership – enabling and industrial technologies (ICT)”

Duration:

1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023

Total project budget:

€4,239,432.00

Funding support for 7bulls.com:

€277,375.00

Grant call code:

“H2020-EU.2.1.1”

CONTEXT AND CHALLENGE

As food supply chains become more distributed, there is a growing need for faster, decentralised methods capable of detecting multiple analytes directly at different stages of production and distribution. Food-quality monitoring has traditionally depended on laboratory-based analysis, which limits how quickly contamination, spoilage, or residue issues can be detected and addressed.

Meeting this need requires sensing technologies that combine high sensitivity with portability, adaptability to different food matrices, and reliable automated interpretation of complex signals – capable of detecting pathogens, contaminants, spoilage markers, and chemical residues directly at different stages of the food supply chain.

See results and impact

Project objective

The objective of h-ALO was to develop a photonic sensing system capable of simultaneously detecting multiple food-quality analytes at ultra-low concentrations.

By enabling automated interpretation of photonic signals, the project aimed to support faster, on-site food-safety decisions across the farm-to-fork lifecycle.

Scope and approach

h-ALO was implemented as a Horizon 2020 research and innovation project running from 2021 to 2023, delivered by a European consortium of research institutions, laboratories, and technology partners.

The project focused on building a compact, adaptable sensing platform that can be applied to diverse food matrices, including fresh produce, dairy, and meat.

Within the consortium, 7bulls.com contributed software architecture, system integration, and AI-based signal-processing modules, ensuring reliable data handling across the full sensing and analysis pipeline.

Industrial Research

Technical focus

The h-ALO platform integrates:

nanophotonic biosensors for parallel detection of multiple analytes,
microfluidic components for precise handling of small sample volumes,
adaptable sensor cartridges for different food types,
AI-based data processing that converts light-induced electrical signals into interpretable results.

This combination enables portable, high-sensitivity testing without reliance on traditional laboratory infrastructure.

Experimental Development

Target users

h-ALO is designed for stakeholders involved in food-quality and food-safety monitoring, including:

Food producers
Laboratories
Food-safety and regulatory bodies

involved in verifying food safety in real time across the food supply chain.

Results and impact

Results and expected outcomes

Within the h-ALO consortium, at 7bulls.com we were responsible for the digital layer of the solution. This included software architecture, system integration, and AI-based signal-processing modules that transform ultra-sensitive photonic sensor signals into reliable, interpretable results.

Our work ensured consistent data handling and seamless operation across the full sensing and analysis pipeline, supporting fast and dependable decision-making in food-quality monitoring.

The h-ALO project was delivered by a European consortium including: