Puratos unveils program as platinum sponsor of 9th Sourdough Symposium in Brussels

Puratos has announced the program and its role as platinum sponsor of the 9th International Symposium on Sourdough, a five-day gathering in Brussels running 23-27 February 2026 that will bring researchers, artisan bakers and industry experts together under the theme "Forward with the past." The company says its Sourdough Institute will play an active role throughout the program, contributing to sessions on flavor, functionality and health as the community prepares to compare notes, samples and science.

The symposium program moves from microbiology and biodiversity through process technology, functionality, industrial practices and tastings, and includes plenaries, oral presentations, poster sessions, social events and dedicated tastings. Puratos framed its involvement this way: "As platinum sponsor, Puratos is proud to contribute to shaping the discussions that will define the next chapter of sourdough research and its role in tomorrow’s bread landscape." The company added on social media, "A strong program awaits. We look forward to sharing our research, learning from the community and contributing to the next chapter in sourdough’s evolution."

Academic and industry programming is dense. Friedrich Heinrich of Vrije Universiteit Brussel will open the meeting with a plenary titled "The rise of sourdough. A brief (pre-)history of our daily bread and traditional grains from the Neolithic Revolution to the Green Revolution." Monday evening begins with registration and poster mounting at 18.00 followed by a welcome reception at 19.00. Tuesday’s introductory session starts at 08.30 with Luc DE VUYST listed as chairman for that session with an affiliation shown as FoodFerment, Aalst, Belgium, while Christophe COURTIN is vice-chairman and Inge ARENTS represents Flanders’ FOOD. Tuesday afternoon includes Yuwei Tan at 17.30 and Francesco Maria Calabrese at 17.50, followed by a walk to the Market Place and a beer reception in the Town Hall.

Wednesday’s morning plenary session 3 on fermentation and process technology runs 09.00-11.30 under the chair Ömer Simsek. Thursday’s session 5, on industrial practices and legislation, runs 09.30-12.30 with Fabienne VERTÉ of Puratos chairing; keynotes include Kati Katina at 09.30 and Emanuele Zannini at 10.10, with a coffee break and poster viewing at 10.50.

Puratos’ Sourdough Institute will contribute named pieces: Fabienne Verté will present on faba bean flour based sourdough and its effects on flavour, texture, functionality and health aspects of wholemeal wheat bread; Vimac Nolla Ardevol will address postbiotic enriched sourdough and gut health; and Stefan Cappelle will host a sourdough tasting that aims to marry scientific, producer and consumer perspectives. The Sourdough Institute, based in Sankt Vith, houses a Sourdough Library, runs masterclasses led in part by sourdough librarian Karl de Smedt, and collaborates with researchers including Prof. Marco Gobbetti on predictive research tools.

Puratos’ announcement also recalls that the first International Sourdough Symposium was co-initiated with Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2003, marking 23 years of the meeting’s evolution. Organisers named for the 2026 edition include Vrije Universiteit Brussel, KU Leuven and Flanders’ FOOD.

What this means for bakers and researchers is practical: scheduled tastings, poster sessions and industry-focused keynotes create immediate opportunities to sample new formulations, compare methodologies and gather actionable tips. For anyone planning to attend, consult the official symposium site for the full schedule, registration and practical details; the program as announced points to a strong mix of craft, science and commercial practice that should feed new ideas back into bakery benches and labs.