The Good Food Institute Europe

📰 August newsletter 📰 It might be the time of year for summer holidays, but alternative protein news in Europe isn't taking a break! Check out this month's bumper edition of the GFI Europe newsletter, including the first ever regulatory submission for cultivated meat in the EU, cultivated pet food approved in the UK and investment figures revealing growing interest in fermentation. All this and more here👇

👽Can research into space food be relevant down here on Earth? In the midst of a changing climate and a growing global population, research into ways of making food efficiently with limited resources is not just a necessity for astronauts – it is also pivotal for boosting food security down on earth. Animal agriculture places huge strain on the planet's land and resources, as well as producing huge amounts of greenhouse gas, making alternative proteins a key target for space innovation. The ReThink Food Challenge from Wageningen University & Research wants students to find out! The ReThink food project invites students from all over the world to join forces and submit ground-breaking business ideas that can make use of the ongoing research into making food in space, and make it relevant down here on earth. Submissions to the challenge are now open (registration deadline 18 November), and an upcoming webinar will seek to answer key questions on the project. 🚀 What? ReThink Food Challenge is an international student competition seeking business ideas offering an innovative, circular and sustainable approach to growing food on Earth by drawing ideas from research on space farming. Submissions can either enhance current technologies, introduce new ones, or reimagine the whole concept of ‘food’. 🌱 How? Participants will work as part of an interdisciplinary team and focus on one of the two major topics within space farming: indoor farming or alternative proteins. The goal is to identify a real-life problem and a market and design a viable innovation that fills an existing gap. The teams will have support from industry leaders throughout the Challenge. 👩🚀 For Whom? Students from various academic backgrounds worldwide are welcome to join! You can be in any phase of your studies (BSc, MSc, PhD or equivalent) in a university or university of applied sciences, and can register individually or with a team. 🌎 Why join? The ReThink Food Challenge is more than just a competition. By joining the challenge, you will boost your professional skills and make life-long connections from universities and business experts worldwide. Finalists will also gain exposure for their idea and a chance to win €7,000. Learn more and sign up for the online info session 24 October 2024 here: https://lnkd.in/dCmzDqXs #studentchallenge #rethinkfood

📝New report📝Fat is key to the flavour and functionality of many foods, and alternative proteins are no exception. It's an area ripe for innovation, especially when production of some of the most commonly used fats, particularly saturated ones, cause problems for the health of people and the planet. Finding new ways of making tasty, sustainable, healthy fats is therefore a key priority for many startups and researchers working to produce next-generation plant-based, fermentation-made and cultivated meat, seafood, eggs and dairy. This new report from Anthony Warner at New Food Innovation Ltd takes a deep dive into fat in food – what it is, why we need it, the problems it presents and emerging innovations in future-proof fat production. Lean more here: https://lnkd.in/eh8dvY3Q

🥩What factors are most important in boosting the taste of plant-based products? Meeting expectations on taste is fundamental to mainstream uptake of plant-based meat, but what are the criteria that best achieve this? A fascinating recent report by NECTAR on the findings of extensive taste testing shed light on exactly what profiles allow market leaders to head up the field and better meet consumer needs. The report found that variation within product categories was huge, with category leaders often head and shoulders above the category average – and tending to rank higher for certain specific attributes like meatiness and juiciness. The sensory attributes tested included flavour, texture and appearance, each of which were subdivided into more specific sub-attributes to drill down into why different products were given those scores. These subcategories were saltiness, meatiness, juicyness, colour, firmness, spicyness, smokyness, sweetness and consistency. The report provides a fascinating hint at the various barriers still remaining for achieving taste parity, but highlights that a lot of work remains to be done. The research found that most plant-based products are not yet on par with animal products in terms of consumer satisfaction, highlighting the need for further investment in research and development in the sector, with a particular focus on enhancing these identified attributes. Check out the full report for a breakdown of all of these attributes by category here: https://lnkd.in/ezzjqKwt #meat #marketresearch #plantbased

🔬New editorial from leading scientific journal Nature Biotechnology reflects on the milestone of cultivated meat hitting supermarket shelves for the first time ever, reached earlier this year in Singapore. The article explores this game-changing food, looking at progress so far, why we need it, and one of the key things needed to reach the next step: increased government support. Cultivated meat has the potential to contribute meaningfully to emissions reductions and food security, and protect public health goals, while freeing up land for biodiversity restoration, carbon sequestration, small farmers and agroecological farming. However, in a cutting edge sector dependent on R&D to evolve and flourish, the article highlights how cultivated meat needs government support in order to reach its full potential. Just as they've supported renewable energy research, governments must invest in the long-term development of the cultivated meat sector. We have already seen interest and investment from certain European countries such as the Netherlands and the UK, which have ramped up government investment in developing the sector, but far more is needed to deliver on the full potential of this game-changing food. It is truly exciting to see articles such as this bringing cultivated meat to a broader scientific audience, and working to bolster this burgeoning scientific ecosystem. As the birthplace of cultivated meat, home to several of the world's leading research institutions, Europe shows huge potential, but as other countries such as China and the US begin to invest, without similar support in Europe, we risk falling behind. Read the full editorial: https://lnkd.in/gps-fGaq

🎉Meet the European Alt Protein Project's 2024 cohort!🎉 As GFI's global student-led movement, the Alt Protein Project (APP), enters its fifth year, we welcome 21 new chapters from eleven countries and four continents. This year four new European chapters join our programme, working to turn universities into dynamic engines for alternative protein innovation. Get to know our four new European chapters based in: 🔬 Aston University in Birmingham, UK 🌱 The Basque Culinary Centre in San Sebastián, Spain 🔍 The University of Exeter, UK. 👩🔬 The Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany We can’t wait to get to work with these exciting new student groups, and to see their research pave the way for transforming the global food system! 🙌🌍 Meet our new chapters below and read more here: https://lnkd.in/dYUKKTmn Aston Alt Protein Project BCC Alt Protein Project The TUM Alt Protein Project #student #research #app

🥩Bon profit! Catalonia is emerging as a hub for alternative protein research, with a report earlier this year finding a growing ecosystem made up of more than 100 companies, employing over 1000 people. It is exciting to see this growing ecosystem coupled with government investment in science as was announced by the Catalan government at the end of last year. This supports the proliferation of cutting-edge research and development to further expand and improve alternative protein products. 👀Check out the links in the comments to learn more about these exciting developments. #Catalonia #Barcalona #startup #research

🎊A warm welcome to Eileen Pauels who joins our SciTech team this week as Science and Technology Community Coordinator! Eileen will lead our scientific community-building work for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, collaborating with scientists, students, and educators to foster a thriving research and training ecosystem. Eileen joins us from a background in psychology and behavioural science, education, and research administration. Welcome to the team, Eileen!

🌟 Alternative proteins are everywhere among the rising stars of the German food sector 🌟 Of the "50 New Food Stars" for 2024 – identified in a new report, around half of them were plant-based, fermentation or cultivated companies. The finalists were selected based on their positive impact on the food industry or global nutrition, and were also required to have matured beyond the ideation and startup phase. Other evaluation criteria for the Munich Strategy report included company maturity, disruption, and market potential. These newcomers represent the players making new options that are both nutritious and environmentally friendly, and highlight the exciting diversity of Germany’s alternative protein ecosystem. Germany is emerging already as a global leader in this sector, but further investment from both public and private sources is needed to cement this incredible progress and further nurture the vibrant ecosystem in Germany and beyond. Congratulations to these alternative protein newcomers for building a better future for food! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/d9d25A_U #Innovation #Sustainability #FoodIndustry #Startups Image: Greenforce

🥗To successfully build a future-proof food system, developing plant-based products that can meet the key nutritional needs often filled by conventional animal source foods is pivotal. A new resource from ProVeg International provides guidance for manufacturers and policymakers on the key priorities for achieving this. Health benefits are one of the key value propositions of plant-based foods for governments and consumers alike, making it all the more important for producers to zero in on how they can optimise their products to meet these needs. The resource focuses on three key principles that should guide product development to help ensure plant-based products can deliver on nutrition: 🍊Address common nutrient deficiencies: Governments worldwide have long mandated the fortification of staples like bread and milk with key nutrients like iodine, calcium and vitamin D to help combat common deficiencies. In the same vein, fortified plant-based products can play an important role in enabling healthy and sustainable diets by providing accessible dietary sources of important nutrients. 💪Fortify with key nutrients: To ensure plant-based products are nutritionally comparable to their conventional counterparts usually involves a fortification with key nutrients like iron, vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, vitamin D and Omega 3, depending on the product. 🧂Limit nutrients of concern: Plant-based meat tends to have significantly less saturated fat and significantly more fibre than conventional counterparts, which is thought to be a significant driver of the improved health outcomes seen from swapping animal for plant-based meat in randomised controlled trials. Ensuring plant-based products compare favourably on key nutrients of concern is therefore a good opportunity. Nutrients of concern such as saturated fat, but also sugar and salt should be limited in plant-based products to optimise their healthfulness, and in the least should not exceed levels in their conventional equivalents. Plant-based products also offer ways to reduce exposure to unwanted pollutants often found certain animal products like heavy metals in fish. For the full guide, including recommendations for both policymakers and manufacturers, check out the new resource on the ProVeg website: https://lnkd.in/dhD5ekNC #health #formulation #nutrition #plantbased