AlgaEurope’s Post

I attended a very interesting conference at Christiansborg, the seat of the Danish Parliament, yesterday about the potential of plant-based food ingredients. The conference was opened by Jacob Jensen, the Minister for Food and Agriculture who concluded that we need to be bold and cooperate to move forward with #PlantbasedFood-- and I completely agree with him. I then had the opportunity to speak about potato protein, a sustainable and complete protein source, and something that we at KMC Amba are very excited about. Did you know that while a potato contains only 2% protein, each hectare of potato fields can generate 1,000 kg of protein! One of the challenges, however, is the taste. In order to produce a quality product, we need to understand the complex puzzle of the taste of potato protein and the role the potato's natural defense mechanism TGA plays. I was thrilled to share that KMC has recently been awarded a research project on the taste of potato protein approved by the Danish Plant2Food Program. This could be a huge step towards using potato protein in foods like hybrid meat products, making sustainable eating more delicious! MP Ida Auken made very strong suggestions in the following debate with which I wholeheartedly agreed. She emphasised the need to be very concrete when bringing up suggestions for new rules and suggested drawing up a charter for plant-based food. For her, there was no doubt that plant based food and biosolutions would be key issues during the Danish EU presidency second half 2025. Overall a very exciting conference. Let's continue these discussions! 💪🌱   #PlantBased #PotatoProtein #FutureOfFood

The Beyond Burger 🍔: 'ultra-processed' junk or an eco-friendly meat alternative? Many consumers face this dilemma: ✅ While plant-based meat analogues can be much more sustainable than conventional meat... 🚫 ... they are often seen as highly processed and, thus, undesirable foods. Learn more about these conflicting perceptions in our recent publication in the Journal of Cleaner Production, led by Giulia Granato. Special thanks to Christina Hartmann and Michael Siegrist for their invaluable contributions to this paper! https://lnkd.in/gjzRkMm6

It was fantastic to be part of the conversation on alternative proteins novel food and sustainability at the Westminster Forum Projects s. My key takeaways were: - the regulatory landscape in the UK, including Scotland, is starting to change and we can expect the sandbox to deliver a real step change and perhaps be the template for regulation of future innovative tech. - there consensus from industry and government that alternative proteins & innovative novel foods are an important part of how we will make all our diets more sustainable - we have to find ways to engage with consumers and bring other stakeholders along on the journey so get to a world where alternative proteins are just one of a number of forms of protein available on the UK market along with traditional dairy and meat. I was joined by some fantastic speakers from Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland The Good Food Institute, University of Surrey and National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), The Vegetarian Society, FDA, Fera and Alternative Proteins Association including Monique Raats, Linus Pardoe, Robert Jappie Richard McIlwain, Derek Stewart, Riley Jackson, Mélody Violton Kristi Muldoon Jacobs Ivan Boemer Evangelos Katsoulis Chris Bryant James Millar @shaorn Morey @Robin May fsa #foodlawyer #regulatorycompliance

I'm excited to announce that my new paper, titled "Citrus by-products: A dual assessment of antioxidant properties and food contaminants towards circular economy," co-authored with the amazing Sandra Mariño Cortegoso and our dedicated ValiCET project team, has been published in Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies! This research is a significant part of my PhD journey, focused on the valorization of citrus by-products. Our study not only explores the antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds of these by-products but also highlights the crucial importance of assessing food safety. We evaluated the presence of chemical contaminants, including residues of pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals, ensuring that these by-products can be safely integrated into the food chain. A huge thank you to Sandra and all the ValiCET project members, especially Ana Sanches Silva, Letricia Barbosa-Pereira and Raquel Sendón García for their collaboration and support. This publication is a testament to our collective effort and dedication to advancing food science and technology, promoting a circular economy, and ensuring food safety. You can read the full paper here https://lnkd.in/dYPrFh_P #PhD #Research #FoodScience #CitrusByProducts #ValiCET #Antioxidants #PhenolicCompounds #ChemicalContaminants #Pesticides #Mycotoxins #HeavyMetals #FoodSafety #CircularEconomy #Collaboration #Innovation

🚀 New Research Alert! 🚀 I'm excited to share my latest research, titled "Microbial Landscape of Cooked Meat Products: Evaluating Quality and Safety in Vacuum-Packaged Sausages Using Culture-Dependent and Culture-Independent Methods Over One Year in a Sustainable Food Chain." This study, recently published in Frontiers in Microbiology, addresses some critical challenges in the sustainable food supply chain. 🌱🥩 🔍 What We Did: Over one year, we analyzed 355 samples of vacuum-packaged cooked sausages, using advanced techniques like high-throughput sequencing (16S/ITS) and microbiological assessments to understand how different factors, such as storage temperature, initial microbial load, and water activity, affect the quality and safety of these products. 🌡️ Key Findings: Storage Temperature and initial microbial load were found to be the most significant factors influencing the shelf life of these sausages. Seasonal variation also played a crucial role, with sausages showing the highest durability in winter (45.5 days) and the lowest in summer (26.3 days). Key spoilage microorganisms, such as Bacillus species, were identified, highlighting new areas for critical control to enhance food safety. 📊 Why It Matters: This research underscores the importance of integrating both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, like metagenomics, to gain deeper insights into microbial community dynamics. Our findings help develop targeted interventions to sustainably enhance the safety and quality of food products—aligning with the global push towards more sustainable food production systems. 🌍 https://lnkd.in/dJ6pHj9D 💡 Continuous Effort: This study is part of my ongoing effort to advance sustainable food supply chains, ensuring food safety while minimizing environmental impacts. Let’s continue to innovate for a safer and more sustainable future! 🌿 #FoodSafety #Microbiology #Sustainability #FoodQuality #Research #SustainableFood #VacuumPackaging #Metagenomics #FoodScience #Innovation #SustainableSupplyChain

While consumers have become familiar with dairy alternatives in the form of almond, oat, soy and coconut, scientists at Plant & Food Research have been exploring what the next generation of plant-based alternatives could look like – with the aim of delivering products and processing systems that have strong sustainability and nutrition credentials. This work has led to the development of Barley Milk and a potential barley yoghurt. Utilising the organisation’s expertise in cultivar development, food formulation, process development and techno-economic analysis, three teams from Plant & Food Research have come up with novel ways to generate a nutrient dense plant-based milk and yoghurt. As part of this, both products use a new barley cultivar developed at Plant & Food Research, which has high amounts of beta-glucan (known to be good for lowering cholesterol), more protein, and good agronomic performance. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gmU3yHS7 #plantandfood #barleymilk

Just published, a detailed case study led by Sam Buckton on the use of Three Horizons in the FixOurFood project working on food system transformation. https://lnkd.in/gxMAGgzM

🌟 Special Issue: New Approaches for Improving the Quality of Processed Fruits and Vegetables and Its By-Products 🌟 We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of our special issue in the Foods MDPI, titled "New Approaches for Improving the Quality of Processed Fruits and Vegetables and Its By-Products." This issue has brought together significant scientific contributions aimed at enhancing food quality, reducing waste, and supporting sustainable development goals. 🔬 Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Cristina L.M. Silva L. M. Silva, Universidade Católica Portuguesa Prof. Dr. Fátima A. Miller, Universidade Católica Portuguesa Prof. Dr. Teresa Brandão , Universidade Católica Portuguesa 📚 Highlights: 16 published papers covering topics such as non-thermal technologies, sustainable processing methods, sensory and nutritional quality, and innovative food products. Research focused on optimizing food processing conditions, ensuring food safety, and minimizing environmental impact. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the contributors and reviewers for their valuable input and dedication. To explore the published papers, visit our special issue webpage: https://lnkd.in/dFHwyJ44 #FoodScience #Sustainability #ProcessedFoods #Research #MDPI #FoodQuality

An exciting read about how the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) is revealing the hidden complexity of what’s in the foods we eat. They are going beyond the nutrition label to uncover thousands of biomolecules in food that could have important implications for human and planetary health, and studying how these compounds are impacted by food production and processing. It’s thrilling to be a part of an initiative that is forging the next frontier in nutrition!

CIIMAR researchers developed an innovative method to guarantee the authenticity of insect-based foods. The new method ensures product quality and #foodsafety. 🔗Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dP4uMnCv #CIIMARnews