Researchers from Utrecht and Copenhagen have received 7.5 million euros in support to make a new type of meat substitute. Due to the new concept with fungi and bacteria, plant material must be ‘upgraded’ so that it is just as tasty and nutritious as meat.
“This is great news. With this grant we can take a huge step”, says prof. dr. Han Wösten, who leads the Utrecht group of researchers. “We no longer want to feed vegetable proteins to animals first and then have the animals convert it into food for humans. Instead, we want to convert proteins directly by having them digested in a very sophisticated way. If successful, it could be a huge step forward in sustainability and food security.”
key role
Fungi and bacteria play a key role in the new method. The organisms are added to plant material, after which they digest it in their own way. The result is a substantial amount of high-quality and nutritious proteins from which meat substitutes can be made.
According to the researchers, by selecting the right composition of fungi and bacteria, it should be possible to achieve the optimum taste, structure, shelf life and digestibility.
The money has been made available to researchers from Utrecht University and several Danish Universities through the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programme. The project will last six years.
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