Protein Transition in Food research group

The primary goal of the research group is to contribute to the protein transition in the Netherlands and beyond. The focus is on plant-based proteins and the exploration of alternative proteins such as cellular agriculture and insects.

With a growing world population and increasing prosperity, the demand for proteins and protein-rich products will increase in the coming years. To feed this growing, more urban and prosperous world population, food production needs to increase by about 60% by 2050. It is clear that this increasing food demand cannot be met with solely traditional sources of protein.

Facilitate transition
The climate agreement and the Dutch National Protein Strategy aim for a more sustainable way of protein production that also contributes to human health. Protein transition in food means the transition from more traditional protein sources, such as dairy, meat and soy, to alternative sources, such as protein from (regional) agricultural crops, cellular agriculture or insects. The research group wants to facilitate this transition by ensuring a good connection between professional practice, practice-oriented research and education.

Bring innovation, sustainability and consumer acceptance together
The protein transition calls for innovations throughout the chain from protein source to consumer product. It takes more than just product development to actually get the transition off the ground. It is also about the fact that these products can be produced sustainably and are accepted by the consumer. And that does not happen automatically. The research group translates the relevant issues into practice-oriented research in which innovation, sustainability and consumer acceptance come together. The challenge is to innovate into products that the consumer is waiting for, which are produced sustainably and which also provide a good revenue model for the farmer.

The research group focuses on the use of plant-based proteins and the exploration of alternative proteins from cell agriculture and insects as ingredients for the food industry. Moreover, when using these protein sources, we take into account that the products made can be produced sustainably and are accepted by the consumer.

The Protein Transition in Food research group works structurally with a variety of partners, including NIZO, GPEC, WUR, CoE Groen, Bean Deal en Green Protein Alliance.