Project description
The impact of foods made from alternative proteins on nutrition
Novel protein foods (NPFs) derived from unconventional sources offer an alternative to animal protein. However, their impact on humans, nature and the economy has not yet been fully assessed. The EU-funded IMPROVE project will evaluate the nutritional, health, safety and quality aspects of NPFs from unconventional sources while also considering their environmental and socio-economic impacts. It will focus on agri-food and fisheries by-products, as well as natural protein producers like fungi, bacteria, insects and micro- and macroalgae, upcycling secondary by-products for materials or energy generation. Feasibility studies will simulate industrial-scale production using various analytical tools, including life cycle assessments and AI-driven monitoring.
Objective
IMPROVE aims at evaluating the nutritional, health, safety and quality aspects together with the environmental and socio-economic impacts of protein novel foods (NFs) obtained from unconventional sources. In order to close the project loop by maximizing the positive impact on the transition towards healthier, protein NFs, the overall approach to alternative protein production in IMPROVE is based on utilization of selected agri-food and fisheries&acquaculture by-products as primary feedstock as well as on the utilization of natural protein producers, i.e. fungi, bacteria, insects micro- and macroalgae. The secondary by-products formed along the value chain will be up-cycled for their use in the food production cycle or for the production of process energy.
The obtained proteins will undergo modification and functionalization followed by a sensory evaluation and testing in food human trials and in aquaculture as feed ingredients. The project will also test the feasibility of producing NF products by simulating realistic industrial scale, using different methods and tools such as LCA, LCC, RA, TEA and AO as well as Digital Twins and real time AI-driven monitoring and DSS tools. The optimization of parameters affecting the protein NF production will be evaluated at the end to increase protein content and the impact assessment evaluated on each single stage (extraction, characterization, modification/functionalization of protein rich fraction, production of NFs) and on the integrated processes. IMPROVE NF acceptance and social relevance also through sensory evaluation actions- will be assessed in four markets (Europe, USA, Africa and Asia) to benchmark the European scenario with the rest of the world. Only by using an integrated approach like the one proposed in IMPROVE will it be possible to evaluate the correct feasibility in the use of alternative proteins in the food sector with a realistic sustainable approach.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
91192 Gif Sur Yvette
France