B-TWELVE Insight

In the past decades, the world population has grown exponentially and the level of income has increased leading to a rise in the global meat consumption. Meat is an important protein source in the human diet but to reduce impact on public health, environment and society, a reduction of meat intake by consumption of more plant-based protein sources is desired. Hurdles for increased meat alternative acceptance by consumers are the bite and structure, the lack of essential micronutrients and the non-meaty taste.

Fermentation provides an excellent technique to meet the consumers demand for nutritional, healthy and attractive protein products that are sustainably produced.

Aim of this project

This project aims at the development of new plant-based protein rich meat-alternatives by the use of fermentation with special focus on the in situ production of meat associated vitamins and meat-like flavours and new possible sources of protein rich plants. In the project, we will address the three challenges for fermentation as tool for plant-based meat alternatives which are:

• the production of meat like flavours,
• fortification of plant-based protein sources with vitamin B12, and
• the use of new high protein plant sources for vitamin B12 fortified tempeh alternatives and co-products streams from the food and beverage industry.

Expected results

The project outcomes are expected to impact society by providing novel fermentation processes for plant-based meat alternatives thereby offering innovative solutions to cut down meat consumption and to reduce the CO₂ footprint of the agrifood industry. The project provides fundamental understanding on requirements of co-cultures of food grade moulds and bacteria for effective fermentation of new plant proteins. Moreover, adaptive evolution approaches will be used to improve the co-culture performance.