Wageningen scientists want to make better use of protein-rich side streams from the food industry. Over the next six years, a large consortium will investigate how these underused resources can be processed into new foods, and how to get those products onto supermarket shelves. For this project, the consortium has received almost €4 million in funding from the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

Every year, residues from agricultural crops are used for animal feed, biogas production or other low-value applications. This is a missed opportunity, as these residues are rich in nutritious proteins. Take rapeseed, the bright yellow crop that brings a cheerful splash of colour to the landscape in spring. There is high demand for its oil, but the rapeseed cake left after pressing is rarely used for human consumption. The same applies to parts of legume processing streams. “Around twenty per cent of these products is discarded because the colour or shape is not quite right, or because of poor logistical coordination in the supply chain,” says Heidy den Besten, Personal Professor at Food Microbiology. She sees a major opportunity here. Through the new project called Valorising agricultural crop side streams into consumer foods (VASCO), she and dozens of partners aim to demonstrate that smart processing technologies can turn these side streams into a new generation of foods.

Modifying properties through fermentation
The project focuses on side streams from legumes, rapeseed and potatoes. To turn these into new foods, the researchers will use two technologies, either separately or in combination: protein extraction and fermentation. They use sustainable separation techniques to extract valuable proteins from the raw materials. “We will partly use dry fractionation, which is much more sustainable than conventional wet extraction,” explains Den Besten. The researchers will also use bacteria and fungi to transform the side streams through fermentation. Microorganisms can not only remove undesirable compounds, such as glucosinolates and phytic acid, but also improve the taste and aroma of the final product. Furthermore, some bacteria produce vitamins that are normally found mainly in animal products, such as vitamin B12 and vitamin K2. By making smart use of these microorganisms, the researchers aim to increase the nutritional value of the products.

The research should lead to tangible products. Den Besten mentions new ingredients for meat alternatives as an example, as well as spreads, snacks and fermented products similar to tempeh. For potato side streams, researchers will even investigate whether they can grow fungi that are themselves rich in protein. The side stream would then serve as food for the fungi, with the fungal protein subsequently used as an ingredient in food products.

Because the consortium is focusing on products that are close to being market-ready, consumers will be involved from the very beginning of the development process. This way, they aim to find out what consumers want to eat, which product formats appeal to them and which concepts are therefore most likely to succeed in supermarkets.

Bringing the entire supply chain to the table
The project brings together all the different players in the supply chain. Producers of side streams, ingredient suppliers, food companies, retailers, consumer researchers and policymakers will work together to investigate why many promising innovations have yet to make it to the market. “Companies are often only willing to invest once there is sufficient demand, while supermarkets will only stock products when they know there is a reliable supply,” Den Besten explains. The project partners will identify the main bottlenecks and the changes needed to bring new products to market. According to Den Besten, it is precisely this combination of technology, consumer behaviour and market application that makes the proposal so strong. “You need more than just researchers,” she says. “We also need to bring producers, retailers and policymakers together. That increases the chances of achieving real change.”

Den Besten is therefore particularly proud of the consortium she has managed to bring together. Four universities, two universities of applied sciences, three vocational education institutions, nine companies, a crop growers’ cooperative, four network organisations, a government institution and a European lobbying organisation are collaborating on the project. In addition to scientific knowledge, the project will produce new teaching materials, an online course and opportunities for knowledge exchange for vocational, higher professional and university students. During the preparations, Den Besten already saw that the partners complemented one another and worked well together. “If the preparation process is any indication of how the project itself will go, it can only be a success.” Ultimately, she hopes the project will not only deliver new insights and products, but also serve as a blueprint for other supply chains. “We want to show how you can really get this transition underway. If this works for side streams from legumes, rapeseed and potatoes, it could serve as an example for side streams from other crops,” says Den Besten.

Consortium
The consortium brings together the five chair groups within Wageningen University & Research’s Food Sciences & Technology cluster: Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Food Process Engineering, Food Quality & Design, and Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods.
The consortium also includes AB Enzymes, Colzaco, Coroos, Graanhandel Van Schelven, Foodvalley, HAS green academy, Horeca Academie (MBO), HZ University of Applied Sciences, Leiden University (Institute of Environmental Sciences), Next Food Collective, Oost NL, RIVM, Royal Avebe, Samen tegen Voedselverspilling, SCALDA (MBO), SVO (MBO), Delft University of Technology (Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering), The Protein Brewery, The Protein Project (BE), Unilever, VanChris, Van Loon Group, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Institute for Environmental Studies; School of Business and Economics), and Zwanenberg.

The project will, among others, include the appointment of seven PhD candidates and one postdoctoral researcher.

About the ‘Opportunities and supply chains for side streams in the protein transition’ call
The Dutch Research Agenda (NWA) call Opportunities and supply chains for side streams in the protein transition was developed at the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). The aim of the call is to develop knowledge on the use of plant-based side streams as a source of protein for food applications and on the adoption of proteins from side streams in the diets of large groups of consumers.
The programme will provide insight into how the entire supply chain functions, based on the premise that such knowledge is essential to achieving the necessary systemic change and making effective use of side streams.