November 7, 2019
Beotanics Joins EU Project to Advance Alternative Protein Innovation
Beotanics is a key partner in the EU Horizon 2020 Smart Protein project, a collaborative effort across 21 countries to develop sustainable alternative protein sources.
A ground-breaking new EU project to develop new alternative proteins launched in January 2020, with Beotanics as a key industry partner.
A range of highly innovative new-protein foods made from plants, fungi, by-products, and residues are emerging from Smart Protein, a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission. A primary aim of the project is to help build a future-proof protein supply by creating sustainable and nutritious alternative proteins, in direct response to challenges including climate change and global food security.
A total of 33 partners from industry, research, and academia across 21 different countries, including Ireland, are collaborating on the project, which is led by the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at University College Cork. Major collaborators include Fraunhofer, the University of Copenhagen, ProVeg International, Barilla, Thai Union, Beotanics, and AB InBev.
Smart Protein's approach is unique in that the key focus is on by-products and residues — ingredients usually used for animal feed. Microbial biomass proteins are created from edible fungi by up-cycling side streams from pasta, bread, and beer production.
New products are also being developed from plants, including fava beans, lentils, chickpeas, and quinoa — with a focus on improving their structure, taste, and flavour. Investigations into cost-effective protein extraction and protein chemistry are being carried out to maximise functionality.
Smart Protein has a total budget of €9.6 million, €8.2 million of which is provided by the European Commission. The project runs for four years and builds on the key scientific findings from the previous Horizon 2020 project, PROTEIN2FOOD.
