A public-private consortium is studying the prevalence of microbial contaminants in a range of plant-based foods.
Animal-free foods are now more widely consumed than ever, but there is a lack of research into relevant food safety issues. The consortium aims to address this by studying the types of contaminants in over 80 different plant-based ingredients.
More specifically, the project will investigate which pathogens are found in plant-based foods, whether they can survive processing, and how much of a risk they pose. It is hoped that this will improve food safety and reduce waste.
The consortium consists of NIZO Food Research, Wageningen University & Research, and HAS Green Academy, along with numerous companies including Ripple Foods, Coca-Cola, and Tetra Pak. Funding has been contributed by Topsector Agri & Food.
“Fresh and unknown challenges”
In 2021, Kerry held a webinar discussing food safety issues relating to plant-based meat. The company noted that the challenges involved in preserving alt meats have a similar scope to those with animal meats, as consumers increasingly demand products free of artificial preservatives in both categories.
Some plant-based companies have sought to reassure consumers by gaining independent food safety certifications. One example is Improved Nature, which earned the Safe Quality Food Certification (SQF) for its Nature’s PRIME™ products during the pandemic.
“Safe food is critical for public health, but we also need to minimize product recalls preventing downgrading or destruction of valuable foods. New developments in food production and the protein transition raise fresh and unknown challenges that can hamper these objectives,” said Robyn Eijlander, project manager and microbiology expert at NIZO.
