protein transition

The Protein Tracker shows that meat and “a lot” of dairy (in total 61%) dominate consumption, perception, supply, and marketing attention in The Netherlands.

©bbivirys - stock.adobe.com
Market & Trends

The Protein Tracker Shows Meat and Dairy Dominate Dutch Diets, Urges Changes for Plant-Based Shift

The Protein Tracker, conducted for the first time in 2023 by Wageningen Economic Research on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), shows that meat and “a lot” of dairy (in total 61%) dominate consumption, perception, supply, and marketing attention in The Netherlands. Marleen Onwezen, expertise leader in Consumer Behavior at Wageningen University, notes that while there is a shift toward plant-based options — 39% of the total protein consumption — it is not happening quickly enough.  The Protein Tracker is a collaboration between the Green Protein Alliance, ProVeg Nederland, and Dutch supermarkets (as 70% of foods are sold through these retailers) to monitor the protein transition annually. In March 2022, the Dutch government set a national target for a 50/50 …

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German sausage

©MaxSafaniuk-stock.adobe.com
Politics & Law

A Pivotal Moment: Germany’s €38M Budget for Transition to Plant Proteins – ProVeg Responds

Last week, Dr. Zoe Mayer, an Alliance90/Green Party Member of the German Parliament, who serves on the Committee on Food and Agriculture, announced that the German government has allocated €38 million in its 2024 budget for the promotion of plant-based, precision-fermented, and cell-cultivated proteins. “The intensive negotiations on the budget have paid off. Our budget holders were able to push through key green demands that represent nothing less than a paradigm shift in the agricultural sector’s funding system. For the first time, a large sum – 38 million euros in 2024 – will be earmarked for the promotion of alternative protein sources and the switch to plant-based agriculture, after decades of focusing primarily on subsidising livestock farming. This is a clear commitment to the protein …

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dan-gold-unsplash-courtesy LiveGreen

Image courtesy LiveGreen
Studies & Numbers

Report Discusses Fairest Way to Shift High-Income Countries to Plant-Based Diets

A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has assessed how high-income countries could best transition from industrialised animal agriculture to plant-based diets. Citing strong evidence that this transition will be necessary in the fight against climate change, the report examines how it can be done fairly, with costs and benefits evenly distributed. This will be important in garnering public support for meat reduction policies, especially among those who work in animal agriculture or consider meat an important part of their diet and culture. According to SEI, the concept of a just transition is widely recognised in the energy sector but has only recently been considered in the context of the food industry. The institute’s report examines which stakeholders would be most affected by a …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

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Science

Dutch Government Funds Project to Assess Characteristics of Microbial Proteins 

A Dutch public-private consortium is collaborating on a multi-year project to optimise the processing conditions for different microbial organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The project’s aim is to assess which microbial proteins have the functional, economic, and sustainability characteristics needed to create protein-rich ingredients for food applications.  Rianne Ruijschop, Department Head of Health at NIZO and the consortium’s coordinator, explains that the project is divided into four experimental sections to address the challenges of producing microbial proteins. These are efficient culturing of organisms, growing industrial sidestreams, ensuring feasible biomass yields with high protein/low nucleic acid composition, and developing scalable processes. At the end of the project, food application trials will be performed on a selected set of proteins, focusing on dairy, meat, and …

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microbial protein Formo cheese gratin

© Formo
Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Dutch Government Funds Project to Assess Characteristics of Microbial Proteins 

A Dutch public-private consortium is collaborating on a multi-year project to optimise the processing conditions for different microbial organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. The project’s aim is to assess which microbial proteins have the functional, economic, and sustainability characteristics needed to create protein-rich ingredients for food applications.  Rianne Ruijschop, Department Head of Health at NIZO and the consortium’s coordinator, explains that the project is divided into four experimental sections to address the challenges of producing microbial proteins. These are efficient culturing of organisms, growing industrial sidestreams, ensuring feasible biomass yields with high protein/low nucleic acid composition, and developing scalable processes. At the end of the project, food application trials will be performed on a selected set of proteins, focusing on dairy, meat, and …

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No Catch Co

Vegan fish & chips ©The No Catch Co
Market & Trends

The UK’s Protein Transition in Four Graphs

With kind permission from researcher and data analyst Chris Bryant, what follows is a graphic depiction of the protein transition in the UK, where the number of vegans more than doubled in just three years. 1. Per capita total meat consumption decreased 17% in the 10 years to 2019 According to figures published in the Lancet, average UK meat consumption fell from 104g/day in 2008-2009 to just 86g/day in 2018-2019. 2. Per capita red meat consumption decreased 37% in the 10 years to 2019 The same paper showed average red meat consumption falling by more than a third from 37g/day to 24g/day over the same period. Fish consumption was fairly steady, while poultry consumption increased slightly.  3. The number of vegans more than doubled from …

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Founders Bernat-Ananos and Marc Coloma at the City of Justice in Barcelona ©Heura
Investments & Finance

Heura Secures $16M to Accelerate Protein Transition: “Our Mission is Clear and Now We Have the Fuel to Get There Faster”

Spanish plant-based meat brand Heura, announces a €16M investment round led by Impact Fooding. Founded in 2017 by Marc Coloma and Bernat Añaños, the investment round aims to accelerate the protein transition by removing animals from the food system. The food activist brand is backed by mission-driven investors including Impact Fooding, Unovis, Lever VC, Capital V and Green Monday. Earlier this month, the company closed a crowdfunding round to offer its committed Good Rebels community the chance to own shares in the company for as little as €20. International football players such as Saúl Ñíguez, Sergi Roberto, Cesc Fábregas and Chris Smalling took part in the raise, a clear demonstration of their confidence in the brand and allowing Heura to maintain its exponential growth rate. …

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