A balanced diet plays a key role in our health. But what is the most sustainable way to produce nutritional foods – particularly when there is less and less land and a growing global population? The bioeconomy offers numerous opportunities, including the exploitation of new climate-friendly sources of protein and the production of valuable dietary supplements made from macroalgae, which thrive without fertilizer, freshwater and energy.
Macroalgae contain plenty of nutrients and grow in a sustainable way in the sea. A team of researchers is working to improve the use of macroalgae through fermentation – for example, as high-quality ingredients in foods.
Because fish farms are rarely an eco-friendly solution, researchers are developing sustainable fish farming systems that circulate water through a closed circuit.
Vegetarian sausages, cutlets and burger patties should be as close to the original as possible – not only in terms of flavor, but also consistency, juiciness and texture. Fraunhofer researchers are working on customizing meat substitutes.
Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
NewFoodSystems – Sustainable production of food
The rapidly growing world population and the urgent need to protect the climate make a reorientation of the food supply imperative. In order to reduce the high resource input for the production of meat products, the development of alternative sustainable protein sources and new production processes for food is essential.
Fraunhofer IGB develops processes for the production of miscellaneous algal products. The extracts obtained provide the food, feed and cosmetics industries with natural extracts that have health-promoting and coloring properties, which can then be converted into the corresponding products.
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft