A public-private consortium of industrial and knowledge partners has received Dutch TKl grants for a multi-year, multiphase project on using microbial biomass to create functional, protein-rich ingredients for food applications. In the project, the partners will optimise processing conditions for different organisms, including microalgae, bacteria, fungi and yeast, in order to assess which deliver the functional, economic and sustainability characteristics needed for a marketable food product. As protein is an important part of a basic human diet, there is a continuing search for new or alternative protein ingredients and high-quality protein-rich foods. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the global Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in reduced production of protein foods, has placed further stress on the issues around protein availability. The EU, which currently imports around 20 million tons of protein per year, is looking for ways to increase and promote protein production internally.
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