How will we produce the proteins of the future?

We see great promise in fermentation for protein production, whether through precision fermentation of animal-like proteins, producing microorganisms for food products, or fungal fermentation of plant material. Companies are making significant strides in bringing these technologies to market, as highlighted at the Fermentation-Enabled Alternative Proteins Summit, which NIRAS had the honor of sponsoring.

However, there are many hurdles to cross before successfully reaching the market with a new fermentation-based food product. One major challenge is achieving production cost targets to remain competitive. This requires:

• Thoughtful development of processes at an early scale: Anticipate and validate processes that are relevant and cost-competitive at full scale

• Skillful upscaling from lab through pilot, demonstration, and full-scale production: Ensure cost-cutting parameters such as energy use and reactor design are tested during the scale-up phase

• Effective site selection and full-scale design: Optimise costs in process design, civils, and utilities while considering local synergies such as access to raw materials, labour, and consumer markets.

At NIRAS, we have had the pleasure of working with pioneering companies in the fermentation space, gaining extensive experience in designing fermentation-based factories. Combined with our background in traditional food segments, we are committed to helping this industry achieve cost targets by collaborating throughout the upscaling process and in full-scale design.

If you are interested in learning more about precision fermentation of food products, read the "Roadmap: Paving the Way for Animal-Free Dairy." Explore the roadmap here: Roadmap 2024 or contact Morten Olander (below)

You can also learn more about the Fermentation-Enabled Alternative Proteins Summit https://fermentation-enabled-proteins.com/