Next Generation Plant Protein: From cellular agriculture to challenges in the mainstream

The plant-based trend has exploded into the mainstream. The test now is ensuring it stays there.

Among the challenges food manufacturers currently face in plant-based include improving taste and texture, encouraging repeat purchases, and ensuring that novel food legislation keeps up with the speed of innovation.

These are some of the topics to be covered in a panel discussion with leading experts from across the plant-based space.

Hosted by FoodNavigator section editor Oliver Morrison, the discussion will bring in comments and opinions from Cubo Innovation interim director Amirah Ashouri, Keller and Heckman partner Katia Merten-Lentz, founder and director of Tasting the Future Mark Driscoll, and managing director of CPL Business Consultants Dr Robert Harwood.

Finnish research centre VTT, on the other hand, is approaching plant-based from a purely scientific perspective. With global populations on the rise, the research institute is investigating whether food production can be increased while using less land and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

According to VTT research team leaders Emilia Nordlund and Christopher Landowski, the answer may lie in cellular agriculture. In a presentation hosted by FoodNavigator section editor Flora Southey, Nordlund and Landowski will look at how microbial food protein can be generated from CO₂, the science behind producing eggs without chicken, and how cellular agriculture can be integrated into plant-based food production.

These are just two of seven sessions to be broadcast during the Next Generation Plant-Protein online conference on Wednesday 19 February. Click here to sign up for the free event​.