News section: project results

On April 17th, the advisory board meeting of the Fraunhofer lighthouse project “FutureProteins”, which is coordinated by the Fraunhofer IME, took place in Oberhausen, Germany. In the project, six Fraunhofer institutes develop novel, closed agricultural systems for the production of alternative protein sources made from plants, fungi, algae and insects, while simultaneously exploiting all concomitant material and energy side streams. All of the protein sources contain valuable amino acids for human food as well as suitable application properties, thus making them very attractive to the food industry. During the meeting, the current project results and, on top of that, there was a tasting of various baked goods and pasta that were made from the four protein alternatives explored in the project.

In the Fraunhofer lighthouse project "FutureProteins", coordinated by Fraunhofer IME,  new agriculture systems and processes are developed in order to obtain nutritious proteins from selected plants, insects, fungi and algae, which can then be used for new food products. As a part of the project, Fraunhofer IME has now partnered with the Veganz Group AG to grow peas as an additional alternative protein source by means of vertical farming.  

Read the press release (German) 

On November 17, 2021, Prof. Stefan Schillberg from the Fraunhofer IME presented the Fraunhofer lighthouse project “FutureProteins“, which he coordinates, at the German Meat Congress in the city of Mainz. His presentation had a particular focus on the potential of alternative protein sources for animal source products and its sustainbale production for the mass market—the key objective of “FutureProteins“.

The German Meat Congress is a business event that allows both trade and crafts representatives of the meat industry to get an overview of current trends and market developments, while also offering them a networking platform. Among the speakers are renowned representatives from industry and economy.  

Proteins are vital for life. At the same time, there is a protein shortage in the global food supply. Due to extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change as well as soil and water pollution caused by the use of pesticides and fertilizers, this shortage can increase in the future. One approach to tackle this challenge is to open up novel protein sources as a sustainable alternative for animal source foods suitable for the masses. In the lighthouse project “FutureProteins”, six Fraunhofer institutes develop new cultivation systems, which can produce nutritious proteins from selected plants, insects, fungi and algae

Read the full press release