New foods, new alternatives

Alternative proteins are changing the way people eat and think about food
The alternative protein industry has made rapid progress in recent years. Plant-based burgers are increasingly indistinguishable from their ground meat counterparts and microorganisms are converting biomass into larger volumes of protein for meat and dairy alternatives and other key ingredients. Cultivated meat has moved from the lab to pilot production facilities and onto a handful of restaurant menus. At GEA, we call this growing array of alternative proteins new food.

For our new report New Food Frontiers, GEA surveyed more than 1,000 chefs globally to get their views on new food, including cell-based foods and beverages. This, combined with in-depth reporting as well as interviews from thought-leaders, industry experts and investors, provides a nuanced view of the opportunities and hurdles industry faces in scaling up alternative protein production to increase uptake.

A broad shift to plant-based foods, cultivated meat and other alternative proteins promises to satisfy the hunger of future generations while mitigating further climate impact
New Food Frontiers

Key findings

Alternative proteins can make our food systems more reliable and lower their impact on our planet.
Alternative proteins are already transforming how we produce food.
Food professionals worldwide are embracing alternative proteins.
Consumers are open to alternative proteins and already driving the change.
Technological innovation will be key to producing alternative proteins at scale.

What do chefs think?

Chefs dedicate their working lives to preparing the foods consumers enjoy. They also enable us to try new culinary experiences or even adopt different eating habits. That means food professionals have a front row seat when it comes to knowing what consumers want and play a decisive role in shaping local, regional and even global food cultures.

A key component of the New Food Frontiers report, our GEA Chef Survey on New Foods considers the rise of alternative proteins through the eyes of chefs around the globe. The survey provides important insights about how they are navigating the current food transformation. It sheds light on their experience with new food products, the current demand among restaurant guests and what chefs expect to see in the near future.

In a nutshell:

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+ 1000 chefs from 11 countries took part in our survey
%
41% are very familiar with plant-based foods & beverages
~ %
~ 90% see more customer demand for alternatives to conventional meat & dairy
~ %
~ 90% have reduced their own meat consumption
Read the full chef survey

New Food thought leaders

Bruce Friedrich & Carlotte Lucas, The Good Food Institute (GFI)
Bruce Friedrich & Carlotte Lucas, The Good Food Institute (GFI)
Friedrich, GFI’s President and Founder, and Lucas, GFI Europe’s Corporate Engagement Manager, explain how The Good Food Institute is advancing alternative proteins, how new players in the space are making an impact and what needs to happen for alternative proteins to fulfill their potential.
Dr. Friederike Grosse-Holz, Blue Horizon
Dr. Friederike Grosse-Holz, Blue Horizon
Scientific Director Dr. Grosse-Holz talks about impact investing at Blue Horizon: why sustainable food is such a compelling new field, what it will take to bring alternative proteins to market faster and how regulators can help.
Dr. Dorit Rozner, The Kitchen FoodTech Hub
Dr. Dorit Rozner, The Kitchen FoodTech Hub
Technology expert Dr. Rozner talks about how The Kitchen, a government-backed Israeli food-tech incubator, promotes entrepreneurship in Israel’s flourishing field of new food.
We’re seeing increased acknowledgement of alternative proteins as a climate and food security solution.
Bruce Friedrich, The Good Food Institute
More growth capital needs to flow into the alternative protein sector to facilitate the scale-up of technologies.
Dr. Friederike Grosse-Holz, Blue Horizon
Israel has prioritized investment in food technology. And that includes robust government funding.
Dr. Dorit Rozner, The Kitchen FoodTech Hub

Media

New Food Frontiers

Press release: GEA Chef Survey: Alternative proteins will account for at least a quarter of all food by 2040

Press contacts

Media Anne Putz
Trade press Fanny Foerster

New Food Frontiers: article library

Below you will find the links to the individual feature articles in this report. For imagery and other assets, please visit the Media kit area above.

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We are hiring

Join our New Food team and begin an exciting journey to shape the future of food!

Our growing world population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050 which will dramatically increase global demand for nutrition. At the same time, food preferences are changing quickly among consumers. At GEA, our New Food teams are working hard to tackle food production challenges with innovative solutions.
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