New food

Meeting consumer demand for nutritious, sustainable and ethical food

vv

Explore our products

Focused primarily on the production of alternative protein foods and protein-rich components, the New Food boom is a response to consumer demand for more nutritious, sustainable and ethical foods.

Feeding a growing population, responsibly

A growing middle class combined with a world population that is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050 will increase global demand for nutrition dramatically, particularly meat and other protein-rich foods. However, science tells us we cannot expand existing agricultural production capacities without severe environmental and societal consequences. 

In parallel, food preferences are changing quickly among consumers, many of whom are looking to follow a healthier, low-impact diet that places more attention on animal welfare. 

New Food is colorful, diverse and dynamic

New Food embraces the basic principle and goal of feeding more people using fewer resources. As a category, the primary focus is protein rich foods and components and other nutritious compounds, produced through traditional processing methods, precision fermentation or tissue engineering, or a combination of these methods:

  • Plant-based: plant-based foods, plant-based beverages, plant-based components
  • Mycelium-based: fungi-based foods and ingredients
  • Precision fermentation: proteins (e.g., enzymes), sweeteners, fats, microbes (e.g., yeast, bacteria and microalgae), algae-based foods and ingredients
  • Cell culture: cultivated meat, cultivated seafood, cell-based milk 
  • Novel foods: insect-based foods and ingredients, crustacean-based ingredients (e.g. krill)

The development of hybrid products, like those that combine soy heme produced via precision fermentation with plant-based foods, means there are numerous product possibilities. Combining components and ingredients also contributes to healthier and tastier foods which are important factors for establishing customer loyalty.

Man eating vegan burger

GEA – enabler of the New Food industry

GEA supports start-ups, ingredient suppliers and food processors to develop, scale-up and produce the nutritious new foods consumers are looking for.

Our customers in the alternative-protein space benefit from GEA’s deep food and beverage expertise, as well as our brewery and pharma know-how, which is particularly relevant in the demanding and rapidly expanding area of precision fermentation. 

GEA test centers enable customers to test processes, machines, ingredients and recipes with support from our experienced food scientists and technicians. These sessions – which can include machine training – are available on-site or conducted remotely and are important for getting high quality products to market more quickly.

Closing the loop in production

Producing more sustainable food requires an examination of the production processes themselves, which often require large amounts of energy and water. Thanks to our holistic engineering know-how and integrated heating & refrigeration solutions, customers can significantly lower their energy usage and carbon emissions. Likewise, we can help customers minimize their freshwater withdrawals and reuse process water. 

Whether your project is greenfield or an upgrade, it is important to involve GEA engineers early in the process to ensure you are taking advantage of every possible lever to increase the efficiency of your process or plant and thereby reduce operating costs. Not sure where to start? Just contact us, as we are happy to support you throughout the entire process.

Make plant proteins your business

Plant-based proteins

Make plant proteins your business

To produce high quality plant-based protein powders from soy, potatoes, peas, fava beans or mung beans, you need high quality, sustainable solutions designed for long-term productivity and reliability.
Title image New Food Frontiers

Report: New Food Frontiers

At GEA, we’re helping the world realize the promise of alternative proteins.

We’re ready. Are you?

Products & Technologies

Showing 4 of 79

GEA mobile test center

GEA New Food ATC

The New Food Application and Technology Center of Excellence (ATC) has been established as a central hub to support innovation in the emerging field of cellular agriculture.

#FoodforThought

The new food shortcut

On tomorrow’s menu: Dairy products made from fermented milk cells. Chicken breast filet produced in a bioreactor. Or food that is sourced literally out of thin air.

GEA will build Novozymes’ new plant to produce alternative products for the human nutrition turnkey. This order in the growing “New Food” market is one of the largest orders in the company’s history.

GEA wins one of the largest orders in the company’s history in "New Food"

Biotechnology customer Novozymes chooses GEA technology for a new functional protein plant in Nebraska, USA.

With its new pilot plant Aker BioMarine will manufacture INVI, a sustainably sourced krill protein hydrolysate that was recently classified as food safe. Image: Aker BioMarine

GEA to build world's first pilot plant for the production of krill protein

On behalf of Aker BioMarine, GEA is to design and deliver the world’s first pilot plant for hydrolyzing krill protein.

Pass the protein, please

Pass the protein

The alternative protein market is diversifying and growing quickly, given massive consumer and industrial demand.

Hunting the flexitarian

Hunting the flexitarian

Casual vegetarianism, known as the flexitarian diet, has exploded as a lifestyle.

Fish farm

GEA explores potential of insect protein for animal feed

GEA has been working with an Australian start-up to explore the potential of sustainable protein for animal feed.

Related Videos

Behind the scenes of release event of GEA New Food report

GEA Enhanced Forward Flow Flush animation

GEA Homogenization technology and applications

GEA Insights

Achieving net zero with GEA's holistic engineering solutions

Industries across the board are working hard to meet net-zero targets while navigating stringent decarbonization regulations and legislation. At the same time, companies must balance growing demands for quality, product development...

At the table for … new food: Crafting the future of our food

Coffee, cocoa, milk, meat, fish and eggs – these daily staples rely heavily on intensive agriculture. With the rise of new food technologies, we have more sustainable alternatives. We sat down with Dr. Reimar Gutte, Senior Vice...

Innovating patient care with aseptic spray drying

At GEA, our commitment to engineering for a better world fuels our pursuit of innovative solutions that enhance patient care and safety. One of our most promising ventures in recent years is aseptic spray drying – a technology...

Receive news from GEA

Stay in touch with GEA innovations and stories by signing up for news from GEA.

Contact us

We are here to help! With just a few details we will be able to respond to your inquiry.