Bridging the gap in alternative protein production

May 21, 2024

As technology and regulatory conditions mature, consumers enjoy a wider selection of exciting and better-quality novel foods. GEA helps customers bring these products to market through its engineering expertise and innovative process solutions. Soon, companies will have access to GEA novel food process development services at a new cutting-edge facility in the heart of the U.S.

Global population growth and meat consumption continue to rise. This dynamic increases harmful CO2 emissions and further jeopardizes land and water resources. Add on climate change and systemic drought, and the result is less arable land available for animals and the crops required to feed them.

The upswing in the number of flexitarians – people who replace meat in some of their meals with alternative proteins – relieves some of the pressure. Still, meat, fish and dairy remain popular mealtime staples and provide the demand for animal agriculture. In 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that livestock accounted for around 12 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Without intervention, the FAO estimates this figure will reach around 15 percent by 2050. To eat more sustainably, the world must rethink its food production models.

New protein production methods required

Plant-based foods are well-known to consumers. As unit costs come down and taste and nutrition improve, these foods will grow in appeal. More recently, fermentation – using microbes to produce nutrient-rich, delicious foods – is emerging as a production method of choice for many innovators in the alternative protein ecosystem focused on meat, seafood, egg and dairy alternatives. An ancient food production method, fermentation is now expanding far beyond its historical uses, including via precision fermentation, a fascinating technology that uses microbes like yeast to produce specific, high-value functional ingredients – such as proteins, vitamins, flavors and fats.

Cultivated meat – meat produced directly from cells, without the need to grow the whole animal – has the potential, when commercially scaled, to truly satiate people’s love of meat and fish without the downsides of conventional protein production and processing methods. Another benefit, it can be made without antibiotics, steroids and other additives, mitigating antibiotic resistance, which is on the rise and poses serious health risks globally. Cell-based meat is also produced in facilities under cleaner conditions than conventional meat processing facilities, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses and other animal-transmitted diseases which can become future pandemics. Cultivated meat and other alternative proteins can offer consumers greater choice, providing them with the foods they enjoy, made in ways that significantly reduce health risks and impact on the environment.

U.S. a front-runner in alternative proteins

A land famous for its fast-food culture, the U.S. is actually the largest overall contributor to the alternative protein sector. The reasons: a robust venture capital culture, a fairly positive regulatory environment, and the sheer size of the market itself. According to the Good Food Institute’s (GFI) 2023 state of the industry report on plant-based foods, despite high food costs and inflation, 36 percent of U.S. consumers reported eating plant-based meat in 2023, while 25 percent reported eating it monthly or more frequently.

“Every new alternative protein production facility is a win-win-win for the local economy, the food industry and the planet”, says Caroline Bushnell, GFI Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement. “With demand for meat on the rise globally and conventional protein production contributing to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, we need more facilities that can help alternative protein innovators scale sustainably, feed more people with fewer resources and give consumers the foods they love at prices they can afford.”

In keeping with GEA’s strong climate commitments, the new technology center will integrate heat pump technology and rely on electricity generated by GEA’s own on-site solar park. The green electricity will cover the needs of the building and all production processes – with any excess power sent back to the grid. “With our investment in Janesville, GEA will fill an important gap in the novel food ecosystem and demonstrate how this can be done using renewable energy,” says Csay.

Cultivating relationships to remove production barriers

Our global food system today relies on a complex supply chain network and a skilled workforce to bring products to consumers. The same is true for the alternative protein sector. While the ecosystem to get plant-based foods and beverages to market has a slight jump-start on other alternative protein production methods, the entire sector is still in its relative early days.

For cultivated meat, much more bioreactor capacity is required to achieve commercial scale. In this application, bioreactors must be similar in design to those used in biomedical processes with bespoke nutrient broths for growing cells. “GEA will investigate multiple options to solve this challenge for producers, either using our own resources or by exploring partnerships,” explains Csay.

Building relationships with academia is another important pillar of GEA’s new food business strategy. GEA is formalizing an industry-partnership agreement with the Integrated Center for Alternative Meat and Proteins (iCAMP) headquartered at the University of California, Davis, one of the most important agriculture and food science universities in the world. “Together with iCAMP and their partner network, we aim to build an ecosystem of focused research, education, training and physical facilities to advance alternative proteins,” says Csay. “This is a great opportunity for our group to tap into the knowledge base, network and resources of UC Davis and continue being a driving force in the development of the alternative protein industry.” A second partnership with another high-profile food science university is in the pipeline and will help ensure novel foods have a bright future in the U.S. and beyond.