This project aims to determine the key molecules that contribute to cooked salmon’s odor and flavor and recreate these with optimal plant, fungal, and algal oils. The proposed solutions’ oxidative stability will be determined and possibilities for shelf-life extension provided.
Dr Frank and his team are working to create more desirable plant-based seafood flavors. They will apply natural flavor chemistry pathways knowledge and sensory techniques to identify the most suitable flavor precursors for a range of plant-based seafood products.
This project aims to use the immense diversity in mushroom-producing, new-to-food fungi to create improved fermented products. If the mycelium (the root network) has the same characteristics as the mushroom (the fruiting body), they can create tasteful and healthy products.
The project aims to develop a sustainable toolbox of edible fungi strains to obtain intact RuBisCO from green tea. It bridges fungi fermentation with leaf protein production from waste streams, generating two promising alternative proteins in a single system.
Poor and inauthentic flavors of current seafood alternatives are a barrier to consumers’ acceptance. To address this shortcoming, the precision fermentation startup Nectariss plans to develop realistic seafood flavors based on the fermentation of mycelial fungi.
Dr. Speranza’s project explores solid-state fermentation to develop a protein ingredient with enhanced functionality and nutrition from peanut meal, an underutilized, high-volume by-product. The ingredient will be used to produce meat analogues with a desirable fibrous texture.
Hybrid products are a promising means to improve the cost and sustainability of animal-derived meat while improving the taste of plant proteins. Promoting the health benefits of hybrids may facilitate consumer acceptance, but more research is needed to identify the optimal blend ratios to increase nutrition without compromising flavor.
Enabling easy animal ingredient substitutions in a wide range of food products.
Plant-based protein makerspaces would be publicly available spaces where interested members of the public could learn, experiment, and work collaboratively on projects related to plant-based proteins. They could offer access to the physical equipment necessary to conduct projects as well as technical assistance to inform them. The aim would be to encourage more interaction between the public and the alternative protein industry, thus stimulating the exploration and development of more ideas. Makerspaces may also be able to increase positive consumer perception of the technology by increasing familiarity with the relevant production processes. The logistics of the makerspace should be done in such a way to maximize democratization and inclusion of a large segment of the public.
In order to appeal to health-conscious consumers, alternative seafood products should contain similar omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA, content to conventional seafood. Animal-free omega-3 ingredients can be expensive and supply can be inconsistent. Scaling up animal-free omega-3 production is critical to the success of the global alternative seafood market, which is seeing increased attention and promising growth. Adding omega-3 to other alternative protein products could also provide a great point of differentiation while improving health appeal.
