Scaling the cashew apple supply

2020-2022

Dr. Dionisio is exploring cashew apple as a raw material for plant-based meat products and is solving key scale-up challenges in the cashew apple supply chain.

PRODUCTION PLATFORM: Plant-based

TECHNOLOGY SECTOR:  Crop development

Gfi's competitive research grants program badge, featuring a whole cut of meat within a magnifying glass representing research

Project aims

Could cashew apples be the next hot plant-based protein? This project aims to develop economically feasible technologies for transforming cashew apple waste into high-quality food. It explores a variety of uses for cashew apple in plant-based meats, characterizing its organoleptic properties as an ingredient input.

Increased adoption of cashew apple as an ingredient in plant-based meat could lower costs for plant-based meat production by more efficiently capturing value from a sidestream of cashew nut production. This work will also extend the shelf life and enhance the production of cashew apple fiber for plant-based meat applications.

Principal researcher

Gfi grantee dr. Ana paula dionisio, researcher, embrapa, brazil

Dr. Ana Paula Dionisio

Researcher, EMBRAPA, Brazil

Dr. Dionisio heads a multidisciplinary team with demonstrated success in commercializing cashew-based products. She focuses her research on food science and biochemistry.

New ingredients for the plant-based market

Learn from Dr. Dionisio and Dr. Mellinger in this webinar presentation “Novos ingredientes para o mercado plant-based” (in Portuguese) from GFI Brazil’s webinar series.

Cover slide for dr. Dionisio and dr. Mellinger’s presentation on using cashew apples as a plant-based meat ingredient.

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