What does it take to turn food by-products into mycoprotein? At European Researchers’ Night in Braga, Portugal, visitors could explore the process first-hand — from microorganisms growing on Petri dishes to fermentation in an airlift bioreactor.
As the demand for more sustainable food grows, researchers from UOH are exploring new ways to produce protein with a lower environmental impact. But finding sustainable protein sources is only part of the challenge. For new protein ingredients to become part of everyday foods, they also need to meet consumer expectations for taste, aroma and overall eating experience.
Fish processing generates large amounts of waste, including heads, bones, skin, and other by-products that are often discarded or used for low-value applications. However, these fish residues still contain valuable energy and nutrients.
At Protein
One of the key objectives of PROTEIN
For the production of protein powders intended for further food applications, Tenebrio molitor was selected as one of the primary raw materials due to its naturally high protein content. Moreover, the project also evaluates several other alternative protein sources, including proteins recovered from aquaculture by-products, mycoprotein from Pleurotus ostreatus, and microalgal protein obtained from Dunaliella salina.
As the global demand for sustainable protein continues to grow, researchers are exploring new ways to produce high-quality proteins while reducing pressure on natural resources. Alternative protein sources such as fungi, algae, insects, food industry by-products and aquaculture side streams are being explored in PROTEIN
Researchers in Protein
At the end of February, leading researchers from Brazil and Europe came together for the Interinstitutional JP FAPESP Workshop, held across three universities: UNICAMP (Campinas), USP (São Carlos), and UNESP (São José do Rio Preto).
Introducing alternative proteins into European diets goes beyond offering new food options. True, lasting change depends on understanding why people make the choices they do—their attitudes, intentions, and the behavioural factors shaping everyday eating habits. Without this insight, even the most innovative protein sources may fail to reach their full potential.
Shifting our diets toward more sustainable protein sources is crucial not only for the environment but also for public health. However, adopting novel proteins can be challenging, as it often requires changing long-established habits and cultural preferences. Understanding how people perceive and accept these alternatives is therefore essential for developing effective strategies.
On September 24th, our colleagues Tiziana Marino and Lorena Affatato from Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) presented PROTEIN
This work was funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme as part of project PROTEIN4IMPACT (Grant Agreement No. 101182324). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
