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05.05.2025 11:10

Nutrition of the Future

Britta Widmann Kommunikation
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

To produce protein-rich foods sustainably, novel protein sources offer an alternative to meat, dairy and other animal products. In the FutureProteins flagship project, six Fraunhofer institutes have developed closed circulatory indoor cultivation systems for year-round production of proteins from alternative sources, independent of the climate and seasons. Then, as the next step, the researchers also combined the proteins and raw materials derived from plants, fungi, algae and insects with each other for the first time and processed them into prototypes for foods. The novel products and meat alternatives produced in this way are highly nutritionally valuable.

Across many areas of the world, growing environmental problems, extreme weather conditions and pollution of soil and water by pesticides and fertilizers are making it more difficult to supply the population with nutritionally valuable foods and proteins. This is making sustainable nutrition solutions even more important. One potential solution is alternative protein sources that can substitute for animal products such as meat, fish, eggs and milk. Researchers have teamed up in Fraunhofer’s FutureProteins flagship project to establish alternative proteins derived from plants, insects, fungi and algae. Six Fraunhofer institutes (see below) are pooling their expertise to sustainably exploit new protein sources for food production through specifically developed indoor cultivation systems that can be used all year, regardless of the climate, location and available space. One special aspect is that the byproducts generated in the process are largely used to produce other protein sources, right in line with the principles of the circular economy. In addition to four indoor cultivation systems — vertical farming for plants, insect farming for insects, bioreactors for fungi and photobioreactors to cultivate algae — the researchers have developed a range of tasty items for the food industry. Their creations range from burgers to gluten-free breads and desserts.

Potato residue for fungal fermentation and insect feed

“With an eye to climate change, we felt it was important to make sure all the newly developed indoor systems could be used regardless of the location, available space and season, thereby ensuring year-round local and sustainable cultivation of the various raw materials,” says Dr. Marc Stift, a research scientist and project coordinator at the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in Aachen. The four different systems also interlock in the sense that byproducts from the various processing stages can be used to cultivate other protein systems. “As an example, potatoes are finely ground after they are harvested, producing starch and proteins that leave behind a watery medium and potato residue known as pomace. This potato pomace contains fiber, which was identified in the project as an outstanding fermentation substrate for fungi,” explains Dr. Stephanie Mittermaier, a project coordinator and research scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising. Similarly, nitrogen-rich byproducts of insect production can be used as plant fertilizer.

Innovative vertical farming system: peas growing in waves

With the OrbiPlant® technology developed at Fraunhofer IME, the researchers have become the first to grow peas efficiently indoors. The system, which is designed like a conveyor belt, eliminates the need for pesticides while also saving space and cutting water use by 95 percent and fertilizer by 50 percent. It moves in a wave-like motion so that the plants inserted into the conveyor belt grow both upward and downward, along with the system’s movements. This allows for space-saving cultivation. One advantage of this design is that the lighting system used illuminates the valleys that form as the undulating conveyor belt moves downward so that the air can escape upward, preventing the heat buildup commonly found in conventional stacked designs. The system features built-in natural air conditioning, which significantly reduces the costs of climate control. The plants hover in the air as the conveyor belt moves up and down and are irrigated aeroponically. “Aeroponics is a special method of growing plants without a substrate. The roots hang down on the inside of the belt, where they are sprayed with a solution of water and nutrients. Compared to hydroponics, in which the roots are suspended in the nutrient solution, aeroponic irrigation dramatically reduces the amount of water in the system,” Stift explains. The substrate-free method of cultivation also carries another advantage: Unlike when legumes that are grown outdoors, the plants are clean, and the entire biomass, including the leaves and roots, can be used directly to produce protein without prior washing.

Vegan meat substitute: burger patties made from a blend of peas and fungi

Developing high-quality, tasty foods from various protein sources is the task of the researchers at Fraunhofer IVV in Freising (near Munich). A food pilot plant featuring systems for producing meat and dairy alternatives and baked goods provides perfect conditions for developing market-ready foods. State-of-the-art analytical methods allow the researchers to evaluate individual raw materials with an eye to their composition, functional properties and sensory aspects such as taste and smell. “The goal is to combine the protein systems with the best properties in each case, optimize them in both sensory and functional terms and thereby create new products such as vegan meat alternatives,” Mittermaier says. The research work conducted in the FutureProteins project has produced a number of prototypes with high consumer acceptance: In addition to burger patties and vegan meatballs made from a mixture of pea protein and fungal mycelium, tasters gave highly positive ratings to the flavor and smell profiles of gluten-free bread made from insects, desserts and soft-serve ice cream made from various plant proteins and baked goods with algae filling. “The patties made from peas and fungi and the filled baked goods are intended to appeal to the mass market. We view the insect bread as more of a niche product,” she explains. “Comparable patties made from a combination of different protein sources are not yet available at this time. Combining peas and fungal mycelium yields especially juicy burgers with sharply reduced amounts of artificial flavoring and additives like hydrocolloids, which are typically used in many formulations due to their gelling and texturizing properties.” Mittermaier and her team will be presenting these and other research results at the IFFA trade show in Frankfurt from May 3 to 8, 2025. The researchers’ objective is to license the food prototypes and the systems developed in the project to industry.



Institutes involved in FutureProteins:

Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen (coordination)

Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising and Dresden (coordination)

Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart

Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB, Karlsruhe

Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, Chemnitz

Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Oberhausen

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Weitere Informationen:

https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2025/may-2025/nutrition-of-the-...

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The OrbiPlant® technology, which is based on the design of a conveyor belt, enables space-saving pla ...

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