Why diverse approaches and collaboration are vital for future protein needs
As the population rises and the middle class grows with it, so will the demand for protein. But increasing production can strain the environment, the supply chain and food security, which is driving interest in plant-based and alternative protein sources. Florian Schattenmann is chief technology officer for Cargill, one of the leading global players in the production of protein. When he thinks what the future, he believes having multiple approaches to meet our protein needs is the best way to avoid getting caught in a hype cycle.
Kate MacArthur: What’s your long-term vision for protein?
Florian Schattenmann: We want to be the premier protein supplier 20, 30 years from now. That means you have to broaden your portfolio. Protein is the highest- index macronutrient with the highest growth rates and strong demand from the growing middle class.
MacArthur: What newer proteins does that include?
Schattenmann: New, affordable and well-tasting ingredients like mycoproteins or fungal proteins that can be created by a type of fermentation. We also see that as a longer play into cultivated proteins or hybrid products where consumers want to reduce meat consumption a bit. Ultimately, we keep investing in all protein options, including improving our animal proteins to feed our changing world.
MacArthur: Is there an area that’s most promising?
Schattenmann: There are multiple approaches, and we're a big enough company that we can do multiple things at the same time. And not everything has to be invented in the house of Cargill. You’ve got to be a little bit hedged in a dynamic world. That's probably a good approach for looking into the future in general. Don't pick your winner too early because you might get caught up in a hype curve.
MacArthur: How does this vision align with not only global food security, but also sustainability?
Schattenmann: One of our star examples is in sweetness, actually. A big trend on the nutritional side is natural, low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners. And one of those is stevia. Stevia is grown in fields and then extracted like brewing tea. We were able to pinpoint which of the compounds in stevia extract are the best tasting and sweetest. And then we found a way to take a precision fermentation approach to make that compound in high yields. So no more big fields that you have to water and grow for a long time. You directly take sugar as an input in a fermentation process — that's an old technology — but we did it with a twist. And you can make that sweetener, which is 300 times as sweet as sugar and has the best taste from that stevia mix, in high yield.
MacArthur: Can that technology apply to protein?
Schattenmann: Yeah, and where you can probably apply it first is on the dairy side. A lot of people around the world have some issue digesting dairy. This is more exploratory but a likely next step in the future of food.
MacArthur: How are plant proteins today different from the cafeteria soybean burger of years ago?
Schattenmann: In the first phase of alternative protein, a lot of the companies out there focused on how you get close to that taste and texture because one thing we always learn is taste is king. So cost was left a little bit alone, so the products have been more expensive. Now we're in that second phase, and the products are getting really good. Cost is coming down a lot by decreasing the deck of ingredients and focusing on less processing. In phase three, we'll be able to build in additional nutritional benefits and cost parity to animal protein.
“You’ve got to be a little bit hedged in a dynamic world. That’s probably a good approach for looking into the future in general. Don’t pick your winner too early because you might get caught up in a hype curve.”
MacArthur: How do you retain nutrients through processing?
Schattenmann: Processing leads to cost. We have created a new partnership on mycoprotein with a company called Enough. They have a very efficient way of fermentation, so you don't have to separate anything, and it has all the nutrients in there. It has that meaty texture. You can eliminate a bunch of more highly processed ingredients. It's decreasing the ingredient deck, bringing ingredients by Mother Nature into the equation, and therefore driving better taste, lowering cost and retaining or even enhancing the nutritional value.
MacArthur: Could emerging technologies revolutionize protein?
Schattenmann: The word “revolutionize” is always a tricky one for me. Tastes are very unique. If you think about cellular protein or cultivated protein and all that has to work to make this an economic process, it's amazing how much work still has to happen. I think more and more not one of these technologies will revolutionize anything. It'll be the portfolio and using the right technology at the right time for the right application.
MacArthur: How should food producers approach innovation for the growing popularity of air fryers and small cooking appliances?
Schattenmann: We constantly have to have a pulse on the dynamics in how we live. We see a lot more collaboration between the food manufacturer, a scaler like us, and maybe a technology provider. But you also see more early collaboration even with appliance makers. Because how do we make sure that the entire industry supports that? No one player can do it all.
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