Innovative Food Products: New Methods of Preparing Plant-Based Raw Materials Lead to Healthy Alternatives for Conventional Foods and Protein Sources

The expected increase of the global population to over 9.5 billion by the middle of this century and the rising consumption of animal food products present one of the greatest global challenges—securing humanity’s food supply. The use of new plant-based protein ingredients instead of animal protein preparations can be an important part of the solution, as the production of animal proteins requires around five times the area of plant protein production. The following article provides an overview of the state of the art production, processing and application of plant-based proteins in the European food industry. Not only are the opportunities and advantages presented, but also the shortcomings that plant-based proteins have had until now, and strategies for optimization. Furthermore, current project results (Fraunhofer Future Foundation) are reported, in the scope of which new methods for the reduction of the allergenic potential of plant proteins have been developed. The article is rounded off with a discussion of technical approaches to the optimization of the taste, texture and mouthfeel of plant-based foods and examples of the successful implementation of research results by Fraunhofer spin-offs.