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TPC is show-
casing live innovation
in texture

TPC is show-
casing live innovation
in texture

February 16, 2023

At Smaakpark, TPC is showcasing live innovation in texture

Texture is essential for the future of plant-based meat, dairy and fish. To encourage meat-, dairy- and fish-loving consumers to adopt a more plant-based diet, the mouthfeel and texture of plant-based variations must be at least as appealing as those of animal products. In recent years, mouthwatering progress is already made and we can’t wait for more. That is why TPC organised an acceleration session: “Texturization: Creating Tasty Plant-Based Food.”

Live experimentation with HME is helping to shorten time to market

On February 15, at SmaakPark in Ede, 5 key-note speakers shared their experience in texturization trends & techniques, such as fermentation and Shear Cell Technology. After the key notes, TPC partners started experimenting with texturization during a live High Moisture Extrusion (HME) demonstration executed by Henk Hoogenkamp and his colleagues from Future Foods B.V. This HME demonstration resulted in unique new combinations of ingredients supplied by TPC partners, resulting in many new insights on functionality and convincing meat-like structures.

This is a fruitful ground for future collaborations and with further research and development these ingredients have a great chance to find their way to the market.

Creating iconic products to change food habits

“Eat less meat and more beans!” is the clear call from Jeroen Willemsen, Innovation Lead Protein Transition at Foodvalley. “For those who find it difficult to switch directly from meat to beans, for example because of taste and texture, we need to ‘disguise’ the pulses and legumes in products consumers do incorporate in their daily food pattern.  

To create these products, we need a combination of locally produced proteins, sustainable technologies and creative texture artists. It’s this unique combination that The Protein Community-partners can deliver, as I once more experienced during the remarkable meeting today”. 

“Eat less meat and more beans!”

Jeroen Willemsen, Innovation Lead Protein Transition at Foodvalley

Insights from the food artists

Christian Weij of Smaakpark mentioned that he is not so much an artist, but mainly a father working for a better future for his children. That is what makes him so passionate about creating the future of food. It is a process of experimentation. “‘Everyone at Smaakpark is a Guinea pig.”  

Other key take aways:

  • “It is about creating a new category of food. A growing world population can no longer eat animal meat and dairy, which is why New Meat is needed. We need to convert the meat lovers by taste and texture” – Rene van den Cruijsem from Redefine Meat
  • “We craft food we feel good about and do not compromise on the ingredients” – Birgit Dekkers from Rival Foods
  • “Texturization is also about the challenge to combine it with the mouthfeel” – Noa Bastiaans from Herbafoods Ingredients 
  • “We need to speed up experimentation in order to shorten time to market and make iconic products available” – Henk Hoogenkamp from Future Food 

Councillor Gerard van Deelen (Scherpenzeel) from Food Valley Region is happy to see so many passionate people working towards accessible, healthy and sustainable food. “The protein transition, is one of the main spearheads of the Food Valley Region. This topic touches several themes at the core of our cooperation program, such as healthy food, but also agricultural transition. The region is home to many food companies. This is a unique opportunity to make our food system future-proof together. The change to more plant-based food is an essential part.”

TPC and Region Foodvalley

This acceleration session was exclusively for TPC partners and was organised in cooperation with “The Foodvalley Region”. Leo Koning community manager Foodvalley is happy to see so many people join the journey shaping the future of food. “It is great to see what collaborative action can do to bring the food transition tangible into our daily lives. Region Foodvalley as a home base shows that and we from Foodvalley NL scale up to the rest from the world with our community. It brings our heart, head and hands together.

As a TPC partner you will find the recordings at Foodleap.com. Are you interested in joining but not a member of the TPC community? Please contact Leo Koning.

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