Bühler has announced a partnership with the DIL (Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik) to work on extruded meat substitutes with a lower environmental impact than the meat value chain.
Extrusion enables the formation of texturised proteins with different structures from different raw materials. High moisture extrusion enables the conversion of plant proteins into food products with textures similar to meat, Bühler says.
Ian Roberts, CTO, Bühler, said: “If we are to feed 10 billion people in 2050 and if we are to be able to do this and mitigate the climate change increase that we currently see, we need to build strong partnerships with purpose and we need to build those in areas where we can drive major impact.”
Volker Heinz, Director and CEO, DIL said: “Within our planetary boundaries, there is no room for a further expansion of animal protein and fat production”.
“With Bühler's expertise in extrusion, but also in other engineering disciplines, such as milling, plant proteins, and powder handlings, we will be able to provide new and customized solutions for our clients and for the rapidly changing market,” said Volker Lammers, Head of Research Platform Process Engineering, DIL. “With Bühler, we have a competent partner along the full protein value chain.”
The DIL campus in Quakenbrück, Germany, provides food safety labs, pilot plants and research capabilities.
“With DIL, we have found a great partner who can provide a food grade test and production lab combined with extensive analytical services,” said Christoph Näf, Head of Business Unit Human Nutrition, Bühler.
“We continuously try to achieve a better understanding of the structure and functionality of foods, which we consider is the key to innovative solutions for food processing,” said Volker Heinz, Director and CEO, DIL. “On this track, we are excited to have Bühler as a partner on our side. Together we will explore the many possibilities of technological interventions to get our food system on the track towards a sustainable future.”
