Will Consumers Embrace Novel Foods?
As our global food systems face increasing pressure to become more sustainable, innovative solutions are taking shape across Europe—and some of them may already be on your plate. But what exactly are novel foods, and how ready are we, as consumers, to welcome them into our daily diets? What Are Novel Foods? In the European Union, novel foods refer to products that were not widely consumed before May 15, 1997, when the first regulation on this category came into force. This category includes newly developed foods, those produced using innovative technologies or processes, and foods traditionally eaten outside the EU.
Why Food Processing Matters in the Future of Healthy and Sustainable Eating?
Food processing plays a crucial role in modern food systems. It helps extend shelf life, enhances flavor and texture, ensures food safety, and allows for convenient distribution. While taste, cost, and convenience have long driven food choices, today’s consumers are placing growing importance on health, wellness, and environmental impact.This shift has driven growing demand for minimally processed foods, especially those perceived as “natural” or “organic.” More than ever, people are seeking out foods rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds—those beneficial plant and food components that may reduce disease risk and support overall health.Health-conscious consumers are also analysing ingredient lists more
Fermentation for a More Nutritious and Sustainable Future
In the EU-funded Sustain-a-bite project, natural bioprocessing technologies like fermentation and seed bioactivation are being harnessed to address one of today’s major food challenges: making plant-based foods more nutritious, functional, and sustainable—without relying on chemicals or heavy processing. These techniques enable us to extract more value from whole plant ingredients while drastically reducing energy, water, and raw material use.The Challenge with Plant-Based IngredientsAs plant-based diets continue to grow in popularity, they face inherent challenges such as low digestibility, the presence of antinutritional factors, and deficiencies. However, many plant-based products on the market overlook these issues. Additionally, these products often result
Explore How IBA Is Reinventing Chickpeas in Sustain-a-bite
What if chickpeas could help us eat better and reduce our environmental impact? That’s exactly what researchers at IBA Bucharest are exploring as part of the Sustain-a-bite project – an EU-funded initiative focused on sustainable food innovation. Who is IBA and What Are They Working On? The National Institute of Research and Development for Food Bioresources (IBA Bucharest) is bringing its expertise in food safety, biotechnology, and consumer behaviour to the project. Their work contributes to two key areas: Innovative food processing (Work Package 1) Consumer studies (Work Package 4) In particular, IBA is leading efforts to create new,
Transforming Underused Crops into the Future of Food
Sustain-a-bite develops sustainable, cost-effective processes to create plant-based food ingredients from underused crops and side streams. By transforming materials like barley, faba bean, chickpea, and fruit/vegetable pomace into high-value ingredients, it supports healthier, affordable food products and boosts resilience in the EU agri-food sector—closely aligning with Wageningen Food & Biobased Research’s (WFBR) mission for a more sustainable food system. High-Pressure Processing for Sustainable Plant-Based Ingredients Sustain-a-Bite technologies focus on low-energy, non-thermal methods, with high-pressure processing (HPP) as one of them. At WFBR, we apply advanced processing expertise to investigate how HPP reduces energy, water, and raw material use in plant-based
Fighting Climate Change Through Sustainable Protein Innovation
As climate change accelerates, it’s clear that transforming our food systems is not just necessary—it’s urgent. A key area of opportunity lies in sustainable proteins, which offer powerful ways to reduce environmental impact while supporting global nutrition. Cooperation & stakeholder engagement At Sustain-a-bite, we’re addressing this transformation through the development of a stakeholder platform designed to foster co-creation, knowledge exchange, and innovation across the food value chain. By connecting actors from farm to fork, we aim to unlock practical solutions that drive the shift toward resilient, sustainable food systems—aligned with other EU-funded initiatives and stakeholders working toward the same goal.
Sustain-a-bite Drives Nutritious, Affordable Plant-Based Foods
Sustain-a-bite is focused on plant-based food production by developing affordable, minimally processed, and sustainable solutions. The project aims to unlock the full nutritional potential of whole plant ingredients and food industry side streams by using raw material, energy, and water-efficient processes. At University College Cork (UCC), our team is leading the development of a range of innovative food prototypes. We work with two key ingredient streams: Cereal and legume crops (barley, chickpea, and faba bean) for plant-based yoghurt and cream cheese alternatives. Fruit and vegetable pomaces (apple, carrot, and tomato) transformed into smoothie-style beverages. These side streams, often discarded or
European consumer perceptions and acceptance of Sustain-a-Bite innovations
Nowadays, the highly processed status and the extensive list of ingredients attributed to some processed plant-based foods may hinder their acceptance. Thus, there is a need for plant-based foods made through minimal processing technologies with reduced reliance on additives and heavy processing methods. Besides promoting health, these new technologies and resulting food products would support the food system to be more sustainable.In the Sustain-a-bite project, the team from the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) is committed together with partners from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto (UPORTO), the University of Vaasa (UVA) and the National Institute of Research
Sustain-a-bite kicks off – New EU project brings healthier, minimally processed plant-based foods to Europe
The EU-funded Sustain-a-bite project is set to redefine plant-based eating with nutritious, minimally processed foods that propel health and sustainability, one bite at a time. Espoo, Finland, 25 November 2024 - Over the next three and a half years, Sustain-a-bite consortium will spearhead the development of new plant-based foods while improving accessibility and sustainability in European diets. With support from the EU's Horizon Europe programme, this collaborative effort seeks to create foods that satisfy both taste and health needs while lowering environmental impacts. The project is coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the consortium includes 19
