Our story
Today’s food systems face the challenge of promoting healthier diets while reducing environmental impacts. European diets are imbalanced, with high consumption of animal-based proteins and low dietary fibre. While plant-based foods are gaining popularity, many are highly processed, nutrient-deficient, and resource-inefficient. Meat and dairy production exacerbate environmental issues like greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and pollution.
Sustain-a-bite addresses these challenges by developing nutritious, tasty, and affordable plant-based foods using sustainable, minimal processing in line with the EU Green Deal’s Farm2Fork Strategy. Collaborating across the food value chain—including producers, manufacturers, retailers, researchers, and consumers—Sustain-a-bite fosters innovation, drives adoption, and supports market opportunities. The project promotes inclusive, local food systems to enable healthier lifestyles and a sustainable future.
Our story
Today’s food systems face dual challenges: promoting healthier diets while minimising environmental impacts. European diets are nutritionally imbalanced, with high intake of animal-based proteins and low dietary fibre. In response, plant-based foods are gaining popularity, but many rely on highly refined ingredients that contain excessive additives and lack essential nutrients. Additionally, meat and dairy production contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and soil and water pollution. Current plant-based alternatives, such as protein isolates or concentrates, do not resolve these issues as they are resource-inefficient, demanding high water and energy and generating waste.
Sustain-a-bite aims to overcome the limitations of plant-based food systems in line with the Farm2Fork Strategy of the EU Green Deal. By using sustainable, innovative minimal processing, our goal is to make nutritious, tasty, and affordable plant-based foods a mainstream choice.
Working with key players across the food value chain— primary producers, food manufacturers, retailers, researchers, food authorities, and consumers—Sustain-a-bite fosters innovation to drive acceptance and adoption, supporting new market opportunities for both small and large enterprises. Through broad collaboration, we seek to promote inclusive, local food systems, paving the way for healthier lifestyles and a sustainable future for all.
Our vision
By implementing Sustain-a-bite solutions, we aim to:
Our vision
By implementing Sustain-a-bite solutions, we aim to:
Advance high-quality knowledge
Drive innovation in nutritious plant-based foods, their minimal processing technologies, and insights into consumer preferences and barriers.
Boost access to wholesome plant-based options
Make available and promote access to wholesome plant-based options, expected to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Mitigate environmental impacts
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use, nitrogen pollution, and ease the pressure on land use.
Advance high-quality knowledge
Drive innovation in nutritious plant-based foods, their minimal processing technologies, and insights into consumer preferences and barriers.
Boost access to wholesome plant-based options
Make available and promote access to wholesome plant-based options, expected to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Mitigate environmental impacts
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use, nitrogen pollution, and ease the pressure on land use.
Foster regional business & job opportunities
Strengthen EU and local economies by leveraging short food value chains and domestic raw materials to produce diversified foods.
Foster regional business & job opportunities
Strengthen EU and local economies by leveraging short food value chains and domestic raw materials to produce diversified foods.
Empower citizens
Provide affordable, nutritious, and tasty foods tailored to different consumer groups, and foster education on healthy eating, thereby supporting equality among citizens.
Inform policy decisions
Advocate for incentives and investments in minimally processed plant-based foods, aligning policies with sustainable practices and consumption patterns.
Empower citizens
Provide affordable, nutritious, and tasty foods tailored to different consumer groups, and foster education on healthy eating, thereby supporting equality among citizens.
Inform policy decisions
Advocate for incentives and investments in minimally processed plant-based foods, aligning policies with sustainable practices and consumption patterns.
