Meat+Poultry - July 2022 - SUPP21

demand and to drive further product
developments in this area, " said Stefan
Gebhardt, general manager Sales and
Strategy, Business Unit Food & Pharma
at Stuttgart, Germany-based Coperion.
" The flexibility of the twin-screw
extruder enables the production of
TVP (dry texturing) and HMMA (wet
texturing) as well as numerous other
extrudates on one machine. In addition,
with our technologies, the use of new
protein alternatives such as hemp
protein and microalgae is also possible. "
Numerous technology suppliers
attended the show to demonstrate
how classic food processing machines
such as cutters, mincers, fillers or
forming machines can be used for
further-processing plant-based patties,
schnitzels or sausages.
" Plant products are all about giving
consumers alternative options. In
order to make the decision as easy as
possible, shape and appearance play a
decisive role in being able to classify the
alternatives. In addition to the classic
applications such as burger patties,
minced meat or sausages, we offer
space for creative ideas, new shapes
and individual solutions, " said Jens
Thörnich, product manager-Plant
Based Protein at Vemag Maschinenbau.
IFFA 2022 also served as a hub
for discussions about cultured meat
and insect proteins. Biotechnology
startups are the newest stakeholders
in the alternative proteins space, and
they are researching ways to increase
consumer acceptance and lower the
price of cultured meat. The companies
are researching plant-based nutrient
solutions that can replace the animal
serum that has been a necessary
component of cultured meat production.
Stem cells are taken from an animal
and then multiplied in large bioreactors.
The cell masses can then be formed into
patties, for example. Structured cultured
meat products are created using 3D
printers or edible carriers.
R&D professionals from around the world attended IFFA
seeking alternative protein formulation solutions.
The technology shows plenty
of promise however, Stephanie
Jaczniakowska-McGirr, international
head of Food Industry & Retail at
ProVeg International, said the segment
faces three pressing challenges.
" More publicly funded, open access
research is needed to overcome some
technical hurdles, " JaczniakowskaMcGirr
said. " The regulatory framework
needs to be further strengthened to
create a favorable environment for
producers and consumers. Also, more
information is needed to pave the way
for a fair and objective inclusion of
cultured meat in society. "
The burgeoning industry also has
work to do convincing consumers to try
cultured meats. The 2022 Power of Meat
Study by San Antonio, Texas-based 210
Analytics, found that consumers fewer
than three in 10 meat eaters said they
would be willing to try cultivated meat
versus 40% who said they would not.
" Among those not willing to try
cultivated meat, 63% are concerned
that it is not natural, " according to the
study. " Other big concerns are that
it is too processed or unsafe. " The
responses were consumer perceptions,
not necessarily actual reflections of the
cultured meat process.
Finally, insect proteins have the
potential to address future demand for
protein. Max Hesse, group manager for
machine and process development at
the Fraunhofer for Process Engineering
and Packaging, noted that breeding and
processing of insects remains a largely
labor-intensive process. The industry
in Europe and Germany must achieve
a high degree of automation in order
to be competitive with other suppliers,
especially Asia.
" As living organisms with different
sizes/shapes and vitality parameters,
insects pose great challenges for
automation, " Hess said. " With the
help of sensors and AI-based analysis
software, we want to sort insects
with certain properties (e.g. fat/chitin
content) and release them for targeted
use in secondary or profitable material
flows. "
MEAT+POULTRY 2022 IFFA RECAP
21
Messe Frankfurt GmbH / Jochen Günther, Petra Welzel
Meat+Poultry - July 2022

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