Protein Report

News aggregation

Monitor

Industry news from around the web, summarized and tagged for easy discovery

Clear all filters

Latest

17 of 17 results

Reset Filters
irta.cat

Spain's meat sector and IRTA pledge deeper collaboration on animal health

At a round-table discussion held during the Alimentaria exhibition in Spain, IRTA and leading Catalan meat companies agreed to strengthen partnerships in biosecurity, disease surveillance, and innovation to address growing animal health challenges. Participants from the Vall Companys Group, bonÀrea Group, Costa Group, and Viñas Group emphasized that climate change, globalization, and intensive production are increasing disease risks, making coordinated efforts between industry, research centers, and government essential. IRTA-CReSA, which employs more than 150 professionals across twelve research lines, has recently chaired the scientific committee on contagious nodular dermatosis and processed over 2,500 wild boar samples for African swine fever surveillance. The event concluded with a call for a more collaborative model and announced the upcoming Meat Forum conference in Girona on November 26.

AnimalPlant-BasedSci-Tech
fdiforum.net

Novonesis and DTU partner to produce protein from captured CO₂

Novonesis and the Technical University of Denmark's Bright Biofoundry have joined forces to develop food-grade protein derived from captured carbon dioxide through microbial fermentation. The collaboration, part of the Acetate Consortium launched in 2023 with backing from the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, aims to convert CO₂ into acetate for use as a fermentation feedstock, replacing conventional agricultural inputs such as glucose. A central technical challenge involves engineering yeast strains capable of tolerating and efficiently consuming acetate to improve protein yields. The work will leverage DTU's automated biofoundry platform for rapid strain testing and optimization, with Novonesis contributing its expertise in microbial strain development.

MicrobialSci-Tech
eurekalert.org

KTH researchers turn wheat bran into plant-protein hydrogels for food use

Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a method to transform wheat bran, a milling byproduct typically relegated to animal feed, into soft hydrogels suitable for use in human food products. The team extracted arabinoxylan fiber from wheat bran and combined it with wheat gluten protein using an enzyme called laccase, producing stable gels that could serve as thickeners, stabilizers, or texture agents in products such as plant protein and dairy alternatives, sauces, and sports nutrition. The study, published in Food Hydrocolloids, represents the first successful incorporation of wheat gluten protein into arabinoxylan-based hydrogels, replacing the animal-derived proteins previously used. Early tests suggest the approach may also work with pea or soy proteins, and the work is being expanded through KTH's PLENTY research center, which focuses on reducing food losses and adding value to agricultural side streams.

Plant-BasedSci-Tech
markets.businessinsider.com

Ingredion and Shiru partner to discover novel functional proteins using AI

Ingredion, a global ingredient solutions provider with approximately $7.2 billion in annual net sales, has entered a research collaboration with Berkeley-based Shiru, whose AI platform catalogs more than 77 million natural protein sequences. The partnership will focus on developing next-generation prebiotics from natural sources to support microbiome health, targeting applications in food, beverages, supplements, and specialized nutrition. Ingredients developed through the collaboration would have a path to Ingredion's more than 18,000 customers across 120 countries. The deal builds on Shiru's recent commercial launches of uPro and OleoPro, two AI-discovered natural ingredients, and on Ingredion's broader strategy to expand its Texture & Healthful Solutions portfolio through external innovation.

Plant-BasedBusiness
foodnavigator.com

Five pitfalls to avoid in EFSA novel food applications

The European Food Safety Authority has outlined key steps applicants should take to streamline the EU's rigorous novel food approval process, which has been criticized for lengthy and unpredictable timelines. EFSA team leader Océane Albert emphasized that incomplete submissions, premature data, and missing shelf-life stability evidence are among the most common causes of delays. The agency recommends early engagement with regulators, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises and first-time applicants, and has already increased pre-submission consultations by 47 percent. Demonstrating the absence of nanoparticles and ensuring scientifically robust dossiers are also critical to avoiding prolonged review cycles. A proposed Biotech Act could expand EFSA's capacity to provide tailored pre-submission guidance, though its adoption remains uncertain.

Cell-BasedPolicy
sciencedirect.com

Double-coated encapsulation boosts Spirulina's viability in food applications

Researchers have developed sodium alginate-based hydrogel beads using ionic gelation to encapsulate Spirulina platensis, achieving an encapsulation efficiency of 99.6% and protein content of 55.61%. The study, published in Food Research International, explored the effect of secondary coatings—mucilage, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and agar—on the optimized beads, finding that dual coating improved stability, controlled the release of bioactive metabolites, and enhanced simulated antioxidant potential. Mucilage-coated beads showed the highest antioxidant activity after intestinal digestion, while C-phycocyanin release was effectively suppressed in acidic conditions and increased in neutral and alkaline media. The findings point to encapsulation as a practical strategy for overcoming Spirulina's palatability and stability challenges, broadening its potential use in functional foods and beverages.

AlgaeSci-Tech
via.tt.se

Swedish researchers turn wheat bran into plant-based food gels

Scientists at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have created the first fully wheat-based hydrogel, combining wheat bran fiber (arabinoxylan) with wheat gluten protein using an enzyme called laccase. The resulting gel could serve as a thickener, stabilizer, or texture agent in products such as plant protein and dairy alternatives, high-fiber snacks, sauces, and nutrition products. The method transforms wheat bran—a milling by-product produced in the millions of tons annually and typically relegated to animal feed—into a potential human food ingredient. Early tests suggest the technique may also work with other plant proteins, including pea and soy. The research, published in Food Hydrocolloids, was funded by the Lantmännen Research Foundation and is being expanded through KTH's PLENTY research center.

Plant-BasedSci-Tech
foodingredientsfirst.com

Solar Foods plans 40-fold production expansion for microbial protein Solein

Finnish company Solar Foods announced plans for Factory 02, a new production facility that would scale its Solein microbial protein output from 160 to 6,400 tons annually, representing a 40-fold increase. The company, which produces its protein ingredient using gas fermentation of microbes fed with carbon dioxide, water, nutrients, and renewable electricity, showcased product concepts including a protein drink at Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2026. Solein, which contains 80% protein with 43% essential amino acids, targets the U.S. health and performance nutrition market valued at roughly $10 billion. Solar Foods first launched in the U.S. market in 2024 through a partnership with New York City restaurant Olmsted.

MicrobialBusiness
food-safety.com

UK study links chicken to over 80 percent of human Campylobacter cases

A UK-wide genomics study led by the Food Standards Agency found that chicken meat is the dominant source of human campylobacteriosis, accounting for more than 80 percent of cases. The research, which analyzed Campylobacter isolates using whole genome sequencing, also revealed that antimicrobial resistance to fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines has risen significantly since 2015–2018, with fluoroquinolone resistance in C. jejuni climbing from 35.8 percent to 55.2 percent by 2024. Three poultry-associated clonal complexes showed resistance levels approaching 100 percent, despite ongoing improvements in antimicrobial stewardship on farms. Campylobacter remains the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the UK, with an estimated annual economic burden exceeding £700 million.

AnimalHealth
sciencedirect.com

Oxidized tea polyphenol boosts plant protein foaming and emulsifying performance

A study published on ScienceDirect investigates how quinone-modified EGCG (QEGCG), an oxidized derivative of the tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate, interacts with plant proteins to significantly enhance their foaming and emulsifying properties. Researchers tested QEGCG with four plant proteins—quinoa, oat, pea, and chickpea—and found that covalent and non-covalent binding produced more porous, stable complexes compared to natural EGCG, with foaming and emulsifying improvements of up to 3.2 times for chickpea protein. The QEGCG-protein conjugates also demonstrated stronger inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, suggesting potential hypoglycemic activity relevant to functional food development. Additionally, quinoa protein was shown to delay the intestinal release of QEGCG by over 33 percent in simulated digestion, pointing to synergistic benefits for polyphenol bioavailability.

Plant-BasedSci-Tech
holdings.toppan.com

Toppan wins Japanese research awards for cultured meat 3D-printing technique

TOPPAN Holdings and its subsidiary TOPPAN Digital received Awards for Encouragement of Research from the Japanese Society of Printing Science and Technology at its fiscal 2025 Research Presentation Meeting. TOPPAN Holdings was recognized for a 3D-printing method that uses proprietary collagen microfibers to fabricate cultured meat replicating the marbled structure of muscle and fat, building on a collaboration with the University of Osaka that began in 2017. TOPPAN Digital was separately honored for a color-matching function estimation method developed with Yamagata University. The company said it plans to advance its cultured meat research toward sustainable food production and personalized medicine applications.

Cell-BasedSci-Tech
journals.plos.org

Human brucellosis surged 167-fold in China's Ningxia region over 15 years

A study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases found that human brucellosis incidence in China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region rose 167-fold between 2007 and 2022, climbing from 0.52 to 86.83 cases per 100,000 people. Spatiotemporal analysis identified a persistent high-risk cluster spanning 11 eastern counties, with sheep and cattle inventories explaining 96% and 92% of the spatial variation in disease distribution, respectively. The research also uncovered complex time-lag dynamics, including a three-year lagged risk associated with low cattle stocking levels and an immediate protective effect linked to higher regional GDP. The authors recommend a dual-track strategy combining targeted veterinary public health interventions in high-risk areas with broader economic development to bolster long-term prevention.

AnimalHealth
umtoday.ca

Nine-lab study validates in-vitro methods for protein digestibility testing

A multi-laboratory study involving nine facilities across Canada and the United States has confirmed that two standardized in-vitro assays—pH-drop and pH-stat—can reliably measure protein digestibility, providing a practical alternative to traditional rodent-based testing. Co-authored by University of Manitoba researchers and supported by the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences, the study analyzed 12 protein ingredients from both plant and animal sources and found strong consistency across labs. The results could ease the food industry's regulatory burden by enabling faster and more cost-effective protein quality assessments, particularly for emerging plant protein ingredients. Future work will extend the methods to more complex ingredients such as hydrolyzed proteins.

Plant-BasedAnimalSci-Tech
food-safety.com

UK FSA charts emerging food technologies for regulatory readiness

The UK Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland have jointly published a forward-looking report identifying emerging food technologies likely to raise new safety and regulatory questions over the next five to fifteen years. The analysis, building on the FAO's 2025 Food Safety Foresight exercise, ranks technologies by impact and feasibility, placing controlled environment agriculture and microbial fermentation among the most immediate priorities. Cell-cultured foods, biomass fermentation, edible insects, molecular farming, gas fermentation, 3D food printing, and computationally designed proteins also feature prominently. Cross-cutting safety concerns highlighted in the report include allergenicity of novel proteins, microbiological hazards in closed production systems, and residual impurities from bioprocessing. Funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, the report is designed to support evidence-based regulatory planning rather than to evaluate specific products.

Cell-BasedFungiPolicy
foodnavigator.com

UK regulatory sandbox raises prospects for cell-cultured meat approval

The UK Food Standards Agency's regulatory sandbox is helping cell-cultured meat companies navigate an approval process widely seen as a barrier to investment and commercialization in Europe. Experts from Atova Regulatory Consulting, Lloyds Corporate and International, the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, and EIT Food said the initiative is improving regulatory understanding, while EFSA is exploring broader pre-submission support for applicants. Clearer pathways could bolster investor confidence, retain industrial capacity in Europe, and bring the first UK approval as early as next year. Regulatory uncertainty has been a persistent deterrent for the sector, with slow timelines in both the UK and EU discouraging capital flows into cell-cultured meat ventures.

Cell-BasedPolicy
filtsep.com

Pall Corporation pitches ceramic membranes for high-purity protein filtration

Pall Corporation is promoting its advanced ceramic membrane systems as a superior alternative to polymeric filters for producing high-purity proteins, enzymes, and other biomolecules. The company says the technology can increase filtration surface area by up to 45%, achieve purity levels of 98% or higher, and last five to ten times longer than conventional polymeric membranes. Pall also claims the ceramic systems can reduce capital expenditure by roughly 30% while supporting side-stream upcycling to minimize waste. The push comes as demand for premium protein ingredients continues to rise across the food and bioprocessing industries.

Plant-BasedAnimalBusiness
foodingredientsfirst.com

Arkansas Researchers Craft Plant-Based Cheese From Rice Milling Byproducts

Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed plant-based cheese prototypes using proteins extracted from brown rice, rice bran, and broken kernels of a single rice cultivar. Led by Mahfuzur Rahman, the team found that each protein source contributed distinct functional properties—brown rice protein excelled in solubility and emulsifying, broken-kernel protein improved melting, and rice bran protein aided texture control—yielding cheeses with roughly 12% protein content. The work could create new commercial outlets for rice milling byproducts in a state that accounts for approximately half of all US rice production, while advancing circular-economy principles and strengthening the domestic rice protein market.

Plant-BasedSci-Tech

Cookie settings

We use cookies for core site functionality and optional features, such as embedded media. Choose whether to allow all cookies or keep strictly necessary only.