Participation in the Foodtech & Nutrition conference at the Reus Fair.
All the players in the sector are asking to invest in research to consolidate an economically feasible production with environmental and social criteria.
During the conference on alternative protein held today in Reus, it emerged that it is essential to invest in research to consolidate the key aspects of alternative protein production. These aspects are based on Sustainability, both environmental and social, Health, and above all, economic and commercial Viability. As Víctor Falguera, general coordinator of BioHubCat, observed, if there is no market demand, no value chain can be sustained.
In the round table “Initiatives and projects in the field of alternative protein”, which saw the participation of companies such as Microalgae, Iberinsect or Fruselva, it was observed that innovative and disruptive products create an initial expectation, but the key is to keep them on the market in the long term so that they can respond to real consumer needs.
For its part, EURECAT has emphasised the importance of moving towards a product design that is healthy and nutritious, but at the same time attractive for the consumer.
In this sense, Falguera has underlined the connector role of BioHubCat, the one-stop shop that provides support so that entrepreneurs and companies focused on this type of project can excel.
An example of the help BioHubCat can provide is EPACAT, the pre-industrial scale-up plant it is promoting in Alcarràs, Lleida, and which will encourage companies to carry out alternative protein processes from plant matter. The sector agrees that the EPACAT plant will be key to moving forward and assessing the economic viability of the different alternative protein processes.
