Wednesday, 28 February 2024 13:55

State funding for plant-based foods

Written by  Leo Argent
Nearly $12m has been committed over five years to a programme looking into improvements in plant-based foods. Nearly $12m has been committed over five years to a programme looking into improvements in plant-based foods.

Crown research institute AgResearch has received close to $13 million in government funding to help advance opportunities for New Zealand in both plant-based food ingredient and cell-based protein markets.

Nearly $12m has been committed over five years to a programme looking into improvements in plant-based foods.

It will also be used to research how a plant-based foods industry could operate in New Zealand using crops known to grow well locally, like green peas, oats and hemp.

AgResearch senior scientist Alistair Carr says arable crops already provide most of the calories in people's diets and have good sustainability and animal welfare credentials. He adds that food manufacturers have come out with many novel plant-based products.

"However, these are often highly refined and stripped of their whole-food benefits and can have hidden damage to essential amino acids. The next generation of plant-based foods will need to be prepared more sensibly with gentler handling of the inherently healthy raw materials and better guardianship of environmental impact."

Carr says AgResearch has gathered some of the brightest minds in process engineering, food science, sustainability evaluation, economic analysis and human nutrition. He says the goal is to support NZ's arable crop processors, as well as entrepreneurs in the emerging proteins sector to make New Zealand a premier supplier of high value plant-based food ingredients.

"New Zealand can participate in this opportunity by developing the science and technologies to produce unique highly functional plant foods."

Meanwhile, the second programme - with just under $1m in funding over three years, will focus on the use of technologies to advance NZ's cell-based protein industries. For example, meat that may be grown from animal cells.

AgResearch science team leader Gale Brightwell says that while it is an exciting time for cellular agriculture, there are still major challenges to overcome.

"The biggest barriers are the cost of large-scale manufacture including the use of food-grade growth media (substances in which the cells can be grown), loss of cell lines due to biological contamination and high requirements for food safety testing."

She adds that, to date, no large-scale, cost-effective technology is available to maintain sterility for cell-based protein manufacture nor an online monitoring system to detect changes in quality and safety.

This will be where the research comes in, drawing on cold plasma, hyperspectral imaging and machine learning technologies to help ensure sterility is maintained and any contamination is rapidly detected and responded to in the production process.

"The research will result in the development of new knowledge, IP and technologies that can significantly enhance the sustainability, safety, and ethical appeal of emerging NZ cellular agricultural companies," Brightwell explains.

More like this

AR37 scientist scoops award

A scientist instrumental in the development and commercialisation of the novel endophyte AR37 scooped the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Science and Research Award at Beef + Lamb NZ Awards last night.

How to achieve successful lambing

Lambing is now well advanced around much of New Zealand, including in areas where drought-like conditions are presenting real challenges for farmers, on top of a poor run of prices for their product.

Groundbreaking test paves the way

Hamilton-based Hill Labs has introduced a new test to detect earthworm eDNA levels in soils, claiming that it marks a significant development in soil health assessment.

Featured

New ag degrees at Massey

Changing skill demands and new job opportunities in the primary sector have prompted Massey University to create a new degree course and add a significant major into another in 2025.

The show is on!

It was bringing in a new Canterbury A&P Association (CAPA) show board, more in tune with the CAPA general committee, that has ensured that Christchurch will have a show this year, says CAPA general committee president Bryce Murray.

Forestry cuts into stock numbers

There is an urgent need for the Government to put a limit on the sale of farms for forestry - particularly for carbon farming.

National

Food charity to hold online auction

Meat the Need, New Zealand’s dedicated charity delivering locally sourced protein meals to food-insecure communities, is launching an online National…

Machinery & Products

An ideal solution for larger farms

Designed specifically for large farms that want to drill with maximum flexibility, efficiency and power, the new Lemken Solitair ST…

Landpower increases its offering

Landpower and the Claas Harvest Centre network will launch the Claas Scorpion and Torion material handling solutions to the market…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Leaky waka

OPINION: Was the ASB Economic Weekly throwing shade on Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr when reporting on his speech in…

Know-it-alls

OPINION: A reader recently had a shot at the various armchair critics that she judged to be more than a…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter