For the planet to sustainably feed a growing population, much of the world needs to turn to a more plant-based diet. However, many food producers struggle to produce good, nutritious, plant-based alternatives to, e.g., dairy products that appeal to consumers.
At DTU Lyngby Campus, microbial biotechnology experts are working with researchers and industry to find the recipe for fermented plant-based drinks with a protein content like cow's milk (approx. 3.5 per cent). REPLANTED, as the project is called, is funded by the AgriFoodTure partnership and focuses on crops that can be grown in Denmark, namely peas, oats and potatoes.
Taste is key
"The problem with many plant-based drinks is that they have a bit of a cardboard box flavour," Senior Researcher Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen says, thereby touching on a sore point.
In a survey conducted by YouGov for the organization, Danish Industry in the spring of 2023, 30 per cent of respondents pointed to taste as standing in the way of eating plant-based food. Taste is thus the biggest barrier, while 27 per cent said that habits keep them from doing so.
"In our work, we have managed to identify microorganisms that we can add to the plant-based drink to convert a lot of the naturally occurring molecules that are known to cause those off-flavours into other molecules with much less off-flavour," the senior researcher explains.
The project has also identified microorganisms that can be used to convert components in the plant drink that otherwise prevent the body from absorbing the protein in the drink.
"Because if the plant drink contains something that blocks the absorption of protein, then we're back to square one," Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen emphasizes. Once the right mixing ratio for the plant-based drink is in place, the researchers will focus on developing the optimal blend of lactic acid bacteria in a starter culture that can transform the drink into a plant-based yoghurt alternative.
