NAPIC will be a space for industry experts to work through teething problems - and persuade the public to take a bite.
ADVERTISEMENTInsect-based burgers and lab-grown steaks could soon be a staple of British diets, thanks to a new government research centre.
Backed by €18 million in state funding, the new National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) will work on getting different options onto supermarket shelves, and making them more appealing to the public.
Animal agriculture is responsible for around a fifth of planet-heating emissions. As the world’s population continues to grow, the UN Environment Programme estimates that meat consumption could double by 2050.
Decarbonising our diets is therefore a key solution to climate change, and the UK is determined to get ahead of the curve.
“The UK is at the forefront of the alternative proteins industry,” says Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, executive chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), which is providing the funding alongside the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Innovate UK public bodies.
“This investment positions NAPIC at the forefront of the global ambition to produce the next generation of alternative protein products, services and technologies.”
More than 100 UK and global stakeholders - from academia to multinationals and NGOs - have contributed a further £23 million (€27 million) to help make the centre a success.
What will the UK’s alternative protein centre do?
Spanning the entire alternative protein supply chain, NAPIC aims to drive innovation across a variety of sources, from plant-based proteins and lab-grown meats to protein-rich algae.
“There are many challenges to transitioning towards alternative proteins,” says Professor Anwesha Sarkar, project lead for NAPIC and director of research and innovation at the University of Leeds School of Food Science and Nutrition.
“Population-level access to and acceptance of alternative proteins is currently hindered by a highly complex marketplace, concerns about taste, nutritional equivalence and cost, as well as health and safety concerns and the fear of diminished livelihoods for farmers.”
NAPIC will be a virtual platform for experts to share knowledge, and for regulators, academics and policymakers to work through industry teething problems together.
Professor Guy Poppy from UKRI said the centre could, for example, explore which kinds of insect protein shoppers were most likely to buy.
“Culturally in the UK, why is it that people might be happy to eat a prawn but not an insect? Understanding why that is the case would be helpful,” he told the Telegraph newspaper.
“Then it’s about understanding what levels of processing would be required to turn that insect into something people are willing to eat,” he said, like grinding it into a protein-based cookie, or processing it into a burger.
There are already many options out there, of course. A recent study from the Food Foundation charity found that ‘fake’ meat products perform well nutritionally compared with animal meat - typically containing fewer calories, less saturated fat and more fibre.
ADVERTISEMENTBeans and grains emerged as the healthiest and cheapest kind of product overall, above newer substitutes.
How do European countries compare on alternative proteins?
The alternative proteins industry is receiving a mixed reception across the world.
Last year, Italy banned lab-grown meat in a bid to protect its agri-food heritage. A number of other countries - including Hungary, Romania and France - are considering following suit, as part of a backlash being driven by an influential lobbying campaign, a recent investigation revealed.
The UK, however, became the first European country to approve lab-grown meat for pet food in July, greenlighting a product made of cell-cultivated chicken.
ADVERTISEMENTSingapore, Israel and the US have also approved the sale of cultivated meat.
According to the statement from UKRI, the climate isn’t the only reason to move with the meat-free times. Analysis by the Green Alliance think tank suggests that the UK alternative proteins industry could be worth £6.8 billion (€8 billion) a year and create around 25,000 jobs by 2035.
