GAIKER evaluates the safety of new products with alternative proteins

The European project LIKE-A-PRO seeks to facilitate a sustainable and healthy diet through the development of new products with alternative proteins.

Zamudio, March 23rd, 2023. GAIKER Technology Center, a member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance, BRTA, is participating in the LIKE-A-PRO project “From niche to mainstream-alternative proteins for everybody and everywhere” funded by the European Union through its Horizon-CL6-2022-Farm2Fork-01-07 program.

Europeans’ interest in alternative proteins that provide health benefits and whose production has less impact on natural resources is becoming increasingly evident. This trend is the perfect ground for dietary change towards sustainable and healthy nutrition and food systems, in line with the ambitions of the Green Deal, the farm-to-table strategy and the EU’s climate objectives.

Therefore, with the aim of facilitating sustainable and healthy diets using alternative proteins and products that are more available, accessible and acceptable to all population groups, including young people, adults, elderly and vulnerable groups, as well as people of low socioeconomic status, ethnic minorities and inhabitants of rural areas, the LIKE-A-PRO project, alternative proteins for everyone, everywhere, has emerged.

This project, involving 42 entities (representatives of the entire alternative protein value chain) from 17 different countries, will develop 16 products with alternative proteins from 7 different sources (plant, microbial, marine, insect and fungal), which will be designed to be sustainable and optimized to offer improved flavors and textures.

The GAIKER Technology Center is leading the LIKE-A-PRO work package “Regulatory and Safety Requirements” in which it will evaluate the regulatory requirements that apply to these new food products and ingredients within the European Novel Food framework, while conducting in vitro safety studies (genotoxicity, allergenicity and ADME) to categorize whether the new products present a high level of safety for end consumers.