The week the EU announced it will invest €50 million next year in helping startups and small businesses scale up the production of alternative proteins using methods such as precision fermentation.
The investment, through the European Innovation Council (EIC) Work Programme 2024– under the EU’s flagship Horizon Europe programme – aims to “improve the sustainability, efficiency, and resilience of the European food supply chain”.
Precision fermentation uses organisms such as yeast to produce animal proteins – such as whey and casein – and other ingredients that deliver the familiar flavour and texture of foods like cheese, meat, and eggs, without using animals.