Discovery tours

'Nothing new under the sun', was what I thought in June, at the start of my summer vacation. The corona crisis quietly muddled on. No big trip to unknown places. No unexpected encounters or new mountain hiking routes, no foreign taste challenges at local markets. The 'new normal' started to oppress me quite a bit. What to do? 

Things had to change. Our vacation motto therefore became 'search, and you will find', with the Dutch border and a one-and-a-half meter strategy as our only limitation. My family and I were deliberately looking for new challenges and experiences: walking in other walking areas, sunbathing on other beaches, shopping in villages we didn't know yet. We also decided to taste as much food as we had never had before. Turns out: Surprisingly close to home there is a lot to discover.

The food industry is also at the beginning of a whole new voyage of discovery: the search for 'new proteins'. This protein transition is full of challenges, innovations and new experiences. At the beginning of September Carola Schouten informed the Lower House about the progress of the 'National Protein Strategy' (NES).The aim of the Strategy is, among other things, to increase the production of vegetable proteins and the utilization of proteins from residual flows and other sources. Click here for the letter (Dutch only).

Many public-private studies are focused on insects, because of their potential role in closing cycles and as an alternative to soy protein' writes Schouten. The Netherlands plays a leading role worldwide when it comes to innovation and development in the insect sector, even though most Dutch people do not yet dare to eat these insects. Knowledge broker protein transition Wicha Benus helps the industry to overcome the obstacles. 

In terms of supply, 'further improvement of the current generation of new protein products is needed; in terms of taste, structure, quality, sustainability and price', according to Schouten. We talked to you about the challenges and future perspectives. And not unimportantly: to renew the supply of protein-rich products it is essential to know whether the new proteins will be absorbed by our bodies. What about their digestibility and functionality? Wageningen Food and Biobased Research researches it and talks about it in this article.

The heat wave is over, autumn is setting in and corona is not yet under control. Conclusion: nothing new under the sun... Nothing? Sure there is! Research! And thou shalt find. 

Judith Witte