‘Innovation is the way to go'

Global demand for high-quality carbohydrates and proteins is growing fast. How can we make sure everyone in the world has access to sufficient food of sufficient quality? And can this be achieved sustainably?

The global food demand is being accentuated by the steady growth of the global population and increasing prosperity in developed and developing countries. Merely reducing food waste will not be enough to keep up with the growing demand for food.

The meat sector also faces the challenge of applying scientific knowledge and new technologies to achieve greater efficiency and supply more high-quality proteins. Major progress has been made in recent decades: fast, accurate measuring systems have been developed and new heating techniques have been designed which preserve more of the nutrients in a product. Developments in automation and digitisation are helping to increase production. It is clear, however, that genuine progress will require much better leveraging of global potential in terms of knowledge and technology. Knowledge-sharing is essential. Below is an outline of the five developments in which the scientific world is engaged and which are of importance for the food sector.

Developments in production efficiency

A large number of jobs are expected to disappear in the decades ahead due to digitisation and automation. The use of robots in the processing industry is well established, but still falls short of the levels seen in the automotive sector. Robotisation in the car industry has cut production costs by at least 25%. And how much less standardised is food production now in comparison with cars? ‘Lean’ is also becoming the benchmark in the food manufacturing industry. There are still a lot of gains to be achieved with scanning technology such as CT scanning, vision and ultrasound. Greater use of unmanned automated stages in the production process will also make waste volumes both more predictable and smaller. One of the possibilities for processing these waste flows is to separate/reduce/reprocess the product, for example, to form a printable base that can be reused in a 3D printer.

Heating

New heating techniques are being developed and applied in the meat products industry. Examples are ultra-high-pressure, ohmic heating, radio frequency heating, pulsed electric fields, ultra and infrasound, oscillating magnetic fields and laser technology. Implementation has been slow but steady. A lot more research needs to be carried out, as it is often impossible to use these techniques as a replacement technology. New heating techniques usually give a different structure to the product, which by definition can become a new product in consumers’ eyes.

Cooling techniques

Research has been conducted in Denmark into more efficient cooling of pig carcasses, with a view to raising the quality of the pork. A method of gradual cooling of carcasses instead of rapidly bringing the core temperature below 7°C would improve the tenderness of the meat. One of the possibilities currently being investigated is the individual cooling of a carcass after slaughter. This takes place in a sealed casing around the carcass and allows better cooling efficiency (1.5%) while maintaining quality.

Composition and health

A review article was recently published on future meat consumption in Europe. Total consumption of meat is set to rise (EU), but the pattern differs for each type of meat. If economic growth slows, meat consumption will increase less, and may even fall. Red meat is expected to be replaced gradually by white meat, with a shift taking place from meat to meat products. Growth is also expected in ‘dual’ products, which are products with both a meat and a vegetarian component. These products combine the positive effect of the nutritional value of proteins in meat and the positive effect of satisfaction and lower energy intake of dietary fibres.

‘Genuine progress will require much better leveraging of global potential in terms of knowledge and technology’

Biotechnology

In the longer term there may be growth in products made using the cultured meat method. A report on consumer acceptance of cultured meat was recently published in a scientific report (Would you eat cultured meat? Verbeke, W., Meat Science 102 (2015) p. 49-58). In short, the initial reactions were negative, ranging from ‘unnatural’ to disgust. People saw no personal advantages in it. But with further explanation of the benefits of cultured meat, people were open to the advantages for society, the environment, animal welfare and the global availability of protein. There is also concern among consumers about the disappearance of agriculture, the traditional menu and the safety of cultured meat. To be continued!

Conclusion

Solving the sustainable food issue is a huge challenge. A major step is expected to be taken with the unmanned automation of process steps. Knowledge, research and technology are essential to make this a success.

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