6 New Ingredients for Future Food

in algae, cannabis, CBD, collagen, insect, lab meat, meat replacement
11/09/2018

Do you think human diet will change a lot in the near future? A lot has been said already and the food industry is innovating more and more daily to reach the next food trends. People might adopt some of those above and therefore hope for a more sustainable earth. Those ingredients have been in constant research and development to face the limited environment resources.

Insects­

Insects are good protein sources, natural and than breed very fast while consuming less environment resource. Due to its arthropod look, it does not pleased anyone to taste it. There also exists cultural different perception about food, in many places (Asian countries mostly) people enjoy insects and take it as a gourmet snacks. By changing the shape of insect food, for example if it is turned into powder, will  make people more comfortable to use them. Insects burgers become a big hit in some countries.

Snack-Insects has a variety of insect snacks, varied from crunchy cereal like snack bar, dried crispy insects and chocolate with bugs. Italbug, founded by Dr. Ceriani. This born gastronome Italian scientist adopted food technology (cold, drying, boiling) and gourmet foods must be applied, eliminating non-edible parts (head, legs, wings) to make insects edible.  Otherwise, the insect based protein powder product maker Insekten-Mehl has a rather smart strategy to make insect food more friendly. They ground the insect into powder, thus customers can not easily associate it with arthropod image.

Algae

Algae have been part of the human diet for more than 1000 years and is still an important ingredient in Asian cuisine. Algae are increasingly being marketed as “functional foods” or “nutraceuticals” for its rich nutritious properties. In Asia, it is also the secret for the vegan umami taste. In northern Europe, people start to develop more appliances for algae cuisine and a lot of aquaculture urban farm are growing algae. Algae is a very nutritive ingredient that is anti-oxydant with a high volume of fiber.

Kelp Jerky is a fresh idea that using algae to make delicious snack bar. This team is composed by chefs, sea farmers and creatives, trying to do something good to human body, sea ocean sustainability as well. They have won an food innovation award in FoodByte Austin 2017.

Meat Replacement (Plant Based)

Can you accept a meat made by vegan protein resource? Applying soy gluten to make soy sausage/ jerky, it taste with fiber texture, like a real meat, but all flavor relying on artificial seasoning in most of time. Maybe this sounds a little awkward to accept this new type of food –– if you are a vegan, why you need to invent something looks like meat? However, Chinese vegan food producers have provided plant based pseudo-meat for religious vegan people for some years. So this is not only a potential market, this is an existing market.

 resource: unsplash

Louisville Vegan Jerky using non GMO soy protein to make jerky. Not surprisingly, their  jerky in pepperoni, smoky BBQ, and cherry chipotle flavors are popular not only among vegans!

Meat Replacement (Lab Grown Meat)

Just a few people have tasted the lab grown meat so far, so people cannot really discuss its flavor. While it is still costly to make, most people think it is unnatural to create “meat” in a biochemical science way. But, obviously, few people are quite confident about the lab way to relieve the high burden for agriculture and environment to produce meat. Google co-founder and entrepreneur Sergey Brin had aided a €250,000 donation to a lab meat project “Cultured Beef” in university of Maastricht. The result is quite successful, they used the first lab meat to make a “Frankenburger”!

resource: unsplash

Though some Well-fund startups like Memphis Meats has been feed lab grown meat to curious tasters, this experimental protein is still undergoing debate, from naming to its taste. A well matured lab grown meat product does’t appear yet. 

Cannabis Infused food (CBD)

People always ask for sugar free, fat free. How about pressure/depression free food? Since using cannabis is not as strict as before, its recreational and medical function bring users solid emotional and psychological support without letting them being stone. Cannabis infused food redefines what is  “comfort food” and are hitting the food markets worldwide. One of the hottest trend at the moment. It helpfully soothes anxiety and skin problems. Now in Europe there are more and more CBD infused food shop on the way.

resource: unsplash

CBD Germany, is a company specializing in the sale of hemp and CBD products. In their online shop, they carry a wide range of CBD and hemp products ranging from CBD flowers to CBD hash, oils and extract. To ensure the legality of CBD and hemp products, the THC value is below 0.2% according to EU regulations.

Collagen drink and food

Collagen drinks have been controversial the past years as it was marketed as a supplement for beauty.. Its tiny compound help people lasting young and youth, they say. Adult lose collagen under their skin every year, which make appear wrinkles. Beauty and wellness industry try to persuade people to intake collagen drink to delay the appearance aging.

resource: SHISEDO

SHISEIDO, the Asia biggest cosmetic group from Japan, they have collagen supplement food for more than decade. To improve “ beauty from inside to outside”, four types of collagen food varied from powder, drink, pills to jelly, satisfy the need of pursuing better appearance. The collagen is distracted from fish alga, accompanied by vitamins and essential amino acids, to ensure its efficiency.

Reference:

Algae as nutritional and functional food sources: revisiting our understanding

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5387034/

Connected Kitchen Conference https://www.linkedin.com/company/rhizomeconf/

 

 

 

 

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