Sustain-a-bite kicks off – New EU project brings healthier, minimally processed plant-based foods to Europe

Over the next three and a half years, the Sustain-a-bite consortium will spearhead the development of new plant-based foods while improving accessibility and sustainability in European diets. With support from the EU's Horizon Europe programme, this collaborative effort seeks to create foods that satisfy both taste and health needs while lowering environmental impacts. The project is coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and the consortium includes 19 partners from 13 countries, including Wageningen University & Research.

“Our mission is to deliver technology solutions that enable healthier, more accessible and appealing plant-based food options, respecting European food traditions while promoting sustainability”, said Nesli Sözer, Sustain-a-bite coordinator and research professor at VTT.

The aim of Sustain-a-bite is to develop minimally processed food alternatives using whole grains (barley, faba bean, and chickpea) and upcycled side-streams from the food industry, such as apple, carrot, and tomato pomaces.

“Since the Industrial Revolution, we’ve focused on stripping nutrients (e.g. dietary fibre, vitamins, and other health promoting compounds) from grains to improve taste and texture. Now, Sustain-a-bite is flipping the script—bringing them back with natural, innovative processes for healthier, tastier plant-based foods, without relying on artificial ingredients or preservatives” added Nesli Sözer.

Hello nutritious, tasty and affordable foods!

Sustain-a-bite food design approach focuses on developing foods rich in protein, dietary fibre, vitamins, and essential nutrients, with low levels of antinutritional factors, saturated fats, and added sugars, thereby promoting associated health benefits.

By harnessing the power of nature through developed co-(bio)processing concepts, Sustain-a-bite consortium is on a mission to produce clean-label, nutritious, versatile ingredients that reduce the reliance on additives. These ingredients offer benefits for the healthiness, affordability, and sustainability of plant-based foods.

Moreover, Sustain-a-bite minimal processes are easily accessible and adaptable for use by local, small enterprises, as well as larger companies, facilitating widespread adoption and implementation.