Diversification of nutritional food ingredient sources for increased EU resilience and strategic autonomy

Expected Outcome:Successful proposals will contribute to the implementation of the EU initiative on Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing and the EU Life Sciences Strategy as well as the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the upcoming EU Biotechnology Act and EU Circular Economy Act.Projects’ results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:Full industrial scale biorefinery and related value chain(s) for the production of nutritional food ingredients.Resilience and strategic autonomy of EU food sectors via diversification of nutritional food ingredient sources.Increased environmental sustainability of food sectors (e.g. addressing issues like land use, water use, energy consumption, nitrogen cycle, other nutrients, etc.).Improved consumers awareness and acceptance of nutritional food ingredients from alternative sources, contributing to sustainable healthy diets. Scope:Human nutrition is a key area where the bio-based industries can play an important role in addressing the present societal and climate challenges. Considerable attention is given to the utilisation of alternative sources of proteins, fibres and oils/fats, due to the increasing world population and the pressure on finite natural resources. Many sources for food ingredients, alternative to agricultural crops, exist and have been successfully piloted across the EU. However, efforts are needed to scale up sustainable processes to achieve adequate or even improved nutritional properties, ensure safety and consumers/end users acceptance, while achieving cost competitiveness.Proposals under this topic should:Demonstrate (at TRL 8) the efficient production of nutritional ingredients for food applications. Proteins, lipids, specialty carbohydrates, and fibres are in scope. Target at least one of these as the main product driving the business case. Structural or functional ingredients such as colourants, preservatives, stabilisers, texturisers, enzymes are not in scope as the main product. Syne