Dutch Consortium Wins €4M to Turn Crop Side Streams Into Food Ingredients

A research consortium led by Wageningen University & Research has received nearly €4 million from the Dutch Research Council to develop consumer foods from plant-based agricultural side streams. The project, VASCO, will focus on residues from legumes, rapeseed, and potatoes that are currently underutilized despite being rich in protein. The consortium plans to use technologies like dry fractionation and fermentation to create new ingredients for meat alternatives, spreads, snacks, and fermented products.

The project aims to tackle the supply chain deadlock by involving producers, retailers, and policymakers in the development process. The consortium includes universities, vocational education institutions, companies, and government institutions, with industry partners like Unilever and Royal Avebe. This initiative aligns with European research efforts to convert agricultural side streams into food-grade ingredients and could serve as a model for other crops.