University to spearhead national alternative protein centre

A £38m centre dedicated to developing acceptable and planet-friendly alternatives to animal proteins is to be headed by the University of Leeds.

The UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK have today confirmed £15m worth of funding over the next five years for a National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), with the remainder of the support coming from partners.

The centre will be hosted by the University of Leeds and co-led by the James Hutton Institute, the University of Sheffield, and Imperial College London.

The researchers aim to create a pan-UK innovation centre to secure a continuous supply of safe, tasty, affordable, and healthy proteins which also support Net Zero goals and futureproof the UK’s food and animal feed security.

Alternative proteins (AP) are derived from sources other than animals.

They include terrestrial and aquatic plants such as cereals, legumes, tubers and nuts; fungus such as mushrooms; algae (such as seaweed); insects; proteins derived via biomass or precision fermentation, and cultured (or lab-grown) meat.

NAPIC’s partners believe the centre will revolutionise the agri-food sector by harnessing world-leading science to create a strategy for alternative proteins which will take them from the discovery and innovation phase, right through to commercialisation.

Professor Anwesha Sarkar, director of research and innovation for Leeds’ School of Food Science and Nutrition, is the project leader for NAPIC.

She said: “A phased transition towards low-emission alternative proteins which have a reduced reliance on animal agriculture is imperative to deliver sustainability and protein equity for one and all, and to ensure a sustainable planet.

“There are many challenges though, and population-level access to, and acceptance of, alternative proteins is currently hindered by a highly complex marketplace, and there are worries about taste, nutritional equivalence and cost, as well as health and safety concerns for consumers and the fear of diminished livelihoods for farmers.

“NAPIC will provide a robust platform for open innovation and responsible data exchange and collaboration with partners from industry, regulators, academic partners and policy makers that mitigates the risks associated with this emerging sector, and also addresses the short- and longer-term concerns of consumers and producers.”

Those behind the project believe it could be a true catalyst to realising a projected UK growth potential in alternative proteins of £6.8bn annually, with 25,000 jobs created across multiple sectors, as predicted by the Environmental Group, Green Alliance in 2023.

Over 30 researchers from the four institutions and more than 120 NAPIC partners will work with industry, regulators, investors, and policymakers to create an alternative protein innovation ecosystem and produce a roadmap for development of a National Protein Strategy for the UK.

The centre also aims to develop the future leaders of what is a rapidly evolving sector experiencing significant consumer demand.

Co-director, Professor Derek Stewart, said: “There is a huge biodiversity in non-animal sources of protein, and we have barely scratched the surface of this.

“NAPIC has all the skills, experience, and collaborators across all sectors to make the transformative change to transition alternative proteins to the mainstream.”

Professor Louise Dye, co-director of the University of Sheffield’s Institute for Sustainable Food and NAPIC, said: “The key to helping consumers transition towards including alternative proteins in their diet will be ensuring the safety and health benefits of APs and working with our industry partners to integrate alternative proteins into consumers daily diets in ways which are affordable and are as palatable as conventional protein sources.”

Project co-lead, Professor Karen Polizzi from Imperial College London, added: “Transitioning to healthy, sustainable sources of protein is a pressing global challenge.

“NAPIC will help facilitate this transition by supporting researchers and industry in all parts of the process from product design through to consumer acceptance.”