The demand for sustainable and healthy food is growing rapidly, driven by increasing consumer awareness and the need for environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional animal-based products. However, the plant-based dairy sector still faces significant challenges that limit its potential to fully meet consumer expectations and market demands.
Conventional dairy production has a considerable environmental impact. Producing just one litre of milk requires around 1,000 litres of water, a substantial amount considering global freshwater scarcity. Furthermore, dairy farming contributes to approximately 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it a major driver of climate change. In addition, dairy production occupies nearly 30% of agricultural land, contributing to deforestation and biodiversity loss.
Producing just one litre of milk requires around 1,000 litres of water
Water required to produce 1 litre of milk.
Dairy farming’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Agricultural land used by dairy production.
Despite the growing interest in plant-based dairy alternatives, current products often fall short in key areas. Many plant-based options lack the rich flavour and creamy texture that consumers expect from dairy products. Nutritionally, they also tend to underperform, containing 20–30% less protein than conventional dairy products, which impacts their appeal to health-conscious consumers.
Moreover, scalable and sustainable production processes remain a challenge, limiting the ability of plant-based dairy to compete effectively with traditional dairy in terms of cost and availability.
DELICIOUS aims to tackle these issues head-on by developing innovative solutions through microbial and precision fermentation. The project will create plant-based cheese and kefir with improved taste, texture, and nutritional profiles, providing a more appealing and sustainable alternative to conventional dairy products.
Source: www.nizo.com
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe innovation action under grant agreement No 101181822. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
