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Tag: protein alternatives

Algae-Based Ice Cream, A Sustainable Frozen Treat

Posted on by dishanth
Algae-Based Ice Cream, A Sustainable Frozen Treat

With the worry about climate change and the shift towards more sustainable diets, Algae-based ice cream, we’ve seen a lot of changes within the food industry over the past few years, from beyond meat to a rise in non-dairy milk such as oat, almond, soy, and more. The newest trend that will be hitting the grocery store shelves near you is algae based ice cream.

That’s right, Sophie’s BioNutrients, a food tech company developing 100% plant-based and sustainable alternative protein for the industry, is now developing a vegan ice cream made from chlorella protein. Chlorella protein is a pure protein flour that is made from microalgae. The company partnered with the Danish Technological Institute to make this algae-based ice cream.

Making the chlorella protein involves naturally cultivating chlorella vulgaris (a species of green microalga). The microalgae are grown using bioreactors, limited amounts of water, and local food waste (including spent grains or okara, waste from tofu makers). The chlorella is harvested within three days in a protected environment. The algae-based ice cream is developed by mixing the chlorella protein with sugar, coconut oil and other ingredients. Not only does this algae-based ice cream mimic the natural texture, but it also holds a complete nutrition profile. This algae-based ice cream is high in B12 and iron. Who knew that ice cream could be good for you? Furthermore, it can also be made into various different flavours of vegan ice cream.

Unlike lactose ice cream, whereby dairy cows need at leave 0.7m of feed space, cultivating microalgae uses about 0.02 hectares of space. The microalgae grown by Sophie’s BioNutrients also don’t require fertilizers, herbicides, antibiotics or other products to make the protein.  Sophie’s BioNutirent is also committed to enabling a circular economy by finding a purpose for spent grains (waste from breweries) and molasses (waste from sugar refineries)

Sophie’s Bio Nutrients has also recently teamed up with NewFish, a biotech and commercialization venture that ferments New Zealand microalgae to create new sustainable foods. The two companies are working to advance microalgae protein research and product development. Together, they are working to overcome the challenges of obtaining sufficient microalgae strains and scaling production capacities. The companies hope to bring enough global supply to increase the availability of stainable foods made from microalgae.

Besides the nutrient benefits that microalgae provide, many food companies are looking to utilize algae because of its abundance worldwide. It can be found in various environments worldwide, including salt, brackish waters, and snow. Marine algae also don’t require soil, irrigation or fertilizer; their cultivation doesn’t compete with agriculture for arable land and freshwater. Furthermore, cultivating algae doesn’t lead to fertilizer runoff. It also grows ten times faster than conventional crops. Experts say that using microalgae could potentially increase global food production by over 50%. It not only provides omega-3 fatty acids that can be found in fish, but it also has minerals and amino acids that are often missing in vegetarian diets.

Another significant benefit of using algae to produce food is that microalgae are known as the most efficient biological sequesters of carbon dioxide. It is said that when used in bioreactors, algae is 400 times more efficient at removing CO2 from the atmosphere than a tree. The algae require carbon dioxide to grow, which provides a win-win solution for everyone.

Thinking about algae-based ice cream may not be the most appetizing thing we can think of, but what does it matter when it’s crushed into a powder and mixed in with other ingredients? If this is the way to sustainable foods, then I think we are on the right track. I look forward to seeing the algae-based ice cream on the grocery store shelves soon.

 

 

 

 

Source  Happy Eco News

The Plastic-Eating Enzymes Used in Recycling Clothing

Posted on by dishanth
The Plastic-Eating Enzymes Used in Recycling Clothing

Plastic eating enzymes have interested scientists looking for solutions to increasing plastic waste. Enzymes are important to living things because, as proteins, they allow biochemical reactions to happen faster than they would otherwise. They aid in everything from breathing to digestion. Enzymes are even used in food processing, paper industries, and detergents.

Because enzymes are so diverse in their uses, scientists have engineered a new enzyme to help us with our plastic program. These super plastic eating enzymes can break down plastic in a few days. Scientists believe this is a natural adaptation by the bacteria and might be a response to the increase of plastic in the environment.

The most common type of plastic that plastic eating enzymes can recycle is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is a type of plastic used in many common products, such as bottles, food packaging, and textiles.

  • Other types of plastic that can be recycled by enzymes include:
  • High-density polyethylene (HDPE): found in plastic bottles and children’s toys.
  • Low-density polyethylene (LDPE): found in plastic bags, shrink wrap and food packaging.
  • Polypropylene (PP): found in disposable medical devices, textiles and auto parts.
  • Polystyrene/styrofoam (PS): found in takeout food containers, consumer electronics packaging and packing peanuts.

As the enzyme breaks down plastic, the bacteria produce MHETase, by which the enzymes break the pieces down further. After this process, other bacteria can break down the products into CO2 and water. Unlike other recycling methods, they can break down plastic into its original components, which can be reused to create new products. Enzymes require less energy than traditional methods, such as mechanical recycling. But maybe best of all is that they can be used to recycle plastic that is difficult or impossible to recycle using traditional methods such as those mixed with fabric or other dissimilar materials.

These plastic eating enzymes are now making an appearance in the fashion industry. The fashion industry uses tons of plastic-derived fibres in many clothing products. What’s worse is that very few of these materials are recycled today. Fashion brands have been known to turn to mechanical recycling and approaches using solvents to repurpose textiles for reuse. The challenge with these approaches is that they involve virgin plastics and require a lot of energy. Using plastic eating enzymes will break down plastic more efficiently. They will turn the materials into monomers that act like virgin-quality materials.

Athletic apparel company Lulelemon has teamed up with Australian startup Samara Eco to help them break down old textiles so they can be turned into new ones. Samara Eco has optimized plastic eating enzymes found in nature to efficiently recycle PET and polyester plastics at scale so they can be made into new, virgin-grade plastic.

The plastic waste is sourced and prepared for recycling by cold washing. The enzymes revert the plastic waste from its complex state into its original form. The plastics are then separated from any other additives like colourants. The recycled monomers can then be used in the re-manufacturing of brand-new plastics.

Using this technology, Lululemon hopes to spin used nylon and polyester blends from pre-owner, damaged or discarded apparel into a form that can be used in new collections. The partnership is Lululemon’s first-ever minority investment in a recycling company and Samsara’s first partnership with a clothing manufacturer. The recycling company hopes to make breakthroughs into the mainstream fashion industry as well as work with partners in other spaces to meet its goal of recycling 1.5 million tonnes of textiles by 2030.

This partnership is also part of Lululemon’s Be Planet goals and a step toward a circular ecosystem by 2030. Samsara Eco’s infinite recycling helps to close the clothing loop by using apparel waste to create new recycled materials over and over.

The two companies will create new recycled nylon and polyester made from apparel waste. They will be able to show that recycling textiles and repurposing materials is possible and can be done sustainably. This partnership might be the move we need to change the fashion industry for the future of our planet.

 

 

 

 

Source Happy Eco News

Carbon Dioxide Livestock Feed

Posted on by dishanth
Carbon Dioxide Livestock Feed

Researchers may have discovered a protein substitute for livestock feed that is significantly less environmentally damaging than corn and soybean production. The researchers have explored the concept of synthetic nutrition, which means essential nutrients can be produced artificially, efficiently and with a small footprint. They have turned greenhouse gas emissions into an ingredient that could be used for carbon dioxide livestock feed.

The researchers captured carbon dioxide and combined it with renewable hydrogen to make methanol powered by wind and solar energy. With the material created, they applied a series of enzymes into an eight-step process which, after several combinations, created an amino acid called L-alanine. This amino acid makes protein and is an energy source for muscles and the central nervous system. It also strengthens the immune system and helps the body use sugars.

This isn’t the first time researchers have been able to transform carbon dioxide into food products. Researchers have found a way to convert carbon dioxide into starch that typically comes from corn which requires a lot of land, water and fertilizer to grow. The process they used was 8.5 times more efficient than photosynthesis, which the corn plant uses to convert CO2 and sunlight into carbs. Moreover, their process took only four hours compared to the 120 days required for corn to grow and generate starch.

These new processes of using carbon dioxide to minimize the use of corn and starch will bypass the problem of repurposing a climate-damaging waste stream. Although there are other ways to synthesize L-alanine protein, they require emission-intensive processes that require petroleum products. Using existing carbon dioxide will reduce the need for emissions and harmful products. It also decouples production from the land because less land will be needed to produce the same amount of L-alanine. It will also use significantly less energy as the energy required will be taken from renewable sources.

The demand for animal protein continues, so the need for carbon dioxide livestock feed will also rise. Researchers are developing solutions that utilize harmful and excess emissions that can be transformed into food for these animals. These new solutions will allow us to move away from excess land and water use and monocultures and help us create more biologically diverse environments.

 

 

 

 

Source Happy Eco News

Edible insects that started as garage experiments may be sold in Aldi

Posted on by dishanth
Edible insects that started as garage experiments may be sold in Aldi

Aldi bosses are considering selling edible insects after being impressed by a small business that sells insect recipe kits.

The supermarket giant met with Aaron Thomas and Leo Taylor of Yum Bug, who appeared on Channel 4’s new programme Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Thursday night (21 October).

Yum Bug aims to introduce edible insects, such as crickets, to the wider British population as a nutritious and sustainable food source.

The brand has been endorsed by The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith, who has long advocated eating crickets and mealworms as more environmentally friendly protein alternatives.

 

 

The hopeful duo said they began their journey as insect connoisseurs about five years ago and have been working to bring bug-eating into the mainstream since.

Speaking on the show, Taylor said: “Aaron and I have been cooking with insects for years – it started in 2017 with weekends experimenting out of my parents’ garage, cooking up all sorts of recipes and posting content online.

“We then sold our first insect recipe boxes out of our bedrooms in lockdown, and that’s really where everything snowballed.”

Thomas added: “We’re on a mission to change perceptions of insects as food; they’re one of the most sustainable protein sources in the world.

“Crickets are up to 70 per cent protein, which is three times the amount of protein found in beef. They’re also got more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk, and the list keeps going. They are an incredible superfood.

“We want to take bug consumption mainstream. If we’re able to get in front of Aldi’s audience, that would be an amazing opportunity.”

Yum Bug’s offering includes Roasted Crickets and Yum Bug Mince, as well as recipe kits such as Sticky Teriyaki Cricket Stir Fry and Smoky BBQ Cricket Tacos.

If the pair succeed, Aldi shoppers could soon see their insect-filled products on the shelves.

However, Aldi would not be the first supermarket to sell edible insects. In 2018, Sainsbury’s took the title when it began stocking Eat Grub’s Smokey BBQ Crunchy Roasted Crickets for £1.50 per bag.

 

 

 

 

Source The Independent