5 promising food tech trends and innovations

You might not immediately expect it, but Switzerland is a hotbed for new climate-friendly start-ups, incubators and accelerators. During the Global Hack Summit, held in Lausanne, this summer, entrepreneurs, investors and corporate professionals gathered for two days to talk about food & climate innovation. Foodservice expert Fascal Hukker attended and selected the five most interesting food tech trends and innovations

1. Alternative coffee is booming

With a dedicated Coffee Without Coffee panel on the programme of the Global Food Hack Summit, the door has been opened for coffee alternatives. Especially with rising coffee consumption in tea-drinking countries such as India and China, considering the climate, the demand for coffee is of concern. Three start-ups with very different production methods treat us to a beanless cup of joe. The Dutch Northern Wonder, San Francisco-based Minus Coffee and Singapore-based Another Food are all determined to eliminate the coffee bean to reduce rainforest deforestation and water use.

2. Plant-based menu as a standard for climate events

At a conference discussing the future of our food system, you can't help but serve a climate-friendly menu. During the Global Hack Summit, participants could therefore enjoy 100% climate-friendly food and drinks. For instance, plant-based shrimp tacos were on the menu, as were Lebanese vegan lamb kebabs and tempeh rice bowls. For breakfast, there were vegan brioches and chickpea-based veghurts. The highlight in terms of taste was a vegan apple strudel, made by a Bulgarian brother and sister, who run their plant-based strudel company Poushe from Zurich.

3. Charcuterie substitutes with meaty mouthfeel

Last year, we saw food tech start-ups cautiously leaping towards more nibbly foods and charcuterie. This year, companies are taking the plunge, with German start-up Project Eaden leading the way. This young company focuses on fiber-spinning technology for improved texture of plant proteins, giving meat products a better mouthfeel.

4. Food needs nerds

‘Food needs nerds.’ From the bottom of her heart, Marissa Cueva Flores of microTerra proclaimed this message. microTerra is a company pioneering in sustainable food ingredients, using the cleansing power of the plant lemna. This aquatic plant has the unique ability to purify water while producing valuable functional ingredients such as flora. This ingredient increases the perception of sweetness while reducing sugar content. It also helps mask unwanted notes of high-intensity sweeteners. Lemna has been identified as a high-protein source containing 40-45% raw protein. The production process of lemna is a complicated chemical process, which needs a touch of nerdiness. But nerds in food can develop such solutions and thereby counteract climate challenges, Cueva Flores said.

5.  Plant-based Steaks are getting better

Successful Swiss scale-up Planted presented their new Planted Steak on stage at the Global Food Hack Summit. With their presence in foodservice, serving products in 8,000 outlets in Europe, they are opening up the market for their products in retail. The steaks combine soy protein, bean and rice flour, rapeseed oil and a patented blend of microbial cultures to create a high-protein, high-fiber, low-saturated fat product with iron and vitamin B12. Planted steak requires 97% less CO2 and 81% less water to produce than regular tenderloin. ‘But,’ says founder Chris Jenny, ’people are really tired of hearing that they have to eat sustainably, let's just develop the best and tastiest products, and we'll be fine.’