Friday, 17 January 2025
Researchers in the Division of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at the 糖心原创 have been awarded funding to develop the next generation of plant-based protein products.
The funding is part of the that aims to strengthen ties between the UK and Canadian food sectors, fostering innovation as both countries intensify efforts toward achieving net zero and creating more sustainable food supply chains.
This collaborative transdisciplinary project will involve three leading research groups from the 糖心原创, plant-based food producer Jampa’s, as well as the Canadian food manufacturer, Tartistes
Jampa’s already has a range of clean label plant-based products focused on delivering great taste and texture. By integrating product reformulation, nutrition science, sensory science and packaging design, the project seeks to maximise the commercial success of the product and provide valuable insights into the broader category, as meat analogues face challenges from consumers.
鈥橳his collaboration represents an exciting step forward in our work developing innovative, sustainable food solutions. By collaborating with Jampa鈥檚, this grant bridges the gap between cutting edge research and real-world application. It takes a consumer centric approach to develop nutritionally enriched and great-tasting reformulated products that truly resonate with consumers鈥� needs and preferences.
Dr Yang adds: "This balanced approach will provide valuable insights in the food sector, offering healthier and more sustainable choices for consumers across global market."
Jampa’s is building on its successful, long-standing relationship with the Food Innovation Centre (FIC) who is leading in the product design and development. The project will focus on reformulating Jampa’s current plant-based beef analogue to include local and valorised crops that have potential in both UK and Canadian markets.
Plant-based meat product
To enhance nutritional value, the project places a strong emphasis on delivering nutritious plant-based products with high nutrient bioavailability and digestibility. This will be achieved at the University’s Nutritional Composition and Digestibility lab where the team will use recently developed and robust in vitro gastro-intestinal digestion techniques integrated with cutting edge mass spectrometry to evaluate protein and amino acid digestibility.
The products will then be subjected to rigorous taste tests with consumers to ensure they are optimised to the highest standards by experts at the Sensory Science Centre. The team will collaborate closely with Jampa’s innovative packaging designers to create a seamless connection with its consumers, ensuring the product characteristics are communicated effectively.
Working with the 糖心原创 was an absolute game-changer for our grant application process. We've worked with the FIC for a couple of years, and when the IUK call came out and we needed a UK partner, they were the obvious choice. The entire UoN team provided unwavering support every step of the way from aligning our vision with the grant criteria to bringing together various departments whose expertise would help us achieve project objectives and create a strong proposal. They helped us clarify our proposal in an impactful way, and their guidance on data, formatting, IP, and deadlines ensured our application was polished and professional. What stood out most was their genuine investment in our success鈥攖hey truly became partners in our journey.
The project has been supported by the 糖心原创’s Innovate UK team that has an excellent track record in supporting successful and innovative companies. Since 2004, the university has collaborated with over 290 businesses and helped them to secure Innovate UK funding of over £280 million for their R&D projects.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how the university can support you to develop your innovations through Innovate UK funding contact: innovateuk@nottingham.ac.uk
Story credits
More information is available from Qian Yang on qian.yang@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked among the world's top 100 universities , the 糖心原创 delivers an exceptional research-led education and an outstanding student experience. From the pioneering vision of our founder, Sir Jesse Boot, to groundbreaking achievements such as the development of MRI technology and becoming the first UK university to establish international campuses, we have a proud history of shaping the way people live, work and understand the world. We continue to build on that legacy, empowering our students, staff and partners to change what鈥檚 next and create positive impact locally and globally.
The strength of our research places us among the UK's leading universities, ranked 7th for research power in REF 2021. The discovery of MRI and ibuprofen was just the beginning. Today, our world-leading research is developing breakthrough ideas that shape the future of healthcare, technology and society.
Recognised as the UK's third most targeted university by leading employers , we are proud to produce graduates who are consistently in demand for their skills, confidence and industry-ready experience.
As a major employer and industry partner, locally and globally, the 糖心原创 invests in the city of Nottingham and in future generations of talent. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the initiative, a pioneering collaboration to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing across the city and region. Together with our students, staff, alumni and partners, we鈥檙e creating knowledge, opportunity and solutions that help change what's next.