The Valpro Path Project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, seeks to pioneer fresh possibilities in food manufacturing by validating and showcasing ways to enhance plant protein production for food and feed in the EU. Led by Teagasc, the project aims to turn the food-chain towards sustainable plant protein production.
The project consists of five innovation production systems (IPSs) located across the EU, which serve as ‘living labs’ to generate novel production/processing systems for specific regions. These systems aim to exploit the highest value potential from protein crops such as pea, lupin, chickpea, faba bean, and lentils.
As the coordinator of the project, Teagasc also leads IPS3 and IPS4. IPS3 aims to showcase the potential of intercropping field peas with faba beans as a solution to mitigate yield losses from lodging, while also yielding peas and faba beans for protein extraction and flour milling. Additionally, Teagasc, in collaboration with European breeders, will establish the best varieties of pea and faba beans that will be evaluated for agronomic traits and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
Meanwhile, IPS4 adopts a system engineering approach to monitor nutrient tracking and environmental impacts throughout the product development and innovation process within the supply chain. Prof. Mark Fenelon, head of food programme at Teagasc Food Research Centre, noted that “Emission and nutrient profiles will be documented and quantified for various selected varieties and plant protein products to support informed consumer choices based on environmental and nutrient data.”
For more information, the Valpro Path Project’s website, as well as its social media pages on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Youtube, provide comprehensive information on the project’s goals and progress in the field of food manufacturing.
