Taking vegetable growing to a higher level
2015 No. 6
FOOD VALLEY UPDATE
City Farming
From sugar refinery to biorefinery clusters
Drone identifies bad spots in crops
Pea protein tasty and sustainable
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Developing
novel proteins and solutions for the circular economy are the food industry’s top priorities. This issue of Food Valley Update provides inspiring examples. Read about this year’s finalists for the Food Valley Award, for instance, and get an in-depth look at city farming and its potential for feeding urban populations. We’re proud to bring you another issue stacked with our industry’s latest and greatest innovations. Enjoy! Roger van Hoesel, Managing Director, Food Valley NL
From sugar refinery to biorefinery clusters Suiker Unie is turning its sugar refinery side streams into biofuel and innovative, biobased products. Examples include arabinose, a healthy sweetener, and beet pulp-based microfibers for use in liquid detergents.
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Taking farming to a higher level Growing vegetables no longer depends on sunlight. Energy-efficient LEDs make growing crops in closed environments possible. This creates new opportunities for city farming.
Pea protein: functional, tasty and sustainable Pea protein’s excellent functionalities and great taste make it suitable for many food and feed applications. Meat substitutes in particular can benefit from textured pea protein, according to LaVitella.
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Pioneering innovative concepts Sausage casings based on alginates, bread dough for co-extrusion processes and special licorice extracts are just a few of Ruitenberg Ingredients’ most recent innovations.
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Spotlight on innovation Dutch businesses are continually developing new technology, packaging, food products and research methods. Read our top picks from the agro-food innovation database: www.dutchfoodinnovations.com
PAGE 20 The Food Valley Award 2015 Finalists Every year, Food Valley NL presents the Food Valley Award. The 2015 finalists are Pectcof’s technology for extracting pectin from coffee bean pulp, Peeze Coffee Roaster’s biobased coffee capsules and Marel Stork Poultry Processing’s energy-efficient scalding method.
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Quinoa beyond the hype Quinoa has much more potential than the public realizes. Breeders, farmers and food technologists alike are tapping into the many promising applications of this highly nutritious pseudo-cereal.
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Drone identifies bad spots in crops Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, can help growers detect diseases at an early stage. Together with Wageningen UR, QLark is developing a system to spot Panama disease in banana. PAGE 32 Meet the members Food Valley Society members are invited on six exclusive field trips every year. Each meeting deals with a different trend or topic and is hosted by one of the member companies. Companies that hosted trips in 2015 included Vitablend and Trouw Nutrition.
PAGE 34 Mapping respones to food State-of-the-art image analysis has greatly improved our understanding of human and animal behavior through detailed mapping of responses to food. Noldus Information Technology supplies the hardware, mapping software and analyzing services.
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New waste streams for cholesterol production Dishman Netherlands is looking for new animalbased waste streams from which it can extract cholesterol. Cholesterol is used not only to synthesize vitamin D, but also as an additive to fish feed and in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Measuring milk quality with big data Testing milk is a core activity at the Qlip laboratory. The company has developed a grazing indicator based on milk samples and grazing data, and is working on other milk quality indicators. PAGE 35 Upcoming events A list of upcoming events and Food Valley Update contact information.
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FOOD & TECHNOLOGY
Taking farming to a higher level
Growing
vegetables no longer depends on sunlight. Energy-efficient LEDs make growing crops in closed environments possible. This creates new opportunities for city farming. To this end, Philips Horticulture is developing new light solutions and Key Gene is working on methods to develop new varieties. In a warehouse in Portage Indiana, just outside of Chicago, Green Sense Farms is using 26-foot-high growing towers to produce leafy vegetables like lettuce, kale, spinach and green herbs. The vegetables are grown in coconut husk beds stacked ten high. The plants’ roots are immersed in water with the nutrients they need, and lit by red and blue LED lights. Harvesting takes place daily, year-round. The city farmers sell the vegetables and herbs to local supermarkets and restaurants.
Red and blue From bicycle headlights to office lighting, LED lights are everywhere these days. This is no surprise because LED has several advantages over other light sources. The lights themselves are very energy-efficient and have a much longer life than traditional light bulbs. LEDs are also very compact and can be produced in a wide range of colors. For growing plants, this point is of particular interest because this means it is possible to develop ‘growth recipes’ for particular crops and varieties. Plants mainly use the red wavelengths from sunlight in order to grow. Depending on the type of crop and the variety, they also use a bit of blue. For most crops, the ratio of red to blue light is 9 to 1. This explains the pinkish/purplish glow in windowless greenhouses.
LED lighting
Green Sense Farms uses LED technology in closed, climate-controlled chambers. LED lighting is creating a revolution in horticulture. Growing vegetables no longer depends on sunlight. Crops can be grown in closed environments. Empty warehouses, office buildings and metro systems can be repurposed for growing vegetables in urban environments. “It’s fascinating,” says Arjen van Tunen, CEO of KeyGene, a Dutch Ag Biotech company. “A technology developed by physicists has been adopted by biologists and farmers. Energy-efficient LEDs have been available for several years now. That creates new opportunities, not only for farmers, but also for high tech businesses. They have just opened a whole new market.” One of those high-tech companies is Philips Lighting. A few years ago, the Dutch light bulb manufacturer set up a separate division called Philips Horticultural Lighting. This division develops what is known as growth recipes (see box) for growing plants. LED lighting has many benefits for greenhouse growers. Traditionally, greenhouse crops got supplemental lighting in winter to compensate for the lack of sunlight. This extra light came from high-pressure sodium lamps. However, these are energy-inefficient and provide a much wider light spectrum than plants need to grow. LEDs on the other hand, provide plants with an energyefficient, optimum color composition.
City farming
LED lighting makes it possible to grow crops without the use of sunlight and to increase the yield per square meter by stacking the rows of plants vertically. Another advantage of growing in closed environments is that the crops are protected from insects and diseases and there is no need to use pesticides. And finally, growing crops in closed environments makes it possible to grow vegetables and fruits just a stone’s throw from where large numbers of people live. This drastically reduces the distance that crops have to be transported, reducing both their carbon footprint and food waste. Gus van der Feltz, Global Director of City Farming at Philips Horticulture, tells: “There’s a worldwide interest in city farming. In the USA, fresh, healthy and safe food is a real trend. Urban farmers are quick to use the momentum by locally growing crops in climate-controlled rooms. And since the Fukushima disaster, the Japanese have shown an interest in growing soil-free produce. They’re taking an industrial approach and are developing ‘plant factories’ in their major urban conglomerations.”
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FOOD & TECHNOLOGY
New varieties
“Growing produce in closed environments without sunlight does make other demands on the crops,” explains Arjen van Tunen. “Think of plants that grow more vertically, like lettuces, so we can grow more plants per square meter. But we also have an opportunity to grow better tasting fresh produce that is richer in vitamins and other healthy substances. Combining such properties with the lighting conditions is all new to breeders and seed companies. There will be a need for many new varieties and that’s where KeyGene comes in: we can help seed companies with our efficient breeding and selection methods.” One of KeyGene’s facilities is the PhenoFab. In this fully automated greenhouse, it is possible to analyze plant growth and development in relation to genetic characteristics and breeding conditions. With the images provided by cameras, and advanced computation models, researchers can analyze big data. “We’re going to outfit a section with LED lights”, says Van Tunen. “So we can screen new varieties for their suitability for growing in closed spaces. With our knowledge of genomics, combined with bioinformatics, we can accelerate the breeding process. Now that city farming is on the verge of a breakthrough, it is crucial that we quickly produce suitable varieties.”
Disruptive Innovations
City farming and Ag genomics are typical examples of cross pollination in science, says Van Tunen. “You see it happening more and more. High tech companies hire
biologists, while originally ‘green’ businesses [breeders, growers] are starting to work with IT experts. I predict there will be many disruptive innovations in the years ahead, like the development of LED lights and the use of big data in horticulture. Various fields are coming together and that makes groundbreaking innovation possible.” Gus van der Feltz knows from experience how new partnerships between technology companies can contribute to innovation in the food industry: “We’re working with partners from various fields to develop the complex technology of growing crops in climatecontrolled chambers. Right now the technology is relatively costly and the growing is done for the higher end of the market. In the longer run, however, I expect a breakthrough. Urbanization continues. So the production of fresh produce near the city is becoming more important. In locations where the price of land is not too high, like industrial parks and on top of supermarkets, city farming can be an efficient solution. Green Sense Farms is a good example of this.”
“Production of fresh produce near the city is becoming more important.”
Food Valley Expo During this year’s Food Valley Expo, CEO Arjen van Tunen of KeyGene, and Gus van der Feltz, Global Director of City Farming at Philips Horticulture, will give the keynote speech: ‘New Crops and City Farming, Disruptive Agro Food Innovations.’ Food Valley Expo is an annual event that puts innovation and agro-food matchmaking in the spotlight. It is organized by Food Valley NL. The 2015 Food Valley Expo will be held on 12 and 13 October, in Wageningen.
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FOOD & HEALTH
Pioneering innovative concepts Sausage casings
based on alginates, bread dough for co-extrusion processes and special licorice extracts are just a few of Ruitenberg Ingredients’ most recent innovations. Collaborating with suppliers, customers and knowledge institutions, this family business develops new applications and ingredients for the bakery, meat and confectionery industries. Creating innovative solutions for the food industry has been Ruitenberg Ingredients’ specialty for decades. The business was established in 1938 as a trading house in potato starch. In the 1970s, it developed into a professional lab. In 2003, the company moved to a modern new facility, where it now develops snacks, convenience, meat and licorice products. An external executive director leads the company, but the family still holds all shares and is deeply involved in the day-to-day operations.
Challenging and creative
R&D manager Marian Verbruggen says the company is known for its pioneering spirit. “We spend of lot of time trying new things. That’s challenging and creative work. Everyone in this company is excited and motivated to work on new solutions. It’s not a solo effort though. We often work with various external parties, suppliers, customers and knowledge institutes. That allows us to do more than just develop tailor-made solutions for our customers.”
Ruitenberg Ingredients has a series of innovations to its name. One of the most recent is a ‘RudinVegaCasing’, a ready-to-use, seaweed-based (alginate) paste that forms an edible casing around sausage meat. The sausage is produced by means of co-extrusion. This solution was developed during the Mad Cow Disease crisis, when an alternative for collagen casings was needed. VegaCasing is suitable for every type of sausage and can be declared both halal and kosher. The latest development in this type of casings is a ‘skinless’ one, meaning it adheres to sausage meat so well that it more or less disappears. Another recent innovation is ‘RudinBreadCasing’, a dough casing. The same co-extrusion technology is used to create a special yeast-free layer of bread dough around a meat-based or other filling. This enables the fully automated production of sausage rolls in meat processing plants, allowing meat processing companies to expand their product portfolio.
“Working on new solutions is not a solo effort.” Ruitenberg has also developed a liquid smoke, which is used to give meat and cheese a smoky flavor without the need for a wood oven. Color and taste can be tailored to the customers’ demands. The company developed an extra dark smoke extract for the Eastern European market, for example.
Pioneering
“We like to pioneer at Ruitenberg. That’s why we attend meetings like Food Valley NL’s recent meeting on ‘green proteins’” says Verbruggen. “Those meetings keep us informed about future trends. Right now, we’re not really
marketing anything related to alternative proteins, but I can’t rule it out for the future.” One idea that Ruitenberg is currently exploring is extracting antimicrobial fractions from licorice roots, a waste stream from the production of licorice candy. “We’re researching the feasibility of such an extract and its possible applications in conjunction with Wageningen UR. It’s an exciting project that looks very promising,” concludes Verbruggen.
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SUSTAINABILITY
From sugar refinery to biorefinery clusters
Suiker Unie
is turning its side streams into biofuel and innovative, biobased products. Examples include arabinose, a healthy sweetener, and beet pulp-based microfibers for use in liquid detergents. Suiker Unie’s biorefineries can also process other agricultural side streams. Every year from September to January, Suiker Unie processes 6.5 billion kilos of sugar beet. Its main product is white sugar. However, the sugar production process leaves a large part of the beet unused, creating big waste streams. Inspired by the growing interest in a bio-based economy, Suiker Unie has found ways to put all of its waste streams, from soil tare to beet pulp, to good use. Sustainability is at the core of all Suiker Unie’s activities, according to Frank van Noord, the company’s R&D director. He stresses the importance of Suiker Unie’s form of enterprise: “We’re a co-op. Our farmers are part owners and therefore get a fair share of the profit. The entire production chain is important for us, from sustainable farming practices to upcycling waste streams.”
Biobased economy
The sugar industry uses and produces massive product and waste streams. It takes five truckloads of sugar beets to produce one truckload of sugar. Besides sugar, beets also contain pulp and a great deal of water. Beet pulp has traditionally been used as cattle feed. Since the 1980s, the tens of thousands of kilos of soil tare have been rinsed off, collected and used for paving and dike reinforcement. Five years ago, Suiker Unie changed direction in terms of upcycling organic waste streams. The company built modern biomass refineries at three locations: two in the Netherlands and one in Germany. These refineries produce more than 30 million cubic meters of biogas which is fed into the natural gas grid and used to produce biomethanol. Suiker Unie sees many opportunities and is working with various partners on innovative products. Van Noord talks about one of them. “We’re decomposing the sugar beet ever further into its compounds and elements. Take our research program into extracting arabinose from pulp, for instance. This special sugar has health benefits compared to other sugars, like glucose.” Another innovation Suiker Unie is working on is the conversion of pulp into microfibers for use in liquid laundry detergents. “Liquid laundry detergents contain
microplastics to give them a thicker consistency. Those microplastics cannot be filtered out by waste water treatment plants, so they stay in the environment where they are a growing problem. Our Cosun research labs have found that it’s possible to isolate particles with the same properties from beet pulp. Those organic microfibers are an excellent, biodegradable alternative for adding to liquid detergents,” Van Noord says.
New clusters
At the Dinteloord plant, Suiker Unie is pioneering a special collaboration with several greenhouse growers and farmers in an effort to create as many closed circles as possible. Nearby greenhouses upcycle the processing water from the sugar production to irrigation water for their greenhouses. The sugar refinery supplies its residual heat to the greenhouses while the organic waste that remains after harvesting tomatoes and field crops is digested in the sugar plant’s biomass digester. The resulting biogas is pumped into the public gas grid while the carbon dioxide is piped back into the greenhouses for use as a fertilizer. Suiker Unie expects new business clusters to spring up around the sugar plants and the biomass digesters in the future. As Van Noord puts it, “We see clear analogies with the oil industry. Biorefineries are going to provide raw materials for chemical products, for new plantbased proteins, fibers and bioplastics. That is exactly how Suiker Unie is going to contribute to the circular economy.”
SUSTAINABILITY
Pea Protein Functional, tasty and sustainable
Pea protein’s
excellent functionalities and great taste make it suitable for many food and feed applications. Meat substitutes in particular can benefit from textured pea protein, according to LaVitella. Anticipating the current popularity of sustainably sourced proteins, LaVitella and Lacto Trade decided several years ago to start exploring protein sources other than milk and whey powder. It was a daring move for LaVitella, which specializes in dairy protein-based sports food and diet products, and for Lacto Trade, which deals in smaller batches of whey and milk powders. Pea protein has great potential, according to John Hendriks and Coen van Poll, the founders of the two companies. It is more sustainable than soy protein because peas can be grown much closer to the Netherlands than soya, eliminating the need for long distance shipping.
Hendriks and Van Poll also point out that soya cultivation often leads to deforestation. Western European farms are well suited to growing peas. Farmers need a fourth crop to supplement their crop rotation of potatoes, grains and sugar beets. An additional benefit is that pea plants fixate nitrogen and improve soil. All this helps to reduce the pea’s carbon footprint to a fraction of that of soya.
Functional properties
Lacto Trade has been marketing pea protein as an alternative to soy protein for several years. Their pea powder is textured and sold in various grades for use as an ingredient in different applications. Pea protein tastes great and has excellent functionalities. It has many potential uses, Hendriks explains. “Textured pea protein has a great water and fat-binding capacity. That’s what makes it very suitable as a meat replacement and in Bolognese-type sauces. It has excellent structure, texture
and mouthfeel. Its small carbon footprint makes it an interesting alternative to soy protein in vegetarian burgers. A pea protein-based burger is considered the Rolls Royce of meat replacements. And pea protein can also be added to meat to create a hybrid product.” Other food applications for pea protein include glutenfree bread crumbs and high-protein cereal bars, the latter a promising new addition to LaVitella’s range of sports and diet foods.
flower to the feed industry for many years, where it is used for calf milk replacers in particular. Van Poll says. “There are great opportunities to substitute some of the animal protein in feed with pea protein. Another benefit is that a small amount of pea flour thickens milk replacers and keeps the other ingredients in suspension. You don’t need much, a small concentration of pea protein usually does the trick.” Lacto Trade, LaVitella’s sister company, markets this sustainably sourced protein in the Benelux in a collaboration with French ingredient supplier Sotexpro.
Feed industry
The feed industry has also shown great interest in pea protein. Lacto Trade has been supplying extruded pea Food Valley Update | 13
SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATIONS
Dutch food innovations Dutch
businesses are continually developing new technology, food products and research methods. The www.dutchfoodinnovations.com website features the latest innovations from the Netherlands. Below you can find a few of our top picks from that database.
Flower mapping can improve yield
Plantalogica researches plants to determine how they will develop. Opening a plant’s growth buds under a microscope lays bare the development of its future flowers. In the case of strawberries, for instance, monitoring the way the main flowers develop makes it possible to predict the number of trusses per plant and gives insight in the trusses’ development stage. Plantalogica has developed a method for describing strawberry development that is suitable for both Junebearing and everbearing varieties. Flower mapping – describing the development of the flower – can increase the economic value of plant material in the crop production chain. It helps improve commercial crop cultivation in terms of optimizing production, quality and sustainability. The method Plantalogica uses for flower mapping can be applied to a wide variety of plants such as strawberries, raspberries, orchids, cereals and many other flowering plants. www.plantalogica.nl
Fact-based farming
FarmResult develops management information systems that deliver integrated data for precision livestock farming, particularly pig and poultry farming. After all, the real cause behind a recorded event only becomes clear when a farmer gets the whole picture. For example, what does it mean when broilers’ water intake increases? In isolation, this information does not reveal much. Combined with other data, like the temperature in the building and feed intake, the rise in water intake takes on meaning. Similarly, pigs’ weight and feed intake can be combined with airspeed and ammonia levels in their barn to assess their welfare. FarmBox uses the PigResult and PoultryResult databases to gather all the data from the animals’ housing. Automated web-based interfaces allow the database to access slaughter data services, feed deliveries and even feed nutrition analyses in order to obtain additional information it can integrate. In this way, all relevant farm management data are gathered in a single information system, which also guarantees full traceability. www.farmresult.com
Natural, algae-enriched foods
Nutress introduces Essentials, a range of food products containing a significant amount of algae. Essentials food products are non-GM and free from artificial nutrients. The products combine the benefits of grains and algae and are 100% vegan. Essentials pasta, made from spelt and algae, has a higher nutritional value than regular pasta while its glycemic index is low, making it particularly suitable for athletes. Essentials crackers contain algae as well as linseed and rapeseed oil. Linseed contain high levels of dietary fiber, lignans and many micronutrients. The crackers contain 6.5% Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Essentials bread is low in sugar and contains 42% less fat than normal wheat bread. The algae that are added to this protein-rich bread make it possible to reduce its sodium content by compared to ordinary wheat bread. www.nutress.eu
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SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATIONS
Fiber-enriched sausages
One-minute hard boiled eggs
Eggciting Products has developed a worldwide patented machine that speeds up the cooking process of eggs. Boiling eggs the old-fashioned way takes time and the results are often not quite what people want: too hard, too soft or cracked. Eggciting Products’s Eggcheff serves the perfect boiled egg fast and easy. The idea is simple: put a raw egg in the machine, choose soft, medium or hard and 60 seconds later your egg is ready. Test results have shown that the convenience of this machine increases egg consumption at breakfast. The Eggcheff not only cuts cooking times by 80% compared to conventional methods, it also saves more than 80% in energy. The Eggcheff for industrial applications will soon be launched too. www.eggcitingproducts.nl
Fiber introduces More than Meat, a new sausage concept that consists of 50% meat and 50% vegetables and vegetable fiber. The sausages contain less fat and calories than regular sausages. More than Meat fits right in with today’s food trends: a demand for pure, sustainable products and a growing number of flexitarians. The vegetable fibers, supplied by VeggieFibers, all come from plants grown in the Netherlands. Adding vegetable fibers gives the sausages an attractive color and a good bite. Essential vitamins and minerals remain intact. Many consumers do not meet the daily recommended allowance of fiber. More than Meat’s non-digestible vegetable fiber create a full feeling and help maintain a healthy bowel system. www.fiber.co.nl
Cellulose gum for processed food
AkzoNobel Functional Chemicals has developed a range of food-grade cellulose gums. These additives can be used to thicken and stabilize food products, control crystallization, retain moisture and reduce fat absorption. The cellulose gums are sold under the Akucell trademark. AkzoNobel also offers solutions for using Akucell cellulose gum as a cost-effective and versatile additive in baked goods, processed meat, sauces, dressings, ice cream and pet food. www.akzonobel.com
PEF technology for improved French fries
Vitamin and mineral-enriched ready meals
Fortified Food Coatings has developed a new way of enriching ready meals with vitamins and minerals. Rather than adding vitamins and minerals to the meal before cooking, Fortified Food Coatings covers meals with a thin layer of gelatin containing vitamins and minerals after the cooking process. This guarantees the meal contains a particular amount of essential nutrients right before consumption. The gelatin layer also makes the meal look extra attractive. The ready meals require chilled storage and are prepared in a microwave. The heat dissolves the gelatin and causes it to mix with the other meal components. Fortified Food Coatings developed the coating in cooperation with ingredient suppliers and meal manufacturers. The meals are tailored to different target groups, such as the elderly and athletes. The concept has been validated based on a protocol developed by Wageningen UR Food and Biobased Research. www.fortifiedfood.nl
Pulsemaster’s pulsed electric field (PEF) technology improves the quality of French fries. Not only does it reduce breakage, but it also lessens the absorption of frying oil, leading to a much lower fat content (up to 50% less). The technology further reduces the use of water and energy in potato processing, thus reducing sugar leaching. All these benefits make the PEF system an excellent alternative for preheaters. Additional benefits include increased homogeneity, because the technology modifies the potato texture and hence reduces seasonal variation. The new range of industrial-scale equipment – called Conditioner – can treat anywhere from 1,000 to 50,000 kilos of potatoes per hour, about 110,000 lb/h. The pulse generator includes a robust and hygienic transport system and a PEF treatment chamber. www.pulsemaster.us/nl
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Food Valley NL Guidance and support partner Food Valley NL is the leading guidance and support partner that connects innovative companies. We help companies identify relevant sources of knowledge, support and partnership. Food Valley NL has a bird’s eye view of developments in the Netherlands. Over the years, we have built a great national and international network of businesses, academic institutions and government agencies. Thanks to this strong network and our fast response time, we can quickly offer you just the service you need. www.foodvalley.nl
Food Valley Society The power of a business network A growing number of businesses and organizations participate in the Food Valley Society, sharing knowledge and expertise while accelerating new business. Become a member and meet other innovators. www.foodvalleysociety.com
Dutch Food Innovations A website full of solutions A quick and easy overview of innovative solutions in the Netherlands. It’s all there: ingredients, technologies, software, laboratory equipment, packaging, and more. Easy to find, easy to share, and easy to connect. www.dutchfoodinnovations.com
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FOOD VALLEY AWARD
Food Valley Award The 2015 Finalists Every year,
Food Valley NL awards the Food Valley Award to the most innovative agro-food solution in the Netherlands. The 2015 finalists are Pectcof’s technology for extracting pectin from coffee bean pulp; the biobased coffee capsules developed by Peeze Coffee Roasters; and the energyefficient scalding method that prepares poultry for defeathering, developed by Marel Stork Poultry Processing. The Food Valley Award is one of the most prestigious innovation awards in the Dutch agro-food, feed and horticultural industries. An independent panel of judges assesses all entries for innovativeness, economic viability, originality and degree of collaboration. Every year, the Food Valley Award judges’ panel selects three finalists. Chairing the judges’ panel is Leo den Hartog, R&D director at Nutreco and professor by special appointment at Wageningen UR. He said the panel “was very happy with the quantity and quality of the applications
for this year’s Food Valley Award. We were pleased to see that the submissions came from such diverse sectors. We received entries from startups and SMEs, as well as multinationals.”
Great strides
“Some entries were highly innovative while others were more like practical applications of existing technology. We put a lot of emphasis on the product’s economic feasibility since that is the basis for success. We were thrilled to see that all submissions were sustainable in nature. The Netherlands is really making great strides in that respect and the industry as a whole is very innovative. This year’s entries for the Food Valley Award clearly demonstrate that,” said Den Hartog. The nominees are featured on the next pages.. The winner will be announced at the Food Valley Expo on October 12-13, to be held on Wageningen Campus.
Extracting pectin from coffee bean pulp Pectcof has developed technology to extract valuable substances from coffee bean processing waste. One such extract is pectin, which is used as an emulsifier for soft drinks and yoghurts and as a fat replacement in other food products. Pectcof markets its pectin as Dutch Gum. It is an excellent alternative to gum Arabic, an expensive ingredient whose supply on the world market is growing ever more uncertain. After harvesting, coffee beans are separated from their husks by means of water. For every kilo of beans, the coffee growers are left with a kilo of pulp. Traditionally, this natural waste is composted and reused or left in
nature. Coffee pulp streams are expected to grow, keeping pace with the increase in coffee consumption in developing markets like Brazil, China and India. Pectcof collaborated with Wageningen UR and other companies to develop the technology needed to extract valuable ingredients from the coffee industry’s waste streams. Pectin is only the beginning; the pulp could yield many other ingredients as well. For example, coffee pulp contains cellulose than can be used as a biofuel, and fructose that can be applied in the food industry. The pulp is also rich in antioxidants and red pigment. Dutch Gum is the first ingredient Pectcof is bringing to market. The first product samples sparked the interest of several major food manufacturers.
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FOOD VALLEY AWARD
Biobased coffee capsules Peeze Coffee Roasters from Arnhem collaborated with an innovation partner to develop a more sustainable alternative to Nespresso single-serve coffee capsules. Its new capsules and seals are made of polylactic acid (PLA), a biobased compostable material. Inside the coffee capsules is high-grade 100% Arabica ground coffee that is climate-neutral and certified organic and fair-trade. To make this application a success, the innovators had to refine the PLA material to ensure the capsules remained functional in contact with very hot water while the seal had to be perforatable under water pressure inside the machine. Another challenge was guaranteeing that the capsule’s oxygen barrier properties were good enough to preserve the coffee’s special taste and aroma.
This innovation was made possible through close collaboration between several parties. They had to deal with large numbers of patents and find renewable alternatives with the same functionalities as plastic and aluminum. They rose to the challenge, however, and developed a capsule that can be thrown into the organic waste or compost bin after use. The new capsule is a timely innovation aimed at the rapidlygrowing market for coffee capsules. There are many plastic alternatives on the market and the mountain of garbage they create is growing. The new compostable capsule offers a cradle-to-cradle alternative. The product was launched in early 2015 and is now sold in several countries under private label.
Energy-efficient scalding process Marel Stork Poultry Processing has developed an innovative scalding system for loosening poultry feathers prior to defeathering. The AeroScalder saves up to 75 percent in water and 50 percent in energy compared to traditional immersion scalding systems. The AeroScalder uses moisturized hot air to loosen the feathers. This scalding medium is prepared in a separate conditioning chamber and then forcefully blown onto the feathered birds in the enclosed processing chamber. The broilers hang from an overhead conveyor and automatically pass the scalding air nozzles. The air is drawn back into the conditioning chamber and re-conditioned
for re-circulation, creating a closed and fully controlled process. Aside from water and energy efficiency, the AeroScalder has other benefits too. It ensures a perfectly scalded product with better end product quality and less risk of inadvertent contamination by immersion in already contaminated water. Also, the stability of the process ensures that every bird is treated exactly the same. In addition, odor emissions are lower than in traditional systems. AeroScalder systems have been installed at poultry processing plants in several countries.
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FOOD & HEALTH
Quinoa beyond the hype Western
consumers can hardly have failed to notice the hype surrounding Quinoa. And yet this seed has much greater value than the public realizes. Breeders, farmers, food technologists and ingredient companies alike are tapping into the many potential applications of this highly nutritious pseudocereal. Quinoa is indigenous to the Andes. The small, round seeds of the Chenopodium quinoa plant were once a staple of the Inca diet. They lack gluten and are high in protein and fiber. They also pack a well-balanced mix of eight essential amino acids that every adult needs. This makes quinoa supremely healthy, which accounts for its growing popularity as a ‘superfood’ in recent years and its availability across the globe.
Protein extraction
Wageningen UR Plant Breeding started breeding quinoa for cultivation in Western Europe around 1990. This program has resulted in three varieties that can be grown in Europe. Western European quinoa is sold primarily as a superfood, but the grain has many other potential applications. At Wageningen UR Food and Biobased Research, Marcel Minor researches ways to extract proteins from the seeds. “Quinoa’s amino acid composition is very beneficial,” Minor explains. “The seeds contain proteins that are a much better match with what people need than proteins from other cereals. That’s what makes it attractive to isolate these.”
Wageningen UR is currently taking a three-pronged approach: isolating the proteins, mapping the functionality of the protein fractions and other fractions, and developing applications for these proteins. The first focus is on a process known as dry fractionation, which is more sustainable and less expensive than wet fractionation. Minor: “We’ve already gotten pretty good at this dry fractionation. Our next step is to scale up the process.” Apart from fractionation, Minor’s research group is also working on possible applications of the quinoa proteins. “We believe there are many. For example, a group of students has developed a chocolate milk-type drink that contains these valuable proteins. Another thing we’re working on is baby food containing quinoa protein. And we expect to come up with more products, such as enriched puddings and soups.” However, it is not just the quinoa protein that shows promise, Minor says. “Its carbohydrate fraction has a lot
of potential too. Its starch granules are relatively small, offering new texturing options for food products. And we think it could be used as a gelling agent as well.”
Ingredient
Quinoa is starting to find its way into the food industry. Wageningen-based GreenFood50 is working with customers to develop new applications for quinoa ingredients. Marc Arts, managing director at GreenFood50, says: “Quinoa’s exceptionally high nutritional value makes it attractive for all sorts of applications. Especially now that there are non-bitter varieties available. This means it’s no longer necessary to remove the bitter, saponin-containing outer layer from the seeds before processing. That’s important because that layer also contains valuable nutrients.” There are many possible applications for both whole grain quinoa and its separate fractions, explains Arts. “Because of its excellent protein profile, whole grain
quinoa is already used in a range of products served at the Top Sport Restaurant at Papendal, the Dutch national Olympic training center. Whole grain quinoa can also be used in salads, spreads, snacks, crackers, bakery products, breakfast cereals and gluten-free products. This will allow growing numbers of consumers to enjoy this healthy crop. It will also benefit specific consumer groups such as children, pregnant women, elderly people and patients, making it easier for them to meet their recommended daily intake of protein.” The quinoa developed by Wageningen has another advantage, adds Arts. “It’s a local product. It’s grown in an increasing number of countries in northwestern Europe. That’s a great plus from a sustainability point of view.” In December 2014, GreenFood50 opened a R&D facility to accelerate its development of new quinoa ingredients.
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FOOD TECHNOLOGY
Mapping responses to food State-of-the-art
image analysis has significantly improved the understanding of human and animal behavior through detailed mapping of responses to food. The technology has proven very useful for food product launches and for optimizing animal feed rationing. Noldus Information Technology supplies the hardware and mapping software, and can be hired to analyze the results. “The flop rate of new food products is extremely high,” says Lucas Noldus, founder and CEO of Noldus Information Technology. “You can boost your innovation success rate tremendously if you know how consumers are going to respond. Our technology can give you that insight. We know from experience how to use technology to gather reliable data.” Noldus Information Technology is specialized in IT solutions for analysis of human and animal behavior. The company is headquartered in Wageningen and has offices in France, Germany, Spain, Hungary, USA, Canada and China. It employs 130 people, with 40 in R&D. “We’re very innovation-oriented and work closely with universities, research institutions and businesses all over the world,” Noldus says.
Behavioral research
Market research is an integral part of product development. After a product launch, however, it often turns out that market research failed to predict consumers’ response. In the store, shoppers react differently than expected. Noldus points to weaknesses in the research itself. “Market research usually involves questionnaires,” he said. “But traditional questionnaires have a great drawback. People tend to give socially desirable responses. Our technology enables us to identify how consumers will really respond to a new product or different packaging.” To this end Noldus IT records video footage of consumer responses, either in a controlled environment or on site. People are video tracked to see how they behave in front of supermarket shelves and in the store as a whole. Special software then analyzes these images to generate accurate and reliable information about
“You can boost your success rate if you know how consumers are going to respond.” consumers’ non-verbal responses, choice behavior, or spatial behavior and dwell time in the store. Noldus IT also creates software that analyzes emotions based on facial expressions. These solutions are not only useful for consumer behavior research, but also to analyze the behavior of cows, pigs and other farm animals. “We believe our technology can be of great use to cattle farmers,” Noldus says. “We’re currently working with a feed manufacturer, using behavior analysis to develop individual feeding schedules. That will improve animal welfare and hence productivity.”
Consultancy
Noldus started out by supplying software and behavior analysis applications to universities and research institutes. Their customers included Wageningen UR and TNO in the Netherlands and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA. Major players in the food industry, like Unilever, Nestle and Mars, soon followed suit. “Our equipment gives companies a better understanding of consumers’ experience,” explains Micha Oudakker, Consultancy Manager at Noldus IT. “Obviously, SMEs would also profit from that kind of knowledge, but the cost of such research can be an obstacle. Therefore, we’re now offering a new type of service. Companies can rent our equipment or use the facilities in Wageningen where we have a test lab with various set-ups for testing products or packaging. We also have a test panel they can use. And we can help companies analyze and interpret their video images.”
Food Valley Update | 27
SUSTAINABLITY
New sources of cholesterol
Waste Stream
Cholesterol is a necessity for animals and humans alike. Our bodies use cholesterol and sunlight to produce vitamin D. Dishman Netherlands has developed a method to isolate cholesterol from wool grease, a waste stream from the wool industry. That is why the Dishman factory in Veenendaal is located next to what used to be the Netherlands’ largest wool factory. Dishman uses cholesterol to synthesize vitamin D and vitamin D analogues.
Dishman
Netherlands is looking for new animal-based waste streams from which it can extract cholesterol. Cholesterol is used not only to synthesize vitamin D, but also as an additive to fish feed and in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. So far, Dishman Netherlands has been using wool grease to isolate cholesterol, but that waste stream is becoming increasingly scarce. Mark Ipema, Executive Director at Dishman Netherlands, predicts a steady increase in the demand for cholesterol as an additive to salmon, eel and sea bass feed. “Farmed fish is an efficient source of protein and fish is likely to become a bigger part of our diet,” he says. “Farmed fish can play a key role in the effort to feed the growing world population in a sustainable way. Fish are coldblooded, their feed to food ratio is high, their carbon emissions are low and they can be farmed in ways that respect animal welfare.”
However, worldwide demand for wool has declined steeply over the past decades, leading to far smaller sheep stocks and lower availability of wool grease. This has driven up the price of cholesterol sharply. Ipema: “That’s why we’re looking for other sources of cholesterol. Currently, we’re investigating how to isolate this substance from the waste streams from the meat processing industry.” Dishman is collaborating with Wageningen UR and Imares to explore applications of cholesterol isolated from these animal waste streams. This involves paying close attention to food safety and other legal requirements.
Prerequisite
“Sustainability is a prerequisite for our survival. It’s becoming more of an issue for our customers too. We’re taking part in a Food Valley NL Leaders in Ambition program aimed at cradle-to-cradle thinking. This Circular Economy project helps us take the next step and meet new business partners. Dishman is aware that when you start working more sustainably, it takes a while to get a return on investment. We need to change the system. I’m convinced we can’t continue to exhaust planet Earth,” Ipema says.
Currently, most farmed fish are fed meal made from commercially caught fish. It takes about five kilos of fish to produce one kilo of farmed fish. Adding cholesterol to the fish feed makes it possible to increase its plantbased content and reduce its fish content, and hence the number of fish that need to be caught.
Food Valley Update | 29
FOOD & TECHNOLOGY
Drone identifies bad spots in crops
drone with eight propellers that can carry a camera. Its main advantage over a satellite is that it flies under the clouds. In addition, it’s flexible and can generate more detailed images, inches rather than yards which is your typical satellite image resolution.” For the QLark drone, two cameras were mounted on the octocopter. One is a regular photo camera, the other infrared. Each camera produces a different type of image. Special software can analyze both types of image and provide information about the crop’s condition.
Development continues
Unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, can help growers detect diseases at an early stage. Together with Wageningen UR, QLark is developing a system to spot Panama disease in bananas. The technology can also be used to detect diseases in other crops and to map nitrogen fertilization. For as long as bananas have been grown, growers in Southeast Asia have had to deal with fungal diseases such as the dreaded Panama disease. The loss caused by this fungus is enormous and fungi are quick to develop resistance against pesticides. Growers have to protect their crops by identifying the bad spots at an early stage and then destroying the affected plants. This is an expensive and labor-intensive process. Philip Hansmann of the Wageningen-based company QLark explains: “The use of remote sensing can be an efficient way to detect crop problems like Panama disease. Growers can use the information gathered to take proactive measures at an early stage.”
Octocopter
QLark worked out a business case to demonstrate the technology’s benefits. To get a pilot project off the ground, the company needed to do more research, for which it needed additional funds. Through Food Valley NL, QLark secured an innovation voucher from the province of Gelderland in 2014, allowing it to carry out the necessary research. For this research, the company collaborated with geo-informatics and remote sensing expert Lammert Kooistra from Wageningen University. “Our expertise is remote sensing and precision farming,” says Kooistra. “In one of our projects we used an octocopter, a small
Once the drone was ready, QLark could test it on banana crops in the Philippines. Hansmann is proud of the results. “That pilot project in the Philippines was a success. It showed that remote sensing can reveal damage from fungal diseases in a reliable way, and it also told us in which areas the technology needed further development. But that’s not all. We also learned that we need to come up with a better story that makes sense to the banana growers. If they don’t understand the technology, they’ll never accept it.” Kooistra shares Hansmann’s enthusiasm. “We tested Dutch technology in the Philippines, partly because Philippine laws on UAV test flights are less restrictive than Dutch laws. The technology proved to have potential and now the time is ripe for the Netherlands to reap the benefits,” he says. Kooistra is talking about the potential of drones in combination with remote sensing technology. It is not just banana growers who stand to benefit from this technology. It can also enable other farmers to detect diseases in other crops, or to map nitrogen fertilization.
“Remote sensing can reveal crop damage in a reliable way.” Food Valley Update | 31
FOOD VALLEY SOCIETY
Vitablend Small batches of special ingredients
Meet the members Food Valley
Society members are invited on six exclusive field trips every year. Each meeting deals with a different trend or topic and is hosted by one of the member companies. Companies that hosted trips in 2015 included Vitablend and Trouw Nutrition.
Vitablend specializes in vitamin, mineral and protein blends for the baby food industry, and in anti-oxidants and dietary food solutions and concepts for the food industry. The company is a global player with a second factory in Singapore. It produces over 400 new blends per year. In 2008, Vitablend was bought by multinational Barentz. In 2014, Vitablend’s joint venture VitaSquare built a new plant. Supplying special ingredients or powdered end products of ‘baby food-grade quality’ is the core business of Vitasquare, a joint venture of Vitablend, VSquare and NOM. The plant is designed and tooled to produce relatively small batches, which allows industrial players to reduce the number of changeovers. The state-of-the-art technology and its baby food-grade quality system ensures the company can meet the demand for special ingredients. One unique piece of equipment in the plant is the Filtermat drying tower capable of quickly drying and encapsulating small batches of emulsified liquid blends without impacting their physical properties. Residence times in this smallscale dryer are identical to those in regular commercial drying towers, so the product’s unique powder properties and structure remain intact. In addition, the small tower’s short changeover times make it more efficient.
Trouw Nutrition Innovations in feed
The demand for animal protein is predicted to nearly double in the next 40 years, while nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon dioxide emissions need to be halved. These conflicting demands have prompted Nutreco to increase its innovation efforts. The company produces feed and feed ingredients for farm animals and fish, which it sells in over 80 countries worldwide. Internationally, the company employs 250 people in R&D at 11 research centers. Nutreco’s global brand for animal nutrition is Trouw Nutrition. In early 2016, Trouw Nutrition will open a new research facility dedicated to calf and beef cattle nutrition. Its research program is based on three key areas of innovation: Life Start, Health & Welfare and Feed efficiency. Trouw Nutrition is convinced the production of animal protein can be made much more efficient. Some 40 percent of the genetic potential of the animals around the world is not used. Good nutrition is crucial: every extra gram a calf grows in its first months of life translates into 4 extra liters of milk in her first lactation. Intestinal health is another key factor. The better a calf’s intestinal health, the stronger its immune system. Good health reduces the need for antibiotics. Over the past few years, Trouw Nutrition has invested in new analytical methods and has launched several, mostly natural, feed additives that boost intestinal health. In terms of feed efficiency, Trouw Nutrition is exploring ways to optimize feed rations for optimal conversion of feed into animal protein (meat, milk and eggs). More efficient feed conversion does not just benefit farmers, but also the environment because it helps to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon dioxide emissions.
Food Valley Society Innovation starts with sharing knowledge and expertise. Being part of an international network focused on innovation has proven to accelerate innovation, growth and new business. Interested? Please contact Saskia van Erkelens, saskia.vanerkelens@foodvalley.nl or Rowena Kleijwegt, rowena.kleijwegt@foodvalley.nl
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FOOD & TECHNOLOGY
Measuring milk quality with big data Testing milk
is a core activity at the Qlip laboratory. Every day, this company tests thousands of milk samples. Qlip has developed a grazing indicator based on milk samples and grazing data. The laboratory is also working on other milk quality indicators, which it plans to introduce in the next few years. Pastures dotted with grazing cows: this image will always be part of the Dutch landscape. Consumers want it to stay that way, too. Worldwide, the same image is used to promote Dutch milk and dairy. However, some modern dairy farmers find it impractical to allow cows to graze from spring until fall. This is why dairy suppliers’ milk is regularly tested to determine whether it is probable that their cows are spending enough time grazing. Qlip, a laboratory specialized in dairy quality assurance, has developed a novel grazing indicator. This indicator shows whether the milk tested was produced by cows nourished by freshly grazed grass. The composition of milk is affected by what a cow eats, making it possible to see whether they were fed fresh grass or other feed such as silage. The grazing indicator provides a new method for monitoring and safeguarding sufficient grazing.
Tool
The lab analyzes more than 50,000 raw milk samples every day. The analyses are used by dairy companies to set the price the farmers get paid for their fresh milk, and for dairy herd improvement programs. The milksamples are routinely analyzed for quality and composition. Dairy farmers use these data to make farm management decisions. The same data enable the dairy sector to assure the safety and quality of milk, while dairy herd improvement associations use the information to breed better milk cows and to generate management data for dairy farmers. The milk is analyzed by means of infrared technology. This results in a unique spectrum for every milk sample, supplying information about the specific composition of the milk. This information can be related to the intake of freshly grazed grass. “The spectra and models can also be used for the development of other indicators,” says Jan Rademaker, innovation manager at Qlip. “We’re working on other indicators that use big data from milk to determine animal health, animal welfare and sustainability, for example.”
Upcoming events October 12-13: Food Valley Expo Conference | Expo | Tour Wageningen, the Netherlands Info: www.foodvalleyexpo.nl November 17-19: Food Matters Live Holland Food Valley Tasting House London, United Kingdom Info: www.hollandfoodvalley.nl FOOD VALLEY SOCIETY (members only) November 17: Heinz Innovation Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands Info: ysnke.ackerman@foodvalley.nl FOR A FULL OVERVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT: WWW.FOODVALLEY.NL > EVENTS
Food Valley Update (online www.foodvalleyupdate.nl) is published by Food Valley NL. Nieuwe Kanaal 9D-3 P.O. Box 294 6700 AG Wageningen The Netherlands Phone + 31 317 42 70 95 Fax +31 317 42 76 71 info@foodvalley.nl www.foodvalley.nl Food Valley NL is co-financed by the Province of Gelderland. Original copy: Florentine Jagers English translation: Word’s Worth Pictures: Robert Jan van Oosten, Dreamstime Design: Roel Dalhuisen, Torsten van Geest (p.36) Production: Ilse Dulk Copy editing: Jolanda Wels Printing: Twigt Grafimedia Comments and information requests We welcome all questions, comments, ideas, inspiring examples and news. Please contact us at: communicatie@foodvalley.nl Copyright All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of articles and images without written permission by Food Valley NL is prohibited.
Food Valley Update | 35
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