Interview with the Next Generation Students!
Who am I ?
Hello, my name is Nico Fiedler. Currently, I am studying food technology/ – business at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremerhaven. While my studies, I had to do a compulsory internship, which I did at the company Biozoon GmbH with the focus on research & development.
What did I do during my internship?
At Biozoon, I did a lot of research and targeted experimentation for the EU- project “NextGenProteins”. Specifically, I did observe and evaluate the solubility and sedimentation behavior of various alternative proteins (including rapeseed-, algae-, insect-, and yeast cell protein). Furthermore, I was able to stabilize those insoluble/ sedimenting proteins in aqueous solutions by using hydrocolloids and targeted pH adjustments. For me, it was very interesting to read all the research articles and to finally find a solution based on that gained knowledge. R&D at it´s best !
Was I aware of the need for alternative proteins before working on the NextGenProteins project?
Yes, I was definitely aware of the need for alternative proteins. Especially the current trend to of the society to switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet made me aware of that topic. Nonetheless, I was not aware of the wide opportunities of alternative proteins in various food products and I was not aware of all the current problems of those alternative proteins like being insoluble in aqueous solutions and more.
Would you be willing to eat food products with microalgae, insect or single cell proteins in the future?
As of now, I am personally not a big fan of proteins based on microalgae as those proteins have a strong distinctive flavour. On the other side, I am a big fan of proteins based on insects as they have a slightly roasty aroma which I really like. I can see a lot of good products based on or enriched with proteins based on insects.