Interview with the Next Generation – Students
Can you explain us what you did /are doing during your internship?
During my internship from March 2021 till June 2021 at the ttz Bremerhaven, I worked with single cell proteins from different sources. Most of them were derived from inactive yeasts such as saccharomyces or torula. My main task was to study the different enzymatic reactions between the proteins and other ingredients such as high protein flours.
Were you aware of the need for alternative proteins before working on the NextGenProteins project?
It was a big topic throughout my Bachelor studies. Not only that we need to consume less animal protein, but also that we need to find other protein sources such as insect and microalgae. I was not aware of proteins from biomass though. Which is one of the many things I learnt during my work with NextGen Proteins.
Would you be willing to eat food products with microalgae, insect or single cell proteins in the future?
Yes, definitively. Novel foods such as insects makes a lot of people squeamish. Once processed, however, there is no need to even think about that anymore. If people can become indifferent of how their non-plant food is produced, surely they can overcome that fear as well. I am looking forward to see more such products in the shelves of our supermarkets in the future.