Project title: Identifying the spoilage biome of plant-based meat products
Project number: SMP-24022
Requesting country: United Kingdom
Year: 2024
Budget: € 40,000
Project leader: Masja Nierop Groot
Knowledge institute: Wageningen University & Research
Project partners: Van Loon Groep

Summary

This proposal is dedicated to identifying the organisms responsible for spoilage of plant-based meat alternatives, the ‘spoilage biome’. This relative new food category is growing rapidly, yet little is known about the microorganisms responsible for spoilage of this food category. The elucidation of the spoilage biome will enable the producers to initiate the first targeted preservation strategies for their products based on the actual spoilage organisms. The intended follow-up of this SMP will expand on the knowledge gained in this SMP towards the development of unique predictive growth and inactivation models for spoilage organisms in plant-based meat-replacers, further assisting producers in designing optimal product formulation, shelf life prediction and optimal supply chains, thus benefiting all producing companies and society by lowering food loss.