Page 19 - Food&Drink September 2019

Breaking the bio tech rules
✷ NUTRITION NEWS ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER
Mars Incorporated’s chief agricultural officer Dr Howard-Yana Shapiro took to the stage and quietly said, “I’m not sure we have that much time anymore”. From this sobering start, Shapiro detailed some of the work he has been involved in which is making change happen on a scale few could ever realise. He said we had to stop thinking of world hunger and poor nutrition in terms of calories and start focussing on nutrition.
Since 2011 he has been working on a project that has brought together all 54 countries in Africa to improve the nutrition of the top 101 African food crops. When faced with a carcinogenic toxin spoiling harvested crops, Shapiro opened the problem to ordinary citizens via an online puzzle for anyone to attempt. To date, 1.6 million solutions have been submitted for review.
ALTERNATIVE proteins think tank Food Frontier launched its The Meat The Alternative: Australia’s $3 Billion Opportunity Report which found the plant-based protein sector could be contributing $3 billion to the national economy by 2030.
With economic modelling by Deloitte Access Economics, the report is the first of its kind to quantify the potential impact of the sector.
Meanwhile, a panel on the next generation of proteins talked about pushing the boundaries of food production. Dr Ka Yi Ling from Shiok Meats and Tim Noakesmith from Vow said consumer acceptance
and technical limitations were also challenges.
Shiok develops cell- based shellfish, shrimp and lobster, while Vow works
on kangaroo and pork.
Ling said, “cultivating meat
is no different to cultivation plants, but we are working with tissue engineers to build structure around the meats, so they can look familiar to consumers.”
Noakesmith said the sector is “breaking all the biotech rules. Why do we
need to think of food the way it has always been? Let’s change the paradigm”.
Also on the panel was Nick Hazell founder and CEO of v2food. “We have to work within the constraints of our conservative consumers, while at the same time moving fast, breaking things and then fixing themevenfaster.” ✷
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