Episode summary
What if the future of plant-based food isn't about faking meat, but inventing something entirely new? We go inside a student hackathon at Wageningen University (WUR) and follow the winning concept from whiteboard sketch to test kitchen to campus cafeteria. Along the way, food scientists and student organizers weigh in on the potential for the food industry to not always try to imitate meat.
This episode was produced in collaboration with Wageningen Alt Protein Project (WAPP).
About WAPP
The Wageningen Alt Protein Project (WAPP) is a student-led initiative funded in 2020 that operates under the Good Food Institute. WAPP's objective is to promote education and connect students, researchers, and the industry in the field of alternative proteins.
About guests
Melania Zanforlin is the co-chair of WAPP and a PhD candidate in Operations Research and Logistics (ORL) at Wageningen University. Her research focuses on supply chain network design using mathematical programming to transform and scale up food biobased systems.
Joaquin Fogel is the co-chair of WAPP and a master's student in Food Technology at Wageningen University. His focus is on the intersection of process engineering, fermentation, and food in the alternative protein space.
Dr. Laurice Pouvreau is a Senior Protein Scientist at Wageningen University & Research with extensive expertise in plant protein functionality. Her research focuses on understanding the physical and chemical behavior of novel plant proteins to advance sustainable food formulations.
Dr. Stacy Pyett is the Program Manager at Wageningen University & Research, where she leads strategic research and educational initiatives in the alternative protein domain. She works closely with academic and industry partners to drive innovation across sustainable food systems.
Andy Bingham is a Senior Food Application Scientist and Executive Chef at Kalsec Europe. He combines culinary arts with food science to translate raw ingredient concepts into commercially viable, high-quality food products.
Dr. Raffaella Inchingolo is a lead food scientist at Kalsec Europe specializing in application and flavor development. Her work focuses on optimizing natural ingredient combinations, taste profiles, and functional formulations for global food manufacturers.
Dr. Guido Sala is an expert in food physics and Molecular Gastronomy at Wageningen University & Research. His academic research explores the structural mechanics, texture perception, and sensory physics of novel food products.
Comments (0)