Category: Greener formulations

Alternative proteins – a bite for the environment

Have you noticed the appearance of a new section in supermarkets in the last few years? I am talking about the ‘protein’ shelves. Proteins are essential macronutrients that support growth, development and repair. Dietary recommendations in the UK suggest adults should consume at least 45 (female) and 55.5 (males) grams of protein per day. However, animal meat is the main source of protein in our diets, and its production is one of the largest contributors to climate change. We need new sources of protein to keep up with demand and we need them to be sustainable, healthy and resilient. How can molecular engineering help with that?

Supermarkets shelves showing whey protein products.
Supermarkets shelves showing whey protein products. Image credit: Flickr, Sekihan.

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Sustainable flavourings

Our guest blogger, Mia Hughes is back to explore the topic of sustainable flavourings using chemical biology.

Grapefruit flavouring is in high demand around the world, for use in cakes, sweets, ice-cream and more. I myself consider a glass of grapefruit juice a refreshing treat. However, you may not know that grapefruit flavouring is actually one of the most expensive to produce in the world. This all comes down to the chemical compound Nootkatone, which gives grapefruit its flavour. A staggering 400,000 Kgs of Grapefruit are used to produce just 1 Kg of Nootkatone. This makes it hard to naturally source and in short supply. Researchers at Oxford Biotrans have responded to this issue by developing a new, sustainable way to produce Nootkatone – from oranges!

From left to right: lemon, orange and grapefruit slices.
Lemon, orange and grapefruit. Image credit: Marco Verch

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