Dr. Ben Kew visits Innocent Headquarters for SusProFood Project

Bridging the gap between industry and academia has been hugely beneficial in delivering far reaching and realistic goals in designing the next generation of sustainable alternative protein-rich foods. During the two day visit to “Fruit Towers”- Innocent drinks HQ, Dr. Ben Kew (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SusProFood Project) was able to lead and access Innocent drinks trained panellists to do plant protein-fortified fibre-rich smoothie tasting as part of the SusProFo Project funded by the Innovate UK that aims to better incorporate more sustainable plant proteins into foods, whilst minimising the poor sensory/functionality often experienced with such alternative protein ingredients. During this visit, Ben also met with employees from packaging, market insights, and commercialisation to gain unique insights into other important considerations that need to be kept in mind when incorporating plant proteins into foods. Despite significant sensory challenges, plant proteins continue to be a crucial topic and highly important for sustainable food formulation to create a eco-friendly planet for all. Well done Ben!