A Systematic Review of Field Trials to Synthesize Existing Knowledge and Agronomic Practices on Protein Crops in Europe

Microbial and Qualitative Traits of Quinoa and Amaranth Seeds from Experimental Fields in Southern Italy

Quinoa and amaranth are of special interest since they are increasingly used for the development of new bakery products with enhanced nutritional value. The aim of the study was to evaluate the agronomic, microbiological, and nutritional characteristics of quinoa and amaranth seeds grown in Southern Italy. For this reason, quinoa Titicaca and three amaranth accessions (5, 12, and 14) were cultivated in different experimental fields in the Campania Region and analyzed for the cultivation aspects, chemical composition, and microbiological quality of the seeds. All seeds showed a good adaptability to cultivation in the experimental areas of the Mediterranean basin. Quinoa seeds were characterized by their higher protein, fat, and ash content than the amaranth seeds, which were characterized by their higher value in dietary fiber. All seeds, regardless of the geographical area of production, were contaminated with yeasts, moulds, and spore-forming bacteria, mainly Bacillus cereus, B. licheniformis, B. safensis and B. subtilis, as identified by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. So, the detection of Bacillus spp. must be strongly monitored, as quinoa and amaranth seeds could be used in bread production, where they can cause ropiness, resulting in great economic losses for the industries.

Life cycle assessment of animal-based foods and plant-based protein-rich alternatives: an environmental perspective

BACKGROUND

In the European Union proteins for food are largely animal based, consisting of meat and dairy products. Almost all soy but also a larger part of pulses and cereals consumed in the European Union are used for animal nutrition. While livestock is an important source of proteins, it also creates substantial environmental impacts. The food and feed system is closely linked to the planetary and health boundaries and a transformation to healthy diets will require substantial dietary shifts towards healthy foods, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

RESULTS

Extrudated vegetable meat alternatives consisting of protein combined with amaranth or buckwheat flour and a vegetable milk alternative made from lentil proteins were shown to have the potential to generate significantly less environmental impact than their animal-based counterparts in most of the environmental indicators examined, taking into account both functional units (mass and protein content). The underlying field-to-fork life cycle assessment models include several variants for both plant and animal foods. The optimized plant-based foods show a clear potential for improvement in the environmental footprints.

CONCLUSIONS

Development of higher processed and therefore higher performing products is crucial for appealing to potential user groups beyond dedicated vegetarians and vegans and ultimately achieving market expansion. The Protein2Food project showed that prototypes made from European-grown legumes and pseudocereals are a valuable source for high-quality protein foods, and despite being substantially processed they could help reduce the environmental impact of food consumption. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Yield and quality of Amaranthus hypochondriacus grain amaranth under drought and salinity at various phenological stages in southern Italy

BACKGROUND

Several studies have shown that grain amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is tolerant to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. Irrigation applied only during sensitive growth stages can stabilize yield and improve water use efficiency. Given the increasing frequency of salinity and drought stress in European countries and the scarcity of information on grain amaranth responses to combined salt and drought stress, an open field trial was carried out in Italy in order to evaluate the response of one accession of Amaranthus hypochondriacus to various irrigation strategies.

RESULTS

Grain amaranth yield components were not negatively affected either by different irrigation volumes or by irrigation time. Some differences in seed yield were caused by water quality; salinity significantly reduced seed yield. The combined effect of irrigation time and irrigation volume significantly influenced seed yield. The quality of amaranth seeds was preserved; no significant differences due to simple or combined stresses were found during the three-year field experiment.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall results from this study suggest that A. hypochondriacus can be cultivated in a more sustainable way compared to other protein crops, thus reducing water use and using saline water. It could be introduced to marginal European environments where traditional crops cannot be cultivated. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

New approaches to improve crop tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses

During the last years, a great effort has been dedicated at the development and employment of diverse approaches for achieving more stress-tolerant and climate-flexible crops and sustainable yield increases to meet the food and energy demands of the future. The ongoing climate change is in fact leading to more frequent extreme events with a negative impact on food production, such as increased temperatures, drought, and soil salinization as well as invasive arthropod pests and diseases. In this review, diverse "green strategies" (e.g., chemical priming, root-associated microorganisms), and advanced technologies (e.g., genome editing, high-throughput phenotyping) are described on the basis of the most recent research evidence. Particularly, attention has been focused on the potential use in a context of sustainable and climate-smart agriculture (the so called "next agriculture generation") to improve plant tolerance and resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses. In addition, the gap between the results obtained in controlled experiments and those from application of these technologies in real field conditions (lab to field step) is also discussed.

Plant-based food and protein trend from a business perspective: markets, consumers, and the challenges and opportunities in the future

The food sector is increasingly turning toward sustainability issues. A sustainable food system should provide sufficient, nutritious food for all within limited natural resources. Plant-based food and proteins are a recent, growing trend setting out to contribute to this challenge. However, food industry stakeholders need to be aware of the challenges and opportunities. This paper reviews the trend from a business perspective. It outlines the global drivers, market trends, market data observations, and consumer behavior factors of relevance, and pinpoints the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) for food sector companies. Findings suggest that the policy and market context is favorable in the near future, but that consumer beliefs, perception and understanding has to change further for the business opportunity to grow on a larger scale. More innovations are needed, in particular in the direction of meat-replacements that are healthy as well as clean label.

Harnessing Microbes for Sustainable Development: Food Fermentation as a Tool for Improving the Nutritional Quality of Alternative Protein Sources

In order to support the multiple levels of sustainable development, the nutritional quality of plant-based protein sources needs to be improved by food technological means. Microbial fermentation is an ancient food technology, utilizing dynamic populations of microorganisms and possessing a high potential to modify chemical composition and cell structures of plants and thus to remove undesirable compounds and to increase bioavailability of nutrients. In addition, fermentation can be used to improve food safety. In this review, the effects of fermentation on the protein digestibility and micronutrient availability in plant-derived raw materials are surveyed. The main focus is on the most important legume, cereal, and pseudocereal species (Cicer arietinum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Vicia faba, Lupinus angustifolius, Pisum sativum, Glycine max; Avena sativa, Secale cereale, Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, Sorghum bicolor; and Chenopodium quinoa, respectively) of the agrifood sector. Furthermore, the current knowledge regarding the in vivo health effects of fermented foods is examined, and the critical points of fermentation technology from the health and food safety point of view are discussed.