A rundown of the Future Proteins conference

Over 240 visitors from around the world recently convened at MULTIVAC headquarters to participate in the Future Proteins conference. What united them was their interest in food products from alternative protein sources, such as camembert made from cashew milk, shrimp made from soya and cutlets made from chickpeas. These food products are often delicate and have to be processed and packaged very gently.

“The event was a unique opportunity for the participants to learn not only about the current trends in alternative proteins, but also about the latest sustainable and efficient solutions for processing and packaging these products,” said Tobias Richter, Director and CSO of the MULTIVAC Group. “I was very impressed to see the wealth of ideas, which inspire this forward-looking sector, as well as the range of products that arise from these alternative protein sources, and also how great the demand is for sustainable processing and packaging. In short: The Future Proteins conference has shown that we are on the right path.”

A full program, supported by the Industry Association of Alternative Protein Sources (BALPro) was offered to visitors by the organisers, MULTIVAC and Handtmann. The program included presentations by speakers from science, research and industry, followed by podium discussions on subjects such as product trends, opportunities for market positioning and ways of reducing the CO₂ footprint of packaging over the entire life cycle.

Visitors were able to see the Market Place between talks, where the organisers, together with various players across the entire added value chain, presented solutions for the manufacture, processing and packaging of alternative proteins.

Harald Suchanka, CEO of Handtmann, said the visitors appreciated the opportunities for networking and the solutions presented at the event. The Meet the Experts format, where more than 60 experts were available for half an hour of individual discussion with the conference participants, was also popular.

The conference had a practical aspect in its deep dive sessions, which gave visitors the opportunity to observe machines and lines at work. The demonstrations ranged from semiautomatic individual machines right up to fully automatic industrial-scale line solutions from MULTIVAC and Handtmann, all of which featured the processing and packaging of sliced, minced and formed products, as well as other items such as convenience foods and spreads.

“We have now completed more than 100 projects in the alternative proteins sector,” said Klaus Deniffel, Project Manager for Alternative Proteins at MULTIVAC. “Each individual solution is configured independently, so that every manufacturer is supported during the challenges in their transformation of proteins.”