Berlin is knorke: New Food

Berlin, 27 May 2024 – Plant-based eggs, algae-based fish or tofu made from chickpeas – anyone who thinks of the experimental cuisine in a Berlin trendy restaurant is wrong, but not completely wrong. This is because alternative protein and nutrient-rich foods are becoming increasingly popular, and relevant. The future-oriented trend is called “New Food” and means the resource-saving and technology-based production of alternative plant-based protein sources. A number of Berlin-based companies that are working on the food production of the future according to this very principle are taking part in the Food Innovation Camp in June together with Berlin Partner.

The principle of “New Food” is simply explained: It is about using fewer resources to produce food for more people. There are plenty of reasons for this: The world’s population is growing steadily, but the resources available to the global community are limited. Added to this is climate change, which is already making it impossible in some regions to grow grain or keep livestock. At the same time, many people want to eat a more sustainable, healthier and, not least, more environmentally friendly diet. As part of “New Food”, researchers and companies are developing plant-based or fungus-based foods, with so-called precision fermentation (algae-based), using cell cultures (cell-based) or based on insects or crustaceans, utilising new technologies and digital tools such as 3D printers or bioreactors. And hybrid products, meaning a combination of alternative forms of production and plant-based foods, make a varied and healthy diet possible, but at the same time also conserve resources.

Sustainability and the careful use of raw materials are also the focus of the Food Innovation Camp 2024, which is regarded as the “Industry meeting place for the sustainable food scene”. Up to 90 food start-ups will meet stakeholders from the food service, hospitality, retail, politics and investment sectors on 17 June 2024. In addition to an expo, a conference offers the opportunity for knowledge transfer and exchange. “Speed dating” and “matchmaking” bring together innovators and investors, while over 30 start-ups present themselves in the pitch stage. Right in the middle of it all: the Berlin Partner stand – and an exclusive selection of Berlin “New Food” companies.

These include Neggst Foods GmbH, which produces eggs made from plant-based proteins and vegetables that resemble the classic hen’s egg thanks to the yolk, egg white and a white shell made from biodegradable plastic and calcium carbonate, and Oceanfruit GmbH, which produces snacks, vegetable dishes and pastes from European seaweed from the fjords of Norway or the coast of Ireland. Mondarella GmbH, also represented in Hamburg, offers “the next generation of plant-based cheese alternatives” – for example the world’s first almond-based mozzarella. And Zeevi Kichererbsen GmbH finally surprises with its chickpea tofu – and was inspired by the Shan people in Myanmar.

Berlin Partner organizes a panel discussion with the Food Campus Berlin, Kitchentown, Oetker Digital and VF Nutrition/Vly. So it’s well worth being there – because this year, too, everything at the 6th Food Innovation Camp will revolve around one of the most important questions of all: What is there to eat (tomorrow)?