INTERVIEW F&A Alternative Proteins Edition April 2023 19 This already is a large market with a huge growth potential. Still, this does not meet the demand of consumers looking for meat in their diet, esp. in the areas with high population growth rates where the consumption per capita is lower compared to the Western world. This drives a strong demand for sustainable alternative protein sources. ANDRITZ focuses on plant-based sources (i.e. peas and pulses or oilseed crops), insect proteins and side streams (i.e. animal residues or spent grains) as most relevant and impactful. We are working on more efficient and sustainable technologies, that deliver more nutritious and functional proteins, which are needed to meet the demand in feed and food industry. Alternative proteins cover many different protein groups, from insect-based proteins to microalgae, cell-based meats to plant-based proteins. Which of these groups do you think will achieve a faster development and growth in the coming years? Plant based proteins are already available in feed and food, esp. pea and soy proteins on different levels of maturity. More differentiating sources will come to the market, like fava, chickpea, hemp, or canola. Using insects as a source for proteins is a relatively recent development in feed and pet food; and we still see a certain reluctance from consumers. Nevertheless, insects are a great opportunity to valorize side streams and upcycle these to proteins, thus allowing to grow the protein availability without the need for additional resources. We see a bright future for insect protein. Cultured / cell-based meat has a very high potential as well, despite regulatory approval often still pending at the moment, the production processes are at their infancy, still extremely expensive as pharma-grade raw materials are needed. Reducing the cost of production is needed. At the same time, the supply of raw materials and fermenters is not there yet. And finally, broad consumer acceptance and improved sustainability footprint on industrial scale needs to be validated. For ANDRITZ, cellbased meats provide a high future potential on the mid- to long-term. The use of alternative protein and circular economy concepts in the same sentence is increasing day by day. Especially when it comes to by-products and waste products… What is the place of the circular economy in the alternative proteins market? Considering the global protein resources, we need to utilize these resources more efficiently. Therefore, directly utilizing side streams (e.g. spent grains or animal residues) or indirectly (i.e. as feed to grow insects) are great opportunities to increase protein availability and revenue streams. As ANDRITZ, you have various solutions for different types of alternative protein (e.g. pea-based protein, food waste, insect processing, etc.). Can
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