How will we feed ourselves in the future? Healthy nutrition, also under the aspect of population increase, is becoming increasingly important and is currently the subject of controversial discussions. In various projects, new protein sources are scientifically evaluated and products are developed and analyzed in line with the national reduction strategy.
| Project | REDSCHUL: Establishment of a training concept for participants in the food trade to convey information on the reduction of sugar, fat and salt.
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Project description
| In the project, a training concept with multimedia and interactive elements is to be developed that increases the nutritional competence of consumers and food companies on several levels and thus promotes healthy nutrition among the population. On the one hand, it is aimed directly at food producers, who can use the information obtained to modify the composition of their food so that it contains less sugar, salt or fat while maintaining consumer acceptance. On the other hand, knowledge and measures to communicate information and benefits associated with the reduction of these nutrients in products will also be provided to increase consumer acceptance and knowledge. In the long term, this should help to reduce the frequency and severity of diet-related diseases. The training concept is initially to be established as an example for the artisanal area of sausage and meat products, as this is a very popular product group with relatively high fat and salt contents. The target groups of the training can therefore be all those involved in the butcher's trade, i.e. butchers, master butchers, specialised salespersons in the food trade and the respective trainees or master students. Up to now, further training has mostly taken place as time-intensive face-to-face events. In addition, no training content on the topic of reduction has been available for the craft sector so far. With the intended training concept, which will also include online phases, there will for the first time be a modern possibility for training and further education in the field of reformulation for the craft trades. |
Duration | 2021 – 2024 |
| Contact | Dr. Martin Köthe |
Legal framework for edible insects
| Project | Legal framework for edible insects
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Project description
| Edible insects or products containing insect-based ingredients have been on the European market for several years. Initially, the products were largely tolerated under the former Novel Food Regulation (EU Regulation (EC) No 258/97). With the entry into force of its successor (EU Regulation (EU) 2015/2283), many products could also remain on the market due to transitional arrangements. In the meantime, there are several authorisations of edible insects in the European Union, which clearly regulate the marketing and the possible uses of individual insect species. Currently, these authorisations cover the following four species:
The project will monitor and analyse the changing legal framework for edible insects. |
Duration | since 2017 |
| Contact | Dr. Martin Köthe |
Analytical methods for edible insects
| Project | Applicability of analytical methods for the examination of edible insects
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Project description
| Edible insects and products containing insect-based ingredients have been on the European and German market for several years. For food control and monitoring, this presents a challenge in terms of analysis, among other things. Analytical methods for the examination of food are listed in §64 of the German Food and Feed Code (LFGB). However, there are no specific methods (yet) for the matrix of edible insects. The aim of the project is therefore to investigate the transferability of already established analytical methods for other matrices to edible insects. |
Duration | since 2020 |
| Contact | Dr. Martin Köthe |
Brood of drones
| Project | Use of drone brood as food
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Project description
| The term drone brood refers to the larvae of male honey bees (Apis mellifera). Beekeepers use the option of removing drone brood from hives to reduce infestation with the Varroa mite (Varroa destructor), which is a major cause of colony weakening and death. Since sufficient male larvae are always produced in every hive, the removal of these larvae is not problematic for the continuation of the colony and honey bees in general. So far, drone larvae have been used little or not at all. Using them as food can be a sustainable and economical alternative to the current widespread practice of disposal. The development of the use of drone brood will be followed in the project and potential uses will be considered. |
Duration | since 2020 |
| Contact | Dr. Martin Köthe |
Substrate utilisation by the black soldier fly
| Project | Influence of the substrate on the development and composition of the larvae of the black soldier fly
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Project description
| The larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), which are often referred to as BSF or BSFL (BSF larvae) from their English name (Black Soldier Fly), are under discussion as potential edible insects and are already used as feed. The project investigates to what extent the composition (nutritional values) of the larvae in particular can be influenced by the selection or enrichment of the feed substrate. As so-called feed generalists, the BSFL can utilise almost any organic material and thus offer enormous potential with regard to the use of various residual and side streams from the agricultural and food industry and can thus contribute to more efficient circulation systems. |
Duration | since 2018 |
| Contact | Dr. Martin Köthe |
| Project | OvoLactoNuco-Immu-MS: Development of highly sensitive detection methods for food allergens for the detection of trace amounts, using the example of allergens from egg, milk and nuts.
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Project description
| Milk and egg are the two foods that trigger the most frequent allergies in childhood. In contrast to all other "allergens subject to labelling", these two allergenic parameters can only be detected via the analytics of proteins, as there are no complementary supplementary PCR methods available for almost all other parameters. This is problematic in that the existing protein-based methods cannot detect processed products with sufficient sensitivity, so there is an urgent need for new suitable methods and the corresponding reference material here. The aim of the project is to develop a novel method with which it will be possible to detect the main allergens of egg and milk with suitable sensitivity, independent of processing and matrix influences. The aim is to harmonise allergen detection using multiplex methods. To this end, the principle of the method is initially to be transferred to some nuts, namely the allergens from walnut, almond, hazelnut and pistachio that require declaration. The new combined method should enable an unambiguous and, in particular, reliable statement on the presence of the protein quantity of the respective food as well as a risk assessment of the allergological relevance of the product. |
Duration | 2020 – 2023 |
| Contact | Dr. Claudia Wiacek |
| Project | NovAl - New algae species as a sustainable source of bioactive nutrients in human nutrition |
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Project description
| The aim of the project is to evaluate new microalgae species with regard to their suitability as a food source in human nutrition. In addition to nutrient analyses, investigations are being carried out into the toxic potential and technological possibilities for improving bioavailability. |
Duration | 2017 – 2020 |
| Contact | Dr. Claudia Wiacek |
| Project | nutriCARD - Competence Cluster for Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health |
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Project description
| nutriCARD focuses on the development and prevention of diet-related cardiovascular diseases, addressing three key areas: (1) development and evaluation of reformulated foods and strategies for their commercialisation, (2) basic and translational studies in the field of nutrient efficiency and safety, nutritional approaches to improve cardiovascular health and biomarker research, and (3) the development of nutrition communication concepts and curricula for consumers and institutions in the disciplines of nutrition, health and education. |
| Website | www.nutricard.de |
Duration | 2015 – 2021 |
| Contact | Dr. Claudia Wiacek, Prof. Dr. Peggy Braun |
| Project | The challenges associated with the new generation sustainable plant proteins-enriched food prototypes for Baltic-German population |
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Project description
| The aim of the proposed project was intended to improve the biological value, safety and sustainability of lupin food products, and to create new ideas for higher value safe food production. |
Duration | 2017 |
| Contact | Dr. Claudia Wiacek, Prof. Dr. Peggy Braun |
| Project | Validation of an overall concept for the production of a fat exchange preparation based on native plant proteins |
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Project description
| The aim of the validation project was to check the process for obtaining the fat exchange protein isolates with processing of all by-products with regard to an economic overall concept. |
Duration | 2013 – 2016 |
| Contact | Dr. Denise Melde, Prof. Dr. Peggy Braun |
| Project | Establishment of an assistant position to support scientific transfer to the Saxon food industry |
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Project description
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Duration | 2018 – 2021 |
| Contact | Christian Geyer |
| Funding information | Download PDF |