Protein from grass as alternative to soy
Two Dutch companies (Schouten Europe and Grassa) will start developing grass-based meat substitutes. These companies believe grass protein is a suitable alternative to soy and has environmental benefits. They will conduct research into the application possibilities of grass protein over the coming years. Grassa currently processes grass into various products for dairy farmers. The idea is for the companies to start working with unlaid grass.
While cows convert 30% of grass protein into milk and meat, the remaining 70% is converted into fertiliser. Grassa intends to extract some of the superfluous protein from the grass in advance. The residual product will be consumed by the cows. Grass protein has other benefits; it yields 50% more protein for each hectare of land. Also, cows emit less ammonia by eating unlaid grass. Engaged in developing, manufacturing and packaging of plant-based products, Schouten is very interested in grass-based proteins.
However, before grass protein is suitable for human consumption, there are still some obstacles to overcome. Namely, it requires approval for human consumption by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).