Food technology

Many people associate Katjes primarily with fruit gums and licorice. But the confectionery company from Emmerich am Rhein has also been one of the pioneers of vegan confectionery for years. The company has long dispensed with animal gelatin in the manufacture of its products. As early as 2016, it converted its entire Katjes range in Germany to vegetarian products. With Katjes Greenfood, the confectionery manufacturer has also established a platform to further promote plant-based foods.

Whether boiled, fried or for baking: Some people find it hard to imagine an everyday life without eggs. According to the Federal Office of Food and Agriculture, 19.9 billion eggs are consumed in Germany every year. This corresponds to a per capita consumption of 239 eggs per year on average. While plant-based alternatives have long been available on the market for other animal products, there are hardly any vegan options for eggs.

At the third edition of the Science Year discussion series "Karliczek. Impulse.", the spotlight was on industrial biotechnology and its little helpers. A free online talk entitled "Biotechnology makes it possible - innovations for greater sustainability" was held on June 16.

As an alternative source for protein, as an ingredient for cosmetics, or to improve waste management – these are just some of the possibilities that insects offer for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future industry. To discuss the newest research findings experts from 35 countries came together at the third annual international INSECTA conference. This year, 250 participants from research and industry gathered at the main building of the Technical University Berlin on September 7 and 8.

Wheat is one of the most important cereal species worldwide and its products like bread or pasta are common staples of food. Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and international colleagues have decoded the complex genome sequence of goatgrass (Aegilops tauschii), an ancestor of common wheat.

Plants produce a number of metabolites with diverse functions. Many of these metabolites are not only useful to the plant itself, but also have positive effects in humans and animals. However, the extraction of these compounds in sufficient quantities from the naturally producing resources is often laborious and costly. While some metabolites can be produced in bacteria, so far none can be manufactured in plants themselves.