2. New Food Festival Stuttgart: How innovations are revolutionizing the food industry
From agricultural robot dogs to drinking straws made from food waste: the New Food Festival Stuttgart at the University of Hohenheim showcases trends and innovations from the field to the fork.
Whether it's vegan organic pizza cheese, agricultural robots, snacks made from food waste, smart sales forecasts in gastronomy and retail or functional drinks - visionary ideas and creative approaches are changing the food system. They offer answers to the challenges of recent years, caused by crises with supply bottlenecks and crop failures or changing consumer behavior. The second New Food Festival Stuttgart, which will take place at the University of Hohenheim from March 4 to 6, 2025, is all about innovations along the entire food chain - from the field to the fork. It will show how digitalization, artificial intelligence and new business models can transform the industry.
It looks like a normal butcher's shop: from the cutter for grinding to the sausage filler to the smoking plant. But you won't find any meat here: the salami that Dr. Lisa Berger is presenting at the New Food Festival Stuttgart at the University of Hohenheim's Technikum is vegan. A meat alternative that comes very close to the original, but is more sustainable and meets changing eating habits.
"The last few years have been extremely challenging for the entire food chain: changing consumer behavior, lockdowns, supply bottlenecks, crop failures, a shortage of skilled workers and rising food prices have put the industry under enormous pressure," explains Mark Leinemann, Chairman of the crowdfoods association, the main organizer of the festival. "And the future is not getting any easier: the industry has to adapt to new laws, possible trade wars and customs barriers."
Innovative solutions to current challenges
Creative solutions to these problems already exist. The New Food Festival Stuttgart, which will take place at the University of Hohenheim from 4 to 6 March, will showcase numerous innovations, some of which are already making a contribution.
"At the event, we will discuss solutions and work out how we can adapt and re-stabilize our food system in a way that makes sense for everyone involved in the industry," reports Prof. Dr. Mario Jekle, Head of the Department of Plant-Based Food at the University of Hohenheim. "We can offer the industry positive examples of system change. And with the help of these solutions, we are optimistic about the future."
"The Stuttgart Region is a region of innovation, SMEs and future technologies - and this is exactly what the New Food Festival reflects. This is where creative start-ups meet cutting-edge research and strong companies to develop sustainable solutions for the food of the future," explains Michael Kaiser, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH. "In view of the climate crisis, we need bold ideas and smart technologies in order to do business in a resource-conserving and climate-friendly way. The festival shows exactly that. That's why it's important for us to support the festival as a cooperation partner.
"The state capital and the Stuttgart region are home to many important companies in the food industry, from agricultural businesses to food manufacturers and retailers, machine builders, the packaging industry and the catering industry to important research institutions," emphasizes Konstantin Schneider, Team Leader Innovation at the Economic Development Agency of the state capital Stuttgart. "By supporting the festival, we want to promote the transfer of knowledge and networking of these players, including the start-up scene, and thus advance the sustainable transformation of the food industry."
Solutions for the entire food chain
The spirit of optimism can be felt everywhere at the New Food Festival Stuttgart. There are ideas and new developments for the entire food chain, starting with agriculture: an agricultural robot dog demonstrates its skills on four legs. The University of Hohenheim is using it to research how artificial intelligence can ensure greater sustainability in food production.
Startups will be showcasing creative products made from leftovers from food processing, the quality and taste of which visitors can see for themselves on site. The ideas are diverse: the startup ValueGrain, for example, processes spent grains so that they can be used to produce plant-based meat alternatives. Roots Radicals creates tasty products from rescued vegetables that are pickled and fermented. Food packaging, drinking straws and spoons can also be produced sustainably, as the start-up Merall Bioproducts proves: it produces biodegradable bioplastics from the shells of crustaceans.
There are also new concepts for the catering industry: With an indoor gardening solution, for example, restaurants can grow their own herbs - and bring them fresh to the table. And in retail, smart solutions for avoiding packaging waste can drive environmental protection forward. An insight into current research is provided by the University of Hohenheim's Technika: a 3D food printer demonstrates the potential of this technology in food supply, e.g. in the area of personalized nutrition or to reduce food waste.
New protein sources, innovative processes
The vegan salami from Dr Lisa Berger and her team is also beneficial in terms of sustainability, but above all meets the increased demand for vegan meat alternatives. "We want to get as close as possible to the original in terms of production technology," explains the expert. "The production process is therefore based on that of traditional salami, which is primarily characterized by maturation, i.e. fermentation." Like the meat version, her vegan salami is a "raw sausage" - and therefore differs from other plant-based salamis.
The raw materials - protein from soya, peas or wheat, vegetable fat and a natural binder system - are ground up and mixed with spices and starter cultures. "These special microorganisms are traditionally used in raw sausage production. They contribute to the typical salami aroma and the desired consistency through fermentation." The result is impressive, but an upgrade is already in the works: "We are researching how B vitamins can be naturally produced by microorganisms during the process instead of being added," reveals Dr. Berger.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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