Camila Perussello, PhD, is an extensively published food engineer who has worked as a scientist and food-industry consultant in different parts of the world. Dr. Perussello is an expert in food processing engineering, modelling & simulation in food manufacturing, and valorization of agrifood by-products. Her latest book, Food for Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate, was released in 2022. Dr. Perussello’s work aims to advance a sustainable, healthy, and nonviolent food system.
What the Alt Protein Sector Should Learn From Formula 1
Both the agrifood and motorsports industries rely on technology and engineering. However, there is one primary thing Formula 1 has been doing right that the alt-protein sector should get inspiration from: modelling & simulation (M&S).
Trial and error is obviously not an efficient way to produce anything, from food to high-performance cars. Think of a food product – pasta, for example. Every time a company tests new formulations, packaging, equipment or process conditions, they use time and resources. Imagine doing that experimentally for all combinations of ingredients and processing methods towards the desired outcomes! A sector that has arisen as an alternative to the wasteful and polluting traditional system of producing food must act smarter than that.
We already know that alt-protein foods (Figure 1) are more sustainable and healthier than what they replace. But to accelerate positive change, plant-based, cultivated, and precision fermentation products need to be affordable and appealing. The sector would greatly benefit from more skilled professionals using computational tools to predict and optimise results across the supply chain.
To change the global food system for good, the alt-protein space needs more engineers with expertise in modelling & simulation to boost industry competitiveness, just like Formula 1 (F1) does.
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