Nyhed

Breakthrough: Now Grass Can Be Eaten

Photo: Anders Kjær Jørgensen and William Holler Brændstrup

After many years of research, Associate Professor Mette Lübeck and her colleagues at the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, can present a breakthrough: They have succeeded in extracting protein from grass and making it ready for commercial use as a food ingredient.

Nyhed

Breakthrough: Now Grass Can Be Eaten

Text: David André Højlund Graff
Credit: Anders Kjær Jørgensen and William Holler Brændstrup
Photo: Grass, pulp and juice from various filtrations, as well as the final food protein

The message has gradually sunk in for most people: We need to get used to eating more plant-based foods to reduce the negative climate impact of meat production. However, it is difficult to find a good protein alternative – soybeans are one option. Still, they are mainly grown in South America and therefore need to be transported long distances, often associated with deforestation, resulting in a negative climate impact.

So, what do we do? Now researchers from Aalborg University have an answer: We should eat grass!

Eat grass – without knowing it
Mette Lübeck leads the research on grass as food at Aalborg University. She explains that the research has just reached a crucial milestone:

-“Many researchers worldwide have managed to extract protein from grass. But the taste and smell of grass have been hard to get rid of. However, we have cracked the code and can deliver a tasteless and colorless product that can be used in foods as a replacement for protein from soy, peas, and whey, says the researcher”.

Humans cannot simply stand side by side with cows and chew cud because of the many fibers in the grass. The fibers mean that humans, who only have one stomach, cannot digest it. Cows have a different digestive system with four stomachs, so they can.

The pressed juice and the dry grass pulp

Grass mayonnaise
The researchers’ solution has been to handle part of the digestion process in the laboratory:

-“First, we extracted a protein-rich juice from the grass. We then sort the juice into one part that becomes feed for monogastric animals like chickens and pigs, and another part, which is the edible protein for humans. Finally, we remove the color and smell of the grass as well as certain molecules and salts through a filtration process”, explains Mette Lübeck.

The result is a concentrated product with about 70 percent protein, which can be used in, for example, ice cream, mayonnaise, protein drinks, yogurt, plant-based burgers, as well as bread and cakes. And according to Mette Lübeck, it has great potential:

-“Grass is a resource that is available in abundant quantities worldwide. This means it can be grown locally and help feed the world’s population sustainably”.

When can you buy foods with grass protein?

Aalborg University, together with the company Biomass Protein, has filed a patent application, which is currently being processed. Mette Lübeck is a co-founder of the company.

Due to the ongoing patent application, the researchers have not yet published their research, but Mette Lübeck expects that consumers will be able to eat foods with grass protein within two to four years.

The researchers’ commercial partners are currently testing the proteins in their food production. For example, Thise Dairy is testing the protein as an ingredient in yogurt.