German Researchers Find Lupin Seeds Provide A Low Fat Alternative To Milk And Sausage

Meat production is resource intensive, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization expects meat output to double by 2050. Researchers in Freising, Germany, have been working on finding alternatives that are healthy, sustainable, and taste just as good as the original. Specifically looking at lupin seeds and lupin protein, Dr. Eisner has developed a protein that yields a fat-like structure. The team showed, for example, that adding lupin protein to low-fat sausages improved the “fat-like impression” without adding to the fat content. A milk substitute has also been developed using the lupin proteins that is lactose and cholesterol-free and could be used in ice cream and cheese production. Dr. Eisner reports that while 2.5 acres of land allocated to meat production earns 950 Euros in income, if used to grow plants for a variety of uses it produces around 1770 Euros.