At A house, we are proud to have such a rich variety of future food initiatives. In A sustainable Journal, we are taking the opportunity to get to know them and their thoughts on the future of food. Today we are talking to Fanny Nachemson, Investment Manager at PINC. 

Hi Fanny, what is it that PINC does exactly? 

PINC stands for Paulig incubator. It is the venture arm of Paulig: a corporate venture capital unit that invests in early stage start-ups in and around the future of food. The objective of PINC is to help Paulig renew itself and prosper as well as contribute to a tastier, healthier and more sustainable planet.

What will be the next big future protein in your opinion? 

The space of alternative protein includes everything from plant-based alternatives such as oumph, tofu and tempeh, to more high-tech alternatives including single cell protein and “lab-grown meat”.

”We might have a bio tracker inside our body”

A lot will happen within the space the next 5-10 years, especially in terms of improving taste and texture, and we believe single cell protein is likely to drive the next wave of protein alternatives, closely followed by cell-based meat (PINC just invested in Mirai, a swiss startup in the call-based space).

How must we produce food in the future? 

We must involve circularity in each step of the food production – from sourcing of ingredients to find ways of taking care of the generated waste (including the CO2). PINC recently invested in Kaffe Bueno that upcycles coffee waste to coffee oil (and other high value cosmetic ingredients), which will allow Paulig coffee factory to handle their own waste. A production method that is increasingly common in the food tech space is fermentation, which typically enhance flavors, shelf life, and the health properties of the products. Single cell protein (mentioned above) is produced through precision fermentation methods.

What consumer behavior do you see when it comes to trying new types of foods? 

Based on the exploding number of food documentaries, cook books, diet trends, food series etc. it is obvious that the interest of what we eat is massive. This, however, doesn’t mean that people are willing to explore new food and tastes. Children and the so-called ”early adapters” tend to be open to try new foods out of curiosity, but in general, 5 criteria need to be fulfilled in order to attract the mainstream; taste & texture, look, availability, easiness to cook with and price, where the latter is still the number 1 factor for a majority of consumers. Nutrition is growing increasingly important and sustainability is not far behind! There are many innovations to increase transparency and traceability, thereby enabling consumers to take more informed decisions.

What are our eating habits like in say, 10 years? 

We might have a bio tracker inside our body, collecting and analyzing bio feedback data from gut bacteria, blood and DNA, telling us when and what to eat. Imagine if it was also connected to your smart kitchen back home so that you could be served a personalized 3D-printed pizza when arriving hungry from a day of work. 😊

If I say ”Future Protein”, what is the first food on your mind?  

Lab-grown meat ◾️

pauliggroup.com/pinc