As we approach the end of 2024, ESSNA has been wrapping up a year of successful partnerships with leading trade events. Following ESSNA’s contributions to the Active Nutrition Summit and NutrEvent last month, on 20 November, our Chair, Luca Bucchini travelled to Frankfurt to represent ESSNA at Food Ingredients (Fi) Europe. Luca joined a panel discussion on “Navigating the new EU regulatory landscape: spotlight on plant-based” to provide policy and regulatory insights for the sports and active nutrition sector. The ESSNA Secretariat sat down with Luca to discuss his participation at the event and hear about his experience.
Luca could you share a few words about this event and why this panel was relevant to sports foods businesses?
Fi Europe is a longstanding partner of ESSNA and a well-known event among businesses and organisations in the sports foods sector. The panel discussion I joined focused on plant-based nutrition and alternative proteins. It was joined by Alex Hein, Principal at Bright Green Partners and moderated by Nicolas Carbonnelle, Partner at Bird and Bird.
As we all know, the use of alternative proteins has increased across many segments of the food and drink industry and our sector is not an exception. This session was a great opportunity to address the challenges that lie ahead for sports and active nutrition businesses.
So, what did you discussed at the event?
My contribution focused on the policy and political landscape for plant-based and alternative proteins in the aftermath of the EU elections. Among other issues, I discussed the review of the EU’s protein strategy, which was an objective set by the previous European Commission and it is likely to be pursued by policymakers in the new mandate. ESSNA is closely following the developments on this front to ensure that decision makers will support our industry as much as possible.
And what were the main takeaways from the panel?
I think an important conclusion was that the sports and active nutrition industry needs protein supply that is sustainable, affordable, diverse and high-quality.
Plant proteins are becoming increasingly popular and are important to accommodate the dietary requirements of certain market groups but animal-based proteins are just as much needed. Proteins like whey remain critical for active consumers due to their superior amino acid profiles and proven efficacy for athletic performance. So, diversification in protein sources is crucial – and not just to meet consumer preferences but also to maintain resilience in supply chains. Policy makers need to strike the right balance to ensure supply chains are not disrupted.
Also, a shared concern with other speakers when it comes to alternative proteins was processing capacity. There is a lack of investment in that space and that clearly impacts our sector. Investment in research and development is also crucial as manufacturers and brands strive to raise awareness of the nutritional benefits of alternative proteins among consumers.
Then, making alternative proteins and plant-based products economically affordable is a big challenge as well and currently, there is no clarity as to whether the EU has a strategy for this.
What about the legislations governing alternative proteins. Are there any challenges in terms of the current regulatory state of play?
As our sector is witnessing rapid innovation when it comes to the use of alternative proteins in new product development, the approval of new products under the Novel Foods Regulation is an ongoing issue.
Getting a novel food product authorised to market it in the EU is a long process and takes time, as opposed to the US. Policy makers need to tackle this challenge by streamlining the Novel Foods Regulation to support the industry and make sure the EU remains competitive against international markets.
Author: laura.contin
ESSNA Secretariat