How do we achieve protein security?

By Emily Wilson

No longer confined to bars and powders, protein has made its way into every grocery aisle, with grams per serving featured prominently on food packaging and protein-rich recipes populating social media feeds.  

But not all sources are created equal, and not all people have access to the high-quality protein our bodies need. This puzzle motivates food scientist Filiz Koksel. 

She and her team are taking food security one step further. By zeroing in on protein security and sustainability, they’re helping to ensure we have access to the essential amino acids that good quality protein offers, and that our body can’t make on its own. 

Animal protein—eggs, dairy, meat—are often considered “complete” because they provide all essential amino acids in adequate proportions. Most plant-based protein, including cereals like wheat and barley, are typically not since they’re limited in one or more.  

But the lower levels of certain essential amino acids in plant-based protein shouldn’t knock them out of contention as a go-to source, says Koksel, who is the Manitoba Strategic Research Chair in Sustainable Protein at UM.

No matter the source, its environmental footprint must also be weighed, from greenhouse gases to water use. Koksel challenges some common misconceptions.

“In discussions around animal versus plant protein, people often frame animal proteins as unsustainable and plant proteins as sustainable. While it is generally true, I don’t completely agree with that perspective,” she says.

Poultry and eggs, Koksel notes, have a much lower carbon footprint than beef production, while some plant protein production involves fertilizers, pesticides and significant amounts of water. 

“I think blends of animal and plant proteins will be the next big protein sources, and I think the future lies in using our resources in ways that minimize environmental impact while maintaining protein nutritional quality.”

Her research involves developing products that contain both animal and plant protein while preserving important factors like taste, texture and digestibility. For example, her team produced a puffed snack for an international cereals and grains product development competition. The snack contains 13 grams of protein per serving. They also developed plant-based meat analogues (similar to Beyond Meat and other textured vegetable proteins) that are 30-40 per cent protein when prepared. 

From a sustainability perspective, Koksel looks at ways to maximize by-products from food and ingredient manufacturing, including those generated during pulse protein extraction. Pulses like peas contain around 25 per cent protein, and Manitoba is home to the world’s largest pea processing facility. 

“There are a lot of other things that are produced during pea protein extraction, including a large amount of pea starch,” she says.

When thinking of protein security, a few questions come into play. Is enough food being produced and supplied? Is the food nutritionally adequate? Is the access consistent?

“In Canada, we produce more than enough food,” Koksel says, “but we face food security issues related to economic excess, rising food prices and income inequality, especially in northern regions.” 

Manitoba has a strong role to play in the production of sustainable plant-based protein-rich foods, from peas, soy and fava beans to barley, oats and Indigenous wild rice, she insists. The future of food depends on being proactive and showing students how security and sustainability go hand in hand.

“We’re not just producing food, we are training the next generation of researchers. And it’s really important to facilitate this research and be able to translate it into real-world impact, working with industry and working with the province.”