Fix-APro · Fixing Alternative Proteins: Overcoming Key Challenges for Practical Integration into Food Systems

Alternative proteins (APros) can help meet worldwide demand for nutritious foods with a lower environmental footprint, but large-scale use remains blocked by five issues: (1) scalable extraction and fractionation, (2) safe reduction of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) and allergenicity, (3) convincing sensory/functional performance in real foods, (4) proven sustainability with circular valorisation of side-streams, and (5) clear consumer and regulatory acceptance.Fix-APro is an international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary MSCA Staff Exchanges network designed to remove these blockers through mobility-driven knowledge transfer. Via structured secondments, joint training and shared protocols, the consortium will:(i) validate pilot-scale extraction routes using mild/dry processing;(ii) deliver food-grade ANF-reduction and safety workflows, including allergenicity assessment;(iii) develop ingredients and test them in relevant food matrices with culinary and sensory validation;(iv) quantify environmental and economic performance and valorize residues; and(v) translate evidence into consumer insights and regulatory/policy roadmaps.Expected results include reusable SOPs and datasets, pilot-validated ingredients, prototype products, open training modules, and policy briefs. Staff gain market-relevant skills in processing, safety, sensory science, sustainability, consumer research and regulation, strengthening careers and long-term collaboration across sectors and regions.The project directly serves MSCA Staff Exchanges by enabling knowledge exchange through secondments and building R&I capacity. It aligns with the European Green Deal, Farm-to-Fork, and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, and contributes to SDGs 2, 3, 9, 12 and 13 by lowering the footprint of protein production and accelerating the availability of safe, nutritious and widely accepted APro foods.