Padma Ishwarya highlights how smart proteins can address India’s intertwined challenges of nutrition, sustainability, and food security—calling for innovation, investment, and supportive public policy to scale solutions for a healthier future
Just as the world is reimagining sustainable energy, transportation and packaging solutions, it’s time to rethink our food systems as well. As global demand for meat continues to rise, exploring ways of making food that people love while minimising environmental impact and conserving resources is key to achieving a sustainable food future. Continued innovation, investment, and public support can position smart proteins as a comprehensive solution to India’s intertwined challenges of environmental sustainability, nutrition, and food security.
Smart proteins—or alternative proteins, as they are commonly called—include meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood made from plants, cultivated from animal cells, or produced via fermentation. These products offer a delicious and culturally resonant alternative to conventional animal-based products. But that’s not all! Smart proteins are better for the planet—they use less land and water and produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than their animal-derived counterparts. In fact, when produced using renewable energy, they are capable of cutting down emissions by up to 92 per cent and require less land and water by 95-99 per cent and 78-99 per cent, respectively. Besides being nutritionally comparable to animal-derived proteins, several studies have shown the association between plant-based meat and improved cardiovascular health due to their capability to reduce cholesterol levels.Made without antibiotics, smart proteins also address the problem of antibiotic overuse, the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and zoonotic diseases.
Smart protein products have the potential to go mainstream, but to get there, they need to be more nutritious, scalable, and affordable. Protein diversification towards these sustainable proteins requires an integrated approach involving science, industrial efficiency, and a strong public policy. Over the past five years or so, the smart protein industry has prioritised taste and price parities with nutrition often taking a backseat in product innovation. Unsurprisingly, a recent survey reveals that 47 per cent of Indians are driven to eat plant-based meat because of its protein content. Nutrition, health, and protein content are the key factors mentioned by 64 per cent, 60 per cent, and 60 per cent of consumers for the repeat purchase of plant-based meat products, respectively. Existing products in the market are already comparable to animal-derived products across nutritional parameters, particularly protein. GFI India’s technical analysis shows that plant-based meat (PBM) and egg (PBE) products in the Indian market are rich sources of protein and dietary fibre. Certain product formats provide more calories from protein than fat. Though some plant-based products fall short on micronutrient content, through biofortification, ingredient diversification, or product reformulation approaches, these products have the potential to become superior in nutrition to their animal-derived counterparts.
The protein quality of a food product is determined by its amino acid composition and bioavailability. Singular plant proteins are incomplete as they lack one or more EAAs, however, when combined correctly, plant protein complementation addresses this limitation effectively. True to this, GFI India’s study revealed that plant-based meats containing a combination of soy+wheat and soy+wheat+pea have a complete amino acid composition.7 Using protein blends derived from India’s native varieties of climate-resilient millets and pulses as ingredients could further render plant-based smart protein products both sustainable and nutritionally excellent. Technologies such as precision fermentation can deliver ingredients with specific nutritional advantages, such as a complete amino acid profile comparable or superior to conventional animal-derived proteins.Besides, fermentation of plant proteins can improve their nutritional profiles by eliminating anti-nutrients. Establishing more robust scientific evidence on the bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients from smart protein ingredients and end products can aid nutritional enhancements and expand smart proteins’ potential as a viable source of nutrition for nutrient-deficit population groups.
Government support and national-level policy frameworks play an important role in accelerating the scaling up and commercialisation of smart proteins. 2023-2024 has been pivotal for government recognition of the potential of the Indian smart protein sector. On August 24, 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the ‘BioE3’ policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment). This is India’s first biotechnology policy proposed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the ‘Fostering High Performance Biomanufacturing’ initiative conceptualised in 2023. ‘Functional food & smart proteins’ is one of the six thematic verticals identified for implementation through this initiative.Several funding schemes that are either dedicated to smart proteins or include them in their scope have been announced by the DBT, the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Department of Science & Technology (DST). These funding mechanisms aimed at unlocking India’s biomanufacturing potential by fostering public-private partnerships (PPP), creating state-of-the-art infrastructure, and promoting innovation ecosystems can exponentially accelerate India’s transformation to a global manufacturing hub for smart proteins that are better for people and the planet.
