GreenLeaFood - Added food value from green leaves

Maybe not really, but within our project GreenLeaFood, we aim to extract components, such as proteins, dietary fibers and phenols, from green leaf biomass, which can contribute to good and nutritious foods. The food industry of today has a strong negative impact on the environment. It is well known that the ecological footprint is large and negative. Within GreenLeaFood, we intend to use sustainably produced green leaf biomass from e.g. cover and intermediate crops, fodder plants and side streams from other production (e.g. beet tops and grass clippings), which will contribute to a low climate impact. We will then characterize the presence of interesting components in this leaf biomass and develop methods for extracting things that the food industry benefits from and finds interesting. The extraction of the valuable components will be done in the Plant Protein Factory in Alnarp. To further increase sustainability, the side streams from that production will be evaluated as locally produced feed and for suitability as a biogas substrate. Biological fertilizers will be produced from residual streams.

GreenLeaFood thus aims at sustainability in the food system along the entire production chain and at new, healthy food alternatives. We will ensure this goal through economic and life cycle assessment in relation to regulations regarding new foods and collaboration with industry.

Publications

Nynäs, A.-L., E. Berndtsson, W. R. Newson, H. P. Hovmalm and E. Johansson (2024). Protein Fractionation of Leafy Green Biomass at the Pilot Scale: Partitioning and Type of Nitrogen in the Fractions and Their Usefulness for Food and Feed. ACS Food Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.3c00426 

Cover to the ACS Food Science and Technology volume 4 issue 1, 19 January 2024.