TRANSLAG Accompagner la transition protéique en Pays de la Loire vers plus de Légumineuses à Graines dans nos assiettes par une approche intégrée [Projet TETRAE]

Context:

The protein transition is a major challenge for the coming years, from various perspectives: human health issues, environmental issues, geopolitical issues (including reducing dependence on soy), and socioeconomic issues (local jobs, etc.). However, it should not be framed as a debate between meat and plant-based foods, but should be accompanied by better scientific knowledge of raw materials, products, and their nutritional benefits, as well as greater consumer acceptance of alternative protein sources, thanks to a multidisciplinary approach.
Indeed, while current concerns (health and environmental) are contributing to the steady increase in the consumption of plant-based protein sources and their growing use in food products, acceptance of alternatives is generally lower than that of animal proteins in Western diets. This is due in particular to consumers' lack of knowledge about plant-based alternatives, but also to factors related to taste, familiarity, social norms, preconceived ideas about health, or simply social representations of these plant-based alternatives. 

Objectives:

While current research has mainly focused on adult populations without specific risks, the TRANSLAG project proposes to focus on populations with special needs, as these vary greatly depending on age (adolescence, old age) and lifestyle, and therefore also vary greatly in terms of the time available for meal preparation.

The project therefore aims first to better understand the needs and obstacles of the two target consumer groups, then to offer them products that meet their needs and expectations, thanks to improved scientific knowledge of legumes as a source of protein and the development of products with varying degrees of processing that these consumers can adopt.
The two target groups selected are:

• Seniors (aged 65-80), who are profoundly changing their consumption patterns, particularly because they have more free time now that they are retired. This is also a period when aging brings about profound physiological changes, with nutritional needs that may be altered.
• Children and adolescents, who have significant growth-related needs but are at greater risk of consuming junk food.

The objectives of the project are therefore to assess how these target groups perceive their protein requirements and the benefits of pulses, and to evaluate a culinary and gourmet approach using pulse-based recipes to increase the appeal of pulses among these target groups. It will then be possible to study diversification in uses, offering different degrees of processing (traditional home cooking, pre-cooked products, canned products, and intermediate products such as flour or textured by extrusion cooking) adapted to different needs and uses.

Foods made from these legume-based recipes will be evaluated in all aspects of quality: perceptual, usage, sensory, physicochemical, nutritional, health, and environmental impact of the processing method. Each of these dimensions will be the subject of a specific scientific study by the relevant teams, then jointly evaluated using a multi-criteria analysis based on a decision-making tool that will also be developed and used in the project, in order to arrive at a common definition of products that meet all the criteria.

Ultimately, the TRANSLAG project aims to increase the consumption of plant-based protein sources in the diets of populations with specific needs. It examines ways of improving knowledge of these protein sources among key target groups, analyzes and communicates their nutritional benefits, and proposes levers for increasing consumption through a culinary approach (mobilizing chefs or recipes communicated via the media) and a design/experiential approach (ways of appropriating these new foods and integrating them into different product categories), while exploring all aspects of product quality.

This project also aims to promote the region's agricultural sectors by favoring regional sources of plant protein. This approach thus responds to the challenges of food sovereignty and economic revitalization of the region. Finally, it aims to explore the diversity of potential approaches and the capacity of local actors (producers, collectors, processors, restaurateurs) to seize this market opportunity.

SECALIM focuses on two aspects:

• improving product digestibility using fermentation processes
• assessing health risks, which will be integrated into the multi-criteria analysis

Start date: January 2023

Duration: 5 years

Partners: UR GRANEM - University of Angers; USC INRAE GRAPPE; UR INRAE BIA; UMR INRAE SECALIM; UMR GEPEA,  Chamber of Agriculture / LEGGO Association, Végépolys Valley, Ligeriaa, EPLEFPA Nantes Terre Atlantique

Coordination: Francine Fayolle, UMR GEPEA

Funding: TETRAE Project, Pays de la Loire Region