PhD course (5 ECTS): Innovation towards plant-based consumption
The PhD Course Innovation Towards Plant-Based Consumption is timely, since in its core, it addresses the current challenges posed by an unsustainable food system in need of fundamental disruption to become a provider of improved health, environmental sustainability, equity and prosperity to all. At the same time, it addresses the growing demand towards healthy, sustainable and ethical plant-based foods evidenced by a market for plant-based dairy alternatives valued at USD 17.3 Billion in 2018, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% to USD 29.6 Billion by 2023; a meat substitutes market projected to reach USD 6.23 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 6.8%; and by a global plant-based protein market projected to reach USD 16.3 billion by 2025. This PhD Course also addresses the challenge posed by the EAT- Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems to provide and promote a universal healthy diet, encouraging on the one hand a lavish consumption of healthy foods (e.g. vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts), and on the other hand dissuading from consumption of unhealthy foods (e.g. red meat, sugar, and refined grains). The PhD Course will substantially contribute to developing a more flexible, dynamic and sustainable food system by addressing a key global challenge to the EU food industry, namely Consumer Engagement, Consumer Behaviour and Perception of Food.
Therefore, this course is timely since it touches a hot topic, which is relevant to society, industry and consumers in general. It is relevant to the field of Food Science in that it brings forth the current commitments towards healthier and more sustainable food systems and will constitute a platform for UCPH participation and contribution to shaping the food scene in Denmark and EU. This course is inscribed in the strategy Gastronomy 2025 of Danish Ministry of Food & Environment, and the EU FOOD 2030 Agenda.
Plant-based & Health: Plant-based diets and their health outcomes. Data from longitudinal studies will be presented and discussed. Special focus will be given to the implications for policy, innovation, the environment and consumers of the most recent findings in favour of plant-based dietary choices.
Plant-based & sustainability: Focus will be given to the role of dietary choices on the environment and on interventions to promote more sustainable food choices.
Plant-based & Consumers: Demand of new products and concepts by growing segments of vegan, flexitarian and plant-based consumers. As demand for plant-based foods grows, supply by the private sector should follow. Understanding consumers and their current attitudes, preferences and values is key for effective product innovation, healthy and sustainable eating promotion and for sustained behavioural changes.
Plant-based & Innovation: Gastronomy and innovation towards plant-based foods on the grounds of sensory characteristics, but also taking into account cultural aspects, local produce and consumer demand. Specific processes at gastronomy lab and in the design of dishes will be presented.
Plant-based & Technology: State of the art processing of plant-based proteins and additional plant-based ingredients for a new generation of food products.
Field visits: To better understand the current market environment and market actors dealing with the promotion of plant-based foods, but also the retail sector responding to a growing demand for such products.
Knowledge
- The role of plant-based diets in the prevention of chronic disease, the evidence from cohort studies
- Consumers segments and plant-based food consumption (vegetarians, flexitarians, vegans and omnivores)
- Innovation in plant-based foods
- State of art in plant-based foods processing
- The retail sector challenges towards plant based products
- The citizen organisations and promotion of plant based diets
Skills
- Able to develop consumer data collection and analysis
- Able to provide a written mini-review of literature relevant to their own PhD research and in the context of plant-based eating
- Able to provide a written essay on the relevance of the topic for own PhD research, use of scientific publications as evidence and overall reflection on the course
Competences
- Able to understand and apply scientific literature as evidence base for action at policy, consumer and innovation levels
- Able to reflect on the importance of gastronomy and innovation as drivers for plant-based eating
- Able to contribute to the Gastronomy 2025 agenda
Total: 125
Confrontation/workshops: 40
Preparation: 40
Writing of reflection and literature review: 45
Reading material will be provided. Students are expected to be aware/acquainted with existing cohort studies like PREDIMED, Adventist Studies I & II, Nurses Health Study, EPIC, EPIC-Panacea etc.
Students should read the material prior to the course and participate actively in the discussions, plenary sessions and workshops. Students should also reflect on the relevance of the subject to their own PhD research, shape their literature study and match with the contents of the course.
Evaluation of individual reflection paper graded pass/not pass.
Academia (including PhD students): DKK 1,000
Large companies: DKK 4,000
Danish start-ups on plant-based food: DKK 2,000
Payment must be completed before the course start date.
UCPH Lecturers
- Assoc. Prof. Armando Perez-Cueto, Design & Consumer Behaviour Section (course organizer)
- Assoc. Prof. Karsten Olsen, Design & Consumer Behaviour Section (course organizer)
- Prof. Poul Erik Jensen, Dairy and Ingredients Technology Section
Guest Lecturers
- Prof. Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, University of Navarra, ES
- Prof. Ian Rowland, University of Reading, UK
- Prof. Markus Keller, Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM) GmbH, DE
- Asso Prof. Agnès Giboreau, Institut Paul Bocuse Research Centre, Ecully, FR
- Dr. Greet Vanderheyden, Senior Sustainable Development & Communication Manager, ALPRO, BE
- Dr. Karin Petersson, Research Coordinator, OATLY AB, SE
- Dr. Albrecht Wolfmeyer, Head of ProVeg Incubator, DE
- Dr. Quenia D.S. Riedel, UCPH-SUND/WHO-Europe, DK