DIVINFOOD Community in Practice Webinar on Legume and Cereals Fermentation (Deliverable 6.4)

Wild and cultivated biodiversity is in rapid decline due to land use changes from agricultural industrialisation, the expansion of meat- and sugar-heavy food systems, and climate change. NUCs offer a solution to mitigate this decline by potentially creating new markets and enhancing the nutritional value of traditional products, thus diversifying diets.There is growing consumer demand in Europe for local, minimally processed, nutritious plant-based foods. However, links between minor cereals or legumes and appealing, healthy food products are lacking, and high-quality plant-based products from NUCs are not yet well-established in markets. To promote the use of NUCs in food chains and to support healthier diets and more sustainable food systems, the DIVINFOOD project has established a Community in Practice focused on minimal or mild processing of NUCs, supported by a webinar series that was launched with a session on fermenting legumes and cereals. Invited speakers provided useful insights: fermentation of legumes and grains taps into current trends (e.g., upcycling for food waste reduction); fermentation of legumes and cereals have many different applications and uses, such as for condiments (e.g. gochujang chili paste), to flavour ingredients and dishes (miso, soy sauce etc.) and in pantry items; fermentation also taps into current trends in relation to the transition to plant-based diets, providing meat substitutes through fermentation of different legumes and cereals.