The future role of novel food sources in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This thesis considers the current state of technology in three areas of novel protein production, namely: single cell protein, leaf protein and novel oilseed crops, with particular reference to oilseed rape. These three topics are chosen for study because of the potential contribution which they could make to UK food supply, and it is the quality and quantity of that contribution which is explored in this work. The assessment of the technologies is aci1ieved by a broadly based and thorough literature review to enable likely future developments to be made clear. A forecasting study is used to assess future prospects for oilseed crops such as· oilseed rape, lupin, sunflower and linseed in the United Kingdom. Energy and economic analyses are used to develop a comparative picture of the three novel processes. Finally, a model predicting the protein and energy supply of UK agriculture based on a vegan system is considered and the novel technologies are applied to it. Similarly, vegetarian and conventional systems are reviewed and the contribution of oilseeds, single cell protein and leaf protein are included in those systems. Little advantage is revealed by the use of the novel proteins in a vegan system of agriculture. When animal production is included in the model a contribution from novel proteins is seen to be of value. However, taken in turn, single cell protein is seen to have a limited future owing to its high energy and capital requirements, and the success of leaf protein is still limited by necessary further technical and process innovation. Agriculturally produced proteins are the cheapest and most acceptable in the UK, with home-grown oilseed rape providing an increasing proportion of our requirements.