Popular science summaries
Here you will find popular science summaries from FINEST in various research areas. The presentations describe benefits and practical applications and can be downloaded in PDF format.
Så kan livsmedelssystemet ställas om – slutrapport från FINEST
Denna rapport från FINEST visar att en effektiv och radikal omställningen är möjlig. Genom systeminnovation, nya samverkansformer och ett flernivåperspektiv där lösningar kopplas ihop till en helhet kan aktörerna i livsmedelskedjan snabbare hitta de lösningar som leder till både ökad hållbarhet och ökad lönsamhet inom livsmedelssektorn.
Popular science summaries
Att facilitera transformativ förändring
Under fyra år har FINEST systeminnovationslabb samlat aktörer från hela livsmedelskedjan för att testa, lära och utveckla nya vägar mot ett mer hållbart matsystem. Nu sammanfattar vi erfarenheterna i rapporten Att facilitera transformativ förändring.
Författare: Fredric Norefjäll, Björn Persson, Niklas Fernqvist och Petter Bertilsson Forsberg
Läs hela rapporten här: Att facilitera transformativ förändring
Keyhole and Nutri-Score for Plant-Based Dairy Analogues
Research within the FINEST project has compared how the front-of-pack nutrition labels Keyhole and Nutri-Score classify plant-based dairy analogues on the Swedish market.
Contact: Susanne Bryngelsson
Keyhole and Nutri-Score for Plant-Based Dairy Analogues (pdf, landscape format)
Keyhole and Nutri-Score for Plant-Based Dairy Analogues (pdf, portrait format)
Nutritional strengths and limitations of plant-based dairy analogues
Research within FINEST has shown that plant-based alternatives to dairy products have both nutritional strengths and limitations compared to milk-based options. While assessments of the nutritional quality of plant-based dairy alternatives usually focus solely on milk substitutes, FINEST has collected nutritional data also for yoghurt, cheese, cream, spreads, and ice cream (a total of 222 products on the Swedish market in 2022).
Contact: Susanne Bryngelsson and Marta Bianchi
Nutritional strengths and limitations of plant-based dairy analogues (pdf, portrait format)
Nutritional strengths and limitations of plant-based dairy analogues (pdf, landscape format)
FINEST Berry Booster
Could lingonberry press cake, a by-product containing the natural preservative benzoic acid, be used to extend the shelf life and reduce food waste?
Contact: Hanna Svensson
A case of insects as food and feed in Sweden
The article “Navigating the business model design space: A case of insects as food and feed in Sweden” by Linus Thomson, Chattraporn Chatthong, and Thomas Lennerfors builds on a master’s thesis project conducted as part of FINEST. The study dives into the emerging niche of insect-based food and feed in Sweden, focusing on how companies innovate their business models in this emerging niche.
Contact: Linus Thomson
Preservatives to keep meat alternatives safe even after the packaging is broken
In this study, we investigated the possibility of using already approved preservatives to prevent microbial growth in pea-based sausage analogs during cold storage but without a protective atmosphere. This product type is just one example, and the results of the study were considered relevant to other vegan alternatives to charcuterie or dairy products.
Contact: Petter Melin
Navigera framtiden: Dialogverktyg för hållbarhetsomställning
FINEST dialogverktyg har tagits fram för att ge en översiktlig förståelse av hållbarhetsomställning – eller om vikten av att avveckla och utveckla nya innovationer för framtidens samhällsystem, exempelvis inom mat, transport eller energi.
Författare: Fernqvist, N., Norefjäll, F., Persson, B., Bertilsson Forsberg, P. (2024)
Navigera framtiden: Dialogverktyg för hållbarhetsomställning
Climate impact of plant-based meat analogues
Plant-based meat analogues are often proposed as a viable lower carbon alternative but knowledge is currently limited about their climate impact in relation to other foods. A new study has compiled the state of knowledge and contributes to a more nuanced picture of the climate impact of PBMAs compared to other products, which can support actors in the food chain in product development and in communication with customers and suppliers.
Contact: Elinor Hallström
Climate impact of plant-based meat analogues (pdf, landscape format)
Climate impact of plant-based meat analogues (pdf, portrait format)
Publication: Climate Impact of Plant-based Meat Analogues: A Review of Life Cycle Assessments
Bärometer 2021 – where do the wild berries go?
There have long been uncertainties surrounding the collection and trade of wild berries in Sweden. A new study based on interviews with Swedish berry companies has compiled information about the 2021 season. The overall picture is consistent with e
Contact: Johnn Andersson och Charlotta Hedberg
Bärometer 2021 – where do the wild berries go? (pdf, landscape format)
Bärometer 2021 – where do the wild berries go? (pdf, portrait format)
Consumer attitude towards plant-based yoghurt
It is important to understand consumers’ attitudes and expectations in order to know which products need further development and should have a spot on the market as well as how they should be marketed. This study gives insight to how different groups of consumers reason and prioritise when choosing between milk-based and plant-based yoghurt.
Contact: Johanna Östlund
Consumer attitudes towards plant-based yoghurt (pdf, landscape format)
Consumer attitudes towards plant-based yoghurt (pdf, portrait format)
Plant-based meat analogues – nutritional strengths and challenges
RISE has published a study where they have mapped and evaluated the nutritional quality of meat analogues on the Swedish market. Meat analogues have potential strengths, but also challenges, in terms of their ability to contribute to a healthy diet.
Contact: Susanne Bryngelsson
Plant-based meat analogues – nutritional strengths and challenges (pdf, landscape format)
Plant-based meat analogues – nutritional strengths and challenges (pdf, portrait format)
Publication: Nutritional assessment of plant-based meat analogues on the Swedish market
Matchmaking alternative protein sources with products to increase market acceptability
The need to reduce consumption of meat-based products is driving development of meat-free protein-rich foods that are healthier and better for the environment. However, it is unclear which of these products will find market success.
Contact: Elizabeth Hörlin
Consumers rationalisation of dairy consumption
The beneficiaries of this study are companies who are wanting to design new products that will meet the expectations of consumers of a specific segment, i.e. those who had different degrees of rationalisation of dairy products consumption.
Contact: Jun Niimi
Consumers rationalisation of dairy consumption (pdf, landscape format)
Consumers rationalisation of dairy consumption (pdf, portrait format)
The emergence of the Swedish innovation system around plant-based meat analogues
This abstract is currently only accessible in Swedish. Follow this link to access the Swedish version →
Contact: Helena Fornstedt
The environmental impact of the Swedish pea protein value chain
In this study, the carbon footprint, water usage, energy consumption, and several other key environmental indicators for the Swedish pea protein chain have been evaluated. The stages that were found to contribute the most to environmental impact were the cultivation of raw materials and the sausage production itself.
Contact: Edoardo Desiderio
The environmental impact of the Swedish pea protein value chain (pdf, landscape format)
The environmental impact of the Swedish pea protein value chain (pdf, portrait format)
Influence of Swedish bilberry pre-processing technique on juice yield and quality
Bilberries represent a valuable northern European wild berry crop, well regarded for their high content of bioactive compounds and perceived health benefits. In Sweden, other than consumption of fresh whole berries, processing into juice is the most common route. To optimise the extraction of juice from bilberries and to investigate the impact on juice quality, fresh berries were pre-treated using a range of techniques prior to pressing.
Contact: Evelina Höglund
Malolactic conversion of lingonberry juice – impact on sensory properties and microbial stability
Lingonberry is a popular fruit in the Nordic countries, where many variations of lingonberry products are available. The berry naturally contains high amounts of antioxidants and antimicrobial substances which make it an ideal natural preservative. The juice of lingonberry is also naturally low in pH which is often perceived as too sour in taste. To better utilise lingonberry juices as themselves or in combination with other ingredients, transformation of the juices is required to improve the palatability.
Contact: Petter Melin
Publication: Malolactic fermentation in lingonberry juice and its use as a preservative
Analysis of the Swedish wild berry innovation system
The Swedish wild berry industry may contribute to economic development and a more sustainable food system, but labor conditions for migrant berry pickers are a major concern. When analyzing how actors respond to these opportunities and challenges, we find a fragmented innovation system as well as a need for broader networks and new laws and regulations.
Contact: Johnn Andersson
Analysis of the Swedish wild berry innovation system (pdf, landscape format)
Analysis of the Swedish wild berry innovation system (pdf, portrait format)
Malolactic fermentation of bilberry juices for reduced sourness
Currently, most of the Swedish bilberrys berries are picked, frozen and exported for extraction of high-valued bio-products which are used in, e.g. cosmetics and health supplements. In order, to increase the usage of bilberries in food and beverages in Sweden and in the rest of the world, new sustainable processing methods are needed.
Contact: Martina Bergentall
Malolactic fermentation of bilberry juices for reduced sourness (pdf, landscape format)
Malolactic fermentation of bilberry juices for reduced sourness (pdf, portrait format)
Historical and contemporary transition dynamics in the Swedish wild berry value chain
Commercial collection of bilberry and lingonberry in Sweden took off in the late 19th century. This research shows how the Swedish wild berry value chain has undergone several transitions. These have increased the geographical distance between berry growth, processing and consumption, and resulted in social problems and lost economic potential. We also highlight contemporary initiatives that promote different ways to bring the value chain closer to local communities and ecosystems.
Contact: Johnn Andersson
Leveraging the voice of the consumer to optimize design of 3D printed seafood analogues
Understanding the attitudes, needs, and barriers of different consumer segments is crucial to ensure the acceptance of future products and increase the chances of success in the market. Consumers’ demand for alternatives to meat has driven the development of tasty and satisfying food products based on healthier and more sustainable proteins. However, alternatives to seafood products are still scarce and difficult to produce. 3D printing food represents an opportunity to design seafood analogues that meet consumers’ demands and retain the sensory properties that they value.
Contact: Elizabeth Collier Hörlin
Master thesis: Design of a 3D-printed seafood analogue
Towards a theory that accounts for the role of nature in food transitions
Social and environmental problems call for transitions to more sustainable modes of production and consumption in the food system. To develop knowledge about drivers, barriers and appropriate courses of action, scholars and analysts rely on theories that focus on socio-technical dynamics. In this study, we argue that there is a need to pay more attention to the role of nature when analyzing transformative innovation. We also take important steps towards a more comprehensive socio-techno-ecological theory of sustainability transitions.
Contact: Johnn Andersson
Towards a theory that accounts for the role of nature in food transitions (pdf, landscape format)
Towards a theory that accounts for the role of nature in food transitions (pdf, portrait format)
An updated view on Swedish consumers’ relationship with wild bilberries
Myths and assumptions abound on Swedish consumers’ relationship with wild bilberries. However, there is a lack of recent data on consumption and foraging behaviour, associations with different berry products, and attitudes to the berry industry. To bridge this gap, we conducted a survey with a nationally representative sample of over 2000 participants. The results provide both academia and the Swedish berry industry with new knowledge that questions previous beliefs about consumer and bilberries.
Contact: Johnn Andersson
Swedish consumers’ perspectives on wild bilberries (pdf, portrait format)
Swedish consumers’ perspectives on wild bilberries (pdf, landscape format)
How fermentation firms innovate business models in a changing food system
The article “Navigating the business model design space: A case of insects as food and feed in Sweden” by Linus Thomson, Chattraporn Chatthong, and Thomas Lennerfors has been published in the journal Technological Forecasting and Social Change. Building on a master’s thesis project conducted as part of FINEST, the study dives into the emerging niche of insect-based food and feed in Sweden, focusing on how companies innovate their business models in this emerging niche.
Contact: Linus Thomson
How fermentation firms innovate business models in a changing food system (pdf, portrait format)
How fermentation firms innovate business models in a changing food system (pdf, landscape format)
Social consequences in the Swedish green pea value chain
This study maps the social risks faced by farmers and processors in the green pea value chain and shows how working conditions, economic vulnerability and unequal bargaining power affect actors at the earliest stages of production. Through an empirical analysis, the study demonstrates that social sustainability cannot be assessed separately from the structural conditions that shape relationships and responsibilities in the food system. The findings provide new knowledge on how social risks emerge and how they influence the product’s overall social footprint.
Contact: Edoardo Desiderio
Social consequences in the Swedish green pea value chain (pdf, portrait format)
Social consequences in the Swedish green pea value chain (pdf, landscape format)