Francisco Vilaplana is director of the PLENTY centre, where researchers turn agricultural and food industry by-products into nutrient-rich ingredients. (Photo: Christer Gummeson) Theme: Security and resilience

Published Oct 16, 2026

Could what is currently wasted become part of Sweden’s food preparedness in a crisis? Researchers at KTH are investigating how by-products from agriculture and the food industry can be turned into new raw materials – and how we can get more food and nutrients from what is already being produced.

How Sweden would cope with food supply in a serious crisis is far from clear.

“Strengthening food preparedness is not just about producing more food. The challenge is also to make much better use of the resources we already have,” says Francisco Vilaplana , director of the PLENTY centre, which is funded by the Swedish Research Council Formas.

At the centre, researchers are mapping the by-products generated in food production and developing methods to make better use of them. The potential is considerable. According to unpublished research from the centre, the side streams that are not currently used for food contain more nutrients than the food we actually eat.

“There is enormous potential here to make use of proteins, fibres and fats that are currently used for other purposes,” says Francisco Vilaplana, Professor of Glycoscience at KTH.

Nutrient-rich ingredients

Among the by-products that researchers are looking at more closely are rapeseed press cake from oil production, fibre residues from apple juice and sugar beet processing, and okara, a by-product of oat drink production.

“By turning side streams into nutritious ingredients, we can get more food and nutrients from the same raw materials.”

Using biotechnology, the researchers are working to improve both flavour and nutritional content. By adding enzymes, they have managed, among other things, to reduce the bitter taste and fibrous texture of the press cake.

The next step is to test the product in a kitchen lab and then develop new recipes. The press cake could potentially be used in vegetarian meat alternatives, plant-based milk, snacks, and different types of sauces and dressings.

Imported inputs

Food security is about more than what is grown and harvested. Farming also depends on imported inputs such as energy, feed, fuel, fertilisers and plant protection products.

Researchers at PLENTY are therefore also investigating how nitrogen and phosphorus can be recovered from waste and wastewater and used as fertiliser. But for recycling to become more widespread, changes to Swedish waste regulations are needed, according to Francisco Vilaplana.

“The problem is that there is currently no incentive to recycle nitrogen and phosphorus. You might as well buy them from other countries.”

The centre’s research also includes water treatment for reuse in irrigation and urban farming, as well as new bio-based plant protection products.

Regulations create barriers

Waste regulations are one example of how laws and regulations can limit efforts to strengthen food preparedness. EU rules governing what can be classified as food also currently restrict the use of certain side streams.

“We want to show both which resources could be put to better use and what economic, legal and societal conditions are needed for these solutions to work on a larger scale,” says Francisco Vilaplana.

But even if the technology for creating new foods works, someone still has to want to use them. For new products to gain traction, both industry and consumers are needed – and, not least, the economics have to work. Food companies often operate on small profit margins, making profitability a particular challenge.

“If there is no profitability in a new food product, it may be more viable to use it for other purposes, such as biogas or animal feed. That is why we are looking at different opportunities. One option could be to highlight the health benefits, for example that the products contain more fibre and antioxidants. That could make it possible to scale up production,” he says.

Text: Christer Gummeson ( gummeson@kth.se )