Redazione

🥚 University of Milano-Bicocca hosted "Alternative – Alternative Proteins: Innovations, Challenges, and Opportunities" on February 25, 2025, discussing new protein sources addressing global food, environmental, and societal challenges. The Italian plant-based protein market is growing, worth an estimated €746 million by 2024, with a 5% annual increase. In 2023, plant-based product sales reached €641 million, a 16% rise from 2021. Plant-based cheese sales surged by 77% in two years. Alternative proteins could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 94%, land use by 89%, and water consumption by 93% compared to traditional meat. By 2050, the alternative protein market may exceed €900 billion, potentially creating 10 million jobs. Europe could move toward greater food self-sufficiency as alternative proteins require less land and resources, offsetting the 45% of European crops currently used for animal feed.

🍳 Maestro Martino Food Academy launched "AI FOOD" at Identità Milano 2025, exploring artificial intelligence in gastronomy to enhance accessibility and practicality in the restaurant industry. The project, in collaboration with HighEST Lab (University of Turin's AI lab) and Chef Carlo Cracco, aims to demonstrate AI's role in improving creativity, optimizing processes, and making high-quality dining more sustainable and dynamic. AI FOOD's objective is not to replace chefs but to augment their abilities, reduce waste, and adapt to the evolving sector. On February 24 at Allianz MiCo, a practical demonstration featured Carlo Cracco, Paola Pisano, and Luca Sacchi, illustrating AI's potential in culinary management and skills dissemination. AI FOOD represents a journey that began at Identità Milano 2025, involving chefs, restaurateurs, and institutions in creating an accessible, sustainable, inclusive new dining model that respects both tradition and innovation.

📈 At SIGEP 2025, Fabio Russo interviewed Pasquale Iazzetta, Commercial Director of Caffè Passalacqua. Despite a turbulent context, Passalacqua achieved double-digit growth in 2024, launching a new vending line that mirrors the quality of their bar coffee beans. With over 70 years of history, Passalacqua maintains high-quality standards in both the Horeca sector and Italian homes, emphasizing their Neapolitan roasting art.