The Role of Data, Algorithms, and AI in Alternative Protein Innovation

GERARD MARRUGAT, Data Science Researcher 
CLARA TALENS, Food innovation expert 

Every meal we eat shapes the future of our planet. For decades, animal-based proteins like beef, poultry, and dairy have fuelled our diets. Yet this reliance comes at a high cost: livestock farming is a leading driver of greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water use, while also raising concerns about human health, animal welfare, and the future resilience of our food systems. As the global population heads toward 10 billion by mid-century, the question of how to produce enough protein sustainably has never been more urgent. 

The solution is already within our reach. Alternative proteins—ranging from plant-based burgers to lab-grown meat and alternative dairy—offer a cleaner, kinder, and more efficient way to nourish a growing global population.  The question is no longer if we should make the change, but how quickly we can. 

This is where initiatives like GIANT LEAPS come in. Delivering strategic innovations, methodologies, and open-access datasets, GIANT LEAPS is designed to speed up the protein transition in line with Europe’s Farm-to-Fork strategy and the Green Deal target of climate neutrality by 2050. Achieving this shift is complex: knowledge gaps remain across health, environmental impacts, and consumer acceptance, while multiple actors from industry to policymakers must align. The GIANT LEAPS consortium unites leading experts to close these gaps, rigorously assess a wide range of alternative proteins, and make results accessible for governments, businesses, and the public alike. 

Here, AZTI plays a role contributing to the design and development of an AI-based algorithm that screens alternative protein sources with precision. Starting from a given animal-based protein, the model identifies the closest alternative candidates by integrating data on nutritional composition and , amino acid profile, expected to include in the near future sustainability, digestibility, and food safety for the decision process. Instead of relying on slow, costly, trial-and-error experiments in the lab, food developers, nutritionists and dietitians can use this smart tool to rapidly identify the most promising ingredients. 

The algorithm is brought to life through a dedicated platform interface developed by IRIS Solutions, while the underlying protein database is maintained by DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V..Together, this trio of expertise delivers a cutting-edge solution that allows researchers and product developers to search, analyse, and compare protein sources with ease. AZTI, together with GIANT LEAPS partners are helping transform concepts and ideas into tangible products, making the dietary shift faster, smarter, and more achievable than ever before.  

Below you can see a demo of the platform that will be brought to the public during the first term of 2026.