On 10th June 2026, BRILIAN partners DLG and FBCD represented the project at Bridge2Food Copenhagen, one of Europe’s leading events for the food industry and alternative proteins. The project’s participation centred on presenting rapeseed press cake as a food ingredient, sparking rich discussions with technology suppliers, companies and other stakeholders across the value chain.
Among the highlights of the event was the launch of a new ethanol extraction setup for rapeseed oil, which promises to increase oil yield while leaving a press cake with a very low fat content, making it more suitable for subsequent protein extraction. According to Ingolf Nielsen from DLG Oil, BRILIAN partner, this technology stood out as one of the key takeaways from the project’s participation in Bridge2Food, and a meeting is already being arranged with the equipment supplier to assess its feasibility.
Regarding the visitors’ response, most attendees were already familiar with rapeseed protein and the challenges associated with it. The overall sentiment was one of positive interest in locally grown protein, tempered by scepticism about its practical applications. A recurring concern raised by several suppliers of technical equipment was the difficulty of achieving high protein yields from a product that has not been defatted prior to protein extraction, a challenge also discussed internally within the consortium.
Beyond the rapeseed showcase itself, one theme ran across many presentations at Bridge2Food: the so-called “Say-Do gap”, the disconnect between what consumers report in interviews and focus groups and how they actually behave at the shelf. Several speakers agreed that consumer self-reporting is an unreliable predictor of purchasing behaviour, a challenge that remains significant for the wider industry.
BRILIAN’s participation in Bridge2Food reinforces the project’s position as a reference initiative in the valorisation of agri-food by-products and the promotion of local protein sources within the European circular bioeconomy.
