Insights from the Industry workshop: Unlocking the potential of rapeseed cake

Insights from the Industry workshop: Unlocking the potential of rapeseed cake

noviembre 17, 2025 admin Comments Off

As part of the BRILIAN project’s Danish pilot, the workshop “Unlocking the Potential of Rapeseed Cake” was organised by the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) and Food & Bio Cluster Denmark (FBCD) in Taastrup, Denmark. The event brought together 39 participants from research, industry and innovation communities to explore how one of Denmark’s most abundant agricultural by-products, rapeseed cake, can be transformed into a valuable and sustainable ingredient for the food systems of the future.

Each year, Denmark produces over 500,000 tonnes of rapeseed cake as a residue from rapeseed oil extraction. Historically used as protein-rich animal feed, the material has immense yet underutilised potential. With global demand for sustainable and healthy protein sources on the rise, and farmland under growing pressure, valorising by-products like rapeseed cake is becoming a strategic necessity for food security and climate resilience.

From by-product to ressource

Most rapeseed cake is currently used as cattle feed. At DLG, one of Denmark’s largest rapeseed oil producers with an annual output of 175,000 tonnes, the material is already part of a circular system: the rapeseed cake is returned to farmers, used as feed, digested by livestock, and ultimately returned to the soil as nutrient-rich fertiliser.

According to Ingolf Nielsen, Manager at DLG Food Oil, developing a business around rapeseed cake for human consumption on the same scale as their oil production will take time:

“Establishing a company that produces rapeseed cake for food use at the same scale as our oil production will be a long process. There are many challenges along the way – not least developing products that work in practice while building a mature market ready to receive them.”

However, as the workshop demonstrated, rapeseed cake holds much greater potential. With technologies such as fermentation, fractionation and extraction, the material can be refined and transformed into everything from food ingredients and protein powders to bio-based components for adhesives used in the wood industry.

In his presentation on the Green Tripartite Agreement, Peter Nyegaard Nissen, Sector Director for Crops at the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, emphasised the importance of innovation in developing by-products, especially in light of increasing climate and land-use requirements in Danish agriculture:

“There is strong focus within the Green Tripartite Agreement on developing – not downsizing – agricultural production, while at the same time identifying land for set-aside and reducing the sector’s climate footprint. It is therefore essential that we make far better use of the resources we already have. Innovation and commercialisation of by-products play a crucial role here.”

It is also essential that new solutions are not only technologically feasible, but also economically viable and quality-assured for both food and feed applications.

Expanding the applications of rapeseed protein

Within the BRILIAN project, researchers are exploring how rapeseed cake can be transformed into protein powders and industrial ingredients, in Denmark and internationally.

Clara Fernando Foncillas from the Danish Technological Institute and Manos Karagiannidis from the Greek company CHIMAR presented findings from BRILIAN’s trials on extracting protein from both cold- and hot-pressed rapeseed cake.

In the Danish pilot tests, a wet processing method is used: liquid is first extracted, after which the solid and liquid by-products are separated and spray-dried into a protein-rich concentrate for food use.

In Greece, CHIMAR has tested rapeseed proteins as sustainable alternatives to phenol in bio-based adhesives for the wood industry.

Although further development is still needed to improve the taste and functionality of food applications, the trials clearly demonstrate the wide potential of rapeseed cake – both for food and industrial uses.

From bitter to edible rapeseed

One of the main barriers to using rapeseed cake in food is its bitter compounds. Research from the University of Copenhagen, however, shows that this challenge can be overcome. A team led by Professor Barbara Ann Halkier from the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences has cracked the code to remove bitter substances from plants – making rapeseed cake far more suitable as a food ingredient. The results have been published in the renowned scientific journal Nature.

Professor Halkier emphasises that new protein sources take time to refine and that flavour development is key before they can become a natural part of everyday diets – adding with a smile:

“Keep eating your cabbages!”

Building on this knowledge, FERM FOOD ApS, a Danish company specialising in fermented ingredients, is working on fermentation of rapeseed. The process has been shown to break down bitter compounds, improve protein absorption, extend shelf life and provide health benefits such as improved gut flora and reduced inflammation. In April this year, FERM FOOD received EU Commission approval to use fermented rapeseed cake as a food ingredient – with promising applications in snack bars, muesli, bread and meat alternatives.

The road to consumer acceptance

Even with technological refinement, consumer acceptance will be crucial if rapeseed cake is to become part of everyday diets.

Britt Sandvad, Senior Innovation Manager at Food & Bio Cluster Denmark, shared insights from the EU project LIKE A PRO, which shows how cooking skills, social norms and positive narratives influence people’s willingness to choose plant-based proteins. Younger consumers and women tend to be more open, and the likelihood of products ending up in shopping baskets increases when people see others, such as influencers, colleagues or family, buying and using the products.

Susanne Rasmussen, Senior Manager, Functional Discovery R&D at IFF, pointed out that taste, functionality, shelf life and price are key factors if alternative proteins are to succeed in the market. Today’s consumers demand health, nutrition, affordability and sustainability.

The future’s protein hidden in rapeseed cake

The workshop clearly demonstrated that Denmark has strong expertise in biotechnology, ingredient development and food innovation, which can help transform rapeseed cake from a by-product into a valuable resource – with strong support from Danish farmers.

Anni Simon, Senior Innovation Manager at Food & Bio Cluster Denmark, summarised:

“Rapeseed cake holds enormous untapped potential. By bringing together knowledge from research, technology and industry, we can develop solutions that reduce waste, drive the green transition and open new markets for Danish and European companies.”

The workshop formed part of Food & Bio Cluster Denmark’s broader efforts to strengthen biosolutions and circular value chains in the food industry. Participants left with new knowledge, new opportunities for collaboration, and a shared realisation that the foods of the future may already be hidden within our by-products.

Site tour of DTI’s Pilot Plant

To round off the day, participants had the opportunity to take part in a guided site tour of DTI’s Pilot Plant, where they could see first-hand the technologies and equipment used for various processing steps. The tour focused in particular on the full journey of rapeseed cake within the facility — from the moment it enters the plant to the different stages of transformation and analysis. This immersive experience offered valuable insights into the technical capabilities behind BRILIAN’s Danish pilot and the potential of rapeseed cake as a resource for future bio-based solutions.