17% of all yogurt in Europe is wasted, what that tells us about the future of food 

Attending Knowledge for Growth 2025  in Antwerp, Belgium, as a platinum sponsor with Pauwels Consulting wasn’t just a business opportunity, it was a wake-up call. Organized by flanders.bio, Knowledge for Growth is Europe’s premier life sciences conference, bringing together biotech, pharma, agrifood-tech, and digital health experts for two days of insights, strategy, and innovation. It’s where the future of science meets real-world implementation, and one session in particular stuck with me.  

A single figure kicked things off:  

17% of all yogurt in Europe is wasted

That’s millions of tons of nutritious dairy going to landfills or down the drain every year, primarily due to short shelf life. This kind of statistic isn’t just about yogurt; it’s a snapshot of a system under pressure. Food waste is a massive, invisible drain on our economy, our ecosystems, and our ability to feed a growing global population.  

The Hidden Cost of Waste: By the Numbers  

Globally, we waste 1.3 billion tons of food per year, about one-third of everything we produce. In the EU, that number sits at 88 million tons annually, translating to over €140 billion in lost value. What’s more alarming is where this food is wasted: over 50% happens at the consumer level, often because food spoils before it’s used.  

And it’s not just a matter of waste, it's a matter of resources. Producing food consumes 70% of all freshwater, uses 50% of habitable land, and contributes to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. When food is wasted, we’re also wasting the water, land, energy, packaging, transport, and labor that went into producing it.  

Yogurt, Cheese, and FreshQ®: Real Innovation That Works  

During the session, we saw how biotech offers real, scalable solutions. For example, FreshQ®, a culture developed by Novonesis, helps yogurt and other dairy products last longer, by up to 7 days. Which translates into tons of food saved, supply chains made more efficient, and consumers wasting less.  

One standout case was a traditional cheese factory that successfully pivoted to making vegan cheese, using the same equipment and workflows. The result? A product with dramatically lower environmental impact, produced without major re-investments or disruption. That’s what true innovation looks like, sustainability without friction.  

To put these numbers in context: only 1.2% of Earth’s water is drinkable, and food production wastes most of it. Meanwhile, 50% of the world’s habitable land is tied up in feeding and raising livestock. Add to that the methane output from cattle, and the logic is clear, we need better protein strategies.  

Here’s the kicker: even a 30% substitution of beef with non-animal proteins like LoCylia® in processed meat (e.g. burgers, meatballs, ready meals) has massive ripple effects:  

• Cuts water usage by millions of liters  

• Reduces carbon footprints equivalent to removing thousands of cars from the road  

• Frees up farmland for biodiversity, reforestation, or crop diversification  

This is not about eliminating meat, this is about making it smarter, leaner, and more future-proof.  

But even with all this promise, the path to widespread adoption of alternative proteins isn’t without hurdles. 

Scientific institutions like ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) remind us that not all proteins are created equal. Some plant-based options deliver fewer essential amino acids than their animal counterparts. Others, like microalgae, show lower digestibility—meaning the body doesn’t absorb all the nutrients effectively. 

There are also safety and quality factors to address. Certain ingredients, such as soy, can trigger allergies. And while single-cell proteins from fungi (like mycoprotein) hold great potential, they may carry risks like mycotoxins—substances that demand further scrutiny and regulation. 

In other words, innovation must go hand in hand with rigorous testing. The future of protein is bright, but we’ll need smart science, clear regulation, and honest communication to make it both sustainable and safe. 

Final Thought: Let’s Stop Wasting Potential 

If 17% of all yogurt is wasted… what else are we throwing away?  

Ideas? Talent? Resources? Profits?  

With global population expected to hit 10 billion by 2050, we can’t afford to waste time. The good news? The solutions are already here. With biosolutions like fermented proteins, the tools exist to build a food system that’s smarter, cleaner, and more resilient.  
  
Food waste isn’t a permanent problem — it’s a challenge we’re equipped to solve. Let’s do it together.