Dr Parag Acharya, with 14 years of industrial food R&D experience, is leading alternative protein-based food research and innovation at the Natural Resources Institute (NRI). Since joining NRI in 2020, he has taken the helm of the research group focusing on food processing and innovation as well as led the establishment of the Medway Food Innovation Centre equipped with cutting-edge facilities to foster sustainable food technologies. Led by Parag, MFIC has already positioned itself as a key player in the UK for alternative protein research and innovation. It is also playing a key role in $30m Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein led by Imperial College, London where Parag is co-leading the Plant Pillar platform.

Besides, Parag is also the innovation growth manager for Growing Kent and Medway (GKM) agri-food cluster (http://www.growingkentandmedway.com) funded by £17.8 million UKRI Strength in Places grant. As part of the GKM team, he co-authored UKRI report (2022) Alternative Proteins: Identifying UK Priorities (Alternative Proteins Roadmap: identifying UK priorities – UKRI) and is also leading the GKM Alternative Protein Research Network.

Parag is highly skilled in building multi-disciplinary collaborations. He has initiated contacts with StartLife in Wageningen, GROW in Singapore, and Swiss Food Valley to leverage their experiences in setting up a framework for the plant-based food accelerator programme in the Medway campus. This accelerator programme has, so far, brought a significant knowledge exchange impact by delivering business mentoring and technical support to 100+ regional food companies, facilitated 18 new product launches, and helped 12 businesses to successfully apply for further R&D funding.

Since 2021, Parag has also brought a significant research funding (see below) to deliver the scientific unlock on how to innovate climate-smart food utilising sustainable protein sources (e.g. currently leading projects on alternative proteins from under-utilized legumes, algae, agri-food side-streams like spent grain etc.) by connecting domains of ingredient research, novel processing, clean label formulation (e.g. how to replace additives with natural alternatives), and taste & flavour technologies. He is also co-supervisor for a collaborative PhD project (with University of Aberystwyth) on RuBisCO protein funded by the UKRI Food system CDT.  

Parag has been appointed as steering committee member of BBSRC Diet and Health Open Innovation Research Club (OIRC), selected as member of BBSRC Pool of Experts (2023-2026) and was part of Algae-UK organizing committee for developing the Roadmap for Algae in UK diets. He is the steering committee member of the UK-Kenya Alternative Proteins Network (2024). Parag had also featured in Good Food Institute (GFI) website (Meet the researcher: Parag Acharya on building a one stop shop for sustainable proteins - GFI Europe) and was mentioned in the GFI Europe report among top UK researchers in the field of alternative protein (Sustainable proteins in the UK – an ecosystem report (gfieurope.org))

Before joining NRI, Parag had been working for Unilever Food R&D in Netherlands (2011-2020) with a proven track record of successfully delivering patented technologies (lead inventor of 4 patents: WO 2020099180, WO 2017140439 A1, WO 2017001154 A1 and WO 2013189709 A1). He led strategic open innovation partnerships as well as championed several industry-academia collaborations funded by EU FP-7 ITN, TKI-Agri Food, BBSRC-CTPs etc. His pioneering research at Unilever also delivered scientific insights on the causative chemistry of culinary flavour generation by unravelling how aroma generation can be controlled by the optimal processing of plant-based food.

• Euston, S.; Groves, K.; Huatuco, L.; Falloon, P.; Kirwan, L.; Smith, E.; Brites, C.; Panzone, L.; Monteiro, D. S.; Acharya, P. Food systems research to positively impact the sustainable bioeconomy and transformation of smart food systems – an overview of gaps and future research agenda. Position paper: SFN+ Expert Working group “Bioeconomy and Smart Food Systems for sustainable and healthy futures”, November 2023
• Sui, Y.; Celente, G de S.; Acharya, P. Seaweed as an alternative protein source: Prospective protein extraction technologies. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Tech. 86, 2023, 103374
• Sui, Y.; Mazzucchi, L.; Acharya, P.; Xu, Y.; Morgan, G.; Harvey, P.J. A Comparison of b- Carotene, Phytoene and Amino Acids Production in Dunaliella salina DF 15 (CCAP 19/41) and Dunaliella salina CCAP 19/30 Using Different Light Wavelengths. Foods 2021, 10, 2824
• Pegiou, I., Mumm, R., Acharya, P., de Vos, C. H., & Hall, R. D. (2020). Green and White Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis): A Source of Developmental, Chemical and Urinary Intrigue. Metabolites, 10(1), [17]. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo10010017
• Qiu, J., Acharya, P., Jacobs, D. M., Boom, R. M., & Schutyser, M. A. I. (2019). A systematic analysis on tomato powder quality prepared by four conductive drying technologies. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 54, p. 103-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2019.03.013
• Koutidou, M., Grauwet, T., Van Loey, A., Acharya, P. (2017). Impact of processing on odour-active compounds of a mixed tomato-onion puree. Food Chemistry, 228, 14-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.01.135
• Koutidou, M., Grauwet, T., Van Loey, A., Acharya, P. (2017). Potential of different mechanical and thermal treatments to control off-flavour generation in broccoli puree. Food Chemistry, 217, 531-541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.09.003
• Koutidou, M., Grauwet, T., Acharya, P. (2016). Effect of different combined mechanical and thermal treatments on the volatile fingerprint of a mixed tomato–carrot system. Journal of Food Engineering, 168,137-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2015.07.028

Parag’s interest lies in demystifying science enablers to develop future-fit technologies for alternative protein-based food innovation. His research priorities are alternative protein and developing clean label product technologies by connecting domains of upcycled ingredient technologies, sustainable processing, and novel product formulation. When designing food, it is ubiquitous to understand the molecular properties of ingredients and how they interact with the food matrices during processing to impart various functional attributes. Parag’s research work therefore aims to understand how novel processing affects physicochemical properties of alternative plant/algae/fungal protein and hybrid protein ingredient to deliver the desired functionalities of meat alternatives and dairy free products. To feed ~10 billion people by 2050 with food that does good to people as well as nature, a total re-invention is needed on how raw materials being sourced, food products are designed and processed. This necessitates key scientific unlock to create a circular food value chain and to adequately address the Net Zero challenges for the UK agri-food sector. Parag’s research should enable more efficient and resilient, low-carbon food production with better understanding of drivers for sustainable manufacturing and consumer acceptability.

His motivation to return to academia and join the NRI, Faculty of Science and Engineering has been to leverage his industrial knowledge for delivering user-inspired research and innovation programme in alternative protein which will help the UK to accelerate its shift to a more sustainable food system. Consumer habits are changing with rising vegan and flexitarians choices, growing demands for clean label (free from additives) and authentic food products. Such scenarios entail a transformative opportunity to re-think the fundamentals of food technologies and deliver a disruptive food innovation with more industry-academia partnerships. Thus, Parag’s ambition is to integrate Medway Food Innovation Centre with the enterprise vision of the University of Greenwich by strengthening the connection between science and application.

(1) BSG4PROTEIN: Alternative protein from brewer’s spent grain (EAT IT UP fund supported by Starbucks, PI, 2024); Eat It Up Fund | Hubbub x Starbucks — Meet the winners

(2) BBSRC LUNZ-Hub: Land use for net zero hub (impact of alternative protein on UK land use change, funded by BBSRC and Defra, Co-I, 2023-2026)

(3) PROFILE: Protein RecOvery for Food using Novel Extraction (funded by Innovate UK, Co-PI, 2023-2025; in collaboration with Imperial College and Arborea Ltd.); New project to develop sustainable algal protein with enhanced flavor | PPTI (proteinproductiontechnology.com)

(4) AgriFood4NetZero Network+: Plausible Pathways, Practical and Open Science for Net Zero Agri-food (funded by UKRI, champion for Cellular Agriculture, 2022-2025; CHAMPIONS - AgriFood4NetZeroNetwork+)

(5) IPSUS: Climate Smart Food Innovation Using Plant & Seaweed Proteins from Upcycled Sources (A trans-national consortium consists of 7 universities and 2 industrial partners across 6 countries from 3 continents; funded by ERA-NET SUSFOOD2-FOSC, PI, 2022-2025; Home | IPSUS)

(6) Food Basket LCA: Identifying opportunities for sustainable productivity growth across the UK agri-food chain (Led by Dr Conor Walsh; in collaboration with Rothamsted Research and University of Surrey; funded by DEFRA, Co-I, 2021-2023)

(7) From nutrition to flavour: novel food and food ingredients from microalgae (Led by Dr Sui Yixing; in collaboration with Open University and funded by STFC Food Network+ PoC grant, Co-I, 2022- 2023)

(8) Seaweed Protein Extraction: Scoping novel extraction technologies by addressing poor process inefficiencies (funded by STFC Food Network+, PI, 2021-2022)

(9) Rice Protein: Assess value chain opportunity by upcycling by-products & improving food safety (funded by GCRF Networking Grant in collaboration with HUST Vietnam, UK PI, 2021-2022)

(10) Umami from microalgae: Identification of umami taste markers by optimizing microalgae harvest (Led by Dr Sui Yixing and funded by STFC Food Network+, Co-I, 2020–2021)

(11) REUNION: Science and technology for valorization of onion waste (lead: University of Reading, funded by BBSRC-CTPs, Co-I/Unilever science lead, 2018–2022)

(12) Waste2Taste: Technology for valorization of vegetable waste (lead: Wageningen University, funded by TKI-Agri Food, Netherlands, Co-I/Unilever science lead, 2017–2021)

• Innovation Growth Manager for Growing Kent & Medway innovation cluster
• FMD research group lead for Food Processing and Innovation
• Leading development of Medway Food Innovation Centre

Professional activities/Recognition:

• Fellow, Institute of Food Science & Technology
• International advisory group member of Plant Based Food Institute, USA
• Invited expert member of the Bioeconomy Working Group for STFC Food Network+
• Member, Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)
• Member, Algae-UK
• Review editor, Frontiers Food Science and Technology; Reviewer: J. Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, J. Food Quality, ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
• Past Industry Advisory Panel member of Biochemical Society (UK)
• (Former) Scientific committee member of “Total Food 2017”

Prizes/Awards:

• 2019: Unilever Global Product Network award
• 2019: Unilever Food Science and Technology Recognition award
• 2007: Alberta Ingenuity R&D Associateship, Canada
• 2004: IUPAC Prize for Young Chemists for best PhD thesis in chemical sciences
• 2003: IUPAC Travel award for Young Scientists