'Fine-tuning our biology could allow us to eat without guilt'

Marcel Gerritsen

Founder at United Food Experience BV – Angel Investor
Hi, my name is Marcel Gerritsen and I am an experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the food & beverages industry. Skilled in Food & Beverage, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Retail, Business Development, and Marketing Strategy.

1. What are the main challenges in the food system change?

We just keep getting heavier. Today around 42% of all adults are overweight or obese and every single nation on Earth is getting fatter. Obesity-related diseases, such as type 2-diabetes, are soaring on a trajectory that will cripple many health services. Most troublingly, there have been no success stories in the past 20 years. A short-term solution is to re-engineer calorific ‘junk’ food to have less fat, sugar, salt and fewer calories, while still giving the same satisfaction. In the longer term, fine-tuning our biology could allow us to eat without guilt. Few people realise that our appetite is precisely regulated. Overeat today, and you usually eat less tomorrow. Our hunger is usually set to a level almost identical to the number of calories we need.

Manipulating individual hormone levels have been unsuccessful so far.

2. What will the future of food look like in 25 years, what will we eat?
Plant-based – a growth industry, with competitors such as Beyond Meat and Moving Mountains cooking up similar burgers, and plans are afoot for plant-based steaks and chicken. However, it doesn’t stop there. Other start-ups are pioneering animal-free milk and egg whites. Expect to get used to the new tastes of meat-free meat and dairy-free dairy. Unusual processed foods will make a splash in the years to come, including novelties like edible spray paint, algae protein snack bars, beer made with wastewater, and even lollipops designed to cure hiccups. We don’t know exactly what will be on tomorrow’s supermarket shelves (if supermarkets still exist, that is) due to the secretive nature of the multinational food corporations. What we absolutely do know is that ice cream and chocolate that don’t melt in warm weather are definitely under development. Nanotechnology is going to feature: researchers are currently devising nanoparticles that give delayed bursts of flavour in the mouth, and earlier this year, a team of chemists created tiny magnetic particles that bind to and remove off-tasting flavour compounds in red wine while preserving its full aroma.
3. What is the way forward, what can we do today for a better tomorrow?
The hunt is on to nudge the appetite set point down by at least 10 calories or more. Many hormones swirl around the blood to tell us when to eat and when to stop. One hormone, CCK, is released by the gut when food enters it, making us feel full. Another hormone, leptin, is released by body fat and apparently tells the body when our fat stores are adequate. It’s a complex picture and attempts at manipulating individual hormone levels have been unsuccessful so far. Everyone is hoping that we will soon untangle the web of brain-hormone messages and manage to devise supplements, foods or medicine that can make a tiny tweak to the dial.
4. What role can branding and brand design play in driving the change?
No matter how much you think you know about branding, food branding is a bit trickier to pin down than other industries. The food industry relies on natural urges and “gut” feelings, and branding visuals can make your customers hungrier—or lose their appetite.
5. Can you name a role model who is making the right future steps in your eyes?
Groundwork BioAg, an Israeli company produces Rootella, a naturally occurring fungi that is depleted due to over tilling and fertilisation. The fungus, which supports plant resilience, is helping grain farmers in five continents increase their yield per acre and reduce their use of phosphorus, a critical nutrient for plant growth that contributes to water pollution. In 2021, the company tripled its revenue compared to previous years.

6. With whom would you like to discuss this subject over dinner?

Elon! Do I have to say more?

My organisation can move resources to the next concept instead of getting stuck in a dead-end innovation project

7. What do you think is the most progressive/sustainable packaging solution so far?
Vegan Packaging for sure. Biopolymers are quickly becoming the choice for sustainable packaging. They are the future of packaging, and they’re already making their mark in the market. Bioplastics are made from biological sources — everything from mushrooms and seaweed to corn and food waste. They can last up to ten times longer than traditional plastics. Also, they’re fully biodegradable, so they won’t harm the environment when disposed of. Effectively, this means that plant-based packaging will not negatively impact either your customers or your environment. Thanks to advances in plant technology, several different plant-based options are available for packaging. These materials are often lightweight, renewable, and generally compostable at the end of their useful life.
8. Which characteristics are crucial for people and companies to be able to keep up with the future and the associated innovations?
1. Be open to change
2. Embrace creativity
3. Think as big as possible
4. Show courage
5. Think and act fast
9. How do you contribute?

My organisation, with the desire to be innovative, must think fast and apply a fast-paced innovation process with an efficient go-to-market roadmap. It is critical to adhere to the notion of “failing fast”, as new ideas and concepts have to be tested out quickly and shut down just as quickly if they don’t fly.
In this way, my organisation can move resources to the next concept instead of getting stuck in a dead-end innovation project, because after all, the world’s next “big idea” is just around the corner.

10. What is your biggest desire or ambition?
Stop ending Hunger!
Marcel Gerritsen

Marcel Gerritsen

Founder at United Food Experience BV - Angel Investor