Food Innovation Estonia. Tasting the Future: Novel Foods to Take the Stage at Latitude59

As part of the official side programme of Latitude59 2025, Estonia’s flagship tech and startup conference, Food Innovation Estonia is set to bring together over 120 guests from government institutions, international organizations, industry leaders, and academia. This special event will spotlight the future of sustainable food, with a focus on two unique highlights: a panel discussion led by top experts and a rare opportunity to taste Novel Foods not yet approved under the EU framework.

A Rare Opportunity: Tasting Novel Foods

At the heart of the event is a curated tasting session featuring ÄIO, an Estonian biotech startup developing sustainable fats and oils from food and forestry side-streams, and Enifer, a Finnish pioneer in mycoprotein production. These products, applying for approval under the EU Novel Food regulation, offer guests an exclusive sensory experience of what the future of food could taste like.

Participants will be asked to register and sign a consent form acknowledging the foods’ pre-market status. This makes the tasting a rare and informative event for anyone interested in the intersection of foodtech and regulation.

Expert Voices on the Future of Food

The event starts with a keynote address by Anna Handschuh, Managing Director at Future Affairs Consulting. She speaks about the need for agile, science-informed regulatory frameworks to keep pace with rapid innovations in sustainable food technologies.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Mika Kukkurainen, Partner at Nordic FoodTech VC, and will explore the current state and future outlook of sustainable food innovation in Europe. Panelists include:

• Petri-Jaan Lahtvee (Estonia): Co-founder of ÄIO, Professor at TalTech, and member of the Estonian Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Board, who emphasizes the importance of streamlining the Novel Food approval process to retain scientific talent and innovation momentum within Europe.
• Kaire Roosi (Estonia): Founder and CEO of Nord Tempeh, who shares practical insights into navigating early-stage food innovation and regulation.
• Mari Eskola (Finland): Senior Regulatory Affairs Expert at Medfiles, formerly at EFSA, provides a regulator’s perspective on risk assessment and safety frameworks.
• Ahmad Zeidan (Denmark): CTO of the DTU Arena for Life Science Automation, duscusses the scaling of biotech research into industrial applications.
• Dilek Ercili-Cura (Finland): Senior Research Scientist at Valio, focuses on new ingredients and sustainable raw materials.

These experts will discuss the challenges of navigating the complex Novel Food approval process in Europe, and how regulatory frameworks can better support innovation without compromising safety.

About Latitude59

Latitude59 is the premier tech and startup event in Estonia, serving as a meeting point for innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers. As an official side event, Food Innovation Estonia leverages this platform to draw attention to the vital role that regulatory clarity and scientific innovation play in transforming the food sector.

Why It Matters

This event isn’t just another tasting or panel, it’s a rare and impactful forum where future-facing food innovation meets the regulatory realities that will determine how fast Europe can move forward. With climate pressures rising and consumer demand shifting, accelerating the Novel Food approval process is more than a technical issue, it’s a strategic imperative.

We look forward to welcoming all participants to this unique opportunity to learn, taste, and connect across sectors.

Read also the press release by ÄIO about the event.

PRESS RELEASE

Tallinn, 16.05.2025

Novel Food Tasting Highlights Regulatory Barriers and Innovation Potential in Foodtech!

On the sidelines of Latitude59, Estonia’s flagship biotech breakfast conference, Food Innovation Estonia is hosting a forward-looking side event focused on showcasing cutting-edge food innovation and the real-world challenges of bringing novel foods to market.

A key feature of the event is a curated novel food tasting, where invited guests will have the exclusive opportunity to sample innovative products by Estonian biotech startup ÄIO and Finnish mycoprotein pioneer Enifer. These tastings offer a rare look at foods developed using biotechnology that have not yet been authorized under EU Novel Food regulation.

Anna Handschuch, keynote speaker and managing director at Future Affairs Consulting, will open the morning session with insights on how regulation, innovation, and responsible food system transformation can and must co-evolve. “We need faster, science-informed processes to bring sustainable food innovations to market,” says Handschuch. “If Europe wants to lead in sustainable foodtech, the regulatory environment must be as agile and risk-based as the innovations themselves.”

Petri-Jaan Lahtvee, Co-founder of ÄIO, professor at TalTech, and member of the Estonian Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Board, echoes this concern. “We are proud to contribute to Estonia’s bioeconomy through circular innovation,” says Lahtvee. “But even the most scientifically validated food technologies face extensive delays under the current Novel Food framework. Without a smarter and more transparent regulatory path, we risk losing momentum and talent to regions with more forward-looking systems.”

The event, co-financed by the European Union, and organized in collaboration with public and private stakeholders (EIS, TalTech and Estonian Research Council), also includes a high-level panel discussion and matchmaking session between researchers and food industry innovators. Throughout the day, participants can engage with support organizations and explore funding opportunities for novel food R&D.

Food Innovation Estonia is open to invited guests and free of charge. Participation in the tasting session requires advance registration and signed consent due to the foods’ pending regulatory status. Lunch will be prepared by top-chef Hiro Takeda using ingredients from Estonian innovative food producers (Yook, Raw Edge, Mati, Nord Tempeh, FUNKI, Shroomwell, Thormi)

For more information, please contact: Petri-Jaan Lahtvee, petri (at) aio.bio, +372 508 8117

About ÄIO: äiotech OÜ is an Estonian biotechnology startup developing sustainable fats and oils from food and forestry industry side-streams using proprietary yeast fermentation technology.

About Enifer: Enifer is a Finnish biotechnology company producing mycoprotein-based ingredients from fungal biomass grown on agro-industrial byproducts.