Supermarket of the Future predicts the next generation of food products

Foods of the future could include snail sausages, 3D-printed fruit and flat-pack pasta, according to an exhibition at this year's Dutch Design Week.

Supermarket of the Future showcased a range of experimental and speculative designs for food and food packaging that could become a reality in the near future.

The exhibition is designed to look like a real supermarket

Curated by food designers Annelies Hermsen and Chloé Rutzerveld, the exhibition focused on technologies that are already developed, to show the scope of innovation that is already possible.

These were presented in an exhibition reminiscent of a typical supermarket, with food products on display shelves and adverts hanging down from the ceiling.

Products include 3D-printed tempeh and a sausage made from snails

"We want to show the great potential of existing food design projects," said Hermsen and Rutzerveld.

"Wandering through the supermarket, you may wonder why these products or ideas have not been available already in the supermarket. Or you might be surprised by what could be on our plate in the not-so-distant future."

Botanic Bites creates ready meals from the stems of oyster mushrooms

Many of the featured products look to a future where animal meat is no longer readily available and there are more experimental alternatives available.

The Lebanese Snail Sausage explores molluscs as a source of protein, while graduate Yuval Yancovitch has used biotechnology to develop bone-like structures in order to improve the experience of eating lab-grown meat.

The Tiger Penis Project uses lab-grown animal organs for medicine

There's also a project that shows how synthetic biology can be used to clone animal organs. The Tiger Penis Project aims to offer an alternative to the use of animal products in medicine.

Plant-based meat alternatives also feature, including 3D-printed tempeh and a range of ready meals made from the stems of oyster mushrooms, which are typically a waste product.

The exhibition includes future packaging solutions

Some of the projects explore ways of reducing packaging waste in the food industry.

Morphing Pasta is a type of pasta that changes from 2D to 3D when cooked, creating efficiencies in packaging, storage and transportation.

The exhibition also includes Notpla, an edible, biodegradable packaging made from seaweed and plants. It can be used for liquids and sauces as an alternative to plastic.

Notpla is an edible packaging for liquids

Other offerings include the S/Zout Pantry, a range of products made from seawater crops, which include lettuce ketchup and cabbage marshmallows.

These sit alongside a collection of five artificial fruits, called Neo Fruit, which encase nutrient-rich liquids inside printed cellulose skins.

Neo Fruit offers an artificial alternative to fruit

Supermarket of the Future was this year's edition of the Embassy of Food, a recurring exhibition at the annual Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.

The first Embassy of Food was presented at Dutch Design Week 2o17, curated by Marije Vogelzang, who leads the Food Non Food programme at Design Academy Eindhoven.

Supermarket of the Future was this year's Embassy of Food at Dutch Design Week

This is the first year that Hermsen and Rutzerveld have curated the exhibition, although both have been involved in previous editions.

The pair will also oversee next year's show, which will look even further ahead to the future supermarket of 2050.

Dutch Design Week ran from 16 to 24 October 2021 at venues across Eindhoven. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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