Hungary’s new vegetarian salami to solve the issue of wasting food?

2020 has brought quite a lot of Hungarian developments and innovations, and the list just got bigger. The joint development and patent of Szent István University and Blue Seven Group Zrt., the new Hungarian salami made with vegetables, is not only recommended for vegetarians but also for any meat-eater. SALAdMI would first be produced in two flavours: the red one would be an Italian-style version seasoned with tomato and bell pepper, while the green one would contain seasoned spinach, broccoli, and snap pea.

Szent István University and Blue Seven Group Zrt. created their new patent together, the SALAdMI special vegetable cold cut.

The product is a delicious protein for vegetarians and a source of vegetables for meat-eaters,

writes the university in the announcement.

The mosaic-like appearance and texture of the product resemble a real salami. On the other hand, its flavour and scent are all similar to the vegetables that are found in the recipe, told napi.hu Tamás Csurka, the product developer, a PhD student of the University’s Faculty of Food Science, and a representative of PhD students. SALAdMI would start its journey with two basic flavours of tomato and bell pepper in a red colour, and a mixture of green vegetables naturally in a green colour that would contain a nicely seasoned spinach, broccoli, and snap pea blend. Both versions would be delicious enough to be consumed on their own. However, the patent is about the technology of production and not about the ingredients and the composition of spices, which means that when it comes to flavours, the sky is the limit. Or the imagination of the creators.

The objective of the product is not to taste like real meat, like many meat supplements based on plant proteins and soy try to do, and it is not intended to be an occasional replacement for meat, said the innovator. It is more about the future of vegetables.

It is the perfect way to use those ugly, deformed, and rather old vegetables that are still perfectly good to use, but normally, no one would choose them from the shelves of supermarkets, and thus, they would end up being thrown out.

Moreover, another important component of the product is a special egg containing zink, Omega-3 essential fatty acids, iron, and folic acid, which makes this Hungarian innovation even healthier by its high-protein content. The egg itself is also one of the university’s own patents.

The creation and production of SALAdMI is a real turning point as doing research and then turning the results into something that can be successfully sold on the market are two completely different processes, said Csaba Gyuricza, acting rector of the institution based in Gödöllő. The professors and researchers of the university are exceptional when it comes to doing research, but stepping on the risky road of innovation is another question. That is the reason why not a lot of researches end up with an actual economic outcome. We aim to change this, together with Blue Seven Group Zrt., which opens a door to all the scientific research that could generate real profit, and it motivates them to start their journey on the road of innovation, added the rector.