Greek biotechnologist Angeliki Triantafyllou, the scientist who helped revolutionise oat milk through her work with Oatly, is now leading the development of a new generation of pea milk that could play a key role in feeding the world’s growing population.
Triantafyllou, president of Swedish food technology company Cerealiq AB, recently received the 2026 European Inventor Award in the Industry category for her groundbreaking contributions to plant-based food innovation.
After spending more than two decades leading research at Oatly, where she co-developed the patented enzymatic process that transformed oat milk into a global success, her attention has now turned to unlocking the full nutritional potential of peas.
Unlike many existing pea-based drinks that rely on isolated protein, Triantafyllou’s team has developed a process that uses the entire pea, preserving its complete nutritional profile.
“Our enzymatic technology preserves all the properties and the full nutritional value of the pea,” she told Euronews. “And, of course, it is an environmentally friendly method.”
The innovation aims to produce a plant-based milk that delivers improved nutrition while reducing the environmental impact associated with dairy farming.
Triantafyllou believes the future of plant-based foods should focus on quality and sustainability rather than chasing the latest consumer trends.
“The challenge now is to ensure good quality across the entire range of animal and plant-based products,” she said.
“We should not be following fads, but creating foods that genuinely have high nutritional value and a real reason to exist.”
She points to products such as almond milk, which have achieved widespread popularity despite offering comparatively modest nutritional benefits, arguing that future alternatives should be selected for both their health benefits and environmental sustainability.
According to Triantafyllou, plant-based foods are not intended to replace animal products entirely but to help meet the nutritional demands of a rapidly expanding global population.
“Animal production cannot increase indefinitely to meet the needs of a constantly growing population,” she said.
Peas provide high-quality plant protein, while oats remain an excellent source of beta-glucans and dietary fibre—nutrients many people fail to consume in sufficient quantities.
Plant-based crops also require significantly less land, water and feed than traditional dairy production and generally produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, making them an increasingly attractive option as countries seek more sustainable food systems.
For Triantafyllou, the future of food lies in combining scientific innovation with nutrition and environmental responsibility—developing products that are not only better for consumers but also for the planet.
