Category: Lab Grown Alternative

LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS — The Netherlands-based cultivated meat company Meatable announced the appointment of Jeff (“Trip”) Tripician as its new chief executive officer, effective June 17. Tripician will lead the company in its US market expansion plans.

The expansion will come on the heels of Meatable’s planned commercial launch in Singapore later this year, which is key to the company’s long-term strategy of reaching the broader Asian market.

“I am thrilled to welcome Trip to Meatable, as he is incredibly well qualified to lead us into this very exciting and important phase of growth for the company,” said Cees de Jong, chairman of the board of directors at Meatable. “With our launch in Asia planned for the fall, the next critical part of Meatable’s growth strategy is to drive expansion into the US, and we believe that Trip’s long and successful experience in the organic and natural meat industry will be invaluable in helping Meatable achieve those global commercialization and growth goals. We look forward to his immediate impact as we take Meatable to new heights in Asia, the US and beyond.”

Tripician is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience across the US meat market, including organic and natural meat markets, with deep expertise in the US supply chain, marketing of sustainable meat products, fundraising and M&A.

Most recently, he served as CEO of Grass Fed Foods, where he orchestrated a successful merger between Teton Waters Ranch and SunFed Ranch to position the company as the one of the largest grass fed beef platforms in the United States. Prior to that, Tripician served as president of Perdue Premium Meat Co., where he spearheaded the company’s growth in premium meat brands like Niman Ranch, Coleman Natural and Sious-Preme.

“Meatable is a one-of-kind food tech innovator with patented technology that can produce real and delicious meat at unprecedented speed, allowing product to be produced at lower costs than any other player in the industry,” Tripician said. “With global population growth stressing the world’s ability to meet accelerating demand for sustainable proteins, Meatable is positioned to lead the industry in a paradigm shift that will address key global issues including climate change, water use, soil quality, humane animal care, food security, and, importantly, consumer acceptance, delivering an affordable and remarkable eating experience that could change the world.”

Tripician succeeds current Meatable CEO and co-founder Krijn de Nood, who will continue to serve on the board of directors.

“I want to thank Krijn for establishing Meatable as the leader in cultivated pork and the innovator it is today,” de Jong said. “Krijn has always agreed that at this stage of the company’s evolution, it is important for us to have a leader in the critical US market and relocating was not an option for him. However, I look forward to continuing to work with him and receive his valuable contributions as a member of the board of directors. We are exceedingly grateful for his continued leadership and guidance.”

In addition to Tripician’s appointment, Meatable elected Dean Banks, former president and CEO of Tyson Foods, to its board of directors.

Banks is currently the CEO-partner of Flagship Pioneering, a leading biotechnology company, and CEO of Indigo Ag. Previously, he served on the leadership team at X (an Alphabet company, formerly known as Google [X]).

“Meatable has enormous potential to disrupt the cultivated meat space with its unique approach to product development and commercialization,” Banks said. “I look forward to leveraging my expertise in food, technology, and biology to work with Jeff and the rest of the Board to help Meatable gear up for its launch in the US.”

RALEIGH, NC. — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ environment-centric charity funded $30 million over five years to the North Carolina State University to create a hub for alternative proteins. The Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein officially launched on May 31.

The Earth Fund also committed $100 million to establish a network of open-access research and development centers focused on sustainable protein.

“Food production is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so it’s critical we find ways to feed a growing population without degrading the planet,” said Andrew Steer, president and chief executive officer of the Earth Fund. “Sustainable protein has tremendous potential, but more research is needed to reduce the price and boost the flavor and texture to ensure nutritious, affordable products are available. It’s about choice.”

The grant funding will support research on three types of sustainable proteins: plant-based products; precision fermentation to produce proteins and nutrients that can be used in food formulations; and cultivated meat grown from animal cells.

“This is a significant opportunity for North Carolina to not only be a state with a thriving animal-sourced foods sector but also one where it is a powerhouse in complementary proteins, building new industry and driving economic growth for the state,” said Bill Aimutis, co-principal investigator on the grant and co-director of the new center. “With the center we are looking to develop solutions that will provide greater diversity of choices for consumers that are both tasty and sustainable.”

NC State will work with academic partners North Carolina A&T State University, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Duke University and Forsyth Tech Community College on the research, workforce development and community engagement efforts. In addition, over 20 industry partners will be involved with the center.

Among those industry partners is Believer Meats, a cultivated meat company. The partnership complements Believer’s investment in region, where it chose to build a 200,000-square-foot commercial scale facility for cultivated meat products. Set to be operational by the end of 2024, the facility will have the capacity to produce over 26 million lbs of cultivated meat annually.

“The Bezos Earth Fund grant is a testament to the great work being done in North Carolina and reinforces our decision to locate here,” said Gustavo Burger, CEO of Believer Meats. “We are excited to partner with the center to contribute our innovative, real-world solutions to meet the increasing demand for protein and nutrition.”

WASHINGTON – The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) confirmed on July 23 that the Department of Defense (DOD) will not go forward with its proposal to look at the applications of lab-grown protein for human consumption. 

The NCBA previously made a statement in June that it was concerned about the DOD sponsoring a research grant that would develop lab-grown meat done by manufacturing company BioMADE.

“The Department of Defense can and should be on the cutting edge of science, and we respect their work to investigate defense applications for new tools and technology,” said Sigrid Johannes, senior director of government affairs at NCBA. “However, there’s a big difference between industrial or defense applications and the food we put in our bodies. US farmers and ranchers are more than capable of meeting the military’s need for high-quality protein.” 

The trade association noted that it continues to work with agriculture partners in Congress to have several amendments in the Fiscal Year 2025 Defense Appropriations bill, National Defense Authorization Act and Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture Appropriations bill, aimed at preventing lab-grown protein from being part of military meals. 

NCBA stated that it received help from various Congress members on the matter, including Representative Don Bacon (R-NE), Representative Zach Nunn (R-IA), Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH), Representative Mary Miller (R-IL), Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE).

“After weeks of engaging with Congress and speaking out against this plan, we are thrilled to have DOD confirmation that lab-grown protein is not on the menu for our nation’s servicemembers,” said Mark Eisele, president of NCBA. “These men and women make the greatest sacrifices every day in service to our country, and they deserve high-quality, nutritious and wholesome food like real beef grown by American farmers and ranchers.”

LONDON — Cultivated meat company Meatly announced on July 17 it received regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat for use in pet food in the United Kingdom, making it the “first in the world” to receive authorization for cultivated pet food, according to the company. Additionally, the approval also makes Meatly the first-ever cultivated meat company approved for sale in any European country, according to Meatly. 

To receive approval, Meatly closely collaborated with many of the United Kingdom’s regulatory bodies, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). These regulatory bodies ensured that Meatly and its cultivated meat comply with all needed regulations. Additionally, Meatly has recently passed the APHA’s inspection process, and the company plans to continue to adhere to ongoing inspections. 

The regulatory approval means that Meatly’s cultivated chicken for pet food can now be sold in the United Kingdom. 

“Today marks a significant milestone for the European cultivated meat industry,” said Owen Ensor, chief executive officer of Meatly. “I’m incredibly proud that Meatly is the first company in Europe to get the green light to sell cultivated meat. We are proving that there is a safe and low-capital way to rapidly bring cultivated meat to market.”

In addition to meeting UK regulations, Meatly has also prepared a safety dossier and conducted extensive testing to ensure that its cultivated chicken is safe and healthy for pets. According to the company, the testing demonstrates that its cultivated chicken is free from bacteria and viruses, that the nutrients used to grow the ingredient are safe, and that the final chicken ingredient is safe, nutritious, and free from GMOs, antibiotics, harmful pathogens, heavy metals and other impurities.

“We’re delighted to have worked proactively alongside the UK’s regulators to showcase that Meatly chicken is safe and healthy for pets,” Ensor added. “Pet parents are crying out for a better way to feed their cats and dogs meat — we’re so excited to meet this demand. We can now continue our mission to give consumers an easy choice — ensuring we can feed our beloved pets the real meat they need and crave, in a way that is kinder to our planet and other animals.”

Meatly is currently a registered feed business operator in the United Kingdom, and its production facility has also received approval from the DEFRA and the APHA, enabling it to produce and handle cultivated chicken. 

This regulatory approval follows extensive cultivated meat advancements by the company. In March, the company announced a partnership with sustainable pet food company Omni, creating a cultivated wet cat food product. Then in May, the company was able to decrease production costs of its cultivated meat to £1 ($1.25) per liter. 

Following this approval, the company plans to launch the first samples of its commercially available pet food this year, making it the first cultivated pet food sold, according to Meatly. Additionally, the company plans to focus on lowering its production costs and scaling its production to reach industrial volumes during the next three years. 

“Meatly’s regulatory approval is a landmark event for the industry,” said Jim Mellon, founder of Agronomics, an investor in Meatly. “Through its technological innovation and close work with governing authorities, Meatly is helping prove that we can succeed in commercializing cultivated products for pets across the United Kingdom. Our pets consume huge amounts of meat every day and so this development can play a crucial part in reducing the emissions, resource consumption and animal suffering caused by traditional meat production.”

BOULDER, COLO. — Meati, a maker of mycelium-based cutlets and steaks, has named John Bortells as its chief commercial officer. Bortells will help drive revenue and expand Meati’s market as well as oversee sales, marketing and customer experience, according to the company.

Prior to joining Meati, Bortells was chief customer officer at The a2 Milk Co. He joined The a2 Milk Co. in May 2017 as senior vice president, US sales. Earlier, he was vice president sales and marketing at Clover Sonoma.

He also has held several leadership sales roles at such companies as Mighty Leaf Tea Co. and at PepsiCo in its Pepsi Cola North America unit.

“John is a fantastic addition to Meati and the mycelium category overall,” said Phil Graves, chief executive officer of Meati. “He’s a demand generation savant with extensive experience. What impressed us most about John is his track record of scaling ambitious, mission-driven brands to national prominence. When many doubted dairy due to lactose allergies, John and his team successfully introduced a2 milk as a safe and enjoyable option. His deep understanding of food, nature and innovation in culinary experiences is unparalleled.”

Singapore — a small island nation — and Dubai — a rapidly growing emirate in the desert where sandstorms and daytime temperatures as high as 120°F restrict agriculture production — import more than 90% of their food. This is not sustainable. These are the regions that will benefit from scientific advancements in food production, including cultured meat, a product officially banned in Alabama and Florida.

Understanding cellular agriculture

Precision fermentation technology has been around for a little more than 30 years. Today it is on an accelerated pathway to commercialization in many developing countries, as it is recognized for its potential in feeding the growing population and saving the planet by producing food and food ingredients in more earth-friendly manners. It’s already used to make a number of food ingredients, including natural flavors, rennet, vitamins and stevia. But it is recent advancements in cellular agriculture — the process of using precision fermentation to produce genuine animal proteins without slaughter — that is fueling interest and innovation.

“There is a direct line between food production, climate, socioeconomic opportunities and equity. How we make our food is one of the foundational ways to change the world around us,” said Nicki Briggs, vice president of corporate communications, Perfect Day, Berkely, Calif., and chair of the Precision Fermentation Alliance (PFA). Founded one year ago, the PFA serves as an industry voice and global convener for this emerging industry.

“Precision fermentation is the newest chapter in the history of making food without animals,” said Maija Itkonen, co-founder and chief executive officer, Onego Bio, a US-Finnish food ingredient company. “It allows us to provide people with food that is sustainable, tasty and healthy, without cutting any corners or making any compromises.”

Ancient technology gets modernized

Fermentation without the “precision” has been around forever. That’s how grapes turn into wine, bread rises and kombucha becomes effervescent and probiotic. Precision fermentation is, as the name suggests, more precise. It’s calculated technology.

In precision fermentation, bioengineering techniques are used to program microorganisms by giving them a specific genetic code to produce a compound of interest when fermented under precise conditions. The genetic code is the exact copy of the DNA sequence found in a digitized database of animal or plant DNA sequences; however, it requires no animal or plant involvement. The result is the molecularly identical ingredient made by microorganisms.

This may sound a little scary to some, especially ranchers who make their livelihood from raising livestock. But in countries where locally raised meat and poultry is scarce, it’s the difference between being able to put burgers on the grill for a family barbecue or serving stone soup.

The PFA hopes to change consumers’ perception of cultured meat. In the States, it apparently is not working.

SCiFi Foods, San Leandro, Calif., a cultured hamburger startup, shut down in early June. The company started out as Artemys Foods in 2019 and raised about $40 million from a number of venture capital funds and even British rock band Coldplay. This was not enough to keep the business going. Besides having regulatory hurdles to bring the product to market, there were likely issues with scale up to improve the economics of production.

“Given challenges in the fundraising market, we’ve appointed an advisory firm to run a sale process,” Joshua March, co-founder and CEO, said to AgFunderNews.com, which first reported the closing.

Another challenge, as mentioned, is consumer perception. This is being fueled by a number of states already banning or discussing the ban of the sale of cultured meat. If consumers are reluctant or prohibited from purchasing, it’s impossible to be profitable.

Two companies have approval in the United States to sell cultivated meat. Both Eat Just Inc., San Francisco, and Upside Foods, Berkeley, Calif., developed slaughter-free chicken made using precision fermentation.

In December 2020, Singapore became the first country to sell cultured meat when Eat Just’s Good Meat Cultured Chicken was served at 1880, a contemporary restaurant founded to inspire conversations that change the world. Since, it’s been served at other restaurants and now a hybrid version is available packaged for sale at Singapore-based Huber’s Butchery and Bistro.

The hybrid recipe features a mere 3% of cultivated animal cells. The rest is plant proteins. The product is sold frozen, which helps with shelf life.

This new product, Good Meat 3, was developed to meet strong consumer demand for cultivated meat in Singapore, and to create opportunities for people to try it in the comfort of their own homes. Using a smaller percentage of cultivated chicken in combination with plant proteins, which have always been used in Good Meat’s cultivated chicken products, also helps reduce costs associated with the production of cultivated meat, one of the main challenges that exist to scaling this developing industry.

“Before today (May 15, 2024), cultivated meat had never been available in retail stores for regular people to buy, and now it is,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just. “This year, we will sell more servings of cultivated chicken than have been sold in any year prior. At the same time, we know there is much more work to be done to prove that cultivated meat can be made at large scale, and we remain focused on that objective.”

This milestone came on the heels of efforts in the United States to restrict or outright ban cultivated meat production and sales. In early May, Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, signed a bill into law criminalizing the sale of cultivated meat in that state. This came a few days after South Korea created a “Regulation-Free Special Zone” designated for cultivated food and other bio-tech companies. These areas have specific regulatory exemptions intended to foster innovation and embrace novel food technologies that have the potential to help address problems like climate change, food security and animal suffering.

Communicating benefits

As of now, while consumers say they are interested in supporting sustainable food systems, many have questions and concerns. Further, sustainability cannot be the number-one selling point, according to Jack Bobo, director of the University of Nottingham’s Food Systems Institute in the United Kingdom. First comes taste, nutrition and price.

“Consumers don’t change their eating habits to save their lives, why would they do so to save the planet?” Bobo said.

Despite the excitement around alternative proteins, there is often confusion and skepticism, according to PFA. The PFA’s mission is to change that narrative, highlighting the safety and effectiveness of the technology.

One of the biggest hurdles is communicating that while precision fermentation uses genetic engineering techniques, it is different from genetically modified crops. The technology uses genetically engineered microorganisms in the fermentation process, but the modified organisms are filtered out after fermentation, leaving only the specific compounds or ingredients that they have been designed to create. If the end product does not contain any genetically modified material, it is not considered a GMO or required to be labeled as “bioengineered” by current US regulatory standards.

Even with consumer buy-in, there’s still the extreme costs involved with commercialization. That’s where the new Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State University enters the picture. On May 31, 2024, The Bezos Earth Fund awarded North Carolina State $30 million over five years to lead a center of excellence to create a biomanufacturing hub for dietary proteins that are environmentally friendly, healthy, tasty and affordable. The Earth Fund has committed $100 million to establish a network of open-access research and development centers focused on sustainable protein alternatives.

“Food production is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so it’s critical we find ways to feed a growing population without degrading the planet,” said Andrew Steer, president and CEO of the Earth Fund. “Sustainable protein has tremendous potential, but more research is needed to reduce the price and boost the flavor and texture to ensure nutritious, affordable products are available. It’s about choice.”

Choosing cultured meat

Good Meat cultivated chicken dishes were tested in a consumer study at Huber’s Butchery and Bistro in Singapore. The results were published this past March in Future Foods, a peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to sustainability in food science. Researchers from Singapore Management University found that buying and eating cultivated meat “significantly boosted” diners’ acceptance of this novel food. The study also found that after trying cultivated chicken, diners expressed a strong willingness to eat it again, and to recommend it to friends or family.

“This report is significant, as it’s the first-ever study of actual paying consumers of cultivated meat. The findings are clear: when consumers are free to buy cultivated meat, they are much more likely to accept it and suggest it to their friends and family,” Tetrick said.

In surveying more than 100 people who sat down to a meal at Huber’s in 2023, the researchers used a real-life setting to determine whether “presenting cultivated meat in the context of a familiar meal in a familiar social setting” would predict diners’ willingness to try it again and recommend it to others. The study’s findings reinforced Good Meat’s “strategy of socializing cultivated chicken to consumers through curated food trials at restaurants: eating is believing.”

Taste was another important factor in the study, showing that “tastiness” of the cultivated chicken itself was more important to diners than whether the chicken was presented in a “familiar meal or dish.” Survey participants gave cultivated meat a score of 4.2 out of 5 on taste, and 4.45 out of 5 on willingness to recommend to others.

“Singaporean diners are renowned for their discerning taste in food, so while environmental and public health benefits can be additional motivators, the product has to hit the mark on flavor,” said Mirte Gosker, managing director-Asia Pacific, The Good Food Institute. “This data shows that cultivated meat can pass that high bar and turn skeptics into enthusiasts, so now we need costs to come down enough to enable such products to reach the masses.

“That’s going to require greater global collaboration, market access and investment, but Singapore has made clear that it’s open for business and ready to meet this moment,” Gosker added.

Eat Just is ready to deliver. The company’s Singapore production facility has the capacity to produce tens of thousands of pounds of meat from cells, without the need to slaughter a single animal. It houses the single-largest bioreactor in the cultivated meat industry to date.

For now, animal slaughter-free meat and poultry will likely remain a Southeast Asian thing. A recent YouGov poll showed that 31% of Americans support a ban on making and selling lab-grown meat in their state, while 36% oppose such a ban and 32% are unsure. Only 10% of Americans would definitely consider trying lab-grown meat, with an additional 18% saying they probably would. Conversely, 40% said they would definitely not try it, and 20% probably would not, leaving 12% of respondents unsure.

In a hypothetical future where lab-grown meat is indistinguishable from animal meat in taste, nutrition and cost, 50% of Americans would still prefer conventional animal meat. Only 13% of respondents said they would choose lab-grown meat, while 14% would opt for neither and 22% remain unsure.These findings highlight a mix of curiosity, skepticism and preferences that will likely shape the future of lab-grown meat in the United States.

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — Upside Foods, a cultivated meat company, and the Institute for Justice (IJ) filed a lawsuit challenging a recent Florida law prohibiting the sale of cultivated meat.

Information from the IJ said the new state law is unconstitutional because it violates provisions prohibiting protectionist measures designed to favor in-state businesses at the expense of out-of-state competitors.

“If some Floridians don’t like the idea of eating cultivated chicken, there’s a simple solution: Don’t eat it,” said Paul Sherman, a senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. “The government has no right to tell consumers who want to try cultivated meat that they’re not allowed to.”

The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

“A major purpose for enacting the Constitution was to prevent exactly this kind of economic protectionism, ensuring that all Americans can benefit from a free and open national market,” said Suranhan Sen, an attorney for IJ. “Florida cannot ban products that are lawful to sell throughout the rest of the country simply to protect in-state businesses from honest competition.”

Upside Foods received label approval from the USDA in June 2023 for its products.

However, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill back in May in Florida to ban the sale of cultivated meat. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a similar law on May 7.

“Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef,” DeSantis said in May.

During June 2024, Republican lawmakers also co-sponsored the REAL Meat Act of 2024 that would ban the use of federal funds in various areas related to cultured meat.

Upside Foods launched under the name Memphis Meats in 2015. 

The company raised $400 million in a Series C funding round during spring 2022, bringing its valuation to more than $1 billion. It’s raised $608 million in total funding from investors, including Cargill, Tyson Foods and Givaudan.

KANSAS CITY, MO. — Most Americans are trying to consume protein, and the desire to get more continues to rise (59% in 2022, 67% 2023 and 71% 2024), according to the 2024 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC), Washington, D.C.

Protein is the only macronutrient that has not been demonized, and industry professionals don’t see demand slowing down. The challenge is with climate change threatening global food security, it is paramount that new sources of protein continue to be identified. That’s happening.

“The hottest day on Earth in modern history was just recorded in July, further fueling conversation about climate change in general and its effects on the global food supply specifically,” said Randy Kreienbrink, director-food, beverage and specialty, Artemis International, Fort Wayne, Ind. “Extreme weather is intensifying pressure on traditional protein sources, such as livestock and fisheries, by altering their habitats and reducing their populations. This makes exploring and developing alternative protein options imperative. A diversified protein supply chain, including plant-based and novel protein ingredients, is crucial for global food security and resilience.”

Consumers are recognizing they can do their part through protein diversification. It’s fine to enjoy a beef hotdog when at the ballpark, and then for lunch the next day, have a veggie burger.

Globally, 43% of plant-forward consumers believe it’s healthier to get protein from a wider variety of sources, according to ADM Outside Voice, Global Protein Consumer Discovery Report, January 2023. This has increased in significance since 2020, according to Jacquelyn Schuh, global senior director-product marketing for specialty ingredients, ADM, Chicago.

“It’s not an all-or-nothing approach to protein consumption, and there is opportunity to add more protein into the diets by consuming both animal- and plant-based protein,” Schuh said. “This, in turn, is fueling new opportunities to diversify plant protein sources, as well as bring together multiple sources of proteins through hybrids or blends.”

Ingredient innovation

To support more protein choices and eating occasions for alternative proteins, ingredient suppliers continue to invest in technology to offer more options. ADM, for example, introduced a line of low-sodium functional and dispersible pea protein powders, in addition to new textured pea proteins (conventional and low sodium).

“These introductions and extensions are crucial to supporting functional formulation needs, as well as nutritional value, including optionality for various lifestyle diets, protein content, protein diversification and the sensory experience,” Schuh said. “This comes at a time when consumers are increasingly engaging in GLP-1 agonists. With smaller portion sizes, consumers will want to make purposeful decisions on what they eat to get the nutrient density they need. Foods with high-protein and fiber content are critical to this dietary need, and plant proteins have the potential to offer protein and fiber coming from a plant-derived source.”

Mark Fahlin, category marketing manager-health and nutrition, Cargill, Minneapolis, concurred. “One of the biggest developments in the plant protein space is the continuous improvement we’re seeing in the functionality of botanical proteins. For example, our joint venture partner PURIS has expanded its pea protein line-up with products developed for specific plant-based applications.”

They don’t have to be meat and dairy analogs. Maybe it’s a smoothie or snack chips. New specialty protein ingredients make creative applications more viable.

“Plant proteins are notoriously unstable in more acidic applications,” Fahlin said. “At IFT FIRST 2024, Cargill featured an acid-stable plant protein in a strawberry dragon fruit smoothie. The prototype was packed with 21 grams of total protein and had a clean taste and stability in solution.”

Ingredion Inc., Westchester, Ill., launched a new pea protein at IFT FIRST that was optimized for application in cold-pressed sports and nutrition bars. Such bars tend to become hard with a dry texture over a short time.

“Our technical experts developed a cold-pressed bar model system and swapped competitive protein sources one-for-one,” said Michael Valenti, manager, global innovation business lead of healthful solutions protein fortification at Ingredion.  “Additionally, we assessed the same model system against commercially available bars using a third-party survey to gauge consumer preference. This new pea protein showed desirable and predictably stable softness over shelf life, and among pea protein competitors measured, had low pulse flavor and significantly lower chalky/gritty mouthfeel.”

ChickP Protein Ltd., Rehovot, Israel, has patented technology to manufacture a 90% chickpea isolate. By removing most of the oil from chickpeas, the company is able to concentrate the protein and achieve a clean, neutral taste with a longer shelf life than other chickpea protein ingredients. That’s because the lower fat content reduces the chance of oxidation, a major contributor to off flavor development.

“A key challenge in fortifying energy snacks with vegan forms of protein, for example, is avoiding a bitter aftertaste while retaining a crispy texture,” said Maor Dahan, head of development and applications for ChickP. “Our chickpea isolate solves both challenges. It has a neutral flavor plus a fine consistency for seamless integration. Moreover, it is a complete protein providing all the essential amino acids, including naturally occurring branch-chain amino acids essential for building and maintaining muscle mass.”

New technologies and raw materials

Advanced technologies are helping with ingredient innovation. When artificial intelligence is put on the team, commercialization of these ingredients tends to occur significantly faster.

“Precision fermentation is not just a buzzword. It’s a game-changer,” Kreienbrink said. “This technique holds immense potential for creating sustainable, high-quality protein ingredients. By optimizing microbial fermentation processes, we can produce tailored proteins with specific functional and nutritional attributes. Precision fermentation has the power to revolutionize both plant- and animal-derived protein production, and in that regard, the future looks promising.”

Onego Bio Ltd., uses precision fermentation to manufacture a bio-identical egg protein. As a U.S.-Finnish company, Onego is in the process of commercializing the production process in North America and is on track to submit a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notice to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this year with the hope of receiving a “no questions” letter in 2025. Founded in 2022 as a spinoff from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, Onego is already working with major food companies on product innovation in everything from baked goods, snacks and pasta to sauces and meat alternatives.

Eggs are one of the world’s most used animal proteins. As an ingredient, they assist with binding, thickening, leavening, emulsifying and more; however, the current egg production system is not sustainable, according to Maija Itkonen, chief executive officer of Onego.

“But there’s an alternative way with precision fermentation,” Itkonen said. “We can create proteins that are bio-identical to the foods we know and love. And we can do that using 90% less resources, without major risks such as pandemics.

“We have taken a microflora called Trichoderma reesei and trained it to produce ovalbumin, the main protein found in egg white, instead of its own enzymes,” she explained. “In a way, we have domesticated this hungry fungus and turned it into a living factory. And the fungus quite likes it. When we feed it plenty of glucose, it’s as happy as can be.”

Fungus can make protein with high efficiency and volume. Mycoprotein, also known as mycelium-based protein, for example, is produced from fungi using fermentation technology. Cargill is working with ENOUGH, Sas van Gent, The Netherlands, to produce large-scale mycoprotein ingredients. The ingredient is grown by feeding fungi with sugars from sustainably sourced grain, which is then fermented in a natural production process.

“It’s much like making beer, wine or yogurt,” Fahlin said. “The mycoprotein is a complete food ingredient that contains essential amino acids and is high in dietary fiber. It is produced through a zero-waste fermentation process, with Cargill’s glucose syrup as a main source.”

Protein ingredients are also being made from side streams, a process often referred to as upcycling. This is when the raw materials now being used to make ingredients would have otherwise not been used for human consumption.

Revyve, a food tech company based in Wageningen, The Netherlands, introduced its high-performance egg-replacement ingredient at IFT FIRST. The texturizing ingredient is made from upcycled brewer’s yeast and is designed to be used in baked goods and plant-based meats. When paired with other ingredients, the ingredient can eliminate the need for methylcellulose, a common ingredient in plant-based burgers that has a “non-clean label” reputation.

“Yeast has been the star of the show in beer brewing, winemaking and bread baking for millennia,” said Edgar Suarez Garcia, chief technology officer and co-founder. “At Revyve, we have taken yeast functionality to the next level. Products manufactured with Revyve single-ingredient yeast proteins take on true-to-form textures. Revyve offers exceptional heat-set gelling, binding and emulsification. Burgers retain water and oil at hot and cold temperatures. They brown and sizzle on the grill and hold their shape when flipped and sandwiched in a bun. 

“When burger producers ask how the ingredient performs, we explain that it behaves like egg whites,” he said. “When cooked in a patty mixture, Revyve becomes firm yet springy, forming a binding network around the other ingredients. The secret lies in the unique combination of functional proteins and fibers created by our patented technology.”

The ingredient also has application in animal-meat products such as meatballs and nuggets, as well as hybrid products. It allows formulators to eliminate the egg allergen.

Angel Yeast Company, Hubei, China, also offers yeast protein ingredients that are extracted from natural brewer’s yeast. One of the company’s newest naturally fermented yeast protein ingredients contains all nine essential amino acids and possesses an 80% protein content, according to the company. This versatile ingredient is used to enhance the flavor and nutritional profile of vegan cheese, ice cream, dairy products, protein drinks, protein bars, cheese-flavored crackers, whole wheat bread and vegan meat. It can be used to make high-protein whole wheat bread and nutrition bars, and it may also be used in combination with other proteins.

“As a new focal point category, hybrids and blended solutions are an important part of growing this acceptance, bridging the gap between the familiar and new,” Schuh said. “When asked about technological advances (in our survey), global plant-forward consumers stated they’re most interested in trying novel plant-based ingredients, such as sunflower, canola, algae, chickpea proteins within plant-based alternatives (dairy or meat).”

This was followed by hybrid/blended options. These are combinations of familiar proteins, plant-derived and animal-derived, and combinations of plant-derived or animal-derived proteins with new technologies such as precision fermentation and cell cultivation.

“Overall, consumer acceptance of new technologies for protein development is progressing,” Schuh said.

Hybrid foods provide a feasible approach for novel food ingredients to enter the market despite the scalability challenges, according to Emilia Nordlund, research team leader of food solutions at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. This enables consumers to familiarize themselves with the novel proteins and production concepts and start reducing their animal meat intake while adapting to alternative proteins.