New Culture mozzarella on a pizza

Image credit: Evan Robinson

New Culture’s “Groundbreaking” Animal-Free Mozzarella Makes World Debut in Los Angeles

New Culture’s animal-free mozzarella made its world debut yesterday, where leading chefs, culinary influencers and media gathered at the acclaimed Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles to taste the revolutionary cheese. Hosted by award-winning chef Nancy Silverton, the event gave guests a first chance to experience New Culture’s first-of-its-kind mozzarella, made from precision fermentation instead of cows.  Silverton and her team designed and prepared a four-course meal to showcase the versatility of New Culture’s cheese. The menu included arancini, eggplant parmesan, and speciality pizzas that featured the mozzarella chunked, shredded, sliced and baked.  Major milestone According to New Culture, the event marked an important milestone as the company prepares for its official launch at Pizzeria Mozza in 2024.  “The evening was an incredible debut for our …

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Uncommon raises $30M for its cultivated pork

Image courtesy of Uncommon

UK Cultivated Meat Company Uncommon, Previously Higher Steaks, Raises $30M in Series A

Cultivated meat company Uncommon, formerly known as Higher Steaks, announces it has secured $30 million in Series A, led by Balderton Capital and Lowercarbon Capital.  Founded in Cambridge by Benjamina Bollag and Dr. Ruth Faram, Uncommon leverages cell ag and RNA technologies to cultivate meat for the global pork market. To date, the company has raised a total of $35 million to achieve its mission of replacing animals in meat production for the health of humanity.   The fresh capital will further develop the company’s groundbreaking approach and scale production at its pilot manufacturing facility (located in Cambridge Technopark). It will also help to hire talent and begin the necessary regulatory approvals. Redalpine, East Alpha, and previous investors Max and Sam Altman, Miray Zaki and …

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RIP Foods street food

© RIP Foods

Mycorena and RIP Foods Partner Up to Create Mycoprotein-Based Street Food

Mycoprotein specialist Mycorena and Spain’s plant-based street food brand RIP Foods are collaborating to develop mycelium-based street food appealing to mainstream customers.  Today, Mycorena announced their first joint creation using mycoprotein  — a vegan kofta inspired by Middle Eastern flavors. The product is set to launch soon in the Netherlands at plant-based restaurant Karma Kebab. “Mycorena and RIP Foods share many traits, working tirelessly with R&D and strongly focusing on innovation and technology to improve taste and texture that will please flexitarians and meat eaters,” said the Finnish company. First step in the Mediterranean market Based in Barcelona, RIP raised €625,000 in a pre-seed funding round last year. Its retailer and food service portfolio includes plant-based gyozas and various flavors of bao, skewers, spring rolls, and katsu. Recently, the company …

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Vollagen alternative to marine collagen

© Vollagen

World Ocean Day: Vollagen Develops Vegan Alternative to Marine Collagen Supplements

On World Ocean Day, UK brand Vollagen has highlighted its plant-based alternative to marine collagen supplements, made through a proprietary fermentation process using non-GMO corn. Vollagen contains the same 16 amino acids found in human collagen, at similar levels and in an easily absorbed format. Consumer tests have reportedly found comparable results to animal-based collagen supplements, with skin becoming firmer and smoother. Participants said they would be happy to buy and recommend the supplements, finding them effective and easy to swallow. While companies such as Aleph Farms and Avant have developed cultivated collagen made from animal cells, Vollagen provides an alternative that is entirely animal-free and vegan. Environmental impact Collagen is typically derived from the skin and bones of fish or cows. While it is …

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Cultivated meat dish

© BioTech Foods

JBS-Owned BioTech Foods Breaks Ground on “World’s Largest Cultivated Meat Plant” in Spain

The world’s largest meat processing company, Brazil’s JBS, announced that its subsidiary, the Spanish company BioTech Foods, has begun construction of its first commercial-scale plant for cultivated meat, reports Reuters. The facility, located in Eskusaitzeta, Donostia’s industrial area, will open by mid-2024 as the country’s first cultivated meat facility (to our knowledge). Biotech Foods claims it will be the world’s largest cultivated meat plant, with an annual production of 1,000 metric tons of cultivated beef. For further growth, it will have an expansion capacity of 4,000 metric tons annually. Additionally, the complex will host the company’s R&D department. In January, Íñigo Charola, the CEO of BioTech Foods, revealed the plans for the future facility: “This new plant will allow us to increase production capacity to …

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SPEC John Kerry visiting Aleph Farms HQ in Israel

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Aleph Farms Joins Forces with Chef Marcus Samuelsson to Bring Aleph Cuts to the US, John Kerry Gets a Taste of Petit Steak

Cultivated meat company Aleph Farms today announced that the famous chef Marcus Samuelsson is joining the company as an investor, culinary advisor, and launch partner in the US.  Samuelsson, a celebrity chef behind 13 restaurants worldwide, is a New York Times best-selling author and a TV personality who, according to Aleph Farms, has dedicated his career to elevating diversity in the culinary world.   “With his vast experience and focus on creating accessible and inclusive cuisine, Marcus’ insights and expertise are perfectly suited for developing and promoting Aleph Cuts to a wider global audience,” said Didier Toubia, CEO and co-founder of Aleph Farms. Launching cultivated meat Samuelsson will advise the company in a culinary capacity in his new role, including product development and go-to-market strategies. He will work on new ways …

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The CellMEAT team

© CellMEAT

Korea’s CellMEAT Raises $13M After Developing Cultivated Shrimp & Caviar

South Korea-based cultivated seafood company CellMEAT has raised 17.4 billion KRW ($13 million) in Series A funding. The round was led by previous investors BNK Venture Investment, Ryukyung PSG Asset Management, and Strong Ventures. Three new investors — NH Venture Investment, Genting Ventures, and Daewoodang Healthcare — also participated. It comes as CellMEAT prepares to officially open a mass production center in Seoul later this month, after developing cell culture technology that makes large-scale production economically viable. The company is notable for being one of the first worldwide to develop a serum-free cell culture medium, helping to bring down the cost of production while removing the ethical issues associated with fetal bovine serum. Prioritizing technology development CellMEAT previously raised $8.1 million in a funding round …

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Solar Foods' protein Solein used in different dishes

© Solar Foods

Solar Foods and Ajinomoto Unite to Create Next-Gen Air Protein Foods

Last week, Finland’s Solar Foods debuted its microbial protein Solein, made out of thin air, at a tasting event in Singapore. After this historic moment in food history, Solar Foods has announced a strategic alliance with Japanese food and biotechnology corporation Ajinomoto to develop products using the revolutionary Solein and introduce them to global markets.  The partnership — Solar Foods’ first collaboration with a major global food brand — will make Solein a reality. In the coming years, a new range of sustainable products will launch for the first time in Singapore. In Q4 2024, the companies will conduct a market feasibility study in Singapore for product development. Solar Foods is now ready to commercialize Solein. It received regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) last October, …

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Scott Hine Hired as Chief Production Officer at Every Co.

Image courtesy of Scott Hine

The EVERY Co. Hires Food and Precision Fermentation Veteran Scott Hine to Scale Up Manufacturing

Egg protein specialist The EVERY Co. announces it has appointed food and fermentation veteran Scott Hine as Chief Production Officer. In Hine’s new role, he will lead the growth of EVERY’s manufacturing footprint as it expands its commercial partnerships, and works to reach price parity with chicken eggs.  As a former executive at Kraft Foods, Accenture and Novus International, Hine brings over three decades of experience in agriculture, consulting, and consumer food products.  At Novus International, which produces nutrition solutions – including those made from fermentation – for livestock and aquaculture, Hine served as Chief Innovation Officer and oversaw a +$250M global business portfolio while leading the development of technology and innovation partnerships.  Growing Every’s footprint At EVERY, Hine will head the company’s initiatives to …

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Upstream Foods develops cultivated salmon fat

© Upstream Foods

Upstream Foods Develops Cultivated Salmon Fat to Improve Taste of Alt Seafood

Dutch startup Upstream Foods is developing cultivated salmon fat that could be used to give plant-based seafood the same flavor and mouthfeel as conventional fish. The fat is made by taking cells from living fish via a biopsy and using them to produce stem cells. These stem cells can then become fat cells, multiplying many times in a bioreactor so that one sample can produce a large quantity of cultivated fat. Finally, the cells are combined with a plant-based matrix. While the technology is already used in the pharmaceutical industry, it is not yet widely used in food production. Upstream Foods is currently operating from the Wageningen University and Research campus, but is searching for a larger lab to allow it to combine food and …

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Steak MeaTech

© Steakholder Foods

Market for 3D-Printed Food to Grow With 49.9% CAGR, Reaching Value of $872.4M

A report by Vantage Market Research has found that the global market for 3D-printed food will grow with a CAGR of 49.9% through to 2028. This will take its total value to $872.4 million. 3D food printing makes it possible to produce meat and seafood alternatives, along with other products such as dough, using computer-controlled printing devices. The market is being driven by increasing demand for customized foods, along with a growing need for efficient and sustainable food production methods. Applications of the technology include producing customized meals for individuals with specific dietary requirements and developing more efficient ways of processing and packaging food. The growing popularity of molecular gastronomy — a culinary trend that focuses on the scientific principles behind food preparation and cooking …

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foie gras - IntegriCulture

Fois gras © IntegriCulture

JACA Hosts Sensory Evaluation of 5 Cultivated Meats at Promotional Event in Tokyo

The Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA), a research group dedicated to cellular agriculture and cultivated food, recently hosted the first-ever promotional event for the industry in Tokyo.  In February 2023, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he would foster the development of the country’s cultivated food industry by promoting the sector and improving the market, including safety assurance measures, and developing labeling rules. To build a consensus on necessary measures for food safety requirements for cultivated food, JACA’s event gathered more than 150 stakeholders, government officials, and industry associations, among others. F&B key players included famous ham producer NH Foods, which recently expanded to the plant-based market with two alt seafood products and biotech company Ajinomoto, which collaborates with Israel’s SuperMeat.  Japan’s Wagyu According to the …

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Changing Bio's parmesan cheese made with microbial protein

Image courtesy of GFI

Changing Bio Launches China’s First Range of Microbial Protein Dairy Alternatives

After winning the Sustainability Innovation Award at BEYOND Expo 2023 in Macau, Shanghai-based Changing Bio officially debuted the company’s first line of alt dairy products made with a microbial protein derived from yeast dubbed Kluvy at the 25th annual Bakery Expo in Shanghai.  At the event, the company’s new ChangingPRO line, including whipped cream and a low-fat parmesan powder high in protein and probiotics featured the novel protein Kluvy mixed with plant-based ingredients. Other products used the novel protein but mixed with conventional dairy. Kluvy, considered a complete source of protein with a PDCAAS score of 1, is a domesticated strain from a bacteria discovered in Shangri-La, a famous town at the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.  “There are 10,000 billion species of microorganisms that coexist …

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steakholder food's 3D printing machine

© Steakholder Foods

Steakholder Foods Launches into 3D Bioprinting Business Model to Advance Cultivated Meat

Steakholder Foods, formerly MeaTech 3D (NASDAQ: MITC), is launching a new 3D bioprinting business model that promises to advance the cultivated meat revolution.  In addition to its cultivated meat development, the Israeli company will provide 3D bioprinters and bioinks to B2B meat manufacturers and cultivated meat producers to create delicious, nutritious, safe cultivated meat. Steakholder Foods’ competitive advantage relies on its expertise in 3D bioprinting technology and its ability to create structured end products that closely mimic real meat in terms of taste, texture, and appearance. The team at Steakholder Foods has been working towards developing this technology for over four years. Using its bioprinting platform, Steakholder Foods revealed the world’s largest-ever 3D-printed cultivated steak in 2021; and the world’s first 3D-printed cultivated fish fillet, developed in partnership with the Singaporean cultivated …

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Solar Foods' protein Solein used in different dishes

© Solar Foods

Solar Foods’ Air Protein to Be Tasted by Public Tomorrow in “Watershed Moment” for Food History

Finland’s Solar Foods announces the debut of its microbial protein Solein in the first-ever tasting event of an air protein, taking place in Singapore tomorrow, the 25th of May. Solein, described as the world’s most sustainable protein, is developed with microbes, carbon dioxide, and electricity. Its bioprocess is free from the “burdens of agriculture” and weather events, allowing its production anywhere; in deserts, Arctic regions, and even space.  Michelin-starred chefs will explore this novel protein’s culinary possibilities in different dishes served at a fine restaurant, announces Solar Foods. Why Singapore? Singapore’s reliance on importing over 90% of its food has led the government to establish food security as a high priority. Over SG$114 million has been invested in alternative proteins as part of the government’s 30 …

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