Science

fermentation-derived beef fat

© Melt&Marble

Researchers Upcycle Agricultural Waste to Produce Fats for Alt Meat

Researchers from Connectomix Bio are investigating a method to transform agricultural waste into lipids for use in meat alternatives. The method will involve turning discarded parts of crops, such as corn husks, into a gas. This gas will then be used to feed microbes, which will produce lipids via fermentation. The resulting fatty acids could be added to cultivated and plant-based meats, improving their taste and texture. The researchers will tailor the lipids to particular applications, such as chicken, beef, or pork alternatives. They will also investigate different processes — for example, the biogas that is initially produced could be converted into another type of gas or a liquid to make the method more economical. Funded by GFI, the project will be run by a …

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cacao fruit

© nutt- stock.adobe.com

Boston’s Ayana Bio Pledges $3M to Accelerate Cacao Bioactives Through Plant Cell Tech

Boston-based Ayana Bio, a spinoff from Gingko Bioworks, has announced a $3 million investment to accelerate the production of cacao bioactives using plant cell technology to make consumer products for markets such as health and wellness, F&B, and cosmetics. Ayana Bio will utilize the capital to expedite commercialization of its cacao ingredients and prioritize R&D of the benefits of different cacao varieties as well as possible usages and applications to expand partnerships with CPG companies. Producing high polyphenol cacao extracts  Ayana Bio leverages plant cell technology —growing plant cell lines in bioreactors rather than agricultural production — to discover and produce plant and fungal bioactives that support and improve human health. According to the biotech, cacao contains biologically active compounds that support healthy digestion, cardiovascular health, cognition, …

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believer meats' cultivated chicken dish

© BELIEVER Meats

Groundbreaking Findings From BELIEVER Meats “Break That Big Wall of No” For Cultivated Chicken

A new study led by BELIEVER Meats as published in Nature Foods unveils a comprehensive, cost-efficient GMO-free production method for cultivated chicken. According to BELIEVER Meats, in the study conducted by its founder and CTO Professor Yaakov Nahmias, researchers have found answers to some of the industry’s challenges regarding cost-efficiency and transparency in cultivated chicken production. “These findings break that ‘big wall of no’ described by Paul Wood and David Humbrid in last year’s The Counter article that challenged the feasibility of lab-grown meat,” BELIEVER Meats states. The production of non-GMO immortal cell lines, new standards for transparency in the field According to the cultivated meat company, the study shows that producing non-tumorigenic cell lines without genetic engineering and long-term stability is possible. BELIEVER Meats says researchers …

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a cellzero meat scientist in a lab looking at a computer

© Thomas Häntzschel / nordlicht

CELLZERO Meat Emerges to Develop Sustainable Solutions for Cultivated Meat Industry

Germany’s Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) and other partners have established what they claim is the country’s first multidisciplinary research consortium, called CELLZERO Meat. With €1.19 million in funds from The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), CELLZERO Meat sets out to solve issues and develop sustainable process solutions for the cultivated meat industry. The research network includes the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Research and Technology Greifswald (MV), the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Bernburg (Saxony-Anhalt), and PAN-Biotech GmbH in Aidenbach (Bavaria). Cultivated meat’s unresolved hurdles “There are several unresolved scientific hurdles that have so far delayed the production of cell-based meat alternatives and thus the emergence of a market. We want to contribute to overcoming these,” FBN scientist and CELLZERO Meat’s project …

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The founders turning carbon dioxide into protein

Arkeon founders. © Arkeon

Arkeon Biotechnologies Secures Over €‎10M to Convert CO2 Into Food

Vienna’s Arkeon Biotechnologies, a startup converting CO2 into functional, carbon-negative ingredients for food; raised seed funding of €‎6.5 million last March and now announces it has secured another four million euros. Arkeon’s technology uses gas fermentation to transform CO2 into proteins and the process, according to the company, generates all 20 essential amino acids using a microorganism that produces them in just one fermentation process. The resulting proteins require 99% less land and only 0.01% of the amount of water used by conventional agriculture. New investors include ICL, aws Gründerfonds, FoodHack and Tet Ventures, with the fresh funds going towards the expansion of its proprietary technology as well as the planning of a new R&D centre. “We are very pleased to have the support of …

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New culture range will keep alt-meat products fresh

© Chr. Hansen

Chr Hansen and Novozymes in Largest Ever Danish Merger

The merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen Holding, set for Q4 in 2023, will reportedly be the largest ever Danish merger. Bioscience supplier Chr. Hansen will join with Novozymes, the world’s largest provider of microbial technologies and enzymes, to “create a strong biosolutions group with a broad biological toolbox and a diversified portfolio across markets”. Novo Holdings, the largest shareholder in both companies, states that the transaction will create a global leader in biosolutions that would capitalize on attractive growth opportunities while serving societal needs. The combined group will benefit from an expanded global presence and shared ambition to provide answers to the biggest challenges facing society. According to the press release, the newly formed group will “be equipped to stand stronger in addressing global …

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Tender Pulled Pork Sandwich

©Tender

Meet Tender: A Startup Using Cotton Candy-Like Technology For “Superior” Plant-Based Pork

Tender, a plant-based meat startup in Boston, is using old-school technology to create ultra-realistic alternatives to pork and other structured cuts of meat.  Utilizing processes similar to those found in cotton candy machines, the company spins plant proteins into fibers to create products it says are “just better” in taste and texture than most plant-based offerings on the market.  “Our goal is to create superior quality in alternative meats”, Tender co-founder and CEO Christopher Chantre told the Boston Globe. “That’s really what we’re going after – is that next-level quality of texture.” First developed in a Harvard laboratory, Tender officially launched in 2020 in Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA. The company was initially founded as a graduate project by Chantre, who reportedly spent nine years …

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© Ivy Farm

UK Government Commits £16M to Sustainable Protein Research

The UK’s Biotechnical and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) has joined forces with Innovate UK for a £16 million funding call dedicated to novel foods and sustainable protein research. This will include alt proteins such as cultivated meat, plant-based foods, and products made using precision fermentation. The two government funding bodies intend to support research that enables novel, resource-efficient, and low-emission food production systems. Selected British companies and projects will be able to use the funding to scale up production and bring their sustainable proteins to market. The news comes after the BBSRC reported in September that it planned to jointly allocate £20 million to alt protein research and development. UK government support for alt proteins While the UK government has previously provided funding to …

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a cultivated beef hamburger in a petty dish held by a man's hands

David Parry/PA, image courtesy of Mosa Meat

EU’s Horizon Europe Grants €25M to Cultivated & Fermented Protein Research

The EU’s flagship research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, has announced €25 million in funding for three projects working on cultivated and fermented proteins. The projects are: Cultured meat and cultured seafood – state of play and future prospects in the EU. This project will receive €7 million to research how the cost of cultivated meat can be reduced, and how production can be economically scaled up. It will also look at consumer acceptance and the potential role of farmers. Microbiome for flavour and texture in the organoleptic dietary shift. Receiving €9 million, this project will use fermentation-derived ingredients to improve the properties of alt protein products. It will also pilot new precision fermentation and biomass production methods. Impact of the development of novel foods based …

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Orbillion cultivated beef

©Orbillion

Orbillion Bio Partners with Solar Biotech to Scale Cultivated Wagyu Beef for US Market

Cultivated meat startup Orbillion Bio announces it is partnering with Solar Biotech, a leader in SynBio bioprocessing, to further develop and scale production of premium cultivated Wagyu beef for US consumers. The partners plan to scale to 20,000L bioreactors, which will be capable of producing over 4 million pounds of meat every year. According to Orbillion, the strategic partnership reinforces their commitment to achieve price parity with conventional meat by 2026 and commodity pricing for beef by 2030. Through the collaboration, Orbillion states it now has a clear path to US commercialization of its first product, cultivated Wagyu beef. The effort will combine Orbillion’s proprietary cell culture platform with Solar Biotech’s scale-up bioprocess development capabilities and infrastructure, proprietary AI-driven bioprocess software, biosensing technologies, and vertically …

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adm workers in a farm field during the day

© ADM

Study: Plant-Based Diets Could Improve European Food Security in Wake of Russia-Ukraine Conflict

A study published in the journal Nature Food has analysed the potential impact of the largely plant-based planetary health diet on European food security. There are increasing concerns about food resilience in Europe and worldwide, following supply chain issues caused by extreme weather, COVID-19, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This has led to a significant spike in the price of food and fertilisers. The study argues that this problem is exacerbated by the consumption of animal products in Europe, which is significantly higher than is recommended for environmental and health reasons. Large quantities of imported grain are used to feed farmed animals rather than humans, which is said to be an inefficient use of resources. Far-reaching impact According to the researchers, a large proportion of crops …

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Fermented mushroom protein

©MycoTechnology

MycoTechnology and IFF Partner to Develop Innovative Alt-Proteins for European Market

Mycelium solutions company MycoTechnology and IFF announce a partnership to co-develop alternative proteins and next-generation food and beverage products for the European market.  The new agreement will allow MycoTechology to capitalize on IFF’s RE-IMAGINE PROTEIN innovation program and use its state-of-the-art facilities in Brabrand, Denmark, including the Culinary Design Center, which specializes in novel plant-based foods.  The two companies have previously partnered in the US to combine MycoTechnology’s mycelial fermentation with IFF’s technical expertise. “This is an exciting new level of collaboration,” said Alan Hahn, CEO of MycoTechnology.”IFF understands the importance of innovation and using it to build a better, more sustainable food system. We’re delighted to embark on a new journey together to create the cutting-edge solutions consumers demand for taste, nutrition, and sustainability.” …

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Protera Team

Protera team, image supplied

ICL and Protera Biosciences Partner for AI-Driven Precision Fermented Ingredients

ICL Food Specialties of Israel has joined forces with Chile’s Protera Biosciences, an AI-driven food tech startup and designer of novel proteins used to develop precision fermented ingredients for food manufacturers. Protera closed a $10M Series A round last year, while ICL employs more than 12,500 people worldwide, and reported revenues in 2021 of around $7 billion.  Through the newly announced partnership, ICL and Protera will develop and commercialize sustainable protein-based ingredients using precision fermentation. These ingredients, according to the company, will “improve the sensory properties in plant-based food applications, while positively impacting the world’s food security challenges.” Deep-learning platform Protera’s AI tech, called madiTM, a deep-learning platform, can predict and match the structure and functionality of vegetable proteins. It designs proteins from a database …

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spirulina-based smoked salmon

© SimpliiGood

New in Alt Seafood: Salmon Scent from Plants & EU Strategy to Boost Algae Production

New in alt seafood, taking place in Europe are two interesting developments: Estonian researchers are recreating the scent of salmon using plants, and the EU’s new algae strategy heralds the acceleration of sustainable, fish-free seafood.   Researchers recreate scent of salmon with plants Estonian researchers led by Dr Sirli Rosenvald from Estonia’s Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK) are working to recreate the unique aroma of salmon using plants in order to advance developments in alternative seafood production. The research aims to tackle Europe’s dependence on imported seafood and meet growing demand for fish in a sustainable manner: Europe imports three times more seafood than it produces, and global demand for seafood is expected to increase by 5% over this decade. According to the …

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Plant2Food platform

Image: Novo Nordisk Foundation

Plant2Food Granted Up to €27M to Accelerate Plant-Based Food Development in Denmark

A new collaborative platform called Plant2Food has launched to accelerate the development of plant-based foods in Denmark. Over the next five years, the platform will receive funding of up to €27 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Plant2food will provide a hub for researchers and companies, allowing them to partner to solve complex issues. As the platform is based on open collaboration, any knowledge gained will be available to all participants. Universities and companies joining Plant2food will agree to publish all results from their open research projects, without claiming intellectual property rights. The university partners in Plant2food are Aarhus University, the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, and Wageningen University (based in the Netherlands). These universities will use the funds from the Foundation …

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