Believer Meats News - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Newform meatballs

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Marketing & Media

The Era of the Alt Protein Rebrand: Yet Another Cell Ag Company Reveals New Identity

August 16, 2023

Yesterday, South African cultivated meat company Mzansi Meat revealed on social media its new identity (see below). Mzansi’s rebrand comes as the next in line to a growing list of alternative protein companies undergoing transformation as such products enter the spotlight and become increasingly crucial as part of food system revolution and climate change action. Arguably, this wave of alt protein rebrands began back in May of 2021 when Memphis Meats became UPSIDE Foods, before going on to achieve incredible success which, as we all know, led to the company becoming one of the two pioneering cultivated meat producers granted permission to sell their novel cell-based chicken products to the US public. However this uptick has gained great pace over the past year or so, …

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Believer Meats CEO with Senator Ted Budd

From left: Muthuraman, Burger, and Senator Budd. Image supplied by Believer Meats

Believer Meats Urges US Senators to Promote North Carolina’s Role in Cultivated Meat

June 23, 2023

Cultivated meat startup Believer Meats announces its CEO Gustavo Burger met with US Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) to reaffirm the company’s commitment to investing in the state of North Carolina. The June 20 meeting, which took place in Washington DC, also included Believer Meats COO Kash Muthuraman. The two executives met with Senators Budd and Tillis to discuss the company’s ongoing commitment to investing in North Carolina while promoting local employment and supporting economic growth. In response, the senators showed enthusiasm for learning more about cultivated meat’s potential to address food security, and how North Carolina can play a significant role in the industry. “It was great to meet with Believer Meats as they expand their presence in North Carolina,” said …

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ADM and Believer Meats Sign MOU to Advance Commercialization of Cultivated Meat

April 12, 2023

Agribusiness leader ADM and cultivated meat startup Believer Meats announce they have signed a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on new ways to advance the development and commercialization of cultivated meat products. Under the terms of the MOU, the companies will work together to explore multiple opportunities spanning the cultivated meat production process. The partnership will focus on utilizing ADM’s vast ingredient pantry and nutrition expertise to improve Believer’s proprietary cell-cultivated meat process. In addition, the non-exclusive agreement also creates a path to further support industry growth, say the companies, by using ADM’s processing expertise to possibly commercialize new products that arise from the collaboration. Expanding the “universe of protein” “With a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, ADM is …

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Sponsored

Image supplied by Clextral

Sponsored Post

Clextral’s innovative developments in producing affordable and tasty alternative proteins

believer meats' cultivated chicken dish

© BELIEVER Meats

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

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

January 16, 2023January 13, 2023

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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Hybrid Products

BELIEVER Meats cultivated meat factory

© BELIEVER Meats

Manufacturing & Technology

BELIEVER Meats to Construct “World’s Largest” Cultivated Meat Facility in the US

December 8, 2022

BELIEVER Meats has broken ground on a 200,000-square-foot production facility in Wilson, North Carolina, which the company claims will be the largest ever for cultivated meat. When fully operational, the facility will be able to produce at least 10,000 metric tonnes of meat per year. North Carolina was chosen due to its highly qualified workforce and track record of integrating technology-driven solutions into residents’ lives. Initially, BELIEVER will invest $123.35 million into Wilson County, creating over 100 new jobs. The facility will feature proprietary bioreactors with the ability to achieve high cell densities and yield. There will also be offices, an R&D and innovation centre, conference room spaces, and a kitchen to host tastings. This will be BELIEVER’s first commercial-scale site in the US, following …

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UPSIDE Cultivated Chicken

© UPSIDE Foods

Farm Forward Survey Finds Two-Thirds of Americans are Willing to Eat Cultivated Meat

September 11, 2023November 16, 2022

According to a new survey conducted by Farm Forward, a nonprofit working to end factory farming, approximately two-thirds of Americans (67%) say they would cultivated meat products, while 58% are open to consuming plant-based proteins. Changing attitudes The survey, conducted in partnership with OnePoll, asked 2,001 US adults who were primary household shoppers about their interest in meat alternatives. While the majority expressed willingness to consume animal-free proteins, some negative attitudes persist about the perceptions plant-based diets, with 32-38% of respondents believing stereotypes about vegans and vegetarians, whether positive (e.g they are more compassionate) or negative (e.g. they don’t get enough protein) to be true. Notably, 72% say the past decade has changed how others view vegan and vegetarian stereotypes. Less meat for holidays? As …

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believer meats' cultivated chicken dish

© BELIEVER Meats

Future Meat Becomes Believer Meats as it Readies for US Market Launch

November 15, 2022

Future Meat has changed its name to Believer Meats effective immediately, as it prepares for its product launch. Believer states its “groundbreaking process and technology have paved the way to bring cultivated meat one step closer to commercial viability, pending US regulatory approval”. Last August, the company opened what it claimed to be the world’s first industrial cell-cultured meat facility in Israel. The following December, the founders revealed a $320 million funding round that brought the company’s total value to $600 million, with the funding partly going towards the building of a US facility, which is expected to break ground before 2023. Cargill exec hire In February of this year, Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, previously of Cargill, was hired as new CEO, “at this pivotal moment as …

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Future Meat Kebabs

© Future Meat Technologies

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Future Meat Technologies Reveals ‘World’s First’ Production of Cultivated Lamb

August 25, 2022August 25, 2022

Future Meat Technologies announces it has successfully produced the “world’s first” cultivated lamb meat, which looks, cooks and tastes like conventional ground lamb. The company says the milestone will allow it to begin producing cultured lamb at scale, and expand its platform into new species as it prepares for a US launch. According to Future Meat, development of cultivated lamb could transform the global landscape, with the European Union currently being the world’s largest lamb consumer; lamb is also the primary meat source in countries across the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia. “Since lamb has a uniquely distinct flavor, it is very clear if a cultivated substitute is on or off the mark,” said Michael Lenahan, General Manager of Future Meat. “The …

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© Future Meat

Three New Future Meat Executives Hired Following Record-Breaking Series B Round

May 25, 2022

Three new Future Meat executives have been appointed as the Israeli cultivated meat company gears up for commercialisation. Gustavo Burger, Jennifer Henderson, and Moses Talbi will bring decades of leadership experience to the team. Gustavo Burger Burger, who has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer, was previously senior vice president of operations at The Kraft Heinz Company. He has also worked in senior leadership roles at other FMCG companies, including AB InBev and BRF S.A. Burger will help to design and implement an end-to-end supply chain operation for Future Meat. Jennifer Henderson Jennifer Henderson has been hired as Chief Administrative Officer, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary. She has worked as a corporate general counsel in the fields of food, feed, and biotechnology for over two …

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Tacos Future Meat Technologies

©Future Meat Technologies

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Meat Giant CP Foods and Future Meat Technologies to Develop Hybrid Cultivated Meat for Asia

March 23, 2022March 23, 2022

Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods), the Thai meat giant, has announced a “first-of-its-kind” partnership with Future Meat Technologies, the Israeli cultivated meat company. The agreement will see the development of cell-cultured meat products for the Asian market. Hybrid cultured meat products will be the result of the partnership, that is to say, a blend of plant-based and cell-cultured ingredients. These products have the advantage of being quicker to market, as they are less complex and more affordable to produce at scale than purely cultivated meat products. The pork and poultry giant from Thailand, CP Foods, is one of the biggest agro-industrial and food conglomerates in the world and continues its diversification into alt protein with the new partnership and following the continued success of its …

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new CEO of Future Meat

© Future Meat Technologies

Ex Cargill Exec Nicole Johnson-Hoffman Onboarded as New CEO of Future Meat Technologies

February 28, 2022February 15, 2022

Nicole Johnson-Hoffman, who has over 35 years’ experience in the agriculture, food manufacturing, food service, and meat production industries, has been appointed as CEO of cultivated meat company Future Meat Technologies. Previously, Johnson-Hoffman served as Managing Director, Further Processed Foods for OSI Europe. She also spent 19 years at Cargill, practicing law as in-house counsel and serving in various leadership roles. She will now take on day-to-day leadership of Future Meat and join the company’s Board of Directors. “We are extremely excited to have Nicole join Future Meat,” said Professor Yaakov Nahmias, founder and president of Future Meat Technologies. “Her vision and experience building and operating large scale food manufacturing facilities and working with global players across the ecosystem, are invaluable for a cultivated meat …

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Chicken breast Umiami

Chicken breast ©Umiami

Market & Trends

New Report Highlights Top 7 Emerging Trends in Alternative Protein

February 15, 2022

Global food processor Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has released a 2022 report spotlighting emerging trends in the protein alternatives market. The report selected seven prominent trends driving industry growth and innovation: Introduction of novel proteins Air-based meat and volcanically-sourced protein are two examples of innovative protein sources being explored in the field. While novel ingredients vary by nutrition, functionality, flavor and price, there is a strong preference among producers for ingredients that are local and/or fully traceable. Cultivated meat remains a leading area of new protein development, with over $1.2 billion invested in cultivated meat and seafood startups. 2. Fermentation-as-a-Service (FaaS) With increased interest in microbial fermentation for alternative protein products, the report says expanding food-grade fermentation capabilities for brands is essential. ADM will soon partner with …

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future meat leaders

©Future Meat Technologies

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Future Meat Raises a Huge $320M, Plans Cultivated Meat Facility in the US

December 13, 2021

Israeli company Future Meat Technologies is in the process of raising $320 million in a funding round that will bring the company’s total worth to $600 million. Some of the funding will be used to build a cultivated meat facility in the US. Meat processor Tyson Foods and food processing corporation ADM are expected to be among the participants in the round. Both companies have previously invested in Future Meat. In June, Future Meat opened what it claimed was the world’s first industrial cultivated meat facility near its headquarters in Israel. But the company intends for its products to be available in the US next year, which will be much easier following the opening of the planned American production plant. Future Meat is already in …

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future meat / gfi

Image courtesy of GFI

Israeli President Isaac Herzog Becomes World’s First President to Try Cultivated Meat

June 8, 2022October 29, 2021

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has become the first president to taste cultivated meat, produced by Future Meat, in order to bring attention to alt protein for Israel’s National Climate Strategy ahead of COP26. In December last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took part in a publicised trip to sample Aleph Farms’ product, making him the first Head of State to sample cultivated meat, however, this recent news marks the first sampling of meat cultivated in a laboratory by a President. In addition to Future Meat, Israeli startups Zero Egg and InnovoPro were in attendance to showcase their products to the delegation. President Herzog stated to the attendees: “It is imperative that we take advantage of the international stage in Glasgow to present the extensive …

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cell-cultured leather

©Nestlé

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Nestlé Confirms Cell-Cultivated Meat Rumours

July 13, 2021July 13, 2021

In response to rumours circulating that Nestlé is to enter the cell cultivated meat category, as reported yesterday by Bloomberg et al; vegconomist today contacted the Nestlé head office in Switzerland and it has been confirmed that Nestlé Research in Lausanne is currently working with Future Meat Technologies in Israel, as well as several other startups as yet undisclosed. Last month, Future Meat opened what it claimed to be the first industrial level cell-cultured meat facility in the world, which will produce 500 kilograms of cultured meat per day, equivalent to 5000 hamburgers, targeted at the US market and with the intention of reaching US retail by end 2022. The facility is currently able to produce cultured chicken, lamb, and pork, with beef to follow. …

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Future Meat

© Future Meat

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Future Meat Opens “World’s First” Industrial Cell-Cultured Meat Facility, Will Produce 500kg Per Day

June 28, 2021

Israeli food-tech company Future Meat has opened what it claims is the first industrial cell-cultured meat facility in the world. It will produce 500 kilograms of cultured meat per day, equivalent to 5000 hamburgers.

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Future Meat Technologies Sandwich

©Future Meat Technologies

Future Meat Technologies Creates Quarter Pound of Cultured Chicken for $7.50 – a Price Reduction of X1000

February 2, 2021

Israeli cultured meat startup Future Meat Technologies, which received financial backing from poultry giant Tyson Foods as well as ADM and Müller Group, announces it has reduced production cost for a quarter pound of cultured chicken to $7.50, far surpassing market expectations; a cost reduction of over 1,000-fold in just a few years. The company has also secured $26.75 million in a new raise.

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cultured meat cellbased beef

© Firn-stock.adobe.com

Market & Trends

8 Reasons Why the Future of Meat is Cell-Based, Not Animal-Based

November 26, 2020

The plant-based market is growing steadily, but in the future cell-based products may dominate and increasingly compete with plant-based products. By 2040, plant-based and cell-based meat alternatives are set to account for 60% of the market. We are moving towards a future where meat does not come from animals.

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Brian Spears, New Age Meats

Brian Spears © New Age Meats

New Age Meats: “There’s a Reason We’re Called New Age Meats. The Definition of Meat is Changing.”

September 9, 2020

New Age Meats is a cultivated meat company working to develop delicious proteins free from animal slaughter, aiming to bring its first product, a pork sausage, to market soon. Based in San Francisco, the company’s tagline is “Meat without slaughter” – a sentiment that we can all get on board with, whether vegan or not.

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©Future Meat Technologies

Future Meat Technologies Raises $14 Million in Series A Funding

October 10, 2019

Future Meat Technologies today announces the closure of a $14 million Series A funding round led by S2G Ventures, a Chicago-based venture capital firm and one of the forces behind Beyond Meat’s IPO, and Emerald Technology Ventures, a Swiss-based venture capital firm recognized for its leadership in industrial innovation.

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series A finding