Aquatic plant Lemma

The aquatic plant Lemma - Image courtesy of Plantible

Ingredients

Plantible and ICL Unveil “Revolutionary” Clean-Label Alternative to Methylcellulose Made with Duckweed

US duckweed ingredients company Plantible Foods and ICL Food Specialties, a leading manufacturer of functional ingredients, have introduced ROVITARIS, a “revolutionary” clean label binding solution for plant-based meat and seafood applications.  ROVITARIS is described as a functional protein system designed to replace chemically processed binders, such as methylcellulose, without compromising the taste and texture of foods. Moreover, it makes plant-based meat products “taste better and perform more authentically,” says Plantible. The new ingredient features RuBisCO, a protein that Plantible extracts from the aquatic plant Lemna (duckweed) commercialized as the Rubi Protein. It contains all nine essential amino acids and can mimic the functions of animal proteins, including emulsifying and binding. The Rubi Protein is also neutral in color, odor, and flavor.  “Plant-based protein formulators have been searching for a …

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Protera Team

Protera team, image supplied

Manufacturing & Technology

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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Startlife and ICL collaboration

© ICL

Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Startlife and ICL Planet Startup Hub Partner to “Establish New Generation of Plant Nutrition Solutions”

Startup accelerators Startlife and ICL Planet Startup Hub have announced a collaboration to invest in early-stage startups focused on addressing challenges in food and agricultural production. ICL Planet Startup Hub was launched last year by leading global speciality minerals company ICL. The Hub has the aim of “cultivating, nurturing, and accelerating innovation in the AgriFood tech ecosystem”. This includes developing innovative clean label proteins — the Hub has already invested in alt-protein startups Protera and Plantible. By working with ICL Planet Startup Hub, startups gain access to markets, expertise, scientists, and sample testing. They can also receive agronomic or food application feedback. “To boost innovation, StartLife actively connects startups to leading players in the industry. ICL’s core domain is complementary to our partner community value …

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