Motif FoodWorks

Impossible heme

© Impossible Foods
Fermentation

Impossible Foods and Motif FoodWorks Settle Heme Patent Tech Dispute

Impossible Foods and Motif FoodWorks have announced a joint settlement agreement regarding the legal battle over a patent infringement of heme technology using yeast and precision fermentation. Under the deal, Impossible Foods would acquire Motif FoodWorks‘ heme-related business. The agreement also stipulates neither party can renew allegations or bring the issue back to court, reported AFN. With this settlement, Impossible Foods, which produces the protein soy leghemoglobin found in soy, has gained access to the intellectual property and expertise of Motif FoodWorks on the animal-free protein myoglobin, branded as HEMAMI. Both iron-bearing proteins, known as heme, are said to impart the taste, texture, red color, and bleeding features of animal meat to plant-based alternatives. A battle for a secret ingredient By 2021, Impossible Foods exclusively …

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Motif Foodworks Foxtrot taco salad

© Motif FoodWorks
Products & Launches

Motif FoodWorks Launches Plant-Based Beef in Upscale US Convenience Store Chain Foxtrot

Boston-based food tech company Motif FoodWorks announces latest retail partnership with upscale convenience store and café Foxtrot.  Foxtrot, known for its freshly crafted chef-prepared meals, introduces Motif BeefWorks Plant-Based Beef Grounds as a primary ingredient in its premade vegan taco salad, now served at all 30 Foxtrot locations across the United States.  New portfolio of plant-based meats This new partnership comes on the heels of Motif FoodWorks’ introduction of a new portfolio of plant-based meats for foodservice earlier this year, featuring Motif PorkWorks™ Grounds and Motif BeefWorks™ Patties and Grounds. The new line of products is a result of the company’s recent developments in food technology, including two proprietary ingredients, HEMAMI, a heme protein, and APPETEX, a product replicating connective tissue found in animal meat. Motif also announced a partnership this …

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Motif Plant-Based Burger

©Motif FoodWorks
Politics & Law

Motif Obtains Examination Before US Patent Office in Impossible Foods Dispute

The US Patent and Trademark Office announced on Friday that it will initiate inter partes proceedings (IPR) on patent 9,943,096 B2 claimed by Impossible Foods. The US agency’s decision initiates an administrative proceeding on the validity of one of Impossible Foods’ key patents, which is expected to take about a year. Motif FoodWorks had sought reexamination of the patent after Impossible Foods sued Motif in federal court last year, alleging that the company had infringed patent rights in its use of the heme ingredient to make plant-based meat substitutes. In Friday’s PTAB decision, Administrative Patent Judge Donna M. Praiss wrote that Motif “has demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing on at least one claim of the ‘096 patent, and we are instituting an inter partes …

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Plant-Based ChickenWorks product

ChickenWorks © Motif FoodWorks
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Motif FoodWorks Launching “Authentic” Plant-Based Beef, Pork and Chicken for Food Service

Boston food tech company Motif FoodWorks announces it is launching a new portfolio of finished plant-based meats for food service, including Motif PorkWorks™ Grounds and Motif BeefWorks™ Patties and Grounds. The company will showcase the portfolio, along with a preview of Motif ChickenWorks™, at the National Restaurant Association Show (NRA) in Chicago.  According to Motif, its new food service products give restaurant owners options that provide the taste and texture of real meat, and satisfy customer demand for better protein alternatives.  Motif states that 53% percent of consumers report they would eat more meat alternatives if they tasted better. To create the new products, the company says it combined its first two commercial ingredients, HEMAMI and APPETEX, to accurately mimic the flavors and springy texture …

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APPETEX Plant-Based Burger Texture

©Motif FoodWorks
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Motif FoodWorks Announces First Consumer Launch of Motif BeefWorks™ Burger Patties Featuring APPETEX

Boston-based Motif FoodWorks announces it has launched its second food technology ingredient, APPETEX™, for large-scale commercial distribution. Described as a “breakthrough” ingredient, APPETEX is said to enhance the texture of plant-based foods by providing the unique springy and juicy chew found in animal meat products.  To enable consumers to taste the benefits of APPETEX, Motif will offer its first finished products, Motif BeefWorks™ Plant-Based Burger Patties, to consumers beginning in April.  According to Motif, APPETEX (a combination of “appetite” and “texture”) is an edible plant-based  hydrogel that is capable of recreating the bite associated with animal connective tissue. While plant-based proteins like texturized soy or pea protein can mimic the fibrous structure of meat, Motif says, these ingredients fall short in creating the springy “chewdown” …

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Motif FoodWorks Burger with HEMAMI

©Motif FoodWorks
Company News

Motif FoodWorks Partners with IngredientWerks to Explore Creating Animal-Free Heme From Corn

Food tech startup Motif FoodWorks announces it is partnering with IngredientWerks, an agtech ingredients company, to develop high-value plant-based proteins for the alt-protein market. Through the research partnership, the two companies say they will explore new ways to optimize heme protein production through molecular farming.  According to Motif, the partners have begun an exploratory study aimed at recreating Motif’s HEMAMI™ ingredient using corn. HEMAMI is used to give plant-based meats the same flavor and aroma as animal-based meat, and is said to be bioidentical to the bovine heme protein found in beef. IngredientWerks will aim to produce Motif’s HEMAMI using broad-acre crops such as corn. If successful, Motif says enabling crop protein production in its ingredient strategy will lower both production costs and the carbon footprint …

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Vegan Egg White

© The Every Co.

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

9 Global Food Tech Leaders Join Forces to Launch The Precision Fermentation Alliance

Today, nine leaders in precision fermentation announce they are coming together to establish the Precision Fermentation Alliance, a new trade organization to promote precision fermentation as a solution for a more resilient and sustainable food system.  Intended to serve as an industry voice for the precision fermentation industry, the group’s founding members include Change Foods, The EVERY Co., Helaina, Imagindairy, Motif FoodWorks, New Culture, Onego Bio, Perfect Day, and Remilk. Precision fermentation involves the process of creating nature-identical versions of popular products and ingredients (like dairy and egg proteins) by utilizing the natural ability of microorganisms to turn sugars into proteins and other complex organic molecules. According to the Alliance, its members have aligned on the following goals: Promote understanding of precision fermentation technology. Build …

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Motif Foodworks

©Motif Foodworks
Politics & Law

Motif Foodworks’ IP Battle Intensifies as Europe Revokes Impossible Foods Patent

Food tech startup Motif Foodworks announces it has filed four new challenges to US patents held by Impossible Foods. The company’s legal move comes a week after The European Patent Office (EPO) announced it had revoked an EU patent held by Impossible Foods. The EU and US patents that Motif is challenging involve meat alternative products containing heme protein, sugars and sulfur compounds. Motif argues these ingredients are not patentable by Impossible due to their longstanding use as taste and smell enhancers for meat alternatives. The reasoning behind the EPO’s decision to revoke Impossible’s patent (No. 2,943,072 B1 – Methods and compositions for affecting the flavor and aroma profile of consumables – ‘072) has not been published, but an Impossible Foods spokesperson asserted that the …

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Motif Foodworks cheese

©Motif Foodworks

Gastronomy & Food Service

Fast Casual Chain Coolgreens to Trial Motif FoodWorks’ Innovative Plant-Based Cheese

Healthy fast casual chain Coolgreens announces it is testing a groundbreaking plant-based cheese created by Boston-based Motif FoodWorks. The dairy-free cheese will be available exclusively at Coolgreens’ Delray Beach, FL location beginning Nov. 15th. Motif’s cheese will be offered on Coolgreen’s signature Avocado Crunch sandwich and Southwest salad, as well as the non-vegan Chicken Fresca sandwich. Motif’s innovation is said to offer the same creamy taste, stretch and melt of traditional dairy cheese.  Though it has not yet disclosed the product’s ingredients, Motif revealed in 2021 it had acquired exclusive access to new food technologies it said had “the potential to transform” consumers’ experience with plant-based meat and cheese.  For its cheese, Motif licensed prolamin technology from the University of Guelph, which uses plant-based ingredients to …

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Michael Leonard Motif FoodWorks

©Motif FoodWorks
Company News

Boston’s Motif FoodWorks Appoints Michael Leonard as New CEO

Food technology company Motif FoodWorks announces that Michael Leonard has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Leonard will replace previous CEO Jonathan McIntyre, who is transitioning to an advisory role.  Leonard has served as CTO of Motif since 2019, and brings extensive experience in commercialization, R&D and innovation. As new CEO, he will lead the company as it accelerates go-to-market initiatives, including its newly launched meat alternative finished formats, such as Motif BeefWorks and PorkWorks.  During McIntyre’s tenure, Motif developed several major advances in food tech, including HEMAMI™ and APPETEX™, and raised a stunning $345M in Series A and B financing.  Science and tech leader Leonard, who holds a PhD in Polymer Science & Engineering, has nearly two decades of experience in senior industrial …

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Paleo founders

© Paleo
Fermentation

Paleo Introduces Range of GMO-Free Heme Variations Featuring Mammoth Protein

Using precision fermentation technology, Brussels-based food technology firm Paleo has released six new non-GMO heme variations that are bioidentical to their animal equivalents. Among the new variations is mammoth protein, part of the species extinct in the wild. Back in December 2021, the food technology startup raised €2M in seed round investment to fund an R&D centre, pilot plant and experience centre for the creation of their sophisticated meat and fish proteins. As discussed in the Future Food Series hosted by ProVeg Incubator in March, precision fermentation products are ready to be a game-changer for the plant-based industry stating that they “may be more successful with consumers as they can compare with conventional animal products.” Paleo is using its groundbreaking precision fermentation technology to achieve …

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Footprint Coalition X Motif Foodworks

© Motif Foodworks
Company News

Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition Invests in Motif Foodworks For “New-to-the-World” Plant-Based Foods

Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition Ventures invests in Boston’s Motif Foodworks to create next gen plant-based foods “moving beyond animal mimicry” into new product categories, as the company simultaneously announces its launch into foodservice with its alt beef, pork and chicken. Motif states that the two companies will partner on the development of “new-to-the-world” plant-based food format, stating: “This includes moving beyond animal mimicry to create new product categories that provide consumers with healthier, better tasting plant-based options”. “If plant-based foods are going to make a real impact on sustainability, we need an approach that’s both delicious and nutritious,” said Robert Downey Jr., founder of FootPrint Coalition Ventures. “By focusing on both better tasting and healthier options, Motif is not only making a difference in …

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Motif FoodWorks Burger with HEMAMI

©Motif FoodWorks
Company News

Motif FoodWorks Strategically Invests in NemaLife to Speed Up Food Ingredient Testing

Motif FoodWorks, a Boston food tech company, is partnering with microfluidics company NemaLife to utilize the latter’s platform for in-vivo testing and protein characterization. Motif also invested in NemaLife for an undisclosed amount. Motif states microfluidic screening is new to the food and beverage space and can help quickly identify Motif’s next food tech breakthrough.  Using an AI-assisted microfluidics screening platform, NemaLife is able to test and categorize bench-scale proteins using only a fraction of the sample size typically required for ingredient testing. By effectively screening small amounts of ingredients in a matter of weeks, Motif will be able to de-risk and accelerate its product pipeline to create safe and functional food technologies, it says. NemaLife’s streamlined screening platform will also help Motif to generate …

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Impossible Shop Foods Restaurant Burger Dog Haus

©Impossible Foods
Politics & Law

Impossible Foods Files Lawsuit Against Motif Foodworks Over Heme Patent

Impossible Foods, the alt meat market leader, has sued Motif Foodworks over accusations that the food tech startup copied its heme technology. Motif Foodworks has disputed the claim, which concerns its debut product; HEMAMI. The lawsuit states that Motif’s development and commercialization of HEMAMI infringes Impossible Foods’ patent by using the iron-bearing protein molecule heme and making it available for large-scale distribution. Heme is the ingredient that gives Impossible Foods’ alt meats their authentic taste and smell, a key factor in the brand’s global success.  The lawsuit was filed in Delaware federal court yesterday, with Impossible Foods asking for an undisclosed amount of money damages and a court order blocking Motif’s sales of the allegedly infringing burger. A Motif spokesperson stated that the lawsuit was …

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Hemami steak ©Motif Foodworks
Company News

Solar Biotech Expands Partnership With Motif Foodworks After “Groundbreaking” HEMAMI Reveal

Solar Biotech, the SynBio technologies and products development startup, announces an expanded partnership with US food-tech company Motif FoodWorks. This announcement comes on the heels of Motif’s launch of the beef-like heme-binding protein HEMAMI last month. “The HEMAMI reveal is ground-breaking news in the plant-based and alternative protein food trade and we are proud to be a part of making this FoodTech milestone,” states Lisa Wade, Communications and Social Development Manager at Solar Biotech. Motif’s strategic partnership with Solar Biotech began in 2020, when Motif turned to Solar Biotech to increase its production capacity. Motif utilized Solar Biotech’s development and precision fermentation capabilities for pilot-scale production of HEMAMI™. The breakthrough food-tech is a yeast-derived heme protein that brings an umami flavor and meaty aroma. HEMAMI …

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Motif Foodworks

©Motif Foodworks
Products & Launches

Motif Foodworks Launches HEMAMI Heme Ingredient After FDA Approval

Motif Foodworks, a Boston-based food technology company, today announced the launch of its HEMAMI heme ingredient following GRAS approval by the FDA. Motif’s revolutionary HEMAMI,  which is the company’s debut product, is now available for large-scale distribution. Motif Foodworks specializes in developing products that improve the taste and texture of plant-based foods. HEMAMI marks a major milestone for the plant-based industry as the only commercially available heme ingredient. While startups like Triton Algae and Yemoja have successfully experimented with algae-based heme in labs, those innovations have not yet hit the market. Heme: The Magical Ingredient Heme is the iron-bearing protein molecule scientists say provides meat with its meaty taste. Heme gained overnight fame, of course, as the star ingredient in the Impossible Burger, where it …

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Motif Foodworks cheese

©Motif Foodworks

Food & Beverage

Motif Announces Transformative Technologies For “Cheese That Actually Stretches and Melts” & “Meat With Marbleized Fat Just Like a Ribeye”

Motif FoodWorks today announces it has gained exclusive access to food technologies with the potential to transform the consumer experience with plant-based meat and cheese. Motif claims that the two technologies “hold the promise to address two of the most significant challenges in plant-based foods.”

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Mike Leonard Motif Foodworks

Mike Leonard ©Motif Foodworks
Interviews

Motif Foodworks: “Emerging Technologies and Innovations in this Space Demonstrate That Animal-Free Options Will Only Get Better and Better”

Motif FoodWorks is an ingredients company which uses food science to uncover what makes the food we love so good—at a molecular level—and recreate those attributes without using animal products. The company partners with food and nutrition companies to make their plant-based products better tasting, more nutritious, and better for the planet.

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