Peace of Meat, a B2B supplier of cultivated fat which was recently acquired by Meat Tech 3D, has released survey results revealing that up to 68% of plant-based meat producer respondents would be likely or very likely to incorporate cultivated fat into their products.
Peace of Meat surveyed 50 companies from Kind Earth Tech’s most recent New Protein Map, with 58% reporting that they are likely or very likely to use cultivated meat as an ingredient in their plant-based products.
The Belgian based cultured fat innovator cites that, according to newprotein.org, the number of plant-based meat companies grew from 15 producers in 2015 to over 220 this year, stating that in such a rapidly expanding market space, the use of cultivated fat can provide brands with the opportunity to stand out from their competitors.
In particular, in the following two areas.
Taste, texture, mouthfeel
When companies were asked how likely they would be to use a cultivated fat ingredient if it specifically improves taste, the percentage of “likely” and “very likely” replies increased to 66%.
An even higher number of companies, 68%, reported they would be likely or very likely to use cultivated fat if it improves texture and mouthfeel. Vegetable fats have a tendency to leak out of plant-based meats while cooking, diminishing tenderness and juiciness. Cultivated fat’s superior functional properties provide a solution to this.
Reduced ingredients list
Cultivated fat can balance consumer demands for both indulgence and clean labels considering it has the potential to reduce the number of ingredients such as binding agents, flavours and fats. When asked how likely they would be to use cultivated fat if it reduces ingredients by 30-60%,68% of survey respondents replied they were likely or very likely. 96% of companies reported that they would prefer to use a cultivated fat ingredient that is non-GMO.
“Establishing a dialogue with over 50 companies in the plant-based field was eye-opening. The impact this industry has on animal welfare and sustainability is tremendous, yet convincing meat-eaters to change diets permanently remains a challenge. Cultured fat might be the missing ingredient creating real meatiness, and the plant-based industry is very receptive to this innovation,” comments Co-founder and Managing Director David Brandes.
Peace of Meat is a B2B cultured fat supplier looking to collaborate with the plant-based meat industry in order to jointly produce hybrid cultured / plant-based meat alternatives.
