NEW TECH FOODS

Mission Barns has held its first sale of cultivated pork during a dinner at Italian restaurant Fiorella in San Francisco, California.

The event is part of a three-night pop-up series introducing its cultivated fat ingredient, Mission Fat, to local diners. The menu featured Italian meatballs and applewood-smoked bacon prepared with the ingredient.

Cecilia Chang, CEO of Mission Barns, said: “The excitement around this pop-up series not only gives us valuable feedback from the consumers who will ultimately enjoy our products but also serves as a proof point that’s getting our B2B partners excited to test Mission Fat and see our technology’s readiness for themselves".

Fiorella’s owner and Chef Brandon Gillis says the partnership was a natural fit. “At Fiorella, we’re always looking for ways to bring our guests something new, but it has to taste incredible and meet our standards for quality".

"When I first tried Mission Barns’ cultivated pork fat ingredient, I was blown away. It had that same rich, savoury depth you get from traditional pork, but with a much smaller footprint. Working with them on this launch lets us create dishes that are both familiar and groundbreaking.”

The next two dinners are scheduled later in September. Mission Barns said it will continue to pursue licensing and co-development agreements with food brands and manufacturers.

Chang added: “We fully acknowledge that scalability remains one of the biggest challenges in cultivated meat. We’re addressing it head-on – one bioreactor, one partnership and one strategic move at a time. This is just the beginning.”