NEW TECH FOODS

Dutch food-tech company Plantible Foods has announced that its first commercial facility in Eldorado, Texas, US, is now fully operational and entering a new phase of expansion.

Known as ‘Ranchito,’ the facility represents a key step forward in Plantible’s mission to ‘reshape global food production by harnessing the power of plants’.

Located in rural West Texas’ Schleicher County, the production plant now houses a growing network of greenhouses, upgraded protein filtration systems and a newly introduced, higher-yield strain of the aquatic plant used to produce Plantible’s flagship ingredient, Rubi Protein.

Rubi Protein is made from lemna, a member of the duckweed family also known as water lentils. Lemna is a resilient and sustainable protein feedstock that can be grown in harsh environments with ten times less water than soya and no arable land requirements, while having a doubling rate of 2-3 days.

Plantible aims to replace synthetic and ‘environmentally taxing’ components in commercial food products through producing high-quality, functional ingredients.

The Ranchito site is expected to produce thousands of metric tons of biomass annually – enabling delivery of hundreds of metric tons of protein per year. According to Plantible, this output will contribute to nearly 8,000 metric tons in potential CO2-equivalent emissions reductions annually, by replacing animal-based protein and synthetic ingredients in food supply chains.

As part of the facility’s expansion, Plantible has integrated modern filtration equipment that it says has ‘significantly’ reduced production costs while increasing throughput. This enhances Plantible's ability to achieve cash flow positivity at the facility and produce Rubi Protein at scale.

Plantible is currently working with key customers, including ICL, to integrate Rubi Protein into a range of consumer products. Rubi Protein is a neutral-tasting, allergen-free, complete protein (PDCAAS 1.0), able to provide emulsifying, gelling and binding functionalities. Formulators can use the ingredient to improve texture and stability, while delivering a nutritional profile comparable to animal proteins.

Paul Peterson, global alternative proteins leader at ICL, said: “Plant-based protein formulators have been searching for years for a clean label, highly functional replacement for chemically derived binders, such as methylcellulose”.

“In partnership with Plantible Foods, we have been able to leverage our deep knowledge of proteins to create a market-leading binding solution that allows plant-based food manufacturers to meet the needs of even the most demanding consumers.”

Plantible is actively conducting trials on additional strains that could further accelerate Rubi Protein unit economics, scalability and affordability.

Chris Phillips, VP of research at Plantible, said: “With at least 35 species in the duckweed family and more than 1000 strains, Plantible has excelled in identifying strains that are best adapted for growth in the local climate. We then tailor our growth conditions to further maximise protein production and product quality.”

Additionally, the company is working on securing additional financing to continue building out the Ranchito to Rancho scale, increasing capacity by threefold. With scalable production now underway, it plans to continue investing in expanding its footprint and hiring locally within Eldorado.