NEW TECH FOODS

Cultivated seafood start-up Forsea has made a breakthrough in its production of cultured freshwater eel. The Israeli company announced that its organoid technology has reached record-breaking cell density of more than 300 million cells/ml, and with minimal and precise use of cultured media ingredients. According to Forsea, this is the highest cell density recorded in the field, positioning the start-up at the forefront of cultured seafood production efficiency. The landmark technology allows for a scalable and highly cost-effective supply for the popular Japanese delicacy, eel (unagi). Traditionally, its availability has been significantly hampered by overfishing and the destruction of aquatic ecosystems. Forsea is currently focusing on manufacturing cultured freshwater eel due to its market potential, particularly in Japan. As the world’s largest consumer of eel, Japan recorded sales of 140,000 tons in 2023, totalling 50% of global sales. In Japan, unagi is considered a premium delicacy, prized for its rich flavour and tender texture, and also because of its rarity. Better, faster, economical Forsea created a new approach to cell cultivating fish tissues outside of their native water habitats via organoid technology. Forsea’s patent-protected platform involves creating the ideal environment for animal cells to spontaneously assemble into 3D tissue structures with their natural composition of fat, muscle and connective tissue. This method echoes the natural growth process of these tissues in a living animal, giving it a closer-to-nature edge, while bypassing the scaffolding stage, which means it is significantly less dependent on growth factors. This makes the process ‘highly affordable’ and positions its cell-grown version to price parity (or potentially lower) with traditionally produced eel. Moria Shimoni, CTO of Forsea, said: “The breakthrough to this level of cell density highlights the strength of our organoid technology. It’s a validation of our approach to high-efficiency cultivation of seafood to meet both economic and sustainability goals at scale”. After completing its proof-of-concept continuous harvesting process, Forsea says that it is now ready to take production of its cultured fish products to the next phase of commercial scale-up. Roee Nir, founder and CEO of Forsea, commented: “Forsea’s organoid technology requires less capital expenditure than other technologies. Achieving this level of cell density with minimal resources will translate to substantial reductions in the unit of economics and will bring cultured seafood production to a cost that is actually below the traditional market price.” Nir continued: “This is a major milestone for Forsea and validates our vision of making sustainable, high-quality seafood affordable and widely accessible. It also sets a powerful precedent for scaling other cultured seafood products and establishing sustainable alternative supply chains for ecologically sensitive species.” Elliot Swartz, principal scientist of cultivated meat at GFI, added: “Our recent industry survey shows that cultivated meat production is definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach. It's encouraging to see positive data from companies showing how different methods can address challenges in cost and scale. I'm especially pleased to see a GFI research grantee, Iftach Nachman, help a start-up pioneer new ways of cultivating meat. This is a great example of how foundational open-access science enables and makes possible follow-on work by the private sector.” Forsea is preparing for commercial launch of its unagi product in 2026. Earlier this year, the start-up held a successful tasting event at the ‘a’ restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel, where it served its cultivated unagi kabayaki – grilled fresh eel on a bed of aromatic rice – receiving positive reviews. #Forsea #Israel #eel #culturedseafood

British cultured meat company Meatly has revealed the findings from its feeding trials for Meatly Chicken, pet food made with cultivated chicken. The voluntary trials, conducted by Treat Therapeutics, featured 31 privately owned pet dogs made up of 14 different breeds from across the UK. They involved at-home feeding observations, including surveys with the dog owners to assess response to the product and veterinary checks. The product tested was a complete diet containing only cultivated chicken and plant-based ingredients. According to Meatly, the results showed that dogs found the pet food made with cultivated chicken ‘highly palatable and consumed it safely’. The trials Meatly conducted two separate trials – a single-day trial where select dogs were provided Meatly pet food for both meals of the day, and a more comprehensive two-week controlled trial, with a placebo group fed just a plant-based diet, that saw selected dogs given Meatly pet food for seven days straight, after an adaptation phase. Overall, dogs were found to enjoy Meatly pet food as much, or in some cases more, than their normal diet, which the start-up says is indicative of the ‘high taste properties of cultivated meat’. 75% of the dogs were reported to experience higher enjoyment when eating Meatly’s cultivated chicken pet food, compared to their baseline diet. There were no significant adverse effects of feeding cultivated meat diets over the 134 recorded meals. The results confirm the product's quality after the extensive safety and nutritional analysis data that the company collected over the past two years. Nutritionally, Meatly Chicken’s protein profile is comparable to traditionally reared chicken breast, containing all the essential amino acids in similar amounts, as well as the important fatty acids, minerals and vitamins for pet nutrition. In addition to finalising the latest results from these tests, Meatly has concluded its latest undisclosed funding round. This included follow-on investment from Pets at Home, as well as new incoming investors, including DSM-Firmenich Venturing, JamJar and Joyful Ventures. This latest development will help support Meatly’s plans to launch with its first brand partner in Q1 of 2025. Owen Ensor, founding CEO of Meatly, said: “Dogs will tell you if they don’t like the food you’ve served them – so we’re ecstatic that the pets in this trial enjoy Meatly Chicken even more than we thought they would! These results demonstrate that we can feed our pets truly sustainable and kinder meat without compromising on taste or nutritional values. We look forward to working towards our next milestone in the next few months – launching our first ever cultivated meat product to market.” Jim Mellon, executive chairman and co-founder of Agronomics and investor in Meatly, commented: “Demand for meat around the world, from both humans and our pets, is far outgrowing supply, at huge cost to the planet. The work and progress that Owen, Helder and the team at Meatly have made this year has been truly impressive, achieving incredible cost reduction, regulatory approval and now another financing to support the launch of its first product.” Emmanuel Bijaoui, founder of Treat Therapeutics, added: “By collaborating with us on these exclusively home-based trials, Meatly has taken a significant step in validating cell-based meat's relevance for real-world dogs. The positive trial outcomes from a diverse pool of participants consolidates the potential of cultivated meat as a novel ingredient.” In July, Meatly became the UK’s ‘first and only’ regulatory-approved cultivated meat company . In May, Meatly unveiled its media formulation that is more affordable than the standard industry media and can be used in industrial processes. #Meatly #petfood #UK #chicken

South Africa’s Newform Foods held a tasting of its cultivated lamb meatballs with 40 delegates from investment banking group Old Mutual South Africa. The event was organised by Willshift and Emeritus, who were looking to give their client a taste of future food technologies. “It's promising that corporate companies are curious about this technology and what the future of food production has in store for mainstream markets,” Newform Foods’ CEO and founder Brett Thompson told The Cell Base. The day began with a meet and greet, where delegates heard from Newform Foods’ in-house chef. Then, 40 guests had the opportunity to try the start-up's cultured lamb meatballs. “It was definitely the biggest tasting on the African continent (that we know of),” Thompson added. “It's also worthy to note that we hosted the largest tasting event in the Gulf region last year , so to do this on home soil is a great way to close out 2024.” After the tasting, Newform Foods held a panel discussion with its R&D team and founder, Brett Thompson, with a live Q&A session. “We had some great reactions to the meatballs with many commenting on the authentic taste and how similar it was to conventional lamb,” Thompson concluded. #NewformFoods #SouthAfrica #Africa #culturedlamb

Scientists from Tokyo Women’s Medical University in Japan have developed a system where growth factor-secreting liver cells and photosynthetic microorganisms can be grown together to create a low cost, environmentally friendly medium to grow muscle cells without the use of animal serum. The researchers use photosynthetic microorganisms to create a self-purifying, nutrient-circulating system for eco-friendly cultured meat production. Usually, animal serum provides proteins called growth factors that are essential for the growth of muscle cells. However, rat liver cells are also known to secrete these growth factors. The researchers discovered that the medium remaining after culturing rat's liver cells (or the supernatant) contains growth factors, and can support muscle cell growth without the use of serum. “Although more growth factor-secreting cells and longer cultivation produce larger amount of growth factors, the downside is that the cells also produce waste products like lactate and ammonia into the medium at the same time, which eventually hinders muscle cell growth,” research team leader Professor Tatsuya Shimizu explained. This means that waste removal is crucial to improve the performance of this culture supernatant as an alternative to animal serum. To resolve this, the researchers developed L-lactate assimilating cyanobacteria (photosynthetic microorganisms) with lactate to pyruvate converting genes, which were capable of taking in harmful waste metabolites, such as lactate and ammonia, and converting them into nutrients for rat liver cells and muscle cells, such as pyruvate and amino acids. In the study, the research group proposed a new system in which the growth-factor secreting rat liver cells would be co-cultured or cultured together with the modified cyanobacteria, and the supernatant from this co-culture could then be used to promote muscle cell growth without serum. They found that co-culturing cyanobacteria with the rat liver cells resulted in a 30% reduction of lactate and over 90% reduction of ammonia. Additionally, the nutrients produced by the cyanobacteria were able to reduce the nutrient depletion by rat liver cells, resulting in an abundance of nutrients like glucose and pyruvate in the co-culture supernatant compared to the supernatant collected from where rat liver cells were grown alone. When this co-culture supernatant was used to cultivate muscle cells, they found that the growth rate of muscle cells was three times higher than the growth seen when only rat liver cells were used, demonstrating that co-culturing cyanobacteria can significantly enhance the performance of the culture supernatant as a serum alternative and optimises cell culture through waste upcycling. Shimzu concluded: “Our study provides a novel low cost, sustainable cell culture system with broad applicability in various fields involving cellular agriculture, such as cultured meat production, fermentation, bio-pharmaceutical production and regenerative medicine”. #Japan #growthmedia #serum

🐔 Israel’s SuperMeat has announced groundbreaking innovations to make cultivated chicken affordable. With fat produced in 24 hours and muscle in four days, SuperMeat is able to deliver high yields at speed. These advancements enable SuperMeat to produce chicken at $11.79 per pound at scale, which is on par with pasture-raised premium chicken in the US. This breakthrough marks a crucial step toward the commercialisation of cultivated chicken. SuperMeat’s robust cell line that reaches industry-leading densities of 80 million cells per millilitre in just nine days – without genetic modifications or animal components. This fast-growing, high-density culture is maintained over extended periods, ensuring a continuous production cycle that enables consistent high yields. The company has significantly reduced media costs to under $0.50 per litre, by replacing expensive animal-based ingredients, such as serum and albumin, with affordable animal-free alternatives. After six days in culture, the cells independently produce essential growth factors, allowing for a reduced feeding regimen of only 1.5 vessel volumes per day, making the entire process more efficient and cost-effective. Efficient tissue differentiation for greater volumes in short cycles SuperMeat’s ability to increase cell weight lies in its use of embryonic stem cells, enabling the production of both muscle and fat tissues directly from animal cells. Muscle and fat cells are nearly double in size, cutting costs by almost 50%. Fat is produced within just 24 hours and muscle in four days – leading to faster production cycles and higher volumes. SuperMeat says that this approach delivers the full sensory experience of chicken, providing the texture, taste and nutrition consumers expect from conventional meat, while advancing cost efficiency at scale. SuperMeat’s process begins with a nine-day cell growth phase to reach high cell densities, followed by a 45-day period where meat mass is harvested daily while the remaining cells continue to grow. In a compact 10-litre bioreactor run, this continuous process produces around 66 pounds of cultivated chicken, demonstrating the high efficiency of the system, which requires minimal space and resources compared to conventional methods. 🍗 Once the continuous process is established, SuperMeat can produce 3 pounds of meat – the equivalent amount of edible meat received from slaughtering one chicken – in 2 days, compared to the 42 days it takes to raise and process a traditional chicken. Additionally, with current production parameters, cultivating 1kg (2.2 pounds) of chicken requires 80% less land than conventional chicken farming. When scaled to an industrial plant, SuperMeat’s process is projected to produce 3 million kilograms (6.7 million pounds) of cultivated chicken per year, equivalent to around 2.7 million chickens. Achieving this with traditional farming methods would demand vast resources, including extensive land and infrastructure for farming. Ido Savir, CEO and co-founder of SuperMeat, said: “Current sentiment around cultivated meat includes scepticism regarding its scalability and market readiness, with concerns that cultivated meat may be more hype than a viable alternative. Our new report provides proof that with the right technology there is a commercially viable path to market. We see a tremendous opportunity for affordable cultivated chicken meat that supplies the same delicious taste and nutrition as premium chicken, which is a path for consumer and market acceptance and long-term adoption.” #SuperMeat #chicken #costparity #Israel

Jellatech has completed its new 9,000-square-foot facility in Morrisville, North Carolina, US, designed for ongoing research and development. The US-based start-up uses cellular agriculture to produce animal-free, bio-identical proteins, including collagen and gelatin. The facility, which is planned for Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certification by 2026, marks a significant milestone in Jellatech’s mission to revolutionise the biotechnology landscape. The new facility will enable Jellatech to scale-up its bio-identical collagen manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on validation and enabling customers to enter pre-clinical trials. Equipped with advanced bioreactors and specialised labs, the facility enables Jellatech to accelerate the development of high-value proteins, optimise cell line development and meet stringent regulatory requirements in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. The new space will enable Jellatech to: 🧬 Scale production of its bio-identical collagen for pre-clinical use 🧫 Advance cell line development for precision and consistency 🤝 Collaborate with industry partners on next-gen biostimulatory and regenerative health solutions These efforts are crucial for establishing the groundwork needed for broad market adoption of collagen-based applications across various sectors. Jellatech CEO Stephanie Michelsen said: “Our new facility represents a leap forward in our ability to deliver high-quality, consistent and ethically produced proteins for human health and longevity applications. This move not only significantly increases our production capacity but also reinforces our commitment to setting new standards in sustainability, innovation and cutting edge biotechnology.” The facility will also serve as a hub for partnerships with industry leaders, enabling collaborative research and development aimed at advancing Jellatech’s solutions. In July, Jellatech was selected to participate in the Bezos Earth Fund's new $30 million research centre at North Carolina State University. #Jellatech #US #collagen

Fats are central to our eating experience. Yet with increasing concerns over the sustainability and stability of food supply chains, the environmental harm that fat production often causes is coming under increasing scrutiny. In recent years, advances in precision fermentation technology have offered the possibility of creating functional fats with a fraction of the ecological impact. Anastasia Krivoruchko, co-founder and CEO of Swedish designer fat firm Melt&Marble, unpacks... Fats consist of molecules called triglycerides, each formed by three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone. The chemical structure of these fatty acids – specifically their length and degree of saturation (number of double bonds), as well as their positioning on the fat’s glycerol backbone – determines the fat’s physical and nutritional profile. This structure is responsible for the difference between foodstuffs such as cocoa butter and fish oil. In the culinary world, fats impart the texture, flavour and mouthfeel of foods. In plant-based meat alternatives, fats are crucial for mimicking the mouthfeel and juiciness of animal meat, as well as acting as a carrier for flavour and aroma compounds. In dairy products like cheese, fats are equally important – they contain short-chain fatty acids that are released during the ageing process, contributing to the distinct flavours and aromas that define different cheeses. Fat also gives chocolate its smooth melt-in-the-mouth texture, which is essential for a satisfying eating experience. Fatty challenges Unfortunately, there are major challenges associated with both the functionality and sourcing of fats. It can be difficult to find non-animal fats with that same functionality as animal ones. These fats have unique structures that impart specific properties which can be difficult to replicate with plant-based fats. This is one reason why many meat and dairy alternatives don’t taste quite as satisfying as the real thing. Fats are also problematic from a sourcing perspective. While animal fats are associated with the unsustainable practices of animal farming, plant-based fats are almost exclusively sourced from tropical regions, where they are associated with mass deforestation and biodiversity loss. Additionally, geopolitical and environmental supply chain instabilities exacerbate food security concerns. Legislation aimed at preventing deforestation is a welcome development. However, the lack of alternative sourcing poses formulation challenges for companies working with these fats, making the quest for sustainable fat alternatives increasingly urgent. New technologies Luckily, these challenges can be overcome with novel production technologies, such as fermentation, where fat-producing microorganisms are grown in bioreactors. This process is often compared to brewing, but here fat is produced instead of alcohol. The feedstock can come from a variety of sources, from refined glucose to side or waste streams from food (or other) manufacturing processes. The process is already compatible with existing production infrastructure, allowing companies to test their processes at scale without significant upfront capital expenditures. The closed nature of fermentation-based production systems, and their compatibility with a wide array of inputs means that fermentation-based fats can be produced in a climate-, weather- and location-independent way. This also means that these fats can be produced much more sustainably than current alternatives, avoiding extensive deforestation. The same production plant can use a wide array of microorganisms producing different products, while the microorganisms’ rapid growth rate allows quick matching of supply to market demand: while it can take years for new oil palms to become productive, a fermentation process can be completed within days. All these factors make fermentation-based technologies incredibly resilient and likely to play a major role in future food security and climate adaptation. Precision-fermented fats Precision fermentation goes a step further. While standard fermentation involves using a microorganism that naturally produces a certain kind of fat, precision fermentation specifically involves rewiring of the microorganism’s lipid metabolism to control exactly what fat is produced. This sort of engineering is inherently complex – since fat is not a gene product, it’s not as simple as introducing a gene for the desired fat. Instead, the fat assembly machinery of the production organism has to be reprogrammed to have it build the desired fat. Recent years have seen significant advances that make this possible. Advanced fermentation experiments have been carried out to understand how the metabolism of different microorganisms changes during different fermentation conditions, while -omics (e.g. genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) have been used to understand different cellular processes’ impact on production. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have been developed that allow simulation of microbial metabolism in silico to help in the prediction of engineering efforts, while synthetic biology tools have been developed that allow faster generation and screening of production microorganisms. Furthermore, advances in lipid analytics allow understanding of not just the fatty acid composition, but of how these fatty acids assemble onto fat molecules, which in turn allows better understanding of the structure/function relationship of fats. Designer fat These advancements allow modulation of the composition and structure of the fats in the production microorganism – characteristics like chain length and saturation of the fatty acids in the fat, as well as their positioning. This enables precise modulation of the melting, texture and mouthfeel properties of the resulting fat. This precise control also allows the customisation of fats for different applications – i.e. creating true 'designer fats' to help address the taste gap between alternative meat and dairy and their animal-based counterparts to help shift towards more sustainable consumption. Beyond controlling the functionality of the fats, precision fermentation can be used to improve foods’ nutritional profile. Fats rich in healthy fatty acids such as omega fatty acids can be produced to enhance the end product’s health profile. This opens up new possibilities for creating healthier food products that cater to the growing consumer demand for sustainable nutrition and wellness, as well as opening up interesting opportunities for personalised nutrition. With precision fermented fats, the foods of the future promise to be not just more sustainable and delicious, but also healthier! Naturally, there are challenges to address – microbial fat metabolism is intricately linked with numerous cellular processes and can still be tricky to engineer, resulting in long development cycles. The production microorganism must be robust and scalable, and the process must meet the desired unit economics. Full deployment of the technology will require high CapEx investments, while complex regulatory frameworks might extend time to market. However, the potential of this technology to solve a myriad of problems and tap into a substantial market (the market for palm oil alone is estimated at over $60 billion annually) makes the effort highly worthwhile. Amidst global challenges like deforestation, supply chain disruptions and rising food insecurity, precision fermented fats offer a groundbreaking solution, promising to transform the way we think about and consume fats in our daily diets. #opinion #exclusive #MeltandMarble #fat #precisionfermentation

Molecular farming firm PoLoPo has has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CSM Ingredients, a global player in food ingredient research, innovation and production. The strategic partnership is set to help bring PoLoPo’s egg-free egg protein – grown in potatoes – to the commercial baking market. PoLoPo uses proprietary metabolic engineering techniques to turn potato plants into micro-biofactories. Potato plants manufacture and store the target proteins in the tuber. Tubers are harvested when they reach sufficient size, then their proteins are extracted and dried into a functional protein powder that integrates seamlessly into current food processing lines and formulations. The companies will work together to develop PoLoPo’s ovalbumin powder for baking requirements, including foaming, gelation and water binding functions, as well as provide side-by-side assistance with process optimisation, regulatory and safety requirements. Commercial baking and other CPG food categories use ovalbumin for its functional properties such as texture, thickening and increasing shelf life. PoLoPo’s molecularly farmed albumin offers the same performance as conventional ovalbumin, while being a cleaner, more sustainable, more affordable, and more price-stable ingredient. In addition, CSM Ingredients group – a global ingredient-tech company comprising both CSM Ingredients and HIFOOD, an Italy-based developer and producer of plant-based, clean-label, added-value ingredients – has selected PoLoPo for Generate, CSM Ingredient’s group’s innovation hub for ingredient start-ups and food concepts. Generate offers R&D expertise, application opportunities, cutting-edge facilities and commercial support to its start-ups, including validating proofs of concept, shepherding market entry, and access to CSM business networks. “Startups like PoLoPo are visionary innovators that play a pivotal role in developing concepts and pushing boundaries, and CSM is committed to bring these innovations to the broader food value chain,” said CSM Ingredients group Managing Director Christian Sobolta. “The global market for ovalbumin powder is projected to reach $36 billion by 2032, and PoLoPo presents an opportunity to change the dynamics of this category in a way that benefits planet and profits.” “This non-exclusive collaboration enhances our strengths and capacity in meaningful ways, from R&D to implementation to opening more doors with packaged food companies that want to work with the product,” said PoLoPo CEO, Maya Sapir-Mir. “Commercial baking is clearly a key lane for us, and CSM’s technical and commercial expertise is strategically valuable for reaching that industry.” In May, PoLoPo submitted for USDA regulatory approval , expected within six months, at which point US partners and growers may begin cultivating PoLoPo’s potato plants. #PoLoPo #CSMIngredients #US #potato #egg #ovalbumin #molecularfarming

European food-tech start-ups Revo Foods and Paleo have announced a new partnership, backed by €2.2m in EU funding, to develop plant-based salmon alternatives containing precision-fermented myoglobin. Myoglobin is a heme protein originally found in animal muscle tissue. Essential to the taste, texture and nutritional value of meat products, the traditionally animal-derived protein can now be produced through an animal-free fermentation process – an area Belgian food-tech Paleo specialises in. These proteins can then be integrated into plant-based meat alternatives to give them an authentic taste, colour, aroma and iron-rich nutritional profile. 🩸 Read this 'Start-up spotlight' interview with Paleo on FoodBev Media's The Plant Base platform  to learn more about its innovation in myoglobin development 🩸 Revo Foods, based in Vienna, Austria, produces vegan seafood alternatives using its proprietary 3D structuring technology. Its first 3D-printed product to hit supermarket shelves, ‘The Filet,’ is a mycoprotein-based salmon alternative, and is now available at Rewe and Spar stores in Austria. The new partnership will see Paleo develop a myoglobin ingredient designed to mimic salmon, and integrate it into the recipe for Revo’s ‘The Filet’. Using 3D structuring technology, multiple materials can be integrated into each other, such as fats into a protein component. This is demonstrated by the authentic salmon-like white stripes featured in Revo’s product. The company recently opened what it claims is the world's largest production facility for 3D food printing in Vienna . Paleo and Revo aim to develop sustainable and high-quality alternatives that will be even more similar to conventional salmon than Revo’s current product. With the help of Paleo’s myoglobin, the salmon will taste more authentic and offer improved nutritional value, particularly with regards to iron and protein content. Revo’s technology enables efficient integration of myoglobin into food products. Using myoglobin from precision fermentation can also further reduce the ecological footprint of the product, contributing to environmental protection. According to Revo, the environmental benefit of its existing alternatives is already significant – up to 90% of fresh water and 75% of CO2 can be saved compared to conventional fish, the company said. The project began in August 2024 and will run for two years. It is supported by funding from Eureka Eurostars, an international EU funding programme for small and medium-size enterprises that want to collaborate on R&D projects to develop innovative products, processes or services. #RevoFoods #Austria #Belgium

French start-up Bon Vivant has conducted a peer-reviewed life cycle analysis (LCA) of its products with Lorie Hamelin, an independent expert from INRAE. Bon Vivant produces complementary milk proteins via precision fermentation. The LCA is proof of the major ecological interest of dairy proteins derived from precision fermentation. The technology makes it possible to produce dairy proteins with the same taste and nutritional properties, with a considerably reduced impact on our resources. The life cycle analysis carried out by Bon Vivant demonstrates the environmental efficiency of its manufacturing technique, with: 72% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions 81% reduction in water consumption 99% less arable land used and occupied Stéphane Mac Millan, co-founder and CEO of Bon Vivant, said: “I am very proud to be unveiling the results of this analysis today, which is a major step forward for Bon Vivant and for the industry as a whole. It was important to me to demonstrate, transparently, that our technology can be useful for the sustainability of the French dairy industry.” Mac Millan continued: “We are now looking forward to demonstrating that products made with our proteins are of the same quality as those made with traditional milk: I'm convinced that it's the complementary nature of our two methods that will enable us to meet the immense challenges we face”. The news comes as Bon Vivant closed a €15 million financing round in October last year. #BonVivant #dairy #precisionfermentation #France

Nutreco has officially opened the ‘world’s first’ dedicated food-grade powder production facility for cell feed at Nutreco in Boxmeer, The Netherlands. Nutreco CEO David Blakemore said: “We recognise the possibilities in cultivated protein and think this industry holds tremendous potential. One of the biggest challenges it faces though is how to feed the protein cells cost-efficiently, sustainably and at very large scale. At Nutreco, we believe we can create cell culture media with a lower cost and enable the industry to scale up and bring to the masses something that is currently only available to a limited few.” Emeline Fellus, senior director of agriculture and food at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, commented: “Our current agri-food systems were designed to deliver affordable, accessible and safe food to a growing global population. However, the system built to maximise efficiency and caloric supply regardless of resources use no longer fits the values or challenges of the 21st century.” “As our planet faces increasing environmental pressures, the approach to protein sourcing and consumption must change. We need a balanced approach – one that diversifies the proteins we source, makes traditional animal protein production more environmentally friendly, and diversifies consumption towards alternatives with a lower impact on nature while ensuring we meet demand.” Fellus acknowledged the potential challenges for the alt-protein space, including the need for global and international regulations and policies to support the transition, as well as bringing in consumers and ensuring a just transition for farmers. Over 50 delegates from the cell-cultured protein industry came together yesterday for the centre’s official opening. Attendees also heard from Nutreco partners Lou Cooperhouse, founder, president and CEO of BlueNalu, Maarten Bosch, CEO of Mosa Meat and Ernst van Orsouw, CEO of Roslin Technologies. Industry experts discussed areas of bridging innovation from aquaculture to cell feed, feeding cells from the farm to the bioreactor and ultra-speciality ingredient discovery and production. Attendees were given a tour of the new facility and Masterlab, Nutreco’s global laboratory in animal feed and premix analysis. The facility was first announced in August this year. #Nutreco #theNetherlands #cellfeed

Chilean biotech company Sticta Biologicals and cultivated meat company Meatable have received a Good Food Institute research grant to create a detailed model of pig cells. Along with Merken Biotech and the Center for Mathematical Modeling at the University of Chile, the aim of the research project is to develop a precise and genome-scale metabolic model of porcine cells. This model will help to identify the most efficient way to feed porcine cells and ultimately increase yield, aiming to make cell-based pork more efficient and scalable. The precise and robust proteome-constrained genome-scale metabolic model of porcine cells will be refined and validated using -omics experimental data obtained from time-course studies of the expansion and proliferation phases of pork cell lines provided by Meatable. The model will boost understanding of why cell biology changes during proliferation and will aid in media and cell line improvements that allow for longer expansion phases at faster population doublings, increasing yield and reducing process variability. #Meatable #StictaBiologicals #Chile #theNetherlands #pork #porcine #GFI