NEW TECH FOODS

Big Idea Ventures has announced six new company investments through the Global Food Innovation Fund II (GFIF II). The latest cohort includes start-ups that are developing solutions from fermentation-enabled fatty acids and novel methods for developing cultivated meat, to protein-based flavours and advancements in microbiome and gut health. The new fund builds on the success of Big Idea Ventures' New Protein Fund I, supporting and investing in companies focused on proteins, fats, ingredients, sweeteners, flavourings, and mono-crops. Backed by leading food corporations such as AAK and Buhler, GFIF II is dedicated to improving food security and sustainability worldwide. The new start-ups that operate in the cell-ag space, are: Meatosys, Germany: Enabling farmers to produce cultivated meat on their farms using cells from their own animals. It supplies a turn-key automated production system and business concept to farmers and sell the produced meat to the processing industry. BiomeMega, Australia: Producing sustainable omega fatty acids from probiotic bacteria that have wide-ranging applications, including food and animal nutrition. Nalca Biotech, Chile: Creating continuous and modular production lines for precision fermentation. This modern infrastructure is faster and easier to use than traditional batch-based systems. Renew Food, UK: Specialising in protein-based flavour ingredients, the company is currently developing a heme protein to give plant-based meats a realistic meaty taste. The remaining two start-ups, NanoInGreen and Future Biome, are working to develop probiotic bacteria-based ingredients with high absorption rates, and a new class of prebiotics to target health issues linked to the microbiome, respectively. Andrew Ive, founder and managing general partner of Big Idea Ventures, said: “The founders behind these start-ups are some of the most innovative minds in the food industry, and we’re excited to be working with them and our fund investors. We look forward to collaborating with them to help usher in the next generation of food solutions." Henrietta Hearth, VP of global acceleration at Big Idea Ventures, added: “We are seeing a shift in the foodtech space toward solutions that improve nutrition and sustainable ingredients, and some of the companies in this cohort address these trends. From microbiome-targeting prebiotics to sustainable fat solutions and cultivated meat, these start-ups are driving the future of food. We’re excited to support their journeys and help integrate traditional industry players into these innovations.” #BigIdeaVentures #GlobalFoodInnovationFundII #US

Ten major global beverage companies have announced the formation of the REfresh Alliance, a consortium aimed at accelerating the adoption of renewable energy across the industry’s supply chain. This initiative includes players such as Coca-Cola, Diageo, Heineken and Bacardi, among others. REfresh Alliance seeks to address the pressing issue of Scope 3 emissions, which account for approximately 90% of a beverage company’s carbon footprint. By collaborating, the consortium aims to remove barriers that suppliers face in adopting renewable energy solutions, providing them with essential education and resources to facilitate this transition. Managed by Enel X, a leading energy solutions provider, the alliance will leverage its advisory services division to connect participating companies with renewable energy providers. This partnership is designed to streamline renewable energy transactions and foster a collective approach to decarbonisation within the beverage sector. Ralf Peters, chief procurement officer of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said: “Supporting our supply partners is a key part of our sustainability action. Encouraging them to transition to renewables is one of the most impactful things we can do to help decarbonise their businesses.” Companies in the REfresh Alliance: Bacardi Carlsberg Constellation Brands Diageo Heineken Molson Coors Beverage Company Pernod Ricard The Coca-Cola Company Whyte & Mackay The REfresh Alliance has already engaged with over 300 suppliers to discuss their involvement and identify specific areas where support is needed. The initiative aims to create a dedicated educational platform to equip participants with the knowledge required for successful renewable energy adoption. Hervé Le Faou, chief procurement officer of Heineken, added: “We must work together to identify areas of our supply chains where we can pool our resources to accelerate this transition for our suppliers”. The consortium plans to launch its efforts primarily in established renewable energy markets in Europe and North America, where existing networks can be usedto maximise impact. As the initiative grows, it aims to expand its reach to other regions and invite additional companies within the beverage industry to participate. Jane Liang, chief procurement officer of Diageo, commented: “The climate crisis is the most pressing issue of our time and the transition to net zero is becoming increasingly important. However, there is only so much we can do as individual businesses. The REfresh Alliance will drive collective action within the industry to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy.” The formation of the REfresh Alliance represents a strategic response to the growing demand for sustainable practices within the food and beverage sector. As consumers increasingly prioritise environmental responsibility, industry leaders are recognising the need for collaborative efforts to achieve ambitious sustainability goals. By pooling resources and sharing best practices, the REfresh Alliance aims to create a robust framework for renewable energy adoption, ultimately supporting the beverage industry’s transition to a more sustainable future. #sustainability #renewableenergy #decarbonisation #Diageo #CocaCola #Heineken #beverage #REfreshAlliance

As the conversation on food sustainability accelerates, Amsterdam was once again at the centre of this discussion, hosting the Future of Protein Production 2024 at the RAI. The gathering brought together industry pioneers, scientists and regulatory bodies to address breakthroughs, investment strategies and challenges in the burgeoning alternative protein sector. This year marked the inaugural co-hosting of Atova’s Regulating the Future of Food Conference, which delved into the crucial regulatory landscapes shaping the trajectory of cultivated, precision-fermented and molecular-farmed foods worldwide. Strategic Dutch investment in cellular agriculture The two-day event began on Wednesday with co-founder of KindEarth Tech, Ira Van Eelen, and managing director of Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland, Ronald Visschers, who took the stage to explore a €60 million investment aimed at building a thriving cellular agriculture ecosystem in the Netherlands. Van Eelen, a key voice in the field, shared the country’s vision of cultivating sustainable, scalable solutions that support food security. Their discussion focused on the careful allocation of these funds into R&D, infrastructure and collaboration with universities and start-ups to strengthen cellular agriculture at every stage of production. Their insights set the stage for a ‘State of the industry’ panel, featuring experts including Daniela Correia of MC Sonae, and Gourmey CEO Nicolas Morin-Forest. Here, discussions revolved around fostering transparency with investors and stakeholders – a growing necessity as competition for capital increases. The panellists highlighted that clear, consistent communication with investors and consumers is critical to ensuring industry-wide confidence. Start-up showcase This year’s event also introduced a dedicated area for start-ups to present and showcase their innovations. Wednesday’s 'Start-up symposium' highlighted the vibrant start-up ecosystem, allowing fresh voices to present their unique approaches within the alt-protein space. Companies such as MarraBio, Bright Biotech and PoLoPo showcased innovations from cellular dairy proteins to sustainable seafood, each emphasising efficiency, cost-effectiveness and scalability. With each start-up given a five-minute window, it became apparent that these emerging players are not only dedicated to advancing technology but are also reimagining the possibilities of alternative proteins by leveraging regional resources, renewable processes and unique biotechnologies. Scientific and technological advances Later in the day, Ivy Farm’s interim CEO, Harsh Amin, led a session on recent scientific and technological advances in cellular agriculture. Amin underscored the development of robust cell lines, improved bioreactor technologies and non-animal growth factors as pivotal achievements, driving down costs and improving consistency. These developments serve as stepping stones toward more efficient production and lay the groundwork for large-scale production of cultivated products with high nutritional and sensory quality. EU regulatory collaboration As Thursday began, the spotlight shifted to regulation – a necessary focus as companies seek approval to market novel foods. Wolfgang Gelbmann, senior scientific officer at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), outlined key strategies for optimising collaboration with the EFSA, advocating for transparent communication and early-stage engagement to streamline the regulatory process for cell-cultured and plant-based foods. Gelbmann’s insights set the stage for a panel discussion on ‘Ensuring food safety in novel proteins,’ where panellists from Vital Meat and the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) addressed navigating regulatory hurdles, particularly for novel ingredients and proteins that may not fit traditional frameworks. The Atova conference complemented these discussions, exploring regulatory practices in diverse regions. Talks led by industry experts such as Hannah Lester (on precision fermentation) and Henk Hoogenkamp (on molecular farming) reflected the distinct regulatory landscapes across continents. Noteworthy presentations on specific national frameworks included the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) director of risk assessment and communication department, Teng Yong Low’s insights into Singapore’s pioneering approach, as well as representative director of the Japan Association of Cellular Agriculture, Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi’s overview of Japan’s cultivated food market, both highlighting the nuanced regulatory structures evolving in Asia. Representatives from Israel’s Ministry of Health, Switzerland, South Korea, and the US Food and Drug Association also contributed, providing a snapshot of global regulatory readiness. The Atova Conference talks brought attention to how regulation must balance safety and innovation, underscoring that collaborative, multi-national approaches are essential for supporting a resilient and transparent food-tech ecosystem. Next-gen technologies shaping the future of alt-proteins On the final afternoon of FPP, a forward-thinking panel featured scientists and business leaders, including Melt&Marble’s chief business officer Thomas Cresswell, exploring next-gen protein technologies. Discussion ranged from cell culture to AI-driven ingredient development, with insights into how emerging tech like precision fermentation and hybrid systems can offer versatile protein sources with a smaller environmental footprint. Ralf Winkler, business development manager of Elementar, and Hamilton’s application and PAT expert of process analytics, Katharina Dahlmann, noted the promising results of combining multiple protein sources, such as fungi and berry cells, creating hybrid foods that could provide enhanced texture, nutrition and sensory appeal. The Future of Protein Production 2024 underscored that alt-proteins’ potential hinges on both industry advancements and regulatory frameworks. While FPP highlighted the pace of technological innovation, Atova’s conference emphasised the importance of regulatory harmonisation. Both conferences shared a resounding consensus: to meet global protein needs sustainably, regulatory agencies and industry players must engage transparently, align standards and invest in frameworks prioritising consumer health alongside innovation. #FPP #FutureofProteinProduction #Amsterdam #theNetherlands #exclusive #review

In this instalment of The Cell Base's ‘Start-up spotlight,' we speak to Owen Ensor, founding CEO of Meatly, a British cultivated pet food start-up that, in July this year, received 'Europe's first' approval to sell cell-based meat. Meatly recently received the world's first approval for cultivated pet food. How did this milestone come about? Put simply, hard work and lots of it! We’ve been working closely with the UK's Food Standards Authority (FSA), Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), to provide them with all the necessary information to help make the decision to approve our cultivated meat as easy as it could be. This process has included multiple lab visits and countless nutritional tests to ensure that our chicken is nutritionally identical to organically grown chicken breast. It’s been incredible to have our faith and hard work in this product reaffirmed by our regulatory approval. And it’s a shot in the arm for the UK & EU cultivated meat sector to have our chicken given the green light, bringing our sector up to speed with other innovators in approved countries like Singapore, Israel and the US. What were the key regulatory hurdles you overcame to achieve the UK's first approval for any cell-based meat product? - In the UK, approval for this sort of product has never been done before. So it was a learning curve for both Meatly as well as the three separate agencies (FSA, DEFRA and APHA) that were in charge of approving the product. We approached these regulators with an open and transparent approach, which led to a fruitful, engaged and positive relationship. This was crucial for the necessary lab visits and tests that formed an integral part of the approval process, making it easier to overcome other hurdles, such as proving nutritional values and ensuring the product's safety and security. How does the regulatory landscape for cell-based pet food differ from human food, and what can the human food industry learn from your experience? Despite what you might think, there is actually more innovation going into pet food than human food as it stands. Manufacturers and brands are trialling new techniques like freeze-dried, cold-pressed and oven-baked, so the regulators are more familiar with innovators who are willing to experiment with food and technology. Another difference is a focus on sustainability which has quickly become a key consumer driver. That means businesses in this space are willing to adopt new processes and techniques that can help them to achieve this as current practice doesn’t align with the goals of countries and consumers. When it comes to learning, one key lesson is to be transparent and open with industry and regulators. As mentioned, we've engaged each key partner very openly and have built good relationships with them by continuously sharing where we're at and our focus, this has helped immensely during the approval process for our novel pet food product. Can you describe the science and technology behind your cultivated meat production? Our meat is real meat, made without animals. We took cells from a single chicken egg, just once, and now we can produce enough meat, right here in the UK, to feed our pets forever. The process is not as science fiction as many would believe, in fact it’s as simple as three crucial steps: We took a small sample of cells from a chicken egg, once. After this, we never use another animal product in our production, ever. Just like making yogurt or beer, we nurture these cells in large containers that control temperature and pH. Instead of animals eating grass and creating nutrients to feed these cells, we do it ourselves. We provide all the vitamins, minerals and amino acids the cells need to grow big and strong, until they become delicious, healthy meat. When our meat is ready, we work with the world’s leading pet food manufacturers to make delicious meals for pets. The cells we harvest are pure chicken ready to be incorporated into pet food. What challenges do you anticipate in scaling up your production for wider market reach? As every cultivated meat start-up knows, scale and managing costs are the biggest challenges facing the industry. With regulatory approval in hand, we’re now making headway with other challenges such as reducing the production costs involved in making our meat. For example, our science team has reduced the cost of the medium we feed our cells from hundreds of pounds to just £1 per litre. We’re now focusing on scaling up the equipment we use to make the chicken, the process has historically utilised small-scale biology equipment, and we now need to create products at an industrial scale without any impact to the quality of it. How do you ensure the safety and quality of your cell-based meat products? We guarantee safety through careful and comprehensive monitoring at every stage of production. This ensures that no unwanted chemicals, bacteria or other nasties can get into our meat. It’s just pure chicken. Nothing else. Additionally, in keeping with our approval from the necessary agencies, we have regular inspections to ensure the highest of standards are maintained and have conducted the most extensive safety tests including nutrition, sterility and more. Arguably this means that our meat is potentially cleaner and safer than traditionally farmed chicken and consumers can rest assured that our chicken is made in the most sterile of environments, a far cry from the unethical factory farming that happens around the globe. What impact do you foresee your approval having on the broader cell-based meat industry? We’ve demonstrated that a cultivated meat company can secure approval in this country, and this should give other cultivated meat companies hope that they’re closer than ever to securing their own approvals. While we are a business, we are driven by a purpose to help transform the food industry and ultimately create a more sustainable world for the future. We’re confident that once Meatly becomes available for sale to pets, we’ll showcase just how much demand there is from consumers for a kinder, more sustainable version of meat, and that our pets (as well as humans!) can thrive on it. How do you envision the future of cultivated meat in the global food and beverage market? We all know we can’t keep eating meat as usual. Demand is far outstripping supply, and currently, farmers need to use increasingly intensive processes to keep up with demand and stay afloat financially. Cultivated meat, and other alt-proteins, hold the key to transforming the food industry into a fairer and more sustainable food system, filling the demand gap and allowing farmers to focus on creating high-quality, high-value products instead. We need sustainable alternatives and cultivated meat is a key part of this. As more countries follow the example of Singapore, the US and Israel, and give cultivated meat regulatory approval, we’ll see the scaling challenges conquered and, in the near future, I hope that buying cultivated meat, whether for humans or pets, is as easy as it is to pick up traditionally farmed products. What strategies are you employing to educate consumers and industry stakeholders about the benefits of cell-based meat? There is certainly a need for this education of the consumer on all facets of cultivated meat, whether that is the process of creating it, the nutritional value it offers or the positives it offers in terms of a more sustainable and viable alternative for meat production going forward. In terms of strategies, I think our greatest strength stems from our transparency. We want to be open with consumers as much as we are with the governing bodies. To this end, we’re working tirelessly to demonstrate the beneficial role that cultivated meat can have on our pets diet, offering them the exact same taste as meat, in a way that is nutritionally identical to regular traditional meat but created in a kinder, more ethical manner. Furthermore, we hold regular feeding trials with dogs (and even my own two cats!) to see first-hand how pets interact with our cultivated meat and that it’s a product they love. #Meatly #StartupSpotlight #UK #petfood

Nutreco has completed construction on the ‘world’s first’ dedicated food-grade powder production facility for cell feed in Boxmeer, the Netherlands. The site, which runs at commercial operation level, produces the ‘first’ cell feed product developed specifically for the cell-cultured meat industry. The team at the new food-certified production facility has successfully produced the first commercial batch of 50kg of cell feed, with plans to produce several hundred kilograms per week, growing in pace with the cell-ag industry. Susanne Wiegel, head of Nutreco’s alternative protein programme, said: “The cell-cultured protein industry is in its development stage and one of its biggest challenges is how to feed protein cells cost-efficiently, sustainably and at scale. We see potential for this industry to be one solution to the challenge of feeding the rising global population and are committed to helping the industry grow by becoming a supplier and a solutions provider." David Blakemore, Nutreco’s CEO, added: “We must continue to drive productivity and reduce the environmental footprints in the animal protein value chain and produce protein from more and more varied sources – animals as well as alternative sources of protein such as plant-based protein, meat or seafood developed from animal cells and protein produced through fermentation. Our investments and innovation in the cell-cultured protein industry are just one way we’re tackling the challenge.” #Nutreco #theNetherlands

Friends & Family Pet Food Company (FnF) has entered into a strategic collaboration with Berkeley, California biotech company Novel Farms. Through the collaboration, the companies hope to produce a new class of cultivated-meat pet foods. Novel Farms cultivates a variety of animal meat including quail, chicken, pork and mouse. Its portfolio of ingredients features several highly regarded nutrition profiles that can benefit cats and dogs within the US. Novel Farms’ cultivated animal ingredients will go directly into FnF’s shelf-ready foods for dogs and cats. FnF has a track record of partnering with start-ups and scientists who make animal-free ingredients, bringing them to the pet-food market using its proprietary pet food platform. The new partnership complements FnF’s partnership with Umami Bioworks to create cultivated fish cat treats, which was first announced in July. Joshua Errett, CEO of Friends & Family Pet Food Company, said: “Just like all food, pet food is a meat-focused industry that could use some innovation. Cultivated meat and fish represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to remake pet food to what our dogs and cats want and need to eat, not simply whatever is left over from the human supply chain. Our collaboration-heavy, asset-light approach has the potential to change pet food forever.” Novel Farms’ CEO and founder Michelle Lu added: “Cultivated pet food makes perfect sense as an entry point for getting cultivated products to market. As Novel Farms prepares for our own market entry in the next year, pet food is a high-impact strategic target for us.” The two companies have notified the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, the regulatory body that oversees novel pet ingredients, and will begin prototyping products in 2025.

Israel’s Steakholder Foods has received its first purchase order from Wyler Farm under the commercial cooperation agreement signed in May this year. This order expands Steakholder Foods’ premix revenue stream to include its proprietary SH Beef premix blend, following the company’s earlier announcement this month of its first premix revenue stream for its SH Fish premix blend. The purchase order follows the commercial cooperation agreement between Steakholder Foods and Wyler Farm. Under the terms of this agreement, Steakholder Foods will supply its proprietary SH Beef premix blend for integration into Wyler Farm’s new product line of plant-based meatballs, burgers and minced beef, scheduled for market introduction in early 2025. The initial production phase has begun at Wyler Farm’s facilities and will allow Wyler Farm to fine-tune production processes to ensure the products are ready for a successful market launch. The new product line will be marketed and sold under Wyler Farm’s brand ‘Whaat Meat?! by Steakholder’ and will be distributed through Wyler Farm’s distribution channels. Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods, said: “We are thrilled to see production at Wyler Farm commencing on schedule, keeping planned product rollout on track no later than early 2025. This first order for our SH Beef premix blend...demonstrates our ability to generate recurring revenue across multiple products and partners.” Kaufman continued: “As these initial commercial deals mature in 2025, we expect to see meaningful revenue growth and increased interest from other potential market participants. We remain focused on expanding our commercial presence in the alternative protein sector and are well-positioned to forge additional collaborations.” #SteakholderFoods #Israel #3Dbioprinting #WylerFarm

California, US-based photomolecular biology firm, Prolific Machines, has closed a $55 million Series B financing round. The round was led by the corporate venture arm of Fonterra Co-operative, The Ki Tua Fund, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield, SOSV, Shorewind Capital, Darco Capital, Conti Ventures, In-Q-Tel (IQT) and several others. Founded in 2020, Prolific Machines has developed a platform that enables commercial partners to efficiently produce higher-quality biological products across cellular agriculture, nutritional protein production, therapeutic protein production, tissue engineering, disease models, drug screening and more. Prolific brings together safe and effective tools – light, bioengineering, hardware and AI – in new ways that enable the firm to control any cellular function in any cell type. Prolific’s photomolecular biomanufacturing platform leverages light to guide cellular behaviour and optimise performance over time using AI technology. This round of funding will accelerate the platform’s commercialisation with partnerships in the coming months. By adding more control to biological production, Prolific enables its partners to more efficiently biomanufacture high-value bioproducts, including whole cuts of cell-based meat, nutritional proteins and antibodies to treat diseases, among other innovations. Prolific Machines’ co-founder and CEO, Deniz Kent, said: “We have proven that we can successfully control several cellular processes using light. This enables unparalleled control in both the space and the time axes, and this control is critical to making cheaper and higher quality products. I’m thrilled to be introducing the platform we have built to the world, and I'm excited to see all the different ways our partners will use it.” Kent continued: “We have only scratched the surface of what’s possible with our technology. We have an incredible group of investors and commercial partners joining us to scale our impact. Stay tuned for some big announcements from us in the months ahead.” Maximilian Hoerner, Prolific Machines’ head of optogenetics, commented: “I joined Prolific because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to use the immensely powerful optogenetics tools to bring new and superior bioproducts to life across diverse commercial applications. This is the first time light’s ability to control cellular functions is being used outside of research labs to make everyday essentials. It’s incredibly exciting and the start of something very big for lots of different industries.” Prolific plans to scale its tech through existing and new partnerships, engaging customers who are looking for higher quality, more precise and more efficient ways to biomanufacture novel and existing ingredients and products. #ProlificMachines #US

The Healey-Driscoll administration and the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) have awarded $2.14 million to the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA). The funding will be used to establish the Foodtech Engineering for Alternative Sustainable Technologies (FEAST) centre, which will advance cellular agriculture research at Tufts. The grant, made through MassTech’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM) Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) programme, is designed to help close the gap between innovation and commercialisation for Massachusetts manufacturers. The FEAST centre will help companies and academic partners advance the prototyping of cell-ag products using cutting-edge equipment and is expected to create 60 new jobs in Massachusetts’ bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem. The centre’s high-tech equipment will enable partners to produce cells and form those cells into final products, as well as a test kitchen to evaluate taste, texture and other product features. Academic groups and industry organisations will be able to use FEAST’s infrastructure on a fee-for-service basis to prototype cellular agriculture products. Massachusetts’ Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao said: “We’re proud of the advances Massachusetts is making in cellular agriculture, leveraging our biomanufacturing infrastructure and research expertise to address the challenges of climate change and shifting supply chains. With Tufts University leading the charge, we’re fostering innovation and creating new opportunities for our workforce in this emerging field." MassTech deputy director and chief investment strategist, and interim CAM director, Ben Linville-Engler, added: “This investment in FEAST is an important step forward for innovation in bioindustrial manufacturing and food science. By adding infrastructure specifically focused on cellular agriculture, this investment will greatly accelerate the translation of Tufts research to deployed products and help advance new manufacturing processes and technologies. FEAST will also enable companies and academic institutions throughout the state to test and commercialise their cellular agriculture products, accelerating food technology innovation in Massachusetts.” Deco Labs, which develops technologies for cell-ag, is ready to take advantage of the new resource. “We will be moving our research facilities to co-locate with the FEAST centre, as having access to scale-up and sensory evaluation capabilities will be critical to the rapid deployment of our new technologies,” said Natalie Rubio, CEO of Deco Labs. David Kaplan, professor of engineering at Tufts and director of TUCCA, added: “Massachusetts is without question a focal point for research and development in cellular agriculture, so this investment in FEAST is critical to nurture and grow a commercial industry within the state, not only by advancing the fundamental tools and technology, and testing new products, but also through workforce development". #TUCCA #Tufts #FEAST #Massachusetts #US

In this exclusive interview, The Cell Base speaks to Jeff Tripician, chief executive officer of Dutch cultivated pork firm Meatable. Tripician shares insights on navigating the evolving regulatory landscape, the company's innovative technology and the future of cultivated meat as Meatable works towards commercialisation and global expansion. How would you describe the regulatory environment for cultivated meat in the Netherlands, and what challenges or opportunities does it present for Meatable? We are proud to call the Netherlands our home! The regulatory environment in the Netherlands is progressive, but still evolving when it comes to cultivated meat. Our country is a leader in food innovation, and the Dutch government has shown interest in supporting sustainable alternatives to traditional meat production. However, cultivated meat is a novel food, and these are regulated through the European Union. For Meatable, this presents both challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, navigating the complex regulatory EU landscape requires significant time and resources. On the other hand, the proactive stance of the Dutch government opens opportunities for collaboration. Together with Cellular Agriculture Europe, a coalition of food companies in the space, we are closely working with regulatory bodies throughout the European Union to pave the way for a smooth market entry. Meatable has developed a unique technology platform. Can you elaborate on how your technology differentiates itself from others in the cultivated meat space? Meatable’s technology platform is centered around our proprietary opti-ox technology, which allows us to grow the highest quality cultivated meat cost-efficiently and at scale. Combined with the use of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), the process replicates the natural growth process of the cells and makes it possible to produce real muscle and fat cells, which are the two key ingredients which make meat taste like meat. The PSCs have the natural ability to keep on multiplying and to do so rapidly. Our technique also allows us to grow many cells in our bioreactors. This is a great step forward as it increases productivity and makes the process easy to scale. By doing it so efficiently, we are able to drive down the costs and work towards producing meat at a competitive price point faster than most of our competitors. With the €7.6 million RVO Innovation Credit and your recent €30 million Series B funding, what are the next milestones in bringing your cultivated meat products to market? We are very proud to have received the RVO’s Innovation Credit, as it gives us confidence in the path ahead. These significant investments will be instrumental in accelerating our path to commercialisation. Our immediate next milestones include scaling up our production processes and optimising cost-efficiency to make cultivated meat commercially viable. We are also focused on advancing our product development, particularly for cultivated pork, with the goal of securing regulatory approvals around the world. You’ve mentioned working as a partner to the traditional meat industry. How do you envision this collaboration shaping the future of meat production? We feel it is essential to work together with the existing livestock-based meat industry, instead of competing. Therefore, we see ourselves as complementary to the traditional meat industry rather than a replacement. If we really want to make an impact, we cannot do that by ourselves. By partnering with traditional meat producers, we can leverage their deep understanding of consumer preferences, distribution networks and large-scale production. These partnerships also allow us to bridge the gap between existing meat production methods and future food technologies, accelerating the shift towards more ethical and environmentally-friendly practices. Only together we can meet the growing global demand for meat in a way that benefits both people and the planet. One of the main challenges in cultivated meat is scaling up production while keeping costs down. How is Meatable tackling this issue, and what role will the RVO Innovation Credit play? Scaling up production efficiently is one of our top priorities. Meatable’s opti-ox technology allows us to streamline the growth of animal cells, reducing the time and resources needed to produce high-quality cultivated meat. By optimising cell growth and differentiation, we can significantly lower production costs over time. Speed is an important factor here: As we can now move from cell to sausage in just a few days, we are able to use less resources to produce the same quantity of product, which allows us to keep costs down and make it more accessible to more partners and consumers What are your thoughts on consumer acceptance of cultivated meat, and how does Meatable plan to position its products to meet both market demand and societal concerns? We see that consumer acceptance of cultivated meat is growing, particularly as people become more aware of the environmental and ethical challenges associated with traditional meat production. However, consumer education is still key. We are committed to transparency, making sure that people understand how cultivated meat is produced, why it’s safe and how it can benefit both the environment and animal welfare. We are therefore also glad to be able to organise tastings of our product in Singapore and the Netherlands, to let people experience for themselves that this isn’t like meat, it is meat. The Netherlands is just one part of your journey. Do you have plans for expanding Meatable’s operations or market reach internationally, and what regions are of key interest? Yes, we are already planning for international expansion. While the Netherlands provides a strong base for R&D, our long-term vision includes a global presence. We are looking towards places where the regulatory situation is progressive, and where there are partners from the industry for us to work with. This way we can make sure we can scale and really make an impact. Markets like Singapore, which has already approved the sale of cultivated meat, are of key interest to us. The US is another important region, given its large market size and growing interest in alternative proteins. How does Meatable measure and communicate the environmental and societal benefits of cultivated meat, and what role do you see cultivated meat playing in addressing global food security? The benefits of cultivated meat are clear: its production requires significantly less land and water than livestock farming, has lower greenhouse gas emissions and requires no animal slaughter. Moreover, it can also play a crucial role in addressing global food security by offering a scalable, sustainable source of nutrition that can be produced locally, reducing reliance on complex and vulnerable supply chains. There is however a long way to go. We want more people to come to the table, learn, engage and find a path forward that works with, not against, existing food systems. Collectively we can contribute to a more sustainable and secure food system for future generations. #Exclusive #Meatable #theNetherlands #JeffTripician #interview

Deep-tech spin out company from the UK’s University of Leeds, MicroLub, has closed a £3.5 million seed investment round. The funding will enable the company to commercialise its patented technologies for fat-replacement, texture-enhancement and nutrient-delivery. The start-up says it will use the funds to advance product development with collaboration partners, scale the technology with co-manufacturing partners and build out the team. MicroLub’s plant based, protein microgel behaves like natural lubricants and can be used as a fat replacer and texture enhancer in plant based foods, as well as in human applications, such as to replace saliva for people with dry mouth. Fats and oils make foods texturally appealing and tastier, by adding ‘lubricity’ and a creamy mouthfeel. MicroLub's ingredient technology solution that adds lubrication through unique scaffolds made of protein and water, coated with polysaccharides. This structure mimics the ‘fatty sensation’ of full-fat products, adding texture, richness and succulence in low-fat or plant-based applications. In a statement provided to The Cell Base, MicroLub CEO David Peters, said: "Our innovative approach focuses on leveraging cutting-edge science to pioneer the next generation of protein technologies, to develop proprietary ingredient solutions which dramatically reduce molecular friction. We do this by adding lubrication to food products, using protein microgels coated with polysaccharide hydrogels." Peters continued: "We are not looking to remove the entire fat content of a product – our technology requires there to be some present - but we can significantly reduce the fat content without any noticeable change to texture or mouthfeel. In addition, we enable our customers to remove thickeners and emulsifiers from their products, thereby shortening their ingredients lists and creating clean-label products." "Our technology works across a very wide range of food applications- everything from plant-based burgers to low-fat indulgent desserts. It is especially effective in reduced-fat and plant-based foods, which historically have struggled to achieve anything like their full sales potential, because of issues around texture, mouthfeel and astringency. Baked goods, spreads and confectionery are among the other categories in which we have customers working with our technology." Using this technology, MicroLub will enable its customers to make their food products healthier, as well as contributing to sustainability by addressing the alt-protein industry’s current challenge of making plant-based foods less astringent. Anwesha Sarkar, founder and CTO of MicroLub, said: “When we discovered the technology and tested lubricity, we knew it had many potential applications, which we can now explore further and commercialise with this investment”. Peters added: “Our advanced protein technology is a real game-changer when it comes to fat-replacement. It enables our customers to reduce the fat content and calorie count of their products by up to 75% without any noticeable sensory change in mouthfeel and texture.” #MicroLub #fats #UK

France’s Vital Meat held a tasting of its cultured chicken products at HUE restaurant in Singapore earlier this month (9 October). Vital’s cultured chicken was presented in a menu created by chef Jun Hao, who combined traditional Singaporean flavours with French culinary innovation. Vital Meat says that this tasting is the first step towards the commercial launch of its chicken ingredient. The company filed a regulatory dossier in Singapore for this ingredient in December last year and is awaiting approval ‘very soon’ to market it. In May this year, the start-up submitted its novel food dossier to the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS). Guests were treated to a menu showcasing the versatility and flavours of Vital Chicken. The first course, chicken skin chips, featured crispy, golden, crunchy chips made from Vital’s chicken ingredient – it was mixed with flour and pan-fried to make the chips. Next, guests enjoyed a chicken broth – the cultured chicken ingredient was mixed with stock – and paired with cultivated chicken-filled ravioli, and finally, a chicken and rice dish made with the company’s cultured chicken ingredient. The event brought together a diverse group of attendees, including investors, industry players and officials from Singapore, along with representatives from the French community and leading voices in the cultivated meat ecosystem. The guests were able to sample the dishes, while also being informed of the benefits of cultivated meat, particularly in ethical and environmental terms. #VitalMeat #France #Singapore #tasting