NEW TECH FOODS

Steakholder Foods has announced that its biology team has successfully reduced the cost of its in-house growth media for bovine cell cultivation in suspension by more than 75% from prices two years ago. With the high cost of growth media being a significant challenge across the industry, hindering scalability and affordability, Steakholder Foods hopes to optimise growth methodologies, creating scalable solutions and paving the way for industrial-scale cell production. The increased affordability of growth media is significant as it is widely believed that technological challenges to the commercialisation of cell-based meat will be overcome before the economic challenges are met. In a statement Steakholder Foods said: “Every cost reduction in materials can be another step towards putting cultivated meat on people’s tables one day soon”. While reducing costs is essential, maintaining the highest yield and product quality is equally crucial. Steakholder Foods says it has dedicated R&D efforts over the years to focus on both cost reduction and on optimising growth media in suspension to ensure that yields remain consistently high. The company’s R&D teams achieve this by testing replacements for individual growth media components to optimise the formulation for beef cells without compromising the quality and quantity of the cells. Dan Kozlovski, CTO at Steakholder Foods, said: “Our ability to achieve a significant cost reduction in growth media is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our biology team. It propels us toward our goal of making cultivated meat a viable, sustainable and cost-effective solution for the future.”

Saudi Arabia-based investment fund Neom Food has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with cell-based seafood start-up BlueNalu. The partnership aims to progress the commercialisation, marketing and distribution of BlueNalu's cell-based seafood products and reflects the mutual interests of both organisations in developing food solutions that increase food security and improve access to healthy foods for communities in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. Under the MoU, the companies hope to support the establishment of an incubation and food innovation ecosystem in Saudi Arabia; increase public education and outreach activities on the topic of cell-based meat; conduct “extensive” consumer research; and engage with regulatory agencies to enable the approval and sale of the novel foods. This partnership followed Neom Food’s $20 million investment in BlueNalu, as part of its Series B financing round announced last month . The funding is set to enable the next stage of BlueNalu's growth and its continued progress toward scaling and commercialising healthy and sustainable seafood around the globe. Majid Mufti, CEO of Neom Food, said: "Our investment in BlueNalu goes beyond mere financial backing; it marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to fostering sustainable regenerative aquaculture and resilient food ecosystems. By aligning Neom Food with BlueNalu's trailblazing approach, we're not just envisioning a sustainable future – we're investing in the transformative technologies that make it achievable.” Juan Motamayor, executive director of Neom Food, commented: "Neom is committed to building a resilient future, and our partnership with BlueNalu aligns perfectly with our goals. In BlueNalu, we have found the perfect nexus of visionary leadership, groundbreaking technology, and a holistic approach to product innovation. We look forward to working with them to shape a more sustainable and resilient food ecosystem." Lou Cooperhouse, founder, president and CEO of BlueNalu, added: "This collaboration with Neom is a monumental step towards creating a more secure and accessible supply of seafood in Saudi Arabia. By combining our global expertise in cell-cultured seafood and the tremendous number of strategic partnerships we've developed to date at BlueNalu, together with Neom's extraordinary vision and resources, we can accelerate the development of innovative, renewable food solutions via cell-cultured seafood." #BlueNalu #US #NeomInvestmentFund #SaudiArabia

Biotechnology company Triplebar has announced its raise of $20 million in new financing to expand its product portfolio in food and biopharmaceuticals. Triplebar’s Hyper-Throughput screening platform acts as a “microprocessor for biology,” integrating hardware, software, biology and biochemistry to miniaturise and accelerate evolution by testing millions of “potential world-changing” solutions in the time it normally takes to search mere thousands. The platform develops biological systems for manufacturing low-cost, low-footprint animal proteins to replace traditional animal sources, improving the performance of cellular meat products and addressing major human health challenges. The new round of funding follows Triplebar’s partnerships with Umami Bioworks and FrieslandCampina in January, through which the company has further developed its screening platform. Synthesis Capital led the round, with participation from Essential Capital, Stray Dog Capital, iSelect Fund, and existing major investor The Production Board. Maria Cho, CEO of Triplebar, said: “Our investors believe profoundly in our mission to reduce humanity’s footprint while greatly increasing our quality of life with better food and biopharmaceuticals”. Rosie Wardle, Synthesis Capital partner and co-founder said: “For truly disruptive adoption to take place, alternative products need to at least match animal-based proteins on taste, price, convenience and nutrition. We believe Triplebar’s technology platform has the potential to bring entire portfolios of bioproducts to market, helping a wide range of companies, from incumbents to startups, to scale up production while reducing cost." #TripleBar #US

Singapore is working on a food safety and security bill designed to offer greater clarity on regulatory frameworks for novel foods like cell-based meat and gene-edited crops. At Rethink’s Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit in Singapore, the nation state’s trade and industry minister Alvin Tam gave a keynote speech to smart protein start-ups. Singapore is home to many alt-protein start-ups and was the first country to approve the sale of cell-based meat when it granted regulatory clearance to Good Meat’s cell-based chicken products in 2020. The move cemented the nation’s reputation as a hotbed of food-tech innovation with a supportive government. Providing clarity on regulatory frameworks for other companies is part of Singapore’s proposed ‘Food Safety and Security Bill’. It will combine food-related provisions from across eight existing acts – such as the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act and the Sale of Food Act – into one single act. Singapore’s Minister for sustainability and the environment, Grace Fu, said that the bill is set to be tabled, but the timeframe is unknown. Fu said: “Innovations in food science are introducing novel foods, offering new opportunities to feed the world. Ensuring that such novel food is safe is critical to protect public health.” She added: “The bill will provide greater legal clarity on the regulatory framework for new food innovations, such as novel food and gene-edited crops. We will also – in consultation with the industry – look into enhancing the requirements on food safety systems and processes.” Fu explained that the Singapore Food Agency is already in talks with industry stakeholders to discuss “how we can all work together to collectively ensure a resilient supply of safe food for Singapore”. The bill is designed to better ensure the safety of novel and traditional foods by enhancing the requirements for food safety systems and processes. It will look to boost the country’s food security by bringing over existing powers for the ‘Rice Stockpiles Scheme,’ which says rice importers must keep a stockpile of the grain in government-designated warehouses to ensure an adequate supply. The announcement aligns with Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ initiative, which aims to improve food security by producing 30% of all food consumed in the nation by 2030, limiting its reliance on imports. #Singapore

Cellular agriculture platform Cult Food Science has appointed Mitchell Scott as chief executive officer, effective from 1 November 2023. The appointment of Scott is facilitated by the resignation of Cult's previous CEO, Lejjy Gafour. Scott is an entrepreneur and “advocate for sustainable food solutions”. He has an eight-year tenure in the plant-based and cultivated food sectors, bringing a blend of experience and a proven track record of scaling consumer-facing brands to his new role at Cult. Scott co-founded plant-based butchery The Very Good Butchers and oversaw its journey from a farmer's market stall to the top-performing IPO globally of 2020, where at its peak, it achieved a market cap of almost $1 billion. During his time at The Very Good Butchers, the company established a retail presence in more than 4000 retailers across North America and launched the products into the UK, laying the groundwork for a European expansion. He raised more than CAD 60 million (approx. $44 million) for the company which helped fuel its growth and expansion. New CEO Scott said: "I am honoured and excited to be joining the incredible team at Cult Food Science as the new CEO. Our mission is clear: to revolutionise the world of food through innovation, sustainability and flavour. I firmly believe that by harnessing the power of science, technology and our collective passion, we can create a healthier, more sustainable and truly delicious future for all.” He continued: “I look forward to working closely with our dedicated employees, partners, and stakeholders to drive positive change, foster innovation and bring our visionary concepts to the plates and bowls of people and animals around the globe. Together, we will explore new frontiers in food science, and I'm committed to leading Cult Food Science into a future where food is not just a necessity but a delightful, sustainable and transformative experience for all." Cult has thanked Gafour for his dedication and contributions to the company over the past two years and wishes him well in his future endeavours. #CultFoodScience #US

While we might be familiar with the big names heralded for spearheading the cell-based food sector, it's the lesser-known companies with revolutionary innovations that are also catalysing major disruption. In The Cell Base's very first instalment of ‘Start-up spotlight' we speak to Will Milligan, founder of Extracellular, a Bristol, UK-based start-up supporting cell-based meat and seafood companies with development and scale-up capabilities. Can you introduce Extracellular and highlight its mission and core objectives, please? Extracellular is a contract development and manufacturing organisation dedicated to supporting cultivated meat and seafood companies with our development and scale-up capabilities. What that practically means is, we provide R&D as a service, focused on cell and media development, with a core focus on process optimisation and scale-up. Our mission is to support cultivated meat and seafood companies in getting to market years faster and millions of dollars cheaper through our services. What led to the establishment of Extracellular and why did you choose to focus on cultivated meat? My background is in process development and scale-up for biopharma, and that skillset is exactly the skillset needed to enable cultivated meat and seafood products to come to market. We're basically using stem cell technology for food rather than therapeutics. And with that skillset in mind, I really wanted to support a large number of companies. Really, Extracellular was established to support as many companies as possible. We focused on cultivated meat as it has a large potential impact to reduce carbon emissions for food production. And as a guilt-ridden millennial, I stress about my impact on the planet and wanted to work on something that would hopefully leave the planet in a better place than how we found it. Additionally, in the cultivating space, there's a huge underserved market for development services and scale-up capabilities. It's very technically challenging, so it takes that deep expertise to really support these companies effectively. Given that so many companies were vertically integrated, and the new wave of companies coming through needed the services, we established Extracellular. What are the unique benefits of Extracellular's services and what kind of impact do you believe the company has had or could potentially have in the future? We're focused on having fit-for-purpose capabilities to support the industry, which means we have high-end bio-tech capabilities, but at a low cost. We already have 15 customers around the world, across eight countries and four continents, so we already have this broad client base, and we are helping them accelerate their R&D pipeline. We're having an impact on the development of cultivated meat today around the world. We aim to help these companies get to large-scale, and we can help them get there much quickly and cost-effectively. Ultimately, we hope that no company in the industry needs to build a pilot facility in the next five years because we can build those capabilities. They can save that money on capital expenditure and team build-out and the cost of the facility and the time it takes. We think we can help really enable the large-scale production of cultivated meat and seafood. What are the essential technologies and capabilities that make up Extracellular's services? We have high throughput capabilities for cell and media development. We use liquid handlers and high-content imaging systems as well as other automation solutions to screen large numbers of conditions very quickly. We can screen up to 1,000 different cell types or media formulations in a given study. For bioreactor optimisation, we have a number of parallel bioreactors, so we can test between 12 and 24 bioreactors in parallel, to do the equivalent of six months' worth of work in two weeks. That really allows us to do high-throughput, fast studies for customers. On the scale-up side of things, we have the ability to run one-, ten-, 100- and 200-litre bioreactors. At the end of this year, we'll have 2000-litre bioreactors installed for the large-scale production of cultivated meat. Sustainability and ethical considerations play a significant role in the cell-based food sector. How does Extracellular approach these aspects in its operations? We have big focus on sustainability in the lab, we have a dedicated team member to support lab operations and sustainability, with a big focus on reducing our impact on the planet. For instance, we recycle far more plastic than would typically be expected in research labs, and we also repurpose a lot of food and pharma equipment and consumables, to save them from going to landfill. That's a big focus of ours in the lab. On the ethical front, we're really trying to support our customers in removing animal components from their media formulations and finding alternatives that can promote cell growth. So, we really collaborate with our customers to try and come up with more ethical, more sustainable solutions. Simultaneously, we try to design the best processes possible. Because, ultimately, the potential sustainable impact of cultivated meat will only come when we can produce large quantities of cells at scale. And really, that's where we think we can have the biggest impact. Has Extracellular encountered any challenges on its journey so far? How did you work to navigate or overcome these obstacles? It's a super challenging fundraising environment at the moment. For us, we got through it by focusing on customer value rather than investor expectations. That meant that we really set out to offer the best services at the lowest price points to support other companies in cultivated meat in achieving their R&D and fundraising goals. We take the opinion that, you know, if our customers succeed, then we can succeed. Hiring the right team is essential in developing these products and processes. I think we have a great culture here that really empowers researchers to think creatively and collaboratively. The projects that are the most successful are the ones where we bring our expertise in development and scale-up, and our customers bring their scientific expertise, and together, we create something that we couldn't achieve individually. Collaboration with the scientific community can be crucial in advancing cell-based technologies. Can you shed light on Extracellular's engagement with researchers and scientists? We want to support better research and more solutions for cultivated meat and seafood. Part of that is making sure that researchers have the right skills to develop better products, whether that's media formulations, cell lines, or bioreactors, for example. That's why we collaborated with Multus to produce low-cost, license-free cell banks that are relevant to the industry. In doing so, there are now a number of research organisations across the UK and globally, that use these cells to try and develop better products. We do research and share what we find and troubleshoot them through it – we really think that collaborating is the best way to advance the industry. What exciting developments or plans does Extracellular have in the pipeline and what can we expect to see in the coming months? In the next couple of months, we expect to have our 2000-litre bioreactors operational and producing cultivated meat. Beyond that, we are planning our international expansion to build food-grade facilities in North America and Asia. We expect to have multiple sites around the world in the next three to five years commercially producing cultivated meat products.

Food-tech company Nourish Ingredients has announced its strategic expansion into Singapore to scale-up its potent fat production. Nourish Ingredients will operate from Nurasa’s Food Tech Innovation Centre (FTIC) in Singapore. Temasek-owned Nurasa’s flagship pilot and development facility will provide both companies with access to shared labs and key pilot-scale equipment. Founded in Australia, Nourish Ingredients uses deep technology to recreate natural animalic fats without the animal. The company focuses on the most potent molecules found in nature, with its fats providing the authentic taste, smell and cooking experience consumers expect, without the cost or chemicals. The company’s focus on the precision fermentation process is designed to be scalable and affordable as a result of the relatively low volumes required, enabling it to work with the “world’s largest” food manufacturers. Through a collaboration with Nurasa’s joint venture company ScaleUp Bio, Nourish Ingredients has begun to establish a regional footprint to scale its product and more easily work with regulatory body the Singapore Food Authority ahead of public release. ScaleUp Bio is the first in Singapore and one of the first in Asia to offer end-to-end contract development and manufacturing organisation services for food-tech companies in process optimisation and scale-up. The partnership will support 10,000 litre batches of fermentation capacity as well as 100 litres of thermal processing, to successfully scale production of speciality fats and unlock flavour for the next generation of plant-based proteins. James Petrie, co-founder and CEO of Nourish Ingredients, said: “Nourish Ingredients combines breakthrough science with a focus on the most potent fat molecules found in nature to transform the plant-based proteins market. Without the right fats, alternative proteins just don’t have what it takes to deliver on the one thing that consumers want, which is authentic taste. Nourish Ingredients fats are key to making alternative proteins taste incredible and is the missing piece for the plant protein industry.” Francisco Codoner, CEO of ScaleUp Bio, commented: “Our partnership with Nourish Ingredients will not only accelerate the production of speciality fats but also help create sustainable food products that excite consumers. ScaleUp Bio empowers global food-tech companies like Nourish Ingredients to access state-of-the art laboratory facilities and industry expertise on their lab-to-market scale-up journey, enabling these firms to empower the next food revolution.” Anna El Tahchy, CTO and founder director of Nourish Ingredients, added: “Singapore’s highly enabling ecosystem – from regulatory and legal support to production capabilities – and commitment to innovation and sustainability makes it an ideal hub for showcasing our groundbreaking natural fats to investors and customers in the Asia Pacific region. We know that if we can improve the taste of alternative proteins, Nourish Ingredients can spur the category’s mainstream consumer adoption for greater food security in Singapore.” #NourishIngredients #Singapore

UK cell-based meat start-up Ivy Farm has announced the appointment of Harsh Amin as its new CSO, supporting its R&D and scale-up plans. The strategic hire is set to provide Ivy Farm with more “strength and support” to deliver its R&D strategy and scale-up plans, as it embarks on commercialisation. Amin has over 15 years of experience in the biotechnology and biopharma industries, with an extensive background in stem cell biology, tissue engineering and cell culture media development. This positions him to navigate these complexities and propel Ivy Farm towards successful commercialisation. Amin’s experience includes the role of R&D director at biopharmaceutical manufacturer Lonza, where he led the company’s R&D centre in cell culture media development. Prior to that he held a senior role at Oxford-based biotechnology company Evox Therapeutics. Commenting on his appointment Amin said: “I am thrilled to be joining Ivy Farm at such a pivotal time in its product development journey. Cultivating meat is a complex scientific process, and looking at the overall landscape within this industry, Ivy Farm has already done a terrific job in addressing critical challenges. With the experience I’ve gained over the years in the adjacent biotech and biopharma industries, I look forward to helping the team finish the job – scale-up, and ultimately, make the product commercially viable so we can bring a sustainable real meat option to consumers.” Rich Dillon, Ivy Farm’s CEO, added: "Amin’s expertise and impressive track record in developing and implementing robust R&D strategies will be invaluable as we continue our journey to revolutionise the food industry. We're confident his leadership will enable us to overcome the industry's challenges and bring our sustainable, guilt-free real meat to market.”

Singapore-based CDMO ScaleUp Bio has announced an initial list of customers, aiding them in scaling up to pilot-scale commercial production. The company has entered into a collaboration agreement with Nourish Ingredients, to support its Asian growth strategy. ScaleUp Bio has also signed letters of intent with US-based C16 Biosciences, Malaysia’s Ultimeat and Singapore’s Allium Bio to explore the development of sustainable ingredients for the Asian market. Nourish Ingredients, C16 Biosciences, Ultimeat and Allium Bio – amongst other prospective customers – leverage microbial and precision fermentation to develop sustainably produced ingredients for novel foods. Charged to fulfil critical scaling-up gaps faced by global food-tech innovators, ScaleUp Bio delivers a blend of facilities, expertise, experience and essential services through a CDMO fee-for-service business model. Both start-ups and established companies seeking to develop novel food innovations from bench to market, can benefit from ScaleUp Bio’s offerings. Francisco Codoñer, CEO of ScaleUp Bio, said: “These companies recognise the significant growth opportunities for novel foods across Asia and understand the truly unique advantages ScaleUp Bio offers, enabling them to achieve their strategic business objectives and together, empowering the next food revolution.” The collaboration with Australia’s Nourish Ingredients is set to bring sustainable fermentation-based speciality fats to an Asian audience. ScaleUp Bio is uniquely positioned via its specialised expertise to deliver assistance, insights and regulatory advice for companies to succeed in Asia. The partnership will support 10,000 litres of fermentation capacity as well as 100 litres of thermal processing, to successfully scale production of speciality fats and unlock flavour for the next generation of plant-based proteins. James Petrie, CEO of Nourish Ingredients, commented: “Working with ScaleUp Bio will give us invaluable access to technical expertise and food-grade facilities, to help scale our fats. We look forward to deepening and expanding our partnership in the coming months.” New facilities ScaleUp Bio has also announced that it is in the final, pre-operational phase to open “Signapore’s first” dedicated food-grade submerged microbial and precision fermentation facilities. The two facilities are designed to support two ScaleUp growth areas: R&D and pilot-stage manufacturing. The first facility, the Fermentation Joint Lab, is a R&D lab that will enable food-tech start-ups to explore ideas for new food innovations with equipment dedicated for food-grade fermentation purposes. It offers facilities and equipment calibrated for the unique needs of the alternative food industry. This is an important distinction, as previously, most food-tech start-up companies had to contend with laboratory facilities and equipment not previously calibrated for the food industry. ScaleUp Bio’s second facility is a fully owned, dedicated, food-grade commercial production fermentation facility. It offers up to 10,000 litres of fermentation capacity for pilot-stage manufacturing. It will incorporate innovation hubs and technical specialists to ensure quality control and safe production standards. #ScaleUpBio #Singapore

US-based cell-based meat company Omeat has announced the completion of its pilot plant located outside of Los Angeles, California. The 15,000-square-foot pilot plant is designed to house bioreactors up to 10,000 litres in size, with the capacity to produce up to 400 tons of product annually. Omeat's chief technology officer Jim Miller said: "We now have an integrated, farm-to-table supply chain. Omeat's process begins at our farm with the collection of plasma from Omeat's herd of Holstein cows. The plasma is transported to the new pilot facility, where it's used to derive Plenty, Omeat's affordable and effective proprietary growth factor that replaces the need for foetal bovine serum. Inside Omeat's bioreactors, Plenty and bovine cells are combined to produce Omeat ground beef. It's a breakthrough process for making meat that is pure, delicious and consistent." Omeat says that the opening of its pilot plant is a significant step forward in bringing cell-based meat to consumers and addressing the growing demand for more sustainable protein sources. The plant will provide data and insights for scaling up production. The completion of the pilot plant will enable Omeat to demonstrate the intricacies of its process at scale, establishing a clear path for regulatory review and approval. Omeat's founder and CEO, Ali Khademhosseini, added: "Omeat's pilot plant is a major accomplishment for our company and the industry at large. We continue to push the boundaries for cultivated meat and challenge existing processes. We're pioneering a very unique farm-to-table approach that enables us to create delicious real meat with a fraction of the resources needed to produce conventional meat. It's a more humane and sustainable way to satisfy the growing global appetite for meat.” He continued: “We remain confident that at scale, Omeat's prices will be less than conventional meat, providing accessibility to high-quality protein worldwide”. #Omeat #US

Newform Foods has partnered with Project Assignments to develop a scalable demonstration facility for cell-based meat products. Once complete, the facility – which will be based in Cape Town, South Africa – will be the largest of its kind in Africa. The partnership merges Newform Foods’ technology with Project Assignments’ decades of engineering experience, with both parties hoping to ‘shape tomorrow’s food landscape’. Both teams are currently collaborating on a design to introduce Newform Foods’ bioproduction platform to the global food industry. This production model will empower food producers and retailers to expand their offerings by creating and launching cultivated animal products, without the burden of intensive R&D and associated costs. Newform Foods aims to show food producers, retailers and business owners how to incorporate cell-based animal products into their existing production facilities. The company offers an end-to-end solution and will facilitate and curate a cell line of interest, develop a prototype and scale the process in partnership with Project Assignments. Brett Thompson, co-founder and CEO of Newform Foods, said: “We want to create an end-to-end service from prototype to pilot and beyond, simplifying the journey from lab to market. We’re excited to be putting our plans into action, working with Project Assignments who are masters of their craft. This will be an amazing opportunity to show the world what our bioproduction platform can do at scale.” John Clayton, managing director of Project Assignments, added: “Our team of chemical and mechanical engineers are passionate about taking designs from concept stage right up to commissioning and handover. We also provide the necessary training to ensure a successful integrated operation. The combination of experience gathered in both the food and the pharmaceutical fields, working on greenfield and brownfield sites, positions us well to insert Newform Foods’ process train into existing operations. Together we aim to increase customer offerings with a competitive edge in this exciting new market.” Last month, Newform Foods announced it was partnering with French flavour and fragrance supplier Mane to improve the taste, texture and affordability of cell-based meat. The partnership leverages Mane’s experience in food and flavour to enhance the cultivated muscle and fat across species and products. #NewformFoods #Africa #ProjectAssigments

Foremost Farms USA and Ginkgo Bioworks have teamed up to reduce the dairy industry’s carbon footprint. The collaboration seeks to leverage biotechnological advancements for domestic, sustainable biomanufacturing of materials derived from dairy co-products, with the aim of benefitting the environment, family farms and the dairy industry. Through the partnership, Foremost Farms will use Ginkgo’s bioproduction services to create and commercialise a new technology designed to upcycle billions of pounds of dairy co-products annually. Ginkgo’s metabolic engineering and analytical capabilities will allow strain optimisation for challenging environmental conditions while avoiding common toxicity issues. Greg Schlafer, president and CEO of Foremost Farms, said: “We’re excited to partner with Ginkgo Bioworks, which can uniquely help Foremost Farms realise its goals. Ginkgo’s platform gives us access to everything we need to move from concept to commercialisation faster, providing a competitive advantage.” He continued: “We are innovating to continue our trajectory as environmental stewards that take care of our world and create value for dairy farm families by potentially lowering manufacturing costs and creating a significant new revenue stream for those farmers”. Declan Roche, chief commercial officer at Foremost Farms, added: “We’re in a unique position to leverage Ginkgo’s expertise because their flexible R&D service offerings allow us to creatively approach this significant opportunity in our value chain. With Ginkgo, we are able to pursue this exciting opportunity while minimising our internal R&D fixed costs and allowing our team to remain focused on our core business.” #GinkgoBioworks #ForemostFarms