NEW TECH FOODS

Scientists at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, have discovered that a gelatine-based hydrogel can help improve the flavour and aroma of cell-based meat. One key component of the taste of cooked conventional meat is the Maillard reaction, named after French chemist Louis Camille Maillard who discovered that unique flavours are created in cooked food at between 140 and 165°C. Jinkee Hong and his colleagues at Yonsei have established a method to simulate the Maillard reaction by adding ‘switchable flavour compounds’ (SFCs) into a 3D gelatine-based hydrogel – also known as a scaffold – that remains stable while the meat is cultured. Once heated to 150°C, the chemicals ‘switch on’ and release flavours, improving the palatability of cultivated protein. Hong said that they “smelled the meaty flavour upon heating the SFCs". In the paper published in the Nature journal, the scientists state that while previous versions of cell-based meat have recreated the appearance and texture of conventional meat, taste has so far been overlooked. “Flavor is the most important thing to make cultured meat be accepted as real,” lead author Milae Lee told CNN. SFCs can also be used to create different flavour profiles. For example, the researchers tested three compounds and say they produced flavours simulating roasted meat, coffee, roasted nuts, onions and potatoes. “We can diversify and customise the flavour compounds released from the SFC,” Hong added. One big issue is that the chemicals involved aren’t currently seen as safe for human consumption. “Because the materials and culture medium are not approved as edible materials, we cannot ensure the safety of it,” Hong says. “However, we think that our strategy can also be applied to conventional edible materials, which would be safer than the materials used in this study.” #SouthKorea #YonseiUniversity #scaffold #gelatine

Biotech firm Pluri has announced a strategic proof of concept (POC) agreement with what it refers to as a “leading international agriculture corporation”. The agreement is intended to boost global vegetable product supply, streamline supply chains and combat global climate change while ensuring a natural and more sustainable future for agriculture. The collaboration is set to leverage the strengths of both companies – Pluri's expertise in cell-expansion technologies and cell-ag will complement the partner’s global presence, knowledge of the food industry and position in the vegetable market. Pluri’s proprietary 3D cell expansion technology is expected to benefit farmers worldwide, as the collaboration can build a better agronomic and environmentally friendly infrastructure, bringing sustainable, high-quality solutions to the market. The collaboration will have the potential to minimise environmental impact of vegetable production, fostering greater food security. Yaky Yanay, CEO and president of Pluri, said: “As the global population expands, resource competition and climate change heighten the urgency to develop alternative agricultural technologies to replace traditional methods. This new collaboration showcases Pluri's strategy to work with leading global companies from various industries, each an expert in their respective field.” He continued: “It also aligns with our ongoing commitment to generate revenue through innovative projects. We are confident that this collaboration has the potential not only to positively impact the vegetable market, but also to generate significant value for our shareholders." It has been a busy year so far for Pluri – in March, Pluri received new patent approval for its 3D bioreactor technology for use in plant cell cultivation. May saw the firm partner with Wilk to develop medical food for the elderly , combining Pluri’s 3D cell expansion tech with Wilk’s expertise in developing cultured human breast milk and animal milk products. And, last month, Pluri's subsidiary, Ever After Foods, secured $10 million from strategic investors . #Pluri #Israel #plantcellcultivation

The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub has been awarded around $51 million from the Tech Hubs Program through the state’s Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The iFAB consortium, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, will receive a Phase 2 Implementation grant to boost Illinois’ position in biomanufacturing and precision fermentation, supporting national security, economic growth and job generation. The Phase 2 grant will fill gaps to support the wide spectrum of biomanufacturing businesses that are developing precision fermentation innovations to create zero-emission, high-value products from agricultural commodities. Beth Conerty, iFAB regional innovation officer and associate director of business development at the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, said: “Securing this grant is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our partners and the strategic importance of leveraging biology as a manufacturing technology of the future – we are thrilled to lead this charge in making Central Illinois the heart of biomanufacturing in the US and beyond”. IFAB leader Nicole Bateman, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur & Macon County, added: “Central Illinois is uniquely positioned to lead the way in biomanufacturing, leveraging an ecosystem of industry leaders, innovative startups, world-class R&D, scalable infrastructure, abundant feedstock production and robust transportation networks. This landmark investment in iFAB’s vision and infrastructure will allow the US to rival Europe and China, who have been investing heavily in this space.” The EDA grant will help realise a $40 million expansion of IBRL, which will include a 1500-litre fermenter capacity upgrade. Primient and Synonym will receive funding to achieve a fermentation capacity of 13,000 litres, and ADM will use Phase 2 funding to upgrade its precision fermentation facility to 80,000 litres. IFAB is supported by the coalition Innovate Illinois, a strategic initiative led by Governor J.B. Pritzker and co-chaired by University of Illinois’ chancellor Robert Jones. Jones concluded: “Today's EDA grant not only acknowledges but actively fuels our mission to establish Central Illinois as a pivotal biomanufacturing player on the global stage. With these new resources, we are equipped to accelerate our initiatives, ensuring that our region not only meets but sets the gold standard for biomanufacturing innovation. This partnership exemplifies how the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign can leverage its expertise and resources to fuel progress and prosperity right in our backyard.” This is the latest in a number of biotech investments in Illinois, including Governer Pritzker and Innovate Illinois' $680 million investment in March to establish the new iFAB hub . These investments position the state as the US leader in biotechnology, compared to other states ( Florida, Ohio and Iowa), which have imposed restrictions on cellular agriculture. #Illinois

Singapore-based start-up Cellivate Technologies has emerged as the top winner of Channel News Asia’s (CNA) business reality show, The Big Spark, taking home $3.3 million. Cellivate Technologies develops cellular solutions for cell-based meat, leather and cruelty-free cosmetics. The company won CNA’s show, competing against 24 regional start-ups, and is set to receive SGD 4.15 million (approx. $3.1 million) in funding from five venture capital companies. The investment firms include Singapore’s Antler and Rigel-Farro Capital, which CNA said will support Cellivate with SGD 3.3 million (approx. $2.45 million). At The Big Spark, Cellivate’s CEO and founder Viknish Krishnan-Kutty said that the funds would expand R&D, production capabilities and the company’s team, adding a commercial unit for business growth. Krishnan-Kutty founded Cellivate Technologies in 2019 as a spin-off from the National University of Singapore to reduce animal slaughter by using cells to create animal-free products. Initially, the start-up focused on FBS-free media and microcarriers for cell-based meat companies, before expanding into cosmetics and cultivated leather. #CellivateTechnologies #Singapore

Cell-ag investment firm Cult Food Science has penned an open letter to the Florida Government opposing its ban on the sales of cultivated meat.  The open letter aims to enhance the cultural discussion around cultivated meat and its critical importance to decarbonising the global food system.  This May, Governor Ron DeSantis made Florida the first US state to impose a ban on cell-based meat, signing SB1084. At the time, DeSantis said: “We’re fighting back against an ideology that ultimately wants to eliminate meat production in the US and around the globe. In the State of Florida, we’ve put down the marker very clearly: we stand with agriculture...Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere. We’re not doing that in the state of Florida.”   Cult Food Science has financially backed various firms in the cell-ag space including Umami Bioworks, Eat Just, California Cultured, MeliBio, Cell AG Tech, Unicorn Biotechnologies and Jellatech, as well as a number of cultivated petfood companies.   The full text of the open letter is as follows: Dear Governor DeSantis; Speaker Renner; and Senate President Passidomo:  The science and evidence around cultivated meat is clear: it is both safe for consumption and environmentally friendly. With more risks than ever to the climate, cultivated meat is no longer an alternative but rather a necessity. Policymakers need to be embracing sustainable protein production and not trying to put up regulatory obstacles towards its adoption. Jeff Bezos and the Bezos Earth Fund recently have made two breakthrough commitments to new facilities aiming to accelerate research and development of cultivated meat at the Imperial College of London and North Carolina State University.   The United States military has also recently announced their intent to pursue cultivated meat as a source of protein for troops. The facts are clear: factory farming consumes too much land and produces too many greenhouse gases. And the global demand for meat is growing, not decreasing. That's why cultivated meat is the answer. It is real, genuine animal meat simply made through different production methods.   The notion that this meat is fake or unhealthy is simply wrong. The FDA has approved cultivated meat for human consumption and yet policymakers at the State level are trying to impede the progress of this innovative industry. Food production is simply not sustainable if it harms our environment and emits greenhouse gases which are significantly more harmful than carbon dioxide emissions.   At Cult Food Science we are dedicated to advancing this critical technology which we believe is one of the most important levers for decarbonising our planet. The recent bans out of Florida do not represent the views of leading scientists or environmental research, but rather rely on misinformation and trying to slant the public discourse in a negative way. This is a harmful attitude and needs to be seen for what it is, which is protecting the interests of a select few and trying to discredit one of the most exciting areas of biotechnology and food science.  Decisions about what to consume or purchase should be left to the market and consumers, not dictated by legislation that hampers progress and competition. Restricting the sale and production of cultivated meat products denies Floridians access to these innovative products and limits consumer choice. Cult Food Science appreciates the opportunity to provide its perspective regarding this important issue. Thank you for your consideration, Sincerely,  Cult Food Science Corp.  Mitchell Scott, CEO of Cult Food Science, added: “We recognise cultivated meat and cellular agriculture are new technologies that many do not yet understand in their entirety. However as one of the few publicly traded companies in the world dedicated to advancing these crucial new innovations to address climate change, land usage and animal welfare, we feel it is important to use our platform and shareholder base to advance science and evidence-based discussions around cultivated proteins.”  He concluded: “We invite an open discussion with any policymakers on this topic and are committed to continuing to advance the cultural conversation around how we shift our agriculture system towards sustainability”.  ©Top image: Good Meat's cultured chicken #CultFoodScience #US #Florida #banning

Upside Foods has announced plans to reduce its workforce as part of a strategic adjustment aimed at enhancing operational agility in a challenging economic environment. A spokesperson for Upside told The Cell Base: "Upside is focused on our next chapter of scale and commercialisation. To  stay agile in the face of an uncertain macro environment, we made adjustments to  certain programs and reduced some positions." "We’re deeply grateful for the hard work and commitment of our departing team members and remain focused on bringing cultivated meat at scale to  the world. The California-based company did not specify the exact number of jobs affected, but reports from US media outlets indicate around 26 positions may have been impacted. #UpsideFoods #US

Precision-fermented dairy company TurtleTree has entered into a new multi-year strategic partnership with Strive. Kansas, US-based Strive is a nutrition company focused on providing sustainable, protein enriched beverages that are nutritious and good for the planet. Strive currently offers FreeMilk, a true milk alternative with fermentation-derived protein. Through the partnership with TurtleTree, Strive is looking to expand into additional products including an immunity support beverage aimed at adult nutrition as well as a ready-to-mix protein powder. Both new products will include TurtleTree’s lactoferrin (LF+), the world’s first animal-free lactoferrin. Through the collaboration, Strive and TurtleTree’s immunity support beverage will provide consumers with the unique benefits of lactoferrin to support gut health and iron regulation as well as immune support, while ensuring supplementation of the daily recommended vitamins. The immunity support beverage will be an 8oz carton with 12-15 grams of fermentation-derived whey protein and 250mg of fermentation-derived LF+. It will also include a blend of 23 essential vitamins and minerals to enhance the product geared toward ageing adults. The announcement comes after TurtleTree became the ' first precision fermentation dairy company globally' to obtain vegan certification (in February this year), and the 'first-ever' to receive the ‘Certified Vegan’ logo, since the logo initiative was launched 24 years ago. The biotech firm received the certification only a few months after it achieved self-affirmed generally recognised as safe (GRAS) status for its LF+ ingredient (November 2023). Fengru Lin, CEO at TurtleTree, said: “Here at TurtleTree, we are very excited about Strive’s ambitions and goals. We love that it is targeting an industry and segment of a population that is growing globally and is ripe for more innovation in the market. We are looking forward to supporting Strive with our lactoferrin in order to continue providing its target audience with more functional food products to support longevity.” Strive’s CEO Dennis Cohlmia added: “We created these products for a first launch into adult nutrition for consumers who are concerned about longevity and wellness. The health attributes of bovine lactoferrin and colostrum are extensive and becoming more known to the general public. Now, we can have an animal-free lactoferrin with prebiotics that is made through precision fermentation, vegan-certified and is cruelty-free.” Cohlmia continued: “We’ve known the team at TurtleTree for several years and have worked closely with them as they have developed the LF+. They are the only company with a commercial product that meets FDA Self-GRAS.” #TurtleTree #US #Strive #lactoferrin

Florida has officially implemented a ban on cell-based meat, effective Monday 1 July. Just before the ban came into effect, Upside Foods hosted a "Freedom of Food" pop-up event on 27 June atop The Annex rooftop in Miami. The event aimed to celebrate food innovation and advocate for consumer choice in shaping a sustainable future. It was also the first time cell-based meat was available for the public to taste for free. In May, Governor DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1084, making it illegal to produce and sell cell-based meat in Florida . Critics argue this move ignores food safety experts, restricts consumer options, stifles US innovation and prevents Florida from entering this growing industry. Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of Upside Foods, said: "We believe that cultivated meat is essential for the future of food, and people should have the right to choose what they eat. The purpose of this event was to give Floridians a taste of cultivated meat – something the state is, unfortunately, preventing them from enjoying and benefiting from, both in terms of innovation and economics. Despite Florida's ban, events like this highlight the increasing interest in cultivated meat and its crucial role in shaping a more sustainable future of food." #UpsideFoods #Florida

The traditional Sunday roast and fish and chips may soon be replaced by lab-grown steaks, cricket salads and azolla burgers on British dinner tables, according to a new report from UK retailer Co-op. Using cutting-edge AI technology, Co-op has created a glimpse into what the nation's mealtimes could look like in 30 years, as the food industry undergoes a dramatic transformation driven by sustainability and health concerns. Experts predict that by 2054, lab-grown meat and seafood cultivated from animal cells will become mainstream, while alternative protein sources like insects will also feature prominently in British diets. Bob Doherty, director of the FixOurFood initiative and dean at the University of York, said: "The last 30 years we have seen scientific leaps into more sustainable produce which were unimaginable to most back in 1994. From lab-grown meat to vertical farming, the future of food is set to revolutionise how we eat." The rise of urban indoor farming is expected to enable the local production of foods like avocados and olives that were previously imported, while extensive plant breeding will introduce new varieties such as the fast-growing freshwater fern azolla. The shift towards more plant-based, flexitarian diets will also see insects including locusts, grasshoppers and crickets becoming common ingredients in snacks and main meals, the report suggests. Cathryn Higgs, head of ethics, sustainability and policy at Co-op, said the changes reflect growing consumer concerns around the environmental impact of food production and a desire for more transparency. "As a food industry we've made a lot of progress, but rightly shoppers are calling on us to do more, with honesty and integrity at the core of our decision making," Higgs said. The report, which draws on 30 years of consumer surveys, found that two-thirds of UK shoppers are now more concerned about ethical and sustainable food than in recent years. However, price remains a key factor, with just over half willing to pay more for responsible products. The shift towards a more diverse, tech-enabled food system is expected to be accompanied by an increase in leisure time and cooking skills, as the UK potentially adopts a four-day work week by 2054. "By 2054, British people will have edible insects on their dinner plate, and we may see the crushing up of crickets quicker than wholegrains," Doherty concluded. "As we navigate the challenges of climate change, we'll need to embrace these innovations to ensure that we can feed a growing population sustainably."

FoodChain ID and ReSeed have introduced the ReSeed Soil Carbon Methodology, a new approach to enhance carbon market initiatives. This new methodology rewards farmers for maintaining existing soil organic carbon levels through sustainable practices and incentivises the removal and storage of additional carbon dioxide by soils. It also opens voluntary carbon markets to "vulnerable and small" farmers, aiding agricultural climate initiatives worldwide. Since their partnership in November 2023 , FoodChain ID and ReSeed have focused on increasing transparency in the measurement and verification of regenerative agriculture practices. Central to their collaboration is a carbon credit verification standard that incentivises, measures and verifies carbon sequestration and storage progress through regenerative farming methods. Ruud Overbeek, senior vice president for corporate development and strategic relationships at FoodChain ID, explained: “Our partnership with ReSeed has recently shown successful verification of conservation at the farm level to combat Amazon deforestation. This demonstrates that practices of sustainable farming can not only be measured, but also incentivised. Carbon credit accessibility is providing tangible benefits to farmers, who require financial support to invest in sustainable farming practices.” The ReSeed Soil Carbon Methodology uses the latest scientific innovations for large-scale soil organic carbon stock measurement. Vasco van Roosmalen, CEO at ReSeed, said: “The application of the methodology will be made possible through ReSeed’s Digital Climate Impact Platform, and the results will be validated and verified by FoodChain ID to ensure scientific rigor, consistency and transparency in project quantification methods, while also accommodating implementation across diverse geographies and farm operations.” According to the companies, the methodology offers unique benefits to farmers and addresses greenhouse gas emissions by promoting soil health. Unlike many existing methodologies, it does not exclude farmers based on the size or location of their farms. Emily Urban Cordeiro, sustainability technical director at FoodChain ID and soil expert, commented: “In partnership with ReSeed, we are leading carbon market innovation by recognising the importance of farming systems. The partnership recognises and rewards farmers for their existing carbon assets, whether in soils or trees, as well as their ongoing achievements in sequestration.” #FoodChainID #ReSeed

South Africa’s Immobazyme, a precision fermentation company, has raised $1.3 million in a recent investment round. The round was led by the University Technology Fund (UTF) with participation from Innovus, a University of Stellenbosch Enterprise –Immobazyme is a spin-off from South Africa’s Stellenbosch University. Immobazyme develops high-value proteins for various industries, including cell-based meat and alt-dairy. The capital will support the company’s expansion, including doubling its current facility size and scaling its platform. The company has developed PepTrap, a novel enzyme immobilisation platform that enables the integration of high-efficiency biocatalysts throughout a range of industrial environments. This platform enhances the native capabilities of the enzyme by improving its stability and overall efficiency. The PepTrap technology can be integrated into small-scale laboratory settings and larger-scale industrial pipelines. This is achieved through its modular design, allowing the system to work in both fixed and rotating bed reactors. Immobazyme has also developed a modular protein expression system that enables the production of food-grade versions of growth factors. The system provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for producing high-quality growth factors, making them more accessible to the industries that need them. In a statement on social media, the firm said: “We are happy to share that Immobazyme has successfully secured our next round of funding, bringing our total investment raised to date to ZAR 24.5 million [approx. $1.35 million]. This will directly support our expansion, doubling the size of our facility and rapidly scaling up our production capabilities.” #Immobazyme #SouthAfrica

EIT Food, the ‘world’s largest’ food innovation community, has announced its new cohort of novel innovations for its Seedbed incubator. The EIT Food Seedbed Incubator is a six month, equity-free programme, which identifies and validates the commercial potential of Europe’s most promising innovations in the food-tech sector, to launch sustainable and scalable agrifood-tech ventures across Europe. The Seedbed Programme supports early-stage agrifood start-ups across Europe, providing resources including market testing, expert mentorship and access to a robust network of industry professionals. The programme is open to aspiring entrepreneurs and technology developers looking to validate whether there is a market need for their innovation. Seedbed works with leading European universities and research centres to strengthen the innovation ecosystem and bridge the gap between academic research and practical applications that benefit society. Some of the chosen innovations include: FORMeat (Germany) – which aims to revolutionise cultured meat production by providing a scalable and cost-effective solution that replicates the texture and taste of traditional meat AI Bobby (France) – AI Bobby leverages Generative AI to revolutionize food protein innovation, targeting the alternative protein market to enhance functionalities, accelerate development and reduce costs for sustainable food products Little Guts (Turkey) – which aims to solve gut health problems in babies and toddlers by offering baby foods made with fermented upcycled fruits and vegetables BioAlva (France) – which provides plant-based seafood alternatives made from seaweed and beans Change Bio (UK) – which upcycles waste methane into proteins, with the goal of making them less expensive and carbon negative FlockWise (Denmark) – which provides AI-driven advice/mentorship, management alerts, and market access to African small-scale poultry farmers, addressing educational and market gaps to enhance productivity and income sustainability Each chosen innovation has undergone a thorough and comprehensive evaluation process to assess its innovative potential, tech and commercial viability, hypothetical business model, unique selling point, and commercialisation potential. The cohort will gain lifetime access to EIT’s food innovation community, with the chance to connect and test innovations with 100+ industry-leading corporates, research partners and agrifood specialists. Companies in the programme will also receive support with establishing if there is a viable market need and evaluating the scale of commercial potential, as well as access to networking events, training and 1:1 coaching. Lukxmi Balathasan, EIT Food Seedbed incubator programme lead, said: “EIT Food’s Seedbed Incubator cohort for 2024 includes some of Europe’s most exciting innovations – with brilliant new ideas and approaches that are addressing the wide range of issues facing the food system today”. She continued: “From boosting the health of consumers and improving crop yields, to finding sustainable packaging solutions and diversifying plant-based protein sources, innovation has a critical role to play in our efforts to transform the food system towards a future which is fit for people and planet.” The latest initiative follows EIT Food's announcement earlier this month, unveiling its start-up cohort for its RisingFoodStars agri-food-tech initiative. EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. #EITFood #EIT #Europe