NEW TECH FOODS

The Precision Fermentation Alliance (PFA) and Food Fermentation Europe (FFE) have announced a refined definition of the term ‘precision fermentation’. The newly refined definition, announced in a media release yesterday (26 February 2024) aims to provide clarity on precision fermentation’s unique characteristics and its differentiation from other technologies. It defines precision fermentation as follows: “Precision fermentation combines the process of traditional fermentation with the latest advances in biotechnology to efficiently produce a compound of interest, such as a protein, flavour molecule, vitamin, pigment or fat”. The new definition then offers further detail on the process, how it works and how it has already been in use: A specific molecular sequence is inserted into a microorganism to give it instructions to produce the desired molecule when fermented. These molecular sequences are derived from digitised databases rather than taken directly from the relevant animals or plants. At the end of the fermentation process, the resulting compounds are filtered out, separating them from the microorganisms that produced them. Precision fermentation has been in use globally for over 30 years to make medicines (like insulin) and countless common food ingredients (such as human milk oligosaccharides or rennet). The PFA was established in 2023 and comprises industry members including Change Foods, The Every Co, #Imagindairy, #NewCulture, #OnegoBio and the #GoodFoodInstitute among others. The members’ common goal is to promote precision fermentation as a reliable solution for a more sustainable food system. Irina Gerry, spokesperson for PFA, commented: “With so many new food technologies entering the market, we recognised the need to refine and expand the definition of precision fermentation to help educate consumers and food industry stakeholders”. She added: “Our collaboration with FFE has resulted in a comprehensive definition that emphasises the distinctive features of precision fermentation and its applications, as well as draws clear boundaries between precision fermentation and other fermentation-based technologies”. The refined definition includes several key distinctions. The PFA and FFE highlight that precision fermentation leverages the latest bioengineering techniques, setting it apart from traditional fermentation and natural breeding techniques. Additionally, unlike cell cultivation, precision fermentation uses microorganisms to produce specific compounds of interest, rather than growing an entire cell or biomass. Molecular sequences used in precision fermentation are sourced from digitised databases, eliminating the need for animal involvement in any part of the process, whereas in cell-based meat, a sample of cells is taken from a live animal. At the end of the fermentation process, the targeted molecules are isolated and filtered out from the fermentation broth, setting the process apart from biomass fermentation (where the entire biomass, including the cells, is the product). It also emphasises that precision fermentation is an established technology. While it is now being used to produce new molecules, the process itself has been safely utilised in food and medicine for decades. FFE represents the wider fermentation food and ingredient sector, made up of nine industry members: Better Dairy, Bon Vivant, Formo, Imagindairy, MicroHarvest, Onego Bio, Standing Ovation, Those Vegan Cowboys and Vivici. It works to raise awareness and enable the rollout of innovative fermentation technology and products in Europe.

A coalition of food innovation organisations in Europe has recently unveiled the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio, a €30 million initiative aimed at advancing regenerative agriculture practices across the continent. This collaborative effort, led by EIT Food – which is backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology – seeks to demonstrate solutions and facilitate partnerships within the agrifood value chains. Unlike traditional approaches focusing solely on individual farms, the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio adopts a landscape-based strategy, tailored to local contexts. By identifying five priority landscapes across Europe, the initiative aims to foster collaboration among various stakeholders, including regional governments, investors and retailers. EIT Food has committed €15 million to the Portfolio, with an additional €15 million expected from corporate partners over the next three years. This investment will support landscape initiatives, ecosystem development and inter-landscape learning within the community. Richard Zaltzman, CEO of EIT Food, said: “It is crucial that we establish a future-fit food system for all: a transition that can only be achieved by prioritising systemic, regenerative approaches to agriculture, in a way that keeps farmers front and centre and fosters collaboration between all stakeholders in the food chain”. He continued: “By matching funding from partners that invest in landscape-level collaborations in the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio, EIT Food aims to enable a significant commitment to the regenerative transition within Europe”. Marjolein Brasz, CEO of Foodvalley, highlighted the Portfolio's role in scaling and expanding regenerative agriculture practices: “We have already seen significant efforts and initiatives from farmers and cooperatives in the shift to regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Innovation Portfolio will be crucial in helping to practically scale and expand these approaches.” “By creating a collaborative community, the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio will generate and share learnings and experiences between landscapes which will help to foster more successful partnerships and innovation in the future and get all stakeholders in the landscape transition to play their role.” By fostering collaboration between off-takers and sharing costs, knowledge and resources, the initiative enables the production of a broad range of regenerative crops and products at scale.

Icelandic biotech ORF Genetics and Australian cell-based meat company Vow have announced the success of a “first of its kind” tasting in Europe. The cell-based meat tasting, which took place on 12 February, saw various professionals taste dishes created from the cells of Japanese quail. Among those attending was the Prime Minister and acting Minister of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, who “enjoyed” her first taste of cell-based meat at the event. Jakobsdóttir said: "It is clear that our food systems need to change so that we can feed a population estimated to reach 9 billion in 2040. It is also evident that we need to use innovation and technology to establish new ways of addressing the climate challenge. This is exactly what we are seeing on the tasting tables here today.” She continued: “Cultivated meat is one of the solutions to the climate challenge. The Icelandic authorities are determined to pave the way for the adoption of new solutions in Iceland and we are eager to see the development of an EU regulatory framework for cultivated meat." Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir, CEO of ORF Genetics, commented: "We are excited to bring this innovative, novel food product for this milestone tasting event here in Iceland, showcasing that not only is cultivated meat a more sustainable alternative to traditional meat – but that it is also a delicious one. ORF's barley-grown growth factors allow cultured meat companies like Vow not only to grow but to rapidly scale-up its production to meet future-market demands." Co-founder and CEO of Vow, George Peppou, added: "We have a vision of producing meat that is deliberately different – uniquely delicious, nutritious and sustainable, and unlike anything you've tasted before. That is why we are so excited to partner with ORF to announce today that Icelanders will be the first to taste an entirely new food in Europe's first ever official cultured meat tasting." #Vow #ORFGenetics #Europe #Iceland #Australia

A study published in the journal ACS Biomaterials & Engineering  has investigated the potential of non-allergenic wheat protein glutenin to act as a scaffold in the production of cell-based meat.     For the study, researchers isolated glutenin from gluten, before forming it into flat and ridge-patterned films. Mouse cells that develop into skeletal muscle were then placed on the films and incubated for two weeks. Glutenin is considered to be generally safe for celiacs and those with gluten sensitivity, despite being a wheat protein.    The study reports that cells successfully grew and proliferated on both films and that by the second week, they had formed long parallel bundles replicating the fibre structure of muscles. While the performance was not as good as gelatin-based films, the researchers said it was considered sufficient and that further work could improve how cells attach to the plant-based films.     Another test was carried out with mouse cells that produce fat tissues – it found that these also proliferated and differentiated, producing visible lipid and collagen deposits. The researchers concluded that glutenin films can support the growth of both muscle and fat layers, with the potential for these to be stacked to form cell-based meat.

In Davos, Switzerland, Fork & Good has conducted the city’s first-ever blind tasting of hybrid cell-based meat. The tasting saw 40 people test the cell-based meat products. Participants each received two small dishes distinguished by blue and yellow stickers. One contained 100% conventional pork and the other a blend of 30% cell-based and 70% conventional pork. The event also provided options for vegetarians – who had the chance to try dumplings made with a blend of a plant-based pork alternative and cell-based pork. The tasting was led by the start-up's CEO Niya Gupta, who said: “We are aiming to serve everyone everywhere with affordable meat so it’s exciting to get input in this open and democratic way. We had everyone, from a US professor to a Swedish nonprofit worker to a Chinese student – even a regular Swiss person walking in off the street looking for a beer. Their feedback has been critical to us as we continue our product development journey.” Fork & Good’s co-founders said that participants at the blind tasting found no major difference between the two samples. An informal poll after the tasting found that more than half of the group preferred the 30/70 blend over the conventional meat on its own. The group was equally split when asked to guess which dish contained cell-based meat. One of the participants, global data science leader and technology expert Richard Kerr, commented: “I wasn’t able to tell the difference between the samples, to the point that I thought it was going to be revealed that all the samples were 100% cultured. I love the idea and will continue to follow [Fork & Good’s] progress with interest.” The tasting was a part of UnDavos, an informal entrepreneurship-focused gathering that takes place the same week as the World Economic Forum (WEF) conference – which takes place in the same city. Mark Turrell, founder of UnDavos and CTO of Fresh Solutions AI, invited Fork & Good to present their product at a “meal for the future” event. “It was amazing to physically experience technology being integrated into our food – the food in our mouths," Turrell added. In addition to the tasting, Fork & Good was invited to the main WEF conference as a Technology Pioneer, one of 100 early-stage startups developing innovative technologies to address global challenges. Gupta participated in back-to-back meetings and roundtables, including a bilateral meeting with one of the world’s largest meat producers who couldn’t tell the difference between conventional meat and Fork & Good’s hybrid cell-based meat. Fork & Good’s chief scientific officer Gabor Forgacs said: “Mixing cultivated meat with conventional meat has many advantages. It helps alleviate the rising supply chain and environmental challenges meat producers face. It also allows for the gradual introduction of cultured meat through products consumers are already used to.” Founded in the US in 2018, Fork & Good launched its pilot facility in Jersey City, New Jersey. The facility is currently capable of producing six to ten times more meat per square foot than is currently possible by conventional means. Fork & Good says its meat is ready for market, pending regulatory approval by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food & Drug Administration. #Fork&Good #US #Switzerland

Biomass fermentation start-up Superbrewed Food has announced the approval of US Patent Application Publication for its postbiotic protein ingredient. The granted patent application relates to a “composition of matter” and offers broad protection for the production, use and commercialisation of bacterial biomass ingredients. Superbrewed Food’s postbiotic protein patent secures key protections, such as covering all forms of bacterial-biomass proteins, including natural, non-GMO and GMO organisms, with a protein content of 60% or higher – the minimum requirement for effective use as a food ingredient. The patent also includes coverage of all production methods, such as aerobic and anaerobic, and encompasses all forms of feedstock like sugar, agricultural waste and CO2. The ingredient extends coverage to the use of biomass protein in food products. Additionally, it ensures long-term protection, extending through 2042. The postbiotic protein is animal- and allergen-free, non-GMO and highly functional, making it a versatile option for replacing or complementing animal and plant proteins in many existing and new food formulations. Brand owners in dairy, health and sports nutrition, meat, sauces, confectionery, snacks and bakery products can now opt to improve the nutritional content in their product updates. According to the company, postbiotic protein is particularly suitable for meeting consumer demand in the ‘better for you’ category. Bryan Tracy, CEO and co-founder of Superbrewed Food, said: “Securing this patent celebrates the tremendous efforts of Superbrewed Food’s innovation team, and it represents a true breakthrough in food ingredients”. “We are excited to provide unique combinations of benefits and strong IP protection to our customers in the fast-growing and competitive alternative protein market. And most importantly, consumers are soon to have access to a new class of proteins that deliver all aspects of better eating.” #SuperbrewedFood #US

US Senators Mike Rounds and Jon Tester have proposed a bill to amend the Richard B Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, banning the use of cell-based meat in US school meals. Titled the ‘School Lunch Integrity Act of 2024,’ the senators seek to prohibit cell-based meat from being served in schools under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP). Democrat and third-generation farmer Jon Tester said: “This common-sense bill will make sure our schools can serve real meat from our ranchers, not a fake substitute that’s grown in a lab. Montana ranchers grow the best meat in the world, that’s a fact – and our students ought to be getting the best in their school breakfasts and lunches every day.” Republican Mike Rounds’ office claimed that the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) approval of Good Meat and Upside Foods’ chicken in the US last year “undermines the important work of American livestock producers”. Rounds questioned the safety of these products, citing a lack of research, despite the USDA’s approval of cell-based chicken from the aforementioned companies – which have also received a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) certification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Rounds told US media outlet Keloland: “It starts out with a piece of meat, a cell from an actual chicken and then it is developed artificially within the laboratory. We just want to make sure that’s not the stuff they are selling in our schools.” In a statement, he said: “Our students should not be test subjects for cell-cultivated ‘meat’ experiments. South Dakota farmers and ranchers work hard to produce high-quality beef products. These products are often sold to South Dakota schools, where they provide necessary nutrition to our students.” “With high-quality, local beef readily available for our students, there’s no reason to be serving fake, lab-grown meat products in the cafeteria. I’m pleased to introduce this bipartisan legislation that benefits South Dakota producers and protects students from the unknown effects of cell-cultivated ‘meat’ products.” The bill was welcomed by US animal agriculture groups. “Science experiments belong in the classroom, not the cafeteria,” said Justin Tupper, president of the US Cattlemen’s Association. “The long-term health effects of consuming foods produced using cell-cultured technology [have] not been established. These products are too new and untested to be considered safe for our nation’s children.” Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, added: “The claim that cell-cultivated meat grown in a laboratory is as safe and healthful as real, natural meat has not yet been definitively determined. So, subjecting children to this nascent, scientific experiment is bad public policy. We applaud Senator Rounds’ bill that will ensure our children and grandchildren will not be encouraged to consume this controversial and unnatural product while at school.” Rounds concluded: “We just want to make sure that our livestock producers in the upper midwest aren’t ham-stringed by schools suggesting that because of liberals in the area or individuals that don’t like ag that they are suddenly then being challenged to compete with cultured meat, which we think has a long way to go and hasn’t been properly tested at this stage of the game.” The legislation is part of a wider trend that is developing around the world. Last year, France introduced a bill to prohibit the production and sale of cell-based meat throughout the country, after the country banned the novel proteins from canteens in 2021. A month prior to France’s proposal, Italy became the world’s first country to officially ban cell-based meat , with one of the farming groups that lobbied prominently for the law now in talks with Hungary to push forward similar legislation in the country. Austria has also voiced its opinion against cell-based meat, presenting a note to the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council last week alongside Italy and France. It garnered support from the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Meanwhile, senators in the US have also joined the trend. Before Rounds and Tester introduced their legislation to the Senate, Republican lawmakers in several states had already debated the idea of prohibiting cell-based meat within state borders. It began with Florida, where House representative Tyler Sirois proposed to ban the production, sale, holding and distribution of cell-based meat within the state, imposing criminal penalties and license suspensions or stop-sale orders – on anyone violating these rules. Not long after, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a bill requiring clear labelling of plant-based and cell-based meat, seafood and egg products. Then, in Arizona, Republican David Marshall drafted HB 2121 , attempting to ban the sale or production of cell-based meat. This week, Wisconsin State Assembly representative Peter Schmidt – a Republican dairy farmer – proposed two bills against alternative protein, one of which put restrictions on the labelling of cell-based meat.

Ginkgo Bioworks and Phytolon have completed the first development milestone of their partnership, achieving the full colour palette of the yellow-to-purple spectrum. Phytolon's natural betalain pigments, produced through fermentation-based technologies, offer safe, sustainable alternatives to synthetic dyes, which addresses growing regulatory concerns and consumer demand for natural products. Ginkgo’s expertise enhanced the efficiency of Phytolon's yeast strains, ensuring the consistent and robust production of sustainable food colours via two producing strains. Ginkgo and Phytolon’s partnership, which began in early 2022, aimed to produce vibrant betalain pigments spanning the entire yellow-to-purple spectrum using cell engineering. The successful completion of the project’s first milestone unlocks the commercial potential of Phytolon's yellow-to-purple palette and further establishes the cost-efficient offering to its clients. Phytolon’s natural betalain pigments can be used throughout the food industry as safe, sustainable and viable alternatives to artificial dyes. As governments around the world continue to intensify regulations on synthetic dyes, it is likely that manufacturers and consumers will increasingly seek out more sustainable and nature-derived products. Tal Zeltzer, co-founder and CTO of Phytolon, said: “We are so excited to reach this key milestone with our partner, Ginkgo Bioworks. This achievement puts our colours at the forefront to efficiently replace artificial dyes in our food and create a healthy and sustainable world. Our clients are now able to explore high-performing natural colours in their brands, covering the full range from purple to pink, red, orange and yellow shades.” Kevin Madden, SVP of commercialisation at Ginkgo Bioworks, added: “We are thrilled to see our collaboration with Phytolon accelerate, and we’re proud to be a driving force behind the realisation of this milestone and the R&D breakthroughs it represents. Ginkgo Natural Product Services have enabled Phytolon’s products to be competitive worldwide and create a broader palette of options for the industry.” He continued: “We're happy to be able to provide innovators like Phytolon with our services and give access to our codebase to accelerate their product development. As we celebrate this success, we look forward to sustaining this momentum to further enhance the performance of Phytolon’s products.” Following the successful completion of the partnership’s first milestone, Phytolon says it soon expects to bring the full colour palette enabled by these two new strains to market. Ginkgo and Phytolon will continue to work together under their existing agreement toward achieving additional milestones that further increase production efficiency. #GinkgoBioworks #Phytolon

Denmark-headquartered bioproduction company 21st.Bio is granting access to its precision fermentation platform to food and beverage ingredient manufacturers. The platform aims to enable the production of dairy proteins at a competitive cost through precision fermentation. It follows 21st.Bio’s successful scaling of the beta-lactoglobulin protein, a major protein found in milk that provides nutritional and textural components of milk and other dairy ingredients. By offering its platform widely, the food-tech company aims to mitigate the cost and time associated with development, opening access to proven industrial-scale production technology for alternative protein precision fermentation. 21st.Bio said its platform provides a sustainable and less carbon- and resource-intensive alternative to traditional animal-based production methods, and can help to stabilise global food supply chains. Customers utilising the platform will have access to industrial production strains, fermentation processes, scale-up support and technology transfers to contract manufacturers and regulatory approvals for faster time-to-market and reduced cost. The technology foundation is licensed from Novonesis (previously Novozymes), which has 40 years of experience in optimising production strains and processes for industrial production. The technology base is already used to provide dozens of food-grade products on the market today. 21st.Bio consistently optimises the strains and processes, aiming to ensure customers are ahead of the market. The technology can be tailored for each customer’s specific purpose, such as the nutritional fortification of a plant-based product, improvement of texture in alternative dairy, and medical nutrition. Customers can be start-ups planning to take one or several proteins to market, as well as established players expanding into sustainable alternatives or dairy companies aiming to grow with the increasing global demand for proteins while reducing their environmental footprint. Thomas Schmidt, CEO of 21st.Bio, said: “We founded 21st.Bio with one simple mission: to make precision fermentation technology accessible to as many companies as possible, so they can successfully take their product to market at a competitive price”. He added: “We believe this is the best way for technology to support and accelerate the transition to more sustainable and better nutrition globally. With this new offering, I am proud that companies will be able to safely scale innovation into industrial production and meet global demand utilising our technology and expertise.” #21st.Bio #Denmark

India’s Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has launched a pioneering project to produce cell-based fish in India. As reported by Indian news outlet The New Indian Express, CMFRI’s project intends to address the growing demand for sustainable seafood within the country. The CMFRI has entered into a collaborative research agreement with Neat Meatt Biotech, a India-based start-up working towards developing cell-based meat, to launch this initiative in a public-private partnership mode. CMFRI director A Gopalakrishnan signed a MOU with co-founder and CEO of Neat Meatt Biotech, Sandeep Sharma. According to the MoU, the CMFRI will carry out research on early cell line development of high-value marine fish species such as kingfish, pomfret and seer fish. This involves isolating and cultivating fish cells for further research and development. Additionally, CMFRI says it will handle genetic, biochemical and analytical work related to the project. The institute is equipped with a cell culture laboratory, which will support its research in cellular biology. Neat Meatt will lead the optimisation of cell growth media, the development of scaffolds or microcarriers for cell attachment and the scaling up of production through bioreactors. It will also provide necessary consumables, people and any additional equipment needed for the project. CMFRI’s Gopalakrishnan said: “This public-private partnership marks a crucial step in bridging the gap between India and other nations like Singapore, Israel and the US, who are already advancing cultured seafood research.” He continued: “Cell-based fish offers immense potential for environmental and food security benefits, and this collaboration leverages CMFRI's marine research expertise with Neat Meatt's technological know-how in this field, paving the way for a sustainable and secure future for seafood production in India." #CMFRI #NeatMeatt #India

Czech biotech Mewery has been awarded a grant of around €200,000 by the Czech government through the CzechInvest Technological Incubator. Mewery makes cell-based pork using growth factors made from microalgae, and claims that it is the first European foodtech to do so. Mewery will use the non-dilutive funds to carry out research that will improve the efficiency of its platform and technology as it prepares for the scale-up phase. Mewery said that it will look into cell characterisation, exploring the metabolites involved in cell growth and analysing gene expression patterns (transcriptomics) to gain insights into cellular processes and interactions. The foodtech said it will also use the funding to collect the necesasry data to obtain safety approval from authorities in the future, including data on the nutritional composition of the biomass and the production process’s components. Roman Lauš, founder and CEO of Mewery, said: “The CzechInvest’s investment is a significant endorsement of Mewery’s innovative approach to cultivated meat. This knowledge will be essential for designing a near-future scalable production process that is efficient, cost-effective, and meets the highest quality standards.” Mewery’s growth media stimulates mammalian cell growth, allowing it to eliminate foetal bovine serum from its platform, which reduces production costs by 70%, leading to lower prices for its cell-based pork. As a proof of concept of its growth media, Mewery developed a pork and microalgae prototype. Last year, it unveiled the “first-ever” cultivated burger made with pork and microalgae cells using its bio-hybrid culture system. Lauš added: “We are grateful to CzechInvest for their support. With their backing, we are confident that Mewery can make significant contributions to the cultivated meat industry and provide consumers with a sustainable, ethical, and healthier alternative to conventional pork and beyond.” #Mewery #Czechia

Researchers at the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) have created bovine muscle cells that produce their own growth factors, a step that can significantly cut costs of the production of cell-based beef. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability, researchers successfully modified bovine muscle cells to produce fibroblast growth factors (FGF). Muscle cells are the primary type found in products like steaks and hamburgers – FGF plays a crucial role in the development and differentiation of these cells. Prior to this breakthrough, the external addition of growth factors was necessary, which significantly drives up production costs. Andrew Stout, director of science at the Tufts Cellular Agriculture Commercialisation Lab (CACL) and lead researcher on the project, said: “FGF is not exactly a nutrient. It’s more like an instruction for the cells to behave in a certain way. What we did was engineer bovine muscle stem cells to produce these growth factors and turn on the signalling pathways themselves.” Stout is leading several research projects at the CACL, a technology incubator space set up to take TUCCA innovations and develop them to the point at which they can be applied at an industrial scale in a commercial setting. “While we significantly cut the cost of media, there is still some optimisation that needs to be done to make it industry-ready,” said Stout. “We did see slower growth with the engineered cells, but I think we can overcome that.” Such strategies could include changing the level and timing of expression of FGF in the cell or altering other cell growth pathways. Stout explained: “In this strategy, we’re not adding foreign genes to the cell, just editing and expressing genes that are already there,” to see if they can improve the growth of the muscle cells for meat production. Stout said that this approach could lead to simpler regulatory approval of the ultimate food product as regulation is more stringent for the addition of foreign genes rather than the editing of native genes. He says the strategy could be transferrable to different proteins such as fish and chicken as “all muscle cells and many other cell types typically rely on FGF to grow”. David Kaplan, who leads TUCCA, commented: “Work is continuing at TUCCA and elsewhere to improve cultivated meat technology including exploring ways to reduce the cost of nutrients in the growth media, and improving the texture, taste and nutritional content of the meat. Products have already been awarded regulatory approval for consumption in the US and globally, although costs and availability remain limiting.” “I think advances like this will bring us much closer to seeing affordable cultivated meat in our local supermarkets within the next few years.” #TUCCA