Fat – Page 2 – vegconomist – the vegan business magazine

Lars Langhout, founder of No Palm Ingredients, image supplied

NoPalm Ingredients: “Our Oils and Fats Have a Dramatically Lower Impact on Nature, Climate and Biodiversity”

February 2, 2024

Based in Wageningen, Netherlands, NoPalm Ingredients “brews” tailor-made fermented oils and fats. These serve as high-quality, sustainable, local, and circular alternatives to palm oil in food, cosmetics, and detergent products. Lars Langhout (MBA) is the co-founder and CEO of NoPalm Ingredients. He founded NoPalm Ingredients together with Prof. Dr. Jeroen Hugenholtz (CTO) in 2022. Can you share some of the key challenges and highlights NoPalm Ingredients faced in 2023, particularly in the context of scaling up your production of sustainable palm oil alternatives? As with most startups, the key challenge has been raising money to scale up. The investment climate for sustainable, circular start-ups deteriorated over the past two years. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”We produce 1 on 1 drop-in replacements at …

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©Hoxton Farms

Company News

Hoxton Farms Appoints Former Impossible Foods CSO Following Recent Hires from GOOD Meat and Aleph Farms

January 31, 2024

UK cultivated fats specialist Hoxton Farms announces it has appointed Nick Halla to its Board. Halla is the former Chief Strategy Officer at Impossible Foods, where he was a founding employee having teamed up with Pat Brown back in 2011. The biotech states that Halla’s experience in commercialisation and growth at Impossible Foods will prove invaluable as it begins to scale and expand internationally. With Nick’s help, Hoxton Farms takes one step closer to creating a deliciously fatty future. The news comes on the heels of the company’s recent strategic hiring of Vítor Espirito Santo, previously Senior Director of Cellular Agriculture at GOOD Meat, and Nadav Tal, former Director of R&D Engineering at Aleph Farms, in preparation for commercialisation of its product, which it describes …

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A fat developed using precision ferementation by the German startup Zayt Bioscience.

Fermentation

Zayt Bioscience Creates Fermented Fats to Combat Deforestation in Food Industry

January 25, 2024

Amr Aswad and Venkat Konasan founded the biotech startup Zayt Bioscience in Berlin, Germany, to create a new generation of fermented fats that do not come from agricultural commodities. Palm and soybean oilseeds are the primary sources of oil, an essential product for food production, from chocolates to biscuits to margarine and frying fats. Additionally, plant oils find applications in various industries, such as cosmetics, cleaning products, and biofuel production. However, according to an Our World in Data report, palm and soybean crops account for 18% of global deforestation annually, mainly in the global south. Backed by the VC FoodLabs in a pre-seed funding round, Zayt Bioscience developed a patent-pending precision fermentation platform that uses microbes and fruit waste to make alternatives to palm oil and margarine. The proof of concept of the …

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Hoxton Farms announces two strategic hires from leading cultivated meat companies GOOD Meat and Aleph Farms to propel its next commercialisation phase.

Vítor Espirito Santo (L) and Nadav Tal © Hoxton Farms

Company News

Hoxton Farms Announces Strategic Hires from GOOD Meat and Aleph Farms to Accelerate Cultivated Fat

January 31, 2024December 14, 2023

After opening the UK’s first pilot production facility for cultivated fat, Hoxton Farms announces two strategic executive hires from leading cultivated meat companies GOOD Meat — a subsidiary of Eat Just — and Aleph Farms, to propel the company’s cultivated fat into its next commercialisation phase. The UK aims to become a leading food tech and biotechnology hub. The government has invested £12 million in a cellular agriculture hub, and recently, it unveiled a £2 billion plan to seize the potential of biotechnology for novel foods and medicines and sustainable fuel. While the government has been looking to streamline the approval for cultivated meat to boost food security and sustainability, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has released new guidance on cell-cultivated products and the authorisation process to bring them to market in Great …

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Fermentation

Cultivated Biosciences Crafts Dairy-Free Coffee Creamer Using Yeast-Based Fat

December 13, 2023

Cultivated Biosciences, a Swiss biotech startup creating fats from yeast fermentation, has developed its first proof-of-concept, a dairy-free coffee creamer. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”… a prototype with superior benefits to commercially available plant-based creamers in the US”[/perfectpullquote] The innovative prototype, made with the biotech’s yeast-based fat, is said to match the performance of dairy creamers, challenging commercially available plant-based alternatives: it is white like milk and tastes just like a regular American commercial creamer. In addition, it blends without flaking (flocculation) despite not containing binders and additives, making it a clean-label product. Tomas Turner, founder and CEO of Cultivated Biosciences, commented: “We are proud to show the industry the value of our ingredient in a convincing final product application, it marks the …

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Image: Scelta / vegconomist

Ingredients

These 3 Companies Are Creating Healthy Fat Alternatives From Mushrooms

December 6, 2023

Today, we look into three companies using mushrooms to create healthy fats for plant-based foods. Interest in mushrooms continues to grow among consumers and manufacturers since these wonders of nature, neither plants nor animals, offer exceptional functionality, encompassing supplements, textiles, meat alternatives, beverages, colorings, and now fats. Some mushrooms have a high lipid content, composed of unsaturated fatty acids, that can be used to replace vegetable and saturated fats. According to Brazilian researchers, edible mushrooms worldwide contain linoleic, linolenic, and oleic acids (some more than others), making them an important essential fatty acid source for a healthy diet. The global mushroom market is expected to reach $115.8 billion by 2030, and mushrooms were named Ingredient of the Year by The New York Times in 2022. 1. Scelta Mushrooms Scelta Mushrooms, …

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Plant based grilled burger patty with grill marks and rock salt isolated on white. Top view.

Ingredients

HIFOOD and Alianza Team Introduce Revolutionary Fat Alternative to Tropical Oils for Better Plant-Based Meat

November 30, 2023

HIFOOD and Alianza Team Europe have developed an innovative, clean-label, plant-based fat alternative to tropical oils and chemical emulsions. The companies claim that the new product improves the taste and texture of plant-based meat, allowing manufacturers to make realistic alternatives. The Italian company HIFOOD, a CSM Ingredients subsidiary, specializes in researching, developing, and producing natural ingredients. Alianza Team Europe, headquartered in Germany, is the European division of the Colombian multinational vegetable fats and oils company Alianza Team. MirrorTissue Using MirrorTissue, a plant-based lipid solution by Alianza Team, and HIFOOD’s proprietary proteins, plant fibers, and technologies, the companies developed a protein emulsion with superior performance. Made with a blend of allergen-free plant proteins, soluble plant fibers from oilseeds, and local oils and fats, the new enhanced product contains 10% more natural ingredients than …

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Fermentation

Yali Bio Reveals Precision-Fermented Dairy Fat Alternative at US Food Tech Event

November 14, 2023

Yali Bio, a California-based food tech firm, has revealed its precision-fermented dairy fat alternative during the MISTA Growth Hack event in San Francisco. The company showcased its new solid hard fat through the presentation of dairy-free ice cream at the event, created in collaboration with MISTA supporters, including AAK, Ingredion, and Givaudan. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]”We were especially pleased that so many people applauded the taste and texture”[/perfectpullquote] Having secured a substantial $3.9 million in funding last year, Yali Bio has been working towards formulating customized fats that enhance the flavors and functionalities of plant-based alternatives in the meat and dairy sectors. In a strategic move, the company recently appointed Dr. Don DiMasi, a former executive at Impossible Foods, as the …

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Image courtesy of Nourish Ingredients

Company News

Nourish Ingredients Establishes Strategic Hub for Animal-Free Fat in Singapore

November 2, 2023

Australian precision fermentation company Nourish Ingredients has revealed plans to establish its operations in Singapore to accelerate the production of animal-free fats. Just a few weeks ago, the company debuted its new fat Tastilux in a plant-based chicken wing to showcase its capabilities in improving the taste and smell of alternative meats. Nourish Ingredients will produce its flagship ingredient at Nurasa’s Food Tech Innovation Centre (FTIC), which features labs and a shared pilot facility. Nurasa is part of the Singapore government-owned investment accelerator firm Temasek. The Australian food tech has also partnered with ScaleUp Bio, a local CDMO launched by Nurasa and ADM, to support and accelerate its fermentation capacity and to work with the regulatory body, the Singapore Food Authority. Singapore’s regulatory and legal support, its production capabilities, …

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Yali Bio appoints Don DiMasi, a bioeconomy leader and former Impossible Foods executive, as the new senior vice president of engineering and biomanufacturing.

Don DiMasi © Yali Bio

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Former Impossible Foods Executive Joins Yali Bio to Scale Animal-Free Fats

October 31, 2023

Yali Bio, a biotech company based in California, announces the appointment of Dr. Don DiMasi, a bioeconomy leader and former Impossible Foods executive, as the new SVP of engineering and biomanufacturing. DiMasi, the first to fill this role, will focus on building process development and the company’s biomanufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand for animal-free fats for alt dairy products such as butter, cheese, and ice cream. DiMasi has an extensive experience in industrial bioprocessing. He was recently recognized in The Bioeconomy 500 2023, as one of the sector’s most outstanding leaders. Formerly, he was Impossible Foods’ SVP of engineering and process development. During his tenure at Impossible, the company launched the Impossible Burger and rolled out the Impossible Whopper with Burger King. “Don will …

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Nourish Ingredients has unveiled Tastilux, a new animal-free fat

Image courtesy of Nourish Ingredients

Fermentation

Nourish Ingredients Unveils New Animal-Free Fat in Plant-Based Chicken with Edible Bones

November 2, 2023October 18, 2023

Australian food tech company Nourish Ingredients has unveiled Tastilux, a new animal-free fat that the company claims can address the challenges of taste, nutrition, and consumer adoption in the plant-based meat market. To demonstrate the potential of the new ingredient, the company’s head of culinary innovation crafted a realistic, plant-based chicken wing featuring edible calcium-based bones that was presented at the SXSW event in Sydney, Australia. “Attendees can experience the authentic flavor, juicy texture, and enjoyment of chicken wings without involving animals,” said the company. A “quantum leap” to deliciousness Developed with natural lipid molecules and scaled through precision fermentation, it took the company’s scientific team three years to develop a product capable of replacing conventional fats and oils without animal ingredients or artificial chemicals, explains Nourish Ingredients. Tastilux …

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Hoxton Farms opens cultivated animal fat pilot production facility

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Hoxton Farms Opens “UK’s First” Cultivated Animal Fat Pilot Production Facility

September 21, 2023

London-based biotech firm Hoxton Farms has opened what it claims is the UK’s first pilot production facility for cultivated animal fat. The 14,000-square-foot site on Old Street in Central London features specialist cell culture laboratories, a food development kitchen, office space, and communal areas. There is also a workshop for the manufacturing of bespoke bioreactors, designed to produce cultivated fat at a much lower cost than standard bioreactors. These have been developed using Hoxton Farms’ technology platform, which is based on computational biology and mathematical modelling. Price parity with plant oils Following the opening of the new facility, Hoxton Farms plans to expand its team from 40 to 100 people. Additionally, production capacity will be increased to ten tonnes of cultivated fat per year. The …

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Image credit: Clean Food Group

Fermentation

Clean Food Group Raises £2.3M to Scale Pioneering Alternative to Palm Oil

August 15, 2023

UK-based biotech firm Clean Food Group (CFG) announces it has raised £2.3 million in funding to accelerate the commercialization of oil and fats produced using fermentation. The new capital will also fund regulatory and commercial approvals. The round was led by international food businesses, including the Doehler Group, which previously invested in CFG, and Colombian company Alianza Team. Previous investors include the biotech VC firm Agronomics and SEED Innovations, the AIM-listed fund focused on investments in global health opportunities. Agronomics previously invested £900,500 in CFG in June 2022. And in this round, it injected £700,000, acquiring 4.2 million shares. Jim Mellon, the executive director of Agronomics and co-chair of CFG, participated in this round with a £50,000 investment. The international investment in this round signals that …

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Ingredients

Introducing KaYama Foods: Plant-Based Fat Technology for the Ultimate Meat Analogs

July 26, 2023

Israel’s KaYama Foods, founded by Gad Harris in 2022, pioneers a ground-breaking fat technology that it claims makes plant-based oils as effective as meat fats in delivering flavors, texture, and aromas during cooking. According to the startup, animal meat fat tends to melt at a higher temperature range, while vegetable oils have a lower melting point — except coconut oil that has a melting point of 25°C (77°F). This feature (of plant oils) makes plant-based meats lose their oils and thus their flavor and moisture in high-temperatures cooking processes. To tackle this problem, many plant-based formulations include emulsions and emulsifiers to prevent oils from leaking out. Still, they don’t provide the functionality of oil. To solve the taste problem in meat analogs, KaYama Foods has developed a thickening product that raises the …

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Cultimate Foods showcased its CultiFat at a tasted event held at ProVeg Incubator in Germany

Cultivated Meat

Cultimate Foods Showcases Hybrid Burgers Enriched with “Game-Changing” Cultivated Fat

July 11, 2023

Germany’s Cultimate Foods, a biotech specialist in cultivated fat, recently presented a product called CultiFat, featured in hybrid burgers, during a demo tasting event hosted by the startup accelerator ProVeg Incubator. CultiFat is a functional ingredient for hybrid products that replaces flavorings, coconut oil, and methylcellulose in plant-based meat. The product is cell-cultivated from intramuscular beef or pork fat, appreciated for containing the fatty acids that give meat its unique taste and aroma. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “This is a game-changing functional ingredient” [/perfectpullquote] Albrecht Wolfmeyer, director of the ProVeg Incubator, said: “This is a game-changing functional ingredient that can help transform the plant-based meat category. We’re excited to see what the team has achieved already and what’s next in …

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Ingredients

Estonian Researchers Reach XPRIZE Finals with Pea-Based “Salmon Scented” Filet

June 12, 2023June 7, 2023

GFI Europe grantee Sirli Rosenvald and researchers from the Estonian Centre of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK) reached the XPRIZE competition’s final stage with a realistic pea protein-based salmon filet that features a novel “salmon scented” oil. XPRIZE encourages startups to develop alternative chicken breast or fish filet products that surpass conventional meat in terms of nutrition, taste, and texture. Chinese cultivated meat company CellX also reached the finals with a cultivated chicken breast. TFTAK is an Estonian multidisciplinary CRO founded in 2004 specializing in bioprocess optimization, food research, and developing innovative food and fermentation technologies. In 2022, Dr. Rosenvalt received funding from the GFI to further develop its salmon scent. Salmon scent molecules TFTAK uses plants to create eco-friendly solutions to reduce Europe’s reliance on traditional seafood sources. Its researchers have been …

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@ Zainab-stock.adobe.com

Ingredients

Gavan’s “Pivotal Achievement” in Plant-Based Fat Could See Vegan Brioche Go Mainstream

June 6, 2023

Israeli food tech startup Gavan introduces FaTRIX, a series of high-performance, plant-based protein-based fat substitutes that the company claims can replicate the functionality of animal fat. [perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Our Fat matrix opens the door to a world of new possibilities for bakery and food formulators“[/perfectpullquote] FaTRIX, according to Gavan, is an excellent alternative to butter and other fats used in bakery products and is also applicable to different plant-based food categories, including meat, dairy, and chocolate. A pivotal achievement Following successful pilot trials of FaTRIX in multiple bakery products, Gavan says it delivers the desired sensory and shelf-life properties often missing in plant-based pastries. In one trial, FaTRIX successfully replaced butter in a soft and airy brioche, yielding a five-fold reduction …

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Cultivated Seafood

Upstream Foods Develops Cultivated Salmon Fat to Improve Taste of Alt Seafood

June 1, 2023

Dutch startup Upstream Foods is developing cultivated salmon fat that could be used to give plant-based seafood the same flavor and mouthfeel as conventional fish. The fat is made by taking cells from living fish via a biopsy and using them to produce stem cells. These stem cells can then become fat cells, multiplying many times in a bioreactor so that one sample can produce a large quantity of cultivated fat. Finally, the cells are combined with a plant-based matrix. While the technology is already used in the pharmaceutical industry, it is not yet widely used in food production. Upstream Foods is currently operating from the Wageningen University and Research campus, but is searching for a larger lab to allow it to combine food and …

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PhytoFat filled burgers available at over 500+ shops in Asia

Products & Launches

Animal-Like PhytoFat by Lypid Now Available for the US B2B Market

May 17, 2023

San Francisco-based Lypid has announced that its proprietary PhytoFat is now available to food service providers, retailers, and restaurants in the US. The plant-based fat is made from oils and water, using microencapsulation technology. Available in pork and beef flavors, it is designed to evoke the taste and mouthfeel of conventional meat, featuring a high melting point that helps to preserve juiciness throughout the cooking process. The launch marks Lypid’s entry into the US plant-based fat market, providing a product free of hydrogenation, trans fats, and artificial ingredients. PhytoFat can be blended with plant-based proteins in extruders, giving chefs full control over the final product. Lypid has already partnered with chefs at several restaurants to showcase the possibilities of the fat, creating dishes such as …

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Market & Trends

Fat and Oils Industry to Focus on Plant-Based Innovation as Consumers Demand Healthier Food

June 29, 2023May 12, 2023

A market report by The Business Research Company has predicted that the fat and oils industry will increasingly focus on plant-based food innovation in the coming years. As consumers choose healthier foods, demand for specialty fats and oils is increasing, with many companies turning to novel technologies to produce alternatives to animal fats and tropical oils. Examples include Connectomix Bio, which is investigating a method to transform agricultural waste into lipids for use in meat alternatives, and ÄIO, which converts industry sidestreams such as sawdust into fats that could replace tropical oils. Similarly, agribusiness giant Cargill recently announced that it is collaborating with food tech startup Cubiq Foods to co-develop and commercialize plant-based fat technologies for alt protein products and more. Meanwhile, Luxembourg-based CSM Ingredients …

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