Exploring the Future of Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat Innovations
Industry executives are remaining hopeful despite challenges in the plant-based and cultivated meat sectors. The Future of Food Innovation Day, previously known as Cellular Agriculture Innovation Day, held at Tufts University, highlighted the advancements within these categories as a positive sign for future growth. Bruce Friedrich, the president of the Good Food Institute, emphasized the increased government support and investments in these technologies globally over the past year.
According to Friedrich, the attention from governments towards these sectors is driven by concerns of food insecurity and the potential of plant-based and cultured alternatives in addressing supply chain issues. Countries like India, Israel, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, China, and Germany have all shown interest and made significant investments in these technologies.
He stated, “Our pitch to governments is, this is a multi-trillion dollar opportunity that can help you if you’re not food self-sufficient… If you have to grow all of these crops and ship them to a feed mill and operate a feed mill and ship the feed to a farm and operate a farm and ship the animals to the slaughterhouse and operate the slaughterhouse, that is just incredibly inefficient.”
Shifting Focus in Plant-Based and Cellular Innovations
Past efforts in plant-based and cellular technologies were primarily focused on creating alternatives closely resembling traditional meats like beef, pork, and chicken. However, due to challenges in cost, availability of materials, and achieving similar taste and texture, some companies are re-evaluating their strategies.
David Kaplan, PhD, the director of the Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture, highlighted a shift in focus towards specialization within the industry. New companies are concentrating on excelling in specific product categories and seeking partnerships to enhance their offerings.
Much of the focus for plant-based and cellular technologies has been to create meat alternatives that were highly comparable to beef, pork and chicken.
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Photo: ©CHAYTEE – STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Exploring New Avenues in Plant-Based and Cultivated Innovations
Companies like Wildtype and Lasso are venturing into unique product categories within the plant-based and cellular meat space. Wildtype, known for its cultivated seafood products, shifted its focus from sushi applications to smoked salmon due to technological advancements and market demands.
Aryé Elfenbein, co-founder of Wildtype, explained, “Why fish? First of all, if we were to think about fish as one species, it’s the most consumed by humans and in the world. Another aspect of it is in the United States, specifically, about 80% to 85% of our seafood is imported.”
Lasso, on the other hand, is expanding beyond shredded meat alternatives to explore opportunities in snacking, candy, and pet food categories. Utilizing their SpinTech technology, the company aims to create dense and nutritious plant-based offerings.
Mike Messersmith, CEO of Lasso, stated, “Do we build a machine that is a plant-based meat machine, or do we build a machine that is a high protein, high fiber, texture machine… And if that’s the case, can we look at what other categories in snacking, in other applications across the grocery store that maybe have different dynamics, growth, size, consumer acceptability, that allow us to take underlying magic of what we and try to turn it into something else?”
With a focus on innovation and adaptation, the plant-based and cultivated meat sectors continue to evolve, offering new possibilities for the future of food.