animalfree

Cell-Cultured Meat Meets Animal-Free Fermented Fat In First-Of-A-Kind Collaboration To Find More Sustainable Alt-Proteins For The Consumers Of Tomorrow

Recognizing the thriving demand for proteins and the need to provide sustainable food sources for a growing population, food tech startups and food scientists continue to explore the potential of new technologies to make alt-protein, the food of the future. 

 Sydney cell-cultured meat company Vow is pioneering the alt-meat space by building up an archive of cell ingredients across the reptilian, mammalian and avian realm: ”We have over a dozen species that we’ve grown and stored in our cell library.”  said Tim Noakesmith, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Vow. Among them they figure water buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, but also regular chicken: “We don’t constrain ourselves to the sensory attributes of traditionally farmed animals, instead we asked ourselves how we can make meat better, looking for rich food experiences in everything from water buffalo and crocodile, to Kangaroo and beyond.” 

But alt-protein alone is not enough to satisfy the meat cravings of consumers..  Fat has a big role to play, to make meat irresistable and increase product’s palatability and traditionally alt-protein companies have turned to plant-based oils such as palm oil and coconut fat to give their products the ability to melt at different temperatures or densities 

These ingredients came, however, with a heavy environmental footprint and sub-standard sensory performance, and Vow reckoned that a “sustainable” alternative was what they needed: “We’re committed to including an irresistible fat profile in our

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Vow and Nourish team up to make cell-based meat with animal-free fat

Dive Brief:

  • Cell-based meat company Vow is partnering with Nourish Ingredients, a company that makes animal fats through precision fermentation. The two Australian companies will blend their products together, adding fats to cell-based meat so the end product more accurately reflects the taste and mouthfeel of meat from an animal.
  • Vow co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Tim Noakesmith said in a written statement that fat is “part of what makes meat irresistible,” and it has been missing from many alternative proteins. “We’re committed to including a fat profile in our food that outperforms even the best animal fats we eat today,” he said.
  • While there is only one place where cell-based meat is currently on the market — Singapore, which has given regulatory approval to Eat Just’s cultured chicken bites — many companies are working on cell-based meat products so they could be ready for the market once they are federally approved.

Dive Insight:

Fat is vital to meat’s taste, juiciness and mouthfeel, but it isn’t talked about much by cell-based meat companies at this point in time. While many of them are likely working on culturing fat cells or discussing partnerships with companies specializing in producing animal-free fat, Vow is one of the first to come to the forefront with this kind of plan.

The motivation behind the partnership is producing a better product. According to the statement announcing the two companies’ partnership, Vow and Nourish have the end goal of making something that is superior to meat

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