Plant meat takes a tastier turn
Alt-fat ingredient-maker to scale up its operations with a new manufacturing partnership.
An Australian creator of meaty flavours has teamed up with a Chinese biotechnology firm to manufacture its flagship Tastilux ingredient.
Tastilux was created by Nourish Ingredients through a process of fermentation and replicates the taste, aroma, and cooking experience of animal products.
Cabio Biotech specialises in microbial fermentation and synthetic biology-based products and the partnership will unlock its mass biomanufacturing capabilities to transform the production and distribution of Tastilux.
Under the agreement, Cabio will handle production and also oversee Tastilux’s distribution and sales across China. Meanwhile, Nourish will lead global commercial efforts.
"By leveraging Cabio’s established expertise, we’re not only de-risking our supply chain for expansion but also enhancing our ability to deliver high-quality, innovative food solutions at scale"
Plant-based products are considered to have a much lower carbon footprint than animal-derived products. According to think tank, the Good Food Institute (GFI), alternative proteins made from plants, fermentation, or cultivated from animal cells, use a fraction of the land and water required by conventional meat production.
It says plant-based proteins also generate fewer greenhouse gases and reduce the flow of pollutants into communities and ecosystems.
Nourish Ingredients CEO James Petrie (pictured above) said the strategic partnership with Cabio Biotech marked a pivotal moment for the company.
“By leveraging Cabio’s established expertise, we’re not only de-risking our supply chain for expansion but also enhancing our ability to deliver high-quality, innovative food solutions at scale,” he said.
Shifting tastes
Nourish says Cabio’s extensive knowledge of China’s regulatory framework will assist Tastilux enter the Chinese market. And with China’s annual meat consumption nearing 100 million tonnes, it says even a modest shift toward plant-based options could drive significant demand.
Tastilux was designed with plant-based food enthusiasts in mind but is also suitable for use in ready-made meals, snacks, and condiments, according to Nourish.
“This collaboration aligns perfectly with our commitment to advancing biotechnology and delivering cutting-edge products,” Cabio Biotech Vice President Jimmy Wang said. “Together, we'll set new standards in the alternative protein industry.”
Nourish is also developing a fermented dairy alternative called Creamilux that mimics its mouthfeel and taste. While Tastilux remains the current focus for its collaboration with Cabio, the companies say their partnership could branch into other product categories in the future.
Using precision fermentation, Nourish mimics real animal fats that make alternative proteins cook, smell, and taste similar to the real thing. To do this, the company says, it zeroed in on the differences between plant and animal foods to identify the most potent fats and oils missing in the alternative protein space. The team then engineered proprietary precision fermentation strains that could manufacture these potent fat molecules at scale and give alternative proteins an authentic taste and experience, animal-free.
