The creation of alternative proteins is accelerated by fermentation.
A state-of-the-industry report from The Good Food Institute (GFI) focusing on fermentation in meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy indicates that efforts to harness fermentation in the creation of alternative proteins are maturing.
Groups are starting to emerge. Big food corporations are becoming involved, and there are more and more goods made possible by fermentation. On the other hand, barriers to expanding research innovation and increasing output are related to funding and workforce limitations.
Businesses are referring to proteins produced by fermentation using phrases like “animal-free” and “non-animal,” appealing to customer concerns about sustainability. According to the paper, if microbial protein from sugar-fed fermentation were to replace 20% of the world’s beef consumption per capita by 2050, deforestation and associated emissions would be reduced by 50%.
According to the GFI, fermentation in the context of the alternative protein industry refers to the following: growing microbial organisms to process food or food ingredient; extracting more of the organism as a main source of protein; or producing specialized ingredients like flavorings, enzymes, proteins, and fats for use in plant-based products or cellular/cultivated meat.
Microbes are used as “cell factories” in precision fermentation, a type of specialty brewing, to produce particular functional ingredients, such as pepsin, dairy proteins, egg proteins, animal-free proteins, and lipids.
The new associations will concentrate on customer perception and regulatory issues. The Precision Fermentation Alliance was founded in early 2023 by nine precision fermentation businesses worldwide. Its activities will include advocacy, marketing, and communications, as well as regulatory participation. ProVeg and the GFI are founding members of a new Fungi Protein Association. The new trade association will carry out consumer research and promote fair and open policies.
To 136 in 2022, the number of businesses specializing in fermentation to produce alternative proteins increased by 12%. Approximately 57% of the businesses were established within the last three years. Following record fundraising in 2021, fermentation firms raised $842 million in 2022. In 2022, financing growth slowed.
As per the research, there were several factors contributing to the slowdown in investments, such as the ongoing pandemic, catastrophic climate disasters, collapsing public equity markets, steeply rising interest rates due to elevated inflation, and the invasion of Ukraine.
Big food corporations are funding this sector. Tyson Foods, Inc. invested in mycelium firm MycoTechnology through Tyson Ventures, its venture capital division. The Kraft Heinz Company invested in animal-free dairy firm New Culture Foods through its investment division, Evol Ventures.
Interest in dairy has increased because 28 businesses are developing precision fermentation dairy, which enables producers to include dairy into their goods without leaving the same environmental impact as traditional dairy. Businesses introduce products using Perfect Day’s precision fermented whey protein, such as Nestle SA’s Cowabunga milk, which is created without using whey from animals.
Globally, consumer acceptance of dairy products free of animals varies. When asked if they would be willing to buy dairy cheese made without using animals, 91% of consumers in India and 86% of those in Brazil responded in the affirmative.
The paper states that additional facilities are required for the fermentation industry to expand. Food production would require more personnel, and many precision fermentation facilities are set up for pharmaceutical manufacture rather than food production. The 2022-founded businesses Liberation Labs, Planetary, and Boston Bioworks are expanding their production capabilities.
Additional industry papers from The Good Food Institute addressed global policy issues such public investment, regulation, and labeling, as well as cellular/cultivated meat and seafood, plant-based meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products.
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Hybrid strategies might advance the category of alternative proteins. Use the Impossible Burger as an illustration. Soy leghemoglobin made by precise fermentation is included into a plant-based burger by Impossible Foods.
According to the fermentation report, “producing delicious, familiar, and affordable food more sustainably, securely, and efficiently is ultimately the goal of the alternative protein industry.” “In the near future, we anticipate hybrid products—made from a blend of plant-based, fermented, and cultured ingredients—to become widespread. Using plant-based components can assist producers in lowering end-product costs as they scale up processes, especially as the fermentation sector expands.
Are you interested in knowing more about precision fermentation and how it affects the food and beverage sector? Join Food Business News for their newest Trends & Innovations webinar, The Promise of Precision Fermentation, on May 10. To register, click this link.