Seeking Ingredients and Manufacturing Processes to Create Meaty Texture in Plant-based Food

The technology seeker is a global food manufacturer looking for innovative approaches for introducing meaty texture into plant-based meat and fish. Consumers are interested in plant-based foods because of the health benefits of reducing their meat intake, concerns about farm animal welfare, and the high CO₂ emissions linked to livestock farming. However, some consumers who have tried plant-based meat list texture as one of the reasons why they chose not to purchase the products again. The company is interested in ingredients and manufacturing processes that can create authentic (look and feel) meaty textures in plant-based meat or fish products.

The company is a large and well-established business with production plants and excellent market access globally. The company is open to partnerships and collaborations with companies that have relevant technologies in the space to create future products, and so this represents an excellent opportunity for a new and ongoing business relationship.

They are keen to identify organisations that are developing suitable or applicable technologies which enable plant-based products to resemble meat/fish textures in both appearance and physical structure. Examples of products and technologies of interest include (but not limited to):-

• Food processing methods that create meaty textures in plant-based meat and fish products
• Use of specific ingredients (not necessarily plant-based) that confer meaty textural qualities to plant-based meat or fish
• Novel ingredients, e.g. produced by fermentation, that introduce meat textural qualities
• New plant-based meat recipes, where ingredients and processing work together to produce meat-like textures
• Meaty textures of interest include fibrous, shredded, stringy, chewy or chunky textures that mimic whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken or fish, as well as the textures of specific meat products e.g. beef jerky
• Sources of plants / protein that make up the bulk of the plant-based meat or fish product can include agricultural crops, algae, fungi / mushrooms or plant food waste
• Processing methods or ingredients with good sustainability credentials e.g. lower CO₂ emissions, than established products like soy

Ideally, potential partners would have the following:

• Technology that is commercialised or near commercialisation (<5 years)
• Prototyping or pilot scale facilities to enable samples to be produced
• Data on the sustainability of their products or technology e.g. associated CO₂ emissions.

Relevant foods of interest include vegan or vegetarian plant-based meat or fish for use for human consumption, pet food and animal feed.

• Business Collaboration (Joint Venture)
• IP Acquisition
• Licensing
• Others
• R&D Collaboration