Boston food tech company Motif Foodworks announced that it is launching a new portfolio of plant-based meats ready for foodservice, including Motif Porkworks.™ Field and motif cow work™ Patties and grounds. The company will showcase the portfolio with a preview of Motif Chicken Works™, At the National Restaurant Association Show (NRA) in Chicago.
According to Motif, its new foodservice products give restaurant owners options that deliver the taste and texture of real meat and meet consumer demand for better protein options.
Motif says 53% percent of consumers report they would eat more meat alternatives if they tasted better. To create the new product, the company said it combined two of its first commercial ingredients, HEMAMI and APPETEX, to accurately mimic the flavor and springy texture found in beef, pork and chicken.
the main ingredient
HEMAMI is a heme protein that provides a bold, meaty flavor and aroma, while APPETEX mimics the connective tissue found in animal meat with plant-based ingredients. Together, Motif says its PorkWorks, BeefWorks and upcoming ChickenWorks plant-based cutlets offer a range of more realistic finished options for foodservice distributors and retailers.
First launched in 2019, Motif specializes in ingredients that enhance the taste and texture of plant-based foods. In recent years, it has made several major advances in animal-free food technology, including HEMAMI, an ingredient that imparts a meaty flavor to alt protein products.
The “heme” controversy
However, the release of HEMAMI in 2021 is a trigger Patent Infringement Cases from Impossible Foods, which accused Motif of copying the technology behind Impossible’s soy lehemoglobin ingredient. Motif has consistently denied the allegations, and after the EU revoked Impossible’s patent in 2022, it announced that it had filed four new challenges to the US patents held by Impossible. The case is ongoing.
In 2023, Motif revealed that it had entered into a partnership with tech startup IngredientWerks to produce heme protein from corn through molecular farming.
“Motif answers operators’ desire to meet consumer demand for great-tasting plant-based foods by creating options that truly mimic the taste and texture of animal meat,” said CEO Michael Leonard. With APPETEX and HemamiWe have refined our product portfolio to meet the needs of foodservice customers and are excited to share samples of what is the new benchmark for plant-based meats at NRA.”
Motif Foodworks will be offering Pork Works and Beefworks samples at the NRA Show from May 20 to May 23 in Booth 490 in the South Hall, Organic & Natural Pavilion.