As new formulations and companies enter the fray, plant-based meat alternatives are constantly improving in taste, texture and price to compete with animal meat in all the ways that matter. And meat industry giants are getting involved as consumers continue to demand more sustainable protein.
Agribusiness giant Cargill—one of the world’s four largest meat companies—is delving deeper into plant-based protein with a new partnership it entered into with startup CUBIQ Foods. The startup specializes in developing fat technology for use in plant-based meats and other animal-free foods.
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Together, Cargill and CUBIQ will work together to develop products that they will bring to market together. Cargill will also have access to CUBIQ’s current portfolio of technologies, which aim to improve both textural and nutritional quality in plant-based foods where fat plays an important role.
“Signing the joint development and commercial agreement represents the next phase of our partnership, as our breakthrough technology is now ready for application development, production scale-up and mass commercialization – roles that Cargill is uniquely equipped to help us advance,” said Andres Montefeltro, a Chief Executive Officer of CUBIQ Foods said in the statement.
“Together, we will help food manufacturers and consumers rethink what’s possible in their search for healthy and satisfying food,” he said.
Cargill’s vegan initiative
Although Cargill is known for its meat business, its executives understand that the future of protein must evolve if it and the planet survive.
In 2020, Cargill launched its first plant-based protein brand PlantEver in China after the company saw successful trials of its plant-based chicken nuggets at select locations of fast-food chain KFC in China. That year, the meat giant also launched a line of co-branded plant-based products with Japanese chain Lawson’s that included vegan scallops and chicken tenders.
In 2021, Cargill’s then-CEO David McLennan spoke at the National Grain and Feed Association convention about the role of plant-based meats in the larger protein sector.
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“Our analysis is … plant-based could be 10 percent of the market in three to four years. We are a big beef producer and it is a big part of our portfolio,” he added. “So some cannibals will happen.”
Through its new partnership with CUBIQ, Cargill will use its industry influence to improve the future of food. “By adopting new technologies, leveraging our complete ingredient toolbox and leveraging our global application know-how, we are poised to accelerate the development of next-generation plant-based products,” Vivek Cherian, meat and dairy alternatives category leader for edible oils at Cargill, said in a statement. said
“Ultimately, this will be a win for consumers, as we enable food manufacturers to create products and solutions with both people and planet in mind.”
Cargill made its first investment in CUBIQ in 2022, a move it says aligns with its ambition to support novel innovative food solutions. The investment compliments Cargill’s portfolio, which includes investments in pea protein provider PURIS and farmed meat company Upside Foods.
(vegan) chewing the fat
From bacon to burgers, fat is what gives animal products their appeal, and current fat formulations — which typically center around vegetable oils — aren’t quite cutting it. CUBIQ is part of a growing cohort working on perfect fat technology to take the alternative protein industry to its next chapter.
Hong Kong-based OmniFoods—known for its plant-based pork products—recently unveiled a new fat technology called OMNINano Vegan Fat. This patented technology locks in flavor in the meat while providing a juiciness and texture that is identical to animal flesh but without the downsides of eating animal products.
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“For the plant-based meats that we buy today, they usually add coconut or soy oil to the meat to give it oiliness and fat,” OmniFoods founder David Young previously explained to VegNews. “However, OMNINano Vegan Fat’s patented technology emulsifies oil and water and penetrates plant-based ingredients to form a portion of plant meat so it resembles the plant fat layer, creating a protective film function for plant-based meat. “
The result is juicy vegan meats that more closely resemble their animal-derived counterparts. “This technology can effectively prevent the loss of water and umami caused by high-temperature cooking, to more effectively lock the meat’s juices, umami and texture into our plant-based meats,” Yeung said.
Mission Burns
And the farmed meat industry is also working on fat technology, which can be used to improve both cell-based meat and plant-based varieties. One example is San Francisco’s Mission Burns, which demonstrated the potency of its cultured fats in a recent tasting in NYC. Here, the company served bacon and meatballs made with cells sourced from “Don,” a pig that continues to live its life in upstate New York.
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Anna Starostenetskaya is Senior News Editor at VegNews and keeps an eye on all things vegan in her hometown of San Francisco, CA and elsewhere.