UK – Mane, a prominent flavour house, has joined forces with food tech company Newform Foods to revolutionize the cultivated meat industry.
This strategic partnership aims to enhance the taste, texture, and affordability of cultivated meat products while introducing innovative hybrid options that combine cultivated meat with plant-based protein.
According to Dr. Luis A. Fernandez, Vice President of Strategic Development at Mane, the emerging nature of cultivated meat technology has gained approval in select regions such as the US and Singapore.
He noted that cultivated meat is steadily gaining momentum and seeking to influence regulatory bodies, particularly in Europe, where it aims to provide a viable protein alternative for the global population.
“We aim to create hybrid cultivated meat products that will blend with plant-based protein to elevate the taste, texture, color, and flavor of what’s currently on the market,” Tasneem Karodia, Co-Founder and COO of Newform Foods, added.
“While Newform Foods is working to reach scale and price parity with conventional meat, hybrid products will be the first to hit the market.”
He emphasized that cultivated meat doesn’t intend to replace traditional meat entirely; instead, it seeks to coexist alongside various dietary preferences, including vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian lifestyles.
Newform Foods specializes in scaffold-free cultivated meat, offering a wide range of meat species such as beef, chicken, and lamb while maintaining affordability for mainstream consumers in Europe and Africa.
The partnership places a strong emphasis on the taste of cultivated meat and the development of premium yet cost-effective products.
Mane will play a crucial role in formulating hybrid cultivated meat products blended with plant-based protein, focusing on flavors, functional blends, and seasonings to showcase the possibilities of innovative food expertise.
“We believe that hybrid formulations represent a choice to leverage the diversity of available technologies, including cultivated meat, plant-based options, mycoproteins, single-cell proteins, and more, to strike a balance between cost, texture, taste, color, flavor, yield, sustainability, nutritional benefits, and functionality,” Fernandez explained.
He highlighted that Mane and Newform Foods are committed to maintaining the highest level of integrity and advocating for market regulations that promote ethical, sustainable, and cost-conscious cultivated meat production.
The companies are optimistic about the market’s response to their collaboration and its potential to shape the future of protein alternatives.
Fernandez highlighted the enthusiastic reactions from industry experts and underscored the essential role cultivated meat can play in the protein transition by offering cruelty-free practices and protecting animal welfare.
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