The food industry has undergone various challenges due to increased population, climate change, and other factors involving consumer preferences. Startups using lab-grown meat to plant-based foods and nutrition technology are transforming the food tech sector.
This article explains the impact of biotechnology and new trends in the future of eating and food production. The food industry is evolving through innovation and adaptability. Many new startups are focused on manufacturing environmentally friendly food, which is affecting the food supply chain and farming practices. To achieve sustainable and nutritious food production the industry needs to change various aspects of the food supply chain including farming practices and food processing technologies.
The increased challenges and opportunities in the food sector led to the enhancement of technologies and the scientific community. This industry needs a transformation to shift fossil fuels to bio-based products. The government also introduced many policies to help the food tech sector. The companies must adhere to certain principles and shorter supply chains with approaches to redefine the way of food consumption. The plant-based and lab-grown meat plays an important role.
Cellular Agriculture and lab-grown meat
This is an advanced technique in the food industry, that produces animal products and meat from cell cultures. This method does not involve slaughtering or breeding animals for production. Cellular Agriculture requires growing real animal cells in a certain environment. This method was brought to light due to the continued efforts of startups like Air Protein and Upside Foods. These startups use cellular agriculture to grow meat and eliminate the need for traditional livestock farming.
This innovative technique involves taking individual or stem cells from a living animal and providing nutrients and growth substrates to develop muscle tissues. Here are some startups using this technology.
Meatable
A cultured meat company that uses lab technology to produce animal-based products. The firm transformed a single animal cell into a pork within just 8 days. The food tech startup produces and supplies lab-based meat products. The company uses stem cell technology.
Unlike other cellular agriculture-based startups, Meatable does not need any tissue from animals. It eliminates its need through pluripotent stem cells. Meatable has raised around 100 million USD across multiple funding rounds since its inception, excluding the amount secured from Betagroventures during its series B funding round.
Upside Foods
The food tech startup provides cell-based meat products. Upside Down’s product portfolio includes seafood, meatballs, chicken, and more. The company offers its services in the food tech and agritech sectors. Upside Down has secured 612 million USD across seven funding rounds. This includes $400 million raised from ADG, Softbank Vision Fund, and other investors at a valuation of 1 billion USD during its series C round.
Formo Bio
Formo Bio uses prevision fermentation to produce dairy products. The company uses this method to provide animal-free dairy products. Formo produces animal-free milk proteins to make cheese, eggs, and other products. They also combine milk proteins with plant-based fats, salt, and carbohydrates to create a concentrated base for cheese recipes.
Formo Bio secured around $115 million from three funding rounds, including $61 million raised during its series B funding round from EQT Ventures, FoodLabs, and other investors.
Benefits of Lab-grown Meat
Cultured meat production benefits the ecosystem in various ways. The lab-grown meat production requires less land and energy than traditional meat farming. The University of Oxford claims that this method of meat production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 96 percent. Using technologies removes the need to raise and slaughter animals while addressing concerns about factory farming.
The global population is expected to reach 10 billion in the next five years, and using cellular agriculture can provide a scalable and reliable protein source. While technology plays a vital role in shaping the future of eating, there are also challenges such as high production costs, consumer acceptance, and regulatory costs. With time these challenges are expected to get solved, and cultures meat might be a viable option for meat production.
3D Food Printing
This is a new trend in the food tech market revolutionizing gastronomic creation. This technique enables precise dish customization using additive manufacturing techniques. The procedure involves a 3d printer that creates food in various designs and shapes using edible materials like vegetables as “ink”. 3D food printing crosses traditional culinary boundaries and provides edible packaging using alternative ingredients.
This technique is still in the developing phase but it is one of the most futuristic technologies in the food tech sector. Here are some of the startups that are specialized in 3D food printing.
Sugar Lab
This company was the first-ever digital bakery that used 3D printing to create chocolates and sweets in various designs and shapes. The startup uses alcohol and water in layers to wet and then harden the sugar to form a shape. The firm combines traditional culinary expertise with 3D printing techniques.
Revo Foods
Revo Foods is a plant-based seafood manufacturing firm that uses 3D technology for food production. The startup uses ingredients like Algae extract, Pea protein, citrus fibers, and plant oils as “ink”. The firm also provides smoked salmon spread. Revo Foods has secured around 1.79 million USD across two funding rounds since its inception. The food tech firm also received $209k from the European Union as prize money.
Redefine Meat
The provider of 3D-printed meat also offers soy and wheat-based products to the retail and food service channels. The company focuses on producing traditional plant-based options. The food tech firm uses this 3D technology using food ingredients to provide animal-free meat without much difference from real meat in terms of flavor, appearance, and texture. Redefine meat has a total funding of $180 million from four funding rounds to date.
Benefits of 3D food printing
3D printing can allow you to customize it with personalized nutrition, allowing people to achieve health goals and intake calories and vitamins accordingly. This method will also reduce food waste as you can create the food using the right amount of ingredients you want to consume. This method also contributes to sustainability while offering alternatives to traditional animal products. This technology is expected to enter the beverage market soon.
Precision Nutrition technology
Nutrition technology focuses on personalized health and nutrition optimization. This method involves tools like DNA testing, genetics, and lifestyle data to create customized diets for every person. Personalization aims to improve health and decrease the risk of chronic diseases for individuals. This approach wants to transform the eating approach while addressing treatment for illness through dietary strategies.
Nutrition technology involves data collection to gather information about an individual, followed by a thorough analysis of data to provide deep insights and recommendations for dietary changes through artificial intelligence. Then, the customized diet plan is made to meet customer requirements. These startups use a data-driven approach for dietary plans.
Foodvisor
The food tech startup uses deep learning for image recognition to detect what you eat. The application tracks calories after you upload a food picture. The foodvisor app also allows importing workout data from other fitness-tracking apps to calculate net calorie consumption. The app also allows goal-setting and progress-tracking features along with nutrition tips.
The startup has raised around 6.2 million USD across two rounds since its inception, including $4.5 million raised during its series A funding round from Agrinnovation.
Viome
The firm uses machine learning and bioinformatics to study data about customer health. The deep insights of data allow users to study data and inform users about what changes they need to make in their diet for a healthier life. Viome secured $302 million from multiple funding rounds, including $25 million raised in its series D funding round from Khosla Ventures, Bold Capital Partners, and other investors.
Silo
Silo uses artificial intelligence to provide software solutions for the food supply chain. The company provides inventory management, ERP management, payment management, and IoT tracking services. The platform collects data from food and agriculture businesses and then uses this data to automate business workflow. Silo secured $315 million across six funding rounds since its inception, including $35 million from Koch Disruptive Technologies during its Series D funding rounds.
Benefits of Nutrition Technology
Precision nutrition allows personalized diets to prevent chronic illness and provide optimized healthcare. This method addresses diet flaws and offers customized diet plans. The detailed customer information about their health records helps the company make informed decisions about their lifestyles and diets.
Challenges in the food tech sector
Food science startups face several challenges like a long wait to gain approval from food safety authorities. The cost barrier is also there due to expensive technologies. Convincing customers to provide their data and adopt new technologies is also a difficult task. The startups also face huge challenges while scaling production to meet global demand while maintaining sustainability and quality production.
Conclusion:
The future of eating looks promising with new technologies and innovation in the food science industry. Food tech startups are transforming what we eat and how we eat food. The companies also address issues concerning personalized health, climate change, and mass farming. The lab-grown meat and plant-based foods are entering the main market. These technologies are creating alternatives with the same taste, nutritional value, and texture. The lab-grown meats are produced without the need to raise and slaughter animals. These new technologies are changing the approach to how food is sourced, prepared, and distributed across various channels.
Niraj Kumar is the Founder and CEO of Scoopearth, bringing over 13 years of experience across diverse domains, including journalism, content marketing, digital marketing, startup mentoring, and business coaching. His extensive background and leadership have made a significant impact in these areas, helping startups grow and succeed in a competitive landscape.
Reach us: niraj@
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