Dive Temporary:
- Not possible Meals sued Motif FoodWorks, claiming that it infringed on a minimum of certainly one of Not possible’s patents thru demonstration of Motif’s plant-based Hemami component. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware federal courtroom, asks the courtroom to ban Motif from production and promoting the Hemami component.
- The patent in query describes tips on how to make a plant-based red meat hamburger, together with 0.1% to five% of a heme-containing protein. Within the lawsuit, Not possible Meals says it believes Motif has had alternatives to get private data at the proprietary yeast and procedure Not possible makes use of to make its heme protein. The lawsuit additionally calls out advertising and marketing claims via Motif and affiliated corporate Ginkgo Bioworks that described Hemami as an alternative choice to Not possible Meals’ proprietary generation.
- Not possible Meals debuted its plant-based burger the usage of its heme component in 2016 and gained a patent for it in 2020. Motif FoodWorks formally offered its Hemami component past due final 12 months and demonstrated it in plant-based burgers at business displays and eating places.
Dive Perception:
From the primary days of the Not possible Burger, the corporate’s plant-based heme component — soy leghemoglobin — set it aside from all different competition. Not possible Meals’ heme offers its merchandise a distinctly meaty style, the corporate has mentioned. It additionally makes the plant-based burgers “bleed” and seem red within the heart when cooked.
Till final 12 months, no different producer making both plant-based meat merchandise or elements have been in a position to make plant-based heme. Motif’s Hemami, which gained most often known as protected standing via the FDA final 12 months, become to be had as a standalone component for producers making plant-based meat in December.
As an component corporate, Motif is concentrating simplest on making Hemami and different parts to beef up plant-based meals. It does no longer manufacture plant-based burgers, although it did make some for demonstration functions at business displays, and it partnered with the Coolgreens eating place chain for shopper checking out. The lawsuit says that is the place the patent infringement lies: Through promoting its Hemami component, Motif “has actively precipitated its industry companions to make, use, promote, and/or be offering on the market the Infringing Burger.”
It is indeniable that Not possible Meals has been an inspiration for Motif FoodWorks. When Motif formally introduced as a department of Ginkgo Bioworks in 2019, Ginkgo Co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly informed CNBC that Not possible Meals’ luck drove his hobby in growing an elements department.
An emailed observation from a Motif spokesperson refuted the claims made within the lawsuit.
“This criticism isn’t supported via information or the legislation and is not anything greater than a baseless try via Not possible Meals to stifle pageant, prohibit shopper selection, and obstruct Motif, a brand new and leading edge corporate with important industry momentum,” the observation says. “We intend to contest those allegations vigorously and can reply thru the fitting prison channels. We will be able to proceed to pursue our go-to-market technique and paintings against our project to deliver higher tasting, nutritious and sustainable meals to the arena.”
Hemami is not the one component in Motif’s portfolio. Closing 12 months, it introduced texture enhancer Appetex and won unique get admission to to applied sciences that reinforce fat in plant-based meat and texture in plant-based cheese. Enthusiasm concerning the paintings that Motif is doing has pushed analysis partnerships in addition to investment. In step with Crunchbase, the corporate has gained greater than $344 million in investments, together with a $226 million Collection B spherical final 12 months.
Motif isn’t the one different corporate to have evolved a plant-based heme component. Again of the Yards Algae Sciences, which goes with spirulina microalgae, introduced final 12 months that it additionally had created a heme component. The component, which has no longer but been offered at huge scale, is extracted from spirulina algae. Motif’s Hemami is made thru fermentation the usage of yeast — the similar procedure utilized by Not possible Meals.
From any perspective, Not possible Meals is an impressive opponent. Its plant-based heme has helped it turn out to be some of the most sensible firms in plant-based meat. The corporate is personal and does no longer file gross sales figures, however it has noticed fresh enlargement and attracted large investments, together with a $500 million spherical final November that introduced its lifetime investment to greater than $2 billion.
