Dive Brief:
- Australian startup Nourish Ingredients announced a partnership with Chinese biotech company Cabio Biotech in order to scale its flagship product Tastilux, a plant-based ingredient that provides a meaty flavor, aroma and cooking experience to alternative proteins.
- Beyond plant-based meats, the companies said this partnership aims to capitalize on diverse market segments as their first cross-continental collaboration. Cabio will assist Nourish Ingredients by spearheading distribution and sales within the Chinese market, while Nourish leads commercial engagement and sales in other global markets, with Cabio providing manufacturing support.
- “By leveraging Cabio’s established expertise, we’re not only derisking our supply chain for expansion but also enhancing our ability to deliver high-quality, innovative food solutions at scale,” Nourish Ingredients CEO James Petrie said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Australian-based Nourish Ingredients creates its novel fat products via fermentation. Its Tastilux product is meant to bring an authentic taste and aroma to plant-based foods — from meat alternatives, prepared meals and snacks to spices and condiments.
Following its deal with Cabio, the ingredient will now be able to be produced at a commercial scale.
A key target market for Nourish Ingredients will be China’s burgeoning plant-based meat sector.
China’s total meat consumption reaches nearly 100 million tons annually. Therefore, if Nourish turns just 1% of that market to plant-based alternatives by 2026, it would result in 1 million tons of plant-based meat.
Industry projections suggest the market for Chinese meat consumption could surge to a value of $3.5 billion by 2028, the company said.
The Tastilux product is produced by the same family of fungi that Cabio uses to produce the omega 6 fatty acid for infant formula, Petrie said, so the partnership is a strong fit.
Cabio manufacturing plants have a full set of capabilities such as bio-fermentation, non-solvent extraction, refining, winterization, and microencapsulation.
“This collaboration combines our cutting-edge product development with CABIO’s manufacturing excellence and market insights, positioning us to meet the surging global demand for superior food ingredients,” said Petrie. “Together, we’re set to efficiently produce top-tier products, opening doors to both the dynamic Chinese market and broader international opportunities.”
