Finnish dairy major Valio and Swedish start-up Melt&Marble have joined forces to develop plant-based products made with so-called precision fermentation.
Melt&Marble uses cellular agriculture to generate fats, which could serve as alternatives to animal fats and tropical plant oils like palm oil.
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By harnessing microbes in a fermenter, Melt&Marble generates fat that “enhances” the “structure and mouthfeel” of plant-based products, Valio said in a statement announcing the partnership.
The fat’s nutritional properties can also be adjusted as required, the company said.
Through the tie-up, the companies are aiming to study the properties of Melt&Marble’s new fat and create food products that could “eventually reach store shelves”, Valio said.
Just Food has asked Valio for further details on when the company thinks products containing the ingredients could go on sale.
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By GlobalData“The aim of this partnership is to take the sensory qualities and nutritional content of Valio’s plant-based products to a whole new level by leveraging Melt&Marble’s cutting-edge technology,” Valio product development director Saara Pöyri said in the statement.
Valio is Finland’s biggest dairy business. The company’s portfolio also includes the Oddlygood range of plant-based dairy alternatives.
Melt&Marble requires EU and US approval for its fat ingredient. In the statement, the companies said it will “take several years” before products containing the ingredient become available in stores in the bloc.
They said the US approval process “typically enables faster market entry”, they added. Melt&Marble plans to “begin commercialisation in the US” by the end of the year.
Melt&Marble CEO Anastasia Krivoruchko said: “This collaboration is a key step forward in our mission to revolutionise the food system by providing high-quality, fats that offer the same taste and functionality consumers expect from traditional fats.”
Valio launched the Oddlygood brand in 2018. In May 2021, the company said it would spin off the business and look for a co-investor. By the end of the year, Mandatum Asset Management announced €25m ($26.1m) of investment in the business.
In October, Oddlygood snapped up UK rival Rude Health. Set up in 2005 by Camilla and Nick Barnard, Rude Health produces plant-based milks, made from oat, cashew, coconut, brown rice and soya.
The same month saw Valio announce plans to shut a domestic factory and warehouse in a bid to boost the “efficiency and profitability” of its production.
