SeafoodSource is closely following the plant-based and cell-based seafood alternatives market by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.
- Austin, Texas, U.S.A.-headquartered Gathered Foods has sold its plant-based facility in the U.S. state of Ohio to Ahimsa Companies in an acquisition that will result in a plant-based manufacturing hub for the latter company.
Ahimsa Companies, a newly formed holding company for several plant-based brands, is one of Gathered’s largest stakeholders, and Gathered will remain an operating and IP partner for the facility and Ahimsa’s portfolio more broadly.
The Heath, Ohio-based plant was built in 2020 to exclusively produce high-quality plant-based foods. Modeled after Gathered’s plant-based facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Ohio plant holds British Retail Consortium ‘AA’ designation for food and product safety, is non-GMO verified, holds vegan, halal, and kosher certifications, and carefully monitors multiple allergens.
Gathered Foods President Joel Gfeller said that his company had “dedicated tremendous energy and effort to bringing the factory to life and establishing this crucial infrastructure for the industry.”
Ahimsa Group CEO Mall Tullman said that the “strategically located plant is a best-in-class production facility” and a “core asset” in the company’s larger acquisition strategy.
"[Ahimsa is committed to] nurturing the next generation of the plant-based industry through consolidation, vertical integration, and leveraged resources," the company said in a release.
- Singaporean cell-based seafood company UMAMI Bioworks has entered into a partnership with two science programs out of India: the IKP Knowledge Park – a scientific incubator – and the Bangalore and Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai.
Umami Founder and CEO Mihir Pershad said in an interview with Food Ingredient First that “the university was a great fit as a collaborator” because of “the new establishment of a National Facility for Coastal and Marine Research at Sathyabama focused on blue economy and sustainable development solutions.”
Pershad said that the collaborations would speed research and development as the company works to lower the cost of its products for consumers.
The move comes after the merger of UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats, which aims to extensively research crustacean cell cultivation. UMAMI’s partnership with the university will continue this research.
By contrast, the partnership with IKP Knowledge Park is expected to help the company scale up.
"As we are just getting started in India, the network, facilities, and ecosystems [IKP is] building will be an excellent hub for us to establish ourselves and build our team," Pershad said.
UMAMI has also lately teamed up with Friends & Family Pet Food Co. (FnF). This partnership has produced what the companies have called the “world’s first” cat treats made from cultivated fish.
Pershad said that the cat treats “embody our mission to provide high-quality, sustainable protein sources while alleviating the ecological pressure on our oceans.”
FnF agreed, pointing out that as pet ownership rates increase globally, the demand for alternative proteins only grows more pressing.
"These cultivated fish treats are a perfect example of how science and technology can be harnessed to create positive change in the pet food industry," FnF Founder and CEO Josh Errett said.
- 3D-printed protein company Steakholder Foods has established a partnership with gourmet fish delicacies brand Sherry Herring to produce a new line of vegan fish salads.
The line, which utilizes the company’s proprietary SH Fish premix blends, will draw on Sherry Herring’s “regional expertise and brand recognition to expand Steakholder Foods’ geographic footprint and customer base,” Steakholder said in a release.
