Aussie Startup Inks Deal to Make & Distribute Animal-Free Fat in China

Canberra-based Nourish Ingredients has partnered with Chinese fermentation specialist Cabio Biotech to produce and distribute its precision-fermented fat alternative.

Highlighting American fears of falling behind China in the biotech revolution, a new partnership looks to leverage the latter’s manufacturing might to produce future-friendly food ingredients.

Australia’s Nourish Ingredients, which makes alternatives to animal fats from precision fermentation, has joined forces with Wuhan-based fermentation and synbio firm Cabio Biotech to make and distribute its flagship Tastilux product for the Asia-Pacific market.

According to industry bodies the Precision Fermentation Alliance and Food Fermentation Europe, precision fermentation combines the process of traditional fermentation with the latest advances in biotechnology to efficiently produce a compound of interest, such as a protein, flavour molecule, vitamin, pigment, or fat.

Nourish Ingredients’s Tastilux is a precision-fermented fat designed to improve the taste, aroma and cooking experience of meat analogues to more closely resemble their conventional counterparts.

Partnership will extend beyond Tastilux

A result of three years of work, Tastilux was first exhibited at the South by Southwest conference in Sydney last year, as part of vegan chicken wings with calcium-based edible bones. The “designer fat” relies on naturally occurring lipids scaled through precision fermentation to provide the distinct flavour and cooking properties of meat fats when used in plant-based chicken, beef, pork and other alternatives.

Through the partnership, Cabio Biotech will leverage its state-of-the-art facilities and expertise to manufacture Tastlux in an efficient manner with minimal waste. This will enable global-scale production, helping Nourish Ingredients make its market entry with high product consistency.

Cabio Biotech has been supplying functional ingredients for over two decades, and owns one of the world’s largest factories for long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, with capabilities ranging from bio-fermentation and non-solvent extraction to refining, winterisation and microencapsulation.

While the initial focus is on Tastilux, the two companies hinted at an expansion into categories beyond plant-based meat, including ready meals and prepared dishes, leisure snacks, and spices and condiments.

“This collaboration aligns perfectly with our commitment to advancing biotechnology and delivering cutting-edge products. Together, we’ll set new standards in the alternative protein industry,” said Cabio Biotech VP Jimmy Wang.

James Petrie, CEO of Nourish Ingredients, added: “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.”

China market a key focus for Nourish Ingredients

Teaming up with Cabio Biotch will open the China door for Nourish Ingredients. The startup points out how China’s annual meat consumption is approaching 100 million tonnes to show that even a 1% replacement with plant-based alternatives by 2026 would create a market of one million tonnes.

China’s government has been encouraging its citizens to eat fewer animal products and more plant proteins, as part of a broader drive to connect public health with socioeconomic development, which began with the Healthy China 2030 policy. Chinese consumers are already eating more protein per capita than Americans now, and most of this comes from animal-free sources.

Cabio Biotech will utilise its local knowledge and networks to spearhead Nourish Ingredients’s distribution and sales within the country’s market, while the latter will lead commercial engagement and sales globally, armed with the Wuhan-based company’s manufacturing support.

Crucially, Cabio Biotech’s extensive experience will help Nourish Ingredients navigate China’s regulatory landscape – since Tastilux is a novel food produced via precision fermentation, it needs to obtain approval from the country’s food safety regulators. The aim is to facilitate rapid market access for Tastilux and additional products both locally and in other Asian countries. Nourish Ingredients is already awaiting regulatory clearance in Singapore.

“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.”

Nourish Ingredients has so far secured nearly $40M from investors, and has also developed Creamilux, a sister fat alternative for non-dairy applications. The startup has partnered with New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra to create both dairy and plant-based products with the ingredients.

The alt-fat space is seeing a flurry of activity. California’s Yali Bio, New York’s C16 Biosciences and Sweden’s Melt&Marble are others using precision fermentation to produce fats and lipids.