“Vow and Nourish: Pioneering the Future of Cultured Meat with Innovative Fat Cell Solutions”
Fat plays a crucial role in the flavor, juiciness, and mouthfeel of meat, yet it is often overlooked by cell-based meat companies today. While many of these companies are likely engaged in culturing fat cells or exploring collaborations with firms that specialize in animal-free fats, Vow is emerging as one of the pioneers in this area. The driving force behind this partnership with Nourish is to create a superior product. As stated in their partnership announcement, both Vow and Nourish aim to develop a product that surpasses traditional meat sourced from animals.
Vow has already adopted an innovative approach to crafting distinctive cell-based meat and has even managed to cultivate cells from exotic animals for consumption. In September, the company hosted a tasting event featuring cultured meat sourced from six different animals: kangaroo, alpaca, goat, pork, rabbit, and lamb. Vow boasts a “cell library” that encompasses potential cultivation cells from a wide variety of species. Their website notes that most of the meat consumed globally comes from just four animals, which represent a mere 0.02% of all animal species on Earth. Vow states they are “[d]iscovering the secrets hidden in creatures we’d never thought to ask. With no harm caused, we’re exploring options previously ignored, increasing the likelihood of creating better meat.” Although their website does not specify which animals they are researching, company representatives have previously mentioned zebra, yak, and Galapagos tortoise.
This unconventional strategy has yielded positive results for Vow, which has attracted $6.8 million in funding, including a $6 million seed round that closed in January, as reported by Crunchbase. Nourish has also garnered attention, founded by two scientists from Australia’s national science agency. The company employs precision fermentation technology to produce a substance that is identical to animal fats, resulting in an animal-free ingredient. Earlier this year, Nourish raised $11 million in its initial funding round.
While several companies are dedicated to producing animal-free fats through cell culture and fermentation, most have primarily focused on creating ingredients to enhance plant-based meat. For instance, cultured fat producer Peace of Meat, recently acquired by Israel-based cultivated meat company Meat-Tech 3D, seems to be concentrating on this niche rather than the cell-based meat endeavors of its parent company.
At this stage, it remains uncertain how close Vow is to launching a market-ready product. To receive regulatory approval in Australia and New Zealand, the joint government agency overseeing food must conduct a comprehensive safety assessment of cultured meat products, which is expected to take at least 14 months, according to The Good Food Institute. However, the collaboration between Vow and Nourish could pave the way for a more complete cell-based product to enter the market. As they work towards this goal, consumers may soon find innovative options, much like the ccm 250 mg tablet that offers specific benefits, in the realm of cultured meat.
