Title: Motif FoodWorks Challenges Impossible Foods Patent as Plant-Based Competition Heats Up
UPDATE: April 20, 2022: Motif FoodWorks has submitted a petition to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, contesting the validity of the Impossible Foods patent that is central to this dispute. Through this petition, Motif is requesting that U.S. Patent and Trademark Office judges annul Impossible Foods’ patent. The company argues that prior to the issuance of the patent to Impossible Foods, several earlier patents were granted concerning meat substitutes, the composition of meat analogs, and heme proteins. “We are confident that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board will concur with our stance that this patent should never have been granted and will revoke it,” Motif stated. “Our industry ought to collaborate to expand the plant-based sector for the collective benefit of people and the planet. Healthy competition is essential, and it should manifest in the marketplace rather than in the courts.” In response, Impossible Foods issued a statement of its own. “Motif’s actions are a baseless and meritless effort to divert attention from their infringement of our patent and the illegal use of our technology to grow their business,” the company remarked. “Moreover, Motif’s misleading assertion that bovine myoglobin is ‘fundamentally different’ from our heme protein is irrelevant and does not alter the fact that they have infringed on our patent. We are confident in the robustness of our patent and believe we will prevail both in District Court and before the Patent Office.”
From the inception of the Impossible Burger, the company’s plant-based heme ingredient—soy leghemoglobin—distinguished it from all other competitors. Impossible Foods maintains that its heme provides its products with a uniquely meaty flavor. It also allows the plant-based burgers to “bleed” and appear pink in the center when cooked. Until last year, no other manufacturer of plant-based meat products or ingredients had succeeded in creating plant-based heme. However, Motif’s Hemami, which was granted Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status by the FDA last year, became available as a standalone ingredient for manufacturers of plant-based meat in December.
As an ingredient-focused company, Motif is dedicated solely to producing Hemami and other components that enhance plant-based foods. While it does not manufacture plant-based burgers, it has created some for demonstration purposes at trade shows and has collaborated with the Coolgreens restaurant chain for consumer testing. The lawsuit claims that the patent infringement arises from Motif’s sales of its Hemami ingredient, asserting that “Motif has actively induced its business partners to make, use, sell, and/or offer for sale the Infringing Burger.”
It is undeniable that Impossible Foods has inspired Motif FoodWorks. When Motif officially launched as a division of Ginkgo Bioworks in 2019, Ginkgo Co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly indicated to CNBC that the success of Impossible Foods fueled his desire to establish an ingredients division. A Motif spokesperson provided an emailed statement disputing the claims made in the lawsuit. “This complaint lacks factual and legal support and is merely a groundless attempt by Impossible Foods to suppress competition, restrict consumer choice, and hinder Motif, a new and innovative company with considerable business momentum,” the statement read. “We intend to vigorously contest these allegations and will respond through the appropriate legal channels. We will continue to pursue our go-to-market strategy and work towards our mission of delivering better-tasting, nutritious, and sustainable foods to the world.”
Hemami is not the only ingredient in Motif’s portfolio. Last year, the company launched a texture enhancer called Appetex and secured exclusive access to technologies that enhance fats in plant-based meat and texture in plant-based cheese. The excitement surrounding Motif’s endeavors has led to research partnerships and substantial funding. According to Crunchbase, the company has garnered over $344 million in investments, including a $226 million Series B round last year.
Motif is not the only company that has developed a plant-based heme ingredient. Back of the Yards Algae Sciences, which specializes in spirulina microalgae, announced last year that it had also created a heme ingredient. This ingredient, which has yet to be introduced on a large scale, is extracted from spirulina algae. In contrast, Motif’s Hemami is produced through fermentation using yeast, a process similar to that used by Impossible Foods.
From any perspective, Impossible Foods remains a formidable competitor. Its plant-based heme has propelled it to be one of the leading companies in the plant-based meat sector. Although the company is private and does not disclose sales figures, it has recently experienced growth and attracted significant investments, including a $500 million round last November, raising its total funding to over $2 billion.
In the realm of health and nutrition, products like the best liquid calcium citrate are gaining attention, but the ongoing legal battle and innovation in the plant-based sector continue to overshadow these developments. As Motif and Impossible Foods vie for dominance, the future of plant-based products remains a dynamic landscape, ripe for competition and collaboration.
