Unilever announced that it will partner with food-tech company ENOUGH (formerly 3F BIO) to bring new plant-based meat products to the market.
The company fits with Unilever’s fast-growing meat-alternative brand, The Vegetarian Butcher, which grew over 70% in 2020.
ENOUGH
ENOUGH’s technology uses a unique zero-waste fermentation process to grow a high-quality protein, utilising natural fungi that are fed with renewable feedstock, such as wheat and corn.
This produces the 'ABUNDA' mycoprotein, a complete food ingredient which is high in dietary fibre and contains all essential amino acids.
The food tech company is part of the meat-free sector that is currently experiencing exponential growth as people around the world became more conscious of the impact of animal products on their health and the planet.
Recent estimates suggest the global meat-free sector will hit $290 billion in 2035.
Carla Hilhorst, EVP of R&D for foods and refreshment at Unilever, said, "Plant-based foods is one of Unilever’s fastest growing segments and we’re delighted to partner with ENOUGH to develop more sustainable protein products that are delicious, nutritious, and a force for good.
"We’re excited by the potential that this technology has for future innovations across our portfolio, and we can’t wait to launch more plant-based foods that help people cut down on meat, without compromising on taste."
Unilever Innovations
Unilever hopes innovations in the meat-free sector, such as ENOUGH will help the group reach its sales target of €1 billion from plant-based meat and dairy alternatives by 2025-2027.
The target forms part of Unilever’s ‘Future Foods’ ambition, launched globally with two key objectives: to help people transition towards healthier diets and to help reduce the environmental impact of the global food chain.
As an example of Unilever's innovations, The Vegetarian Butcher uses a diverse blend of plant-based proteins to create meat-like tastes and textures for its wide-ranging portfolio, which is now available in fast-growing markets in 45 countries across four continents.
The brand aims to become the largest 'butcher' in the world by inspiring a plant-based food revolution.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Technology news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
