Aussie alt-fat approved in US
An Australian startup fermenting fats with the taste of animal products has achieved regulatory approval in the United States.
Canberra-based food tech startup Nourish Ingredients has gained approval to sell its animal-free meat fat ingredient in the United States.
Fat is a game-changer when it comes to making plant-based meats actually taste like meat, and Nourish’s signature ingredient, Tastilux, has now been granted FEMA GRAS status, giving it the tick of approval from the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association.
The approval clears the way for direct sales of Tastilux to food manufacturers and brands across the US, Nourish says, and also sets the stage for expansion into other international markets.
FEMA GRAS certification confirms that the company’s special strain of Mortierella alpina – a soil-dwelling fungus and the core ingredient in Tastilux – is “generally recognised as safe” for use as a food flavouring by FEMA’s panel of experts.
“We’re already trialling our ingredients with key partners in the US and globally, and this FEMA GRAS status accelerates bringing Tastilux to the US market as soon as possible,” Nourish Ingredients founder and CEO James Petrie said.
“This regulatory milestone represents a major commercial breakthrough for our proprietary potent fats and technology, enabling us to deliver a true-to-meat experience that has been missing in the market.”
Mortierella alpina is a natural fungus that’s scaled up using precision fermentation – a process that uses microbes to produce specific compounds. In this case, it's a fat that mimics the taste, aroma and texture of animal fat.
When heated, Tastilux triggers the Maillard reaction, which is the same browning process that gives cooked meat its rich, savoury flavour.
“This regulatory milestone represents a major commercial breakthrough for our proprietary potent fats and technology, enabling us to deliver a true-to-meat experience that has been missing in the market.”
Its makers say it brings an “authentic meat-eating experience without the animal”, tackling the number one complaint about plant-based meat: that it just doesn’t taste the same.
Tastilux has also been designed to work in tiny amounts while still delivering bold flavour and rich texture, its makers say, positioning it as a cost-effective option for food manufacturers.
Alternative fats are quickly becoming their own category within the booming alt-protein space, with ingredients made from plants, microbes, or even cultivated animal cells all using a fraction of the land and water of conventional meat.
While it’s aimed at the plant-based and hybrid meat market, Nourish says Tastilux will also be targeting other categories, like snacks, ready meals, and even tallow replacements.
The company partnered with a Chinese biotech firm last November to manufacture Tastilux, and is already locking in deals across the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand ahead of a full global rollout.
Nourish is also working on Creamilux, a fermented dairy alternative designed to match the mouthfeel and taste of traditional cream.
Nourish Ingredients uses precision fermentation technology, a method that employs microorganisms to create targeted compounds – in this case producing fats that replicate the taste, aroma, and texture of those found in animal products. This process, which is based on a soil-dwelling fungal strain, generates lipid compounds that create a meaty sensory experience, even at a 1% inclusion rate in the final product, according to Nourish Ingredients.
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