Until recently, most plant-based meat products have come in ground or minced form, such as crumbles or patties. But lately, there has been a drive to create “whole cut” meat analogs that can mimic the tissue and muscle structure of animal proteins like a steak or chicken breast.
One of the latest entrants to the whole cut race is Israel-based Alfred’s FoodTech. Formed earlier this year, the company recently unveiled its platform to make plant-based whole cut alternatives, which it claims will “be able to build continuous tissue-like structures and can work with other existing technologies.”
In its announcement, Alfred’s said it had created prototypes of alternative chicken nuggets and deli meat. Two of the main ingredients in the products are pea protein and canola oil, and the company intends to stick with simple ingredients like these while creating products with whole cut texturization.
Alfred’s plans to be a supplier for food companies, meat producers, and cultured meat companies looking to add alternative protein analogs to their portfolios. The company claims it will be able to create custom compositions and can even work with cell-based ingredients.
Alfred’s FoodTech joins a market that is filling up fast with companies looking to create whole-cut products. Better Meat Co, Green Rebel, and Meati have developed whole cut steaks made from mushrooms or mycelium. Earlier this year, AtLast Food Co raised $40 million to create whole cut meat alternative analogs. Others, like Redefine Meat and Novameat, are developing technologies for 3D printing whole-cut plant-based steaks.
To date, Alfred’s FoodTech has raised $1.3 million in seed funding, and the company is currently raising a Series A round. The company was selected as one of the 12 finalists for The Good Food Institute’s annual conference and will present its tech in the pitch slam on September 23, 2021. The company has plans to open a low-volume production site to scale its production.
Update: The article previously referred to the company as “Alfred FoodTech”. The company is called Alfred’s FoodTech, and the article has been updated to reflect this.
