Animal-Free Pork Fat for Delicious Artificial Meat | Mission Barns

A Novel Approach to Meat Alternatives

A former coworker once expressed a peculiar lunchtime craving. Being a vegetarian for health reasons, he nonetheless longed for the flavor of ground beef. He routinely requested the cafeteria chef to cook his veggie burger alongside beef patties, appreciating the flavor imparted by the dripping grease.

Cultured Pork Fat Receives Regulatory Approval

It appears the team at Mission Barns may have been privy to this conversation. They have successfully developed animal-free, cultured pork fat. This innovative product has recently been granted approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as confirmed exclusively with TechCrunch. This approval permits the company to begin selling the fat directly to consumers.

This marks the first instance of such a product reaching the market, potentially revolutionizing the landscape of meat alternatives.

Expanding the Possibilities for Flavorful Alternatives

“This development empowers any of our partners utilizing our ingredient to also introduce a product to the market,” explained Cecilia Chang, chief business officer at Mission Barns, in a statement to TechCrunch.

The pursuit of cultured meat has been ongoing for years. The world’s initial lab-grown burger was sampled by food critics in 2013, carrying an estimated price tag of $330,000. While costs have decreased substantially since then, a burger crafted from lab-grown beef remains significantly more expensive than a traditional McDonald’s offering.

The Advantages of Culturing Fat

A key challenge lies in the fact that muscle cells necessitate a substrate for growth, whereas the majority of cells currently cultured are grown in liquid media.

However, fat cells are less demanding in this regard, making them more economical to produce for consumer acceptance. Furthermore, fat contributes significantly to flavor.

The Culturing Process

Mission Barns initiates the fat-growing process by obtaining a small tissue sample, similar to a biopsy, from a live pig. This sample is then introduced into a bioreactor containing a specialized growth medium.

Due to the natural buoyancy of fat, the startup had to engineer a unique bioreactor to ensure uniform cell distribution within the medium. Clumping at the surface would restrict access to essential nutrients, hindering proper growth.

Current and Future Applications

The company’s initial product line includes alternatives to bacon, meatballs, and sausage, formulated with pea protein and their cultured pork fat. Mission Barns is also actively supplying its fat to other companies for incorporation into their own product formulations.

Chang anticipates that supplying other food manufacturers will ultimately constitute the core of their business.

Flavor and Nutritional Benefits

While pea protein is a prevalent ingredient in alternative meats, Chang asserts that Mission Barns’ recipe stands apart. “The richness provided by the fat allows for a reduction in costly artificial flavorings typically used in alternative protein products,” she stated.

Interestingly, Chang also suggests that Mission Barns’ cultured pork fat could contribute to the development of healthier meat alternatives. Reduced salt levels will be needed to mask the taste of pea protein, and the nutritional profile of the fat can be modified, for example, by increasing omega-3 content.

Looking Ahead

Mission Barns is exploring the development of pork fat with an even more pronounced flavor profile. “This would allow for the use of smaller quantities of fat, while still achieving a desirable nutritional profile akin to that of salmon fat,” Chang explained. “Our potential partners have expressed considerable enthusiasm for this concept.”