Nutrition giant ADM has forged its first strategic partnership in the cultivated meat sector – poised to become a US$25 billion global industry by 2030 – with the Good Meat division of Eat Just. The companies will collaborate on product development projects for pioneering cultivated meat products, starting with chicken.

“This deal is focused on lowering the cost of media, which feed the cells and lower overall meat production cost. We believe it will eventually be the most consumed meat in the world,” Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO, Eat Just, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

Good Meat’s partnership with ADM builds on its recent regulatory approval in Singapore to sell new types of cultivated chicken. The company has developed quality meat made from animal cells approved for commercial sale. It is accelerating R&D and increasing production capacity to meet consumer demand in Singapore and further afield. 

Nutritional needs based on protein
Last month, ADM invested US$300 million to expand its US-based facility in Decatur, Illinois. In addition to boosting the supplier’s soy protein concentrate production – nearly doubling its extrusion capacity – the investment will help scale a new Protein Innovation Center to address the surging global demand for sustainable, alternative proteins.

“ADM has long been a pioneer in the alternative protein industry. Our strategic focus is on developing innovative new technology and solutions to continue expanding our capabilities to serve the fast-growing global demand for protein-based nutritional needs,” says Leticia Gonçalves, president, global foods, ADM. 

Fast-tracking product developmentGood Meat is accelerating R&D to meet consumer demand in Singapore. 
ADM will build on Good Meat’s work of optimizing the nutrients needed to enable the growth of animal cells. Good Meat’s cells require an optimal growth medium for quality, cost and volume in the same way a chicken or a cow absorbs amino acids, vitamins and fat through consuming soy and corn.

“More meat will be made without the need to slaughter animals in the years ahead. It’s safer, healthier, and more aligned to the kind of planet we want to live on,” Tetrick says. 

“This is ADM’s first strategic partnership in the cultivated meat space; it is focused on media, which is one of the biggest challenges faced by industry; and its a partnership with the only company in the world that has ever sold cultivated meat to consumers,” he explains.

ADM’s insights in food formulation will be leveraged to advance the flavor, texture and other attributes of Good Meat’s pipeline of cultivated meat products.

Diversifying protein applicationsADM will leverage flavor and texture of Good Meats products. (Credit: Eat Just)
In addition to branching out into cultivated meat, ADM is exploring plant protein diversification such as sunflower and chickpea, next-generation technologies, like fermentation and cell-based, as well as fermentation-as-a-service. 

There has been growing interest in microbial fermentation as a novel method for developing alternative protein products. ADM offers expansive fermentation capabilities and is exploring new ways to serve food, beverage and health and wellness brands seeking support with downstream processing, lab services and consulting.

The latest move follows the release of ADM’s 2022 Alternative Protein Outlook, which reveals the next steps in protein alternatives. 

The report highlights the movement toward price parity of cultivated meat products with their conventional counterparts. For example, Good Meat has achieved a 90% reduction in total costs from operating a built-for-purpose plant.

In other developments, ADM agreed to acquire Sojaprotein – a European provider of high-value soy ingredients – to expand its plant protein production capacity for meat alternatives development The Serbian company is the largest producer of plant-based proteins in Southern Europe and offers a wide array of exclusively non-GMO vegetable protein ingredients.