September 10, 2021 - Equinom, an Israeli agri-food technology company that uses AI to enhance seed nutritional value, has partnered with the plant-based brand Meatless Farm and its subsidiary Lovingly Made Ingredients.

Through this partnership, Equinom's improved pea protein concentrate will be used in a wide variety of meat-free foods, providing up to 50 percent more protein and reducing the carbon footprint of Lovingly Made Ingredients.

“Our commercial seed varieties are protected by intellectual property. In addition, our seeds are fully traceable to their excellent genetic diversity through DNA fingerprinting, ”Gil Shalev, Equinom Founder and CEO, told FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Right now, we are working to expand our discoveries from multiple crops to an entire plant species to accelerate the development of new ingredients based on their genomic and biochemical profile.”

Notably, Meatless Farm is the first plant-based meat company to work with Equinom. Later this year, Equinom will release its first limited edition pea concentrate for select leading food manufacturers.

Crossing exotic, ancient and modern varieties

Today, yellow peas are one of the fastest growing sources of protein for the production of plant-based meat substitutes. It is expected to have a global value of over $ 140 billion by 2029, up from $ 14 billion in 2019, Equimon emphasizes.

In June, the company partnered with European milling corporation GoodMills to scale up new yellow pea seed varieties with “significantly improved” sensory properties.

Equinom naturally creates "superior quality seeds" by crossing exotic, ancient and modern varieties. Using its diverse seed bank, the company uses computerized breeding and traditional genomic technologies to predict and model new varieties. This “matchmaking process” speeds up and improves breeding.

“Right now, we are working to expand our discoveries from multiple crops to the entire plant kingdom to accelerate the development of new ingredients based on their genomic and biochemical profile,” says Shalev.

"Brands can use our trademarks and traceability certificates to show their source and quality to end users."

Opening up a "world of possibilities"

Equinom offers a Product Profiler app that allows companies to select plant protein sources and characteristics from a genetically available trait bank.

“So far, food companies have only scratched the surface of yellow peas,” says Oswald Krasta, vice president of research and development at Equinom. “Through our extensive research and dedication, we have opened up a world of possibilities that should pave the way for future plant-based innovation.”

Plant-based diets are rapidly gaining popularity in the US and overseas, and demand for plant-based protein is expected to grow sevenfold to 97 million metric tons, corresponding to a market value of approximately US $ 290 billion by 2035.

Recent research has shown that meat-free farm meat-free alternatives to plant-based meat (PBMA) are associated with positive changes in the gut microbiome.

Smarter seeds take root.

Introducing the strategic breeding path, Equinom began its breeding process in Canada, Israel, New Zealand and the United States from several breeding sites. He was able to increase the protein content of pea varieties by over 30 percent, nearly 50 percent more than currently on the market.

Equinom has established more than 10 partnerships with its smart seeds and rich grains, including PepsiCo's Meatless Farm, Dipasa, Sabra, and Roquette.

“The higher protein content of our products will also help fulfill our mission to help people reduce their meat intake by offering reliable plant-based meat substitutes that are affordable and taste great,” says Morten Toft Beck, founder of Meatless Farm.

“Ultimately, better seeds can be used to make better peas so that we can create more nutritious and delicious plant foods that are more beneficial to our planet.”

Benjamin Ferrer