Foodtech company, MeliBio, has developed the world’s first real honey, made without bees.
Using an undisclosed plant-based ingredient, the company uses synthetic biology to replicate honey down to a molecular level without using or harming any bees.
According to a recent report, the honeybee has “declined by 89 per cent in relative abundance and continues to decline toward extinction” due to many factors, including habitat loss, pesticides, overproduction, and disease.
Furthermore, the global honey supply chain is facing difficulties in keeping up with the demand, with recent harvests heavily affected by climate change, causing low yields and price volatility.
The innovation to replace honeybees as a medium of honey production is a potential solution to the honey industry’s sustainability and supply chain challenges, currently valued at US$9 billion in 2020.
“MeliBio is founded with the mission to make food in a way to save our planet Earth by ending our use of bees in honey production, and thereby helping to restore bee biodiversity amongst native and wild bees worldwide,” said Darko Mandich, CEO and co-founder, Melibio.
“Scientific advancements have created a very exciting position where humans can finally make one of their favourite foods without the use of animals.”
During its launch last year, more than 100 members of food tech, climate tech, and investors in San Francisco were among the first to sample the plant-based honey.
The company also stated it could scale its method after extensive research and development successfully, and the product can be manufactured and distributed to foodservice companies and B2B customers.
