Food-tech company Nourish Ingredients has unveiled an animal-free fat called Tastilux which tastes like it comes from animals, but without any animal ingredients or artificial chemicals at all.
The world-first innovation was revealed at the SXSW event in Sydney, where the brand showcased Tastilux’s potential through a plant-based ‘chicken wing’ it says offering a tastier alternative for plant protein companies.
Given that many consumers cite a lack of authentic taste as the main reason they won’t buy plant-based alt-meats, the new animal-free fat is expected to expand the market once more food companies discover it.
Nourish Ingredients’ team of scientists used precise fermentation to scale up ingredients taken from nature. Tastilux creates a distinct taste and aroma of traditional meat fats and real cooking reactions when used in plant-based chicken, beef, pork and other proteins.
James Petrie, founder and CEO of Nourish Ingredients, revealed that “Tastilux represents a quantum leap in making plant-based meats live up to the rich, fatty taste and cooking performance consumers want and love”.
“We saw an opportunity to revolutionise plant proteins by focusing on the power of fat,” he added.
“Most alternative fats simply can’t replicate the rich, authentic flavour of cooked meat. So rather than take a plant-based approach, we analysed the most flavourful animal fats in their uncooked state. Then we identified where we could find these in nature, without the animal.
“By fermenting only the most potent fats, we’re able to recreate the authentic meat experience. Our unique process unlocks new possibilities for plant protein foods to deliver the satisfying taste and texture consumers crave.”
Aiming to accelerate the transition to plant-based foods, the company is also collaborating with global food and ingredient leaders to integrate Tastilux into a variety of products.
- Recommended reading: Global plant-based meat market projected to reach USD$14.27 billion by 2030.
