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Believer Meats has partnered with the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State University (NC State).
Reported by The Cell Base today, the new centre is the result of a $30 million award from the Bezos Earth Fund. It aims to advance alt-protein production and commercialisation to address the projected global protein supply gap in the coming decades.
Believer Meats’ commercial-scale production facility, first announced in 2022, is located in Wilson, North Carolina and is set to be operational by the end of the year.
The factory will have a capacity to produce over 26 million lbs of cell-based meat annually once fully operational. The 200,000 square foot facility will include an innovation centre and tasting kitchen and is set to create up to 100 new jobs in food production and food science.
Gustavo Burger, CEO of Believer Meats, said: “At Believer Meats, we are on a mission to make it possible for all future generations to eat meat. We are doing this not only through great product development, but also by focusing on the core fundamentals that ensure a lasting business. The Bezos Earth Fund grant is a testament to the great work being done in North Carolina and reinforces our decision to locate here. We are excited to partner with the centre to contribute our innovative, real-world solutions to meet the increasing demand for protein and nutrition.”
Andy Jarvis, director of the future of food at The Bezos Earth Fund, commented: “Innovation alone cannot solve our global nutrition needs in the future. We need to ensure that innovation reaches the market. With NC State and their industry partners like Believer Meats, we see a path to take great products from discovery to commercialisation. We’re excited to partner with them to create a future abundant with nutritious and sustainable proteins.”
Bill Aimutis, executive director of NC Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) and co-director of the new centre, added: “The partnership between our centre and Believer Meats presents a truly unique opportunity to help diversify our food supply and supplement animal proteins, giving consumers more choice”.
