Ever After Foods has announced a strategic collaboration with food-tech company Bühler aimed at enhancing the production and distribution of cultivated meat, and addressing the pressing need for sustainable protein sources amidst growing global food demands.

The collaboration will focus on the development of a commercial-scale cultivated meat production system that promises to operate at a scale ten times lower than current technologies.

This advancement is expected to facilitate more efficient and accessible production processes, enabling manufacturers to meet the rising consumer demand for alternative protein sources.

Ian Roberts, chief technology officer at Bühler, said: “The global food chain faces significant challenges if we are to successfully and sustainably feed our growing population. How we produce and consume protein will continue to change, and requires a transition of our protein system to deliver this."

He continued: "Powering cultivated meat production at scale with a patented production system, Ever After Foods will help the food industry keep pace with the protein demands of a growing global population”.

Ever After Foods will leverage its innovative edible packed-bed (EPB) technology platform, which is specifically designed to optimise cultivated meat production.

Eyal Rosenthal, CEO of Ever After Foods, highlighted the necessity of moving away from pharmaceutical-based technologies in favour of tailored solutions for food production.

Rosenthal added: "The cultivated meat industry must move beyond relying on pharma-based technologies and adopt solutions specifically designed for food production. Our strategic collaboration with Bühler...is a critical step toward delivering scalable and efficient technologies that empower cultivated meat producers and food companies to bring their products to market.”

The implications of this partnership extend beyond production efficiency. Ever After Foods claims that its platform can reduce production costs by over 90%, while enhancing the nutritional value and flavour of cultivated meat products.

The technology has already demonstrated success in producing muscle and fat tissues from various animal cells, including beef, chicken, duck and fish, thereby replicating the taste and texture of conventional meat.

In March 2024, Ever After Foods secured $10 million from strategic investors, to propel its cost-advantageous and scalable technology platform, positioning it as a technology enabler.

Ever After Foods is Pluri's majority-owned joint venture with Israeli food giant Tnuva Food-Tech Incubator, and has exclusive licensing rights to use Pluri's technology and intellectual property to develop, manufacture and commercialise cultivated meat.