Israel-based molecular farming firm PoLoPo has announced that it will begin supplying patatin, the native protein found in potatoes, to commercial clients following regulatory approval.

PoLoPo uses proprietary metabolic engineering techniques to turn potato plants into micro-biofactories that manufacture target proteins.

Its platform is capable of producing egg protein (ovalbumin) in potatoes, but also increases the potato’s naturally occurring protein – PoLoPo expects to produce large volumes of functional patatin affordably.

Patatin is a versatile, allergen-friendly, high-quality protein, with a PDCAAS value of 0.99. It contains all essential amino acids and can be used in plant-based meat and dairy products for its emulsifying, gelling and texturizing qualities, as well as in baked goods and protein drinks.

PoLoPo’s CEO, Maya Sapir-Mir, said: “We are keeping our eyes on the prize, which is bringing molecular-farmed egg protein to market, but conversations with clients revealed an additional demand for patatin in large quantities at a fair price. Because patatin is the potato’s native protein, we expect it will be a relatively easy regulatory process and a fast time-to-market.”

The majority of potato proteins on the market are non-functional, as manufacturers destroy the proteins while extracting potato starch. Non-functional potato protein is commonly directed to animal feed.

Currently, prices of functional patatin are high, costing more than $100 per kg. While it is not cost-effective to extract and dry the protein with existing food processing infrastructure, as PoLoPo’s transgenic potato plants produce such high levels of patatin, this process becomes significantly more cost-effective and returns better yields of protein.

PoLoPo’s plants produce proteins and store them in their tubers. Tubers are harvested when they reach sufficient size, and then their proteins are extracted and dried into a powder that integrates ‘seamlessly’ into current food processing lines and formulations.

While derived from genetically engineered plants, the resulting protein powder contains no genetic material and is considered non-GMO.

PoLoPo expects its proteins to soon be available to the food industry for testing and is seeking growing partners in the US.

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