Mirai Foods develops new product with Rügenwalder Mühle

Mirai Foods and Rügenwalder Mühle are together developing a hybrid product made from plant proteins and cultivated beef fat. The aim is for this to improve the taste of meat alternatives. For this, the Zurich-based startup Mirai Foods, which was established in 2019 and specializes in cultivated meat, is providing the fat produced in bioreactors. 

Patrick Bühr, Head of Research and Development at Rügenwalder Mühle, commented in a press release: “It is the fat in a burger which gives beef the distinctive taste of grilled meat. Until today, it has not been possible to recreate this taste with plant-based fat alternatives.” 

According to Mirai Foods CEO and Co-Founder Christoph Mayr, the partnership with Rügenwalder Mühle underscores his company’s claim to leadership in the area of cultivated beef. He adds: “We are delighted that Rügenwalder appreciates our innovative power.”

Cultivated meat could “significantly reduce” the downsides of conventional meat production, such as the arable land tied up in it, water consumption, and CO2 emissions. However, the necessary approvals and frameworks for this still need to be created in Germany and the EU. Bühr stated: “We expect that our product will come to the market in 2025 at the earliest.” However, he added that development had already started.