Nearly a dozen innovative start-ups from South Korea headed to the Agri Food & Green Tech Innovation Expo in Monaco last week to discuss and present their ideas for sustainable meat alternatives and packaging solutions that could transform the consumer experience.
With demand for eco-friendly and sustainably produced meat alternatives at an all-time high, the race to produce the best – in terms of flavour and cost, for the producer and the consumer – is on.
On Thursday 23rd November 2023, the Agri Food & Green Tech Innovation Expo was held in Monaco’s Le Méridien Beach Plaza. Organised by White Castle Partners, the one-day event featured the latest innovations from nearly a dozen South Korean start-ups, with at least three focusing exclusively on the urgent matter of providing advanced alternatives to meat.
Sustainable meat alternatives
Foody Worm is leading the charge in the insect protein market, advocating for a shift towards insect-based alternatives in protein consumption. The company’s approach focuses on zero-waste agriculture and aims to lessen the environmental impact of traditional meat production by presenting insects as a viable and eco-friendly protein source.
In the cultured meat space, SuFab, a new R&D company, is making strides with its third-generation alternative meat. SuFab’s technology, still in the early stages of patenting and investment, produces a product similar to whole cuts of beef in just a month; a timeframe considerably shorter to the year-long process of traditional beef production. It is hoped that the company’s innovative range will ultimately offer the taste and texture of real beef with a reduced environmental footprint.
Meanwhile, another company that attended the event is trying to target environmentally-conscious meat eaters with a wholly plant-based product. Millennial Flavor Town’s Hanwoo Steak Dish is the first of its kind, and combines mushroom fermentation technology with beans and coconut oil to create a product the company says replicates the unique flavour and marbling of Hanwoo steak.
Other start-ups present
Alongside meat alternative innovators, other start-ups at the event showcased a diverse range of environmental solutions.
Repla, for example, presented a plastic recycling technology that hopes to enhance recycling rates through plastic purity improvements, while Roots Lab introduced an eco-friendly product range derived from upcycled pear waste, which is supporting farmers local to the business.
FutureSense offered a digital transformation platform for the food industry, which focuses on blockchain and AI to manage food regulations and reduce waste. Neuro Pack demonstrated a natural extract-based packaging material that can extend food shelf life as well as achieve carbon-neutral packaging goals.
Sweetnswitz introduced Makji, a low-gluten and high-protein ingredient from upcycled rice wine by-products alongside a Fine Food Lab product called Purrot Hemp Milk, which is a plant-based milk alternative that balances taste and nutrition while addressing environmental concerns.
Collectively, the companies involved highlighted a range of innovative approaches to the sustainability challenges faced by multiple industries and simultaneously demonstrated the support for these developments and advancements that is to be found in Monaco.
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Photo source: Rob Wicks, Unsplash