Tivall, the Israeli food unit of Nestlé, has formed a partnership with More Foods, a vegan meat analogues manufacturer based in Tel Aviv.
While the specifics of the collaboration remain uncertain, Tivall and More Foods have issued a joint statement expressing their intent to develop a range of innovative, pumpkin seed-based meat substitutes designed for main meals.
When inquired about additional details regarding the partnership, More Foods responded by stating, “The details of the collaboration cannot be disclosed at this time.”
The companies stated in their announcement that their focus was on addressing the increasing demand for nutritious and environmentally-friendly food choices. Their strategy involves leveraging More Foods’ proficiency in plant-based technology alongside Nestlé’s wide-ranging market influence.
Through the Tivall brand, Nestlé markets chilled and frozen meat-substitute products in Israel.
More Foods supplies its products to Israel’s foodservice market, making them accessible in over 100 restaurants.
The company declined to confirm whether the agreement with Nestlé would result in their entry into the retail channel in the country when questioned.
“This collaboration represents an important milestone in our journey to broaden our market presence, reach a larger customer base, and further our mission to make nutritious, meaty, centre-plate, plant-based products more accessible to consumers worldwide,” Leonardo Marcovitz, the Founder of More Foods, said in the statement.
More Foods has already initiated its international expansion by distributing its products in France, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Nestlé promotes its meat-free products in Europe under the Garden Gourmet brand. However, in March, the company made an announcement to withdraw the Garden Gourmet meat-free and Wunda alt-dairy brands from retail in the UK and Ireland.
The Swiss food giant is discontinuing the Mezeast brand in the UK and Ireland. Mezeast is a Middle Eastern line of seasoning mixes, sauces, spreads, and pastes.
Following Danone’s investment in two alternative-protein businesses in Israel earlier this year, the world’s largest food maker has now entered into a deal with More Foods.
In April, Danone made an investment in Wilk Technologies, a manufacturer of cell-based dairy and infant formula.
Tel Aviv-based Wilk, which launched in 2020, produces cultured human breast milk and animal milk.
The publicly-listed company holds several patent applications, including one approved patent, for laboratory production processes that mimic the milk-producing cells found in humans and other mammals.
The French giant also provided support to Imagindairy, an Israeli animal-free dairy business. Established in 2020, the company utilizes a technique called precision fermentation to produce its products.
Meanwhile, in the US this week, it was announced cultivated chicken from Upside Foods and Good Meat will soon be available in the US following regulatory approval from the country’s Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Read More: USDA grants clearance for sale of lab-grown meat in the United States
The cell-based chicken products from both Upside Foods and Good Meat have undergone a “historic two-agency regulatory process” in the US. Additionally, these products have been thoroughly evaluated and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
