Foodtech start-up develops first low-allergen peanuts for 2027 launch
Key takeaways
- Nurtured Nuts Company has developed gene-edited, low-allergen peanuts designed to retain the crop’s flavor, nutrition, and versatility.
- The company is targeting foodservice and peanut-based products, with its first commercial product expected in 2027.
- Nurtured Nuts won The Pitch! at IFT FIRST 2026, receiving US$10,000 and strategic growth support.
Nurtured Nuts Company has developed the world’s first gene-edited, low-allergen peanuts, accelerating safer food innovation. Together with AgriNetica and Brandvault360, the start-up has eliminated the major allergenic proteins in peanuts at the seed level.
“Peanuts remain one of the most cost-effective and nutrient-dense protein sources available, and demand for plant-forward, high-protein foods has stayed strong,” Nurtured Nuts founder and CEO Bryant Williams tells Food Ingredients First.
Williams identifies the foodservice sector as the fastest-growing industry for peanut-based products. “This is where we see our fastest near-term growth, specifically in controlled environments where allergen risk is a daily operational burden.”
Allergen-less peanuts
Through its partnership with AgriNetica, the US division of Israel-based ag-biotech company BetterSeeds, Nurtured Nuts Company leverages gene-edited peanuts with reduced allergens while preserving the peanut’s flavor, nutrition, and versatility.
The USDA-approved allergen-less peanuts have been successfully planted at a field site in Georgia, marking the first outdoor, commercial-scale cultivation of gene-edited peanuts, and specifically these hypoallergenic peanuts, in the US.
Nurtured Nuts Company’s products are designed for peanut butter, protein bars, powders, and other peanut-based snacks.
The company’s products are designed for peanut butter, protein bars, powders, and other peanut-based snacks. Nurtured Nuts Company seeks to have its batch of products finished this year, with the first commercially available allergen-less peanut product available to consumers in 2027.
“The next phase after getting our FDA clearance on the reintroduction of peanuts in restricted places is working with the pharma companies to prove that allergic people using their medication indicated to treat peanut allergy can eat our peanuts safely,” says Williams.
Earning recognition
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization committed to advancing the science of food and its application across the global food system, says that Nurtured Nuts Company was crowned the winner of The Pitch! at IFT FIRST 2026 in Chicago, US. The rapid-pitch competition, showcasing product innovations in the early stages, featured six start-ups from the sold-out Startup Pavilion competing for the grand prize in the finale.
Nurtured Nuts Company received US$10,000 courtesy of The Pitch! competition sponsor, Seeding The Future Foundation. Nurtured Nuts also received a four-hour Nextin Growth Strategy Ideation Session to help identify growth opportunities and build a stronger strategic foundation for future expansion.
“We are excited and thankful for the award granted by Seeding The Future Foundation. The funds will be used to continue the work we are doing to complete product development and engage with new partners.”
“This is a defining moment for us and for everyone who’s ever wished peanut allergies did not exist as a barrier for the foods we love. We’re proving that science can make food safer without sacrificing what makes it great. The opportunity ahead is enormous, and we’re just getting started.”
