Heura pilots Good Rebel Tech as upcycling method to valorize micronutrients without chemical processing

03 May 2022 --- Spanish plant-based meat brand Heura is introducing a new food processing method called Good Rebel Tech. It is dubbed a “new approach to food technology” that will produce macro- and micro-nutrient dense foods in a sustainable manner that “goes beyond what’s been technologically possible to-date”.

As Nearly 40% of global food industry waste occurs during manufacturing processes, Heura’s new technological platform upcycles nutrient-dense byproduct materials and can also be applied to underutilized plant sources.

By discovering new plant fractions and elucidating their structures at different scales, Heura’s R&D team, the TechRebels, have developed a new technological platform that “exploits intrinsic plant properties to unlock healthier food options using simple, low-energy processes”.

“Instead of focusing on extracting and isolating proteins from legume seeds, we are researching ways to leverage the functionality of whole plants in their naturally occurring structures,” says Isabel Fernández, Heura’s director of science and technology. 

“This unique approach enables the team to valorize micronutrients naturally present in the starting materials, and simply enhance its bioavailability when required, as opposed to including them as additive ingredients. This results in minimal and only physical processes being needed during product manufacturing, and avoids all chemical processing.”

Good Rebel Tech will be filing its first patents throughout 2022.Rebelling conventional food systems in a good way
Good Rebel Tech will be filing its first patents throughout 2022, covering the production of nutritionally superior plant-based products.

“By leveraging discoveries in cellular plant physiology, colloids and biopolymer science combined with computational fluid dynamics and engineering techniques, we’ve been able to create a technological platform that rewrites current plant-based food processing rules, and leads to a new sustainable manufacturing ecosystems,” continues Fernández.

“We are engaged in cutting-edge research in collaboration with world leading scientific experts to address the greatest technological challenges the plant-based industry is facing today.”

Over the past year, Heura has quadrupled the size of its expert R&D team, and will launch up to 10 new products in 2022.   

“Various industries ranging from energy to transportation have undergone critical technological transitions to increase sustainability, and now it’s the food industry’s turn,” remarks Food Activist, CEO and Heura Co-Founder Marc Coloma. 

“We’ve created Good Rebel Tech to pave the way for animal-meat successors that are derived directly from nature using low carbon-footprint technologies. Our aim is to leverage technology to provide holistic solutions that are more sustainable and nutritious than ever before.”

Upcycling is the new recycling
Innova Market Insights named “Upcycling Redefined” one of its Top Ten Trends for 2022, a part of the more significant number one trend: “Shared Planet.” 

This came shortly after the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) released the first upcycled certification program last year, of which Renewal Mill is a founding member. 

Among the latest companies to earn the UFA certification is AB InBev company EverGrain Ingredients, with its entire portfolio of upcycled barley protein and fiber solutions.

In other moves, Fazer is upcycling oat hulls generated at its mills to create xylitol, a sugar replacer with 40% fewer calories (2,4 kcal/g) starting its commercial production this month. In the last three years, the Finnish company has invested €300 million (US$315 million) in oats derivatives.

Also tapping into the trend, Kazoo Snacks’ corn tortilla chips are made using upcycled corn germ and less virgin corn than its conventional counterpart. The industry-first snacks reduce food waste and save up to 76 liters of water per bag.

By Benjamin Ferrer