Micro Harvest launches pilot plant to test and scale single-cell protein ingredients

21 Nov 2023 --- Biotechnology company MicroHarvest launched a pilot plant at its office in Lisbon to produce single-cell protein samples for its customers. The plant will allow the company to accelerate the commercialization of its ingredients by fine-tuning its technology, creating prototypes and testing production runs. 

Meanwhile, MicroHarvest also engaged a commercial production partner. This partnership allows the company to scale production to one metric ton daily. The next phase for MicroHarvest will be to launch its first commercial product, planned for early 2024. 

“Launching our pilot facility significantly changes our speed in product development: we will be much faster and able to test things earlier at scale,” Jonathan Roberz, MicroHarvest’s co-founder and COO, tells Nutrition Insight. 

“Until now, we have had to wait around six months for piloting slots, and it was difficult to adapt the planning according to the most recent findings from our R&D team in an agile and timely manner.” 

MicroHarvest’s proprietary biomass fermentation technology can produce sustainable, high-quality protein ingredients that contain over 60% raw protein within 24 hours. 

First commercial product 
Roberz highlights that the company’s first ingredient coming to the market is called HILIX — a specialty product for aquaculture. 

“HILIX is a feed material produced from extracted bacterial cells, containing amino acids, protein, free nucleotides, vitamins and minerals. Including HILIX in aquafeed supports growth performance, for example, in salmon and shrimp. In addition, with the inclusion of semi-essential nutrients, it improves the health status of the animals and boosts taste.” 

With the newly created partnership with a contract manufacturer, the company can produce one ton daily.He explains that MicroHarvest’s ingredients have applications along the whole protein value chain: it can be integrated into animal feed, pet food and human food. 

“Pet food alone will be worth over US $130 billion as soon as 2030, and sustainability, according to the most recent reports, is a core driver for shopper choices.” 

“When we think about the pet food industry, new protein sources, like single-cell protein, can answer a growing demand for antiallergenic products: animal ingredients are the primary reason for pet allergies,” he continues.

The company is also working on product development to unlock markets in other relevant industries. 

Single-cell protein 
Roberz details that protein demand globally is forecasted to grow 50% by 2050. “We are consuming more protein per capita, the global population is growing — and so is the pet population and the overall pet food industry.”

Whether in pet or human food, he explains that the company’s single-cell ingredients are fully natural, packed with over 60% raw protein, minerals and vitamins and highly digestible. 

“They are a ‘next-gen super ingredient’ that is sustainable and less exposed to climate and geopolitical conditions, therefore stable in supply and consistent in quality and price. The potential of microbial single-cell ingredients is immense.” 

Sustainable scale 
MicroHarvest is dedicated to advancing sustainable protein production to address the global challenge of feeding a growing population while minimizing environmental impact. 

The company’s approach also reduces resource consumption compared to conventional methods of producing protein. The company uses agricultural byproducts as feedstock in its microbial fermentation process. 

Launching the pilot facility helps increase MicroHarvest’s speed in product development.“We strongly believe that our ability to scale sets MicroHarvest apart from many other incumbents: our pilot plant, coupled with our recent agreement with a co-manufacturer, is a critical step to confirm this value proposition,” says Roberz. 

“We focus on high productivity and efficiency in all our production processes to maximize our scale potential. We use natural strains of microorganisms that are inherently very efficient and naturally packed with high-value macronutrients — from protein to minerals and vitamins.” 

Looking to the future 
At the 200-square-meter pilot plant, MicroHarvest will be able to achieve a daily production of 25 kg of protein ingredients. 

Roberz highlights that the ability to scale is critical in B2B food ingredients. “Our ingredients offer scalable and consistent quality that can be relied on for every production run.” 

He underscores that with the newly created partnership with a contract manufacturer, the company can scale production beyond the piloting scale. 

“We will be able to produce one ton per day, which is an awe-inspiring feat for a company in the novel ingredients space, pushing boundaries like we are.” 

“We are confident that in a relatively short period, we will be able to become a global ingredient supplier,” concludes Roberz. “We have a product that answers to an actual customer need, is sustainable and competitive — from a scalability and consistency standpoint.” 

By Jolanda van Hal