What started as a frustration for healthier ingredients for a plant-based burger turned into the creation of an innovative platform technology that promises healthier protein alternatives.

 

In an era where the demand for clean labels and high-nutritional foods continues to rise, food companies are actively looking for new ingredients that will help them to clean their label and reduce the use of synthetic ingredients

We at Meala Foodtech are trying to push the boundaries of what’s possible with our innovative approach to protein technology.

Meala was founded by a trio of forward-thinkers- Liran Gruda, Hadar Ekhoiz Razmovich and Tali Feldman Sivan, Meala Foodtech began as a response to a common problem in the plant-based industry: the challenge of creating meat alternatives that are not only tasty but also free from excessive additives.

As they prepare to launch their products commercially, we talk to Meala Foodtech’s Business Development & Marketing Project Manager, Rom Elias,  to discuss their technology, their plans to expand to other food categories, and the challenges they’re facing in their mission to build a more sustainable food system. Meala Foodtech is one of the finalists in the 2023 FoodTech 500.

 

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

 

Forward Fooding: Can you give us some background information on how your Meala Foodtech came into existence?

Rom Elias: Meala was founded by molecular chef Liran Gruda, innovation specialist Hadar Razmovich, and business specialist Tali Feldman Sivan. 

The company started when Liran Gruda, CIO and chef with Michelin-starred restaurant experience, developed many plant-based products but noticed that, no matter what he tried, he couldn’t create clean-label products with a short list of ingredients. This realisation led him to begin working on Meala’s technology.  Liran then partnered with product innovation specialist Hadar Ekhoiz Razmovich (CEO) and serial entrepreneur and business strategist Tali Feldman Sivan (Chief Strategy Officer) to launch Meala.

 

Forward Fooding: What makes your technology good and your product different from what we usually find in supermarkets?

Rom: Meala developed a platform technology that enables them to functionalise a variety of proteins and create a variety of textures. 

This platform offers a solution to a universal challenge in food production: achieving the desired textures and functionalities without resorting to artificial additives. 

The first product the company is about to launch is a texturizing pea protein. 

Usually, when you add common pea or soy protein to a burger, it doesn’t have a textural functionality, nor the water-holding capacity that hydrocolloid-based binding systems have.

We are starting with plant-based meat applications and in the near future will expand across bakery, frozen desserts, sauces and many more.

Meala’s texturizing pea proteins have the ability to create great binding and texture without any additives while bringing the nutritional value of the protein.

 

Forward Fooding: Can you tell us more about the use of methylcellulose in plant-based foods and how your technology is working to replace this ingredient?

Rom: The industry has been trying to move away from methylcellulose over the past five to ten years due to concerns over its chemical composition and health implications.

Today consumers are aware of the food they are eating and looking for clean label foods. They bring a significant demand for our technology among plant-based meat producers who want to meet the expectations of increasingly health-conscious consumers seeking cleaner, more transparent ingredient lists.

Courtesy of Meala Foodtech

 

Forward Fooding: How is Meala addressing the challenges faced by plant-based product producers in delivering healthier options to consumers?

Rom: Meala is a protein-based solution. We are currently working with customers by adapting our technology to create products with higher nutritional value and shorter ingredient lists. It’s basically about helping producers keep their promise to consumers for better and healthier plant-based products.

 

Forward Fooding: Can you describe how your technology would be implemented into existing product formulas/ Would you describe your technology as a plug-and-play solution? 

Rom: Our technology easily integrates with production lines.

It is just like another ingredient in the blending process of a plant-based meat application, eventually cutting the ingredients list shorter of the final product.

 

Forward Fooding: In terms of deployment, what stage is your technology currently at?

Rom: We plan to commercialise our first product by the end of the year and there are more products that are going to be launched next year.

 

Forward Fooding: Would you mind sharing how your business has been funded up until now?

Rom: Our investors include The Kitchen Hub, DSM Venturing, and Milk & Honey Ventures. EIT Food has also invested and we’re currently part of their RisingFoodStars program. We also received a significant grant from the Israeli Innovation program.

We are about to close another round of funding that will help us scale up and take our company to market.

 

Forward Fooding: What is your product roadmap?

Rom: We are starting with plant-based because we already have several really good applications for it. After that, our next step would be with bakery goods, then sauces and condiments.

 

Forward Fooding: What’s the biggest challenge in your business?

Rom: We are starting with plant-based meat as we are seeing huge demand for our product in this category. The next market we are going to target is the bakery and there are a lot of new things we are working on that we will be able to reveal in the next coming months.

 

To learn more about the 2023 FoodTech 500 ranking and global FoodTech ecosystem insights, visit forwardfooding.com/foodtech500.

 

Are you an AgriFoodTech startup or scaleup? Apply now to the 2024 Edition of the FoodTech 500. 

 

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