Conventional meat production has an immense environmental cost, from its production of greenhouse gases, energy and land use, to its heavy reliance on antibiotics, hormones, and water. Meat consumption accounts for ~15% of global GHG emissions and is the biggest single contributor to biodiversity loss.
Though there are many sustainable plant-based meat and fish alternatives on the market, taste and nutrition remain the largest roadblocks. Lab-grown meat is also in the process of being rapidly developed, but it’s unlikely to be widely available on the market by 2030. As such, researchers and companies are searching for alternative, scalable methods of producing animal proteins.
Paleo develops new functional ingredients to improve plant-based meat and fish alternatives. Through precision fermentation, Paleo produces meat and fish proteins which are 100% bio-identical to animal proteins and 100% GMO-free. Precision fermentation is a proven, versatile and scalable technology that uses micro-organisms, such as yeasts, to produce selected target proteins. Most importantly, compared to conventional farming of animals, precision fermentation has a significantly lower environmental impact.
Paleo focuses on replicating myoglobin, a protein present in animal muscle tissue. By using myoglobin, they create a flavor profile that is closer to that of real meat, while also delivering important nutrients such as iron. Their portfolio currently includes myoglobin proteins from six animals: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, tuna, and even mammoth! Paleo plans to sell their product to businesses offering plant-based meat and fish alternatives, which can then be added to their products prior to distribution.
Tapping into a vast cost-effective climate opportunity:
Recent analysis points out that investing in the alternative protein segment has the highest CO2e savings per dollar of invested capital of any sector, including transportation or buildings. Due to the scalability of precision fermentation, Paleo anticipates being able to bring emissions down quicker than other market alternatives by producing essential ingredients cost-effectively and sustainably.
Cracking “real taste” and driving new demand:
Research predicts that if plant-based products advance in taste, texture and price they could replace 11%-22% of all meat, seafood, eggs and dairy consumption around the globe by 2035. Paleo is working to make that happen: Adding myoglobin to plant-based meat alternatives is a game changer that brings the experience to that of ‘real’ meat. You can smell it, you can taste it, and you can see it. It will make alternatives an attractive option for even the most skeptical consumers, significantly reducing meat consumption across the board.
Early mover in Europe:
The European alternative food market is growing rapidly, and Paleo is in the advantageous position of being an early mover in animal protein development. Analysts predict that technology-driven B2B companies providing innovative ingredients with elevated performance and low costs will be the ultimate winners.
Our scientific assessment shows that changing the protein source from one conventional meat protein to an alternative results in net GHG savings ranging from 21 to 296 kg CO2-eq. per kg of protein. Paleo addresses important barriers hindering the transition towards more sustainable diets and is likely to contribute and accelerate the shift from a meat-based diet to a more plant-based diet. The reduction in meat consumption will result in a substantial reduction in GHG emission, less deforestation and more sustainable agricultural systems (e.g. less nutrients oversupply, less water use, etc.).
