The government of Japan has signaled its support for alternative protein innovation through the awarding of $27.7 million in funding to two domestic start-ups.
The investment – which is being made via the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Innovation Promotion Fund Project organized by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries – is going to plant-based egg producer Umami United cultivated meat firm IntegriCulture.
The Ministry of Agriculture established a plan in 2020 to enhance food security by diversifying protein sources, including the development of cultivated meat.
Umami United will receive approximately $9 million, which the start-up said it will use to improve the functionality of its plant-based eggs and develop market expansion strategies to enter the North American market.
The start-up’s plant-based eggs are made with traditional Japanese ingredients such as konjac flour, soy, and wood ear mushrooms that the company upcycles using fermentation. Umami United claims its products offer egg-like textures, elasticity, and “real” taste.
The company also says it is co-developing new products with food manufacturers, including the Japanese giant KENKO Mayonnaise, which recently launched a ready-to-eat plant-based egg salad.
IntegriCulture, meanwhile, has been awarded $18.7 million to demonstrate the commercial viability of its cell-cultured foie gras and serum platforms. The biotech firm has created a cellular agriculture infrastructure platform called CulNet, through which it develops affordable growth mediums and other solutions for cultivated protein.
Integriculture told vegconomist that the grant money will not be used to build a commercial facility but rather to demonstrate the technical capability of developing products at a commercially viable price point.
According to the latest Food Frontier report on alternative proteins in Asia, Japan ranks as the second-largest market size for meat alternatives, valued at USD 247.5 million. However, its projected growth rate of 9% (CAGR 2022–27) lags other countries, with the Australia-based think tank connecting the slower growth to a lack of enthusiasm among Japanese consumers to reduce meat consumption.
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