ADM has signed a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding with Believer Meats to collaborate on ways to advance the development and commercialization of cultivated/cultured meat products.
Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat Technologies) is one of the earlier cultivated meat companies. Although an Israeli company, its first commercial production plant is under construction in Wilson County, N.C.
The company claims the 200,000-sq.-ft. facility will be the largest cultivated meat production center in the world and carries a planned investment of $123 million. It will have the capacity to produce at least 10,000 metric tons (22 million pounds) of any species of meat.
“With a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, ADM is working with partners across the value chain to meet food security and sustainability needs by expanding the protein ecosystem,” said Leticia Gonçalves, ADM’s president of global foods. “Cultivated meat represents an exciting evolution and yet another way to meet long-term food security needs.”
Gustavo Burger, CEO of Believer, added, “By pairing ADM's leading expertise in ingredient application development and complete nutrition solutions they bring to their customers with our groundbreaking cell cultivation technology, we aim to accelerate the development and commercialization of high-quality, safe, and delicious meat products that deliver on the increasing demands of our growing global population.”
The non-exclusive agreement also lays out a path to further support the partnership and industry growth by utilizing ADM’s processing expertise and footprint to potentially commercialize new products arising from the collaboration.
Despite the North Carolina construction, Believer Meats does not yet have FDA or USDA approvals for any part of its process. Only Upside Foods and Good Meat, the latter a subsidiary of Eat Just, have those first of many approvals, and both are developing chicken products.
