Protein Production Technology Podcast

Can cell-cultured meat deliver the taste and appeal that cats expect from their favourite treats? BioCraft Pet Nutrition has put its cultured mouse ingredient to the test against an established cat treat brand, with results that offer an important milestone for the company.
In this episode of the Protein Production Technology International Podcast, Nick Bradley speaks with Dr Shannon Falconer, Founder and CEO of BioCraft Pet Nutrition, about the development of its cell-cultured cat treat and the scientific work behind its recent palatability trial. In an independent in-home study involving 40 cats, BioCraft’s treat achieved comparable acceptance to an Applaws chicken-flavoured lickable treat, with no statistically significant preference between the two products.
Shannon explains why the first palatability trials fell short, how the team refined the product, and why smell, texture, initial taste and aftertaste all matter when developing food for cats. She also discusses BioCraft’s shift from harvesting only biomass to collecting the biomass alongside nutrients and other small molecules produced by the cells, and how processing and shelf-life requirements affect the final product.
The conversation explores how BioCraft uses AI to accelerate formulation development by combining ingredient data, metabolomics analysis and observations of cat behaviour. Shannon also explains why the company developed a finished lickable treat rather than simply supplying its cultured ingredient, helping potential pet food partners move more directly towards commercialisation.
Finally, Shannon discusses the importance of ethical, in-home palatability testing, the commercial opportunities for cell-cultured ingredients in pet food, and why BioCraft believes its cat treat is ready for market.
The Future of Protein Production is connecting companies working to make the global protein system more sustainable, kind and fair for the planet, people, and animals.
To find out more about our platform click here: https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
To read the most recent edition of Protein Production Technology, our multi-media magazine, click here: https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
#BioCraftPetNutrition #CellCulturedMeat #CultivatedMeat #PetFoodInnovation #AlternativeProteins #FoodTech #ProteinProductionTechnology

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In this episode of the Protein Production Technology International Podcast, we speak with Dr. Valerie Stahl, Food Extrusion Technology Specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, about the science behind developing better alternative protein products.
Dr. Stahl discusses how advanced material characterization and analytical techniques are helping food manufacturers better understand ingredient functionality, optimize extrusion processes, and improve the texture, structure, and overall quality of plant-based foods. She also shares insights into how data-driven product development can reduce trial and error, accelerate innovation, and support the growing alternative protein industry.
Whether you're working in food technology, extrusion, ingredient development, or sustainable protein, this conversation offers valuable perspectives on the scientific tools shaping the future of food innovation.
The Future of Protein Production is connecting companies working to make the global protein system more sustainable, kind and fair for the planet, people, and animals.
To find out more about our platform click here:
https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
To read the most recent edition of Protein Production Technology, our multi-media magazine, click here:
https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
#FutureOfProteinProduction #ProteinProductionTechnology #ThermoFisherScientific #ValerieStahl #AlternativeProtein #FoodTech #PlantBased #FoodInnovation #Extrusion #MaterialScience #SustainableFood

What role will fats play in the future of alternative protein and food production? From improving taste and texture to strengthening supply chains and enabling new formulations, this webinar explores how both existing and emerging fat technologies could shape the next generation of food products.
In this episode of the Protein Production Technology International Webinar series, Nick Bradley brings together experts from AAK, Savor, the Good Food Institute, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst to examine the evolving landscape of alternative fats.
The panel explores how fats contribute to creaminess, juiciness, melting behaviour, flavour release, mouthfeel, processing performance and nutrition — and why developing successful alternative protein products requires much more than simply getting the protein component right.
The discussion also looks at emerging technologies including precision fermentation, cultivated fat, fat structuring and Savor's approach to producing fats from carbon. The speakers discuss how these technologies could complement existing oils and fats, improve supply chain resilience, reduce reliance on agricultural inputs, and potentially provide more stable and scalable sources of fat.
With supply volatility, climate change, geopolitical disruption and sustainability increasingly influencing food production, the panel considers what manufacturers actually need from future fat solutions — including functionality, affordability, scalability and consumer acceptance.
The webinar concludes with a look at where the industry could be heading over the next five to ten years, with the panel suggesting that the future is likely to involve a combination of existing oils and fats with emerging technologies, creating hybrid and complementary solutions rather than one single replacement technology.
Featuring:
Ronald van der Knap — AAK
Kim Oliphant — AAK
Francisco Ardevalo — AAK
Kiara Kachini — Savor
Adam Leman — Good Food Institute
Lutz Grossmann — University of Massachusetts Amherst
The Future of Protein Production is connecting companies working to make the global protein system more sustainable, kind and fair for the planet, people, and animals.
To find out more about our platform click here:
https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
To read the most recent edition of Protein Production Technology, our multi-media magazine, click here:
https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
#AlternativeFats #FoodTech #AlternativeProtein #FoodInnovation #PrecisionFermentation #FutureOfProtein #ProteinProductionTechnology

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Scaling novel lipids from promising science to commercial production brings a unique set of challenges. In infant nutrition, where safety, purity, consistency, and clinical evidence are essential, the journey from innovation to a market-ready ingredient demands more than breakthrough biology.
In this episode of the Protein Production Technology International Podcast, Nick Bradley is joined by Alex, Ernesto, and Casey from Checkerspot and the wider biotechnology industry to explore the realities of commercializing novel lipids for infant nutrition and beyond.
Using the story of fermentation-derived DHA as a starting point, the panel reflects on what it takes to bring a novel ingredient into widespread use. The discussion covers the challenges that can be less visible in success stories: scale-up difficulties, expensive early production batches, regulatory work, finding customers, achieving viable production economics, and building the capacity to supply them consistently.
The speakers examine how advances in precision fermentation, synthetic biology, and AI-enabled design-build-test cycles are changing what is possible. They also discuss the enduring challenges of industrial biotechnology, including the gap between laboratory performance and manufacturing robustness, and why strains and processes must be designed with commercial production in mind.
For infant nutrition, the conversation highlights the importance of demonstrating that fermentation-derived ingredients are structurally equivalent, safe, and consistently produced to the required standards of purity and quality. Data and clinical evidence remain central to customer confidence and adoption.
The panel also looks ahead to the potential for designing lipids around specific nutritional and functional needs, including innovations such as high-sn-2-palmitate OPO. Beyond infant formula, novel lipids may have applications across food, nutrition, personal care, and other markets.
A central theme throughout the discussion is the need to balance technological possibility with market demand. Successful commercialization starts with a real customer need, a clear understanding of ingredient economics, and a technical approach capable of meeting both.
The Future of Protein Production is connecting companies working to make the global protein system more sustainable, kind and fair for the planet, people, and animals.
To find out more about our platform click here:
https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
To read the most recent edition of Protein Production Technology, our multi-media magazine, click here:
https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
#FutureOfProteinProduction #ProteinProductionTechnology #Checkerspot #NovelLipids #InfantNutrition #PrecisionFermentation #IndustrialBiotechnology #DHA #OPO #Biomanufacturing #AlternativeProteins #FoodTech #FoodInnovation

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Moving from pilot-scale success to profitable industrial production remains one of the biggest challenges in industrial biotechnology. A process that works in the lab may encounter very different realities at commercial scale, from oxygen transfer and energy use to downstream processing, production costs, and reliable supply.
In this episode of the Protein Production Technology International Podcast, Nick Bradley is joined by experts from Bühler, Pular Group, Vivace, Pow.Bio, ADM, and Fermentalg to explore what it takes to turn promising biotechnologies into commercially viable businesses.
The discussion examines why proving that a product can be made is only the beginning. The real challenge is producing it reliably, competitively, and at a cost customers are willing to pay. The panel explores the gap between technical feasibility and commercial success, including the importance of manufacturing strategy, infrastructure, production economics, and knowing where continued investment can make a difference.
Bühler shares its perspective on connecting biology with a complete production system, helping companies address the engineering and operational challenges that emerge during scale-up. The conversation also highlights the importance of designing processes with commercial production in mind, rather than treating industrialization as a problem to solve only after success in the lab or pilot plant.
The panel considers the role of customer demand, reliable supply chains, and partnerships in building a viable industrial biotechnology sector. From bio-based ingredients and precision fermentation to proteins, oils, and fats, speakers discuss the opportunities emerging as biological production moves toward larger-scale applications.
The conversation also explores why the industry’s next phase will depend on more than scientific breakthroughs. Commercial discipline, scalable technology, and the ability to deliver value for customers will be essential to turning industrial biotechnology’s potential into profitable production.
The Future of Protein Production is connecting companies working to make the global protein system more sustainable, kind and fair for the planet, people, and animals.
To find out more about our platform click here: https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
To read the most recent edition of Protein Production Technology, our multi-media magazine, click here: https://www.futureofproteinproduction.com/
#FutureOfProteinProduction #ProteinProductionTechnology #Buhler #IndustrialBiotechnology #ScaleUp #PrecisionFermentation #Biomanufacturing #AlternativeProteins #BioBased #FoodTech #Biotechnology #Fermentation #FoodInnovation