Nourish Ingredients Launches Global Commercial Hub in the Netherlands
Nourish Ingredients, an innovative Australian startup focused on producing novel fats through fermentation, is setting up a global commercial hub at BioPartner 5 in Leiden, the Netherlands. Scheduled for full operational capacity by 2026, this hub symbolizes a strategic move aimed at bolstering the company’s global presence.
Facilities and Strategic Partnerships
The new facility will encompass research and development (R&D), a demonstration kitchen, product development areas, customer showcase environments, and commercial operations. Nourish believes that establishing a base in the Netherlands will facilitate closer collaboration with European partners, essential for its growth strategy.
Using this hub as a launch pad, the company anticipates finalizing additional strategic partnerships with leading food manufacturers on a global scale within the upcoming year. Co-founder and CTO Anna El Tachy, who has moved to Leiden to oversee Nourish’s European operations, emphasized the importance of the European market, stating, “Europe hosts a large number of dairy and food businesses that are key to our growth pipeline.”
Product Offerings: Tastilux and Creamilux
Founded in 2020 by James Petrie and Ben Leita, Nourish has developed two principal product lines. The first, Tastilux, claims to deliver an “authentic animal taste and aroma” at minimal inclusion rates in meat alternatives, prepared foods, snacks, spices, and condiments. The second, Creamilux, is a lipid that aims to replicate the mouthfeel, taste, and emulsifying attributes of dairy fat.
Currently, Tastilux is the more established product. The company recently partnered with Chinese biomanufacturing firm CABIO Biotech to scale up Tastilux production and manage sales and distribution in China. Meanwhile, for Creamilux, El Tachy noted, “We’re in the pilot-scale phase with our primary manufacturing partner and anticipate rapid progress.” This mirrors the trajectory of Tastilux’s development.
Collaborations with Industry Players
Nourish has also partnered with dairy powerhouse Fonterra to investigate Creamilux’s potential as a key ingredient that can unlock functionality while retaining the delightful taste of traditional dairy across multiple categories, including cheese, cream, and butter. This collaboration will also explore opportunities for Creamilux to enhance non-dairy categories, like bakery items, that typically depend on dairy fats.
Regulatory Approvals and Market Launch
The company has secured FEMA GRAS status in the U.S. and is navigating the regulatory landscape in Europe, China, and other regions. El Tachy expressed optimism, saying, “We hope to finalize our regulatory path for these markets within the next year.”
On the commercial side, Nourish expects to finalize its first sales shortly, with products reaching the market soon after. Trials are currently underway with various companies, and initial sales will focus on the Tastilux product platform.
The Future of Fats
Nourish is part of a burgeoning group of startups utilizing microbial fermentation to create customized fats. Other players in the landscape include Terra Oleo, Checkerspot, Yali Bio, and many others focused on similar innovations.
While crafting drop-in replacements for commodity oils and fats using microbial fermentation poses challenges, high-impact fats with low inclusion rates present an attractive opportunity. According to co-founder James Petrie, producing high-potency molecules that can significantly enhance the flavor and culinary experience can be economically advantageous.
“Only a small portion of animal fat provides that distinctive taste. If you create a [drop-in] replacement for animal fat, 80% of the production could be substituted with plant ingredients, which means there’s no point in competing with plants,” he added.
*FEMA GRAS refers to the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association’s Generally Recognized as Safe process, where experts assess the safety of flavor ingredients.
