To put it another way, coffee and cocoa are so complex that you can’t program yeast cells to produce them in fermentation tanks.
“Contains hundreds and thousands of flavors and bioactive molecules” Perlstein claims to use plant cell cultures to grow materials close to cacao nibs, and has recently worked with the Finnish technical research center VTT on cell cultures from coffee plants.
but how close california culturedAre the cocoa ‘nibs’ or coffee grounds real?
“We know we’re replicating thousands of flavors right now.” Pearlstein’s claim“And that’s the true beauty of plant cell culture. It can have more complex nuances that many single-note flavors lack.” na[he cited the difference between vanillin – a compound in vanilla pods which can be produced via microbial fermentation – and vanilla extract, which has complex smoky, spicy, botanical, sulfury, sweet and creamy notes as well as that core vanilla flavor you get from vanillin].
“And to me, it’s the magic of all the molecules working together, plus getting the benefits of bioactive molecules for human health and well-being.” Pearlstein added, He has worked with plant, animal and microbial cells in his career.
Plant cell culture: “Escape from a very cold winter…” na
How well established is plant cell culture? “A lot of research on plant cell culture was done at the beginning of this century. Perlstein spoke with FoodNavigator-USA before moving into the new 12,000-square-foot facility and pilot plant in West Sacramento.
“But we’re coming out of a very cold winter now, and I think there are companies using it to make flavors and colors, and others using it to make pharmaceuticals.”na
he added: “One of the most effective drugs for breast cancer is called taxol. na[in the bark of the Pacific yew tree], they were trying to find a way to make it na[on an industrial scale] through chemistry or synthetic biology na[using microbes], But the only way they could really scale up was with plant cell culture.na
“We think plant cell culture has some very interesting advantages. You don’t need the most expensive nuclear reactor. It doesn’t even have to be steel.”na
“Taxol is produced in 75,000 to 100,000 liter tanks, so we know these very large industrial systems can handle plant cell cultures.”na
California Cultured’s technology, which appears to have potential to produce high-value bioactive ingredients such as cocoa flavanols, could produce the millions of tons of cocoa nibs needed to compete with Hershey and Mars. Is not it?
Perlstein, who launched the company in the summer of 2020, says it’s in the very early stages. “But taxol is produced in tanks of 75,000 to 100,000 liters, so we know we can process plant cell cultures in very large industrial systems. I have no intention of producing it. na
“Our first goal is to focus on flavanols, ensure that our products taste and function well, and have the appropriate regulatory approvals worldwide to achieve higher potency and scale. It’s about establishing the right partnerships to do that.”na
When asked about regulatory challenges, he said: “Essentially, we are pretty confident because all the ingredients are food grade from start to finish.”na
“We’re basically making analogues of chocolate nibs.”na
So how does plant cell culture work?
Regarding cacao, Perlstein said:Tissues from different parts of the cocoa plant are evaluated to examine genes, metabolic profiles and patterns.na From there, you can choose specific cell lines that make cocoa flavors pop and taste great, for example.na
“We use a variety of bioreactor processes to grow and divide these cells, and when they reach maturity, we inoculate the cells with microorganisms. na[hence the name California ‘Cultured’], After fermentation, they are dried and roasted, so they are basically making an analogue of chocolate nibs. Then use analytical chemistry to understand the molecule you are creating.na
“From there, you can put the nibs in a traditional cocoa grinder and add everything you would add in a traditional chocolate.”na
How scalable is plant cell culture?na
So what kind of inputs are needed to grow cells?
“The main inputs are sugars, amino acids, and trace amounts of plant hormones.” Pearlstein said, “And they have to be stirred in the right gas mixture, and that’s basically it. In the wild, it usually takes six months to a year or more.”na
For coffee, the process would be much the same, adds Perlstein, who recently joined the team. VTTis a leading Finnish research institute specializing in plant cell culture and microbial technology.
“They have a great track record of working with companies to develop formula-based systems. We are looking at varieties that are very difficult to grow, have unique flavors, and have a fairly high price per cup.”na
The rationale behind coffee and cocoa from plant cell culturesna
Want to know why California Cultured and other startups are trying to reverse engineer coffee and chocolate? Voyage Foods, AtomoWhen QOAConsidering that ordinary coffee and cocoa trees are very suitable for making our favorite drinks and foods, and doing this first of all, some According to Perlstein, these factors overlap.
“Demand continues to grow and coffee prices are only going to get higher and higher. Growing space is shrinkingThere will be massive global disruptions to the global coffee supply chain in the next five to eight years. We look forward to partnering with forward-thinking companies that “na
The same goes for chocolate, the price of which will only rise over time as demand outstrips supply and people pay more attention to issues ranging from deforestation and climate change to child labor. he said.
“ofna In West Africa, much cocoa production is rapidly declining due to disease and climate change. It can reduce pollination rates, make it harder to find labor, and contribute to deforestation…some of the big reasons we think this kind of technology is necessary… And we consider it almost inevitable. “na
If you’re using plant cell cultures to make coffee or chocolate, he said,Don’t wait to plant trees. No need to worry about fertilizers, pesticides, pollination, child labor or climate change. “na
IP, funding, business modelna
So what does California Cultured’s business model look like?
“We are currently looking for partners to work with and scale with us.” Perlstein says it has raised about $5 million to date.Corporations, Institutions, and Angels“Investor“Especially those who are interested in cocoa flavors, flavanols, and new types of cocoa butter that we are developing.”na
Regarding IP, Sung-Yorn Harrison Yoon, a pioneer in plant cell culture and former Chief Scientific Officer of Diana Plant Sciences, said: “We are involved in a lot of our work and our intellectual property. We are excited about it and will be submitting it soon.”na
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