Food ingredient company Moolec Science, which uses molecular farming to grow animal proteins in plants, has gained approval from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for its range of soyabeans containing pork proteins.
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) found that Moolec’s genetically engineered (GE) Piggy Sooy product was unlikely to pose an increased risk of pests compared to non-modified soyabeans, the company said on 22 May.
Using molecular farming technology, Moolec has been developing a range of meat proteins in plants as ingredients aimed at improving the taste, appearance, texture and nutrition of meat alternatives.
The company’s product portfolio includes other crops, such as safflower and pea.
In June 2023, the company announced that Piggy Sooy seeds had achieved high levels of expression of pork protein (up to 26.6% of the total soluble protein) and had patented their technology, which produces beans with a pink hue like pork.
At the time of launching the product, Moolec chief science officer Amit Dhingra said the company’s molecular technology had “the potential to be used across a wide variety of proteins of interest for a broad range of industries, such as the pharma, cosmetic, diagnostic re-agents and other food industries.”
Following regulatory clearance, the company would be able to plant and transport Piggy Sooy soyabeans without permits, as is the case with non-modified ingredients, Moolec co-founder and CEO Gastón Paladini said.
“We believe this [approval] paves the way for … [the] adoption of molecular farming technology by other industry players,” Moolec chief of technology and co-founder Martin Salinas said.
The approval would also improve the company’s operational efficiency, transform its methods of raw material sourcing and optimise its downstream crushing and processing operations, Salinas added.
Following USDA-APHIS approval, the company said the next step was the completion of its consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before making the Piggy Sooy ingredient available commercially.
Based in Luxembourg, the company operates in the USA, Europe and South America.
