PoLoPo signed a Memorandum of Understanding with CSM Ingredients to join efforts in bringing PoLoPo’s egg-free egg protein grown in potatoes to the commercial baking market.
The food ingredient company and the molecular farming specialist will collaborate on developing PoLoPo’s ovalbumin powder for baking requirements, including foaming, gelation and water binding functions. They will also provide assistance with process optimization, regulatory, and safety requirements.
PoLoPo uses proprietary metabolic engineering techniques to turn potato plants into micro-biofactories. Potato plants manufacture and store the target proteins in the tuber. Tubers are harvested when they reach sufficient size, then their proteins are extracted and dried into a functional protein powder that integrates seamlessly into current food processing lines and formulations. PoLoPo’s first target protein, ovalbumin, will present a cost-effective alternative to using eggs. The company submitted its solution for USDA regulatory approval, and expects to have green light to begin cultivating PoLoPo’s potato plants within six months.
Ovalbumin is extensively used in baking for its functional properties such as texture, thickening, and increasing shelf life. Ovalbumin obtained from molecular farming offers the same performance in an ingredient that is cleaner, more sustainable, more affordable, and more price-stable, PoLoPo says. Ovalbumin is frequently used in the production of pastries including croissants, muffins, and donuts.
CSM Ingredients also selected PoLoPo for Generate, its innovation hub for ingredient startups and food concepts. Generate offers R&D expertise, application opportunities, cutting-edge facilities and commercial support to its startups, including validating proofs of concept, market entry support, and access to CSM business networks.
“Startups like PoLoPo are visionary innovators that play a pivotal role in developing concepts and pushing boundaries, and CSM is committed to bring these innovations to the broader food value chain,” said CSM Ingredients group Managing Director Christian Sobolta. “The global market for ovalbumin powder is projected to reach USD 36 billion by 2032, and PoLoPo presents an opportunity to change the dynamics of this category in a way that benefits planet and profits.”
“This non-exclusive collaboration enhances our strengths and capacity in meaningful ways, from R&D to implementation to opening more doors with packaged food companies that want to work with the product,” said PoLoPo CEO, Maya Sapir-Mir. “Commercial baking is clearly a key lane for us, and CSM’s technical and commercial expertise is strategically valuable for reaching that industry.”
Photo: Dr. Raya Liberman-Aloni (left), Dr. Maya Sapir-Mir (right), LoPoLo co-founders. Credit: LoPoLo
