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"You have to be a true gourmet to distinguish Hi! from regular meat" 20 September 2022
Russia in step with global trends on the use of plant raw materials

The government and manufacturers, retailers and investors - all participants in the strategic session of the INNOFOOD 2022 industry forum in Sochi confirm the key role of plant-based alternatives in ensuring global food security.

The range of such products is expanding every year. Accessibility is improving. Consumer mentality is slowly changing. We see that the times when classic alternatives were seen as marginal exotic products are long gone.


Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Denis Manturov
“In my understanding, we are keeping up with global trends in using plant raw materials instead of animal protein. I think we certainly have every capacity for this. I mean the performance of agricultural producers. EFKO, which is here [at the forum], is showcasing its products and improving them. Indeed, distinguishing from natural meat is honestly very difficult. You have to be a true gourmet to do that. To be honest, I couldn't tell the difference".

During the strategic session, Director for Strategic Development Vladislav Romantsev revealed why EFKO is switching to new innovative ways and principles of selecting new projects.


EFKO Director for Strategic Development, Vladislav Romantsev
“Innovation has always been a key driver of our company's development. All of our projects are on par with their global counterparts. However, making a tasty product is not enough when it comes to not just technological sovereignty but also technological leadership.

Manufacturing has to be economically and environmentally efficient for it to become a mass product.

Russian technologies are just as good as the world's best. The plant-based meat market will be worth roughly $200 billion by 2030. Russia has every chance to take a share of about 20%. A favourable climate, availability of plant raw materials and a GMO ban - this is huge potential and an opportunity to nurture new national leaders!”

Significant investment does not make plant-based meat less competitive, including in comparison with cell-cultured meat.

"For cell-cultured meat to become a mass product, its cost has to fall to about $5 to $7 per kg," explained Vladislav Romantsev. "The price is currently $75 for the best analogues". According to Dutch experts, this figure is unlikely to fall below $7 to $10.

Also, economic feasibility has a special meaning in biotech. It is not always possible to easily transfer technology from a 5-litre fermenter to a 10-ton fermenter. Taking up at least a 10% share of the global animal meat market requires building 4,000 such plants, which is an incredible number. And that's excluding the risks of microbiological contamination. Altogether, this presents a significant barrier to a potential increase in consumption".

FOR REFERENCE
INNOFOOD is Russia's first major international event focused on Foodtech. The forum brings together technology developers, heads of research centres, government officials, investors, agricultural companies and digital services. This year's forum will be held in Sochi from 19 to 20 September.

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