In Finland, dairy major Valio has initiated a research collaboration with Melt&Marble, a Swedish company that produces fats for food applications using cellular agriculture. These fats can serve as alternatives to animal fats and tropical plant fats linked to sustainability concerns, such as palm oil.
Valio and Melt&Marble’s long-term research and development collaboration aims to improve the texture, mouthfeel, and taste of plant-based products.
Specifically, the companies will study the properties of Melt&Marble’s novel fat, develop products, and seek food approval from the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. Melt&Marble plans to begin commercialization in the U.S. by the end of 2025.