Biotech Foods

Biotech Foods, a Spanish food technology company founded in 2017, is focused on the production of cultivated meat. The company was established in San Sebastián by CEO Iñigo Charola and CTO Mercedes Vila. Charola has a background in marketing and strategy, while Vila holds a PhD in materials physics and is a recognized researcher in biomedicine, having received the L'Oréal-UNESCO "For Women in Science" award in 2010.

The company operates in the alternative protein market, specifically the cultivated meat sector, which addresses sustainability concerns related to conventional livestock farming. Its core business involves tissue engineering, where it grows animal cells in a controlled environment to produce genuine animal meat without genetic modification. This business-to-business (B2B) model supplies a cultured meat paste to food processing companies, which then use it as an ingredient to create finished products like burgers, sausages, and meatballs. The resulting protein paste has a neutral taste, which allows processors to add flavoring to create diverse products.

In November 2021, global protein giant JBS S.A. acquired a majority stake in Biotech Foods, a strategic move to accelerate development and scale production. This acquisition included a significant investment of US$ 100 million directed towards building a new, larger production plant in Spain and establishing Brazil's first cultivated protein R&D center. The new Spanish facility, which began construction in 2022, is designed to increase production capacity significantly, with commercial output anticipated by mid-2024. This expansion aims to make cultivated meat a more accessible and affordable option for consumers globally. Keywords: cultivated meat, cellular agriculture, food technology, alternative protein, JBS, tissue engineering, B2B ingredients, sustainable food, lab-grown meat, meat alternatives, Iñigo Charola, Mercedes Vila, food production, biotechnology, protein innovation, food science, slaughter-free meat, Ethicameat, cell-based meat, food sustainability