CULT Food Science Highlights Patent Pending Ingredient with Enhanced Nutrition and Protein for Pet Food
CULT Food Science Corp., a pioneer in the investment, development and commercialization of cellular agriculture technologies and products, is pleased to announce details and commercialization plans for its proprietary and patent pending Bmmune product. Bmmune is an alternative protein source for pet food made through a natural fermentation process and is patented for its freeze-dried pet treats. The acquisition of Bmmune was previously announced by the company on March 28, 2023.
The patent covers the nutritional and functional properties of Bmmune, which is produced using nutritional yeast and koji, a fermented protein derived from Aspergillus niger. Bmmune delivers high-quality and sustainable protein for cats and dogs, with nutrient specifications similar to conventional meat. Additionally, Bmmune has been shown to provide health benefits to pets, including improved digestion, gut health, immune system support, cognitive, arterial and heart health, among others.
The overwhelming majority of the estimated US$99 billion global pet food market is based on farmed animal protein. But those conventional foods are falling short of consumer expectations around pet nutrition, are environmentally hazardous and face supply chain constraints. In recent years, pet foods based on alternative proteins have become a high-growth segment of the industry. These treats, supplements and food products avoid the unsustainable factory farming system altogether and rely mostly on plant proteins thus far. Pet owners see nutritive benefits in avoiding animal byproducts and meats coming from dead, dying or diseased farmed animals. Pet foods that contain farmed animal meat have a heavy toll on the environment, estimated to emit as many as 64 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. And throughout the pandemic, the meat supply chain for pet foods was significantly throttled, causing shortages that persist today.
Pet products formulated with Bmmune have all the same environmental benefits of plant-based proteins but can be more palatable, higher protein and have been shown to have been shown to have better absorption rates in dogs.
Management Commentary
“This is one of many foundational patents that CULT Food Science will utilize to continue to build the future of food. The versatility of Bmmune will serve as a platform for multiple products,” said Lejjy Gafour, CEO of CULT.
“It is still difficult to create pet foods that deliver premium, palatable nutrition to dogs and cats and have a low carbon footprint. With Bmmune, we’ve solved at least part of this complex problem,” said Joshua Errett, VP of Product Development at CULT. “We are now ready to supply Bmmune to plant-based and conventional pet brands as a way to enhance protein content, increase palatability, drive down ingredient costs and improve sustainability in pet foods.”