Impossible Foods and Motif FoodWorks have announced a joint settlement agreement regarding the legal battle over a patent infringement of heme technology using yeast and precision fermentation.
Under the deal, Impossible Foods would acquire Motif FoodWorks‘ heme-related business. The agreement also stipulates neither party can renew allegations or bring the issue back to court, reported AFN.
With this settlement, Impossible Foods, which produces the protein soy leghemoglobin found in soy, has gained access to the intellectual property and expertise of Motif FoodWorks on the animal-free protein myoglobin, branded as HEMAMI. Both iron-bearing proteins, known as heme, are said to impart the taste, texture, red color, and bleeding features of animal meat to plant-based alternatives.
A battle for a secret ingredient
By 2021, Impossible Foods exclusively held the patents and production knowledge for heme derived from soybeans — the secret ingredient behind the success of its plant-based meat products. However, in 2022, Motif FoodWorks launched HEMAMI, the first commercially available heme ingredient, after receiving FDA’s GRAS approval in December 2021.
The conflict began in March 2022 when Impossible Foods sued Motif for allegedly infringing on patents on the heme tech. Over the years, the legal case saw several developments, including accusations of spying and the overturning of patents.
Heme’s regulatory success
Impossible Foods has achieved regulatory success for its heme protein in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. However, entering the European market has been delayed due to stringent EU regulations. Similarly, the UK requires pre-market approval for novel foods, and currently, Impossible Foods’ products do not feature the company’s fermented heme.
However, the company received favorable news from Europe, as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has declared the company’s fermented soy leghemoglobin safe for consumption. The next step toward market approval involves a safety evaluation by the EFSA’s Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms.
In addition to Motif FoodWorks, other companies, including South Korea’s HN Novatech and the Belgian startup Paleo, are developing animal-free heme for the plant-based meat market.
Great tasting food
While the exact details of the agreement remain confidential, it is clear that Impossible Foods has secured a significant advantage in the race to develop the most realistic plant-based meats.
Last month, Impossible Foods opened its first foodservice industry concept, Impossible Quality Meats. It is a pop-up restaurant in the XMarket Food Hall in Uptown Chicago, marking the company’s first brick-and-mortar endeavor.
At the opening, Peter McGuinness, president and CEO of Impossible Foods, said, “Choosing meat from plants shouldn’t feel like a compromise. It’s great-tasting food, plain and simple.”
