After last year’s inaugural and sold out AltProteins conference, this year’s program features some of the foremost plant-based meat and cellular agriculture category leaders.
Event organiser, independent alternative proteins think tank Food Frontier, has curated a full day’s program with 35 local and international speakers across 13 distinct sessions.
In a first, a pitch session will be held with three early-stage start-ups pitching their alternative protein venture to investors and industry experts.
Food Frontier said the conference will play a central role in fostering dialogue at a decisive moment for the region’s cultivated meat industry.
Key speakers on the topic will be CEO and co-founder of Vow, George Peppou, and Dr Nick Fletcher, principal toxicologist and risk sssessor at Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
“After Vow applied to sell its quail product as a food ingredient in February 2023, FSANZ is faced with the challenge of balancing food safety with facilitating business growth – and potentially igniting an entirely new consumer market in the region. As part of its review, it is expected to begin the public commentary stage by the end of September 2023,” Food Frontier said.
Food Frontier’s executive director, Dr Simon Eassom, says he hopes the public will get behind the application.
“To imagine that an Australian food tech company could be amongst the first to bring this protein option to our plates is very exciting.
“Alternative proteins can be part of the solution to Australia’s declining export complexity, which we saw through Harvard Kennedy School’s recent announcement that Australia's worldwide position had deteriorated significantly to 93rd in the world, due to a heavy reliance on exporting raw goods.
“China is making significant inroads investing in and scaling up cultivated meat production, as are a host of other countries. Vow is demonstrating food systems innovation and technical leadership and, if approval is granted, will propel Australia onto the international stage as a trailblazer in the race to develop complementary solutions to the world’s growing protein needs.”
Globally, Singapore was the first to approve cultivated meat in 2020, and the US became second in June 2023. The company behind GOOD Meat’s inaugural US approval will also speak at AltProteins 23.
For more information on AltProteins, click here.
To register, click here.
