Israeli biotech start-up, Novella Innovative Technology, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Metaphor Foods, the innovation arm of ingredients and processing company, Hela APAC. The collaboration will bring Novella’s environmental technology to Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region, supporting the production of precision botanical ingredients for the food industry.
The food preservatives market has been valued at US$3.18 billion and is projected to reach more than US$4.51 billion by 2033. With consumers paying greater attention to the ingredients in their foods and beverages, developers and manufacturers are shifting away from synthetic preservatives.
The global supply chain for natural ingredients is increasingly unstable, driven by fluctuations in crop quality, climate-related disruptions, limited harvesting windows, and recurring raw material shortages. These factors continue to contribute to unpredictable pricing and unreliable sourcing for manufacturers.
Source: Novella
Using its proprietary AuraCell technology, Novella creates pure compounds from plant cells, enabling the growth of bioactive compounds directly from cells to reduce resource use. The result is a bioactive ingredient with guaranteed consistency and zero waste – a scalable and natural alternative to traditional crops.
Novella co-founder and CBDO, Itay Dana, said the company is not just offering an ingredient, but reshaping the definition of natural preservation for food products.
“Our technology platform and the diverse range of products currently in development address some of the most pressing challenges the food manufacturing industries face today,” said Dana.
“We are in the final stages of scaling up production and validating batch-to-batch consistency. These activities are part of our execution plan to guarantee full readiness for the commercial launch of our product by the beginning of 2026.
“This partnership energises the mutual vision to deliver cleaner, cost-parity solutions to the food and nutraceutical industries,” he said.
Novella stated Metaphor Foods’ regional presence and distribution capabilities offered the perfect opportunity to enter the APAC market, which features a mature food processing sector with a growing demand for natural, clean-label ingredients. The new strategic agreement will bring Novella’s AuraCell compounds into the Metaphor Foods’ Hela Natvance range of natural food-protection solutions.
Metaphor Foods CEO, Geoff Gordon, said the new partnership would be a long-term strategic commitment in a market with high demand for natural solutions.
“We’re integrating Novella’s solution into our natural food-protection systems to bring it to market quickly, responsibly, and effectively,” said Gordon.
“While the initial focus is on meat and poultry preservation, the strategic potential of this partnership extends across dozens of revenue-generating categories, including seafood, dairy, baked goods, alternative protein products, and pet food.”
Metaphor Foods is supporting Novella in finalising application studies and regulatory pathways while advancing a commercialisation plan. The agreement outlines a long-term supply relationship designed to secure ingredient availability, establish manufacturing readiness, and ensure consistent quality at scale.
Multiple trials with meat products were conducted at the Hela-Schwarz application labs.
“We received impressive results. Novella successfully replaced natural antioxidants currently in use, reduced the overall cost, and extended shelf life by 30 per cent,” said Gordon.
“Compared to synthetic options – which face growing consumer resistance – Novella’s products not only offer clean-label benefits but also promote minimal footprint.”
Metaphor Foods also signed a commercial agreement with Israeli foodtech start-up, Kinoko-Tech, in October – aiming to produce protein-rich products in Australia through Kinoko-Tech’s fungi-based fermentation process.
