MISTA Growth Hack: Helping unlock start-ups and new tech in healthy nutrition

MISTA’s third Growth Hack showcased start-ups and new technologies in meal, snack, and beverage concepts for healthy nutrition. This innovation program aims to accelerate the development of new food products.

The MISTA platform, founded by Givaudan, Ingredion, Danone, and Mars, organized a Demo Day to feature these healthy nutrition concepts, their ingredients, and the companies behind them. Nutrition Insight attended the event on October 8 in San Francisco, California, US. 

Scott May, founder and head of MISTA, said that the team scouted over 200 start-ups for this year’s Growth Hack with interesting new technologies that could help move the needle in nutrition. “We invited 60 to participate and had nine corporate members across the food system with us.”

Over 100 scientists and technologists from start-ups and MISTA member companies, like Ingredion, AAK, and Givaudan, created 18 concepts, delivering new integrated solutions. 

The integrated teams developed product concepts within three streams: Center of the Plate, Beverages, and Snacks.

May said it was “magic” to see how food scientists, chefs, and technologists from corporate members and start-ups worked side by side in the same lab to create these product concepts, most of which were available for tasting at the MISTA Demo Day. 

“It’s not too often that you get to see, in one lab, scientists from eight corporate members and a number of start-ups working together; it’s pretty amazing,” he underscored. “Out of that comes new wisdom that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.”

“The impact goes beyond integrating solutions; it’s about transforming how people think of the way of working. Partnerships between big and small have emerged, and we hope more will follow.”

The Tropical Crunch Fish Bites, with a mango habanero sauce, feature plant-based fish, high levels of omega-9, and are air fryer-ready.Several start-ups and member companies featured in these concepts presented their technologies at the Demo Day, where food scientists shared their experiences in creating these integrated concepts. 

Center of the plate

The first six product concepts featured technologies from 18 start-ups and member companies. 

For example, the high-protein, low-fat, and low-sodium Power Start Breakfast Burrito included a non-animal egg and tortilla from Every. The burrito also featured vegan mozzarella from Bettani, Mamu mycelium sausage from Sempera Organics, and a mushroom flavor enhancer from Fotortec that helps reduce salt. 

Sempera Organics’ CEO, Nirmal Nair, said the company’s fungi-based ingredient, Mamu, is clean label and versatile. “It’s made from three mushrooms — king oyster, shiitake, and white button — combined with chickpeas.” One serving consists of 10% complete protein and offers 36% of the daily recommended dietary fiber content. 

The nut-free Wowbutter and Jelly Sammy is a high-protein and low-sugar allergy-friendly sandwich made with puffed quinoa from Bühler, low-saturated fat butter from Perfat Technologies, algal oil from Checkerspot, and reduced-sugar jelly from Ingredion. 

Frédéric Destaillats, VP of strategic development of Checkerspot, introduced the biotechnology company’s oils and fats produced through microalgae fermentation. “This technology allows us to create better functionality in the process and better nutritional outcomes.” 

He featured Spotlight, a culinary oil made from fermented algae with 13 g of omega-9 per serving, which is high in monounsaturated fats and helps to extend the shelf life of freshly baked goods.

The other product concepts included a vegan Spicy Char Siu Protein Noodle Bowl, Lox & Luxe with cultivated salmon from Wildtype, plant-based Tropical Crunch Fish Bites high in omega-9, and vegan Hatch Chile white cheese poppers.The ProGut Power Pasta Chips are low in sodium and offer a good source of protein from Superbrewed Foods and fiber from Ingredion.

Healthier snacking concepts

In the snack track, the product concepts highlighted how consumers increasingly view snacks as a meal replacement, offering opportunities to make these products nutrient-dense but still tasty — the six concepts used technologies from 21 companies. 

Smart Nougat offers “low-carb indulgence to support brain health,” including postbiotic protein from Superbrewed, Monch Monch fibers from BioLumen, and a Neuroberry blackcurrant isolate to support brain health from Arepa.

Biolumen’s growth and operations manager, Giovannie Shoushi, explained that its prebiotic fiber ingredient, Monch Monch, helps support gut and metabolic health. An experiment measuring participants’ blood sugar response to foods with Monch Monch indicated that the fiber curbed glucose spikes when consumed with chocolate. 

“We’re protecting the liver by blunting that glucose spike, feeding the gut with fiber, and as a result, supporting the brain. When you properly feed your gut bacteria, they release short-chain fatty acids that help reduce inflammation and support cognitive function.”

Banking on the Dubai chocolate trend, the food scientists also developed a Dubai Crown Cookie. This vegan cookie aims to support gut health and cognition, offering five grams of vegan protein per serving. It includes sweet protein by Oobli to reduce sugar, Brightseed’s Bio Gut Fiber, and a functional animal-free egg protein by Every.

Other healthier snack concepts presented included mushroom-based Shroom Fuel Jerky for on-the-go energy; high-protein and high-fiber Happy Biome Protein Puffs with four protein sources; ProGut Power Pasta Chips in two flavors; and Super Porridge with proteins and fibers produced in Kenya for schoolchildren in the country.

Functional beverages and shots

The final integration track showcased six beverage concepts, using technologies from 24 start-ups and established companies.

Alpine Bio developed a purification process to amplify soy milk’s protein content, offering 16 g of protein in a 240 mL serving. The UltraBiome Gut Health drink supports gut health with prebiotic fibers, probiotics, postbiotic protein from SuperBrewed Foods, and parabiotic fragments from BiomeMega. These non-living and biologically active structures are derived from probiotics, bacteria, and fungi.

Julie Post-Smith, head of commercial at Superbrewed Foods, explained how the company developed a new protein that doesn’t compromise on “flavor, taste, cost, allergenicity, or sustainability.” 

The company identified microbes that process plants into protein in the gut of gorillas. “We brought those into an anaerobic fermentation environment, allowing us to create a postbiotic cultured protein through flexible feedstocks.” 

A GLP-1 Support shot combines protein fiber with encapsulated vitamins A, D, and E by Infusd, offering 100% of the daily recommended intake for these micronutrients. 

Rory McParland, partner of Infusd, detailed how the company helps manufacturers transition from pills to beverages to account for the growing pill fatigue among supplement consumers. 

“We specialize in making insoluble and fat-soluble nutrients water-soluble for beverage applications. This process improves shelf life, increases bioavailability, offers a low-cost solution for customers, and delivers these actives at an efficacious dose.”

Other beverage concepts on display included a high-protein soymilk from Alpine Bio; NutriSqueeze with fibers and botanicals to support weight and glucose management; a Blue Wave Brain Shot with marine whey, DHA, and spirulina; and a high-protein PowerFuel Sport Beverage.