JBS company initiates construction of the world’s largest cultivated beef protein plant
14 | 06 | 2023
JBS, one of the world’s largest food companies, has begun building the world’s largest cultivated beef protein plant at San Sebastián, Spain. With an investment of US$ 41 million, equivalent to over R$ 200 million, the first commercial scale industrial plant of BioTech Foods is expected to be completed in mid-2024. JBS is the majority shareholder of the Spanish company, European leader in the cultivated protein sector, with a 53% market share.
The investment is a milestone in the industry, since the plant when completed will be able to produce over a thousand tons of cultivated protein a year, with an expansion capacity of 4,000 tons a year in the medium term, a development that will contribute to further diversify the product portfolio of JBS. It is hoped that cultivated protein will help address the increase of 135% in the global demand for protein by 2050, according to an estimate the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
“As the largest global producer of protein, it is our responsibility to be at the forefront of the initiatives where food and technology intersect. The new BioTech plant puts JBS in the unique position to head up the segment and surf the wave of innovation. The new hub at San Sebastián will enable BioTech to offer cultivated protein as an innovative product that will meet the consumer demand for healthy, tasty and sustainable food products, says Eduardo Noronha, director of the added value business unit of JBS USA and one of those responsible for the cultivated protein strategy of JBS.
The new plant will be built on a 20,000-square meter plot of land, which will enable the facilities to expand and adapt to the needs of a market in constant evolution. BioTech Foods is planning to gradually increase its production capacity to address growing consumer demand. The company has already identified key markets like Australia, Brazil, the European Union, Japan, Singapore and the United States.
With patented bioreactors and cutting-edge technology adapted specifically for producing cultivated protein, the plant will be equipped with the necessary resources for achieving success in this competitive and innovative market. Besides the economic impact, the new plant will also deliver social benefits. It is estimated that around 150 jobs will be created, including qualified research and development professionals.
“BioTech Foods has the technology and capacity to produce protein on a large scale in a sustainable and innovative manner, addressing ommercial needs around the world. Given the challenges imposed on global supply chains, cultivated protein has the potential to stabilize food security and global protein production”, says Iñigo Charola, cofounder and CEO of BioTech Foods.
In addition to the development in Spain, JBS is going to build a latest-generation biotechnology and cultivated protein research and development center in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. The complex, to be called JBS Biotech Innovation Center, will receive an investment estimated at US$ 60 million. The purpose is to develop 100% Brazilian cutting-edge technology for producing alternative proteins.
Escrito por: Oxigenweb