World's First Plant-Based Burger Patty Developed From Microalgae Contains 2x More Protein Than Beef

6 April 2021

As the alternative protein industry is growing, food technologists are applying innovative methods of producing plant-based meats. Recently, Israeli Redefine Meat which uses 3D-printers to create plant-based beef caught the eye of investors.

A Singapore-based start-up called Sophie's Bionutrients has created the first-ever plant-based meat made from microalgae. This plant-based product not only replicates the texture of meat, but also has twice the protein content of beef and most commercial fish.

Every 60 grams of the burger contains the nine essential amino acids and 25 grams of protein. It is also high in Vitamin B12 and low on sodium.

Sophie's Bionutrients uses a patent-pending technology and single-cell microalgae to create a protein-rich flour. The flour is chewy and has a texture like meat, and is formed into burger patties, along with a mixture of ten spices.

The Singapore Food Agency and European Food Safety Authority has approved of the microalgae strains used by Sophie's Bionutrients, and the start-up can produce up to 100 patties in a week.

Eugene Wang, CEO, Sopihe's Bionutrients

The start-up won SGD $1 million from Temasek Foundation’s The Liveability Challenge in 2019, and subsequently set up their first urban protein production facility in 2020.

Microalgae can be a sustainable solution in many industries as it is both renewable and economically feasible. Its entrance in the plant-based food sector paves the way for more research and development, and further innovations using this ingredient.