Leaft Foods & Lacto Japan Partner for Sustainable Plant-Based Protein
Leaft Foods, a New Zealand-based startup, has made significant strides in developing a sustainable protein source from plant leaves. The company has partnered with Lacto Japan, a leading Japanese dairy company, to introduce innovative, plant-based protein products to the Japanese and international markets. This collaboration aims to partially replace or supplement traditional milk products, marking a significant shift in the food industry.
Leaft Foods' breakthrough lies in its gentle, food-safe process that preserves the integrity of Rubisco, the world's most abundant protein derived from green plant leaves. The company extracts Rubisco from alfalfa, creating a complete protein with notable functional, nutritional, and environmental advantages. Rubisco boasts foaming, gelling, and emulsification properties, setting like egg whites, and offers a clean-label alternative to methylcellulose. Compared to whey protein, Rubisco provides a better amino acid profile and generates 97% fewer greenhouse gases.
Several startups, including Plantible Foods, Day 8, and Rubisco Foods, are also exploring the potential of Rubisco protein. Leaft Foods has launched its first consumer product, Leaft Blade, a pre-workout drink with 17g of protein, in New Zealand. The company has raised $15M in funding and moved to a 30,000 sq ft commercial-scale demo plant in Canterbury, capable of producing a tonne of Leaf Rubisco products per week.
The partnership between Leaft Foods and Lacto Japan is expected to have a significant impact on several food industries, including dairy, functional food, and plant-based products. The collaboration aims to develop and introduce new protein sources that are not only sustainable but also offer superior nutritional benefits. With plans to build a business worth tens of millions of dollars in the next five years, this venture signals a promising future for plant-based protein in East Asia and beyond.
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