About 300 residents are among the select few to taste-test the next best alternative to chicken and fish protein as part of the XPRIZE ‘Feed the Next Billion’ global competition in Abu Dhabi.
The four-year-long $15 million challenge launched in December 2020 for teams of innovators to develop chicken and fish alternatives has now reached its final phase. The competition aims to incentivise teams to replicate or outperform conventional chicken and fish in five critical areas — access, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition, and taste and texture.
From more than 300, about six teams from Argentina, China, Canada, Austria, Estonia, and South Korea are left in the race. They sent their food samples to Abu Dhabi, where the taste testing took place at the International Centre for Culinary Arts.
The insights from about 300 residents, selected by a market research and consulting firm to test the samples, will help the judging panel of experts in food science, sustainability, and culinary arts pick the winner to be announced here on October 30.
Khaleej Times got a guided tour of the kitchen and behind-the-scenes works to find tomorrow’s protein alternatives, which will help people around the world access safe and affordable food. All participating residents were tasked to taste test three different sets of samples with two non-veg and one non-meat alternative.
Maintaining confidentiality, the residents never knew which sample or the team they were testing. All three samples were cut by chefs to look like a non-veg piece. The residents had to check for taste, nutrition analysis, smell, etc., and later answer about 20 questions to help find sustainable and innovative solutions.
Six teams in the fray
CellX, a team from China is the only one competing with a cell-based chicken. Others are Eternal (fermentation-derived chicken team from Argentina), PlantEat (plant-based fish team from South Korea), ProFillet (plant-based fish team from Canada), Revo Foods (plant-based fish team from Austria), and TFTAK (plant-based fish team from Estonia). They had to ensure their product is scalable for global distribution.
Chef Francisco Araya, the centre director at the International Centre for Culinary Arts, Abu Dhabi, noted that it’s a tough call to pick a winner.
“I think that there will be more than one winner. The samples resemble the real product. It’s outstanding,” Araya told Khaleej Times.
The final round of competition will look at the structure, preparation, and cookability of the finalists’ samples, as well as sensory analysis, including taste, aroma, texture, appearance, and overall similarity to their animal-origin equivalents.
“The gap to the original is becoming smaller. You are moving closer. It’s going to be getting that extra one per cent, I think, the effort is going to be quite high. It’s going to be an organoleptic mix between texture, and aroma, but some of them are very close,” Araya underlined.
The global competition was launched in partnership with ASPIRE, the UAE’s R&D catalyst, and convener of transformative grand challenges, and US-based non-profit organisation Tony Robbins Foundation. With the global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, the demand for sustainable and alternative food sources has never been more urgent, making this competition more relevant than ever.
“The global challenge of food security requires urgent and innovative solutions,” said Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE.
Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE, noted the competition showcases the incredible potential of innovation to address a pressing issue of global food supply.
“As we approach the final phase of this transformative competition, we are inspired by the dedication and ingenuity of the participating teams. Their breakthroughs in alternative proteins will play a crucial role in shaping a more sustainable and resilient global food system.”