Plant-Based Bacon Flavor? Industry-Tested, Vegan-Approved

bacon

Replacing petroleum-based ingredients is an m.o for Blue Marble BioMaterials. The Missoula, Montana-based company is working on not only producing innovative ingredients derived from biomass, but also improving waste reducation in the F&F industry.

Waste reduction continues to be a growing influence in consumer choice, along with natural products and sustainably produced products. According to an SSRS survey this year, 77.2% of respondents agreed with the statement "feeling guilty when throwing away food." It looks like the biomaterials company is taking cues from the burgeoning global perception of waste management and turning spent materials into "Blue Marble gold."

Industry-Tested, Vegan-Approved

The plant-based bacon flavor, or bacon dithiazine, is made from over a dozen types of biomass ingredients, including spent coffee grounds and tomato and grape pomace (skin, peel, stems and seeds). The ingredient offers versatility in packaged food applications for both humans and pets, as well as beverage applications (yes, bacon-flavored drinks are still as popular as ever).

"The best way to describe this is it's for consumers who are looking for vegan or vegetarian food options with bacon flavoring," Underwood explained to The Missoulian. "No animals were used to make this product."

Earlier this summer, the company launched a line of third-party-verified natural esters. Using biomass as a natural starting material eliminates the need for petroleum-derived ingredients, explained Colby Underwood, CEO and chief business officer of Blue Marble Biomaterials.

Found Waste is Gold

Furthermore, the company's use of natural materials showcases the industry's ability to utilize spent materials in an effort to reduce waste

"We're going to be [as] competitive as possible with synthetic chemicals and one of the ways we do that is by using low-value starting materials," explained Underwood.

By using waste materials from agricultural, forestry, food and beverage industries, natural ingredients can be priced competitively with synthetic products. Waste-derived ingredients offer the "natural" and "green" products consumers are demanding for a reasonable price.

Blue Marble Biomaterials expects to announce additional products and innovative improvements in the coming weeks.

More in Ingredients