Such, only civilized. Photo: Unsplash
It’s no secret that the development of cultured meat aims to solve the various problems that arise from growing meat. But it turns out that growing cocoa also creates existing problems and other significant challenges for the producers of cocoa and the various chocolate products. The Israeli foodtech startup Celleste, which we are revealing here today, wants to help with this and now a new partner is also joining it – one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world that is responsible for some products you are probably familiar with.
Cultured chocolate made in Israel
As mentioned, growing cocoa is a problematic process due to a number of factors: starting with clearing rainforests and converting growing land to other, non-agricultural uses; through severe problems in the supply chain, which is affected by global climatic problems, diseases in agriculture and political instability in growing countries – similar to the vanilla supply that was affected due to instability in Madagascar; and a moral challenge committee in growing cocoa due to child labor in several countries. The need to develop sustainable cocoa production technologies has become even more acute in recent years due to the massive global demand for chocolate on the one hand, and the desire of more and more consumers to consume environmentally friendly food on the other.
Celleste has developed a technology based on growing tissue cultures of cells from cocoa beans. The idea is to allow the global chocolate industry a regular supply of natural cocoa, which will not undergo any genetic manipulation, and its production will not depend on weather and climate conditions and can be carried out at sites close to the production sites of chocolate and other final products. Dr. Hanna Wolfin, Celeste’s director of technology, tells Legitimate that the company wants to allow consumers around the world to enjoy the taste and health values inherent in high-quality cocoa, “while neutralizing the harmful environmental effects that result from cultivation today.” Wolfin emphasizes that there is nothing wrong with the cocoa we consume today, “That’s why we also work with cells from cocoa beans”, but the production and production are problematic. Wolfin also emphasizes to us that the cultured cocoa will contain all the health benefits that the source contains, including magnesium, vitamin C and minerals.
The one who has an eye on the Israeli startup is the American food giant Mondelēz, which owns some of the most well-known chocolate and snack brands in the world such as Milka, Oreo, Cadburry, Cote D’or, Chips Ahoy, and the favorite of the returnees from abroad in the nineties – Toblerone. Mondelēz invested in the Israeli startup a sum which is valued at several million dollars and thus it becomes in fact a pioneer among the global chocolate giants that enters the field of cultured cocoa.
Dr. Wolfin. Source: Celleste
When do you think we will see the first products of cultivated cocoa on the shelves?
Wolfin: “We anticipate a partial integration of these components into mainstream products of the chocolate industry within two or three years.”
The founders: four scientists
The Israeli Celest operates from Magev in the Galilee as part of the incubator of the Trendlines Group, which also joined the recruitment round. Along with them, the American investment fund Barrel Ventures, which specializes in investing in companies that develop food technologies, and Moshav Regva also invested in the Israeli company.
Celleste was founded by four scientists with an interdisciplinary background in the field of agripodtech with a focus on cellular biology: Dr. Hana Wolfin, who serves as the Chief Technology Officer; Adv. Avishi Levy; Dr. Orna Harel; and Dr. Dafna Michaeli. Gil Horsky, Head of Investments at Mondelez, said in response to the recruitment: “The technology that Celeste is developing is groundbreaking in the field of cocoa. We are proud to continue to be among the most active international food companies in investments and collaborations with Israeli entrepreneurs and technologies.” Dr. Nitsa Kardish, CEO Lait, the Agripod investment fund of the Trendlines Group, added: “We believe that the ever-increasing global demand for cocoa from sustainable production opens up a tremendous opportunity for all Celeste shareholders.”