Korean food tech company The PlantEat has used artificial intelligence to develop a variety of soybeans that is said to address several challenges commonly faced by plant-based food manufacturers.
The new variety — called Hayoung — is non-GMO and does not have the off-taste and indigestibility often associated with soybeans. As reported by The Chosun, it also improves yields, with 100 beans producing 32.3 grams after processing compared to 21 grams for conventional soybeans. Additionally, The PlantEat claims that the beans do not contain the proteins that typically cause soy allergies.
Hayoung was developed by using AI to analyze over 4 million food data points, significantly speeding up the R&D process. The project was funded by the Korean Food, Agriculture, and Forestry R&D Information Service.
©The PlantEat
The PlantEat is now expanding the cultivation of Hayoung soybeans internationally, into markets including Russia, Vietnam, and Laos.
Technological advancements
The PlantEat does not only produce soybeans — the company also uses its AI-based PAM (Plant-Based Alternative Making) System to develop a range of plant-based foods, including mayo and bakery products. Last year, ThePlantEat introduced a milk alternative called XILK, which uses a combination of ingredients to replicate the properties of cow’s milk.
Plant-based products are rapidly gaining popularity in Korea. In October, the country’s government became the second worldwide to publish a national action plan for plant-based foods, which includes supporting alt protein R&D, promoting the use of domestic agricultural products in plant-based foods, and exporting plant-based products.
©The PlantEat
However, the government also recently prohibited the use of animal food terms such as “beef” and “milk” on product packaging, which could pose a challenge for the industry.
“The PlantEat is a food-tech startup that designs, develops, produces, distributes, and sells a variety of plant-based alternatives,” said Jacob Yang, founder and CEO of The PlantEat. “It was established to address social issues such as the over-reliance on animal-based diets and global nutrition imbalances. We aim to make new plant-based food products easily available for consumption to everyone through technological advancements.”
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{URL}https://vegconomist.com/food-and-beverage/protein/koreas-the-planteat-ai-soybeans/{/URL}
{Author}Bethany Chester{/Author}
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