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By Agroempresario.com
Australian food-tech startup Nourish Ingredients, known for creating next-generation fats via precision fermentation, has announced the establishment of its global commercial hub in Leiden, the Netherlands. Scheduled to be fully operational by 2026, the new site at BioPartner 5 will support R&D, product development, a demo kitchen, customer engagement spaces, and commercial operations as the company targets rapid global expansion.
The company’s decision to base its European headquarters in the Netherlands is strategic. “Europe is a central market because it hosts a large number of dairy and food businesses that are key to our growth pipeline,” said Anna El Tachy, cofounder and CTO of Nourish Ingredients, who recently relocated to Leiden to lead the regional operation.
The Leiden hub will also serve as a springboard for strategic partnerships across Europe and beyond. “We see this as a launchpad into a variety of markets, with many of our key target companies operating out of the EU, while servicing neighboring markets,” El Tachy told AgFunderNews.
Founded in 2020 by James Petrie and Ben Leita, Nourish Ingredients is developing fermentation-derived fats designed to replicate the flavor, mouthfeel, and functional properties of animal-derived fats.
Its Tastilux product is designed to deliver “authentic animal taste and aroma” at very low inclusion rates, suitable for applications in meat alternatives, prepared meals, snacks, spices, and condiments. The product is described as highly potent and capable of transforming the sensory experience of plant-based foods with sub-1% inclusion levels.
The company has already partnered with CABIO Biotech, a Chinese biomanufacturing firm, for commercial-scale production and distribution of Tastilux in China. El Tachy confirmed that Nourish is finalizing its first commercial sales for Tastilux, with products expected to hit the market in the coming weeks. Several trials with food manufacturers are ongoing, and commercial agreements are already in place to support rollout.
Meanwhile, Creamilux, the second product in Nourish’s portfolio, is focused on replicating the mouthfeel, emulsification, and taste of dairy fat. Although still earlier in its commercialization process, Creamilux has garnered attention. In a major development, Nourish has partnered with dairy industry giant Fonterra to explore its use in traditional dairy categories such as cheese, cream, and butter, as well as non-dairy applications like bakery products.
“We’re preparing for our first commercial-scale run with our partner,” said El Tachy. “This will follow a similar trajectory to our work with CABIO for Tastilux.”
Nourish has already received FEMA GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status in the United States, a crucial milestone for flavor ingredients. The company is also advancing regulatory approvals in the EU, China, and additional global markets. El Tachy expects the regulatory pathway in these jurisdictions to be clear within the next 12 months.
With the opening of its EU commercial base, Nourish is positioning itself to build stronger ties with European food manufacturers while supporting product development, pilot runs, and customer engagement from a central location.
Nourish Ingredients is part of a broader movement of startups leveraging microbial fermentation to produce specialized fats. These include Yali Bio, Melt&Marble, Terra Oleo, and Checkerspot, among others. These companies aim to deliver tailored fats that enhance plant-based products, often at very low inclusion rates, making them economically viable even with high production costs.
"Only a small proportion of animal fat is actually interesting and provides that signature taste," explained James Petrie in a recent interview. “So if you make a drop-in replacement, 80% of what you’re producing could be substituted by a plant. And you don’t want to be competing with plants.”
In contrast to full-fat replacements, Nourish’s high-impact approach focuses on key aroma and flavor molecules that define the animal fat experience, offering a significant value proposition for manufacturers seeking to improve plant-based offerings.
