The Live Green Co. (TLGC), a Chilean foodtech company headquartered in Boston since 2022, unveils two new functional ingredients from its (Chile-based) precision fermentation division: GreenTAG — an analog of human breast milk fat known as OPO — and GutRevyv, a postbiotic for gut health.
Human milk fat (mainly containing Triacylglycerols or OPO) plays a crucial role in infant development and health: It benefits nutrient absorption, supports neurodevelopment, boosts immunity, favors gut health, and promotes infant well-being.
GreenTAGs is described as a game-changing alternative to the commonly used vegetable oils in infant formulas, capable of bridging the nutritional gap between breast milk and formula feeding. Leveraging yeast to produce that same human milk fat molecule, GreenTAGs is said to closely mimic the nutritional profile of human breast milk, providing essential nutrients for infants.
“Our human milk fat (Triacylglycerols ) innovation is a significant stride in infant nutrition”
CEO and co-founder Sasikanth Chemalamudi explains that the company’s technology prevents fat degradation through gene deletion and increases Triacylglycerol molecules and overall fat production, addressing quality, scalability, and commercial viability issues.
She shared: “Our human milk fat (Triacylglycerols ) innovation is a significant stride in infant nutrition. This innovative solution not only provides infants with essential nutrients that are crucial for their development but also addresses the shortcomings of traditional formulas by mimicking the unique composition of human milk fat.”
Gut health revolution
GutRevyv Postbiotics is an active functional ingredient (AFI) that supports gut health made with postbiotic strains developed in-house. The Live Green Co. claims its strains create more beneficial compounds than current solutions in a single and cost-efficient co-fermentation process. The company’s current capabilities reach 100 L.
According to the company, postbiotics are a safer alternative to probiotics as they are not live microbes. They have standardized usage, are easier to produce and store, and have a longer shelf life. With stability in high pH, heat, and alcohol, they can be used in multiple products, from ready-to-drink beverages to confectionery, as well as in nutraceutical and personal care products.
Dr. Kavish Kumar, Director of Precision Fermentation at The Live Green Co., commented: “Our process demonstrates a high level of standardization, repeatability, ease of scalability and commercially viable yields in existing food fermentation facilities.”
The greater good
Based in Chile, TLGC’s precision fermentation division launched in early 2023. It leverages Chakara, a technology and data science platform developed by TLGC’s team to discover plant-based alternatives to animal and artificial ingredients for the food industry.
Live Green’s approach to precision fermentation and plant-based alternatives aims to address concerns about wildlife decline, carbon footprint, and biodiversity conservation in the food industry. According to the company, there are 10 million natural compounds and 450,000 plant species, making the AI platform a powerful analyzing tool for innovation. Chakara features plant, protein, gene, and microbial strain databases.
Last year, the Malaysian pharmaceutical giant Duopharma Biotech Berhad invested $1 million in TLGC to develop plant-powered pharmaceutical products and functional foods.
Chemalamudi states, “Our mission at Live Green is to leverage deep tech/science for the greater good. In light of the pandemic’s spotlight on health and immune systems, we’ve been rapidly evolving our scientific vision and deliverables.”
Based in the US, the company operates a test pilot market in Chile and headquarters in Singapore. Additionally, it has a Chakara team in Bangalore, India. It offers licenses for various ingredients and services for product development.
