Fast-growing food tech innovator unlocks new product development space for distinct flavors, promising to shake up the food industry
NotCo, the food-tech unicorn disrupting plant-based innovation with its proprietary AI technology (Giuseppe), announced a new set of patents for its ability to develop scents and aromas that conjure human emotions and memories. The patents were granted based on Giuseppe’s new capability to detect plant-based essences and transform them into a beloved, desired scent. Soon, Giuseppe could be able to construct flavors that evoke feelings like falling in love for the first time or the smell of childhood.
The science of how smells are connected to emotion, memory, and mood is well documented. Odors and smells are processed by regions in the brain connected to emotion and memory, including the amygdala and hippocampus. Giuseppe is now the only technology with the ability to create these positive associations through plant-based food and beverages. By understanding taste at the molecular level and interpreting the emotion our brains associate with it, NotCo can recreate these experiences through flavor and aroma using only plant-based ingredients.
“Flavor will always reign supreme, but what we feel when we smell our food is a powerful nuance,” said Karim Pichara, co-founder and CTO at NotCo. “Smells and aromas are a critical part of motivating more people to adopt plant-based options long-term. These new patents further strengthen the experience by creating plant-based products that taste, function, and smell just like their animal-based counterparts. By matching the nostalgic smells people associate with certain memories and emotions we’re opening a new avenue for them to make the switch to plant based.”
As the first company leveraging AI to explore the re-creation of aromas in our food, NotCo is again accelerating product development with more accuracy than ever before. The technology has already been used to develop the brand’s NotChicken™ and traditional fried chicken recipes, which launched in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile in 2021.
“Today is an exciting milestone as we’re one step closer to fulfilling our promise of transforming the speed and scale of plant-based adoption,” said Matias Muchnick, co-founder, and CEO at NotCo. “Many people don’t realize that when we eat, much of the ‘taste’ is actually coming from smells and aromas. These new patents help get us closer to replicating the true experience of animal-based products but with only plant-based molecules.”
NotCo’s patented new technology will be applied to all product development moving forward. This includes joint ventures and partnerships such as The Kraft Heinz Not Company, which was announced earlier this year.
NotCo is the only global food tech company disrupting massive food and beverage categories simultaneously. Less than one year after launching in the U.S. the company reached a record valuation of $1.5 billion and boasts national distribution for its NotMilk™ and launched NotBurger™ this spring. NotCo currently sells NotMilk™, NotBurger™, NotChicken™, NotMeat™, NotIceCream™ and NotMayo™ in several countries, including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Colombia. For more information about NotCo visit https://notco.com/us and follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About NotCo:
NotCo is an industry-changing food tech leader and the only global company simultaneously disrupting massive food and beverage segments, including dairy, eggs, and meat. The company’s proprietary artificial intelligence technology, Giuseppe, matches animal proteins to their ideal replacements among thousands of plant-based ingredients. NotCo offers a robust portfolio of products, including NotMilk™, NotBurger™, NotMeat™, NotChicken™, NotIceCream™ and NotMayo™ and has operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Colombia. In less than five years it has become the fastest-growing food tech company in Latin America, achieving a valuation of $1.5 billion. In the U.S. NotMilk™ is currently available at more than 6,000 grocery stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Market, Stop & Shop, Publix, HEB, Harris Teeter’s, Sprouts, Costco, Wegmans, Vejii, Fresh Direct and Amazon. For more information, please visit www.notco.com.
