Finnish Company Develops New Meat Alternative Using Oats

Finnish food technology start-up Gold & Green Foods has developed a new vegan meat alternative called “Pulled Oats,” which resembles pulled pork and is made from Nordic oats and broad beans. The Helsinki-based company founded by industrial designer Maija Itkonen and food scientist Reetta Kivela relies on patented technology to create a fibrous texture that occurs when “the oats are sheared and heated under the right conditions and combined with the beans,” Kivela said. “The amino acids that are lacking in oats are in the beans, so they are a good combination.” The company received $327,000 in its first round of investment and is currently seeking a second round of funding in order to begin production. In regard to the viability of this innovative meatless, GMO, and soy-free product, equity analyst Niclas Catani told newswire Reuters that “it looks like a product that could strike a chord with the big trend of ecological consumption. In the western world, innovations in this sphere have a good chance of succeeding.” In recent years, similar companies such as Impossible Foods, Hampton Creek, and Beyond Meat have raised millions in capital to fund development of animal product-free foods. While “pulled oats” will only be available in Finland and Sweden, Itkonen stated that they “want to first prove our point in our home market and then look for licensing opportunities for further expansion.”