BERKELEY, CALIF. – Mission Barns, a maker of fats cultivated from animal cells, announced the completion of the company’s first scaled-up manufacturing run of a sausage containing cultivated fat. Mission Chorizo Sausage is a blend of Mission Fat and plant-protein that the company says delivers “all the succulence, sizzle and satisfaction” of a conventional sausage.

The production run was the first in a partnership between Gilroy, Calif.-based Silva Sausage and Mission Barns. Silva Sausage products are sold at Costco, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway and many other retail and foodservice outlets, including Levi’s Stadium, home of the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers.

“We see it as the best of both worlds, where sustainability and deliciousness intersect,” said Eitan Fischer, chief executive officer of Mission Barns. “And this ground-breaking partnership and production run is an important milestone toward cultivated meat technology becoming a reality.”

As part of the partnership, Mission Barns will utilize Silva Sausage’s 50,000 lbs per-day production capacity, distribution network, packaging, and logistics to bring its products to market. The multi-year partnership involves Mission Barns and Silva Sausage conducting continuous scaled-up production runs. Silva Sausage is expanding its capacity to allow for growth in additional alternative protein product manufacturing.

“Adding Mission Fat to plant-protein is a real game-changer,” said Fernando Martins, co-owner of Silva Sausage with his brother Rick Martins. “We’re proud and excited to be on the cutting edge of this sustainable new process.”

Mission Barns is focused on cultivating animal fat using a proprietary process that sources a handful of animal cells and cultivates them in a plant-based feedstock which mimics the growth conditions of a duck, chicken, or pig. The company said this process creates real animal fat that delivers the mouthfeel and flavor of meat with a fraction of the resources. Mission Barns recently closed a $24 million Series A and secured a state-of-the-art pilot facility in San Francisco.


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