Biotech start-up Novella Innovative Technology and Metaphor Foods have announced a strategic partnership to advance cell-based natural preservatives for food applications.
The collaboration aims to harness Novella’s precision botanical ingredients technology to produce natural antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds, enhancing Metaphor Foods’ Hela Natvance range.
Novella specialises in creating pure compounds from plant cells using its proprietary AuraCell technology.
The platform allows the growth of bioactive compounds directly from plant cells, reducing resource use by 99%. The process results in consistent, waste-free bioactive ingredients.
The partnership will focus on delivering these natural compounds through a resource-efficient supply chain, targeting the Asia–Pacific region’s demand for clean-label ingredients.
Metaphor Foods CEO Geoff Gordon said: “This is a long-term strategic commitment in a market with high demand for natural solutions. We’re integrating Novella’s solution into our natural food-protection systems to bring it to market quickly, responsibly, and effectively.
“While the initial focus is on meat and poultry preservation, the strategic potential of this partnership extends across dozens of revenue-generating categories, including seafood, dairy, baked goods, alternative protein products, and pet food. We received impressive results.
“Novella successfully replaced natural antioxidants currently in use, reduced the overall cost, and extended shelf life by 30%. Compared to synthetic options—which face growing consumer resistance—Novella’s products not only offer clean-label benefits but also promote minimal footprint.”
Metaphor Foods, based in Braeside, Victoria, Australia, will utilise its regional presence and distribution capabilities to penetrate these markets effectively.
The company will support Novella in completing application studies and navigating regulatory pathways, while both companies work on a commercialisation plan.
The agreement outlines a long-term supply relationship, valued at $10m over seven years, with potential expansion into the broader food and pet sectors across Asia–Pacific.
Novella is developing climate-resilient environments for nutrient cultivation, using its technology to grow non-GMO botanical ingredients without involving the entire plant.
Meanwhile, Metaphor Foods connects innovative food technology with the food and beverage industries, leveraging expertise from its affiliated companies, Schwarz and Hela.
Novella CBDO and Co-Founder Itay Dana said: “We’re not just offering an ingredient—we’re reshaping the very definition of natural preservation for food products.
“This partnership energises the mutual vision to deliver cleaner, cost-parity solutions to the food and nutraceutical industries.
“Our technology platform and the diverse range of products currently in development address some of the most pressing challenges the food manufacturing industries face today.
“We are in the final stages of scaling up production and validating batch-to-batch consistency. These activities are part of our execution plan to guarantee full readiness for the commercial launch of our product by the beginning of 2026.”
