JBS, one of the world’s top food manufacturing companies, is investing c. US$41 million (€38m) to construct the largest cultivated beef protein plant globally in San Sebastián, Spain. The plant, which is expected to be completed by mid-2024, is the first commercial-scale industrial plant of BioTech Foods, in which JBS holds a controlling 53% stake. The plant will produce over 1,000 tons per year, with the potential to reach a capacity of 4,000 tons per year in the medium-term, thereby accelerating the development of the global cultivated protein market.
With the world requiring a 135% protein production increase by 2050, according to the FAO estimate, diversified protein from cultivated sources will enable JBS to expand its portfolio. Eduardo Noronha, JBS USA’s head of value-added business, confirmed that the company is at the forefront of food and technology initiatives. Further, the presence of BioTech Foods in this market will meet the growing demand for healthy, tasty, and sustainable protein sources. BioTech Foods intends to gradually increase its production capacity to address consumer demand in markets such as Australia, Brazil, the European Union, Japan, Singapore, and the United States.
The 20,000-square metre plant will use patented bioreactors and highly specialised technology to produce thousands of tons of protein each year sustainably. Additionally, it is envisioned that about 150 jobs will be created at the plant, including skilled research and development experts. The company also intends to build a cutting-edge biotechnology and cultivated protein R&D centre, the JBS Biotech Innovation Center, in Florianópolis, Brazil, at a cost of c. $60 million (€56m) to develop innovative technology that can generate alternate proteins and further strengthen JBS’s presence in the food manufacturing sector.