[Finding Food Tech Companies] (59) Deep.Plant Maximizes Meat Aging with Deep-aging, Making Even Less-Preferred Cuts Delicious

Over 20% of less-preferred meat cuts are discarded; deep-aging enables the complete consumption of all parts. The company is also researching technology to produce media and serum for cell culture research from waste blood.

As the United Nations set climate crisis response and carbon reduction as key sustainable development goals to mitigate global warming, the term "Climate Tech" has entered national policy and corporate management, with its importance steadily growing. Climate Tech, a portmanteau of "Climate" and "Technology," refers to innovative technologies that address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions.

With global campaigns to save an earth groaning under massive carbon emissions, Climate

Tech has emerged as one of the most worthy technologies of this century. The frequent occurrences of extreme droughts and floods, melting polar ice caps, and the impending crisis of Pacific island nations needing to relocate underscore the importance of Climate Tech in preventing global destruction and restoring the planet's ecosystem.

Having passed their initial germination phase, domestic Climate Tech companies are now entering a stage of growth and advancement. This series will feature these companies at a turning point, covering their strategies, including technological development, as well as their operational status, including performance and goals.

Deep.Plant is a company that enables the complete consumption of even the less-preferred cuts of meat using specialized, AI-based deep-aging equipment. Within the Climate Tech sector, it belongs to the Food Tech category.

Food Tech is technology aimed at reducing carbon emissions during the production, consumption, and cultivation processes of food. It focuses on areas such as researching alternative foods, reducing food waste, and building smart farms.

Through its deep-aging technology, Deep.Plant breaks down the muscle fibers in meat and activates proteolytic enzymes. This improves the meat's texture and taste, allowing less-preferred cuts to be consumed deliciously and tenderly. The reality is that over 20% of low-fat, low-grade, and less-preferred meat cuts are discarded. Furthermore, for carbon neutrality, developed countries like the United States are banning factory farming in favor of natural grazing. However, naturally grazed breeds have less fat and are tougher, resulting in low consumer demand without further processing.

Through long-term research and development, Deep.Plant has perfected the world's first patented technology to accelerate and maximize meat aging. The core of this deep-aging meat tenderizing technology is to first classify meat using AI to predict taste and tenderness—a task previously done by skilled experts—and then apply a protein decomposition process to tenderize the meat according to its grade and cut.

Deep-aging is a system that accelerates aging by activating proteolytic enzymes within the meat's muscles using water pressure, ultrasound, and water temperature. It shortens the rigor mortis period, accelerates protein decomposition, and controls the aging process. Deep.Plant accelerates protein breakdown and maximizes the creation of flavor compounds using only the

enzymes naturally present in the meat, without any chemical additives.

Meat that undergoes this technology becomes tender and full of flavor, even cuts with little marbling. Based on this, Deep.Plant is developing low-fat, high-protein meat products and

senior-friendly products for elderly individuals who have difficulty chewing meat.

Furthermore, Deep.Plant is also researching technology to upcycle waste blood generated at slaughterhouses to produce cell culture media and serum necessary for cell culture research. The most commonly used serum in cell culture research is derived from bovine fetuses, and Korea currently relies entirely on imports for its supply.

Deep.Plant is researching ways to upcycle blood, a slaughterhouse byproduct that is mostly discarded in Korea. If this upcycling is successful, it could yield an economic benefit by reducing annual blood disposal costs, which amount to 16.6 billion won. By Ham Ji-won,

SDG News May 9, 2025, 18:30

Source: SDG News (http://www.sdgnews.net)