Novella partners with Metaphor Foods for cell-based natural preservatives
Israeli biotech Novella and Australian ingredient innovator Metaphor Foods have formed a strategic partnership to develop cell-based natural preservatives. The collaboration will utilise Novella’s proprietary AuraCell plant cell technology to create antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds for clean-label food applications across the Asia-Pacific region.
AuraCell technology enables resource-efficient production
Novella’s AuraCell platform represents a significant advancement in botanical ingredient production methodology. The technology enables the cultivation of bioactive compounds directly from plant cells outside of the plant structure, utilising precision-controlled environmental parameters. According to the company, this approach reduces resource consumption by 99% whilst delivering consistent bioactive ingredients with zero waste generation.
The partnership will integrate these compounds into Metaphor Foods’ Hela Natvance range of natural food-protection solutions. Metaphor Foods serves as the innovation arm of Hela APAC, focusing on addressing supply chain gaps across Asia-Pacific food manufacturing sectors.
The Novella team ©Novella
Market applications span multiple food categories
Initial commercial focus centres on meat and poultry preservation applications. However, the partnership’s scope extends across numerous product categories including seafood, dairy products, baked goods, alternative proteins, and pet food formulations.
“This is a long-term strategic commitment in a market with high demand for natural solutions,” said Geoff Gordon, CEO of Metaphor Foods. “We’re integrating Novella’s solution into our natural food-protection systems to bring it to market quickly, responsibly, and effectively.”
The Asia-Pacific region’s mature food processing infrastructure and growing demand for clean-label ingredients present significant commercial opportunities. Metaphor Foods’ established regional distribution network positions the partnership to access these markets efficiently.
The Novella laboratory ©Novella
Laboratory trials demonstrate enhanced performance
Controlled trials conducted at Hela-Schwarz application laboratories have yielded positive results for meat product applications. According to Gordon, testing demonstrated that Novella’s compounds successfully replaced existing natural antioxidants whilst reducing overall formulation costs and extending shelf life by 30%.
Performance comparisons with synthetic preservatives indicate that Novella’s products deliver clean-label benefits alongside reduced environmental impact, addressing growing consumer resistance to synthetic additives.
Commercial scaling targets 2026 launch
Novella co-founder and CBDO Itay Dana outlined the commercialisation timeline: “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 beginning of 2026.”
The seven-year supply agreement holds a valuation of US$10 million based solely on meat industry projections, with broader potential across APAC’s food and pet sectors.
Addressing supply chain instability
The global natural ingredients supply chain faces increasing volatility due to crop quality fluctuations, climate disruptions, and limited harvesting windows. These factors contribute to unpredictable pricing and sourcing reliability challenges for manufacturers.
“We’re not just offering an ingredient – we’re reshaping the very definition of natural preservation for food products,” said Dana. “This partnership energises the mutual vision to deliver cleaner, cost-parity solutions to the food and nutraceutical industries.”
- For more information, visit: novella.co.il
