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Ingredion has entered a global R&D collaboration with US-based ingredient discovery company Shiru to accelerate the development and commercialisation of novel functional proteins.
The partnership will combine Ingredion’s formulation expertise and global customer network with Shiru’s proprietary AI platform, which analyses more than 77 million natural protein sequences to identify ingredients with targeted functional benefits.
The companies will focus on developing next-generation prebiotics derived from natural sources, targeting improved gut microbiome health. The move comes as demand grows for clinically supported, scalable ingredients linked to immunity, metabolic health and cognitive function.
Ingredients developed through the partnership will be commercialised via Ingredion’s network of more than 18,000 customers across 120 countries.
The agreement builds on Shiru’s recent launch of AI-discovered ingredients uPro and OleoPro, and aligns with Ingredion’s strategy to expand its Texture & Healthful Solutions portfolio through external innovation.
Jasmin Hume, founder and CEO of Shiru, said: “We have broken the mold on how ingredient discovery is done. Disrupting the speed at which we can identify high-performance natural proteins has opened the floodgates for healthy, targeted nutrition."
"What once took a team of 50 scientists a decade and a healthy dose of serendipity, we can now do strategically and efficiently in months. Pairing that capability with Ingredion's scale and customer relationships creates a direct path from discovery to market.”
Michael Leonard, chief innovation officer at Ingredion, added: “As consumer expectations rise, food companies need new ways to move faster and innovate smarter. Shiru helps us discover better natural ingredients more quickly so we can help our customers deliver new products at a pace the market expects.”
Top image: © Shiru
