Back of the Yards Algae Sciences: Heme analogs, food colors, bio-stimulants for vertical farming
Chicago-based startup Back of the Yard Algae Sciences (BYAS) is developing multiple high-value ingredients from spirulina provided by DIC Group (which invested in BYAS in June), including a stable blue food coloring extracted using a proprietary solvent- and pressure-free process; and a Non GMO heme-analog with exciting potential for meat alternatives, said CSO Leonard Lerer.
“We do a chemical conversion of the some of the algal protein and it tastes like blood and has a meaty odor when you cook it. It is greenish but turns brown when you cook it, like meat. This is much cheaper than [making heme proteins via precision] fermentation.”
Separately, BYAS – which is committed to using the whole biomass of spirulina to produce a range of high-value ingredients - is also making a yellow colorant with an umami flavor, and has also developed techniques to improve the taste and color of the algae, said Lerer, who is also working on a flurry of other projects including algae based bio-stimulants for vertical farming and growth media components for cell-cultured meat.