Who hasn't replaced an ingredient in a recipe? If we don't have olive oil, maybe a little sunflower oil is enough... however, such replacements can be much deeper. Nearly half a million plants are waiting to be classified and evaluated, so the possibility of substituting ingredients like eggs and milk with plant-based equivalents is growing, and Hampton Creek is the name at the forefront of that movement, merging cutting-edge technology with sauces, dressings, and even sweet cookies.
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and if there's anything where that phrase is reflected daily, it's food. Both ingredients and recipes have been (and still are) influenced by multiple factors, from cultural to geographical, but beyond traditions, history, customs, or availability, we must always consider new variants and new elements. Direct replacements that make food tastier, more efficient, more economical, and of course, more balanced. We've read ad nauseam about the harms associated with agriculture, livestock, and aquaculture, though relatively few are looking to develop practical solutions.
That search leads us to companies like Hampton Creek which since its creation in 2011 explores the concept of science and technology applied to food. One of Hampton Creek's main objectives is the discovery and development of plant-based substitutes for animal-derived ingredients that we take for granted today. The idea of substituting one ingredient for another is nothing new (frankly, it's a critical aspect in any kitchen), but what Hampton Creek proposes is a much more scientific approach to that challenge.
For example: If I say "mayonnaise," one of the first things that comes to mind is the egg. For the vast majority, the term "mayonnaise" depends fundamentally on the presence of the egg, but Hampton Creek's "Just Mayo" is actually eggless mayonnaise. That expression was challenged more than once, and even led Hampton Creek to court, because Hellman's (and by extension Unilever) accused the company of false advertising. After some meetings with the FDA and slight adjustments to the label, Just Mayo not only remains on shelves, but last February, Unilever launched its own eggless Hellman's mayonnaise. Welcome the competition.
Mayonnaise is just one of the territories that Hampton Creek explores and exploits commercially. Among its product line we can find (or will very soon) a wide repertoire of dressings (mustard, Caesar, ranch, etc.), sweet cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, and even pancakes. What began as a simple dot on the gigantic startup radar became a brand with a presence in over 18,000 stores around the globe, and among them are giants like Walmart, Costco, and Target. When it comes to investments, we see names like Bill Gates, co-founder of Yahoo! Jerry Yang, Li Ka-shing (the wealthiest man in Asia), and Peter Thiel, one of the founders of PayPal.
But what sustains Hampton Creek's strategy? Where do these viable substitutes (economically and environmentally) for traditional ingredients come from? The CEO of Hampton Creek, Joshua Tetrick, explains: There are 400,000 plants that, while not formally classified as food, have components that could be combined to develop better meals. Of course, finding those components demands more data, deep analysis, and other technological parameters that the conventional food industry hasn't fully adopted yet. As a reference, the Just Mayo formula took two years of work, and tests on 1,500 plants to find eleven compatible with the emulsification process required in mayonnaise.
It is estimated that Hampton Creek will officially arrive in European territory next fall, including an online shopping platform. Perhaps it's time for a new paradigm in food. Hampton Creek is not alone in such an adventure, and classic companies are recognizing that it's better to compete than to use legal tricks. We also shouldn't forget more extreme concepts like the consumption of insects or cultured meat. No massive change will happen overnight, and to be honest, it's okay that way, but it's likely that the first piece of the puzzle might be found in a jar of mayonnaise.
