Mammoth Meatballs Row Set For Court

A company claiming to have invented meatballs made of lab-grown mammoth protein is set to sue rivals who say they created the process.

Australian food firm Vow launched their meatball made of woolly mammoth protein created in the lab last week.

Now a second firm – Belgian food experts Paleo – claims to have been using the same technology for two years.

Both firms are itching to make a dent in the booming vegan market with lab meat tech which means no live animals are used in meat production.

Photo shows a mammoth meatball, undated. Wunderman Thompson and the Australian startup Vow unveiled a mammoth meatball at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, claiming it is the world’s first meatball containing mammoth myoglobin. (Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl/Newsflash)

At its launch at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, on Tuesday, 28th March, Vow claimed its meatball is the first to contain mammoth myoglobin.

But Paleo says it invented the technology and announced their breakthrough nine months ago.

Paleo says it has a patent pending for its technology and has accused Vow of lying.

Newsflash obtained statements from both companies, with Paleo CEO Hermes Sanctorum saying that they considering legal action against Vow.

He says the Aussie company claimed that mammoth myoglobin protein is a Vow invention “while knowing that the technology (mammoth myoglobin) was already developed two years ago by Paleo, with patent applications ongoing.”

During the Vow launch, the firm reportedly claimed no one had tasted mammoth meatballs yet because of fears of how modern humans could react to ancient protein.

But Sanctorum added: “When Vow claims that no one has tasted mammoth myoglobin, this is simply not true. We developed the mammoth myoglobin, and we tasted it in our lab.”

He explained: “Our breakthrough in creating myoglobin for mammoth – and also beef, lamb, tuna, chicken, and pork — was significant and took hard work to bring about.”

Photo shows a mammoth meatball, undated. Wunderman Thompson and the Australian startup Vow unveiled a mammoth meatball at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, claiming it is the world’s first meatball containing mammoth myoglobin. (Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl/Newsflash)

Sanctorum went on: “When we learned about the event, we were surprised. We sent out a press release nine months ago to announce that we developed the exact same mammoth protein (myoglobin) based on our fundamental research and innovation.”

Paleo said it had contacted Vow before the event, but Vow’s lawyers reportedly replied that the mammoth meatball “was not food” and dismissed Paleo’s concerns.

Paleo said: “It is clear that Vow was well aware of Paleo’s patent applications, but chose to ignore this fact to pursue PR value for its own brand.”

The Belgian firm added: “To see this breakthrough claimed by a third party rubs us the wrong way.

“Further, the suggestion that its ‘mammoth meatball’ is “not food” is clearly ridiculous.

“At Paleo, we are in the business for ethical reasons. We want to decrease meat consumption by increasing the taste of alternatives to meat.

“Ethical business also means you respect your peers and you don’t make false claims. We are currently considering all legal options to safeguard our reputation as innovators and our intellectual property.”

Speaking on behalf of the Australian company Vow, Sarah Separovich provided a statement saying: “Vow is familiar with Paleo’s allegations in relation to the recent ‘Mammoth Meatball’ event and would like to respond with some important clarifications.

Photo shows an unidentified woman looking at a mammoth meatball, undated. Wunderman Thompson and the Australian startup Vow unveiled a mammoth meatball at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, claiming it is the world’s first meatball containing mammoth myoglobin. (Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl/Newsflash)

“The technology and innovation involved in Vow’s creation and presentation of the ‘Mammoth Meatball’ owes nothing to any technology or alleged invention by Paleo.

“The ‘Mammoth Meatball’ was conceived, developed and created entirely by the hard work and ingenuity of Vow’s own scientists (and collaborators) and using a combination of publicly available genetic data and Vow’s own proprietary production processes.

“Rightly, there is no suggestion by Paleo that Vow has done anything other than adopt the idea of creating something that involves the use of mammoth myoglobin protein.

“But Paleo have no basis to claim that simple idea as their own and to seek to exclude others and chill innovation and inspiration in the nascent cultured meat field on that basis.

“Patent rights exist in order to protect innovation and can (if granted and valid) protect truly new, innovative and proprietary ideas; but Paleo do not have any such patent rights. Paleo has no granted patent in relation to mammoth myoglobin and therefore has no legitimate claim.

“What Paleo has is a pending application for an extremely broad patent which, if valid and granted, would prevent companies from using animal myoglobin from a wide range of animals (including pig, sheep, cow, chicken and tuna, in addition to mammoth) as a meat substitute or food ingredient.

“In short, the patent application is an attempted ‘landgrab’ of outrageous proportions that extends to ideas and products that (like Vow’s ‘Mammoth Meatball’) owe nothing at all to any alleged innovation or work done by Paleo and which has already been found by an examiner at the European Patent Office to be very likely be invalid […]

Photo shows an unidentified man with a mammoth meatball in front of him, undated. Wunderman Thompson and the Australian startup Vow unveiled a mammoth meatball at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, claiming it is the world’s first meatball containing mammoth myoglobin. (Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl/Newsflash)

“Vow’s intention for the event at which the ‘Mammoth Meatball’ was presented was to encourage discussion around the future of food, and to grow mainstream awareness around cultured meat and other alternatives – to the benefit of the food industry as a whole. The positive reaction to the event and the lively discussion that has ensued suggest that goal was achieved – to the benefit of all.

“Therefore, at a time of opportunity for the industry to come together and collectively and constructively further conversations about the future of food, it is disappointing to see Paleo instead attempting to assert non-existent rights to intellectual property in this way and generally making broad and unspecified threats of legal action, which will only serve to block important discussions in the field.

“Vow is not afraid of difficult conversations or controversy, nor of standing up for the hard work and wholly independent innovation of its people. Paleo’s threats and allegations are baseless and Vow will take the appropriate steps to safeguard its reputation, its innovations and its people.

“At the same time, Vow remains committed to supporting efforts to raise the profile of and educate the public as to the potential and possibilities of cultured meat and alternative protein, including through events which raise the awareness and credibility of alternative ways of providing food for a rapidly growing population.”

It remains to be seen which company’s claims will be upheld.

Photo shows an illustrative image of a mammoth, undated. Wunderman Thompson and the Australian startup Vow unveiled a mammoth meatball at the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, claiming it is the world’s first meatball containing mammoth myoglobin. (Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl/Newsflash)

To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph GolderSub-EditorMarija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash

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