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Dive Briefing:
- The two-and-a-half-year legal battle between Impossible Foods and Motif has come to an end. In a joint statement released by the three parties, including Ginkgo, BioworksThe companies added as defendants in the lawsuit said that under the terms of the agreement, Impossible Foods would acquire Motif. Foodworks' Hem related business.
- Impossible Foods sued Motif in federal court in March 2022, claiming that Motif’s Hemami ingredient infringed at least one of its patents. Motif then filed a petition with the Patent Examination and Appeal Board challenging the validity of Impossible Foods’ patents.
- The new agreement reportedly puts an end to the legal battle, with neither side allowed to raise any new claims or bring the matter back to court. A motion to dismiss was filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.
Dive Insight:
The recent decision officially ends the conflict between Impossible Foods and Motif.
The new agreement reaffirms the united efforts of all parties to drive innovation in the plant-based meat sector.
The case was heated. At one point, Motif accused Impossible of hiring a private investigator to get information about Motif's products. The court ruled that this did not violate the rules of professional conduct.
Impossible Foods’ heme protein ingredient is identical in formulation to soy leghemoglobin, while Motif Foodworks’ hemami heme protein is identical to bovine myoglobin, which is found in cow muscle tissue.
subject Hemami ingredient launch It was late 2021, just months before the legal battle began.
Make the impossible happen Own vegetable hemeAnd its unique taste and color are some of the key elements that set it apart. Differentiating itself from its competitors, the company claims its plant-based meat products bleed like real meat, and recently rebranded to reflect that quality. Motif's Hemami was the first widely available ingredient with similar functions.
Since launching Hemami as a standalone ingredient (and since this legal dispute began), Motif has Launch of finished plant-based meat products For food service.
“This resolution affirms Impossible Foods’ category leadership and the strength of its heme-related product portfolio,” the statement said.
The company's CEO has repeatedly expressed confidence in the company's position in a struggling sector.
Last month, Impossible opened its first store. And a mortar food service concept called Impossible Quality Meats sought to physically embody the brand.
“I think this whole category has become overly intellectualized, in some cases politicized, in some cases partisan, and very heavy-handed,” CEO Peter McGuinness told Food Dive in a previous interview.
“We stand behind our food. We know it’s delicious and nutritious, and consumers are smart. They’ll make better choices.”
