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Founded in 2019, Shiru uses artificial intelligence to discover new proteins for use in food and beverage products. Shiru’s flagship platform holds the world’s largest database of natural proteins from plants and microorganisms. AI-based technology allows CPGs to identify and test functional natural ingredients. CEO and founder Jasmin Hume spoke to Food Dive about how food manufacturers can leverage the company’s technology to get more from their ingredient deck.
Food Dives: How will Shiru’s technology impact CPG?
Hume: As consumers prioritize health and sustainability, brands are facing pressure to innovate as quickly as possible. Flourish, Shiru’s AI-powered engine, allows companies to accelerate ingredient discovery and scale-up, shortening typical 5-15 year timelines to just 1-2 years. This efficiency, combined with Shiru’s ability to discover functional natural ingredients, meets growing market demands for speed, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
Silent CEO Jasmine Hume.
Courtesy of Siru
How can food scientists and food manufacturers use AI?
Hume: Food scientists and manufacturers can leverage technologies like advanced AI to discover new solutions at speed and scale. Shiru provides a better way to identify, validate and scale new ingredients that meet functional and sustainability requirements. Technologies like these dramatically reduce development time and costs while opening up innovative possibilities, allowing teams to focus on creating innovative products that reflect consumer trends and the need for healthier solutions.
What is the Flourish platform? How does it work and how are food scientists using it?
Hume: The Flourish platform is Shiru’s proprietary AI-based engine designed to identify and validate natural proteins with specific, highly desired properties. Using a comprehensive database of over 33 million proteins, we identify candidates that meet commercial requirements such as solubility, pH stability, and taste performance. Food scientists can leverage Flourish to discover and validate new ingredients for a variety of applications from sweeteners to alternative fats, significantly accelerating their innovation timeline while reducing environmental impact.
How can manufacturers use OleoPro products?
Hume: OleoPro is a groundbreaking alternative fat ingredient developed using Shiru’s Flourish platform. By combining plant-derived proteins and proprietary processing methods, we create structured fats with exceptional performance in terms of mouthfeel, oil retention and sustainability. Food manufacturers can use OleoPro in a variety of applications, such as plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, to improve texture and functionality while reducing reliance on traditional animal fats, which have a greater impact on the environment.
Where do you see the greatest growth potential for Shiru? What’s next for your business?
Hume: Shiru’s greatest growth potential lies in expanding its applications into a variety of industries, including food, personal care, and advanced materials. Siru started with natural proteins for food and personal care, creating a new way to discover natural ingredients. With the success of products like OleoPro™ and partnerships with leading companies, Shiru is poised to expand its impact by licensing its technology and ingredients globally. Future efforts will focus on deepening collaboration, enhancing Flourish™’s AI capabilities, and expanding into new markets while maintaining our commitment to sustainable, innovative solutions that benefit people and the planet.
