Former deputy director of CSIRO Agriculture & Food professor Martin Cole is joining plant-based meat start-up v2food as the new chief scientific advisor.
Cole has 20 years’ experience in food and agriculture across the private sector, government and academia, including his time at CSIRO, where he spent a decade leading projects in food safety, novel processing and nutritional food security.
Cole will join the v2food team alongside his role as head of the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, and will draw on his experience and research on grain and legume breeding to aid the further expansion of v2food’s plant-based meat mission.
“As a nation, we are globally competitive on grain and meat exports, however, we can be delivering far greater value out of the raw commodities we produce. That’s where v2food comes in,” said Cole.
“Grounded in CSIRO science and with the expertise of Nick Hazell at the helm, v2 wants to take Australian plant-based meat to the world and this means adding even more value to Australian agriculture.
“I am excited to join this first-class team and to be able to bring the transdisciplinary expertise from across the University of Adelaide, CSIRO and our partners together.”
v2food CEO and founder Nick Hazell said Cole has been an integral part of the v2food journey since one.
“He will bring world-leading technical expertise to bolster our strong R&D efforts, helping us to make the best product we can using the best local ingredients,” said Hazell.
“With our v2mince and v2burgers gaining momentum, Martin’s input will be critical in helping us achieve our ambition of making great-tasting plant-based meat a part of people’s everyday diet.”
The start-up has continued its expansion with the appointment of an additional 22 members to its team in the past quarter.
In August, v2food made its retail debut, partnering with Drakes Supermarkets to distribute its products direct to consumers in South Australia and Queensland.
