What role does your company play in addressing the global issues of obesity and malnutrition?
Borealis Foods is a company founded by scientists. Our purpose is to create solutions that address malnutrition while being mindful of affordability and accessibility. Unlike many food tech companies focused on innovation for niche markets, we aim for a broader impact. My background as a physician shaped this vision. Early in my career, I worked in impoverished Indian villages, witnessing firsthand how malnutrition, particularly a lack of affordable protein, led to disease and stagnation for entire generations.
This experience stayed with me and inspired Borealis Foods to focus on developing nutritious, cost-effective meals.
Many innovations in food science focus on premium markets, offering meals priced at $8 or $9 per serving—out of reach for most people.
Our aim was to create meals that could retail for less than $2 while providing essential nutrition, particularly complete proteins that the body cannot produce on its own but are crucial for health and growth.
How does Borealis Foods address the challenge of affordability in creating high-protein, nutritious meals?
We realized that affordability required going back to the basics of food science. We focused on fortified dough as the foundation for affordable nutrition, using grains and legumes to create cost-effective, high-protein products. Dough-based foods like bread, pasta, and noodles are staples across cultures, making them ideal vehicles for delivering nutrition.
Early on, developing a fortified dough with complete proteins was a challenge due to high production costs, often resulting in meals priced at $7 or $8. However, by reexamining biochemistry of food products, sourcing the highest quality ingredients and by creating large scale production, we achieved a breakthrough: An affordable, fortified dough containing over 20 grams of complete protein per serving. This marked a turning point, that has made nutrition affordable and scalable.
Why did you choose noodles as the primary product for your high-protein meals?
My partner, Barthelemy Helg, a former VP of Nestle, and I realized that noodles are a global phenomenon, consumed in various forms across cultures. This universality made them an ideal choice for delivering nutrition. Unlike creating new food categories, noodles leveraged existing manufacturing technologies, enabling us to scale production cost-effectively.
Our high-protein noodles, branded as Chef Woo, deliver 20 grams of complete protein per serving with only 320 calories. This innovation serves dual purposes: addressing malnutrition in food-insecure regions and offering a healthier, affordable protein source for weight-conscious consumers in wealthier markets. Whether served in food banks or sold in retail stores, the product bridges the gap between combating malnutrition and supporting healthy living.
Why is 20 grams of protein per serving such a critical benchmark for your products?
Twenty grams of protein per meal provides about 40% of an individual’s daily protein requirement, which is a healthy and practical target. Achieving this with complete proteins is especially important because many foods labeled "high protein" lack all nine essential amino acids, rendering them less effective for the body.
By ensuring that each serving of our products delivers 20 grams of complete protein, we provide a balanced, nutritious meal. For instance, our noodles combine high protein content with enriched wheat flour to maintain stable glucose levels, preventing blood sugar spikes and crashes often associated with high-carb meals.
How does Borealis Foods balance nutritional science with taste and accessibility?
Initially, as scientists, we focused primarily on the nutritional profile, assuming that if the product was good for people, they would naturally adopt it. However, feedback from retailers like Walmart underscored the importance of taste. It took over a year of collaboration with flavor houses to develop a product that not only met nutritional goals but was also enjoyable to eat.
This balance of affordability, nutrition, and taste became our winning formula. For example, our fortified noodles cater to both humanitarian needs and everyday consumers. In schools, we’ve introduced whole-grain, low-sodium options that meet strict nutritional guidelines, ensuring kids enjoy a nutritious meal without compromising taste.
What does "complete protein" mean, and why is it so important?
A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own. These amino acids are vital for building muscle, maintaining the immune system, and overall health. Most plant-based proteins are incomplete unless carefully combined, whereas animal proteins like eggs or chicken are naturally complete.
However, relying on animal proteins poses challenges, such as refrigeration, disease risks, and high costs, particularly in regions with limited resources. Our fortified, shelf-stable products eliminate these barriers, making complete proteins accessible globally. This approach supports large-scale humanitarian efforts and offers a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources.
How do carbohydrates exacerbate issues in malnourished populations, and how does your solution address this?
In disaster zones, the least expensive relief foods are often carb-heavy, like bread or pasta. While these provide immediate calories, they can cause glucose spikes followed by crashes, leaving individuals hungrier and irritable. This cycle exacerbates the challenges of malnutrition rather than resolving them.
Our fortified dough stabilizes glucose levels by providing high protein alongside the carbohydrates, ensuring sustained energy without the harmful peaks and troughs. This innovation shifts the focus from merely addressing hunger to combating malnutrition effectively, fostering long-term health improvements in vulnerable populations.
What trends do you observe in global nutrition, and how is Borealis Foods adapting to them?
Social media has played a significant role in educating the public about nutrition, particularly among younger generations. For instance, we found that a surprising 60% of our high-protein ramen consumers were under 25, driven by health-conscious choices and athletic aspirations. This shift indicates a growing awareness of balanced diets and the importance of protein.
Looking ahead, we aim to expand our partnerships with humanitarian organizations, providing affordable, nutrient-dense meals to regions in crisis. By leveraging our scalable technology, we hope to make high-protein foods more accessible globally, reducing the long-term impacts of malnutrition and supporting healthier lifestyles across diverse demographics.
What is Borealis Foods’ vision for the future of nutrition and its global impact?
Our goal is to address the spectrum of malnutrition, from starvation in low-income regions to obesity-related issues in wealthier ones. By providing affordable, shelf-stable, high-protein meals, we hope to transform global food systems. Initiatives like our partnership with Food Systems For The Future, lead by Ambassador Etharin Cousin, and the Global Empowerment Mission, which delivered 50,000 meals to Ukraine, demonstrate the potential for impactful change.
As we scale, we envision a future where complete proteins are accessible to all, fostering stronger immune systems, healthier populations, and improved socioeconomic outcomes. Whether addressing malnutrition in Africa or obesity in the U.S., Borealis’ science-driven approach can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable food landscape.
