Chile’s The Not Company, or NotCo, is applying AI to enhance the taste of its plant-based vegan chicken.

The Not Company, or NotCo, a Chilean startup, recently launched new pea protein-based chicken dubbed NotChicken in the booming Latin American market for vegan chicken. What’s interesting is that NotCo is using Giuseppe, an AI platform that helps create plant-based meat substitutes that taste as good as the real thing. (VegNews)

NotCo’s Giuseppe (“Our AI Chef”) runs analyses of the properties of thousands of plants available on a database when asked to match the recipe of an animal-based product. The algorithm then comes up with unique combinations that could help mimic the flavor and texture of real meat products.

In a continual learning process, the team at Notco try the suggestions and provide feedback to Giuseppe – the idea is to help it learn and improve on its recipes in future. “Thanks to machine learning Giuseppe gets more intelligent every time, developing products faster, more effective and more accurate than the previous times,” NotCo says on its website.

“When I first tried it, it was hard to believe I was enjoying the crunchiness, juiciness, and flavor of a chicken made from fruits and vegetables. NotCo has found a way to produce a product with plants that improves upon many versions of actual chicken,” says Danny Meyer, the Shake Shack founder, QSR trailblazer, and investor of the company through Enlightened Hospitality Investments, after trying the first prototypes of NotChicken.

In addition to pea protein, NotCo has therefore been able to identify other ingredients including bamboo, peaches, and chickpeas that enhance the vegan product.

“What we have achieved in terms of superior taste and texture is a true reflection of the impact we can make if we believe that things can be done better,” Matias Muchnick, CEO and Co-Founder of NotCo, said in a statement. “None of this could be done without the help of Giuseppe, our patented AI that is transforming plant-based innovation.”

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