Vancouver-based Cultivated Food Labs is preparing to produce commercial-scale samples of a single-ingredient cocoa alternative from faba bean hulls as it explores partnerships, licensing agreements and potentially direct B2B ingredient sales. One of the most advanced is a cocoa alternative made from legume-processing side streams—primarily faba bean hulls—that currently have limited value. However, Cultivated Food Labs has distributors lined up and could initially sell the cocoa alternative itself as a B2B ingredient using contract manufacturing, avoiding the need for substantial upfront capital expenditure, he says. The evolution of Gathered FoodsCultivated Food Labs is owned by Gathered Foods, which is best known for developing the plant-based seafood brand Good Catch, which has since been sold to Wicked Foods. Gathered sold its Ohio-based factory to Ahimsa Companies in 2024 and has since focused efforts on building Cultivated Food Labs as an innovation firm.