Time Names 2022’s Top Food Inventions

Out of the nine inventions, three represented innovation in the alt-meat market. These included New York-based MyForest Food’s whole-cut mycelium bacon and Colorado start-up Meati’s Crispy Cutlet chicken (made almost entirely from mushroom roots – Stylus members can read Ingredient Index 03: Mushrooms for more). Industry giant Beyond Meat, meanwhile, gained applause for its new bite-sized Beyond Steak pieces. However, these alternatives face a tough year ahead, as growth stalls in the US meat substitutes market.

Continuing with sustainable alternatives, Seattle drinks brand Atomo’s beanless canned cold brew coffee (made from ingredients like date seed, chicory root and grape skin) garnered a mention – an innovation we have been tracking since 2019. Time also spotlighted Massachusetts start-up Cometeer’s flash-frozen coffee capsules, first covered by Stylus in The New Coffee Landscape.

In the kitchen tech space, US start-up Kara Pure’s air-to-water dispenser converts humidity pulled from the air into 10 litres of purified hot or cold mineral-rich alkaline drinking water per day. Such innovations will only gain relevance as water shortages become more frequent.

Another tech innovation named is the Speed-X oven from US manufacturer Unox, a self-washing appliance combining convection, steam and microwave techniques for rapid preparation. For example, it can cook a sea bass fillet in just 90 seconds. While currently only available for commercial applications, this express cooking technology will appeal to the Convenience Seekers listed in Stylus' The Future Kitchen: Six Key Consumer Profiles.

Beyond these inventions, Time highlighted Tastee Tape, an edible, flavourless adhesive strip to hold together wraps like burritos, developed by John Hopkins University students. Also joining the list is US agri-tech company Atarraya’s intelligent indoor shrimp-farming technology.