microTERRA, a Mexican startup specializing in sustainable ingredients, has launched "Flora," a new protein ingredient derived from the aquatic plant Lemna (commonly known as duckweed).

Flora claims to increase the perception of sweetness in food while decreasing its sugar content, masking unwanted flavor notes, and improving the texture and mouthfeel.

m icroTERRA, founded in 2019, develops sustainable ingredients using Lemna, which is grown by leveraging the infrastructure of existing aquaculture farms. According to the company, producing 1 kg of Flora avoids the contamination of 165 m3 of water and removes over 21 kg of carbon emissions.

Analyst QuickTake: " Lemna" is a genus of small floating aquatic plants over 100x richer in protein than soy and 40x more than peas. Several companies in the alternative food sector, including Plantible , Sustainable Planet, and GreenOnyx, have begun utilizing Lemna in their products, while NASA and the European Space Research and Technology Centre are researching its suitability as a superfood that can be grown in space.