Hoxton Farms and Sumitomo Corporation announce strategic partnership
London, UK on March 27, 2025 – Hoxton Farms and Sumitomo Corporation (TYO: 8053) today announced a strategic collaboration to bring Hoxton Fat to market as a healthy and delicious food ingredient in Japan and Asia-Pacific. This partnership represents a significant step towards large-scale adoption of innovative fats to solve urgent problems of public health and food security in Asia.
The impact of increasing meat demand on health and food security in Asia
Dietary shifts are leading to a concerning rise in obesity across Asia, particularly in urban areas that have developed rapidly. Consumers are eating more food high in saturated fats and with lower nutritional value. This has led to over 40% of adults being overweight or obese in the Asia–Pacific region, with up to 12% of total health care spending on obesity or related diseases.
Asia's demand for meat is projected to increase by 78% by 2050, driven by rising income, urbanisation and population growth. This has already led to soaring food prices and concerns over supply stability due to climate change and disease. A 2018 African Swine Fever outbreak in China meant that 225 million pigs had to be culled (roughly 25% of the global pig population), resulting in a $111 billion economic loss for China and causing Chinese annual pork imports to rise from about 1.4 to just under 4 million tonnes.
Consumers and food brands alike are seeking healthier, resilient and more sustainable alternatives that maintain the taste and culinary traditions of conventional meat.
Hoxton Fat: a novel food ingredient
To address this need, Hoxton Farms, a startup headquartered in London, UK, has joined forces with Sumitomo, one of Japan's largest integrated trading companies, to provide a game-changing solution for the food industry: Hoxton Fat.
Hoxton Fat is cultivated pork fat, grown from pork stem cells. Hoxton Fat, healthier than traditional pork fat without compromising taste or performance, is a versatile, customisable and scalable ingredient that offers food manufacturers a drop-in solution for animal fats or plant oils in applications ranging from soups and sauces to conventional meat. Hoxton Fat is Hoxton Farms’ first ingredient, and will finally enable food brands to meet consumer demand for healthier, more sustainable and flavourful products.
As part of its innovation pipeline, Hoxton Farms is exploring ways to make fat significantly healthier. By precisely controlling the fat’s composition, the team is developing versions of Hoxton Fat that are lower in saturated fat and higher in beneficial components such as omega-3 fatty acids. These nutritional profiles are designed to reduce risks associated with diet-related disease, directly addressing the public health concerns highlighted by rising obesity rates and poor nutritional quality across much of Asia.
Hoxton Fat is not yet available to consumers in Asia. Sumitomo Corporation and Hoxton Farms will work closely with food safety regulators to obtain approval before commercialisation. To this end, both parties will also consult with the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA), a non-profit think tank advancing policy and industry guidelines for the responsible adoption of cellular agriculture in Japan. As cultivated fat nears entry into the Japanese market, JACA will play a crucial role in shaping its regulatory and social acceptance.
JACA President, Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi, noted: “The collaboration between the Sumitomo Corporation and Hoxton Farms presents significant benefits for Japan, as it enables Japanese stakeholders efficient access to groundbreaking technologies, production facilities, and essential information regarding safety and taste in addressing challenges in food supply. We hope that this partnership will serve as a key pillar in strengthening bilateral cooperation between Japan and the UK in the field of food technology.”
Partnership objectives
Sumitomo’s agri-food and supply-chain expertise makes it an ideal partner for introducing cultivated fat to the Asian market. Together, the two companies will foster partnerships with food manufacturers to integrate Hoxton Fat into various food products.
Additionally, the partnership will support education and awareness initiatives to highlight the importance of cultivated fat in improving food quality, nutrition and sustainability.
Max Jamilly, CEO and Co-Founder of Hoxton Farms, commented: “This partnership with Sumitomo represents a huge step forward in our mission to create a deliciously fatty future. With Sumitomo’s unmatched expertise and network, now is the time to bring our cultivated fat to Asia and set a new standard for food innovation.”
Takeo Kojima, Head of Sumitomo Corporation’s Agri-Innovation Unit, added: “Cell-based foods are an innovative source of protein that can help address future food security challenges without the need for animal sacrifice and with a lower environmental impact. We see Hoxton Farms’ cultured fat as a groundbreaking ingredient that contributes not only to better taste but also to sustainability. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to accelerate R&D in Asia, including regulatory development and supply chain expansion.”
Working with industry stakeholders, regulators and consumers, Hoxton Farms and Sumitomo Corporation aim to drive a more resilient and responsible food system that meets Asia’s growing demand for healthy, delicious and sustainable food.
About Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation (TYO: 8053) is an integrated trading and business investment company with a strong global network comprising 129 offices in 66 countries and regions. The Sumitomo Corporation Group consists of approximately 900 companies and 80,000 employees on a consolidated basis. The Group's business activities are spread across nine industries: Steel, Automotive, Transportation & Construction Systems, Diverse Urban Development, Media & Digital, Lifestyle Business, Mineral Resources, Chemicals Solutions, and Energy Transformation Business. Sumitomo Corporation is committed to creating greater value for society under the corporate message of “Enriching lives and the world”, based on a business philosophy passed down for over 400 years.
For more information, visit https://www.sumitomocorp.com/en/global.
About Hoxton Farms
Hoxton Farms makes cultivated fat for the next generation of food products. Using a blend of cell biology and machine learning, Hoxton Farms grows real animal fat without the animals, creating a healthier, sustainable and delicious alternative for food manufacturers worldwide. The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in London, UK.
For more information, visit https://hoxtonfarms.com/.
About JACA
JACA is a non-profit think tank where academia and industry stakeholders collaborate to make policy and industrial guideline recommendations for the appropriate social implementation of cellular agriculture. The association was founded in 2019 and legally established in 2022, currently comprising over 50 membership companies and scientists. For more information about the report or to download a copy, please visit https://jaca.jp/en/.
Media contacts:
Corporate Communication Department
Sumitomo Corporation
+81-3-6285-3100
Annie Conde
Hoxton Farms
hello@hoxtonfarms.com