Plant-based meat made from jackfruit substitutes

With 70 per cent jackfruit and 30 per cent meat patty options, the company aims to help meat-eaters reduce their meat intake

Spotted: Located in the Petaling District in Selangor, the food tech startup, IRA NOAH LLP, is producing plant-based, high-fibre burger patties using young jackfruit pulps from Pahang. According to the company, it is the first of its kind in Malaysia. 

The Malaysian Dietary Guideline recommends that people should eat 20 to 30 grams of dietary fibre a day. However, in Malaysia, on average people only consume half this amount. Consequently, this leaves a fibre gap of 9 to 12 grams. Each NANKA patty contains 8 to 10 grams of whole-plant dietary fibre, with the jackfruits being locally sourced from farmers around Malaysia. 

“Our intention right from the get-go is to encourage fellow Malaysians to eat a healthier diet, which means reducing meat as well as avoiding highly-processed fast food,” Ahmad Syafik Jaafar, IRA NOAH co-founder told Springwise. 

Currently funded by Japanese and Singaporean investors, IRA NOAH was set up in 2013 by husband and wife, Ahmad Syafik Jaafar and Amirah Mohd Noh. 

The company told Springwise that its aim is to help meat-eaters reduce their meat intake. NANKA is currently available in three products, including a 100 per cent plant-based patty made from jackfruit and mushrooms, and a 70 per cent mixed plant/30 per cent chicken patty. There is also a 70 per cent mixed plant/30 per cent beef patty. All Products are HALAL certified and MeSTI approved. Moreover, according to the company, they do not contain preservatives, colourings or artificial flavouring. They are also free from GMOs and gluten. 

NANKA is sold as ready-to-cook patties to hotels, vegetarian cafes and restaurants. For those who reside in Klang Valley, orders can be placed via their food ordering app.  

In the near future, IRA NOAH is working on developing other products such as nuggets, “vegeballs,” hotdogs and mince. Moving forwards, the company hopes to eventually expand beyond meat, and are looking to introduce plant-based dairy products, such as butter and mashed eggs. 

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