A vegan burger made from cupuaçu seed should reach the market in the first half of 2026. The product, developed in Belém by the Supercritical Technology Laboratory (Labtecs) of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), was presented this Wednesday morning (19) at the Pavilion of the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ) and BioTec-Amazônia, during COP30.
The initiative is coordinated by Professor Raul Nunes and has a partnership with BioTec-Amazônia and funding from the Financing Agency for Studies and Projects (Finep), linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). According to the researcher, the project has already reached the prototype stage of the hamburger, a fundamental step to enable future commercialization.
The cupuaçu seed, normally discarded as waste, has shown high nutritional potential. “It is very rich in vegetable protein and fat. We developed a process to defat this seed. Through supercritical technology, we were able to extract the butter from the seed and obtain a very rich and fat-free vegetable protein,” explained Professor Raul.
Labtecs, located in the Guamá Science and Technology Park, has accumulated more than 20 years of experience in research with supercritical technology. The project involving cupuaçu has been under development for about a year and a half. For the researcher, presenting the innovation at COP30 is strategic: “It is fundamental to show sustainable alternatives from the Amazon, especially within the circular economy. A residue that would be discarded is transformed into food with high added value.”
New partnerships for 2026
In addition to the presentation of the vegan burger, researchers received good news during COP30: Finep and the BioTec-Amazônia Association are expected to establish new partnerships to financially support scientific and productive projects in the Amazon region starting in 2026.
The announcement was made during the panel “National and international technical-financial cooperation in science, technology, innovation and resource development”, held in the UNAMAZ / BioTec-Amazônia pavilion. Participants included the CEO of BioTec-Amazônia, Professor José Seixas Lourenço, directors and researchers from the institution, the manager of the Northern Regional Department of Finep, Rodrigo de Lima, and the manager of the Sectoral Department of Circular Economy of Finep, Henrique Vasques.
For José Seixas Lourenço, COP30 has played an essential role in disseminating strategic initiatives in the region. “The projects in partnership with BioTec-Amazônia are being presented here because it is a privileged space to spread ideas and practices focused on sustainable development. We celebrate this moment, which allows society to learn about actions aimed at generating employment, income, and quality of life for those who live in the Amazon,” he stated.