Māori-owned meat snack start-up Mīti has succeeded in transforming an industry by-product into a high-value export opportunity, creating a new category for sustainable beef snacks.
Mīti was co-founded by Daniel Carson (Ngāi Tahu), a former corporate executive and farmer; Hugh Good, who works for Beef + Lamb NZ in consumer insights; and Dr. Lily Liu, a food technologist with expertise in product development and sustainability.
The idea for Mīti originated from the challenge of creating value from surplus dairy calves (non-replacement calves), a previously unwanted by-product of the dairy industry.
With support from the BPA, Mīti worked alongside AgResearch, Pāmu Farms of New Zealand, Mt Somers Station, Alliance NZ, Duncan Venison, SPCA, and Fonterra. This collaboration focused on validating the production metrics, efficient processing, and environmental sustainability claims of young dairy beef while also establishing science-based health claims for Mīti as a demonstration case.
The BPA awarded Mīti a $250,000 grant in early 2024, enabling the development of a scalable, low-carbon ingredient manufacturing process. This funding also supported research milestones such as the life cycle assessment of young dairy beef (10–18 months) and the Mīti snack bar, which revealed that younger dairy cattle produce up to 48% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional beef farming. These results validated the environmental benefits of Mīti’s production model.
The project also involved extensive nutritional analysis and research on protein digestibility, bioavailability, and the functional benefits of the product. Contributions from collaborators provided critical support in achieving these outcomes, the results of which will be out soon!
Mīti Beef Bites officially launched in December 2024, marking the culmination of years of research, innovation, and collaboration. The success of this project demonstrates how partnerships between science, industry, and start-ups can drive meaningful change in the agri-food sector.
The BPA’s support and the collective efforts of its industry collaborators have enabled Mīti to pioneer a transformative approach to sustainable ingredient manufacturing, aligning with global sustainability goals while addressing significant environmental and animal welfare challenges.



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