Data Garden

For ingredient suppliers

Show your material on its merits

Inclusion in the Data Garden gives you a free, reproducible technical profile of your ingredient - released anonymously by default, with attribution granted on your own terms.

What inclusion gets you

A standardized analytical pass on your ingredient, by the same instruments and protocols used across every other entry in the dataset. Three concrete outcomes:

Technical information for free

A full analytical workup - composition, structure, function, stability - across the same battery used for every other ingredient in the dataset. Yours to keep and to publish however you like.

Sales channels to ingredient buyers

Buyers searching the catalog can request introductions to suppliers of attributed records. You decide who sees what, and at which depth.

Suggested methods for product improvement

Where the analytical record points to specific process levers - pH, shear, drying - we surface that back to you with the underlying measurements that support the suggestion.

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How the buyer–supplier handshake works

Buyers see anonymized records by default. When a buyer is interested in a specific ingredient, the system can broker an introduction without ever exposing supplier identity until you say so.

  1. A buyer requests an introduction

    The catalog interface gives buyers a "Request introduction" affordance on any anonymized record. The buyer submits a short statement of interest (purpose, target product class, expected volume range).

  2. We forward the request to you

    You receive the request without buyer identity at first. The buyer's company name and contact are released to you only after you agree to engage.

  3. You decide whether to engage

    One-click accept, decline, or "engage under NDA only". Declining is silent - the buyer is told only that the supplier is not currently taking introductions.

  4. Direct contact, on your terms

    After accept, you and the buyer are connected directly by email. The Data Garden steps out of the conversation. Attribution remains anonymous to the broader public unless you grant attribution.

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Submit your ingredient

Send us a short profile of the ingredient you'd like included. We'll reach out within a working week with a sample-request form and timeline. Submitting this form does not commit you to anything; it starts a conversation.

Current sourcing priorities are commodity-scale legumes, oilseeds, and pulses - flours and whole ingredients - with deepest interest in materials whose target functionality sits in cheese (stretch and melt) or egg (binding and foaming) applications. Materials outside these priorities are still welcome; they may move at a different pace.

By submitting, you agree to our Material Transfer & Transparency Agreement, below. The MTTA covers the analytical work - never your underlying material or process.

The Material Transfer & Transparency Agreement

Unlike traditional MTAs that prohibit chemical or genetic analysis, our Proactive Transparency Agreement is built to share independent data while protecting your brand. Two safety valves keep you in control of the narrative:

  • Anonymization. Request that results publish without your company or brand names - attributed instead to a representative ingredient in the same category.
  • Review & embargo. Receive any proposed publication before it goes live, with the option to request an embargo while you prepare a response or internal filing.
Read the full Material Transfer & Transparency Agreement

Executive summary

Our mission: accelerating the future of food. Food System Innovations - Action Lab ("Receiver") is dedicated to providing the modern protein industry with high-quality, independent data. Unlike traditional Material Transfer Agreements that strictly prohibit chemical or genetic analysis, our Proactive Transparency Agreement is designed to foster an open-source spirit of innovation while protecting your brand's integrity.

Why partner with FSI Action Lab? By providing your Materials - such as protein flours or unique ingredients - you gain access to several strategic benefits:

Third-party validation. We provide rigorous, independent analysis of your ingredient's efficacy and performance in plant-protein applications.
Data rights. You will receive the raw data and results from our testing for your own internal R&D or marketing use.
Market exposure. Inclusion in our public reports can serve as a powerful, unbiased endorsement of your product to the broader food system.

Protecting your interests. We understand that early-stage data can be sensitive. Our agreement provides you with two primary "safety valves" to ensure you remain in control of your narrative:

The anonymization option. If you are concerned about specific data points, you may request that all results be published anonymously, removing your company and brand names.
The review period. You will receive a copy of any proposed publication before it goes live, giving you time to review the findings and prepare a formal response or request an embargo.

Moving forward. We believe that transparency is the fastest route to a sustainable food system. By moving away from restrictive "no-analysis" clauses, we can work together to build the benchmarks that will define the next generation of food.

Agreement

1. Purpose of transfer. The Receiver (FSI Action Lab) is dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable food system. The Materials provided by the Company are being transferred specifically for:

Independent analysis. Comprehensive nutritional, functional, and sensory benchmarking.
Public transparency. The potential publication of findings to provide the industry with high-quality, third-party data on these ingredients.

2. Right to analyze & publish. Contrary to standard restrictive MTAs, the Parties agree that:

Authorized analysis. Receiver is expressly permitted to analyze the chemical, molecular, and functional composition of the Materials.
Publication rights. Receiver may publish the results of such analysis ("the Results") in public databases, white papers, or peer-reviewed journals.

3. Supplier protection options. To balance transparency with the Company's brand interests, the Company is granted the following options regarding the Results:

The anonymization option. Upon written request by the Company, the Receiver will remove all identifying information (Company name, specific brand names) from public reports. The data will instead be attributed to a "representative [Category Name] ingredient."
The review & embargo option. Receiver will provide the Company with a draft of the Results [e.g., 14 days] prior to publication. During this time, the Company may request an embargo of up to [e.g., 180 days] to prepare internal responses or commercial filings.

4. Intellectual property & data.

Ownership. The Company retains ownership of the Materials.
Data rights. Receiver owns the raw data and Results generated from its independent testing but grants the Company a non-exclusive license to use the Results for their own internal R&D or marketing purposes.

5. Term & survival. This agreement shall remain in effect for [e.g., 3] years. Provisions regarding the right to publish and the protections for the Company shall survive the expiration of this agreement.

MTTA · v1.0 · 2026-05-14 Read the canonical agreement →