Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Gregorys Coffee’s plant protein coffee, Wasted’s upcycled pasta, and a new plant-based meat brand in Thailand.
New products and launches
US specialty coffee company Gregorys Coffee is jumping on the ‘proffee’ trend with Protein Buzz, a plant-based protein coffee drink devised with Nuzest‘s pea protein powder. It’s available at all Gregorys stores nationwide.
Plant-based milk brand Elmhurst 1925 has launched a three-pack of its Unsweetened Cashew Milk exclusively for Costco. It’s available at the hypermarket’s Los Angeles and Hawaii stores for $13.69.
Meanwhile, Maïzly‘s original and chocolate corn milks have gained listings in 600 more retailers across the US, including ShopRite, Hannaford, Redner’s, Albertsons United Supermarkets, and Market Street.
Nutrition company L-Nutra has rolled out the Prolon L plant protein bar to support muscle health and healthy ageing. Each bar contains 14g of protein from black beans, chickpeas and peas, and the product is initially available in a Chocolate Coated flavour.
As Hain Celestial pulls Yves Veggie Cuisine products from the market by the end of the year, fellow Canadian brand Gusta is looking to fill the gap with similar offerings starting October, when it will launch vegan deli slices, burger patties, and hash browns.
Speaking of Canada, fast-food chain A&W has introduced a housemade vegan burger to its 1,070 locations nationwide. It’s made from a base of pea protein, soy protein isolate, coconut oil and beet juice concentrate.
Danish startup Wasted has launched an upcycled caserecce pasta made from bread waste. It is available on its website for 249 Danish kroner ($39) for six 400g packs, and can be shipped across the EU.
Swiss meat alternative leader Planted has introduced a Crispy range of mycoprotein products in Germany and Austria. The chicken schnitzel, burger and nuggets are available at Rewe, Edeka, Interspar, Eurospar and MPreis, with a wider European rollout in the works.
Dutch B2B company Schouten Europe has launched a new vegan tuna described as “a significant step forward in both texture and taste”.
UK plant-based duo Bosh has launched eight vegan ready meals in Tesco stores, spanning pizzas and pasta to curries and noodles.
And in Thailand, Swees Plant Based Foods has expanded from vegan cheese with the rollout of a new brand of meat alternatives called CleanBean, starting with Beev Steaklets and Chick*n Bites (offering 20-22g of protein and 7-8g of fibre per 100g).
Company and finance updates
British oat milk brand Oato has been selected for the 2025 Accelerator Programme by Tesco, the country’s largest supermarket group.
Queensland University of Technology‘s Pioneer BioPilot, a pilot-scale fermentation facility in Mackay, has been upgraded with an A$18M ($11.8M) investment from federal and state governments, including Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA).
Aussie plant protein startup Harvest B, which is targeting blended meat applications, has raised A$3.5M ($2.3M) in pre-Series A funding, with the state government’s Breakthrough Victoria fund participating in the round.
In the Netherlands, the Klerken family, owner of Scelta Mushrooms, has acquired Ecovative Spawn & Substrate from its Dutch subsidiary of US mycelium startup Ecovative. The business is now called OurCelia.
In the US, Louisville Vegan Jerky Company – maker of the top-selling jerky in Whole Foods – has been taken over by CPG holding company Louisville Brands.
Cult-favourite fast-food chain Slutty Vegan has introduced a financing model after months of turbulence, which involved insolvency, an ownership change, and the return of founder and Pinky Cole.
Research, policy and awards
Portland, Oregon has been named the best US city for vegans and vegetarians in an analysis by WalletHub, covering 17 metrics. It’s followed by Los Angeles and Austin.
Vegan Vibrationz, a business owned by twin brothers, has become the first vendor serving exclusively plant-based food in the State Fair of Texas’s 139-year history.
Speaking of events, Hungary will host its first plant-based conference on November 22. Called the Vegan Summit Budapest, it will feature over 600 participants.
In New Zealand, the Vegan Society of Aotearoa will host the country’s first-ever Vegan Pastry Awards, with bakeries from across the nation competing for the Supreme Winner title at Auckland’s Crave Café on October 13.
A report by market research firm Spins has revealed that 29% of millennials and 36% of Gen Zers in the US eat plant-based, much lower than the 53% and 59% focusing on a high-protein diet, respectively.
When it comes to dog food, plant-based diets have the lowest environmental impact, a new University of Nottingham study has shown.
Finally, plant-based protein is a $1.43B market, but its share of the protein powder industry has shrunk by 3.7% since 2022. Pea protein, in particular, is the largest vegan source, according to a new nutrition and weight management report by Informa Markets‘s Nutrition Business Journal.
Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.
The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan ‘Proffee’, Bread Waste Pasta & Slutty Vegan appeared first on Green Queen.
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