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Category: Alt Protein

  • Danone Eyes Plant Protein Boost with America’s Largest Collese Sports League

    silk protein milk
    4 Mins Read

    French dairy giant Danone has partnered with the Big Ten Conference to expand access to its protein and plant-based products under the Oikos and Silk brands.

    Danone is betting big on plants and protein with a sports-focused partnership with one of the US’s oldest collegiate athletic leagues.

    The dairy behemoth has signed a multi-year deal with the Big Ten Conference, an association of universities focused on academics for students competing in college athletics, to advance nutrition with its high-protein yoghurts and plant-based milks, sold under the Oikos and Silk brands, respectively.

    Danone is the 129-year-old league’s first yoghurt and non-dairy milk partner, and will explore the nutrition needs of students to identify ways to expand product access to Big Ten communities and fans nationwide.

    “Led by our world-class research and innovation team and nutrition scientists, by bringing Oikos and Silk to Big Ten campuses, we’re providing nutrient-dense products that help students and athletes thrive — on campus and beyond,” said Dan Magliocco, president of Danone North America.

    Danone to work with health leaders to advance nutrition science

    danone big ten
    Courtesy: Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard/USA Today Network

    Danone will begin programmes to raise awareness about quality nutrition from Q1 2026, as part of its mission to “bring health through food” and increase access to nourishing foods.

    “This partnership with the Big Ten extends Danone’s global legacy of leveraging cutting-edge nutrition science and innovation to bring health through food to as many people as possible,” Magliocco outlined.

    The partnership has the potential to reach all Big Ten campuses, athletic venues, local food pantries and digital platforms, covering over 14,000 student athletes, 580,000 students, and the largest collegiate fanbase in the US.

    It will highlight the product ranges of Oikos and Silk, which lead the US market for high-protein yoghurts and non-dairy milks, respectively, through brand activations, athletic events and retail promotions. Danone will build on existing nutrition programmes to reach more students with accessible, healthy food options that support wellbeing.

    It will also work directly with health leaders across the 18 Big Ten campuses to share nutrition science expertise and design initiatives that reflect real needs and lifestyles. Plus, it will create educational programmes and learning tools to help students build lifelong healthy habits.

    “Our students and communities deserve the best when it comes to their health. This partnership with Danone is not only about access; it’s about fuelling potential,” said James Borchers, chief medical officer of the Big Ten Conference.

    “By tackling challenges like food insecurity and expanding nutrition education, we’re helping students build habits today that will support them for years to come,” he added.

    Danone targets protein-shaped gap in plant-based drinks segment

    silk high protein milk
    Courtesy: Silk

    Danone said it shared “deep geographic roots” across the US with the Big Ten, with its 50+ farming partners and manufacturing sites in states housing the conference’s campus communities. That includes its largest yoghurt facility in Minster, Ohio, as well as suppliers in California’s Central Valley, which provide 100% of Danone’s almonds.

    The dairy producer also recruits talent directly from Big Ten institutions, including The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, and Michigan State University.

    The company claims this boosts its ties with local communities, linking agriculture and career opportunities to student life and community health, and highlighting how it creates nutrient-dense products that fuel students, athletes and alumni through local sourcing.

    “The Big Ten Network is proud to team up with Danone, a partner who shares our passion for elevating the fan experience while promoting healthier choices,” said conference president François McGillicuddy.

    Polling suggests that 70% of Americans are looking to consume protein this year, with 41% turning to dairy products like yoghurts and 18% to plant-based milk. In another survey, 85% of Americans said they want to increase their intake of the nutrient.

    Danone has recognised this shift, making protein the focus of several new launches. In its latest earnings report, the company said momentum for high-protein products “remained strong” in North America, but identified the region’s plant-based segment as a “work in progress”, after category sales dipped by 3% in the 52 weeks to July 19, against a 5% growth for cow’s milk, according to SPINS.

    To arrest this decline, Danone launched a high-protein range of dairy-free milks under the Silk brand, offering 13g of complete plant protein per serving. It’s the company’s response to Mintel data showing that plant-based drinks represent less than 1% of protein-centric product launches.

    “There’s a clear gap for a high-protein plant-based option that consumers are actively demanding,” said Wendy Nunnelley, president of Danone North America’s plant-based division. “We really see a gap in the marketplace for a good plant-based, higher protein offering that just hasn’t been there, and that consumers are demanding.”

    The post Danone Eyes Plant Protein Boost with America’s Largest Collese Sports League appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Ingredients Giant Lasenor Debuts Pea Protein Innovation to Replace Eggs in Baked Goods

    lasenor egg replacer
    4 Mins Read

    Spanish food emulsion producer Lasenor has introduced a new pea protein texturiser that can help bakery manufacturers reduce eggs amid supply and price shocks.

    The latest company to join the egg replacement drive, Barcelona-based emulsifier manufacturer Lasenor has unveiled a clean-label solution for baked goods.

    The ingredient, called VP-100, is a texturised protein from peas, designed specifically for commercial bakery applications. It was developed in collaboration with Israeli ingredient tech innovator Meala Foodtech, which introduced its own single-ingredient pea protein powder to replace eggs in September.

    “Lasenor VP-100 responds to consumer demands for plant-based alternatives and allergen-free options,” said Viktoriia Kubrakova, product manager for the egg replacer at Lasenor.

    She added: “Food manufacturers are actively seeking solutions that allow partial or full egg reduction, especially in light of the volatile egg supplies and price fluctuations.”

    Lasenor bets on plant-based egg replacement boom

    lasenor vp 100
    Courtesy: Patricia Ortin Blaya

    Lasenor says its new ingredient is designed to enhance aeration, produce a softer crumb, and extend shelf life and freshness by slowing the staling process of baked goods.

    It acts as a single-ingredient functional solution within bakery applications, which can replace 50-100% of the eggs in the formulation, all while maintaining stable texture, volume, and crumb structure. It allows manufacturers to reduce costs by 30-40%.

    VP-100 is characterised as having superior water retention to help bakery products stay soft and moist longer, and supports consumer demand for simple, short and transparent ingredient lists. Plus, it has no off flavours and features comparable volume and dome formation properties, making it suitable for all sorts of bakery applications without impacting any organoleptic attributes.

    The ingredient was created with the help of Meala’s proprietary texturisation technology, which was further optimised by Lasenor for aerated batter systems.

    The innovation comes amid soaring egg prices globally, thanks to the latest bout of avian flu and Newcastle disease, which have led to the culling of millions of chickens and highly volatile supplies. Combined with a sharp increase in demand, egg prices reached a decade-long high in Europe this year, and broke all-time records in the US.

    According to Lasenor, baked good categories (like muffins, sponge cakes, and sweet pastries) that boast plant-based claims are seeing double-digit growth in product launches, ascribing it to a demand for “more sustainable, ethical, and better-for-you products”. In the US, for example, Just Egg’s sales have skyrocketed.

    It’s why many are coming out with functional vegan egg replacers for B2B applications, like Dutch firm Revyve, which is using fermentation to produce a yeast protein that can substitute eggs in various food and drink products.

    Likewise, Spain’s MOA Foodtech unveiled a fermentation-derived ingredient that can reduce egg use in bakery, pastry and pasta formulations, and French player The Very Food Co introduced a powdered aquafaba product that can fit into the lines of artisan bakers and industrial manufacturers alike.

    Pea protein replacer delivers strong performance in muffins

    egg substitute
    Courtesy: Lasenor

    To showcase the capabilities of its pea protein ingredient, Lasenor debuted a line of muffins with 50-100% fewer eggs at Fi Europe 2025 in Paris (December 2-4).

    “Lasenor VP-100 delivers strong functional performance in muffin formulations, helping manufacturers achieve the desired texture, moisture, and structure, even with reduced egg content,” said Kubrakova. “Our trials demonstrate that VP-100 integrates smoothly into standard cake recipes without requiring changes to the processing methods.”

    The texturiser undergoes a controlled hydration and activation phase to optimise its functional performance, giving it the gelling, binding, and water-retention capacities critical for egg replacement. All the ingredients for the muffins are then whisked together for several minutes into an airy batter, where the activated protein enhances foam stability to maintain air retention during baking.

    “Trials with Lasenor VP-100 produced soft, voluminous muffins with a uniform fine crumb and a stable structure,” said Kubrakova. “The ingredient also fully aligns with market demands, supporting on-pack claims such as ‘100% plant-based’, ‘egg-free’, and ‘clean label’.”

    In kitchen lab tests, the egg replacer helped produce muffins that imparted volume, softness, moisture, and an “excellent consumer experience comparable to full-egg recipes”. This performance was seen in a broad range of other baked goods, like sponge cakes, pound cakes, and brioches.

    Lasenor recently opened a new technical centre with a fully equipped bakery lab, dedicated to providing on-site guidance to industrial manufacturers in formulating plant-based bakery concepts that tick all the sensory and functionality boxes.

    “Our customers can test recipes, optimise processes, and validate product performance under real manufacturing conditions,” said Chiara Marinanza, marketing director for Lasenor. “In addition, customers will benefit from Lasenor’s applications expertise, formulation know-how, and direct market access to the bakery industry.”

    The post Ingredients Giant Lasenor Debuts Pea Protein Innovation to Replace Eggs in Baked Goods appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Everyone’s Favourite Beatle Weighs In On EU ‘Veggie Burger’ Labelling Ban

    paul mccartney veggie burger
    6 Mins Read

    The Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney has joined eight UK politicians to call on the EU to drop its proposed ban on the use of meat-like terms on plant-based products.

    Sir Paul McCartney has become the latest public figure to voice their opposition to a proposal that would prohibit companies from using terms like ‘veggie burger’ in Europe.

    The former Beatle and his family have supported the call by eight UK MPs, who have urged the European Commission to reject the proposal in an open letter.

    In October, the European Parliament voted 355–247 to ban denominations such as ‘burger’, ‘sausage’ and ‘steak’ from being used to market plant-based alternatives. The proposal then moved forward towards interinstitutional negotiations between the EU Commission, Council and Parliament, with a decision set to be announced later this week.

    Despite exiting the bloc in 2020, the move will have implications for the UK as well, thanks to a recently signed trade agreement. One of the main reasons cited by supporters of the ban is that labelling meat-free products the same way as meat would confuse citizens.

    But the letter, whose signatories include cross-party MPs like Jeremy Corbyn, Siân Berry, Kerry McCarthy, and Irene Campbell, cites seven studies that show this isn’t the case. And now, a YouGov survey of over 2,100 Brits finds that 92% of adults have never accidentally bought a vegan sausage or burger believing it contained meat, or can’t recall doing so.

    “To stipulate that burgers and sausages are ‘plant-based’, ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ should be enough for sensible people to understand what they are eating. This also encourages attitudes, which are essential to our health and that of the planet,” said McCartney.

    British MPs join EU policymakers in criticism of proposed ban

    lidl vegan
    Courtesy: Lidl GB

    The EU proposal was brought by French lawmaker Céline Imart, a Parliamentary rapporteur, in a review of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) regulation in July. It seeks to ban a range of animal-free meat labels, including ‘plant-based burger’, ‘vegan bacon’, and ‘cell-cultured steak’.

    It has faced backlash from consumers, the food industry, and European policymakers alike. Anna Strolenberg, a member of Dutch party Volt, had slammed the proposal as a “waste of everybody’s time”.

    “We could have spent this time debating the fact that our planet is on fire, the fact that we have a brutal war on our borders, and that our societies are getting angrier and more divided. And instead, when Europeans look at their leaders, what do they see? They see us discussing burgers,” she said before the vote.

    Even Manfred Weber, the head of the centre-right EPP party (which Imart belongs to), called the ban unnecessary, telling reporters: “People are not stupid, consumers are not stupid when they go to the supermarket and buy their products.”

    Now, British MPs have hopped on this bandwagon too. “Although the UK is no longer a member of the EU, our markets, companies, consumers, and regulatory conversations remain closely intertwined,” their letter reads.

    “Decisions taken at EU level continue to influence global norms, international trade, and the direction of sustainable food innovation. We urge you not to adopt these restrictions, as we are deeply concerned about the significant global impact they could have.

    “The evidence is clear: existing legislation already protects consumers; consumers themselves overwhelmingly understand and support current naming conventions; and new restrictions would undermine economic growth, sustainability goals, and the EU’s own simplification agenda.”

    Why the EU should reject a ‘veggie burger’ ban

    veggie burger ban
    Courtesy: Linda McCartney Foods/Green Queen

    The open letter points out that the European Court of Justice already has rules that mandate ingredient transparency and ensure consumer protection, citing its advocate-general’s 2024 opinion warning that a ban could create more confusion for consumers.

    It would also run counter to the EU’s commitments on simplification and competitiveness, creating administrative burdens, imposing additional costs on companies who would be forced to redesign their packaging, and generating inconsistencies across languages and member states.

    All this is even more problematic, the letter says, when you consider that Europe is the world’s largest market for plant-based meat, commanding a 54% share of this category’s $6.1B in global sales last year.

    European consumers are more likely to be following a flexitarian diet or reducing meat consumption than their counterparts in other regions, and companies and researchers in the alternative protein sector benefit from public funding in the EU more than anywhere else.

    The EU’s livestock sector accounts for 84% of its agricultural emissions, despite animal proteins only supplying 35% of its calories and 65% of its protein intake. Alternative proteins like plant-based meat, on the other hand, drastically lower the emissions, water and land use impacts of the food system.

    The European Environment Agency itself has indicated that these foods will be inevitable to ensure food security in the EU by 2050. And the UK’s Climate Change Committee has called on the country to halve its meat and dairy consumption by 2050 to help meet national climate targets, advocating for plant-based alternatives as ideal replacements.

    “Increasing plant-based choices benefits people, animals, and the planet. Discouraging these options makes little sense,” said Campbell, a Scottish member of the UK’s Labour Party. “I urge the European Commission to consider the wider impact of this proposal and to prioritise a future that supports plant-based choices rather than blocking them.”

    The McCartneys have long championed meat-free eating

    paul mccartney vegan
    Courtesy: PA/Alamy

    The McCartneys’ support of the letter will likely boost awareness and public opposition to the ban, and it comes as no surprise. Sir Paul gave up meat in 1975 with his late wife, with whom he founded the eponymous Linda McCartney brand of meat-free products in 1991.

    Moreover, he launched the Meat Free Monday campaign in 2009 with his daughters, the photographer Mary and designer Stella, who have both been vegetarians since childhood.

    The former Beatles member is among the staunchest supporters of vegan and vegetarian diets, having called for an end to mandatory meat in English schools and writing a letter to the COP30 president to urge the climate summit to adopt a meat-free vegan menu.

    The open letter is supported by The Vegetarian Society. “Terms like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ have been used for plant-based foods for decades, and consumers clearly understand them. These familiar words help shoppers know exactly what they’re buying,” said Jenny Canham, the organisation’s public affairs lead.

    “Restricting these terms in the EU could cause confusion globally, slow sustainable food markets, and make plant-based eating less accessible. At a time when ethical and sustainable choices matter more than ever, this is precisely the wrong direction,” she added.

    In their letter, the MPs make a nod to “unequivocal” evidence that current EU law provides full consumer protection, that citizens aren’t overwhelmed by current naming systems, and that the restrictions would damage competitiveness, innovation and climate progress.

    “Clear labelling, not unnecessary terminology bans, is the best approach for consumers, producers, and the future of sustainable European food systems,” they write. “We therefore urge the Commission to reject these restrictions and maintain the current, proportionate, effective regulatory framework, which we firmly believe sets the global standard for best practice.”

    The post Everyone’s Favourite Beatle Weighs In On EU ‘Veggie Burger’ Labelling Ban appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The Beef-Bean Gap: Soaring Meat Prices Drive Brits Towards More Affordable Plant Proteins

    ultra processed food diet
    5 Mins Read

    Meat prices in the UK have increased over six times faster than beans and lentils, causing a slowdown in sales of animal proteins in favour of plant-based options.

    As the cost of meat reaches unprecedented highs, Brits are feeling the heat, and plant-based proteins have now emerged as a more wallet-friendly option.

    Data from market intelligence firm Euromonitor points to a widening “meat to beans” price gap in the UK, driving a reduction in volume sales of fresh and processed meat in favour of legumes and pulses.

    The average price of meat in British supermarkets has risen by £3.31 (or 41%) between 2020 and 2025, costing £11.38 per kg. In contrast, fresh pulses have seen a markup of 45p (or 18%), reaching £2.94, while shelf-stable beans are 60p costlier, totalling £1.84.

    Red meat has been hit hardest, with the gap between a kg of beef and pulses widening from £6.58 in 2020 to £10.54 this year, according to analysis by food-focused non-profit Madre Brava.

    “Meat is fast becoming unaffordable in the quantities we consume it in,” said Sara Ayech, the organisation’s UK director. “For hard-pressed UK families, this new data suggests more plant proteins in the trolley could be a way to bring down the grocery bill, while still getting protein, and more fibre and less fat to boot.”

    uk meat prices
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    Beans, tofu and meat alternatives now cheaper than animal proteins

    The analysis suggests that all types of fresh and processed meats have undergone long-term, structural price hikes. Lamb witnessed the sharpest uptick, with a per kg markup £5.77 higher today than five years ago.

    Pork rose by £2.64, processed red meats by £2.98, and beef by £4.26 per kg. Illustrating the consumer impact of these shifts, Madre Brava noted that £10 would have been enough to buy 1.23kg of beef in 2020, but it can only take you as far as 800g now.

    That has directly impacted sales, with retail volumes of fresh meat down by 40 tonnes below pre-pandemic levels, alongside a continued decline in processed meat. It signals that the price hikes “may be starting to have an impact on consumer choices”.

    Whole-food plant proteins like beans and pulses, on the other hand, have remained relatively stable due to their low costs, with Euromonitor’s research pointing to a gradual increase in consumption by Brits since 2022.

    uk meat consumption
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    The average price of tofu has also fallen and is now lower than most kinds of fresh and processed meats. And the cost of vegan meat alternatives has increased, but at slower rates than animal proteins, making them more affordable than conventional processed meat.

    “The gap is widest between beans and pulses on the one hand and meat on the other, but this isn’t just about beans and pulses,” said Ayech. “We found that when it comes to convenience food, plant-based is now price-competitive. For example, when we checked, two-pack plant-based versions of chicken Kyivs were cheaper than the chicken versions in almost all supermarkets, including Tesco and Aldi.”

    This finding aligns with similar research published in October by think tank Green Alliance, which revealed that several plant-based meat products are now on par with or cheaper than meat at the UK’s largest supermarket, thanks to the latter’s soaring costs.

    “Meat is not just more expensive than plant-based proteins overall, but, crucially, the gap is widening,” Ayech explained. “Climate change is increasingly affecting things like the price of feed for livestock and the spread of disease, so the causes of meat price rises aren’t going away, and this gap could get wider still.”

    plant based meat price
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    Why meat prices are rising way faster than legumes

    All this begs the question: why are meat prices so high? Madre Brava cites several factors, chief among which is the impact of climate change. Dry weather has ruined grass, meaning cattle must be fed earlier in the season, pushing up prices. Floods, typhoons and heat stress are also affecting livestock populations, as is bluetongue virus, which is exacerbated by the climate crisis.

    In fact, zoonotic diseases like the avian flu are shortening livestock numbers and affecting prices, as evidenced by the egg crisis, while raising the risk of another pandemic. Speaking of which, the lingering effects of Covid-19, Brexit and Russia’s war on Ukraine have caused worldwide supply shocks, leading to an uptick in prices of all agricultural products.

    In contrast, the cost of legumes has remained relatively stable, since they require less fertiliser and water than meat or dairy, and can be dried or canned for long-term storage, making them less susceptible to short-term market fluctuations.

    Meanwhile, climate-impacted foods are responsible for 40% of food inflation, with beef, milk and butter among the five worst-hit commodities. Madre Brava argues that for lower-income families most acutely affected by the cost-of-living crisis, plant-based whole foods and meat alternatives are now cost-effective protein options.

    bold bean co
    Courtesy: Bold Bean Co

    They also come with a host of nutritional benefits, particularly a high fibre content. Almost all Brits (95%) are deficient in this nutrient, which can lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Fibre has been the focus of nutrition apps like Zoe, documentaries such as Netflix’s Hack Your Health, and the 30-plants-a-week movement, spawning a ‘fibremaxxing’ movement on TikTok.

    According to the UK’s Food Foundation, greater consumption of beans, legumes and pulses can extend life expectancy by two years. It has found beans and grains to be the strongest-performing foods on sustainability, nutrition and price fronts. And in May, it urged policymakers and businesses to take action to boost the uptake of plant-rich diets in the UK, with a focus on whole-food sources like beans.

    Madre Brava has called on retailers to support consumers in making healthy and affordable food choices, arguing that they have lagged behind their European counterparts in taking action to normalise plant-based eating. Discount retailer Lidl is an outlier, having committed to increasing the share of plant-based proteins sold, and aligning its sales strategy with the Planetary Health Diet.

    “Supermarkets can respond to these price trends to help shoppers buy affordable, sustainable food by setting targets to rebalance the proportion of animal and plant-based protein that they sell,” said Ayech.

    The post The Beef-Bean Gap: Soaring Meat Prices Drive Brits Towards More Affordable Plant Proteins appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Australian State Pours $8M Into Next-Gen, Sustainable Plant Proteins

    australia plant protein hub
    4 Mins Read

    In Australia, the state of Victoria has invested A$12M ($8M) to set up a new research hub and glasshouse to develop climate-resilient crops to meet the global demand for plant-based proteins.

    Australia’s politicians are embracing the future of food with the opening of a multimillion-dollar hub to innovate with sustainable high-protein crops.

    The SmartFarm in Horsham, Victoria, is backed by an A$12M ($8M) investment by the state government, which was first announced in its 2022-23 budget. Most of the funds ($9M) have gone into a Plant Protein Hub, and the rest has been used to build a glasshouse.

    The project will fuel collaborations between farmers, researchers and businesses to develop climate-resilient, protein-rich crops to meet the growing global demand for plant-based food.

    “Having fit-for-purpose facilities like the Plant Protein Hub at Horsham SmartFarm strengthens our research capabilities and opens the door to new opportunities across agriculture and food innovation,” said Jacinta Ermacora, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

    How the Horsham SmartFarm will advance plant proteins

    horsham smartfarm
    Courtesy: Agriculture Victoria

    The Plant Protein Hub will provide collaborative spaces for growers, scientists and startups, alongside a fully equipped test kitchen, advanced analytical equipment and facilities to explore new plant-based products.

    The facilities will help researchers and industry stakeholders discover and develop crop varieties with high protein content, such as lentils, chickpeas, and field peas.

    According to the state government, this hub is already a leading centre for innovation, with PhD students working alongside researchers and industry. It has a capacity for up to 10 PhD students and three startups, and Victoria’s agriculture department has teamed up with the plant-based sector to shape future research opportunities.

    Meanwhile, the glasshouse is designed to accelerate crop research, enhance pest and disease management, and boost climate resilience, helping farmers adapt to changing conditions and maintain productivity.

    The construction of the Plant Protein Hub has helped create dozens of jobs across trades, suppliers, and professional and technical services. It will now keep generating opportunities for research, education and industry collaboration.

    Moreover, students from primary school all the way through to post-graduate level will benefit from hands-on learning in a dedicated education space at the site, creating pathways for future careers in agriculture.

    “This investment will help our communities reach new markets, drive local jobs, champion sustainable practices, and ensure a strong and resilient future for regional Victoria,” said Michaela Settle, parliamentary secretary for regional Victoria.

    Government support crucial to meet Australia’s future food potential

    australian plant proteins liquidation
    Courtesy: Australian Plant Proteins

    Victoria has emerged as a leading player in growing crops for plant-based protein products in Australia, with its pulse industry generating $638M in export income last year. “Victoria is leading the way in plant-based protein research, building world-class facilities and fostering collaboration that will transform agriculture and strengthen regional economies,” said Ros Spence, the state’s agriculture minister.

    In fact, Australia produces around 59 million tonnes of protein-rich cereals, pulses and oilseeds every year, including a vast majority of the crops used for plant proteins. It’s the global leader in lupin production, and is a major producer of wheat, barley and canola.

    Yet, it exports roughly 65% of its grain into global commodity markets. In 2023, Australia shipped out 41 million tonnes of protein-rich source crops, but imported 118,000 tonnes of plant protein ingredients.

    That puts the country at risk of conceding its future market share in plant protein manufacturing to countries with better policies and an established national plan, according to Melbourne-based think tank Food Frontier, which recently published a report calling for a federal strategy to boost high-value manufacturing of protein-rich crops.

    Uptake of plant proteins is hindered by limited awareness or understanding among food manufacturers and a lack of technical support, challenges compounded by high costs and supply chain gaps. Infrastructure and R&D are costly, and companies are financially constrained. However, financing is a challenge, as investors are cautious without catalytic public co-funding.

    Among Food Frontier’s recommendations for the government were to build the workforce and regional supply chains, and scale up manufacturing by strategically investing in regional hubs, shared infrastructure and capital co-investment frameworks.

    The Horsham SmartFarm is an example of such an effort. And to their credit, Australia’s politicians haven’t shied away from supporting future-friendly foods. For instance, Queensland is providing financial aid to help Cauldron Ferm build an industrial-scale hyper-fermentation facility, and New South Wales has unveiled a prospectus to attract plant protein manufacturers to the state. Likewise, the federal government granted A$100,000 ($62,800) to cultivated meat startup Magic Valley.

    And Australia’s national research agency, CSIRO, works with a number of food tech startups, including Cauldron Ferm and precision fermentation player All G, as well as incubating firms like Eclipse Ingredients, which makes recombinant breast milk proteins.

    The post Australian State Pours $8M Into Next-Gen, Sustainable Plant Proteins appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Australian State Pours $8M Into Next-Gen, Sustainable Plant Proteins

    australia plant protein hub
    4 Mins Read

    In Australia, the state of Victoria has invested A$12M ($8M) to set up a new research hub and glasshouse to develop climate-resilient crops to meet the global demand for plant-based proteins.

    Australia’s politicians are embracing the future of food with the opening of a multimillion-dollar hub to innovate with sustainable high-protein crops.

    The SmartFarm in Horsham, Victoria, is backed by an A$12M ($8M) investment by the state government, which was first announced in its 2022-23 budget. Most of the funds ($9M) have gone into a Plant Protein Hub, and the rest has been used to build a glasshouse.

    The project will fuel collaborations between farmers, researchers and businesses to develop climate-resilient, protein-rich crops to meet the growing global demand for plant-based food.

    “Having fit-for-purpose facilities like the Plant Protein Hub at Horsham SmartFarm strengthens our research capabilities and opens the door to new opportunities across agriculture and food innovation,” said Jacinta Ermacora, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

    How the Horsham SmartFarm will advance plant proteins

    horsham smartfarm
    Courtesy: Agriculture Victoria

    The Plant Protein Hub will provide collaborative spaces for growers, scientists and startups, alongside a fully equipped test kitchen, advanced analytical equipment and facilities to explore new plant-based products.

    The facilities will help researchers and industry stakeholders discover and develop crop varieties with high protein content, such as lentils, chickpeas, and field peas.

    According to the state government, this hub is already a leading centre for innovation, with PhD students working alongside researchers and industry. It has a capacity for up to 10 PhD students and three startups, and Victoria’s agriculture department has teamed up with the plant-based sector to shape future research opportunities.

    Meanwhile, the glasshouse is designed to accelerate crop research, enhance pest and disease management, and boost climate resilience, helping farmers adapt to changing conditions and maintain productivity.

    The construction of the Plant Protein Hub has helped create dozens of jobs across trades, suppliers, and professional and technical services. It will now keep generating opportunities for research, education and industry collaboration.

    Moreover, students from primary school all the way through to post-graduate level will benefit from hands-on learning in a dedicated education space at the site, creating pathways for future careers in agriculture.

    “This investment will help our communities reach new markets, drive local jobs, champion sustainable practices, and ensure a strong and resilient future for regional Victoria,” said Michaela Settle, parliamentary secretary for regional Victoria.

    Government support crucial to meet Australia’s future food potential

    australian plant proteins liquidation
    Courtesy: Australian Plant Proteins

    Victoria has emerged as a leading player in growing crops for plant-based protein products in Australia, with its pulse industry generating $638M in export income last year. “Victoria is leading the way in plant-based protein research, building world-class facilities and fostering collaboration that will transform agriculture and strengthen regional economies,” said Ros Spence, the state’s agriculture minister.

    In fact, Australia produces around 59 million tonnes of protein-rich cereals, pulses and oilseeds every year, including a vast majority of the crops used for plant proteins. It’s the global leader in lupin production, and is a major producer of wheat, barley and canola.

    Yet, it exports roughly 65% of its grain into global commodity markets. In 2023, Australia shipped out 41 million tonnes of protein-rich source crops, but imported 118,000 tonnes of plant protein ingredients.

    That puts the country at risk of conceding its future market share in plant protein manufacturing to countries with better policies and an established national plan, according to Melbourne-based think tank Food Frontier, which recently published a report calling for a federal strategy to boost high-value manufacturing of protein-rich crops.

    Uptake of plant proteins is hindered by limited awareness or understanding among food manufacturers and a lack of technical support, challenges compounded by high costs and supply chain gaps. Infrastructure and R&D are costly, and companies are financially constrained. However, financing is a challenge, as investors are cautious without catalytic public co-funding.

    Among Food Frontier’s recommendations for the government were to build the workforce and regional supply chains, and scale up manufacturing by strategically investing in regional hubs, shared infrastructure and capital co-investment frameworks.

    The Horsham SmartFarm is an example of such an effort. And to their credit, Australia’s politicians haven’t shied away from supporting future-friendly foods. For instance, Queensland is providing financial aid to help Cauldron Ferm build an industrial-scale hyper-fermentation facility, and New South Wales has unveiled a prospectus to attract plant protein manufacturers to the state. Likewise, the federal government granted A$100,000 ($62,800) to cultivated meat startup Magic Valley.

    And Australia’s national research agency, CSIRO, works with a number of food tech startups, including Cauldron Ferm and precision fermentation player All G, as well as incubating firms like Eclipse Ingredients, which makes recombinant breast milk proteins.

    The post Australian State Pours $8M Into Next-Gen, Sustainable Plant Proteins appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Less Beef, More Beans: Dutch Dietary Guidelines Champion Shift to Plant-Based Eating

    netherlands dietary guidelines
    5 Mins Read

    The Health Council of the Netherlands has published new dietary guidelines that call for a transition to plant-rich eating patterns for nutritional and environmental benefits, with meat and dairy alternatives a prominent feature.

    The Netherlands has become the latest country to urge its citizens to eat less meat and more plants, with new food-based recommendations aligning with the goals of the protein transition.

    The national guidelines call on the Dutch to limit red meat consumption to 200g per week, which is twice as much as the recommended amount in the Planetary Health Diet framework, though much lower than current intake levels in the country (over 475g a week).

    Over 320g of the meat consumed weekly by the average local is processed, and the Health Council of the Netherlands now recommends eating as little of this as possible.

    Instead, people should increase the amount of plant proteins they eat, with an emphasis on legumes and nuts. “The committee concludes that a more plant-based and less animal-based diet is better for health and benefits the environment,” the nutrition body said, echoing its counterparts in Finland, Norway, Germany and Austria.

    The guidelines will be translated into information on healthy eating patterns by the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, which will publish a new Wheel of Five – an ideal dietary pattern that ensures both nutrient provision and health benefits – in the spring.

    wheel of five netherlands
    The Wheel of Five is set to be updated in Spring 2026 | Courtesy: Voedingscentrum

    Netherlands asks consumers to embrace legumes, nuts and seeds

    This is the first time the Netherlands has updated its guidelines in a decade, revising its recommendations on a range of protein sources.

    Most notably, the council advises eating 250g of legumes like beans, peas and lentils per week. That marks a near fivefold increase from current consumption habits, according to the latest Dutch National Food Consumption Survey.

    Men consume twice as many legumes in the Netherlands as women (71g a week versus 35g; however, both are way below the new recommendations. That said, the average per capita consumption of legumes has increased from 35g per week between 2012-16 to 52.5g in 2019-21.

    Meanwhile, the daily recommended intake for unsalted nuts has been expanded from 15g a day to a range between 15-30g. Currently, the average Dutch consumer ingests 14.6g of nuts and seeds (including spreads) daily; only 5g of these are unsalted.

    The committee said lowering red and processed meat intake and increasing legume and nut consumption represent the biggest step towards healthier and more sustainable diets. It added that people should eat a variety of legumes to promote a broader intake of nutrients.

    Moreover, the experts evaluated plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy as part of their assessment, stating that these products “can fit into a healthy and sustainable diet, but the extent to which they do so depends on the rest of the diet”.

    Its supplementary documents cited data showing that less than half of the Dutch population consumes meat or dairy alternatives (with average weekly intake at 42g and 98g, respectively), and that since 2010, mean consumption rates and frequencies have increased for both sets of products. And last year, intake of conventional meat fell to its lowest level on record.

    netherlands meat consumption per capita
    Dutch meat consumption has fallen to record low levels | Courtesy: WSER

    Dutch dietary guidelines call for protein ratio in favour of plants

    The Health Council of the Netherlands outlined how meat and dairy analogues are a “very diverse group of products”, thanks to the different protein sources and fortification rates, so their nutritional composition varies greatly.

    Recent research by food awareness organisation ProVeg found that the share of plant-based meat products that meet the nutrition guidelines for ready-made foods has tripled from 9% in 2023 to 26% now. In contrast, only 11% of conventional meat products fit the criteria.

    Of the vegan products tested, 84% were high in protein and 83% low in saturated fat. Around two-thirds were deemed to be a source of fibre (65%), vitamin B12 (67%), and iron (68%), too.

    The Dutch dietary guidelines address some major pain points of food-based dietary guidelines identified by researchers in a study earlier this year, including the lack of guidance on nutrient intake from plant-based sources and integration of meat and dairy analogues. Advice to limit meat on account of its environmental impact is also often unclear.

    richtlijnen goede voeding
    Courtesy: Health Council of the Netherlands

    The scientific committee that developed the new guidelines highlighted that plant-based meat and dairy contribute to less than 1% of the total dietary impact on greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, land use, and other environmental factors.

    For context, conventional meat accounts for 27% of the emissions and land use linked to Dutch diets, and dairy is responsible for 23% of the greenhouse gas output.

    “Comparing equal amounts, all meat alternatives have lower values than all types of meat for greenhouse gas emissions, water use, terrestrial acidification and marine eutrophication,” the scientists noted.

    albert heijn hybrid milk
    Courtesy: Albert Heijn

    The revised guidelines are in line with the findings of the council’s 2023 advisory report on protein transition, which called for 60% of protein intake to come from plant-based sources (up from the current 40%). This ‘protein split’ target has been adopted by retailers like Lidl, Aldi and Albert Heijn, which have rolled out blended meat and dairy products to offer consumers an off-ramp from animal proteins.

    “The commission emphasises the urgency of this shift,” the Health Council said. “A strong government policy that works towards the sustainable production of healthy food and a physical, social and economic environment in which healthy and sustainable food is the standard, is important to support consumers.”

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  • UK Government Publishes First Safety Guidance for Cultivated Meat Approvals

    4 Mins Read

    The UK’s Food Standards Agency has published the first of several pieces of guidance for cultivated meat regulation, born out of its ongoing regulatory sandbox.

    The UK is finally breaking away from EU-era regulations on novel foods, with the government publishing two pieces of safety guidance to advance its cultivated meat industry.

    The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have been working with several industry members since February as part of a sandbox programme to overhaul the regulatory framework surrounding these foods.

    Now, the first results of this collaboration are here, with two publications providing guidance on the classification, hazard analysis, and allergenicity and nutritional requirements for cultivated meat applications.

    It marks a shift away from the EU’s novel food regulations, which the UK still followed post-Brexit. “Directly applicable EU legislation no longer applies in Great Britain,” the guidance states, though it will continue to be applicable in Northern Ireland.

    “Our new guidance provides clarity for businesses, helping them to understand and correctly demonstrate to UK food regulators how their products are safe,” said Thomas Vincent, deputy director of innovation at the FSA.

    “Specifically, this guidance ensures that companies have assessed potential allergenic risks and that they are nutritionally appropriate before they can be authorised for sale,” he added.

    What does the UK’s cultivated meat guidance cover?

    uk cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    The first piece of guidance is designed to help companies understand and correctly apply hygiene requirements when producing cultivated meat.

    It confirms that cultivated meat produced using animal cells is defined as a product of animal origin. This means businesses must apply existing food safety regulations during the manufacturing process. That said, these products don’t satisfy the legal definition of “meat”, which is defined as having edible parts of animals.

    “We do not consider a final cell-cultivated product to be an edible part of any of the animals listed in that regulation,” the FSA and FSS wrote. Other legislations that relate to animal welfare or microbiological criteria can’t be readily applied to cultivated meat either. The regulators will give further thought to this issue in the future as part of the sandbox programme.

    The guidance also outlines how cultivated meat startups can create and adhere to a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), a legal requirement that ensures all risks are identified and mitigated in the manufacturing process and the final product is safe for human consumption.

    The second guide outlines the scientific requirements for evaluating the allergenicity and nutritional credentials of cultivated meat in regulatory filings. “Applications should demonstrate that a novel food is not nutritionally disadvantageous compared to any food it may replace,” the document reads.

    Companies must provide data on the macro- and micronutrient profile of their proteins, alongside amino and fatty acid compositions, and proposed uses. The role of cultivated meat in the consumer’s diet – whether replacing meat completely, or adding cell-cultured ingredients at a low percentage to a pre-existing product – needs to be understood to evaluate its nutritional impact, the regulators said.

    “It is expected that cell-cultivated proteins will be consumed by diverse and broad populations and may include exposure of individuals to allergens that they have not previously encountered,” they wrote. “Therefore, [they] require careful assessment to understand allergenicity risks, ensuring consumer safety.”

    Cultivated meat sandbox will boost regulatory efficiency, says FSA

    fsa novel foods
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    The sandbox programme, which runs until February 2027, is funded by the Department of Science and Technology. The FSA describes it as a “new approach to regulation” to allow the government to support innovation by giving companies clarity on how to prove their products are safe.

    The scheme included eight startups when it began: Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies, Uncommon Bio (all UK), BlueNalu (US), Vow (Australia), Mosa Meat (The Netherlands), Gourmey (France), and Vital Meat (France).

    Since then, Uncommon Bio has sold off its cultivated meat business to Vow and Dutch firm Meatable, and Gourmey has acquired Vital Meat to form a new company called Parima. Though the latter remains part of the UK sandbox, its exact current makeup is unclear.

    So far, only one cultivated meat product has made it to British shelves, but it was for dogs. When it comes to human use, Aleph Farms, Ivy Farm Technologies, and Parima (through both Vital Meat and Gourmey) have filed for approval, with the latter the furthest along in the assessment process.

    The FSA said its sandbox will boost business confidence and its own efficiency in regulating cultivated meat. It used the learnings from the programme alongside expert elicitation and literature review to publish the two documents, and has outlined plans to release further guidance for these foods throughout 2026.

    “The sandbox programme is allowing us to fast-track regulatory knowledge to reduce barriers for emerging food technologies without compromising on safety standards,” said Vincent. “Consumers can be reassured that these innovative new foods will meet the same rigorous safety standards as conventional foods.”

    The post UK Government Publishes First Safety Guidance for Cultivated Meat Approvals appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Bettani Farms Expands Brand Portfolio with Plant-Based Cheese & Meat Acquisitions

    bettani farms
    6 Mins Read

    US startup Bettani Farms has acquired vegan cheese brands Stockeld Dreamery and Numu, and plant-based meat maker Hungry Planet, bringing them under one brand umbrella.

    Consolidation is the name of the game in the plant-based space right now, best evidenced by Bettani Farms’s business strategy.

    The Californian firm has gone from making artisanal vegan cheeses that made it to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to repositioning itself as a plant-based powerhouse with several challenger brands under its belt.

    Having raised $6.5M after rebranding from Climax Foods in October, Bettani Farms has now acquired three vegan brands to expand its portfolio of dairy-free cheese and enter the meat alternative world too.

    These include Brooklyn-based mozzarella maker Numu, plant-based meat supplier Hungry Planet, and Swedish-American cultured cheese startup Stockeld Dreamery.

    It marks a revival for the latter brand, which closed down in October after the category’s slowdown made it decide against raising more capital. It had sold some of its equipment and tech to Danish hybrid dairy player PlanetDairy last month, but its brand now lives on in the US as part of Bettani Farms.

    “The deal with PlanetDairy was more centred around our equipment and sharing know-how, especially given that they are based in Europe,” Stockeld Dreamery co-founder Sorosh Tavakoli told Green Queen.

    “The deal with Bettani is a full-on asset purchase, where they have acquired all of our IP, including our patent, formulations, trademarks, etc., as well as our customer and distributor contracts, and more.”

    Tavakoli had announced the move on social media, noting that the Stockeld Dreamery team was able to find a new home “at the 25th hour”. Speaking to Green Queen, he confirmed that the acquisitions of Hungry Planet and Numu were also “very recent”.

    The three brands will operate under the Bettani Brands umbrella, with the parent company looking to “offer customers a more wholistic [sic] set of next-gen plant-based solutions”. It is simultaneously working to commercialise vegan mozzarella and feta made from its plant-derived casein ingredient, Caseed.

    Stockeld Dreamery’s cream cheeses remain available

    Numu was founded in 2015 and supplies dairy-free mozzarella to pizzerias across the US and Canada, as well as at the pizza bars at Whole Foods Market. The cheese is made from coconut oil, potato and tapioca starch, and soy milk.

    Hungry Planet, meanwhile, has been around since 2016, and makes a range of plant proteins for pizza, breakfast, lunch and dinner applications, including beef, chicken, pork, and crab. It used to sell its products in retail too, but is now exclusively focused on foodservice distribution.

    As for Stockeld Dreamery, the startup sold cultured Cheddar and provolone slices and cream cheeses in bagel shops, burger restaurants and supermarkets across the US, totalling about 500 locations. Its products also made it to a Met Gala afterparty, and were due to be rolled out in Whole Foods.

    “We had fantastic feedback from retailers who wanted to bring the product in,” Tavakoli told Green Queen in October. But with purchases of dairy-free cheese falling by 4% in the US last year, brand-building became expensive.

    Stockeld Dreamery was posting sub-$1M in revenue, and expected to record $1.2M in 2026. “We didn’t try to raise capital. We built a plan that needed about $2-3M to bring us to profitability. It would have taken about four years, with breakeven around $6M,” Tavakoli said. “It was a risky plan, with limited resources. And even though the company would have become profitable, we would still have been subscale and vulnerable in many ways.”

    stockeld dreamery cream cheese
    Courtesy: Stockeld Dreamery

    So he decided to shut shop “in a responsible way”. To save the brand, Tavakoli had “thought [he] had talked to everyone, but apparently there was one company I had counted out for the wrong reasons”, which turned out to be Bettani Farms.

    “Ever since we announced our shutdown, we’ve been bombarded with love from fans all over the country, and I couldn’t be happier that our product and all the learnings and IP will continue to live on,” he wrote on social media.

    He revealed that the brand’s cream cheeses will now remain available to bagel shops and restaurants nationwide. “We don’t plan to continue manufacturing the slices at this point, while slices are definitely on the roadmap for Bettani down the road,” he told Green Queen.

    Asked if Bettani Farms had retained any of Stockeld Dreamery’s staff, he said: “Some of us will stay on for a few months to support with the transition.”

    Bettani Farms bets on plant-based casein amid M&A drive

    Bettani Farms, based in the Bay Area, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to reverse-engineer what makes cheese taste good. After its rebrand and capital raise, it unveiled Caseed, a plant-based protein derived from the seeds of (undisclosed) regenerative crops, which features a creamy texture, white colour, and neutral flavour profile.

    This is the company’s non-dairy answer to casein, the most abundant protein in cow’s milk, which is responsible for the meltability and stretchability of cheese. It says the approach is “more cost-competitive” than companies employing precision fermentation to develop bioidentical casein.

    Caseed mimics the functionality and mouthfeel of casein to deliver protein-rich dairy-free cheeses like mozzarella, Cheddar, feta, Monterey Jack, and more. It hits on several pain points of vegan cheese, which is one of the more polarising alternatives to animal-based foods.

    climax foods cheese
    Courtesy: Bettani Farms

    Most Americans are looking to consume more protein, a nutrient that non-dairy cheese is usually lacking in. Bettani is hoping to change that with its Caseed-powered cheeses, which will contain 12-20g of protein per 100g (between 80% and 100% of the protein content found in conventional cheeses).

    It will focus on selling the ingredient and the resultant cheeses to frozen food makers, foodservice operators, and existing vegan brands looking to enhance their formulations.

    “Bettani is poised to do for pizza what oat milk has done for coffee,” claimed Sandeep Patel, who took over as CEO in October. “Just as oat won coffee over the last five years with its superior taste, mouthfeel, performance, and allergen profile, our Caseed-powered cheeses deliver the melt, stretch, texture, and flavour consumers crave in pizza and other hot foods, without the allergens and high carbon footprint of dairy.”

    He added: “Our Caseed protein also powers great non-melty cheeses, such as feta, goat, and cream cheese, adding sensory delight and protein to otherwise animal-free foods like salads, dips, and bagels.”

    Bettani Farms’s series of acquisitions is in line with the wider trend of consolidation in the alternative protein sector, which has seen over 50 instances of M&As or businesses falling into liquidation since September 2024.

    In the US alone, Miyoko’s Creamery was bought out of liquidation by Melt Organic owner Prosperity Organic Foods (which beat a rival bid from the company’s founder and former CEO, Miyoko Schinner), Daring Foods was acquired by v2food, Meati Foods was snapped up by Inventel founder Yasir Abdul, and vegan cheesemaker Vertage was taken over by Misha’s Inc.

    The post Bettani Farms Expands Brand Portfolio with Plant-Based Cheese & Meat Acquisitions appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Leading Scientists Lay Out Roadmap to Advance China’s Alternative Protein Sector

    lab grown meat china
    5 Mins Read

    A group of scientists have identified 10 bottlenecks hindering China’s alternative protein progress, calling for policy and investment support to overcome the barriers.

    Long heralded as a leader in the green energy and mobility spaces, China is well-positioned to spearhead the alternative protein race aswell.

    The country is home to eight of the top 20 patent applicants for cultivated meat, as well as the world’s largest yeast protein company. Its government has pumped millions into R&D for sustainable proteins, and recognised these foods as a bioeconomy priority. In fact, its biotech potential is so vast, it has sparked fears among some US lawmakers about their own country’s competence.

    Still, China’s alternative protein economy faces major constraints, from limited foundational research and technical bottlenecks to fragmented funding and weak links between industry and academia, according to a new blue paper.

    Penned by 48 leading scientists from the NeoProtein Professional Committee of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) and ProVeg China, the report provides a system-level analysis of 10 technical gaps and several emerging opportunities in the East Asian nation’s “NeoProtein” industry.

    It offers a strategic roadmap for aligning national R&D priorities, bolstering collaboration, and translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world applications to “drive China’s transition from a ‘follower’ to a ‘leader’ in NeoProtein technology” over the next decade.

    “The Blue Paper is a powerful call to action for advancing the industry,” said Nicole Wu, executive director and chief representative of ProVeg China. “It will help scientists concentrate on the most impactful research areas, guide policymakers and funders on strategic resource allocation, and enable industry stakeholders to identify where collaboration can make the greatest difference.”

    电子版-EN新质蛋白十大技术难题Download

    What’s holding back China’s alternative protein sector?

    Outlining how existing plant protein extraction technologies suffer from high energy consumption and pollution, as well as protein denaturation issues, the report suggests prioritising the development of low-denaturation, green, and efficient extraction pathways, which would improve the functionality and sustainability of these foods.

    Single-source plant protein still struggles to achieve good gelation, water-holding, and oil-holding properties simultaneously, so the experts advise combining biotech with physical field treatment to optimise protein structure and functionality, design specialised equipment to construct 3D protein structures, and implement structural engineering of plant-based fats.

    For cultivated meat, the development of immortalised myogenic cell lines is central to scaling up, as is the establishment of serum-free culture media. The latter can be achieved through the development of plant-based or recombinant alternatives to animal inputs, integrating multi-omics data with AI algorithms, and bioreactor design with dynamic nutrient regulation tech.

    The report places a major emphasis on fermentation-derived proteins. It calls for the construction of highly efficient cell factories for microbial biomass production, as well as the intelligent design of protein biomanufacturing reactors for high-density fermentation and yeast chassis cells for efficient expression of functional proteins.

    angel yeast protein
    Courtesy: Angel Yeast

    Further, as low-carbon processing is integral to the fermentation industry’s success, for which the report suggests establishing AI-optimised control systems for solid-state fermentation, systematically optimising key elements like substrate formulation and aeration rates, and integrating non-thermal methods with enzymatic modification to improve proteins.

    Further, the blue paper argues that China must optimise the processability and multi-scenario application of yeast protein, championing techniques like high-pressure microjet processing and ball milling to shrink protein particles and combining proteomics with bioinformatics methods to analyse multilevel structures and post-translational modifications.

    Finally, it shines a light on Fusarium venenatum, a source of mycelial protein that is nutrient-rich but whose rigid cell walls can hinder protein release and digestibility. Companies should look to employ CRISPR-based gene editing to knock out genes linked to the synthesis of key cell wall components like chitin and glucan. In addition, they should develop a multi-stage extraction process combining high-pressure homogenisation with pH shift solubilisation.

    How China can clear hurdles to lead the protein transition

    “The research and industrial communities must work hand-in-hand to address these key challenges and drive the high-quality development of the industry,” said Jian Li, a professor at Beijing Technology and Business University.

    The report calls for a “forward-looking strategic vision” to bolster top-level policy planning and direct science and technology investments towards high-impact areas to tackle the core bottlenecks of the NeoProtein sector.

    cellx bacon
    CellX’s mycelium bacon prototype | Courtesy: CellX

    The scientists proposed six actions to help achieve “a historic leap from ‘supplementation’ to ‘substitution’, and then to ‘expansion’ and ‘irreplaceability’ within the global food system”:

    • Develop a national alternative protein strategy: This roadmap should define the priorities and timeline for technological breakthroughs to guide researchers, industry, and other stakeholders toward shared objectives.
    • Expand collaboration, funding and R&D support: China should introduce a collaborative innovation platform for alternative proteins, ramp up fiscal support, set up a major science and tech project dedicated to these foods, and integrate the sector into the key national R&D programme.
    • Create an innovation-friendly regulatory sandbox: This system would help fast-track food safety approvals for new novel proteins and ingredients, and should be complemented with stronger certification standards to regulate market order and boost consumer confidence.
    • Encourage regional action on bottlenecks: Local governments should be incentivised to incorporate the 10 barriers in industrial planning and biotech initiatives through industrial guidance funds, specialised industrial parks, and preferential access to land, energy and data to foster globally influential clusters.
    • Mobilise industrial capital for future foods: It’s critical to invest boldly in R&D and pilot-scale platforms and support collaboration across sectors and disciplines. Long-term investments should accompany frontier technologies through the “valley of death” between lab discovery and commercialisation.
    • Spur researchers to overcome boundaries: China can boost the sustainable protein sector by actively promoting collaboration between industry and academia to encourage researchers to jointly tackle technical bottlenecks and ensure scientific advances drive industrial scale-up.

    “Significant technical gaps still exist in plant-based and related fields,” said Xiaoquan Yang, a professor at South China University of Technology. “Future efforts should prioritise staple foods and alternatives to traditional animal proteins, so that novel proteins can genuinely become part of people’s everyday diets.”

    The post Leading Scientists Lay Out Roadmap to Advance China’s Alternative Protein Sector appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Christmas, Cultivated Egg Yolk & Michelin-Star Diners

    vegan christmas dinner
    6 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Grubby’s vegan Christmas meals, ImpacFat’s cultivated egg yolk, and India’s most vegan-friendly city.

    New products and launches

    UK vegan meal kit startup Grubby has launched a limited-edition Christmas menu, featuring nine recipes that cost under £3.50 each with a subscription. These include Christmas Dinner and Trimmings, Miso Mushroom Wellington, and an Ultimate Christmas Sausage Roll.

    vegan christmas meal kit
    Courtesy: Xiangliang Lin/LinkedIn

    Swedish packaging giant Tetra Pak has launched a powdered sunflower protein for plant-based food and drink manufacturers, which boasts 53g of protein per 100g and a high digestibility score.

    In Denmark, plant-based meat startup Tempty Foods has gained a listing for its Spicy Korean Stick in 57 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

    tempty foods
    Courtesy: Martina Lokajova/LinkedIn

    Pacific Foods, which supplies plant-based products for the foodservice sector, has expanded its Barista Series lineup with a pistachio milk that can be used in both hot and cold coffee drinks.

    Another plant-based milk company, Mooala, has refreshed its packaging to provide more transparent information about its ingredient sourcing, organic certification, and simple formulations.

    mooala milk
    Courtesy: Mooala

    To clear up the confusion about ultra-processed foods, plant-based products, and their impact on health, renowned physician and NutritionFacts.org founder Dr Michael Greger has announced a new book, Ultra-Processed Foods: Concerns, Controversies, and Exceptions. It is available to pre-order for $15, and will ship on January 21.

    Mr Charlie’s Told Me So, a fast-food chain dubbed the “vegan McDonald’s”, is opening two new locations in San Diego’s Pacific Beach and Hillcrest neighbourhoods, in parallel with a rapid expansion drive in Arizona.

    mr charlie's told me so
    Courtesy: Mr Charlie’s Told Me So

    Plant-based oil supplier AAK has expanded its partnership with chemicals distributor Nordmann, which will manage the former’s marketing and distribution across Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Austria.

    Company and finance developments

    Singaporean startup ImpacFat has showcased a chicken-free egg yolk with cultivated omega-3 fat in tastings held in partnership with Fuji Oil.

    lab grown eggs
    Courtesy: Xiangliang Lin/LinkedIn

    Californian startup Calysta, which makes proteins from gas fermentation, has closed its R&D labs and pilot facilities in the US and the UK after establishing its production process at commercial scale in China.

    In some packaging news, Korean Air has announced that it will phase out its plastic meal containers in favour of plant-based versions made from waste materials like straw, sugarcane and bamboo. The transition is set to fully take effect by the end of 2026.

    immobazyme
    Courtesy: Immobazyme

    South African startup Immobazyme has secured R25M ($1.46M) to accelerate the expansion of its precision-fermentation-based biologics platform and therapeutics programme, as well as set up a 1,800 sq m facility in Cape Town.

    Dutch firm Time-Travelling Milkman, which uses sunflower seeds to replace animal fats, has received funding from the EU and EFRO Oost for a project to develop plant-based fats for dairy and meat alternatives, and a natural texturiser, in partnership with NIZO Food Research and Duynie.

    dairy fat alternatives
    Courtesy: Time-Travelling Milkman

    Kirk Haworth, chef-owner of Plates, the UK’s first vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star, has revealed that 95% of its diners are not vegan.

    At Finnish gas protein firm Solar Foods, co-founder and former CEO Pasi Vainikka has joined the board as vice chair, replacing Jari Tuovinen, who has left for personal reasons.

    Research, policy and awards

    Already a leader in the retail sector’s food sustainability transition, Lidl has urged the UK government to set ‘protein split’ sales targets for all supermarkets, which would create a level playing field for plant-based foods.

    lidl sustainability report
    Courtesy: Lidl

    Also in the UK, a majority of consumers are waving goodbye to turkey for Christmas dinner, and 7% are planning a plant-based main instead, according to a survey by Gousto.

    Speaking of holiday meals, a poll by Morning Consult and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows that 59% of Americans would consider a vegan main if they had a convincing reason to do so, like knowing that it would taste good (28%), trying something new (22%), having something healthier, or accommodating family and friends (both 21%).

    vegan holiday meals
    Courtesy: PCRM/Morning Consult

    Nearly one in 10 Germans say they’re vegan or vegetarian, while 37% follow a flexitarian diet, according to a new report by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Meanwhile, 34% of consumers buy milk or meat alternatives, 77% say eating less meat is important for the climate, and 56% are in favour of carbon taxes on food.

    Swedish oat milk pioneer Oatly has been recognised as the Plant-Based Supplier of the Year at the 2025 European Coffee Symposium + COHO Expo awards.

    oatly award
    Courtesy: Bryan Carroll/LinkedIn

    In more awards news, Boele de Jong, CFO of JBS-owned The Vegetarian Butcher Collective, has been named Changemaker of the Year Award 2025 by Change Inc.

    Meanwhile, UK startup Grow with Iris, which makes free-from plant-based milk for toddlers, has been granted an Ethical Accreditation from The Good Shopping Guide, securing a 98% score on its criteria.

    plant based growing up milk
    Courtesy: Grow with Iris

    Regulatory and scientific experts from Singapore and South Korea have called for greater international cooperation on food safety regulation for novel foods like cultivated meat and precision-fermented ingredients, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization participating in the events.

    Researchers from China have authored a new study outlining how gene-editing tool CRISPR can enhance the properties of Fusarium venenatum, a fungal strain with meat-like characteristics. It’s the same microbe used to produce Quorn’s mycoprotein.

    most vegan friendly city in india
    Courtesy: Peta India

    Finally, Peta India has crowned Kolkata as the country’s most vegan-friendly city for 2025, ahead of seemingly more obvious candidates like Mumbai, Bangalore or New Delhi. It presented the award to Mayor Firhad Hakim.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Christmas, Cultivated Egg Yolk & Michelin-Star Diners appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Dutch Govt Pauses Ban on ‘Plant-Based Mince’ Until 2027, Awaiting EU-Wide Labelling Clarity

    is plant based meat healthy
    5 Mins Read

    The Dutch food regulator has temporarily suspended its ban on the labelling of plant-based protein products as ‘mince’, instead opting to wait for EU-level clarity on the subject.

    A month after introducing a law that would fine vegan food producers for using the word ‘mince’ on their ground meat alternatives, the Netherlands is hitting pause on its enforcement.

    The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) had stated that businesses would risk being fined up to €1,050 if they used the term ‘plant-based mince’ on their product packaging and marketing materials, citing a 1998 law.

    Last week, it said it would suspend the law for now, seeking clarity on vegan labelling rules at the EU level. The bloc’s lawmakers and member states are currently considering a wider ban on the use of meat-like terms on plant-based products, with a decision expected next week.

    If the EU does decide to ban these labels, the rules likely wouldn’t be in place until 2027, which is what prompted the NVWA to postpone the enforcement of its ‘mince’ law.

    Now, companies and advocacy groups are calling on the Dutch government to scrap the law altogether, with new research unequivocally proving that consumers are not confused by plant-based meat labels.

    Why the NVWA postponed its ‘plant-based mince’ ban

    lidl plant based meat
    Courtesy: Lidl Nederland

    The NVWA’s original decision was based on a Commodities Act Decree on meat products from 1998, in which ‘minced meat’ was deemed a protected designation only to be used on animal proteins. The regulator said it came across the term ‘plant-based mince’ during an investigation into the use and labelling of additives in meat alternatives.

    It issued a warning to six manufacturers and retailers that sell vegan mince from major brands or their private labels. That includes sister brands The Vegetarian Butcher and Vivera, which have been using the term for 15 years. Industry representatives accused the NVWA of nitpicking by using the decree to ban plant-based meat labels.

    The Vegetarian Butcher, pointed out that the law was published at a time when plant-based alternatives were virtually non-existent, and so wasn’t intended to ban the use of the term on these products.

    Nevertheless, the regulator notified Vivera – which, like The Vegetarian Butcher, is owned by meat behemoth JBS – that it violates the new law and is facing a fine. Days later, however, the NVWA walked back on this warning.

    This is because, in parallel to its law, policymakers in the EU have been pushing for a ban on a range of animal-free meat labels, including ‘veggie burger’, ‘vegan bacon’, and ‘cell-cultured steak’. The motion was passed by the European Parliament in October, and is now being discussed in interinstitutional negotiations between the EU Commission, Council and Parliament.

    The latter’s vote in favour of a ban has been criticised by many politicians across Europe, including Dutch MEPs. Anna Strolenberg, a member of Volt, had slammed the proposal as a “waste of everybody’s time”.

    “We could have spent this time debating the fact that our planet is on fire, the fact that we have a brutal war on our borders, and that our societies are getting angrier and more divided. And instead, when Europeans look at their leaders, what do they see? They see us discussing burgers,” she said.

    Even if Brussels decides to press ahead with a ban, there will be a transition period for companies to change their packaging and align with the rules, and it won’t be clear exactly which designations are banned until 2027, the NVWA said. Until then, companies like Vivera and The Vegetarian Butcher are free to use a ‘plant-based mince’ label on their plant-based mince products.

    Polling proves people aren’t confused by plant-based meat labels

    nvwa vegetarische slager
    Courtesy: The Vegetarian Butcher Collective/Green Queen

    One of the main factors cited by proponents of a ban on plant-based meat labelling is that it confuses customers, who could unwittingly pick up a vegan schnitzel instead of a chicken-based version.

    Study after study has disproven this theory over the years, and one new survey from the Netherlands adds to the evidence. Broadcaster Avotros polled over 20,000 members of its Radar Panel and found that 96% recognised a vegetarian sausage as one without meat.

    That hasn’t changed from five years ago, when the same share of consumers said they understood the difference between meat and an animal-free alternative. “I find it very condescending of the meat industry to use the argument that people can’t tell the difference between products,” one participant said.

    In fact, the share of Dutch consumers who are confused by these labels has shrunk from 35% in 2020 to 25% today, although (as evidenced above) almost all of them can still differentiate between vegan and non-vegan sausages.

    If an EU-wide ban on such labels goes through, some advocates of the legislation have suggested ‘discs’ and ‘tubes’ as alternative names for vegan burgers and sausages, respectively. However, the Avotros survey found that these terms actually cause more confusion, with 30% of respondents unclear about what they mean.

    Moreover, nearly 70% of Dutch consumers oppose a labelling ban on plant-based meat products, and 63% don’t think it’s important to create regulations on this matter. “It’s a waste of the European Commission’s time (and therefore money); they should focus on more important matters,” said one respondent, echoing Strolenberg’s words.

    In response to the NVWA’s ban, food advocacy organisation ProVeg International kickstarted a petition urging the Dutch House of Representatives to scrap the law and reject the EU Parliament’s plans. It has already received more than 24,400 of the 25,000 signatures it is targeting.

    The Netherlands is aiming to make half of the national protein intake come from plants by 2030, and meat consumption has already fallen to its lowest levels on record. It’s why ProVeg is asking lawmakers to focus on protecting consumers’ freedom of choice and the growth of sustainable proteins.

    The post Dutch Govt Pauses Ban on ‘Plant-Based Mince’ Until 2027, Awaiting EU-Wide Labelling Clarity appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Pea Milk Pioneer Ripple Foods Raises $17M to Meet Organic, High-Protein Demand

    ripple foods funding
    4 Mins Read

    US pea milk leader Ripple Foods has secured $17M in fresh funding ahead of launching an organic range and driving growth of its high-protein offerings.

    California’s Ripple Foods is targeting the market for organic, protein-rich, and minimally processed plant-based milks with new funding and leadership.

    The pea milk producer has closed a $17M financing round, welcoming new backers in Material Impact and Rich Products Ventures, which joined return investors S2G Ventures, Prelude Ventures, Fall Line Capital, Euclidean Capital, Tao Capital Partners, and Tim Koogle.

    It takes Ripple Foods’s total raised to over $291M, and comes just under a year after the appointment of longtime board member Becky O’Grady as CEO.

    “This is a pivotal moment for Ripple,” said O’Grady, a former General Mills and Yoplait executive. “Harnessing the power of our brand and the strength of our team, we are poised to unlock our full potential.”

    High-protein pea milks drive double-digit revenue growth

    ripple pea milk
    Courtesy: Ripple Foods

    Founded by Adam Lowry and Neil Renninger in 2014, Ripple Foods has become synonymous with the pea milk category in the US, positioning itself as a high-protein, allergen-friendly option.

    It offers a range of pea-protein-based milks for adults and children, alongside coffee creamers and protein shakes, each made without the nine top allergens (such as nuts, soy or lactose). The company claims that its pea milk is the only nut-free non-dairy option with a better nutritional profile than cow’s milk.

    Each cup of its original pea milk contains 8g of protein (on par with dairy), but with 50% more calcium, half as much sugar, and 33% fewer calories than full-fat cow’s milk. It also has zero cholesterol and a fraction of the saturated fat content.

    Ripple Foods’s kid-focused line, suitable for one- to -five-year-olds, boasts 8g of protein per serving too, alongside 2g of prebiotic fibre from corn and essential nutrients like omega-3, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and iron.

    The company also sells protein shakes in several flavours for both adults and kids, boasting 20g and 13g of protein each, respectively. These attributes will appeal to a country currently obsessed with protein –70% of Americans have been looking to consume the macroingredient in 2025, after one in three increased their intake in the previous year.

    But most get their protein from animal products. Only 18% rely on plant-based milk, compared to around two in five who prefer dairy as a protein source. That has contributed to a decline in sales for non-dairy milk, which fell by 3% in the 52 weeks to July 19, against a 5% growth for cow’s milk, according to SPINS. The share of households buying these vegan alternatives has also slimmed by 1.6%.

    Ripple Foods, however, is hedging its bets on its protein-rich products to expand its growth, outlining its “successful track record” of capitalising on consumer momentum and driving “consistent, double-digit top-line growth”.

    Ripple Foods to launch organic pea milk line in 2026

    ripple foods
    Courtesy: Ripple Foods

    The plant-based market has witnessed a sharp drop-off in funding in recent years. And while there have been signs of recovery in 2025, with the segment attracting $322M in the first nine months and surpassing 2024’s total, a large chunk of this came from Beyond Meat’s $100M debt financing.

    So Ripple Foods’s $17M raise goes against the investment currents of the industry. For Material Impact’s Melissa Fensterstock, there couldn’t be a “more exciting time” to back the company.

    “With Becky at the helm and a sharp focus on growing top-line revenue and achieving profitability, the company is poised to deliver strong results in the plant-based protein market,” she said. “On a human note, Ripple’s products provide a wonderful solution for the millions of families struggling to find a nutritious, tasty, and clean alternative to dairy.”

    The company will use the capital to expand its product line and footprint. In Q1 2026, it will introduce a range of organic plant-based milks to meet the demand for “nutrient-dense, plant-based protein options over ultra-processed alternatives”.

    This is a shrewd move. SPINS data shows that while overall purchases of non-dairy milks have suffered, organic plant-based milks actually saw an 18% increase in year-on-year sales, growing their dollar share in the category by three percentage points.

    Ripple Foods is also doubling down on its high-protein kid and core offerings by increasing brand differentiation and visibility, and driving expanded retail distribution. Plus, it’s expanding into foodservice channels and building on strong momentum with retailers like Target, Whole Foods, and Walmart, where it claims to have established a “loyal customer base”.

    “We are launching innovative new products, driving consumer penetration and customer expansion, and opening new growth horizons through transformative partnerships and capabilities,” said O’Grady.

    The tools and leadership are there. Can the new funding help the brand create a new ripple in the plant-based category?

    The post Pea Milk Pioneer Ripple Foods Raises $17M to Meet Organic, High-Protein Demand appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • A New Kind of TVP: Finnish Startup Bets on Fava Beans for Cheaper, Tastier Plant Protein

    happy plant protein
    4 Mins Read

    To offer better-tasting, more affordable vegan options, Finnish startup Happy Plant Protein has unveiled a textured vegetable protein offering made from fava beans.

    Usering in a new era for textured vegetable protein (TVP) – one without off flavours, chemical extraction, and heavy water use – Happy Plant Protein is taking the plunge with fava beans.

    At Paris’s Food Ingredients Europe trade show (December 2-4), the Helsinki-based startup has debuted a fava protein texturate that scores high on the nutrition, environment and flavour fronts, thanks to its patented extrusion technology.

    “To truly scale the plant-based market, protein needs to taste better, be produced more efficiently, and be easily adaptable to different end-products,” said Jari Karlsson, co-founder and CEO of Happy Plant Protein.

    “Our technology makes all three possible: it improves the availability of high-quality plant-based proteins while giving manufacturers the flexibility to design exactly the textures they need.”

    How Happy Plant Protein transcends existing processes

    fava bean tvp
    Courtesy: Happy Plant Protein

    Founded in 2024 as a spinout of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Happy Plant Protein is looking to position itself at the centre of the protein boom by solving what it says is one of the biggest gripes of typical plant-based options: their bitter and beany off-flavours.

    “Traditional protein isolates require chemical extraction, large amounts of water, and energy-intensive drying, producing wastewater and often leaving off-flavours,” noted Karlsson.

    “Happy Plant Protein bypasses this entirely by using a chemical-free dry extrusion process to transform local flours directly into textured protein. This approach strengthens regional protein independence and reduces reliance on imported isolates.”

    Its one-step process converts legume flour directly into textured protein using heat and pressure in a dry extrusion, without isolates, chemicals, or waste. It can be integrated into existing manufacturing setups with minimal investment, making it suitable for companies of all sizes.

    The tech is highly flexible, as it’s compatible with a wide range of legumes and cereals, and has been tested across multiple extrusion systems and with various raw materials, demonstrating robustness and adaptability, according to the company.

    The texture, bite and functionality of its ingredients can be adjusted directly during extrusion, allowing manufacturers to tailor the protein to their specific product requirements, from firm, meat-like structures to softer, more porous formats. So by simplifying the TVP production process, Happy Plant Protein says it can unlock a new wave of plant-based and blended proteins.

    Fava bean TVP gains ‘highly positive’ industry feedback

    fava bean protein
    Courtesy: Happy Plant Protein

    The startup’s fava bean texturate outperforms pea protein on many sensory credentials. It has a neutral flavour and smell, and significantly lower bitterness and beany notes. Plus, the fava bean TVP has a light beige tint and low sodium content, lending itself to a host of applications.

    It’s available in minced, granulated, and chunk formats, and can boost the structure and overall composition of vegan meat alternatives, blended proteins, ready meals, snacks, and more.

    The fava bean ingredient scores high on the nutrition front, boasting 61g of protein and 9g of fibre per 100g, positioned as a rich source of two macronutrients that have become the centre of food conversations.

    According to Happy Plant Protein, the tech has received “highly positive feedback and strong industry validation” from food and ingredient manufacturers, noting that this way of producing easy-to-use, highly adaptable ingredients is garnering increased interest.

    The flavour, nutrition and functional benefits are also why Happy Plant protein has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Most Innovative FoodTech Solution category of the FiE Startup Challenge.

    “It’s encouraging to see this category recognised since it shows how much our mission matters globally. We aim to make food healthier for both people and the planet,” said Karlsson. “Our long-term vision is to provide the food industry with a protein that enables the production at a fraction of the cost and complexity of existing solutions.”

    The potential of fava beans as a clean-label powerhouse has been recognised by plant-based giant Beyond Meat, which recently introduced a minced protein product with a base of fava protein and just three other ingredients.

    The post A New Kind of TVP: Finnish Startup Bets on Fava Beans for Cheaper, Tastier Plant Protein appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • UK Firm BSF Enterprise Bags $20M to Scale Up Cultivated Meat & Leather

    bsf enterprise
    4 Mins Read

    British tissue engineering company BSF Enterprise, owner of Lab-Grown Leather and cultivated meat firm 3D Bio-Tissues, has secured £15M ($19.8M) in fresh funding.

    To speed up the commercialisation of its cellular agriculture technologies, Newcastle-based BSF Enterprise has raised £15M ($19.8M) in an equity financing round.

    The investment by Blackstone Mercantile Group is pursuant to a convertible loan note instrument and a warrant instrument in two phases, and will help the firm execute its growth strategy for its three subsidiaries.

    Listed on the London Stock Exchange, BSF Enterprise produces culture media supplements and cultured meat under 3D Bio-Tissues and Cultivated Meat Technologies, cell-based leather under Lab-Grown Leather, and corneal repair solutions under Kerato.

    “We are hugely excited by the potential Blackstone Mercantile Group’s investment provides to BSF’s subsidiary companies,” said CEO Che Connon. “The funds will accelerate the commercial and technological roadmaps of Lab-Grown Leather, Kerato and 3D Bio-Tissues and will support their further independent fundraising activities during 2026.

    Lab-Grown Leather to showcase cultivated T Rex material in 2026

    lab grown leather
    Courtesy: BSF Enterprise

    Founded in 2018 by Geoff Baker, a lawyer, BSF Enterprise develops tissue engineering solutions for multiple sectors, including food, materials, and medtech. Its core tech platform enables the manufacturing of cell-cultured alternatives to animal and human tissues at scale.

    Through 3D Bio-Tissues, the company creates scaffold-free structured tissues and media supplements across a range of animal species. And it uses these inputs to produce cost-competitive, high-protein cultured meat products under its Cultivated Meat Technologies label.

    It also crafts leather from skin starter cells through Lab-Grown Leather. The product, called 3DBT Skin, replicates the properties of conventional leather without requiring scaffolds, which can interfere with the tanning process and affect the final performance.

    In fact, a significant chunk of the new funds will support the expansion of BSF Enterprise’s cell-based leather tech. This includes the commercial launch of Elemental X, a platform that integrates bioengineered cellular structures for “cutting-edge leather applications”.

    The firm will debut this platform at an event next year, partnering with branding firm VML and The Organoid Company to showcase a T Rex leather, incorporating uniquely defined dinosaur DNA.

    Moreover, the capital will enable Lab-Grown Leather to introduce its first revenue-generating products to the ultra-luxury segment, as well as support direct sales to design-led partners. Additionally, the firm will deepen and expand commercial partnerships, strengthen its IP portfolio, and hire key talent.

    BSF Enterprise eyes M&A deals

    3d bio tissues
    Courtesy: BSF Enterprise

    Some of the funding will help advance its corneal repair efforts with Keratos, as well as support the expansion of 3D Bio-Tissues’s food-safe culture media components.

    That includes the promotion of CytoBoost Revive, a media additive that can help restore biological materials from low-temperature storage and improve cell revival post-cryostorage by up to 100%. This can support biopharma and biomedical research applications with enhanced cell viability and performance.

    The funding will further help expand the sales and marketing of the existing City-Mix supplement and the rest of the CytoBoost range.

    With its cellular agriculture prowess, BSF Enterprise is targeting two highly emissive industries in meat and leather. Livestock agriculture accounts for a fifth of all emissions, while leather production is an energy– and water-intensive process linked to deforestation and biodiversity loss.

    The financing round is a testament to investors’ interest in cultivated leather, adding to recent fundraises by Paris-based Faircraft and Dutch startup Qorium. This is in contrast to the waning appetite for cultivated meat, which has suffered from a steep decline in funding over the last couple of years.

    Both industries have seen a flurry of M&A activity, and BSF Enterprise recognises the potential here. It’s actively engaged in talks with target companies whose technologies are highly complementary to its existing portfolio, and views acquisitions and joint ventures as a key lever to speed up innovation, expand its technological portfolio, and enhance its commercial pipeline.

    Some of the funds may be allocated to support these transactions and boost the commercialisation of next-gen bioengineered materials. “They provide the resources to allow BSF to deliver against its strategic goals to acquire, invest in, or enter joint ventures with promising complementary companies to expedite their development and time-to-market,” said Connon.

    The post UK Firm BSF Enterprise Bags $20M to Scale Up Cultivated Meat & Leather appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Why Edonia is Betting the Farm on Spirulina to Fill the Plant Protein Gap

    edonia
    5 Mins Read

    France’s Edonia turns green spirulina into a brown mince with as much protein as beef and a much smaller environmental footprint than soy. Now, it will be part of 10,000 catering meals, having secured €15M worth of commercial deals.

    Can microalgae really be the answer to the protein boom?

    They’ve been under Big Food’s spotlight for some years now, thanks to a virtually abundant supply of raw materials and tremendous sustainability credentials.

    Now, one startup is taking things up a notch, using these marine organisms to foray into the booming protein sector. Based in Paris, Edonia has developed a process to transform spirulina (the green microalgae that has made its name as a superfood) and chlorella (a single-celled source of protein) into a complete protein with more branched-chain amino acids and iron than beef.

    The technology turns the spirulina into a soft-textured brown mince called Edo-1. It is minimally processed, free from additives, and has an ultra-low carbon footprint. In just a year, the startup has scaled up from lab to production and pre-sold several thousand tonnes of its ingredients, totalling €15M in pre-contracted revenue.

    Now, as it gears up to raise its Series A round, it has partnered with Newrest, a global catering giant, to deliver over 10,000 meals made from its spirulina mince across multiple sites.

    “Edo-1 is a ready-to-use ingredient delivered frozen to Newrest’s central kitchen. Chefs can easily integrate it into any recipe of their choice without hydrating, cooking, or thawing it – they simply add it directly to the dish,” Hugo Valentin, co-founder and CEO of Edonia, tells Green Queen.

    ‘We go beyond the idea of simply replacing meat: our mission is to build a more plant-forward, appetising, and nutritious food offering.”

    Edo-1 tackles UPF and fortification concerns around plant-based proteins

    spirulina protein
    Courtesy: Lilie Bedos

    Valentin founded Edonia with Pierre Mignon and Nicolas Irlinger in 2023, aiming to reinvent the consumer experience of microalgae “through food science and deep technology”.

    “Our patented Edonization process transforms microalgae biomass into a delicious, ready-to-use protein ingredient called Edo. Edonization changes the colour, taste, and texture of spirulina, turning it into a brown, fluffy grain with a natural umami flavour – without any of the typical algae off-notes. No one could tell it comes from spirulina,” says Valentin.

    “We achieve this without using any additives: no texturising agents, no flavours. Unlike most plant-based approaches, we don’t use conventional fermentation, extrusion, or enzymatic treatments. Instead, we developed a proprietary clean process with AgroParisTech’s research lab, already scaled up at our pilot plant in France,” he adds.

    “With this flavourful, textured whole ingredient (no extraction), made entirely from spirulina, we offer the cleanest and most nutritious ready-to-eat protein ingredient on the market, officially recognized under our ‘simple ingredient’ claim.”

    Edo-1 has 27g of protein per 100g, with all essential amino acids and a PDCAAS score of 0.97. In addition, it boasts 20mg of bioavailable iron per 100g, much higher than beef or soy, with Valentin labelling it “the most iron-rich natural food ingredient available today”. Plus, it has a climate footprint of 1.95kg of CO2e, which is 27 times lower than beef and 2.5 times smaller than soy mince for the same amount of protein.

    These attributes help fill a gap left by current plant-based protein options. More and more people are consuming protein now, and animal-derived options still tend to be the dominant sources, despite their negative impact on public and planetary health. However, meat alternatives have lost their momentum recently, with many consumers still wary about incomplete and/or insufficient protein content, as well as ultra-processing.

    Most plant-based meats need to be fortified with iron, and that is a major pain point for these products, with one review suggesting that only a third of such offerings are fortified with the micronutrient. By harnessing spirulina, long recognised as a superfood, Edonia is rising to the occasion with its first ingredient.

    “With Edo, we aim to make them practical for manufacturers and appealing to consumers,” says Valentin. “We are moving forward with determination to promote more plant-based eating, offering a natural and accessible alternative, far from the ultra-processed products that mimic meat.”

    Edo plots Series A funding for industrial-scale facility

    edonia microalgae
    Courtesy: Lilie Bedos

    The partnership with Newrest is part of its scale-up plans. Edonia notes that foodservice operators are increasingly looking to add alternative proteins to their menus, especially ones that offer a blend of enhanced nutrition, taste and variety, while being easy to use and in line with tight budgets.

    So how will Newrest’s customers, which include students and leisure centre guests, experience Edo-1 in their meals? “The first recipe is a plant-based bolognese sauce served with pasta, soon to be followed by a hachis parmentier (a French-style shepherd’s pie),” says Valentin.

    “Since Edo is not a meat look-alike but a new, versatile textured protein ingredient, the possibilities are endless. It can be used in stuffed tomatoes, ravioli, dal, curry, salads, pies, soups, purées, and more. Edo is also used in combination with animal proteins to create hybrid products, or even in chocolate cakes to develop delicious protein-fortified recipes for socio-medical food.”

    The Newrest collaboration is one of several agreements Edonia has signed with leading food manufacturers. “With most of them, we’ve successfully moved from R&D to pilot-scale testing and product launch preparation,” says Valentin, noting that the launch details are still under wraps. “Most of our partners are based in Europe, and we’re now beginning to sign agreements in Asia as well.”

    He adds: “Some of them are among the largest food manufacturers in the world, all stating that they’ve never seen such a flavorful microalgae-based product, nor this level of nutritional performance in a clean, whole ingredient. As a result, several of them are willing to sign offtake agreements to secure volumes from our upcoming industrial unit.”

    Edonia has patented its production process and finalised the design of its upcoming facility this year, and is now planning a Series A fundraise for early 2026. “The amount is still to be confirmed, but the objective is to finance the next stage of our industrial scale-up,” Valentin says.

    Given the funding challenges of alternative proteins in the last couple of years, how does he manage to attract investors? “We have managed to achieve significant milestones and momentum,” he says.

    “[This includes] strong market traction, as the new generation of plant-based products shifts towards naturalness, authenticity, and clean nutrition; [a] breakthrough proprietary technology redefining industry standards and addressing these trends; solid commercial proof points with major food industry players validating our offering; [and] proven industrial execution with a clear path to profitable large-scale production.”

    Edonia is among a host of companies leveraging microalgae for climate-friendly foods, fuelling a market set to surpass $25B by 2033. These include Brevel, Checkerspot, Algae Cooking Club, Mewery, Quazy Foods, Ocean Kiss, Algama, Sophie’s Bionutrients, Triton Algae, Solmeyea, and more.

    The post Why Edonia is Betting the Farm on Spirulina to Fill the Plant Protein Gap appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Danone’s Silk Debuts High-Protein Milk to Revive Plant-Based Dairy Demand

    silk protein milk
    4 Mins Read

    Danone has announced the launch of Silk Protein, a range of plant-based milks with 13g of complete protein and 3g of fibre per serving.

    Protein and fibre are very much at the heart of consumers’ food decisions today, and one of the world’s largest food and drink companies isn’t about to miss out.

    As sales of milk alternatives continue to struggle, Danone is betting on these two macronutrients to turn things around. The French dairy giant has introduced a protein-boosted milk range under its Silk brand, hoping to fill a blind spot in the plant-based category.

    Protein is appearing in everything right now, from Doritos to water; crucially, fewer than 1% of protein-centric product launches occur in the plant-based drinks category, according to Mintel data cited by Danone.

    This may be a key reason behind the fall in consumer interest in the segment, which Danone hopes to revive through the Silk Protein series. “There’s a clear gap for a high-protein plant-based option that consumers are actively demanding,” said Wendy Nunnelley, president of the plant-based division at Danone North America.

    Silk Protein targets two key nutrients

    Danone already offers two protein-boosted milks, with an oat milk featuring 8g of protein and almond milk with 5g of protein per serving. But the new Silk Protein range pumps up the macros even further.

    It comes in original and chocolate flavours, containing 13g of complete protein per serving, the highest among refrigerated plant-based milks in the US. In addition, they have 3g of fibre, 50% less sugar than dairy counterparts, and no artificial sweeteners.

    The products are launching regionally this month, ahead of a nationwide rollout in early 2026. The rollout comes amid a rise in demand for protein and fibre, with 39% and 28% of Americans tracking these macronutrients, respectively, more closely in their diets in 2025 (a six-point increase over last year).

    silk high protein milk
    Courtesy: Silk

    Meanwhile, one poll suggests that 70% of Americans are looking to consume protein this year, and another found that 85% want to increase their intake of the nutrient. Most Americans (95%) also don’t consume enough fibre, despite its benefits for the gut. At the same time, two in five US households buy milk alternatives, and 76% repeat their purchases.

    “We really see a gap in the marketplace for a good plant-based, higher protein offering that just hasn’t been there, and that consumers are demanding,” Nunnelley said. “We’re seeing consumers move into protein in such a strong way.”

    Danone goes big on protein and fibre in GLP-1 push

    Danone’s bet on plant protein follows a period of stagnation for non-dairy milks in the US, whose sales fell by 5% in the retail sector last year. Though higher prices have caused revenues to spike, unit sales have dipped for three consecutive years.

    In its latest earnings report, the French company called the plant-based category a “work in progress” in the US. That said, the volume growth of dairy drinks was flat in the 52 weeks to September 6, and declined by 0.7% in the month prior, according to Nielsen retail scanner data.

    And though there were pockets of value growth, thanks in part to rising prices of high-protein products, that is slowing too, from 4% in the previous 12 months to less than 2% in the preceding four weeks.

    A focus on protein, both the amount and quality of it, will only help the plant-based category further. Danone isn’t alone here. Brands like Bam and Niúke Foods‘s buckwheat and quinoa milks, respectively, contain all nine essential amino acids, making each a source of complete protein. Likewise, Whole Moon blends soybeans with oats, almonds, as well as pistachios to provide complete protein.

    kate farms high protein nutrition shake
    Courtesy: Kate Farms

    The new Silk Protein range also hits on another key food and drink trend: GLP-1. More and more Americans are looking for fibre-packed foods, which help trigger the body’s natural GLP-1 response, and those using weight-loss drugs are after high-protein foods, given they can lead to a 25-40% decrease in muscle mass over eight to 16 months.

    Danone has already been innovating in this space with yoghurts and nutrition shakes hitting the protein-fibre sweet spot. Now, the Silk Protein lineup joins that list. “Being able to directly offer what consumers are looking for is important at any time, and particularly when the macroeconomic environment might be more challenging,” said Nunnelley.

    The post Danone’s Silk Debuts High-Protein Milk to Revive Plant-Based Dairy Demand appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • This Plant-Based Pet Food Startup Thinks Your Dog Needs To Eat Salad

    pawco supersalad
    3 Mins Read

    Pet owners are increasingly on the hunt for gut-boosting, clean-label food options. For California’s PawCo, salad is the solution.

    Is your furry little friend a Caesar gal?

    If you’d never really thought of salad as the all-conquering pet nutrition solution, San Francisco startup PawCo says now is the time, really.

    The vegan pet food company has released SuperSalad, a first-of-its-kind salad for dogs. It’s described as a functional topper that promotes gut wellness and overall nutrition, with whole foods at the heart of the formulation.

    “It’s not a gimmick,” promises founder and CEO Mahsa Vazin, a former food scientist at Impossible Foods.

    “SuperSalad fills a real gap in the market,” she says. “It’s not a gimmick. It’s made with high-quality ingredients and visible nutrients, and formulated with expertise from board-certified animal nutritionists.”

    PawCo hits on pet nutrition trends

    dog food salad
    Courtesy: PawCo

    So what does a superfood salad for dogs look like? PawCo’s iteration is composed of ingredients like spinach, quinoa, broccoli, carrots, lentils, butternut squash, brown rice, wheat gluten, microalgae oil (for omega-3), yeast fermentate, and natural flavourings.

    The SuperSalad is packed with functional fibre and probiotics to support digestion, gut health, and overall wellness. Plus, it has a high water content to boost moisture and help dogs stay hydrated naturally, especially those on dry or dehydrated diets.

    This fits in with what pet owners want. In 2024, Americans spent nearly $66B on pet food and treats, with fresh, functional and whole-food options representing the fastest-growing segment.

    In one poll, 89% of dog owners said good gut health can improve their pets’ daily lives, and 83% agreed that it could extend their lifespan. And this year, research found that gut wellness is the third-most important health concern for dog owners, after weight and joint issues.

    Pet owners can add a scoop or two of SuperSalad to their dog’s daily meal, depending on their weight. It can be mixed into any meal, served on top, or even given as a side salad or treat. And crucially, it is compatible with a range of diets, like fresh, kibble or raw.

    The SuperSalad marks another pet nutrition first for PawCo – earlier this year, it released Magic Bar, a protein bar for canines, packed with human-grade ingredients with a range of functional health targets, including gut and heart health.

    ‘Wellness must become a trend for dogs’

    pet salad
    Courtesy: PawCo

    In 2024, Americans spent nearly $66B on pet food and treats, with fresh, functional and whole-food options representing the fastest-growing segment.

    With the rise of pet humanisation, owners want to give their companion animals the same kind of clean-label, whole-food, gut-boosting options that they buy for themselves. A global survey last year revealed that 80% of people consider their pet’s health to be as important as their own, and over three in four understand that the digestive system benefits more than just the gut.

    In fact, digestive health has become so important for pet parents, over 70% say they would likely switch products or brands if their pet experiences digestive discomfort.

    It has led companies like London-based Omni to tease an Ozempic-mimicking supplement for dogs, and inspired a collaboration between UK startup The Pack and Germany’s MicroHarvest, which has launched gut-supporting microbial protein dog treats.

    In fact, globally, the share of wet dog food launches with digestive and health claims has risen from 18% in 2023 to 25% this year. Kibble products released with these claims have gone up by 10 percentage points in this period (totalling 61%), while supplements have increased from 27% to 38% in this two-year span.

    In the US, PawCo is tapping into this trend with SuperSalad, giving owners “familiar and visible nutrition for their dogs, without measuring, prepping, or guessing”.

    “It’s overdue that ‘wellness’ became a trend for dogs,” says Vazin. “SuperSalad is a massive step in that direction.”

    The post This Plant-Based Pet Food Startup Thinks Your Dog Needs To Eat Salad appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Plant-Based Protein Innovator Trubar to Be Acquired by Turkish CPG Giant for $143M

    trubar
    4 Mins Read

    Canadian plant-based protein bar maker Trubar has entered an acquisition agreement with Turkish consumer goods company Eti Gıda in a C$201M ($143M) deal.

    On the back of a year of explosive growth, when revenues hit $50M and its products reached over 15,000 stores, Trubar and its vegan protein bars are heading back into private ownership.

    The TSX Venture Exchange-listed company has signed an agreement to be taken over by Eti Gıda, a Turkey-based consumer goods giant, in a deal worth around C$201M ($143M). The latter will purchase all outstanding common shares in Trubar.

    The all-cash transaction is expected to be completed in Q1 2026, with each share delivering C$1.26 to the company’s holders. Once approved by courts and shareholders, the company will be delisted from the stock exchange.

    Erica Groussman, founder and CEO of Trubar, noted that Eti Gıda’s deep CPG experience and resources will help the brand advance its growth in North America and expand into international markets.

    “We are very excited about the proposed acquisition of TRUBAR by Eti Gıda and beginning a new chapter in our journey,” she said. “I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished in building a strong brand presence in the protein bar market.”

    trubar acquisition
    Courtesy: Trubar

    Trubar’s seed-oil-free, high-fibre protein bars find success in GLP-1 era

    Based in Vancouver, Groussman founded Trubar in 2018, building a protein bar brand that emphasised clean-label ingredients and targeted busy, health-conscious consumers.

    Its plant-based products are free from dairy, soy, gluten (three of the most common allergens in the US), sugar alcohols, and seed oils. The latter is a particularly vilified ingredient group among Americans, thanks in large part to health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has suggested that these fats have “unknowingly poisoned” people and instead championed saturated animal fats.

    Trubar’s products are made from a base of tapioca fibre and cassava, and a blend of brown rice and pea protein, which are complemented with organic cane sugar, RSPO-certified palm oil, sunflower lecithin, nuts, and other ingredients. The company currently offers 12 flavours, with a 50g bar containing 12g each of protein and fibre. And this year, it launched a kid-focused line too.

    After three years of operating Trubar as a bootstrapped business, Groussman sold the brand to Simply Better Brands, keeping less than 10% of ownership of the parent company but retaining the role of Trubar CEO.

    The newfound institutional support boosted the brand’s growth, so much so that Simply Better Brands rebranded to Trubar earlier this year. The firm now sells more than 50 million protein bars a year, as Americans’ appetite for protein and fibre expands in the GLP-1 era.

    Trubar’s protein bars can be found everywhere from independent stores to big-box retailers like Target and Walmart, and its growth has garnered it pop-culture relevance too: the company teamed up with Universal to launch co-branded protein bars in line with the release of Wicked Good.

    trubar wicked
    Courtesy: Trubar

    Trubar the latest M&A event in alternative protein sector

    Trubar’s sales have gone from strength to strength. After recording $50M in revenues 2024, the company already surpassed $49M in sales in the first nine months of 2025, while cutting its losses by 61% compared to the same period a year ago.

    Now, it is planning to hit $100M in annual revenue in 2026, and the impending sale to Eti Gıda will boost the company’s effort. The Turkish food producer operates nine facilities, employs 7,000 people, and manages 300 product lines across 45 brands. And in 2024, it posted $1.3B in sales.

    “Eti Gıda is an ideal acquirer for Trubar at this stage in the brand’s development given [its] successful track record of scaling CPG brands over the last six decades,” said Trubar executive chairman Kingsley Ward.

    “This proposed acquisition represents a significant milestone for our company and delivers on our commitment to creating strong value for shareholders,” he added.

    Trubar’s sale is the latest example of consolidation in the alternative protein category, which has suffered from a slowdown in sales and investment over the last couple of years, particularly in the US. More than 50 companies in the sector have either been acquired (whether from a position of strength or otherwise), fallen into insolvency, or ceased operations over the last 14 months.

    This month alone, Caulipower was snapped up by Paine Schwartz Partners subsidiary Urban Farmer, and Miyoko’s Creamery was bought out of liquidation by Melt Organic owner Prosperity Organic Foods (which beat a rival bid from the company’s founder and former CEO, Miyoko Schinner). Meanwhile, TiNDLE Foods pulled its meat alternatives from the US to focus on the private-label market in Europe.

    The post Plant-Based Protein Innovator Trubar to Be Acquired by Turkish CPG Giant for $143M appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Trademark Beef: Beyond Meat Hit with $39M Verdict in Lawsuit Over Dunkin’ Ad

    4 Mins Read

    Plant-based company Beyond Meat has been found to have infringed a trademark covering a slogan used in a joint ad with Dunkin’, owing $39M in damages.

    Beyond Meat can’t seem to catch a break.

    In a year when the company’s share price reached an all-time low, became a meme stock, experienced a sustained slowdown in sales, and was forced to bat away bankruptcy rumours, the plant-based meat producer has now found itself on the wrong side of a trademark infringement case.

    A jury in Massachusetts has ruled that Beyond Meat owes $38.9M to Sonate Corp, which does business as Vegadelphia Foods, for the use of the slogans “Great Taste, Plant-Based” and “Plant-Based, Great Taste” in an advertisement for the Beyond Sausage sandwich at Dunkin’.

    Vegadelphia, which sells plant-based beef and chicken and predates Beyond Meat’s existence by five years, received a federal trademark for its slogan “Where Great Taste Is Plant-Based” in 2015. After the verdict, Beyond Meat said it disagreed with the decision and would appeal.

    Jury dismisses Beyond Meat’s claims over trademark use

    The case revolves around Beyond Meat’s partnership with Dunkin’ in 2019, which led to the introduction of the Beyond Sausage breakfast sandwich on the chain’s menu. Months later, the companies promoted the offering with a commercial featuring American rapper Snoop Dogg and the tagline “Great Taste, Plant-Based”.

    However, Vegadelphia claimed that its registered trademark was used without permission, which led to the collapse of talks with two food industry executives that could have valued the company at $100 million within a few years.

    “Beyond Meat’s flooding of the market with a virtually identical slogan, well after becoming aware of Vegadelphia’s registered trademark rights, cost its competitor Vegadelphia the perfect expansion opportunity at the height of the plant-based meat boom,” Vegadelphia attorney Ben Wagner, from the firm Troutman Pepper Locke, told Reuters.

    The lawsuit was originally filed in Florida in 2022, before being transferred to the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts a year later.

    Dunkin’ settled the case with Vegadelphia last year. Beyond Meat, for its part, argued that its slogans wouldn’t cause market confusion and instead “fairly and accurately describe qualities of Defendants’ plant-based products”.

    Its attorney suggested that when Beyond Meat discovered Vegadelphia’s trademark, it determined that the use of the two phrases in question was distinct enough to not cause a legal issue.

    However, after seven days of testimony in the Boston courthouse, the jury disagreed with Beyond Meat’s claims that the slogans were fair use and sufficiently different. It dismissed the Beyond Burger maker’s assertion that Vegadelphia’s phrase was a “weak mark” with “no commercial strength”, ruling that the Dunkin’ ad would likely confuse consumers.

    Tough going for Beyond Meat

    beyond meat mycelium steak
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    Vegadelphia had urged the jury to award it $36.75 million, based on lost profits, the potential value of the business expansion, and other factors. But the verdict exceeded this, granting $23.5M in actual damages for Beyond Meat’s infringement, and another $15.4M in disgorged profits. That amounts to more than half of the company’s Q3 revenue.

    “Vegadelphia couldn’t be more grateful that the jury understood the long road and severe damage Beyond Meat inflicted upon one of their competitors,” Wagner told Bloomberg after the judgment.

    Beyond Meat has been engaged in several legal battles over the years. In 2024, it settled a class-action lawsuit for $7.5M against claims that it had overstated its products’ nutritional benefits, since the protein digestibility of its meat analogues was lower than that of conventional meat.

    Meanwhile, earlier this year, a judge threw out a class-action lawsuit by investors who alleged the company misled them about its manufacturing capacities, leading to artificially inflated stock prices.

    Beyond Meat has won a legal dispute against a former co-manufacturer over the termination of a production agreement, with a judge validating its decision to end the deal and denying the latter’s request to reopen the arbitration. At the same time, it is being investigated by a law firm for “potential violations of the federal securities laws”.

    The Vegadelphia saga is not over, as Beyond Meat plans to challenge the decision. It comes during a torrid time for the vegan giant, whose sales fell by 14% in the first nine months of the year, compared to the corresponding period in 2024. The company has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs, shuttered its China operations, and diversified into plant protein products that don’t mimic meat.

    At the same time, Beyond Meat secured a debt restructuring deal months after raising $100M in debt financing, the largest round for an alternative protein company this year, and boosted its footprint through deals with Walmart and Erewhon in the US and BrewDog in the UK.

    Speaking to analysts after posting its Q3 results, founder and CEO Ethan Brown struck a positive tone, while acknowledging the meat alternative category’s challenges. “We are closing out the year with a much improved balance sheet, important transformation spadework underway, and genuine optimism and excitement regarding our future,” he said.

    The post Trademark Beef: Beyond Meat Hit with $39M Verdict in Lawsuit Over Dunkin’ Ad appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Coffees, Barry Callebaut & Listeria Settlement

    oatly iced latte
    3 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Oatly’s iced coffees, La Vie and Cathedral City’s collab, and Danone and Walmart’s listeria settlement.

    New products and launches

    Swedish oat milk giant Oatly has rolled out its ready-to-drink coffee beverages in the UK, with the iced flat white and caramel macchiato SKUs available at Tesco for £2 per 235ml can.

    accro croque
    Courtesy: Accro

    Fresh from raising the largest investment for a European plant-based meat company this year, French brand Accro has introduced vegan cheese-filled Croques and Tex-Mex-style Spicy Wings.

    Fellow French plant-based meat maker La Vie has partnered with Cathedral City and Saputo to launch frozen vegan mac and cheese bites at Iceland stores in the UK.

    made in hackney book
    Courtesy: Nourish

    Also in the UK, vegan community cooking school and charity Made in Hackney has released a debut cookbook, We Cook Plants, to raise funds for its food justice work.

    German vegan food manufacturer Planteneers has unveiled a stabilising and protein system from its fiildDairy CH range, which can help companies achieve smooth, elastic textures in plant-based cheese slices with up to 8% protein.

    Company and finance updates

    Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate supplier, has partnered with Chilean AI-led food tech unicorn NotCo to develop more sustainable and innovative chocolate products.

    barry callebaut notco
    Courtesy: Matias Muchnick/LinkedIn

    Lazy Vegan, a Dutch brand of plant-based meals, has dropped the word ‘vegan’ from its name, in a rebranding move it hopes will attract more flexitarians. The products themselves will remain vegan.

    Danish firm Planetdairy has acquired the equipment and technology assets from Swedish vegan cheesemaker Stockeld Dreamery, which shut down last month, to supercharge its hybrid dairy efforts.

    stockeld dreamery cream cheese
    Courtesy: Stockeld Dreamery

    Animal rights charity Mercy for Animals has announced that current president Arash Yomtobian has taken over as CEO from Leah Garcés. He will serve in both roles.

    Policy, awards and events

    Danone, Walmart and Intact Insurance Company have reached a C$6.5M settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit against the sale of plant-based milk products linked to listeria. Those who drank said products are entitled to compensation from C$400 (for those who suffered symptoms for up to 48 hours to C$150,000 (for severe complications).

    michroma cj cheiljedang
    Courtesy: Michroma

    Californian natural colourant maker Michroma, which makes food dyes with fungi fermentation, has won The Future is Fungi Award 2025, part of which is a $289,000 prize and access to a network of partners, including L’Oréal, Novonesis, and Stanford University.

    In the UK, the London Vegan Fayre will be held at Kensington Town Hall on Saturday, December 6, from 10am to 6pm, with tickets costing £8 in advance (and £10 on the door).

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Coffees, Barry Callebaut & Listeria Settlement appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Exclusive: This Cultivated Meat Marketplace Sells Inputs & Equipment for Manufacturers

    cultigen group
    5 Mins Read

    Cultigen Group, which opened an online cultivated meat shop for consumers this year, has now launched a B2B marketplace for companies.

    To make it easier for the cellular agriculture industry to access equipment and inputs for future-friendly food production, UK-based Cultigen Group has opened an online marketplace for “cultivated meat procurement”.

    The platform, called Cellbase, connects suppliers of bioreactors, growth media, scaffolds, cell lines, sensors, and processing equipment with cultivated meat startups and researchers.

    “The supply chain is fragmented. Companies spend weeks chasing quotes and manually gathering product information across multiple vendor websites,” explains David Bell, founder of Cultigen Group.

    “Every emerging industry hits this wall. Someone has to build the rails. That’s what we’re doing. Cellbase removes procurement friction so companies can focus on R&D and scale rather than email chains and PDF spec sheets,” he adds.

    Cellbase’s launch comes six months after Bell set up a consumer-facing online store for cultivated meat, for when it eventually gets regulatory approval and enters the European market.

    These projects are part of the wider Cultigen Group, which emerged over the last 18 months as Bell mapped infrastructure gaps across the cultivated meat value chain.

    “Rather than building one business, I realised the industry needed an ecosystem, so I built out all the parts where I can add value through my niche expertise,” he said.

    Cellbase supports multiple currencies and languages

    cellbase
    Courtesy: Cellbase

    Bell notes that Cellbase is an international B2B marketplace, with localised currency support for “every major currency worldwide”. It has also translated the platform into 20 languages, including Dutch, simplified Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, Thai and Arabic, covering around 95% of the cultivated meat industry.

    Now, the website is live with the first cohort of partners across three core categories: cells, media, and scaffolds. “Launch suppliers include Multus, Sallea, Quest Meat, KCell, Mor-Cell.bio, Cellcraft, CellxCell, Qkine, Nexture Bio, and Defined Bioscience,” reveals Bell.

    We’re now actively onboarding across all other categories too: bioreactors, sensors, scaffolding, equipment, consumables, analytical tools, and services,” he adds. “We’re building comprehensive category coverage and looking for suppliers who want to be part of the industry’s default procurement platform. The target is 30 suppliers by year-end, and we’re moving fast.”

    The idea is similar to Ocatté Base, the B2B marketplace operated by Japanese cellular agriculture pioneer, IntegriCulture. “I respect what they’re attempting. That said, Cellbase operates at a different scale of sophistication,” says Bell.

    This includes multiple product categories with deep taxonomies; advanced filtering, search, and comparison via structured metadata parsing, full e-commerce functionality (online ordering, cart and checkout); comprehensive marketplace infrastructure (order management, automated payouts, account dashboards, etc.), and multiple suppliers across categories.

    “We’re a fully-fledged marketplace built to remove procurement friction, not a directory or consortium model. Think specialised infrastructure for cellular agriculture,” says Bell.

    Cellbase generates revenue the same way “most successful marketplaces” do: by taking a commission on completed sales. This covers platform infrastructure and hosting, payment processing, buyer acquisition and marketing, customer service, and product cataloguing, search, and comparison tools.

    There are no listing fees, monthly charges, or hidden costs. “Suppliers only pay when they make sales,” he explains. “Our incentives align: we win when they win.”

    Filling the technical execution and transparent pricing gaps

    cultivated meat shop
    Courtesy: Cellbase

    What roadblocks did Bella encounter when setting up Cellbase? “Honestly, the market response validated something we already suspected: this infrastructure gap was real. Suppliers approached us to list, buyers asked when they could order, and researchers engaged before launch. That told us we’re solving an actual pain point, not building a solution looking for a problem,” he outlines.

    “The challenge has been technical execution – creating uniform metadata structures across multiple products and categories. Suppliers provide specs in PDFs, manuals, and inconsistent formats. We’ve parsed and standardised that data into structured fields so buyers can actually compare products apples-to-apples.

    “The other friction point: pricing transparency. Many suppliers still operate on ‘request for quote’ systems: PDFs, email chains, weeks of back-and-forth. We’ve brought unit pricing, shipping costs, and purchasing into a single interface. One-click ordering, card or bank transfer, PO support.

    “Everything we build focuses on removing friction. This industry runs on dated procurement workflows, and that slows everyone down. Cellbase solves that. The faster scientists can source what they need, the faster products reach the market.”

    Bell bootstrapped the business, which has no external funding so far (and “currently none needed”). “We’re a small team that’s built everything from the ground up – every brand, site, system – without external funding. We move at operator speed: tight feedback loops, rapid iteration, sophisticated execution,” he says. “As we hit scale milestones, we’ll expand strategically where it creates leverage.”

    An all-encompassing vision for cultivated meat

    lab grown meat stores
    Courtesy: Cellbase

    Culivated Meat Shop and Cellbase are far from the breadth of Cultigen Group’s vision. The company says unlocking these proteins’ potential requires more than scientific innovation: commercial execution, public trust, and practical systems that make it visible, accessible, and desirable are equally important.

    As such, it is building a host of ventures tackling different tenets of the protein transition. Via public advocacy body the Cultivarian Society, it aims to establish “cultivarian” as a dietary identity for people who eat cultivated meat, while it’s planning an editorial platform called The Growth Medium and a real-time intelligence directory engine titled Cultideck.

    Further, Cultigen Group is developing Cell.farm, an infrastructure platform that promises a reimagination of production accessibility and scalability.

    As it builds this ecosystem, it’s recording quick progress on the ventures it has already introduced. Cultivated Meat Shop, for example, now operates localised domains and languages in over 20 markets in Europe, including Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and France.

    “This positions us as the default consumer entry point for cultivated meat across the continent when products reach the market,” says Bell. “Products aren’t yet approved for retail in the UK or EU, so we’re in pre-launch positioning mode, building SEO authority, email subscribers, and brand equity ahead of regulatory clearance.”

    He adds: “We’re not onboarding companies yet in the traditional retail sense. We’re owning the digital real estate and building an audience ahead of market opening. First-mover advantage isn’t launching first; it’s being ready when regulation clears.”

    And Cultigen Group is certainly positioning itself to be ready. Can it grab that advantage?

    The post Exclusive: This Cultivated Meat Marketplace Sells Inputs & Equipment for Manufacturers appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • SuperMeat Raises $3.5M to Launch Cultivated Chicken in Europe

    supermeat funding
    4 Mins Read

    Israeli food tech startup SuperMeat has secured $3.5M in an ongoing funding round to support the commercialisation of its cultivated meat in Europe.

    A year after announcing it could produce cultivated meat at price parity with conventional chicken, SuperMeat has taken a big stride in its path to bringing the innovation to market.

    The Tel Aviv-based startup has bagged $3.5M in fresh funding to commercialise the production of its premium cultured chicken in Europe.

    The round was led by existing shareholder Agronomics, which invested $2M (via a combination of cash and new shares) and was joined by Milk and Honey Ventures (another return investor). It takes the company’s total raised to $18.5M.

    It’s part of a larger effort to raise $4.5M through the issue of a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), which allows subscribers to convert their investment into equity at the next qualifying fundraise or other liquidity event at a 70% discount, capped at a post-money valuation of $35M.

    “We are proud to further increase our investment in SuperMeat and its team,” said Agronomics executive chair Jim Mellon. “Its progress towards industrial-scale cultivated meat represents not only a compelling financial opportunity but also a strategic shift toward a cleaner, more resilient, and technologically advanced future for food.”

    How SuperMeat makes affordable 100% cultivated chicken

    supermeat
    Courtesy: Dror Varshavski

    SuperMeat is one of the earliest players in the cultivated meat space, having been founded a decade ago by Ido Savir, Shir Friedman, and Koby Barak.

    Its meat comprises muscle and fat derived from chicken cells, produced via a continuous process. These are grown in a seeding bioreactor, where they’re provided warmth, oxygen and nutrients. This helps them mature into meat tissues just like they would in an animal’s body. Once the cells reach the desired density, they’re harvested by removing the remaining liquid feed.

    The meat mass is harvested daily in the form of ground chicken that’s ready to be cooked. The process requires minimal space and resources and produces three lbs of meat (the same as the yield from one chicken) in just two days, compared to the 42 days it takes to raise and process a chicken.

    SuperMeat’s robust, self-renewing cell line allows it to reach densities of 80 million cells per ml in just nine days. It has developed a high-throughput system that replaces expensive animal-derived ingredients like serum and albumin with more affordable alternatives, resulting in media costs of under 50 cents per litre.

    Last year, the firm revealed that it had made several breakthroughs to make its cultivated chicken more affordable. The combination of a highly stable cell line, a fully controlled animal-free media formulation, and rapid differentiation protocols helped it achieve production costs of $11.8 per lb at a 25,000-litre scale, in line with the price of premium chicken in the US.

    And importantly, these cost advancements are based on a 100% cultivated chicken product (with 85% muscle and 15% fat), not a hybrid version with minimal cell-cultured ingredients and a larger share of plant-based inputs.

    SuperMeat has deals in place to commercialise in Europe

    supermeat cultivated meat
    Courtesy: SuperMeat

    “As global demand for protein continues to rise, it is essential to meet this demand sustainably, reducing the environmental and health impacts associated with industrial agriculture,” said Mellon. “Companies such as SuperMeat and its partners are delivering the science, technology, and commercial readiness necessary to drive meaningful change.”

    A life-cycle analysis by CE Delft last year found that SuperMeat’s innovation is responsible for roughly 50% fewer carbon emissions than conventional chicken.

    The company currently operates a facility that can churn out several hundred lbs of cultivated chicken in a week; when scaled to an industrial facility, it’s expected to manufacture 6.7 million lbs (or three million kgs) of the protein annually – equivalent to around 2.7 million chickens, with 80% less land required.

    SuperMeat has been working with regulators across the US, Europe and Asia. And while the US has long remained its top priority, this latest investment puts Europe at the centre of its commercial plans.

    The startup is a founding member of Cellular Agriculture Europe, and has partnered with German poultry giant PHW Group to launch its cultivated chicken in the EU. Moreover, it has signed a deal with Swiss retail leader Migros to produce and distribute the innovation in Switzerland. And earlier this year, it teamed up with biotech company Stämm to bring its cultivated meat to market by 2026.

    “Over the past year, we have made substantial advancements across our production platform, for the first time making cultivated chicken production commercially viable, and are now focused on translating these achievements into commercial launch,” said Savir, who is SuperMeat’s CEO.

    “This investment supports our progress toward bringing cultivated chicken to market with partners who understand how significant this category can become as demand and expectations evolve.”

    The post SuperMeat Raises $3.5M to Launch Cultivated Chicken in Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • The World’s First Cultivated Meat Farm is Now Open in the Netherlands

    cultivated meat farm
    5 Mins Read

    RespectFarms has launched a pilot farm to produce cultivated meat in the Netherlands, with Corné van Leeuwen becoming the first farmer to receive EU funding for these proteins.

    Backed by public funding from the EU and the provincial government, dairy farmer Corné van Leeuwen will now also produce cultivated meat.

    Thanks to systems integration firm RespectFarms, his dairy operation in South Holland is now equipped with a cultivated meat production unit, making it the first such farm in the world.

    With the cultivated meat units installed and operational in the coming weeks, van Leeuwen’s farm will demonstrate how livestock farmers can integrate these proteins into their existing setups, allaying fears of the technology’s impact on the farming community.

    The project is supported by the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri) and the South Holland province, making van Leeuwen the first farmer globally to receive agricultural funding to grow cultivated meat.

    “We’re building a model where livestock farmers remain at the centre of food production, not replaced by factories,” said Ira van Eelen, co-founder of RespectFarms and Cellular Agriculture Netherlands. “This is an opportunity to make the protein transition fair, transparent, and rooted in rural communities.”

    Farmers must be at the centre of the cultivated meat ecosystem

    lab grown meat farm
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

    RespectFarms integrates cultivated meat and the knowledge of technology partners to develop a scalable, on-farm model for these proteins. Instead of relying on massive, centralised facilities, the startup supports a local, farm-first approach.

    This scale-out model introduces advanced agritech to farms, supporting innovation, income diversification, and locally rooted food production. It generates new knowledge and opportunities for livestock farmers and policymakers, and boosts the economic foundations of rural communities.

    “As a farmer, you have to look ahead, especially these days,” said van Leeuwen, whose farming family has always championed innovation, from using milking robots to producing artisanal cheese. “This is a chance to see whether a new income model can fit alongside what we already do. Making cultivated meat on the farm makes sense for many reasons. Not trying it would be a missed opportunity.”

    RespectFarms has previously explained that through this model, farmers would be able to produce more meat with fewer cows, which wouldn’t need to be slaughtered. It safeguards them against any disease risk to the livestock (and eventually humans who consume their meat).

    “RespectFarms boils down a world problem to farm size. And once it works, we scale this out to the world to increase impact,” said Ralf Becks, co-founder of RespectFarms.

    The project creates a real-world test centre for learning how cultivated meat production can complement livestock farming. And that has been a major sticking point for critics of the technology, with policymakers citing threats to farmers as the drivers of legislative restrictions and bans on cultivated meat.

    lab grown meat farmers
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

    In fact, farmers recognise the opportunities presented by cultivated meat and have opposed such bans, noting that they didn’t need the government’s help to compete with these proteins. Instead, they’re more worried about the social issues brought on by this technology, like Big Food controlling the market or the knock-on effects on rural communities, than the impact on their bottom lines.

    Further, consumer organisation Euroconsumers notes that small-scale on-farm cultivated meat production “can offer opportunities for farmers“, as long as we “keep things fair and make sure benefits don’t just go to a few big players”.

    Respectfarms to open experience centre to boost public engagement

    Euroconsumers also found that when it comes to ensuring the safety of cultivated meat, way more Europeans place their trust in farmers (27%) than retailers or private companies (11%), according to a Euroconsumers survey this year.

    So it’s a positive sign that public bodies are recognising this. EIP-Agri is an EU framework that connects farmers, researchers, and businesses to accelerate agricultural innovation. It funds experimental projects that enhance productivity, sustainability, and knowledge sharing.

    Meanwhile, the South Holland province contributed funds to support innovation, farmer engagement, and knowledge exchange. “This initiative demonstrates how innovation in agritech and biotech supports both our province and the Netherlands in the protein transition, while also creating economic opportunities,” said Meindert Stolk, the regional minister for economy and innovation.

    “By developing technology and knowledge locally and exporting it internationally, we strengthen our position as a leader in sustainable food production and strategic technology,” he added.

    lab grown meat farmers
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

    RespectFarms co-founder Florentine Zieglowski said the firm is “pioneering a fast way to commercialise cultivated meat – decentralised and together with agricultural, tech and supply chain partners”. These include Wageningen University & Research, cultivated meat firms Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms, Multus, sustainable agriculture company Kipster, and facility design specialist Royal Kuijpers.

    Together, they’re part of the Craft (Cellular Revolution in Agriculture and Farming Technology) Consortium, which was awarded €2M in a grant co-funded by the EU-backed accelerator, EIT Food, to build the cultivated meat farm.

    Respectfarms will open an experience centre at van Leeuwen’s farm next spring, engaging with farmers, value chain stakeholders, and policymakers, while welcoming local communities and educators to witness cultivated meat production firsthand. The goal is to foster public engagement and transparency, a key tenet for greater consumer acceptance of cultivated meat.

    “People need to see what’s really happening,” said van Eelen. “It’s good to have a place where science meets farmers, citizens, and policymakers to learn, debate, and co-create the future of food production and farming.”

    The post The World’s First Cultivated Meat Farm is Now Open in the Netherlands appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • TiNDLE Foods to Sell US Business to Focus on Private-Label Products in Europe

    tindle foods
    4 Mins Read

    Plant-based meat company TiNDLE Foods is pivoting its business model to divest its US operations and focus on private-label products in Europe.

    Months after rolling out its vegan chicken in hundreds of Kroger stores – marking a ninefold increase in its retail footprint stateside – TiNDLE Foods is bidding adieu to the US.

    The plant-based meat company is shifting its business model away from branded offerings to exclusively focus on producing affordable private-label options for B2B customers in Europe.

    “This strategic pivot follows a clear logic,” said Timo Recker, co-founder and CEO of TiNDLE Foods. “The plant-based category has become increasingly price-driven, and we’re seeing that private label products are capturing a growing share.”

    The move comes amid a slowdown in momentum for plant-based meat in the US, with year-on-year sales down by 7% in 2024 and prices up by 4%. In Europe, though, double-digit growth in low-cost vegan food from supermarkets’ private-label brands led to a 1.7% rise in sales of six plant-based categories last year.

    “We are well-positioned to lead this shift by producing best-in-class, innovative products, while also making the necessary adjustments to maintain value and accessibility for our customers,” said Recker.

    tindle chicken
    Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods

    US market challenges drive TiNDLE Foods away

    Beginning its journey as Next Gen Foods, the startup rebranded to adopt the name of its flagship brand, TiNDLE Foods, in 2023, shortly before Recker took over the reins from his fellow founder Andre Menezes.

    The company, which has raised over $130M to date, made its name on its plant-based chicken range, starting with the foodservice sector, before expanding into pork sausages and bratwursts, and teasing a move into plant-based milk too.

    Its products have appeared in countries including the UK, Switzerland, Germany, and the US – in the latter, the brand is stocked in over 1,300 grocery stores. And in an interview with Green Queen this summer, Recker suggested that retail was TiNDLE Foods’s most profitable channel, having witnessed a steady rise in sales here.

    But as Americans rail against ultra-processed foods (UPFs), meat alternatives have been caught in the crossfire, and many companies have been forced to pivot – one of the biggest players, Beyond Meat, has suffered a consistent decline in sales and diversified into plant proteins that don’t mimic meat. Several others, meanwhile, have filed for insolvency or ceased trading altogether.

    This year alone in North America, Planetarians has ceased operations, Yves Veggie Cuisine has been discontinued, and Meati Foods has changed hands after a banking default and months of uncertainty.

    Now, TiNDLE Foods is pulling out of the US too, while suggesting that it maintains a solid capital base and remains positioned for long-term growth “despite challenging market environments”.

    TiNDLE Foods banks on Europe’s private-label potential

    The shift to manufacturing for private-label brands is a direct nod to one of the key barriers and drivers of plant-based meat consumption: cost.

    Bringing the cost of these products more in line with animal-derived meat has been shown to increase the former’s sales – in Germany, discount supermarket Lidl reported a 30% sales hike in the six months after introducing price parity for products in its own-label vegan range, Vemondo, in 2023.

    In fact, innovation in private-label brands has made a vegan shopping basket 5% more affordable than the animal equivalent in Germany. With its pivot, TiNDLE Foods is hoping to capitalise on this shift, labelling these products as a “primary strategic focus” for retailers.

    plant based meat price
    Source: ProVeg International | Graphic by Green Queen

    Under its new model, it will sell unbranded plant-based proteins to major food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurant groups, giving them the freedom and flexibility to brand, formulate, and price the products according to the local market.

    The move will help it significantly reduce marketing and distribution spend, and instead redirect capital into product development and operational efficiency. It’s in line with Recker’s comments in the summer, when he told Green Queen: “Our current priority is on capital preservation and with that, having a clear focus on the growth of our current product portfolio.”

    Reflecting on the European focus, he said: “We are seeing greater growth potential in Europe, where consumer demand for plant-based innovations continues to rise – particularly among the younger generations, who have already fully adopted plant-based foods as part of their everyday lives and routines.

    The post TiNDLE Foods to Sell US Business to Focus on Private-Label Products in Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Eat Just Introduces Better-Than-Chicken Plant-Based Meat to 3,000 Walmart Stores

    just meat chicken
    4 Mins Read

    Californian food tech pioneer Eat Just’s vegan chicken, called Just Meat, has outperformed conventional versions, and is now available in nearly 4,000 stores across the US.

    Eat Just, the maker of the vegan Just Egg and the Good Meat cultivated chicken, has expanded its portfolio with a move into plant-based meat.

    This past August, the Californian company soft-launched Just Meat, a vegan chicken made from wheat and soy protein, which it says has beaten conventional chicken in taste tests.

    The new products have now landed in over 3,050 Walmart stores across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, as well as being available at Sprouts, H-E-B, Giant, Hannaford, Albertsons United, Tops, and more supermarkets, with a total footprint close to 4,000.

    “We are launching broadly into foodservice in December,” Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just, tells Green Queen.

    just chicken vegan
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Taste-testers prefer Just Meat over conventional chicken

    Just Meat has been six years in the making. “The R&D was [about] building the right tools to form real fibres, to get the bite right, to layer the way animal muscle does,” explains Tetrick.

    “We think plant-based chicken should simply taste better than the animal alternative, and if it does that, it wins. That was the gap we saw in the market.”

    Just Meat is available in four flavours: original, Buffalo, sesame-ginger, and chilli-lime. It combines wheat protein and soy protein concentrate with sunflower and coconut oils, cornstarch, flavourings and seasonings, modified food starch, soy lecithin, and xanthan gum.

    The meat alternative contains 24g of protein per 100g, over 1g of fibre, and zero cholesterol. At Walmart, it’s available in half-pound bags for $5.50 – in comparison, Tyson Foods’s grilled chicken strips are priced at $3.08 for the same size, while Foster Farms’s version costs $3.99.

    “Just Meat performs like pulled chicken in every recipe where people already use chicken today,” says Tetrick. “In an independent 24-person preference test conducted by Nichols Research, Just Meat outperformed a leading frozen chicken strip.

    Expanding on this, he added: “The majority of participants preferred Just Meat on flavour, texture, and overall liking, making it the first time a plant-based chicken beat the animal version in a direct consumer preference test.”

    eat just chicken
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Just Egg to launch in Europe in January, as Good Meat looks to lower costs

    Just Meat’s expansion comes amid a surge in purchases of Just Egg, which has capitalised on the US egg crisis. In January alone, the mung bean egg’s sales grew five times faster than in the past year, while 56% of shoppers returned to buy more (a three-point increase from 2024).

    And earlier this month, Eat Just revealed that this growth has only accelerated since. “Just Egg has the highest velocity of all plant-based proteins in the US,” says Tetrick, citing SPINS data from the previous four weeks. “That gives us confidence that when you give people something that tastes good, that is highly differentiated, it will win with consumers.”

    Moreover, the vegan egg has made its way into Europe this year, after Eat Just partnered with Vegan Food Group, owner of brands like Meatless Farm and VFC, on an exclusive manufacturing and distribution deal.

    Just Egg’s rollout was meant to begin in the UK first (followed by Germany), but the product hasn’t made it onto shelves yet – instead, it has been showcased at events all across the UK in recent months. But Tetrick confirms that Just Egg will begin its rollout in Europe in early January.

    just egg uk launch
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Not only did Eat Just pioneer vegan eggs; it was the first company to begin selling cultivated meat anywhere in the world, after securing regulatory approval in Singapore in 2020 (followed by a US green light in 2023).

    That brand of cultivated chicken, Good Meat, was available at several foodservice establishments in the city-state before a packaged version with a revamped recipe was rolled out into retail last year. Tetrick confirms that Huber’s Butchery is still selling the Good Meat chicken, adding that the focus here is on “long-term R&D to meaningfully bring the cost down at much larger scales”.

    Just Meat is not the only new product format unveiled by the company this year. In May, it launched Just One, a range of protein powders made from the same mung bean base that powers Just Egg, which can also double as an egg substitute in baking.

    The post Eat Just Introduces Better-Than-Chicken Plant-Based Meat to 3,000 Walmart Stores appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • ‘Sharp Focus & Consolidation’: How The Livekindly Collective’s Plant-Based Meat Became Profitable

    livekindly collective
    5 Mins Read

    Livekindly Collective, the company behind brands like Oumph, Like and Fry’s, achieved profitability in September, countering the plant-based meat slowdown.

    In September, Livekindly Collective CEO David Suarez revealed that the plant-based holding company delivered high single-digit year-on-year growth in the first half of 2025, and was on course to become profitable in the autumn.

    As it turns out, the firm hit the milestone that month itself, becoming one of the only privately held plant-based protein producers to reach profitability.

    “September delivered around 15% revenue growth versus the same period last year,” Suarez tells Green Queen. “[It] was our second-best revenue month to date, and we expect to continue building towards surpassing our historic peak as we move into next year.”

    He adds: “We are especially enthusiastic that our strongest growth is coming from key strategic areas of the business, which shows that the focus and discipline behind our plan work well.”

    The owner of Like, Fry’s, Oumph!, No Meat, Dutch Weedburger, and Alpha Foods demonstrated strong retail performance in all markets it operates in, while rapidly growing its B2B business too, which posted a 48% increase in 2024 and is on course to rise by 120% this year and up to 200% in 2026.

    The positive results aren’t a one-off. “October continued the strong revenue performance,” says Suarez. “However, [it was] slightly behind September due to the usual seasonal trends.”

    Livekindly Collective’s profitability formula

    livekindly collective profitability
    Courtesy: Fry’s

    When it comes to sales, it has been tough going for producers of meat alternatives, many of which have either expanded into whole-food options, pivoted to B2B manufacturing, been acquired, or ended up shutting shop.

    Retail revenues have plunged in various markets, including the US, the UK, Spain and the Netherlands (although global sales saw a modest uptick in 2024). How did Livekindly Collective buck this trend?

    “I’d say it’s sharp focus and consolidation supported by the three pillars of performance improvement: clear operational discipline, tight cash management, and growing margins. That’s our profitability formula,” says Suarez.

    “Profitability, in turn, puts us in a favourable spot and unlocks future growth trajectory. Livekindly Collective is the only pure-play, fully integrated platform combining brands, manufacturing, products, and financial discipline, positioning us to scale efficiently and sustainably.

    “Our progress comes from consistent improvement of operational performance, innovating at speed and smart market creation, including areas like B2B where we are generating new opportunities. This drives healthy gross profit, enabling reinvestment into the business guided by our Seed, Scale, Repeat model, which leverages Livekindly Collective’s global footprint in a way few others can.”

    Strong sales across retail and B2B channels

    vegan food sales
    Courtesy: Oumph!

    Breaking down the company’s performance by sector, Suarez notes that its retail growth has been rapid as its brands steadily climb in their respective markets.

    Fry’s, for instance, has an 85% market share in South Africa and is solidifying its leading position in Australia. “Oumph! is currently the only plant-based brand showing growth in the Nordics, and NoMeat continues to perform well in the UK,” he says.

    Like, meanwhile, tops the chunks segment in Germany, and launched in the UK via Tesco in September to “very positive consumer feedback, with many five-star reviews highlighting texture, taste, and overall appeal”. “We’re also pleased with the rollout across Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, where the hot dogs are now available,” states Suarez.

    “Our brands are present in more than 40 markets, and we continue to see growing consumer interest in alternative proteins and innovative, tasty protein solutions. Livekindly Collective’s innovation pipeline reflects that, including the new high-protein products, Protein Bites, being tested and successful in Germany, and many more that we are working on for next year,” he adds.

    “Alongside our branded growth, we are heavily investing in B2B, including foodservice, private label, and ingredients, supported by our three strategically located pure-play production sites. The B2B business is growing and is roughly a 50/50 split of branded and non-branded, with both sides expected to grow in 2025 and onwards. We are on a mission to bring tasty plant-based protein mainstream.”

    Livekindly Collective ‘not an exception, but an example’

    plant based meat sales
    Courtesy: Like

    Germany continues to be Livekindly Collective’s largest market, where it has witnessed double-digit growth momentum, thanks to Like’s “breakthrough innovation” and “successful marketing”. Suarez points out that it is the most followed plant-based brand on social media in Germany.

    “Australia is our fastest-growing market, with Fry’s expanding distribution. In addition, the B2B channel is driving incremental revenue across multiple markets, and here we are rapidly onboarding new customers and building scale, seeing a doubling of the business each calendar year,” he says.

    “It’s exciting to see this development as we go forward. Private-label customers can take advantage of our production and food tech capabilities and R&D know-how, too. Every product we deliver is unique and tailored to their needs.”

    The Blue Horizon-owned company operates three pure-play factories in Oss (Netherlands), Stora Levene (Sweden), and Pinetown (South Africa), and continues to be open to more acquisitions to bolster its portfolio and footprint.

    “We are open to exploring opportunities that add capability, scale, or strategic advantage,” says Suarez. “As we enter 2026, the priority is profitable growth. Profitability gives us the confidence and stability to expand where it makes sense, whether that means new markets, channels, or products.”

    Is this a sign that plant-based meat may be rebounding, or is Livekindly Collective just an outlier in a struggling sector? “Every new category, in food or otherwise, goes through stages of transformation, which creates both winners and losers, and we believe in the transformation of the global food system as our long-term goal. There is a better way to feed the world, and it’s based on protein from plants,” he says.

    “The category will continue evolving, driven by companies that understand changing consumer needs and innovate accordingly. Livekindly Collective is doing exactly that across all our brands and geographies, now operating profitably. We see ourselves not as an exception, but as an example of how the category can succeed with the right model, financial discipline, and investment in product quality.”

    The post ‘Sharp Focus & Consolidation’: How The Livekindly Collective’s Plant-Based Meat Became Profitable appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Melt Organic Butter Owner Acquires Miyoko’s Creamery; Founder Asks For Her Name Back

    miyoko
    7 Mins Read

    Prosperity Organic Foods has emerged as the winning bidder for plant-based dairy company Miyoko’s Creamery. Its namesake founder is asking the new owner to rebrand in the hope of getting back the rights to her name.

    Following a dramatic bidding war, Miyoko’s Creamery finally has a new owner.

    The plant-based dairy company, which entered the assignment for the benefit of creditors process last month, has been acquired by Prosperity Organic Foods, the owner of vegan butter brand Melt Organic.

    It beat out a rival bid by Miyoko Schinner, the namesake founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, who was ousted from the company in 2023, and garnered widespread support to return to the helm. She had raised more than $100,000 from over 1,600 crowd investors in around 48 hours to help her bid.

    Schinner had admitted that it was “highly unlikely” her bid would win, as the liquidators have a responsibility to accept the highest offer. Now, it has emerged that Prosperity Organic Foods submitted the best bid.

    “We are excited to have the opportunity to grow the Miyoko’s brand as it aligns perfectly with our mission to provide consumers with delicious, sustainable, and functional plant-based food options that embody innovation and high-quality craft,” said Prosperity Organic Foods CEO Scott Fischer.

    The new owner said it would “continue to honour the brand roots and community of Miyoko’s Creamery, as well as its commitment to the highest standards of quality, taste, and sustainability”. However, Schinner is distancing herself from the company she founded 11 years ago, outlining that it doesn’t have the licence to use her name or image, even if it owns the trademark “Miyoko’s Creamery”.

    “I’d like to ask them to rebrand it and remove my name from it entirely,” she tells Green Queen. “If it’s the product itself – the taste, quality, etc. – that they want, then the branding should be irrelevant. They can have the butter formula – I don’t need it. It’s basically the formula I published in The Homemade Vegan Pantry, anyway,” she says.

    “And now, I have new formulas that don’t even contain the emulsifier, lecithin, [etc.], that are in The Vegan Creamery,” she adds, suggesting that she’ll share one of those recipes on Instagram soon, once she finds someone to film it (“I’m tech-challenged”).

    Her comments came shortly after she posted screenshots of a heated conversation with one of the bidders on Instagram, whom she called a “creepy character”. And there are plenty of hints to suggest that the person in question is Fischer.

    Miyoko Schinner asks new owners to rebrand Miyoko’s Creamery

    miyoko's butter
    Courtesy: Melt Organic

    Days after announcing she didn’t win back her company, Schinner began distancing herself from the business, outlining the trademark distinction and refusing to associate her own name with the brand. “Not my company, not my brand, not my products,” she wrote.

    “Regarding the association of my name, according to IP laws pertaining to name and likeness, the new owner cannot imply that I am associated with it just because they own the trademark, ‘Miyoko’s Creamery’,” she explains.

    “They simply own the two words, ‘Miyoko’s Creamery’. That’s it. They cannot mention my name, ‘Miyoko’ or ‘Miyoko Schinner’, or imply any sort of reference that could lead people to think that I am somehow associated with it. Nor can they use my image in any way.

    “They cannot tell the origin story or mention my name as part of it. They cannot imply that the brand stands for ethics related to me. The trademark will become an empty name.”

    In one social media post, she asked the new owners to consider rebranding and give her back her naming rights. “If you do plan to keep the name Miyoko’s, do you plan to restore the original lustre to the product line?” she wrote. “Many people say that the quality has plummeted as products have been reformulated, presumably for lower COGS [cost of goods sold].”

    “Will they remain the same, or will they be reformulated back to the original or better? And who will do that? And finally, do you have a visionary in place who can imagine the future of the company and inspire the public besides the usual suits in their data room?” she continued.

    Speaking to Green Queen, she says: “If they believe that simply using the trademark will give the air of association to me, the person, then I think their plan will eventually fail. The name ‘Miyoko’s Creamery’ no longer holds any meaning. They should just rebrand as another formula under Melt.”

    Melt Organic CEO facing backlash for comments made to Schinner

    Hours before Prosperity Organic Foods’s announcement, Schinner took to Instagram to explain that “the CEO of a vegan butter brand reached out to me about being a ‘brand ambassador’” on an independent contract basis. “I’m not going to be a brand ambassador for the brand I started without control or a voice in the direction of the brand and quality of products,” she wrote on the post.

    “When this person reached out to me, I wanted to hear what he had to say, so I responded. Then he ghosted me for a few days. This happened a couple of times. In the meantime, I decided I would make my own bid for the company. When he heard about it, he went berserk and sent me this lovely text, as if I were indebted to him.”

    The texts in reference called Schinner “cagey” for bidding on her namesake business. “I’m unsure why I wasn’t given a heads up,” the person wrote. When she explained her reasoning, he said: “You’re a failed business person and appear not to have learned a thing […] You don’t belong with our team.”

    “I have been denigrated by many businessmen, but this takes the cake,” Schinner wrote. “I have worked with some absolutely wonderful, supportive men, but the more successful I became, the more creepy characters appeared.”

    She added that she hoped this person wasn’t the new owner, though it turns out they were. “It’s interesting how things play out, isn’t it? Not the first time a man has spoken to me in this manner,” she tells Green Queen.

    The comments section suggests Fischer was the sender of the messages. In response to a user asking who the person was, Schinner commented: “A butter brand that begins with M.”

    It sparked a major backlash against Melt Organic, with many users announcing a boycott of its products. To clarify things even further, Schinner added another comment that confirmed the name of the brand: “Melt has disabled comments.”

    How Miyoko’s Creamery got here – and what’s next for Schinner

    miyoko schinner
    Courtesy: Megan Thompson

    The acquisition of Miyoko’s Creamery ends a long saga for a pioneering plant-based dairy brand. Its products, which include cheeses and butters made from cashew or oat milk, are available in over 20,000 retail doors in the US. Its fate took a turn in June 2022, when Schinner was ousted from her role as CEO by the board, at a time when the business was worth $260M.

    The news wasn’t made public until months later, when Miyoko’s Creamery sued its founder for allegedly breaching her contract, violating trade secrets, and stealing company IP. Schinner, in turn, countersued, saying she was “blindsided” and alleging that sexism led to her dismissal.

    She claimed that recently hired male executives discriminated against women, accusing then-COO René Weber of having “openly denigrated women, their expertise and their contributions at Miyoko’s”, Schinner added that after raising an HR complaint about an operational consultant hired at an investor’s request, the company “swiftly retaliated against [Schinner] by demoting her and then terminating her”.

    Publicly, the board claimed Schinner lacked the necessary skills to take Miyoko’s Creamery to the next level as its CEO. Two months later, there was a resolution between the company and its founder, with both withdrawing the legal claims.

    The business hired former Coca-Cola and Beyond Meat executive Stuart Kronauger as its new CEO, who closed its Petaluma factory amid a shift to a co-manufacturing setup, affecting 30-40 jobs. According to Bloomberg, Miyoko’s Creamery was already aiming to raise funds and prepare for a potential sale in late 2023, after sales fell by 24% on the back of sustained deficits for years.

    Schinner, a highly successful cookbook author, turned her attention to education and her animal sanctuary, Rancho Compasión, in Nicasio, California. The opportunity to return to the company she started was too good to miss, and even though it didn’t pan out in the end, she remains upbeat.

    “My mission now is to make people less reliant on packaged goods, to take the ‘consumer’ out of people. I want people back in their kitchens, reclaiming them, learning to make things that they’ve relied on corporations to provide,” she says. “Hopefully, this becomes the impetus for people to start making butter in their kitchens.”

    The post Melt Organic Butter Owner Acquires Miyoko’s Creamery; Founder Asks For Her Name Back appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Protein Buns, Korean Cultivated Meat & Functional Mushrooms

    space f lab grown meat
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Crafty Counter’s protein buns, Too Good To Go’s Whole Foods partnership, and Space F’s cultivated meat tasting.

    New products and launches

    US vegan startup Crafty Counter, maker of Wunder Eggs, has launched plant-based protein buns in an initial egg and cheese flavour. The hemp scramble inside contains 40% more protein than a chicken egg, and each bun has 11g of protein and 4g of fibre. They’re available on its website for $49.99 per 12-pack.

    vegan protein buns
    Courtesy: Hema Reddy/LinkedIn

    Omaha-based firm AgVault has introduced a precision fermentation technology to produce a whole-cell yeast ingredient with 50% protein, higher essential amino acid and beta-glucan content, and up to 200% more probiotic content than competitors.

    Continuing its nationwide rollout, Wildtype has brought its cultivated salmon to Arizona, by way of Tucson’s Kingfisher Bar & Grill. It’s served as a salmon crudo appetiser.

    wildtype salmon
    Courtesy: Wildtype

    Surplus food app Too Good To Go has expanded its partnership with Whole Foods Market with the launch of seven Surprise Bag categories at more than 530 stores across the US, priced between $6.99 and $9.99 for baskets valued at $21-30.

    Danish natural colouring giant Oterra has partnered with Sweden’s Seprify to launch a plant-based whitening ingredient that replaces titanium dioxide (TiO2) across food and beverage applications.

    colruyt vegan
    Courtesy: Colruyt Group

    In Belgium, retail giant Colruyt Group has opened a high-tech pop-up store under its Okay brand at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, which exclusively sells plant-based products. It will go on tour next year.

    British plant-based brand THIS has expanded its whole-food offerings with a Christmas-special chestnut, mushroom and caramelised onion nut roast, which will be available exclusively in Tesco stores nationwide from December 8 for three weeks. It’s priced at £7.50 and serves four.

    Company and finance updates

    Finnish functional mushroom startup Kääpä Biotech has secured $9M in financing to scale operations, expand vertical integration, and accelerate the rollout of its NordRelease line of products.

    kaapa mushrooms
    Courtesy: Kääpä Biotech

    Singapore startup Anomaly Bio has raised $2.6M in pre-seed funding to produce microbial ingredients for industries like crop protection, nutrition, and personal care.

    Canadian performance nutrition brand Vegain has launched a crowdfunding campaign on FrontFundr to support its flagship product, Surge, a clear protein drink blending 25g of plant protein with electrolytes. It has nearly met its $500,000 target in just a week.

    vegain surge
    Courtesy: Vegain

    Along similar lines, French plant-based meat maker La Vie has closed its latest crowdfunding campaign, raising nearly €650,000 more and bringing its total number of investors to over 3,500.

    Israeli cellular agriculture company Pluri has signed a number of commercial agreements with food and agtech leaders in Asia, Europe, and the US under its brands Ever After Foods (cultivated meat), Kokomodo (cell-based chocolate), and Coffesai (cell-cultured coffee).

    lab grown meat korea
    Courtesy: Yeonjoo La/LinkedIn

    Speaking of which, Korean startup Space F hosted a tasting event for its cultivated pork luncheon meat, showcasing both a 100% cultivated meat version and a hybrid option mixed with plant proteins.

    British tempeh leader Better Nature has hired Victoria Harrison as its new marketing director in a maternity cover role. She has previously held senior roles at Ella’s Kitchen and Nurture Brands.

    Policy and research developments

    The European Food Safety Authority has published new, clearer guidance for companies seeking regulatory approval for novel fermentation-derived foods, outlining how to describe the microbes and the substances they produce, how to identify safety concerns, and what data is needed for risk assessment.

    Noma, one of the world’s best eateries, and Novonesis (owned by Ozempic owner Novo Nordisk) have teamed up to develop bio-based products through fermentation for the former’s Noma Projects line, which is the latest iteration of the soon-to-be-closed restaurant.

    noma novonesis
    Courtesy: Novonesis

    The US Department of Agriculture has awarded $611,000 to Jiakai Lu, an associate food science professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, for a three-year project to create a computational framework to enhance the texture of plant-based meat.

    The Spanish Association of Plant-Based Foods and Beverage Producers, or Vegetal/es, has presented a proposal to develop a national action plan for plant-based foods in its fourth annual summit.

    vegetal es
    Courtesy: Vegetal/es

    The European Food Information Council has relaunched its Switch To Whole Grains campaign to plug the EU’s fibre gap, since diets low in whole grains are linked to 145,000 preventable deaths and 2.9 million years of healthy life lost across the region.

    Finally, students at the University of Basel in Switzerland have voted to shift towards a fully vegan catering menu by 2030, with 53% of the 3,000-odd voting students saying yes to the change.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Protein Buns, Korean Cultivated Meat & Functional Mushrooms appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Protein Buns, Korean Cultivated Meat & Functional Mushrooms

    space f lab grown meat
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Crafty Counter’s protein buns, Too Good To Go’s Whole Foods partnership, and Space F’s cultivated meat tasting.

    New products and launches

    US vegan startup Crafty Counter, maker of Wunder Eggs, has launched plant-based protein buns in an initial egg and cheese flavour. The hemp scramble inside contains 40% more protein than a chicken egg, and each bun has 11g of protein and 4g of fibre. They’re available on its website for $49.99 per 12-pack.

    vegan protein buns
    Courtesy: Hema Reddy/LinkedIn

    Omaha-based firm AgVault has introduced a precision fermentation technology to produce a whole-cell yeast ingredient with 50% protein, higher essential amino acid and beta-glucan content, and up to 200% more probiotic content than competitors.

    Continuing its nationwide rollout, Wildtype has brought its cultivated salmon to Arizona, by way of Tucson’s Kingfisher Bar & Grill. It’s served as a salmon crudo appetiser.

    wildtype salmon
    Courtesy: Wildtype

    Surplus food app Too Good To Go has expanded its partnership with Whole Foods Market with the launch of seven Surprise Bag categories at more than 530 stores across the US, priced between $6.99 and $9.99 for baskets valued at $21-30.

    Danish natural colouring giant Oterra has partnered with Sweden’s Seprify to launch a plant-based whitening ingredient that replaces titanium dioxide (TiO2) across food and beverage applications.

    colruyt vegan
    Courtesy: Colruyt Group

    In Belgium, retail giant Colruyt Group has opened a high-tech pop-up store under its Okay brand at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, which exclusively sells plant-based products. It will go on tour next year.

    British plant-based brand THIS has expanded its whole-food offerings with a Christmas-special chestnut, mushroom and caramelised onion nut roast, which will be available exclusively in Tesco stores nationwide from December 8 for three weeks. It’s priced at £7.50 and serves four.

    Company and finance updates

    Finnish functional mushroom startup Kääpä Biotech has secured $9M in financing to scale operations, expand vertical integration, and accelerate the rollout of its NordRelease line of products.

    kaapa mushrooms
    Courtesy: Kääpä Biotech

    Singapore startup Anomaly Bio has raised $2.6M in pre-seed funding to produce microbial ingredients for industries like crop protection, nutrition, and personal care.

    Canadian performance nutrition brand Vegain has launched a crowdfunding campaign on FrontFundr to support its flagship product, Surge, a clear protein drink blending 25g of plant protein with electrolytes. It has nearly met its $500,000 target in just a week.

    vegain surge
    Courtesy: Vegain

    Along similar lines, French plant-based meat maker La Vie has closed its latest crowdfunding campaign, raising nearly €650,000 more and bringing its total number of investors to over 3,500.

    Israeli cellular agriculture company Pluri has signed a number of commercial agreements with food and agtech leaders in Asia, Europe, and the US under its brands Ever After Foods (cultivated meat), Kokomodo (cell-based chocolate), and Coffesai (cell-cultured coffee).

    lab grown meat korea
    Courtesy: Yeonjoo La/LinkedIn

    Speaking of which, Korean startup Space F hosted a tasting event for its cultivated pork luncheon meat, showcasing both a 100% cultivated meat version and a hybrid option mixed with plant proteins.

    British tempeh leader Better Nature has hired Victoria Harrison as its new marketing director in a maternity cover role. She has previously held senior roles at Ella’s Kitchen and Nurture Brands.

    Policy and research developments

    The European Food Safety Authority has published new, clearer guidance for companies seeking regulatory approval for novel fermentation-derived foods, outlining how to describe the microbes and the substances they produce, how to identify safety concerns, and what data is needed for risk assessment.

    Noma, one of the world’s best eateries, and Novonesis (owned by Ozempic owner Novo Nordisk) have teamed up to develop bio-based products through fermentation for the former’s Noma Projects line, which is the latest iteration of the soon-to-be-closed restaurant.

    noma novonesis
    Courtesy: Novonesis

    The US Department of Agriculture has awarded $611,000 to Jiakai Lu, an associate food science professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, for a three-year project to create a computational framework to enhance the texture of plant-based meat.

    The Spanish Association of Plant-Based Foods and Beverage Producers, or Vegetal/es, has presented a proposal to develop a national action plan for plant-based foods in its fourth annual summit.

    vegetal es
    Courtesy: Vegetal/es

    The European Food Information Council has relaunched its Switch To Whole Grains campaign to plug the EU’s fibre gap, since diets low in whole grains are linked to 145,000 preventable deaths and 2.9 million years of healthy life lost across the region.

    Finally, students at the University of Basel in Switzerland have voted to shift towards a fully vegan catering menu by 2030, with 53% of the 3,000-odd voting students saying yes to the change.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Protein Buns, Korean Cultivated Meat & Functional Mushrooms appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.