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Category: Alt Protein

  • Meat Eaters More Likely To Choose Plant-Based Meal Kits with ‘Moral’ Nudge

    vegan meal choices
    5 Mins Read

    By Sophie Attwood, Sebastian Isbanner and David Fechner

    New research: targeted messaging can encourage both plant-based and meat eaters to select more plant-based meals on online food ordering platforms.

    One of the first facts drilled into all students of human behavior is the power of past behavior to predict our future actions. Despite our desire to see ourselves as agents of free choice, much of what we do is habitual and, as a result, highly predictable.

    While this insight may feel fatalistic, it’s incredibly useful for behavioral psychologists, whose job is to influence others’ actions. Like ripples in a pond, if we can influence a person’s habits in one area of their lives – be it their diet, finances, or work – there’s a strong probability that this shift will spill over into related behaviors.

    This carry-over effect is vital because making a one-off change is rarely enough to achieve concrete progress toward the goals we care about most. Like many of our good intentions – losing weight, saving money, or managing excess workload – all require consistent, directed effort over time and across contexts.

    Going in circles

    Substantial research has already explored how spillover effects modify peoples’ pro-environmental behavior. For example, researchers have studied whether encouraging people to recycle their cans or avoid plastic bags will eventually transfer to more important decisions, like driving less, taking fewer flights, or reducing ruminant meat consumption. The hope here is that inducing smaller shifts in behavior might act as gateways to larger, more impactful changes.

    Yet, with sustainable food choices in particular, there are some lingering concerns that compensation behaviors might kick in before this positive transfer can happen. A salad at lunch could leave you feeling deprived and craving a bigger burger at dinner time. Given that the ‘big picture’ for most sustainable diet change is to create an overall reduction – in either carbon emissions, damage to biodiversity, or excess water or land use – compensatory behaviors must be prevented so they don’t cancel out any initial hard-won gains.

    plant based nudges
    Courtesy: Appetite

    Reinforcing good behavior

    So, what’s to be done? How can we ensure behavioral spillover works in our favor, and, more importantly – how do we intercept that past-behavior-future-behavior loop in the first place? These were two questions that we recently explored in a study of people’s food choices when ordering online, with the goal of seeing if we could leverage past food ordering tendencies to promote more environmentally friendly meal choices in the future.

    We asked our study participants, which excluded vegans and vegetarians, to enter an online food delivery platform and order meal kits for the coming week and select their preferred lunch and dinner. While our ‘control’ group received a generic message about the success of online meal delivery services, our ‘intervention’ group received a short pop-up message just after selecting their daily lunch, which encouraged them to opt for a tasty plant-based dinner and read as follows:

    Did you know that by opting for a plant-based dish, you could save greenhouse gas emissions equal to the energy needed to power your phone for two years? Choosing plant-based reflects a commitment to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
    Example of a short pop-up message shown to ‘intervention’ group

    We were interested in how this short paragraph might influence our participants differently depending on whether their original lunch choice – i.e. their past behavior – was meat-based or plant-based. Published in the Appetite journal, our results for those who initially selected a plant-based lunch were as expected. The pop-up message led to a 51% increase in the number of plant-based dinners subsequently ordered.

    When we explored exactly how this short message was working, our data showed that it reinforced our plant-based lunch choosers’ self-identity. The pop-up highlighted how their actions aligned with their desired sense of self as an ‘environmentally friendly’ (i.e. ‘morally good’) person.

    plant based university
    Courtesy: Lehigh University

    Dealing with dissonance

    Perhaps more interesting, however, was the impact of our message on the meat-based lunch eaters. For those who originally preferred chicken or beef, we were interested in whether these past preferences would carry through to dinner or whether our message would influence choices in a different direction.

    Our data showed that we can, to some extent, untether people’s future choices from their past habits. While those who opted for a meat-based lunch still selected more meat dinners (their preferences were consistent over time), our pop-up led to a significant increase in the number who switched to a plant-based dinner instead.

    The message still seemed to influence participants’ self-identity, but this time in a slightly different way. Rather than providing a flattering mirror to their ‘good’ past behavior, the message emphasized the discrepancy between our meat-based lunch choosers’ current actions and the positive identity described in the message – of being someone committed to helping the environment.

    Becoming aware of this gap between actual behavior and perceived self-image as a morally good person induced a sense of cognitive dissonance – a feeling of mental discomfort – that was sufficiently strong to motivate a 27% swing away from meat. With the US meal kit sector generating around US$5.65bn in 2024, a weekly shift of this magnitude is no small deal.

    behavior science plant based
    Courtesy: Appetite

    Future you is a click away

    As with all other behaviors, our past actions matter when it comes to food. People who are open to choosing plant-based meals can be encouraged to maintain and extend this habit simply by highlighting their existing positive actions and reinforcing these with a short, flattering message.

    Yet, as our study shows, our future choices are also not inevitabilities. Meat eaters can still be encouraged to select meat-free options if we push the right influence buttons. Our data shows that a message reinforcing a desired self-identity can play a valuable role, especially in the context of online food ordering platforms where changing our behavior to align to a desired, positive self-image is just a button click away.

    No coercion or criticism is needed; just a short reminder that you can become the type of person you want to be.

    The post Meat Eaters More Likely To Choose Plant-Based Meal Kits with ‘Moral’ Nudge appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 50% of Europeans Changing Diet for the Climate, With One Third Reducing Meat

    europe meat consumption
    5 Mins Read

    Contrary to recent polls about a disconnect between sustainability and dietary change, a new survey has found that 52% of Europeans are changing the way they eat for the climate.

    More than half (52%) of consumers in Europe have made dietary shifts over the last two years to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle, with 29% reducing the amount of meat they eat, a new survey has found.

    The poll – covering 10,400 people from 13 European countries, including the UK and Turkey – was carried out by FMCG Gurus, and didn’t identify a primary reason for dietary change among these consumers.

    However, while health concerns and animal welfare continue to be important factors, the fact that environmental awareness has driven half of respondents to reconsider what they eat is notable amid growing mistrust in food and sustainability among Europeans.

    An EU-backed study last year found that only 36% of consumers believe the region’s food is sustainable, while the number of Europeans who want to live sustainably has dropped in recent years. Meanwhile, in another survey, 57% of respondents said plant-based meat products are worse for the environment than animal proteins, contrary to the evidence.

    Livestock farming takes up 71% of the EU’s agricultural land and contributes to 84% of its food system emissions, but meat and dairy only provide 35% of calories and 65% of proteins in the region.

    So the FMCG Gurus survey’s results – which suggest that 42% of Europeans are exploring plant proteins and meat analogues – are encouraging.

    “Despite the scepticism, there is more and more awareness of the state of the environment – in media, new climate-related activities from governments, and companies,” Martin Ranninger, co-director of V-Label International, told Green Queen. “The interest in plant-based foods is of course not driven only by sustainability concerns, but coupled with other factors,” he added, outlining that climate concerns are contributing to the overall shift.

    Brands can win (and lose) big with sustainability

    europe plant based market
    Courtesy: V-Label

    Sustainability was the central theme of the survey, and V-Label analysed the findings to find that plant-based proteins present a unique opportunity for brands. “Sustainability is no longer a niche concern. It’s a priority for the majority of consumers with 71.3% saying brands should do more to more to protect the planet,” said Ranninger.

    Around six in 10 Europeans list global warming, deforestation and carbon emissions as their leading worries. And 45% believe the damage to the environment is irreversible, and many feel a sense of urgency to act.

    But the appeal of sustainability extends beyond just the environment, suggests V-Label, explaining how many consumers link sustainable actions like reducing waste or consuming organic produce with enhanced personal health.

    Brands that traverse the health-climate nexus stand to gain here – communicating how plant-based diets can support not just greenhouse gas emission reductions, but also a healthier lifestyle, can deeply resonate with customers.

    In fact, companies play an important role in influencing green behaviours, as evidenced by the 69% of consumers who want brands to educate them about sustainability. At the same time, if businesses don’t make the shift, they could lose their customer base.

    For example, 38% of Europeans have chosen one product over another because the former is more eco-friendly, while 35% have made greater efforts to find greener brands. And over a quarter have changed retailers to one that is kinder to the planet.

    Transparent marketing, authentic sustainability claims, and accompanying certifications can help enhance brand credibility, according to V-Label. “62% of consumers would like to see information about sustainability available on the product packaging and 44% at the point of purchase,” said Ranninger.

    To better educate customers about green living, businesses can highlight the importance of more plant-based food in their communications, outreach, and packaging. “In some cases, they don’t necessarily have to talk about their products, but about the whole category – or better yet, about the food system in general,” he told Green Queen.

    Addressing the barriers to plant-based consumption

    europe plant based survey
    Courtesy: V-Label

    Despite the interest in plant proteins, the survey found several barriers that limit more widespread adoption. For many, these products compromise on flavour and texture, and are viewed as more expensive, despite efforts from retailers to match their prices with animal proteins.

    Moreover, terms like ‘vegan’, ‘vegetarian’, and ‘plant-based’ are often used inconsistently, which breeds mistrust. And, the survey found, there’s a lack of diversity in the plant-based options found at supermarkets or restaurants.

    To that end, V-Label advises brands to expand the accessibility of vegan products in both rural and urban areas, use clear, consistent labelling and certifications to build consumer trust, and emphasise the health and climate benefits of plant-based diets.

    Businesses should also develop campaigns that inform consumers about sustainability and the impact of their choices, and continue to innovate by exploring new ingredients and production methods.

    Ranninger added that to overcome the awareness gap, brands should “implement educational campaigns, host cooking demonstrations and sampling, and collaborate with influencers”. Additionally, they should attempt to bring down the cost by offering promotions and discounts.

    Europe is home to the largest plant-based market outside the US, with Germany making up 40% of the region’s share, racking up €2.2B in sales. And a 2024 YouGov survey based on products using the V-Label found that 46% of Germans are reducing their meat intake, and 22% find plant-based alternatives to be on par with dairy (a six-point increase from 2023). Sales of plant-based food also increased by 10%, outpacing the growth of the overall fast-moving consumer goods category.

    “Manufacturers who turn to the plant-based market stand to gain a lot: new customers, greater reputation, and impressive key figures,” said V-Label Germany head Cornelia Contini. “The better companies understand their customer segment, the more courage they have to take new paths.”=

    The post 50% of Europeans Changing Diet for the Climate, With One Third Reducing Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Meet the Asian Students Taking on the Future of Food with Global Industry Giants

    proveg food innovation challenge
    6 Mins Read

    Self-heating vegan Hanwoo beef, plant-based octopus legs and Beyond Lamb were among the winners of the 2025 ProVeg Food Innovation Challenge.

    Student-led teams across Asia-Pacific have won big at the fifth edition of the ProVeg Food Innovation Challenge, working in conjunction with some of the world’s leading future food companies.

    This year’s winners have explored uncharted territory, creating innovations like plant-based lamb for Beyond Meat and Hanwoo beef for CJ Foods using local and innovative ingredients such as mung beans, konjac, rice bran, microalgae, duckweed, and wolffia.

    The contest involved Unilever, Mars, Beyond Meat, CJ Foods, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), DaChan, Monde Nissin, and Thai Union, which presented the innovation topics students needed to address with their products. The first prize winner received $3,000, with those coming in second earning $1,500 and third getting $1,000.

    Already the world’s largest market, Asia is set to be home to half the world’s population by 2050. The region is a culinary trendsetter, but as part of the Global South, it is much more adversely impacted by the climate crisis.

    The continent will likely account for half of the global increase in beef and poultry consumption by the end of the decade, and 70% of global fish intake. To keep up with this demand, farms will need to increase their output by 60-70% versus a decade ago, a task growing harder by the day, thanks to the expansive land use and high emission of animal protein production.

    Experts have identified alternative proteins as crucial to decarbonising Asia’s agrifood sector, free up land, and drastically reduce water and resource consumption. They will also be key in addressing hunger and food insecurity in Asia-Pacific, which already impacts 800 million (or 10% of the global population) of its inhabitants.

    In Southeast Asia, research suggests a major knowledge gap around plant-based meat, with nearly half (44%) having never heard of it. But there are clear opportunities for the sector – particularly if these products were more affordable, nutritious and tasty than conventional meat. In China alone, 98% of poll respondents say they’re willing to add more vegan food to their diets once told their health benefits.

    Asia-Pacific is also home to over 200 alternative protein startups, but with younger consumers leading the demand for low-carbon foods, Gen Z and Alpha are poised to disrupt the sector with novel offerings. Pairing them with proven industry successes – as the ProVeg competition had – is a marker of the collaboration needed to propel the future food economy.

    Hanbap

    Position: First Prize
    Partner company: CJ Foods
    Universities: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia), Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands)

    vegan hanwoo beef
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Hanbap answered CJ Foods’s call to create premium vegan meals inspired by Koran classics, which satisfied local tastes and the demand for healthier food.

    This team of students developed a self-heating lunch box featuring vegan Hanwoo beef – an animal-free version of one of the rarest and more expensive beef cuts (due to its high marbling) – rice, and local vegetables, with a wooden spoon.

    The beef was created with texturised pea proteins, oleogels and red microalgae, and made use of precision fermentation technology.

    Burstatic

    Position: Second Prize
    Partner company: Thai Union
    University: Institut Pertanian Bogor University (Indonesia)

    thai union vegan
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Based in Bogor, Indonesia, the four-strong team of Burstatic created Bomb Bites!, an innovative ready-to-eat plant-based product.

    This was in response to Thai Union’s call for convenience meals targeted to young urban Asian consumers, using its vegan seafood products – like tuna, shrimp or crab – as the base ingredients.

    VegVenture

    Position: Second Prize
    Partner company: CPF
    Universities: AgroParisTech (France), University of Newcastle Australia, University of the Sunshine Coast (Australia)

    vegan peking duck
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    A modern twist on a Chinese classic, VegVenture’s team created a plant-based Peking Duck Wrap Kit with a durian filling, dubbing it Bao Bei Duck.

    Working with CPF’s brief to develop a range of healthy and nutritious vegan ready meals to be sold in convenience stores, these students blended crispy plant-based duck with “bold flavours” in a format they said is convenient, sustainable, and ideal for busy, health-conscious consumers.

    VeggieAlgaeSeafusion Sauce

    Position: Second Prize
    Partner company: Unilever
    Universities: Ocean University of China, New York University (US)

    unilever vegan
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    One of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, Unilever is also the parent organisation of meat-free leader The Vegetarian Butcher (for now). It tasked students to create a new generation of products for the brand.

    The final winner of the $1,500 prize, the team at VeggieAlgaeSeafusion Sauce used microalgae as a raw material. It added savoury peptides extracted from a Chinese seaweed called Porphyra, alongside a seafood flavour to develop a rice dressing.

    They also used bursting purls to lock in the flavour substances and provide a unique sensory experience to diners.

    Baa-yonders

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: Beyond Meat
    University: National University of Singapore

    beyond meat lamb
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Working with a brief from one of the world’s largest plant-based meat makers, students at the National University of Singapore created a new product for Beyond Meat.

    This is based on the concept of ‘light eating’, and tailored to meet the taste preferences and use cases unique to Asian consumers.

    Baa-yonders’s answer was a marbled plant-based lamb, created with duckweed and Asian-inspired ingredients. It is aimed at flexitarians and Gen Zers, bridging the gap in vegan lamb options while addressing its high carbon footprint.

    Natugi

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: Thai Union
    University: Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (Vietnam), University of Hohenheim (Germany)

    thai union plant based
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Another team following Thai Union’s innovation topic was Natugi, developing a convenient, vegan sticky rice meal with the company’s fish-free tuna and shrimp products.

    The team said that many urban Vietnamese students skip breakfast due to time and budget constraints, so its offering could help provide balanced nutrition and a sustainable food option for busy youngsters.

    Teamo

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: Mars
    University: Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia)

    mars sustainability
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Confectionery giant Mars had issued a call for a new vegan snack product lineup that leveraged abundant plant resources and crops well-known to Asian consumers, which would be launched under an existing brand or a new label that advances its chocolate, snack and ice cream portfolio.

    The all-Indonesian group of Teamo came up with a winning solution, creating a chocolate made from the whole cacao fruit, filled with okara (the pulp from tofu production), tempeh, and chocolate paste.

    With a proposed price of $2 per 50g bar, it’s aimed at health-conscious women, featuring 30% of the daily recommended value of iron and fibre in Indonesia, and 35% of protein.

    World Peacemakers

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: CPF
    University: Jiangnan University (China)

    vegan octopus legs
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    The final third-prize winner of this year’s challenge was a team called World Peacemakers, which worked on CPF’s call for healthy, convenient vegan ready-meals.

    The Chinese team leveraged microalgae protein, plant polysaccharides and 3D-printing technology to create plant-based, high-protein octopus legs, providing what they called a “nutritious, tasty and sustainable alternative to seafood”.

    The post Meet the Asian Students Taking on the Future of Food with Global Industry Giants appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Are the FDA’s Proposed Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels Good for Plant-Based Meat?

    fda front of package labeling
    4 Mins Read

    The FDA has proposed new front-of-pack labelling rules for packaged foods, which would highlight saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars – could it be a boon for plant-based meat?

    Would a “high saturated fat” label deter you from buying a food product?

    It’s what the US Food and Drug Administration is banking on in its latest proposal, which would require a front-of-package nutrition label on packaged foods that provides “at-a-glance nutrition information” to help Americans make more informed choices about their diets and health.

    The proposed Nutrition Info box is designed to complement the FDA’s back-of-pack Nutrition Facts label, and would focus on three problematic nutrition measures: saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. Alongside a numerical percentage of the daily recommended value, the label will also show whether the food has low (5% or less of the daily value), medium (6-19%) or high levels (20% or higher) of these nutrients.

    When consumed in excess, salt, sugar and saturated fat are directly linked with increased chronic disease risk, which is why the federal dietary guidelines advise Americans to limit these nutrients. And while calories aren’t mandated on the Nutrition Info box, manufacturers can choose to declare them voluntarily.

    Why is the FDA proposing the Nutrition Info box?

    The Nutrition Info box is part of the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which aims to reduce diet-induced diseases by 2030.

    Three in five Americans have at least one chronic disease, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes – these are the leading cause of disability and death in the US, and rack up $4.5T in annual healthcare costs.

    In 2023, the FDA conducted a study of nearly 10,000 American adults to determine their response to three different types of front-of-pack labels, and found that the black-and-white Nutrition Info scheme with the daily value in percentage performs best in helping participants identify healthier food options.

    “Nearly everyone knows or cares for someone with a chronic disease that is due, in part, to the food we eat,” said FDA commissioner Robert M Califf. “It is time we make it easier for consumers to glance, grab and go. Adding front-of-package nutrition labeling to most packaged foods would do that.

    “We are fully committed to pulling all the levers available to the FDA to make nutrition information readily accessible as part of our efforts to promote public health.”

    The FDA also highlighted that these nutrients are found in foods commonly considered ultra-processed, of which there has been a proliferation in recent years. These products are increasingly coming under political fire.

    Is this a win for plant-based meat?

    impossible burger vs beef
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    Plant-based meat brands don’t need to worry about the added sugar content, seeing as most products have a negligible amount of free sugars.

    Where meat analogues would outshine their animal counterparts is on the saturated fat content. For example, a Beyond Burger patty, with 10% of the daily recommended value, would feature a medium rating, while a regular hamburger with 25% of the value would have a high rating.

    Similarly, a serving of regular bacon would have a medium rating, while MorningStar Farms’s vegan bacon would retain a low rating on the front-of-package label. Daring’s vegan chicken, meanwhile, has zero unsaturated fat, compared to 2.7g for conventional chicken, which would put it in the medium category.

    Meat alternatives could also suffer from the Nutrition Info box with the sodium label, given that this has long been a point of criticism against vegan products.

    Take Impossible Beef, for example, which has nearly five times as much sodium as conventional 80/20 beef mince. A mycelium steak from Meati will take up 28% of your daily sodium budget.

    This is the case with many popular plant-based meat offerings. However, these products are pre-seasoned, unlike most of the conventional meats they’re compared to.

    It’s an argument nutritionists make regularly in defence of plant-based meats, not least Dr Michael Greger, author of How Not to Die. In a recent seminar, he suggested that when comparing like-for-like, the saltiest plant-based meatballs have been found to be lower in sodium than the least salty conventional meatballs.

    The FDA’s Nutrition Info label’s current suggested design means plant-based meat may be penalized by consumers on the sodium front, with most products receiving a high rating on the front of the packaging.

    What happens next?

    fda definition healthy
    Courtesy: FDA

    The FDA has opened the proposal up to public comments, which can be submitted until May 16. If finalised, the rule would require manufacturers to add a Nutrition Info box to products three years after its effective date for businesses with annual food sales of $10M or higher, and four years after for companies with sales under $10M.

    This is one of several measures the FDA has taken to reduce diet-related diseases in the US – it has worked to develop a ‘healthy’ symbol on packaging, drafted an update to sodium reduction targets, and updated its ‘healthy’ claim on food labels.

    “Food should be a vehicle for wellness, not a contributor of chronic disease,” said Jim Jones, FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods. “In addition to our goal of providing information to consumers, it’s possible we’ll see manufacturers reformulate products to be healthier in response to front-of-package nutrition labeling.”

    “Together, we hope the FDA’s efforts, alongside those of our federal partners, will start stemming the tide of the chronic disease crisis in our country.”

    The post Are the FDA’s Proposed Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels Good for Plant-Based Meat? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: E Squared VC’s Stephanie Dorsey

    stephanie dorsey
    6 Mins Read

    In our new interview series, we quiz future food investors about the solutions that excite them the most, their favourite climate-forward restaurant, and what they look for in successful founders.

    Stephanie Dorsey is a Founding Partner at E Squared VC.

    What future food technologies most excite you?

    I’m really excited about how AI can improve agriculture and food systems, especially in agtech. One of the biggest problems in agtech right now is that different software systems don’t work well together. This creates a lot of headaches—like having to enter the same data multiple times or not being able to share information easily. But new AI capabilities like LLMs, could help fix this. These tools can understand messy, unstructured data like photos or handwritten notes and make it easier to build connections between different systems.

    Imagine if farmers or agribusinesses could just type a question into a chat box and get the answers they need, instead of clicking through confusing menus that don’t quite work. LLMs could make software faster to build and easier to use, helping companies focus on creating new features instead of just fixing old problems. For farmers and ag professionals, this means smoother, more intuitive tools that save time and effort.

    What are three future food verticals you are actively looking at for 2025?

    SAAS solutions across the value chain, supply chain tech, and cybersecurity.

    What do you consider the food tech sector’s greatest achievement in the past five years?

    From my perspective, the most significant achievement in food tech has been the rapid advancement and scaling of precision fermentation technology for creating animal protein alternatives. This technology has allowed companies to produce real milk proteins, egg proteins, and other animal-derived molecules without animals, leading to products that are virtually indistinguishable from their conventional counterparts. The breakthrough wasn’t just in the science, but in bringing production costs down dramatically from hundreds of dollars per kilogram to just a few dollars in many cases.

    If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix plant-based meat?

    If I could wave a magic wand to fix plant-based meat, I’d address the misinformation campaign orchestrated by the animal agriculture industry. But at the present moment, the plant-based industry isn’t just fighting for market share–they are fighting for the truth. For quite some time now, the animal agriculture lobby has been waging a strategic war of misleading nutrition claims and anti-competitive legal tactics designed to slow plant-based innovation.

    The reality is that plant-based meats offer significant health and environmental advantages: lower saturated fat, zero cholesterol, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and dramatically lower water usage. These products aren’t just alternatives; they are solutions to some of our most critical global challenges. 

    I would use the wand to cut through the noise and let the products speak for themselves. 

    By clearing away baseless legal and marketing barriers, companies could redirect resources from defence to development, accelerating innovation, improving product quality, and offering consumers real choices that benefit both personal and planetary health.

    What’s the top trait you look for in a founder?

    I’m looking for a true entrepreneur – a founder with a compelling vision, the mental strength to push boundaries, and the tenacity to see opportunities where others see roadblocks. I call it having a “healthy disregard for the impossible”. They imagine solutions to real problems, creating what the world needs but doesn’t yet have, and they stop at nothing to turn that vision into reality, no matter the obstacles. They possess the sheer force of will to persist, pivot, and push forward where others would give up.

    This type of founder is self-aware, humble, and acts on facts rather than emotions. They have rigour in their reasoning. They have good decision-making hygiene that helps them reduce the noise and bias around the decisions they make. They’ve done the inner work to understand themselves and others, which enables them to read people and opportunities with precision. They understand their gaps and blind spots, and actively seek feedback and weigh options carefully. They deeply understand human nature, and therefore have the ability to inspire their team with purpose and focus, while also staying adaptable and laser-focused on what truly matters. This type of founder is obsessed with optimizing their time and energy and has the ability to cut off low-ROI distractions without hesitation. 

    The best founders are contrarians – they think differently, challenge assumptions, and question conventional wisdom. They don’t follow the herd. They take bold, calculated risks and are unafraid of being misunderstood or making unpopular choices. They don’t cling to conventional wisdom or traditions. Most importantly, they question their social conditioning, the truths that ordinary people cling to, and the hardwired biological defaults we’re all subject to.

    ‘The One That Got Away’: tell us about the deal you wish you had gotten into, but didn’t.

    It’s still too early to say – we invest at the early stages, and it usually takes eight to 10 years for companies to go public or reach their full potential. Ask me again in a few years, and I’ll let you know.

    What do you consider your most successful future food investment so far?

    Vori is emerging as a revolutionary force in the $1 trillion grocery industry, positioning itself as the vanguard of vertical AI in a massive, legacy sector. The company’s innovative VoriOS is an all-in-one, AI-powered operating system for supermarkets, combining a cloud-based point-of-sale system with a supplier-integrated back office suite. This platform is designed to level the playing field for independent grocers, empowering them to compete against retail giants in an increasingly challenging market.

    Vori’s solution addresses critical issues such as inventory management, pricing optimisation, and supply chain efficiency, while also tackling broader industry challenges like food waste. With its cutting-edge technology and a world-class diverse team described as the “avengers of software, hardware, and fintech,” Vori is poised to transform the entire food supply chain. The company’s rapid growth and expansion into major US cities signal its potential to become a market-defining force in grocery tech.

    What do people get wrong most about VC?

    People don’t understand that our default is to say no. Venture capital involves saying no far more than yes – it’s just the math of the business. When a VC passes on your company, it’s not personal, even though it can feel that way at the moment. Our decisions are based on a mix of factors, from market fit to timing, and a “no” doesn’t mean your idea isn’t great or that you won’t succeed elsewhere. It just means it wasn’t the right fit for us at that time.

    What is the most ‘future food’ dish or ingredient you have eaten this month?

    For me, it’s been Prime Roots’ pepperoni! It doesn’t taste like a substitute at all – it’s just as good, if not better, than traditional pepperoni. Prime Roots uses this amazing ingredient called koji, which is basically a fungus that’s been used for centuries in Japanese cuisine to make things like sake, miso, and soy sauce. But Prime Roots has figured out how to use it to create these incredibly realistic deli meats and pâté. It’s a perfect showcase of how food innovation is rewriting the rules, turning something ancient like koji into the cornerstone of what could be the future of meat.

    Where is your favourite climate-forward restaurant/dish/place to eat anywhere in the world?

    Breads on Oak in New Orleans—it’s truly in a league of its own. From their organic sourdough artisan bread to their premium plant-based desserts, every dish is thoughtfully crafted with the planet in mind and absolutely mind-blowing in taste. Their plant-based sausage biscuit (the “Biscuit Tower”) is, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had—truly a perfect blend of comfort food and innovative culinary craft. 

    What’s your ‘why’? What motivates you to do what you do?

    This isn’t just a job or career to me. I really love the art of investing. I am obsessed with food, health, animals, and nature. So, I feel incredibly lucky that I get to merge these personal interests with my professional life, and work on the most pressing challenges of our lifetime: the health of people and the planet.

    The post 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: E Squared VC’s Stephanie Dorsey appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Upside Foods Eyes Approval For Sale of New Shredded Chicken Products at US Restaurants by End 2025

    upside foods

    8 Mins Read

    Californian cultivated meat pioneer Upside Foods is aiming to launch chicken shreds – its second product – in the US by year-end.

    Despite its legal battle against Florida’s leaders and an uncertain political landscape around alternative proteins, Upside Foods is looking to move forward.

    While the Californian startup is cleared to sell its cultivated chicken fillet – containing 99% chicken cells – it stopped selling this at restaurants last year with the product is in relatively tight supply. The company says it doesn’t intend to bring this back to market either, prioritising its use for marketing and advocacy purposes.

    What it is hoping to commercialise are its chicken shreds, which are produced differently and require separate authorisation from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The company is hopeful that it can bring these to restaurants stateside by the end of 2025.

    The shreds are made using suspension technology, instead of the tissue process used for the fillet. “Because the cells are grown in suspension, they don’t have anything to grip on. So after we harvest the cells, we are removing moisture – the suspension fluid – as much as we can,” says Melissa Musiker, head of communications at Upside Foods.

    According to Musiker, this second innovation has been in the works for a long time and was the basis of Upside’s $400M Series C raise in 2022. The shreds will be used to make blended meat products – a combination of cultivated chicken and plant-based ingredients.

    Still in R&D, the current version includes soy protein, wheat gluten (Upside says it is working to remove the latter) and a plant-based oil, in addition to the protein and fat from the chicken cells.

    While the inclusion rate of the cultivated chicken is yet to be determined, Musiker confirms that it will be the predominant ingredient on the label. “It’s a differentiator in the industry at this point. Because some of these other products have relatively low inclusion rates. Our goal is to have it be the predominant ingredient on a label,” she says.

    Upside Taps Distributor That ‘Put Impossible Foods On The Map’

    lab grown chicken
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    Musiker is speaking to me a fortnight after Upside Foods held a tasting in collaboration with meat purveyor Pat LaFreida in New York City, one of several such events it has hosted since hitting pause on its restaurant plans last year.

    The startup’s chefs prepared the shreds in various formats, including a yoghurt-marinated chicken shawarma-taco, a breakfast sausage, empanadas, and a fried version – a first for the startup. “It was delicious. I personally hadn’t had it that way before,” says Musiker. 

    “We’re partnering with different people and groups, leveraging their relationships and their validation to bring more people into the room and get them to try the product for the first time,” she explains.

    She clarifies that there’s no official partnership with the meat purveyor yet, but adds that Upside Foods is “looking forward to opportunities to formalise something in the future”.

    Musiker says LaFreida has a great deal of experience introducing new alternative ingredients to the market, and his support has helped inform its decision to start in B2B for the chicken shreds.

    “Pat and his team are so supportive of what we’re doing. They are pioneers in bringing alternative proteins to the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. They were the first distributor of Impossible Foods and really helped put them on the map,” she says.

    “We just feel Pat gets it. He and his team really understand the issues that are going on and the reasons why this kind of product can be appealing, and we’re especially gratified just how much they like it.”

    Eventually, Upside Foods wants to bring its product to supermarket shelves too, but given the production scale-up this requires, it remains “several years away”.

    Speaking of which, Upside Foods signed a lease on a 187,000 sq ft facility in Illinois in 2023, which would have been able to produce 30 million lbs of cultivated meat a year. However, financial challenges and strategic pivots saw the company put the project on hold.

    “We’re currently renovating our production facility in Emeryville, EPIC, to expand capacity and make it fit-for-purpose, to produce a commercial volume of the suspension [chicken],” reveals Musiker.

    In its current form, this plant is designed to produce 50,000 lbs of cultivated meat per year, with the ability to expand up to 400,000 lbs. But with the renovation, this capacity will be significantly upgraded. Upside Foods has conducted dozens of production runs at a 2,000-litre scale, tech transferred multiple processes into the facility, and produced enough cells to make thousands of lbs of its shredded chicken in the last few months.

    ‘Not ready to throw in the towel’ with cultivated meat bans

    lab grown meat ban
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    Cultivated meat has been part of a culture war in the US, where states like Florida and Alabama have banned it and a dozen others have attempted to do the same.

    Upside Foods is in the heat of it all, suing Florida for its law, although a judge has denied the company a preliminary injunction that would have allowed it to serve cultivated chicken at trade shows.

    “We knew that this was going to take time,” Musiker says of the lawsuit. “This is going forward exactly the way we thought it would. [But] we’re hopeful that the constitution’s on our side.

    Musiker acknowledges that the legislative attacks are a disappointing distraction, but she calls these hurdles “part of the reality” the industry has to operate in though the company is committed to bringing cultivated meat to all Americans.

    “We’re not ready to write off potential consumers in Florida and Alabama or any of the other states that are contemplating this ban. We think they have a right to buy it and try it and see if they like it. If they don’t want to buy it and try it, don’t.”

    Upside applied for regulatory approval for shredded chicken a year ago

    Upside Foods submitted a dossier for the shredded chicken over a year ago, and has been in what Musiker calls a “productive process”.

    With Donald Trump back as president, the industry’s short-term future is full of uncertainty. And with Robert F Kennedy Jr in line to be health secretary, there have been suggestions that the regulatory pathway for novel foods could become much more complicated.

    Musiker wouldn’t be drawn on the political discourse, but did note that “most of the work that we did to get the fillet approved was under the first Trump administration”.

    “This is bigger than us, right? There are precedents that are beyond just what’s happening in cultivated meat. And that’s part of why we’re committing resources to move this through the process, as opposed to just saying: ‘Fine, we won’t sell it in these states and we’ll give up.’ We’re not ready to throw in the towel yet.”

    Is Upside Foods not worried? “We are always worried – we were worried before and will remain worried,” she suggests. “It would be wrong for us to take anything for granted… We’re doing everything the same today as we were on November 4.”

    She adds: “We’re gonna continue moving forward, and we remain optimistic that we’ll be able to do a commercial launch in 2025.”

    ‘Making smart decision to maintain runway’

    lab grown meat tasting
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    Investors seem to be distancing themselves from the cultivated meat category, pouring in just half as much money in the first nine months of 2024 than they did in all of 2023, and hundreds of millions less than in the boom years of 2020-2022.

    Upside Foods has had its share of financial challenges too, citing “political, regulatory and macroeconomic headwinds” behind its decision to lay off 26 employees last summer.

    “Our focus must now narrow to a tighter set of priorities that pave the way for our product launches in the next two years,” co-founder and CEO Uma Valeti wrote in an email to employees last July. “We need to deliver on the work that remains, especially on critical milestones that are yet to be hit or are delayed.”

    Asked about the company’s financial health, Musker says: “We know we’re in a privileged position. We’re making smart decisions to maintain runway for what we need to get done at this phase. We are just being thoughtful about how we spend money and what we invest in, who we hire and when we hire them.”

    She acknowledges that there are other companies in much more constrained circumstances, which could run out of funds before they reach approval. “That’s scary for the industry. So we’re hopeful that there won’t be additional hurdles placed on companies,” she says.

    Clearing these obstacles would “be consistent with the principles and some of the messaging coming out of the administration about minimising barriers to innovation and regulatory hurdles”, she adds.

    Tasting is believing

    Upside Foods is planning more tasting events in the months ahead. “Tasting is believing,” says Musker. “When they try it, they like it, and it minimises whatever mental barriers they might have had, And then they start to see the potential of it, they start to think past: ‘Oh, this is going to be expensive or different,’ or: ‘How am I going to explain this to my customers?’”

    She highlights that tastings can be beneficial for not just chefs and restaurants, but also policymakers and regulators. “Obviously, we want people to sign up and be a commercial partner. But the secondary goal that we have is to just get people to try it for the first time,” she says. “It’s much less intimidating when you’ve tried it.

    “It’s literally just a chicken nugget. Who would be afraid of a chicken nugget?”

    The post Upside Foods Eyes Approval For Sale of New Shredded Chicken Products at US Restaurants by End 2025 appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Coffee Creamers, Vegan Mayo & Cultivated Meat Legislation

    arla jord
    4 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers two new dairy-free coffee creamers, Hellmann’s social media prank, and Oato’s launch of fresh oat milks at Sainsbury’s.

    New products and launches

    Alt-dairy giant Violife has made a foray into coffee creamers, which use lentils as their base and don’t separate or curdle, according to the brand. They’re available in Tempting Vanilla, Seductive Caramel, and Boldly Original flavours at Walmart stores nationwide for $4.88.

    violife creamer
    Courtesy: Heura

    More news from the coffee creamer space: Organic Valley has introduced its oat-based lineup, with flavours like vanilla, caramel, oatmeal cookie, and cinnamon spice.

    A week after partnering with Moonburger, vegan cultured Cheddar maker Stockled Dreamery will now be the “headline cheese” at all 13 locations of plant-based fast-food chain PLNT Burger.

    Unilever-owned Hellmann’s has launched a new social-media-led campaign for its Plant-Based Mayo, which sees chef Matthew Ravenscroft trick his friends into making dishes with the product to prove there’s no difference in taste compared to the original version.

    At the Scientific Kick-off Event for Bezos Earth Fund‘s Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London last week, Californian precision-fermented fat startup Yali Bio showcased its designer cocoa butter alternative.

    Fellow Californian company Beyond Meat has brought its vegan steak and chicken ranges to foodservice operators in France via Metro, Costco, Creta Gel, SDV, and other distributors.

    Germany’s GoodMills Innovation has launched GoWell Tasty Protein, a new plant protein blend for baked goods, made from faba beans, yellow peas, sunflower seeds and wheat. It has a protein content of 60% and a well-rounded amino acid profile.

    British fresh oat milk maker Oato has gained a listing at Sainsbury’s. Its one-litre and one-pint bottles – which are non-UHT – will be available in the chilled aisle at over 370 stores nationwide.

    Speaking of plant-based milk, fellow UK startup MYOM has launched its powdered oat milk at Whole Foods Market stores, one of “many grocery listings” planned for 2025.

    Company and finance updates

    US precision fermentation startup The Every Company has named Evan Geisert as its new CFO. He was formerly the finance chief at Smart Wires and Kairos Aerospace.

    Spanish plant-based meat startup Heura was present at the Faculty of Medicine in Barcelona during the country’s Medical Residency Entrance Exam to spread awareness about the health benefits of a vegan diet to the doctors of the future.

    heura
    Courtesy: Heura

    French hemp fermentation startup Auralip has raised €500,000 ($521,000) from Business Angels Grandes Ecoles, Femmes BA, Yes Invest, and others, which could be matched by a loan from state investor Bpifrance.

    Czechia’s Ministry of Agriculture has decided against introducing stricter labelling regulations for plant-based meat and dairy after considering the feedback to the proposal, a big win for the vegan sector.

    jord oat milk
    Courtesy: Arla

    Danish dairy giant Arla has withdrawn its Jörd plant-based milk brand from UK supermarkets, with the range already unavailable at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda.

    Research and policy developments

    In the UK, the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, the Microbial Food Hub, the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub, and the National Alternative Protein Centre (NAPIC) have signed an MoU to work together and address alternative protein challenges like cost reduction, scalability, and consumer acceptance.

    NAPIC has also opened applications for five fully funded PhD studentships for alternative proteins, covering subjects like allergenicity and processing, the gut-brain axis, colloidal performance, nutritional equivalence, and microbubble stabilisation.

    national alternative protein innovation centre
    Courtesy: NAPIC

    Across the Atlantic, anti-cultivated meat legislation remains popular. In South Carolina, SB 103 aims to restrict “misleading or deceptive” labelling of these foods.

    US-cultivated meat startup Orbillion Bio has won the Salesforce DreamPitch event at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Coffee Creamers, Vegan Mayo & Cultivated Meat Legislation appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Biden’s Final Food Push: US Government Releases Close to $10M in Sustainable Protein Grants

    alternative protein grants
    4 Mins Read

    The US Department of Energy has invested $9.7M in three alternative protein projects to decarbonise the food sector and improve industrial productivity.

    Microbial proteins, fibre-spun vegan meat, and animal-free lactoferrin all became winners of grants totalling $9.7M from the US Department of Energy (DOE) this month.

    In its drive to support R&D of future-facing technologies that can reduce energy demand and boost productivity in key industries, the DOE announced an injection of $136M in 66 projects as part of the Technologies for Industrial Emissions Reduction Development (TIEReD) programme.

    These sectors – ranging from fuel, iron and building to forest products and food and beverage – represent 75% of America’s industrial energy demand, employ nearly 8% of its workforce, and contribute to $27M of its GDP.

    A total of 10 food projects secured funding for novel technologies and process optimisation by the DOE in the final days of Joe Biden’s presidency, and three of them focused specifically on alternative proteins.

    Ginkgo Bioworks

    Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
    Funding amount: $2.42M

    ginkgo bioworks lactoferrin
    Courtesy: Tanya Kim/Shutterstock

    NYSE-listed synbio firm Ginkgo Bioworks and partners (including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) received $2.42M to develop human lactoferrin via precision fermentation.

    A whey protein found in bovine colostrum and human breast milk just after birth, it’s an iron-rich ingredient with a host of functional health benefits – but it doesn’t come cheap, and so its use is largely restricted to infant nutrition and supplements. Lactoferrin is becoming central to the plans of several precision fermentation companies now.

    Ginkgo Bioworks’s project plans to produce human lactoferrin through a novel yeast strain that can utilise low-carbon sources for bioproduction. Derived from waste feedstocks, the ingredient could replace bovine lactoferrin, providing a more efficient supplement and robust supply chain for infant nutrition, while valorising sidestreams and lowering the protein’s carbon footprint.

    Tender Food

    Headquarters: Somerville, Massachusetts
    Funding amount: $5.4M

    tender food funding
    Courtesy: Tender Food

    One of the very few companies leveraging fibre-spinning technology to make plant-based meat—Germany’s Project Eaden being the other major player—Tender Food bagged $5.4M from the DOE to design and assemble a pilot-scale fibre-spinning system with high production volumes.

    The firm likens its manufacturing process to spinning cotton candy, which can replicate animal muscle fibres to create vegan analogues to beef short rib, pulled pork, chicken breast, and crab. Its proposed research plan to the DOE involves producing whole-cut meats through a method that requires lower energy and carbon intensity than conventional methods.

    Advancing the tech would help lower costs and enable price parity with animal-derived meat, as well as lead to a decrease in carbon and energy intensity.

    “This grant is a huge validation [of] our technology’s potential to unlock innovation and efficiency in food manufacturing, and we’re excited to partner with the DOE to scale our impact and support industrial decarbonisation,” said Rick Marquardt, head of strategy and corporate development at Tender Food.

    Michigan State University

    Headquarters: East Lansing, Michigan
    Funding amount: $1.83M

    michigan state university
    Courtesy: Michigan State University

    A team at Michigan State University won $1.8M to develop a plant protein production platform that leverages microbial processes to replace alkaline extraction (which is chemical- and energy-intensive), and recycles processing residues to generate renewable energy and lower emissions.

    The project plans to optimise ultrasound-assisted fermentation and would demonstrate the utility of flexible and scalable microbial processes to extract plant protein from various crops, yielding a protein with high solubility and improved functionality.

    Michigan State University is looking to create a plant protein circular economy to decarbonise food production, reduce the carbon intensity of protein isolates, slash water use, and cut waste.

    Support for future foods may dwindle under Trump

    The DOE’s investment into these future food efforts was among the last instances of federal finance flowing into the sector under the Biden-Harris administration. With Donald Trump back in office, such developments could stall now.

    Alternative proteins like cultivated meat have been the target of attacking legislation in states across the US, and these efforts will only ramp up now that a climate sceptic is in the White House. Vice-president JD Vance has already made his disdain for “fake meat” clear, which he called “disgusting”.

    Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and the president’s mega-donor best friend has been spreading misinformation about the environmental impact of meat and alternative proteins on The Joe Rogan Experience, America’s most popular podcast.

    And Robert F Kennedy, who could soon be confirmed as the new health secretary, has likened these products to the ultra-processed foods he despises.

    Trump has already withdrawn the US from the World Health Organization and the Paris Agreement, which are crucial in protecting public and planetary health, respectively. While he hasn’t said much about alternative proteins, given that even Biden’s Department of Defense was forced to back down from funding cultivated meat by the livestock lobby, government investment into this sector could be rare over the next four years.

    The post Biden’s Final Food Push: US Government Releases Close to $10M in Sustainable Protein Grants appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Trumping America: Which Countries Stand to Win From Cultivated Meat Bans in the US?

    lab grown meat banned
    9 Mins Read

    With Donald Trump having returned to office, 2025 could be a bumper year for cultivated meat bans in the US – here are the countries that could benefit from these policies.

    Within a day of returning to the presidency, Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement yet again, promised to “drill, baby, drill” by invoking a national energy emergency (despite being the world’s largest oil and gas producer), promised to end the Green New Deal, and ordered the elimination of government offices that protect vulnerable communities from pollution.

    None of this was unexpected, though for many around the world, it was jarring. After an administration that pumped more money into dealing with climate change than ever before, Trump’s complete one-eighty on day one is a harbinger of dark times to come in the climate fight.

    One climate-related issue that has sparked a culture war in the country is meat-eating. Americans eat way more meat than recommended, and 99% of it comes from factory farms. Despite that, the backlash against novel proteins like cultivated meat is incendiary.

    The states of Florida and Alabama have both officially banned cultivated meat, while lawmakers in a dozen others – including Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas – have attempted to do the same.

    Trump hasn’t been shy about his love for meat, nor has his infamous mega donor Elon Musk. Vice-president JD Vance has previously gone on a tirade about “disgusting fake meat”, calling it “highly processed garbage”, and Robert F Kennedy Jr – who could become the next US health secretary – has likened it to the ultra-processed food that he hates.

    There are rumours that RFK Jr might ban cultivated meat, though he’s actually more likely to just make it harder for companies to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture to sell these products in the country.

    If Kennedy puts up those barriers, and more states succeed in banning cultivated meat, it would force cultivated meat companies to look away from the US and towards more receptive countries.

    The US was the second nation to greenlight these products for sale, with California’s Upside Foods and Eat Just both receiving approval for their cultivated chicken products in 2023. That feels like a long time ago, and it’s worth wondering whether it was an outlier.

    The new US administration’s distaste for cultivated meat could bring significant opportunities for other countries that would look to capitalise by offering a friendly regulatory environment for alternative protein producers.

    For example, in a recent newsletter, alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute APAC predicted that 2025 would likely “go in the history books as the year that cultivated meat went from being an exotic dish only available in business hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong, to an emerging technology explored by innovators across Asia-Pacific”.

    “Our experts are optimistic that this year will include the first-ever market approvals in South Korea and Australia/New Zealand (which share a regulatory body). It’s possible that Thailand could follow suit,” the think tank suggested.

    Here are the nations that could be the biggest winners.

    Singapore

    lab grown meat singapore
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Widely recognised as a future food leader, Singapore was the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat back in 2020 (for Eat Just) and has since granted clearance to cultured quail and foie gras from Australia’s Vow. It’s also assessing applications from a host of other startups, including Mosa Meat, Meatable, Vital Meat, and Aleph Farms.

    The city-state’s leadership in this sector has drawn the attention of other countries too, which have floated the idea of using Singapore’s approval as a benchmark to greenlight products within their own borders (the way Hong Kong has done with Vow).

    Cultivated meat producers are taking note of this, with Meatable telling Green Queen that it hoped to use this system of international cooperation to obtain approval in five to six countries by the end of the year.

    The country’s new Food Safety and Security Bill officially describes novel foods and codifies the existing regulatory framework to make it easier for producers to commercialise. Expect more companies to look to Singapore in the wake of any anti-cultivated-meat legislation in the US.

    UK

    lab grown meat uk
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    Long been bound by EU regulations, the UK took major strides last year to break away from pre-Brexit rules and establish itself as a regulatory leader in the sector. The Food Standards Agency has suggested it would establish the international cooperation framework too, working with not just Singapore, but also the likes of Australia, New Zealand and potentially others.

    In October, the government poured £1.6M into the FSA to create a first-of-its-kind regulatory ‘sandbox’ for cultivated meat producers, which is built to speed up the timeline and lower the costs related to regulatory clearance.

    This year, the FSA will create a new public register for novel food approvals to replace the existing system of requiring a statutory instrument, which adds up to six months to a process that already takes over two and a half years. It will also do away with the need for renewals of approvals every 10 years, which currently add to the agency’s crowded backlog.

    The UK also became the first European country to approve cultivated meat, greenlighting Meatly’s pet food. Gourmey (cultivated foie gras), Vital Meat (cultivated chicken), Ivy Farm Technologies and Aleph Farms (both cultivated beef) have all applied too.

    European Union

    lab grown meat eu
    Courtesy: Romain Buisson/Gourmey

    The EU has been a frustrating market for cultivated meat players. Its novel food regulations – among the strictest and most complex globally – have deterred companies from filing dossiers. Morever, startups have told us that they want to make sure they get their dossier right because timelines are so long. In terms of political and cultural buy-in, the bloc is a bit of a mixed bag. While the world’s first cultivated meat product was born in the EU (Dutch startup Mosa Meat’s 2013 burger), it is home to the first national ban on cultivated meat (in Italy), and has faced several other attempts from the likes of France, Romania and Hungary.

    Homegrown companies have usually looked to places like Singapore or the US for market entry, but could the developments in the latter finally accelerate progress in the EU? Gourmey became the first to apply for regulatory approval from the European Food Safety Authority in July, and this week, Mosa Meat did so too.

    Meanwhile, the EU Commission has rejected Hungary’s argument justifying a ban on cultivated meat, alongside member states like Czechia, Lithuania, Sweden, and the Netherlands – signalling a slightly more positive state of affairs for novel foods in the region.

    Israel

    lab grown meat israel
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    After Singapore and the US, Israel was the third country to approve cultivated meat, giving the go-ahead to Aleph Farms in December 2023. The nation has been adjudged to be one of the global hotbeds of alternative protein innovation – it’s home to over 70 future food startups, accounted for 10% of investment in the industry in 2023, and is set to generate 10,000 new jobs and $2.5B in economic benefits by 2030.

    While progress has been halted due to the current war in Gaza, which is still ongoing, the ceasefire has brought respite and hopes of an end to the long-running dispute. While there’s still a long way to go, it could potentially spark a regulatory revival in Israel for novel foods.

    China

    lab grown meat china
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Many US politicians have already taken aim at China as one of its major rivals, but the country’s dominance in sectors like manufacturing, electric mobility, and biotechnology has left even Republicans – famously against cultivated meat – wondering whether it’s time to embrace these novel proteins.

    Cultivated meat companies benefit from much lower production costs in the East Asian country, compared to Europe or the US, as well as friendly policies. China’s five-year agricultural plan (running until 2026) calls for research into proteins like cultivated meat, while the 2020 Green Biological Manufacturing initiative set aside ¥20M ($3M at the time) in funding for plant-based and cultivated meat research.

    This hasn’t gone unnoticed in the US. Nearly a dozen Republican Congress members sent a letter to the director of national intelligence and the USDA’s director of homeland security a few months ago, asking them to analyse the potential impact of China’s advancements on the global food system, and urging the US to take action to maintain leadership and resilience in the biotech sector.

    Thailand

    lab grown meat thailand
    Courtesy: Sakchai Lalit/AP

    While it may fly under the radar for some, Thailand has been steadily building its cultivated meat ecosystem over the years. Over the last three decades, meat consumption in Thailand has skyrocketed by 180%, doubling the amount of land used for livestock farming, but two-thirds of locals are looking to put less meat on their plates, primarily for health reasons.

    And while research suggests that just a quarter of Thailand’s population is aware of cultivated meat, one poll found that 97% of Thai consumers want to try these proteins.

    Aleph Farms is already building the country’s first manufacturing facility for cultivated meat and recently held a tasting event for industry professionals in Bangkok. The startup also worked with seafood giant Thai Union to submit a regulatory dossier to the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in December.

    South Korea

    lab grown meat korea
    Courtesy: Simple Planet

    Policy support for cultivated meat has come a long way in South Korea. A year after the opening of the $7M North Gyeongsang Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety established a framework for regulatory approval of these proteins.

    The government also created a regulation-free special zone for the development of cultivated foods. The ₩20B ($14M) project harbours 10 companies working to commercialise these proteins. And the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries is investing ₩29B ($21M) in research funding for plant-based and cultivated seafood technologies.

    With 90% of Koreans willing to try cultivated meat, and two in five in favour of it being sold at supermarkets and restaurants, the potential for this industry in South Korea is high. Seoul-based startup Simple Planet has indicated that it aims to obtain the regulatory greenlight for its cultivated meat this year.

    Australia and New Zealand

    vow cultured meat
    Courtesy: Vow

    Another regulatory assessing Vow’s application is Food Standards Australia New Zealand. While the process started in early 2023 and has been protracted, the joint regulator closed a second round of public consultation for its filing just before Christmas, proposing a new standards-based approach. At this stage, it won’t be a surprise if the agency gives the greenlight within the year.

    Fellow Australian startup Magic Valley is also working closely with the Antipodean regulator on the compliance and safety of its cultivated pork, and has previously suggested that it could commercially launch the product this year.

    These innovations would appeal to the 21% of Australians who describe themselves as ‘meat reducers’. Four in 10 say they are cutting back on meat, or have reduced or eliminated it altogether. And another survey shows that more than half of these consumers are open to trying culrivated meat.

    The post Trumping America: Which Countries Stand to Win From Cultivated Meat Bans in the US? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Replace Animals with Plants: How Supermarkets Can Save Money and Hit Climate Targets

    plant based price parity
    5 Mins Read

    Rebalancing protein offerings to support plant-based diets can help supermarkets reach their climate goals quickly and inexpensively.

    A plant-rich food system, more sustainable agricultural practices, and low food waste are the most cost-effective pathways for retailers to meet their emissions targets, a new analysis has found.

    Green consultancy Quantis and climate advocacy group Madre Brava looked at 27 separate interventions in these three strategic areas, and selected a mix of nine measures that can help supermarkets in Germany save money in pursuit of their climate goals.

    By far, the most impactful strategy is for retailers to replace 30% of their meat and dairy offerings with plant-based alternatives, which use less land, water and resources, and can be sourced at a lower cost.

    The Biggest Bang for the Buck report assessed the scope 3 forest, land and agriculture (FLAG) emissions for 64% of German food retail, and revealed that the sector needs to reduce emissions by nearly 74% to meet their targets under the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi) by 2030.

    “The Big Four – Edeka, Rewe, Lidl and Aldi – account for 75% of the market in our country. Shifts from these retailers will have a huge impact on the sector’s emissions as a whole, and help drive our food system towards greater sustainability,” said Florian Wall, a senior associate for Madre Brava in Germany.

    “Our analysis is good news for them. It gives them the clearest picture yet of how to meet their emissions reduction targets and the basket of measures we have selected will not only allow them to reduce emissions but also save money,” he added.

    Why a plant protein transition is the best climate measure

    plant based supermarkets
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    The report looked at two plant-rich food scenarios. The first, an accelerated pathway, assumed a linear continuation of the trend of meat reduction in Germany, with the decline slightly accelerating to a 15% reduction by 2030 (for both meat and milk).

    The transformative scenario, meanwhile, doubles the pace of that shift, assuming an “ambitious yet realistic” 30% decrease in meat and milk consumption by 2030, compared to 2023 levels.

    For both pathways, the consumption was offset by a 1:1 increase in plant-based alternatives. In both cases, the shift to a plant-forward food system was the “most impactful single intervention” in the retail climate playbook, while bringing more cost savings than any other intervention.

    The transformative pathway was found to slash emissions by 16 million tonnes, representing two-thirds of the FLAG target under the SBTi. It would also save €156 per tonne of CO2e, totalling €2.5B in cost reductions.

    net zero supermarket
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    But rebalancing protein alone won’t be enough to achieve the sector’s climate goals. Supporting farmers to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices is another important measure. The report analysed 18 interventions for livestock and crop production, from crop protection products, reduced and varied fertiliser use, and heat street management, to enhanced animal health, electrifying farm machinery, and nitrification inhibitors.

    When all 18 measures are combined, the emissions reduction potential comes to 17 million tonnes of CO2e, at a cost of just under €1.4B.

    The third lever of change is food waste and loss, specifically from the meat and milk sectors. Germany threw away 11 million tonnes of food in 2021, but the report only shows limited potential for impact here.

    “Consumer education, integrated demand and inventory management promise higher impact in a cost-efficient way, whereas interventions such as new packaging technologies could support at an elevated marginal cost,” it states, outlining that across seven measures to cut food waste, only 340,000 tonnes of emissions are saved, with a cost of €27.2M.

    Promote plant proteins with price parity and placement

    The nine most effective interventions Madre Brava selected form a “cost-optimum basket” that can help Germany’s supermarkets deliver on their FLAG emissions targets. This basket can cut emissions by 24.4 million tonnes, leading to financial savings of around €2.5B.

    These interventions are crucial, too. Meat and dairy alone make up nearly half (47%) of all scope 3 emissions of a food retailer. And with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive now making it mandatory for supermarkets to publish annual sustainability reports, “strong, plausible and realistic climate transition plans” are critical to meet these requirements and avoid investor scrutiny.

    The German government itself plans to reach net zero by 2045, and the new national dietary guidelines encourage a shift away from meat and dairy, recommending that plant-based foods make up at least 75% of citizens’ diets.

    supermarket scope 3 emissions
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    In any case, retailers are eager to lower emissions to make their supply chains and business models more climate-resilient, the report says. And leaders like Lidl are already making big moves to rebalance their protein offerings, pricing plant-based meat and dairy on par with their conventional counterparts, and pledging to increase its ratio of plant protein sales.

    To accelerate their climate efforts, retailers must set and prioritise a protein transition strategy, given its benefits for both emissions cuts and cost savings. Setting protein split targets – as Lidl has done – is also a key action, Madre Brava said.

    “The food retail sector should also support consumers to adopt plant-rich diets through enabling measures such as price parity, promotions, and placement of alternative products next to animal products,” the report noted, outlining how these strategies have driven greater sales of plant protein for retailers.

    Improving agricultural practices holds long-term potential too, but requires substantial investment. “For fast adoption of effective measures, food retailers must support farmers financially and clearly commit to specific interventions. By doing so, they will not only align with global climate goals but also enhance the resilience and competitiveness of the agrifood system in Germany,” it added.

    “Food retail must also drive further improvements in the reduction of food loss and waste by fostering supply chain innovation, educating consumers, and integrating efficient inventory management.”

    The post Replace Animals with Plants: How Supermarkets Can Save Money and Hit Climate Targets appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • China Opens $11M Cultivated Meat Centre with Support From Local Govt & Businesses

    lab grown meat china
    4 Mins Read

    In Beijing’s Fengtai District, the New Protein Food Science and Technology Innovation Base is aiming to fill the gap in China’s cultivated meat and microbial protein ecosystem.

    China has just opened its first alternative protein centre for cultivated meat and fermentation-derived products, with support from both the public and private sectors.

    Located in the China Meat Food Comprehensive Research Center in Beijing, the first-of-a-kind hub has been set up with an ¥80M ($10.9M) investment, in a joint effort by the local Fengtai District government and meat processor Shounong Food Group.

    The two entities have worked together on a blueprint to integrate their resources, promote the development of academia, research and industry, and create a future food cluster.

    “The New Protein Food Science and Technology Innovation Base will help complete the transformation of laboratory results into engineering and industrialisation, and lay a good development prospect for the commercialisation of cell-cultured meat,” Cui Xulong, Fengati District’s deputy mayor, said at the opening ceremony.

    New hub extends Fengtai District’s biotech leadership

    china new protein centre
    Courtesy: Fengtai District Media Integration Center

    The alternative protein centre has built an innovative R&D platform and lab for novel foods like cultivated meat. It currently has a 200-litre cell line for cultivated meat, and a 2,000-litre production line for microbial protein, but plans to develop two 2,000-litre cell culture lines, and three microbial protein pilot lines of 2,000 and 5,000 litres.

    As the first national-level tech innovation platform for cultivated meat in China, it will bring “unlimited possibilities” to the industry’s development, and will mainly focus on the fields of cell engineering and synthetic biology through breakthrough tech research, engineering application, and an industrial innovation ecosystem.

    At the opening ceremony, attendees were shown a glimpse of the kind of products that can be born out of the research centre – think microbial protein bars, microbe-fermented tofu meat, and a cultivated marbled steak.

    Fengtai District has emerged as a biomanufacturing leader in the future food industry. In May, it issued a policy measure to integrate resources, increase productivity, and speed up the development of the food industry. This resulted in the establishment of the district’s first future food industrial park, which attracted scientific research institutions, upstream and downstream enterprises, and industry associations.

    The newly established Shounong Development and Innovation Science and Technology Industrial Park is now aiming to cultivate a new productivity force in Beijing’s agrifood industry, and become a “model zone” for the future food industry.

    The district also intends to use artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies to establish a platform for real-time monitoring and traceability of the entire chain of future food production, processing, circulation, and sales, and enhance food safety.

    China’s biotech dominance takes effect

    cultivated meat china
    Courtesy: CellX

    Xulong noted that the new centre supports the development of the national bioeconomy and biomanufacturing industries, and can help boost national food security.

    While China is the world’s largest meat consumer – making up 28% of the global consumption growth in the decade to 2023, with intakes set to increase further until 2030 – but experts suggest that half of all protein consumption in the country must come from alternative sources by 2060, if it is to decarbonise.

    This can already be seen in current eating patterns – China is already consuming more protein per capita than the US, and more than 60% of this comes from vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds. Its share of global meat consumption is also set to fall to 11% in the next decade.

    A 2024 survey suggests that when Chinese consumers are informed of the benefits of a vegan diet, 98% say they’ll eat more of these foods. This is driven by the country’s large flexitarian population, making up a third of the total.

    The government’s current five-year agriculture plan encourages research in cultivated meat and recombinant proteins, while the five-year plan for bioeconomy development highlights an advancement of man-made protein and novel foods. President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, has called for a Grand Food Vision that includes plant-based and microbial protein sources.

    “Beijing is actively advancing the development and innovation of the biomanufacturing industry, accelerating the coordination of municipal innovation resources, and increasing support in areas such as the industrial demonstration of cultured meat and the manufacturing of core ingredients for functional foods, fostering the growth of strategic emerging industries,” said Chen Lianwu, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

    Companies like CellX, Joes Future Food and Jimi Biotech are already leading the cultivated meat charge in China, something that political leaders in America have also noticed. A group of Congress members have called on the US to step up its alternative protein game in the face of East Asian rival’s biotech dominance.

    The post China Opens $11M Cultivated Meat Centre with Support From Local Govt & Businesses appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • China Opens $11M Cultivated Meat Centre with Support From Local Govt & Businesses

    lab grown meat china
    4 Mins Read

    In Beijing’s Fengtai District, the New Protein Food Science and Technology Innovation Base is aiming to fill the gap in China’s cultivated meat and microbial protein ecosystem.

    China has just opened its first alternative protein centre for cultivated meat and fermentation-derived products, with support from both the public and private sectors.

    Located in the China Meat Food Comprehensive Research Center in Beijing, the first-of-a-kind hub has been set up with an ¥80M ($10.9M) investment, in a joint effort by the local Fengtai District government and meat processor Shounong Food Group.

    The two entities have worked together on a blueprint to integrate their resources, promote the development of academia, research and industry, and create a future food cluster.

    “The New Protein Food Science and Technology Innovation Base will help complete the transformation of laboratory results into engineering and industrialisation, and lay a good development prospect for the commercialisation of cell-cultured meat,” Cui Xulong, Fengati District’s deputy mayor, said at the opening ceremony.

    New hub extends Fengtai District’s biotech leadership

    china new protein centre
    Courtesy: Fengtai District Media Integration Center

    The alternative protein centre has built an innovative R&D platform and lab for novel foods like cultivated meat. It currently has a 200-litre cell line for cultivated meat, and a 2,000-litre production line for microbial protein, but plans to develop two 2,000-litre cell culture lines, and three microbial protein pilot lines of 2,000 and 5,000 litres.

    As the first national-level tech innovation platform for cultivated meat in China, it will bring “unlimited possibilities” to the industry’s development, and will mainly focus on the fields of cell engineering and synthetic biology through breakthrough tech research, engineering application, and an industrial innovation ecosystem.

    At the opening ceremony, attendees were shown a glimpse of the kind of products that can be born out of the research centre – think microbial protein bars, microbe-fermented tofu meat, and a cultivated marbled steak.

    Fengtai District has emerged as a biomanufacturing leader in the future food industry. In May, it issued a policy measure to integrate resources, increase productivity, and speed up the development of the food industry. This resulted in the establishment of the district’s first future food industrial park, which attracted scientific research institutions, upstream and downstream enterprises, and industry associations.

    The newly established Shounong Development and Innovation Science and Technology Industrial Park is now aiming to cultivate a new productivity force in Beijing’s agrifood industry, and become a “model zone” for the future food industry.

    The district also intends to use artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies to establish a platform for real-time monitoring and traceability of the entire chain of future food production, processing, circulation, and sales, and enhance food safety.

    China’s biotech dominance takes effect

    cultivated meat china
    Courtesy: CellX

    Xulong noted that the new centre supports the development of the national bioeconomy and biomanufacturing industries, and can help boost national food security.

    While China is the world’s largest meat consumer – making up 28% of the global consumption growth in the decade to 2023, with intakes set to increase further until 2030 – but experts suggest that half of all protein consumption in the country must come from alternative sources by 2060, if it is to decarbonise.

    This can already be seen in current eating patterns – China is already consuming more protein per capita than the US, and more than 60% of this comes from vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds. Its share of global meat consumption is also set to fall to 11% in the next decade.

    A 2024 survey suggests that when Chinese consumers are informed of the benefits of a vegan diet, 98% say they’ll eat more of these foods. This is driven by the country’s large flexitarian population, making up a third of the total.

    The government’s current five-year agriculture plan encourages research in cultivated meat and recombinant proteins, while the five-year plan for bioeconomy development highlights an advancement of man-made protein and novel foods. President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, has called for a Grand Food Vision that includes plant-based and microbial protein sources.

    “Beijing is actively advancing the development and innovation of the biomanufacturing industry, accelerating the coordination of municipal innovation resources, and increasing support in areas such as the industrial demonstration of cultured meat and the manufacturing of core ingredients for functional foods, fostering the growth of strategic emerging industries,” said Chen Lianwu, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

    Companies like CellX, Joes Future Food and Jimi Biotech are already leading the cultivated meat charge in China, something that political leaders in America have also noticed. A group of Congress members have called on the US to step up its alternative protein game in the face of East Asian rival’s biotech dominance.

    The post China Opens $11M Cultivated Meat Centre with Support From Local Govt & Businesses appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • C-Label: Do We Need A Certification for Cultivated Meat?

    lab grown meat certification
    5 Mins Read

    Swiss certification body V-Label has rolled out C-Label, a new accreditation for cell-based products like cultivated meat. But does the industry need it?

    To help consumers identify and understand how products like cultivated meat are made, V-Label has introduced a certification system for these novel foods.

    Complementing its vegetarian and vegan accreditation marks, C-Label is described by its issuing organization as a globally registered “robust certification system” to ensure the highest standards of cultivated meat production and distribution.

    London-based pet food maker Meatly, the first cultivated meat company to be cleared to sell in the UK, is the inaugural recipient of the certification, with its cultivated chicken set to sport the C-Label upon launch.

    “As we move closer and closer towards a world where cultivated meat will become the norm, certification such as the C-Label will be increasingly necessary for consumer confidence in this new and revolutionary product,” said Meatly co-founder and CEO Owen Ensor.

    The label isn’t restricted to just retail products, reveals V-Label founder Renato Pichler. “We certify producers of the cells, but also the producers of the end product,” he tells Green Queen. “Everything has to start with the production of the cells. But you can’t certify an end product if you haven’t already certified the actual cell production behind it.”

    Pichler argues that the market for these products is developing “very quickly”, and the C-Label can help “increase the transparency of the whole cultured sector”.

    lab grown meat approved
    Courtesy: Meatly

    No C-Label for cell-based chocolate or coffee

    The Swiss organisation has laid out several criteria for the C-Label. No animals can be slaughtered in the process, and any interventions or procedures must be demonstrably necessary, painless and stress-free. The products should be free from pathogens, antibiotics, heavy metals, plastics and GMOs, and must use animal-free cell media.

    Since C-Label encourages the use of animal-free tech wherever possible, it only permits immortalised cells for now, which does away with the need for constant cell extraction.

    So what kind of products can apply for the certification? “From a food perspective, where the majority of current development is focused, this can include products made entirely out of cultivated meat (e.g. beef burgers), as well as hybrid products that combine cultivated meat with plant-based ingredients, such as cultivated beef patties with plant-based binders or cultivated chicken dumplings with vegan dough,” says Pichler.

    He adds that all non-cultivated components must meet vegan criteria. “The technology can also be used in non-food applications such as leather, where our certification will be available as long as our criteria are met and the underlying technology remains the same,” he says.

    However, innovations like cell-based chocolate or coffee aren’t covered by the C-Label just yet. “The C-label was developed specifically for products grown from a cell of animal origin, which could be considered close to vegan, but not quite strictly vegan,” notes Pichler.

    “We do not rule out such a cooperation in principle, as production methods are also evolving fast, and we remain to see what technologies the future holds. However, this is not the primary intention of the C-Label.”

    cell based chocolate
    Courtesy: Kokomodo

    Amid industry uncertainty, C-Label ‘prepares for the future’

    That debate around whether cultivated meat can be considered vegan has split opinion, and prompted The Vegan Society to publish a briefing that decidedly said these proteins can never be vegan. V-Label reiterates that stance, and hence sees the need for the C-Label.

    “We do not consider cultivated meat vegan, as it is molecularly identical to conventional meat and by definition cannot entirely exclude animal sourcing from the production process (only tremendously minimise it). While C-Label licensed products guarantee that all production materials outside the original sourcing are vegan, the original cell sourcing comes from an animal,” says Pichler.

    “We have been monitoring this technology for a long time, and it has been clear to us from the beginning, that we would not consider it vegan,” he adds. “However, we also see a huge potential to reduce animal suffering, which is why we consider its promotion relevant. V-Label would not have been the right channel for this, as the target group is fundamentally different.”

    cultivated meat label
    Courtesy: C-Label

    The biggest impact certification logos like C-Label would have is on the consumer front. But to date, only one company has sold cultivated meat in retail – but Eat Just’s Good Meat chicken is no longer available at Huber’s Butchery in Singapore. And any new launches feel few and far in between. So does the industry need an accreditation logo?

    “Launching the C-Label now is about preparing for the future and building trust early. While retail products may feel distant, cultivated meat is already available in the US and Singapore, and well in the pipeline in other regions such as Europe,” says Pichler.

    “As a global label, C-Label needs to take the different levels of development around the world into consideration. With over $3B invested in this technology and hundreds of companies involved, the market is developing rapidly. Furthermore, the public is still lacking foundational understanding when it comes to cultivated meat, creating an important need for information,” he adds.

    “The C-Label establishes clear standards, supports industry collaboration, and helps educate consumers, ensuring the industry develops responsibly and is ready to scale when approval is gained in each region. Acting now positions us to guide this emerging technology toward a more ethical and sustainable future.”

    The post C-Label: Do We Need A Certification for Cultivated Meat? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Plant-Based Lidl, House of Lords & Powdered Oat Milk

    mighty oat milk powder
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Lidl’s new plant-based range, a vegan workplace canteen, and the UK House of Lords’s nod to cultivated meat.

    New products and launches

    Discount retailer Lidl has unveiled 28 new affordable plant-based products in the UK, which include Meat Free Cordon Bleu, Barista Oat Milk, and Smoked Tofu. The range starts from £1.09.

    lidl vegan
    Courtesy: Lidl

    Also in the UK, plant-based milk brand Mighty has added caramel and chocolate flavours to its oat milk powder range.

    British foodservice wholesaler Brakes has extended its plant-based range with nearly 40 new products and created a Vegan Hub for Veganuary.

    London-based Tofu Vegan, a popular Chinese restaurant chain, has opened its fifth location on Gloucester Road.

    Across the Atlantic, tofu maker Hodo has announced a retail expansion into Meijer, Harris Teeter, and Giant Martin’s.

    New York-based Edenesque has launched a barista edition of its pistachio milk, which is available at Whole Foods Market, on its webstore, and at Joe Coffee for $7.99 per carton.

    AI-led ingredient discovery company Shiru has put out a partnership call to beverage manufacturers for the development and scale-up of a natural sugar replacer.

    Popular fast-food chain Slutty Vegan has opened a new Bar Vegan location in Baltimore’s Rye Street Market, which is part of the Baltimore Peninsula District development.

    Ingredients giant Griffith Foods has launched an Alternative Proteins Portfolio to complement its range of plant-based seasonings, sauces, dressings, binders, coatings, and all-in-one mixes.

    Dutch vegan food distributor GreenPro International has rebranded to Plantitude to solidify its role as the “connecting factor in the protein transition”.

    Crafty Counter has introduced Eggless Salad under its vegan Wundereggs brand, which is available at all Safeway and Albertsons stores across Idaho and Washington state.

    Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines has introduced a range of vegan meals for children, including pizza, vegetable fajitas, cauliflower bites and strawberry crumble. It adds to the carrier’s 300-plus plant-based options.

    Aussie plant-based player v2food has unveiled a new identity for Soulara, the ready meal brand it acquired in January.

    soulara
    Courtesy: Soulara

    And in India, vegan startup Blue Tribe Foods – backed by cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma – has rolled out sweet potato fries, which are available at online retailers like Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Blinkit.

    Company and finance updates

    Belgian agrifood company Arvesta has opened Nuverta, a plant-based protein facility in Mettet, which will initially produce pea protein concentrate.

    British green energy innovator Ecotricity, owned by Dale Vince, has opened what it says is the country’s first fully vegan workplace canteen.

    The University of Nottingham has partnered with UK plant-based food company Jampa’s and Canadian manufacturer Tartistes to develop next-gen vegan products, receiving funding from the UK-Canada Innovate UK scheme.

    heura
    Courtesy: Heura

    Spanish vegan meat startup Heura has opened a new innovation lab in Barcelona’s 22@ tech district, and plans to register six more patents over the next nine months, adding to the innovations it announced late last year.

    Slovenian plant-based food producer Narayan Group is set to be acquired by Edible Garden AG Incorporated, having signed a letter of intent to enter a share purchase agreement.

    In the US, animal-free component producer Nexture Bio has acquired Matrix Food Technologies, which makes plant-based, edible nanofibre scaffolds and microbeads for cultivated meat.

    tender food
    Courtesy: Tender Food

    Boston-based Tender Food‘s co-founder Christophe Chantre has announced that he stepped down from his role as CEO last fall.

    Tender Food also received $5.1M as part of the US Department of Energy‘s Technologies for Industrial Emissions Reduction Development (TIEReD) Program, while fellow Boston company Ginkgo Bioworks earned $2.4M.

    Superlatus, the parent company of The Urgent Company, has been sued by Eat Well Investment Group, which has accused the former of fraudulently selling its plant-based food tech platform to avoid contractual obligations and cheating it out of $10M.

    Research and policy developments

    In the UK, the House of Lords has recognised cultivated meat as a key engineering biology opportunity and is calling for improved regulation of these products in a report published by its Science and Technology Committee.

    Bezos Earth Fund‘s Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London has officially opened with a two-day scientific event.

    Vegan seafood startup BettaF!sh and upcycled apricot kernel company Kern Tec have each won a €5,000 award as part of EIT Food’s Marketed Innovation Prize.

    kern tec
    Courtesy: Kern Tec

    The University of Galway in Ireland has introduced a 12-week course on Animal Law for undergraduate law students, which starts this month.

    In their attempt to bring vegan cheese closer to what consumers expect, researchers from the University of Guelph and Canadian Light Source have found that blending coconut oil with pea protein provides better melting and stretching, and mixing it with sunflowerr oil lowers the saturated fat content without compromising functionality.

    Finally, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a motion to ramp up the procurement of plant-based foods to lower emissions and improve public health, with county food services now encouraged to adopt a 2:1 ratio of plant- to animal-based mains.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Plant-Based Lidl, House of Lords & Powdered Oat Milk appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Germany’s Project Eaden Spins $15.6M in Series A Funding for Ultra-Realistic Pork-Free Ham

    6 Mins Read

    German startup Project Eaden has secured €15M ($15.6M) in a Series A funding round to launch its fibre-spun whole-cut in retail, starting with REWE supermarkets nationwide.

    Using textile technology to modernise and futureproof the $35B ham market, Berlin-based Project Eaden has raised €15M ($15.6M) in an oversubscribed Series A fundraiser.

    The startup, which makes whole-cut plant-based meat with fibre-spinning tech, secured lead investors Planet A Ventures and REWE Group, with support from DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Happiness Capital, AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, and existing backers Creandum and FoodLabs. This takes Project Eaden’s total funding to date to €27M ($28M), just three years since being established.

    Christoph Gras, General Partner of Planet A, said: “Research suggests that plant-based products
    could replace 11–22% of global meat consumption by 2035—but only if improvements are made in
    taste and texture. Project Eaden is leading this shift with its new fiber technology, which delivers a
    meat alternative that will appeal even to the most skeptical consumers. This first-of-a-kind
    approach is a crucial step toward decarbonizing the food sector.”

    The fresh capital will support scale-up efforts and a European retail launch. Its ham products will debut at 3,800 REWE supermarkets across Germany in early 2025, providing an alternative to the country’s favourite meat (pork). The company will follow this with entry into several other EU markets by the middle of the year.

    According to the company, the retailer was won over by Eaden’s ultra-realistic texture and taste. “Project Eaden is setting a new standard in alternative meat by delivering the meat-like experience that today’s consumers crave. As a launch partner, we’re excited to bring their innovative products to our stores,” said Hans-Jürgen Moog, chief procurement officer of REWE Group.

    Modern meat inspired by the textile industry

    project eaden
    Courtesy: Project Eaden

    Founded by Dr David Schmelzeisen, Jan Wilmking and Hubertus Bessau in 2022, Project Eaden went viral on the internet when it unveiled its whole-muscle steak and placed it next to conventional beef, with online commentators wondering if the image was doctored.

    The Berlin-based company has since expanded its portfolio to create whole-cut sausages, pork loin and, of course, ham. These meat alternatives are derived from an age-old fibre-spinning technology employed by the textile industry. This allows Project Eaden to meet technical requirements like elasticity, water-binding ability and strength to closely mimic animal muscle fibres.

    To get here, plant proteins are bundled into strands, and then unfolded in a solution to create a homogenous liquid. This is spun to form ultra-thin fibres, which get integrated into a compound to replicate the collagen-based connective tissues found in animals.

    Wilmking, the firm’s managing director, has previously explained that the tech uses two types of fibres. “First, we use strong and thin fibres for connective tissue, which don’t stick together much, but help make the meat structure and bite experience feel real,” he told Green Queen in July.

    “Then, a large part of our product is made from a cheaper, juicier fibre that sticks together just enough to hold meat juice in small spaces, making it taste tender and yummy, like real meat,” he added.

    Project Eaden’s ultra-realistic Serrano ham. Courtesy: Project Eaden

    The resulting products have been endorsed by butchers, Michelin-starred chefs, and retail buyers. “Our proprietary tech is versatile across meat types, cheap and highly scalable,” said Schmelzeisen, who has a PhD in textile engineering and is also a managing director at the company.

    The funding round comes at a challenging time for alternative protein startups, which have suffered from a lack of investor interest. Financing for plant-based companies fell by 24% in 2023, reaching $908M. The fall was even sharper in the first nine months of 2024, when the sector raised a mere $194M.

    That said, investors have shown they’re willing to back challenger brands with well-executed products in niche, underserved categories. Paris-based La Vie, for example, closed a €25M ($27.4M) round in October, while Spain’s Heura brought in €40M ($43M) – and both only launched their pork-free ham products in the last 18 monts.

    Alongside Project Eaden, these brands also benefit from what is a relatively competition-free space, with only Prime Roots, Squeaky Bean and Quorn the other prominent players making vegan ham.

    Germans turn away from meat amid health concerns

    Source: Pig Progress

    Much has been said about the slow sales of meat alternatives globally, but Germany has remained a high-performing outlier. It is the largest market for plant-based meat outside the US, and accounted for 46% of meat alternative sales in Europe’s biggest regions in 2023. These products witnessed a 6% hike in sales to reach €990M and entered over 37% of households.

    At the same time, 46% of Germans are cutting back on meat, particularly pork, just as plant-based meat production rises and the new national dietary guidelines recommend a shift away from animal proteins and towards plant-based foods. This is being driven by younger cohorts like Gen Zers, who have been found to be more receptive to meat alternatives than older demographics.

    Health is another key factor challenging pork consumption. Processed deli meats such as ham are often packed with nitrates, and the World Health Organization classifies such foods as Type 1 carcinogens. Eaden’s ham products are nitrate-free, as well as free of antibiotics and hormones.

    Still, several barriers remain, chief among them palatability. More than 60% of Gen Z consumers in Germany are unsatisfied with the taste and texture of plant-based meat, a number that rises to 80% for Gen Xers and 88% for those aged 69 and above.

    Wilmking believes Project Eaden’s whole cuts are solving that: “We are here to make the switch away from animal meat consumption a no-brainer. Our products deliver on taste, texture and nutrition.”

    Tackling climate narratives

    vegan deli meat
    Courtesy: Project Eaden

    The other issue is climate. Nearly two in five Germans think the country eats too much meat, and 30% want to increase their plant-based meat intake, though more than half don’t believe meat is a major problem for the climate – despite animal proteins being responsible for 57% of food system emissions (twice as high as plant-based foods).

    Project Eaden hopes to change this narrative – each kg of its products reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20kg of CO2e, cuts water use by as much as 56 cubic metres, and lowers land use by up to 20 sq m.

    The company will now expand its team across sales, marketing, operations and engineering, and is also working on broadening its range to more cuts, including Serrano and cooked ham, bratwurst, bacon, chicken breast, pastrami, and beef and pork flank steaks.

    Another startup making fibre-spun meat analogues is Massachusetts-based Tender Foods, which likens its production process to spinning cotton candy. The company has raised $23M since it launched in 2020, and its fried chicken and pork are on the menu at meat-free chain Clover Food Lab.

    The post Germany’s Project Eaden Spins $15.6M in Series A Funding for Ultra-Realistic Pork-Free Ham appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Move Over, Beef Tallow: Mosa Meat Files to Sell Cultivated Fat for Hybrid Meat in Europe

    lab grown meat netherlands
    7 Mins Read

    Dutch startup Mosa Meat has filed a novel food regulatory application for its cultivated beef fat in the European Union.

    The maker of the world’s first cultivated beef burger has applied for market authorisation in its home region.

    Mosa Meat has submitted a dossier in the EU for a cultivated beef fat ingredient, which can be mixed with plant-based ingredients for use in hybrid meat products like hamburgers, meatballs, empanadas, or bolognese.

    It is only the second company filing for approval for cultivated meat from the EU Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), following French startup Gourmey‘s application in July. The two bodies will now evaluate the dossier in a process that’s expected to take 18 months. If successful, Mosa Meat would be able to sell the ingredient in all 27 member states and the three EEA countries.

    The development comes months after Mosa Meat held a public tasting for cattle farmers, product developers and other industry representatives at its headquarters in Maastricht, where it dished out hybrid beef burgers. “The burgers in our public tastings were produced with a very similar blend, using our cultivated fat,” CEO Maarten Bosch tells Green Queen.

    Eyeing regulatory success in multiple countries

    lab grown meat europe
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    The EU has been the toughest regulatory nut to crack for cultivated meat companies, thanks to a complex and stringent novel food framework that Mosa Meat describes as the “global gold standard for food safety”.

    The approval process involves the EU Commission as well as its member states, alongside input from scientific experts at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which ensures that the authorisation retains the buy-in of all stakeholders.

    Unlike regulators in other countries (like Singapore), the EU’s regulatory process requires cultivated ingredients to be submitted individually, instead of full products. While Mosa Meat chose its fat as the first ingredient for submission, Bosch reveals that it also has a dedicated team working on cultivating muscle tissue.

    Speaking of Singapore, this was the first market Mosa Meat had applied for approval, though the original nine- to 12-month timeline the country has touted has been hard to realise. “We remain in communication with the regulators in Singapore but, at this time, we don’t have any new updates or timelines to share regarding the process,” says Bosch.

    A new Food Safety and Security Bill, which codifies the assessment framework, can break the deadlock and speed up the process.

    Beyond Europe and Singapore, Bosch teased submissions in “two other geographies” imminently. The company has previously indicated interest in the UK, Switzerland and the US – though the new Trump administration could derail progress in the latter.

    “We are eager to collaborate closely with regulatory authorities to ensure full compliance with safety requirements,” he says.

    Why Mosa Meat decided to start with cultivated fat

    mosa meat funding
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    Blending cultivated fat with plant-based ingredients would allow Mosa Meat to introduce its initial burgers to customers while “staying true to our long-term vision, Bosch says.

    “Fat is the primary driver of flavour in meat, influencing taste, aroma, and mouthfeel. Of the main components of meat – muscle, fat, and connective tissue – fat has the most significant culinary impact,’ he explains.

    “Many plant-based products struggle to replicate this experience, as oils like coconut behave very differently from beef fat in terms of melting, taste, and aroma. Cultivated fat helps bridge this gap, delivering the authentic beefy experience that consumers crave.”

    So how does Mosa Meat make it? “We start by taking a small sample of cells from a cow. This sample contains cells that could become either muscle or fat,” says Bosch.

    “For this product, we isolate and focus on nurturing the fatty potential of the cells in a nutrient-rich and serum-free medium. This process mimics their natural growth cycle, allowing them to duplicate by orders of magnitude and take on that beefy quality. Once harvested from the cultivator, the final product can be combined with our in-house plant-based mix for any dish that uses a beef mince,” he describes.

    Its innovations impressed taste testers at the public event last year, as well as chefs like Hans van Wolde – owner of the two-Michelin-starred eatery Brut 172 – who formally joined its product development team in 2023.

    “When I first tried a Mosa Burger as part of the internal development team, I was blown away by the beefy taste and the amazing mouthfeel of the beef fat,” he says. “It gave me goosebumps. I genuinely believe this new way of making beef can delight connoisseurs and casual beef lovers alike while enjoying the positive benefits of cultivated beef from a sustainability perspective.”

    The promise of hybrid meat

    eu lab grown meat
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    Bosch suggests that the exact composition of its burgers is being refined right now, but adds: “Our immediate focus is on using cultivated fat in our own Mosa burgers, but we’re also in discussions with several plant-based product producers about potential collaborations.”

    Hybrid meat has been described by investors as the most viable way of commercialising cultivated meat at the moment, thanks to the high costs and scalability challenges. Most cultivated meat products that have come to market have been in hybrid format – Eat Just, the only company to sell these proteins in a supermarket, uses only 3% of cultivated cells in its Good Meat chicken for retail.

    When Mosa Meat co-founder Dr Mark Post first unveiled a cultivated meat burger in 2013, the two proof-of-concept patties cost $330,000. The firm has since managed to slash costs repeatedly. In 2020, it cut the price of its growth medium by 80-fold, and a year later, reduced the cost of its fat medium by 66 times.

    In May 2023, it opened what it claims is currently the world’s largest cultivated meat facility in Maastricht. This “cultivated meat campus” is its fourth plant, expanding its footprint to 7,340 sq m (79,007 sq ft), and has a 1,000-litre bioreactor scale that can produce “tens of thousands of cultivated hamburgers”.

    Could cultivated beef fat take on tallow?

    lab grown meat ban
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    It’s been a tough time for the cultivated meat industry, both from a policy and financial perspective. In the EU, Italy has banned these proteins, and countries like France and Hungary have tried to do so too. Across the pond, policymakers in over a dozen states have proposed a ban, with Florida and Alabama being successful.

    But with efforts to greenify the EU’s food system on the rise, and the EU Commission batting away arguments to justify a cultivated meat ban, there are signs that regulatory progress could accelerate here. A 2024 survey of 16,000 citizens from 15 EU countries found that Europeans are largely in favour of cultivated meat if it passes safety assessments from food regulators, and a majority are willing to try it.

    And while investment in cultivated meat has been decreasing (dropping by 75% in 2023, followed by another decline in 2024), Mosa Meat was one of the outliers, raising €40M ($42.4M) in a funding round in April. It took total investment in the company to over $135M, with backers including Mitsubishi Corporation, Dutch state investor Invest-NL, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

    The other reason why Europe needs cultivated meat is the climate impact. Livestock farming takes up 71% of the EU’s agricultural land and contributes to 84% of its food system emissions, but meat and dairy only provide 35% of calories and 65% of proteins in the region.

    According to an independent life-cycle assessment, cultivated beef can cut emissions by 93%, use 95% less land, and consume 78% less water than its conventional protein.

    Another beef product bad for the planet is tallow, which has exploded in popularity thanks to skincare influencers on TikTok and brands looking to move away from seed oils. Does Mosa Meat see an opportunity to tap into the consumer market for this fat too?

    Bosch isn’t ruling anything out. “While our current focus is on developing complete products, such as our Mosa burgers, we remain open to exploring creative culinary applications for our cultivated fat in the future,” he says.

    The post Move Over, Beef Tallow: Mosa Meat Files to Sell Cultivated Fat for Hybrid Meat in Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The Swiss Are Eating Less Meat, But Also Fewer Plant-Based Alternatives

    planted steak
    4 Mins Read

    Consumers in Switzerland are reducing their meat consumption, but also buying fewer plant-based analogues, with vegetables and legumes taking precedence among flexitarians.

    The influence of health on food choices continues to increase in 2025, while climate change worryingly becomes less of a priority for many consumers.

    This is true in Switzerland too, where a 2,200-person survey by retailer Coop has found that the importance of environmental benefits has diminished among flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans alike.

    The 2025 Plant Based Food Report suggests that climate change is still the main reason for flexitarians – who make up 57% of the Swiss population – reducing their animal product consumption, but its significance has decreased by six points from the corresponding poll last year. Health, meanwhile, has gained ground, now outshining animal welfare.

    For vegans, environmental benefits fell by eight points from first place to third in their list of dietary motivations, with ethics taking the lead. While health is fourth on the list, it jumped by 15 percentage points from 2024.

    Meanwhile, substitarians – a subset of flexitarians identified by Coop who eat plant-based meat products several times a month – are placing less emphasis on benefits for the environment (a 10-point drop), health (down by two points) and animal welfare (four points lower) compared to 2024.

    Swiss interest in plant-based meat falls

    switzerland plant based
    Courtesy: Coop

    Encouragingly for public and planetary health, Swiss people are eating fewer animal proteins, reducing frequent consumption of meat, milk, and cheese by two, three and six percentage points, respectively.

    This is thanks to the high number of flexitarians, which has remained steady after explosive growth in 2022. This demographic is dominated by older populations and women, who are significantly more likely to give up animal proteins than younger and male consumers.

    Meanwhile, 30% are classed as ‘substitarians’, a two-point increase from 2024. Overall, the number of people who have tried plant-based alternatives has remained steady since 2022, growing by one percentage point.

    Substitarians mainly live in German-speaking parts of Switzerland. Interestingly, 41% of people under 29 eat vegan meat and dairy products several times a month, much higher than the 19% of older Swiss consumers that do so – a complete opposite of the trends among the overall flexitarian category.

    Likewise, men buy more plant-based meat than women, with the former group’s purchases increasing across all vegan categories in the last five years.

    But the number of new substitarians remains low, with only 4% of participants saying they’ve been eating plant-based alternatives for less than a year. More than half (54%) have been consuming these products for four years or more. This highlights how onboarding new consumers is tough, but retention seems easier for plant-based brands.

    Looking to the future, 26% of flexitarians want to eat animal-free meat and dairy products more often in the next five years – a 10-point decrease from last year – and 35% want to continue their current consumption rates. Likewise, only 37% of substitarians now want to increase their intake of these foods, a 21-point drop from 2024.

    Health a major driver of plant-based consumption

    plant based switzerland
    Courtesy: Coop

    While flexitarians’ favourite substitutes for meat and fish are actually dairy products like cheese, mushrooms and vegetables are second on the list, followed by legumes like peas, lentils and beans (all favoured by over 40% of respondents). Plant-based meats are almost an afterthought, attracting only 15% of Swiss flexitarians, behind tofu and tempeh (21%).

    That whole foods and traditional plant proteins are above meat analogues is a reflection of the latter’s reputation hit amid the ultra-processed food (UPF) debate – despite their advantages over conventional meat.

    In fact, when it comes to health, over four in 10 Swiss consumers reducing meat consumption are most concerned about their cardiovascular impact, followed by the presence of hormones or antibiotics, cholesterol, saturated fats, and calorie content. Health concerns are also why the northeastern canton of St Gallen banned meat and dairy with excessive levels of ‘forever chemicals’.

    In fact, Switzerland’s new dietary guidelines – published in September – call on its citizens to eat more whole foods and plant proteins, taking into account both health and climate considerations. Climate experts are now calling on Swiss consumers to follow the recommendations to help achieve the government’s environmental goals.

    However, sales of plant-based meat in the country decreased by 10% in 2024, with vegan seafood falling even further (15%). That said, dairy alternatives enjoyed a 5.2% hike in sales, representing nearly 4% of the overall milk market.

    Within Coop, though, plant-based milk has continued to encroach upon the overall sector’s sales, taking a 17% market share. Here, oat milk is by far the favourite, accounting for 58% of alt-milk sales, followed by soy milk (18%).

    In contrast, Germany is Europe’s largest market for plant-based food, with 30% of locals wanting to increase their consumption of meat analogues over the next year. In France, people are eating 6% less meat than they were two decades ago, and 28% consume vegan alternatives weekly. Across the EU, meanwhile, 51% of people have cut back on meat, with health the biggest factor.

    The post The Swiss Are Eating Less Meat, But Also Fewer Plant-Based Alternatives appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • French ‘Veggie Burger’ Labelling Ban Rejected by Country’s Highest Court

    plant based meat banned
    4 Mins Read

    The French government’s proposed labelling ban on plant-based meat products has been cancelled by its top court, echoing a similar decision by its EU counterpart.

    Veggie burgers are here to stay – yet again.

    A long-running saga in Europe’s food tech industry, the war on plant-based meat labels has taken another turn in favour of vegan producers, as France’s Conseil d’État has rejected two decrees proposing a ban on terms like ‘plant-based bacon’ on, well, plant-based bacon.

    In a ruling yesterday, the country’s top court called the decrees “illegal and contrary to European regulation”, noting that EU member states cannot independently regulate food labelling.

    The decision comes just over a week after the court held its final hearing on the matter, where its advocate-general – who assists the court and presents opinions on cases with full impartiality and independence – recommended cancelling both decrees.

    The advice argued that the decrees are not fit for purpose and that the government should pay legal costs to the plaintiffs, namely the European Vegetarian Association (EVU), the Association Végétarienne de France (AVF), and industry giant Beyond Meat.

    By throwing out the attempt to prohibit meat-like phrases on vegan products, the Conseil d’État has delivered a landslide victory for the plant-based industry, and agreed with a similar ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year.

    A swing of victories for plant-based meat labels

    france plant based labelling ban
    Courtesy: La Vie

    France’s first attempt to ban meaty terms on plant-based products came in 2022, when it issued a decree to prohibit all such descriptors except ‘burger’. The Conseil d’État suspended the decree after complaints from meat-free companies and associations, calling the wording too vague.

    The second decree – proposed in September 2023 – was nearly identical, co-signed by then Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. It aimed to outlaw 21 terms like ‘steak’, ‘ham’ and even ‘grilled’, threatening a non-compliance fine of up to €1,500 for individuals and €7,500 for companies.

    This second decree listed a further 120 more phrases – like ‘bacon’, ‘sausage’, and ‘nuggets’ – that companies could use only if the amount of plant protein didn’t exceed a maximum limit ranging from 0.5% to 6%. This, of course, meant that no fully plant-based products could use these terms.

    The Conseil d’État suspended this too, following the complaint from the EVU, AVF and Beyond Meat. It referred parts of the case to the ECJ, which also rejected the ban and returned the case to the French court for a final decision.

    The EU’s highest court ruled that the only way a member state can implement such a ban is to legally define meat products and descriptive terms first, and even then, such a ban would only apply to products manufactured within that country (creating an unfair environment for local companies). It also said countries can’t adopt national measures that determine minimum inclusion levels of plant proteins for labelling purposes.

    It’s not the first time the EU has ruled in favour of plant-based companies on this issue – the parliament voted to reject such a ban in 2021 as well, though choosing to enforce it on non-dairy products.

    Lawmakers should stop politicising ‘non-issue’

    beyond meat france
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat/Green Queen

    France is far from the only country targeting vegan product labels. These legislative proposals are common across the world – as recently as last month, the Czech government was floating a similar move.

    The major argument behind these proposed bans is that consumers are confused when they see a product labelled ‘veggie burger’ or ‘vegan chicken’. But this has been dispelled by numerous studies, with most consumers knowing the difference between plant- and animal-derived proteins.

    Rafael Pinto, senior policy manager at the EVU, argued that these attempts “do nothing but confuse consumers”, hindering the region’s shift to a more sustainable food system. “The data is clear, consumers are not confused by the use of traditional denominations for plant-based products,” he said.

    “Policymakers should be focused on promoting better conditions for farmers, citizens and innovation, instead of politicising a non-issue,” he added.

    In a positive sign, these efforts are increasingly being thwarted. Italy is reconsidering its ban after pushback from the country’s leading union of food manufacturers. A South African court ruled against upholding a ban last year too. And Turkey’s latest labelling laws allow companies to use such terms on packaging.

    Plant-based companies like Tofurky, Miyoko’s Creamery, Planted, Oatly and NotCo have all won legal battles over product labels – and Beyond Meat has now joined them.

    This story was updated on January 29 to reflect the French court’s final decision.

    The post French ‘Veggie Burger’ Labelling Ban Rejected by Country’s Highest Court appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • No Comp-roe-mise: Asian Alt-Seafood Leader Swims Into Gen Z TikTok Trend with Cultivated Caviar

    lab grown caviar
    4 Mins Read

    Singapore-based cellular agriculture pioneer Umami Bioworks has introduced its latest product, cultivated caviar, for high-end restaurants, retailers and consumers.

    Joining the cultivated meat companies targeting premium markets, Umami Bioworks has a hybrid caviar alternative, made from a blend of cultured sturgeon cells and plant-based ingredients.

    The Singaporean startup – one of the most well-known players in the cultivated seafood pace – is targeting Gen Z and millennials with its latest offering, who are driving the global demand for caviar, but at the same time also prioritise sustainability and ethical sourcing.

    With the new innovation, Umami Bioworks is aiming to decarbonise one of the most highly sought-after foods. Also known as salted roe, caviar is acquired from slaughtered sturgeons and has always come at a high price, both ethically and environmentally. And overfishing has made sturgeons the most critically endangered species on Earth, according to the WWF, with 90% facing the threat.

    “By combining cutting-edge science with a deep respect for oceanic heritage, we are offering connoisseurs an indulgence that delivers exceptional taste and texture without compromise,” said Mihir Pershad, founder and CEO of Umami Bioworks.

    Why we need cultivated caviar

    umami bioworks
    Courtesy: Alla Machutt/Getty Images

    Research has linked caviar farming with a host of environmental detriments, such as natural habitat destruction, waste pollution, and biodiversity loss due to illegal overfishing. At the same time, high temperatures, water pollution, and rising sea levels are disrupting sturgeon populations, causing shifts in behaviour, reproduction, breeding cycles, and oxygen levels.

    Still, it’s a $402M market, and its sales have been exploding thanks to TikTok. Gen Z influencers have driven the #CaviarTok trend, which has received millions of views, and contributed to the 74% hike in caviar sales since 2020. The market is set to further expand by 40%.

    But given the environmental and ethical issues, this is unsustainable. As of 2024, 30% of people had been eating less seafood globally in the past two years, with nearly half (48%) concerned about overfishing and 35% worried about climate change impacts. Meanwhile, over 80% of people changed their dietary habits in this period, and 43% did so for sustainability reasons.

    Umami Bioworks is aiming to cater to that demographic by addressing the sustainability and ethics debate, while offering an alternative to the currently strained supply chain. The firm is using its proprietary cultivated meat technology and blending it with certain plant-based to derive the indulgent taste and texture typical of conventional caviar.

    The startup says it’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and essential micronutrients, and is geared towards high-end restaurants, chefs, and premium retailers.

    “We’re thrilled to introduce a product that resonates with ethically conscious, younger consumers, who are reshaping the definition of luxury,” said product manager Gayathri Mani. “We will partner with leading brands and leverage Umami’s solution to develop a wide range of customised, culinary offerings for diverse applications.”

    Premium products provide better margins for cultivated meat startups

    cultivated meat korea
    Courtesy: CellMEAT

    There are several companies working to create more planet- and wallet-friendly versions of caviar. Some – like Cavi-Art, Zeroe, and Cavinoir – are offering plant-based alternatives, made from seaweed, sodium alginate, or agar-agar.

    And like Umami Bioworks, others are working on cultivated caviar. These include CellMeat (South Korea), Marinas Bio (California), and Caviar Biotec.

    They’re among a growing crop of cultivated meat status focusing on high-end species, which offer better margins and a product closer to price parity than their conventional counterparts, compared to innovations like cultivated chicken or beef.

    Australia’s Vow has been cleared to sell cultivated foie gras in Hong Kong and Singapore, while French startup Gourmey has applied for approval in five markets (including the EU) for its version. Similarly, Israel’s Wanda Fish and US startups BlueNalu and Finless Foods are hoping to bring cultivated bluefin tuna to market.

    Speaking of which, Umami Bioworks has submitted regulatory dossiers in “major markets across America, Europe, and Asia”, Pershad told Green Queen last November. It’s also in active discussions with the UK’s Food Standards Agency, and working with a pet food company to bring cultivated fish treats for cats to the US this year.

    Green Queen has contacted Umami Bioworks for further details will update the story once we hear back.

    The post No Comp-roe-mise: Asian Alt-Seafood Leader Swims Into Gen Z TikTok Trend with Cultivated Caviar appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Impossible Foods Success: Startup Scores EU Patent Win for Flagship Vegan Burger Ingredient

    impossible burger europe
    4 Mins Read

    With hopes of a European launch growing, Californian plant-based meat leader Impossible Foods has had a patent for its heme protein reinstated in the EU.

    Two years after the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked a key patent it granted to Impossible Foods, the decision has been overturned by the agency’s Board of Appeals.

    A culmination of a protracted process that faced significant opposition, the patent concerned the plant-based company’s use of heme protein and flavour precursors in its flagship burger, which allow it to ‘bleed’, smell and taste like conventional beef.

    The heme ingredient – derived from soy and genetically engineered yeast – has been at the centre of a legal dispute in its home country, where the Californian firm triumphed over a long-running legal battle with Motif Foodworks, taking over its heme business. The latter ceased operations soon after the case came to an end.

    Why Impossible Foods’s EU patent was reinstated

    impossible heme patent
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The EU patent was first granted in 2017, covering a meat alternative compromising heme proteins and “at least two flavour precursor molecules”. Impossible Foods inserts the DNA from soy plants into a genetically engineered yeast strain called Komagataella phaffii to produce soy leghemoglobin via a process similar to how Belgian beer is brewed.

    But it was challenged by a straw man (or anonymous) opponent a year later, which argued that the patent was invalid due to a lack of novelty or an inventive step (when an invention is not obvious to a person skilled in the field), and insufficient disclosure.

    The EPO’s Opposition Division agreed that the patent was invalid for the latter reason. And while it believed that Impossible Foods’s heme protein was a novel invention, it lacked an inventive step.

    In its decision on December 20, the Board of Appeals said it was “readily apparent” the case was complex. “The proprietor had to address numerous and increasingly expanded attacks raised by the opponent and third parties during the opposition proceedings. More than 100 documents were filed, most of them after the filing of the notice of opposition,” it stated.

    The appeals body found that the requirement that the heme-containing protein be ‘isolated; was directly and unambiguously disclosed in the patent application, as were the combinations of three flavour precursors.

    Impossible Foods had also communicated how the heme protein and flavour molecules give its plant-based analogues the taste and smell of meat during the cooking process, the Board of Appeals noted. It additionally found that the company had made sufficient disclosures about its invention, which it said contained an inventive step.

    Impossible Burger inching closer to European plates

    impossible burger eu
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The EPO Board of Appeals’s decision ended a year of significant regulatory progress for Impossible Foods in Europe. The company already sells its beef in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, the UAE, Australia, and New Zealand – but has faced several hurdles in the EU and the UK for its precision fermentation process.

    But in June, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) food additives panel issued a positive safety assessment of LegH Prep, a liquid preparation containing the company’s soy leghemoglobin and other ingredients. This was provisional, as it was subject to an assessment from the regulator’s GMO panel.

    That came months later in November, when the GMO body ruled that the ingredient was “safe for human consumption with regard to the effects of the genetic modification”. It ended a Clock Stop – a period when evaluation is officially stopped pending further information from the company – that had hampered the process since December 2021.

    This then followed a 30-day consultation period, allowing the submission of purely scientific comments and questions to be addressed by the EFSA and the EU Commission. Following that, the Commission will draft approval decisions to be brought to the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, which will discuss and then vote on them.

    “The agency’s comprehensive, scientific assessment of the safety of soy Leghemoglobin (heme) across two applications reinforces the overall quality and safety of our food, echoing similar approvals from regulators in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand,” an Impossible Foods spokesperson told Green Queen in November.

    They noted that the GMO approval was “an important step toward bringing Impossible products to Europe”, adding: “We’re excited to continue our work with EU decision-makers to bring Impossible Foods products to European consumers.”

    Impossible Foods’s patent victory comes at a testy time for plant-based meat in Europe, where it has faced renewed attacks over the use of meat-related terms on product labels. But in a positive sign for the industry, the EU’s top court rejected the French government’s attempt to instate a labelling ban, a decision that is set to be finalised by France’s top court.

    The post Impossible Foods Success: Startup Scores EU Patent Win for Flagship Vegan Burger Ingredient appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The Open Omnivore Revolution: Interview with Indy Kaur of Plant Futures Collective

    indy kaur
    8 Mins Read

    Indy Kaur, founder and CEO of Plant Futures Collective, tells us why ‘open omnivores’ – meat-eaters open to eating plant-based alternatives – will lead the future food revolution.

    What segment of consumers will drive the vegan category forward?

    Indy Kaur, founder and CEO of UK consultancy Plant Futures Collective, is betting on meat-eaters. That is, meat-eaters who are happy to try plant-based meats, a group she calls “open omnivores”. Kaur believes they are the future of flexitarianism and represent the largest addressable market for plant-based meat.

    Open omnivores are stuck, and need more information – and there lies the opportunity for brands and their marketing strategies. Speaking of which, Kaur is working with industry figures to develop a checkoff programme that involves brands raising a collective fund that goes towards promotional campaigns for the entire industry.

    We spoke to Kaur about open omnivores and the potential they bring to the plant-based market, whether Meat Free Mondays really work, and what a future food checkoff programme could entail.

    This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

    Green Queen: How would you describe Plant Futures Collective and its work?

    Indy Kaur: Plant Futures Collective is dedicated to addressing the critical challenges faced by businesses in the plant-based and alternative protein sectors. We prioritise the challenges that have the most impact on businesses and identify opportunities to get behind.

    Currently, these challenges are too complex for any single brand or retailer to solve alone. 

    During my time working with Tesco – the UK’s largest retailer – there was only so much in our control. Ultimately, we face a consumer demand issue and it’s hard to create ‘demand’ in retail. A systems change approach is necessary; that is, all actors move together, in the same direction, at the same pace. There are no quick fixes of ‘silver bullets’, only one North Star we all must align on.

    GQ: How would you define the ‘open omnivore’ consumers and their importance to the plant-based sector?

    open omnivore
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    IK: Open omnivores are my favourite group because we have the ability to help them. This group can also be seen as the future of flexitarians.

    Our 2021 research revealed a segment that is nearly twice the size of today’s flexitarians, making up around 30% of the population. It’s a huge opportunity and an incredibly important group. In the UK alone, this could bring in up to 16 million new people, based on the current adult population.

    GQ: You mentioned you used the Smart Protein survey data to differentiate between the two types of omnivores. Can you give us more insight into what you found?

    IK: Omnivores, those who primarily eat meat, make up the largest dietary group, around 70%. However, we’ve found that this isn’t a single, uniform group; it can be split. In 2021, we discovered that 55% of meat eaters are ‘closed omnivores’. These individuals are simply not interested in changing their eating habits, and they’re content with the status quo.

    The real opportunity, however, lies with open omnivores – meat eaters who are open to trying plant-based foods, especially plant-based meat, and are actively seeking to reduce their meat consumption. What’s particularly exciting is that if someone is interested in reducing meat consumption, they are also more likely to reduce their dairy consumption, and vice versa.

    This insight suggests that the plant-based meat and plant-based dairy categories complement each other, which is great news for both sectors. For the success of the entire category, it’s crucial that both are successful.

    GQ: How is an open omnivore different from a flexitarian? Would you say the former is a precursor to the latter?

    open omnivores
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    IK: It’s fascinating. The easiest way to understand it is this: flexitarians tend to believe more that consuming too much meat can be harmful to health and/or the environment. Whereas, closed omnivores believe more that “lots of meat” is nutritionally necessary and that a meal is not complete without meat.

    Open omnivores are caught somewhere in between. They believe that meat is necessary but also recognise that too much meat can be harmful to health and/or the planet. They’re unsure which direction to take, and are essentially just a bit stuck and needing more information – though we’re still uncertain about exactly what they need (we’ll learn more about this in March after an insights study).

    GQ: Do you believe these consumers exist in the EU as well as across the world?

    IK: Absolutely! In 2024, I spent time in the EU, the US, and Australia presenting insights to businesses, and it’s incredible to see the consistency between these markets. At the core of it all is the fact that meat and dairy have been deeply embedded in cultures and social norms for generations.

    As people across various regions become more aware of the health and environmental impacts of high meat and dairy consumption, we will see a greater shift and necessity towards plant-rich diets and foods. 

    GQ: Your insights suggest Meat Free Mondays can have commercial cut-through. Why do you believe campaigns like these work? How do they encourage consumers to gradually eat more plant-based food?

    meat free mondays
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    IK: In February 2024, businesses told us they wanted to get behind Meat Free Monday. We partnered with research agency Harris X and went on to uncover some fascinating insights, those taking part in Meat Free Monday are forming healthier eating habits throughout the week, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, trying new plant-based foods, and opting for more meat-free meals when eating out.  

    We also found those who are aware of Meat Free Monday, 50% take part regularly meaning if we can reach the 72% of the UK population who aren’t yet aware, we could potentially bring in over 20 million new people into the category.

    GQ: Can you tell us more about the UK-centric Meat Free Monday experiment you’re planning this year?

    IK: Over 30 businesses in the UK’s meat alternative sector are involved, including all major plant-based meat brands and many startups. A world first?!

    We’re collaborating closely with Meat Free Monday, M&C Saatchi on the creative, Studio Biggie supporting, and System 1 on research to identify the most effective message to engage consumers. The launch is set for Spring 2025, with growing interest from international markets.

    meat free mondays
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    GQ: Could you walk us through the thinking behind the checkoff programme you’re working on and why it’s needed?

    IK: In the UK, we don’t have a direct equivalent to the US’s ‘checkoff’ programmes, but we follow a similar model through the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB). Both systems operate as centralised marketing and research funds, funded by levies in the UK. The plant-based sector, however, doesn’t yet have this kind of infrastructure, which would be incredibly valuable.

    Campaigns like the US’s famous ‘Got Milk?’ and the UK’s recent ‘We Eat Balanced’ are good examples of how centralised funds can be used effectively to support entire sectors and protect their reputations. These systems work, and the plant-based sector could benefit greatly from a similar approach. [Vegan Food Group and Veganuary co-founder] Matthew Glover has been a key enabler here, and I am excited to support and see how we can make this happen.

    matthew glover
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    GQ: How would it work in terms of collaboration with companies? Who is involved? 

    IK: Collaboration is key, and for a checkoff programme to succeed, all partners must buy into the systems change approach -–moving together in the same direction and at the same pace. Partners also need to commit to the experiment: testing, learning, iterating, and investing modestly to ensure active engagement and the resources needed to get started.

    In 2024, we ran four workshops in the UK, covering proteins, dairy alternatives, and whole-food and veg-led categories. Over 100 businesses and organisations, with more than 200 participants, were involved. The feedback has been broadly consistent and clear: there is a strong call for a category-wide campaign to drive trial and overall category penetration.

    Our work with Meat Free Monday is a good example, and we’ll soon expand to include dairy alternatives and whole-food and veg-led categories.

    GQ: How is the programme funded? What are your plans for the first campaign?

    vegan marketing
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    IK: The funding for this initial phase is set up as a pilot to get things off the ground, and it has been working well thanks to everyone’s contributions, along with a generous grant donation as seed funding and support from industry partners who share our vision.

    We’ve already built the proof of concept. When an opportunity is presented, businesses will come together and take action, and large-scale, multi-stakeholder campaigns are possible. 

    Now, we need support to invest in a centralised marketing and research fund, a checkoff programme. This is a call to action. Businesses are operating on incredibly tight budgets, making it unrealistic to raise all the necessary funding in this way.

    However, I have no doubt many will contribute and take an active role. We will need to seek funding from other sources, and I’m excited to support Matthew Glover in this effort.

    The post The Open Omnivore Revolution: Interview with Indy Kaur of Plant Futures Collective appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Vegan Whole-Cut Meat Startup Eyes $12.5B Keto Market With ‘Industry First’ Certification

    chunk steak keto
    5 Mins Read

    US food tech startup Chunk Foods has received a Ketogenic Certified label for its whole-cut vegan steaks, playing into a major dietary trend. It’s also targeting a global expansion.

    As protein continues to grow in importance and carbohydrates become a target for a host of consumers, US plant-based meat player Chunk Foods is looking to cater to this cohort with its latest accreditation.

    Its four-strong retail lineup – introduced in October – will now carry the Ketogenic Certified logo on its packaging. The Chunk steaks, steakhouse cut, slab and pulled products contain 25-31g of protein, and only up to 6g of carbs, mainly fibre.

    According to the company, it is the first time a plant-based whole-cut has been keto-certified, a level through which it is hoping to access the $12.5B keto diet market.

    “While some meat alternatives have binders and added sugars that increase the carbohydrates content, Chunk’s original range of products are added-sugar-free and have no binders, additives and preservatives, which helps keep them high in protein and low in carbohydrates making them ideal for those following a ketogenic diet,” Chunk Foods CEO Amos Golan tells Green Queen.

    GLP-1 drugs, high-protein demand drive Chunk Foods’s keto play

    chunk slab
    Courtesy: Chunk Foods

    The ketogenic diet involves eating more protein and fat than carbohydrates, which puts the body into ketosis, a metabolic state where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose.

    Nearly three-quarters of Americans aged 20 and above are overweight or obese, while almost two in five children and teenagers are prediabetic. With these conditions and their associated health detriments on the up, many consumers choose to follow low-carb diets to manage weight and blood glucose levels.

    As of 2024, one in six US citizens was following a keto or low-carb diet. And this year, of the 46% of Americans who want to start a new diet, a quarter say they want to follow a low-carb one.

    Meanwhile, a December survey by Chobani found that 85% of Americans want to increase their protein intake in 2025, with 24% feeling they don’t eat enough of it. “Chunk’s products are high in protein, perfectly meeting these needs,” says Golan.

    The Ketogenic Certification involves blood measurement and rigorous testing to ensure both the ingredients and th metabolic responses meet the “gold standard” of accreditation. A product must at least have a 1:1 ratio (1g of fat for every 1g of net carbs and protein).

    Chunk Steak is meeting the GLP-1 moment

    chunk foods
    Courtesy: Chunk Foods

    “With the growing understanding of the importance of better nutrition, the prevalence of GLP-1 drugs and consumer understanding of the foods they consume, more Americans follow a low-carb, keto and vegan diet.”

    It is hard to understate the impact of GLP-1 drugs on the US food system. Big companies like Nestlé and Coca-Cola are responding with new product lines, retailers are creating dedicated support sections for users of Ozempic and the like, and foodservice chains are launching menus to cater to these consumers.

    And a study last year found that keto diets help type 2 diabetics who have stopped using these medications maintain their weight loss. So products with a Ketogenic Certified label – which are also high in fibre, another macronutrient in the GLP-1 spotlight – could carry massive appeal.

    When asked if many of Chunk Foods’s customers follow keto diets, Golan says: “While most customers choose to eat Chunk because of its culinary qualities, many of our customers are also actively seeking high-quality healthy, protein-rich choices – and keto products fit seamlessly into their dietary preferences.”

    He adds: “Offering keto-certified options ensures we’re addressing a larger market segment and providing choices that align with consumers’ priorities.”

    Chunk Foods plans to go global in 2025

    is plant based meat keto friendly
    Courtesy: Chunk Foods

    The keto certification will also help Chunk Foods stand out in a challenging environment for plant-based meat. Sales continued to slow last year, dropping by 9% in the year to July 2024, following a 12% decrease between 2022 and 2023. They make up less than 1% of the US meat market.

    And with a Donald Trump-led government, with tons of influence from Elon Musk and Robert F Kennedy, things may get worse for challengers to the established order of Big Meat.

    “We’re proud to be the only plant-based meat brand to carry the Ketogenic certification – something typically associated with traditional animal-based proteins. It’s a unique differentiator that highlights the versatility and nutritional value of our products in a challenging market,” Golan says.

    Chunk Foods, which makes its steaks from cultured soy protein, raised $7.5M in early 2024 to bring total financing to $24M. It has already appeared on the menus of several restaurants around the US, including Leonardo DiCaprio-backed chain Neat, Slutty Vegan, Talk of the Town group, and Pastrami Queen. Its line of steaks is now also available at independent stores in Los Angeles, San Diego, and New York City.

    The company describes 2025 as a “pivotal year” for the startup, with CPG growth a key target. “We’re expanding our product line, with some exciting announcements coming this spring. We’re also significantly broadening our retail and foodservice presence,” reveals Golan.

    This entails not just its retail, e-commerce and foodservice footprint in the US, but a foodservice expansion in Canada, the growth of its partnership with Better Balance in Mexico and Spain, and a launch in supermarkets and restaurants in Israel, alongside online store Vegan Supply.

    The post Vegan Whole-Cut Meat Startup Eyes $12.5B Keto Market With ‘Industry First’ Certification appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • ‘Nature Knows Best’: Meati CEO Rails Against UPFs & Factory Farming After Doubling Revenue in 2024

    meati foods revenue
    6 Mins Read

    Meati Foods CEO Phil Graves says there should be no place for ultra-processed or factory-farmed meat on consumer plates, as the mycelium protein maker doubles revenue and rolls out a new product line.

    Consumers must not be limited to choosing between planet-harming industrial meat or plant-based proteins with long ingredient lists, according to the head of one of the most well-funded meat alternative companies.

    As the ultra-processed food (UPF) debate rages on, Phil Graves, CEO of mycelium meat maker Meati, said Americans shouldn’t have to “leave any room for ultra-processed, Frankenfoods or factory-farmed meats on their dinner plates”.

    “Consumers shouldn’t have to decide between feedlot meats that are inhumanely raised, wreck the environment and lack nutrients, or ultra-processed plant-based options that have a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce,” he told Green Queen, echoing a common attack line against vegan food from Big Meat, while also lambasting the latter.

    Graves, who joined Meati as CFO last February before taking the CEO mantle two weeks later, was speaking to Green Queen after the launch of a new breakfast patty line, following a good financial year that saw its products enter 7,000 stores.

    “We had a strong year in 2024 – nearly doubling revenue, expanding retail distribution by 130%, innovating in the kitchen, and making some incredibly strong new hires,” he said. “We’re proving that there’s an appetite for a truly clean, whole-food protein like mycelium.”

    UPFs a major talking point in the US

    meati breakfast sausage
    Courtesy: Meati Foods

    The discourse around UPFs has reached fever pitch in the last few weeks, thanks to the possibility of Robert F Kennedy Jr becoming health secretary under President Donald Trump’s second administration.

    Kennedy has been highly critical of the industrial food system, championing regenerative agriculture instead. He has promised to remove UPFs from school lunches if confirmed by Congress, and has made his disdain known for what he labels ‘fake meat’.

    Meanwhile, nearly a dozen food giants – from Nestlé to Coca-Cola – have been hit with a lawsuit for engineering UPFs to be as addictive as cigarettes and “aggressively marketing” them to children. And California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order asking state departments to suggest measures to limit purchases of UPFs, which could include warning labels on product packaging.

    Vegan meat alternatives have been caught in the UPF crossfire, built on the age-old argument that they contain too many ingredients. That said, experts have warned that the level of processing of a food product isn’t connected to nutrition, and bodies like the WHO have noted that many UPFs – including plant-based meat – aren’t bad for you.

    Still, Americans are increasingly looking for cleaner-label options, and Meati is hoping to bank on that. Its new breakfast sausage patties, for example, are comprised of 98% mycelium.

    “We’re strong believers that the best foods for the health of people and the planet will come from regenerative farming, and clean, whole-food, natural proteins like mycelium,” said Graves. “And fortunately, these are some of the best-tasting foods, too, which is why you’re seeing such a gravitation to products like Meati. Nature always knows best. Consumers should not have to compromise.”

    Meati touts health benefits of mycelium meat

    meati breakfast patties
    Courtesy: Meati Foods/Green Queen

    All the UPF talk is also pushing Meati to promote the health credentials of its products, a tactic becoming popular across the category. The frozen breakfast sausages, which come in original and maple flavours and retail for $9.99, contain a complete profile with all nine essential amino acids.

    Each patty contains 8g of protein and 4g of fibre, with zero cholesterol or saturated fat. These attributes have led the Colorado-based firm to pursue certifications like heart-healthy and diabetic-friendly from the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association, respectively.

    “We wanted to create something with the same big aroma that fills your kitchen, and the same taste and texture of the breakfast patty you grew up with – but with a much cleaner nutrient profile,” said Graves.

    “Consumers and retailers have been eager for a mycelium-based breakfast option for a while now. And when you look at what’s available on store shelves now, it’s easy to see why,” he added.

    “The current choices fall short. You’ve got traditional breakfast sausages, like Jimmy Dean, that are loaded with factory-farmed meats, questionable ingredients and poor nutritional value. And you’ve got ultra-processed plant-based options that have a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce, protein profiles that don’t offer all nine amino acids, and flavours that don’t satisfy.”

    The breakfast sausages are available at 280 Sprouts stores. “All of our Meati products are strong sellers at Sprouts, so they were eager to add our breakfast patties to the mix,” the CEO said.

    Retail expansion crosses 7,000 doors

    meati mycelium steak
    Courtesy: Anay Mridul/Green Queen

    Meati’s announcement coincides with new listings at Harris Teeter and Raley’s nationwide, which gives it the distinction of being available in every metropolitan city in the US.

    Last year, after raising $100M in the industry’s biggest round since 2022, the company took on a bold target to reach 10,000 retail doors. While it didn’t quite get there, it did expand its distribution to over 7,000 locations.

    “We’re now in over 100 different grocery banners – including Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Meijers, Wegmans, HEB, Kroger family of stores, Super Target, Ralphs, Natural Grocers and several others,” revealed Graves.

    Meati’s existing lineup of whole-cut steaks and chicken cutlets has proven popular among consumers during a turbulent time for meat analogues. Circana data for the 52 weeks to July 14, 2024 found that sales of these products dropped by 9%, but Meati’s steak was among the top 15 growth items. The company saw a $2.7M hike in year-to-date sales, thanks in large part to its all-natural ingredient list.

    “Early indications suggest that mycelium breakfast patties will be a significant growth avenue for Meati. We’re confident these products will perform well,” said Graves, whose company is aiming for a big chunk of what could be a $6.5B market by 2032.

    meati ceo
    Courtesy: Meati Foods

    It’s not just supermarket shoppers who are interested in its mycelium meat – which, despite the sales and expansion, has been subject to legal disputes recently. “Restaurants are seeing the same demands from consumers as our retailers are. And that’s exciting to us,” said Graves.

    “Regardless of diet, today’s consumers demand food that’s delicious, clean, nutrient-dense and convenient. Not many foods can claim this, but we fit the bill for all. Vegetarians, vegans, meat-eaters, open omnivores, and all lifestyles find Meati a tasty and healthy addition to their lunches and dinners – and now breakfasts,” he added.

    “Chefs who use Meati’s steak and cutlet products in their restaurants love the taste, versatility and health benefits, and we expect this to grow in 2025.”

    The post ‘Nature Knows Best’: Meati CEO Rails Against UPFs & Factory Farming After Doubling Revenue in 2024 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • What Does California’s War on Ultra-Processed Food Mean for Plant-Based Meat Brands?

    plant based meat health
    7 Mins Read

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to crack down on ultra-processed foods – will plant-based meat get caught in the crossfire?

    Despite health and nutrition being a top food concern for Americans, the percentage of people who say they ate mostly healthy foods fell from 83% in 2022 to 71% in 2023.

    According to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, nearly three-quarters of US consumers aged 20 and above are overweight and obese, while almost four in 10 children and teenagers are prediabetic.

    One of the main causes of these conditions is diet. In fact, unhealthy diets contribute to over 675,000 deaths in the US every year. That said, one of the states with the lowest adult obesity rates (28%) is California – although one in four still are clinically obese. Meanwhile, a third of the state’s residents have prediabetes.

    To bring these numbers down further, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order targeting ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and synthetic food dyes, aiming to limit the associated health risks these ingredients and products pose to the human body.

    It chimes with Robert F Kennedy Jr’s war against UPFs, which could become a major talking point if he is confirmed as president-elect Donald Trump’s health secretary. RFK Jr is also known for his disdain for what he calls ‘fake meat’.

    With plant-based meat already taking reputational hits for its link to ultra-processing, how will Newsom’s executive order impact vegan food producers?

    What are UPFs, and how does California define them?

    plant based meat ultra processed
    Courtesy: VegFather

    UPFs are at the bottom rung of the Nova classification, which places food into four subgroups, based on the amount of processing. They comprise industrial formulations and techniques like extrusion or pre-frying, and cosmetic additives and substances deemed to be of little culinary use – think high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and modified starch.

    In the US, 73% of the food supply is made up of UPFs, contributing to 60% of the country’s calorie consumption.

    Newsom’s executive order describes UPFs as those “generally characterized as industrial formulations of chemically modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance and durability, with minimal to no inclusion of whole foods”.

    It goes on to provide examples of foods commonly thought of as ultra-processed, such as packaged snacks, chips, crackers, cookies, candy, sugary beverages and processed meats like hot dogs and lunch meat.

    The document doesn’t allude to plant-based meat analogues per se, though these are likely to be in focus over the next few months, alongside the aforementioned foods.

    There could also be a win for whole-food plant-based brands. Alluding to the dietary committee report, the order notes that diets higher in fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, unsaturated vegetable oils, and seafood, and lower in processed meats, sugar, refined grains, and saturated fats are associated with favourable health outcomes, including lower risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and colorectal and breast cancer.

    What does the executive order intend to do?

    california ultra processed foods
    California Governor Gavin Newsom | Courtesy: Gage Skidmore/CC

    Newsom has directed the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to provide recommendations for potential actions that can limit the harms associated with UPFs, which could include the use of warning labels on packaging for certain foods.

    The state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, meanwhile, has been asked to work with the CDPH to assess the feasibility of state-level evaluation of food additives that companies have reported to the federal Food and Drug Administration as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe). It could allow California to take state-level action if companies fail to notify the FDA of the GRAS status of certain food additives.

    Meanwhile, the California Department of Social Services has been tasked to recommend actions that can help the state reduce purchases of sodas, candy and other UPFs. The Department of Healthcare Services will report to the governor on whether Medi-Cal plans and community investment funds for hospitals can help enhance access to fresh, healthy foods and mitigate the impact of food deserts.

    While these are all due on April 1, the state’s Department of Education has been directed to identify areas where the state can adopt higher standards for healthy school meals by October 1.

    The latter date is also the deadline for the Department of Food and Agriculture to explore developing new standards and partnerships to ensure universal school food programmes have fresh ingredients grown locally in the state.

    Will plant-based meat be affected?

    impossible burger eu
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    It’s most likely that vegan products will come under scrutiny amid California’s anti-UPF drive. The state is home to two of the most well-known meat alternative makers – Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods – which have been victims of misinformation about the health impacts of UPFs.

    The executive order cites the dietary guidelines committee’s assessment of scientific evidence between UPFs and ill health, confirming that they have an adverse impact on obesity and type 2 diabetes risk. However, the group’s draft for the 2025-30 national dietary recommendations ignores UPFs due to a lack of compelling research on the subject.

    Multiple studies have linked UPFs to a range of health impacts. Experts have taken issue with the correlation between food processing and nutrition, since one has nothing to do with the other. The Nova classification describes how much processing a food has gone through, it doesn’t group them based on their health effects.

    This results in some convoluted interpretations of food and health. While Coca-Cola, Oreos, Corn Flakes, Lay’s, and Haagen Dazs are all unsurprisingly considered UPFs (though not by every study), so are tofu and whole-grain bread.

    Simply put, not all UPFs are bad for you, as a 2023 WHO study put it, suggesting that plant-based meat products – among other foods – are “not associated with risk of multimorbidity” (the medical term for having two concurrent life-threatening diseases), unlike other common UPFs.

    Meat analogues have been painted with the same brush as sodas, chips and confectionery, and that has played a part in hurting their sales, which fell by 12% in 2023, and have kept dwindling since.

    If California legally requires them to have a warning label, it will likely make things worse, especially in the Ozempic era. Over one in eight Americans have tried GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, and a survey of regular users found that they spend 6-9% less on groceries – primarily UPFs – six months after they start injecting them.

    Finally, since any regulations introduced will only be bound to California, companies that sell products nationwide will stand to lose, as they may be forced to reformulate products either nationally or within the state – both of which come with a huge set of challenges.

    How does it fit within the wider context of the Trump administration?

    trump rfk food health
    Courtesy: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC

    California was the first state to codify President Joe Biden’s federal guidelines to reduce sugar and salt in school meals – an effort that will continue even if the Trump administration enacts lower standards.

    Newsom has done a ton of work around school nutrition, outlawing sodas on K-12 campuses, introducing caffeine restrictions on all school grades, requiring entrées to meet calorie, fat, and trans fat standards, and proposing a sugar limit on almond milk and other non-dairy alternatives (which is expected to take effect this year).

    Despite his differences with the incoming federal government, his thinking on UPFs dovetails with RFK Jr. The latter has been a vocal critic of processed food, and has vowed to remove them from school lunches should he become health secretary.

    “The food we eat shouldn’t make us sick with disease or lead to lifelong consequences. California has been a leader for years in creating healthy and delicious school meals, and removing harmful ingredients and chemicals from food,” Newsom said. “We’re going to work with the industry, consumers and experts to crack down on ultra-processed foods, and create a healthier future for every Californian.”

    The executive order notes how, despite the “emerging evidence” around the ill effects of UPFs, “food companies have opposed efforts across the country to regulate ultra-processed foods and the proliferation of food additives, while continuing to market and sell their products without disclosing to consumers the potential harms their products may cause”.

    Almost a dozen Big Food companies have been sued in Pennsylvania for allegedly causing illnesses in kids with “addictive” ultra-processed foods, blaming them for fraudulent misrepresentation and unfair business practices.

    What happens if a new warning label appears on plant-based meat products in California? With companies increasingly touting their health benefits on packaging, could they be in danger of facing similar lawsuits?

    In Trump’s America, unfortunately, everything is possible.

    The post What Does California’s War on Ultra-Processed Food Mean for Plant-Based Meat Brands? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Burger Wars Heat Up: Why McDonald’s is Losing to Plant-Based Rivals in Europe

    mcdonald's new burger
    7 Mins Read

    Sustained high meat prices on both sides of the pond are changing the burger business – for the benefit of people and the planet. But McDonald’s may be too centralised to adapt quickly enough to the changing times.

    The world’s largest burger restaurant chain, McDonald’s, has posted the biggest fall in global sales since 2020. It’s the second consecutive quarter of contraction since the height of the Covid crisis. International markets outside the US were hit particularly badly, with sales down by 2.1%, led by France and the UK.

    One of the key triggers for such poor performance is meal prices. Customers walk in McDonald’s stores looking for tasty AND cheap meals served fast. That’s the unique selling proposition of fast food chains. The problem is that McDonald’s meals are not so cheap anymore.

    In May, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said in an open letter that the average price of McDonald’s menu items was up around 40% since 2019. Overall, the prices of McDonald’s food have risen an average of 100% in the last decade, which is about three times the general inflation rate, according to CPI Data.

    beef prices
    Courtesy: Statista

    Food inflation is to be blamed. Certainly, food prices have increased across all food categories in the past five years, but quite significantly in the meat category. For instance, the price of ground beef in the US has increased by 35% since the pandemic.

    The average EU meat price has also gone up since the pandemic: the cost of pork to consumers has increased by 42% since the pandemic; chicken 35%; and beef 30%. This is quite a blow for the operations of the Golden Arches brand because it is primarily an animal product business (beef, chicken, fish and dairy). 

    food price comparison
    Courtesy: Eurostat

    McDonald’s US reaction to plummeting sales has been to introduce a ‘$5 Meal Deal’ earlier in June for one month to attract lower-income customers back. It has been extended in the summer and again in November. Obviously, this move has squeezed profit margins. Even though the super cheap meal deal has helped increase sales in the US, net profits have fallen 3%.

    McDonald’s outside the US is trying out a different approach. Around the same time McDonald’s US extended the $5 Meal Deal until December, McDonald’s France launched a plant-based alternative to its Chicken McNuggets. Crucially, the plant-based version is sold at the same price as the regular nuggets, giving customers a clear choice (no price premium attached), while keeping the profit margin higher than with regular chicken.

    Why this could be a turning point for the vegan fast food sector

    mcdonalds vegan nuggets
    Courtesy: McDonald’s

    While the US is responding to the ever-increasing meat price pressure with super deals that are unsustainable in the medium run, McDonald’s in France is trying other avenues. This is important for three reasons.

    First, the size of the market. France is the Golden Arches’ largest market outside the US. The fast food giant clearly sees a growing demand for plant-based products, especially in Europe. Indeed, McDonald’s France’s chief marketing officer made that very point in the media surrounding the launch. 

    Second, the product. Chicken McNuggets are a flagship product. After the failure of the launch of the McPlant burger in the US, it’s telling that the company is piloting the plant-based chicken nuggets in such a key market for the company.

    Third, the marketing strategy. All the market research and the latest successes in fast food with Burger King and in retail with Lidl shows that selling plant-based alternatives at the same price as conventional meat products boosts sales significantly.

    All that glitters is not gold

    mcdonald's mcplant
    Courtesy: McDonald’s

    However, McDonald’s is a laggard in the sector. Rival Burger King is leading the plant-based race by a mile (or two), at least in Europe. 

    Burger King claims to have the largest plant-based range in the fast food sector in Germany, with a meatless version of almost every product since 2022. Their plant-based sales are beyond niche: One in five (20%) Whoppers sold in Germany are now plant-based, as well as one in four (25%) Long Chicken sandwiches. Similar sales performance has been registered in neighbouring Belgium and Austria. 

    The main driver of such success for the plant-based category is price parity. When Burger King Germany announced the full range of veggie options for each of their beef and chicken products, it did so by offering it at the same price as the regular animal products. 

    The bet paid off. And as meat prices have kept rising and the cost of veggie burgers have decreased thanks to economies of scale, in March Burger King Germany offered all their plant-based products at a lower price than meat.

    German supermarkets are witnessing the same downward trend: plant-based meat alternatives cost less and less every year, and in Lidl, Germany’s largest discount supermarket, veggie products today are cheaper for consumers than meat.

    Veggie burgers: good for people, animals and planet

    mcdonald's sustainability
    Courtesy: Profundo/Madre Brava

    The benefits of McDonald’s diversifying their protein offering are not only monetary. Selling more veggie burgers and plant-based nuggets is also a great deal for the climate, nature and animals. 

    McDonald’s is the world’s biggest fast-food chain with over 40,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. McDonald’s alone is responsible for around 1.5% of global beef consumption. 

    Analysis by research consultancy Profundo for Madre Brava shows that if McDonald’s replaced half of its beef burgers with plant-based patties globally, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15.6 million tonnes. This is equivalent to taking 12 million new petrol cars off EU roads. Moreover, the 50% plant-based meat replacement could free up an area of land the size of Austria (84,000 sq km). Last but not least, it could save as much fresh water as 84,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.

    Rebalancing protein sales to offer as many beef burgers as veggie burgers is not only good for the health of our planet, but it is also for our own health and nutrition. According to the latest peer-reviewed multicriteria analysis, processed plant-based products such as veggie burgers offer substantial health and nutritional benefits compared to regular animal counterparts. 

    US vs EU?

    mcdonald's netherlands
    Courtesy: McDonald’s Netherlands

    Sustained high meat prices are here to stay, while plant-based products get tastier and cheaper due to economies of scale. Unless the US and EU pour even more polluting subsidies into the industrial meat complex to artificially lower animal product prices, this is not going to change. Thus, the burger business is demanding a new strategy that can succeed in the new normal of high meat prices while addressing ESG challenges.

    Two diverging business strategies seem to be competing within the Golden Arches global family. A US approach laser-focused on luring customers back with $5 meal deals, betting on regenerative agriculture and a shift from ‘beef to chicken’ to ‘solve’ their health and sustainability challenges.

    And a European way, led by McDonald’s France, Germany and the Netherlands, that shows how plant-based patties and nuggets can help retain more and more flexitarian customers who want to cut down on meat and bring in new, vegetarian/vegan customers – all while increasing profit margins and slashing climate emissions.

    Because the Golden Arches company is a top-down business where menu decisions and corporate strategies are made in Chicago and rolled out globally, it is quite easy to predict that the American approach will prevail for the time being.

    But McDonald’s has always prospered through innovation. What is happening in Europe is a far more innovative way of approaching the new challenges facing the business than doubling down on a tired model which is proving increasingly unprofitable and unsustainable.

    McDonald’s cannot afford to be left behind by more agile competitors. Its current problems have opened up a big opportunity. It should seize it.

    The post Burger Wars Heat Up: Why McDonald’s is Losing to Plant-Based Rivals in Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Dutch Govt Cements Sustainable Protein Leadership with €25M Investment in Scale-Up Facilities

    lab grown meat netherlands
    5 Mins Read

    The Netherlands has launched two open-access facilities with a €25M injection – to scale up planet-friendly food production via cellular agriculture.

    Further cementing its position as a future food leader, the government of the Netherlands has backed the establishment of two independent scale-up facilities for cultivated meat and precision fermentation.

    The hubs have been developed via a public-private partnership involving the Cellular Agriculture Netherlands, contract research organisation Nizo Food Research, cultivated meat pioneer Mosa Meat, the Dutch National Growth Fund, and the agrifood ministry.

    The move will see the expansion of Nizo’s Biotechnology Fermentation Factory (BFF) in Ede, with a new large-scale upstream processing segment under construction. The other facility, Cultivate at Scale, is a spin-out of Mosa Meat in Maastricht, and will be focused on cell culture bioprocesses.

    Each facility is infused with a €12.5M grant from the National Growth Fund through CAN, supported by an equal contribution from other investors (either in cash or kind). For example, BFF has received €5M in financing from Nizo, as well as funding from the province of Gelderland (via a fund managed by Oost NL). It means both hubs benefit from a €25M investment.

    Both will provide companies working in cell culture and precision fermentation with the infrastructure to expand their R&D and production processes, and accelerate their path to market, without the need for costly, pilot-scale manufacturing inputs.

    CAN spokesperson Ira van Eelen said the foundation was working in collaboration with research and educational institutes to enable them to keep the facilities updated with the latest insights.

    She highlighted the importance of the open access, which can help startups secure their IP and support their downstream and food processing. “If you look at the scale we can provide we have been able to do this at astonishingly low costs. That’s super important if we want this food production [model] to be successful, and it will also mean that startups can do this at good conditions,” she told Green Queen.

    cellular agriculture netherlands
    Courtesy: Biotechnology Fermentation Factory

    How the scale-up facilities will help future food innovators

    The BFF enables precision fermentation companies and research institutions to test and develop innovations, and scale ideas from lab-scale to larger volumes. The facility is open to both domestic and international companies, and aims to attract new business activity to the Dutch Foodvalley.

    It offers a direct connection to Nizo’s food-grade downstream processing facility – said to be Europe’s largest pilot plant of its kind – and food application research. It draws on the organisation’s analytical, regulatory, and commercialisation expertise to enable fast product and process development and seamless scaling.

    “Shared facilities like the BFF are essential for reducing the high costs associated with scaling up,” said Marcel Oogink, managing director of the plant. “For startups, these costs are often simply too high. By collaborating with Nizo, companies will benefit from decades of knowledge and experience.”

    The Cultivate at Scale facility, meanwhile, is run by a highly experienced team that has managed production batches for multiple cellular agriculture companies, supported by world-class suppliers of cell feed, cell lines and bioreactors.

    Its production environment is said to have “advanced quality control processes in place”, which has helped create multiple novel food dossiers for regulatory approvals in the past.

    “This groundbreaking initiative, made possible by the financial support of the Dutch government, Mosa Meat’s expertise in cultivated meat production and the collaboration of partners across the cellular agriculture ecosystem, represents a major step forward for our industry,” said Jaco van der Merwe, managing director of Cultivate at Scale.

    “Together with our dedicated team, we look forward to helping companies bridge the gap from research to scalable production, accelerating the global transition to sustainable and innovative food systems.”

    netherlands cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    Why the Netherlands is a novel food leader

    The development comes months after a report co-authored by Foodvalley NL called for increased investment and policy support to help alternative protein startups overcome scale-up challenges in the country.

    It expands the Ede-Wageningen region’s leadership in food innovation, housing institutions like Wageningen University and Research, Foodvalley NL, and Nizo. According to the latter, the expansion of current facilities will boost the area’s growth as an international biotech and protein transition hub, and aligns with the Gelderse Climate Plan and the provincial agriculture and food policy to create a more sustainable food system.

    But it’s not just the local region that has been a pioneer in future food. The Netherlands itself is a European leader in this space. Through Mosa Meat, it was home to the world’s first cultivated meat burger in 2013, and it is the only EU nation to have approved and hosted public tastings for these proteins.

    lab grown meat tasting
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    The national government has invested €67M in cultivated meat research so far, more than any of its European counterparts, and also made a €60M commitment towards the development of a cellular agriculture ecosystem.

    Its lawmakers have also batted for cultivated meat in the EU, where some member states have tried to justify a ban on cultivated meat (like the one introduced in Italy). The country expressed doubt that an “absolute ban” is proportionate to any issues presented by these proteins, and believed that its objectives could be achieved in “an alternative, less far-reaching way, without introducing a ban on a product that has not yet been placed on the market”.

    It also noted how cultivated meat can economically benefit farmers. “The possibility of in-vitro meat production on a farm has been investigated and found feasible, and in the Netherlands, livestock farmers have already come forward who want to investigate how this production can be achieved on their farm,” it said.

    These efforts are reflective of the views of the Dutch population, 63% of whom are supportive of the sale of cultivated meat if it passes regulatory hoops, with 59% open to trying these products. They’re also more opposed to any proposed bans on these proteins than any other nation in the EU, with only 25% indicating support for such legislation.

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  • Future Food Quick Bites: Burger King Rib, Cured Swede Bagels & Ikea Vegan Sausages

    deutsche bahn vegan
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Burger King Germany’s new vegan option, a cured root vegetable bagel at Deutsche Bahn, and the UK parliament’s cultivated meat research.

    New products and launches

    Burger King has released a new plant-based King Rib sandwich in Germany. The limited-edition menu item uses plant-based meat from The Vegetarian Butcher, which may be in the process of being sold by its parent company, Unilever.

    verrano
    Courtesy: Verrano

    Also in Germany, national rail operator Deutsche Bahn is offering a bagel with cured, smoked rutabaga (or swede) from Verrano, which makes whole-food-based alternatives to meat. It’s available at its on-board restaurants and bistros.

    German chemicals and ingredients specialist Brenntag has collaborated with Berlin-based biotech firm Cambrium to launch NovaColl, a skin-identical vegan collagen for the personal care industry in the UK and Ireland, France, Italy, and Iberia.

    Fellow Berlin-based company BettaF!sh has linked up with Austrian supermarket chain Billa to introduce a co-branded vegan Tu-Nah Sandwich in the latter’s stores.

    maya bakery
    Courtesy: White Owl Group

    In Hong Kong, White Owl Group has launched a joint location for its plant-forward F&B brands The Cakery and Maya Bakery at K11 Musea, with new menu additions including vegan pistachio croissants and cotton cake inspired by the famous Dubai chocolate.

    Ikea has teamed up with UK plant-based meat leader THIS to put its vegan pork sausages on the menu for its £4.95 Veggie Sausage & Mash meal at 19 locations.

    ikea this isn't pork
    Courtesy: This/Ikea

    Aussie startup Fascin8foods, which makes mushroom-based burgers, mince and meatballs under its Froom label, has released a 24-recipe cookbook for Veganuary.

    Are you struggling to keep up with all the new launches and announcements for Veganuary 2025 in the US? Hear about them from the horse’s mouth.

    rebellyous chicken
    Courtesy: Rebellyous Foods

    Vegan chicken startup Rebellyous Foods has partnered with Great State Burger, a Pacific Northwest restaurant chain, for a new crispy chicken burger menu addition.

    Company and finance updates

    Rebellyous Foods has also raised $2.4M in an extension of its $9.4M Series B funding in 2023. It will use the fresh capital to expand sales of its new Mock 2 production platform.

    tribe bars
    Courtesy: Tribe

    Across the Atlantic, UK plant-based energy bar brand Tribe has secured £2.4M ($2.9M) to support the launch of a new adaptogen-centric ‘Protein + Focus’ range.

    The Grocer has uncovered that London-based vegan ready-meal startup Allplants owed creditors £13M ($15.8M) when it fell into administration last year.

    In yet another move linked to protein transition, discount retailer Lidl has become the first major supermarket to use The Vegetarian Society‘s Plant-Based Trademark, which will appear on its own-label Vemondo Plant! range.

    lemna
    Courtesy: Plantible Foods

    Israeli minerals company ICL Food Specialties has announced a follow-on investment in duckweed protein player Plantible Foods‘s Series B round, which netted the startup $30M in November. The two firms launched a Rovitaris Binding Solution using the latter’s Rubi Protein in October.

    Swedish energy and tech giant Alfa Laval is building a Food Innovation Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark to support sustainable food production. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2027, and will initially focus on proteins, including plant-based and fermentation-derived ingredients.

    European fermentation association Food Fermentation Europe has appointed Sebastien Louvion – chief regulatory officer at animal-free casein startup Standing Ovation – as its new president.

    Israeli molecular farming startup Plantopia has switched from lettuce to sprouted oats to produce casein protein for animal-free dairy products.

    Research and policy developments

    Latin America now has 22% more vegan-friendly restaurants than it did in 2023, numbering over 10,000, according to research by Veganuary and HappyCow.

    The number of care home residents in the UK who are vegan or vegetarian will continue to rise over the next five years, doubling by 2031, according to a study by Swansea University’s OMNIPlaNT research group for Vegetarian For Life.

    uk lab grown meat
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    In its latest move to advance novel foods, the British parliament has commissioned a new research project to consider the opportunities and challenges of cultivated meat production. It’s expected to be published in May.

    Speaking of cultivated meat research, this was a hot topic in 2024, and Trove Biosciences founder Tarika Vijayaraghavan has laid out five takeaways after closely monitoring this space.

    whole cut plant based meat
    Courtesy: Hebrew University of Jerusalem

    At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, engineers have devised a way to leverage metamaterials to create whole cuts of plant-based meat that offer a more scalable and cost-effective solution to 3D printing.

    Researchers at the Beijing Institute of Technology have developed a method to use autoclaved vegetables as scaffolds for muscle and adipose cell growth for cultivated meat.

    The Good Food Institute has selected 14 researchers for its 2025 Research Grant Programme to accelerate alternative protein innovation.

    vegan dog food
    Courtesy: Omni

    Finally, plant-based granola maker Bio&Me and vegan pet food startup Omni have been named in the UK’s 2025 Startups 100 Index.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Burger King Rib, Cured Swede Bagels & Ikea Vegan Sausages appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Leading Cultivated Meat Startup Vow Cuts 30% of Staff Ahead of Latest Fundraise

    george peppou
    6 Mins Read

    Australian cultivated meat startup Vow has laid off 25 employees as it finalises its latest funding round, citing slower-than-expected regulatory processes.

    Sydney-based Vow, the only cultivated meat producer globally that has received regulatory approval to sell multiple products in multiple markets, has made nearly a third of its staff redundant as it seeks to close its latest round of investment.

    The startup – which has dominated global headlines on several occasions – informed staff about the layoffs last Friday, with 25 employees (or about 30% of its workforce) across R&D, sales and communications reportedly affected, including some in leadership positions – the exact roles haven’t been confirmed.

    “On Friday, we began the painful process of commencing a redundancy consultation (a process which is ongoing) for 25 members of Vow’s team, across a variety of roles and functions. This was an incredibly difficult decision and it truly hurt to make,” Vow co-founder and CEO George Peppou said in a statement sent to Green Queen.

    The company – which appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for its woolly mammoth meatball in 2023 – cited the slow pace of regulatory approvals in several markets as a key factor behind the cutbacks, with Peppou insisting it was “a decision we are taking from a position of strength as the industry leader, not a position of weakness”.

    Vow’s cultured quail parfait and foie gras – marketed under the Forged brand – have been cleared to sell in Singapore and Hong Kong, but it has also been awaiting approval from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) since early 2023. The process in the latter market has been slow-going.

    Peppou told Green Queen in November that Vow anticipated an approval decision to be made in Q1 2025, “given the projected timelines shared with us by FSANZ”. A week earlier, the regulator said it had opened a second round of public consultation, proposing a new standards-based approach. It closed just before Christmas, but no further announcements have been made yet.

    Cultivated meat companies are facing a difficult regulatory landscape in multiple geographies. The EU’s regulatory process is lengthy, and most companies do not expect a greenlight in the near term. Meanwhile, with the re-election of President Donald J Trump, cultivated meat companies looking for clearance in the US are bracing for slower approvals.

    Vow fundraising in bleak environment for cultivated meat

    vow cultured meat
    Courtesy: Vow

    According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Peppou sent a Slack message to the company’s employees (known as Vowzers) on Friday, which read: “Team, Vow is finalising a fundraise in a very challenging funding environment – this gives us runway into 2027.

    “As part of this, the expectation is for Vow’s focus to narrow to only finding product [that is] market fit, continuing to improve manufacturing reliability and reaching approvals in new markets. Sadly, this means today we will be saying goodbye to a number of Vowzers.”

    Vow has so far secured $55M from investors via seed and Series A rounds (at the time it was the largest Series A for cultivated meat globally), and has been able to commercialise with a much smaller outlay than other companies approved to sell cultivated meat, with Upside Foods (US) having raised $608M, GOOD Meat (US) $270M, and Aleph Farms (Israel) $118M. The only startup that has achieved regulatory clearance with fewer funds than Vow is Meatly ($4.5M), but it caters to pets rather than humans.

    As Peppou indicated in his message to staff, venture capital has dried up for cultivated meat. Investment in the sector fell by 75% in 2023 to reach $226M, and in the first nine months of 2024, it was only able to attract another $133M – in fact, Q3 saw a mere $3M going into cultivated meat.

    alternative protein investment
    Courtesy: GFI

    The Vow CEO declined to comment about the upcoming fundraise, instead saying this move would help streamline things for the startup. Peppou said that its volume increase had been slower than planned due to the regulatory pace, which meant it didn’t require the scale of the team it was previously building.

    “Each and every one of the staff members whose roles have been included in the ongoing redundancy consultation are exceptionally talented, dedicated and hardworking individuals who substantially contributed to the success of Vow. This process is not a reflection on them, but rather what Vow needs to achieve in the next two years,” Peppou’s statement read.

    “It is my sincere hope that they all choose to stay in our startup ecosystem because I know they are exactly the calibre of individuals who make groundbreaking innovations possible, and I will do everything in my power to support them to find new roles.”

    Vow isn’t the only cultivated meat startup to have conducted layoffs recently. Upside Foods let go of 26 employees in July to “narrow to a tighter set of priorities”, a month after Aleph Farms cut 30% of its domestic workforce amid its scale-up efforts and reported fundraising difficulties. The alternative protein space is facing a challenging landscape and many leading companies are streamlining their teams, the latest being lactoferrin-maker TurtleTree.

    Investors call decision difficult, but logical

    lab grown meat approved
    Courtesy: Vow

    Vow has taken a different approach to its better-funded rivals, focusing on high-end meats and novel taste experiences with its Forged Gras and Cultured Quailia, rather than making cultivated versions of chicken, where the margins are much smaller.

    It has entered the market through tasting events at luxury eateries in Singapore and Hong Kong. According to a company website, consumers can taste Vow’s at up to seven restaurants in the Lion City while tastings in Hong Kong are currently paused. The company said the latter was unrelated to this week’s news.

    “Like many companies operating in highly technical environments and highly regulated markets, Vow has faced a challenging operating environment as it scales its mission globally,” a spokesperson for Blackbird Ventures, an investor in Vow, was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

    “Start-ups require incredibly difficult decisions to be made, and whilst this decision was the most logical thing for the company, it was not made lightly,” she added. “We believe in Vow’s vision for entirely new foods and are confident in its road map to achieving this ambition.”

    ‘We must get leaner,’ says CEO

    vow cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Vow

    In his statement, Peppou said cultivated meat’s success depends on solving three key challenges: scale, market demand, and market access. “Vow is the only company in the world to have solved the first two of these challenges and is leading the world in market access,” he suggested.

    “However, given the complexity and novelty of the regulatory process for cultured meat, it has taken far longer than initially expected to secure regulatory approval in the markets which Vow has targeted.

    “This is not a criticism of the regulators, but rather an acknowledgement of the care and thoroughness necessary to ensure cultured meat is completely safe for human consumption and regulated appropriately.

    “The reality is that in order for Vow to continue to grow and thrive, we must get leaner and focus our entire efforts on activities that put our products into more markets and onto more consumers’ plates.”

    Asked about the company’s plans for 2025, Peppou responded: “More products in more markets from our operating 20kL factory.”

    The post Leading Cultivated Meat Startup Vow Cuts 30% of Staff Ahead of Latest Fundraise appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • What Does Singapore’s New Food Safety Bill Mean for Novel Proteins?

    singapore food safety bill
    5 Mins Read

    Singapore’s parliament just passed a Food Safety and Security Bill to adapt the country’s agrifood systems to climate change and advance future foods.

    Already a leader in the world of future food, Singapore is strengthening its food safety and security measures with a new bill to deal with a compounding supply chain and the effects of the climate crisis.

    “Singapore has also faced various food supply challenges in recent years. The Covid-19 pandemic saw the impact of supply disruptions when we experienced the effects of lockdowns and restrictions on cross-border movements,” environment minister Grace Fu told the parliament before the bill was signed last week.

    “Supply chain disruptions arising from many other factors – extreme weather events, disease outbreaks, and trade restrictions – also affected our food supply on several occasions. With climate change, rising biosecurity risks and geopolitical tensions, the risk of food disruptions is expected to increase,” she added.

    Fu noted that the government’s policy measures have helped ride these storms, but these must be supported by laws to enable the Singapore Food Agency to ensure a safe and secure supply in the island nation.

    One of the major themes of the new bill concerns defined foods, which include novel proteins like cultivated meat and precision-fermented foods. Singapore has repeatedly championed these foods as a way to enhance food security – it imports 90% of its food – and the latest bill formalises existing practices for products that require premarket approval.

    How does Singapore define novel foods?

    lab grown meat tasting
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    The new bill describes “defined foods” as those that comprise novel or genetically defined foods that haven’t received premarket approval, including insects.

    Novel foods themselves have been described as those made from cellular agriculture and tissue culture derived from animals, plants, bacteria, yeast, fungi, algae, and other microbes, which have not been used “to a significant degree” as a food for at least the 20 years in or outside Singapore. This also applies to processes that haven’t been employed to produce food in this time period.

    “The policy intention is to take into account the history of consumption of food anywhere in the world, when determining whether or not food is novel food,” reads the bill.

    When parliamentary member and climate activist Louis Ng raised concerns about any subjectivity around the definition of novel foods, Koh Poh Koon, senior minister of state for environment and sustainability, responded: “Since 2019, SFA has put in place a novel food regulatory framework to ensure that only novel food which is safe for human consumption can be manufactured, imported, distributed, or sold in Singapore.”

    He added: “When in doubt on whether a food or food ingredient is considered a novel food in the first place, companies should consult SFA to discuss the available evidence on the history of safe use that they have compiled.”

    What does the bill say about regulatory approvals?

    vow singapore approval
    Courtesy: Vow Food

    The Food Safety and Security Bill codifies the existing regulatory framework to make it easier for novel food companies to meet the SFA’s standards and commercialise their products.

    In many countries, innovations like cultivated meat need pre-market approval to be made available for consumption. Singapore’s policies have been at the forefront here, and the new bill lays down exactly what the process entails.

    Pre-market authorisations take into account public health and safety aspects, considering whether the food has any potential adverse effects on humans, its composition, structure, and production process, the source from which it’s derived, and the likely patterns and levels of consumption.

    “The safety assessments should cover potential food safety risks such as toxicity, allergenicity, safety of the food production methods used, and dietary exposure arising from consumption,” said Koh.

    While there’s no expiry date for a novel premarket approval, the bill notes that such authorisations can be cancelled if they’ve been obtained by fraudulent means, if companies don’t comply with the agreed conditions, or if there’s been a material change to how the food is made, packaged, and stored. The SFA can also scrap the approval if the country’s public interest requires it to.

    What happens next?

    eat just chicken
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    The new bill is expected to streamline the regulatory pathway for novel food producers, giving them access to more detailed information about the framework and safety assessment processes.

    The provisions under the bill will take effect in phases, with full implementation expected by 2028, allowing time for companies to transition. For defined foods, it will be enacted in the second half of this year.

    The SFA, which has been publishing regular updates on safety assessment requirements on its website, will now publish information about approved novel foods too. “Companies can also consult SFA or sign up for the bi-monthly Novel Food Virtual Clinics to better understand SFA’s requirements,” said Koh.

    “SFA will continue to ensure that sufficient clarity is provided to industry through direct engagements with novel food companies, as well as through the updating of guidance documents online,” he added.

    Singapore was the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat five years ago, giving the greenlight to California-based Eat Just’s Good Meat brand. Last summer, the cultivated chicken made its way into retail via Huber’s Butchery, marking another first.

    The SFA followed that up with an approval for Australia’s Vow last year, whose cultivated quail and foie gras are currently being sold at restaurants in the city.

    The post What Does Singapore’s New Food Safety Bill Mean for Novel Proteins? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • With Trump Incoming, What Does RFK Jr Really Think About Cultivated Meat?

    rfk lab grown meat
    5 Mins Read

    Robert F Kennedy Jr could well be America’s new health secretary, overseeing food safety under Donald Trump? What could it mean for cultivated meat?

    In just over a week, Joe Biden will leave the White House as a largely unpopular president – however unfair that perception may be, especially given his climate legacy – passing the mantle back to perhaps the most divisive leader the US has ever had.

    Donald Trump is gearing up for his second term with all guns blazing, and it has left a lot of people nervous. That includes the food industry, which could be in for a massive overhaul under the Republican administration, thanks to a former Democrat.

    Trump has nominated environmentalist-turned-vaccine-sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr as his health secretary, potentially giving him free reign over the country’s food and health systems. While his appointment is yet to be confirmed, the political dynast could have a lasting impact on how America eats.

    One industry facing severe uncertainty is cultivated meat, which has already been the centre of a culture war over the last year. Over a dozen states have attempted to ban these novel foods, and two have been successful – even as some Republican Congress members fear that the US is falling behind to China’s biotech dominance, like it did in the electric vehicle race.

    Rumours are swirling that RFK Jr might follow the lead of state politicians and ban cultivated meat, but what has he really said about it?

    What has RFK said about cultivated meat?

    Kennedy’s public statements about cultivated meat haven’t actually come directly from his mouth. Instead, he has quoted and reposted several articles critical of these proteins from Children’s Health Defense, the anti-vaccine disinformation organisation he was chairman of until April 2023, when he took a leave of absence to run for president.

    In October 2021, he shared a story that claimed cultivated meat was a money-making scheme for corporations and billionaires, quoting: “Lab-grown meat offers private corporations the opportunity to place intellectual property rights on meat development and thus create a financial windfall, at the expense of human health.”

    And in November 2022, he retweeted a piece titled ‘The Fake Meat Scam’, quoting the introduction: “Using strategies to position it as a healthy alternative for natural meat, the industry’s fake meat is just another name for ultra-processed food, full of GE and pesticide-laden ingredients designed to look as much like meat as possible.”

    The same week, he reposted an article questioning the safety and climate benefits of cultivated meat, reiterating a quote that said “lab-grown meat is a pipe dream”.

    More broadly, RFK Jr has been very vocal against ultra-processed foods, a category cultivated meat falls under. He has pledged to remove them from school lunches, and has had a long history of promoting regeneratively farmed crops.

    In April 2022, he tweeted that “fake food doesn’t address root problems of industrial food + its eco + health consequences” when resharing another article.

    The same day, he said he “agreed” with the argument that governments should stop subsidising large food companies based on “dubious” and “misleading” claims. “Ultimately, we don’t just need to change products we’re eating – we need to change [sic] entire system,” the tweet read.

    An uncertain future for cultivated meat in America

    That last comment could be a marker of things to come. In the US, novel foods like cultivated meat are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which in 2023 approved the sale of cultivated chicken products from Upside Foods and Eat Just-owned Good Meat.

    But with Kennedy as health secretary, the FDA faces an uncertain future. He has vowed to clear out several departments (including nutrition) within the agency, and is weighing up a rewrite to its rules on food additives. That said, despite Trump seemingly promising RFK Jr the role of USDA chief, the president-elect went with Brooke Rollins instead.

    Still, if confirmed, RFK Jr will work in an administration controlled by the Republican Party, which has spearheaded the efforts to ban cultivated meat in states over the last 12 months. Florida and Alabama have successfully done so, and lawmakers in Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia have introduced similar measures.

    Is that a harbinger of a nationwide ban under Kennedy? That much seems unlikely, according to an ally close to the conspiracy theorist, as reported by the journalist Michael Grunwald last week. He was told that Kennedy will – as is expected – likely to make things much more complicated for startups pursuing FDA approval for cultivated meat.

    trump rfk food health
    Courtesy: Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC

    Already, cultivated meat has had a rough couple of years. Some startups have shut down, some have had to let go of staff, and many are financially strained. In 2022, VC funding for these startups fell by 75% to $226M – and while things seemed to be picking up again in the first half of 2023, Q3 saw only $3M plunged into this sector.

    While there were some wins in the form of regulatory approvals, all of them were outside the US. That is likely to continue this year, and possibly for the next four. The US may be home to the largest number of cultivated meat innovators, but they face a great unknown.

    The post With Trump Incoming, What Does RFK Jr Really Think About Cultivated Meat? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.