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Category: Alt Protein

  • World Bank Bats for Alternative Proteins, Calls for Shift Away from Meat and Dairy Subsidies

    world bank meat subsidies
    8 Mins Read

    The World Bank has asked countries to redirect their subsidies away from livestock farming and towards low-emission products, encouraging greater adoption of alternative proteins for a more secure planetary future.

    In a landmark report highlighting the agrifood system’s impact on climate change and potential for mitigation, the World Bank has made a major statement about the financial prowess and giant ecological footprint of the animal agriculture industry.

    The global financial lender has suggested a repurposing of subsidies from red meat and dairy towards lower-emission foods like fruits, vegetables and poultry, adding that alternative proteins like plant-based, cultivated and fermentation-derived options represent a low-cost, highly effective solution in mitigating global heating.

    At current rates, we’re on track to breach temperature rises of 3.2°C since pre-industrial levels, which will have catastrophic effects on the planet. But the agrifood sector is a largely untapped source of affordable climate action, which can have an outside impact on the crisis, presenting the opportunity to cut a third of all emissions (about 16 gigatonnes a year) through readily available tools.

    The Recipe for a Livable Planet report, which is the World Bank’s first comprehensive global strategic framework to mitigate the food system’s contribution to climate change and protect food security, says such actions will have three key benefits. They will make our food supply more secure amid a population that will count two billion more by 2050, they will help our food system withstand the ecological crisis better, and they will ensure vulnerable people are not harmed by the transition away from meat and dairy.

    “We are faced with a startling and largely misunderstood reality: the system that feeds us is also feeding the planet’s climate crisis,” said Axel van Trotsenburg, senior managing director for development policy and partnerships at the World Bank. “The narrative is clear: to protect our planet, we need to transform the way we produce and consume food.”

    Why tackling agrifood emissions is crucial

    meat climate change
    Courtesy: World Bank

    The World Bank notes how agricultural emissions are much larger than many think, accounting for 14% more emissions than heat and electricity. But agrifood emissions must reach net zero by 2050 if we’re to have a chance of meeting the 1.5°C goal outlined in the Paris Agreement, given they’re so high they could themselves make the world miss this target.

    But too little money is being invested in reducing this impact. A separate report last year showed that only 4.3% of all climate financing goes to the agrifood system. The World Bank states that funding to reduce or remove agrifood emissions is “anaemic” at 2.4% of total mitigation finance. This needs to change among countries across the economic spectrum.

    Three-quarters of these emissions come from developing nations, including two-thirds from middle-income countries, but mitigation action needs to happen in high-income states as well. Moreover, it’s important to take a food systems approach, including emissions from relevant value chains, land use change and those from the farm, since over half of agrifood emissions come from these sources.

    Such action must be taken carefully to avoid job losses and food supply disruptions. Inaction, however, presents even greater risks to these factors, with the World Bank outlining that it would make our planet unliveable. If done correctly, mitigation action can bring about increased food security and resilience, better nutrition, improved access to finance for farmers, and biodiversity conservation, while securing jobs, good health and livelihoods for vulnerable groups and smallholder farmers.

    Investing in agrifood emissions reduction represents much larger payoffs than the costs. Countries need to inject 18 times more capital into this sector than they’re doing now, reaching $260B per year, to half emissions by 2030 and get on track for net zero by 2050. But the health, economic and environmental benefits could be as much as $4.3T by the end of the decade, which is a 16-to-1 return on investment.

    One way to do this is to shift money away from “wasteful and harmful” subsidies, with the required investment for emissions cuts less than half the amount the world spends on agricultural subsidies. Still, the World Bank says substantial additional resources are needed to cover the rest of these costs.

    The agrifood opportunity for countries

    world bank plant based
    Courtesy: World Bank

    Low-income countries, which make up just 11% of the agrifood system’s emissions, should focus on “green and competitive growth” and avoid building the high-emissions infrastructure that richer countries need to now replace. Over half of the emissions here come from land use change, so preserving and restoring forests are cost-effective ways to cut emissions.

    The World Bank encourages carbon credits and emissions trading to preserve forests as carbon sinks, though these tools come with major asterisks. But there are also benefits to be gained from climate-smart agricultural techniques and agroforestry practices.

    Middle-income nations are responsible for the majority (68%) of the food system’s emissions, with 15 such nations accounting for two-thirds of the world’s cost-effective mitigation potential. A third of these reduction opportunities are linked to land use change, while fertiliser production, food loss and waste, household consumption, and methane from livestock are all areas to make cuts in as well.

    High-income countries play a central role here. Making up 21% of all agrifood emissions, they have the highest energy demands for food production and must do more to promote renewable energy. They should also give more financial and technical support to low- and middle-income nations to adopt low-emission farming practices.

    Richer countries should decrease their own consumer demand for emissions-intensive animal foods, according to the World Bank, which notes that these states can influence consumption by ensuring the climate and health costs of food are fully included in the prices. Moreover, repurposing subsidies from red meat and dairy towards low-emission products, and promoting sustainable food options, would be highly impactful as well.

    World Bank champions alternative proteins

    The World Bank’s report highlighted that rich countries have the highest demand consumption of climate-harming animal foods, which globally account for 60% of all agrifood emissions. UN bodies like the FAO have underlined solutions for less polluting animal agriculture, but the World Bank says shifting diets away from meat and towards plant-forward patterns is twice as effective as other mitigation methods (such as reducing enteric fermentation).

    climate finance food
    Courtesy: World Bank

    Meanwhile, full-cost pricing of animal foods – in other words, carbon taxes – would make low-emissions options more competitive. The report outlines studies that have shown meat prices need to increase by 20-60% to reflect the true costs on human and planetary health. This is why redirecting subsidies could lead to significant changes in consumption patterns – livestock farming receives 1,200 and 800 times more funding than alternative proteins in the EU and the US, respectively.

    The World Bank spotlights plant-based meat, cultivated foods and other protein sources as innovative technologies that need more can greatly contribute to emissions reduction, but need much heavier R&D spending. Diversifying protein supplies through R&D, plant-based meat and dairy, and insect protein are some of the cheapest ways to lessen the climate footprint of the food system. This cost is earmarked to be up to $26B a year, much lower than the investment in protecting and restoring nature (up to $142B), regenerative agriculture ($40B), promoting healthier diets ($35M), and reducing food loss and waste ($60M).

    Dietary change can result in a 70-80% decrease in food-related emissions and a 50% drop in land and water use. The World Bank suggests vegan diets are by far the most effective here, noting how one study found that while vegetarian eating patterns have a median emissions reduction potential of 35%, plant-based diets could cut emissions by nearly half (49%).

    agrifood emissions
    Courtesy: World Bank

    At another point in the report, it points out that plant-based and cultivated proteins have a 30-90% lower GHG intensity than animal-derived foods and could represent a reduction potential of at least 300 megatonnes of CO2e in the near term – and this is based on conservative estimates. “Technologies like cellular fermentation and plant-based protein can provide low-emission alternatives to meat. These methods can benefit animal welfare while reducing land, water, and nutrient consumption for livestock,” the World Bank says.

    “Cultured meat could transform protein consumption practices, but its impacts on emissions are still relatively unknown,” it added, noting that the industry is facing many technical, ethical and political challenges. “These innovative products are still in their early stages and their development is contingent on continued investments, technological growth, regulatory endorsements, and consumer approval.”

    World Bank needs to clean its own house too

    The World Bank calls on governments, businesses, consumers and farmers to work together to repurpose wasteful subsidies, encourage low-emission agriculture, capitalise on emerging tech, and ensure a just transition by including vulnerable populations on the frontlines of the climate crisis. More sustainable food options can be advocated through measures like food labelling (including carbon, nutrition and sourcing data), choice architecture, education campaigns, and research in innovation in alternative proteins by governments.

    world bank factory farming
    Courtesy: Friends of the Earth

    “The food system must be fixed because it is making the planet ill and is a big slice of the climate change pie,” the authors say. “There is action that can be taken now to make agrifood a bigger contributor to overcoming climate change and healing the planet. These actions are readily available and affordable.”

    Outgoing UN special rapporteur David Boyd summed up the frustration of human rights and climate activists in an interview yesterday. “I can’t get people to bat an eyelash. It’s like there’s something wrong with our brains that we can’t understand just how grave this situation is,” he said. “I think the right to a healthy environment is actually the foundation that we require to enjoy all other human rights. If we don’t have a living, healthy planet Earth, then all the other rights are just words on paper.”

    The World Bank highlights the importance of making private investment in agrifood mitigation less risky, but its own private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has provided at least $1.6B to industrial livestock farming projects since 2017. This creates a mismatch between the lender’s climate and animal welfare pledges, and its investment actions, and the organisation is facing calls to phase out its financial support of animal agriculture.

    The institution has said that climate change and animal welfare are central to the IFC’s agricultural investments, stating that large-scale projects can be used to develop more efficient, eco-friendly practices. But with its latest report, the World Bank needs to put its money where its mouth is – quite literally.

    The post World Bank Bats for Alternative Proteins, Calls for Shift Away from Meat and Dairy Subsidies appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Plant Protein Maker BaiChuan Bio Tech Prepares for IPO in China

    baichuan
    4 Mins Read

    Chinese plant protein company Baichuan Bio Tech is preparing for an IPO, having registered for consultation with the Zhejiang Securities Regulatory Bureau.

    Baichuan Bio Tech, a plant-based manufacturer specialising in soy fibre protein, is preparing for an IPO in China, and has registered with the Zhejiang Securities Regulatory Bureau for guidance on going public.

    Founded in 2008, the Wenzhou-based company is a protein solutions provider and tech leader combining R&D capabilities, production and sales. The company’s product portfolio traverses multiple categories, including plant-based meats, frozen foods and snacks, and its partners serve 32 countries and regions globally.

    Its flagship dehydrated soy protein uses proprietary techniques to mimic the texture of muscle fibres, which allows plant-based meats to closely match the texture and nutritional value of their conventional counterparts, while significantly reducing fat and cholesterol content.

    These speak to the ever-evolving attitudes of China’s consumers, whose dietary habits have become more health-skewed of late. BiaChuan founder Chen Biao explained the three-step transition, progressing from addressing hunger, to pursuing quality, to now emphasising health. A 1,206-person study from 2022 found that health is the strongest driver of plant-based meat purchases for Chinese consumers.

    And it’s not just in China – this change is being seen across the world, with nutrition becoming increasingly more important to people, especially when it comes to plant-based food.

    BaiChuan’s manufacturing prowess

    china plant based meat
    Courtesy: BaiChuan Bio Tech

    BaiChuan has two major production sites in Wenzhou and Henan, with a capacity of 80,000 tonnes annually. The former facility features fully automated workshops and focuses on high-end products for catering and exports, while the latter is said to be the largest plant protein manufacturing base in China, equipped with a fully automated production line to produce meat analogues, frozen foods and snacks.

    The company claims its textured soy protein has a clean taste and superior mouthfeel, and boasts high functionality for plant-based meat applications, which include dishes like spaghetti, nuggets, burger patties, sauces and tinned meats.

    It has made several strides in its facilities by upgrading to twin-screw extruders, boosting the performance and production formula of plant proteins and developing over 30 varieties of its soy protein with more than 100 specifications. In total, the company holds 51 patents for its technologies.

    For its foodservice products, the manufacturer has developed products like plant-based edible bird’s nests, cubes, slices and granules, which instantly expand after physical extrusion for 10 seconds, preventing nutrient loss and overheating. These products have no cholesterol, sugar, additives or fat, and contain thrice more protein than beef, responding to consumer needs for more nutritionally dense plant-based meat.

    Global clientele and future-facing product development

    BaiChaun says its products are geared towards vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians. A ProVeg International survey from last year found that 19.3% of Chinese Gen Zers are flexitarians, while 65% know about plant-based meat and 35% are willing to purchase these products.

    With nearly 500 employees, the company racked up nearly 500 million yuan ($6.9M) in sales in 2020, and has total assets worth 265 million yuan ($3.6M). This is aided by its roster of 1,300 clients, which includes large companies like Shuanghui, Jinluo, and Yanjinpuzi. In fact, 500 of these are overseas customers from the likes of Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and more.

    baichuan bio tech
    Courtesy: BaiChuan Bio Tech

    But while it’s known for its soy protein, BaiChuan is also using 18 types of native ingredients including wheat, peanuts, peas, flaxseed, carrots, pumpkins, buckwheat, red beans and ginseng to form a new generation of plant protein productions developed by China Agricultural University professors.

    A report by alternative protein think tank Food Frontier last year found China to be the most favourable market for plant-based food in Asia-Pacific. But high price remains a key barrier, with analysis from Asymmetrics Research showing that many middle-income Chinese consumers are looking for better-value products.

    “In the post-pandemic era, consumers are placing greater emphasis on nutritional value and affordability,” said Jeremy Yeo, acting general manager of the China division of Beyond Meat, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. “Additionally, there’s a pronounced shift towards products that prioritise health, flavour and environmental sustainability. ‘Green’ and eco-friendly options are not mere trends; they mark a profound evolution in consumer tastes and values.”

    There is policy support too – in February 2023 the annual Central No. 1 Document mentioned a diversified food system of animals, plants and microorganisms. And in May 2022, China’s 14th five-year plan for bioeconomy development highlighted an advancement of synthetic biology, and exploration of man-made protein and novel foods – two months after President Xi Jinping called for a Grand Food Vision that included the plant-, microorganism- and animal-based protein sources.

    BiaChuan claims it accounts for over 40% of the domestic market share for plant proteins – with its impending IPO, it will hope to capture the stock market the same way.

    In the US, Impossible Foods is also weighing up a possible IPO, after its CEO Peter McGuinness said the company is targeting a liquidity event in the next few years.

    The post Plant Protein Maker BaiChuan Bio Tech Prepares for IPO in China appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Pandemic Recovery, More Brands & Price Parity: Here’s How Australia’s Plant-Based Industry is Doing

    food frontier
    11 Mins Read

    Despite a downturn in investment and economic contribution, sales of plant-based meat in Australia have grown from pre-pandemic levels, with a greater number of brands and a smaller price gap with conventional proteins. Food Frontier CEO Simon Eassom explains why.

    Plant-based meat is inching closer to the cost of its conventional counterparts in Australia, driven by a proliferation of brands and significant foodservice growth, according to a new report by Food Frontier.

    The think tank’s 2023 State of the Industry report combines industry data and insights from Deloitte Access Economics, highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector after a tricky couple of years globally.

    Where has the industry gained, and where is it lacking? What will it look like in the future? Here are the key takeaways from Food Frontier’s analysis.

    Foodservice surge offsets retail slide

    aussie plant based co
    Courtesy: Love Buds

    The rise of plant-based meat in Australia has been driven by its foodservice performance since Covid-19. In 2023, sales across foodservice and retail reached AU$272.5M, representing a 47% increase from 2020, the first year of the pandemic. Per capita consumption is also up by 28% since 2020.

    But while retail sales dipped by 1.1% annually, the wholesale demand in foodservice has increased by 59%. This means the latter is now responsible for 45% of the sector’s sales, up from 17% in 2020. Most of these sales (80%) come from quick-service restaurants (QSRs), with the report suggesting manufacturers stand to gain by expanding into new foodservice outlets and across untapped segments.

    “The foodservice sector has come from a very low base, so growth has always had significant potential. Australians eat out a great deal as part of their culture. With plant-based meats becoming more popular and well-known, QSRs and other service outlets have been able to rapidly introduce non-meat alternatives into their menus very simply and without significant input into chef education,” Food Frontier CEO Simon Eassom told Green Queen.

    He cites the ease of offering meatless versions of traditional choices like plant-based burgers or an Aussie breakfast with vegan bacon and sausages as an example. “There is evidence that consumers are more willing to try something new in a service setting and, particularly if one member of a group or family doesn’t eat meat, QSRs have recognised the value of catering for the requirements of the whole group,” he added. “Hungry Jacks (Australia’s version of Burger King) has seen this value when introducing the ‘Rebel Whopper’ as its plant-based version of its meat offerings.”

    Eassom continued: “The retail sector grew very quickly before the pandemic and has suffered inevitable contractions, readjustments and corrections. Whilst the leading brands have consolidated or grown their market share, other brands have contracted or disappeared, so the overall growth trajectory through the financial difficulties of the past few years has been relatively flat, but there are strong signs of recovery,”

    When you look at mid-term trends, the industry has steadily grown from pre-pandemic levels, with retail sales swelling by 9% annually since 2019, and foodservice expanding by 37%.

    The industry’s economic contribution is down

    food frontier state of the industry
    Courtesy: Food Frontier

    Despite the market performance, the plant-based meat manufacturing sector’s contribution to the economy has reduced by 9%, from AU$50.4M in 2020 to AU$45.8M last year. This drop is witnessed across both direct and indirect contributions.

    One of the major factors behind this was a slight contraction in domestic manufacturing in the first half of 2023, stemming from a lack of investment and grant funding, rising manufacturing and labour costs, and reduced consumer expenditure.

    When it comes to indirect employment, the plant-based meat’s contribution dipped by 9% as well. But it’s largely benefitting the agriculture, manufacturing and professional services industries, which account for 33%, 15% and 14% of the total.

    “This agricultural potential remains largely untapped, primarily due to the absence of sufficient infrastructure for processing domestic plant proteins. Expanding domestic production and increasing the availability of Australian-grown plant protein ingredients present promising economic prospects for Australian farmers,” explained Eassom.

    “There is substantial demand within the domestic plant-based food sector and in international export markets for Australian protein ingredients. Of course, the capital outlay to construct processing facilities is considerable and will likely require co-investment, either in consortiums or public-private partnerships to fund construction.

    “Australia is seen throughout Asia as a supplier of reliable, safe and high-quality foods and food ingredients. With an increased number of facilities able to produce the ingredients and the incentives needed to convert commodity crops into high-value products, the economic and employment contribution from the sector will continue to grow.”

    Investment mirrors global trends, but brand options increase

    plant based healthy
    Courtesy: Food Frontier

    Globally, plant-based companies saw a 28% decline in VC investment in 2023, reflecting the larger 61% drop in food tech funding. The pattern is similar in Australia, where plant-based meat makers have witnessed a 70% decrease in financing since 2020, and a 13% drop from 2022, reaching AU$16.75M last year.

    However, the number of companies producing vegan meat analogues increased from 10 in 2019 to 22 in 2023. As Food Frontier outlined in its supermarket audit released in February, this has given rise to an explosion in the number of products, which went from less than 90 in 2020 to 275 in January 2024.

    In fact, this figure peaked at nearly 350 in 2023, but consolidation in the category (with mergers like The Aussie Plant Based Co.) brought about a rationalisation of SKUs. “The industry could expect investment to drop further if the current economic climate continues. However, manufacturers are moving beyond the early days of requiring injections of capital from investors and seeing greater returns on collaboration, market expansion, mergers and acquisitions,” said Eassom.

    “We anticipate any future investment in plant-based meat to mostly revolve around initiatives that add value to the industry by way of taste and texture – technologies and developments that help to improve the quality of the product and/or make it cheaper, thus addressing consumer barriers.”

    Burgers give way to chunks, strips and crumbed formats

    plant based sales australia
    Courtesy: Food Frontier

    Australia has witnessed a shift in consumer preference for the type of plant-based meat. Long-standing formats like burgers and mince have stabilised in number, while newer options such as strips/chunks and whole cuts have become more popular.

    Crumbed chicken, deli meats, ready meals and snacking SKUs have all expanded too, pinpointing a preference for convenience. Meanwhile, vegan seafood products have fallen sharply. Additionally, the number of frozen products has increased by 10%, making up just over half of all products on shelves.

    And 63% of these products are from Australian companies (up from 42% in 2020), with 48% being manufactured domestically.

    “Consumers are looking for convenience, which has seen a significant increase in the supply of formats like schnitzels and nuggets, through to mince and meatballs, and to deli slices, snacking and finger foods,” Eassom outlined. “In addition, recreating the taste and texture of beef-style products – particularly chunks and strips – is more challenging than producing a crumbed or battered product where flavours can be added through the format.

    “‘Southern-style’ flavourings, for example, have a greater impact on the flavour experience than the plant-based meat or animal meat itself. Such formats are readily available with animal meat through fast-food outlets and QSRs, so there is greater public acceptance.”

    Plant-based meat closer to price parity

    plant based meat price parity
    Courtesy: Food Frontier

    Despite increased per capita spend amid inflation and the cost-of-living crisis, the price gap between plant-based and animal-derived meat is narrowing. While the former carried a premium of 49% in 2020, they were just 33% more expensive last year.

    Vegan seafood and ready meals are almost at price parity, with only a 1.5% and 3.2% markup, respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, bacon (83%) and burgers (63.4%) carry the largest price premium.

    But domestically produced plant-based meats are universally cheaper than imported products, representing a 14.8% difference. This also translates to cost-competitiveness with animal proteins, with the gap in ready meal prices down to an even smaller 0.3%, and beef chunks/strips (2.8%) and mince (8%) approaching parity too. In fact, Australian-made vegan seafood and chicken chunks/strips are actually cheaper than their conventional counterparts, costing 5.3% and 0.5% less.

    “Some Australian manufacturers said they absorbed price hikes whenever feasible to shield consumers from bearing the brunt, recognising the role of pricing in consumer decision-making,” explained Eassom. “And some companies improved efficiencies in their supply chain, while others pursued vertical integration to reduce overall expenses. Another contributor to the narrowing of the price gap is the departure of several imported plant-based meats, which were more expensive per kilo than locally produced products.”

    That said, regular retail prices of plant-based meats are still too high for consumers, with a 7.4% increase in cost across the board. Bacon (+27.5%) and sausages (+26.6%) have had the highest hikes (the former is the most expensive meat analogue in the country), while snacking products (21.1%) and beef chunks/strips (10%) have had the biggest price drops.

    “It is worth noting that pricing is controlled by the retail sector as much as by the manufacturer and with relatively low volume sales, the margin demanded by retailers necessarily affects the RRP,” noted Eassom. “As volume of sales increases, the potential reduction in margins should see price parity grow closer.”

    “If overseas trends are anything to go by, we think the Australian market, when it can, will see even closer price parity,” he added. This could happen in several ways: retailers could introduce a policy of increasing plant-based food sales and sell their products at price parity, something European chain stores are doing; manufacturers will likely become more efficient in making products (many are still young companies and improving scaling costs); and local production could be expanded, driving prices further down.

    Health the largest driver, taste the biggest detractor

    plant based meat australia
    Courtesy: v2food

    Research shows that 20-39% of Australians are cutting back on meat or eating none at all, with 38% open to replacing it with a plant-based option. Health seems to be the major influencing factor, with protein requirements and ultra-processing top of mind. After consulting with manufacturers, Food Frontier found that they are prioritising health and nutrition in plant-based meat production.

    This is followed by price, thanks to the higher cost of living. High costs are also a deterrent, as is the taste of these products, which is the tallest barrier for plant-based meat purchases. “In line with most comparable markets, Australian consumers who consciously plan their diet say that health and nutrition are key drivers for their dietary decisions and corresponding purchasing behaviour. These rate higher, for example, than environmental issues or animal welfare (vegan consumers excepted),” said Eassom.

    “Interest in plant-based meat is less driven by the positive perception of the nutritional benefits of plant-based meat and more by a growing concern of the negative effects of red meat consumption, deli-meat consumption, saturated fat, and lack of fibre in our diets.”

    However, partly due to a lack of press coverage – only 5% of Australian media stories mentioned the impact of food on climate change between 2011 and 2021 – consumers are still not big on the environmental benefits of plant-based meat.

    “In line with most comparable markets, Australian consumers who consciously plan their diet say that health and nutrition are key drivers for their dietary decisions and corresponding purchasing behaviour. These rate higher, for example, than environmental issues or animal welfare (vegan consumers excepted),” said Eassom. “Interest in plant-based meat is less driven by the positive perception of the nutritional benefits of plant-based meat and more by a growing concern of the negative effects of red meat consumption, deli-meat consumption, saturated fat, and lack of fibre in our diets.”

    The road ahead

    plant based meat australia
    Courtesy: Food Frontier

    In Food Frontier’s first State of the Industry report, Deloitte Access Economics modelled three potential 10-year scenarios for the plant-based meat manufacturing industry. These are based on three trajectories. The first centres on these products as conscious consumers’ choice, a conservative estimate; the second is a moderate forecast labelling vegan meats as popular and accessible alternatives; and the third, more accelerated prediction analyses these as popular mass-market commodities.

    But the change in market size from 2019 to 2023 is not on track to meet the potential scenarios outlined in its first such report, thanks to “a confluence of macroeconomic trends”, “supply chain factors specific to the food manufacturing sector industry”, low repeat purchases due to poor experiences with early meat analogues, and assumptions that behaviour change would be much faster.

    “Some products were not meeting consumer expectations around taste, and the higher price point compared to conventional counterparts has reduced repeat purchases, leading to a revised forecast value,” explained Eassom.

    The first scenario now predicts sales to reach AU$361M by 2033, a conservative estimate accounting for 896 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs. The second forecast – representing increased R&D and infrastructure investment, reduced import reliance and lower meat consumption – would mean sales hitting $1.65B, with 6,063 FTE jobs. The third and most aggressive scenario, meanwhile, will see 17,430 FTE jobs and sales of $3.7B by 2033.

    “Scenario two is considered the most likely to play out. It depicts a steady growth path until 2033, mirroring the ongoing medium-term trends observed over the past five years, particularly the robust growth from FY19 to FY20,” said Eassom. “Within this scenario, moderate growth is seen across both the retail and foodservice sectors in the category, with a parallel increase noted in the domestic plant-based meat manufacturing industry.”

    He added: “There is limited further growth from the early adopters and diet evangelists. The challenge is to normalise the consumption of plant-based meat alternatives as an occasional part of the diet of flexitarians. Scenario two models two variables (number of consumers and frequency of consumption) that we believe represent achievable growth trajectories.”

    The post Pandemic Recovery, More Brands & Price Parity: Here’s How Australia’s Plant-Based Industry is Doing appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Impossible Foods Debuts First Marketing Campaign Since Rebrand at Met Gala

    impossible burger
    5 Mins Read

    Geared towards meat-eaters, Impossible Foods’ first ad campaign since its rebrand is all about flavour and health – the two things Americans care most about in their food.

    A hot-dog-eating contest, lusting over nuggets, and an overly long sub are all featured in Impossible Foods’ first marketing campaign after refreshing its brand identity in March, with the plant-based meat pioneer declaring: “We’re solving the meat problem with more meat.”

    The new campaign debuted at last night’s Met Gala red carpet show, which over-indexes on Impossible Foods customers, according to the company. At the garden-themed event, the celebrity attendees got to sample Impossible sliders with brie and truffle aioli, and passionfruit BBQ Impossible chicken nuggets.

    The hero 30-second ad is a fast-paced walk-and-talk spot, with the protagonist outlining how “meat has problems”, and to solve them, we should eat more of it – only caveat? It should be made from plants. Describing the meat problem on its website, the brand notes how it’s “too delicious”, but that we eat so much of it, it’s causing problems – for our bodies as well as the planet.

    “We see this campaign as a way to let meat eaters know Impossible meat is the best way to keep eating meat you love, just without a lot of the problems associated with animal meat,” said chief marketing and creative officer Leslie Sims. “Whether you’re a vegan, hardcore meat eater or somewhere in between, we have you covered.”

    Changing how we see meat

    impossible chicken nuggets
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The months-long campaign – which will run on TV and streaming, and digital, social media and billboards – was conceived via a collaboration between Impossible Foods’ in-house creative team and three-time AdAge Small Agency of the Year winner Erich and Kallman.

    It features a distinct Americana feel designed to feel familiar and relatable to meat-eaters, with cultural traditions like a backyard barbecue, hot-dog-eating contest and a burger joint referenced ahead of grilling season. One scene also depicts a family-style meal with a giant bowl of spaghetti and Impossible meatballs.

    The 30-second spot is accompanied by 15-second ads each spotlighting a different product – beef, chicken or pork – in a tongue-in-cheek tone, which follows the brand’s Making Meat History campaign from 2023. The latter compared an Impossible burger with a conventional one, which resonated with meat-eaters, leading the company to realise it could hone in even more on the similarities between old meat and new meat.

    impossible hot dog
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    This is why there’s a call to action directed to meat-loving Americans – who eat way more meat than is recommended or needed – with Impossible Foods imploring them to solve the meat problem with more burgers, hot dogs and meatballs. The idea is to reframe meat as a delicious food made from plants, instead of forcing meat-eaters to change their lifestyles.

    “For this latest campaign, we wanted to have a clear value proposition for them – you love meat, so why not try us and be better for the planet?” Sims told AdAge. On the humorous tone of the ads, she explained: “We are talking to hard-core meat-eaters, but we don’t want to be preachy.”

    Taste and health over environmental messaging

    With the new marketing campaign, Impossible Foods is doubling down on its food- and health-forward messaging, with the focus very much on flavour and nutrition. For example, one of the hero commercial’s scenes urges consumers to “punch cholesterol in the face”, highlighting how its meats have zero cholesterol.

    The environmental emphasis is no longer a centrepiece in the ads, which was expected after the brand’s refresh put taste and health at the heart of its packaging. Speaking to Reuters last month, Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness outlined why the brand has taken this direction: “We’re not leading with the planet because not enough people care. It’s the reality now.”

    impossible foods ad
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    And he’s right – the environmental pull of plant-based eating isn’t as strong as it used to be. One 2023 survey found that the top two attributes discouraging Americans from trying plant-based meat are flavour (48%) and nutrition (35%). Another poll revealed that health is the major reason Americans eat vegan or vegetarian diets, with six in 10 choosing it.

    It’s why the brand launched a Beef Lite version of its mince, which is approved as heart-healthy by the American Heart Association. But a company spokesperson told Green Queen in December that taste is the main reason behind consumers deciding to purchase a product again or not”.

    The shift was most visible in the rebrand two months ago, which saw the company switch from teal green to red packaging with a larger imagery, and a higher focus on taste descriptors, saturated fat and sodium. The colour change was designed to reinforce the meatiness of its products and their likeness to conventional counterparts. Red is a colour more naturally associated with meat, as opposed to green, which is the symbol of eco-friendliness and vegan food. At the time, Impossible Foods laid out its aim to appeal to the “carnivorous cravings of meat-eaters”.

    “Our intent with the new packaging – and the overall design of our new brand identity – is to lean into the craveability of meat,” a representative told Green Queen. “Taste is, of course, a big part of this. Between the bold red aesthetic and new food photography highlighted on the front of each product, we’re deliberately putting the deliciousness of our meat from plants front and centre.”

    plant based meat packaging
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods/Green Queen

    And consumer testing shows they do love its products – the brand says 80% of people who try its burgers like them, and that taste-testers preferred its chicken nuggets three-to-one in a head-to-head comparison with conventional nuggets.

    The marketing campaign comes amid a flurry of activity for Impossible Foods. It has been rolling out its new beef hot dogs at baseball stadiums across the US, serving its meat to the US army, transitioning a cattle ranch into a farm that produces plant-based meat ingredients, and – more long term – weighing up a liquidity event that could include a sale or an IPO, all while entering into Whole Foods nationwide and rejigging how it sells its meat. It’s a busy time for Impossible Foods, and one it will hope translates into success.

    The post Impossible Foods Debuts First Marketing Campaign Since Rebrand at Met Gala appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Meatly’s Protein-Free Culture Medium Dramatically Cuts the Production Cost of Cultivated Meat

    cultivated meat cost
    4 Mins Read

    British cultivated meat company Meatly has created a first-of-its-kind protein-free culture medium that can significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing these proteins.

    Ahead of its impending regulatory approval in the UK, Meatly has announced the development of a culture medium that can bring down the cost of producing cultivated meat, solving one of the industry’s major bottlenecks.

    Culture media are essential to the production of cultivated meat, entailing a mix of nutrients to facilitate the growth of animal cells. According to Meatly, this accounts for the majority of the costs involved in the entire process, reducing which is key to reaching price parity with conventional meat.

    Typically, culture media cost hundreds of pounds per litre, but Meatly’s protein-free version brings that down to just £1 ($1.25) – a fraction of what companies currently pay. Co-founder and chief scientific officer Helder Cruz called it a “huge step forward” in scaling the startup’s technology and commercialising its products at an affordable price.

    Our protein-free culture medium represents a critical milestone for us and the wider cultivated meat industry,” he said. “By setting this new benchmark, we are driving the cost of production down significantly, which is something the industry has been grappling with for years.”

    Slashing the most significant costs by 100-fold

    omni feast chicken revolution
    Courtesy: Meatly/Omni

    The new cell culture medium created by Meatly contains no serum or animal-derived components, steroids, hormones, antibiotics or growth factors – the latter is responsible for the bulk of the costs associated with culture media. The startup’s innovation is food-safe and used in its suspension culture bioreactors without microcarriers, which are typically needed to help cells proliferate and enhance their density.

    The fact that there are no microcarriers, growth factors or expensive proteins means industrial-scale production could be economically viable, and purchasing higher volumes of the culture medium would only bring down prices further.

    The cost of producing cultivated meat is one of the industry’s most pressing challenges. But researchers have pinpointed cell culture media design as the most significant hurdle facing the commercialisation of these proteins, given that optimising media for a specific culture system requires tons of effort and investment.

    One estimate has suggested that cultivated meat needs to reach production costs of $2.92 per lb to be on par with conventional meat. And while companies have managed to reduce costs by 99% in less than a decade, McKinsey forecasts that it will still take until 2030 for it to reach price parity.

    Meatly’s breakthrough could speed that projection up considerably. “Meatly has single-handedly slashed those costs a hundredfold or more,” said Jim Mellon, founder of Agronomics, an investor in the startup. He noted that the development establishes the company as a “true technological leader” in the field. “This is a huge step forward in bringing the cost of cultivated meat to price parity with conventional meat and, ultimately, toward the mass adoption of cultivated products.”

    Meatly gears up for UK cultivated meat debut

    meatly cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Harriet Constable/Meatly

    The development of the cell culture media comes two months after Meatly completed the first production run of its canned chicken pâté for pets, which combined cultivated chicken with pulses and vegetables from British vegan dog food company Omni.

    Previously called Good Dog Food, the London-based startup rebranded in late 2023 ahead of a planned market launch this year, which would make it the first company to commercialise cultivated meat in Europe. Meatly indicated in February that it was expecting regulatory approval from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) within “the next three months”.

    “The company expects to shortly receive regulatory approval, and I am excited to feed their delicious products to my dogs,” said Mellon. The FSA has kickstarted a process to accelerate the market entry of novel foods in the UK, after finally breaking away from the pre-Brexit laws it inherited from the EU.

    It would be a major milestone in the cultivated meat sector, built upon a relatively minor level of investment – Meatly has raised £3.6M since being founded in 2022, much lower than many of its counterparts across the world. According to the startup, that proves “there is a fast and cost-effective way to scale cultivated meat”. The 150g Omni Feast: Chicken Revolution cans will cost about £1 each.

    Meatly has secured “key partnerships with manufacturers”, including with petcare retailer (and seed investor) Pets at Home, ahead of its market entry. “We need cultivated meat now more than ever. Pet food is the natural starting point, given consumers’ excitement,” Meatly co-founder and CEO Owen Ensor previously said. “We’re thrilled to be at the heart of the future of meat production in the UK.”

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  • Aleph Farms Taps Into AI for More Efficient Cultivated Beef Production

    aleph farms bioraptor
    6 Mins Read

    Israeli cultivated meat leader Aleph Farms has partnered with biotech startup BioRaptor to integrate AI into its production process, which will enable scalability and reduce costs.

    Ahead of launching into restaurants in its home country, Aleph Farms is tapping into BioRaptor’s artificial-intelligence-led operating system to optimise the production of its cultivated beef.

    By partnering with BioRaptor, an expert in streamlining biotech processes through data and AI, Aleph Farms hopes to derisk its scale-up plans as it transitions to large-scale facilities with significant capital expenditure. The AI will complement human intelligence by collecting and extrapolating both large datasets generated throughout the cultivated meat development process.

    “There are massive amounts of data created during the development of state-of-the-art production bioprocesses, which, when extracted, interpreted, and collected into actionable insights, can boost productivity and reduce costs, time, and human error,” said BioRaptor co-founder and CEO Ori Zakin. “This is exactly our plan with Aleph Farms.”

    Using AI to make cultivated meat cheaper and faster

    aleph farms facility
    Courtesy: Amit Goren/Aleph Farms

    Cultivated meat is grown in bioreactors that provide controlled, clean, and closed environments where animal cells can thrive. These cultivators continuously feed the cells with nutrients and are monitored for various process parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen and temperature. Understanding this relationship between the cell feed and its environment is vital for defining the most optimal growth conditions.

    BioRaptor’s solution allows Aleph Farms to smoothly evaluate cross-experimental findings to and have the results configured on a single platform. The ability to review both historical and real-time data, and make projections that enhance experiments leads to a more efficient and less cost-intensive scale-up process.

    At Aleph Farms’ current facility in Rehovot, Israel, it can initially produce 10 tonnes of cultivated steak annually. It also announced the acquisition of another plant in Modi’in, Israel last year, alongside an agreement with ESCO Aster in Singapore (the world’s only approved industrial manufacturer for cultured meat). And in February, it partnered with biomanufacturer BBGI and synbio research and manufacturing company Fermbox Bio to set up a production plant in Thailand.

    Scalability and costs are two of the most pressing challenges of the cultivated meat industry. Aleph Farms, which aims to reach $1B in revenue by 2030, has previously received 66 million NIS ($18M) in government funding to precisely address these bottlenecks.

    Cultured meat itself needs to reach production costs of $2.92 per pound to be price-competitive with conventional meat. But while companies have managed to cut manufacturing costs by 99% in less than a decade, McKinsey analysis suggests it will still take until 2030 for these proteins to become as cheap as meat. “Of common animal proteins, beef delivers the highest value in global markets, so by focusing on cultivated beef, we are able to shorten the timeline to price parity,” Yoav Reisler, senior marketing and communications manager at Aleph Farms, told Green Queen in January.

    “By simplifying bioprocess data management and suggesting optimal experimental design, we can enable smoother technological developments for the processes that the cellular agriculture industry has been pioneering,” added Zakin.

    Alternative protein’s AI footprint expands

    aleph farms ai
    Courtesy: Daniel Elkayam/Aleph Farms

    With the large amount of data generated by Aleph Farms, the BioRaptor team-up could help accelerate the development of robust and scalable production processes, according to Sagit Shalel-Levanon, senior director of process development at the cultivated meat startup.

    “Our team’s scientific expertise in design of experiment (DoE) methodology and statistical analysis, complemented by BioRaptor’s AI-driven solution, will allow us to better understand the interactions between various process inputs and conditions,” she said.

    “Deploying BioRaptor’s most advanced AI and machine learning solution into our R&D will provide additional support for our team to optimise processes for cost and scalability, laying a solid groundwork for our mid- to large-scale production,” said co-founder and CTO Neta Lavon. “Our approach is to build the right foundations as we grow and avoid massive capital expenditure before our process is fully ready for scale.

    She continued: “We are investing time and resources to implement the most advanced tools into our differentiated technology platform and its various applications in food and beyond, thereby realising the full potential of cellular agriculture in the burgeoning bioeconomy.”

    An increasing number of alternative protein startups are deploying AI to streamline ingredient discovery, research, and production processes. Players like Chile’s NotCo, California’s Climax Foods and Singapore’s Howw Foods are all harnessing the tech for product development, while US mycelium meat maker Meati has used it to conduct a study about its product’s health benefits. And earlier this week, Shiru launched a protein discovery platform and marketplace powered by the tech.

    But AI also comes with its own climate conundrums, as these systems are run on large, 24/7 data centres that mostly use fossil fuel energy, accounting for 2.5-3.7% of global GHG emissions. They use a massive amount of water too, with US centres having consumed 1.7 billion litres per day in 2014 – 0.14% of the nation’s daily water use.

    “On an ongoing basis, we carefully manage our environmental footprint and this includes conducting a life-cycle assessment on our cultivated meat products, alongside measuring our corporate ecological footprint (greenhouse gases, electricity, water, and waste),” Reisler told Green Queen. “In addition, we have launched programs for energy and resource efficiency. Our transition to renewable energies, our waste management program and our detailed roadmap to net zero help us navigate through a variety of challenges as we scale and eventually meet our ambitious environmental goals.”

    Aleph Farms to roll out cultivated steak in foodservice

    lab grown meat approved
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    Aleph Farms hopes to use BioRaptor’s AI to build the right foundations and avoid tall capital expenditures before its process is fully ready to scale. In January, it became the third cultivated meat producer in the world to receive regulatory approval, with Israel’s health ministry clearing it to sell Black Angus Petit Steak under its Aleph Cuts brand.

    “We are determined to build up our capabilities in production and sales support before initiating a full product launch. This will help ensure a steady supply of Aleph Cuts to consumers and continuous revenue for Aleph Farms,” said Reisler.”

    “Following the completion of a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) inspection of our pilot production facility in Rehovot, we will introduce Aleph Cuts in limited quantities via tailored tasting experiences for consumers and other relevant stakeholders,” said Reisler. “This targeted market activation allows us to gather direct feedback from consumers and refine our brand positioning in collaboration with them, helping lay the foundation for a successful full launch.”

    He continued: “As Aleph Cuts becomes a new and differentiated category in the animal protein space, applying these marketing learnings is vital before becoming a staple on restaurant menus, in foodservice, and, eventually, in retail.”

    The company, which has raised a total of $118M in funding, is also awaiting approval from food safety regulators in Singapore, Switzerland, the UK and the US. The latter made headlines this week after Florida banned the production and sale of cultivated meat in the state. “Barriers to process in specific countries and states may force producers of cultivated meat to redirect resources elsewhere, including to China. Can they afford to relinquish their global leadership due to shortsighted political interests during an election year?” noted Reisler.

    “Limiting consumer freedom and restricting entrepreneurial freedom contradict the fundamental principle of a free democratic society. Shouldn’t consumers be given the freedom to make informed choices on their food?” he added.

    “Banning a product that’s not yet on the shelves doesn’t improve ranchers’ condition. Fear of change often stems from a lack of trust in the system and concerns about the future. We are ready for an open exchange on how to implement a transition to sustainable and secure food systems, one that is just and inclusive for all stakeholders, including and especially for livestock farmers.”

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  • UK Plant-Based Meat Player THIS Launches Vegan Chicken Thighs

    this isn't chicken thighs
    4 Mins Read

    UK plant-based meat challenger brand THIS is launching the country’s first nationally distributed vegan chicken thighs, starting with Tesco next week.

    THIS, the cult-favourite plant-based meat brand, is rolling out a first-to-market vegan chicken thigh SKU in the UK next week. The product is the only nationally distributed plant-based chicken thigh, and will be introduced at the UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, on May 13.

    Available in packs of four, the THIS Isn’t Chicken Thighs cost £3.80, with the company noting it could be used across a variety of dishes, such as traybakes, burgers, curries and stews. Made from a blend of soy and fava bean protein, they can be used whole too, and cooked in a pan or in the oven.

    “We’re reinventing the way people experience plant-based dining,” said recently appointed CEO Mark Cuddigan. “We’re on a mission to lead a revolution to change what people eat, to protect animals and the environment – and with our ridiculously delicious and nutritious plant-based food, we’ve got you covered with the ultimate plant-based chicken thigh.”

    Patent-pending tech enables realistic vegan chicken thighs

    vegan chicken thighs
    Courtesy: THIS

    The new chicken thighs are touted to be high in protein and fibre, with a similar recipe to its flagship THIS Isn’t Chicken Pieces SKU. It will appeal to the increasingly health-conscious UK consumer – a 1,000-person survey from last year found that health benefits are the top reason why Brits eat plant-based meat, cited by 39% of respondents.

    But the whole-cut nature of the new product is the biggest differentiator from the chicken pieces. The company binds together soy and fava bean protein with an olive-oil-based fat to mimic the texture of thighs, which are then coated in a layer of seaweed to replicate the structure and texture of chicken skin.

    This meaty, fibrous cut is achieved through THIS’s extrusion technology, which has three pending patents. Whole-cut products like thighs, wings and legs have complex, three-dimensional structures, where protein fibres are bound together by a network of connective tissue and intramuscular fat. This provides the juiciness and texture associated with these meats, which THIS said it has managed to recreate in its chicken thigh analogue.

    It’s not the company’s first whole-cut meat either. It also makes plant-based chicken breast and roast chicken and stuffing SKUs, both of which have been launched in the last eight months.

    THIS has gone from strength to strength

    this isn't chicken
    Courtesy: THIS

    The new product comes at a time of rapid progress for THIS, which says it is the fastest-growing brand in the plant-based meat segment. The company’s sales were up by 46.6% last year, and volumes rose by 66.6%, according to NielsenIQ data for the Grocer’s Top Products survey. Its annualised revenue reached £24M last year.

    This has been aided by a range of new products. Within its chicken range, the roast chicken SKU was the best-performing line in the category in 2023, even though it was only introduced in September. But the company also launched a chicken and bacon pie in partnership with Pieminster around the same time, and this year alone, it has rolled out the chicken breast, chicken shawarma, frozen beef mince, as well as skin-on chicken wings in collaboration with BrewDog.

    “Innovation has been a core part of its growth over the last two years as it has diversified into a wider range of segments, including frozen, ready meals and food to go, as well as continuing to launch new products in its core segment of chilled meat alternatives,” NielsenIQ senior insight analyst Carol Ratcliffe told the Grocer last year.

    THIS marketing director Dee Bulsara added. “The number one THIS rule is that we don’t proceed to launch unless we think the product can trick a meat-eater once it’s in a dish.”

    The company has recently undergone a change in leadership as well, with Cuddigan taking over from founders and former co-CEOs Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman in February (who remain involved in the business). While THIS is aiming to have its first profitable quarter this year, the larger meat-free category in the UK has suffered, with sales down by £38.4M last year.

    . “For too long, there’s been too many brands with wildly varying product quality, that have put off meat reducers from truly believing in the category. It’s also been confusing to shop – no supermarket needs to list 15 types of plant-based sausage,” Shovel told Green Queen last year. “We’re now at a stage where the sector is consolidating and poor-quality brands are coming out the market, with more brands consumers can trust and shelves that are way easier to navigate.”

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  • Walmart’s Largest Private Label Launch in 20 Years is All About Plant-Based, Free-From & Better-for-You

    walmart bettergoods
    4 Mins Read

    Walmart has launched Bettergoods, a private-label brand that focuses on trend-forward, chef-inspired foods traversing better-for-you and free-from products that don’t cost the earth.

    High culinary quality, chef-inspired, free-from and plant-based are the cornerstones of Walmart’s new Bettergoods brand. It’s the largest private-label food launch in 20 years by America’s largest retailer, as well as its fastest ever.

    While the branding and product offerings have a premium feel to them, the idea – as is the case with all own-label brands – is to keep things wallet-friendly. It’s why, for example, the range’s salted caramel oat milk ice cream is priced at $3.62, compared to $4.48 for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy oatmeal cream pie. In fact, over 70% of the products in the lineup are under $5, and while the total ranges from $2 to $15.

    “Bettergoods is more than just a new private brand. It’s a commitment to our customers that they can enjoy unique culinary flavours at the incredible value Walmart delivers,” said Scott Morris, senior VP of private brands and food at Walmart.

    “Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase – they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience. The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way,” he added.

    The three pillars of Bettergoods products

    walmart vegan
    Courtesy: Walmart

    Bettergoods differs from other private labels in that it doesn’t exclusively offer direct alternatives to national brands at lower prices – many of its products are unique to Walmart, which adds to the brand’s consumer appeal. It uses “trend-forward” ingredients and flavours to curate culinary concepts that it feels would attract shoppers most, and promises them at low prices.

    There’s also a Satisfaction Guarantee attached to it – under this policy, the retailer accepts returns for any unopened products in their original packaging, and offers a full refund.

    The Bettergoods line comprises over 300 products across Walmart’s aisles and freezers, spanning dairy, snacks, beverages, pasta, soups, coffee, chocolate and more. These fall into three distinct pillars. The first is centred around culinary experiences, where products highlight innovative recipes and elevated ingredients, like specialty salts and seasonings. Think a $3 Hot Honey Seasoning, $4 Creamy Corn Jalapeno Chowder, and a premium Bronze Cut Pasta for just under $2.

    The second category is all about plant-based, featuring distinct green packaging and a suite of non-dairy products like the aforementioned oat milk ice creams (a seven-stong range), boxed mac and cheese, and vegan cheese that it claims melts and gives you the satisfaction of a cheese pull, all under $4. For the US’s leading grocer to put plant-based in such sharp focus is a big deal, and will go a long way in helping it reach its net-zero goal for 2040.

    The final pillar is called Made Without, which is Walmart’s version of free-from. This caters to coeliacs and people with gluten intolerances, as well as health-skewed individuals looking for cleaner-label foods with no artificial flavours, colours or added sugars. These include offerings like a four-ingredient Sweet Cream Dairy Creamer, and gluten- and antibiotic-free chicken nuggets. With Walmart witnessing a “slight pullback” in spending on traditional groceries due to the advent of Ozempic, doubling down on better-for-you foods is a no-brainer.

    Private labels finding success with shoppers

    walmart better goods
    Courtesy: Walmart

    Bettergood’s breadth of products is something you might find in a Target store – that’s intentional, as Walmart’s VP of creative and design, David Hartman, told Fast Company. “We wanted to make it easy for our customers to find better food alternatives,” he said. “The bright, vibrant, colour-on-colour palette for the core assortment makes our brand easy to find, and is used to express the vibrancy of the food and the joy of eating.”

    These products are geared towards younger, affluent demographics looking for vegan and speciality foods. “As an industry we’re seeing younger customers be more brand agnostic, prioritizing quality and value and driving increased interest in private brands,” Morris told Axios.

    With the cost of living straining consumer wallets, food options that don’t break the bank but continue to deliver on taste and satisfaction have become increasingly important. That has given rise to the popularity of private labels, which gained in market share in US retail last year, at the expense of name brands. In fact, own-label sales reached a record high in 2023, surpassing $236B in sales.

    And it’s not just the US where these supermarket brands have found success. In the UK, Veganuary was flooded with private-label plant-based launches this year, after these ranges grew at twice the speed of branded products in 2023. And in Slovakia, a peer-reviewed study has shown that 80% of consumers find the quality levels of vegan and vegetarian private-label products to be good or appropriate.

    Walmart’s Bettergoods range – select products from which are available now, with a full rollout expected in the coming months – will hope to ride the own-label wave in the US, competing with the likes of Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value, Kroger’s Simple Truth, and Target’s Good & Gather, among others.

    The post Walmart’s Largest Private Label Launch in 20 Years is All About Plant-Based, Free-From & Better-for-You appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Singapore PM Namechecks ‘Novel Food’ in Promising Job Sectors in May Day Speech

    lee hsien loong may day
    5 Mins Read

    In one of his final major speeches, outgoing Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned “novel food biotechnologies” as a promising job prospect – it’s a nod to the country’s food tech pedigree.

    In two weeks’ time, Lee Hsien Long will leave office after serving as Singapore’s prime minister for two decades. In that time, Singapore has undergone a transformation, emerging as the global frontier for food tech, thanks to a favourable research, funding and manufacturing environment, and progressive regulations.

    In his annual speech on May Day – or Labour Day – at the Marina Bay Sands convention centre this week, Lee highlighted the actions that have brought success to Singapore. In one part of the speech, he touched upon how all parts of the island are equipped with good schools to provide equal opportunities to everyone, regardless of economic status or locale.

    This, he highlighted, is why Singapore’s youth or graduate unemployment rates are very low. “Young people take up jobs that did not even exist in their parents’ generation,” he said.

    “They become data scientists, machine learning engineers, carbon traders, novel food biotechnologies,” he added, nodding to the country’s flourishing food tech scene. He followed this up with a quick explanation too – “that means you take a plant and you make it look like wagyu beef” – which brought some laughs from the audience.

    For Lee to namecheck alternative proteins in a speech about the most promising job sectors, and even go on to highlight what it entails, is reflective of Singapore’s strong standing in the industry. It’s why so many food tech startups flock to the city-state from around the world, and cherry-pick it as the perfect location to go to market.

    The career opportunities in alternative proteins

    Lee’s speech came just a week after Nurasa, the sustainable food innovation platform of state-owned VC firm Temasek, inaugurated the Food Tech Innovation Centre (FTIC), a hub dedicated to the R&D and scale-up of alternative proteins.

    And last month, Singapore saw the opening of a new Future Food Lab at Singapore Polytechnic, an effort to scale up its capacity for novel food manufacturing and attract investments in R&D. It will also support Singapore’s 30 by 30 food security vision – the goal is to have 30% of food produced domestically by 2030 (it’s currently under 10%) – with innovating like low-sodium plant-based meats and a high-fibre mushroom protein bars.

    This followed the launch of a first-of-its-kind career map for plant-based meat manufacturing in the Lion City, initiated by alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC. It entails ingredient extraction and optimisation, formulation and texturisation, product application development, commercial-scale manufacturing, and quality and regulatory management, with the aim of building a bigger, more skilled workforce that can scale up and lower the costs of future food production.

    alt protein career map
    Courtesy: GFI APAC

    GFI APAC highlights the job roles involved in these segments, including food technologists, application scientists, and factory operators – highlighting the different skillsets and expertise levels that the industry requires. In fact, according to the ClimateWorks Foundation and the Global Methane Hub, the alternative protein sector could support up to 83 million jobs internationally by 2050.

    “The city-state’s scientific talent pool is its greatest resource, carefully cultivated by visionary leaders who see not only the career fields that exist now but also those that will drive the economies of the future,” said Mirte Gosker, managing director of GFI APAC.

    “Creating a booming business ecosystem requires not only financial investment but confidence that the national strategies spearheaded by various public agencies are aligned with the private sector on an industry’s long-term ambitions,” she added.

    Singapore’s food tech prowess

    Gosker noted that Lee’s shoutout to novel food biotechnologists is “just the latest signal to alternative protein startups and researchers that Singapore’s leadership is committed to helping them succeed”.

    The country was famously the first to approve the sale of cultivated meat, with Eat Just earning it for its Good Meat chicken back in 2020. In March, it greenlit Australia’s Vow too, which is now selling its cultivated quail via a series of restaurant partnerships (it’s currently at Tippling Club). More such approvals are expected, with Israel’s Aleph Farms (which has already been cleared to sell cultivated beef in its home country), Dutch producer Meatable, and French startup Vitalmeat among the companies expecting the go-ahead this year.

    But it’s not just regulatory breakthroughs. As community and youth minister Alvin Tan outlined at an agrifood conference in October, the country is a hotbed for food tech, inviting companies to “come to the best place in the world for food innovation”.

    singapore food tech
    Courtesy: Alvin Tan/LinkedIn

    GFI APAC similarly labelled the island as a “global testbed” for the industry, helping startups incubate, innovate, partner and export their alternative protein innovations internationally. At least 25 non-local companies have a presence in Singapore for R&D and business development, while it’s home to almost a quarter (24%) of all alternative protein startups in Asia-Pacific.

    “Despite its small population and lack of natural resources, Singapore is responsible for nearly a quarter of all alt protein scientific publications released in APAC since 2020, and is home to three of the five most active regional research centres,” noted Gosker.

    But with Lee leaving his post, will it be a tall order for incoming prime minister Lawrence Wong to maintain the progress built on his predecessor’s 20 years in charge? Gosker doesn’t think so, explaining that policy continuity and progressive change are “key tenets of the Singapore model, which leverages public investments to cumulatively improve citizens’ livelihoods over the short and long term”.

    “Singapore puts a high priority on building durable institutions that lift up whole sectors, such as shared-use facilities for alt protein R&D and production that are greater than any individual company or person,” she said. “Prime minister Lee name-dropping novel food biotechnologists in one of his final major speeches is further evidence that leadership in food innovation is now central to Singapore’s national identity.”

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  • Nurasa Opens Food Tech Innovation Centre in Singapore to Make Better Alternative Proteins, Quicker

    nurasa ftic
    4 Mins Read

    Singaporean sustainable food production platform Nurasa has opened a Food Tech Innovation Centre to help alternative protein companies scale up production and enhance flavour and nutrition.

    Nurasa, the sustainable food innovation platform owned by Temasek, last week inaugurated the Food Tech Innovation Centre (FTIC) in Singapore, a hub dedicated to the R&D and scale-up of alternative proteins.

    Operational since 2023, the 3,840 sq m facility is located within Biopolis – the city-state’s innovation community – and features high-tech labs with plant protein extrusion and precision fermentation capabilities. They’re designed to help sustainable food manufacturers scale up their production processes and accelerate their paths to market.

    “The centre provides a space for different companies to come together and innovate, which benefits not just Singapore but also the wider region,” said Singapore’s deputy prime minister, Heng Swee Keat, who was present at the FTIC’s launch.

    Precision fermentation and HME labs unlock alt-protein potential

    food tech innovation centre
    Courtesy: Nurasa

    The FTIC features shared laboratories, collaborative workspaces, private suites adaptable for small offices, and labs where partners can co-create. It has two facilities with advanced capabilities that will allow alternative protein companies to speed up manufacturing. The first is a precision fermentation hub developed and operated by contract development and manufacturing organisation ScaleUp Bio (a joint venture between Nurasa and ADM) and the government-owned Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR). This has bioreactors that have a capacity of up to 100 litres.

    “Public-private partnerships can help accelerate innovation by kickstarting research and development in areas of emerging technology, facilitating talent exchange and minimising duplications in investments,” said Heng. “Doing so will enable more viable pathways to translation, commercialisation, and scaling for impact.”

    Meanwhile, the second facility is owned by ScaleUp Bio and will serve as its new headquarters, focusing on high-moisture extrusion (HME) for plant proteins, with the goal of making meat analogues with superior texture and mouthfeel.

    “At the Food Tech Innovation Centre, cutting-edge technology is at the heart of everything we do,” said Nurasa CEO Guo Xiuling. “Our facility enables us to challenge the status quo of the existing food system and develop solutions alongside our startup and corporate partners.”

    She added that both labs can serve as small-scale production sites to make limited samples for market testing, allowing companies to tweak products based on consumer feedback at early stages, and eventually commercialise a public-ready product.

    The FTIC will also serve as a hub for the NuFood Concept Studio, Nurasa’s open innovation platform for sustainable food development and commercialisation. The studio encourages consumer-centric food innovation and addresses areas like low-sugar, cholesterol-free and gut-friendly foods. Companies will be able to search for the newest ingredients, co-develop recipes based on market insights and the latest tech, and deliver accessible, adaptable and affordable breakthroughs to strengthen food security – Singapore’s 30 by 30 initiative aims to reduce import reliance by producing 30% of all food consumed in the island nation by 2030.

    Nurasa’s FTIC a breeding ground for innovation

    nourish ingredients tastilux
    Courtesy: Nourish Ingredients

    The ecosystem at the FTIC comprises industry partners, portfolio companies and joint ventures like ScaleUp Bio and Cremer Sustainable Foods, a joint venture of Nurasa and German agrifood giant Cremer. For the unveiling of the centre, Cremer Sustainable Foods worked with Australian precision fermentation startup Nourish Ingredients, which makes animal-free fats and lipids to enhance alternative proteins.

    The two entities created a vegan chicken satay using Nourish Ingredients’ Tastilux fat, for which it’s in the middle of the Singapore Food Agency’s regulatory approval process, according to the Straits Times. Once it receives the all-clear, products using Tastilux will be allowed to be sold to consumers in the country. (The company recently also showcased its Creamilux fat for use in dairy alternatives and confectionery.)

    Cremer Sustainable Foods, whose 1,000 sq m lab can pump out 1,300 tonnes of product per year, is making plant-based duck strips and siu mai, and is preparing to launch ready-to-eat vegan black pepper chicken and laksa next month.

    Such innovations are rife at Nurasa’s FTIC. Local food manufacturer Lim Kee has also partnered with Cremer Sustainable Foods to launch its vegan chilli crab pau (a bun filled with Singapore’s national seafood dish). The former is working with Swiss ingredients giant Givaudan to improve the chilli crab’s flavour.

    Speaking of which, Givaudan created a chocolate milk with 50% less cocoa with the same taste and mouthfeel – cocoa production has a heavy climate impact and is littered with human rights abuses. To make up for the lack of cocoa, the company used a combination of different ingredients that can help reduce its carbon footprint.

    Meanwhile, beanless coffee startup Prefer – which raised $2M in funding in February and recently launched a line of black cold brew concentrates (caffeinated and decaf) for cocktail bars – is manufacturing, processing and packaging its products at the FTIC as well.

    The post Nurasa Opens Food Tech Innovation Centre in Singapore to Make Better Alternative Proteins, Quicker appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Mewery Establishes Stable Cell Line to Scale Up Cultivated Pork Production Ahead of Pilot Plant Opening

    mewery
    5 Mins Read

    Czech startup Mewery has achieved a breakthrough in its tech to produce cultivated meat, establishing a stable cell line to enable scalability.

    Mewery has formed a stable cell line in the development process for its cultivated pork, a key step that will help enable large-scale production of its meat.

    The Brno-based startup’s scientists conducted a number of cell isolations to identify which ones exhibit the most favourable response to its co-cultivation technology, which involves pig and microalgae cells in a serum-free medium.

    “This achievement represents another important step forward in our ongoing efforts to bring cultivated meat to consumers,” said chief science officer Vladislav Strmiska. “The establishment of a stable cell line lays the groundwork for consistent, high-quality meat production without relying on animal agriculture.”

    The milestone will help Mewery move from lab volumes of dozens of litres, and potentially hundreds of litres volume in its pilot facility, which is set to be operational in the coming months. “We are also just in the pre-negotiation phase with potential commercial scale-up partners in Europe and the US,” Rostislav Brzobohatý, Mewery’s chief commercial officer, told Green Queen.

    The company is in talks with a partner in Switzerland for the successful completion of its proprietary co-cultivation process in large 200-litre bioreactors and the launch of its demo operations, which are its immediate priorities.

    How stable cell lines benefit cultivated meat production

    cultivated pork
    Courtesy: Mewery

    A stable cell line refers to a cell population that can continually grow and retain the desired properties over many generations. It’s the foundational building block of cultivated meat, but a lack of availability of the right cell lines has been a major bottleneck for commercialisation in the industry.

    Achieving stable cell lines represents a few major advantages for producers. First, it enables them to deliver consistent quality and taste. Stable cells allow precise control and characterisation, ensuring that each batch delivers a piece of cultivated meat identical to the one before.

    Secondly, it reduces the reliance on livestock farming, eliminating the need for animals in the production process. A 2023 industry survey by think tank the Good Food Institute revealed that 74% of companies have achieved identical or better results after establishing a cell line in serum-free conditions.

    And finally, it paves the way for large-scale production of cultivated meat, helping companies accelerate their path to commercialisation.

    Apart from the stable cell lines, Mewery has also expanded its cell bank to include multiple types of non-genetically-modified porcine cells. This will help it optimise the growth conditions of these cells for faster and more efficient production, and create a broader range of cultivated meat products, such as different cuts of meat.

    “We are committed to developing delicious, sustainable, and accessible cultivated meat for everyone,” said Mewery CEO Roman Lauš. “This breakthrough brings us a significant step closer to achieving that goal.”

    lab grown pork
    Courtesy: Mewery

    In January, Mewery was awarded €200,000 in grants from the Czech government to further improve its platform’s efficiency. The funding was set to be used to characterize basic parts of the production process and expand research efforts into cell growth and interactions. “This knowledge will be essential for designing a near-future scalable production process that is efficient, cost-effective, and meets the highest quality standards,” Lauš explained at the time.

    But while the startup did receive backing from the Czech government, the country’s lawmakers were also in support of an EU bill that sought to restrict the cultivated meat sector earlier this year. “We have also learned that our government’s view on the EU Agrifish Bill is just to start a broader discussion,” Brzobohatý revealed, adding that Mewery has had a “very positive experience” while in close contact with the agriculture ministry. “We are actively discussing the creation of a legislative framework to allow controlled tastings inspired by the Dutch model.”

    It was only last month that Dutch cultured pork producer Meatable held the EU’s first public tasting of cultivated meat, after its government established a framework for such events. It followed US producer Fork & Good’s pub dinner in Switzerland and Australian startup Vow’s event in Iceland (it has since obtained Singaporean approval for its cultivated quail).

    “As regards the proposals to restrict cultivated meat, our view is clear,” said Brzobohatý. “We believe that the choice of the food they consume is up to the consumers alone. If such food is approved by the authorities whose jurisdiction and competence this falls under, all parties should accept this. The role of politicians is to set the framework and possibly moderate the debate, but they should certainly not seek to substitute for food safety authorities.”

    Mewery also indicated that part of the government investment will be used for data gathering ahead of filing for regulatory approval. While its first choice would be to apply in the US, if the regulatory framework in the EU is cleared up by this time, it will likely do so there too. “Another country we are considering is Switzerland, which meets our requirements for our pre-commercial pilot operation,” said Brzobohatý.

    Disrupting an industry in disarray

    cultured pork
    Courtesy: Mewery

    Founded in 2020 by Lauš, Mewery has previously teased products like meatballs and tenderloin made from 75% porcine cells and 25% microalgae cells – by developing pork on microalgae scaffolding, the startup has slashed production costs by 70%. Last year, it debuted a burger at a small tasting in its home country, where over 90% of attendees indicated their willingness to taste the cultivated product.

    When asked whether its products would be hybrid (a mix of cultivated animal cells and plants), Brzobohatý said: “We are continuously exploring all the possibilities. Our product is inherently hybrid by virtue of our co-cultivation method of combining pork cells with microalgae cells. At the same time, we are considering a pork burger as our first product, which would be a natural fit if combined with plant-based mass.”

    Concerns about pig meat have continued to boil over African Swine Fever outbreaks in many parts of the world recently, with pig populations being culled in Russia, Hong Kong, the UK, the US and India. This has led to a shortage of pork and subsequently driven up prices, with the viral disease adding to the meat’s already carcinogenic status.

    It’s why novel options like Mewery’s are crucial for a stable and sustainable food system. Clever Carnivore, Uncommon, Ivy Farm Technologies, Joes Future Food Tech, CellX, Magic Valley, MyriaMeat, and Meatable are all working on cultivated pork too.

    The post Mewery Establishes Stable Cell Line to Scale Up Cultivated Pork Production Ahead of Pilot Plant Opening appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Florida Officially Bans Cultivated Meat as Governor Mocks World Economic Forum

    lab grown meat florida
    9 Mins Read

    Florida governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to ban the sale and production of cultivated meat in the state, in a news conference that poked fun at the World Economic Forum. The alternative protein industry says it’s “reckless” and sends a “terrible message”.

    All it took was 24 hours. Ron DeSantis couldn’t wait to sign the much-debated SB 1084, a bill that was headlined by a ban on cultivated meat in Florida.

    “Some people think Florida is theme parks, South Beach and maybe some oranges, but they don’t understand that we have one of the top cattle industries in the country,” the governor said in a press conference surrounded by cattle ranchers in Hardee County. “What we’re protecting here is the industry against acts of man, against an ideological agenda that wants to finger agriculture as the problem, that views things like raising cattle as destroying our climate.”

    DeSantis was stood behind a banner that read ‘Save Our Beef’ in the style of the World Economic Forum’s logo. The organisation has previously outlined the importance of alternative proteins to meet the needs of a population that will reach 10 billion in 2050 and combat the changing climate. “I’m sure they’ll say: ‘Hey, wait a minute, just hear us out before you say yuck,’” said DeSantis. “I say Florida has heard enough on that.”

    Taking aim at the “liberal elite”, he added: “Take your fake lab-grown meat elsewhere. We’re not doing that in the state of Florida.”

    The bill makes it a second-degree misdemeanour to manufacture, transport, commercialise or sell cultivated meat. Businesses can have their licences revoked and receive an immediate stop-sale order. All in a state where meat production continues to rise, with half of its land set aside for cattle farming.

    lab grown meat ban
    Courtesy: Eat JUST
    “This legislation has always been about one thing – helping one industry, Big Ag, avoid accountability and competition. Today, these multinational corporations and their lobbyists won,” said Tom Rossmeissl, head of global marketing at Eat JUST, one of two companies that have sold cultivated meat (under its GOOD Meat brand) in the US after clearing extensive food safety assessments by the USDA and FDA.

    Pointing to these regulatory approvals, Pepin Tuma, legislative director at alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI), said: “Why are politicians with no experience in food safety interfering where they don’t belong?” In doing so, he argued that these lawmakers are “foreclosing innovative investments that would actually create opportunities for Florida farmers”.

    It’s a “reckless” move that “ignores food safety experts and science, stifles consumer choice, and hinders American innovation”, according to Sean Edgett, chief legal officer at UPSIDE Foods, the other company approved to sell cultivated meat in the US.

    Why Florida decided to ban cultivated meat

    SB 1084 was introduced by Republican state representative Jay Collins in the Senate at the end of last year. “There are many concerns right here and, until we have those studies and there’s proof positive that this process is going to work, we want to ban this in the state of Florida because it’s just not there quite yet,” said Collins.

    The bill has gradually moved through both chambers of the Florida government, with the Senate voting 29-10 in favour in late February, followed by an 86-27 vote in the house a week later. It reached DeSantis on Tuesday, who could either sign or veto the bill within 15 days, though he was widely expected to do the former.

    “Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” he said, painting a misrepresentation picture of how cultivated meat is produced. At a scale large enough to sell to consumers, these proteins are grown in bioreactors, not petri dishes. “Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef,” added DeSantis.

    florida cultivated meat
    Courtesy: UPSIDE Foods/Canva AI

    Florida’s agricultural commissioner, Wilton Simpson, called cultivated meat a “disgraceful attempt” that undermined “authentic agriculture”. “Who wants to have a biomass shipped to their house, put into a tank, grown in a lab, and then put it through a 3D printer to make it look like a steak you want to eat?” he said at the conference, seemingly bundling three different processes of making alternative proteins into one.

    As GFI’s Pepin underlined, politicians have a lack of expertise on these subjects. But they’re playing food police instead of choosing innovation, economic growth and consumer choice. This is echoed by Edgett. “This is a protectionist policy for entrenched interests, violates free market principles, and limits consumer choice,” he said, adding that Florida was “choosing winners and losers when they should let consumers make their own decisions about what to eat”.

    Pepin agreed that Floridians should not be limited by government overreach: “The Sunshine State’s eccentric decision casts a long shadow on its laudable ambition to keep the state open for business.”

    Cultivated meat ban closes off investors and jobs

    Like the larger food tech and venture capital space, cultivated meat has already been suffering from a dip in investments globally. According to GFI, funding in this category dropped by 75% in 2023. And so far, the first quarter of this year has seen merely 5% of the $226M invested in the sector in the previous 12 months. It’s why VC firm AgFunder has earmarked cultivated meat as a “category to watch” this year.

    Florida’s ban has raised concerns over how investors will see this industry. “This bill sends a terrible message to the investors, scientists, and entrepreneurs that have built America’s global leadership in alternative proteins,” said Eat JUST’s Rossmeissl, noting that the law is a setback to consumer choice, as well as “Florida’s technology sector, innovators and entrepreneurs, and all those working to stop the worst impacts of climate change”.

    Meat production alone accounts for 60% of the food system’s total emissions globally, which itself make up a third of all human-caused emissions. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that cultivated meat is drastically better for the environment, with a life-cycle assessment (LCA) from 2023 revealing that cultivated meat is three times more adept at turning crops into meat than even the “most efficient” livestock. A similar LCA by GFI in 2021 suggested that cultivated meat produced via renewable energy can have a 92% lower impact on global heating, needs 95% less land, and uses 78% less water compared to conventionally farmed beef.

    “A ban like this threatens a free market and sets a dangerous precedent for government interference,” Emily Bogan, head of business opportunities at cultivated meat company Fork & Good, told a House panel in February. “We want to ensure that affordable meat is available for generations to come.”

    cultivated meat ban
    Courtesy: WildType

    For all of DeSantis’s rhetoric about protecting American farmers and saving American jobs, industry members say this will have the opposite effect. Rossmeissl believes China will be celebrating, “as they are closer to overcoming our nation’s lead in this emerging sector”. This chimes with the comments of Justin Kolbeck, co-founder of cultivated seafood company Wildtype, who told the House panel that the ban “will deepen our country’s dependence on imports from countries like China” and “create Chinese jobs at the expense of small businesses like mine”.

    And far from taking jobs, analysis from the ClimateWorks Foundation and the Global Methane Hub has found that the continued openings of cultivated meat facilities around the world could support up to 83 million jobs by 2050.

    “Some of America’s largest meat companies have been early investors in cultivated meat,” said UPSIDE Foods’ Edgett. “They recognise cultivated meat’s potential to complement conventional meat production, improve supply chain resilience, and ensure American’s access to meat as global demand for animal protein is projected to double by 2050. Florida’s ban is an affront to progress and job creation. Florida should embrace scientific and technological innovation.”

    Despite fears of a domino effect, startups remain positive

    lab grown chicken
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    Before passing the ban, Florida’s lawmakers did make one amendment. They removed a stipulation that would have prohibited research on cultivated meat from being carried out in the state, out of concerns that this could affect the space industry, which is looking at cultivated meat for long-term journeys.

    However, it’s the first state to officially prohibit the sale of cultivated meat in the US, and after Italy, only the second government globally to do so. It’s far from the only American state to have attempted this in the first place, though: Alabama, Arizona, Wisconsin, Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee and Florida have all proposed various types of bans on cultivated meat. In fact, just last week, the Alabama House passed a bill similar to Florida’s, and its counterpart in Arizona did so for a restriction on product labelling (no cultivated meat has made it to retail so far, anywhere in the world).

    Florida itself has had two other attempts. Tyler Sirois’s HB 435 died before it reached the Senate, but Danny Alvarez’s HB 1071 is being contemplated in the House. The fear is that the passing of SB 1084 could create a ripple effect across America, where other states could use it almost as a precedent to introduce their own bans. DeSantis himself said so at the press conference, noting: “There have been other countries… that have said no, I think there’s going to be more states that are increasingly going to say no.”

    But you only need to look at the response from the North American Meat Institute, the country’s oldest and largest trade association (representing 95% of the US’s meat output), to gauge that this is not a good idea. In a letter sent to DeSantis in March, the group called the ban “bad public policy”. “These bills establish a precedent for adopting policies and regulatory requirements that could one day adversely affect the bills’ supporters,” it said, emphasising the importance of consumer choice.

    “Cultivated meat has been deemed safe to eat by experts from the USDA and FDA, so this is not a move to protect Florida’s consumers,” said Edgett. “We’re ready to build a better food future together.”

    Like UPSIDE Foods, other cultivated meat companies remain positive. Rossmeissl said that while Eat JUST was disappointed about the ban, it would not stop the development of cultivated meat. This was echoed by Wildtype’s marketing VP, Jenny Berien, and fellow cultivated seafood company BlueNalu’s associate director of corporate communications, Mia Montanile.

    cultured meat
    Courtesy: BlueNalu

    They are co-chairs of US cellular agriculture alliance the Association of Meat, Poultry and Seafood (AMPS) Innovation. In a joint statement, they noted that despite the ban, there “continues to be widespread recognition” of cultivated meat’s benefits, including protein supply consistency and enhanced food security. “Recognising the need to diversify our protein sources in the face of growing demand and finite resources, many nations around the world and leaders in the incumbent agricultural industry are supporters and even investors in the cultivated meat and seafood industry,” they noted.

    “Bringing new, innovative sources of protein production to the table is critical to bridge the gap between global supply and demand,” they continued. “With its deep roots in agricultural innovation, the United States is well-positioned to lead this next chapter in sustainable protein production – a chapter powered by a diverse community that includes regenerative farmers, ranchers and fishers, as well as innovators in animal cell cultivation. To feed a growing world using fewer resources, we’ll need more agricultural innovation, not less.”

    The post Florida Officially Bans Cultivated Meat as Governor Mocks World Economic Forum appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • South Korea Inaugurates Regulation-Free Special Zone for Cultivated Meat Development

    south korea cultivated meat
    5 Mins Read

    The South Korean government has created a special zone designed for the development of cultivated foods, which will exempt companies from certain regulatory hurdles to help them commercialise their products.

    South Korea has taken a massive stride towards the commercialisation of cultivated meat, designating the eastern province of Gyeongsangbuk-do a regulation-exempt zone for companies innovating in this space.

    Formally titled the Gyeongbuk Cell-Cultivated Foods Regulatory-Free Special Zone (RFSZ), the area will harbour 10 cultivated meat companies and has received a special exemption for using biopsies and same-day slaughtered tissues in support of mass production of high-quality cultivated meat.

    One of these startups will be TissenBioFarm, which last year debuted a 10kg piece of cultivated meat to commemorate the opening of the nation’s Cellular Agriculture Support Center. Its CEO Wonil Han said the RSFZ will be a “major turning point” not just for his company, but the local economy and the cultivated food industry too.

    South Korea helping startups commercialise cultivated meat

    tissenbiofarm
    Courtesy: TissenBioFarm

    RSFZs were introduced in 2019 by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to facilitate the creation of a flexible business landscape outside Seoul, allowing companies to carry out tests for innovative technologies and conduct business without regulations. Startups were also backed by funding for R&D and tax breaks.

    Initially, the government identified seven such zones, focusing on areas including digital healthcare, e-mobility, battery recycling and smart wellness. But this is the first RSFZ to address food, and choosing to focus on cultivated meat highlights the government’s growing acceptance of the industry, which it has previously selected in its top 10 lists of food and drug regulatory innovations and core food tech areas.

    The cultivated meat FRSZ was inaugurated by the governors of Gyeongsangbuk-do and the Uiseong-gun county, who believe the supply of fresh cells is key to commercialising high-quality cultivated meat The exemption is further expected to help startups improve the flavour and texture of cultivated meat and enhance cell growth.

    The zone will be operational for the next five years, starting next month and running until December 2028, and has been allocated ₩19.9B ($14.4M). This is just one of Gyeongsangbuk-do and Uiseong-gun’s efforts to build a more welcoming environment for cultivated meat. They recently completed work on a local industry support centre in the Bio Valley General Industrial Complex, and are constructing a Good Manufacturing Practice facility for startups in this space, which is set to be completed this year.

    Apart from TissenBioFarm, it will be host to LARTBIO, DaNAgreen, Seawith, Micro Digital, Mynu, LMK, SSBIO PHARM, K-Bio CMO Center and Gyeongbuk TP. These startups will work to demonstrate the commercialisation of cultivated foods in the Bio Valley complex in Uiseong-gun. TissenBioFarm, for example, will develop and demonstrate marketable cultivated foods using its 3D biofabrication method for mass production and food additives for the taste and texture of the meat.

    “With this designation, we will strengthen our competitiveness in the global market and grow with local partners. We look forward to seeing Gyeongsangbuk-do becoming a global hub in cell-cultivated food technology,” said Han.

    Taste and price parity key amid regulatory progress

    cultivated meat regulatory approval
    Courtesy: TissenBioFarm

    The move comes just months after the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety established a framework for the regulatory approval of cultivated meat, inviting producers to submit their products for approval. It came a year after 28 industry stakeholders signed an MoU to advance the country’s cultivated meat industry, and the North Gyeongsang province saw the opening of the aforementioned cellular agriculture support centre.

    Dossiers submitted by companies need to include safety verification data, including the name of the raw material, the origin of the cell, the manufacturing process, and the usage history. If the cells are derived from livestock, applicants must provide information about the donor, such as country of origin, gender, age, and slaughter inspection certificate. The entire process is set to take up to 270 working days, meaning even if companies apply soon, it’s unlikely that any clearance will be given this year.

    The approval process will cost companies a fairly steep ₩45M ($34,000), in contrast with the no-fee assessments offered by countries like Singapore and Israel. Plenty of nations do charge a fee, though, which is either mandatory or voluntary (to speed up the process) – this includes Australia and New Zealand, the US, the UK, and the EU.

    But despite the revision of the regulatory framework in January – which concluded a process that began in 2022 – barriers remain for full-scale commercialisation of cultivated meat in South Korea. This includes securing economic efficiency by establishing mass production systems, and achieving flavour and price parity with conventional meat.

    In October, a 1,110-person survey suggested that 90% of South Koreans were willing to try cultivated meat at least once, with 19% saying they would prefer it over plant proteins – but price and taste/texture are major purchase drivers, important 65% and 62% of respondents, respectively. While two-thirds of citizens spend up to ₩50,000 ($23-38) per week on meat products for the whole household, only 12% would pay ₩1,000-3,000 (75 cents to $2) more per 100g of cultivated meat.

    However, 57% and 25% said they’d eat cultivated pork and beef, respectively, if they’re cheaper than their farmed counterparts. It showed that scaling up production to reach price parity is one of the sector’s tallest obstacles in the country, but by modernising its regulations and designating a regulation-free zone to foster innovation, it looks like South Korea is turning over a new leaf with cultivated meat.

    The post South Korea Inaugurates Regulation-Free Special Zone for Cultivated Meat Development appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Shiru Unveils AI-Led Protein Marketplace and Discovery Marketplace

    oleopro
    4 Mins Read

    Artificial intelligence startup Shiru has today launched the “world’s first” protein discovery platform, allowing companies to find and buy sustainable proteins for product development.

    As the world of protein expands, with innovators sourcing it from seaweed, plant cells and even thin air, discovering the right protein formulation for new products can be a minefield. If only there was a website that could do that – and better yet, what if you could buy the perfect protein you’ve found?

    Well, you can now, thanks to ProteinDiscovery.ai, an artificial-intelligence-led protein marketplace developed by Shiru, the Californian food tech startup behind the plant-protein-based OleoPro fat.

    The website allows companies to search, discover, pilot, and buy molecules for applications ranging from food and agriculture to personal care and advanced materials. Described as an industry-first, it harnesses the power of AI and combines it with an extensive database of natural protein sequences, and automated biochemistry workflows to deliver a web interface that lets you search through over 33 million molecules.

    “For the first time ever, ProteinDiscovery.ai will enable the direct purchase of functional, novel proteins via an easy-to-use e-commerce interface,” says Shiru founder and CEO Jasmin Hume. “These are research-grade samples of pure proteins, delivered in aqueous solution.”

    ‘Amazon for proteins’

    shiru protein
    Courtesy: Shiru

    Shiru has itself been using AI to identify high-value, scalable novel proteins for years, which led to the launch of its OleoPro ingredient, a blend of plant proteins and unsaturated oils that mimics animal fats for plant-based meat, dairy and cosmetics applications.

    But after garnering interest from CPG companies and ingredient manufacturers, it decided to open its toolbox to the world. ProteinDiscovery.ai catalogues the proteins by sequence, metadata, functional use, performance and successful expression, with a search engine presenting the most relevant results a customer is looking for. It has tools to predict the level of expression and find better alternatives, forecast the likelihood of interaction between any pair of sequences, and estimate how likely it is for your proteins to be secreted.

    The tool links natural protein sequences with novel applications to create new intellectual property of derisked bio-based ingredients at breakneck speeds, saving companies millions of dollars and years of work in R&D. Looking for plant-derived casein mimics? Clean-label methylcellulose substitutes? Highly stable sweet proteins? Potent, non-toxic biopesticides? The ProteinDiscovery.ai platform has it all, really.

    How does it work? “Users can leverage our marketplace features as well as our discovery tools to search our catalogue for proteins with specific functionalities, predict protein expression, and search for proteins with similar functionalities that come from unexpected organisms,” explains Hume, who calls it an “Amazon for proteins”.

    “The site is extremely easy to use and is designed for simplicity. Ordering a protein sample is as easy as finding a product of interest on Amazon. Once the user locates a protein of interest, they can purchase a sample through a familiar e-commerce flow,” she adds.

    Shiru lets companies licence proteins

    protein marketplace
    Courtesy: Shiru

    In the ingredients world, patents, licences and regulations play a decisive role. Shiru knows that, and the ProteinDiscovery.ai platform allows companies to both buy samples of a protein and secure the IP rights either exclusively or non-exclusively.

    “One protein sequence can be bought by multiple companies,” says Hume. “We are really excited about the competition that arises in a true ‘marketplace’ – something that has been very hard to achieve through traditional, confidentiality-cloaked business development of licensing IP.”

    She notes that the default license customers can purchase will be non-exclusive, making Shiru’s proteins available to any business. “If a company decides they’d like exclusive access to the IP for a specific protein, Shiru will engage in these negotiations on a case-by-case basis.”

    With any novel proteins, companies are required to obtain authorisation from regulatory bodies in their respective markets. The proteins available on Shiru’s marketplace are research-grade and available solely for R&D and non-commercial use across their breadth of industry applications.

    “The samples are not intended for consumption,” outlines Hume. “These are novel proteins offering major potential solutions and functionality. However, it is up to each individual company to own the product development and resulting regulatory approval process. Shiru and our partners are supplying the proteins.”

    All the protein samples are priced at a flat fee of $1,500 for a 10mg sample. Larger samples are available on request. “Target partners for our digital tools are innovators across those industries, both those developing newly formulated products with protein ingredients and those creating new ingredients,” says Hume.

    When asked about the business model, the Shiru CEO adds: “ProteinDiscovery.ai is the gateway for Shiru’s digital search offerings and tools, which generate revenue through access to our platform.”

    The company has already partnered with industry giants like Puratos and Griffiths Foods to discover, test and scale ingredients for egg and meat alternatives, respectively, through AI. Although the tech has its climate problems, its use in food applications has been exploding recently, with Chile’s NotCo, California’s Climax Foods and Singapore’s Howw Foods all leveraging AI to find the most suitable formulations for alternative protein products. Last month, the Bezos Earth Fund announced a $100M grant for AI-based nature solutions, including future foods.

    The post Shiru Unveils AI-Led Protein Marketplace and Discovery Marketplace appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Cultivated Quail, MasterChef Pros & A Cheese Debacle

    climax foods
    5 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Vow’s Tippling Club collab, US bans on cultivated meat, and a climate change podcast.

    New products and launches

    Australian cultivated meat startup Vow, which recently became the fourth company to receive regulatory approval, has announced its first restaurant partner, Singapore’s Tippling Club, which will serve its Forged Parfait with cultured quail from May 3-14. The product debuted at Mandala Club earlier this month.

    In the UK, Alpro has rolled out four new protein-centric SKUs: two original- and chocolate-flavoured Plant Protein drinks, and yoghurts in mixed berries and mango-banana variants. It has also introduced 500ml versions of its unsweetened almond and oat milks.

    UK tofu maker The Tofoo Co has partnered with vegan restaurant Temple of Seitan to launch seitan in original and pepperoni flavours at UK retailers, which will be available at Waitrose and Tesco (only the original) from today.

    Automotive giant Mercedes-Benz is working to align its German canteens with the Planetary Health Diet, and has pledged to serve predominantly plant-based food by the end of 2025. Last week, it linked up with Stuttgart restaurant Vhy! to showcase the potential of vegan food.

    In the US, online grocery retailer FreshDirect has unveiled Foraged Mushroom Meat, which are available in nuggets and pulled formats and made from the stalks of mushrooms, alongside soy protein, tapioca flour and coconut oil.

    Spanish seafood producer Angulas Aguinaga is entering the alternative seafood world via a collaboration with Catalan startup Vrave, starting with a konjac-based calamari to be sold under the former’s Aguinamar brand. They plan to roll out the calamari in the UK, France and Portugal next month.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Heura/LinkedIn

    Meanwhile, fellow Catalan vegan brand Heura‘s three-week veggie sandwich pilot at French bakery chain Boulangerie Ange last November has been made permanent, with the sandwich now vegan thanks to the use of Violife cheese.

    Else Nutrition‘s soy-free vegan infant formula and toddler drink has made its way into the Asia-Pacific market, launching in Australia and New Zealand.

    And BBC Springwatch host Gillian Burke has launched a new climate podcast called If I Ruled The World, where she interviews scientists, lawmakers, artists, journalists, activists and entrepreneurs about system change and their solution to the climate crisis.

    Finance and policy developments

    Berlin-based startup Cultimate Foods has raised €2.3M in a seed funding round to scale up production and expand commercial operations for its plant-based fat ingredient for meat analogues.

    Likewise, France’s Edonia has bagged €2M in investment to produce plant-based meat analogues from microalgae like spirulina and chlorella.

    UK venture capital firm CPT Capital has teamed up with Accenture, the Good Food Institute Europe and the Alternative Proteins Association to launch the third edition of its Coller Startup Competition for alternative protein companies, with the winner receiving £100,000.

    milky plant
    Courtesy: Milky Plant

    Also in the UK, Milky Plant has turned over £2M in two years with its homemade alt-milk machine, with sales set to reach £10M by the end of the year.

    In Alabama, the House of Representatives has voted in favour of a bill to ban the production and sale of cultivated meat by an 85-14 vote, which will now return to the Senate before being passed. The House amended the bill to say it would not prevent people from researching these proteins in the state.

    Similarly, the Arizona House has voted for a bill requiring cultivated meat products to be labelled clearly to distinguish themselves from conventional meat, though this is a watered-down version of the original proposal, which sought to ban the use of meat-related terms on packaging labels for these products. The bill still needs Senate approval.

    Partnerships, research and breakthroughs

    Australian cultivated pork producer Magic Valley hosted a tasting event for its bao buns at John Gorilla Café in Brunswick, which received rave reviews from attendees.

    magic valley
    Courtesy: Magic Valley

    Vegan certification body V-Label has collaborated with the Middle East Vegan Society to accelerate and advance the clear and transparent labelling of vegan and vegetarian products in the region.

    In the US, animal nutrition company Wilbur-Ellius Nutrition and precision fermentation protein startup Bond Pet Foods have teamed up to develop ingredients for the pet food industry.

    Californian startup Checkerspot has received a patent for its non-genetically-engineered high-oleic algae oil ingredient, two weeks after partnering with sustainable nutrition company Mara Renewables to develop omega-3 alternatives to fish oil.

    masterchef vegan
    Courtesy: Upfield

    Violife Professional, the foodservice arm of plant-based dairy leader Upfield, has partnered with MasterChef: The Professionals winner Alex Webb to showcase foodservice kitchens how to best swap dairy for vegan analogues, curating six dishes using Flora butter and cream and Violife cream cheese.

    Plant-based consumption is seemingly on the rise in Romania, up from 30% in 2022 to 39% in 2023, with taste the biggest driver, according to research by Danone Romania.

    vegan casein
    Courtesy: Climax Foods

    Finally, vegan cheesemaker Climax Foods, which was set to become the first plant-based brand to win the Good Food Awards for its blue cheese, was disqualified on the eve of the ceremony, with its founder ascribing it to a pushback from the dairy industry and a retrospective change of rules.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Cultivated Quail, MasterChef Pros & A Cheese Debacle appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Impossible Foods Weighs Up ‘Liquidity Event’, Including Possible IPO or Sale in 2-3 Years

    impossible foods ipo
    5 Mins Read

    Impossible Foods is considering a “liquidity event” that could see the plant-based meat giant raise more capital, go public or even be sold to another company in the next few years.

    As plant-based meat fights back after a difficult couple of years, one of its pioneers is already exploring moves that could signal a sea change for the industry.

    Speaking to Reuters, Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness indicated the business is targeting a “liquidity event”, which could mean an IPO for the California-based company in the next two to three years.

    But it’s keeping its options open over what this might entail. “I don’t want to be pigeonholed into an IPO,” explained McGuinness, adding that Impossible Foods was also considering another raise of funds, or even a potential sale to another company.

    Navigating a tricky investment landscape

    This isn’t the first time Impossible Foods has been linked with an IPO. In 2021, it was preparing to go public with a reported valuation of $7-10B, raising $500M the same year. Founder and then-CEO Pat Brown told Bloomberg that a stock market listing was inevitable for the company, explaining: “You have easier access to capital to support growth, but more importantly to me, there are millions of non-billionaires out there who are very, very supportive of our mission but they don’t have a chance to share in our success.”

    But in early 2023, McGuinness – who took over from Brown in April 2022 – suggested the company wouldn’t be going public that year. “We’ll do an IPO when we need to do an IPO,” he said at the time.

    impossible meat
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    Now, however, things may be changing, as plant-based businesses face pressure from inflation and the cost of living, misinformation in the media, and a loss of faith from investors. On the latter, investments in plant-based foods fell by nearly a quarter 24% from 2022-23, reaching $907M. Companies across the food tech sector have found it hard to raise money, with a 61% drop in investments last year, according to industry think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI).

    Meanwhile, retail sales of plant-based food have also dipped slightly to $8.1B (a 2% decrease), though meat and seafood analogues faced a larger 12% decline in the US. But industry experts remain positive, thanks to a new wave of plant-based products that better meet consumers’ demands. “We expect a wave of plant-based 2.0 products and a steady flow of new product success stories that will generate a new narrative for the alt-protein category, leading to improved investment conditions for startups,” says Hédi Farhat, investment manager at ProVeg Incubator.

    The dire investment landscape also seems to be passing. GFI had suggested that the financing totals are likely an underestimate as a greater number of funding rounds have been kept under wraps given there were more simple agreements for future equity (SAFE) and bridge rounds in 2023. But the next year is expected to remain challenging for plant-based companies – in the first quarter of 2024, startups in this sector only secured $58M in funding, a mere 6% of last year’s total.

    plant based investment
    Courtesy: GFI

    All of this to say, if Impossible Foods does end up attempting to raise capital, it may not be as swift as the last time. However, as a market leader that has already bagged nearly $2B (just under a quarter of all investments in the sector since 2015), it’s hard to bet against it.

    Industry will keep a close eye on Impossible Foods

    McGuinness’s interview with Reuters comes at a curious time. Just last week, Bloomberg reported that Goldman Sachs is in talks with credit lenders seeking $250M to shore up capital for fellow plant-based meat giant Beyond Meat. It was suggested that the debt would be used for general corporate purposes and to repurchase some of its $1.15B convertible bonds at a discount.

    This followed Beyond Meat’s end-of-year earnings report, which revealed that while the company had been performing better than expected in the last quarter, its annual revenue was down by 18%. Since then, Beyond Meat has launched multiple revamped product lines and increased product prices.

    Impossible Foods has itself introduced a new beef hot dog and a brand refresh, which featured a much greater focus on flavour and nutrition – the two chief factors dictating plant-based consumption now. “We’re not leading with the planet because not enough people care. It’s the reality now,” said McGuinness.

    impossible hot dogs
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods/Green Queen

    A company spokesperson told Green Queen after the rebrand that sustainability “is and always will be our reason for being”, noting that it’s still part of its packaging and across various touchpoints of the consumer journey. “However, we realised we can get even more consumers in the door by leading with our incredible taste and nutritional quality – then, we can seal the deal with the environmental benefits,” they added.

    In the meantime, Impossible Foods has been expanding both its retail and foodservice footprint. The company’s distribution expanded by 25% in January alone, with its products available in over 75,000 locations worldwide. Just today, it has announced a deal with Whole Foods to place its chicken analogues on the shelves of select stores across the US.

    But as inflation squeezes consumer budgets, many are turning to cheaper products like canned meats and inexpensive retailers like Dollar General and club stores like Costco. McGuinness said that Impossible is open to expanding into dollar stores, adding: “We have a good club business.”

    is impossible foods a public company
    Courtesy: Peter McGuinness/LinkedIn

    The company has also been moving into baseball stadiums across the US, extending an exemplary foodservice record that includes clients like Burger King (it’s featured in the signature Impossible Whopper), Starbucks, IHOP, White Castle and Disney.

    McGuinness declined to share his company’s current valuation, but all this means Impossible Foods’ next move will be closely watched, especially given the post-IPO challenges faced by other plant-based giants like Beyond Meat and Oatly, whose stocks have slumped by about 97% since going public in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Will it be a sale? Another fundraise? A public offering? Everything is on the cards.

    The post Impossible Foods Weighs Up ‘Liquidity Event’, Including Possible IPO or Sale in 2-3 Years appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The 6 Types of Plant-Based Meat Eaters, and How Restaurants Can Promote These Dishes

    plant based meat restaurants
    4 Mins Read

    By David Fechner, research fellow, social marketing, Griffith University; Bettina Grün, associate professor, Institute for Statistics and Mathematics, Vienna University of Economics and Business; Sara Dolnicar, research professor in Tourism, School of Business, University of Queensland

    Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that choice, you decide to order a traditional meat or vegetable dish. That’s a common decision.

    The Australian plant-based meat industry has grown significantly in recent years and has been projected to become a A$3 billion industry by 2030. Yet most consumers still hesitate to order a plant-based meat dish in restaurants.

    In our new study, we asked 647 Australians why they don’t order plant-based meat dishes when dining out.

    It turns out not everyone shares the same reasons. We found six types of diner who avoided these dishes.

    Type 1: environmentally conscious, plant-based meat eater

    The environmentally conscious plant-based meat eater doesn’t have any issues with meat alternatives. In fact, they enjoy experimenting with plant-based meat products at home. They have their favourite brands but also dislike certain products.

    To avoid eating a product they don’t like, they prefer ordering traditional vegetable dishes when dining out. They are more concerned about protecting the planet than their own health.

    plant based meat healthy
    Courtesy: Planted

    Type 2: health-conscious, plant-based meat supporter

    Type 2 is similar to type 1, except type 2 diners care about being fit and healthy. They prefer to “just eat the vegetables they use to make the fake meat”, as one study participant told us, because they think meat alternatives contain too much sodium, soy, fat, sugar and genetically modified ingredients.

    Type 3: curious plant-based meat avoider

    The curious plant-based meat avoider typically orders a meat dish and occasionally a vegetable option. They sit on the fence when it comes to plant-based meat.

    While they are curious to try it, they aren’t familiar with it and don’t want to risk disappointment. As a type 3 diner told us: “If I were offered a sample, I would be more inclined to try it but […] the risk of it being disappointing doesn’t justify the cost.”

    Type 4: sceptical plant-based meat avoider

    Like the curious plant-based meat avoider, type 4 diners order more meat than vegetable dishes. They believe meat alternatives are unhealthy because “reading the back of plant-based meat packages will typically reveal a plethora of chemicals”. They don’t trust the technology used to create plant-based meat.

    They also do not support the idea of mimicking meat with plants and giving these products names similar to animal meat such as burger or steak.

    cop28 fao roadmap
    Courtesy: Pixelshot via Canva

    Type 5: indifferent meat lover

    The indifferent meat lover doesn’t have any issues with plant-based meat. Yet they wouldn’t consider ordering a plant-based meat dish. Eating meat is an integral part of their restaurant experience and they “wouldn’t know how you’d mimic meat sliding off a bone”.

    Although most of their family and friends also order meat dishes, they have no problem with restaurants offering meat alternatives if they are clearly labelled and don’t limit meat options. They believe eating meat is natural, summed up by one who said: “There is a nutritional requirement for animal meat inherent in humans.”

    Type 6: critical meat lover

    The critical meat lover dislikes everything about plant-based meat. They don’t understand why anyone would replace meat with a plant-based alternative, nor why it is important.

    “Several times I have eaten this garbage […] and thoroughly regretted it.”

    Why does this matter?

    As David Attenborough says: “We must change our diet. The planet can’t support billions of meat-eaters.”

    Occasionally ordering a plant-based meal instead of a meat dish can greatly reduce the environmental footprint of the global food system. Animal agriculture accounts for 56% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions but produces only 18% of calories and 37% of protein.

    Plant-based alternatives to chicken, pork and beef emit, on average, 43%, 63% and 93% less greenhouse gas emissions.

    This means a family of four ordering plant-based meat burgers instead of beef patties saves carbon emissions equal to driving from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.

    wagamama vegan
    Courtesy: Wagamama

    5 ways restaurants can promote plant-based meat dishes

    Restaurants are the perfect tasting ground to introduce diners (especially curious and sceptical plant-based meat avoiders) to meat alternatives. Here are five simple things restaurants can do to promote plant-based meat dishes:

    1. hand out free samples to reduce the fear of disappointment
    2. serve plant-based meat by default to break meat-ordering habits, as a Brisbane pub has done
    3. describe plant-based meat with indulgent words and avoid using unappealing language, such as the word vegan
    4. provide health information to overcome the belief that meat alternatives are unhealthier than meat, which is often not true
    5. integrate plant-based meat dishes into the full menu rather than listing them in a separate vegetarian section.

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The post The 6 Types of Plant-Based Meat Eaters, and How Restaurants Can Promote These Dishes appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • B2B Pivots, APAC Growth & Plant-Based 2.0: ProVeg on Alt-Protein’s ‘Correction Phase’ & Trends for 2024

    proveg incubator
    6 Mins Read

    Amid investor pressure, sales declines and negative media coverage, the alternative protein sector is navigating a “correction phase”, but there is cause for optimism, according to ProVeg International.

    We’ve all seen the headlines. Sales falling, investors losing faith, companies shutting down, prices shooting up – all amid a wider food tech landscape that’s as volatile as it is exciting. All that has led to what is now a “correction phase” for the alternative protein industry, according to food advocacy organisation ProVeg International.

    In a new report celebrating the 100 startups it has incubated in the last five years, the non-profit argues that bad press doesn’t equate to a failed industry, pointing to how there was a small uptick in global sales for plant-based food (from $28B to $29B) last year, contrary to the widespread losses that most people will have you believe.

    “The industry is simmering down, not burning out,” says Divya Murthy, co-head and investment lead of ProVeg Incubator. “Like any emerging sector, this is a healthy recalibration, separating the true potential from the hype. This consolidation will help the sector build back stronger on the other side.”

    ProVeg points to its incubated startups to underline the strides being made to overcome the challenges and make the sector more resilient. These include players in the plant-based, cultivated meat, precision fermentation, fungi and algae protein, molecular farming, and plant cell culture spaces – think Infinite Roots, Better Nature, Formo, Remilk, Omni, Libre Foods, Aspyre Foods and Marinas Bio, to name a few.

    “Our startups are developing some mind-blowing products, ingredients and technologies,” notes Vicki Sagar, marketing and communications manager at ProVeg Incubator. “They are the future.”

    So what does that future look like? ProVeg highlighted five trends shaping alternative proteins, and long-term outlooks for the industry’s future.

    1) Food tech and climate tech are becoming synonymous

    Only a tenth of all climate tech dollars has gone to the agrifood sector in the last decade, despite financing in the category bringing the highest CO2e savings per dollar of invested capital of any sector.

    However, change is afoot, with the link between food production and climate change becoming clearer, according to ProVeg. Food production accounts for a third of all human-caused emissions, while the livestock sector is responsible for 12-20% of all emissions. Meat itself makes up 60% of the food system’s emissions, twice as much as plant-based foods. As producers struggle to keep up with demand from a growing population, and climate change affects access to natural resources, things will only become more dire.

    ProVeg notes how governments like Singapore, Japan and China are recognising the role of food tech in tackling the climate crisis, with policies that include alternative proteins as a central strategy.

    2) Plant-Based 2.0 is here

    hybrid meat
    Courtesy: SciFi Foods

    In September, Green Queen founding editor Sonalie Figueiras and industry veteran Maarten Geraets outlined the need to unleash a new category of innovation: Plant-Based 2.0.

    The ProVeg report notes that we’re seeing this shift, with many startups addressing the pain points of the industry and developing products with cleaner labels, better flavour and texture, and cheaper, more competitive price tags. Fungi-derived and fermented ingredients will drive this growth, as will algae-based foods, known for their fast growth, high photosynthetic efficiency, low water consumption, and favourable protein profile, and the fact that they don’t need land for growth.

    Blended and hybrid meats – something we’ve covered extensively over the last few months – can further help companies meet consumer needs for these proteins, while upcycled food and sidestream valorisation is expected to ramp up, thanks to the value proposition and ability to create novel ingredients for multiple food sectors.

    “We expect a wave of plant-based 2.0 products and a steady flow of new product success stories that will generate a new narrative for the alt-protein category, leading to improved investment conditions for startups,” says Hédi Farhat, investment manager at ProVeg Incubator.

    3) It’s all about B2B

    A growing number of startups are focusing purely on B2B applications, while many are pivoting away from B2C – Californian precision fermentation company Perfect Day is perhaps the most famous example here. This is in response to high marketing and customer acquisition costs, narrow margins, and investor unease over the direct-to-consumer approach.

    Instead of doing it all themselves, companies are now hoping to be part of the solution by working on specific technologies, ingredients and scale-up platforms, such as fermenters, growth media or customised fats. This lets startups focus on specific gaps in the value chain, rather than having to put millions into developing all aspects of the end product.

    4) Molecular farming headlines novel approaches

    alpine bio
    Courtesy: Alpine Bio

    Alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute has already named molecular farming the fourth pillar of the industry, and technologies like these (including plant cell cultivation) are “key to tackling the problem of recreating dairy proteins and other ingredients on a mass scale”, according to ProVeg Incubator director Albrecht Wolfmeyer.

    Meanwhile, fermentation technologies are also important, especially biomass fermentation, which leverages the high protein content and rapid growth of microorganisms to make protein-rich food at scale. This is because developing and scaling functional ingredients will be key to the industry’s success.

    5) APAC is becoming the next alt-protein hub

    Asia-Pacific has already caught up with the US in terms of the number of cultivated meat companies, while Singapore’s progressive regulatory frameworks have always placed the region as a hub for food tech development and market launches.

    APAC is home to over half of the global population, and faces the biggest threat to food security. But as their spending power and standard of living progress, so does the demand for alternative proteins, something governments like India, Japan and South Korea are recognising. However, a funding gap remains, with research suggesting that agrifood systems are currently the “lowest-hanging climate fruit” in the region, and investment in existing solutions could cut emissions by 12% by 2030.

    The now, next and later

    cultivated meat regulatory approval
    Courtesy: Vow Food

    ProVeg provided a tiered outlook of the industry’s future, looking at immediate challenges, as well as middle- and long-term ones. The non-profit expects a challenging 2024-25, punctuated with harsh economic conditions and a difficult investment landscape, which may mean some startups in their growth stage may run out of runway – that has happened to a number of players over the last 12 months.

    But there are bright notes too, with new-wave products and regulatory approvals for cultivated meat and precision-fermented proteins on the rise. The “steady flow of success stories” is likely to drive a new narrative, improved investment conditions, and a more favourable market environment.

    Over the next three to five years, ProVeg expects to see significant progress in product development, with 80% of alternative protein products matching their animal-derived counterparts on taste, texture and price, with renewed interest from retailers, distributors and foodservice operators. “We expect to see the effects of consolidation, along with signs of recovery in the sector, between 2025-26, with more corporate investors driving innovation in the sector,” says Farhat.

    And in the long term, eight to 10 years from now, ProVeg believes alternative proteins will become the default option, with better functionality and greater awareness of animal agriculture’s climate impact. By then, investment in the sector is forecast to surpass $10B per year (double the 2021 figure), although much more capital will be needed and delivered by strategic investors, corporations and public funds. Regions like Africa and Latin America – still in their early stages of adoption and investment in this sector – will present a significant growth opportunity.

    “We’ll see more cultivated foods in restaurants in Singapore and the US. In Europe, where regulatory approval is slower, the first wave of restaurants will have cultivated meat and seafood on their menus,” says Antje Räuscher, co-head and partnerships lead at ProVeg Incubator.

    The post B2B Pivots, APAC Growth & Plant-Based 2.0: ProVeg on Alt-Protein’s ‘Correction Phase’ & Trends for 2024 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Brits are Less Aware and Less Concerned About UPFs Than Europeans: Survey

    ultra processed foods uk
    5 Mins Read

    People in the UK are less likely to be aware or worried about ultra-processed foods than their EU counterparts, and also consume more of these products, according to a pan-European survey.

    Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are everywhere right now – in grocery stores, in health studies, and in everyday conversations. There’s so much being written about them, it’s frankly overwhelming. Some are deriding these foods for being unhealthy, others say it’s not that simple. One thing you can say for certain is that we eat a lot of these foods, and people are more concerned about these than they were a couple of years ago.

    In February, European research hub the EIT Food Consumer Observatory published results from a survey of nearly 10,000 consumers from 17 countries, which highlighted a lack of awareness around what constitutes a UPF, and the somewhat ill-perceived connection between UPFs and health – despite them taking up a majority of consumers’ diets.

    In the UK, for example, UPFs make up 57% of an average person’s diet, and up to 80% when it comes to children or people with lower incomes. The country has the highest obesity rates among all major western European nations, but its population seem to be less aware or worried about UPFs, according to UK-specific data from the EIT Food survey obtained by the Grocer.

    While 55% of Europeans consume UPFs at least once a week, this number rises to 68% for Brits. Moreover, 12% of consumers in the UK eat UPFs daily, versus 8% in the EU. Meanwhile, 61% of Brits think they are bad for their health, compared to 65% of Europeans.

    eit food consumer observatory
    Courtesy: EIT Food/The Grocer

    Brits trust regulators, but labels create confusion

    More UK consumers find UPFs cheaper (54% vs 49%) and more convenient (56% vs 41%) than whole foods, and only 48% of them go out of their way to buy unprocessed foods that require preparation (in contrast with 56% of Europeans). According to the British Nutrition Foundation, only a third of Brits who had heard about UPFs planned to cut their UPF intake in 2023.

    This could be explained by their greater trust in health and regulatory bodies than their European counterparts. The EIT Food survey suggested that 43% of Brits think these departments have the necessary rules in place, but only 35% think so in the EU.

    upf survey
    Courtesy: EIT Food/The Grocer

    Likewise, 37% of Brits believe some UPFs can still be healthy, versus 31% in the overall survey. That is also the consensus of many food and nutrition experts, who have noted that the Nova classification that UPFs are built upon merely conveys the amount of processing a food has gone through, and this shouldn’t be correlated with nutrition itself.

    “Breads and cereals often contain higher amounts of fibre, which, according to the Nova system, wouldn’t technically classify as UPFs,” food systems consultant Marlana Malerich told Green Queen last month. “It’s crucial to recognise the limitations of the Nova system, which does not account for nutritional content, leading to potential misclassification.”

    Then there’s also the issue with packaging labels. To Malerich’s point, products that are designated as UPFs can still rank high on the Nutri-Score scale, or the traffic light system adopted in the UK. This breeds confusion, since the packaging tells you it’s healthy, but the UPF association makes it seem not so.

    plant based milk upf
    Courtesy: EIT Food/The Grocer

    It’s probably why Brits are less likely to consider foods as UPFs, or even correctly identify how processed some foods are compared to their EU counterparts. For instance, fewer UK consumers think crisps are ultra-processed (31% vs 44% for Europeans), a trend that continues for soy milk (15% vs 22%), energy drinks (55% vs 61%), and raw, chopped chicken (7% vs 12%).

    The vegan-UPF association

    There is a large misconception around the health credentials of plant-based dairy and meat analogues, most of which fall under the UPF category but have nutritional benefits on par or better than animal-derived foods. The EIT Food survey showed that 54% of the respondents avoid plant-based meat products since they are UPFs, particularly those who don’t follow meat-free diets. In the UK, this drops to 49%.

    Alarmingly, only 27% of Europeans think meat alternatives are better for the climate, and 57% feel they have a worse impact – despite meat accounting for twice as many emissions as plant-based foods. There is slightly greater awareness about the impact of animal agriculture in the UK, where 32% find them more environmentally friendly, and 53% think they are worse.

    That, however, is still a very high percentage. And similar themes persist for the health aspect too, with Brits more likely to consider plant-based analogues better for their health (29%) than the total respondents (26%). But 54% of Brits and 58% of the overall respondents find them unhealthier than animal products. These attitudes are why many companies have shifted their marketing focus to promote the health benefits of vegan food, but these are likely impeded by government-backed campaigns like the one promoting meat and dairy in the UK.

    plant based meat upf
    Courtesy: EIT Food/The Grocer

    Manufacturers are taking note of these changing attitudes by developing cleaner-label formulations, but these often cost a lot more than their processed alternatives. This was also a recommendation made by the EIT Food report, which suggested companies look into shorter, less “artificial-sounding” ingredient lists. Plant-based meat makers know that their link with UPFs is hindering them, and they too should explore additive-free labels without any transformation of ingredients (like protein isolates).

    The study added that national food guidelines also must clarify whether plant-based alternatives are UPFs, and whether that matters for overall health. “Giving consumers clearer labelling, guidance and education could help them to better understand and engage with this issue, but it’s also important that concerns over processed food are considered in the wider context of people’s diets and wellbeing,” said Klaus Grunert, director of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.

    He added: “It’s also crucial that we continue to bolster our understanding and agreement of how we classify, evaluate and label foods, so that our advice to consumers is informed by the latest science.”

    The post Brits are Less Aware and Less Concerned About UPFs Than Europeans: Survey appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Bezos Earth Fund is Offering $100M for AI-Led Climate Solutions, Including Alternative Proteins

    bezos earth fund ai
    5 Mins Read

    The Bezos Earth Fund has announced an AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge, promising up to $100M in grants for solutions leveraging artificial intelligence – and alternative proteins are one of its key focus areas.

    In what is the latest in a line of food-focused investments, the Bezos Earth Fund is committing $100M to harness the power of AI to find solutions that can address climate change and protect biodiversity.

    The AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge is inviting applications from scientists, researchers, startups, global organisations and non-profits across the world, who are using artificial intelligence to come up with future-friendly innovations.

    “AI may have the potential to solve some of our biggest problems, and we’re calling on the planet’s brightest problem solvers to bring their visionary ideas to the table,” said the fund’s vice-chair Lauren Sánchez. “Together, we can innovate and solve these challenges.”

    Using AI to make better meat analogues

    The competition will run over three years, and its first round will focus on three key areas: sustainable proteins, biodiversity conservation, and power grid optimisation. Subsequent rounds will prioritise other climate categories.

    Explaining the premise in a video announcement, Sánchez said: “How can we feed the growing population without hurting the environment? Can AI help sort through millions of protein combinations to produce meat alternatives that are as delicious as beef, but more affordable and with a much smaller environmental footprint?”

    The announcement comes a month after the Bezos Earth Fund set aside $60M to establish the Centers for Sustainable Protein, which will address technological hurdles to reduce the production costs, enhance the flavour, and improve the health benefits of alternative proteins. “Alternative proteins are an imperative if we are to stay within planetary boundaries, if we are to feed 10 billion people within those boundaries,” said Andy Jarvis, director of future food at the Bezos Earth Fund. “We’re investing in alternative proteins because they need to be successful.”

    This was part of the fund’s $1B commitment towards food systems transformation, with the first investment announced during COP28, earmarking $57M in food-related grants to tackle the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss and preserve food security.

    Speaking of which, Sánchez outlined the potential of AI to protect endangered animals and identify species we haven’t discovered. In terms of energy grids, she noted how we could power the world by integrating renewable energy into electricity grids around the world. Outside these focus areas, the fund is also accepting wildcard approaches for “brilliant” solutions that don’t fit the three categories.

    “These are complicated, urgent issues, and we believe modern AI can really help,” she said. “But we need to figure out how.”

    The Grand Challenge will involve two funding opportunities. In the first phase, the Bezos Earth Fund will award up to 30 seed grants for promising ideas, which will be announced at a joint event with TED during Climate Week NYC (September 22-29). Phase two will see these winners be eligible for grants up to $2M to execute their concepts, in addition to mentorship and support from tech leaders, and access to computing infrastructure and relevant datasets.

    While proposals from individuals won’t be considered, the fund says it’s likely that selected proposals will entail alliances between climate and AI organisations. “Can modern AI help counter climate change and nature loss, and, if so, how? That’s the question we hope to answer,” said founder and executive chair Jeff Bezos. “By bringing together brilliant minds across fields, we may be able to invent new ways forward.”

    AI’s own climate footprint is a massive issue

    ai climate change
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    “The future is unlikely to be characterised by straight lines and gentle curves, but rather by unexpected changes and tipping points, good or bad,” said Bezos Earth Fund president and CEO Andrew Steer. “The arrival of AI will potentially help solve very difficult challenges.”

    But AI’s relationship with climate change is frosty. It’s true that the tech has enabled researchers and businesses to tackle the crisis in numerous ways – it has helped detect floods, wildfires and deforestation in real time, improve climate pattern modelling, conserve water, and recover recyclables. AI can also analyse crop imagery to find pest or disease problems, and perform tasks humans may not be able to, like collecting data from the Arctic when it’s too cold or conducting research in oceans.

    It has had an impact in the alternative protein industry too, with the most famous example being Chile’s NotCos, whose patented AI platform, Giuseppe, scours through infinite combinations of plants to come up with the best blend for its plant-based milks, mayo and burgers. Californian startup Climax Foods similarly uses AI to produce plant-based casein proteins for vegan cheese formulations, and Singapore’s Howw Foods makes Hegg, its vegan powdered egg product, with the help of the tech.

    All this is great progress for the sustainable food industry and climate change mitigation – heck, AI can help businesses reduce emissions too. However, AI itself has a massive climate footprint. “We seem to be hearing all the time that AI can save the planet, but we shouldn’t be believing this hype,” said Michael Khoo, climate disinformation program director at Friends of the Earth.

    The organisation was the co-author of a report that warns the tech will lead to a rise in water and energy use from data centres, and proliferate climate misinformation. Data centres, which run 24/7 and mostly on fossil fuels, account for 2.5-3.7% of global GHG emissions, and are on track to account for 14% of all emissions by 2040. And even if the AI industry improves data centre energy efficiency by 10%, the demand and usage of AI would likely double the number of these facilities, increasing global carbon emissions by 80%.

    Then there’s the development of AI chatbots in the first place. Training ChatGPT used as much energy as 120 American homes over a year, while training the more advanced GPT-4 model consumed 40 times more energy. And running these large language models collectively consumes large amounts of water and energy – Google’s chairman has said that each new AI search query needs 10 times the energy costs of a traditional Google search, while the International Energy Agency predicts that energy use from AI data centres will double in the next two years.

    All this prompted Charlie Cray, senior strategist at Greenpeace USA, to label AI as “one of the greatest emerging climate threat multipliers”. So while the Bezos Earth Fund’s investment into AI solutions may be well-intentioned, it needs to contend with the tech’s own climate footprint.

    The post Bezos Earth Fund is Offering $100M for AI-Led Climate Solutions, Including Alternative Proteins appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Op-Ed: Increasing Animal Cruelty is Not the Answer to Climate Change

    compassion in world farming
    4 Mins Read

    Dr Sarah Ison, head of research at animal advocacy group Compassion in World Farming, makes her case for why simply moving to lower-emitting animals isn’t the climate solution we need from our food system.

    In recent years, the agriculture industry has been pushing the ‘sustainable intensification’ of livestock farming to justify the continuous production of high volumes of meat and dairy while meeting self-determined climate targets.

    However, this ‘intensification’ – which involves increasing the number of animals farmed and rearing them in closer confinement – will not only cause more animal suffering, it also fails to address many of the environmental problems caused by intensive animal farming such as deforestation and wildlife loss. 

    A recent Harvard University report, Options for a Paris-Compliant Livestock Sector, shows that an overwhelming proportion of the world’s leading climate, food and agriculture scientists do not see intensification as a solution to tackling the climate crisis.  

    Published last month, the survey asked more than 210 world-renowned scientists for their view on the role of the livestock sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Almost 80% agreed that reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector in high-income countries should not be achieved at the cost of animal welfare. The majority indicated little to no contribution of intensification, characterised by “increasing stocking rates of animals, including more animals per shed, or more animals per unit of production”. 

    Instead, experts ranked reducing the consumption of animal products (90%) and reducing the number of animals (87%) as actions with the biggest contribution. The largest proportion of experts agreed that efforts to reduce emissions from the livestock sector should not result in an increased number of farmed animals – yet this is what would happen if cattle were replaced with chicken and fish.

    Crucially, these were not just any scientists. They were the scientists who have contributed to major climate and agriculture reports, including those from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UNEP and the FAO. They’re the experts who provide the guidance and evidence base for policymakers to decide what’s needed to stay within planetary boundaries, and safeguard public health and the welfare of billions of animals.

    Nothing but a purposeful distraction

    factory farming climate change
    Courtesy: Compassion in World Farming

    The consensus of the experts in this Harvard study to reject intensification and consider animal welfare is reassuring. The ‘sustainable intensification’ option is a purposeful distraction and is simply inadequate as it fails to tackle so many other environmental and health problems that confining animals in small spaces creates. These include the increased risk of the emergence of viruses like influenza-A (swine and bird flu), its contribution to antibiotic resistance in people, as well as wildlife loss and deforestation for land used to produce animal feeds. 

    Almost all of the experts (92%) agreed that reducing emissions from the livestock sector is important to limiting temperatures to a maximum of 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

    The FAO’s Global Roadmap, launched during COP28, contains 10 clear actions on healthy diets, starting with improving dietary guidelines to include environmental considerations. These actions will no doubt improve the emissions reduction potential of changing diets than what is currently in the FAO’s Pathways to Lower Emissions report released earlier. This report, as it stands, is unambitious and based on dietary guidelines that lack consideration for environmental sustainability.

    Another action outlined in the roadmap is to move from higher- to lower-emitting animals, meaning from cattle to chickens or fish. While this might seem useful in the short term, more focus must be given to changing diets. Increasing the total number of sentient beings – particularly chickens, pigs and fish who endure the greatest suffering on factory farms – must be avoided.

    The climate fight needs a radical transformation

    low carbon meat
    Courtesy: Compassion in World Farming

    The UNEP’s new Frontiers report, What’s Cooking?, gives a clear indication of the potential benefits of novel alternatives to conventional animal products, including alleviating the suffering of billions of sentient animals in cages and confinement on factory farms. These alternative proteins must be encouraged in favour of intensification and increasing the number of animals if we are to truly transform our food system for the long-term benefit of us all.

    At COP28, a declaration was also launched on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate action. It now has the support of 159 countries, and over 200 Non-State Actors (including farmers and fishers, businesses, cities, civil society, consumers and all those engaged in food systems) – who signed a call to action for food systems transformation. And, for the first time at the conference, a whole thematic day was dedicated to food, agriculture and water.

    While momentum towards action is building, it is needed now to tackle the climate crisis. The approach that not only helps tackle the climate crisis, but also improves human, animal and planetary health, is phasing out factory farming and moving to high welfare, regenerative, nature-positive farming alongside innovative alternatives to conventional animal products. This would improve animal health, reduce the risk of diseases that harm both animals and people, help preserve antibiotics for human use, and substantially decrease biodiversity loss as well as deforestation.

    Only a holistic and radical transformation will be enough to tackle the climate issue and secure a healthy future for all, before it’s too late.  

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  • Future Food Quick Bites: Beyond IV, Oat Milk Paste & Beanless Espresso

    future food quick bites
    4 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Beyond Meat’s new product rollout, a new precision-fermented dairy fat, and vegan cheesecake at Starbucks.

    New products and launches

    After announcing the revamp in February, Beyond Meat has finally rolled out the fourth iteration of its beef and burger, which have replaced the existing range nationwide in the US.

    beyond iv
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    Australian precision fermentation player Nourish Ingredients, which makes the Tastilux fat for plant-based meat, has entered the alt-dairy space too with Creamilux, showcasing the lipid’s ability to create products with the same mouthfeel, taste and emulsification as conventional dairy at Future Food Tech in San Francisco.

    Italian vegan cheesemaker Dreamfarm is continuing its expansion, with its almond mozzarella and cream cheese now available at Delhaize locations in Belgium, and the former at Edeka in Berlin. The mozzarella will roll out at Albert Heijn in the Netherlands next month, as well as an undisclosed “big chain” in mid-May (which will see the launch of a new product too).

    More from the plant-based dairy space: UK startup MYOM has introduced a shelf-stable oat milk paste, with each 65g pouch making 500ml of milk.

    myom oat milk
    Courtesy: MYOM

    Also in the UK, Dutch startup The Vegetarian Butcher has launched a Cod Almighty vegan seafood product at Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Ocado.

    Seattle-based Atomo Coffee, meanwhile, has struck a deal with specialty coffee chain Bluestone Lane, which will carry the former’s beanless espresso across its 58 stores in the US.

    Vegan food ingredients supplier Green Boy has unveiled a new division dedicated to pet food, offering manufacturers plant-based starches, sweeteners, proteins and fibres, derived from a range of pulses, grains, cereals and vegetables.

    German meat processor Berger-Schinken and upcycled food producer Kern Tec have collaborated to roll out a co-branded plant-based cheese sausage SKU, made from pea protein and the latter’s Berg-Gaudi cheese made from upcycled fruit pits.

    kern tec berger
    Courtesy: Kern Tec/LinkedIn

    Under its private V-Love label, Swiss supermarket Migros has teamed up with Circular Food Solutions to introduce plant-based mince, burgers and marinated chunks made by upcycling brewers’ spent grain.

    In Malaysia, local mycoprotein producer Ultimeat launched its protein product as part of a six-course dinner featuring the ingredient at Nimbus Restaurant in Petaling Jaya. The collaboration is running weekly until May 15.

    In neighbouring Indonesia, plant-based leader Green Rebel has partnered with Starbucks to launch two vegan products as part of the coffee chain’s Earth Month menu. These entail a vegan fish sandwich and blueberry cheesecake parfait.

    And in more Starbucks news, the company’s Hong Kong branches now feature a vegan pulled pork wrap using South Korean food tech startup Unlimeat‘s plant-based pork.

    Finance and policy developments

    In the US, plant-based functional ice cream brand Sacred Serves is shutting down, its founder Kailey Donewald announced on social media.

    Swedish mycoprotein startup Mycorena has secured funding from the European Space Agency’s Discovery Programme for its potential to tackle the challenges of producing high-quality, nutritious food on long-distance space missions.

    mycorena
    Courtesy: Mycorena

    Fellow mycelium innovator MycoTechnology says it is getting closer to regulatory approval and commercialisation for its honey-truffle-derived sweet protein, which it says can replace sugar and other sweeteners currently on the market.

    Another development in the fungi world comes from German mycoprotein startup Nosh Biofoods, which says it is producing meat analogues that cost the same as beef, and is on track to reach price parity with poultry by 2025.

    Danish Crown, the country’s largest pork producer, has admitted to misleading consumers by making unsubstantiated claims over its meat’s climate benefits, which it claimed was “more climate-friendly than you think”.

    plant powered carbon challenge
    Courtesy: City of New York

    Finally, New York mayor Eric Adams has announced the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, a cross-sector partnership to reduce the state’s food-related carbon emissions.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Beyond IV, Oat Milk Paste & Beanless Espresso appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Piggy Sooy: Moolec Gains USDA Approval for Pork Proteins Grown in Soybeans

    moolec piggy sooy
    5 Mins Read

    Luxembourg-based Moolec Science, which uses molecular farming to grow animal proteins in plants, has earned clearance from the US Department of Agriculture for Piggy Sooy, which are soybeans containing pork proteins.

    Moolec has received approval from the USDA for its ‘plant-grown’ meat proteins, with the government body stating that its genetically engineered soybeans are unlikely to pose an increased risk of pests compared to non-modified soybeans.

    In its regulatory review, the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) didn’t find “any plausible pathway” by which Moolec’s Piggy Sooy brings a higher pest risk. This means it isn’t subject to the APHIS regulation that governs the movement of genetically modified organisms.

    The regulatory clearance will enable the company to plant and transport Piggy Sooy soybeans without needing any permits, as is the case with non-modified ingredients, according to co-founder and CEO Gastón Paladini.

    “We believe this milestone sets the stage for a revolution in the food-industrial biotech landscape, paving the way for expedited adoption of molecular farming technology by other industry players,” said co-founder and CTO Martin Salinas. “This compelling advancement signifies a stride in enhancing our operational efficiency, transforming our methods of raw material sourcing, and optimising our downstream crushing and processing operations.”

    Patented tech produces pink pork soybeans

    moolec science
    Courtesy: Moolec Science

    Moolec had announced the development of Piggy Sooy in June last year, as part of its Meat Replacement Program. The company is bioengineering soybeans to produce porcine myoglobin, using the plants as the ‘bioreactors’ themselves. Its seeds have achieved a high expression of pig proteins (up to 26.6% of the total soluble proteins), surpassing initial projections by fourfold.

    The tech has been patented – which will aid its regulatory pathways – and produced beans that have a pink hue like pork. “This achievement opens up a precedent for the entire scientific community that is looking to achieve high levels of protein expression in seeds via molecular farming,” Amit Dhingra, Moolec’s chief science officer, said at the time.

    Since then, the Nasdaq-listed company has raised $30M to fund R&D and scale-up efforts, which involved both equity, and cash and kind contributions, including access to the soybean inventories of Grupo Insud. Prior to this, Moolec had inked a deal with Bioceres, the Argentinian agtech firm it spun off from as a seed startup, to secure the supply of 15,000 tonnes of soybeans.

    The USDA APHIS approval allows the startup to accelerate its go-to-market strategy. Moolec plans to provide food manufacturers with the functional, nutritious and eco-friendly ingredients for use in their product formulations – this involves replacing meat in sausages, burgers and the like.

    Paladini remains tight-lipped about the companies Moolec is working with, but it has been in talks with ingredient processors for partnerships that could see the startup license its IP, or work with them in downstream processing to recover and commercialise the proteins using their networks. The Luxembourg-based company also has its own industrial facility in Argentina, which can crush 10,000 tonnes of soybeans annually and help it commercialise.

    Molecular farming has been dubbed the ‘fourth pillar’ of alternative protein by industry think tank the Good Food Institute, and has been recognised as a more affordable and easily scalable option than cell cultivation or precision fermentation. “We are unlocking the power of plants by leveraging science to overcome climate change and global food security concerns,” Paladini outlined. Competitors like Alpine Bio (formerly Nobell Foods), Mozza, PoLoPo and IngredientWerks, Finally Foods and Miruku are all vying to get a slice of a market tipped to reach $3.5B before the end of the decade.

    Moolec to launch GLA-rich oil in 2025

    pork soybeans
    Courtesy: Moolec

    While the APHIS clearance is welcome news for its meat proteins, the Piggy Soybeans won’t be its first product to go to market. That honour lies with GLASO, a nutritional oil rich in GLA (an omega-6 fatty acid), which has already received the USDA’s nod and is set to come to market in 2025.

    This oil is produced through a strain of safflower using a patented tech called SPC, with the same strain also helping Moolec produce a bovine chymosin protein, which is used in cheese and has also received the greenlight by APHIS. After GLASO, it will release YEAA1, an iron supplement and meat ingredient derived from yeast, and Piggy Sooy. Besides these, the company is also growing bovine myoglobin (a beef protein) in yellow peas.

    But while the APHIS approval means its pork soybeans don’t pose an increased risk of pests, authorisation from other agencies – chiefly the Food and Drug Administration – will be key for commercialisation. Moolec is already in the consultation process with the food safety body, and while Paladini declined to comment on a timeline, he confirmed that “everything is on track”.

    Moolec’s announcement sent its stock soaring, which was up by 121% on Monday. But when you look at long-term trends, the company’s shares have gone down from a record high of nearly $20 to under $2.50 – before this week’s announcement, it was at $1.40. Paladini ascribes this to “a mismatch between market understanding and the real opportunity”, adding that the company needed better exposure to fully explain its story.

    The startup plans to sell its soy and pea proteins with the meat proteins embedded in the matrix, instead of extracting and purifying the latter. It’s doing so to “save purification costs and focus on affordability”, Paladini said. “Meat producers need both proteins (soy and pig) in their processed meat products,” he added.

    It would help Moolec disrupt not just the alternative protein market, but the conventional sector too, joining a host of companies taking the blended meat approach. These products can potentially help consumers eat less meat, making their diets more climate-friendly as a result, and increasing the credence of plant proteins. Only recently, US meat purveyor Pat LaFrieda rolled out a 50Cut Burger using Mush Foods’ mycelium-beef blend, while Australia’s Harvest B ventured into the category with blended beef and lamb products, and New York City’s Björk Cafe & Bistro introduced a 50-50 Meatloaf that combined its beef mince with Havredals’ fava bean grounds.

    The post Piggy Sooy: Moolec Gains USDA Approval for Pork Proteins Grown in Soybeans appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Down, Out and Back: Plant & Bean Back On the Map with New Factory in Thailand

    plant and bean
    5 Mins Read

    A year after filing for administration in the UK, vegan food manufacturer Plant & Bean has opened a new factory for plant-based meat via a joint venture in Thailand.

    Much like its counterparts, 2023 was a turbulent year for Plant & Bean, the British co-manufacturer of plant proteins that once set out to open Europe’s largest plant-based meat factory. In June, it called in administration after facing operational issues and bearing the brunt of food and energy inflation.

    A few weeks later, the company’s UK production facility and assets were purchased out of administration by VBites founder Heather Mills, with the factory continuing production. Plant & Bean owed creditors over £6M, but it had also been brewing up its new manufacturing site in Thailand, a result of a joint venture that could signal a revival of fortunes.

    Established in 2021, the entity, called Plant & Bean Thailand, is a collaboration between Plant & Bean and Nutra Regenerative Protein Co (NRPT), which is itself a joint venture between Innobic and Nove Foods Co. Innobic is the life sciences arm of Thai state-owned oil producer PTT, while Nove Foods Co is the subsidiary of vegetarian and plant-based food producer NR Instant Produce.

    Plant & Bean owns 49% of the new company, while Nutra Regenerative Protein Co is the majority shareholder at 51%. The entity has opened what it claims is Thailand’s first 100% plant protein facility in Ayutthaya, and will cater to both domestic and international markets. “The country’s abundance of raw materials makes it an ideal location for such ventures,” Buranin Rattanasombat, chief new business and infrastructure officer at PTT and chairman of Innobic Asia, told the Bangkok Post.

    Lower production costs make Thailand attractive

    plant and bean thailand
    Courtesy: NR Instant Produce

    Since Russia’s war on Ukraine, food manufacturers have had their costs skyrocket, according to Rattanasombat, who noted that the financial difficulties have prompted many to relocate their production facilities. Thailand, with its cheap production costs, is seen as an attractive investment destination for plant-based companies, with potential to become a regional hub for manufacturing these foods.

    The Plant & Bean Thailand factory has an initial capacity to produce 3,000 tonnes of product per year, which can be expanded to as much as 25,000 tonnes. The company plans to increase the current volumes to 13,000 tonnes in the next two years through a ฿400M ($1.08M) investment.

    The facility will produce non-GMO plant-based products, and has recently received a bunch of accreditation, including halal certification and several food safety checks. It has passed the BRC Global Food Safety Standard at the Grade A level, and says it is the first ASEAN company to receive a BRCGS Plant-Based certification for the production and distribution of plant-based foods. Additionally, it has obtained good hygiene practices and HAACP (hazard analysis) authorisations.

    “Achieving certification to this standard will help build confidence among customers regarding quality, production safety standards, and distribution of products accepted according to international standards, thereby increasing customer base and competitiveness in the market,” said Rattanasombat.

    “The factory utilises solar energy to produce electricity for the production process, reducing costs and CO2 emissions, benefitting the environment,” he added. “NRPT has also collaborated with future food manufacturers in Thailand to develop food innovations, with the goal of becoming a demand creator for production quantities from other countries, fostering new innovations, and sourcing raw materials domestically to enhance future production capabilities in the food industry, promoting sustainable health for the Thai people.”

    Targeting health and price parity, and international markets

    alt.eatery
    Courtesy: NR Instant Produce

    Plant & Bean Thailand’s product portfolio can be divided into two groups: ready to cook and ready to eat. The former includes items like meatballs and minced meat, while the latter entails sausages, nuggets and dumplings.

    “In addition to the strength in production efficiency using world-class technology, the products provide a texture, taste and appearance closely resembling real meat, [and are] delicious and easy to consume,” Rattanasombat said. He added that these are high in protein and targeting nutritional superiority to increase adoption of plant proteins.

    Confident in its ability to turn a profit, the manufacturer has already been in touch with several international food firms for B2B opportunities. One of these is global fast-food chain Church’s Texas Chicken, which has outlets at PTT petrol stations. It has partnered with Plant & Bean Thailand to offer vegan menu options geared towards younger consumers.

    These products will be supplied via NRPT’s alt.Eatery brand, which also has a namesake vegan restaurant in central Bangkok. This is described as an extension of Innobic’s life sciences R&D to “serve as an upstream of [the] future food industry, to provide opportunity and to increase distribution channels to retail entrepreneurs” in the healthy foods sector, according to Rattanasombat.

    “Currently, the factory produces plant-based protein foods for customers both domestically and in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. The company also has plans to set up factories in the US, China and South America. But it’s not just limited to plant-based foods, as he explained: “It is engaged in research and development of plant-based medicine in collaboration with Innobic to address healthcare needs and reduce disease rates.”

    Rattanasombat added that, at current rates, the production costs for plant-based food range from ฿100-110 per kg ($2.7-$3), which he said was close to the price of premium pork sold in Bangkok. Delivering price parity is paramount for the adoption of alternative proteins in Thailand, with 47% of consumers finding these too expensive, according to a January 2024 survey.

    But the factor that overtakes price in importance is nutrition, with 63% of respondents saying meat analogues are healthier. However, 70% find these too processed, and 47% would rather eat traditional plant proteins like pulses, legumes and whole grains. Either way, though, meat consumption seems to be on a downward trajectory, with two-thirds of Thai people saying they’ll reduce or stop eating meat in the next two years.

    The post Down, Out and Back: Plant & Bean Back On the Map with New Factory in Thailand appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Internal Rifts and Layoffs Headline Tough Year for Omeat – But Cultivated Meat Startup Will Soon Close New Funding Round

    omeat burger
    6 Mins Read

    Los Angeles startup Omeat has seen its employee count shrink by about 80%, with a change in leadership brought on by what insiders describe as a hostile work culture, according to AgFunderNews.

    It was in June last year that Omeat emerged with a serum-free cell culture media solution for cultivated meat production, but a lot has happened since then, with founder Ali Khademhosseini stepping down from his role of CEO, a majority of its workforce being let go, and a raft of challenges leaving the business reeling.

    A former staffer told AgFunderNews that the Los Angeles-based startup now has a skeleton staff of about 10 people – mostly the core science team – which is down from a peak of nearly 50. Khademhosseini, meanwhile, was replaced by CTO Jim Miller in November, following multiple complaints by employees accusing him of creating a toxic working culture.

    Omeat was founded in 2021 but came out of stealth last year, unveiling an alternative to fetal bovine serum (FBS) created using regenerative plasma drawn humanely from cows that graze freely on its carbon-negative farm. Collected weekly, the process to extract the plasma is similar to human plasma donation – unlike blood, plasma regenerates quickly, so the cows don’t feel depleted.

    But while the company has said that Plenty, its cell culture media supplement, is affordable and scalable, its former employees say that it has had trouble expanding its production process – which eventually led to Khademhosseini launching a tirade that resulted in his removal as CEO.

    Scaling the scalability challenge

    omeat plenty
    Courtesy: Omeat

    Scalability is one of cultivated meat’s major bottlenecks, alongside cost. But while Omeat has obtained 2,000-litre and 10,000-litre bioreactors for its new pilot plant in Thousand Oaks California, it’s still in the process of validating its production process at a 200-litre scale, according to an ex-employee. So far, very few cultivated meat companies have successfully validated their bioreactor technology at a scale of or over 200 litres – these include Good Meat, Upside Foods and Vow, all of which have been cleared to sell cultivated meat in Singapore and/or the US.

    “At the 200-litre scale, we successfully held media with some cells in there without contamination, but we usually ended up with [fewer] cells than we put in to begin with,” one former employee said.

    Another explained that the company had proven “some cell growth” on a 20-litre scale, but it rarely ran the 200-litre bioreactor, noting that it usually failed due to contamination. “They just never had a properly defined process. We also had challenges with cleaning the bioreactors, and when we got the [larger] bioreactors from India, we had to assemble them ourselves, and some stuff was missing; they weren’t great.”

    A fellow ex-staffer said these new bioreactors are just sitting there. “Omeat’s ultimate sin was spending all that money transitioning into the pilot plant before we were doing everything properly at lab scale. There was this pressure to scale, scale, scale when we were not ready,” they said. “Omeat isn’t ready to scale. The science isn’t quite ready, and it has effectively gone back into R&D mode, which makes sense.”

    A toxic work culture and change in leadership

    ali khademhosseini
    Courtesy: Omeat

    It was around October that things began to heat up, with Omeat preparing to open its pilot plant but Khademhosseini still feeling progress was slow. He articulated that in a verbal attack on a business trip, which was filmed by employees.

    “You guys have demonstrated nothing but incompetence,” he was reported as saying. “Do you want me to be saying: ‘Oh great job for failing for two years?’” The startup’s founder labelled assembled employees as “idiots”, saying he was “sick and tired of all you guys”.

    “He just started unloading, he had a complete meltdown,” said one witness. Another added: “He would belittle the team and the PhD scientists. He put them under so much pressure that they would just tell him what he wanted to hear.”

    Omeat claims a third-party investigation into the matter found no evidence of wrongdoing or unlawful conduct, but in November, Miller had taken the mantle of CEO. This was followed by layoff rounds earlier this year, with several employees resigning too.

    “Ali requested that position shift and it was fully supported by the board. Ali is continuing to work with Omeat as a board member and a scientific advisor,” the company said. On the layoffs, it added: “Omeat had to make a difficult decision to trim the staff because the company believes that it can meet milestones of getting to commercial viability with a smaller staff. This is a testament to how the technology has been validated and is well-defined, and so the company no longer needs such a large R&D team.”

    The statement also added that the tech “has been demonstrated at the 200-litre scale”, contrary to the claims of former employees.

    “At Omeat, we strive to foster a positive work environment and culture that allows our employees to thrive and focus on the company’s business,” said Miller. “We remain intent on positioning the business to ensure the continued success of Omeat and our mission, including by continuing to secure new sources of funding.”

    Omeat to announce new funding soon

    omeat
    Courtesy: Omeat

    Khademhosseini explained the company had taken steps to control costs and extend its runway, revealing that it was closing in on another round of financing, with a “positive announcement” expected soon. So far, Omeat has raised $40M, including a $36.5M Series A in 2022.

    “taken steps to control our costs and extend our runway while we secure our current round of fundraising”. He said: “We expect to make a further positive announcement on this soon.”

    In terms of scalability, he claimed Omeat is executing its scale-up plan and that its core tech “remains sound”, adding that it’s dedicating additional resources to help generate sales of its FBS alternative. “Plenty has shown positive results through extensive independent testing by a number of research institutes. We are in the process of assembling these results and will be sharing the Plenty whitepaper publicly very soon,” he said.

    “They are trying to raise money, but a lot of people are not willing to invest in alt-proteins right now,” one former employee said. “The capex required to pull this off at scale is in the hundreds of millions and that kind of money just doesn’t seem like it’s out there right now.” They likened it to a chicken and egg situation: “Generalist VCs aren’t going to be willing to invest until they see traction, and cultivated meat is not going to get traction without a whole bunch of capital.”

    The global food tech sector saw VC funding drop by 49% in 2023, while financing for alternative proteins dipped by 44%, from $2.9B in 2022 to $1.6B in 2023. This was dominated by plant-based and fermentation startups, with cultivated meat startups only attracting $226M in capital last year (a far cry from the $922M the sector secured in 2022).

    The industry has faced its fair share of challenges. Pioneers like Good Meat and Upside Foods have had to deal with financial and scalability hurdles, and Singapore’s Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats have merged as a marker of consolidation in the category. Cultivated seafood player Finless Foods, meanwhile, recently initiated an alleged second round of layoffs in less than 12 months. The industry as a whole is facing political attacks and threats of bans – with Italy already passing a bill prohibiting domestic production or sale of cultivated meat.

    So it’s not out of the ordinary that Omeat’s large-scale cutbacks will raise some alarm bells. However, there is cause for hope too, with Vow and Israel’s Aleph Farms both receiving regulatory approval this year, and Meatable hosting the EU’s first public tasting for cultivated meat last week. 2023 also saw 10 new cultivated meat facilities open, alongside several other alternative protein sites, a trend that can support an estimated 83 million jobs internationally by 2050.

    The post Internal Rifts and Layoffs Headline Tough Year for Omeat – But Cultivated Meat Startup Will Soon Close New Funding Round appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Impossible Ranch: Alt-Meat Giant to Transition Cattle Farm Into Crop Production for Plant-Based Meat

    impossible ranch
    5 Mins Read

    Impossible Foods has invested in transitioning a farm from cattle production for meat to crop cultivation for plant-based meat, all while rescuing the cows in the process.

    You’d be forgiven for immediately thinking of a new vegan buttermilk dressing when you hear the words ‘Impossible Ranch’. But that’s not what plant-based pioneer Impossible Foods is doing in South Carolina, where a now-former cattle farm will sport crops like soybeans, sunflowers and coconut trees.

    These will support the manufacturing of Impossible Foods’ vegan beef, chicken and pork products, transforming the output of the farm from animal-derived meat to plant-based instead. In addition, the company is rescuing the cows on the property, and documenting the long-term transition project on its social media to allow consumers to follow along.

    “Impossible Ranch is a living and breathing educational resource where our commitments to giving back to the planet and supporting animal welfare are front-and-centre, along with the plants representing key ingredients in our products,” said chief marketing and creative officer Leslie Sims. “We want to bring consumers along on this journey and help them understand how choosing meat from plants can be a better choice.”

    A safe haven for cattle

    plant based farm transition
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The 70-acre Impossible Ranch is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Having operated as a cattle ranch for decades, the transition to crop farming sees Impossible Foods work in partnership with the family that has tended the land for so long. This, it says, helps it “honour the heritage” while highlighting a “renewed focus on animal welfare”.

    In the US, 70% of cows and nearly all chickens and pigs are raised on factory farms – that totals over nine billion animals. But foods derived from industrial production methods come with many health risks. For example, in the US, water pollution from factory farms threatens or impairs over 14,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 90,000 acres of lakes and ponds. According to the EPA, nitrogen and phosphorous waste from factory farms has been directly associated with aquatic deaths. And, in many parts of the world, animals have been culled for years to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases.

    Moreover, 575 billion lbs of animal waste are generated by a mere 5% of American concentrated animal feeding operations annually. This contains elements that “seriously degrade” rivers and contribute to antibiotic resistance among humans, leading to the American Public Health Association calling for a ban on new CAFOs.

    Impossible Foods says its ranch is a “safe haven” for the property’s resident cattle, and is inviting customers to suggest names for the animals – which comprise six cows, two steers and a calf – with updates from the farm being shared on its social channels.

    Apart from the health and water pollution aspects, there’s also an environmental benefit to this. Meat is twice as polluting as plant-based foods, and makes up 60% of all emissions from the food system. In fact, one peer-reviewed study last year (which involved inputs from Impossible Foods) revealed that swapping half of our pork, chicken, beef and milk production with plant-based analogues could halt deforestation and reduce agriculture and land use emissions by 31%.

    Impossible Foods is ramping up consumer education efforts

    impossible meat
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    As part of the launch, which coincides with Earth Day, Impossible Foods is taking over the Oculus Transportation Hub in Manhattan to exhibit the ranch to New York City commuters. The company argues this will help people envision a future where plant-based meat and cattle can coexist peacefully, at a time when the source of people’s food and what it does to the planet is garnering increased attention.

    Sims alluded to this, noting: “As a leader of the plant-based category, we saw both a need and an opportunity to demystify meat from plants in a way that feels more approachable for consumers.”

    This is the latest step in Impossible Foods’ efforts to educate and engage with consumers. Only last month, the company unveiled a brand refresh with new red packaging (a colour associated with superior taste for plant-based meat). The new look puts a greater spotlight on taste descriptors, visuals, and specific health credentials (like saturated fat and sodium content).

    The idea was to lean into the meaty flavour and texture of its products, while pointing to their nutritional superiority over conventional counterparts. “We realised we can get even more consumers in the door by leading with our incredible taste and nutritional quality – then, we can seal the deal with the environmental benefits,” a company spokesperson told Green Queen last month. “With every converted consumer, we’re able to maximise our positive impact on the planet.”

    impossible hot dogs
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods/Green Queen

    This followed the launch of the Impossible Beef Lite last year, which carries the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check certification. It is one of the only meat analogues to be certified as heart-healthy, with a few products from Beyond Meat also appearing on that list.

    “With every move we make, we want to set the tone that we’re an inclusive brand. We don’t want people to feel judged for loving meat, and we need to show them they don’t have to change their lifestyle in order to help the planet or their health,” the spokesperson said.

    The farm transition project will doubtless push its mission further. Other similar initiatives include The Trasfarmation Project, Refarm’d, and the Dairy Farm Transition programme by Miyoko’s Creamery. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, RESPECTfarms is working on a similar vision for cultivated meat.

    The post Impossible Ranch: Alt-Meat Giant to Transition Cattle Farm Into Crop Production for Plant-Based Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Earth Day 2024: 10 Things to Know About Our Food System

    earth day 2024
    7 Mins Read

    As we celebrate Earth Day, the importance of transforming our food system is higher than ever – here are 10 things you should know about the food we eat, and its impact on the planet.

    Food system action is paramount

    The global food system is responsible for a third of all emissions, but while the UN promised a food-centric COP28 in Dubai last year, the main focus for world leaders was on fossil fuels. While a phaseout of pollutants like oil, coal and natural gas is absolutely crucial for the future of the planet, it won’t matter if we don’t take action on food and agriculture.

    This is because, at current rates, the world will emit around 1,356 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases by the end of the century. But even if we stop all emissions from non-food sectors (energy and industry), food emissions alone will surpass the Paris Agreement goal of limiting post-industrial temperature rises to 1.5°C by 2100.

    And to have a 67% chance of staying below a 2°C rise, we can only emit 49 billion tonnes of CO2e from all non-food sectors for the next 80-odd years – but this figure equates to just over a year of current fossil fuel emissions. Put simply, there’s no way we’re meeting our climate targets by ignoring the food system.

    cop28 fao roadmap
    Courtesy: Pixelshot via Canva

    Meat consumption is on the rise

    Despite the abundance of data about the meat industry’s climate impact – it accounts for 60% of all food emissions – meat consumption is projected to continue growing. In 2011, the FAO forecast that by 2050, the world will be eating 73% more meat. And last year, the WHO noted that the intake of red meat – which is even more polluting than the meats – will swell by 50% by mid-century as well.

    By this year, the global population is set to surpass 10 billion, and an increase in animal product consumption is going to impede our ability to feed the world. This is because, despite using up 78% of agricultural land and 39% of all habitable land, livestock-derived foods are only responsible for 18% of calories and 37% of protein consumed around the world.

    Scientists say we need to reach ‘peak meat’ next year

    A survey of 210 climate scientists and academics from around the world has made it quite clear that these experts believe we need a paradigm shift in protein consumption. Over three-quarters of them believe livestock numbers must peak by 2025, following which, 89% and 75% said their emissions should fall rapidly in high- and middle-income countries, respectively.

    The poll also suggested that the livestock sector’s emissions must be halved by 2030, noting that reducing these is key to limiting temperature rises to 2°C. Plus, 85% feel it’s important for human diets to shift from “livestock-derived foods to livestock replacement foods”, with plant-based analogues considered the “best available food” for better health and emissions outcomes.

    livestock climate change
    Courtesy: Fokusiert/Getty Images

    The UN’s stance on food is tricky

    As an authority in global policymaking, the UN’s position on agrifood systems is – to put it mildly – quite important. But the organisation and its various departments have been relatively mum on this for years The FAO, in fact, has been accused of censoring its own reports that tried to show the true impact of livestock farming on the planet. Its much-awaited roadmap for 2050 has also been criticised for not recommending a transition away from animal to alternative proteins.

    That said, one of the most resounding endorsements for novel proteins came from the UNEP in the midst of COP28, when it produced a landmark report that explicitly addressed the health and environmental detriments of meat and dairy consumption, and how alternative proteins can significantly improve both human and planetary health.

    UNEP executive director Inger Andersen stated that these foods can lower the pressure on agricultural lands, reduce emissions and help address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution and waste.

    Plant-based sales have stagnated – but not declined

    Large parts of the media have been charting the plant-based industry’s decline in sales and funding in the last couple of years. But it turns out that, yes, companies in this sector clearly struggled, sales volumes for their products in 2023 represented a tiny increase, instead of the opposite.

    Euromonitor data suggests that global retail sales for plant-based meat, seafood and dairy were up from $28B in 2022 to $29B in 2023. That is despite the US witnessing a minor dip, and several businesses having closed down, signalling that interest in plant-based food is still strong.

    rewe vegan
    Courtesy: Christoph Grosse/Pivopex

    Climate change is driving up food prices

    The relationship between climate change and food is reciprocal. Extreme weather events have been ravaging crops and threatening food supplies around the world, but they’re also affecting inflation and causing a hike in food prices at a time when the soaring cost of living has already changed the way we live.

    A peer-reviewed study earlier this year suggested that the climate crisis could increase the cost of food by as much as 3.2 percentage points annually, while average inflation could rise by up to 1.2 points. Even in a best-case scenario, food inflation would hike by 0.9 percentage points until 2035, and in both instances, the more vulnerable countries in the Global South (especially those in Africa and South America) will be the hardest hit.

    Gap remains between plant-based and animal protein prices

    Price parity has been a long-running debate about vegan food, and while there were estimates a few years ago that plant-based meats would reach price parity with conventional meats by 2025, it hasn’t quite had that effect on a large scale (some supermarkets have matched prices on their private-label products).

    According to an analysis by alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute, the cost of plant-based foods increased more than conventional meat and the food sector as a whole in 2023. It means that beef is the closest to price parity, with vegan analogues 20% more expensive. But the average price premium was 77% for plant-based meat and seafood, 104% for milk, and 317% for eggs.

    plant based price parity
    Courtesy: GFI

    Your bank is probably funding the livestock industry

    Lately, there has been a spate of investigations into how banks have been contributing to climate change with their investment decisions. In the US, 58 banks provided $134B in financing to meat, dairy and animal feed corporations between 2016 and 2023, with just three – Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase – making up more than half of this amount.

    Looking at a global scale, banks and investment firms have issued $615B in credits to the world’s 55 largest livestock companies since 2015. And the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – a World Bank Group member owned by 186 member countries – has similarly injected $1.6B into factory farming projects between 2017 and 2023. These institutions are facing calls from activists to move away from financing planet-harming practices.

    We waste a billion meals every day

    Over 780 million people are facing hunger across the world, but households are throwing away a billion meals daily, leading to more than $1T in economic losses. In fact, a third of all food produced is wasted or lost, and households are responsible for 60% of that.

    Addressing this is essential, considering that food waste contributes to 8-10% of global emissions. The 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework has noted its link with biodiversity loss and laid out the goal to cut food waste by 50% by 2030. One report has pointed to reduced portion sizes as a solution to this problem.

    un food waste index
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    Government support for alt-protein is mixed

    2024 is set to be a milestone year for regulatory approvals of cultivated meat and precision-fermented proteins, with a bunch of companies already getting the go-ahead in various countries. Some governments – like Canada, the US, Germany, the UK and the EU – are also pumping in capital to support the development of these industries, while others are incorporating plant-based foods into their national plans.

    However, substantial legislative hurdles remain. Plant-based meat and labels remain a thorny subject in many parts of the world, although the real battle right now lies with cultivated meat. Legislators from several US states and EU countries are attempting to ban or restrict these novel proteins, with Italy passing this law last year, and Florida now on the verge of doing so too.

    In the larger context of the climate fight, these are steps in the opposite direction. There’ll be lots of talk about sustainability and fossil fuels and plastics and what not this Earth Day. Again, all that is important – but we need to reverse our course with the food system if we have any chance of keeping the planet safe.

    The post Earth Day 2024: 10 Things to Know About Our Food System appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Beer Proteins: Researchers Develop Method to Extract Protein from Brewers’ Spent Grain

    brewers spent grain protein
    5 Mins Read

    Researchers have come up with a way to extract useful proteins through leftovers from beer production, which could help reduce waste and produce a circular, more sustainable source of protein.

    Would you eat the beer industry’s byproducts? That’s what researchers at the Food Science and Technology Programme at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are proposing, having developed a method to extract over 80% of the proteins available in brewers’ spent grain (BSG), which is left over from the production of beer.

    The solid residue from malted barley after brewing beer, BSG makes up 85% of the waste emanating from the brewing industry – each year, 36.4 million tonnes of the byproduct is manufactured globally. But while some are repurposing BSG for animal feed (accounting for 70% of its use), biofuel production or compost, a substantial portion still ends up in landfill, emitting harmful greenhouse gases like methane and carbon.

    But using up the beer industry sidestream as a protein source could reduce the amount of gases released into the atmosphere, cut food waste, address humans’ protein needs, and tackle food shortage and insecurity globally, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies.

    This was echoed by programme director and lead researcher William Chen, who said: “Our study, which presents more sustainable and efficient ways to add value to brewers’ spent grain disposal, is a crucial step towards mitigating its contribution to greenhouse emissions and reducing environmental strain, while also enriching the global food supply chain.”

    How researchers turned brewers’ spent grain into proteins

    To produce the proteins, NTU collaborated with beer giant Heineken’s Asia-Pacific division, which produces Tiger Beer (the leading beer in Singapore, with a 19% market share) and provided its BSG for the study.

    The researchers sterilised the BSG before fermenting it with Rhizopus oligosporus, one of the fungi strains used to produce tempeh. The three-day fermentation process breaks down the BSG’s complex structure, making its protein content more easily extractable.

    This is then dried, ground into a powder, filtered and spun in a centrifuge to separate the protein, which floats to the top, away from the rest of the mixture. Once extracted, these proteins can be used directly in supplements, added to plant-based foods to boost their protein content, as well as enhance the shelf life and boost the moisturising and antioxidant properties of lotions or creams.

    “Demonstrating that the protein-rich qualities of brewers’ spent grain could be successfully extracted and funnelled into supplements and enriching plant-based proteins to make them more attractive to the consumer addresses two global pressure points – food wastage and food shortage,” said Chen.

    Given that the BSG proteins are rich in antioxidants, they can protect our skin from pollutants, and present an eco-friendly alternative to conventional cosmetic components like parabens, which disrupt hormone function in aquatic animals, and petroleum-based ingredients, whose extraction and production carry a heavy climate impact.

    Highlighting these cosmetic applications of the protein, co-author Chai Kong Fei said: “Due to their natural exfoliating properties and abundance of antioxidants, we feel they could be incorporated into various skincare formulations, from moisturisers to body lotions, offering an alternative to chemicals such as preservatives, which have been shown to cause damage to wildlife and the environment after being washed down our sinks.”

    NTU plans to scale up and commercialise BSG proteins

    nanyang technological university
    Courtesy: Nanyang Technological University

    The authors note how the fermented BSG proteins can be used to grow an increasingly hungry planet. By 2050, the global population is set to reach 10 billion, with meat consumption set to increase by 73%. But this is unsustainable, both in practice and for the planet – meat production generates twice as many GHG emissions as plant-based foods, and scientists say emissions from livestock farming must be halved by the end of the decade.

    Animal-derived foods also only account for 18% of calories and 37% of protein globally – and as 780 million people face hunger around the world, and a third of all food goes to waste, more efficient and sustainable protein sources are paramount.

    The researchers at NTU managed to extract up to 200g of protein per kg of BSG – this means if all the world’s BSG could be fermented to produce proteins, we could have an additional 7.28 million tonnes of protein on our hands every year. In Singapore alone, the average woman and man require 146kg and 204kg of protein each year. These BSG proteins are safe for consumption, and incorporating them into plant-based foods could enhance the nutritional value and help meet daily protein requirements more efficiently.

    The extracted proteins also feed into growing consumer preferences for sustainably sourced and eco-friendly products, with 66% of global consumers happy to pay more for products from brands committed to sustainability, according to Nielsen.

    “Innovative applications of underutilised grains like those being brewed up at NTU have the potential to reduce Singapore’s dependence on raw-material imports, provide an additional revenue source for local producers, and help entrepreneurs craft more nutrient-dense plant-based meats,” said Mirte Gosker, managing director of alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute Asia-Pacific. Singapore currently imports 90% of its food supply, but the government has set out a goal to make 30% of its food locally by 2030. “Amid rising food demand pressures, protein extraction from agricultural sidestreams is field-primed and ready to be tapped.”

    The team at NTU, which was the first APAC university to offer an undergraduate course focused on alternative proteins and cultivated meat, is in further talks with Heineken Asia Pacific to scale up the protein extraction method. Moreover, it plans to collaborate with food, beverage and cosmetic companies to incorporate its technology with an eye towards commercialisation.

    “Our method presents an innovative way to repurpose beer waste into a valuable protein source for global nutrition,” said Chen. “Beyond mere innovation, our work embodies a narrative of turning what was once considered waste into a vital resource, a symbol of sustainability, and a solution to one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: protein scarcity.”

    The post Beer Proteins: Researchers Develop Method to Extract Protein from Brewers’ Spent Grain appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Albert Heijn Introduces Carbon Labels to Own-Label Products & Magazine Recipes

    albert heijn emissions
    5 Mins Read

    Albert Heijn is the first Dutch retailer to introduce carbon labels on product packaging and recipes, which is part of a larger sustainability commitment that also addresses a transition to plant-based proteins.

    Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn has rolled out emissions labelling on 130 private-label products, becoming the first retailer in the country to do so. It follows the release of its sustainability report on Tuesday, with a host of initiatives being introduced to meet its net-zero goals.

    Initially, the company will introduce GHG emissions on its own-label chicken, pork, eggs, salmon and vegetarian products, with more products added gradually. Curiously, beef products aren’t part of the initial roster of carbon-labelled products, despite the Ahold Delhaize subsidiary rolling out half-chicken, half-beef burgers and mince to lower its emissions this year.

    “The choices we all make every day for food and drinks influence people, animals and the climate. That is why we are working with our partners and suppliers to improve this influence and I am very proud of that,” said Albert Heijn CEO Marit van Egmond.

    Albert Heijn wants to ‘help customers make informed choices’

    albert heijn carbon labels
    Courtesy: Albert Heijn

    The emissions of each product are displayed in the form of a small cloud, which states the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per kg. “By mapping CO2e emissions and indicating them on the product and recipe, we help customers with information to make informed choices,” said van Egmond. “A good example are the eggs from the Better for Nature & Farmer programme, where we switch to white eggs, which produce 6% less CO2e emissions.”

    But it’s not just in-store product packaging that features these labels – Albert Heijn is also rolling out the scheme next to recipes on its Allerhande food magazine, with an Eco-Score-like cloud indicating which emissions category the recipe falls in (ranging from very low to very high).

    There’s a new climate-conscious cooking feature in its AH app as well, which is described as “cooking with CO2e emissions in mind”. Here, consumers can filter recipes by emissions category, with the app providing tips and inspiration for more planet-friendly ways to cook – this includes using more plant proteins like soy, legumes and nuts.

    This follows Albert Heijn’s commitment to adding plant-based tips to on-pack recipes, after campaigning from Dutch animal rights group Wakker Dier. The organisation had asked nine companies to make at least 50% of the recipes on food packaging vegan or vegetarian. At Albert Heijn, 88% of these recipes aren’t meatless. But while it didn’t heed Wakker Dier’s call to remove meat from half of them, it does offer the highest number of meat analogues (36%) among the major retailers in the country.

    And along similar lines, the grocer began a trial in three of its To Go stores in April, allowing shoppers to pay either the normal price or the one reflecting the true cost of food production, which factors in climate impacts and the lack of a living wage for workers. This meant black coffee was up from €2 to €2.08, while coffee with milk increased by 36 cents, compared to an 11-cent hike for coffee with oat milk.

    Protein transition key to net-zero goals

    albert heijn plant based
    Courtesy: Albert Heijn

    The carbon labelling rollout is part of Albert Hejin’s sustainability policy. The company, which claims to have been using only green energy since 2021, aims to reduce its scope 3 emissions (which make up 99.6% of its climate impact) by 45% by 2030 (from a 2018 baseline), working towards a longer-term net-zero goal for 2050.

    By the end of the decade, it aims to be 100% emissions-free with its transportation system. And to support and better suppliers, it has launched the Albert Heijn Climate Club, which features with step-by-step plans, instructional videos and tips to reduce emissions. Plus, it’s also on its way to achieving B Corp certification.

    The company has identified food and packaging waste as a problem too, having decreased the amount of materials in its packaging, while using as much recycled and recyclable material as possible, and making more offerings suitable for reuse where applicable. It outlines that circularity is key to its own waste and the construction or renovation of its stores.

    But without tackling food, Albert Heijn can’t reach its climate goals. It’s why it is working towards a protein transition, answering Wakker Dier’s request (alongside other supermarkets) to have at least 60% of proteins sold be plant-based by 2030. Albert Heijn’s goal for next year is for this to reach 50% – in 2023, this stood at 44.1% (up by 1.5 percentage points from the previous year). For this year, it is aiming for a 47% share of vegan protein, noting that if shoppers swapped an animal product for a plant-based one extra time per week, it would contribute 3.3 percentage points to the target.

    To meet this ambition, the retailer will add new categories to its AH Terra range this year, including cooking and snacking, pizzas, ready-made meals and more plant-based dairy products. It’s also introducing new plant-based meal kits, while all other such fresh packages can be made vegetarian.

    “By leading the protein transition and expanding our range with vegetable proteins, we offer our customers the opportunity to make conscious and more sustainable choices,” said Carlijn Olthof, manager of vegetarian merchandising at Albert Heijn. “The introduction of our own brand line AH Terra makes plant-based eating and drinking even easier. The products are tasty, affordable and of top quality. If everyone eats plant-based one day a week, a huge step can be made in the protein transition.”

    The post Albert Heijn Introduces Carbon Labels to Own-Label Products & Magazine Recipes appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Nobell Foods: Molecular Farming Startup Rebrands as Alpine Bio, Secures 10th Patent & Targets Mozzarella Launch for 2025

    alpine bio
    5 Mins Read

    Molecular farming startup Nobell Foods, which is producing animal-free cheese from soy-derived casein proteins, has rebranded to Alpine Bio and secured a new patent for dairy proteins.

    San Francisco-based Nobell Foods will now operate as a division of the renamed company, Alpine Bio, which now has an extended remit with 15 proteins that can be expressed in a range of different plans through molecular farming.

    The company has secured its 10th patent in the US for recombinant milk proteins, strengthening its IP portfolio and expanding the possibilities of its technology. “While Nobell Foods makes sense as a consumer brand, it is not enough to convey the power of our platform,” founder and CEO Magi Richani told AgFunderNews. The new name is a callback to the startup’s initial moniker, Alpine Roads.

    Backed with over $100M in investment, including by the likes of Bill Gates and Robert Downey Jr, Alpine Bio will continue to work on commercialising its animal-free cheese, which is made using casein protein derived from genetically engineered soybeans.

    “Today we celebrate the breakthroughs our company has made over the last few years to reimagine the future of food in a way that positively impacts the climate, agriculture and our food system at large,” said Alpine Bio founder and CEO Magi Richani. “This milestone not only reflects our strides in science-backed technology, but also brings us closer to delivering a sustainable and delicious product to market.”

    Molecular farming makes casein production more effective

    nobell foods
    Courtesy: Alpine Bio

    Casein is the main protein found in dairy, comprising 80% of its protein content. It’s known for its emulsifying properties, preventing water and fat from separating and providing cheeses with their melty and stretchy attributes. It’s an element whose absence is a key pain point for plant-based cheeses, whose texture needs to be spot-on for consumers to want to eat it.

    Nobell Foods opts to produce casein from soybeans using molecular farming, which has been labelled the fourth pillar of alternative protein by industry think tank the Good Food Institute. The tech has some key differentiators from cultivated or precision-fermented proteins: here, plant cells (not animals or microbes) are modified to replicate animal proteins, which are harvested from leaves or other plant tissues.

    Molecular farming also presents a solution to the cost and scalability challenges of the others, as it doesn’t need expensive bioreactors to produce large amounts of ingredients – instead, the plants themselves are the natural bioreactors. Alpine Bio recreates the genetic code for casein in soybean seeds, which evolve into plants that produce casein identical to the protein found in dairy.

    In milk, there are four kinds of casein proteins, which fold into a spherical structure known as a micelle, where they are suspended in a highly hydrated solution and bound together with minerals like calcium. Microbes can only make one type of these proteins at a time, but plants can be gene-edited to produce more of them concurrently.

    “There’s no technical limitation on making all of them at once – the question is, does that get you the best product?” noted Richani. “We have done a lot of work on isolating individual caseins, understanding their functionalities independently and in different combinations, and we’re currently looking at producing two of them together.”

    She explained that soybeans offer the most cost-competitive option for producing its casein. “Soy is a commodity crop that has been optimised for maximising protein with on average 35% protein by weight, plus there are about 90 million acres grown per year in the US, so that’s a lot of farmers we can work with plus a huge infrastructure for processing soybeans, both for removing the oil and processing the [solid matter] into purified ingredients like protein isolates,” she explained.

    Alpine Bio aims to launch mozzarella in 2025

    molecular farming
    Courtesy: Alpine Bio

    The latest patent protects Alpine Bio’s recombinant milk protein production tech, which enables high and consistent creation of these proteins in plants. The startup says these significantly outperform the first-generation expression of casein and bridge the price gap between the resulting animal-free products (which are also covered by the patent) and their conventional counterparts.

    “We have been developing this technology since 2016 and we have accumulated a lot of IP, so our portfolio is very robust, meaning anyone making these proteins in plants is going to have to deal with our IP portfolio at some point,” Richani said. “And we’re not just talking about soybeans, but any plant system producing casein, so our claims are pretty broad.”

    The development would be closely watched by players like Israel’s Finally Foods and New Zealand’s Miruku, startups that – albeit much younger – are also exploring casein production via molecular farming. Other companies leveraging plants to recreate identical animal proteins include Moolec, Mozza, PoLoPo and IngredientWerks, while Tiamat Sciences, Bright Biotech and ORF Genetics are among those developing growth factors for the same.

    Alpine Bio has been marketing its cheese as an animal-free offering for climate-conscious cheese lovers, rather than another alternative for vegan consumers. This was evident in its Pizza Futures campaign from last year, when it produced a magazine to highlight the impacts of climate change on foods like cheese, wheat and tomato, and how it would affect pizza in the coming years.

    “Cheese is one of the most loved foods in the modern diet, and yet it is one of the worst offenders in terms of its climate impact,” said Chris Rivest, partner at Alpine Bio investor Breakthrough Energy Ventures. “Magi and her team have developed a transformative way to produce dairy-identical proteins in plants to create stretchy, gooey, delicious cheese that consumers love, but made from plants—it is simply amazing.”

    The first Nobell Foods cheese will be a mozzarella, for which Alpine Bio will host internal tastings this year, with public events planned for 2025. The company is in the process of obtaining a self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) certification in the US, with subsequent plans to file for GRAS determination to the FDA.

    A handful of other producers are working on recreating casein globally. New Culture (US), Change Foods (Australia/US), Fermify (Austria), Zero Cow Factory (India) and Standing Ovation (France) are all using precision fermentation, while New York-based Pureture is making yeast-derived vegan casein via liquid fermentation.

    The post Nobell Foods: Molecular Farming Startup Rebrands as Alpine Bio, Secures 10th Patent & Targets Mozzarella Launch for 2025 appeared first on Green Queen.

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