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Category: Alt Protein

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

    ripple foods funding
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

    High-protein pea milks drive double-digit revenue growth

    ripple pea milk
    Courtesy: Ripple Foods

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Ripple Foods to launch organic pea milk line in 2026

    ripple foods
    Courtesy: Ripple Foods

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    happy plant protein
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

    How Happy Plant Protein transcends existing processes

    fava bean tvp
    Courtesy: Happy Plant Protein

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Fava bean TVP gains ‘highly positive’ industry feedback

    fava bean protein
    Courtesy: Happy Plant Protein

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    bsf enterprise
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    lab grown leather
    Courtesy: BSF Enterprise

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

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

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

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

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

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

    BSF Enterprise eyes M&A deals

    3d bio tissues
    Courtesy: BSF Enterprise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    edonia
    5 Mins Read

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

    Can microalgae really be the answer to the protein boom?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    spirulina protein
    Courtesy: Lilie Bedos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Edo plots Series A funding for industrial-scale facility

    edonia microalgae
    Courtesy: Lilie Bedos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    silk protein milk
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

    Silk Protein targets two key nutrients

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

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

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

    silk high protein milk
    Courtesy: Silk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    kate farms high protein nutrition shake
    Courtesy: Kate Farms

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    pawco supersalad
    3 Mins Read

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

    Is your furry little friend a Caesar gal?

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

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

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

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

    PawCo hits on pet nutrition trends

    dog food salad
    Courtesy: PawCo

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ‘Wellness must become a trend for dogs’

    pet salad
    Courtesy: PawCo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    trubar
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    trubar acquisition
    Courtesy: Trubar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    trubar wicked
    Courtesy: Trubar

    Trubar the latest M&A event in alternative protein sector

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    4 Mins Read

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

    Beyond Meat can’t seem to catch a break.

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

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

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

    Jury dismisses Beyond Meat’s claims over trademark use

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Tough going for Beyond Meat

    beyond meat mycelium steak
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    oatly iced latte
    3 Mins Read

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

    New products and launches

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

    accro croque
    Courtesy: Accro

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

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

    made in hackney book
    Courtesy: Nourish

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

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

    Company and finance updates

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

    barry callebaut notco
    Courtesy: Matias Muchnick/LinkedIn

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

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

    stockeld dreamery cream cheese
    Courtesy: Stockeld Dreamery

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

    Policy, awards and events

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

    michroma cj cheiljedang
    Courtesy: Michroma

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

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

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    cultigen group
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Cellbase supports multiple currencies and languages

    cellbase
    Courtesy: Cellbase

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Filling the technical execution and transparent pricing gaps

    cultivated meat shop
    Courtesy: Cellbase

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

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

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

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

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

    An all-encompassing vision for cultivated meat

    lab grown meat stores
    Courtesy: Cellbase

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    supermeat funding
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    How SuperMeat makes affordable 100% cultivated chicken

    supermeat
    Courtesy: Dror Varshavski

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

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

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

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

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

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

    SuperMeat has deals in place to commercialise in Europe

    supermeat cultivated meat
    Courtesy: SuperMeat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    cultivated meat farm
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Farmers must be at the centre of the cultivated meat ecosystem

    lab grown meat farm
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

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

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

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

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

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

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

    lab grown meat farmers
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

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

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

    Respectfarms to open experience centre to boost public engagement

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

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

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

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

    lab grown meat farmers
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    tindle foods
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    tindle chicken
    Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods

    US market challenges drive TiNDLE Foods away

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TiNDLE Foods banks on Europe’s private-label potential

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    just meat chicken
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

    just chicken vegan
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Taste-testers prefer Just Meat over conventional chicken

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

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

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

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

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

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

    eat just chicken
    Courtesy: Eat Just

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

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

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

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

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

    just egg uk launch
    Courtesy: Eat Just

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    livekindly collective
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Livekindly Collective’s profitability formula

    livekindly collective profitability
    Courtesy: Fry’s

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

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

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

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

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

    Strong sales across retail and B2B channels

    vegan food sales
    Courtesy: Oumph!

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

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

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

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

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

    Livekindly Collective ‘not an exception, but an example’

    plant based meat sales
    Courtesy: Like

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    miyoko
    7 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Miyoko Schinner asks new owners to rebrand Miyoko’s Creamery

    miyoko's butter
    Courtesy: Melt Organic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Melt Organic CEO facing backlash for comments made to Schinner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    miyoko schinner
    Courtesy: Megan Thompson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    space f lab grown meat
    5 Mins Read

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

    New products and launches

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

    vegan protein buns
    Courtesy: Hema Reddy/LinkedIn

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

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

    wildtype salmon
    Courtesy: Wildtype

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

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

    colruyt vegan
    Courtesy: Colruyt Group

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

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

    Company and finance updates

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

    kaapa mushrooms
    Courtesy: Kääpä Biotech

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

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

    vegain surge
    Courtesy: Vegain

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

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

    lab grown meat korea
    Courtesy: Yeonjoo La/LinkedIn

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

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

    Policy and research developments

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

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

    noma novonesis
    Courtesy: Novonesis

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

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

    vegetal es
    Courtesy: Vegetal/es

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

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

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    space f lab grown meat
    5 Mins Read

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

    New products and launches

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

    vegan protein buns
    Courtesy: Hema Reddy/LinkedIn

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

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

    wildtype salmon
    Courtesy: Wildtype

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

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

    colruyt vegan
    Courtesy: Colruyt Group

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

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

    Company and finance updates

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

    kaapa mushrooms
    Courtesy: Kääpä Biotech

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

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

    vegain surge
    Courtesy: Vegain

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

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

    lab grown meat korea
    Courtesy: Yeonjoo La/LinkedIn

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

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

    Policy and research developments

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

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

    noma novonesis
    Courtesy: Novonesis

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

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

    vegetal es
    Courtesy: Vegetal/es

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

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

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Hungarian Parliament Votes to Ban Cultivated Meat, Despite EU Criticism & Legal Uncertainties

    lab grown meat hungary
    5 Mins Read

    Lawmakers in Hungary have overwhelmingly voted in favour of banning cultivated meat, even though the EU Commission has called the move “unjustified” and experts have questioned its legality.

    After nearly two years of attempts, the Hungarian government has succeeded in its attempt to stifle a food product that isn’t even on the market yet.

    In a vote on Tuesday (November 18), Hungary’s parliament voted to ban the production, distribution and marketing of cultivated meat, with 140 in favour, 10 against, and 18 abstentions. Exceptions to the ban are only applicable for medical and veterinary purposes.

    In his justification for the ban, the bill cited the need to protect “traditional rural lifestyles and human health” (as well as the environment), warning against the “potential dangers of non-traditional technologies”.

    “Food production [must] be linked to the land, as this is the basis of our traditions and culture, and if we move away from this, we will lose our identity,” agriculture minister István Nagy said a day before the vote. “The spread of meat produced in laboratory conditions would result in a lifestyle change that would completely upset European culture, which we cannot allow.”

    Hungary is the second European country to vote for a ban on cultivated meat, after Italy in 2023. Its efforts have been directly opposed by fellow EU member states, as well as the European Commission, which has said a ban would damage the free market and was “unnecessary” and “unjustified”.

    How Hungary’s ban on cultivated meat materialised

    Hungary’s path to the cultured meat ban began in January 2024, when Nagy publicly attacked the industry after meeting Ettore Prandini, president of the Italian farmers’ association Coldiretti, one of the loudest opponents of cultivated meat.

    Months later, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán weighed in on the issue in his annual state-of-the-nation speech, stating that the EU “talks nonsense” and is “dumping artificial meat and poor-quality GMO products on us”.

    In July, at the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, Hungary used its presidency to call for efforts to “protect” Europe’s culinary traditions from novel foods like cultivated meat – in other words, it sought to outlaw these proteins.

    That sparked an EU-wide debate, including widespread backlash from countries like the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Sweden. The latter, for instance, said justifying the move by calling cultivated meat harmful to human health was “unacceptable”, highlighting that Hungary hadn’t provided any risk evaluations or demonstrated that these products might threaten human or planetary health.

    One of the top criticisms is that Hungary’s ban goes against EU law. The country submitted a Technical Regulations Information System (TRIS) notification to the EU Commission (a procedure aimed at preventing barriers to the free movement of goods among member states) detailing why it was prohibiting this industry, though its explanation was rejected by the executive body and several member states.

    Still, in March this year, Hungary’s deputy prime minister, Zsolt Semjén, submitted a bill to the parliament to attempt to ban cultivated meat, which policymakers voted to adopt yesterday.

    “Our country has examined the issue of cultured meat from all sides and has also subjected the regulation to the necessary EU procedures. Our position has not changed, even after these procedures were concluded, and the strictest possible regulation is needed,” said Nagy.

    “We only allow its use for medical and veterinary purposes, and in all other cases, we strictly prohibit the production and distribution of cultured meat in our country.”

    Hungary’s ban goes against consumers’ wishes

    lab grown meat ban
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    “It is undeniable that traditional food production has a positive impact on agriculture and rural living conditions as a whole,” Semjén writes in the bill, which is now awaiting a final signature from the president (who has five days to do so).

    “Technologies and production methods that differ from traditional ones contain potential dangers that threaten our fundamental values. We do not yet have a satisfactory answer to these challenges,” the text adds. “The presumed negative effects justify a general ban on the production and marketing of laboratory-grown meat.”

    Along similar lines, Nagy added: “The national government is committed to food production linked to the farmland and strengthening the countryside. Some people have become distant from nature, and a false romanticism is developing regarding wildlife. The majority of society must understand that without farmers, there is no food and no future. Artificial meat is a fabrication, and we insist on our culture.”

    Cultivated meat has been proven to be better for the planet (especially when produced via renewable energy), in addition to supporting animal welfare and, in the longer term, food security. Even farmers are embracing the technology, so to ban it on “presumed negative effects” is befuddling.

    Cultural protectionism has been cited as a justification for the ban in Italy, too. At the same time, the safeguarding of livestock producers is the bedrock of the seven state-level bans on cultivated meat in the US. Still, these farmers welcome the competition and have spoken out against placing restrictions on cultured meat.

    lab grown meat survey
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    That sentiment isn’t just confined to the farmers. Most European consumers are also against banning cultivated meat, including over 60% of Hungarians. In fact, around 55% of the latter group support the sale of these proteins if they pass safety assessments from food regulators.

    So far, only two companies have filed to sell cultivated meat for human food in the EU: Parima (for cultivated duck) and Mosa Meat (beef fat). Since they’re at least a year away from entering the market, prohibitive decisions like Hungary’s are unnecessary, according to the EU Commission

    “A ban is therefore unjustified, since it could pre-empt the harmonised authorisation procedure for novel foods at EU level, which includes a scientific assessment by EFSA,” it said last year.

    The post Hungarian Parliament Votes to Ban Cultivated Meat, Despite EU Criticism & Legal Uncertainties appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • What Does the Non-UPF Verified Standard Mean for Plant-Based Meat & Dairy?

    impossible burger eu
    6 Mins Read

    The Non-GMO Project has published the first version of its Non-UPF Verified Standard to help companies label foods that are not ultra-processed.

    What makes a food non-ultra-processed?

    It’s a question the folks at the Non-GMO Project have spent months answering, as part of a pilot scheme with 16 food manufacturers.

    At the start of the year, the organisation unveiled the Non-UPF Verified programme, under the Food Integrity Collective group, which brands can use as an on-pack label to definitively highlight a product’s status as an unprocessed or minimally processed food.

    Now, it has published the first version of the Non-UPF Verified Standard, which will enter its full implementation phase. Independent technical administrators will act as impartial evaluators separate from both the Non-GMO Project and applicant brands, and assess each product seeking the label against the core criteria developed over the previous months.

    “This is about reconciling the false divide between ‘real food’ and packaged food,” said Megan Westgate, CEO and founder of the Non-GMO Project. “The Non-UPF Standard defines a middle ground where convenience and nourishment can genuinely coexist, giving brands a path to make better food and shoppers a reason to trust it.”

    What are UPFs, and how does the new standard define them?

    nova classification
    Courtesy: Springer

    First, a quick primer. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) were first defined by the Nova classification developed by researchers in Brazil in 2009, denoting products as those made with industrial formulations and techniques or containing cosmetic additives thought to be of little culinary use. Colloquially, they’re thought of as foods you can’t make in your home kitchen.

    Americans now get 55% of their calories from UPFs, which many experts have linked to a multitude of health ailments (and even premature death). Others, however, argue that this claim is misleading because the category is too broad.

    For instance, everything from that tub of ice cream in your freezer to the canned soup in your drawer is a UPF. So are the chicken nuggets you eat at McDonald’s, the Beyond Burger you buy at supermarkets, and the slice of whole-grain bread you have for breakfast.

    The American Heart Association has stated that not all UPFs are equal, and several such products can actually be good for you, including plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, which have been bundled in the same category as Oreos, Lay’s and Pepsi.

    That has led to a consistent drop-off in sales of these products over the last couple of years. After all, 72% of Americans are trying to avoid UPFs in their diets, and 79% feel they’re a “significant threat” to public health, according to research commissioned by Food Integrity Collective.

    non ultra processed foods
    Courtesy: Food Integrity Collective

    To its credit, the Non-GMO Project recognises the nuance. Its criteria for the Non-UPF Verified Standard nod to the “not all processing is equal” argument, distinguishing between minimal, conditional, and prohibited processing methods. In other words, products must primarily contain minimally processed ingredients and be free from “high-impact chemical, structural, thermal, and biological modification”.

    Foods produced via methods deemed prohibited cannot bear the non-UPF label, but conditional methods may be used if they meet “explicitly defined conditions”. Permissible processes, meanwhile, can be used without restrictions, as long as they either preserve the food’s natural structure and integrity, or maintain its fundamental characteristics.

    Further, the standard restricts ingredients either “widely recognised as harmful or characteristic of ultra-processed formulations”, especially those used to create hyperpalatable textures and flavours. This includes a prohibition on non-nutritive sweeteners (like aspartame, monkfruit extract, xylitol, or erythritol) and limits on refined added sugar.

    How will plant-based alternatives be impacted?

    plant based upf
    Courtesy: Oumph

    So what does this mean for plant-based food manufacturers? It’s worth noting that among the 16 brands involved in the trial, several have meat-free or vegan portfolios, such as Califia Farms, Amy’s Kitchen, Simple Mills, and Caulipower.

    The Non-GMO Project has published an extensive list of processed ingredients that may be prohibited or used conditionally, many of which appear in plant-based meat and dairy products. The standard states that even some gums, thickeners and texturisers produced through conditional processing methods, including industrial fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis processes, are prohibited ingredients.

    Among these is methycellulose, a gelling and binding agent made by heating cellulose and treating it with methyl chloride. It is part of many plant-based meat products, including those from giants like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Morningstar Farms, and Lightlife Foods.

    Similarly, xanthan and gellan gum are part of this prohibited list. Gellan gum is widely used in non-dairy milk products, including by brands like Califia Farms (which was part of the pilot), Silk, and Ripple Foods. Xanthan gum is widely used in the food manufacturing and restaurant sectors – it’s present in everything from a Beyond Sausage to a Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy ice cream.

    califia farms organic
    Courtesy: Califia Farms

    That said, some gums and thickeners are still fair game, if they’re only used when functionally necessary, specifically to “suspend or stabilise added vitamins, minerals, or other essential nutrients in liquid products” where no alternative is viable. This group includes guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin and agar-agar.

    Plant-based dairy products with more than 7% of added sugar by weight will also not be eligible for Non-UPF Verified status, nor will vegan protein powders with over 5% of free sugars.

    Most packaged foods use ‘natural flavours’ as an umbrella term for a whole host of things, and the opaqueness of the system led the Non-GMO Project to keep compliance with its rules on this section optional.

    There’s a section on the use of fats too. Hydrogenated and interestified oils, which may appear in some plant-based butters, margarine, or ghee alternatives, are prohibited. Refined and deodorised fats such as coconut oil (widely used in vegan cheese from brands like Violife and Daiya) are allowed on the condition that they don’t make up more than 30% of a product’s formulation.

    daiya cheese
    Courtesy: Daiya

    Other prohibited ingredients that may appear in plant-based meat and products include sugar esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (common in non-dairy creams), monosodium glutamate (MSG), and soy leghemoglobin (the signature ingredient in the Impossible Burger).

    So a ton of vegan products will not pass the Non-UPF Verified Standard, and that could mean further financial misery for the industry. If this label witnesses the same success as the Non-GMO Butterfly mark, it might be wise for companies to consider reformulating their products.

    “Processing itself isn’t the enemy, it’s how and why it’s done that matters,” said Westgate.

    The post What Does the Non-UPF Verified Standard Mean for Plant-Based Meat & Dairy? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • UK Vegan Cheese Brand Julienne Bruno Acquired Out of Administration by The Compleat Food Group

    julienne bruno
    4 Mins Read

    Julienne Bruno, known for its dairy-free Italian cheeses, has been rescued out of insolvency by The Compleat Food Group’s Harvey & Brockless.

    In yet another instance of consolidation in the plant-based category, British non-dairy cheese maker Julienne Bruno’s brand and assets have been acquired by Harvey & Brockless, the artisan foodservice subsidiary of The Compleat Food Group.

    The sale came just two days after the loss-making startup fell into administration after failing to secure sufficient investment, laying off all 14 employees.

    Founder Axel Katalan declined to comment on the firm’s sale and challenges when approached by Green Queen: in a post on social media, he remarked: “This ensures the brand and products sit with a partner that can give them the scale, resources and support to realise their full potential.”

    He added that he will continue to support Julienne Bruno as a consultant to Compleat, which also owns fellow vegan cheese brand Palace Culture, for the next few months.

    As losses mounted, Julienne Bruno sought investors and buyers

    julienne bruno burella
    Courtesy: Julienne Bruno/Green Queen

    Katalan, a chef, founded Julienne Bruno in 2020, bringing a range of ultra-realistic vegan cheeses to the market. Its current lineup includes Crematta (a ricotta alternative), Superstraccia (stracciatella), Burrella (burrata), and Mozzafiore Pearls (mini mozzarella balls).

    All the cheeses are made with soy milk and coconut oil, and naturally fermented through a bespoke method. They’ve been listed by premium retailers like Whole Foods Market, Harrods and Selfridges, online grocer Ocado, and restaurants and cafés including Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Soho House, Gauthier, and Pizza Pilgrims.

    Despite raising over £6M across two funding rounds, the brand has been incurring heavy losses since the beginning. In 2022, its net losses amounted to £1.6M, more than doubling in 2023, and rising by another 34% in 2024, totalling £5.1M, according to its filing at Companies House, the UK’s public business registry.

    Insolvency firm Interpath, which was appointed administrator last week, noted that the company had “grown significantly” since its formation, with a reputation for producing “market-pioneering plant-based products”.

    However, to reach a scale large enough to enable profitability, Julienne Bruno needed additional funding, so it kickstarted a process to explore different sale and investment options.

    “Unfortunately, despite a competitive process with a number of parties showing interest in the brand, a solvent outcome could not be found, and as a result, the company was placed into administration,” said Interpath.

    “Our immediate priority is to support those employees who have been made redundant, including supporting them with claims for redundancy pay and other monies owed,” said Howard Smith, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator of Julienne Bruno.

    Compleat acquisition will help Julienne Bruno ‘truly win’

    julienne bruno cheese
    Courtesy: Julienne Bruno

    It only took two days for Interpath to find a new home for Julienne Bruno’s vegan cheeses, joining Compleat’s expanding portfolio of chilled foods. Formed in 2021 from the merger of Winterbotham Darby and Addo Food, it owns meat-free brand Squeaky Bean and fermented condiment maker Vadasz (among others) as well, and recorded £786M in revenue last year.

    “Since its launch, Julienne Bruno had developed a great reputation for its innovative and high-quality plant-based products. Known as a pioneer within the sector, it had generated a loyal customer base both in the UK and internationally,” said Tom Swiers, head of food and drink for Interpath.

    “We’re pleased to have achieved this sale, which will enable the brand to continue under new ownership and deliver to its customers.”

    In his online post, Katalan wrote: “We set out to create products that could challenge the sensory quality of dairy and in many ways we did. The market has shown that to truly win, you need deep operational strength and the right long-term partner. I genuinely believe […] this new combination is the strongest in Europe to deliver that.”

    Julienne Bruno is one of many alternative protein brands that have either fallen into insolvency, been acquired, or shut down, as the sector struggles with a lack of investment and sales. In the UK, sales of plant-based food fell by 4% in 2024, with vegan cheese purchases flatlining but volumes down by 2%.

    Here, pea milk brand Mighty Drinks entered administration this summer, before being rescued by Cypriot firm The Mighty Kitchen, while Beastly Brews, the maker of oat milk liqueur Panther M*lk, ceased operations. Ready meal startup Allplants went bankrupt last year, before Plants and Grubby bought off its assets.

    With Compleat’s purchase, Julienne Bruno’s brand lives on. “We built a factory from zero in the heart of Covid and scaled into more than one thousand locations in the UK, with listings in Switzerland and the UAE,” said Katalan.

    “We learned, hired, fired, raised funds, launched new products in new markets, and built a brand now regularly cited as a leader in this space. I am incredibly proud of that work and grateful for the support we’ve received along the way.”

    The post UK Vegan Cheese Brand Julienne Bruno Acquired Out of Administration by The Compleat Food Group appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • ‘GLP-1 is Raising the Bar’: How Danone’s Kate Farms is Embracing the Ozempic Boom

    danone glp 1
    6 Mins Read

    As GLP-1 users become “more label-literate and science-minded”, Danone’s plant-based nutrition brand Kate Farms is busting its gut to meet the moment with “truly better-for-you” products.

    Ozempic has led the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) clan to turn on its leader.

    US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has cheered on the Trump administration’s recent deal to lower the cost of obesity medications, putting him at odds with supporters who have been critical of the pharma sector and its weight-loss drugs.

    However, there are some commonalities between MAHA and GLP-1 medications: they’ve both increased public focus on metabolic health in the US. That, in turn, has accelerated consumer awareness of the adage that “nutrition is foundational to wellbeing”.

    Or at least that’s how Kate Farms, a plant-based nutrition brand recently acquired by dairy giant Danone, looks at it. “Kate Farms has always operated at the intersection of healthcare and wellness, bridging clinical integrity and consumer access,” its CMO, Catherine Hayden, tells Green Queen.

    “These movements amplify what we’ve long championed: science-based, truly better-for-you nutrition that supports long-term health.”

    The firm makes a range of nutrition products for kids and adults, including a dairy-free baby formula without the top nine most common allergens, pea protein shakes, pediatric blended meals, and shakes for glucose and renal support.

    But with nine in 10 healthcare patients preferring to rely more on healthy eating than on medications to manage their conditions, Kate Farms doubled down on its food-as-medicine approach with the launch of a High Protein Nutrition Shake this year, specifically designed to address “critical nutrition gaps” from GLP-1 use.

    kate farms nutrition shake
    Courtesy: Kate Farms

    Now, that product has entered the country’s largest retailer, Walmart, whose stores are within 10 miles of 90% of Americans, expanding access to clinically-designed nutrition products and boosting food security amid the government’s funding cuts to food assistance programmes.

    “Many Kate Farms formulas and shakes are SNAP-eligible and covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and WIC in 33 states. Expanding access to clinically designed, plant-based nutrition is central to our mission,” says Hayden.

    “We continue to advocate for funding stability and policy support to ensure families maintain access to high-integrity, truly better-for-you products during periods of federal uncertainty.”

    GLP-1 users are more focused on science and labels

    One in eight Americans has used a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro, and this could rise to up to 70 million people by 2028, when they’ll likely have boosted the national GDP by 1%.

    These medications have left the food industry scrambling, as demand for foods high in sugar, fat and calories dissipates, while protein and fibre become more popular than ever.

    In response, Nestlé has a new brand dedicated to GLP-1 users, Coca-Cola and Pepsi have both launched prebiotic sodas (the latter acquired Poppi for nearly $2B earlier this year), Conagra Brands has introduced ‘GLP-1 friendly’ labels on packaging for some ready meals, and Daily Harvest (now owned by Chobani) has rolled out a line of high-protein, high-fibre smoothies.

    The GLP-1 boom is tangible in the food industry. “It’s raising the bar. GLP-1 users are more label-literate and science-minded, and that’s driving demand for clean, clinically backed, and effective nutrition,” says Hayden.

    “This shift validates what we’ve done from the start: developing purpose-built, medically informed, plant-based products that deliver real nutritional outcomes, not marketing promises,” she adds. “The GLP-1 moment is helping separate proof from hype, reinforcing our belief that ‘truly better-for-you’ must mean clinically proven and responsibly made.”

    kate farms high protein nutrition shake
    Courtesy: Kate Farms

    Analysis shows that GLP-1 users spend 11% less on most categories of food, and over half (56%) look to make healthier food choices. Why would they choose protein shakes over whole foods?

    “For many, appetite suppression makes it challenging to consume enough nutrient-dense food. Our shake offers a simple way to get complete, balanced nutrition in one serving, supporting muscle health and filling key nutrient gaps,” suggests Hayden.

    “It’s not a replacement for whole foods; it’s a bridge that helps people stay nourished when appetite or schedule makes balanced meals harder to manage,” she adds. “Fibre is also central to that balance: to aid in digestion and fullness in a format that’s easy to tolerate when appetite is reduced.”

    Kate Farms spotlights proof over buzzwords

    Hayden believes the key to capitalising on the GLP-1 moment is to “never retrofit”. “Most products entering this space are retrofitted or relabeled from other categories – such as diabetes or sports nutrition – and often rely on artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or common allergens,” she explains.

    “Kate Farms’s High Protein Nutrition Shake was designed from the ground up with direct input from GLP-1 users and healthcare professionals, then refined through multiple rounds of sensory testing to ensure it’s satisfying even with a reduced appetite.”

    Research shows that GLP-1 use can lead to a 25-40% decrease in muscle mass over eight to 16 months, several times greater than non-medicated weight loss approaches and age-related muscle loss. It’s why each shake packs 25g of protein, alongside 6g of fibre, and 27 vitamins and minerals.

    “The 6g of organic fibre play a key role in supporting gut health and satiety – two areas GLP-1 users consistently identify as challenges – making it both functional and filling,” says Hayden. “This is what truly better-for-you looks like: nutrition built with clinical precision and clean, transparent ingredients, not marketing claims.”

    kate farms glp 1
    Courtesy: Kate Farms

    Then there’s the labelling element. Does slapping a ‘GLP-1 friendly’ label risk putting off loyal consumers who don’t use Ozempic? “Yes, if it’s treated as a trend,” answers Hayden.

    “We don’t chase labels; we design around needs backed by clinical precision,” she says, noting how the High Protein Nutrition Shake was crafted to serve the unique needs of GLP-1 users, yet is still optimised for anyone seeking balanced, clinically designed nutrition. “Our approach is inclusive and transparent: proof-based rather than buzzword-based.”

    Kate Farms boasts ‘strong year of growth’ amid Danone takeover

    As Kate Farms is leaning into the GLP-1 space, its products are also part of an ailing plant-based sector, which has seen sales slow over the last couple of years in the US. Consumers’ willingness to consume plant protein hasn’t been helped by studies like the Consumer Reports analysis that found high levels of lead content in vegan protein powders, however misguided the findings may be.

    “Ingredient integrity has been part of Kate Farms’s DNA from day one. All our shakes are USDA Organic, plant-based, and routinely tested to meet Federal and State standards, including Proposition 65, which is among the most stringent in the US,” says Hayden.

    “We never use artificial sweeteners, colours, or flavours” – wink wink, MAHA – “and our products are free from the top nine allergens. That’s why Kate Farms is the number-one doctor-recommended plant-based brand, trusted in more than 1,400 US hospitals.”

    In a market crowded with vague claims, she adds, Kate Farms “continues to set the benchmark” for nutrition grounded in clinical proof.

    glp 1 shake
    Courtesy: Kate Farms

    When it comes to sales, Hayden suggests that Kate Farms has been bucking the plant-based trend: “2025 has been a strong year of growth, driven by new retail partnerships and expansion across both medical and consumer channels.”

    It’s likely what caught Danone’s eye when it decided to buy the company earlier this year. The French owner of Silk and Alpro has a big horse in the GLP-1 race, with its yoghurt portfolio hitting the protein-fibre sweet spot.

    Following the acquisition, Kate Farms now joins Nutricia, Real Food Blends and Functional Formularies in Danone’s medical nutrition business in North America. The transition from startup to Big Food subsidiary has “been seamless and mission-aligned”, according to Hayden.

    “This partnership expands our reach while maintaining the leadership, standards, and values that define Kate Farms,” she says. “It’s a merger of missions: scaling our shared belief that good nutrition and truly better-for-you food are essential to better health.

    The post ‘GLP-1 is Raising the Bar’: How Danone’s Kate Farms is Embracing the Ozempic Boom appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Sweden’s Re:meat Rebrands to Curve to Enable Low-Cost, Large-Scale Biomanufacturing

    4 Mins Read

    Swedish food tech startup Re:meat has evolved from a cultivated meat producer to a sustainable protein biomanufacturer, now called Curve.

    Two months after signing a deal to establish Scandinavia’s first cultivated meat facility, Re:meat is expanding its cellular agriculture platform to enable cost-efficient manufacturing of novel proteins.

    The company has announced a strategic rebrand to Curve, shifting focus away from producing its own ingredients and opening up its production platform to help other sustainable food manufacturers speed up their processes and path to market.

    The pivot came from what we learned firsthand: the real bottleneck in biomanufacturing isn’t scientific — it’s technical and economic scalability. We realised our greatest impact wouldn’t come from producing a single end-product, but from enabling many companies to scale their own,” co-founder and CEO Jacob Schaldemose Peterson told Green Queen.

    “Curve exists to provide the infrastructure – the production systems and process intelligence – that make scalable biomanufacturing possible.”

    How Curve overcomes scale and cost challenges

    curve bio
    Courtesy: Curve

    Peterson founded Curve with Gittan Schiöld in 2022, producing cultivated meat by growing immortalised cells of free-range livestock in bioreactors. Its process currently takes three weeks, with an initial focus on minced meat.

    The company claims its patented core technology radically lowers the cost of hardware for cultivated meat, an important step towards scaling cultivated proteins and enabling mass adoption. Curve says proteins are the foundation of future nutrition and healthcare, and today’s production systems weren’t built for these new markets.

    That’s because they’re resource-heavy, slow to scale, and economically misaligned. Instead, the next era of biotech requires tech that can produce complex proteins at industrial scale, with minimal cost and climate impact.

    Analysis suggests that the cultivated meat industry has lowered production costs by 99% in a decade. However, it’ll still take until at least 2030 for these proteins to begin approaching price parity with conventional meat.

    Many cellular agriculture startups are still reliant on the bioreactors of the pharmaceutical industry. However, these are not purpose-built for the lower-margin cultivated meat sector, and hence are much more expensive.

    “Traditional bioreactors were designed for pharma, where cost per unit isn’t the main driver. We’ve re-engineered the system from the ground up for industrial biotech — optimising fluid dynamics, control systems, and material use,” explained Peterson.

    Curve is looking to usher in smarter biomanufacturing practices, having developed modular production systems that “close the gap between basic food-grade fermenters and costly pharma-grade setups”. It has developed an alternative to the controversial and expensive fetal bovine serum, which makes up a big chunk of production costs.

    This is an approach used by a growing number of food tech firms, including cultured pork producer Mission Barns, cultivated pet food startup Meatly, and AI-led biotech firm Arsenale Bioyards.

    Curve’s platform can reduce costs by 70%

    lab grown meat expensive
    Courtesy: Curve

    Curve’s core Biobric platform combines physical hardware with data simulations to enable optimised conditions, strain learning, and automated process refinement. It’s designed for “cost leadership”, reducing capital and operational expenditure by up to 70%, accelerating process optimisation, and enabling commercially viable precision fermentation and cultivated meat.

    “Cost-efficient cultivated meat production has always been the ambition for Re:meat,” said Torbjörn Sahlén, an investor and board member at Curve. “However, experience shows that if we focus exclusively on that, we are not maximising our ability to scale and leave significant potential untapped. This shift – and consequently the name Curve – reflects this strategic opportunity.”

    The refreshed entity is working closely with precision fermentation and biotech companies to jointly run scale-up trials and optimise strains, media and processes before licensing validated systems to industrial producers. It marks a shift from a single vertical into a multi-category protein platform.

    The company secured $1.1M in funding earlier this year, and in September, it teamed up with Biotech Heights, a biotech innovation in Lund, to launch the region’s first cultivated meat facility. The pilot plant, titled Re:meatery at the time, will be installed by the end of 2025 and validated with partners and clients in spring 2026.

    “The pilot facility is progressing well,” said Peterson. “Here, we will validate systems and run joint upscaling trials with partners. While it’s no longer branded ‘Re:meatery’, it continues to play a key role in scaling and validating our technology before full industrial rollout.”

    Curve’s systems are designed to meet food-grade standards and are aligned with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards to simplify regulatory pathways for its clients, whose responsibility it will be to seek regulatory approval for end products.

    Peterson said the B2B model isn’t the only way to success for cultivated meat, but it’s “probably the most scalable path” for now. “The economics and infrastructure challenges of biomanufacturing are simply too great for most ingredient brands to solve alone,” he said.

    “By building shared tools and production systems, B2B models accelerate the entire field. Once the underlying technology and cost base are established, B2C innovation can flourish on top.”

    The post Sweden’s Re:meat Rebrands to Curve to Enable Low-Cost, Large-Scale Biomanufacturing appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Experts Propose Plan to Create EU-Wide Regulatory Sandbox for Novel Foods

    eu regulatory sandboxes
    6 Mins Read

    The EU is losing out to other regions on the biotechnology front, thanks to an outdated novel food framework. A regulatory sandbox could reinstate its leadership.

    Europe is home to some of the world’s most avant-garde food tech startups. So why do they end up leaving?

    The problem, according to a new report by think tank the Ministry of Future Affairs, lies with the EU’s outdated system to assess the safety of new products before they can launch into the market.

    The bloc’s novel food regulatory framework is competitive with others in terms of the timeline and robustness. However, the length of assessments is twice as long as promised, raising costs for startups and driving away investors from the region.

    These regulatory inefficiencies have put Europe’s position as a biotech leader “under threat”, harming its strategic autonomy and food security. For instance, companies like Onego Bio (which makes fermentation-derived egg proteins) and cultivated meat player Meatable have chosen to apply for approval in the US or Singapore first, respectively, where the framework is clearer and timelines shorter.

    The startups that opted to file novel food dossiers in Europe first, like Finland’s Solar Foods, say the move has “come at a significant cost”.

    solar foods solein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    “Our regulatory journey has taken more than twice as long as the EU’s own market approval timeline anticipates. In the meantime, we’ve had to enter other global markets just to remain viable while waiting for approval at home,” says Juha-Pekka Pitkänen, co-founder and CSO of the Solein protein maker.

    “We’re not asking for lower food safety standards, but for a regulatory process in our home market that is efficient, predictable, and enables innovation to thrive,” he adds.

    In response, the Ministry of Future Affairs has convened food safety, regulatory, and legal experts, who analysed regulatory pain points experienced by applicants and have formed a Framework for a Pan-European Regulatory Sandbox for Novel Foods.

    “We fund innovative European food scientists and entrepreneurs, only to see them leave for other markets due to the EU’s unpredictable regulatory approval process. This further strengthens the geopolitical power and competitiveness of other countries, such as China, which benefit from the lack of an efficient regulatory pathway to market in Europe,” says Anna Handschuh, the organisation’s managing director.

    “Member states that wish to support and benefit from the growing food biomanufacturing market should collaborate on setting up regulatory sandboxes.”

    What’s wrong with the EU’s novel food framework?

    The report, titled Closing the Food Innovation Gap, suggests that though the EU’s novel food regulation is often seen as a barrier, it does offer some unique benefits.

    For instance, it covers a wide range of technologies, including cell cultivation and precision fermentation, and follows a centralised procedure – once approved, companies can sell in all 27 member states. Applicants can also require five years of protection for the data they’ve generated during the period they are putting their dossiers together, as well as confidential treatment of certain information.

    Plus, once approved, the decision is valid indefinitely, meaning that companies don’t have to go through any renewal process (unlike feed additives and smoke flavourings).

    To get the green light, applicants generate data and gather studies to support their dossiers, which are then validated by the European Commission, before being passed on to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to perform a suitability check (which takes 30 days).

    eu novel foods
    Courtesy: European Food Safety Authority

    The EFSA then performs a scientific risk assessment before publishing its opinion, a process that can take nine months (and can be extended if the agency wants more information). Based on this opinion, the EU Commission prepares a draft implementing regulation, which 55% of member states (representing 65% of the bloc’s population) must approve. The legal timeline for this process is seven months.

    In actuality, the average time it takes for a novel food product to be approved in the EU currently is 30 months, far higher than the stipulated 18-month timeline – and this can stretch to as long as five years. In comparison, average timelines in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are 12 to 24 months.

    “The costs of generating data to support a novel food application in the EU are higher, and there is more uncertainty due to the cost of additional data requests that occur during the risk-assessment period,” the report suggests.

    Indeed, a novel food dossier in the EU could set a company back €250,000, on par with Australia and New Zealand, though far higher than the €100,000 expected in Singapore and €75,000 needed for a self-affirmed GRAS determination in the US.

    This is because the EFSA requires data from at least five independent batches of the novel food ingredient, whereas the other regions require a minimum of three. The EU regulator further asks for data on shelf life and stability in relevant food matrices, adding extra costs and complexity.

    How a regulatory sandbox can break the EU’s innovation deadlock

    The Ministry of Future Affairs suggests that food tech investors have been recommending European companies to launch in the US, and have deprioritised the EU as an investment destination. Its solution to this situation is inspired by a former EU member state.

    In March, the UK opened a regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat, connecting eight startups (three of which are from the EU) with scientists, regulatory experts, and academic bodies to overhaul the regulatory framework and fast-track their path to market.

    This enables British regulators to “generate the information needed to answer outstanding questions and increase the efficiency of the regulatory process”, without compromising on existing food standards, according to the sandbox’s head, Joshua Ravenhill. “Sandboxes like ours facilitate innovation whilst ensuring citizens’ safety,” he said.

    Sandboxes are time-bound regulatory environments in which innovative products can be tested under supervision, and often with temporary exemptions from standard rules. The report outlines that they can streamline approvals, reduce costs, shorten timelines and remove administrative burdens.

    lab grown meat uk
    Mosa Meat is part of the UK FSA’s cultivated meat regulatory sandbox | Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    Through its pan-European sandbox framework, the Ministry of Food Affairs aims to inspire a transparent pre-market approval process, create high-quality dossiers that demystify requirements, streamline and fast-track procedures, foster cross-border collaborations, and restore investor trust.

    Aside from the regulatory testbed, its framework proposes a Living Lab to host public tastings of novel foods, an experimental regulatory learning space to reduce fragmentation across borders, and shared AI and digital tools to improve efficiency.

    This sandbox would last for 2.5 years and comprise 10 food tech companies planning to file a dossier in the next 12 months, with the key result being the submission of at least two applications by the end.

    “The framework aims to transform the regulatory process from what is currently viewed as a barrier into a strategic enabler. With the process laid out, we aim to demonstrate that novel foods approval can be completed within the regulated timeline while upholding safety,” notes Hannah Lester, CEO of Atova Regulatory Consulting.

    Fortunately for the alternative protein industry, the EU has shown it is willing to modernise its novel food framework. Its new life sciences strategy will introduce the Biotech Act next year, which aims to speed up approvals for these innovations by mobilising investments and creating an AI-led supportive tool. In addition, the EU Parliament has recommended the use of sandboxes to assess applications, while helping companies transition from this testbed regime to full market access.

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  • US Wellness Brand to Debut CO2 Protein Bars with Solar Foods’s Solein Ingredient

    solein protein bar
    4 Mins Read

    Wellness company Fermenta will roll out limited-edition protein bars featuring Solar Foods’s gas-fermented protein, Solein, in the US early next year.

    As Americans sink their teeth into everything protein, companies are scrambling to boost this macronutrient in their products from a range of sources.

    One startup has turned to air. Fermenta, a health and performance nutrition startup, has tapped the Solein protein developed by Finnish firm Solar Foods, which is made by fermenting carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen.

    Fermenta will release a line of gluten-free Solein-powered protein bars under its Gutsy brand, marking one of the first times the ingredient will be available in the US. It is set to roll out in Q1 2026.

    “We want to create delightful moments for consumers and offer sustainable and clean products that support digestive wellness and are high in protein, vegan-friendly and contain less sugar,” said Fermenta CEO John Gibb. “Solein is a groundbreaking new ingredient which supports our sustainability ambition and offers exceptional nutritional values with no compromise on taste.”

    Why Solein makes the perfect base for Fermenta’s protein bars

    solein protein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Solar Foods produces Solein by feeding microbes on gases instead of sugar, eschewing the need for farmland, water for irrigation, and fertilisers and pesticides. The microbes are grown in a liquid form, and later dried into a flavourless powder that has 78% protein, 6% fat, and 10% dietary fibre. Its macronutrient profile is said to be akin to dried soy or algae, and it contains iron and B vitamins.

    The company calls Solein the “most sustainable protein” on Earth. The main raw materials for production are carbon dioxide and renewable energy, resulting in emissions equal to just 1% of those generated by conventional meat, and 20% of plant proteins.

    Aside from the environmental wins, Solar Foods’s deep-yellow ingredient also delivers on the nutrition front. It has all nine essential amino acids, zero cholesterol or saturated fat, and is packed with iron and vitamin B12. Plus, the powder has a mild flavour, making it an ideal base for a variety of products.

    “Solein is an extremely versatile ingredient, and Fermenta’s functional protein bars are one example of how Solein works in final products,” said Troels Nørgaard, chief commercial and product officer at Solar Foods.

    “As an agile startup, Fermenta will be among the first to bring products made with Solein available for consumers in the US. We are very excited to see what kinds of products Solein will be used in in the future.”

    Solar Foods bets big on health and performance nutrition

    solein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Solar Foods, which notified the US FDA of its self-affirmed GRAS status this year, has already commercialised Solein in a bunch of products in Singapore, including mooncakes, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate snack bars, and beanless lattes. It has also debuted an egg- and dairy-free mayo using Solein.

    But earlier this year, it made clear that its strategy in the US is to target the health and performance nutrition market, having recently unveiled a ready-to-mix protein shake powder for athletes and gymgoers looking to enhance their performance and recovery.

    “The consumer demand for different health and performance nutrition products is growing rapidly. Solein excels as an ingredient in this category, offering customers a highly versatile ingredient with exceptional nutrition, functionality, and taste, while drastically reducing environmental impact,” said Nørgaard.

    It comes as 70% of Americans try to consume protein this year, and one in three increased their intake, spawning protein-spiked coffee syrups, cup noodles, Doritos, and water, as well as an expletive-laden rant on late-night TV.

    The publicly-listed company has raised around €83M in equity and debt funding, and signed several supply and product development agreements, including a €1.39M deal with US-based GLP-1 wellness company Superb Food. Italian food firm KelpEat has also signed a €500,000 agreement, while three other commercialisation deals could account for half of the production capacity of its upcoming large-scale facility, dubbed Factory 02.

    This facility, expected to begin operations in 2028, will be able to churn out 12,800 tonnes of Solein annually at €4.30-5.20 per kg. Its current demo plant, Factory 01, has a capacity of 160 tonnes of Solein per year, which is set to increase to 230 tonnes by 2026.

    “Produced via an innovative gas fermentation method, a highly efficient and scalable technology, Solein can address the significant global protein supply challenge while minimising the risk for supply restraints,” said Nørgaard.

    The post US Wellness Brand to Debut CO2 Protein Bars with Solar Foods’s Solein Ingredient appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Future Food Quick Bites: Heura Recipe, Sunflower Seed Protein & Just Egg Sales

    just egg sales
    4 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Heura’s frankfurter recipe, Eat Just’s sector-leading sales, and Beyond Meat’s legal victory.

    New products and launches

    Spanish plant-based meat maker Heura has introduced a new clean-label frankfurter with 18 times fewer saturated fat and 58% more protein than animal-based versions. And in an unprecedented move, it has made the recipe available to meat giants in Spain, including Oscar Mayer, Argal, and Elpozo.

    heura frankfurter
    Courtesy: Heura Foods

    British oat milk brand Oato has expanded into nearly 300 Tesco stores, which will carry its one-pint and one-litre bottles nationwide.

    UK plant-based company Sunflower Family has launched a line of sunflower seed protein products, including a mince SKU, chunks, a Bolognese mix, and a burger mix.

    sunflower seed protein
    Courtesy: Sunflower Family

    Scottish firm Kingdom Five, meanwhile, has introduced K5 Radical Protein, a solid-state fermentation platform that grows whole-food mycoprotein products for animal-free sausages, fillets, nuggets and seafood.

    Across the Atlantic, US firm Barvecue has rolled out a vegan Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken in the freezers of Harris Teeter stores across the Southeast.

    Fresh from its acquisition by v2food, Daring Foods has unveiled a range of microwaveable vegan chicken products in diced and shredded formats, which can be cooked in just four minutes and pack 45g of protein 8z pack. They’re available at Walmart and Albertsons stores across the US.

    And pecan milk maker Pecana has announced a major expansion, landing at nearly 4,500 stores nationwide, including 3,800 Walmart locations, as well as Natural Grocers, Harmons, and Sprouts Farmers Market.

    Company and finance updates

    As the egg crisis rages on, Eat Just’s mung-bean-based Just Egg has achieved the highest sales velocity of any plant-based product in the US, based on SPINS data from the last four weeks.

    oddball
    Courtesy: Oddball

    Oddball, a US startup making vegan jelly snacks, has raised $2M in a seed funding round to expand its product line and footprint, and support its launch into Whole Foods this month.

    In France, plant-based meat maker La Vie has announced it will soon open a crowdfunding round, a year after securing €25M from VCs and crowd investors.

    la vie funding
    Courtesy: La Vie

    British chocolate company Made Uncommon, which owns Otherly Oatml*lk, Seed & Bean, and other brands, has expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of Love Cocoa and vegan brand HiP, both founded by James Cadbury (yes, that Cadbury family).

    South Korean tofu giant Pulmuone is planning a European expansion by setting up a subsidiary in Amsterdam, which will source products from its US facilities to supply to key markets like France, Germany, and Spain

    Policy, research and awards

    Starbucks is being urged to trial oat milk as its default milk option in the UK, as part of the Animal Justice Project’s Udderly Kind campaign, with signatories to its open letter including VBites’s Heather Mills, Ecotricity’s Dale Vince, Veg Capital Matthew Glover, and journalist George Monbiot.

    starbucks non dairy milk
    Courtesy: Starbucks

    Beyond Meat has won a legal dispute against a former co-manufacturer over the termination of a production agreement, with a judge validating the plant-based meat maker’s decision to end the deal and denying the latter’s request to reopen the arbitration.

    US corn milk maker Maïzly has won the 2025 GAMA Innovation Award for SMEs, beating entries from over 50 countries to be recognised as one of the “most groundbreaking new products” globally.

    maizly corn milk
    Courtesy: Maïzly

    Australian cultivated pork producer Magic Valley is among the winners of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein Singapore and Enterprise Singapore’s Sustainable Protein Startup Competition at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit. It will receive S$175,000 ($134,000) in funding and in-kind support.

    US cell-based collagen maker Jellatech has been named a finalist in the Sustainable Tech Innovation category for the 2025 NC TECH Awards.

    this is super superfood
    Courtesy: This

    Finally, Redefine Meat’s Flank Steak, This’s Super Superfood and Nomo’s Salted Popcorn Chocolate Bar secured the top prizes at The Grocer’s New Product & Packaging Awards 2025.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Beyond Meat Cuts Yearly Forecast As Sales Continue to Fall in Q3

    beyond meat q3 2025
    4 Mins Read

    After weeks of stock uncertainty, Beyond Meat has posted a 13% revenue decline in Q3 2025 and has adjusted its expectations for the next quarter, too.

    In a rollercoaster Q3, Beyond Meat saw its sales shrink despite exceeding expectations, with the plant-based giant now cutting its forecast for the upcoming year.

    The Californian company recorded revenues of $70M, down by 13.3% from the corresponding period in 2024, but slightly above analysts’ predictions of $69M, with company CEO Ethan Brown attributing it to “category headwinds and an accompanying softer top-line continue”.

    It’s the third consecutive quarter of declining revenue for Beyond Meat, and comes amid volatile shifts in its stock price due to a debt restructuring deal, a meme stock frenzy, and rumours of bankruptcy, as well as expanded distribution in retailers like Walmart and Erewhon.

    As losses widen, Beyond Meat blames weak category demand and China suspension

    beyond meat debt
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    The Beyond Burger maker’s loss from operations swelled to $112M, compared to $31M in Q3 2024. This was thanks to large non-cash impairment charges related to its long-lived assets, as well as smaller expenses from legal fees, a lease termination, and the closure of its China operations. Overall, the company’s net loss was at $111M, a 316% increase from the year-ago period.

    Meanwhile, Beyond Meat’s gross profit reached $7M in Q3 2025, nearly half of its value in the July to September period in 2024. Its gross margin also narrowed from 18% in Q3 last year to 10% in 2025. These included $1.7M in expenses related to its China withdrawal.

    Its decrease in revenue was primarily driven by a 10% decline in product volumes, which in turn was a result of “weak category demand”, reduced retail distribution in the US, and lower sales of burger products to international quick-service restaurant consumers.

    And Beyond Meat’s 3.5% drop in net revenue per lb was primarily a result of higher trade discounts, changes in product sales mix and price decreases of certain products, partially offset by favourable changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

    These challenges have prompted the firm to revise its sales forecast for Q4, which is now expected to be between $60M and $65M, compared to analysts’ estimates of $70M.

    US sales a major concern for Beyond Meat

    beyond test kitchen
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat/Green Queen

    The US remains its biggest market by far and the drop-off in sales has been alarming in this quarter. In the retail channel, Beyond Meat’s year-over-year revenues slimmed by over 18% in Q3 2025, totalling just $28M, thanks to weakening demand and distribution.

    Things were even worse in the foodservice segment, where sales fell by 27% to just $10.5M, with the company citing a decrease in volumes due to low demand and the lapping of sales of its vegan chicken to a QSR customer in the year-ago period.

    Internationally, retail sales decreased by nearly 5% to reach $16M, thanks largely to reduced sales of its burger, dinner sausage and chicken products. In the foodservice channel outside the US, Beyond Meat’s revenues were up by 2% to 15M, with the company citing higher sales of its chicken products to a QSR customer, which were partially offset by reduced sales of the Beyond Burger to others.

    So far this year, Beyond Meat’s sales are down by 14% compared to the first nine months of 2024. And if its sales forecast for Q4 comes true, it’s set to record a 14.5-16% drop in full-year revenue for 2025.

    Beyond Meat CEO strikes optimistic tone about company’s future

    beyond meat stock
    Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown at the company’s IPO in May 2019 | Courtesy: Mark Lennihan/AP

    “As we approach the end of 2025, we’ve achieved three important building blocks for our broader transformation efforts,” said Beyond Meat co-founder and CEO Ethan Brown.

    “These are significantly reducing our overall leverage in connection with the previously announced exchange of substantially all of our 2027 convertible notes; meaningfully extending our debt maturity; and finally, adding substantial liquidity to our balance sheet.”

    He added that the company was taking “equally strong measures” to accelerate its path to sustainable operations, including pursuing further and sizeable cost reductions, gross margin expansion investments, and targeted strategic growth initiatives.

    “Though category headwinds and an accompanying softer top-line continue to weigh on and reverberate throughout our current performance, including our Q3 results, we are closing out the year with a much improved balance sheet, important transformation spadework underway, and genuine optimism and excitement regarding our future,” he said.

    The post Beyond Meat Cuts Yearly Forecast As Sales Continue to Fall in Q3 appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Op-Ed: After the Hype, Signs That Complementary Proteins Are Entering A New Phase

    aleph farms
    5 Mins Read

    Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of cultivated meat pioneer Aleph Farms, believes alternative proteins are bouncing back as business models mature and regulators take notice.

    For several years, complementary proteins have followed a familiar pattern described by the Gartner Hype Cycle, a framework that maps how emerging technologies rise through early excitement, fall into disillusionment, and eventually mature through practical progress.

    The sector’s early surge of enthusiasm was followed by a steep correction. Investment slowed, companies consolidated, and critics questioned whether the field could deliver on its promise. What is emerging now is a smaller, stronger cohort building on firmer ground.

    Recent developments suggest that complementary proteins, including plant-based, fermentation and other fungi-based, cultivated, and blended products, are beginning to climb what Gartner calls the slope of enlightenment.

    Pressure on the old system, momentum in the new

    lab grown beef
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    Outbreaks of animal disease, climate shocks, water scarcity, and geopolitical volatility are creating mounting pressure on conventional supply chains. Natural-resource scarcity and a shrinking national cattle herd (the US herd fell to 86.7 million head in 2025, the lowest since 1951) are steadily driving meat prices upward.

    These risks are opening space for alternative protein production systems and reinforcing the strategic imperative for diversification in global protein production.

    Public-sector support is expanding in key markets such as the UK, Switzerland, the UAE, Japan, and South Korea through government-backed strategies and innovation programs, to name a few.

    In the UAE, Abu Dhabi launched the AGWA agrifood cluster last year, with the goal of adding $24.5B to GDP and creating 60,000 jobs. Both South Korea and Japan have explicitly integrated alternative proteins into their national food security strategies, signalling growing alignment between innovation and policy.

    Consumers shifting behaviours as regulators catch up

    believer meats usda approval
    Believer Meats is the latest to receive US approval to sell cultivated meat | Courtesy: Believer Meats

    GLP-1 medications are accelerating a broader trend toward protein density, healthy indulgence and portion control. Market analyses show that menu items highlighting ‘protein’ or offering smaller portions resonate with both GLP-1 users and mainstream diners.

    Governments and regulators around the world are moving from theory into practice. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) have cleared five cultivated meat producers, including three within the past six months, which is a notable acceleration.

    Israel, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have also approved cultivated meat products for marketing, while South Korea inaugurated a regulation-free special zone for cultivated meat development in 2024.

    At the same time, regulators across the UK, the UAE, Switzerland, and Japan are finalising frameworks for novel proteins, paving the way for initial local market clearances.

    In parallel, international efforts to harmonise standards are accelerating, with regulatory agencies collaborating through working groups to develop shared definitions, labelling requirements, and safety protocols.

    As realism replaces hype, business models are maturing

    impossible heme patent
    Impossible Foods has teased a move into blended meat | Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The focus has shifted from branding and rapid scale to solving real unmet needs, whether at the protein supply or consumer level. Companies that once prioritised growth at any cost are now emphasising operational discipline, profitability, rigorous attention to food safety, and a sharper articulation of consumer value.

    The industry is moving toward clearer value propositions and more deliberate product segmentation. Instead of trying to replace all conventional meat, leading companies are identifying where they can create distinctive value and meet specific consumer needs.

    Blended products combining plant proteins and ingredients such as mushrooms are gaining traction by offering balance: the familiarity of traditional meat with the nutritional and environmental advantages of plants.

    Precision fermentation players are concentrating on high-end applications where functionality, flavour performance, and nutrition justify premium positioning. Some leading cultivated meat producers, including Aleph Farms, are focusing on healthy indulgence products crafted for today’s conscious consumer seeking taste, quality, and alignment with personal values

    The sector is entering a phase of greater realism. Market projections and timelines are being revised to reflect lessons learned across the alternative protein landscape.

    For plant-based products – whose inflated ambitions triggered the initial hype – early growth forecasts have been tempered as the category matures. The right products are now growing steadily in well-defined categories.

    Valuations across the alternative protein ecosystem have also undergone a necessary correction. Average pre-money valuations for Series B and later-stage alternative protein startups fell by 30-40% between 2021 and 2024, according to PitchBook data, as investors prioritised capital efficiency and clearer paths to profitability. 

    Early signs of a rebound, and the road ahead

    plant based meat funding
    Nxtfood raised Europe’s largest plant-based funding round since 2022 | Courtesy: Nxtfood

    As a result, and after two years of retrenchment, investment is flowing again to companies with proven technology and solid fundamentals. According to PitchBook, late-stage leaders in alternative proteins and novel ingredients are attracting larger checks as early-stage valuations remain under pressure.

    We’ve seen five complementary protein companies with strong growth prospects and value propositions raise significant funding in the last few months, from plant-based to fermentation and fungi-based innovations.

    We can prudently say that together, these trends suggest that the sector is regaining its footing and entering a more pragmatic phase of growth.

    Since late 2022, many voices in the field have viewed cellular agriculture and other complementary proteins as stalled in the trough of disillusionment, the low point that follows the initial hype.

    That perspective captured the mood of the moment. But the data emerging over the past year, and especially in recent months, across public support, regulatory progress, refinement of product strategies and business models, and consumer trends, suggest that the inflexion point may already be underway. The recent industry consolidation trend and investments rebound could indicate signs of maturation.

    The path from disillusionment to maturity will not be automatic. It will require discipline, focus, continued technical progress, thoughtful regulation, and new models of collaboration between the public and private sectors. But the foundations are stronger today than they were two years ago.

    The next phase of growth will be defined not by hype cycles but by prudent execution, relevance, and credibility. Companies delivering real value will ultimately carry the sector to the plateau of productivity, where complementary proteins become a lasting part of a secure and sustainable global food system.

    The post Op-Ed: After the Hype, Signs That Complementary Proteins Are Entering A New Phase appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Miyoko’s Creamery Founder Raises $100,000 to Buy Back Liquidated Vegan Cheese Company

    miyoko schinner
    6 Mins Read

    Miyoko Schinner has mobilised over $100,000 from crowd investors to help mount a winning bid for the vegan cheese firm she founded, Miyoko’s Creamery, though she calls it “highly unlikely”.

    Three years after being forced out of the company she created, plant-based cheese pioneer Miyoko Schinner has spent the last week working to buy it back.

    As reported by AgFunderNews, Miyoko’s Creamery entered the assignment for the benefit of creditors process last month. This allows financially distressed companies to sell their assets to third parties, serving as an alternative to formal bankruptcy.

    It opened up a bidding process for interested parties, and Schinner entered the fray to reinstate her ownership of the business she founded 11 years ago. To help her cause, she kickstarted a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe with Rick LeBeau, co-founder of vegan energy bar maker Rickaroons.

    In a sign of Schinner’s enduring popularity, the public came through. In around 48 hours, she raised more than $100,000 of her $140,000 goal from over 1,600 crowd investors.

    It has all the bones of a feel-good story: a female founder taking back the reins of a company she was forced out of after raising complaints about new male executives who “mansplained” the business to her and “openly denigrated women”.

    However, the effort may not be enough. “It is highly unlikely I will be the winning bidder, as the liquidator has a fiduciary responsibility to accept the highest bid. I don’t believe mine was. There simply wasn’t enough time,” Schinner said.

    Miyoko Schinner promises to ‘clean up’ product line

    rancho compasion
    Courtesy: Matt Lever/Miyoko’s Creamery

    Bidding to win back her company wasn’t part of Schinner’s plan this year. She had just released her seventh cookbook, and had been preparing to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of her animal sanctuary, Rancho Compasión, in Nicasio, California.

    But news about the company’s liquidation presented an opportunity she could not miss. “My hope is to make an impact not just for animals, but the food system – to take it back from the venture capitalists, private equity, and the multi-national corporations that are now running the food system and determining what we eat,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

    As part of her plans, she formed a group of people who would manufacture the products and run the company, including a co-packer and executives with more than 30 years of industry experience. Schinner promised a lean, grassroots-style approach if the bid was successful.

    “The idea is to form an organisation that is more lateral and collaborative than top-down,” she said. “In all transparency, we don’t have time to research and decide because all of this is coming together so quickly, but it could be a co-op, a federation, or other more lateral organisation that is more equitable.”

    Outlining her strategy for Miyoko’s Creamery, Schinner wanted to marry the brand’s mission with its products. “I would re-infuse the brand with the bold activism that made it famous and hope to inspire the world to make better food choices, not just for health but for the betterment of humanity and animals,” she stated.

    “In terms of product selection, I would try to clean up what’s out there right now, and add to the line by launching clean, nutrient-dense products, such as the cottage cheese that has been discussed, as well as some improved formulas for favourites such as the mozzarella. This will take time because getting product to shelf isn’t done overnight, but that is the direction we’d take.”

    Why Schinner exited Miyoko’s Creamery

    miyoko's creamery
    Courtesy: Miyoko’s Creamery

    But how did we get here? Miyoko’s Creamery’s products (which include cheeses and butters made from cashew or oat milk) are available in over 20,000 retail doors in the US. But in June 2022, when the company was worth $260M, Schinner was ousted from her role as CEO by the board.

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

    She claimed that recently hired male executives discriminated against women in the company, and that multiple HR complaints about the same are what led to her being forced out. She accused then-COO René Weber of having “openly denigrated women, their expertise and their contributions at Miyoko’s”.

    Schinner added that after raising an HR complaint about an operational consultant hired at an investor’s request, the company “swiftly retaliated against [Schinner] by demoting her and then terminating her”.

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

    The company hired former Coca-Cola and Beyond Meat executive Stuart Kronauger as its new CEO, whom Schinner later threw her weight behind. As part of her revitalisation plan, the company closed its Petaluma factory in Sonoma County, with 30-40 jobs being affected as it moved to a co-manufacturing setup.

    According to Bloomberg, the company was already aiming to raise funds and prepare for a potential sale in late 2023, after sales fell by 24% on the back of sustained deficits for years.

    Schinner doubtful of bid success, but ‘might start something new’

    miyoko's cheese
    Courtesy: Eva Kolenko

    Despite the outpouring of public support, Schinner’s effort to win back her namesake company may be unsuccessful.

    “48 hours wasn’t enough to solidify deals, figure out the structure of a new entity, and make sure that the funds would not be a simple spin on a roulette wheel,” she wrote in a social media post, adding that she would find out on Monday (November 10) if she had won, and begin refunding the donations if her bid wasn’t accepted.

    “Had the company approached me at the outset and offered to sell it back to me, this might have been a different story. Instead, I found out about the auction through word of mouth, through the public sphere. It was shock, and honestly, PTSD for me,” noted Schinner.

    “But at the same time, the last few days have been the most exhilarating experience as well, one that showed me how much love there is out there. It has encouraged me to become bolder in speaking my thoughts about food, the food system, animals, and what we as humans need to do to be truthful to ourselves and others.”

    In an interview with Green Queen last month, Schinner had said she did not miss running Miyoko’s Creamery. “My thinking about food systems has evolved much in the years since, and in many ways, I am grateful for this,” she said. “We have a big problem to tackle for the animals, humanity, and the planet, and I feel better situated now to do so than if I were running a company.”

    True to this, the entrepreneur told AgFunderNews she didn’t plan on being CEO or running operations if she won Miyoko’s Creamery back. But in her latest social media post, she reflected on her evolving views about how best to serve the food system.

    “And although I thought I wouldn’t consider it, I might yet start something anew – a different sort of food company. The kind I envision wouldn’t exist in the current consolidated food system, so I have to think deeply about how I can live my ethics within the one we currently have. Finding the right partners – to work with and to invest in me – is also key,” she said.

    “You can take the product out of the person, but you can’t take the person out of the product.”

    The post Miyoko’s Creamery Founder Raises $100,000 to Buy Back Liquidated Vegan Cheese Company appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Impossible Foods Offers Free Plant-Based Meat to SNAP Recipients Amid Uncertainty

    impossible foods snap
    4 Mins Read

    As the government shutdown leaves millions of Americans potentially hungry, Impossible Foods has kickstarted a relief programme for SNAP recipients and those facing food insecurity.

    Hunger has been front and centre of American media in recent weeks, starting from the Trump administration’s decision to end the annual food insecurity survey, to the ongoing government shutdown that has left low-income families on food stamps scrambling.

    Around 12% of the population, or 41.7 million Americans, rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a federal initiative that supplements the grocery budgets of food-insecure households to ensure they can afford nutritious food.

    The federal shutdown, the longest in US history, was cited by the Trump administration when it said it would not pay benefits at all for November. However, last week, judges ordered the government to use emergency funds to pay at least part of the benefits in two separate rulings.

    And on Thursday, a federal judge asked the administration to fully fund SNAP benefits for all recipients by the next day – though the Justice Department said it would appeal the ruling, continuing to delay aid and potentially deepen hunger across the nation.

    As food banks now face unprecedented demand, there are plenty of things people can do to provide relief, including hosting food drives, organising funds for neighbours in need, and donating food and money if they’re able.

    Many businesses are also taking charge, offering free meals and eliminating delivery charges to anyone who needs them. California-based Impossible Foods, known for its plant-based meat alternatives, is joining that list with a coupon relief programme and an initiative to mobilise donations.

    snap benefits
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    A coupon programme and partnership with an anti-hunger charity

    Impossible Foods’s nationwide initiative is geared towards Americans facing food insecurity, including those impacted by the uncertainty around SNAP benefits. It’s offering two coupons per household, each redeemable for a free product up to $10 in value at eligible grocery stores.

    The initiative began on November 5 and will run through November 30 (or until coupon supplies last). Eligible participants can submit a form on the company’s website, which is limited to one per household.

    People don’t need to provide government documentation or proof of SNAP enrollment, but they’re asked to confirm that they meet the eligibility requirements, that their household has been impacted by the pause in SNAP benefits, or that they’re otherwise experiencing food insecurity.

    In addition to the coupon programme, Impossible Foods has teamed up with anti-hunger charity Feed the Children to provide plant-based protein to 100,000 Americans affected by hunger.

    impossible sliders
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    “We’re continuing to work with our network of restaurants, grocery stores, and non-profit organisations to make additional food donations. We’re grateful to work with such amazing partners who are quick to mobilise in times of need,” Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness said in a blog post.

    “Food insecurity – and the stress and anxiety that come with it – is a burden that no one should have to live with, especially in 2025. This hits close to home for us at Impossible Foods,” he explained.

    “It’s a challenge bigger than one company, but as a business that exists to feed people, we recognise that we’re in a unique position to give back and play a small part in helping put nourishing food on the table.”

    ‘Food has the power to bring people together,’ says Impossible Foods CEO

    SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program, has been credited by researchers as being “successful in reducing food insecurity”. And with hunger sharply increasing after years of gradual decline – thanks to inflation and the end of pandemic aid initiatives – food stamps are becoming more significant than ever.

    Food banks have continued to witness more visits nationwide, with reports suggesting that this is the case even as immigrants are staying away out of concerns that their information could be shared or the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may detain them.

    The Republican government’s controversial budget bill, passed in July, had already cut SNAP funding by around 20%, totalling $187B through to 2034, the largest reductions in the programme’s history. This is estimated to affect four million Americans (or over 10% of those enrolled in the initiative), who will lose some or all of the aid.

    gfi state of the industry
    Courtesy: GFI

    It comes as climate change pushes grocery prices to unprecedented highs, with some commodities – like beef and eggs – recording never-before-seen prices. As plant-based proteins go, beef alternatives were closest to their conventional counterparts on the price front last year, so there’s an opportunity for vegan producers to fill this gap.

    “Everyone deserves access to delicious and nutritious food, plain and simple,” said McGuinness. “We know this isn’t a perfect solution – it’s about doing what we can, where we can, to help people access the kind of food they deserve. If we can help relieve any amount of pressure during an already high-stress time for so many families, that’s reason enough to act.”

    He added: “Food has the power to bring people together. We hope we can provide some comfort during these challenging times.”

    The post Impossible Foods Offers Free Plant-Based Meat to SNAP Recipients Amid Uncertainty appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.