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Category: Alt Protein

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Nicki Minaj’s Nails, Vegan Condoms & Animal-Free Yoghurt

    nicki minaj nails
    6 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a new vegan nail brand by Nicki Minaj, cocoa-free easter eggs, and next-gen plant-based fur.

    New products and launches

    Rapper Nicki Minaj has launched a luxurious vegan press-on nail brand, Pink Friday Nails, which can be customised for shapes and lengths. The products retail between $19.99 and $24.99, and are available both in the US and internationally through the e-commerce site.

    Courtesy: Bored Cow | Composite by Green Queen

    US animal-free dairy brand Bored Cow has rolled out a line of drinkable yoghurts made from Perfect Day’s precision-fermented whey protein. Coming in vanilla, passionfruit-mango and strawberry flavours, these will be on shelves in New York City this month, priced at $2.99 to $3.99 per 7oz bottle.

    Also in the US, cream cheese giant Franklin Foods’ vegan SimplyV range has entered retail stores in original, strawberry, and onion and chive flavours, starting with independent grocers nationwide.

    After announcing the deal during its Q4 earnings call, Oatly has partnered with fitness company Barry’s, whose Fuel Bars will carry the oat milk maker’s Unsweetened Oatmilk across the US until April 22.

    Fellow Swedish plant-based milk maker Sproud is sponsoring the Latte Art Live competition at this year’s London Coffee Festival (April 11-14), where baristas will pour latte art with its barista pea milk.

    Baby oat milk, anyone? New Zealand nutrition brand Haven has unveiled what it claims is the world’s first oat milk for toddlers. Comprising the same amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals as its other A2 cow and goat milk protein formulations, the product will roll out in Australia this month, and in the US in Q3 2024.

    Meanwhile, discount retailer Aldi has introduced its own-label My Vay brand of plant-based dairy products to the Netherlands, unveiling them during the country’s Week Without Meat and Dairy (March 4-10).

    In Finland, vegan dairy brand Ilo has rolled out high-protein versions of its cashew pudding in chocolate-caramel and vanilla flavours, with each 200g boasting nearly 20g of protein.

    Following the launch of its vegan Snickers- and Milky Way-inspired chocolate bars in January, Harken Sweets has rolled out a high-fibre, better-for-you oat milk chocolate with salted pretzels, called The Crunchy One. It’s available on its e-commerce sites and retailers including ShopRite and Fairway, with a “significant national retailer launch” slated for Q2 2024.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Foreverland

    Speaking of chocolate, Italian cocoa-free chocolate brand Foreverland has launched its carob-based Freecao Easter Eggs in hazelnut and pistachio flavours, alongside a collaboration with local startup Nebra Skay Studios on a 3D-printed, low-waste pouch called Beggs. Get it?

    Eleven Madison Park‘s Daniel Humm is reuniting with his former chef de cuisine James Kent with a one-night-only vegan menu at the latter’s Michelin-starred Crown Shy eatery in New York City on March 25.

    The UK, meanwhile, just witnessed the opening of its first vegan theatre on an organic farm near Canterbury. Only plant-based food will be available at the 300-capacity Garlinge Theatre, where firs productions will start next month.

    German urban farming startup Tupu has partnered with the Rewe Group, which will stock its mushrooms across several retail stores in Berlin.

    Belgian biomimetic vegan collagen maker VeCollal has entered the functional snacking sector with a white-label, high-protein bar for the beauty and active nutrition markets, made in partnership with Dutch health startup CollaVegan and German manufacturer Alphacaps.

    French materials startup Ecopel has launched a 100% plant-based, chemical-free fur called Flur, which uses natural dyes and is being positioned as an evolution out of the traditional faux fur category.

    And in India, pharmaceutical giant Mankind has introduced a vegan and cruelty-free condom range as part of its new Manforce Epic brand

    Finance and company updates

    In Germany, conventional and plant-based meat manufacturer Rügenwalder Mühle has inked a sponsorship deal with the Hamburg SV, following its partnership with another Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund, in January.

    Barcelona-based food tech startup Poisedona has secured over €1M in pre-seed funding led by Faber, which will help advance the development of its protein ingredients made from algal sidestreams and invasive seaweeds.

    California’s Tierra Biosciences, which develops AI-led cell-free technology for high-throughput custom protein synthesis, has raised $11.4M in a Series A round.

    3d printed seafood
    Courtesy: Steakholder Foods

    Israeli 3D-printed meat producer Steakholder Foods has received a payment of $220,000 from the Singapore-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD), the first phase of a maximum $1M SIIRD grant.

    In New Zealand, Andfoods – a spinout from Massey University and the Riddet Institute – has raised $2.7M in a seed financing round to accelerate R&D and market launch plans for its fermentation-derived dairy alternatives made from legume seeds.

    Andfoods will also be part of Future Food Aotearoa‘s delegation at the Future Food-Tech Conference in San Francisco this week (March 21-22), alongside fellow New Zealand companies Daisy Lab, Opo Bio, NewFish, Mirüku and Ārepa.

    In some sad news, popular San Francisco vegan eatery Baia will be closing its doors on March 30, but the company hasn’t yet provided an explanation why.

    Danone says that last year, it discontinued the Silk Nextmilk and So Delicious Wondermilk lines it introduced in North America in 2021, although the products have been spotted in stores this year.

    silk next milk
    Courtesy: Danone

    Meanwhile, Belgian brand Nomet, which makes seaweed-based croquettes, has brought in An-Sofie Geerardyn as a co-founder.

    Policy, manufacturing and awards

    The students’ council at Newcastle University has voted to move towards 100% plant-based catering, starting with at least half of all food at ticketed events being vegan. It’s part of the Plant-Based Universities campaign, which has seen 10 other institutes make similar moves.

    The governments of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have announced the Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative, a €9M funding scheme to support bioeconomy innovation and solutions in the agriculture and marine sectors.

    At the Green Horizons Summit 2024, government body Innovation Agency Lithuania signed an MoU with trade association Cellular Agriculture Europe to support the Baltic country’s efforts to build a “robust complementary protein ecosystem”.

    Scientists at California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a way to genetically modify koji mould to produce compounds that recreate the taste and texture of meat.

    mycelium meat
    Courtesy: Prime Roots

    Speaking of which, Prime Roots, which makes charcuterie and deli meats from koji, has won a National Restaurant Association FABI Favorite Award for its Prime Roots + Fabrique Delices Black Truffle and Harvest Apple Koji-Pates, as well as a second recognition for its Koji-Foie Gras.

    Finally, Crafty Counter’s WunderEggs range of plant-based eggs has won the first prize at the 2024 Albertsons Companies Innovation Launchpad competition, beating out 59 other companies and receiving a $163,000 cheque in the process.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Nicki Minaj’s Nails, Vegan Condoms & Animal-Free Yoghurt appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • India Working on Regulatory Framework for Cultivated Meat & Seafood: Report

    cultivated meat india
    6 Mins Read

    India is joining the ranks of other southeast Asian companies to establish a regulatory framework for cultivated meat and seafood companies, who can then file a dossier to receive approval from its food safety authority to sell their products.

    First it was Japan. Then South Korea. Now, India has joined the bandwagon.

    Policy support for alternative proteins in Asia has been accelerating of late, with new regulatory frameworks soon to launch or already in place in Japan and South Korea this year itself, respectively, and India now exploring its own path for companies to earn regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat.

    Indian newspaper The Economic Times has reported that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is formulating regulations for cultivated meat, just as a government agency works with a local startup to produce cultivated seafood products.

    “We are working on drafting regulations for cultured meat products,” a senior FSSAI official confirmed to the publication, adding that the scientific panel of the regulatory committee is evaluating regulations from other countries that have approved cultivated meat.

    “Establishing regulations that are rooted in rigorous scientific inquiry and a comprehensive understanding of the technology as well as the choice it seeks to provide to the Indian consumers would be essential to ensure a clear regulatory framework for safe consumption of smart proteins,” Astha Gaur, regulatory policy specialist at alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) India, told Green Queen.

    “Technological developments are happening in the sector that are simultaneously revolutionising the ingredients and technology that go into the cultivation of meat from animal cells. Moreover, products that come to market in the near future might not rely on one individual technology,” she added.

    “The FSSAI’s guidance on hybrid products and other future innovations in smart proteins, such as low-cost serum-free media, etc. would be critical to determining the scalability and price parity of the category in India. Developing a regulatory framework that adapts to scientific advancements and is not rigid but accommodates the innovations in this sector would be essential to India setting an example for a dynamic and effective regulatory framework on cultivated meat.”

    A more dynamic regulatory framework needed

    fssai cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Langan/Canva

    So far, only three countries have approved the sale of cultivated meat: Singapore, the US and Israel. Australia and New Zealand’s joint regulatory body is being tipped as the next, with Vow Foods’ application currently in advanced stages. Last month, South Korea announced its regulatory framework to invite companies to file dossiers for approval. And next month, Japan will rejig its framework, which will mean companies will liaise with two agencies on regulatory conversations, but prime minister Fumio Kishida will be the the ultimate authority on these matters.

    In India, the FSSAI currently classes cultivated meat as a ‘non-specified food or ingredient’ or ‘novel food’ – much like the EU’s regulations – as there is no history of consumption of these proteins in the country. It means that companies need approval from the food safety regulator to manufacture, produce, import or sell cultivated meat products.

    Despite having a major vegetarian population, India is the world’s largest producer of buffalo meat, ranks second on the production list for goat meat, and is the third-largest seafood consumer. But while the cultivated meat sector is still in its infancy in the country, a number of startups are working to advance the development of these proteins, covering cell lines (Neat Meatt, Klevermeat, Clear Meat), media formulations (Clear Meat), and scaffolds (MyoWorks).

    Chandana Tekkatte, science and technology specialist at GFI India, told Green Queen earlier this year that the country’s nascent cultivated meat and seafood industry will benefit from its thriving pharmaceutical sector (tipped to reach $150B next year). “This sector has a proven track record in affordable, high-quality manufacturing, and cultivated meat companies have the opportunity to tap into its vast infrastructure and resources,” she explained.

    The FSSAI had previously formed a Working Group on Cultured Meat with regulatory and scientific experts to study the possible regulatory pathways for cultivated meat in India, but Tekkatte stated that the framework “needs to be made more dynamic and evolve in tandem with innovations”.

    “Early engagement with cultivated meat companies intending to apply for pre-market approvals under the Non-Specified Foods Regulations during the development process would enable the regulatory body to have oversight of the development process, leading to effective, timely guidance to the companies to ensure regulatory compliance and appropriate data submission to reduce approval timelines,” she said.

    Cultivated meat and seafood’s potential in India

    cultivated fish india
    Courtesy: vm2002/Canva

    As those startups continue to chip away at market entry hurdles, there have been strong signs of government support as well as potential consumer acceptance for cultivated meat in India.

    Within India’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the Science and Engineering Research Board has included cultivated meat research under its Competitive Research Grant Programmes, while the Department of Biotechnology has granted funds to Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology and the National Research Centre on Meat for cultivated meat research projects.

    And in January, it was announced that the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) signed an MoU with Neat Meatt to develop cultivated seafood, focusing on high-value species popular among India’s coastal belts, such as kingfish, pomfret and seer fish. The project will combine CMFRI’s capabilities into early cell line development – equipped with a cell culture laboratory – and Neat Meatt’s expertise in optimising cell growth media, developing scaffolds or micro-carriers for cell attachment, and scaling up production through bioreactors.

    “This public-private partnership marks a crucial step in bridging the gap between India and other nations like Singapore, Israel, and the USA, who are already advancing cultured seafood research,” said CMFRI director A Gopalakrishnan. “This collaboration leverages CMFRI’s marine research expertise with Neat Meatt’s technological know-how in this field, paving the way for a sustainable and secure future for seafood production in India.”

    Contextualising the partnership, Tekkatte said: “There is a growing recognition that by enabling more large-scale international scientific and industrial collaborations (leveraging our decades-old bioeconomy expertise), India could become a production powerhouse in the emerging cultivated meat industry and pave the way for other emerging economies.”

    In 2019, a three-country study revealed that 56% of Indians are “very or extremely likely” to buy cultivated meat regularly. “Consumer education and perceptions will play an important role in advertising, marketing, and sale of cultivated meat,” she said. Additionally, research conducted by GFI India and Deloitte in 2022 found that by the end of the decade, the country’s cultivated meat industry could have economic benefits worth between ₹1,233 crore ($150M) to ₹3,909 crore ($473M). Meanwhile, the sector could create between 15,590 to 49,420 jobs by 2030 too. But this will depend on production scaling up and costs coming down.

    Formulating regulations for smart protein based on reliable scientific research is pivotal for their effective integration into the market. The dynamic attributes of these proteins require a comprehensive understanding that would best be achieved through rigorous scientific inquiry. Currently, the understanding is that cultivated meat will be regulated under the Approval of Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients Regulations (NSF Regulations) by the FSSAI, however, there is no specific definition of cultivated meat or guidance provided under the regulations.  

    “The significance of channelling resources into the cultivated meat industry is particularly relevant in India, with our unique vulnerability to climate change and public health crises. With this massive decrease in land use, additional opportunities arise for the diversification of crops towards direct food consumption,” said Tekkatte. “As we funnel more investment towards R&D and infrastructure, there’s no doubt that the cultivated meat sector can grow exponentially in India and help cater to the increasing protein needs of the global population.”

    The post India Working on Regulatory Framework for Cultivated Meat & Seafood: Report appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Why Won’t the FAO Talk About Meat? It’s What Climate Experts are Asking the UN Body

    fao meat
    9 Mins Read

    At COP28, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) produced its much-awaited roadmap to cut emissions from the food system in line with the 1.5°C goal – but it didn’t address reducing meat and dairy consumption as a solution. Now, academics and experts are asking why.

    What will it take for the FAO to talk about the impact of meat? That’s the question on the minds of eight experts who have published a comment in the Nature Food journal, criticising the UN body’s failure to include the reduction of meat and dairy and dismissing alternative proteins in the food systems roadmap it presented at the climate summit in Dubai late last year.

    The FAO had outlined 120 actions to meet 20 key targets, with measures including cutting methane emissions from livestock by 25% and halving food waste by 2030. While the report acknowledged that we “absolutely must” change diets to reduce emissions, it suggested that plant-based foods can’t be an adequate source of certain nutrients. It actually promoted the increase of aquaculture by 75%, and said meat production needs to be increased in lower-income countries to address health challenges.

    Before the conference, there was talk that the roadmap would ask rich nations to eat less meat. But ultimately, the report did not call on higher-income countries – which already consume way more meat than recommended – to cut their meat intake. In response, a group of organisations including ProVeg International, Mercy for Animals, Friends of the Earth, Changing Markets Foundation, as well as Green Queen, highlighted the gaps in a joint letter.

    “The roadmap falls short of highlighting the specific benefits of transitioning towards more healthy, plant-based diets, especially in regions with excessive consumption of animal-based foods,” said Stephanie Maw, policy manager at ProVeg.

    “I call this approach guillotine syndrome. There might be a slight improvement in efficiency, but it’s still decapitation,” climate journalist George Monbiot wrote in his Guardian column. “Following the report it published this week, I feel I can state with confidence that the FAO is a major cog in the meat misinformation machine.”

    Now, four months on, academics from the Stockholm Environment Institute, Pratt Institute and New York University in the US, the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Utrecht University in the Netherlands, and the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Brazil have questioned the FAO’s disregard for alternative proteins and ignorance of meat and dairy consumption in its climate messaging.

    Meat and dairy reduction among the most ‘obvious’ climate solutions

    fao meat consumption
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    “The FAO roadmap neglects one of the most obvious and urgent interventions to reduce emissions from the food system: shifting away from the production and consumption of animal-sourced foods,” writes the letter. Estimates suggest that animal agriculture accounts for about 11-19.6% of all greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a point of contention, and one that the FAO has been under heavy fire for after it emerged that it has historically watered down the impact of livestock farming in its emissions reporting due to pressure from lobby groups.

    While the food system is responsible for over a third of all emissions – the FAO’s latest figures put this at about 40% – meat alone is responsible for 60% of this share, which is twice as high as the emissions of plant-based foods. “The roadmap does not offer measures or milestones for lowering production and consumption of animal-sourced foods, which could yield meaningful emission reductions, particularly in regions where the consumption of such foods is currently high,” the authors write.

    They point to research revealing that a shift to plant-based diets that reduce animal consumption can substantially help us meet our climate goals. The roadmap calls for a 1.7% annual growth in the total factor productivity of livestock by 2050, but recent analysis has shown that even ambitious technological improvements to farmed animal management won’t be enough to meet methane reduction targets.

    Plus, eating and producing fewer animal-sourced foods can free up land for reforestation and carbon capture and storage. “If freed-up land from a protein transition was used for reforestation, it could remove carbon while generating wider environmental benefits, such as reduced pollution and additional land for biodiversity preservation and restoration,” the experts state, adding that using this land for carbon capture can help avoid “agricultural expansion into natural areas as well as food competition, while removing even more carbon than reforestation in many locations”.

    The roadmap suggests that the GHG footprint of aquatic food systems is low, despite the emissions of farmed shrimp being higher than the same amount of chicken. “Any expansion in the sector must be approached with nuance, differentiating between sustainable approaches and approaches that may need curtailing to meet climate goals,” note the authors.

    “By failing to recognize the need to reduce the production and consumption of animal-sourced foods, the FAO misses a central element of a climate-friendly food system,” said lead author Cleo Verkuijl, who is a researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute. “It’s like publishing a 1.5°C roadmap for the energy sector that ignores the need to scale back fossil fuels.”

    Concerns about the One Health approach

    fao roadmap
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    The experts also criticised the FAO’s failure to acknowledge the One Health approach – which combines human, animal and environmental health – despite the FAO supporting its implementation alongside bodies like the World Health Organization, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

    “Notably, some of the roadmap’s proposed interventions, such as transitioning from beef to chicken and intensifying animal agriculture, could maintain or even substantially increase risks of anti-microbial resistance and/or zoonotic disease,” the comment notes. “This is because farmed land animals are fed high levels of antibiotics, can harbour and transmit potentially highly pathogenic viruses, are bred and kept in large populations, and are kept in close proximity to humans: some of these risk factors are likely more pronounced for conventional poultry farming than cattle farming. Additionally, keeping farmed animals in close quarters can contribute to infectious disease emergence.”

    Research has shown that around 94% of all animals on the planet live on factory farms, with at least 100 billion animals killed each year for meat and other animal-derived products for humans. In the US alone, nearly all chickens, turkeys and pigs are kept in concentrated animal feeding operations, as are 70% of cows.

    “One Health also includes animal welfare as an important component,” the authors say. “Intensifying animal farming, as recommended in the report, can potentially lead to overcrowding and restrict natural behaviour, which could harm animal welfare. Furthermore, substituting beef with chicken and expanding aquaculture is expected to increase the number of terrestrial and aquatic animals in intensive farming.”

    While the roadmap does recognise these risks and emphasises that productivity should be boosted while avoiding “adverse consequences… stemming from the concentrated housing of animals coupled with excessive antibiotic use”, but this may prove challenging and present trade-offs. “The FAO fails to present any methods or concrete data behind their claim that incremental tweaks in farmed animal management alone can meet our climate goals,” said co-author Matthew Hayek.

    “Shifting to more plant-based foods, including alternative proteins, is a promising solution to help reduce the risks of zoonotic disease emergence and antimicrobial resistance associated with conventional animal-sourced food,” the commentary suggests.

    Experts ask the FAO to embrace alternative proteins

    planted steak
    Courtesy: Planted

    That last bit is a key focus for the authors. Estimates suggest that vegan diets can cut emissions, water pollution and land use by 75%, and that replacing half the amount of meat and dairy with plant-based alternatives can halt deforestation, improve food security and double overall climate benefits.

    The academics mention the EAT-Lancet Commission’s planetary health diet recommendations, which suggest a 50% cut in meat consumption globally, and a higher intake of legumes, nuts and whole grains in countries across all income scales. “These under-consumed plant-based foods are associated with improved food security and nutritional outcomes and have far lower GHG emissions per unit kilogram, calorie and protein than meat,” they note.

    But Verkuijl said it’s “really surprising” that the FAO roadmap “completely dismisses” alternative proteins like plant-based meats, which it says “have nutritional deficiencies” without any supporting evidence. The authors suggest that the next instalments of the organisation’s plan should incorporate the EAT-Lancet Commision’s recommendations or outline the changes needed globally for healthier, low-emission diets “to explore the nuance of these shifts at a regional and country level”.

    The commentary also notes the impact of a shift to plant-based eating on the 1.5°C gal. “Across all GHGs, global adoption of a healthy plant-rich diet could reduce emissions enough to bring global average temperatures down by between 0.19°C and 0.36°C cumulatively through to 2100.”

    This is why it’s imperative the FAO acknowledge the importance of alternative proteins for a planet-friendly future. Its colleagues at the UNEP have already done so, producing a landmark report during COP28 that endorsed these novel foods’ potential to reduce emissions, land degradation, water and soil pollution biodiversity loss, and zoonotic disease and anti-microbial resistance risks, in direct comparison to animal-derived foods.

    And just last week, a survey of over 200 climate scientists and food experts found that a majority think livestock emissions must peak by next year, and be halved by 2030 to align with our climate goals, and to do that, countries of all income levels need to eat more plant-based foods, which were outlined as a ‘best available food’ for better health and climate outcome.

    The FAO hits back at criticism

    us meat consumption
    Courtesy: Ivan Radic/CC

    The authors call for the next instalments of the FAO roadmap to be more transparent and vetted by environmental and health experts, which would allow for its recommendations to be assessed against scientific research that has proven reducing meat consumption in rich countries is beneficial for human and planetary health. They note that achieving a climate-friendly food system will require an “unprecedented amount of ambition involving the scaling down of emissions-intensive activities and increased investment in more sustainable approaches”.

    “This includes a deep exploration of the opportunities to decrease both the production and consumption of animal-sourced foods. This can include the investigation of solutions like alternative proteins, or scaling up behavioural interventions that improve the accessibility and desirability of culturally appropriate, plant-rich diets. These approaches could offer meaningful emission reductions while presenting other co-benefits, analogous to renewable energy investments in the energy sector,” the comment suggests.

    The FAO, for its part, has hit back at the scrutiny, alleging that the authors didn’t make “a proper assessment of the report and its ideas”. David Laborde, director of the FAO’s agrifood economics and policy division, told the Guardian: “We stress the importance of dietary shifts from the first pages of the report, underscoring how this issue is often overlooked.” However, while dietary change is mentioned eight times in the 50-page summary report, reducing meat or dairy consumption is not addressed.

    “The changes in diets should not be oversimplified but based on science and evidence. Importantly, meat is only one of the elements in the evolution of diets and limiting discussions to the meat issue is not helpful,” Laborde said. He explained that a methodology, authors’ list and the term ‘One Health’ were all mentioned in the full report, which is not available online. He also suggested that the report didn’t dismiss alternative proteins: “We just firmly believe that betting on one miracle solution to solve the problem is not realistic.”

    But Hayek summed the issue up. “With all that food systems are trying to accomplish in the next couple of decades, there are a lot of needles that need to be threaded: increasing food provision while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing health and nutrition while decreasing disease risks, foodborne illnesses and pandemics,” he told the Guardian.

    “Across the board, [cutting animal product consumption] widens the eye of those needles. To disregard that major opportunity for multiple co-benefits across climate, food security and health is just bewildering, and their reasons for omitting that are opaque.”

    The FAO has a long history of downplaying the effects of animal agriculture. But due to its impact, the world is burning, the demand for food is growing, and humans are dying – how long can the food organisation of the United Nations ignore it?

    The post Why Won’t the FAO Talk About Meat? It’s What Climate Experts are Asking the UN Body appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Melt&Marble Scales Up Production of Precision-Fermented Fats with New HQ, Eyes US Launch for 2025

    plant based meat fat
    5 Mins Read

    Swedish food tech startup Melt&Marble has moved into new headquarters and scaled up production of its precision-fermented fat, which can be used in alternative meat and dairy applications. The company is aiming for a 2025 launch in the US.

    Melt&Marble, which makes yeast-derived fats from precision fermentation, has scaled up its production to a cubic-metre bioreactor scale, as it eyes a market launch in the US next year.

    To support its scale-up efforts further, the Swedish startup has expanded into a new headquarters facility in Gothenburg, which boasts state-of-the-art molecular biology and microbiology labs, pilot-scale bioreactors, and a test kitchen to explore food applications for its fat.

    With the latest scaling achievement, it can produce a few kgs of product per batch, but the company plans to increase its bioreactor capacity to tens of cubic metres in the coming months, which would yield hundreds of kgs in each run. Melt&Marble has inked a partnership with a European production partner to reach commercial scale, which will eventually enable it to manufacture tens of tonnes of product per batch.

    “We are excited about the achievements to date,” says co-founder and CEO Anastasia Krivoruchko. “In the last months, we constantly improved key performance indicators related to rate, titre and yield, successfully achieving metrics relevant for commercial-scale and demonstrating the scalability of our process.”

    How Melt&Marble ferments yeast to make fats for alt-protein

    melt and marble
    Courtesy: Melt&Marble

    Founded in 2016, Melt&Marble has raised €5.75M in total funding so far. The company’s first product, MeatyMarble, is similar to beef and pork fats in terms of composition and properties, and has been designed to replace plant-based fats like coconut oil in meat alternatives to enhance their flavour profile and sustainability credentials, explains Krivoruchko.

    “It is currently very difficult to source fats in a sustainable way as most plant-based sources are grown in tropical regions, where they’re often associated with massive deforestation and loss of biodiversity, while animal-based fats are associated with factory farming and the massive sustainability challenges of that industry,” she says. “At the same time, the demand for fats is increasing, so new production technologies are desperately needed. Precision fermentation provides a method of sourcing many types of fats in a way that is deforestation free, sustainable, and localised.”

    To produce the yeast-derived fat, the company employs precision fermentation processes through its tech platform, which can engineer the fat metabolism of yeasts to get them to produce any fats desired. “We do this by tweaking the fat synthesis pathways of these yeasts to produce specific types of fatty acids and assemble these fatty acids into fat structures in specific ways inside the yeast,” says Krivruchko. “With this technology, we can create yeasts that produce fats similar to meat fats, dairy fats, cocoa butter, palm oil, or completely new fats with new properties.”

    The yeast is grown in a bioreactor with sugars and minerals over a few days, which is then harvested to extract the fat. “Right now, we’re using sugars that can be derived from various sources depending on where we set up commercial production (like corn, sugarcane, sugar beet, etc.),” she says. “We’re also experimenting with some circular feedstocks (e.g. side/waste streams from different industries).”

    As for the yeast species, she reveals it is one that’s already commonly used in the food industry and recognised as an ingredient safe for human consumption. “Once we create a production yeast strain with desired properties (such as desired fat composition and performance parameters), we can use this strain over and over again to produce the fat,” she notes. “The same type of process can be used with different yeast strains (producing different fats) and over different scales and geographies.”

    Price parity crucial as Melt&Marble tests fat with partners

    vegan marbled steak
    Courtesy: Melt&Marble

    For meat alternatives, texture is crucial – in the US, this is the element of vegan food that consumers dislike the most, while in the UK, 51% of people call taste/texture the biggest factor for eating fewer plant-based meat products. Even globally, texture is as important as their conventional counterparts for 75% of consumers, but only about 60% are actually satisfied with the former.

    “Palatability remains a challenge in the animal-free food space and our fats are an extremely effective way to address that by replicating the taste experience consumers crave,” says Melt&Marble chief business officer Thomas Cresswell. And when it comes to using precision-fermented ingredients in vegan meat analogues, there is already precedent for success here. Californian producer Impossible Foods, which claims it is the fastest-growing plant-based meat brand in the US, employs precision fermentation to produce its heme ingredient, which gives its burgers the ‘bleeding’ effect.

    “We see a great deal of interest from industry players in our technology both in Europe and in the US, because it allows us to tune the composition and properties of our fats and create animal-free ingredients that are both delicious and sustainable,” says Cresswell.

    But apart from just meat analogues, Melt&Marble is also testing its fat in alt-dairy and personal care applications with different partners to gain a “more granular understanding” of the most suitable formualtions and applications for its products. “Once these tests are complete, we expect some of them to be converted to offtake agreements,” reveals Krivoruchko.

    “Within the alternative protein sectors, precision fermented fats provide opportunities to mimic the functionalities of animal fats without using animals, and impart better sensory properties to these products,” she says. “Achieving taste parity with conventional products like meat and dairy will be key to expanding the market for animal-free alternatives and making our food system more sustainable overall.”

    Krivoruchko adds that initially, its fat will be “a bit more expensive to produce” than typical plant-based fats. “However, in the long term, and as we achieve economics of scale, it will be possible to achieve price parity even with commodity plant-based fats.” She explains that despite its yeast strain already being used in food applications in the US and the EU, Melt&Marble requires regulatory approval as it has modified its host organism’s metabolism to produce specific fats, and because it’s a novel way of producing fats.

    The company is now in the process of assembling a regulatory dossier for the US, and expects to be market-ready by early 2025. Europe, however, will take a little longer “due to a more complex regulatory process”. Krivoruchko also confirms that the company is currently fundraising. “The capital would be used for further scale-up, further improving unit economics, and preparation for market launch,” she says.

    Melt&Marble is among a host of startups innovating with fats for better alternative proteins. Australia’s Nourish Ingredients and California’s Yali Bio both use precision fermentation to produce fats and lipids. Others innovations in this space include San Francisco-based Lypid‘s PhytoFat for plant-based meat, (which is the star of its new meatballs), Swedish startup Mycorena‘s fermented fungi-based fat, Barcelona-based Cubiq Foods‘s omega-3, Hong Kong-headquartered OmniFoods‘ vegan OmniNano fat (which mimics the juiciness of conventional meat), and Californian AI-led startup Shiru‘s OleoPro plant fat for alt-protein applications.

    The post Melt&Marble Scales Up Production of Precision-Fermented Fats with New HQ, Eyes US Launch for 2025 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Germans & Austrians Believe Meat Consumption is Too High, But Less Than Half Think It’s Bad for the Climate

    bluu seafood
    6 Mins Read

    Nearly six in 10 consumers in Germany and Austria believe meat consumption is too high, but less than half think these foods are bad for the climate and plan to reduce their intake of animal products, according to new surveys. Even fewer want to eat more plant-based alternatives in the next two years, but there are indications of support for cultivated meat.

    Despite being Europe’s largest plant-based market, only 30% of Germans want to up their intake of vegan meat analogues, and just 46% want to eat fewer animal products over the next two years. This is ditto for neighbouring Austria too, despite 59% of consumers (and 58% in Germany) thinking meat consumption is too high.

    This is according to two surveys by YouGov on behalf of the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, which covered over 1,000 Austrian and more than 2,000 German consumers. Ivo Rzegotta, senior public affairs manager for Germany at GFI Europe, argues that the results are still positive. “Overall, the market for plant-based foods in Germany has expanded by 42% since 2020, solidifying the country’s position as a leader in embracing plant-based foods in Europe,” he told Green Queen.

    “The fact that 30% of respondents are keen to further increase their consumption of plant-based meat and dairy products is a promising indicator, especially considering the already significant portion of the population favouring plant-based options.”

    The polls revealed that 57% of the former and 51% of the latter don’t think meat and animal products are a major problem for the climate – animal agriculture emits twice as many emissions as plant-based foods, with meat accounting for 60% of the entire food system’s carbon footprint.

    “People choose alternative proteins for various reasons, including concerns about climate change. However, health and animal welfare are often cited as primary motivations for reducing meat consumption, in line with existing consumer research,” said Rzegotta. “The science is clear on the role of industrial farming in driving climate change and it’s up to policymakers to facilitate the transition to more sustainable food production.”

    There is some optimism around cultivated meat too, with 42% of Austrians and 47% of Germans willing to try these novel proteins at least once – a separate in-market survey published last week showed that eating cultivated meat significantly boosts people’s acceptance of it, with a majority indicating they’d buy it again.

    Germans and Austrians split on plant-based foods

    germany plant based
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    In both countries, the interest in upping plant-based meat consumption was slightly higher in men than women, and reduced proportionally with age, with 41% of Austrians and 38% of Germans aged 35 or under planning on eating more meat alternatives, versus 24% for over-55s.

    The results are similar for plant-based dairy consumption too, with 28% of Austrians and 27% of Germans wanting to consume more of these foods in the next two years, and the same trend in age demographics. However, men are more interested in doing so in Austria, while the opposite is true in Germany. Overall, just under half of respondents in Austria (47%) and Germany (49%) believe that alternatives to animal products are needed.

    That said, there is stronger support for policies to cut the VAT on plant-based milk, with 60% of Austrian consumers agreeing it should come down from 20% to the standard 10% applied to cow’s milk, and 62% of Germans thinking policymakers should reduce the levy from 19% to 7%.

    “Germany and Austria stand out in Europe for imposing a higher tax rate on plant-based dairy compared to animal-based dairy, which undoubtedly impacts consumption patterns,” explained Rzegotta. “Establishing a level playing field in terms of taxation is crucial to facilitate consumer choice in favour of plant-based options. By addressing disparities in pricing, policymakers can encourage broader adoption of plant-based dairy products, aligning with consumer preferences and advancing sustainability goals.”

    Both countries also have 53% of consumers expressing support for policies that would allow farmers to produce more plant-based foods, which is something the German government is already doing. But Austrians are evenly split on whether lawmakers should increase the range of vegan food in public canteens, while 44% believe governments should support research into foods that can replace animal-derived foods. In Germany, support for both these policy moves lies at 47%.

    If deemed to be safe, cultivated meat should be a consumer choice

    lab grown meat germany
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    Acceptance for cultivated meat is slightly more encouraging in both Austria and Germany, where 59% and 53% of consumers are familiar with these foods, respectively. In fact, 47% of Germans said they’re willing to try cultivated meat once, as did 42% of Austrians. Here, too, men expressed a greater interest in both countries, and for flexitarians, this number rose to 58% in Germany and 58% in Austria.

    Interestingly, though, only about a third of consumers in the two nations said cultivated meat appealed more to them than plant-based options. “There will always be a share of consumers who don’t find plant-based meat appealing for a number of reasons. If 34% of respondents say that cultivated meat is more appealing to them than the current generation of plant-based options, this suggests that this new option could reach a significant group of people who aren’t interested in plant-based meat,” noted Rzegotta. “Overall, the fact that nearly half of consumers in both countries are willing to try cultivated meat – a novel product unfamiliar to many and not yet available in Europe – highlights a promising market demand.

    Two-thirds of respondents from both countries believe if cultivated meat does come to market, it should be produced locally to benefit the economy. When it comes to public investment, 42% of Austrians and 47% of Germans think governments should advance the development of cultivated meat and help farmers capitalise on the opportunities.

    This industry has been the subject of intense debate in policy circles lately. Whereas the discourse in the US has stemmed from Florida’s impending ban, in Europe, Italy already became the first country to prohibit the sale of cultivated meat, with France and Romania attempting to do so too. In January, a delegation led by Austria, Italy and France brought a note to the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, raising concerns about the bloc’s cultivated meat policies and calling for an overhaul to the regulatory framework, as well as a ban of meat-related terms.

    While it was eventually tabled, the note was presented by Austria’s agriculture minister, Norbert Totschnig, but the country’s health ministry – which is responsible for food safety – said the move did not reflect the government’s position. Judging from the YouGov polls, it did not reflect the public’s position either.

    lab grown meat austria
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    Seven in 10 Austrians say only food safety and consumer protection should be decisive for the authorisation of cultivated meat, which 63% think should happen if the food safety authority deems it safe and nutritious. For 64%, the decision to clear the sale of these products should be independent of the food industry’s economic interests, and 66% feel policymakers should adhere closely to the food regulators’ recommendations when deciding to authorise cultivated meat.

    Similarly, in Germany, 69% agree with that statement about food safety and consumer protection being the only decisive factors, 65% think a regulator’s assessment of safety should be enough for authorisation, and 66% believe politicians should stick to that advice. Meanwhile, 61% think the decision shouldn’t rely on the economic interests of the food sector.

    In other words, if the country’s food safety authority greenlights cultivated meat, that’s the only decision the government should and must take into account. “Cultivated meat must go through one of the world’s most robust food regulatory processes before it will be available in the EU. Once it’s been approved, Germans and Austrians believe it should be up to consumers themselves to decide whether or not to eat cultivated meat,” said Seth Roberts, policy manager at GFI Europe.

    “In the wake of the Italian ban, policymakers should note that people who responded to this survey – regardless of their political views – are increasingly aware of the economic opportunities offered by cultivated meat and are more interested in consumer choice than ideological debates.”

    The post Germans & Austrians Believe Meat Consumption is Too High, But Less Than Half Think It’s Bad for the Climate appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Climate Scientists: We Need to Halve Our Livestock Emissions by Replacing Meat & Dairy with Plant-Based Foods

    climate scientist survey
    6 Mins Read

    Globally, greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming must peak next year, and be reduced by 50% by 2030 to align with our climate goals, scientists suggest in a new survey. And to do this, we need to replace meat and dairy consumption with more plant-based foods.

    To meet our climate goals, we need to stop eating so much meat and dairy, and start consuming more plant-based food, bringing the livestock sector’s emissions down by 61% by 2036, according to a survey of 210 global climate scientists and agrifood experts.

    Carried out by researchers from Harvard University, New York University, Leiden University and Oregon State University, the report highlights the contribution of livestock farming to climate change, and the need to shift away from it, especially in high- and middle-income nations.

    The food system accounts for a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, with meat responsible for 60% of that figure, despite only delivering 18% of calories and 37% of protein globally. At the current trajectory, the livestock sector is on track to taking almost 50% of our GHG budget in line with the 1.5°C postindustrial temperature rise goal. Plus, land use represents a quarter of emissions mitigation potential between now and 2050, and this industry occupies 78% of agricultural land and 39% of all habitable land.

    The full implementation of all pledges to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement for 2030 aligns with a global temperature rise of 2.5°C this century, which will exacerbate the impact of climate change across the world, some of which will be irreversible. This is perhaps why 92% of experts agree that reducing livestock emissions is key to limiting temperature rises to 2°C, and 85% state that it’s important for human diets to shift from “livestock-derived foods to livestock replacement foods”.

    “The report essentially provides the first articulation of a Paris-compliant livestock sector. The reduction targets for livestock suggested by the survey results are in line with what the IPCC show is needed globally for all emissions and sectors, so it appears that the experts are suggesting a reasonable pathway for the livestock sector,” said study lead Helen Harwatt, a food and climate policy fellow at Harvard Law School.

    livestock climate change
    Courtesy: Fokusiert/Getty Images

    Plant-based products should be considered ‘best available foods’

    Harwatt noted that this is not a one-size-fits-all approach, with different emissions reduction strategies outlined for countries with varying income levels. “High-producing and consuming countries must do the most the soonest, and have the most ability and potential to achieve this,” she said. “This doesn’t allow for high consuming nations to continue their ways by increasing imports from other countries while reducing their own farming emissions.”

    The survey suggests that livestock emissions must peak in high-income (HICs) and middle-income countries (MICs) before 2025, but after 2030 in low-income nations. Over three-quarters (78%) also think global absolute livestock numbers should reach a peak by 2025. Following this peak, 89% and 75% of respondents believe these emissions should fall rapidly in HICs and MICs, respectively.

    A majority (87%) of climate scientists and agrifood experts agree that all countries should have a GHG reduction target for animal agriculture in line with an overall emissions goal, with the most commonly agreed target being a 50% cut by 2030. In fact, respondents note that livestock emissions should be reduced as much as possible to reduce the risk of temperatures exceeding 1.5°C (87%) or 2°C (85%) by the end of the century.

    livestock emissions
    Courtesy: Harvard University

    Eating fewer livestock-derived foods (like meat and dairy) and reducing the number of farmed animals were earmarked to be by far the most effective actions for GHG reduction, with about three-quarters of experts saying they have a large or very large contribution to emissions targets. The most substantial shift needs to occur in richer countries, with diets needing to shift from current patterns to “more plant-based” in MICs, and “much more plant-based” in HICs. In LICs, too, a slight shift to more plant-based eating is required.

    The majority of experts say achieving these GHG reductions should not come at the cost of animal welfare – referring to a greater number of animals occupying a given space and increasing the confinement of animals. And most agree that where plant-sourced alternatives to animal foods provide comparable or better health outcomes and lower GHGs, they should be considered a ‘best available food’ and given preference in climate (83%), agriculture (78%) and food purchasing policies (82%).

    Meanwhile, 82% think it’s important to restore carbon sinks and native vegetation cover on land currently occupied by the livestock sector, which could remove the equivalent of 16 years of global carbon emissions from the atmosphere over a 30-year period. Moreover, 76% of respondents say climate finance mechanisms, where required, should include assistance for farmers to transition their practices away from livestock production.

    Climate policies are lacking – here’s what governments should do

    The researchers outline that while we need to significantly reduce our livestock emissions to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement, country-level commitments to do so are severely lacking. “Much of the political focus has been on the energy transition; however, a food transition is also needed – especially for highly emitting animal products,” said Harwatt.

    livestock methane
    Courtesy: Unsplash

    The report makes several recommendations for national climate policies to implement a livestock sector compliant with our emissions goals:

    • Declare a peak livestock timeline: This would “ready the market” and enable suitable preparation by governments, businesses, investors and consumers. This time frame varies across countries with different incomes, as does the level of change required.
    • Revise NDCs and prepare to meet other relevant pledges: This includes multilateral processes like the relevant targets for 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
    • Use finance streams for mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity: In HICs, this can incentivise the restoration of carbon sinks on land currently used for livestock agriculture, while in LICs, it could help implement more climate-resilient, low-carbon agriculture sectors, as well as help prevent further land use change.
    • Align agricultural subsidies with climate goals: This involves taking a broader planetary health lens to ensure the maximum delivery of “public goods”.
    • Invest in a plant-based transition: Financing agricultural alternatives to livestock for a transition to more plant-based food systems is key. This includes diversifying and increasing the production of pulses, and increasing R&D efforts.
    • Undertake a national food system assessment: This is key to aligning policies and planning transitions to a livestock sector compliant with the Paris Agreement. It should include GHGs, land use, biodiversity and public health criteria, as well as the impacts of food and agricultural imports.

    “How much and when livestock reduction should contribute to climate goals has until now been unclear – but these findings provide some clarity for policymakers grappling with these issues, and can help with the formation of plans to tackle climate change,” said Harwatt. “We’re way behind schedule on this, and technological solutions alone are inadequate. Difficult decisions are inevitable – and well-designed policy, communicated effectively, is essential.”

    The post Climate Scientists: We Need to Halve Our Livestock Emissions by Replacing Meat & Dairy with Plant-Based Foods appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Planted Launches Fermentation-Derived Vegan Whole-Cut Steak

    planted steak
    5 Mins Read

    A leader in the European plant-based meat sector, Sweden’s Planted has launched a clean-label whole-cut steak leveraging a proprietary fermentation process, hitting flavour, health and climate touchpoints all at the same time.

    Swiss vegan startup Planted has launched what it describes as a first-of-its-kind fermented steak alternative, after making a multimillion-dollar investment in a new fermentation facility in Kemptthal, Switzerland, which has created 30 technical and operational jobs.

    The clean-label steak is the first product born out of the company’s whole-muscle platform, which facilitates the growth of muscle-like fibres through proprietary fermentation processes, and was the result of a CHF 2 million ($2.3M) injection by state-backed innovation agency Innosuisse, as part of the Swiss Accelerator Program.

    A year on, Planted is rolling out its vegan steak in European foodservice, including in restaurants in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The brand has plans to launch the product in retail as well as D2C channels later this year.

    “In the research and development process, we have worked with over 50 gastronomy professionals to achieve a steak that is literally unreal, in taste, texture, application and overall eating experience,” said Planted co-founder Lukas Böni. “We are very proud that so many restaurants have added it to their menus already.”

    Delivering on taste and health

    whole cut plant based meat
    Courtesy: Planted

    The fermentation-derived steak is an extension of Planted’s range of clean-label meat alternatives, made from soy protein, rapeseed oil, bean and rice flours, and a blend of microbial cultures. However, it does mark a departure from the high-moisture extrusion process it employs to make its chicken, pork and duck analogues, instead leveraging a patent-pending solid-state fermentation process that lasts 30-40 hours.

    “It’s a true game changer – not only for us, but also for the whole category,” said Böni. “No other plant-based steak on the market uses only natural ingredients, zero additives and displays features such as juiciness as well as tenderness.” Planted’s steak has 17g of protein (versus 25g for conventional steak), 182 calories (vs 271 calories), 0.9g saturated fat (vs 8g) and 5.8g dietary fibre (vs 0g), while containing 25% of the daily recommended value for iron, and 72% for vitamin B12.

    This will appeal to consumers who are growing increasingly concerned about the health credentials and ultra-processing of plant-based meat products. A large pan-European survey last year found that health was the primary reason more than half of consumers were eating less meat, and the second biggest factor influencing their plant-based meat purchasing decisions, with 46% citing this consideration.

    Meanwhile, meat alternatives are being linked to ill health as a result of their status as ultra-processed foods, which is also why 54% of Europeans avoid them, a separate poll has shown. It’s why brands are increasingly focusing on shorter ingredient lists and whole-food compositions in this sector.

    But the health skew hasn’t taken away the limelight from taste – the most influential factor for purchasing plant-based meat – either. The fermentation process enables Planted to produce a meaty steak with “juicy tenderness”.

    “Fulfilling very demanding culinary requirements, the Planted steak allows us chefs to focus on what we are best at: creating and sharing emotions,” noted Peter Schärer, executive head chef at Zürich restaurant Kronenhalle. “The Planted steak reacts beautifully to different cooking styles, already delighting and surprising our guests.”

    This comment reflects why the brand is taking the foodservice-first approach, which enables it to fine-tune the product based on feedback from professional chefs before entering the retail market. “We’ve always worked this way,” Planted co-founder and CEO Pascal Bieri told AgFunderNews. “When we started, we were selling our chicken in foodservice channels and we were approached by [leading Swiss retailer] Coop. Shortly after that, Covid hit and basically all of our restaurant customers were temporarily out of business, but we were able to scale through Coop.”

    Having secured $131M in total funding, the brand’s products are now in more than 8,000 foodservice and 8,700 retail locations across Europe, and it has emerged as the market leader in its home country, ranked number two in Austria, and is in the top five in Italy, and top 10 in Germany.

    Planted to expand fermentation tech to other product categories

    vegan steak
    Courtesy: Planted

    Planted ascribes these advances in flavour and nutrition to its fermentation technology. The company has laid out its aim to create multiple different product categories using its whole-muscle platform, and describes the steak as comparable to a full tenderloin.

    Currently, it can produce 15 tons of steak per day, but is now scaling up its capabilities through the Kemptthal facility. “This investment in our expansion stems from a strategic decision to enhance our biotechnology footprint in Kemptthal – from labs to production,” said Böni. “We are proud to be one of the few innovators of plant-based meat that takes on all steps in the production process, from R&D to industrial production. The additional and new production site allows Planted a very fast turnaround from pilot stage to industrial production, significantly closing the time gap to market launch.”

    He added: “Our aim is to introduce innovative products from our fermentation platform to the market fast, particularly our Planted steak, which utilises the most advanced and disruptive fermentation technology today in terms of scalability, taste and product quality.

    Whole cuts have long been touted as the “holy grail” of plant-based meat, with a host of companies working on such meat alternatives around the world. This includes mycelium chicken and beef maker Meati, fermented steak company Chunk Foods (both US), alt-salmon startups Esencia Foods (Germany), Revo Foods (Austria) and New School Foods (Canada), mycelium chicken breast maker Libre Foods (Spain), and plant-based beef filet producer Juicy Marbles (Slovenia).

    But even with the importance laid upon taste, texture and nutrition, Planted isn’t sidelining the sustainability aspect either. Its internal calculations show that the whole-cut steak analogue emits 97% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional steak product, while consuming 81% less freshwater as well.

    Additionally, the new production site is shared by various food tech companies, and leverages ambient air as an energy source, which feeds the heat pumps to provide heating and cooling capabilities. This is estimated to save over 44,000 tonnes of CO2 over a 30-year period.

    The fermentation-derived alternative protein sector outfinanced both plant-based and cultivated meat in the first half of 2023, and has breached the $4B threshold in all-time funding. With technologies like Planted’s, which can address multiple consumer pain points at the same time, the industry is poised to continue its rapid growth.

    The post Planted Launches Fermentation-Derived Vegan Whole-Cut Steak appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Most People Who Have Tried Cultivated Meat Say They’d Eat It Again, But Taste & Price Parity Remain Key

    lab grown meat study
    8 Mins Read

    In a first-of-its-kind in-market study of cultivated meat, a majority of consumers who have tasted Eat Just’s Good Meat chicken say they’d do it again. However, delivering on flavour and bringing down costs are the most important factors influencing consumption, highlighting the industry’s primary challenges.

    For many diners headed to Huber’s Butchery and Bistro in Singapore last spring, conventional meat wasn’t on their mind. Instead, they were hoping to join an exclusive club of people who have tried cultivated meat globally.

    At the time, Singapore was the only country to have approved the sale of these products (the US would follow soon in the summer). Huber’s, for its part, was the world’s first butchery to offer cultivated meat to customers, serving Good Meat’s chicken in the form of kebabs and as part of salads and pastas.

    Today, as Eat Just works on restarting its production run in Singapore to be able to manufacture larger amounts of cultivated chicken, these novel proteins aren’t currently available at Huber’s, or any other restaurant in the world, for that matter (though that will change soon). In the face of increased political challenges, high costs, and production bottlenecks, the industry stands at a crossroads.

    Many have written cultivated meat off, including figures in the media as well as government, despite most of them never actually having eaten the food themselves. That’s a huge problem: how can you truly make your mind up on something you haven’t done? And for companies in the space, the only way to find out how these products are performing is to ask the people who’ve tried them.

    This is exactly what researchers from the Singapore Management University (SMU) did last year, surveying 107 diners at Huber’s between April and June, who had tasted one of its dishes contained Good Meat’s cultivated chicken. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Future Foods this week, the study sought to assess if presenting the chicken in the context of a familiar meal, in a familiar setting, would influence them to buy it again, and recommend it to others.

    Here’s what they found.

    A majority of cultivated chicken tasters would eat it again

    cultivated meat survey
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    The survey found that 88% of people were first-time tasters of cultivated chicken, with the rest having done so either at a Good Meat trial, at Huber’s or fellow eatery 1880, or via a Foodpanda delivery. On a scale of 1 to 5, the poll revealed that the acceptance of cultivated meat was high (4.19), while scores of their knowledge about the production (3.5) and benefits (3.53), as well as familiarity (3.58) were similar.

    But the striking results were in the post-consumption stage, with the researchers finding that buying and eating cultivated meat “significantly boosted” people’s acceptance of it, with diners expressing a strong willingness to try it again (a score of 4.41/5) and recommended it to loved ones (4.45/5). In terms of flavour, survey participants scored Good Meat’s chicken with 4.21 out of 5, but fewer consumers believed others would order cultivated meat at restaurants (3.67/5).

    The research also explored consumption drivers and barriers. As is the case with plant-based meat, taste stood out as the factor most important for people to consume cultivated meat again, with 58% saying so. This was followed closely by price (50.5%) and health (49.5%). However, only 35.5% of consumers said safety would play a role in determining whether they repurchase cultivated meat.

    “This particular finding may simply demonstrate a trust in regulatory agencies to ensure the safety of food that is approved for sale and consumption,” Eat Just’s head of global communications, Carrie Kabat, tells Green Queen. “In both countries, where [Good Meat’s] cultivated meat has been approved, we have worked closely with regulatory agencies over multiple years to create a rigorous and transparent safety review process, and we are glad to see consumers demonstrating trust in that framework.”

    Interestingly, it seems that putting cultivated meat in a familiar dish doesn’t matter much to people, with only 17% finding this important.

    Cultivated meat needs to be cheaper

    lab grown meat cost
    Credit: Eat Just

    In terms of deterrents, however, cost is overwhelmingly the biggest issue with cultivated meat. While Kabat says Eat Just prices its chicken similarly to conventional chicken dishes on menus (between S$4 and S$23, or $3-17), 63.5% of diners would find high markups a turnoff. All other factors are less important here, including safety (33%), flavour (30%), texture (25%) and health (16%).

    Reflecting on taste as a factor for repeat consumption and price as a potential barrier, Kabat notes: “This demonstrates that while we’ve been able to create a delicious product with similar protein content to conventional chicken, our sharp focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiencies in production is also a crucial element to driving consumer acceptance and adoption.”

    Production costs and capacities are consistently the two biggest obstacles to the commercialisation of cultivated meat. Eat Just itself had a challenging 2023 with legal and financial battles, and has currently frozen mass production plans, explaining that factory prices need to halve. Speaking to Axios earlier this week, co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick said bringing down production costs “will require new thinking in how these facilities are built”, and that the company has “not solved for that”. Confirming that Eat Just is sticking to low levels of production, he added: “I can’t emphasise enough just how small the volumes are.”

    When asked how Eat Just can overcome this issue, Kabat says: “Our Good Meat team is focused on process development work to bring down costs and increase efficiencies. This includes things like increasing cell densities and finding ways to reduce the cost of our growth media, as well as rethinking how to build large-scale manufacturing facilities for a much lower price tag.”

    This is an issue illustrated by Elliot Schwartz, a principal scientist at alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI). “The question is: how do we increase cell density while simultaneously decreasing media costs?” he said in a webinar on Wednesday. “I don’t think we actually know the cost of cultivated meat production. There are a lot of different production scenarios and approaches being pursued, and so a single number really is hard to provide.”

    Schwartz noted that context is important when discussing costs in comparison to conventional meat, given that many cultivated meat companies enter the market through hybrid meat (which combines cultivated meat with plant-based ingredients). Good Meat’s chicken, for example, mixes its cultivated product with wheat gluten, soy protein, sunflower and coconut oils (among other natural flavours and binders).

    “If companies are pursuing commodity meats such as chicken, pork, beef, and certain seafoods, then hybrid products at low inclusion rates offer the most tractable way to approach cost-competitiveness,” said Schwartz. “However, the timeline is uncertain.”

    On its website, Good Meat says it has reduced production costs by 90% since 2018, when operating a built-for-purpose plant. Previous analysis by Reuters has claimed that cultivated meat needs to reach production costs of $2.92 per pound to compete on price with conventional meat. And while startups have cut manufacturing costs by 99% in less than a decade, McKinsey estimates that it will still take until 2030 for it to reach price parity.

    ‘Socialise’ cultivated meat to influencers and expats

    lab grown meat singapore
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    The researchers suggested that cultivated meat startups could benefit from conducting tasting trials with selected restaurants “to socialise cultivated meat to innovators and early adopters such as food neophiles and social media influencers”, and targeting expats and well-travelled natives, who are likely to be more global and open in their outlook and consumption preferences.

    Additionally, they advised companies to focus their brand messaging on flavour, both on its own as well as part of familiar meals and dishes. “While a familiar meal preparation could increase willingness to try, the good taste (i.e. gustation) of a product is essential for fostering its regular consumption,” they wrote.

    “We undertook this study because it represented an unprecedented opportunity to study consumer reactions in an actual consumption setting,” said Mark Chong, a professor of communication management at SMU and co-author of the study. “Our findings scientifically validate the importance of sensory experience (e.g. through product trials) and tastiness to consumers’ repeat consumption of cultivated meat.”

    GFI APAC managing director Mirte Gosker concurred, highlighting that flavour has to hit the mark. “This data shows that cultivated meat can pass that high bar and turn sceptics into enthusiasts, so now we need costs to come down enough to enable such products to reach the masses,” she said. “That’s going to require greater global collaboration, market access, and investment, but Singapore has made clear that it’s open for business and ready to meet this moment.”

    This will likely benefit Eat Just, which remains “singularly focused on achieving cash flow break-even in 2024”, according to Kabat. The city-state will also provide more openness and freedom compared to the US, the other country where it is approved to sell its cultivated chicken, where legislators have been trying to ban these foods.

    With just one signature away from governor Ron DeSantis, Florida is very close to doing so. But it has met with pushback from not just cultivated meat companies, but even traditional meat groups, with the largest trade association in the US labelling it as “bad policy” that “limits consumer choice”. Kabat and Eat Just have a similar view. “Restricting consumer choice because of a desire to avoid competition is about as un-American as it gets,” she says.

    “Our biggest learning from the study is that when consumers are free to buy and eat cultivated meat, they are much more likely to accept it and suggest it to their friends and family,” she adds. “We have seen over and over again that when people try cultivated meat, they realise it’s just like the chicken they’ve eaten many times before. We’ll continue our work to improve our processes and make more cultivated meat so that even more people have a chance to discover this for themselves.”

    The post Most People Who Have Tried Cultivated Meat Say They’d Eat It Again, But Taste & Price Parity Remain Key appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Orbillion Bio Secures Funding & Reaches Scaling Milestone for Cultivated Beef Production

    cultivated beef
    6 Mins Read

    Californian B2B cultivated meat producer Orbillion Bio has secured additional funding to scale up production and develop its biotech platform, which completed a 200-litre production run in September.

    The latest round of funding takes Orbillion’s total capital raised to $15M, and was co-led by The Venture Collective and At One Ventures, with participation from YCombinator, Metaplanet and other strategic investors, alongside university endowments.

    The Californian startup will use the money to scale up its manufacturing, further develop its technology and premium cultivated beef product, as well as advance its regulatory path. It comes on the back of a successful 200-litre scale-up run of its cultivated meat in September, which it claims is the largest production run undertaken by a pre-Series A company in the sector. This will enable the production of more than four million lbs of cultivated meat annually.

    The achievement will allow Orbilion to demonstrate “a new level of capital efficiency” in the industry, and it demonstrates the power of the startup’s algorithm to transform 2D culture into 3D culture in record time and at low costs – which are two of the industry’s tallest barriers towards commercialisation.

    An algorithm to make cultivated Wagyu beef cheaper and faster

    orbillion
    Courtesy: Orbillion Bio

    Founded in 2020 by Patricia Bubner, Gabriel Levesque-Tremblay and Samet Yildirim, Orbillion is known for its cultivated premium Wagyu beef. The company’s B2B model means its primary focus has been scaling up bioprocessing methods for commercial-scale production of cultivated meat, for which it has developed an algorithm that can make low-cost manufacturing possible.

    The company describes the algorithm as “a predictive modelling platform to reliably simulate key media and bioprocess parameters that allow mammalian cell cultures to scale from 2D to 3D environments at unmatched speed”. This allows it to de-risk commercial scale-up in several ways.

    First, in terms of predictability, the algorithm predicts how 2D cultured cells perform in a 3D environment, which helps establish the nutrient needs and growth environments cells need for successful suspension. The second aspect has to do with the yield – instead of relying on a single flat surface, Orbillion cultures cells in three dimensions (aka suspension), which increases the growing environment, cell density and yield exponentially.

    Then there’s the speed. As fewer runs are required to refine its scaled-up bioprocessing, and its growing environments are high-density, the company says it can produce more cultivated meat in 10% of the time it typically takes.

    “Adapting cells from 2D to 3D cell culture often falls short because of a failure to understand how media, bioprocess and cells work in harmony, and getting to this understanding typically requires expensive and time-consuming buildouts,” explains Yildirim, who is the company’s COO. “With our bioware and computational platform for cultivated meat, we can scale up in a fraction of the time. Our 200-litre run demonstrates that we can achieve in a few weeks, what takes most companies a full year.”

    Rapid development and production, alongside well-honed media inputs, mean this can be done at a fraction of the usual cost. “We identified premium meats with a high price per kg as the breakthrough market to build a profitable business and to eventually achieve price parity at mass scale,” Bubner, who is the CEO, tells Green Queen. “Scalability, while critical for price parity, is not the only important criteria. It has to be hand in hand with intensification. Orbillion’s intensified process platform allows us to scale and hit the cost parity sooner than anyone else.”

    Collaborations on the way to bring hybrid meat to market

    cultivated wagyu beef
    Courtesy: Orbillion Bio

    Finally, there’s Orbillion’s asset-light strategy, which eschews capital-intensive, custom-built equipment for scaling up on pre-existing infrastructure. To facilitate this approach, the producer has collaborated with bioproducts and tech development startup Solar Biotech.

    In 2022, Orbillion also teamed up with Dutch premium meats company Luiten Food, giving it access to the latter’s 1,200 distribution points across foodservice, specialty retailers and butchers. But Bubner hinted that this is just one of a number of commercial partnerships it has entered, with more information to come later this year.

    “We are a B2B company, and our goals are a fast path to market for a cultivated meat product; to supply the market consistently; and to produce what customers want: tasty, nutritious product at the price of conventionally produced meat,” she says. “We aim to provide delicious products that fulfil our customer’s needs: products that are consistent in quality, high performing, and easy to integrate.”

    For many companies in the space, the viable path to market involves combining cultivated animal cells with plant-based ingredients to create what is called hybrid meat. This further helps with driving down costs, and is the approach being taken by the likes of Eat Just, Aleph Farms, Meatable and Umami Meats.

    Bubner confirmed her company will go down the same route. “Currently, Orbillion is focused on cultivated ingredients and a ground beef product that has been formulated with cultivated meat and plant-based ingredients to satisfy the high standards of meat-eaters and provide a product that tastes, looks and feels like traditionally harvested beef,” she said.

    ‘Technology cannot be uninvented’

    orbillion bio
    Courtesy: Orbillion Bio

    The funding comes at a pivotal time for cultivated meat and food tech. Globally, the agrifood tech sector saw VC funding cut in half and reach a six-year low in 2023, according to a report by AgFunder this week, which earmarked cultivated meat as a sector to watch, given that it attracted just $177M in funding last year. And while industry leaders Upside Foods and Eat Just made history by receiving the first US regulatory approval of cultivated meat, which meant their chicken was available in restaurants, both have faced challenges too, from manufacturing and financial challenges to negative media coverage.

    Within this difficult environment, Bubner says Orbillion has been able to raise fresh capital as it has consistently demonstrated to investors its ability to achieve and exceed milestones. “They have seen how our approach allows us to be fast and cost-effective,” she says. “So we feel incredibly fortunate to be in a position to put these resources to work, we’ll do so in the year ahead.”

    It is shaping up to be a big year for cultivated meat, especially in the US, where it has been the subject of countless headlines after attempts by legislators in multiple states (and at federal level) to ban these novel proteins. The latest and most prominent story comes from Florida, where both the House and Senate have passed the bill, which is now expected to be signed into law by governor Ron DeSantis.

    The move has faced backlash not just from cultivated meat companies, but even the meat industry itself, with the largest trade association for meat in the US labelling it “bad policy” that “limits consumer choice”. How does Bubner view it? “Technology, once invented, cannot be uninvented; how we use it is critical,” she says.

    She compares this to insulin production, which used to be highly controversial at one point. “It used to be harvested from cows and pigs. It used to cause allergic reactions, infections, there were rampant impurities, then scientists discovered how to produce biosynthetic insulin by fermentation of microbes, and it’s higher quality, more readily available, and ditched the downsides. At one point, this was controversial; now, there’s no way we’re going back,” notes Bubner.

    “Cultivated meat is an opportunity for current and future generations to make food independent of land, animals, and without the downsides of intensified animal agriculture. It’s a technology we owe our children to build,” she adds. “A cultivated meat ban is not going to stop science, or the way that climate change is affecting our food system or the need for other countries to gain food sovereignty.”

    The post Orbillion Bio Secures Funding & Reaches Scaling Milestone for Cultivated Beef Production appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • With New Red Packaging, Impossible Foods is Leaning Into the ‘Carnivorous Craveability of Meat’

    impossible hot dogs
    8 Mins Read

    Plant-based meat leader Impossible Foods has unveiled a complete brand refresh, with striking red packaging putting flavour and nutrition front and centre of its products.

    A greater spotlight on taste descriptors, saturated fat and sodium; larger imagery and typography; and a bright-red aesthetic headline the new packaging of Impossible Foods’ meat alternatives.

    At Expo West, the Californian company is relaunching its brand identity that puts the spotlight on flavour and nutrition more than ever before, leaning into the results of countless consumer surveys about their plant-based meat preferences. The idea is to appeal to meat-eaters and flexitarians, who make up 90% of Impossible Foods’ customer base, instead of “vegans, vegetarians or those already eating sustainable diets”, as a brand spokesperson explained to Green Queen in December.

    The refresh was teased by Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness that month at an Adweek X conference, where he alluded to the fact that existing marketing strategies have pissed Americans off with their “elitism” and “wokeness”. “The way to get meat-eaters to actually buy your product is not to piss them off, vilify them, insult them and judge them,” he explained. “We need to go from insulting to inviting, which is a hell of a journey.”

    plant based meat packaging
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods/Green Queen

    And inviting is exactly the theme of its new packaging, which features more appetising-looking imagery, such as sausages with clearer grill marks and a single meatball showing off more of the product and less of the sauce. Through all this, Impossible Foods wants to push the message that “meat from plants is just as satisfying”.

    “We want to be inclusive to anyone who enjoys great food. It doesn’t matter if you’re a vegan, a vegetarian, an animal meat-lover, or somewhere in between,” says McGuinness. “What we want to do is educate consumers that they can still enjoy meat by incorporating into their diet a version that’s made from plants instead of animals.”

    If it ain’t broke…

    The new brand identity is a result of a collaboration between Impossible Foods’ in-house marketing and creative teams, and global creative agency Jones Knowles Ritchie. The company says it intends to appeal to the “carnivorous cravings of meat-eaters” across the full consumer journey, from the digital experience to the brand’s first impression through packaging.

    “We’re not just growing a brand, we’re growing an entire category,” said Leslie Sims, the brand’s chief marketing and creative officer. “For a long time, meat eaters didn’t see us as something for them. But our mission relies on attracting meat eaters, so we wanted to do what we could to be more inviting in our approach and messaging. We’re confident that once they try us, they’ll be in.”

    Impossible Foods says it is the fastest-growing plant-based company in the US, which it ascribes to a multitude of factors, including consistently outperforming plant-based competitors on taste, being present in more than 30,000 retail and 45,000 foodservice locations, and having a broad variety of products with nutritional diversities (its portfolio includes an Indulgent Burger as well as ground Beef Lite). Its beef mince is the top-selling plant-based beef in the US across both retail and foodservice, while its meatballs and chicken nuggets are the bestsellers in their respective categories too.

    impossible burger
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    So the question then is: why change what’s working? “Historically, this industry hasn’t spoken directly to meat-eaters, and something as simple as a green brand aesthetic visually reinforced a niche message. As a result, meat from plants has been written off as a vegetarian and vegan phenomenon,” a company spokesperson tells Green Queen.

    “That’s why we’re taking this opportunity to expand the public perception and be more inclusive to flexitarian and meat-eating consumers – after all, the more people eating plant-based, the better the planet will be,” they add. “People might be surprised to know that 90% of Impossible consumers also eat meat, and more than one in two who try us for the first time intend to do so again. That means we’re already doing something right, and this evolution of our brand identity is a way for us to build on that success.”

    Why Impossible Foods chose red

    The company says the bold red colour is designed to “directly mirror the meatiness of our products and the fact they taste, cook and satisfy like meat from animals. It cites a recent ProVeg International study that found 54% of Americans and 56% of Brits associate red packaging for plant-based meat with superior taste.

    Alongside green and purple, the research noted that red conveys “delicious flavours and culinary satisfaction”, and showcases “mouthwatering dishes, flavourful ingredients, or chefs’ endorsements”. But while there was a strong association of the colour green with plant-based meat (72% in the UK, 62% in the US), this was down to just 6% and 13%, respectively, for red.

    Moreover, green outperformed red in almost all aspects, including health, nutrition and naturalness – crucially, red was the top colour linked with the perception that plant-based meats are tasty in both the UK and the US. However, ProVeg concluded that while packaging influences 65% of consumers’ willingness to buy meat alternatives at least some of the time, red was among the colours that didn’t excite them as much when thinking positively about these products.

    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    But that could exactly be Impossible Foods’ point here. As one of the leaders in the plant-based sector, its brand identity is strong enough that a person in a supermarket sees the word ‘Impossible’, and knows it’s plant-based. As the brand has consistently said, though, it wants that person to be a meat-eater. And if they don’t associate red with plant-based meat, that’s a good way to sidestep any preconceptions they may have about the product.

    McGuiness expands on this thinking, noting that “it’s a good time to evolve from a position of strength”. “We wanted packaging that lived up to and reflected the deliciousness of our products while really popping on the shelf,” he says.

    Taste and nutrition top of mind for Impossible Foods

    The new packaging doubles down on the flavour and health credentials of Impossible Foods. As a company that has always been steeped in the environmental benefits of meat alternatives – which is still a huge part of its brand – this reflects its willingness to adapt to consumer trends.

    According to a Mintel survey from last year, the top two attributes discouraging Americans from trying plant-based meat are flavour (48%) and nutrition (35%). “Taste is the #1 reason why consumers will decide to purchase a product again or not,” the company told Green Queen in December. That said, health is becoming increasingly crucial, being the main reason six in 10 Americans adopt a meatless diet.

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

    impossible foods packaging
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    They added that it’s equally important to Impossible Foods that meat-eaters understand its products are nutritionally competitive with animal-derived meat. “That’s why you’ll see we proudly display on the front of our packaging that Impossible products contain high-quality protein, 0mg cholesterol, and most have at least 25% less saturated fat than their animal counterparts,” they point out.

    However, this doesn’t mean the brand is backing away from the sustainability message. “This is and always will be our reason for being, and it’s still featured on our packaging and across various touchpoints of the consumer journey,” the company explains. “However, we realised we can get even more consumers in the door by leading with our incredible taste and nutritional quality – then, we can seal the deal with the environmental benefits. With every converted consumer, we’re able to maximise our positive impact on the planet.”

    New packaging aims to be inclusive

    The new packaging will hit retail shelves across the US in the coming weeks, before expanding overseas later this year. The first new product to feature the updated red aesthetic will be the soon-to-launch Beef Hot Dog. Asked if this will be accompanied by a marketing campaign, the representative said: “Today is a big step for us, but the work is just beginning.”

    The company has been in talks about a Got Milk?-style coalition of plant-based brands to amp up messaging and respond to criticism and negative coverage. Originally slated to launch this year, the plan has suffered setbacks. While there are no updates yet, McGuinness did recently say in a podcast that he believes “there is a collective opportunity to extol the benefits of the category”.

    impossible meat
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    Impossible Foods’ immediate focus will continue to be on luring in new consumers and increasing brand awareness. Currently, only 15% of American households know about the company and its products. “The more welcoming we can be to consumers, the more we and the category stand to grow. That’s where this new brand approach comes into play, and our investment in marketing and advertising more broadly,” the spokesperson explains.

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

    The post With New Red Packaging, Impossible Foods is Leaning Into the ‘Carnivorous Craveability of Meat’ appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Lightlife Gets In On the Whole-Food Plant-Based Trend with Tempeh Mince

    lightlife tempeh crumbles
    4 Mins Read

    One of 2024’s biggest plant-based trends continues to blossom, with Lightlife Foods launching Tempeh Protein Crumbles to rival its own vegan mince range amid a larger shift towards cleaner labels.

    Long-standing plant protein maker Lightlife Foods has expanded its tempeh range with a crumble product as it seeks to take a slice of the red-hot whole-food plant-based meat market.

    The new tempeh crumbles will complement Lightlife’s current lineup of tempeh strips and chunks, as well as its alternatives to sausages, hot dogs, bacon, deli slices, chicken tenders and ground beef. They’ll be available in two flavours: original and smoked chipotle.

    “We’re excited to introduce more consumers to tempeh with our new Tempeh Protein Crumbles, a convenient and familiar form that can be used as a clean, vegan alternative to ground meat in any meal,” said Casey Richards, president of Lightlife’s parent company, meat giant Maple Leaf Foods USA.

    Lightlife’s tempeh crumbles have more protein than its Smart Ground

    lightlife tempeh
    Courtesy: Lightlife

    Lightlife has been selling tempeh since 1979, and claims to be the top-selling tempeh brand in North America. This latest launch is in direct response to the ballooning demand for cleaner-label plant-based products, which is born out of consumer concerns about ultra-processed foods (which many plant-based meats are) and more nutritious meat alternatives.

    “More and more consumers are seeking nutritionally dense, protein-rich foods that don’t rely on meat mimicry to delight them,” Richards said, and he’s not wrong. A poll by Mintel last year revealed that nutrition is the second-biggest reason (35%) for Americans’ unwillingness to eat plant-based meat (behind taste).

    Likewise, a 1,022-person survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found that health is the main reason Americans are vegan or vegetarian, with six in 10 choosing it. When it comes to alt-meat products, ‘healthy’ is the most appealing labelling description. Further research by ingredients giant Ingredion found that 78% of consumers are willing to spend more money on products with ‘natural’ or ‘all-natural’ packaging claims.

    This is what Lightlife is banking on. Its own plant-based beef mince is made from soy protein, so with the new tempeh crumbles, it will hope to lure in consumers who are wary of the former’s ingredient list. The brand has previously attracted controversy over a marketing campaign called Clean Break, where it attacked Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods’ long ingredient lists to promote its own 11-ingredient burger – it was a move considered by many as unwise, given that this rhetoric was reminiscent of the narrative pushed by the conventional meat industry, which is where Lightlife’s parent company lies.

    Its plain Smart Ground beef analogue, meanwhile, has 14 ingredients, but the original tempeh crumbles only have four: soybeans, water, lactic acid and brown rice. The latter also has more protein (16g per serving vs 11g) and fibre (6g vs 3g), which is sure to appeal to consumers – although how this affects Lightlife’s existing beef mince analogue range will be interesting to see.

    Lightlife plays into exploding whole-food trend

    omni steak
    Courtesy: OMNI

    Tempeh was one of the ingredients mentioned in Whole Foods’ top food trends for 2024, alongside walnuts and legumes in a section titled Put the ‘Plant’ Back in ‘Plant-Based. Lightlife’s Tempeh Protein Crumbles are certainly on trend.

    That IFIC poll mentioned above found that among different protein sources, those from whole-plant sources saw the biggest hike in consumption, with 28% of Americans eating them ‘somewhat’ or ‘much more’. Moreover, these foods had the second-lowest decrease (11%) in intake, behind plant-based meat and seafood analogues (10%).

    It has led to a surge in whole-food plant-based product launches. Beyond Meat itself revamped its vegan beef recipe to include fava beans and red lentils in a recipe accredited by the Clean Label Project (though that initiative is more focused on screening products for environmental toxins and ingredient quality).

    Last month, fast-casual restaurant chain Smashburger teamed up with jackfruit meat startup Jack & Annie’s to launch a new whole-food plant-based burger. Chipotle’s braised tofu (Sofritas) and Shake Shack’s veggie burger are other examples of popular restaurants embracing whole foods. The menu of Chipotle founder Steve Ells’ new vegan chain Kernel is also focused on whole foods.

    And for Veganuary, Dave’s Hot Chicken released its first meatless options in the form of cauliflower sliders and bites, while Hard Rock Cafe in Broadway rolled out a menu with cauliflower wings and a mushroom primavera pasta. Even across the Atlantic, Veganuary brought about the return of Burger King’s black bean burger, while Leon launched a gut-healthy bhaji wrap with courgettes, peas and broad beans.

    Pizza Express, meanwhile, introduced a new calzone packed with vegetables, and fellow pizzeria Zizzi focused on Fable Foods’ pulled shiitake mushroom meat for its Rustic pizza. Pret A Manger spotlit mushrooms too, with a VLT featuring mushroom bacon rashers and a bánh mì championing sticky BBQ roasted mushrooms as the meat, just as Wagamama released a lion’s mane steak. In all these cases, whole-food options were their only new offerings for Veganuary.

    And just this week, Hong Kong-based OmniFoods kickstarted the launch of its own whole-food plant-based OMNI Garden line, starting with a lion’s mane mushroom steak. With an increasing number of innovations in this space, can Lighlife’s tempeh crumble the negative sentiment towards plant proteins?

    The post Lightlife Gets In On the Whole-Food Plant-Based Trend with Tempeh Mince appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Report Says Europe Not Prepared for ‘Catastrophic’ Climate Impacts, But Fails to Highlight Livestock Farming

    europe climate change
    6 Mins Read

    The first risk assessment of the impact of climate change on Europe puts the urgency of action into sharp focus – but the lack of a spotlight on livestock farming is a huge miss.

    2023 was the warmest year on record, and last month was the hottest February ever recorded. In fact, between February 2023 and January 2024, the average global temperature exceeded preindustrial levels by 1.5°C.

    We’re way past 1.5°C as a climate target now, especially given that even if we manage to somehow stick to that limit by the end of the century, the climate risks faced by Europe will not diminish. The continent is the fastest-heated in the world, with temperatures rising more than any other continent since the Industrial Revolution – its heating rate is actually twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s.

    With extreme heat causing between 60,000 and 70,000 premature deaths in Europe in 2022 alone, that number could proliferate greatly as climate change is a risk multiplier. The continent is not prepared to deal with the consequences, which could mean hundreds of thousands of deaths, and €1T in annual economic losses just from coastal floods.

    That’s the consensus of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) first major risk assessment report, which warns that most climate hazards will continue to increase in Europe, even under the most optimistic scenarios of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

    “Our new analysis shows that Europe faces urgent climate risks that are growing faster than our societal preparedness,” said EEA executive director Leena Ylä-Mononen. “To ensure the resilience of our societies, European and national policymakers must act now to reduce climate risks both by rapid emission cuts and by strong adaptation policies and actions.”

    Europe faces multitudes of climate risks

    european environment agency
    Courtesy: European Environment Agency

    The report identifies 36 significant climate risks, grouped into five broad clusters: ecosystems, food, health, infrastructure, and economy and finance. These are also classed as cascades – climate impacts can cascade from one region to another, and the risks they represent can bring system-wide challenges that affect entire societies, particularly vulnerable social groups.

    For example, climate impacts on food production can cascade to rural and coastal livelihoods, land use and the health of vulnerable people, which itself can affect labour productivity and resource needs of the medical system. Damages to terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems could spell trouble for food production and security, animal and human health, land use, and infrastructure – impacts on the latter affect nearly all aspects of society, the report argues.

    “If decisive action is not taken now, most climate risks identified could reach critical or catastrophic levels by the end of this century,” the report reads.

    Of those 36 risks, 21 are associated with “potentially severe consequences across Europe” and need more action now, while eight need particularly urgent attention. There are regional discrepancies too – three of these eight urgent risks are evaluated because of their high severity in southern Europe, which is one of the hotspots of climate change impacts in Europe, alongside low-lying coastal areas and the outermost regions of the EU.

    The highest number of urgent risks belongs to the ecosystems cluster, concerned with coastal and marine ecosystems and threats to biodiversity and carbon sinks due to wildfires. In the health cluster, heat stress and wildfire-related risks to the general and built environments (particularly in southern Europe) are the most pressing, while flooding caused by rain or rivers is the most urgent infrastructural threat. The EU’s solidarity mechanisms face the biggest risk in terms of the economy and finance, with its solidarity fund for recovery already being oversubscribed in recent years.

    EU urges ‘partial’ plant-based shift, but fails to call out livestock farming

    eu livestock farming
    Courtesy: European Environment Agency

    Meanwhile, risks to crop production (especially in southern Europe) are the most urgent and severe in the food cluster. Climate impacts outside Europe and higher prices mean more action is needed to address food security too, which has a ‘substantial’ risk severity, as do fisheries and aquaculture. However, the EEA’s report fails to highlight the impact of livestock farming, which it brushes aside as a ‘watching brief’ with no urgency to act and limited risk severity at present. Even at mid- and late-century levels, the risk intensity is described as substantial, instead of critical or catastrophic.

    This is surprising given that animal agriculture is responsible for 11-19.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with the UN FAO revealing last year that livestock farming makes up about 40% of the food system’s emissions. Another UN body, the UNEP, published a landmark report during COP28, which touched upon how the livestock industry contributes significantly to human-caused climate change, widespread water and air pollution, loss of soil structure and nutrients, and loss of terrestrial, freshwater and coastal biodiversity.

    The EEA notes how megadroughts, late frosts, heavy rain, excessive heat, pests and diseases can lead and have already led to crop failures and reduced yields, critically impacting food production in southern Europe in particular. Italy and Spain, for example, experienced lower yields of tomatoes, peaches and nectarines.

    The report outlines the need to support drought-resilient and less water-intensive crops, with more efforts required to raise awareness about the risks of water-heavy food production. It’s a little ironic considering that the EU itself could do with greater awareness here: animal-derived meat like farmed seafood, beef, lamb and mutton have some of the highest water footprints among foods, while cheese tops the list (followed by nuts).

    food water footprint
    Courtesy: Our World in Data

    It must be noted that the EEA does identify shortcomings in the EU’s food policies, noting how its common agricultural policy and common fisheries policy don’t address climate risks and adaptation needs adequately. “The transition to more climate-resilient and sustainable food systems in Europe requires actions at many levels, from farms to national and EU policies,” it states. “EU policy and governance has a critical role to play to support and accelerate this transition, such as by better coordinating actions at territorial level.”

    The report addresses that a “partial shift” from animal- to plant-based foods can reduce freshwater consumption, in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy and in line with international dietary guidelines. Separate studies have shown that veganism can reduce emissions, water pollution and land use by 75% compared to a meat-rich diet, and swapping just half of your meat and dairy consumption can slash water use by 10%.

    The lack of focus on the impact of livestock is a glaring issue, though hardly surprising. The EU injects 1,200 times more funding into animal agriculture than alternative proteins, with cattle farmers receiving 50% of their income through direct subsidies from the bloc. It has also U-turned on its promised caged farming ban. Meanwhile, the EEA report mentions “eutrophication from agricultural fertilisers and livestock” as an important stressor in certain hotspots, but the EU itself has been influenced by lobby groups to push back on its green agriculture reforms around pesticide use and Farm to Fork strategy.

    To curb the impact of climate change, the report suggests a systems-based approach to adaptation and resilience-building, notes the importance of addressing underlying social drivers of climate risks, outlines the need for collaboration between member states, and states that strong policy action is urgently needed, alongside improved risk analysis through legislation, monitoring, funding and technical support.

    But there’s nothing about livestock agriculture – or food systems, for that matter. That is potentially catastrophic in itself.

    The post Report Says Europe Not Prepared for ‘Catastrophic’ Climate Impacts, But Fails to Highlight Livestock Farming appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Global Agrifood Tech Funding Down by 50% As Deals Become Smaller and Fewer

    food tech funding
    6 Mins Read

    The global agrifood tech financial landscape remains grim, with funding in the sector down by 49.2% from 2022-23, reaching $15.6B – the lowest it has been in six years – according to a new report by AgFunder.

    A lot has been written about the VC fallout with food tech in 2023, with investment seeing shape declines as the financial landscape attempts to recover from post-pandemic windfalls. Now, a new report has revealed that funding in agrifood tech startups reached a six-year low, with companies in the sector only receiving $15.6B. This represents a fall of 49.2% from the $30.5B injected in 2022.

    And while the 2018-2021 deals with sky-high valuations were never likely to sustain, investment in agrifood tech companies isn’t just lower than the previous years, its share in the overall VC landscape has also declined, representing just 5.5% of total VC dollars, versus 6.7% in 2022 and 7.6% in 2021. The annual decrease in funding is a result of fewer and smaller deals – average deal sizes were down by nearly 30% from 2022, while the median deal size also dipped by 9%. Meanwhile, the deal count shrunk by 26%.

    “While some deals have been down rounds, dramatically shrinking startup valuations, deal averages and medians, there’s also been a halt to dealmaking in many instances at the early stages,” writes Louisa Burwood-Taylor, managing editor and head of media and research at AgFunder. “This is in part down to some founders’ refusals to lower their company valuation expectations but in some cases, the correction has gone too far.”

    Cultivated meat a ‘category to watch’

    agrifood tech funding
    Courtesy: AgFunder

    All but two categories saw funding fall last year – the two exceptions were bioenergy and biomaterials (the biggest subgroup, bringing in $3B at a 20% hike from 2022), and farm robotics, mechanisation and equipment (where investment was up by 9% to $760M).

    After bioenergy and biomaterials, ag biotechnology was the second-largest category, raking in $1.9B at a 34% drop from the year before, followed closely by innovative food (which includes alternative proteins and novel food), where investment dropped by 51% to $1.9B. The latter was also home to the highest number of deals (289), representing a shift from the big checks going to alternative protein startups in 2021 and early 2022 to smaller sums across a broader range of firms.

    The biggest sums were raised by meal replacement startups YFood Labs ($229M) and Huel ($83M), pea milk maker Ripple Foods ($49M), and Japanese plant-based meat company Daiz ($48M).

    The report points out that cultivated meat is a sector to watch, given that it attracted just $177M in funding last year, with the top three checks going to Meatable ($35M), BlueNalu ($33.5M) and Uncommon ($30M). The most well-funded startup in this space, UPSIDE Foods, has hit pause on its plans for a large-scale commercial facility, while Eat Just similarly halted mass production plans for its GOOD Meat chicken.

    The latter has been embroiled in legal battles with suppliers, and its co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick told Axios earlier this week that reducing production costs “will require new thinking in how these facilities are built”, and that the company has “not solved for that”. He added that Eat Just is sticking to low levels of production: “I can’t emphasise enough just how small the volumes are.”

    Upstream dominates downstream, while US loses global share

    agfunder
    Courtesy: AgFunder

    VC investment in agrifood tech was down across all global regions, although the drop in Europe was the lowest (14%). The continent was still second to the Americas in terms of absolute capital ($5.1B vs $6.1B, respectively). The US itself accounted for $5.4B of that, representing only 30% of the total (it usually has a 40% share).

    Africa’s figures also fell to $260M from $752M in 2022, though this is still higher than the $193M its agrifood tech companies attracted in 2021. Asia, meanwhile, brought in $3.8B last year, a 35.5% drop from 2022, and Oceania saw a 25% year-over-year decline to $260M.

    When it comes to emerging markets, India and China have lost their market share to countries like Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Brazil and Singapore, with the two countries making up 40% of Asia’s total in 2023, versus 55% in 2021. But despite agrifood tech investment dropping by 14% in China and 78% in India, they’re still only surpassed by the UK and the US in total sums. The bright spots are in Europe, with Germany (+59%) and Spain (+348%) seeing a hike in financing in this sector.

    The share of funding going to upstream startups – those operating on the farm or in primary food production – has increased in the last few years, making up 62% of the total, compared to 51% in 2022 and 30% in 2021. This includes categories like innovative food, ag biotech, bioenergy and biomaterials, as well as novel farming systems.

    Consequently, downstream startups – which involve technologies removed from farms and primary production – have seen funding slow down rapidly. In 2021, companies in the food delivery, e-grocery, retail and restaurant tech, and home and cooking sectors attracted 63% of agrifood tech funding, but they now only account for 31%.

    What do VC investors make of this?

    food tech investments
    Courtesy: AgFunder

    AgFunder polled 27 agrifood-focused VC firms about the funding landscape, finding that 15% believe alternative protein will garner the most funding in 2024, particularly cultivated meat and precision fermentation. “The caveat is that most of those respondents are deeply invested in alt-protein,” adds the report. Biotech and biological inputs (15%), health and nutrition (14%), and food delivery (12%) were the other popular choices.

    “Too many people celebrated failures rather than learning from them, and in the end, we – the planet, humanity – actually need to be collectively successful,” Yoni Glickman, managing director of FoodSparks, PeakBridge and EIT’s agrifood tech seed fund, when asked what was most frustrating about the sector in 2023. “Perhaps a more controversial take is on founders, who are still not realistic about valuations.”

    Investors are worried about the impact of conflicts around the world, including the Israel-Hamas war and escalating tensions between China and Taiwan, as well as climate change, the direction of political discourse, and the economy. “Several global factors are all contributing to one central concern: food security. Climate change, geopolitical shifts and conflict all remind us how crucial an issue this is and will continue to be, and it’s one we are deeply driven by,” said Peakbridge founding general partner Nadav Berger. “Democratising food sources, mainly with local production, is one key to addressing this on a practical level.”

    Matilda Ho, founder and managing director of Shanghai-based VC firm Bits x Bites, outlined the need to transition from disruptive to transitional, sustainable innovation. “In 2024, you can’t keep losing money and expect to stay in business. We need to set a more realistic expectation and go back to the fundamentals,” she said. “True innovations for food come in step changes, and take time to build.”

    Expanding on this, she added: “At the end of the day, the innovation that transforms the food industry doesn’t need to be fast and furious/quick and dramatic. We’d prefer to take a more humble mindset, and make it more gradual and less obvious.”

    Reflecting on the overall figures, Burwood-Taylor acknowledged: “This might read as depressing news, and it should.” She warned that we’ll be seeing more companies shut down over the next few months. Within the alternative protein sector alone, for example, New Wave Foods, Ordinary Seafood, New Age Eats, Nowadays and Plant & Bean were forced to cease trading over the last 12 months.

    “2024 is going to be a painful year for many, especially the more mature agrifood tech companies,” she said, before adding: “But it will also be an incredible year to invest in new companies that have been forced to rethink their business models and take a leaner approach; that’s healthy for the market and for valuations.”

    The post Global Agrifood Tech Funding Down by 50% As Deals Become Smaller and Fewer appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Centers for Sustainable Protein: Bezos Earth Fund to Invest $60M for Tastier, Cheaper & Healthier Alt-Protein

    bezos earth fund future of food
    5 Mins Read

    The Bezos Earth Fund has earmarked $60M to establish the Centers for Sustainable Protein, which will target tech barriers to reduce production costs, enhance taste profiles, and improve the nutritional benefits of alternative proteins.

    As part of its $1B pledge to transform the food system’s impact on climate change, the Bezos Earth Fund is investing an initial $60M in alternative protein centres that will work to make plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated meat products cheaper, healthier and tastier.

    The Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein was announced at the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference in Miami, Florida by the fund’s vice-chair Lauren Sánchez. “We need to invent our way out of climate change. And we’re going to do it,” she told an audience at the event. “Trust me, I’ve had them and you can hardly tell the difference. I really like ‘em,” she added, referring to meat analogues.

    Making alt-meat cheaper, healthier and better

    bezos earth fund
    Courtesy: Rocío Lower/Bezos Earth Fund

    The Bezos Earth Fund was launched in 2020 through a $10B grant by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (who is also Sánchez’s fiancé and the third-richest man in the world). Last year, the fund committed $1B towards a transformation of the food system, which accounts for a third of all emissions. The first investment from this sum came during COP28 in December, when it set aside $57M in food-related grants to tackle the threats of climate change and biodiversity loss and preserve food security.

    More than half of this money ($30M) went to making livestock more sustainable – animal agriculture is currently responsible for 11-19.5% of all global emissions. Now, the Earth Fund’s second funding commitment for food touches upon a similar aspect of the industry. Plant-based and cultivated meat are much more planet-friendly than industrially farmed meat, a fact that even the UN recognised in a landmark report published during COP28, where food systems were prioritised, but solutions were middling.

    One study has found that replacing half of our meat and dairy intake with plant-based alternatives can reduce agricultural and land use emissions by 31%, cut water consumption by 10%, and halt deforestation. Similarly, vegan diets have been found to cut emissions, land use and water pollution by 65% compared to meat-heavy eating habits. And one life-cycle assessment suggests that cultivated meat requires 92% lower emissions, 95% less land and 78% less water than conventional beef.

    This is why the Bezos Earth Fund is backing alternative proteins, which have had a dip in sales over the last couple of years as Big Meat-backed misinformation campaigns, the cost-of-living crisis and concerns about ultra-processed foods have discouraged many consumers from these products. In fact, global VC funding in this sector halved last year.

    The fact that one of the world’s richest people is backing these proteins, however, is a sign of their huge potential. The new university research centres will use science and technology to improve on what’s currently out there – taste, health and price have constantly been cited as consumers’ biggest concerns about plant-based meat, and it’s these aspects that the new facilities will focus on. “They need to cost less, they need to be more flavorful,” Andy Jarvis, director of future food at the Bezos Earth Fund, told Bloomberg.

    The Earth Fund states that current biomanufacturing challenges lead to high costs and limited quality, but notes that there are “enormous opportunities” to enhance the flavour and texture through innovations in cell biology and engineering. In that vein, the centres – which will be set up over the next five years – will work on driving down manufacturing costs and discovering new ingredients for alternative protein.

    “Alternative proteins are an imperative if we are to stay within planetary boundaries, if we are to feed 10 billion people within those boundaries,” said Jarvis. “We’re investing in alternative proteins because they need to be successful.”

    Why the Bezos Earth Fund announcement was ironic

    florida cultivated meat
    Courtesy: UPSIDE Foods/Canva AI

    There was a certain irony in the location of Sánchez’s announcement. The event was in Florida, which has been making headlines ever since it first proposed a ban on cultivated meat late last year. Just last week, its lawmakers approved a bill to prohibit the sale and production of these proteins in the state, which is now headed to governor Ron DeSantis, who – if his past comments about “fake meat” are anything to go by – is expected to greenlight it.

    Florida’s decision has been slammed by many quarters. But while backlash from the alternative protein industry is obviously expected, it’s perhaps telling how divisive and baseless this ban is when even the conventional meat industry – you know, the same one DeSantis and his Republican-controlled state chambers are attempting to safeguard – is opposed to it.

    In a letter to DeSantis, the North American Meat Institute – the country’s oldest and largest trade association (representing 95% of the US’s meat output), – called the ban “bad public policy”. Its COO and general counsel Mark Dopp wrote: “Legislators and others who beat the ‘food safety’ drum in support of HB 1071 and SB 1084 do so at their peril, and the peril of others, because these bills establish a precedent for adopting policies and regulatory requirements that could one day adversely affect the bills’ supporters.”

    He suggested that the bill could set a precedent for climate or health policies in other states that could ban conventional meat. “Restricting the sale and manufacture of cell-cultivated meat products limits consumer choice and denies Floridians access to food options,” he added. “Decisions about what to consume or purchase should be left to the market and consumers, not dictated by legislation that hampers progress and competition.”

    That is exactly what the Bezos Earth Fund’s latest investment is trying to protect. The company has already backed Chilean plant-based pioneer NotCo – whose joint venture with Kraft Heinz has yielded vegan versions of Kraft dinner, Oscar Mayer hot dogs and most recently, KD mac and cheese. Bezos himself, meanwhile, was part of a group that has invested in Nature’s Fynd, which makes sausage patties, cream cheeses and yoghurts using mycelium fermentation. It has previously invested $5.5M in R&D projects for alternative proteins, in partnership with industry think-tank the Good Food Institute.

    Sánchez reiterated Jarvis’s point about feeding 10 billion people – the estimated world population by 2050 – with healthy food while protecting the planet. “We can do it, and it will require a ton of innovation,” she said in a statement. “Our world is poised for transformation, for a future not constrained by compromise. Solutions to our greatest challenges often come from the quiet persistence of those willing to question, reimagine, and innovate.”

    The post Centers for Sustainable Protein: Bezos Earth Fund to Invest $60M for Tastier, Cheaper & Healthier Alt-Protein appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Kraft Dinner, Falafalcinis & Oat Milk Reese’s

    kraft vegan mac and cheese
    7 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers nutrition wins for plant-based meat, a ton of alt-dairy announcements, and an all-vegan fest coming to the UK.

    New products and launches

    A week after announcing the launch of plant-based Oscar Mayer hot dogs, the Kraft Heinz Not Company is now bringing its vegan Kraft mac and cheese to Canada under the KD brand. It’s available in original, white Cheddar, and gluten-free variants.

    oatly yogurt
    Courtesy: Oatly

    As outlined in its year-end earnings report, Oatly‘s revamped Oatgurts are now on shelves in German supermarkets. The lineup includes unsweetened vanilla, blueberry, strawberry, and mango-peach-passionfruit, and the 350g pots can be found at Rewe, Edeka and Kaufland stores.

    It’s a big week for alt-dairy launches. Canadian plant-based cheesemaker Daiya has announced a range of powdered vegan and gluten-free mac and cheese in Cheddar, white Cheddar and aged Cheddar variants, which will be rolled out to Walmart, The Fresh Market, Loblaws and Metro ON from April (the latter flavour is only available in the US).

    Meanwhile, Califia Farms has rolled out a line of organic almond milk coffee creamers in lavender, brown sugar and cinnamon flavours at Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, and specialty stores at $7.99.

    British oat milk maker Minor Figures has expanded its North American presence, with its gluten-free milk now available at all Whole Foods stores in the US and Canada, and over 280 Sprouts locations.

    In yet more North American alt-dairy news, plant-based milk brand MALK Organics is launching a cashew milk and shelf-stable oat and almond milk SKUs this quarter, after closing an internal investment round. They’ll be rolled out at Whole Foods exclusively in March, and are being previewed at Expo West this week.

    malk
    Courtesy: Malk Organics

    The Students’ Union of the University of Cambridge – which has already removed beef and lamb from its catering menus in 2016 – has voted to make all catering options across the institute fully plant-based, following a similar move for certain catering services last year.

    Speaking of universities, Beyond Meat is debuting at the University of Massachusetts, which has one of the country’s largest plant-based dining initiatives in the country. Its burger and mince products will be offered across all UMass campuses.

    Meanwhile, Beyond Steak is coming to Belgium, with the ‘heart-healthy’ beef analogue now stocked at over 250+ Delhaize stores nationwide.

    In the US, whole-food plant-based meat company Abbot’s has launched a mushroom-based Whole Burger SKU to its lineup, containing superfoods like spinach, chia and flaxseeds, and boasting 22g of protein per patty. It’s available at select Whole Foods stores nationwide.

    vegan peanut butter cups
    Courtesy: 7th Heaven

    Hershey’s-owned dairy-free chocolate company 7th Heaven, meanwhile, has unveiled its take on Reese’s with new oat-milk-based peanut butter cups, which you can buy from its website from March 25.

    US cult-favourite plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan is opening a store in New York City, which will be its third location. The 1,870 sq ft Bleecker Street eatery will open on March 23.

    Next Level Burger and Veggie Grill are launching limited-edition vegan truffle honey chicken sandwiches and burgers to raise awareness about bees and pollination, with the companies making a donation to the Pollinator Partnership.

    Fancy a Falafacini? UK plant-based small bites maker Gosh! has introduced a falafel-arancini hybrid in basil pesto and vegan ‘nduja flavours as part of its new Street Food range. They will retail at Ocado and Tesco for £3.50 per 240g pack. (Although I think ‘falancini’ is a far better name.)

    Chinese company Marvelous Foods has launched its Yeyo coconut yoghurt range in Ole, the country’s biggest supermarket chain, with 100 stores across 31 key cities and over 10 million members.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Marvelous Foods

    In the cosmetics world, American actress and Masked Singer host Jenny McCarthy has launched a new line of cruelty-free 3D Faux Mink Lashes under her Formless Beauty label.

    Likewsie, Canadian cosmetics company Druide Laboratory has rolled out a vegan Druide Biolove personal care collection for babies and young children.

    And US-based vegan festival Vegandale is launching in the UK, with events in London’s Clapham Common as well as Manchester in July. It has also expanded its stateside presence to Philadelphia. Early bird tickets are available now.

    Finance and manufacturing developments

    CPG giant Nestlé is investing CHF 80 million ($91M) to open a new factory dedicated to plant-based food production in Serbia, which will sit next to its existing 18,440 sq m facility. The plant will create 220 new jobs and support the manufacturing of Garden Gourmet products.

    Meanwhile, Illinois-headquartered food producer Primient has committed $700M across five years to bolster its plant-based ingredient manufacturing capabilities and strengthen its market position.

    Researchers in Italy have embarked on a project to produce meat alternatives from wood, leveraging byproducts like lignin (from the paper industry) and wheat bran, and converting them into amino acids.

    German biotech company ProteinDistillery has raised $15M in a seed funding round to support the production of its biomass-fermented Prew:tein ingredient – which is made from upcycled brewer’s yeast and can replace the properties of egg whites – and set up an industrial-scale facility.

    Copenhagen-based Swan Neck Bio, a spinoff from White Labs, has gone live. The startup provides fermentation solutions to food companies facing high costs and congestion in traditional biomanufacturing channels, with its FlexCell tech able to run controlled fermentations from five to 1,000 litres.

    koralo
    Courtesy: Koralo

    In yet more fermentation news, German alt-seafood startup Koralo has scaled up its co-fermentation technology to a 5,000-litre industrial scale in South Korea – three months after launching in the country. It has also partnered with the Korean government on the latter’s plant-based national plan.

    Montreal-based cultivated milk startup Opalia has received C$2M ($1.48M) in financing to support the launch of its first product.

    As for cultivated meat, by the way, there’s a new company in this space from Slovenia, established by the founder and former CEO of aircraft maker Pipistrel and biotech firm CO BIK Institute. Called Tech4Meat, it hopes to bring its products to market in the next few years.

    UK companies BSF Enterprise (parent of cellular agriculture business 3D Bio-Tissues) and Ivy Farm Technologies have teamed up to help the latter fundraise, launch and scale its cultivated meat in China.

    In another alt-protein partnership, Indian plant-based meat maker GoodDot has linked up with Dubai culinary school the International Centre for Culinary Arts, to help chefs gain specialised certifications in vegan dishes.

    After shutting its services in several countries, The Body Shop has confirmed that it has ceased trading in the US too.

    In the UK, Borough Broth has acquired vegan curry startup SpiceBox, with all of the latter’s products to now be developed in the former’s organic production kitchen in west London.

    oggs
    Courtesy: OGGS

    Having witnessed a 42% year-on-year growth, UK plant-based egg startup OGGS has now launched a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs, which is open for pre-registration.

    Policy and awards

    Meanwhile, Aussie precision fermentation producer Fermify is now offering samples to B2B partners for its liquid animal-free casein, which can be used to make dairy alternative products.

    Germany’s MicroHarvest has become the first biomass fermentation company to join the Food Fermentation Europe alliance.

    In India, Supplant Foods has received a patent for its novel chickpea flour processing technology, which enhances the functionality of chickpea protein that can be used in plant-based dairy, meat and bakery products.

    superbrewed food
    Courtesy: Superbrewed Food

    In yet more regulatory news for fermentation-derived protein, Superbrewed Food has received a ‘no further questions’ letter from the US FDA. The GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status allows it to sell its bacteria-derived biomass ingredient, called Postbiotic Cultured Protein. The company has also filed for approval in the EU, UK and Canada.

    In Singapore, some hospitals are offering plant-based options for patients after evaluating them to be healthy and nutritionally balanced, with Alexandra Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital having completely replaced beef and mutton with soy protein, and KK Women’s, Children’s Hospital and National University Hospital too providing vegan food for some time now.

    Finally, there were a few vegan wins at this year’s Men’s Health Food Awards, in a nod to the category’s growing health focus. Impossible Foods‘ BBQ Pork Bowls was named the Best Plant-Based Meal, Beyond Meat‘s Italian-Style Meatballs the Best Meatless Meatballs, and Wholly Veggie‘s Buffalo Cauliflower Wings the Best Plant-Based Wings.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Kraft Dinner, Falafalcinis & Oat Milk Reese’s appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Climate Quitting: This New Podcast is All About Alt-Protein Careers

    vegan jobs
    5 Mins Read

    With more and more people leaving their jobs or turning down new ones because of their companies’ climate actions (or the lack of it), a new podcast focuses on how alternative protein careers can help people who are climate quitting.

    2023 was the year of quiet quitting. Can 2024 be the year of climate quitting?

    That’s what Alt Protein Careers, a career services and recruiting firm, is suggesting. Climate quitters are people who leave or turn down a job because they’re unsatisfied with the company’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) record.

    It’s a trend concentrated among youth – a 6,000-person KPMG study last year found that ESG factors influence employment decisions for almost half of UK office workers, and one in three of Brits aged 18-24 have rejected job offers based on ESG records. Of the latter demographic, 14% are most likely seeking a job linked to ESG.

    With animal agriculture making up between 11-19.5% of the world’s total emissions, and meat accounting for 60% of the food system’s emissions, the importance of alternative proteins in the climate fight has never been more apparent. In fact, a landmark study last year revealed that veganism can reduce emissions, water pollution and land use by 75% compared to a meat-rich diet.

    “There wasn’t always this level of awareness of how fundamental alternative protein solutions are to solving the climate crisis,” says Noga Golan, founder and managing director of Alt Protein Careers. “People used to think that if they didn’t have a degree in renewable energy or climate science, there was no way to meaningfully contribute. But that’s no longer the case.”

    Meaningful careers are becoming increasingly important

    climate quitting
    Courtesy: Paul Polman

    Alt Protein Careers argues that the values and definitions of a prestigious job have shifted from compensation and big-name employers to making a tangible impact through careers. This is evident in consumer research going as far back as 2018, when the Harvard Business Review reported that people are willing to accept a lower-paying job if it means they’re doing meaningful work.

    “People don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines anymore,” explains Caroline Colwell, the firm’s marketing manager. “Individuals are increasingly drawn to jobs where they can be part of the solution.”

    The KPMG study isn’t the only research highlighting this change in thinking. A 4,000-person survey last year by former Unilever CEO Paul Polman found that 76% of Americans and 66% of Brits want to work for companies that make a positive impact on the world, while over 60% said they’d like to see their employers take a stronger stance on the environment. In fact, half of respondents would consider resigning from their positions if their workplace’s values didn’t align with theirs, and a third have already done so.

    While ESG used to be a strong selling point, Alt Protein Careers thinks this is no longer enough. Mission-driven individuals are tired of the lip service, and want to work in places that are actively making a difference. Recognising this need, the firm had launched a dedicated jobs board and resource centre to help people find such roles.

    “The alt-protein industry has experienced some volatility: we’ve seen a few companies downsizing, but in general, we’re still seeing a lot of companies eager to hire strong talent,” says Golan. “Protein alternatives that don’t involve large-scale factory farming are the only way for us to achieve global food security.”

    But are climate quitters making the connection between the food industry and the climate crisis? “Some are, and some aren’t,” she tells Green Queen. “For a long time, it wasn’t an obvious connection (when people thought of working on climate, they often mostly thought of the renewable energy industry), but we’re seeing a surge in the amount of professionals that are making the connection, and that are starting to really care and want to make a difference.

    “Professionals from pharma and biotech are also realising that their skills are highly transferable and impactful in the alt protein industry, so we’re seeing a lot of professionals from those industries, as well as from big food corporations like Danone, Tyson, and Cargill, make the switch.”

    This is why businesses outside the alt-protein space – especially tech companies and large corporations – are realising the need to show their employees that they care about climate change and making positive impact. “Oftentimes, this isn’t sufficient, but it definitely helps,” she says. “They also need to compensate their employees more in order to retain them.”

    A new podcast for alt-protein careers

    alt protein careers
    Courtesy: Alt Protein Careers

    To push its goal further, Alt Protein Careers has updated its public job board, and today launched a new eponymous podcast dedicated to jobs in this industry. The limited series explores the varying career paths people have taken in the alternative protein and sustainable food industries, in the search for something meaningful to them.

    The podcast is hosted by Sam Fisher, a Stanford business graduate who is an executive coach with expertise in the alt-protein sector. He works to help people in high-level positions enhance their leadership skills, increase their productivity, and achieve their goals while prioritising their overall wellbeing.

    In each episode of the podcast, Fisher speaks to guests from varying levels of seniority, as well as different kinds and sizes of alternative protein companies (the first episode features The Every Company’s chief of staff, Eitan Darwish). The conversations delve into the current state of the industry and offer guidance to people looking to have a tangible positive impact through their careers.

    “So many people want to make an impact, but they’re not sure how to do it. This podcast was created to help inspire and provide tangible advice on how to make an impact through your career,” says Fisher. “Stories are such a great way to learn and get inspired – I hope the stories shared throughout this podcast series will help people find ways to make an impact through their careers.”

    Alongside the new podcast and updated jobs board, Alt Protein Careers will also host job fairs at SF Climate Week, the Future Food Tech Conference, and at Duke, Harvard, and Stanford Universities. “There are a lot of great websites like Climatebase and Terra.do that help people find jobs in the general climate space, but we wanted to focus specifically on careers in alternative protein and food system transformation,” says Golan.

    The alternative protein career recruitment space is very niche, and apart from Tälist, VeganJobs.com, the Good Food Institute, and Alt Protein Careers, there aren’t many others offering such services. But according to Golan, it’s a burgeoning sector anyway. “The alt-protein industry is benefitting from having access to more mission-driven professionals who are excited to work in the industry.”

    Will you climate-quit this year too?

    The post Climate Quitting: This New Podcast is All About Alt-Protein Careers appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Expo West 2024: The Most Exciting Alt-Protein & Future Food Launches

    expo west 2024
    4 Mins Read

    With tens of thousands of people flocking to the Anaheim Convention Center this week for Natural Products Expo West, we look at some of the standout plant-based and future food products being unveiled at the trade show.

    Tuesday marked the start of Expo West, one of the world’s largest trade events for the food industry. Over five days, thousands of companies will exhibit new innovations and offerings to attendees in Anaheim, California, with the event serving as a launchpad for many products’ routes to market.

    Last year, over 3,000 brands participated in the show, with more than 65,000 visitors. Needless to say, it’s a big deal for companies hoping to gauge consumer sentiment about upcoming launches. With that in mind, here are some of the most exciting plant-based and future food products on display at Expo West 2024.

    Plant-based milk and cheese go big

    oat milk cheese
    Courtesy: Armored Fresh

    Non-dairy products have an expansive presence at Expo West 2024. At booth #3994 in Hall D, vegan cheese giant Violife is exhibiting what it says is the ‘first-ever’ bakeable non-dairy cream cheese as part of a build-your-own bagel stall and cheesecake offering, while booth #3899 will see Armored Fresh sample its oat-milk-based Cheddar and Pepper Jack slices in grilled cheese sandwiches. In the North Hall, meanwhile, olive oil cheese producer Good Planet Foods will be showcasing new vegan sharp Cheddar and smoked Gouda slices at booth #507.

    Plant-based milk brand MALK Organics is launching a cashew milk and shelf-stable oat and almond milk SKUs this quarter, which will be previewed at booth #335 in the North Hall as well. Another milk launch comes from TiNDLE Foods, marking its alt-dairy debut with a barista oat milk at booth #4905 in Hall E.

    Likewise, Milkadamia (booth #691 in Hall A) and THIS PKN (#100 in the North Hall) will showcase their launch macadamia- and pecan-based creamers, respectively.

    In the precision fermentation dairy sector, Bored Cow (#1249 in the North Hall) will unveil a new product made using Perfect Day’s animal-free whey protein, while Vivici (booth #4495 in Hall D) will be promoting its beta-lactoglobulin protein.

    Breakfast in the spotlight with vegan eggs and meat alternatives

    yo egg
    Courtesy: Yo Egg

    This year, breakfast foods are in. Fresh from announcing its retail launch, Yo Egg will be exhibiting its vegan sunny-side-up and poached eggs at booth #609 in the North Hall. In the same area, AcreMade will showcase its plant-based scrambled eggs made from pea protein at booth #1336.

    It’s a big year for vegan bacon too. Expo West attendees will be able to taste the seaweed bacon from Umaro Foods, which just closed a $3.8M funding round and will present its bacon bits and a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich at booth #211 near the entrance arena. Likewise, MyForest Foods will be sampling its bacon (made from oyster mushroom mycelium) at #1123 in the North Hall, and Prime Roots will offer its koji mycelium bacon at #4695 in Hall D.

    Dinner favourites shine with mushrooms

    vegan sushi
    Courtesy: Konscious Foods

    Apart from its brand-new oat milk, TiNDLE Foods is also launching its vegan stuffed chicken at its Expo West stall. And Hong Kong-based OMNI is unveiling the US’s first lion’s mane mushroom steak product to kickstart its new whole-food OMNI Garden range at booth #2101 in the North Hall.

    Mycelium meat maker Meati, meanwhile, is showcasing its carne asada and chicken analogues at #4981 in Hall E. Shroomeats will be doing the same with its mushroom-based burgers and meatballs at #4199A in Hall D, and Pan’s will exhibit its mushroom jerky at North Hall booth #333.

    If you’re looking for sushi, by the way, Konscious Foods is launching three new products at Expo West: a salmon avocado roll, a kimbap, and smoked salmon (a Nexty Award Finalist at the event). You can find the brand in Hall E at booth #5679.

    Sweet treats and future foods show promise

    vegan hot honey
    Courtesy: MeliBio

    In the dessert realm, OMNI is introducing a new line of dessert-themed baos in four flavours at its booth. Voyage Foods, meanwhile, has partnered with Rudi’s Rocky Mountain Bakery to offer allergen-free PB&J sandwiches with its peanut-free peanut butter at both #2338 in the North Hall.

    Mid-Day Squares will demo its newest functional plant-protein-powered chocolate in the form of a crunchy peanut bar, which visitors can taste at booth #5783 in Hall E. While you’re there, check out Minus‘s beanless coffee cans in cold brew and vanilla oat milk latte flavours at LA Libations’ booth #5535.

    Finally, MeliBio is launching a new flavour of its plant-based Mellody honey, keying into the ultra-popular hot honey trend with a Spicy Habanero variant at its North Hallbooth #445.

    These are just a handful of plant-based and future food innovations being spotlit at Expo West – check out the full list of exhibitors here.

    Natural Products Expo West 2024 is running from March 12-16 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

    The post Expo West 2024: The Most Exciting Alt-Protein & Future Food Launches appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Singaporean Cultivated Seafood Startups Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats Announce Merger

    umami bioworks shiok meats
    6 Mins Read

    In a major shift in the cultivated seafood space, Singaporean startups Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats have announced plans to merge. Once finalised, Umami Bioworks CEO Mihir Pershad will lead the combined entity, and Shiok Meats CEO Sandhya Sriram will exit the company.

    Singapore-based cultivated seafood startups Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats have agreed to merge, establishing the entity as a global leader in the cellular agriculture industry.

    The combined entity will retain the Umami Bioworks name and be led by existing CEO Mihir Pershad, while the leadership will explore how best to leverage the Shiok Meats brand – which will be retained – in the near future.

    Green Queen understands that Shiok Meats co-founder and CEO Sandhya Sriram will leave the company after six years at the helm. As for other employees, they will be joining the Umami Bioworks team to support its work on the development of crustacean cell lines and media.

    The impending merger is a major development in the cultivated seafood industry, with two of the most well-known companies joining forces at a time when cultivated meat is making progress with regulation and commercialisation. Umami Bioworks itself began submitting its first regulatory dossiers and signed initial customers for its production facilities in Q4 2023. “We are currently actively engaged with multiple regulators worldwide and are planning several regulatory dossier submissions this year.

    The company – whose board of directors will include global seafood investment leaders Hatch Blue and Aqua-Spark – intends to continue its ongoing product development with strategic partners for cultivated eel, grouper fish, and pet treats, which will be its lead priorities for market entry. Umami Bioworks will follow a similar approach for additional products and species, including crustaceans, which have been the focus of Shiok Meats’ work.

    “Cultivated seafood as a sector is now on the cusp of commercialisation and initial scale-up,” Pershad told Green Queen. “We felt it was a good time to take a more strategic look at how the industry may evolve in the next few years and how we could position the company to be the partner of choice for incumbents looking to adopt a more sustainable production technology. The merger with Shiok Meats stood out as an opportunity to bring together the IP, resources, and commercial progress of two pioneers in the sector to establish a leading platform for cultivated seafood.”

    In an exclusive conversation with Green Queen, Sriram – who is still working with Umami Bioworks on a smooth transition and handover – outlined that in a novel industry like cultivated meat, “consolidation is progress”, stating: “For Shiok Meats, it was the right time to do an M&A with the shift in the alternative protein industry and the merger was put in place.” She added that her hope was that the merged company “becomes the leading global cultivated seafood platform”.

    umami bioworks
    Courtesy: Umami Bioworks

    Umami Meats will continue Shiok Meats’ work on crustaceans

    The merger announcement has been about eight to nine months in the making, and is aimed at expediting the path to salable production of cultivated seafood. With the deal tipped to be completed soon, both startups believe joining forces will help enhance go-to-market efficiencies, expand commercial opportunities, and accelerate regulatory approvals and market entry.

    “We are currently working through the integration process to determine the right combination of facilities to fuel our next stage of growth. We will be consolidating our resources and assets and establishing integrated centres to optimise resource allocation toward cell line, media and bioprocess R&D,” explained Pershad.

    Shiok Meats has been working on scaling up cell lines for three crustacean species: lobster, shrimp and crab. Pershad confirmed that the new entity will continue this work. “We have seen strong pull from the market, including our existing strategic partners, for cultivated crustacean options,” he said. “Further, UMAMI’s priority has always been ETP (endangered, threatened, and protected) species that are unsuited to large-scale commercial farming and facing growing demand. Crustaceans like lobster and crab are clearly aligned with our strategic mandate.”

    The approach will mirror Umami Bioworks’ existing strategy of “securing commercial interest from an industry incumbent and working through a development programme in parallel with production scale-up”. This will result in finished products ready to sell under its partners’ brands, with Umami Bioworks’ ‘plug-and-play’ biomanufacturing system anchoring the production line.

    “Cell line work on finfish and crustaceans will continue at these integrated R&D centres,” added Pershad. “The Shiok facilities established for production scale-up will also be an essential part of our next phase of technical validation, as we are now scaling up unagi and grouper.”

    shiok meats
    Courtesy: Shiok Meats

    Hybrid seafood products will pave way for market launch

    Umami Meats will follow the same path taken by counterparts like Eat Just, Aleph Farms and Meatable, mixing cultivated animal cells (fish, in this case) with plant-based ingredients for its first products. This helps bring down the costs of cultivated meat, which are currently much higher than both conventional and plant-based meat products.

    “We are initially planning to bring cultivated unagi (eel) and white fish (grouper) to the market via hybrid product applications, as these are the most advanced species in our pipeline and those for which we already have commitments from existing strategic partners.”

    So far, only Upside Foods (US), Eat Just (Singapore and US) and Aleph Farms (Israel) have received regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat. Within Singapore, which granted the world’s first such greenlight in 2020, Vital Meat and Meatable expect clearance to be imminent for their chicken and pork, respectively. But Australia’s Vow Food could beat them to it, with its application for a cultivated quail product in Australia and New Zealand in advanced stages.

    “Umami will initially focus on Singapore and the US due to clear regulatory frameworks and established regulatory review processes,” Pershad said. “However, Umami sees multiple key markets in Asia, including Japan, South Korea, and China, which have tremendous appetite for priority species and growing seafood demand.

    “Once we have completed the integration, we will also establish a clear roadmap for crustacean approvals in line with market priorities of our customers.

    lab grown seafood
    Courtesy: Umami Bioworks

    Why Shiok Meats founder Sandhya Sriram is leaving, and what’s next

    Sriram told Green Queen that she had chosen to step down as CEO to take “a well-deserved break”, but next up, she wants to “be part of the more democratised space of agrifood tech.”

    Asked if she had any regrets about her journey with Shiok Meats, Sriram said she no, but added that if she could do things over, she “would have done more due diligence on some investors” and she “would not have grown the team so aggressively”. “The biggest learnings are that if you set your mind to do something, you have to work towards that goal, whatever happens. That means more tides against you – and you have to fight harder,” she explained.

    Still, Sriram said she was proud of “being the first and a pioneer for the cultivated food space in Singapore and southeast Asia”, adding that as a first mover in the space, the company had opened up the path for others. “That also meant things were much harder than for the rest,” she added. 

    The cultivated meat category is facing headwinds of late, with a sceptical mainstream media landscape and political obstacles in Europe and the US. Does Sriram still believe in the industry? “For sure, yes!” she exclaimed, adding that companies need to be far more transparent and more upfront about the challenges, particularly when it comes to scaling, and that investors need to be far more patient and supportive.

    She concluded: “I am excited for the future of cultivated protein and hope to be around in this industry for much longer and make further impact.”

    The post Singaporean Cultivated Seafood Startups Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats Announce Merger appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • OMNI Unveils Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak & Dessert Baos at Expo West

    omni steak
    4 Mins Read

    Hong Kong-based OMNI is exhibiting two new products at this week’s Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California (March 12-16): a lion’s mane mushroom steak that’s part of its new whole-food OMNI Garden range, and a line of dessert-themed baos.

    OMNI is the latest brand to lean into the thriving whole-food plant-based trend, with the company ready to showcase its new OMNI Garden range. It will be part of its participation at Expo West, which starts today and features a large plant-based presence.

    At the trade fair, it will unveil a vegan steak made from lion’s mane mushrooms as the first OMNI Garden offering, marking the first new product launched by OMNI since the debut of its Luncheon 2.0 SKU in Hong Kong. In the US, this will be its first new offering since it introduced savoury baos in early 2023. Following that theme, OMNI will also exhibit a range of dessert baos in four flavours alongside the new steak.

    “OMNI is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of plant-based food and delivering remarkable culinary experiences,” said OMNI co-founder and CEO David Yeung. “We are thrilled to unveil the Lion Mane’s Mushroom Steak at Expo West, and we believe it will become the new generation of fungi innovation and revolutionise the way people perceive plant-based alternatives.”

    Expo West gets a taste of OMNI’s lion’s mane steak and sweet baos

    omni bao
    Courtesy: OMNI

    The OMNI Garden series celebrates vegetables through a range of bowls, patties and other products, with the brand hoping to provide “an exceptional gastronomic experience” that boasts natural flavours and nutritional benefits.

    While Big Mountain Foods makes lion’s mane burgers and crumbles, OMNI’s offering would mark the first vegan steak product made from these mushrooms in the US. It follows the launch of Wagamama’s limited-edition lion’s mane steak in the UK for Veganuary this year.

    “The OMNI Garden series is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our mission to create exceptional plant-based products,” said Yeung.

    OMNI’s sweet bao series, meanwhile, features four flavours: molten chocolate, matcha, red bean, and black sesame. And the company will hope this launch can build on the success of its savoury Teriyaki and Korean BBQ baos, which are now available at over 1,200 Albertsons banner stores.

    Apart from the new products, the plant-based startup is collaborating with chefs from vegan eatery MANEATINGPLANT Los Angeles, who will take over its tasting booth to showcase dishes using OMNI’s products.

    It caps off a year where the Hong Kong-headquartered company strengthened its market foothold, most notably with a partnership with Neat for its vegan fish, which won a gold award for Best Vegan Fish in Vegan Food & Living’s Product Awards 2023. OMNI also revamped its packaging design and received two Best In Class honours from PAC Global Awards in New York.

    OMNI leans into growing whole-food plant-based trend

    burger king black bean
    Courtesy: Burger King

    This year has seen a magnified focus on whole foods in the plant-based sector. Last year, a survey showed that, among different protein sources, those originating from whole plants experienced the sharpest rise in consumption among Americans between 2022 and 2023, with 28% eating them ‘somewhat’ or ‘much more’. Additionally, these foods had the second-lowest drop (11%) in intake, behind plant-based meat and seafood analogues (10%).

    Just earlier this year, fast-casual chain Smashburger partnered with jackfruit meat producer Jack & Annie’s to debut a new burger, while for Veganuary, Dave’s Hot Chicken released its first meat-free options with cauliflower sliders and bites, and Hard Rock Cafe in Broadway introduced a menu with cauliflower wings and a mushroom primavera pasta.

    Chipotle’s braised tofu (Sofritas) and Shake Shack’s veggie burger are further examples of popular restaurants embracing whole foods, as is Chipotle founder Steve Ells’ new vegan chain Kernel, whose menu is focused on whole foods too. Meanwhile, Beyond Meat has revamped its recipe to include fava beans and red lentils.

    In the UK, too, Veganuary was all about whole foods. Burger King relaunched its black bean burger, Leon went for a gut-healthy bhaji wrap with courgettes, peas and broad beans, Pizza Express presented a new calzone packed with vegetables, and Marugamu Udon unveiled a pumpkin katsu curry option to its menu.

    Additionally, as mentioned above, Wagamama highlighted lion’s mane mushrooms – but it was far from the only company doing so. Pret A Manger rolled out a VLT with vegan bacon rashers made from roasted shiitake and chestnut mushrooms, as well as a bánh mì featuring sticky BBQ roasted mushrooms as the meat. Also taking to the mushroom meat trend was Zizzi, whose new Rustic pizza featured Fable Foods’ pulled shiitake mushrooms.

    The focus on mushrooms comes after a year when mycelium (or mushroom root) started becoming mainstream, with new innovations, breakthroughs, product launches and a host of funding rounds. It’s a $2.85B market led by the likes of Quorn, Nature’s Fynd and Meati – and it’s only set to grow, given mycelium’s nutritional and environmental prowess, ability to scale in a cost-competitive manner, and potential to tackle global hunger and food insecurity.

    With its new lion’s mane steak, can OMNI join the fungi frenzy?

    The post OMNI Unveils Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak & Dessert Baos at Expo West appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Florida Will Soon Ban Cultivated Meat – Here’s How the Industry is Fighting Back

    florida cultivated meat
    7 Mins Read

    Florida will imminently ban cultivated meat from being produced or sold within state borders, with governor Ron DeSantis set to sign the bill that was passed in the Republican-controlled House last week. But the alternative protein industry is fighting back.

    “We’re not going to do that fake meat. Like, that doesn’t work.”

    These are the words of a lawmaker whose presidential campaign to undo all climate progress didn’t work (although the man who beat him out is worse). However, Ron DeSantis is still the governor of Florida, and despite support for the Republican seesawing over the last couple of months, his words are likely to come true soon.

    Last week, a Senate bill that attempted to ban cultivated meat in Florida was passed by the House of Representatives, meaning all it now needs a sign-off from DeSantis’s red pen. And given his rhetoric about what he calls “fake meat” (which it isn’t) and overarching views about the climate crisis – he believes humans, four million of whom could die due to climate change in 2024, are safer than ever – his approval of the ban is an almost certainty.

    This would mean, despite scientists, the USDA, and the FDA ruling that cultivated meat is safe for human consumption, Florida’s Big Ag lobby and livestock-loving policymakers have decided otherwise. The alternative protein industry, however, isn’t having it – and it’s pushing back with a new campaign.

    Why Florida wants to ban cultivated meat

    It all started in November last year, when Florida House representative Tyler Sirois proposed a bill (HB 435) seeking to ban the manufacturing and sale of cultivated meat within the state, imposing criminal penalties on anyone violating these rules. There was a list of penalties for non-compliance, with violators facing a misdemeanour of the second degree, alongside a fine between $500 to $1,000, and a possible license suspension or immediate stop-sale order.

    While that didn’t really go anywhere, two others have. HB 1071, sponsored by Republican House representative Danny Alvarez, has been passed by the House and will now go to the Senate. And SB 1084, introduced by Republican state representative Jay Collins in the Senate, has been passed in both chambers. It prohibits people from producing, selling, holding or distributing cultivated meat, with similar penalties of second-disagree misdemeanours, licence suspensions, and stop-sale orders.

    “There are many concerns right here and, until we have those studies and there’s proof positive that this process is going to work, we want to ban this in the state of Florida because it’s just not there quite yet, Collins has said, despite the USDA and FDA carrying out multi-year reviews to prove the exact opposite.

    The real reason, really, is an intention to protect the state’s livestock industry from competition from novel protein companies, perpetuate what has become a common right-wing neophobia of food tech, and mobilise voter sentiment against the “woke elite” in the climate change and alt-protein culture wars. It’s a crucial aspect considering that Republicans are looking to reclaim the White House by the end of the year.

    UPSIDE Foods Launches Give a Cluck Campaign

    As we await DeSantis’ inevitable sign-off, alternative protein companies are fighting back with awareness campaigns and op-eds. California’s UPSIDE Foods, which is one of the two manufacturers in the US to have been approved to sell cultivated meat, is asking what the fuck – sorry, cluck – is going on.

    The company argues that the bill “bans your right to choose your meat”. But instead of just restricting consumer choice, it also threatens innovation, the free market and the nation’s biotech leadership.

    “We understand cultivated meat may not be for everyone, but it’s clucking frustrating to see a state close their doors before they’ve even had a chance to taste it [only restaurants in California and Washington DC have served cultivated meat so far] – or really even learn about how it’s made and the potential benefits,” the company says. “It’s like killing your chickens before they hatch.”

    UPSIDE Foods says supporters of these bans are victims of online misinformation and have concerns over safety, competition with conventional meat, ethics, and economics. But it points out how the US food safety regulators have approved these products, adding that cultivated meat is “complementary, not competitive” and will co-exist with other meat production methods.

    The startup further notes that everyone should have the freedom to choose what they eat, and cultivated meat can potentially make people in an ethical dilemma feel good about meat-eating. Finally, it suggests that this ban – and other similar proposals across the US – will give other countries a competitive edge in producing a more “resilient and self-sufficient food system”.

    Therefore, UPSIDE Foods’ self-produced campaign is asking consumers to call or email DeSantis to veto SB 1084 and HB 1071. “Americans stand for freedom… not bans on freedom or free markets or choice,” said founder and CEO Uma Valeti.

    The meat industry is also against Florida’s ban on cultivated meat

    better meat co
    Courtesy: The Better Meat Co

    But it’s not just UPSIDE Foods that is pushing back – others have joined the fight too. Leaders from 38 VC funds have signed a letter against the ban, noting that becoming the only state to ban cultivated meat would stop it from attracting investment in research.

    “Passage of this legislation will have economic ramifications for Florida. Biotechnology and biomanufacturing are among the fastest-growing industries in the United States, with biomanufacturing leveraging biological systems to produce goods at a commercial scale, offering innovative solutions across various sectors including plastics, fuels, foods, and pharmaceuticals,” the letter reads. “In the short life of this emerging industry, investors have already put almost $3B in capital to work on this product, supporting thousands of jobs in this promising industry.”

    It continues: “Florida would uniquely choose to restrict a vital segment of the American biotechnology sector. Such a decision will raise strong doubts among investors about the state’s commitment to supporting emerging technologies, hindering future investments to the industry and Florida.”

    Meanwhile, industry leaders have voiced their concerns too. Writing for The Hill, Paul Shapiro, CEO of The Better Meat Co (which produces mycelium protein for blended meat), called the ban a “dumb mistake”. “DeSantis and other like-minded policymakers seeking to deny Americans the freedom to choose the meat they can eat may see a threat from innovative entrepreneurs working to bring cultivated meat to market,” he explained. “But those committed to a free market should ask if it’s really the state’s role to stamp out entrepreneurial competition to ensure incumbent industries always win.”

    He added that, despite progress, we’re “still a long way from seeing cultivated meat show up [on] grocery shelves, due to the industry’s lack of scale”. This was echoed by Didier Toubia, CEO of Aleph Farms (only the third company to have received regulatory approval for cultivated meat globally), who wrote in an op-ed for Fast Company about how what he sees as “continuous progress and learning”, critics view as “unwarranted delays or even downright failure”.

    cultivated meat regulatory approval
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    Toubia outlined that his one regret was not tempering consumer expectations about the mainstreaming of cultivated meat, which is “not a quick fix”. “Sceptics are right to point out that cellular agriculture cannot afford to remain stagnant; it must keep evolving in order to have its intended impact,” he wrote, adding: “By better qualifying our success and managing expectations, we can help people see cultivated meat as we see it: a marathon rather than a sprint.”

    But perhaps the most striking opposition to Florida’s ban comes from the very industry its lawmakers are trying to ‘protect’. The North American Meat Institute, the country’s oldest and largest trade association (representing 95% of the US’s meat output), has called the ban “bad public policy” in a letter to DeSantis.

    “Legislators and others who beat the ‘food safety’ drum in support of HB 1071 and SB 1084 do so at their peril, and the peril of others, because these bills establish a precedent for adopting policies and regulatory requirements that could one day adversely affect the bills’ supporters,” the letter states, suggesting that it could set a precedent for climate or health policies in other states that could ban conventional meat.

    “Restricting the sale and manufacture of cell-cultivated meat products limits consumer choice and denies Floridians access to food options,” it adds. “Decisions about what to consume or purchase should be left to the market and consumers, not dictated by legislation that hampers progress and competition.”

    What does it say about a state’s policy when the very group lawmakers are purportedly ‘protecting’ calls out its bullshit? I’ll let DeSantis be the judge of that.

    The post Florida Will Soon Ban Cultivated Meat – Here’s How the Industry is Fighting Back appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Kynda Teams Up with The Raging Pig Co to Unveil Zero-Waste, Affordable Mycelium Meat Burgers

    mycelium meat
    4 Mins Read

    German biotech startup Kynda is set to introduce a zero-waste mycelium ingredient for use in plant-based and hybrid proteins, starting with a partnership with The Raging Pig Company, which will use the Kynda-Meat to produce vegan burgers.

    Germany’s mycelium sector is heating up, with the newest product born out of the fungi soon to hit the market. Hamburg-based startup Kynda, which makes plug-and-play bioreactors and starter cultures for mycelium protein, is launching a zero-waste, biomass-fermented meat alternative ingredient that is already compliant with the EU’s novel food regulations.

    Kynda will unveil the first innovation with its ingredient at trade fair Internorga (March 8-11), partnering up with plant-based pork producer The Raging Pig Company to introduce mycelium burger patties. It will be a precursor to the product’s launch Kynda’s market launch in Germany later this year.

    “We are thrilled to showcase our mycelium-based products at Internorga in collaboration with The Raging Pig,” said Kynda CEO Daniel MacGowan von Holstein. “We’re beyond happy to team up with such a like-minded and purpose-driven company. This partnership signifies a huge milestone in our journey to revolutionise the food industry by offering truly sustainable alternatives.”

    Valorising sidestreams to produce sustainable proteins

    the raging pig company
    Courtesy: Kynda

    To make its mycelium ingredient, Kynda uses a range of food industry byproducts, with a particular focus on “underutilised streams such as soy-, oat- and rice-okara”, von Holstein told Green Queen. These sidestreams go through a submerged biomass fermentation process, where microorganisms are rapidly grown in a liquid medium, with the entire biomass becoming the end product.

    A key advantage of biomass fermentation is that it can drastically cut down the time it takes to grow proteins, compared to livestock farming or traditional fermentation. Kynda claims that its fungi strain and highly efficient proprietary process reduce the fermentation time from an average of seven to 10 days “for best practices” to just 48 hours.

    While the company is unable to disclose what strain it’s using, von Holstein confirmed that it was one that is compliant with the EU’s novel foods regulations, which means there are no regulatory hurdles, clearing the way for the product’s market entry.

    The mycelium ingredient will spark interest from manufacturers looking to produce more sustainable, affordable and nutritious alternative proteins. Kynda’s mycelium product emits 700% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than pea protein, which is used by industry giants like Beyond Meat. It also has a protein content of 37% in dry matter, contains all nine essential amino acids, and is low in fat and rich in fibre and vitamins. Moreover, the ingredient is said to be cheaper to produce than plant-based texturates, with the startup suggesting it could be used in both plant-based and hybrid meat applications too.

    This is what appealed to Raging Pig too, which was looking to “replace highly processed pea protein texturates in their products”, von Holstein explained. “As a B2B company, we can solve their needs with healthy, nutritious and sustainable Kynda-Meat,” he said.

    Kynda enters a red-hot mycelium market

    kynda mycelium
    Courtesy: Kynda

    “Our focus has always been on taste and sustainability. With Kynda’s nutritious and allergen-free ingredients, we’re able to significantly lower our production costs and are finally able to compete with heavily subsidised meat producers,” said Raging Pig co-founder Arne Ewerbeck.

    The company has swapped 17% of the pea protein obtained from high-moisture extrusion in its burger for Kynda’s mycelium ingredient. “By replacing highly processed raw materials with Kynda’s fermentation solution, we are answering the call of many consumers for healthy meat alternatives,” said Ewerbeck.

    Raging Pig marks Kynda’s first collaboration for its mycelium protein, but further partnerships with B2C companies in both foodservice and retail will follow later this year. Plus, the startup is in the middle of a $4M seed funding round, and last year received a non-dilutive grant from Germany’s food and agriculture ministry to scale up its fermentation platform and produce mycelium protein more efficiently.

    “We just received planning permission for our new facility, which will house our scaled-up 30,000-litre fermentation capacity,” von Holstein told Green Queen. “This will be built until the end of Q3 2024.”

    Kynda is one of several German companies working with mycelium, which has exploded in popularity over the last few months for its nutritional benefits, climate credentials and production efficiency. Infinite Roots, also from Hamburg, closed a $58M Series B funding round in January, which is claimed to be the largest mycelium investment in Europe. Berlin-based Bosque Foods is similarly using mycelium to create whole-cut chicken and pork filets, as well as bacon. (Like Kynda, both companies leverage agricultural sidestreams.)

    Estimates reveal that a third of all food produced worldwide goes to waste, amounting to 6% of global emissions, so using food industry byproducts to make alternative proteins is a shrewd move. And since mycelium can be scaled up rapidly and in a cost-effective manner, it has been touted as a potential for human nutrition insecurity and global hunger.

    That’s Kynda cool, isn’t it?

    The post Kynda Teams Up with The Raging Pig Co to Unveil Zero-Waste, Affordable Mycelium Meat Burgers appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • IWD 2024: Women-Led Plant-Based Companies Shaping the Future of Food

    international women's day
    4 Mins Read

    Today is International Women’s Day, a day all about raising visibility and awareness of women’s rights, and celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Even though the climate crisis seems too tall a mountain to climb sometimes, so many women are using their voices and pushing for change through food, the most powerful tool of action. Today, we celebrate these women, and what their plant-based companies are doing to change the world.

    Hannah Carter and Polly Trollope founded OGGS, a UK-based vegan egg and baked goods company, in 2019 – since then, it has saved the equivalent of five million chicken eggs.

    Kimberlie Le is the co-founder of Prime Roots, a mycelium meat company that makes deli meats, charcuterie and bacon from koji, and was named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for social impact in 2021.

    Aleah Rae Montague is the co-founder of Meat the Mushroom, which makes Shroomacon, a clean-label vegan bacon from king oyster mushrooms, and shot to fame on Shark Tank earlier this year.

    Another Shark Tank company that’s making vegan bacon is Umaro Foods, whose co-founders Beth Zotter and Amanda Stiles are using seaweed to make plant-based proteins.

    The plant-based sector is booming in India. On the meat analogue side, Bollywood actress Genelia Deshmukh co-founded Imagine Meats; Roma Roy Choudhury founded Evolved Foods; Pranjuli Garg co-founded ProMeat, Akanksha Ghai, co-founded BVeg Foods, and Nikki Arora Singh founded Blue Tribe Foods. And in the alt-dairy realm, there’s Sweta Khandelwal, who co-founded Better Bet; Aarohi Surya, founder of Dancing Cow; and Anushi Patel, founder of Soft Spot Cheese.

    Based in Indonesia, Helga Angelina Tjahjadi is the co-founder of the country’s first plant-based meat company, Green Rebel Foods, and vegan restaurant chain Burgreens.

    Vinita Choolani is founder of Singapore’s Float Foods, the maker of Asia’s first plant-based whole egg, OnlyEg. It recently secured a food safety certification for its Halal-certified facility to offer its tech to other manufacturers looking to ditch eggs.

    Astrid Prajogo is the founder and CEO of China’s HaoFood, which makes meat alternatives using peanut protein. Its latest innovation is vegan xiaolongbaos (soup dumplings), with the peanut meat replacing the traditional minced pork filling.

    Philippine Soulères Albrand and Sheryline Thavisouk are the co-founders of Le Papondu, a French startup whose vegan eggs come in shells.

    Liron Nimrodi is the co-founder and CEO of Zero Egg, an Israel-based plant-based egg company that is available in multiple countries now, including the US.

    Deniz Ficicioglu is the co-founder of Berlin-based BettaF!sh, which makes vegan tuna using European seaweed.

    Tanja Bogumil is the co-founder of fellow German startup Perfeggt, which is making pea-protein-based liquid vegan eggs that you can use in scrambles, carbonara and pancakes.

    Oyebola Adeyanju is the co-founder of Nigeria’s first plant-based food tech company, Veggie Victory, a Black-owned business rooted in its gender-balanced and social fairness values.

    Christie Lagally founded Rebellyous Foods in 2017, and has shaped the company into a leader in the vegan chicken sector.

    Courtney Boyd Myers is the co-founder of Akua, a New York-based startup that makes seaweed burgers from sustainable ocean-farmed kelp and has previously been named one of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas for Food.

    Hailey Swartz is co-founder of Actual Veggies, a fellow New York company that makes chef-crafted, whole-food plant-based burgers, made from sustainably sourced crops from regional farmers.

    Canadian scientist Sujala Balaji is the founder of Rainfed Foods, a food tech company making plant-based milks from millets.

    Monica Talbert is the co-founder of The Plant Based Seafood Co, an all-female, family-owned brand making fish- and crustacean-free crab cakes, scallops and shrimps.

    Kerry Song is the founder of US plant-based meat brand Abbot’s Butcher, whose product range includes ground beef, chopped chicken, chorizo, and a burger.

    Michelle Lee is co-founder at Lypid, a vegan fat company whose first innovation, PhytoFat, was used in a vegan pork belly, and is now part of plant-based meatballs suitable for multiple cuisines.

    Hema Reddy is the founder of US company Crafty Counter, which makes WunderEgg, a range of plant-based boiled and deviled eggs, and egg patties.

    And Marissa Cuevas Flores and Fanny Villiers are co-founders of MicroTERRA, a Mexican startup leveraging the power of duckweed to make plant-based proteins and ingredients, with its latest innovation aimed at sugar reduction.

    This is by no means an exhaustive list – just a snapshot of all the female-founded companies doing incredible work for their communities, human health, and the climate crisis. Here’s to all the women in the world. More power to you and everything you do. Happy International Women’s Day!

    The post IWD 2024: Women-Led Plant-Based Companies Shaping the Future of Food appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Shark Tank Success Umaro Foods Raises $3.8M to Launch Seaweed Bacon in Supermarkets

    umaro
    5 Mins Read

    Californian plant-based meat producer Umaro Foods has secured $3.8M in a seed funding round to help it reduce production costs and launch its seaweed bacon into retail.

    The financing round was led by existing investor AgFunder, with support from Alexandria Ventures Investments, Climate Capital Bio, Ponderosa Ventures, and NBA all-star Chris Paul. It brings total investment in the vegan bacon producer to $6.8M, following a $3M round in 2022 (also led by AgFunder).

    The latest capital injection will help Umaro Foods amp up production and bring down the costs of its seaweed-based bacon, and facilitate its move into grocery stores.

    “People love our bacon because it nails the crispy, fatty texture of pork bacon,” Umaro Foods co-founder and CEO Beth Zotter told AgFunderNews. “Our innovative, seaweed-based formula is what differentiates our product from other brands and is now patented in the US.”

    Leveraging the ‘most scalable protein bioreactor’

    vegan bacon
    Courtesy: Umaro Foods

    Zotter founded Umaro Foods in 2019 (then known as Trophic) with chief technology officer Amanda Stiles as the “first and only company” extracting protein from ocean-farmed seaweeds. The startup shot to fame in 2022 after securing a $1M investment for 7% equity from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank.

    Umaro Bacon is already available at 250 restaurants and delis across the US, including Crossroads Kitchen, Plantega, Roam Burger and Choice Market. It’s in talks with universities to move its bacon into the catering sector as well. But now, it is casting a much wider net. “After achieving incredible traction in restaurants across the country, with sales growing sixfold in one year, we’re looking forward to reaching new customers,” said Zotter.

    Armed with the new financing, Umaro Foods will soon launch onto supermarket shelves, starting with a leading retailer on the west coast. The CPG products include bacon strips and bits, as well as a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.

    The vegan bacon uses red nori seaweed as its key ingredient, which is supplemented with chickpeas, sunflower and coconut oil, agar and carrageenan, plus natural flavouring and colouring elements. “One reason bacon is so delicious is because it’s got a lot of fat [20g per serving],” said Zotter. “We’ve discovered a really innovative way to use the hydrocolloids in seaweed to hold on to high amounts of plant-based fat… That allows us to deliver that sensory experience that you get with bacon, which is what makes it so craveable.”

    Umaro Foods has patent-pending extraction processes for two types of seaweed: red and brown. The former shares similarities with conventional pea and soy processing, and forms the base of its current bacon product due to its red hue, high protein content, and ease of import (the startup works with a co-manufacturer in Canada to extract protein from seaweed imported from South Korea).

    But the red seaweed doesn’t have “those high-value hydrocolloids”, Zotter explained: “So our goal is to process both red and brown seaweeds, where we can get the protein out but also produce valuable side streams such as alginate, agar, and carrageenan, for which there are already established markets.”

    The idea is, at scale, Umaro Foods’ protein separation process will produce hydrocolloids as well. “The ocean is the world’s most scalable protein bioreactor,” the CEO added. “It covers 71% of the Earth’s surface and contains over 80% of the world’s chemically reactive nitrogen, so it’s sort of a no-brainer that that’s where we should be getting the bulk of our protein.”

    Sea-ing out the competition

    umaro bacon
    Courtesy: Umaro Foods

    The vegan bacon startup will additionally use the funds to move from a batch production process to a continuous one. “One of the things that makes meat alternatives very expensive is that they use techniques such as extrusion or fermentation that require large capital investments,” Zotter said.

    But its high-throughput, low-capex manufacturing process will enable it to produce vegan bacon at half the cost of conventional options from the likes of Hormel and Smithfield. Currently, Umaro Foods is producing the equivalent of 60,000 lbs of product every year, but once sales grow enough to allow its machine to operate at full capacity, it can make over a million pounds of vegan bacon annually, with a potential revenue of $20M.

    “It costs about half a million dollars to finance, so the payback time should be rapid,” said Zotter. “Our main goal in this next phase is to get to profitability. And this automated manufacturing process is going to be a key part of this.”

    She further outlined the company’s plan to streamline its sourcing so it can move closer to the raw material in Asia: “We’re looking for partners to scale that process, either via a joint venture or a manufacturing partnership. And that would be most likely with a large food processing company with a base in Asia.”

    Zotter added that Umaro Foods is open to developing a B2B arm for its seaweed protein, and is in conversations with other companies. But she reiterated that the current focus is to use it for its own bacon products. (The startup has previously suggested that it will look to develop pepperoni, salami and other cured meats from the seaweed too.)

    The company has also been working on a project with a specialist firm to selectively extract rare earth elements and platinum group metals from seaweeds, which is backed by a $2M grant from the US Department of Energy. “The DoE is looking at seaweed as a source of critical minerals, so they’re funding us to develop a way to integrate a minerals extraction process into our protein separation process,” Zotter noted.

    The seaweed protein sector is still in its infancy, and startups innovating with such ingredients have had a tough going – France’s Update Foods (which made algae milk) ceased operations in 2022, while seaweed-based seafood producer New Wave Foods was forced to shut just a few months ago. However, Umaro Foods has ridden the wave successfully.

    “Umaro’s results showcase its adaptability, innovation, and success in introducing new products to a competitive market, spanning both foodservice and retail,” said Sofia Ramírez Calvo, venture partner, AgFunder.

    The true test, however, will be its performance in the crowded vegan bacon market – in the US. MyForest Foods, Prime Roots, Thrilling Foods, Upton’s Naturals, Tofurky, Lightlife and Meat the Mushroom (another Shark Tank success) are just a few companies innovating in this space, which estimates suggest is worth $1.3B.

    But given the inroads it has already made, Umaro Foods’s seaweed bacon could soon be swimming in success.

    The post Shark Tank Success Umaro Foods Raises $3.8M to Launch Seaweed Bacon in Supermarkets appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Oscar Mayer to Launch Vegan Hot Dogs via Kraft Heinz-NotCo Collaboration

    oscar mayer vegan
    5 Mins Read

    Chicago-based meat company Oscar Mayer, a subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, is launching a line of plant-based hot dogs, as part of an ongoing collaboration with NotCo. They will debut at Expo West next week.

    The two-year-old joint venture between Kraft Heinz and Chilean food tech company NotCo is launching its first plant-based meat product range: a vegan hot dog under the former’s Oscar Mayer brand.

    The NotHotDogs and NotSausages, which will be previewed at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim (March 12-16), mark Oscar Mayer’s first foray into plant-based meat, and the fourth innovation born out of the Kraft Heinz Not Company venture.

    “We know people are hungry for plant-based meat options from brands they know and trust,” said The Kraft Heinz Company CEO Lucho Lopez-May. “In launching the joint venture’s first product in the plant-based meat category, we saw an opportunity to satisfy these consumer cravings, leveraging NotCo’s revolutionary AI technology and the power, equity, and legacy of the Oscar Mayer brand.”

    Oscar Mayer’s vegan sausages put flavour over everything

    vegan hot dogs
    Courtesy: The Kraft Heinz Not Company

    The plant-based wieners will come in original, Bratwurst, and Italian sausage flavours, and hit US supermarkets in Q2 this year. They’re said to replicate the ‘snap’ of the outer casing and the savoury, smoky taste experience associated with Oscar Mayer’s conventional products.

    It’s big news for three reasons: Kraft Heinz is the third-largest food company in North America, Oscar Mayer has been making meat products for over 140 years, and the release of a product in a category that has struggled of late is a sign of confidence in the plant-based industry.

    Retail sales of meat analogues dipped by 11% to just over $1B in the year ending January 28, 2024, with volume down by 16.5%. It has coincided with plant-based giants like Quorn and Beyond Meat losing sales (though the latter is doing better than expected), startups like New Wave Foods, Ordinary Seafood and Nowadays being forced to shut, and innovators like Meati and Impossible Foods enforcing staff cutbacks.

    Many companies have rejigged their product formulations and lineups to better serve consumer needs, but The Kraft Heinz Not Company said vegan hot dogs and sausage links remain underdeveloped and under-consumed, pointing to a gap in taste and texture expectations for consumers. This is why the Oscar Mayer vegan wieners – made from bamboo fibre, mushroom, pea protein and acerola cherry – are all about a taste-first approach.

    Multiple studies have shown that flavour continues to be the main factor drawing consumers to plant-based meat, as well as pushing them away. One global poll from 2022 found that the taste and texture of meat alternatives are as important as conventional meat products for more than 75% of consumers. Last year, a Mintel survey found that taste is the biggest reason putting off Americans from trying meat analogues.

    Yet another study revealed that taste is the top consideration for Americans when making grocery decisions, and the top barrier for trying plant-based meat (or purchasing it again, for that matter). And an earlier poll by food giant Kerry found that 73% of consumers feel vegan alternatives should mimic the taste of conventional meat.

    This is what Oscar Mayer is honing in on with its new vegan sausages. “What the consumer is expecting is a product replica, a product that looks and performs like the animal-based item,” Lopez-May told Axios, noting that the products will be the “first ones in the bun-length space”.

    Speaking to Bloomberg, he added: “Being able to borrow the flavour note, the flavouring systems, and incorporate those into a completely different matrix — it’s a massive technological accomplishment.” It’s a nod to NotCo’s tech platform, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to find the right combinations between thousands of different plant-based ingredients to replace animal-derived foods.

    Can consumers shake off the price tag?

    oscar mayer vegan hot dogs
    Courtesy: The Kraft Heinz Not Company

    Oscar Mayer’s announcement comes three months after Impossible Foods said it would roll out a plant-based beef hot dog later this year as well. That product was very much skewed towards the health aspect, and for good reason: hot dogs are the epitome of processed food, with such processed meats categorised as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Impossible’s product contained 50% less fat, twice the protein and zero cholesterol compared to an animal-derived hot dog.

    However, there has been a lot of clamour around plant-based meats, ultra-processed foods and their links to ill health. The overprocessed nature of vegan analogues can be off-putting to many consumers, especially at a time when health is the main reason six in 10 Americans eat meatless diets. But a survey of 2,000 Americans in October found that 82% of consumers eat UPFs, and 43% don’t believe they’re bad for health.

    Additionally, nearly two-thirds (65%) would be open to incorporating UPFs in their diets if additional health or nutritional benefits were listed on-pack, which rises to 85% for parents with children under 18. And in any case, Oscar Mayer’s plant-based hot dogs will likely be geared towards flexitarians who are looking to cut down on their meat consumption.

    So how do they compare to the company’s own beef franks? The NotHotDogs have 17% fewer calories, 44% less total fat, and 67% more protein, although their sodium content is 40% higher. The Kraft Heinz Not Company stresses that flavour is still the main focus – given they serve as an entry point to the plant-based category – and the sodium can eventually be lowered. “We wanted to make something that tastes great,” Kraft Heinz R&D president Robert Scott told Bloomberg.

    The vegan products will also be slightly more expensive, with the NotHotDogs priced at $5.99 for a four-pack, and NotSausage at ($7.99). In contrast, its bun-length franks cost $4 for an eight-pack. But there’s evidence that consumers could shell out: 67% of Americans say they’d willing to pay more for UPFs with more nutritious ingredients that deliver better health benefits, irrespective of their household income.

    The new Oscar Mayer plant-based hot dogs and sausages join a crowded category that already includes Field Roast, Tofurky, Lightlife, Upton’s Naturals and MorningStar Farms, and was estimated to be an $828M market last year. But the company will hope that its taste credentials help it stand apart. “At The Kraft Heinz Not Company, our goal is to create mouthwatering, plant-based foods that are delicious and accessible for everyone – from the devoted vegan to the plant-based curious,” said Lopez-May.

    The vegan wieners follow the launch of NotCheese Slices, NotMayo and NotMac&Cheese – a plant-based version of the famous Kraft dinner – which leverage the market expertise and distribution channels of Kraft Heinz and the AI-led technology and innovation of NotCo.

    Having already entered a new sector in plant-based meat, The Kraft Heinz Not Company now plans to expand into further categories, and has already begun expanding internationally.

    The post Oscar Mayer to Launch Vegan Hot Dogs via Kraft Heinz-NotCo Collaboration appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • BYND: 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Beyond Meat

    7 Mins Read

    Beyond Meat enjoyed a bit of a small rally recently, especially after its latest earnings call. However, there has been a lot of negative discussion about Beyond Meat and its stock price over the past year, which indeed continues to struggle.

    Is the negativity justified? Is it accurate? Is the product to blame? Is it CEO Ethan Brown? Below, I share the ten reasons investors of all culinary persuasions might be wrong about BYND. 

    1. Ceci N’est Pas Un ‘Consumer Staple’ 

    Beyond Meat’s IPO valuation was more aligned with tech companies during the dot-com bubble than with consumer staples/food companies, per the image below. This proved to be a real Achille’s heel for the stock, as tech companies trade at higher multiples and have faster growth trends. Food products are not SaaS, and these companies tend to have much slower growth than their tech counterparts. The markets eventually corrected for this, bringing the company’s stock price way down. 

    2. Path to Profitability: No P/E, No Love‘

    The media loves a founder with a ‘save-the-world’ dream. From Steve Jobs to Sergey Brin, Silicon Valley has trained us to love a visionary. Beyond’s CEO Ethan Brown may indeed make his vision a reality of shifting the global food system away from livestock meat eventually, but Wall Street analysts don’t want to hear about a future dream. They want to see consumer demand, revolutionary IP, and, more than anything else, a realistic path to profitability. 

    Financial analysts usually rely on a P/E ratio (share price per earnings) to evaluate a company’s performance and in the case of Beyond Meat, which has not achieved profitability yet, the ratio is negative, leaving analysts flummoxed. Additionally, analysts want to see revenue growth, not revenue declines, as is the case for Beyond Meat. Add to this that most Street analysts may not see the need to shift away from an animal meat food system, and it’s not hard to see why the stock has been battered by downgrade ratings.

    3. Consistency For The Win. Confidence For The Bigger Win.

    If analysts aren’t interested in the plant-based dream and are deprived of their crucial revenue growth and P/E metrics, how exactly can they analyze a company accurately and provide fair stock ratings? The answer is earning calls. Wall Street analysts tend to look to the CEO to accurately guide for financial expectations: Will the company be profitable? And if so, by how much? And when? They expect the CEO to be able to know their business well enough to accurately predict growth (or loss) from three months to a year out.

    Much of Wall Street is about managing expectations. Consistently hitting quarterly expectations in earnings calls gives analysts confidence that the CEO is in control of the business. Consistently missing quarterly expectations and not being able to right the ship quarter after quarter will do the exact opposite. This is what happened to Beyond Meat for too many quarters in a row. 

    4. ‘I Have a Dream’ vs. ‘Show Me The Money 

    Dreams are great but profitability is the holy grail. Beyond Meat IPOed during the exuberant 2019 bull market. The stock rose 163% in one day of trading, the largest bump for an IPO stock since the 2008 crash. While institutional investors make up 85% of the market, it’s the retail investors that got really excited about BYND, and this resulted in the stock’s price being driven way up. Irrationally so, some might say. Ever since, the company has struggled to show analysts a convincing path to profitability. 

    As of the last earnings call, the Street seems to have regained some confidence in Brown as a CEO and the stock in general. While U.S. sales were down, the company still beat expectations and sales were down less than expected ($73.7 million rather than $66.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023). This is 10% better than expected for the US. Further, international sales were up 22% in retail and 34% in foodservice. 

    The stock was rewarded for this, but losing less sales than expected is hardly revenue growth. Even in forecasting out for 2024, the best the company could do was state that it would hold steady at around $345M, and lose no more. Not exactly growth. The company hasn’t been able to hold on to all of its gains, but there was a moment when it rallied for the company. So why did The Street react positively?  

    5. It’s The Spending, Stupid

    What was so different about the Feb 27th earnings call? Well, Brown shared that in 2023 the company brought operating expenses down to $107.8 million for the year, compared with $320.2 million in 2022, a two-thirds reduction in spending!

    It appears The Street had been waiting to see this kind of leadership from the company since its IPO. Could Beyond Meat run a fiscally responsible company?

    BYND was up 31% the day after the earnings call (Feb 28th, 2024), trading at $9.83, up from $7.52. It then surged 106% in after-hours trading. As of writing ten days later, it is $8.07.

    Less interested in big visions around the future of protein, analysts had been hoping for a solid balance sheet and a realistic path to profitability, or at least stopping the bleeding, controlled spending and management focused on the numbers, not the dream- all of which Beyond delivered.

    6. What’s Up with Consumer Demand? Inflation.

    While some vegans claim that Beyond Meat’s cleaner labels are the reason why the company is having trouble, the more likely explanation for declining domestic sales is inflation. The average grocery shopper is facing skyrocketing food prices. 

    The Beyond Meat brand is intended for meat eaters looking to make a smarter choice for themselves and the planet. With the cost of its plant-based patty up to double that of a heavily subsidized livestock meat burger, it’s no secret why mainstream consumers can’t afford them on a regular basis. 

    The company appears to be working hard on price parity, but it’s key not to ignore food inflation’s role when looking at the whole financial picture. According to the industry think tank the Good Food Institute, what matters most to alternative protein consumers is taste, price, and convenience. I have come to believe it is price, price, and price. 

    7. Covid, (Supply) Chains and China, Oh My!

    Often missing from Beyond Meat analysis is the bigger contextual picture. Since going public in mid-2019, the company has faced Covid-related complications (including restaurant closures), supply chain disruptions due to wars and pandemics, China’s economic crash, global inflation, and general societal angst. Even one of these externalities would challenge a healthy company- and yet Beyond has weathered all of these simultaneously. To still be standing and on the way to profitability is a testament to the young public company’s staying power. Can it continue to weather the storm?

    8. Big Meat vs. Beyond Meat

    In the past 18 months, the mainstream media has been relentless in its attacks on the plant-based meat sector. While many see the negative narratives as directed against the entire industry, in reality, as the only public company in the space, Beyond Meat bears the brunt of the hits and it’s undoubtedly had an outsized impact on the stock performance. 

    Lately, a slew of reports and investigations have detailed how Big Meat lobbyists are behind the attacks. Will analysts start to price in the cost of this misinformation?  Most likely not.  It is not their problem. The sector and the company are going to have to continue to deliver against misinformation by lowering prices and critical innovation. 

    9. Innovate or Die 

    All is not lost. Given the choice between innovating and dying, Beyond Meat has chosen to innovate. Despite expenses decreasing by two-thirds in 2023, the company released new ‘clean label’ products: AMA-certified cholesterol-free plant-based steak tips and a new burger patty made with avocado oil and fava beans that offers its consumers the same taste at a fraction of the saturated fat content.  

    The company is making it clear that it is hyper-focused on what works (healthier versions of its star products) and unattached to what doesn’t (Beyond Jerky, ending a distribution agreement with PepsiCo that didn’t perform well) as it journeys to profitability. This is what Wall Street wants to see. 

    10. So What Now? 

    A few things are transpiring. Firstly, coming off of COP28 and the push for financing food system change fast, the Street is beginning to process what many in the plant-based industry have known for years: food tech IS climate tech. Society won’t achieve its collective global net zero goals without investing in meat reduction, given the livestock sector’s emissions footprint. Beyond Meat’s future trajectory is inextricably linked to this reality. 

    Secondly, if Ethan Brown can continue to manage earnings call expectations, then analysts may welcome the CEO they want to see: an Ethan Brown dialed into the priorities of The Street; marching towards profitability, fiscal control, a commitment to products at price parity with meat and innovation-led R&D.

    No doubt, the company has a long way to go to get a justified stock price rally that can last, but with operational spending cuts and potential profitability on the horizon amidst the environmental messaging finally taking hold in the financial community, it may be a step closer to turning a corner.

    The post BYND: 10 Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Beyond Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • TiNDLE Foods to Preview Barista Oat Milk & Vegan Stuffed Chicken at Expo West

    barista oat milk
    7 Mins Read

    Vegan food manufacturer TiNDLE Foods is set to unveil a plant-based stuffed chicken range and a barista oat milk – its first foray into dairy alternatives – at this month’s Expo West trade event.

    A year on from acquiring London-based vegan dairy startup Mwah!, TiNDLE Foods will exhibit the first products born out of the deal at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California (March 14-16), alongside a new lineup of plant-based stuffed chicken products.

    The Singapore-headquartered company is unveiling the new products after a big year, which saw it rebrand from Next Gen Foods, expand into US retail, and have a leadership shake-up, with co-founder and former CEO Andre Menezes passing the reins to fellow co-founder Timo Recker. In January, TiNDLE Foods debuted in Swiss retail as well – and now, it’s ready to showcase the innovations it has been working on.

    “By introducing more innovative foods into the mix, including our launch into the dairy category, we remain steadfast in our mission to transition towards a more sustainable food system,” said Recker.

    Stuffed chicken SKUs to debut on shelves in H2

    tindle stuffed chicken
    Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods | Composite by Green Queen

    TiNDLE Foods’s range of stuffed chicken products at Expo West will feature Chicken Parmigiana and Garlic & Herb flavours. “From day one, we’ve been committed to delivering excellence when it comes to taste and quality with our products. We first launched TiNDLE Chicken in restaurants for this very reason – to be able to work closely with chefs and culinary experts to bring the best possible experience to customers,” JJ Kass, US managing director for the brand, tells Green Queen. “The stuffed chicken line is the next step in our journey to bring that chef-driven experience into people’s homes.”

    She adds: “We are starting with a wholesome classic – chicken parmigiana – but there are endless opportunities for creative and seasonal fillings. With the growing trend of high-quality convenience meals in the frozen section, we feel this product is a game changer to have a restaurant-quality gourmet meal ready in the air fryer or oven in 10 minutes.”

    TiNDLE chicken is made from a blend of soy protein, wheat flour and Lipi, a proprietary plant-based emulsion that mimics the functionality of chicken fat. The product has around 16g of protein and 4.5g of fibre per 100g. “Ingredients and fillings will vary based on the SKU,” says Kass. “For example, the outer coating of the chicken parmigiana is made of golden breadcrumbs that allow for a perfect crunch, while the interior features a savoury tomato sauce and gooey plant-based mozzarella.”

    The new SKUs will be available for retailers to order in the spring, with the products expected on shelves in the second half of the year. TiNDLE Foods plans to release additional flavours too, such as Buffalo Ranch, Katsu Curry and Tikka Masala.

    The company is also making good on its promise of bringing its locally produced breakfast sausage – which has been available at restaurants including Mr. Charlie’s in Los Angeles, and Neat and Vegan On the Fly in New York City – to the CPG world. They’re now available for retailers to order in savoury and spicy editions.

    Barista oat milk part of multi-category superbrand aim

    tindle oat milk
    Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods | Composite by Green Queen

    Perhaps the more striking launch is that of the barista oat milk, marking TiNDLE Foods’ entry into the dairy alternatives realm a year after its takeover of Mwah! “Our mission extends beyond plant-based chicken, as we’ve always intended to introduce multiple products across categories,” Recker tells Green Queen. “As a global company, we aim to be a multi-category ‘superbrand,’ as it’s important for us to offer foods that appeal to a wide set of consumers, while excelling when it comes to taste and quality.”

    TiNDLE Foods will preview the premium oat milk at Expo West. It has been developed in collaboration with baristas internationally, who have helped fine-tune its steaming, frothing and blending capabilities. The result is a smooth and creamy milk that features an “exceptional stretch and beautiful microfoam”, which the company says rivals dairy.

    While the alt-milk launch doesn’t come as a surprise – TiNDLE Foods has always alluded to a multi-category model – it does veer away from the brand’s initial concept for the product. In August, a representative had told Green Queen that the company wouldn’t limit itself to single-ingredient milks (like oat or soy milk). “Instead, our process will be focused on finding the best consistency, flavour, and overall experience – and exploring all types of plant-based ingredients – so it delivers on the same creaminess and taste of cow’s milk,” they explained.

    “Our goal is to always look at what may be the right source for the right consistency and creaminess of the product being developed,” Recker says now, explaining why its first dairy alternative is an oat milk. “The Mwah! team’s expertise allowed us to create foods and beverages that emulate the same unique flavor and creaminess that comes from dairy, but using plant-based sources.”

    The barista oat milk – whose primary ingredients include water, premium whole oats, sunflower oil and sea salt – is being developed in Italy. “We knew we could create a creamy and indulgent milk product that offered benefits consumers were looking for and may not be able to currently find – such as an oat milk that used pure, whole ingredients and minimal processing,” says Recker.

    He adds that the use of whole oats creates “an excellent base in terms of function” and a wow factor for the high standards of baristas, with the product able to perform on par with cow’s milk in coffee. While launch details are under wraps, Recker hints it will be sometime later this year.

    TiNDLE Foods also previewed its gelato tech at last year’s Expo West, followed by a market test in select London locations in the spring, which provided a better understanding of the market. “Because of our acquisition of plant-based dairy startup Mwah! last year, we have the R&D capabilities and innovation framework to develop a range of dairy products, including gelato,” Recker notes, before reiterating that the current focus is on the oat milk.

    Luring non-dairy drinkers to meat alternatives

    tindle chicken
    Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods

    Having raised over $130M to date, TiNDLE Foods – which makes chicken patties, wings, tenders and nuggets, as well as breakfast sausages – has now expanded its foodservice and retail footprint as well, with the US, the UK and Germany being its biggest markets.

    Across each of these countries, the company witnessed a sales increase from 2022-23, which Recker ascribes to its retail launch and continued foodservice expansion. This bucked the wider trend among the plant-based meat industry, where giants like Beyond Meat and Quorn have struggled, and startups such as Nowadays, New Wave Foods and Ordinary Seafood have been forced to cease trading.

    In the US, retail sales of plant-based meat dipped by 11% to just over $1B in the year ending January 28, 2024, while meat-free products were among the worst-performing grocery categories in the UK, with sales down by £38.4M. “The category is still young and, when compared to that of the animal agriculture and meat industry, it’s still in its infancy,” highlights Recker. “We’re looking to change consumer behaviour at the most emotional and engrained level – shifting daily patterns and eating habits to an entirely different system.”

    Dairy alternatives similarly underwent a second consecutive year of decline, with sales volumes falling by 6.6% in the US, totalling 337.7 million gallons in 2023. “We want to be a growth driver for the category and bring consumers, who may be shopping in non-dairy, to plant-based meat,” says Recker. “There’s a great deal of potential to cross-promote between categories and to support our goal to transition to a more plant-based food system.”

    He adds: “We need to be diligent as a company and as an industry in getting out the best products possible. So many of the existing products today don’t meet the criteria for consumers when it comes to taste and deliciousness, and so it is vital that we deliver on all of the benefits that animal-based meat can offer today, which include taste, quality, and ultimately lower prices.”

    The post TiNDLE Foods to Preview Barista Oat Milk & Vegan Stuffed Chicken at Expo West appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Goat Milk, US State Bans & A Chipotle Exposé

    vegan soup dumplings
    7 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Craig’s Vegan’s link-up with TikToker Tinx, a host of alternative protein bans in US states, and a vegan 30 Under 30 recognition.

    New products and launches

    Californian non-dairy ice cream brand Craig’s Vegan has partnered with TikTok influencer Christina Najjar (aka Tinx) for a limited-time The Tinx Sundae, which features a cashew-based vanilla ice cream topped with brownies, chocolate swirls, and rainbow sprinkles.

    tinx
    Courtesy: Craig’s Vegan

    British alt-milk producer Rude Health has introduced an organic version of its barista oat milk, which has been in development for four years. The four-ingredient milk will retail at £2.40 in independent stores and online, beginning March 11.

    In the US, alt-milk company Elmhurst 1925 has released four Multi-Serve Latte SKUs in Pistachio Crème, Maple Walnut, Caramel Cashew and Brown Sugar Oat flavours. They’re available online and will roll out in Sprouts locations this March, with a Toasted Vanilla Almond variant set to launch in the spring.

    Chinese food company MìLà is gearing up for a limited-edition run of its vegan jackfruit-based soup dumplings in the US, with pre-orders starting March 22 and lasting for about a month.

    Meanwhile, Next Level Burger and its now-subsidiary Veggie Grill have unveiled new limited-time menu offerings for March. The former has a mint-choc-chip-flavoured Lucky Leprechaun Shake, while the latter has a chocolate-flavoured Lucky Leprechaun Velvet Cake. Both have also launched a Spring Steak Salad, and the three items will be available from March 8 through to the end of the month.

    next level burger
    Courtesy: Stephanie Kelly Photography

    New York-based Beekman 1802, a personal care brand championing goat milk as its base ingredient, has reverse-engineered its products to unveil plant-based alternatives to its range, with a new vegan gel cleanser, toner and moisturiser.

    Aussie cleaning brand Wash Wild has launched a line of plant-based household cleaning and body care products – including laundry and dishwashing liquids, toilet cleaner and hand wash – which are formulated with over 99% non-toxic, biodegradable ingredients.

    For vegan Greek yoghurt fans, Hong Kong-based soy milk brand Vitasoy has introduced a lemon-flavoured version in Australia, which is available at Woolworths for AU$1.35 per 140g pack.

    Hong Kong-based OmniFoods has launched two new ready-to-eat products using its plant-based pork in 7-Eleven stores across the city.

    Japanese convenience store chain Family Mart, meanwhile, has rolled out two dishes with Dutch startup The Vegetarian Butcher‘s vegan chicken chunks. They’re available in 2,800 Family Mart stores in Tokyo.

    Also in Japan, Azuma Foods has launched a new raw vegan seafood range under its Green Surf brand, which features tuna, salmon and squid made from konjac.

    Fellow Dutch plant-based meat producer PLNT (a subsidiary of Jan Zandbergen) will showcase vegan lamb strops and chicken sausages made from pea, wheat and soy protein at trade show Alimentaria in Barcelona (March 18-24).

    vegan sushi
    Courtesy: Konscious Foods

    Canadian vegan seafood maker Konscious Foods will unveil three new products – Smoked Salmon, Kimbap Korean Veggie Rice Roll, and Salmon Avocado Roll – at Expo West (March 12-16) in Anaheim, California.

    And back in the US, plant-based industry veterans have launched the Earth Pass, a text-based service that delivers weekly discounts from planet-friendly brands across food, fashion, wellness and beauty.

    Policy and awards

    Two UK school caterers have won the inaugural national ProVeg School Plates Awards for climate-friendly menus. Waltham Forest Catering, which services 43 institutions, took the honour for public schools, while Plant Based School Kitchens won in the private school category for its menu at Our Lady of Sion school in Worthing.

    In Ohio, Kent State University has pledged to serve 30% vegan meals in both its residential and retail operations by 2026, in collaboration with the Humane Society’s Forward Food programme, which will train the school’s culinary team this semester.

    Meanwhile, as part of the same programme, half of all campus meals at the University of Texas are now plant-based, a year ahead of the 2025 goal.

    The University of Arkansas is hiring a senior research scientist to help launch an alternative protein centre of excellence, with the facility expected to facilitate pilot-level cultivated meat production and host emerging startups looking for space to build out their tech.

    cultured seafood
    Courtesy: BlueNalu

    US producer BlueNalu has become the first cultivated seafood company to join the National Fisheries Institute. It will also serve as a founding member of its inaugural Sushi Council.

    The West Virginia House has passed a bill that requires vegan, fungi-based and cultivated meat products to be labelled with one of multiple terms, including ‘imitation’, ‘analogue’, ‘meatless’ or ‘plant-based’.

    Similarly, the senate in Iowa has passed a bill mandating plant-based and cultivated meat products to carry labels like ‘meatless’ and ‘imitation’ as well.

    Florida’s senate has voted to approve a bill that would ban the sale and production of cultivated meat in the state, which will now go to the House for deliberation. Governor Ron DeSantis has been staunch in his support for the ban.

    Over in Europe, France has officially banned the use of meat-like terms on plant-based products, including ‘cutlets’, ‘bacon’, ‘sausage’ and ‘steaks’.

    In Denmark, meanwhile, meat processor Danish Crown was found in violation of consumer marketing law by the Danish Western High Court, which ruled that its ‘climate-controlled’ pork was misleading. The suit was filed by the Danish Climate Movement and the Vegetarian Society of Denmark.

    forbes 30 under 30
    Courtesy: Forbes

    Hungarian vegan activist Raul Vida, meanwhile, has become the first plant-based advocate to appear on the country’s Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

    In the US, TIME Magazine and Statista have named mycelium protein producer The Better Meat Co as one of the country’s Top GreenTech companies in their inaugural ranking.

    Finance, business and research developments

    British cocoa-free chocolate producer WNWN Food Labs has refreshed its B2B and trade branding to Win-Win, with the new logo and packaging a nod to its mission of creating a “win-win situation for cocoa farmers, food producers, consumers, and the planet”.

    After pulling out of the UK market last year, Nestlé has discontinued its pea milk brand Wunda, with its products withdrawn from the Netherlands and its website shut.

    San Antonio-based vegan eatery Plantology has launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to save the restaurant from closure, with a target of $80,000.

    In Los Angeles, plant-based omakase restaurant Kusaki has reopened after a four-month hiatus with a new Kaiseki-influenced menu, featuring dishes like Maitake Wontons, Watermelon Granita Nigiri, and Crispy Garlic Tuna Sashimi.

    kusaki los angeles
    Courtesy: Kusaki

    The Canadian government’s alternative-protein-focused innovation hub Protein Industries Canada has invested C$7.3M ($5.4M) to help Avena Foods create plant-based ingredients. The C$19.2M ($14.2M) project will see the oat producer develop oat and pulse ingredients for Big Mountain Foods, Danone Canada and Old Dutch.

    In Catalonia, the government is investing €12M in a facility located in Alcarràs, Lleida that will help companies with R&D and pre-industrial manufacturing of alt-protein ingredients.

    In more funding news, Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator and the Queensland University of Technology are injecting AU$3.9M ($2.6M) to transform its renewable biocommodities plant into a precision fermentation facility.

    San Francisco-based vegan dog food brand PawCo has raised $2M in a seed funding round, which it will use to open a second production facility in the midwest, expand R&D efforts, and develop new recipes and marketing tactics.

    Biotech startup Van Heron Labs, which leverages advanced tech like genomics, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to improve how cells are cultured and harnessed, has closed a $1.1M seed funding round led by FoodLabs.

    Mercy for Animals has unveiled a new Chipotle Exposed investigative campaign to highlight animal cruelty at one of the fast-casual chain’s chicken suppliers.

    Finally, a new study by the University of Exeter and meat-free giant Quorn has revealed that swapping animal protein for mycoprotein products can reduce LDL cholesterol by 10%, and total ‘bad’ cholesterol by 6%.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Goat Milk, US State Bans & A Chipotle Exposé appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Plant-Based for Everyone: Burger King Germany Makes All Vegan Products Cheaper than Meat

    burger king vegan
    5 Mins Read

    Burger King has made all plant-based products and meals cheaper than meat across its German operations to encourage increased vegan consumption. It will develop a new flower-shaped patty with The Vegetarian Butcher to differentiate beef burgers.

    Burger King Germany has made a groundbreaking move to make veganism more accessible to customers, with all plant-based dishes now cheaper than those containing meat.

    It has unveiled a new motto, ‘Plant-Based for Everyone’, to coincide with the announcement, which will see the markup for its vegan items like the Whopper, chicken nuggets and Long Chicken sandwich be reduced by 10 cents.

    It’s a landmark decision: the fast-food chain says it has the largest vegan range in German QSR, with a meat-free (sometimes vegetarian) alternative to almost every menu option. The price cuts play into consumer trends in the country, with a large EU-backed survey last year revealing that 39% of Germans find plant-based alternatives too expensive, making price the biggest purchase barrier.

    “Since the mid-1990s, we have been investing in vegetarian alternatives and have shown that fast food doesn’t always have to mean meat. As a pioneer, we offer by far the largest plant-based range in the German foodservice industry – and now even with a price advantage,” said Burger King Germany CEO Jörg Ehmer. “We are thus providing a strong impetus to try out plant-based options. Our goal: to offer guests freedom of choice – without compromising on taste.”

    A new flower-shaped vegan beef patty

    burger king nuggets
    Courtesy: Burger King Germany

    Alongside the price reductions, Burger King is working with Unilever-owned plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher on a new flower-shaped patty for its vegan beef burgers, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks. This is meant to help distinguish between the conventional beef and plant-based options, and follows the development of a breading with parsley sprinkles to differentiate between its chicken patties and nuggets.

    The Vegetarian Butcher has supplied plant-based beef and chicken analogues to Burger King since 2019. Their partnership exists in multiple markets, including the UK, Indonesia, China, the UAE, Mexico and Costa Rica (in the US, the fast-food chain works with Impossible Foods).

    For Veganuary, it launched the Veggie King Deluxe, which the company says was “very successful”, and now, it plans to develop more plant-based products for its menu. It cements Burger King’s vegan leadership in the European fast-food space, with a report last year noting that it has the highest number of plant-based mains across the leading chains in Europe.

    “We are the first choice in terms of plant-based options in the foodservice industry, and continue to drive the growing trend towards alternative protein sources in Germany,” added Ehmer. “For this, we are not only developing our products and processes further, but also focusing on greater product variety and easier access.”

    The company has established a credo for all its plant-based products: ‘0% meat. 100% flavour.’ This focus on taste is smart, given that flavour is the top motivating factor for choosing plant-based alternatives in Germany, with 55% citing it.

    Burger King follows consumer trends in Germany

    plant based whopper
    Courtesy: Burger King Germany | Composite by Green Queen

    Burger King Germany’s price cuts for plant-based meat represent a shrewd move, considering that it is the largest vegan market in Europe, and with a growing willingness to cut back on meat consumption. In fact, 59% of Germans reported eating less meat in 2022 than the year before – the joint-highest in the EU.

    This makes sense when you realise that Germany has the largest flexitarian population in Europe, with the EU survey putting that figure at 40%. An earlier USDA report, however, says as many as 55% of Germans follow a flexitarian diet. Burger King Germany’s marketing head Klaus Schmäing has previously said that flexitarians are the company’s main target.

    “The large group we want to address are flexitarians,” he said. “But beyond that, of course, also vegetarians and vegans.” (The EU poll found that Germany had the second-largest vegan population in the region too, at 4% of the population.) And last year, Burger King Germany revealed that one in every five Whoppers it sells are plant-based, and likewise for nearly one in four Long Chickens.

    So the demand is clearly there – and it’s something the government has identified too, having earmarked €38M in the 2024 federal budget to promote alternative protein consumption and a switch to plant-based agriculture, as well as open a Proteins of the Future centre.

    “With this decision on the protein transition, the coalition is taking a big step towards the transition to a sustainable food system laid out in the coalition agreement,” said Ivo Rzegotta, senior public affairs manager for Germany at the Good Food Institute Europe, an alternative protein think tank. “The agreed funding measures for research and transformation will put Germany on the path to becoming a leader in this emerging field.”

    Burger King isn’t the only company to reduce prices and make plant-based food more accessible in Germany. In October, discount retailer Lidl announced that most of its own-label products from the Vemondo plant-based range would be at price parity with or cheaper than conventional meat and dairy products, explaining that “conscious and sustainable consumption” is only possible if these foods are “affordable and more easily accessible for everyone”.

    Lidl’s announcement was swiftly followed by Kaufland, which dropped the prices of 90 vegan products to make them competitive or more affordable than their animal-based counterparts. Rewe Group’s BILLA and Penny have made identical moves, as has Aldi Süd.

    With its whopping decision, Burger King Germany has added itself to that list.

    The post Plant-Based for Everyone: Burger King Germany Makes All Vegan Products Cheaper than Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • After a Year of Declining Sales, Tesco Sees Plant-Based Demand Grow

    tesco vegan
    5 Mins Read

    UK supermarket Tesco is witnessing a rise in demand for plant-based food, following a slight dip in sales last year. The retailer says the plant-based industry is now in its “second phase”, with whole cuts a key growth point.

    It’s no secret that the plant-based industry endured a challenging 2023, with sales of meat-free products in the UK (which include Quorn’s vegetarian SKUs too) falling by £38.4M. It was among the worst-performing grocery categories, with plenty of factors affecting the market, not least the cost-of-living crisis, concerns around ultra-processing, and dissatisfaction with the taste and texture of the products.

    The UK’s biggest retailer, Tesco, also witnessed a decline (albeit a small one), which it ascribed to a drop-off in interest from “dabblers and the merely curious” for the “biggest food trend this century”. But things are turning around, with the retailer noting that the plant-based revolution is moving into its second phase now, as demand rises for meat-free ingredients and whole cuts.

    The retailer’s plant-based food buyer Cate May said the “initial level of interest was inevitably going to drop off slightly”, but in this phase two, “we are seeing flexitarians now wanting to take more control over what they eat, whilst continuing to reduce their meat intake”.

    Whole cuts and whole foods drive Tesco’s vegan growth

    supermarkets veganuary
    Courtesy: Tesco

    In the last three months, sales for plant-based fish products at Tesco are up by 100% compared to the same period last year. Similarly, vegan steak and chicken breasts have seen a 20% hike, while meatless burger purchases have increased by 10%. Even traditional plant proteins like tofu and tempeh grew by 20%.

    Long touted as the “holy grail” of plant-based meat, whole cuts have slowly begun creeping into supermarkets across the world, and the steaks from Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles were one of the most notable successes for vegan food at Tesco. In fact, in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, Tesco sold 100,000 vegan steaks, which it called “an unprecedented number for that occasion”.

    “Customers are starting to understand the versatility of plant-based ingredients and whole cuts, and are creating a wide variety of meals such as tofu stir-fries, meat-free curries using chicken alternatives or beans and pulses, and classic steak and chips using plant-based steaks,” said May.

    “Awareness is also starting to increase around the health benefits of making some simple swaps in their diet, for example, to reduce saturated fat whilst maintaining strong levels of protein by increasing the amount of plants and plant-based foods in their diets and then supplementing with more fresh veg.”

    To highlight the increased consumption of whole foods, Tesco commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK adults in December, and found that 46% of Brits are eating more vegetables than they were five years ago. For 47%, introducing more vegetables to their plates was a deliberate decision, with the main reasons being health (82%), environmental impact (25%), and cost savings (22%). Even Sunday roasts – or the equivalent family meals – have seen an uptick, with 48% of respondents saying their roast dinners involve more vegetables now. For 60%, this meant three or more different types of vegetables.

    This speaks to the prominence of whole-food plant-based mains on restaurant menus this Veganuary too: Burger King brought back its black bean burger; Wagamama, Pret A Manger and Zizzi highlighted mushrooms; Leon went all-in on gut health with a bhaji wrap; and Pizza Express introduced a veggie-packed calzone.

    Vegetable and meat consumption trends in the UK

    tesco plant chef
    Courtesy: Tesco

    To May’s point about flexitarianism, there has been a drop in meat-eating in the UK. Government data from 2023 showed that meat consumption was at its lowest since records began almost half a century ago. So it perhaps may come as a surprise that fresh meat was actually one of the fastest-growing sectors in terms of retail sales, which were up by £352.5M.

    However, inflation is key here: for example, the rise in sales for chicken (the top-performing food) was largely driven by a 13.4% price hike. This is why it wasn’t just meat intake that saw record lows among Brits – dairy went through the same thing. Those government figures also showed that Brits were eating 6% fewer fruits and vegetables than pre-pandemic levels.

    But the renewed optimism for vegetables – at least according to Tesco’s data – can be explained by inflation too. A 1,000-person survey in October found that 62% of Brits feel plant-based meats cost much more than their conventional counterparts, with a fifth citing costs as the biggest reason for reducing their intake of these alternatives. Whole foods like vegetables will always be cheaper than meat analogues, so are naturally an appealing option for consumers with squeezed wallets.

    This survey can explain the growing interest in whole cuts as well. For 66% of consumers, plant-based meat products taste much worse than their conventional counterparts, while 51% cite taste/texture as the biggest reason for reducing their consumption of meat alternatives. With whole cuts, which mimic the texture of muscle fibres in meat, consumers get the same mouthfeel and an elevated flavour experience.

    These products are thus effective gateways into plant-based eating for meat-eaters looking to become flexitarians. There’s some way to go, though. A 2,003-person YouGov survey published in January shows that only 13% of Brits consider themselves flexitarian, which is a three-point drop from two years ago. Conversely, 73% call themselves meat-eaters, a three-point rise from January 2022. The poll revealed that only 2% of Brits are vegans, and 5% vegetarians. In contrast, research by Finder – published in January as well – estimated that 4.7% of UK adults follow a plant-based diet.

    Either way, what’s clear is that food prices and associated health aspects are increasingly important for Brits, and vegetables will go a long way in alleviating those concerns. Tesco’s own-label Plant Chef range, which has over 180 items, features products like Vegetable Fingers, Spicy Bean Burgers and Katsu Style Veggie Crispbakes, alongside meat analogues too, in a bid to appeal to a wide range of consumers.

    Even after cutting its private-label SKUs by over 500, the grocer managed to grow value sales by 10% with an innovation focus on “fast-growing categories such as plant-based”, with the five new frozen Plant Chef ranges rolled out this Veganuary. It was also the retailer that introduced Wicked Kitchen to the world. With a strong plant-based pedigree, Tesco will be hopeful of turning the category’s fortunes around in the UK this year.

    The post After a Year of Declining Sales, Tesco Sees Plant-Based Demand Grow appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Vegan Sunny-Side-Ups: Yo Egg Makes US Retail Debut With Plant-Based Eggs

    yo egg
    5 Mins Read

    Israeli food tech company Yo Egg is launching its vegan sunny-side-ups and poached eggs in US retail, starting with stores in Los Angeles, before a nationwide move next year.

    A year after making its foodservice debut in Los Angeles, Yo Egg is moving into retail with its vegan fried and poached eggs, starting with the west coast.

    Headquartered in Los Angeles, the startup will introduce its plant-based eggs in the city through a distribution deal with Whitestone Natural Foods. This will mean its products – which are priced at $6.99 for a four-pack – will be available in the freezers of Hanks Organic, Besties Vegan Paradise, Rainbow Acres Natural Foods, Follow Your Heart Market and PlantX (XMarket Venice), among others.

    The company then plans to expand into California, New York and eventually nationwide next year. “We’re starting small with individual operators in the better-for-you natural foods category,” Yo Egg CEO Eran Groner told AgFunderNews. “Then we’re targeting regional players such as Bristol Farms, before going after accounts such as Sprouts and Whole Foods.”

    Pondering co-manufacturing to scale up vegan egg production

    vegan egg substitute
    Courtesy: Yo Egg

    Founded in 2021 by Groner and chef Yosefa Ben Cohen – who had developed the eggs with both restaurants and home cooks in mind – Yo Egg is the world’s first startup creating vegan fried and poached eggs, complete with runny yolks.

    Unlike other plant-based egg companies, which either produce a powdered version or liquid eggs to make omelettes and scrambles, Yo Egg focuses on pre-prepped frozen sunny-side-up and poached eggs that can be boiled or fried. Made from a base of sunflower oil and chickpea and soy protein, the eggs leverage the startup’s patent-pending tech for whites and yolks (which are sealed using alginate, a seaweed extract).

    The egg white system enables Yo Egg to produce the ideal structure for each format, and can be fried, poached or boiled. “It’s all about the phasing, timing and temperatures, not just the recipe, so it would be very hard to reverse-engineer it,” Groner explained.

    Meanwhile, the company can make 50,000 yolks each day with a single piece of equipment. “In a room that’s 200 square feet, we can have four such machines, so that’s 200,000 yolks per day, which – if you do the math – is already a scaled egg farm in the United States if you have 200,000 birds laying eggs,” he noted.

    Yo Egg currently has a pilot facility in North Hollywood, with which it can already compete with the prices of market leader Just Egg, whose scale is way higher (it recently announced the sale of the equivalent of 500 million eggs). But Groner, who said the company is hoping to bring retail prices down to $5.99 per pack, floated the idea of using a co-manufacturer too. “We would make the egg whites and the yolks and the co-manufacturer would form the egg, and we provide the plug-and-play equipment for that process. They form the egg and then they cook it, freeze it and package it,” he said.

    “This way, we maintain the IP, the recipe and the protocol of mixing, and the yolk manufacturing using our specialised equipment,” he added, stating that after line testing with “a fairly big manufacturer”, the eggs came out better than what Yo Egg’s own equipment can deliver.

    Yo Egg’s foodservice-first strategy

    vegan eggs
    Courtesy: Yo Egg

    Yo Egg, which has raised over $5M in funding, made its debut in US foodservice last February, targeting brunch spots in Los Angeles, including Real Food Daily, Flore Vegan, Swingers Diner, Coyote Grill, and Loma Linda’s Vegan District Asian Eatery.

    This was followed by a nationwide launch in April, with Yo Egg appearing on the menu at restaurants like Coletta and Beyond Sushi, and even the offices of Google. Its poached and sunny-side-up offerings are also part of menu options at fast-casual chain Veggie Grill (now owned by Next Level Burger).

    This foodservice-first approach is a tried-and-tested strategy in the plant-based sector. Oatly, for example, debuted in the US through specialty coffee shops, with word of mouth and barista approval stamps propelling it to widespread popularity before its retail launch. A similar route to market was taken by plant-based meat giant Impossible Foods, which has an outstanding foodservice record and was specified by Groner as a reference point for Yo Egg.

    “There are definitely advantages in launching a brand in foodservice before you go into retail. It’s easier to iterate quickly in foodservice, get rapid feedback, and iterate again. It doesn’t work like that in retail,” he explained. “What people like is that we’re going after every format of eggs. We’re starting with fried and poached eggs and we’re planning to launch a patty next quarter, where we already have major accounts signed up. This will be followed by hard-boiled eggs later this year, and a liquid yolk product next year.”

    Yo Egg will hope these innovations allow it to take a large slice of the vegan egg market, which is currently dominated by Just Egg (it represents 99% of all sales in the sector). Other retail players include Follow Your Heart, Hodo, Simply Eggless, WunderEggs and Neat Egg, alongside private-label offerings from Target and Kroger – but succeeding in this space is tough. Plant-based eggs make up just 0.5% of the total US egg market, as of 2022. In terms of units, while plant-based eggs grew by sevenfold between 2019-22 to reach 10 million sales, animal-based egg sales were around 2.3 billion.

    Additionally, the number of American households buying plant-based eggs was just 2% in 2022 – but the sector has outpaced dollar sales growth for animal-derived eggs, growing by 348% versus 67% for the latter from 2019-22, albeit with a much smaller base. So there has definitely been progress, but there’s room for a lot of progress too, given the scale of the conventional egg industry.

    “Consumers like the fact that animals are not involved and it’s better for the environment, but what really drives consumption is you have a third of the saturated fat, zero cholesterol, and less sodium [compared to chicken eggs],” explained Groner. “And foodservice operators love the fact that finally, they have a plant-based option on their menu that they can be proud of. It’s a surprising, innovative, versatile product.”

    The post Vegan Sunny-Side-Ups: Yo Egg Makes US Retail Debut With Plant-Based Eggs appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.