Wanda Fish, the Israeli startup making cultivated whole-cut bluefin tuna, has raised $7M in a seed funding round to accelerate production and scalability. The company is planning for regulatory approval in the US in 2025, and says it will launch in the market the year after.
The latest cash injection brings Wanda Fish’s total financing to $10M. The latest funding round was led by Dutch aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark and joined by returning pre-seed investors The Kitchen Hub by the Strauss Group, Peregrine Ventures, LLC, Pico Venture Partners, MOREVC, and CPT Capital, LLP. The announcement came the same day BlueNalu, a fellow cultured bluefin tuna maker, announced its $33.5M Series B raise.
Founded in 2021 as a joint venture between Israeli food tech incubator The Kitchen Hub and biotech innovation expert Daphna Heffetz, Wanda Fish makes whole-cut filets of cultivated seafood. The company started with bluefin tuna, a fish species that is sought-after for its flavour, texture and nutritional attributes. The premium product is used in high-grade sushi and sashimi restaurants across the world– with Asia responsible for over 80% of its global consumption.
But bluefin tuna supply can be limited and extremely variable in quality, and it faces declines in stocks due to overfishing and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, according to BlueNalu. Wanda Fish adds that further demand is driving the species towards endangerment and has led to governments placing quotas to limit its fishing. Moreover, tuna is one of the most polluted fish in the oceans, often contaminated with plastic debris and extremely high levels of heavy metals like mercury.
How Wanda Fish makes cultured bluefin tuna
CourtesyWanda Fish
Wanda Fish, which is still in relatively early stages, says it has made progress on several key breakthroughs to develop a cell-cultured whole-cut bluefin tuna prototype. This includes forming a 3D filet structure using bluefin tuna cells, differentiated into both muscle and fat tissues. The startup is using animal-free growth mediums and custom bioreactors as they will be instantly scaleable, when appropriate, and allow for costs to remain palatable.
With its proprietary tech, the company can control fat levels (which is key as the fish is renowned for its balance of fat and protein). This can help develop a diverse range of filet cuts, including the premium tuna belly cut called toro that BlueNalu is working on (which plans to open a commercial-scale facility by 2027).
In March 2022, Wanda Fish entered a licensing agreement with Tufts University, gaining exclusive access to the latter’s IP surrounding cultivated fish development, created by cellular agriculture expert David Kaplan. As part of the collaboration, the company will support a two-year research programme by the university into the production of fish cells.
“We start with a single, one-time sample of a real native fish muscle and fat tissues,” Kaplan said at the time. “We then pursue the replication of the biological growth of fish, with the nutritional attributes, including protein and omega-3 content, as well as the flavour and textural properties.”
Price parity and regulatory approval
“By integrating innovative proprietary applications from multiple disciplines, including cell culture, biotechnology, food tech, and culinary design, we will produce a versatile range of fish species to satisfy all preferences, at affordable prices, and with uncompromising quality,” Wanda Fish CEO Heffetz had added. It’s worth noting that while cost continues to be one of cultivated meat’s biggest challenges, bluefin tuna’s premium position means it wouldn’t carry the same price differences as cultured alternatives to beef, pork or chicken.
Heffetz told TechCrunch that Wanda Fish expects to obtain regulatory approval from the USDA and other agencies in early 2025, and plans to enter foodservice by 2026. “We will now scale up production and work on the cost parity. We will also collaborate with big food companies for distribution. Our core technology is being done in-house, but we need to collaborate to get to market as fast as possible.”
“We are excited and feel incredibly fortunate to collaborate with Aqua-Spark in propelling our venture forward,” Heffetz said in a statement. “We are on a shared mission to improve the global food value chain, creating a tasty, more sustainable future for all. This financial backing by leading global venture funds gives us significant leverage to make sustainably cultivated, cruelty-free, and ocean-friendly bluefin tuna a reality.”
Chen Galili via Wanda Fish
Growing investment in cultivated seafood
“Wanda Fish is transforming visionary ideas into a tangible, cutting-edge product that is just steps away from reaching its prototype,” said Jonathan Berger, CEO of The Kitchen Hub. “This is credited to a skilled and ambitious multinational team led by Daphna Heffetz that is undoubtedly poised for a resounding success story in the thriving alternative protein space; this spells good news for an overburdened marine ecosystem.”
Wildtype (from California) secured the largest-ever cultivated seafood investment with a $100M Series B for its cell-based salmon in 2022. Meanwhile, China’s Avant closed a $10.8M Series A round the same year, while in 2021, Singapore’s Shiok Meats closed an oversubscribed bridge round that brought its total financing to $30M – the cultured crustacean player counts Aqua-Spark as a backer too. Earlier this year, Berlin-based Bluu Seafood secured $17.5M in a Series A raise with the aim to launch in Singapore next year.
Spanish plant-based meat company Heura has added vegan York-style deli ham slices to its range of clean-label alternatives to conventional meat. The new 11-ingredient ham is made using the brand’s patent-pending tech and will be available in Spain and France, albeit at a slight price premium compared to conventional ham.
Heura’s York-style ham boasts 64% protein density (and 18g of protein per 100g), with 0.9g of saturated and 3.7g of total fat per 100g. This is partly thanks to the use of extra-virgin olive oil (which makes up 3.1% of the product) – in addition to that, it’s comprised of water, soy protein isolate (21%), natural flavourings, salt, radish, carrot, paprika and lemon concentrates, cultures and vitamin B12.
The ‘additive-free’ aspect is a key selling point for Heura, both on health and consumer adoption grounds. In 2020, a global survey by Ingredion revealed that more than half of respondents find it important for products to have a short ingredient list. Following up on this, Ingredion’s latest data found that 78% would spend more money on products with ‘natural’ or ‘all-natural’ packaging claims.
It’s also something that has been the bane of plant-based meat, at least according to Big Meat. One of the meat lobby’s main arguments against these alternatives is the somewhat longer, ‘processed’ ingredient lists. In the US, for example, one group connected to the animal agriculture industry has run years of ads targeting companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
And as for the health aspect, this is increasingly becoming the major reason for consumers to adopt plant-based foods. According to a 2022 survey of 3,7000 respondents in seven countries, having a healthier diet is the primary motivator for 75% of consumers to begin consuming alternative proteins.
Additive-free alternative to ultra-processed meat
Courtesy: Heura
Calling plant-based alternatives to red meat – especially ham – ultra-processed is counterintuitive, given that ham itself is a processed meat, and that it has been classed as a carcinogen by the WHO, in the same vein as pollutants like tobacco smoke and plutonium. Moreover, studies have found that eating 50g of processed meat daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease by 18% each.
“The Heura slices are not an alternative to those of animal origin; they are their successors,” says Heura co-founder and CEO Marc Coloma. “Our priority has always been to offer our consumers the experience of consuming animal-origin meat, in terms of taste and texture, while improving nutritional values, using high-quality ingredients, and, at the same time, protecting our planet. Good nutrition equals good health.”
He adds: “In the context of a health crisis, institutions and industry must play a fundamental role in leading the transition towards a healthier and more sustainable food system. Health should always come before other types of interests.”
Heura’s York-style vegan ham is positioned as a more nutritionally complete product than conventional deli meat. It carries a B rating on the Nutri-Score scale, which marks it the first time one of the company’s products hasn’t received the top score of A. However, as Coloma points out, this rating still outperforms traditional cold cuts, which often receive C or D Nutri-Scores due to salt levels and multiple additives.
“When designing the products we put the focus on providing a highly nutritious protein with a mouthwatering experience,” Coloma tells Green Queen. “Our specific aim with this product is to enhance its nutritional profile by increasing the fibre content while maintaining the exceptional taste. We are dedicated to the goal of elevating its Nutri-Score from a B to an A, all while preserving the delightful flavour that sets it apart. Here, consumer feedback will be key to our continuous improvement.”
Patent-pending technology
Courtesy: Heura
The plant-based ham slices are created using Heura’s patent-pending tech-led by its Good Rebel Tech division, which was unveiled in April. Using a novel thermomechanical processing technique, it can create vegan products with superior sensory and nutritional values with shorter ingredient lists. The tech only requires protein, water and oil to structure the product and incorporate texture and sensorial properties without additives.
While this isn’t exactly AI, Heura’s tech relies upon using mathematical models in a similar way. “The main difference is that we are basing our approach and models on new scientific understanding of plant proteins that we generate in the tech lab,” explains Coloma. “We can improve [the] accuracy of our predictions, limit biases and, most importantly, develop breakthrough technological solutions which are based on new scientific knowledge; rather than optimising technologies that already exist based on published existing data.”
“We use a transdisciplinary approach to scientific research to overcome the greatest challenges the industry is facing,” adds Heura CTO Isabel Fernandez. “Our goals are ambitious. We are not aiming for small, incremental advancements based on cumulative improvements on what already exists, but rather exponential progress from scientific discoveries yielding breakthrough technological innovations.”
Reaching price parity and future innovations
Courtesy: Heura
Given the advanced tech and cleaner labels, it perhaps doesn’t come as a surprise that the plant-based ham slices have a slight price premium compared to animal-derived ham. In its home market of Spain, where it will enter supermarket charcuterie sections this week, the price for a 78g pack with four slices is €2.99, compared to about €2 for 200g of conventional ham.
Reaching price parity is key to Heura, which secured €20M in pre-Series B funding last year and raised over €2.6M in crowdfunding earlier this year (taking total investment to more than €48M/$50.9M). “We have a plan to reach price parity by further innovations on our developed technology, as well as new technological solutions to accelerate this goal, which are currently within our S&T project pipeline,” says Coloma. “Democratising high-value, nutritious and delicious plant-based proteins is key to accelerate the protein transition.”
Apart from Spain (which is Europe’s leading meat consumer), the ham is launching in France (the third-largest in Europe), which saw another clean-label plant-based ham hit retail shelves last month when Parisian brand La Vie debuted its pea protein deli ham. Its regular flavour contains seven ingredients and – like Heura – has a B rating on the French 5-Colour nutrition label Nutri-Score scale. La Vie’s ham is priced at €4.30, but its pack weighs 120g compared to Heura’s 78g portion – this means per 100g, La Vie’s product is 25 cents cheaper.
Coloma confirms Heura plans to expand to more European markets in the near future. “Our core philosophy centres around the belief that choice and freedom go hand in hand, and that’s precisely what we’re dedicated to delivering,” he says.
He adds that the tech employed to create the additive-free can be used for other products too, hinting at a future lineup that could contain “all kinds of breaded products, a whole range of deli products and vegan cheeses”. “This approach enables us to not only cater to diverse tastes, but also aligns with our commitment to providing healthier, high nutrition and additive-free alternatives for consumers,” he says.
Months after bailing out fellow British alt-meat brand Meatless Farm, vegan chicken maker VFC has expanded its portfolio of plant-based brands by agreeing to acquire vegan pie maker Clive’s Purely Plants for an undisclosed sum. The deal is pending final-stage due diligence, which is expected to conclude in a matter of days.
The move will diversify VFC’s offerings to include Clive’s premium vegetable pies, savoury tarts, quiches, nut roasts and sausage rolls – bar the latter, all of Clive’s products feature vegetables, expanding VFC’s position from an alt-meat company to a plant-based food producer. The acquisition also means VFC now has a production facility in Dartmouth, which makes it the company’s first foray into primary manufacturing.
Clive’s was previously owned by Veg Capital – a VFC investor, which led its £6M seed funding round in April. Clive’s will operate as a subsidiary of VFC Foods with full support from its existing team. But VFC added that it will unveil “a new trade-facing identity” in the near future.
In June, VFC rescued Meatless Farm, which had laid off its workforce and filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators after facing millions of losses and failing to secure funding. In just over a week, VFC purchased Meatless Farm in a £12M deal for its UK operations (VFC paid just a small portion of the sum, saving it from bankruptcy and keeping the brand assets intact).
By integrating both brands, we can utilise numerous synergies with valued customers and suppliers, thus driving innovation and extending customer choice,” VFC and (now) Meatless Farm CEO Dave Sparrow said at the time.
Courtesy: Clive’s Purely Plants
‘A formidable player’
Now, Sparrow – who also served as a non-executive director at Clive’s – says this latest acquisition of Clive’s positioned it as “a formidable player” in the market. “With three strong brands experiencing substantial growth, we are well-positioned to further penetrate the retail and foodservice sectors in the UK and Europe,” he said.
“What excites us the most is the diverse range of products we can offer consumers, from enticing meat alternatives to wholesome and delicious vegetable-based options, making us one of the most diversified players in the category.”
Clive’s managing director Esther Pearson, who remains a shareholder, added: “We are thrilled to have found a like-minded partner in VFC Foods to support us through this period of accelerated growth. We are committed to maintaining business as usual with all existing customers and ensuring that we uphold our high standards of customer service.”
In July, VFC expanded its portfolio by launching chilled SKUs of its plant-based chicken, and last month, Meatless Farm returned to UK supermarkets with a few of its old products, as well as a new offering. Clive’s, which is stocked in Waitrose, Asda, Ocado, and Abel & Cole, will soon announce a further Big Five UK supermarket listing this December (poised to be Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons or Aldi).
“Reducing meat consumption is crucial for a healthier and more sustainable future, and consumers are increasingly seeking varied options in the plant-based aisle, including high-quality vegetable-based products,” Sparrow added. “Clive’s perfectly complements our portfolio and enhances our ability to meet this growing demand.”
VFC co-founders Matthew Glover and Adam Lyons | Courtesy: VFC
A stagnating UK plant-based market
The UK is the second-largest market for plant-based foods in Europe, with Brits spending £964M on vegan meat and dairy last year. But sales have stagnated and, over the last decade, total investment in plant-based protein R&D has been overtaken by cultivated meat. In August, the UK received its first regulatory filing for approval of cultivated meat sales by Israeli company Aleph Farms – and last week, it was reported the government was set to fast-track this process.
“Much has been reported on the plant-based market recently and it’s clear that, whilst it will see continued growth and demand, the level of early capital and emerging brands has saturated the space,” Sparrow told Green Queen last month. “Consumer-led brands that stay true to their core values will weather the storm to create strong businesses.”
“Within VFC Foods, that starts with having quality-led products, impactful brand communications and an eye on maintaining affordable price points for consumer entry into plant-based foods. Beyond this, ensuring that choice and convenience remain a priority to make eating plant-based food an easy transition is key – bringing both VFC and Meatless Farm brands together is a big part of our objective here and an excellent opportunity to be at the forefront of the market in the coming years.”
In a world increasingly ravaged by the climate crisis and food insecurity, one crop could be a solution to meeting our future nutritional, environmental and health needs. Find out more about the startups growing duckweed, the future protein that could power plant-based alternatives to meat and egg, help us fight cancer, feed space colonies, serve as animal feed and more!
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, there will be about 9.3 billion people on Earth by 2050. To feed this population, we’ll need to produce 60% more food than current levels. But food production is already responsible for a third of all global greenhouse gas emissions, and half of the world’s habitable land is currently being used for agriculture.
How are we supposed to grow more food? Especially considering that climate-change-induced extreme heat, wildfires, droughts, floods, typhoons and everything in between are already decimating crops and threatening our food supply.
Plus, we’re already eating a ton of meat (and are expected to be consuming more of it), and study after study has shown the environmental detriments of doing so, compared to a vegan diet. And with plant-based meat being in a relatively dormant state of late, and cultivated meat still years from reaching widespread acceptance, approval and production, we need more alternatives, and soon.
Scientists may have found the answer in the naturally occurring plant known as duckweed, which has been consumed in certain parts of the world for centuries and boasts unique health and climate benefits.
Duckweed, aka lemna, or water lentils
Courtesy: Getty Images via Canva
Duckweeds are free-floating freshwater aquatic plants that combine to form what resembles a green carpet on the surface of water. Water lentils is another name for duckweed, which is the non-botanical name of the genus Lemna (variants include minor and minuta) and they are sometimes described as green caviar- pretty cool, right?
This pond weed cleans the water it grows in, by removing pollutants like nitrate and purifying the water. Additionally, it helps with nutrient recovery in municipal wastewater and (in its dry form) is used as a source of animal feed and in the production of medicines. While mostly a freshwater plant, some studies suggest duckweed could be grown in saltwater.
The plant has tremendous – and largely untapped – potential for human use too. Wild duckweed has been consumed in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand (where it is called khai-nam), Myanmar and Laos for centuries, where it is grown, harvested and used in soups and curries, and it’s grown as a vegetable in Israel too. Its flavour is described as being mild with an almost neutral, nutty profile akin to other greens like sweet cabbage, and can be used in similar applications as spinach, for example.
Why should we eat duckweed?
Courtesy: GreenOnyx
One of the most cited health benefits of duckweed is a high protein content that’s easily absorbed by the body. It can potentially contain 43% of protein in its dry form and can yield 10 times more crude protein per hectare than soy.
Lemna is additionally rich in all essential and many non-essential amino acids, as well as iron, zinc and vitamin B12 – nutrients that aren’t always as easy to find in plant-based sources. And these can be found in higher concentrations than most vegetables. Plus, duckweed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. This is why it’s known as khai-nam in Thailand, which translates to ‘water eggs’ (referring to eggs’ high omega-3 content).
Many people also eat the fibre-rich duckweed to treat respiratory infections, rheumatoid arthritis and gout – although that’s based more on anecdotal than scientific evidence. What there is proof of, though, is the presence of flavonoids and carotenoids, which are antioxidants found to help reduce the risk of cancer as well as metabolic, cardiovascular and digestive diseases.
What makes duckweed a climate-resilient, future superfood?
Courtesy: Akaratwimages/Canva
Duckweed’s biggest claim to climate fame is that it’s an aquatic plant, which means it doesn’t occupy any farmland or require the clearing of land for its cultivation or biodiversity loss. This is especially important given the aforementioned share of land taken up by agriculture, and how much food we’ll need to feed future populations. Agrifood systems are responsible for at least three-quarters of global deforestation.
According to one estimate, duckweed uses up to 98% less water per tonne of product than soy, despite being an aquatic weed. This is because the water is recycled within the growing units. Meanwhile, one duckweed startup claims the plant requires up to 20 times less water than protein isolates like soy.
As mentioned above, these water lentils can grow in the same wastewater that they are cleaning. They can absorb contaminants like nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals and carbon dioxide from the air, meaning they have huge climate mitigation potential (there are also minimal disease threats). And while one study found that duckweed ponds release methane, a potent gas, other research points to duckweed’s potential as a carbon sink.
Duckweed can grow in any climate and at any altitude, including freezing temperatures that could be lethal to other plans. This means it could be cultivated in parts of the planet that suffer from food shortages and insecurity, or have diets low in protein or produce.
Plus, duckweed has been dubbed the world’s fastest-growing plant, owing to a process called budding. As its leaves grow, the plants divide and separate, each doubling in size every two or three days in optimum conditions, which means there is potential for exponential growth.
According to the UK science research body the STFC Food Network, this could pen up the potential for “industrial-scale protein production in the eastern hemisphere, including Europe, Africa and Asia, and help avoid deforestation”.
Lemna is all the research rage right now
Courtesy: GreenOnyx
Initial studies have shown low consumer objection to the introduction of duckweed in Europe. Additional research funded by the Wellcome Trust showed that Europeans could be convinced to accept lemna as an everyday food once they are familiar with its nutritional and environmental benefits.
Duckweed truly does possess otherworldly qualities – quite literally, given that NASA has pinpointed it as a top candidate for food grown on Mars. Similarly, Thailand and the European Space Research and Technology Centre are currently studying the possibility of cultivating lemna in space.
Coming back to Earth, the Netherlands submitted an application to the European Food Safety Authority in 2019 to classify duckweed as a novel food fit for human consumption under its regulations, in the hope of making the superfood a supermarket staple.
The startups leveraging duckweed
There are already a host of companies working towards this same goal, leveraging the plant to help produce future-ready food. Here are six startups working with lemna:
Plantible Foods (US)
Courtesy: Plantible Foods
San Diego, California’s Plantible Foods is leveraging the rubisco protein found in duckweed plants, which is said to be the most abundant protein on the planet. In 2021, it raised $21.5M in a Series A funding round to build a commercial-scale production facility and launch its nutrient-dense Rubi Protein. Its current focus is on replacing eggs in applications like baking and pasta-making with Rubi Whisk, and providing a cleaner-label binder to alt-meat with Rubi Prime.
Sustainable Planet (UK)
In the UK, Sustainable Planet is using up desertified land to grow duckweed and disrupt the existing alt-protein market. It was one of four winners of the global FoodTech Challenge earlier this year, which seeks innovative agritech solutions addressing food security. The startup, which is seeking funding to scale up, is aiming to produce lemna in different countries, typically developing nations with available land unsuited to traditional farming. It makes “premium” alt-proteins for plant-based meat, isolates, diabetes treatments, pet food and more.
MicroTERRA (Mexico)
MicroTERRA has created a functional ingredient with lemna that boasts a flavourless and odourless profile and mirrors traditional protein sources, to be used as a functional ingredient or pectin alternative in the plant-based food industry. Having raised $3.3M in total funding, its lemna absorbs nitrogen in residual water and is grown in existing aquaculture farms in its home country of Mexico.
GreenOnyx (Israel)
Courtesy: GreenOnyx
Israeli startup GreenOnyx is making ready-to-eat duckweed that lasts up to a month and can be used in both sweet and savoury applications. In January, it unveiled an urban breeding farm to grow fresh and affordable lemna in the form of green caviar, which it markets via its Wanna Greens brand. The company – valued at $80M after closing an $18M investment round last year – began selling the water lentil caviar for $6.40 in 200g boxes, with plans to retail it for $30 per kg, and has made it onto the menus of some Michelin-starred restaurants.
DryGro (UK – Kenya)
Anglo-Kenyan startup DryGro was founded at Oxford University in 2015 and is growing water lentils for potential use as an egg white replacement, plant-based meat protein ingredient, methylcellulose alternative, and more. The company, which has raised a total of £3.8M ($4.63M) in Series A funding, has research and development partnerships with four universities and has received support from the European Space Agency, Innovate UK, EIT Climate-KIC and EIT Food. In 2021, it opened a facility in Kenya to facilitate its lemna production, following the setup of a pilot farm in 2018.
Fyto (US)
MIT spinoff Fyto is hoping to “out-innovate soy” with its lemna, which it has already deployed at dairy farms for cattle feed and now plans to develop for broader applications. This will be helped by the $15M the Californian company secured in Series A funding last year (bringing total financing to $18M), which it also aims to use to scale to commercial production and grow its team.
With a host of startups working in the budding duckweed category, it seems this ancient water weed could help solve some of our most pressing future food challenges.
US-cultivated seafood producer BlueNalu has closed a $33.5M Series B funding round and extended partnerships with legacy seafood leaders in APAC to bring its cell-cultured bluefin tuna to market once it receives regulatory approval.
BlueNalu, whose first product is a whole-muscle bluefin tuna, says the new funds will help it scale and commercialise its alt-seafood. In 2021, it received a record-breaking $60M investment – the largest sum for a cultivated seafood company at the time. This followed a $20M Series A round in 2019 and a $4.5M seed funding round the year before.
While the details of the Series B raise are under wraps, it did include VC fund Agronomics, which has previously invested in cellular agriculture companies like Mosa Meat, Meatable, The Every Co and Formo. Agronomics has now invested a total of $8M across the seed and Series A rounds, and in a pre-Series B convertible note that has now transferred into preferred shares. This means it holds a 5.12% equity stake in BlueNalu.
Profitability and commercial production
BlueNalu plans to begin construction on its commercial-scale facility in 2026 | Courtesy: BlueNalu
The funding news comes on the heels of the Californian company extending its partnerships with Asian seafood giants Pulmuone (South Korea), Mitsubishi (Japan) and Thai Union (Thailand). BlueNalu partnered with the latter two in April 2021 to accelerate the launch of its alt-seafood products in the APAC region.
Toro, the fatty part of bluefin tuna belly, is a premium sushi- and sashimi-grade seafood product, with its limited supply making it highly sought after. But BlueNalu says it can be extremely variable in quality and sensory attributes and faces steep declines in fish stocks due to overfishing and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
While Bluefin currently operates out of a 38,000 sq ft pilot plant in San Diego that has the capacity to produce enough seafood for a small-scale launch, it hopes to begin construction on a large commercial facility in 2026, with plans to start production 18 months later. It announced these plans last year, claiming the 140,000 sq ft plant will be able to produce six million lbs of seafood once operational.
Simultaneously, it demonstrated a projected 75% gross margin within the first year of the large-scale facility being operational, via an in-depth techno-economic analysis. Since bluefin tuna toro is already a prized product with a premium price, a cultivated alternative would not carry the same cost difference as meats like beef or chicken.
BlueNalu confirmed that it has developed hundreds of cell lines for eight different finfish species, with ongoing projects looking to expand into other premium seafood categories as well.
Asia focus and regulatory approval
Originally, the company planned to introduce its cultivated tuna to the US foodservice sector in late 2021 and has looked into opportunities for a European launch through a partnership with frozen foods leader Nomad Foods. But it has magnified its focus on Asia now, with the renewal of its collaborations with the three seafood giants, as the region accounts for over 80% of global bluefin toro consumption.
“We are honoured to deepen our collaborations with Mitsubishi, Pulmuone and Thai Union, visionary partners who share our commitment to driving innovation and shaping the future of the seafood industry,” said BlueNalu CEO and president Lou Cooperhouse. In January 2022, the company also entered a deal with Food & Life Companies, Japan’s largest sushi restaurant chain.
“These extended partnerships in the APAC region underscore our dedication to working collaboratively with local experts in each region that we target, and our ultimate goal to provide our customers with healthy and trusted seafood options that have superior product benefits and align with evolving market conditions.”
Asia is home to the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat, with Eat Just getting clearance to market its cell-based chicken in Singapore in 2020. Earlier this year, the US became the second, with USDA approval granted to Eat Just and Upside Foods. And in Europe, Israeli-cultivated meat producer Aleph Farms filed for approval in Switzerland and the UK earlier this year. BlueNalu is in the process of evaluating market strategies and reviewing regulatory frameworks to facilitate its commercial launch.
Wildtype (also Californian) surpassed BlueNalu’s record to secure the largest-ever cultivated seafood investment with a $100M Series B for its cell-based salmon in 2022. Meanwhile, China’s Avant closed a $10.8M Series A round the same year, while in 2021, Singapore’s Shiok Meats closed an oversubscribed bridge round that brought its total financing to $30M. And earlier this year, Berlin-based Bluu Seafood secured $17.5M in a Series A raise with the aim to launch in Singapore next year.
There have been various product launches too, including Canadian brand Seed to Surf‘s whole-food plant-based snow crab and whitefish, South Korean producer Unlimeat‘s upcycled vegan tuna, Singapore-based HAPPIEE‘s vegan shrimp and squid in the UK, and Austrian company Revo Foods‘ 3D-printed whole-cut salmon.
Speaking at France’s inaugural Sustainable Gastronomy Summit, Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse called on the world to eat less meat. Highlighting how it would be better for both human and planetary health, the 21-Michelin-starred chef advocated for an 80/20 ratio of plant to animal protein.
Ducasse told French newspaper Le Figaro that animal protein harms both the planet and our health, and haute gastronomy must lead the charge and influence the restaurant industry to transition towards a plant-forward diet.
In 2014 – long before plant-based diets entered the mainstream restaurant consciousness in France – he removed meat from the menu at his flagship eponymous restaurant in Paris’s Plaza Athénée, instead embracing a menu confined to vegetables, sustainable seafood and grains, going as far as to describe it as more ‘natural’ food.
“When I was little, on the farm, every day at 11 am, my grandmother took me to the garden and wondered: ‘What are we eating today?’ It was a kitchen of necessity – naturalness before its time,” he told Le Figaro, adding: “We must reverse the proportions that we see everywhere and move towards a ratio of 80% vegetable to 20% animal protein. We don’t need to eat animal proteins every day.”
Meat is bad for the planet
Research has shown that animal-derived foods cause twice as many emissions as plant-based foods and that vegan diets can reduce emissions, water pollution and land use by 75% compared to meat-rich diets. When asked if he thinks people should stop eating meat completely, Ducasse responded: “I am not an ayatollah of veganism, but it is necessary to realise that we must eat meat in less quantity, but of better quality. And so that they can produce this quality, French farmers must be paid fairly.”
It comes on the heels of France’s U-turn on factory farming last month, with its agricultural minister calling for farmers to eschew quality and instead produce cheaper and higher quantities of meat. It followed a proposed ban on the use of meat-related terms on plant-based alternatives submitted by the French government to the EU Commission.
Courtesy: Sapid
As for the meat reduction point, a recent peer-reviewed study found that replacing 50% of our meat and dairy consumption with plant-based alternatives could reduce agricultural and land-use emissions by 31%, shrink the total agricultural area by 12%, and halt the destruction of forest and natural land. Further
“How can chefs import fatty beef from Japan knowing the cost that transporting it inflicts on the planet? It’s probably chic, but I prefer beef [from] Normandy. Not to mention the burgers that proliferate among my colleagues: fatty, soft, sweet… That’s not the point of the story. The long shadow of haute cuisine must be a stain of… olive oil,” said Ducasse.
Local sourcing is key
The 67-year-old said he looked up to Sydney restaurant St Peter’s Josh Niland, who “doesn’t throw away any part” of the fish being cooked in the eatery. “Rather than ham with butter and lettuce, tomorrow’s diet will be made with fish and butter and seaweed salad.”
He added: “We must be careful not [to] take too much from the land and the sea. Not to mention that there is as much plastic as fish in our oceans, which are the lungs of the planet. For fishing, you have to turn to deep-sea or river species that are not overexploited.”
Overfishing is a massive problem, as it is responsible for supply chain disruptions and destroying biodiversity, according to one alt-seafood brand. Ducasse stresses that we should promote reasonable breeding.
“It is better to farm shrimp in the Atlantic than to import them from Madagascar. And we must also take responsibility and not pass off farmed sea bass as wild sea bass on the stalls! We must decide to feed ourselves differently, not like rich countries that want everything, all the time. It is difficult not to make a link between the billion obese and the 800 million undernourished on the planet.”
Courtesy: Sapid
Alain Ducasse’s sustainability initiatives
The interview touched upon Ducasse’s own impact on the climate and whether his restaurants stick to this philosophy. In 2021, he opened the plant-forward restaurant Sapid in Paris, with dishes like lentil bolognese and tomato and watermelon salad based on that same concept of naturality – which he defines as “preparing good food for people’s health and good for the planet”.
“At Le Louis XV with Emmanuel Pilon and at Le Meurice with Amaury Bouhours, we have reduced the portions of fish and meat. 70g of animal protein on a plate is enough,” notes Ducasse. “At Sapid, our Parisian refectory, our menu – created with Romain Meder – is 80-85% vegan, in a room decorated with cob walls, secondhand furniture and crockery.”
He continued: “I also developed the Burgal, a burger topped with a vegetable pancake in a low-gluten bun [he launched the vegan burger kiosk in the French capital’s Bastille neighbourhood last year]: we distribute 1,000 per day in Business Air France lounges. And I’m working on opening a restaurant dedicated to [it]. I have also developed a white-label Mediterranean restaurant concept where animal proteins only occupy 15% of the menu.”
As for his own personal carbon footprint, he admitted in the interview that he flies a lot, having just come back from the Amazon where he “saw ravages of deforestation” – the rainforest is approaching a tipping point that could see it no longer be able to sustain itself. “I try to compensate for these excesses,” says Ducasse adding that “in Paris, I drive a 100% electric car.”
While that wouldn’t necessarily offset his flying emissions – according to some estimates, it would take two years of driving an electric car to offset emissions from flying to Manaus (at the heart of the rainforest) from Paris – cutting meat would definitely help. After all, livestock farming accounts for 11-19% of total greenhouse gas emissions. And meat contributes to 60% of all food emissions, which in turn make up about a third of all emissions. As Ducasse said, “we must be careful” indeed.
Ducasse joins a handful of Michelin-starred chefs who have pivoted to a vegetable-centric philosophy in recent years, from chef Daniel Humm’s New York City’s 100% vegan Eleven Madison Park to chef Rasmus Kofoed of Geranium in Copenhagen, named the best restaurant world, whose menu is meat-free.
Two months after launching its farmer- and health-centric marketing drive, alt-meat giant Beyond Meat is doubling down on the health aspect of its products with its new This Changes Everything campaign. It comes a few months after its Beyond Steak product was certified as heart-healthy by the American Heart Association (AHA).
The new ad spot features Schitt’s Creek actor Rizwan Manji, comedian Chris Parnell and an unnamed former Saturday Night Live cast member, honing in on Manji’s character’s excitement about the fact that meat (Beyond’s, in this case) can be healthy.
The 30-second commercial aims to emphasise the health benefits of Beyond Meat’s products – particularly its vegan steak, which eschews the usually longer ingredient lists with a cleaner label using wheat gluten and fava beans as the base and became the first meat product – conventional or plant-based – to receive the AHA certification.
The slot involves Manji getting overly excited after finding out that Beyond Steak is “good for you”, ending up in a sequence where he proclaims everything from cheesesteaks to doing his own stunts as “good for him” – “Everything bad is good for me,” he says. It ends with Parnell’s voiceover saying the good-for-you mantra only applies to Beyond’s alt-meat.
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
Fighting off the anti-alt-meat lobby
The campaign, which goes live on Monday, takes a more direct approach than the previous There’s Goodness Here, which took a subtler route towards tackling misinformation. It’s an extension of Beyond’s overall goal of educating consumers about the health benefits of plant-based meat after years of coordinated attacks and ad campaigns by the meat lobby.
“There is a considerable gap between the strong health credentials of our products and a broader counternarrative that is now afoot, and this gap appears to have widened,” Beyond CEO Ethan Brown said in an August earnings call.
“This change in perception is not without encouragement from interest groups, who have succeeded in seeding doubt and fear around the ingredients and processes we use to create our and other plant-based meats. Nor is it without contribution from well-meaning yet misguided comparisons of our products to kale salads, versus the animal-based meats they are intended to replace.”
With Beyond Steak, the company hopes to quell consumer concern about plant-based meat’s health benefits | Courtesy: Beyond Meat
A recent Mintel survey showed that nutrition is the second-biggest reason (35%) for Americans’ reticence to try alt-meat, after flavour (48%). Another study earlier this year found that more Gen Zers in the US want to go vegan for their health than the environment. Health is a regular topic in US mainstream due to alarming and rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes- over two-thirds (69%) of Americans are overweight and 36% of are obese.
Brown said plant-based food consumption is “more driven by health”, and there’s been a decline in the health perception of this sector. He cited a Food Marketing Institute study that found 50% of Americans believed plant-based meats were healthy in 2020, compared to just 38% in 2022.
Plus, there’s the fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US – and this is why the Californian alt-meat giant is banking on Beyond Steak’s AHA certification as an effective marketing tool. “If you look at Beyond Steak, it’s absolutely delicious – you have such high levels of protein and a gram of saturated fat,” Brown said in August. “Those things matter when the consumer is willing to come in.”
“We know that health is a top driver to the plant-based meat category, so we wanted to emphasise our products’ key nutritional benefits, including Beyond Steak’s heart-healthy credentials, while still communicating their great taste to elevate these products for consumers who are looking for plant-based meat options that not only taste incredible but are better for them and their families,” Beyond’s SVP for brand marketing, Akerho Oghoghomeh.
The company is hoping to push the health messaging further with the new This Changes Everything campaign. While Beyond Meat and its peers have sometimes been criticised for their long ingredient lists, its Beyond Steak product contains 12 ingredients (many of which are spices or natural flavourings) with no ‘hard-to-pronounce’ elements, offers a21g of protein per serving and is low in saturated fat at just 1g for each serving.
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
Beyond also stresses that all its meat products contain no cholesterol, GMOs, or added antibiotics and hormones, and adds that its new sausages have 40% less saturated fat than a leading conventional sausage brand.
The new ad campaign is slightly louder than the last one, mirroring the approach adopted by Beyond’s traditional alt-meat competitor Impossible Foods, whose Making Meat History campaign is a more direct retaliation to the anti-vegan marketing campaigns by meat industry lobby groups.
Beyond entered the year on an optimistic financial note, with its Q1 2023 earnings (while down year-on-year) exceeding Wall Street projections. Now, the plant-based leader– which says its steak is the best-selling alt-meat product in US retail – is expecting sharper revenue growth in the second half of the year. Will this new health-focused ad campaign help it go Beyond? Only time will tell.
We’re at a point where artificial intelligence is helping us make better food and more realistic alternatives to animal-derived proteins. But if two new studies are anything to go by, it’s not new tech, but an age-old technique, that could be the key to making plant-based meat and cheese more like their conventional counterparts. The answer is fermentation.
While fermentation is already a big deal in the alt-protein world (it’s known as the third pillar alongside plant-based and cultivated proteins), the majority of the focus is on companies using novel fermentation methods like biomass or precision techniques. But traditional fermentation – you know, the one we’ve been using for millennia to make bread, beer, yoghurt and wine – shouldn’t be overlooked, according to two new studies.
Taste is the number one factor for consumers not eating vegan alternatives to animal products, or choosing some brands over others. In our quest to make our plant-based meat meatier and cheese cheesier, researchers say the age-old technique of fermentation could hold the key.
Fermenting alliums to make better plant-based meat
Courtesy: Canva
Last month, the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study positing a solution to the challenge of replicating meat’s taste and texture: alliums. Specifically, onions, chives and leeks.
The researchers argue that when fermented with fungi, these ingredients produce natural chemicals that resemble the savoury scent of meat. They say that when manufacturers want to make alt-meat meatier, they’ll often add “precursor ingredients” found in conventional meat that transform into flavour agents during cooking. Alternatively, the flavour is prepped first by heating or chemically manipulating these precursor ingredients.
But the synthetic nature of these products means many countries won’t allow these plant-based meats to be labelled as ‘natural’. To do so, ‘natural’ flavourings would need to be extracted physically from plants or genetically biochemically with enzymes, fungi or bacteria.
This is the backdrop in which research lead YanYan Zhang and his colleagues attempted to explore if fungi strains that are known to produce meaty flavours and aromas from synthetic sources could be used to create the same chemicals from vegetables or spices. After experimentation with a whole host of foods, the team found that meaty aromas were only generated by ingredients from the allium family.
The strongest scent came from a 10-hour-long fermentation of onions using the fungus Polyporus umbellatus, which resulted in a fatty, meaty scent similar to liver sausage. With an analytical method called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the researchers examined the fermented onion to identify the flavour and aroma chemicals – and found that many of those are also known to be responsible for taste and scent in meat.
The researchers say that alliums’ high sulphur content enables them to yield meat-flavored compounds, which often contain sulphur too. “These onion ferments could someday be used as a natural flavoring in various plant-based meat alternatives,” they conclude. It makes sense, too – there’s a reason we add onions to our burgers as flavour and texture enhancers, no?
Yellow peas could elevate vegan cheese
Courtesy: Canva
In Denmark, scientists have been looking to transform peas and beans, which are naturally rich in protein, into bases for vegan cheese. Building upon research from last year, which found that yellow pea protein makes a good base for fermented plant-based cheese, University of Copenhagen’s Department of Food Science researcher Carmen Masiá has now developed an alternative that’s said to have a firm texture and improved aroma profile.
Cheese is, of course, one of the most popular fermented foods, and has been made this way for centuries. Many commercial vegan cheeses eschew fermentation altogether, though. Because plant proteins behave differently than milk proteins, they add starch or fat (like coconut oil) alongside colourings and flavourings to mimic dairy cheese. And while many artisanal dairy-free cheese makers use fermentation, the base is usually made from nuts.
Masiá is championing yellow pea protein – the fastest-growing protein ingredient in plant-based meat, including by industry giant Beyond Meat – as the catalyst for superior vegan cheese, by using natural fermentation with bacteria. She investigated 24 bacterial combinations for the development of the pea protein cheese.
“Bacteria can serve to develop firmness in non-dairy cheese in a very short period of time while reducing the bean-like aroma of yellow pea protein, which is used as the main and only protein source,” Masiá explains. She inoculated the bacteria in a protein matrix made from yellow pea protein, which resulted in a firm “cheese-like gel” reminiscent of a fresh soft white cheese after only eight hours.
Courtesy: Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
Masiá said that while all bacterial combinations produced firm gels without the need for starch or fat and reduced the ‘beaniness’ of the cheese, some performed better than others at producing compounds normally found in dairy cheese. And while eight hours is a rapid timeframe, she says for better results, this cheese may need to mature for longer as conventional varieties do.
“One needs to remember that dairy cheese production has been studied over many years, so it’s not something that we can just mimic overnight with totally different raw materials,” Masiá notes. “Nevertheless, there are many scientists and companies out there doing great progress in the field; I hope that we will get closer to making non-dairy cheeses that taste good over the next few years. We are getting there.”
She adds: “The most challenging thing for now is that, while there are a lot of people who would like to eat plant-based cheese, they aren’t satisfied with how it tastes and feels in the mouth. In the end, this means that no matter how sustainable, nutritious, etc. a food product is, people aren’t interested in buying it if it doesn’t provide a good experience when consumed.”
It’s a concept as promising as it is intriguing. In an increasingly tech-driven world – where we’re using AI even to market vegan cheese, let alone develop it – using an ancient technique to produce food that’s better-tasting, more climate-friendly and, crucially, cost-effective can prove to be a game-changer. It truly is looking back to the future.
Following its first tasting event in May, which involved retail partners and Singapore’s Economic Development Board, Dutch cultivated pork producer Meatable hosted a second such session last week for the media and stakeholders. It demonstrated its cell-cultured pulled pork and sausage products, which it plans to launch in the city-state in mid-2024.
Meatable’s meat alternative is a hybrid cultivated and plant-based product, which it has developed in partnership with Singapore-based Love Handle. The tasting event, held at Love Handle Labs Innovation Centre at The Arts House, featured a version that was one-third cultured meat and two-thirds plant-based, after taste-testing prototypes containing anywhere between 10-50% of cell-based meat.
“We are still in the process of optimising our products and trying out different recipes,” Meatable COO Carolien Wilschut tells Green Queen. “Each recipe is like a puzzle, where all components need to complement each other perfectly. We will keep on working on this to make sure we have the perfect recipe ready for the launch.”
“At our last tasting, participants tasted a hybrid sausage with 33% cultivated meat. The feedback on this was already very positive, but we’re always looking to make our products even better.”
Meatable described the tasting event as “successful”, having received some “invaluable feedback” on the taste and texture of its meat. In her review for The Straits Times, senior environment correspondent Lynda Hong wrote it “can be hard for someone to tell the difference between traditional pork and [Meatable’s] cultivated pork”.
As for the pulled pork, she said it “lacks the fibrous texture, dissolving in the mouth faster than traditionally farmed pork”, but the difference was masked by the sauce, the taco it was wrapped in, and the meat’s own porky flavour. “I never really tried cultivated meat before, and I think it tastes very much like the real stuff,” Hong was quoted as saying by Meatable.
Courtesy: Meatable
“I feel the product is really, really interesting,” said Daniele Sperindio, Michelin-starred chef at Italian restaurant Art. “Depending on the application, if I wasn’t told, I could be even potentially fooled to think it’s simply pork, like shredded pork and so on.” Meanwhile, Stephan Zoisl from Chef’s Table restaurant, said: “Did I like the cultivated meat? Definitely! It’s a new revolution, kind of. Just from a point of flavour, it tastes like pork, I mean, so it does taste like meat. Definitely, I liked that.”
“We are delighted to have delivered this tasting event in Singapore and humbled by the responses we got,” said Meatable co-founder and CEO Krijn de Nood. “It is a great way for us to collect their feedback and optimise our products even further.”
The path to regulatory approval
Meatable announced it will look to conduct more tastings of its products, both in Singapore and elsewhere. Each event requires safety approval by the Singapore Food Agency, which has “stringent safety requirements and a clear framework of criteria that companies need to meet”. Earlier this year, it collaborated with Mosa Meat, HollandBIO and the Dutch government to create a ‘code of practice’ facilitating cultivated meat tastings in the Netherlands – now, it aims to host its first tasting in its home country late this year.
The news comes just two months after Meatable raised $35M in Series B financing, bringing total investment to $95M to date. The company – which has already applied for regulatory clearance in Singapore (which is one of only two countries that currently allow the sale of cultivated meat, alongside the US) – is aiming for a launch in restaurants in mid-2024. “By that time, we aim to have received approval for commercial sale,” says Wilschut.
In October 2022, Meatable partnered with Singapore’s ESCO Aster, the only regulator-approved contracted cultivated meat manufacturing facility in the world, in its bid towards regulatory approval. De Nood told Green Queen in August that the company will look to expand to the US after the Singapore launch, which Wilschut confirmed.
Courtesy: Meatable
“We are taking this process step by step, and will use our experience in Singapore to guide us in other countries,” she said. “After Singapore, we are planning to expand to the US. Depending on regulatory developments elsewhere, we will update our strategy accordingly. “
“In order to gain regulatory approval in the US, we’re working with the relevant US experts and authorities on this matter – including the US Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture,” de Noord said in August. “Our application in Singapore gives us useful points of reference as well.”
Patented tech enables faster cultivated meat production
To produce its cultivated pork, Meatable employs a proprietary tech called Opti-ox, which helps it avoid using the controversial fetal bovine serum. Usually, immortalised cell lines require an alteration of the cells to allow them to multiply indefinitely, but Meatable uses pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), which “have the natural ability to keep on multiplying and to do so rapidly” – and these double in just 24 hours.
It can be more challenging to change PSCs from stem cells into specialised cells like muscle or fat, but the Opti-ox tech helps produce real muscle and fat cells that can fully differentiate in eight days, which is 30 times faster than it takes to rear a pig for pork on farms. This technique is paired with a perfusion process allowing Meatable to work in a continuous cycle to produce high cell densities.
“This means we can grow a lot of cells in our bioreactors, and harvest cultured meat from the reactors continuously. This is a great step forward as it increases productivity and makes the process easy to scale,” explains de Nood. “Altogether, this means that when it comes to making real cultivated meat, we have the tools to make the process extremely efficient and one that can scale to serve customers around the world.”
Courtesy: Meatable
Apart from the ESCO Aster production site and the co-manufacturing facility with Love Handle, Meatable has a plant in the Netherlands too. “We are in the process of moving to our new facility in Leiden,” Wilschut tells Green Queen. “In our previous location, we were working with 50-litre bioreactors, but here we have the possibility to work with larger bioreactors and therefore produce more product. This is an important step for us in scaling up. Next to that, we have started production on the ground in Singapore.”
The tasting is a major step forward in its journey to launch commercially. “This is also an important step towards full regulatory approval for sales in Singapore,” says de Nood. “All this helps us move closer to fulfilling our mission to satisfy the world’s appetite for meat without harming people, animals, or the planet.”
A new peer-reviewed study has found that if the world’s dogs and cats went vegan, it could have tremendous benefits for the climate and global food security. It would help feed nearly 520 million people, conserve land the size of multiple countries, and also save billions of animals from slaughter.
If all dogs were put on a nutritionally complete vegan diet, it would help feed nearly 450 million people, which is higher than the entire EU population. For cats, this would equate to almost 70 million, more than the populations of France or the UK. Doing so would also help save more greenhouse gas emissions produced by the UK or South Africa (for dogs), or Israel or New Zealand (for cats).
These are the results of research led by the University of Winchester’s Professor Andrew Knight, who has previously published a series of studies about the impact of plant-based diets on pet health. This latest analysis – published in the journal Plos One – found that dogs and cats consume about 9% of all land animals slaughtered for food – that’s nearly seven billion per year. And this isn’t counting aquatic species like fish, which would be much higher (this is harder to calculate as data is provided in terms of weight of seafood, not the absolute numbers of animals).
Given that meat has a much higher climate, land use and water footprint than plant-based food, if all dogs in the world went vegan, it would free up land larger than the size of Saudi Arabia or Mexico (the 12th- and 13th-largest countries by area, respectively) and save more freshwater than all renewable freshwater in Denmark. For cats, this would mean more land than Japan or Germany, and saving more water than available in Jordan.
The research also calculated the impact of humans transitioning to a plant-based diet. If that were to happen, it would feed 5.3 billion people – about two-thirds of the world’s population. It would also save more greenhouse gas emissions than emitted by India or the entire EU, more renewable water than available in Cuba, and more land than the area of Russia and India combined (the largest and seventh-largest countries in the world).
The environmental impact of pet food
The calculated figures are staggering, and show the potential impact a vegan diet could have on climate change, water scarcity and food insecurity. And the researchers say all these estimates are conservative. “I think that the true environmental impacts of dog food are actually larger than those found in my results; probably substantially larger,” Knight told UK vegan dog food startup The Pack in a blog post published on the brand’s website. “Conversely, the benefits of transitioning them on to nutritionally-sound vegan diets, are probably much greater than shown in my study – which already shows very large benefits.”
According to the research, when considering the total number of dogs and cats that could alternatively be fed using the food energy savings from a vegan transition amounts to between 150-190% of the entire global dog and cat population (as of 2018).
“Pet owners who care about the environment or their animals’ health should consider nutritionally sound vegan pet food,” said Knight, who called the study “game-changing”. “We’ve long known that plant-based diets are better for the planet, but have not seriously considered the impacts of pet food.”
Courtesy: Canva
He added: “However, pet food has profound environmental impacts.” In the US alone, for example, producing dry cat and dog food equates to between 25-30% of all emissions related to animal consumption by Americans. And globally, dog and cat food emit around 64 million tons of carbon per year – that’s the equivalent of over 13 million cars.
“There have been many calls for human diet change, but virtually no calls for diet change for dogs or cats. This is partly because of the assumption that they consume relatively few livestock products and that what they do consume is mainly by-products of human food production and is therefore beneficial ‘recycling’,” Knight told The Pack.
“But actually, what this study shows is that the only benefit of using byproducts within meat-based pet foods is that they’re cheaper than human-grade meat. The actual environmental impact of using by-products is greater than if pets were to be fed human-grade meat. This is because using byproducts requires more livestock animals to produce, than producing human-grade meat. It’s less efficient on a per-carcass basis.”
Health benefits and increased brand presence
In a statement, Knight added: “Large-scale studies have also shown that health outcomes for both dogs and cats are as good or better. And studies of feeding behaviour have demonstrated that average dogs and cats enjoy vegan pet foods as much as those made from meat.”
Last month, he co-authored a large-scale peer-reviewed study revealing that cats on a vegan diet could be healthier than those on a meat-based one, challenging the notion of felines being obligate carnivores. It followed research published last year by Knight and other researchers that found that vegan diets are the healthiest and least hazardous choice for dogs.
The British Veterinary Association, which previously discouraged consumers from feeding their pets alternative protein, is now reviewing its advice. Moreover, in February, the industry body UK Pet Food published new guidelines that acknowledged animal-derived nutrients can be sourced synthetically or from novel ingredients, so long as they are carefully formulated by highly qualified pet nutritionists. “There is little evidence of adverse effects arising in dogs and cats on vegan diets,” it stated.
Courtesy: Canva
It coincides with the growing interest in feeding future-facing food to our furry friends. The vegan dog food market, for example, is valued at £11.5bn in 2023, and projected to reach £21bn by 2033, the Guardian reports. Plant-based dog food is already an established category, with brands like Wild Earth, Omni and The Pack being some of the most popular ones (Wild Earth also makes cell-cultured dog food).
“Change is happening, but it’s not going to take place overnight, where all the supermarkets suddenly have good availability of these brands,” Knight told the Pack. “In fact, I’m hearing of shortages of vegan pet food in various regions of the world, and we know that consumer convenience is a key factor in determining whether products like these succeed. It’s therefore really important that this is addressed.
“I think we’re seeing the teething problems that occur when a disruptive industry first emerges, and new products become available. There’s always a period when demand outpaces supply, and supply needs to catch up. We’re going through that at the moment with vegan pet food.”
US mycelium meat producer Meati has received a patent for its MushroomRoot ingredient with exclusivity until 2039. Additionally, the company shared early results of a promising AI-led study into the health benefits of its mycelium strain.
After applying for the patent in 2018, Meati received confirmation from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last month, giving the mycelium meat maker exclusivity over the use of the Neurospora crassa strain until 2039. The ingredient, which it commercially calls ‘MushroomRoot’, is the base for its vegan whole-cut steaks and cutlets.
“The patent is a culmination of our years-long journey to have our foundational work with MushroomRoot and its wide-ranging food applications acknowledged and protected,” said Meati co-founder and CSO Justin Whiteley. When asked about the five-year wait, he told Green Queen: “Along the way, it was definitely suggested that we narrow the breadth of what we applied for, but we maintained our position to give us the broadest protection possible.”
Meati has been embroiled in a legal battle with fellow mycelium meat producer The Better Meat Co since 2022. The former accused the latter of IP infringement after The Better Meat Co received a patent for its fermentation tech. In response, The Better Meat Co accused Meati of undermining its IP and thus ruining its fundraising efforts.
The legal dispute is still ongoing. “We are not commenting on ongoing litigation beyond restating that we are confident in our case,” noted Whiteley. He reiterated that the patent was “a terrific, long-awaited validation of the early work done by our co-founders”.
An AI-led assessment of health benefits
Courtesy: Meati
In addition, Meati completed a study into the potential health benefits of its mushroom root ingredient using AI company PIPA’s LEAP tool. The PIPA partnership was announced in July following the establishment of the Meati Science Advisory Board. The results reveal that Meati’s now trademarked ingredient contains some “exceedingly rare/non-existent” compounds in food that present “pointed” health benefits, alongside benefits from mycelium’s whole-food nutrient density, which could address “prevalent nutritional deficiencies” and enhance “cardiovascular health”.
Whitely explained that PIPA, which stands for Process Integration and Predictive Analytics, has developed its own Data Analytics Platform that allows for “maximum flexibility and agility to allow the ingestion of many disparate and massive data resources to learn from and be processed in a way that leverages years of experience and the latest in AI technologies”.
“On top of this tech stack sit several platforms and SaaS-based tools to lead best-in-class innovation within food, nutrition and the life sciences, including LEAP for Life Sciences R&D, OES for raw omics data, and Ingredient Profiler to compare, improve and design ingredients to make a product more healthy and sustainable,” said Whiteley.
The PIPA platform integrates public and third-party data to build an integrative knowledge graph. AI pipelines are then applied to find existing or predicted connections and unlock latent knowledge that scientists can use for their project aims.
“We essentially are teaching the machines to think like humans, correlate millions of curated published papers and datasets, and summarise them via LLMs [large language models] to ensure the data is shareable, explainable and actionable,” explained Whiteley. “With these tools, PIPA has completed over 65 programs, increasing hit rates up to 35x higher than traditional research methods, which are typically <1% – [thus] significantly reducing costs and time needed in the lab or trials to verify and validate.”
The LEAP tool identified 14 key compounds in Meati’s MushroomRoot, which can work together or independently to address gaps in achieving optimal nutrition and improving health. These gaps can occur when these compounds, which are essential dietary nutrients, are consumed in lower amounts than required for maintaining good health and performance.
Cardiovascular health was the top health opportunity identified by LEAP, which is an important finding given that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, with one in five Americans dying from the condition. As for the aforementioned rare compounds that were identified, Meati is keeping details under wraps until further research is done.
Leveraging the knowledge to improve alt-meat
Courtesy: Meati
“We knew MushroomRoot was nutrient-dense based on our early research to find a species ideal for food,” Whiteley recalled. “However, we did not know exactly what benefits we could claim to make it easier for consumers to understand why it is unique. In just The PIPA findings unlocked – in a month versus [over[ years – known associations between compounds found in MushroomRoot and health benefits, as well as provided direction for future research.”
Asked how Meati planned to apply the knowledge gained from the AI-led process, Whiteley said the goal is to “crystallise what health benefits are yielded by regularly consuming Meati”, and sharing this information with its customers. “Ultimately, we want to make claims about specific benefits, short- and long-term, addressing specific health needs and also overall health and longevity,” he added.
“PIPA’s findings in this initial research using AI greatly accelerates our understanding of the wide range of public health benefits possible from regular consumption of mycelium as a whole food,” said Dr Roberta Holt, a member of the UC Davis Department of Nutrition and the Meati Science Advisory Board. “The unexpected discovery of additional potentially beneficial compounds that are quite rare further emphasises the importance of integrating AI into research to accelerate our scientific understanding of the complexity of whole-food products like Meati, and their potential role in human health.”
Meati is among a growing number of alt-protein brands leveraging AI to their benefit. NotCo has been using AI to develop its plant-based alternatives for years, Singapore’s Howw Foods employs the tech to make a vegan powdered egg, and Bel Foods has partnered with California’s Climax Foods to make plant-based products. Elsewhere, food and machine learning experts have unveiled an AI-led texturising startup, and two other firms are using AI to find superior protein-producing fungi strains. And in a link-up similar to Meati and PIPA’s, Danone is working with Californian AI firm Brightseed to discover hidden nutrients and compounds in plant crops.
“Receiving our patent just after our AI initiative highlighted MushroomRoot’s significant potential for consumer health benefits is truly remarkable, as they together validate our long-term vision of creating not only new food categories, but making existing foods more nutritious,” added Whiteley.
Meati’s recent developments and future plans
Courtesy: Meati
The news comes a couple of weeks after Meati opened its D2C marketplace featuring a subscription service that offers customers a new alt-meat product made with MushroomRoot every month. Whiteley said people can expect to see novel innovations by the end of the year, and Meati has hinted that the versatility of its fungi ingredient enables “limitless application in products like whole-cut steaks, ground meats, seafood, powders and shelf-stable foods”.
“What is exciting about MushroomRoot and its nutrient density is that it’s truly a platform,” Whiteley stated. “Meati is the first demonstration of the incredible food it can create, and we’re excited to introduce distinct functions and formats down the road, making it even easier to get Meati into other cultures, meals and moments.”
Meati restructured last month after laying off 10% of its workforce and shuttering its pilot plant in Boulder, Colorado, with the brand explaining that it needed to “be nimble and focus on near-term profitability”. While the staff cuts saw 30 employees let go and 60 positions eliminated, the business added 100 additional roles to boost production. And in January, the company – which has raised over $325M in total funding following a $150M Series C raise last year and an extension round last month –opened a ‘mega ranch’ capable of producing tens of millions of pounds of alt-meat to rival the output of animal farms.
Its products are available in over 1,500 US locations at retailers Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, Meijer and Fresh Thyme, and the company has foodservice partnerships with Birdcall, PLNT Burger and Next Level Burger, as well as a distribution agreement with Dot Foods. It further enjoys mainstream visibility thanks to partnerships with popular American chefs David Chang and Rachael Ray.
Now, Meati is looking to take the next step. “We’re focused on increasing the availability of Meati,” Whiteley says. “Our goal has long been easy access, which translates to being able to purchase Meat at your local grocery stores and restaurants. While we have a near-national footprint at this point with even more coming before year’s end, there is much work to be done to broaden access in 2024, and that’s what we’ll be focused on.”
A year after securing $30M in a Series A fundraiser, French plant-based whole-cut chicken producer Umiami has reeled in a further €32.5M ($34.7M) to scale up its production, accelerate European distribution and set up its US operations.
With the latest cash injection which brings the total Series A round to €59M ($62.8M), the three-year-old company has now secured over €100M ($107M) in total investment, including non-dilutive funding and public sector grants. The fresh round of financing was led by returning investors the Sociétés de Projets Industriels (SPI) fund and French Tech Seed – both managed by Bpifrance for the French government as part of the France 2030 economic investment plan. Other participants comprised Astanor Ventures, Redalpine, Newfund (all historic investors) and VERSO Capital.
The investment will help Umiami with three key objectives. It plans to boost the production of its proprietary plant-based meat texturising tech, “umisation”. It uses this method to create its flagship whole-cut vegan chicken breast, and claims the tech “perfectly mimics the taste and texture of meat and fish, with equivalent nutritional value”. Umiami adds that the resulting meat alternative would contain under 10 ingredients, and be free of texturising agents or “controversial additives”.
“Umisation is an innovative protein texturing technology that is unique and specific to Umiami. It is the world’s first-ever process to be able to create – on a large scale – plant-based fillets that resemble pieces of animal meat: both in taste and texture,” a brand spokesperson told Green Queen. “This technology is the result of several years’ research and development, and uses plant matrices to produce a fibrous texture and control the size, direction and thickness of the resulting fibres.”
They added: “As well as producing better texture, umisation has the advantage of offering a minimally processed product from a very short list of ingredients. The procedure now makes it possible to produce a whole, 100% plant-based thick fillet, with fibres resembling those of meat and reproducing that unique, gourmet sensation mouthfeel.”
A new manufacturing facility
Courtesy: Umiami
The company has been operating in an R&D pilot plant in the Paris region since last year and announced the acquisition of a 14,000 sq m Unilever site near Strasbourg in France’s Alsace region in December. The new facility is slated to open in the coming months, the brand spokesperson confirmed, and boasts a capacity of 7,500 tons per production line, with the potential of reaching 20,000 tons.
Umiami outlined its goal to be at the centre of the region’s reindustrialisation and creation of local jobs and confirmed that it will also be investing in its existing R&D plant near Paris, which currently has a capacity of 100 tons, and has hosted “advanced trials involving a comprehensive range of consumers”. The company now plans to expand its range to include more alt-meat products.
“Playing a part in the industrialisation of a start-up like Umiami is fully in line with the SPI fund’s raison d’être,” said Jean-Philippe Richard, deputy director of the SPI fund. “Thanks to its unique technology, Umiami is offering an upmarket range of plant-based fillets. It enables us to boost reindustrialisation in France while enhancing the country’s reputation for agri-food expertise internationally through the development of cutting-edge initiatives serving healthy, traceable food with a low carbon footprint.”
European expansion and an American dream
Umiami co-founders Martin Habfast, Clémence Pedraza and Tristan Maurel | Courtesy: Umiami
The second objective of this new funding round is to help Umiami with further expansion in Europe. While it has been active in retail and foodservice sectors in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy under a white label, it launched under its own brand name for the first time at 120 Coop stores in Switzerland in August. Now, it plans to announce more restaurant and retail partnerships next year. (Umiami told Green Queen that the number of current outlets isn’t available yet.)
Finally, Umiami also plans to break into the US market with its chicken fillet, which it calls a “more developed market for plant-based meat alternatives”. To facilitate this move, the company has recruited FMCG veteran John Hatto (previously PepsiCo and Lamb Weston) as its US managing director.
In a joint statement, Umiami co-founders Tristan Maurel (CEO) and Martin Habfast (export director) said: “We are determined to bring our innovation to American consumers. With our exceptional team and cutting-edge technology, we’re ready to shape the future of food tech.”
France’s tricky relationship with plant-based meat
Courtesy: Umiami
The news comes on the heels of setbacks for the plant-based meat industry in France. Last month, government officials submitted a proposal to the EU Commission for an unprecedented ban on the use of meat-related terms on plant-based meat labelling, reigniting a long-standing saga (with similar developments internationally). This wasn’t long before its agricultural minister pushed a pro-factory-farming stance by calling for the production of cheaper meat.
When asked about the ban, the spokesperson said: “Umiami is committed to communicating openly with consumers and ensuring that they are not misled in any way.” And pressed on the factory farming news, they said the brand “does not currently hold a position on this topic”.
In the wake of this proposed ban, French retail giant Carrefour formed a coalition with corporations like Unilever and Danone to promote the production of plant-based food in the country, pointing to the country’s growing number of flexitarians as signs of the industry’s growth. A 2021 Kantar World Panel study found that 49% of French households had at least one flexitarian among them – almost double the 25% figure in 2015.
According to the alt-protein think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, France is the continent’s fifth-largest plant-based market, with sales increasing by 5% between 2020-22. Alt-meat sales, in fact, grew by 17% in this period. A survey conducted last year found that one in five (22%) French consumers included more plant-based proteins in their diets from 2021-22, while 41% considered vegan food the third most important protein source, after meat and eggs (but above fish).
“We are extremely proud of the huge success of our Series A, and of the confidence that our investors and partners have placed in us,” said Maurel and Habfast. “This round of funding will enable us to continue our mission to revolutionise the food industry by offering sustainable and tasty alternatives to meat-based products.”
In our new 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 Australia’s meat reduction, Kellogg’s omnivore-targeting plant-based burger, and the Canadian dairy sector’s attack on vegan alternatives.
New products and launches
Aussie brand Next! Foods has launched a new line of premium, Michelin-starred-chef-created vegan pasta sauces – a Bolognese and carbonara featuring its soy protein mince and bacon, respectively – in over 500 Coles supermarket stores. It plans for an international expansion soon.
Across the Pacific is another plant-based sauce by fast-food giant Taco Bell. The limited-edition vegan nacho cheese sauce will come as part of its Nacho Fries menu offering and will be available at participating US stores from October 12. The sauce was previously part of Taco Bell’s ultra-popular Vegan Crunchwrap.
The US has also seen what is my personal favourite launch news of all time. Lindt has launched vegan, oat-milk-based versions of its legendary Lindor chocolate truffles. They come in classic and dark varieties, and use almond butter, and oat and rice extract powders as the base. Details about listings are scant, but the Lindor Non-Dairy Oatmilk Chocolate Candy Truffles are available at the Lindt USA retail stores and online marketplace, as well as Safeway locations. If you’re smart like I am, you’ll buy the 800-piece pack.
In the North, Hershey’sdebuted its first vegan chocolate range in Canada. The Oat Made chocolates come in Creamy and Almond & Sea Salt flavours, with a base of almonds, oats and rice, and are available in major grocery stores across Canada.
Courtesy: Hershey’s
Another confectionery release is Colorado-based Trupo Treats‘ vegan chocolate nougat bars. They come in classic and peanut-caramel flavours. The company had set a pre-order sales target of at least $50,000 (pushing to $100,000) by November 1, and it’s already halfway there, so it seems likely these will go into production soon.
Alt-dairy launches have spanned continents, with German oat milk maker Velike!launching a chilled SKU in returnable glass bottles. The Not M’lk is available in 1.5% and 3% fat options, and Velike! claims it is the first refillable plant-based milk on refrigerated shelves. (Though I wonder what NotCo and a certain alt-dairy giant have to say about the name.)
Within this sphere, British cheese maker Cathedral City has expanded its vegan range with an extra mature block and a Cheddar spread. The line was introduced last year with plant-based Cheddar blocks, slices and grated SKUs.
And while you’ll normally associate it with a milky breakfast, Kellogg’s has launched a new plant-based burger under its Morningstar Farms brand. It’s an evolution of a toxic relationship – the previous Incogmeato vegan burger was discontinued, and Morningstar was almost spun off – but the new ‘premium’ Steakhouse Style quarter-pounders hopes to target omnivores with its release into Walmart, Publix and Target stores
Courtesy: Morningstar Farms
Speaking of burgers, British chain The Beefy Boys has unveiled its first meatless option, a mushroom-based patty. The burgers do contain dairy cheese by default – so if you happen to visit its Hereford (where it trialled the product in July), Cheltenham and Shrewsbury locations, be sure to ask them to hold the cheese.
Dutch company NoPalm Ingredients, which makes microbial palm oil alternatives, has produced a prototype boullion powder using the alt-fat, which is upcycled from Unilever’s ice-cream production sidestreams. And in another collaboration, it has taken one of Colgate-Palmolive’s byproducts and turned it into a personal care ingredient for future use in the consumer good giant’s soap bars.
In terms of product listings, UK plant-based meal kit brand Grubbyhas made its retail debut in Tesco, the country’s largest retailer, with Thai green curry, coconut dal and gnocchi puttanesca nationwide. Additionally, the B Corp startup’s D2C orders allow you to track the carbon footprint of the meals against their conventional meat equivalents.
Courtesy: Grubby
In Asia, Indian plant-based meat brand Greenest has collaborated with restaurant chain Hard Rock. Its location at Chandigarh Tricity sees a new vegan menu with Greenest’s plant-based kebabs, burgers and spring rolls.
And in Hong Kong, vegan pork maker Plant Sifu has extended its partnership with flag carrier Cathay Pacific – weeks after introducing 16 meat-free dishes on select routes – on a six-month trial that will see in-flight meals like braised egg tofu with plant-based mince and shiitake mushrooms and wok-fried mince with Thai basil, morning glory and sambal make it onto Economy and Premium Economy class menus in select long-haul flights.
Funding and M&A Activity
Californian food tech startup Novel Farmshas been awarded the Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation, which is worth $999,967 over two years. Known for its cultivated pork loin that uses novel microbial fermentation and tissue engineering tech, the funding will help the company scale up its proprietary scaffolding platform.
Meanwhile, Finnish alt-dairy brand Oddlygood has acquired Nordic brand Planti, which it claims makes it the market leader in vegan “spoonable snacks” in Sweden and cooking products in Finland. The companies haven’t disclosed the amount of the deal – but Oddlygood recorded a turnover of €23.5M last year, while Plantu made €10.9M.
Courtesy: Oddlygood
Leading alt-protein non-profit ProVeg International has announced its Incubator’s 11th cohort, welcoming eight startups all pushing towards a sustainable food system. These include Allium Bio, Marinas Bio (both Singapore), Poseidona, Guimarana (both Spain), Cellva Ingredients (Brazil), Livestock Labs (United States), Food 4 You (Argentina) and Ex Seed (Bulgaria).
Policy and research
ProVeg also responded to a report published by the UK’s Climate Change Committee last month, which called for financial incentives for plant-based foods to make them more “attractive, accessible and affordable”. ProVeg welcomed the report and pushed the spotlight on to Rishi Sunak, who it said is “in danger of going down in history as a leader who failed to act in the best interests of our children and the next generation by taking the necessary steps to reduce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions”.
Meanwhile, a new study by Australia’s Griffith University found that nearly a third of respondents had reduced their meat consumption in the last year, while only 3.3% had increased it. Health, environment and animal welfare were the top three reasons, as is standard, as nearly 14% reported a wish to transition towards a fully vegan diet.
Courtesy: Quorn
And if you eat vegan food, you may have encountered Quorn at some point, the British meatless pioneer that has been championing mycoprotein since the 80s. A new study in the European Journal of Nutrition has found that eating Quorn’s meat alternatives for two weeks can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by 12%, total cholesterol by 7%, and reduced weight circumference by almost 1cm compared to red meat consumption.
Elsewhere, Chinese alt-protein impact investment firm Dao Foods released a new white paper assessing fermentation-based proteins in the country. It examines the challenges the sector faces, alongside the advantages of fermentation in China, pathway options for startups, opportunities to catalyse startups, as well as engagement strategies.
And in the latest chapter of the labelling battle, the Dairy Farmers of Canada are allegedly attempting block a trademark application for the term ‘Dare to be dairy-free’ by New York-based vegan brand Treeline Cheese. The latter calls it an “anti-competitive attempt to impede the sale” of its plant-based dairy alternatives, whose packaging label the dairy lobby argues “deceptively misdescribes” the product.
Courtesy: Treeline Cheese
In more positive labelling news, Chilean plant-based foundation Vegetarianos Hoy is celebrating the certification of 2,000 products with its Sello Vegano accreditation as well as the V-Label, which is represented by the organisation in Latin America across seven countries.
Meanwhile, US-based MycoTechnology, which makes mycelium ingredients for protein powders, commissioned a study that found only 17% of vegans made up the 725 consumers of plant-based protein powders it surveyed. It reiterated that while being free from sugar and artificial sweeteners, GMOs, preservatives and colouring is key, the most important factor for customers remains taste.
Novel tech news
Israeli biotech firm ProFuse Technologyannounced a breakthrough in its muscle tissue tech that it says will transform the cultivated meat industry. It has created a scaffolding 3D growth technology that can combine with cell culture media and growth protocols to speed up muscle growth by fivefold, allowing cultured meat to be produced within 48 hours – which is 80% faster than usual according to ProFuse.
Danish microbial tech company Novozymes, meanwhile, has unveiled Vertera ProBite, a B2B clean-label ingredient formulated to improve the texture and mouthfeel of plant-based meat. Crucially, it has received regulatory approval as a processing aid.
In a cross-continent deal, Iceland’s ORF Genetics and South Korea’s SeaWith have signed an MoU to boost cultivated meat production using the former’s MESOkine animal-free growth factors made from barley. SeaWith aims to launch cultivated meat products under its Welldone brand to the market by 2025.
Finally, Cargill, the world’s third-largest meat producer, has opened a European Protein Innovation Hub, enabling its customers to co-create protein-rich menu strategies in test kitchens and a pilot plant. It’s part of a €50M investment into the company’s Saint-Cyr en Val site in France and will allow customers to create protein products based on ideas from Cargill’s chefs. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Want more roundups of alt-protein, plant-based and sustainable food? Stay tuned for next week’s Future Food Quick Bites, published every Wednesday or get it in your mailbox by signing u to our Alt Protein Weekly newsletter.
Californian startup Marinas Bio is developing a cultivated alternative to one of the world’s most premium foods, caviar. While cost will continue to be a major barrier for cell-cultured meat and seafood as companies are still far from mass scale, luxury foods may be the ideal niche to test consumer appetite for higher-priced cultivated alternatives.
While caviar is not a food most of us eat regularly, these high-priced fish eggs command high prices. But caviar’s supply chain is less than desirable. Also known as salted roe, they are acquired from slaughtered sturgeons and have always come at a high price, both ethically and environmentally. In fact, the high demand for caviar, an elite food associated with wealth and Michelin-starred restaurants, has meant that sturgeons are today the most critically endangered species on Earth, according to the WWF.
That – and the sometimes inferior quality of caviar – is why Allan Leung, a former seafood farm worker who had a short sting as the interim CFO of cultivated fish startup Avant Meats, is working on cultivated roe at his new startup Marinas Bio.
There are three sturgeon species that are used to make caviar: Beluga, Iscveitra and Sevruga. When asked which one the company is working on, Leung doesn’t specify, saying only: “We are working on multiple species based on CITES and other relevant regulations.” He adds that the cells are “collected directly from aquatic animals using [a] sterile technique”.
Cultivated seafood’s scalability challenges
Courtesy: Shiok Meats
Cultivated seafood is a complex sector, with far fewer players than meat, and a much more complicated R&D process, mostly because there is close to no previous research on sea species stem cells, as Sandhya Sriram, co-founder and CEO of cultivated seafood Shiok Meats, told Green Queen founding editor Sonalie Figueiras in a podcast.
“Around last year, we realised, okay, seafood is gonna take longer than [what we thought],” she said. “Seafood in general doesn’t have any background research… [Shiok] went into it knowing that it’s going to take time, but we thought it would be about four or five years until we figured it out. But last year – our fourth year – we said: ‘Okay, let’s take a pause here. We have tried as much as we can with the scale, and it’s not working.’”
While Shiok remains committed to building out crustacean cell lines, it shifted focus to bringing cultivated beef to market and getting regulatory approval (the company Gaia Foods in 2021). Last month, meanwhile, Shanghai-based CellX teased that the team was getting closer to large-scale production of cultivated seafood – but it’s not there yet.
And while Leung says the development of cell lines for fish eggs will be easier than species like shrimp or crab, he did not go into specifics about the company’s R&D progress, adding that Marinas had “not made an announcement of cell line data yet” and has not “made a public announcement of our R&D progress to-date”. Moreover, he confirmed that the company has not had any public tastings yet.
“Single-cell roe is easier to scale than meat. A serving of steak consists of multiple cell types and billions of cells. A serving of caviar consists of hundreds of individual egg cells,” he explains. “In cell agriculture, biotechnology can make it possible to use one fish to produce caviar repeatedly forever. We could shorten the production cycle from years to months and develop protocols to improve quality, consistency, and shelf life.”
Early days for Marinas Bio
Funding-wise, the company has managed to get support from the ProVeg Incubator and SeaAhead, and Leung said the Marinas is supported by Trendlines AFIC too. He says the team is looking to “raise additional rounds upon our next scientific milestones”. Asked what and when these might be, Leung said: “Additional milestones will be announced via LinkedIn.”
The company is just over a year old and is currently a team of 3, including Leung. He co-founded it with Sally Davis, a veterinarian with 20 years of aquatic animal and biomedical research experience, and Elizabeth Mojica, a scientist who has been working on fish cell cultures for eight years.
Based near Sacramento, which Leung says is a strategic choice – “in the heart of the US sturgeon aquaculture industry” – the team currently sits in a co-working lab “for cost efficiencies”.
Leung’s seafood journey
In a social media post explaining his origins, Leung says he grew up eating seafood in Hong Kong and entered the fish farming industry after university.
“I watched these lively animals grow from the tiniest fingerlings into a thriving school of fish. One day, however, this school of happy fish was suddenly caught in the net, [and] kidnapped in the back of a boat. Darkness fell on these animals,” he recalls. “Next time they saw sunlight, they were suffocated together in a bucket on a conveyor belt. Before they could figure out what was happening to them, a sharp knife pierced through their gills, and their blood floated underneath my boots.”
Leung says he saw millions of fish die this way, and could never find a way to reconcile his love for animals and seafood. Then, he joined the alt-protein industry and worked in fundraising. But he struggled with the way startups were run and said he was ousted from one of his roles for questioning the status quo. “I still had a mission, and the mission was not completed. I chose to give up everything and start from scratch. I recycled capital by helping investors exit. I visited many labs around the world and recruited a scientific team with veterinarian and fish cell culture experience.”
Courtesy: SeaAhead
What’s next
Leung says the startup is working on “caviar, roe and other seafood delicacies”, but didn’t elaborate on the latter when pressed. As for the production and final costs, he said: “Price point for cultivated meat will [be] higher in the mid-term future. Scaling commoditised products to reach cost parity will be costly for investors.”
He adds that the product will be priced at a premium, given the category: “From my career experience, novel products entering the seafood market were first sold at a higher price point. We plan to make cultivated caviar desirable and sell it at a premium to discerning customers.”
It’s early days for Marinas Bio and the company has plenty to prove. As Leung wrote in a social media post: “We still have a lot of work to do, but we have wisdom from our previous experience.” The team is committed, and ocean conservation is top of mind: “We share a mission to conserve life below water through cell cultivation. Together, the future of sustainable seafood is in our hands.”
German mycoprotein startup Nosh.bio has partnered with Boston-based synthetic biology firm Ginkgo Bioworks to leverage the latter’s cell programming platform to find protein-producing fungi strains with superior sensory profiles. The AI-led process will help Nosh.bio develop a single-ingredient meat alternative.
Nosh.bio creates functional ingredients from using biomass fermentation for plant-based food products, while Ginkgo hosts a cell programming and biosecurity platform to help companies manufacture more sustainable alternatives for their products.
The partnership will see Nosh.bio use Ginkgo’s Strain Optimization Services and leverages its ultra-high-throughput encapsulated screening capabilities to screen for fungi strains that can create more flavourful, nutritious alt-proteins that can deliver a savoury and “naturally meaty” flavour in food products.
Courtesy: Nosh.bio
In search of the perfect fungal ingredient
The two companies argue that animal-free protein still faces a challenge in creating delicious alt-meat products that are less processed and more affordable than conventional meat. Multiple studies have shown the importance of taste, texture and price parity to the growth of this sector. In addition, ‘clean-labels’ with shorter ingredient lists and fewer processed elements are equally important to consumers.
Nosh.bio’s tech platform uses fungal biomass to develop single-ingredient mycoprotein-derived meat alternatives. The startup, which raised €3.2M in a seed funding round earlier this year, says red meat products – like steak – are the most challenging product to recreate, and current alternatives can contain many ingredients and chemical additives. It adds that its “highly efficient” and “cost-effective” production process can make alt-meats that taste and feel just like conventional meat but carry better health credentials.
To enable the creation of such an ingredient, Ginkgo hopes to discover a fungi strain with “higher native proteins” involved in achieving the superior qualities Nosh.bio is looking for in its plant-based meat products. The cell programming platform will run a mutagenesis and screening campaign with EncapS, its proprietary encapsulation and screening technology, which is able to search through up to one million variants in a single run. This will help select the best-performing strains for further development.
“Nosh.bio is eager to enable the transition from animal-based to animal-free products. Our affordable, high-quality plant-based ingredients can build a product that’s even closer to meat in taste and texture than alt-protein options currently on the market,” said Nosh.bio co-founder and CEO Tim Fronzek. “What really excites us about partnering with Ginkgo is their accelerated screening technology that can help us pinpoint and develop a super ‘meaty’ mycoprotein.”
Kalpesh Parekh, VP of business development at Ginkgo Bioworks, added: “Our proprietary encapsulation and screening technology can expeditiously deliver valuable insights that enable our partners to optimise their R&D efforts and overall product.”
Ginkgo, which became a public company on the NYSE in 2021 with a $15B valuation after closing a SPAC deal with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp, already has link-ups with Swiss ingredients giant Givaudan for fermentation-based sustainable ingredients, alt-materials startup Bolt Threads for its b-silk protein, and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, among others. Launched in 2008, its tech has also led to several spinoff companies, like Motif FoodWorks and Joyn Bio (a joint venture with Bayer).
Courtesy: Ginkgo Bioworks
Artificial intelligence and alt-protein
As AI makes it into our everyday lives more and more, it’s becoming a part of the alt-protein industry as well, with companies leveraging the future-facing tech to solve current and forthcoming problems. Last month, sustainability non-profit Food System Innovations partnered with AI expert Noa Weiss to launch GreenProtein AI, which uses machine learning to optimise the extrusion and texture of plant-based meat.
AI has already been in use for years by Chilean food tech brand NotCo for its plant-based alternatives. Its patented AI tech, Giuseppe, is the brains behind the company’s alt-milks, mayo and burgers. Similarly, Singapore’s Howw Foods uses AI to make Hegg, its vegan powdered egg product.
Meanwhile, many companies have collaborated with AI firms to improve the development of alt-protein products. Bel Foods – the French dairy giant behind Babybel cheese – has partnered with California’s Climax Foods to make vegan products, while Danone is working with Californian AI firm Brightseed to discover hidden nutrients and compounds in plant crops. And Colorado-based mycelium meat maker Meati collaborated with AI company PIPA to speed up and expand its understanding of the health and nutrition credentials of its nutrient-rich products.
Some companies have used AI as a marketing tool. US startup Pleese Foods unveiled a campaign in August that employed AI to generate whimsical imagery of cheese as a flourishing crop and being grown on trees.
The UK is set to fast-track its approval of cultivated meat as part of a bilateral agreement with Israel, according to the Telegraph. The news comes two months after Israel’s Aleph Farms became the first cultured meat company to file for regulatory approval in the UK.
Currently, the UK still retains its pre-Brexit rules and follows EU regulations when it comes to cultivated meat. In the EU, it’s regarded as a “novel food“, and companies thus need to gain premarket authorisation for the sale of their cultured meat products. In the UK, the body handling this matter is the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
In 2021, the FSA conducted a consumer poll to test acceptance of alternative proteins, and found that 78% of Brits had heard of cultivated meat, and a third would be willing to try it. Despite that, only three in 10 perceived it as safe to eat, and 42% said that nothing could encourage them to try cell-based meat. However, 27% said they could be persuaded if they knew it was safe to eat, and 23% if they knew it was properly regulated.
According to alt-protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI), the FSA then launched a review of the UK’s novel food regulation to “identify and evaluate a range of potential regulatory models for novel foods”. So while the EU model remains in place for now, GFI said “we may see a new system for evaluating cultivated meat products in the future”.
And we might just be soon. The Telegraph reports that UK ministers and regulators are looking to accelerate the approval of cultivated meat to boost food security, ease the cost of living, and provide alternative, planet-friendly meat sources for a growing population.
Taking inspiration from Israel’s cultivated meat sector
Courtesy: Aleph Farms
The newspaper says the UK is set to sign a deal with Israel to boost collaboration on cell-cultured meat. With more cultivated meat companies per capita than almost anywhere else, Israel is home to many pioneers in this space, including Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat), SuperMeat, BioBetter, and Aleph Farms. In 2021, it invested $18M in the world’s largest cultivated meat consortium, while government funding has contributed $13M to early-stage startups and infrastructure in this sector.
Some have predicted that Israel could be the next country to greenlight the regulatory approval for cultured meat. It’s against this backdrop that the nation is said to be at “the forefront of the movement”, as the Telegraph puts it. The UK’s FSA is now reportedly “considering future changes” to its regulatory process to cut red tape and “remove unnecessary burdens on business”.
“There are some good signs that in the DNA of homosapiens, there’s a need for meat and we are not going to be able to meet that through traditional husbandry with nine billion hungry mouths to feed by 2050,” said science minister George Freeman. “We’re going to have to generate novel sources.”
The cost-of-living crisis has hit the UK hard, with prices of some meat and vegetables almost doubling over the past year. “If we don’t quickly generate ways to develop very low-cost protein, we’re going to see huge geographical instability,” Freeman said.
Freeman and FSA officials visited Israel earlier this year to taste the cultivated meat and see how the market is regulated in the country. The deal between the two nations comes on the heels of another recent agreement to boost quantum research and academia links and allow Israeli businesses to submit new tech for regulatory approval in the UK.
The UK’s cell-cultured opportunity
Courtesy: Ivy Farm
In August, Aleph Farms became the first cultivated meat company to file for cultivated meat approval in the UK. It’s already in talks with commercial partners and plans to begin production in the country in the next few years, expecting the regulatory process to take “a couple of years” but calling the potential “huge”.
It signalled the opportunity for cultivated meat in the UK. GFI Europe reported that investment in the sector grew by 400% between 2021-22 – more than all of Europe combined – while separate research found that British companies received £28.55M in investment for cultured meat, behind only the US, Israel, Netherlands and Singapore. Moreover, research has found that the UK’s overall alt-protein sector could create 25,000 jobs by 2035.
Moreover, earlier this year, the UK government made its largest investment in alt-protein with a £12M grant for the creation of the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub. Similarly, the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council has set aside £20M towards sustainable protein development.
Additionally, according to the Telegraph, the UK is home to more than a third of all companies working on cell-cultured meat globally. Among them are Ivy Farm, which opened the UK’s largest cultivated meat facility in Oxford last year, and Extracellular, which is building what it claims will be “Europe’s largest” contract pilot plant for cultivated meat in Bristol (due to be operational by December).
James Cooper, deputy director of food policy at the FSA, told the Telegraph: “The FSA is committed to supporting business innovation in new markets by delivering effective and proportionate regulation to protect consumers. We are always keen to learn more from other countries about their approach to the regulation of emerging technologies and are developing relationships with international organisations to learn about their approach to cell-cultivated products.”
“Israel has very strong expertise in protein replacement and in agri-tech and turning deserts into a garden,” said Freeman. “It is possible for us to be a world producer of very high standard beef, poultry and pork, whilst also making sure that we’re able to produce very low-cost protein for hard-hit families that are struggling and can’t afford a £70 joint of beef. It’s not an ‘either or’.”
He added: “It’s making sure that we’re able to maintain our very high food quality standards and international reputation, reduce the cost of living, and help develop the technologies that the world needs.”
Sunak’s climate U-turn and calls for improved cultured meat regulation
Courtesy: Lydia Handford/UK Government
The news comes two weeks after UK prime minister Rishi Sunak U-turned on the country’s climate commitments and pushed back the deadline for gas and diesel car bans from 2030, garnering fierce criticism. Sunak said he remained committed to sticking to the UK’s net-zero goal for 2050, but wanted to be “more pragmatic, proportionate and realistic” in his approach. But he has not outlined how he would do so. In June, the UK’s Climate Change Committee said its pace of action to reduce emissions by 68% by 2030 from a 1990 benchmark is “worryingly slow”.
The Telegraph’s report follows analysis by GFI Europe in August, which found that the UK needs to invest £390M in alternative proteins between 2025 and 2030 to avoid losing momentum to other countries and reduce the risk of startups moving overseas due to regulatory uncertainties.
“As other countries, from the Netherlands to Singapore, invest heavily in sustainable proteins, and as many British startups look to the US following the landmark approval of cultivated meat, failing to act now could see the UK falling behind in this global challenge,” GFI Europe’s UK policy manager Linus Pardoe told Green Queen at the time.
An independent review by Deloitte in June found that the UK’s regulatory framework for novel foods needs refreshing. And the GFI Europe report said that the FSA should learn from best practices of more innovation-focused regulatory bodies, both domestically and overseas.
“Currently, the UK’s regulatory framework isn’t optimised to foster the growth of this new way of making sustainable food,” Pardoe added, “and our report recommends that regulators move urgently to introduce ‘quick win’ reforms to the novel foods framework to build confidence in the sector.”
Unilever-owned plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher is opening a vegan butchery in Rotterdam, Netherlands. To be launched on World Animal Day, it marks the 13th anniversary of the company’s launch.
On October 4, The Vegetarian Butcher will open the plant-based butchery to celebrate 13 years to the day of its own launch. The Rotterdam-based store will be open five days a week (from Tuesday to Saturday) and feature the brand’s extensive range of alt-meat – including vegan chicken, shawarma and beef mince – alongside limited-edition offerings exclusive to the butcher shop.
Championing ‘real craftsmanship’
Courtesy: The Vegetarian Butcher
While the dozens of products can be bought for home cooking, there will be an in-store menu to try them as part of meals too. “We are very happy with the opening of the largest plant-based butcher’s shop in the Netherlands. What makes this Butcher unique is that the products on our shelves are plant-based and yet have the recognisable properties of meat classics,” The Vegetarian Butcher CEO Hugo Verkuil told Dutch news outlet De Ondernemer.
“We don’t want to make any concessions on taste, structure and nutritional value, and you can taste that,” he added. “For us, taste is central and that is why we have been working with chefs and product developers who know the specific properties of meat since its inception. This led to a wide range of successful hacks.”
Verkuil continued that the limited-edition exclusive products represent “real craftsmanship”. “The range in this plant-based butcher is not only of high quality, but also remains surprising. This makes every visit worthwhile,” he explained. “This new generation of plant-based meat products offer the experience of beloved meat classics, making the transition to more plant-based meat easier than ever.”
The announcement is a full-circle moment for the brand, which began in 2010 by selling alt-meat out of a butcher shop in The Hague. Its products are now available in 55 countries and over 40,000 retail stores. Additionally, it has foodservice partnerships across the world, most notably with Burger King in Europe and Asia.
The rise of vegan butcher shops
Courtesy: Carrefour
This won’t be the company’s only vegan butcher shop. Last year, it unveiled what it claimed was France’s first plant-based butchery, selling alt-meat by weight at a counter in French retail giant Carrefour‘s Carré Sénart store. In a social media post, the latter said: “Carrefour is the first major retailer to market these delicious products that have already won over Burger King.”
That partnership has extended to Spain too, with the alt-meat producer’s products available in 24 Carrefour stores. Meanwhile, in 2019, it hosted a Meatless Monday takeover at UK butchery-restaurant Hill & Szrok.
And earlier this year, The Vegetarian Butcher published its first cookbook, New Meat, featuring meatless spins on 100 classic meat dishes. The recipes were written by its co-founder Jaap Korteweg, as well as 11 world-renowned chefs, including Michelin-starred chefs Asimakis Chaniotis, James Goodyear, Ricky Saward and Andrew Pern.
The cookbook highlighted five of The Vegetarian Butcher’s products, like Chicken Chunks, Raw Burger, Meatballs, Chicken Breast, and a Crispy Chicken Burger. And these were used in recipes over five categories: Weekdays; Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch; Weekends; Snack Time; and Classic.
The brand, which was acquired by Unilever in 2018, has previously opened its pop-up restaurant, De Vleesch Lobby, in The Hague and a vegetarian eatery at Rotterdam Central Station. Its products have won more than 25 awards – and earlier this month, it launched a vegan döner kebab SKU across Europe.
Other plant-based butcheries include Love Handle in Singapore, Rudy’s Vegan Butcher in London, The Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis, and Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli in Los Angeles. And in a similar collaboration as The Vegetarian Butcher and Carrefour in Europe, in 2021, Californian pea protein meat maker Abbot’s Butcher landed in 360 Sprouts Farmers Markets locations across the US.
Impossible Foods has partnered with IHOP on a range of menu items, expanding its US foodservice footprint. A leading plant-based meat company, Impossible has a knack for getting these collaborations with F&B chains just right – with multiple deals ongoing for years now.
Announced yesterday, the partnership with IHOP sees Impossible’s breakfast sausage and burger patties make it on the iconic US pancake diners’s menu at all of its almost 1,700 locations. It expands the alt-meat giant’s presence in restaurants and fast-food chains across the US – and globally, it claims to be on the menu of over 40,000 foodservice locations.
It brings to mind similar deals that Impossible has struck with fast food giants over the years, which – unlike many other alt-meat foodservice collaborations – are long-standing and still going strong.
Plant-based meat sector overview
Courtesy: Impossible Foods
Impossible occupies an interesting position amidst a somewhat precarious climate for plant-based meat, as the sector has faced media storm over the last couple of years after faltering sales, particularly in the US. Unlike its main competitor Beyond Meat, it’s not a public company, and so hasn’t experienced the same scrutiny – but it has still felt the effects.
According to industry think tank the Good Food Institute, all this turmoil has results in retail sales for plant-based meat flatlining in the US, while pound sales (as measured by weight) have decreased. And while the hospitality sector is still recovering from the pandemic-induced lockdowns, in the US, plant-based meat sales in foodservice reached an all-time high of $730M in 2022.
Speaking to AFN earlier this month, Impossible CEO Peter McGuinness agreed that the sector was facing significant challenges but said that the company’s retail performance was strong: “In the 52-week Nielsen [data], we’re still growing high single-digit, low double-digit in retail, which is great. We have a 50% repeat [purchase rate]… so every two people we get to try our product, one repeats, which is quite strong.” In January, the brand said its retail dollar sales grew by 50% in 2022.
Impossible’s foodservice success streak
Courtesy: Burger King/Impossible Foods
He also “We have 15% household awareness – so 85% of the country hasn’t heard of us, and you can’t buy what you haven’t heard of,” McGuinness added. “We did our first ever marketing campaign in June and July, in 11 years. It takes time to build a brand, but awareness leads to trial; trial leads to repeat.”
But one thing that has helped grow awareness about the brand is its partnerships with some of the foodservice world’s biggest operators. McGuinness noted how well the Impossible’s collaborations in this space are going. And he’s right.
Impossible made a huge splash when it partnered with American chef David Chang’s Momofuku restaurant group in 2016 right out of the gate. It’s been seven years, and that link-up is still going (albeit in Chang’s other eateries). Similarly, it partnered with hamburger chain White Castle in September 2018 on the Impossible Slider and the two companies just celebrated their five-year anniversary.
Moreover, Impossible’s breakfast sausage has been on Starbucks menus in the US for four years now, and its partnership with Disney – which saw the alt-meat appear on restaurant menus across multiple Disneyland locations in the US – is three years strong now. One of the company’s major early foodservice wins, launching the Impossible Whopper at Burger King, is a four-year strong partnership.
Foodservice remains a bright spot for plant-based
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
This retention rate is impressive, especially when so many similar collaborations are short-lived. You only have to look as far as the world’s biggest food brand: McDonald’s, Of note, the partnerships Though it is much more successful in other countries, like the UK and Germany.)
While in Europe, Beyond Meat enjoys a successful partnership with McDonald’s that has seen both a UK and German trial go nationwide, and new markets launching consistently, stateside Beyond Meat’s fast-food partnerships track record is more spotty. The US McPlant launch was shorter-lived, with the trial ending last year owing to poor sales.
In 2021, the company announced a deal with Yum! Brands – the parent company of Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell with Beyond Meat developping vegan chicken nuggets thatwere trialled and taken off the menu after a couple of months (they returned for another temporary period).
With Pizza Hut, the Beyond Italian Sausage Pan Pizza lasted barely a year before being withdrawn. Taco Bell had some teething issues with its Beyond Meat partnership too, but is now testing its pea-protein beef in the chain’s famous Crunchwrap. Then, there’s the discontinued team-up with Panda Express, which began selling Beyond Orange Chicken in the summer of 2021. It was brought back by popular demand last year but for a limited time as well. The Beyond Meat-Panda Express partnership was so popular with consumers that an online petition garnered over 4,000 signatures asking the companies to reintroduce the dish.
It’s not clear whether some of these partnerships were discontinued due to poor sales or for other reasons. Foodservice partnerships are undoubtedly complicated and require buy-in from multiple stakeholders to be successful, not to mention consumers have to support the campaigns.
Impossible’s latest IHOP announcement suggests the company is doing something right on the foodservice front, particularly as the latter is a bright spot for the plant-based category.
That being said, the plant-based category is an important one for restauranteurs. According to a report released last month by the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), 95% of foodservice operators in the United States anticipate either higher or consistent sales of vegan food and beverages in the coming year. Furthermore, 76% of them plan to maintain or expand their selection of plant-based meat alternatives.
It’s a fast-paced world. There’s a lot to do. Cooking? Gah, who has the time? But you love food. We get it. Ready-to-eat meals are here to save you, showcasing the best of plant-based food that’s ready in a jiffy. Here are the (vegan) crème de la crème.
Ready meals have a bad rep. Sometimes it’s a perceived lack of freshness, and sometimes, they are just bland or unappetising.
But they can also be a lifesaver (especially for busy working parents). In the constant grind of the workday, sometimes the last thing you want to do or (at least as a writer) break your flow is cook. Believe me, I would kill for a nice vegan meal right now – something I could just microwave or heat up on the stove.
Well, I’m here to tell you – I know a lot of ready meals are meh, but some truly stand a cut above the rest. So even if you’re a food snob, you won’t be disappointed. Plus, they can help you get through your day that much easier – whether that is just a workday, a busy weeknight, or even just a lousy Sunday afternoon.
Here are the brands making some of the best plant-based ready meals you can buy:
Impossible Foods
Courtesy: Impossible Kitchen
Alt-meat giant Impossible Foods launched its frozen ready-to-heat bowls last September, and it’s an eight-product-strong range. The meals contain Impossible’s plant-based beef, chicken or pork, with 10-13g of protein per serving. They can be heated in five minutes.
The pork bowls include vegan mac and cheese, sweet and sour pork with rice, and BBQ pork with potatoes and beans. The chicken meals include a spicy enchilada bowl and a teriyaki option with rice. Then there’s an Impossible beef burrito bowl, along with meals with both beef and pork – pasta bolognese and spaghetti and meatballs.
You can find Impossible’s frozen plant-based ready meals at Walmart for $6.28.
Daring
Courtesy: Daring
Vegan chicken brand Daring also deals in the ready-to-heat bowl business. It has three frozen entrées that pack in 16g of protein.
The Harvest Plant Chicken Bowl pairs Daring’s meat alternative with brown rice, a chimichurri sauce, sweet potatoes and kale. The Teriyaki bowl, meanwhile, combines the teriyaki-flavoured soy chicken with white rice and broccoli, and the fajita bowl contains fire-roasted onions and peppers, white rice and cajun-spiced Daring chicken.
You can find Daring’s frozen bowls online and at various retailers across the US for $8.99.
Somos
Courtesy: Somos
Somos might be known for its mind-blowing chilli crisps and salsas, but it has an extensive range of vegan ready meal components too. The idea is to mix and match the rice, beans and taco fillings to create your own meal – it’s perfect for fajita night or burrito bowl lunches.
The white rice comes in cilantro-lime and Mexican street corn flavours, and brown rice in Mexican red salsa and poblano options. As for the beans, there are whole-cooked black beans, as well as spicy or chipotle refried beans.
Moving on to the veggie entrées, Somos used a pea-protein-based beef alternative as the main taco filling in the Peacadillo and Salsa Verde variants. The other options are smoky chipotle mushrooms and cauliflower tinga.
To help people pick, Somos offers bundles comprising rice, beans, taco fillings and a sauce jar, which retail for $28.
You can find Somos’ pick-and-mix vegan ready meal components online and various retailers across the US.
Gardein
Courtesy: Gardein
Gardein is a huge name in the plant-based industry. In addition to its beef, fish, pork, turkey and chicken alternatives, it also offers frozen vegan meals in the form of its Ultimate Bowls (14-18g of protein per meal) and Skillet Meals ranges (11-14 of protein).
The Ultimate Bowls line comprises sweet and sour chicken (with rice, pineapple, carrots and peppers), a beef burrito bowl (with rice, corn and black beans), beef and broccoli (with rice), and meatball marinara (with pasta, spinach and onions).
The Skillet Meals range contains an Italian-style vegan sausage with rigatoni and bell peppers in a marinara sauce, and a plant-based chicken Florentino, with strozzapreti, broccoli and spinach in a lemon-garlic sauce.
You can find Gardein’s frozen vegan bowls at Target and Stater Bros for $4.50, and the skillet meals at multiple retailers for across the US$8.99.
Beyond Meat
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
Plant-based giant Beyond Meat launched its ready meal range in the UK only earlier this year. The lineup consists of three frozen Beyond Meals, containing 14-17g of protein – and they can be ready in seven to nine minutes.
The spaghetti bolognese pairs Beyond Meat with pasta cooked in a tomato and herb sauce, alongside a dash of wine. The keema curry and pilau rice option comprises its pea protein beef simmered with spices and an Indian-inspired gravy, and the other rice option is a chili with coriander rice, with Beyond Meat cooked in a tomato-chilli sauce with black beans and red pepper.
You can find Beyond Meat’s ready meals exclusively at Tesco stores across the UK for £3.
Wicked Kitchen
Courtesy: Wicked Kitchen
Speaking of Tesco, it is home to Wicked Kitchen’s UK retail presence. The Minneapolis-headquartered brand is present in four countries across three continents and has a wide range of vegan ready meals.
The frozen range has two meals with Beyond Meat – a naked burrito and a Korean-inspired bowl. Sriracha tofu and rice, as well as Penang tofu curry make up the other two in this section. Wicked Kitchen also makes frozen vegan pizzas, in Margherita, rustic veg, and spicy sausage and pepperoni flavours.
Apart from these, Wicked Kitchen makes microwaveable bowls too. These include a plant-based chickpea and mushroom bourguignon, potato and three-bean chilli, and Tuscan white bean stew.
You can find Wicked Kitchen’s ready meals at various locations across the UK, US, Finland and Thailand.
Earth Company
Courtesy: Earth Company
A relatively new brand, Earth Company is the brainchild of vegan chef Matthey Kenney and entrepreneur Max Koenig. It has a whole-food plant-based, “360° nutrition” approach to its plant-based meals.
Its first range of products came in jars and included a lentil and tofu bolognese, a lentil and bean chilli, and a chickpea, lentil and tofu curry. The bolognese boasted 25g of protein per serving, while the other two had 28g. The meals could be heated in a microwave or in a pan in about two to three minutes.
They are currently sold out, but Earth Company has teased that it will be launching another range soon on its website. At the time, each 16oz jar was priced at $6.
Bonus: Blue Zones Kitchen
Courtesy: Blue Zones Kitchen
After the popular Netflix documentary, Live to 100, Blue Zones certification co-founder Dan Buettner announced the launch of Blue Zones Kitchen, a line of ready-to-heat meals inspired by the world’s Blue Zones – regions where people are said to live the longest.
The four ready meals also take a whole-foods plant-based approach. The burrito bowl – inspired by Nicoya, Costa Rica – blends sweet potatoes, organic black beans, roasted corn and red quinoa. The heirloom rice takes influence from the Gullah community, combining heirloom Carolina Gold rice with red beans, toasted garlic, sweet potatoes and stewed tomatoes.
The sesame-ginger bowl pairs brown rice with carrots, edamame and broccoli. And the minestrone casserole takes inspiration from Sardinia, which was the original blue zone. It combines chickpeas, red lentils, durum wheat pasta, kale, tomatoes and other vegetables.
Blue Zones Kitchens will soon launch their products at Town & Country markets across Washingtonstate.
Singaporeans prefer the term ‘cultivated meat’ over related terms like ‘cultured’ or ‘cell-based’, according to a new study. Moreover, researchers found that people who consider cultivated meat ‘unnatural’ are – perhaps counterintuitively – more likely to acknowledge its benefits and consume it.
Singapore, which became the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat in 2020, is a hotbed for this alt-protein sector. The new study, carried out by the Singapore Management University (SMU) and published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, collected the thoughts of 10 meat-eaters who have tried cultivated meat, and 10 who haven’t.
When asked what term they prefer to see it described as, ‘cultivated meat’ came out on top and was the term most strongly associated with positive attitudes towards these novel proteins. In order of preference, the other terms were ‘lab-grown’, ‘animal-free’, ‘cultured’ and ‘clean’ – the more literal ‘cell-based’ was the least favoured.
“That ‘cultivated meat’ was the preferred terminology is insightful,” said Professor Mark Chong, the study’s lead author. “Having a single, universally accepted term to describe this novel food technology not only helps to foster greater consumer understanding and acceptance but also reduces confusion about this new food source.”
What’s the best way to market cultivated meat?
Courtesy: Eat Just
The authors say consumer acceptance is the main barrier to cultivated meat, and among the many factors that impact it, nomenclature, framing (how it’s marketed), and perceived ‘naturalness’ are key. “Merely altering the names of dishes can affect consumers’ perception and increase the perceived authenticity of foreign dishes,” the study stated. “For example, the successful renaming of the un-appetizing sounding ‘Patagonian toothfish’ to ‘Chilean sea bass’ helped increase its acceptance among seafood diners around the world.”
The researchers presented five frames to understand what messaging would appeal most to Singaporeans: animal welfare, environmental benefits, health benefits, nutritional value and ‘food self-sufficiency. Interestingly, they found that no single frame was most effective in fostering consumer acceptance.
“Our findings suggest that as there was no significant difference in the influence of the five frames on overall consumer acceptance. Hence, cultivated meat companies and the Singapore food authorities can consider using each of the five frames interchangeably to promote cultivated meat in Singapore.,” said Chong.
The only exceptions to this were for the first two frames described above – associating cultivated meat with animal welfare (reducing slaughter) and environmental benefits (cutting emissions and warming) increased the acceptance of these foods among Buddhists.
“To foster consumer acceptance in Asian countries with significant Buddhist populations – such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand – cultivated meat companies may also want to use message frames focusing on how cultivated meat ‘reduces animal slaughter’ and ‘reduces global warming’,” explained Chong.
If it’s not natural, it’s better
Credit: Eat Just
The study sought to find if there were any dissimilarities in perceptions about how natural cultivated meat is among different age groups, but found “no consistent relationship between age, perceived naturalness, and the acceptance of cultivated meat”.
Perhaps most intriguing was the link between this perception of naturalness and consumer attitudes towards cultivated meat. The authors revealed that people who think cultured meat is not natural are more willing to consume it and see its benefits than those who think it is natural.
Professor Angela Leung, co-author of the study, said this aspect has received limited attention in cultivated meat literature: “Past research shows that discomfort with tampering with nature has been found to strongly predict perceived risk, and increase resistance to novel technologies. Therefore, our current research offers the first evidence to shed light on the link between aversion to tampering with nature and attitude towards cultivated meat.”
She added: “It is possible that the questions measuring aversion to tampering with nature may have led our study respondents to recognise that the production of cultivated meat could be an act to tamper with nature, but it is done to mitigate some undesirable elements of conventional meat. This may make them perceive that conventional meat production has its downsides, thereby promoting a more positive attitude towards cultivated meat.”
Leung acknowledged that more research is needed to examine this possibility. It’s worth noting that the sample size of this research was very small too – with a total of 20 respondents. Nevertheless, Leung argues the findings have a “practical implication” for cultivated meat marketing: “[Companies] can consider highlighting not just the benefits of cultivated meat, but also the undesirable elements of conventional meat in their messaging.”
Results consistent with previous research
Courtesy: Upside Foods
This isn’t the first study to be conducted on consumer preference for cultivated meat nomenclature, but its results align with multiple analyses. In 2019, alt-protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) and US cultivated meat leader Upside Foods found that ‘cultivated meat’ was the most preferred term among consumers, while responses to ‘cell-cultured’ were negative, and ‘cell-based’ and ‘cultured’ spawned mixed reactions.
In 2021, GFI president Bruce Friedrich wrote: “Since that work, quite a few companies have been using ‘cultivated meat’ as their primary nomenclature.” This prefaced another survey – this time of 44 industry CEOs, 75% of whom preferred the term ‘cultivated’. ‘Cultured’ came second at 20%, while only one executive favoured ‘cell-based’.
Additionally, research published in the Nature Portfolio journal last year found that – contrary to SMU’s analysis in Singapore – ‘lab-grown’ is be the least favourable term among consumers in the US (alongside ‘artificial meat’), while ‘cell-cultured’ and ‘cell-cultivated’ were the most popular. Moreover, within Asia-Pacific, industry stakeholders signed a memorandum of understanding declaring ‘cultivated’ as the preferred English-language term for these alternatives last year.
In 2021, Upside Foods strongly discouraged the use of terms like ‘lab-grown’ or ‘lab-based’, ‘synthetic’ and ‘fake’. It argued that ‘lab-grown’ is inaccurate and suggests cultivated meat will always be made in a lab – but once it scales up (as some have already), the products would be made in a food-production-like environment, similarly to thousands of products on grocery store shelves. “The labelling of cultivated meat and poultry products will be a crucial component of how our industry conveys the basic nature, essential characteristics, and value of these products to consumers,” the company said.
Brazilian meat giant JBS has broken ground on a $62M cultivated meat research and development facility in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. Billed as the largest food biotech centre in Brazil, it’s scheduled to open at the end of 2024. The world’s biggest meat company – and a highly controversial one at that – is aiming to produce cell-cultured beef in the future.
The JBS Biotech Innovation Centre will see the meat company invest funds in three phases, with the total required capital estimated to be $62M. It will invest $22M in the first stage, which will focus on the construction of lab facilities, and the second phase centred on a pilot plant. In the third stage, JBS will look to build an industrial-scale model to exhibit the technical and economic potential of cultivated proteins.
The new R&D hub will feature a scientific team of 25 specialist post-doctoral researchers, plus staff and clerical support. The project is designed to serve as a base for future facilities that JBS may work on to manufacture cultivated beef and other meat products. The aim is to make the production of cell-cultured meat more affordable, efficient and scalable.
Cultivated beef endorsed by a conventional meat giant
Courtesy: JBS
JBS first declared the project in 2021, when it earmarked about $100M for investment in the cultivated meat sector. Out of this, $41M was set aside to invest in Spanish cell-based meat startup BioTech Foods. Last year, the latter broke ground on what it claims is the world’s largest cultivated beef manufacturing facility in San Sebastián, which is slated to finish by mid-2024.
The plant will reportedly have a capacity to produce 1,000 tonnes of cultivated meat annually, with the potential to quadruple this output. JBS says that while the factory will focus on products like sausages, burgers and meatballs, BioTech Foods’ tech can expand beyond beef to include cell-cultured chicken, pork and fish.
“As a global leader in protein production, it is our responsibility to be at the forefront of food tech,” said JBS’s global supply and innovation director Jerson Nascimento Jr. “The JBS Biotech Innovation Centre reinforces our commitment to the cultivated protein sector, consolidates our position as one of the main players in this very promising market, and reinforces our commitment to offering innovative, high-quality products to our consumers.”
The new plant is being led by Luismar Marques Porto, its cultivated meat president, and Fernanda Vieira Berti, VP of the research facility. Scientists at the JBS Biotech Innovation Centre – which will be located at the Sapiens Parque innovation hub – have already begun working at temporary facilities to research beef cell cultivation.
“We are delighted to be part of the first initiative of this size in Brazil and to be able to contribute to studies that will help expand the sector. We are confident this project will become an international benchmark,” said Porto.
JBS isn’t the only meat giant that has invested in the cultivated protein sector. In 2018, Tyson Foods acquired a minor stake in cultivated meat leader Upside Foods (then called Memphis Meats) – which is one of the only two such companies that have received regulatory approval for sale in the US. Upside Foods also received investment from Cargill (in 2017 and 2020), which invested in Israeli startup Aleph Farms in 2019 as well.
JBS remains a problematic company on the climate front
Courtesy: JBS
When the world’s largest meat company – with assets worth nearly $40B – makes a move this big for alt-protein, it’s bound to attract interest. But despite the company’s purported support of slaughter-free animal meat production, JBS has a checkered record when it comes to ethical and environmental issues. In fact, JBS is under pressure from environmental groups that are urging the US Securities and Exchange Commission to block its IPO in the country, calling it the “biggest climate risk IPO listing in history”.
The company has a well-documented past of greenwashing and human rights abuses. While it may be making plans to produce cultivated meat, JBS increased its greenhouse gas emissions by 51% between 2016 and 2021 – additionally, its total emissions were actually 68 times higher than what it claimed. Moreover, JBS has been found to be among the biggest drivers of Amazon deforestation, with the number of slaughterhouses in the region more than doubling between 2009 and 2020.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, JBS was accused of child labour abuses, with two dozen minors allegedly hired by a cleaning company to clean JBS’s dangerous meatpacking plants across the US. And in World Animal Protection’s list of the meat industry’s climate impact, the company ranks as the worst offender globally.
JBS’s integrity was called into question in an exposé ahead of COP26 in 2021, with multiple breaches found just six months after its publication. This included settling with the US Department of Justice over a price-fixing scheme in beef markets, gaining approval or agreeing to settle over poultry and pork price fixing, respectively, and being fined over a fatality at one of its facilities.
In a statement, Rainforest Action Network lists the practices JBS has been accused of over the last 15 years: “Illegality; deforestation; invasion and land grabbing of Indigenous and traditional territories; land conflicts and violence against rights defenders, slavery and labour abuses in its supply chain; lack of traceability; corruption; and greenwashing.”
Cultivated meat facilities around the world
Courtesy: Amit Goren
There are several large-scale cultivated meat facilities by alt-protein startups that are already operational or mid-construction. These differ from pilot plants, which are pre-commercial manufacturing systems to test the technology in small volumes. Shanghai-based CellX, for example, completed the construction of what it called a “large-scale pilot plant” last month.
In February last year, Aleph Farms moved to a 65,000 sq ft plant in Rehovot, Israel, which increased its capacity by six times to be able to initially produce 10 tonnes of cultivated steak annually. And earlier this year, it announced the acquisition of another manufacturing facility in Modi’in, Israel.
In December 2022, fellow Israeli producer Believer Meats (formerly Future Meat) broke ground on a 200,000 sq ft facility – which it says will be the largest cultured meat factory in the world when it opens. It is said to have a capacity of at least 10,000 metric tons of cell-based meat, which is more than double the potential output of the JBS-BioTech Foods plant.
In May, Mosa Meat – which showcased the world’s first cultivated beef burger 10 years ago – unveiled what it claimed is currently the world’s largest cultivated meat production plant in Maastricht, Netherlands. This is the company’s fourth facility, expanding its footprint to 7,340 sq m (79,007 sq ft). Mosa Meat says its “cultivated meat campus”, which has a 1000-litre bioreactor scale, can produce “tens of thousands of cultivated hamburgers”.
Earlier this month, Upside Foods began construction of a 187,000 sq ft factory in Glenview, Illinois, which can eventually produce 30 million pounds of meat and seafood annually. This follows its Engineering, Production and Innovation Center (EPIC) plant, which can currently produce 50,000 lbs of finished cultured meat products annually, with the potential to expand to 400,000 lbs though a recent Wired investigation raised questions about whether the company was producing its products in the facility’s bioreactors.
Meanwhile, Eat Just’s Good Meat – the other company to earn regulatory approval in the US, and the first to do so globally in Singapore back in 2020 – is building what it says is Asia’s largest cultured meat plant in Singapore. It also signed an agreement for a US facility that will house 10 250,000-litre bioreactors, which it says will be capable of producing 30 million lbs of meat.
Over in Asia, Malaysian company Cell AgriTech is preparing to open the country’s first cultivated meat facility in Q4 2024, while South Korean cultured beef producer Seawith announced a ₩6.5B ($5.43M) investment last year, which it plans to use for a state-of-the-art production plant.
Two months before it hosts the UN climate summit COP28 – which is set to feature a heavy food focus – the UAE has announced a food and agriculture strategy to bolster the sector’s value to $10B and create 20,000 jobs by 2025. The seven pillars of growth focus on localisation, regulatory advancements and empowering farmers – what does this mean for alt-protein?
Speaking at Dubai’s Future Food Forum last week, the UAE’s economy minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri said the new strategy aims to boost food security and local production in the country. Being a desert country with limited arable land, the UAE relies heavily on food imports to meet 90% of its population’s needs, totalling $14B in 2020, according to the USDA.
While the UAE’s position on the Global Food Security Index rose from 35th to 23rd (and it tops the MENA region), nearly a fifth of its population lives below the poverty line, and according to the World Bank, 6% of its citizens are undernourished. The UAE’s current National Food Security Strategy aims to make it the world’s best most food-secure country by 2051.
The original strategy aimed to break UAE into the top 10 on the Index by 2021, but that hasn’t been achieved. However, the new food and agriculture strategy could help the Gulf nation get closer to this goal. “With a growing population, food security assuming the highest priority, the UAE is doing well on this front and was on the top of the Global Food Security Index 2022 compared to other MENA counterparts, but the challenges for food in these uncertain times are real and present,” said bin Touq.
Courtesy: Future Food Forum
The plan has seven pillars that represent the UAE’s “commitment to innovation, sustainability, self-sufficiency and food production” The first includes localising next-gen agricultural ‘disruptors’ by nurturing talent and innovation, the second involves making the UAE a “global regulatory powerhouse” to ensure high product standards and international recognition, and the third comprises promoting a UAE-first culture across the food supply chain by reducing the reliance on imports.
Increased funding, fostering world-class R&D and innovation, diversification and access to new markets for agricultural players, and building the “next generation of farmers” make up the other four pillars. “Our food industry’s resilience and adaptability make it adept in addressing this challenge while constantly emphasising sustainable practices, which will nurture our Earth for centuries,” said bin Touq.
UAE’s reliance on oil
According to the US International Trade Administration, the oil and gas sector contributes to 30% of the UAE’s GDP and 13% of its exports. The UAE says it aims to diversify its economy away from oil and support the growth of various industries – but it is currently in the middle of a five-year, $130B plan to double its refining capacity and triple petroleum production.
The Guardian reports that the UAE has the world’s third-largest net-zero-busting plans for oil and gas expansion. Additionally, new fossil fuel developments are incompatible with the 2050 net-zero goals, and experts say slashing the burning of fossil fuels is the biggest and most urgent action needed to curb global heating. One estimate suggests fossil fuels for energy use are responsible for 60% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/CC
But research has found that the food sector accounts for a third of all emissions. While the UAE is considered one of the most important food logistics hubs in the world, food itself only makes up 5.7% of its non-oil trades as of now.
And given that replacing 50% of our meat and dairy intake with vegan alternatives by mid-century could result in significant benefits for climate change and food security (undernourishment could decline by 3.6% globally), what does the new agrifood strategy mean for alt-protein in the UAE?
It was unveiled at Future Food Forum, which conducted a panel discussing rising consumer interest in plant-based and flexitarian diets in the country – 44% of its residents are open to substituting meat and dairy with vegan alternatives. The announcement comes the same year the UAE is hosting COP28, which is billed as the first food-focused climate summit. In August, the conference’s president Dr Sultan Al Jaber confirmed that it will serve mostly vegan food on its catering menu this year.
But while there are some promising signs, the UAE has had its fair share of controversies leading up to the event. Following the announcement to shift to a predominantly plant-based menu, a leaked document revealed that “COP28 UAE key messages” and “narrative points” failed to mention fossil fuels, oil or gas. On top of that, Al Jaber is the CEO of Adnoc, the UAE’s national oil company, which the document reveals hasn’t disclosed its emissions or published a sustainability report since 2016.
Meanwhile, global organisation Climate Action Tracker rates the UAE’s environmental plans as “insufficient”. And further reporting by the Guardian revealed that the Gulf nation has failed to reveal its methane emissions – which are much more potent than carbon – to the UN.
What does this spell for alt-protein in the UAE?
It’s imperative that the UAE’s new food and agriculture strategy includes plans to develop the country’s alt-protein and sustainable food sector. It has made a start. 2023 is the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, part of which is a push to promote plant-based eating in the country.
In May, it unveiled Food Tech Valley, with an aim to boost local food production in Dubai using cutting-edge tech built on sustainable foundations. This came two months after the city saw the opening of the Middle East’s first fully plant-based meat factory. Touching upon the local manufacturing goal, in April, UAE capital Abu Dhabi also witnessed the unveiling of its first 100% vegan meat production plant by Switch Foods.
Courtesy: Switch Foods
Could the second pillar of regulatory advancement be a sign of things to come? While fellow Middle Eastern nation Israel is home to a host of alt-protein startups, industry think tank the Good Food Institute suggests that instead of focusing on R&D, the UAE is partnering “with foreign alternative meat startups, primarily US-based companies, to build commercial-scale production facilities and potentially fast-track regulatory approval”.
For example, Californian precision fermentation dairy company Change Foods entered an agreement to build a commercial manufacturing plant in the UAE last year. Looking at cultivated meat, DisruptAD – the VC arm of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign fund ADQ – led the $105M Series B fundraising round for Israeli cultured meat leader Aleph Farms in 2021.
There is potential for increased consumer interest too. A 2022 study by PSB Insights – commissioned by US-cultivated meat pioneer Good Meat – found that while only 34% of people in the Middle East had heard of cell-cultured meat, awareness of the alt-protein was highest in the UAE. Acceptance of these novel proteins will be aided by recent advice from three Sharia scholars who say cultivated meat can be halal if it meets certain criteria, which is key for Islamic populations around the world.
Singapore-headquartered TiNDLE Foods has launched a breakfast sausage in the US, its first domestically-made product. The rollout comes a day after it expanded its presence in the UK, appearing on menus at two restaurant chains and debuting at Whole Foods.
Just under two months after it first announced plans to launch its first American-made product, TiNDLE has unveiled its savoury Breakfast Sausage in the US. It will be available at Mr. Charlie’s in Los Angeles, and Neat Burger and Vegan On the Fly in New York City. The launch marks the three-year-old alt-meat brand’s first collaboration with plant-based egg giant Just Egg – TiNDLE’s soy protein sausage will be paired with Just Egg’s folded mung bean egg for various menu items at these restaurants.
All three restaurants will incorporate these products as part of breakfast sandwiches, with Neat Burger – which opened its Manhattan restaurant earlier this year and collaborated with whole-cut plant-based steak maker Chunk Foods last week – featuring them in a breakfast burrito too. The new vegan sausage combines soy protein with canola and coconut oils, potato starch, methylcellulose, and oat fibre, alongside flavour and seasoning elements.
Made in the USA
The launch marks TiNDLE’s first product conceptualised and manufactured in the US. Its products have been available at hundreds of distribution points and restaurants across the country since 2022, and so far, all of them have been produced in a co-manufacturing facility in the Netherlands.
The new plant-based breakfast sausage was developed and tested at TiNDLE’s US headquarters in Chicago, where it established a new R&D facility in September 2022. The ingredients for the product are sourced and grown in the US too, and the product is made at a co-manufacturing plant in the Pacific Northwest.
Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods
“We are thrilled to introduce TiNDLE Breakfast Sausage as our first American-designed innovation,” said JJ Kass, TiNDLE’s VP of business development and strategy. “This launch not only showcases our dedication to developing delicious and sustainable foods, but also signifies a major achievement for our company as we serve the American market and consumers with a truly authentic and enjoyable breakfast experience.”
The news comes a month after the company launched its vegan chicken pieces in Singapore, which was its first locally manufactured product in its home market – part of a wider effort to boost food security in the country. The product was launched in the Netherlands as well.
The company now has seven products for foodservice in the US, and plans to enter widespread retail channels next year. “We plan to increase the availability of our product offerings in the US next year and specifically, bring our flagship product TiNDLE Chicken to US grocery stores,” a TiNDLE spokesperson told Green Queen.
When asked about upcoming product development, they added: “At the Chicago R&D center, we’re continually working on improving our existing TiNDLE Chicken products and testing out new formats and applications for potential future products. Other products in our existing lineup include nuggets, sandwich patties, tenders, popcorn patties, and boneless wings.”
Expanding across the UK
Courtesy: Neat Burger
The news comes on the heels of TiNDLE’s further expansion in the UK, where it debuted in April 2022 following a record-breaking $100M Series A round two months before. Earlier this year, it expanded its flagship chicken alternative to 350 Morrisons stores across the UK – and yesterday, it added 150 more locations to the list. Yesterday, TiNDLE made its debut at all seven Whole Foods stores in London, with plant-based wings, nuggets and tenders.
Meanwhile, it strengthened its foodservice footprint through partnerships with burger chain Byron, as well as Neat Burger’s UK locations. TiNDLE’s products have already been available at Amigo’s, BrewDog and Clean Kitchen Club locations.
Additionally, TiNDLE has made it onto university cafeteria menus, through a collaboration with London’s University of Westminster. It will be part of a katsu curry dish and K-pop-inspired nuggets at all of the institution’s eateries. Earlier this month, hundreds of British academics and campaigners wrote an open letter urging UK universities to transition to 100% plant-based menus.
“In addition to traditional foodservice, we have focused on bringing in partners from the non-commercial space – schools, universities, offices, tourism, etc. – across the globe,” TiNDLE’s spokesperson told Green Queen. “A priority for us has always been to work with schools and universities, as younger generations are adopting a plant-based lifestyle and embracing options at a larger scale than older generations.
“What’s so great about universities is that there are active and vocal student bodies demanding plant-based be on permanent menus in their canteens. In fact, we’ve seen this excitement directly in the UK.” The Universities of Stirling, Birmingham, Queen Mary, London Metropolitan, Kent, University College London and Cambridge have already voted to introduce fully vegan menus at their cafeterias.
Plant-based will ‘continue to grow’
TiNDLE announced a rebrand and product portfolio expansion in August | Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods
In early August, TiNDLE rebranded from its parent New School Foods and merged with London-based alt-dairy startup Mwah!, which the company had acquired back in March. TiNDLE told Green Queen at the time that it planned on expanding its collection of multi-ingredient vegan milks and gelatos, and now says it expects to launch the plant-based milk in Europe next year.
It has been a tough few years for the plant-based industry – and even with some forecasts looking positive, there are many challenges the sector needs to overcome. “We don’t believe the overall category is a passing ‘fad’ or that consumer interest has waned. We believe, however, that the market is reflecting larger macroeconomic factors that are affecting almost every sector of industry currently,” the spokesperson said.
TiNDLE calls it a “temporary stress” on the category and emphasises its focus on growth and expansion across Europe, the US and Asia. “As a young industry, there is ample room for growth and development in the US as consumers and diners become more aware of plant-based foods and, through adoption, their impact on climate change,” the spokesperson explained.
“Additionally, as companies such as ours continue to innovate and create delicious plant-based options that are more appealing than animal-based offerings, we believe that consumer demand for plant-based foods will only continue to grow.”
German precision fermentation startup Formo will unveil its ‘lab-brewed’ eggs in foodservice in their home market later this year. Formo CEO Raffael Wohlgensinger and researcher Oscar Zillman Thomas speak to Green Queen exclusively about launching the first such egg alternative in Europe, the use of non-novel proteins under EU regulations, and its research into consumer acceptance of such products.
After years of working with animal-free dairy proteins, Formo will be debuting an egg product made via precison fermentation alongside its first cheese alternative, dubbed ‘Frischhain’, in its home city of Berlin. The company says the products will be available at various hotels, restaurants and cafés, before they eventually move into retail next year.
Formo – one of five founding members of the Food Fermentation Europe alliance – is calling the egg product ‘What Came Third’. Green Queen founder Sonalie Figueiras got a first taste of the product in a private event in April. At the time, the eggs were in a powdered form, and could be mixed with water to create a beaten egg mix.
The company confirms they are debuting the same egg, which has undergone iteration cycles since and is now ready for commercial production. As for the product format, Formo says it depends on the needs of its foodservice partners, who will use the egg in various prepared dishes. “The first step is educating the world about these amazing products, and that’s best done with an experience that is as close to eggs as possible,” Formo CEO Raffael Wohlgensinger tells Green Queen.
EU novel food regulation
Formo’s protein is made using a microbe called Aspergillus oryzae – more commonly called koji mould. But the company’s ingredient isn’t an identical replica of egg proteins like ovalbumin or ovotransferrin – instead, it’s a protein that offers the same functional properties. “This is all down to the structure of the protein, meaning our products taste and behave identically to eggs,” Wohlgensinger explains.
In the EU, many products made with precision fermentation fall under the bloc’s novel food regulatory framework, requiring regulatory approval for commercial sale. The application process is a lengthy one, and can take several years. Wohlgensinger confirms that Formo’s protein is not classed as a novel food under these rules, so doesn’t need to pass any regulatory processes. “We’re producing the primary ingredient, our protein, through precision fermentation, but without the usage of synthetic biology tools that would be considered genetic engineering,” he says.
“Our protein components are considered non-novel in the EU, given a longstanding history of consumption,” he adds. Koji mould is known as Japan’s “national fungus”, and is used in many traditional fermented foods like miso, mirin, shoyu and alcoholic beverages like shochu and soju. “We’ve been in contact with a number of national Food Safety Authorities who have confirmed this assessment… Formo has an unwavering commitment to food and product safety, and we diligently adhere to all applicable food safety rules and regulations, whether at the EU or national level.”
Courtesy: Formo
The price premium on precision fermentation egg
Formo’s egg will be manufactured in Germany, and the company has entered partnerships to scale the production of its ingredients and products. In a statement coinciding with the launch, Wohlgensinger had said: “Our decision to forge into the egg market reflects both our conviction in our protein production platform, and our end products’ ability to go toe-to-toe with conventional products. Societies around the world are waking up to the reality of industrial livestock farming, and we recognise our power to address it.”
Egg production is linked to animal exploitation, with many mass-manufacturing facilities placing the chickens in small cages and crowded spaces. Even cage-free birds have similar areas to play with, living with thousands of others in a stressful environment that can lead to feather loss, bleeding and death due to frequent pecking. Forma says about 60% of the world’s chickens reside in factory farms.
Moreover, eggs have a carbon footprint of 2.7kg of CO2 equivalent per dozen, a value similar to conventional milk. They require a hefty amount of water too- it’s been found that 53 gallons of water are needed to produce a single egg, as chickens require water-intensive grain feed.
Wohlgensinger tells us that the new precision fermentation egg will initially carry a price premium compared to its chicken-derived counterpart, “especially considering the industrial infrastructure and government subsidies” linked to conventional egg production. He likens it to a similar scenario encountered by clean energy: “Just like the solar panels of yesteryear though, we’re anticipating rapidly decreasing the costs associated with our products.”
Peer-reviewed study finds positive consumer acceptance rates
The launch of Formo’s eggs comes after the company commissioned a peer-reviewed study that found that a majority of consumers are willing to try these products. The company collaborated with the Singapore Management University (SMU) to measure people’s interest in egg alternatives made from precision fermentation. In the 3,006-consumer survey – which spanned Germany, Singapore and the US – between 51-61% of respondents indicated an interest in trying such products.
The results, published in the Frontiers journal earlier this month, varied across countries – with Germans accounting for the highest amount of interest (61%) in trying precision-fermented egg products. Lead author and Formo researcher Oscar Zollman Thomas explains that this stronger appeal in Germany reiterated the company’s belief that it was the right market to launch in.
Consumer willingness to try precision fermentation eggs was above 50% in all three countries | Courtesy: Formo/Singapore Management University
“We’re in Europe, the home of cheese and deep lovers of food culture,” he tells Green Queen. “It’s no coincidence that Formo was born here, and as a European country, we always wanted to be as close to our consumers as possible, taking them on the journey of realising the beauty and magic of precision fermentation.”
Singapore came second on the list, with 56% of its citizens saying they would try these eggs, followed by the US at 51%. This order was the same when it came to the willingness to purchase these products, with 57.2% of Germans saying ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ yes, followed by 48.1% of Singaporeans and 47.9% of Americans.
It’s intriguing that the only two countries that approve the sale of another cellular agriculture product – cultivated meat – have a lower consumer acceptance rate than Germany. “We need to remind ourselves that the fundamental part of our industry – and this research – represents not consumers’ relationship to technology, but consumers’ relationship to food,” explains Zollman Thomas.
“The US and Singapore both represent countries where egg production occurs on a greater scale, and with lower welfare standards than Germany. The problems people see with egg production are lower in Germany than the other countries,” he adds.
Interestingly, when it comes to repeat purchases, Americans (30.5%) said they were more willing to buy precision-fermented eggs regularly than people in Singapore (25.6%). Germany (34.2%) still topped the list, albeit with a lower gap.
Foodservice trends and reasons for consumer interest
Courtesy: Formo/Singapore Management University
In terms of foodservice, 55.1% of Germans said they are willing to try a dish using these animal-free eggs in a restaurant, followed by Singaporeans (53.6%) and Americans (46.7%). But when it comes to the likelihood of visiting a restaurant where guests can substitute conventional eggs with those made via precision fermentation, Singapore led the way with 46.9%, with Germany (44.9%) and the US (42%) not far behind.
The study found that those who consume organic or plant-based eggs were the group most willing to try these novel eggs, while vegans and vegetarians showed higher interest than flexitarians in all countries. “We importantly saw over half of the respondents offering that they’d be open to consuming lab-brewed eggs, being far above the 25% threshold that precipitates broad societal change,” explains Zollman Thomas.
The reasons for interest are different from region to region. In Germany, the top three factors were better animal welfare (22%), curiosity (18.2%), and less use of antibiotics (8.8%). In the US, curiosity (18.1%) was followed by health (11.6%) and the fact that these products contain no cholesterol (10.1%). And in Singapore, the top three factors were price (17.1%), health (14.8%), and curiosity (13.5%).
Clearly, consumer curiosity is a popular reason when it comes to interest in precision fermented egg products. It’s this precedent of consumption and the development of non-novel proteins that Formo banked on for the forthcoming launch of its precision fermentation eggs.
Why precision-fermented dairy is more popular
Courtesy: Formo
Formo previously partnered with the University of Bath and Mercy for Animals, as well as the University of Saskatchewan, on joint studies that revealed positive consumer sentiment around precision fermentation dairy. Another report by Formo and the University of Bath in 2021 found that 79% of consumers were likely to try precision-fermented dairy products, a much higher share than this new study has found for animal-free eggs.
Speculating the reason behind this difference, the researchers said this could simply be because dairy is the most established product category in precision fermentation. “There’s simply more awareness around the environmental and animal welfare issues surrounding dairy production than for chickens,” notes Zollman Thomas.
It could also be due to novelty or ‘naturalness’ – the study noted that conventional eggs and meat are considered unprocessed ingredients, while for most consumers, cheese already appears processed, which may be why the idea of precision-fermented cheese is easier to digest.
“There are no egg alternative products on the market that have allowed for a level of societal reflection yet,” states Zollman Thomas. “Lab-brewed eggs will definitely initially speak to a smaller group than lab-brewed dairy, but the core issues with egg production are much the same as those with dairy, so we expect there will be a quick catchup.”
“This research demonstrates an appetite for precision-fermentation-made products, such as lab-brewed eggs, and that consumers are ready to both recognise the flaws of industrial egg production and adopt alternatives,” Zollman Thomas said last week in a statement.
“Cellular agriculture has the potential to revolutionise the way we produce and consume protein, addressing the environmental and ethical concerns associated with traditional animal agriculture,” said Professor Mark Chong, SMU’s lead researcher on the project. “Seeing appeal across the continents demonstrates cellular agriculture’s capacity to create not a localised, but a global food system shift.”
Developments in the precision-fermented egg sector
Courtesy: The Every Company
Formo – which was formerly known as Legendairy Foods and raised a record-breaking $50M in Series A funding in 2021 to bring total financing to $54.7M – isn’t the only company making animal-free eggs. Californian startup The Every Company (formerly Clara Foods) has been working in the precision fermentation sector since 2014. In 2021, it unveiled its ClearEgg protein, months before raising $175M in an oversubscribed Series C round. As part of its collaborations with other brands, its bioidentical egg white protein has been featured in smoothies, macarons and canned cocktails.
Within the EU, Finland’s Onego Bio is working on egg proteins from precision fermentation. But Formo’s What Came Third product will be the first of its kind to launch in Europe.
Zollman Thomas pinpoints three aspects that are key to the success of the precision fermentation industry: awareness, desirability and credibility. “Research like [ours] shows that there’s a huge market already, it’s just a question of getting the message out, setting expectations, and making people buy into the vision of what companies like Formo are trying to do,” he says.
“This means being incredibly mindful of the trust we ask people to extend to us as an industry, and what we promise in terms of the products, companies and world we want to build with precision fermentation,” he adds. “People will only buy the products if they’re good enough, but equally, only if they believe in us.”
Indian vegan seafood company Seaspire has launched in D2C channels after months of foodservice trials in major cities in its home country. The startup’s co-founder Varun Gagodia tells Green Queen about India’s appetite for alt-seafood, consumer attitudes, why retail isn’t a viable option, and the key to this sector’s success.
Launched in 2021, Seaspire made waves last year after piloting its bio-printed whole-cut vegan snapper at foodservice locations in India and New Zealand. The company claimed its product was the first of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, and after positive consumer feedback in the trials, it’s now launching in e-commerce channels to present vegan seafood for home cooking applications.
But the products Seaspire has launched on the D2C channel don’t include the whole-cut snapper, which the company expects to continue exclusively in foodservice. “These outlets are highly niche, and we are doing these trials to validate the product use cases in food service,” Gadodia told Green Queen, adding that the snapper’s retail journey still has a few ways to go.
The D2C offerings are plant-based fish fingers, a fish burger and fish mince. The base of the innovations is made from eight ingredients, combining pea and rice protein (which also appears in powdered form) with water, sunflower oil, salt, psyllium husk and algal extracts. The burger and fingers have an additional crumb coating made from wheat flour, spices and condiments.
Gadodia said these ingredients come from multiple sources – “some through leading ingredients houses, and some are proprietary ingredients”. “We are currently outsourcing manufacturing of our commercial products to a leading food manufacturer in India,” he added. “Going forward, we will be looking at decentralising manufacturing based on target markets.”
‘Retail is not commercially viable’ for alt-seafood in India
Courtesy: Seaspire
Seaspire decided to launch into retail after realising that “the early adopters are looking to get these products easily available at their doorsteps”. Gadodia said the company figured this out via some pop-up events. “Essentially, these three products will be still part of the foodservice channel, as we aim to establish multiple use-case applications in regional and continental cuisines,” he confirmed.
But the new products are limited to online stores. “Physical retail is yet not a promising channel in India, what we have learned observing other brands,” explained Gadodia. “There is a huge inventory cost in the supply chain for physical distribution, and [it] is not viable corresponding to market adoption.”
He added that Seaspire’s increased market presence will help it establish commercial bandwidth and introduce further whole-cut plant-based seafood products, which are set to be launched in Q1 2024: “We are already testing our cold-cut fillets of plant-based fish with leading foodservice in business, and hoping to follow [the] pilot exercise for [a] few months until their launch next year.” Moreover, he confirmed that the startup is working on vegan shrimp as it is “in high demand in foodservice” (it may not launch in retail, however).
Seaspire describes the Asia-Pacific region as an “untapped opportunity” for vegan seafood, and while the company has already been operating in India, New Zealand has expanded its B2B presence to Australia and the UAE, it has earmarked Singapore as a potential market for its products too.
Gadodia alluded to a challenging fundraising market and said that while Seaspire hasn’t raised funds from an institutional round, it has been supported by accelerator financing and grants in India and New Zealand. “In a tough funding environment like today, we feel we are fortunate that we are able to optimise [our] business to a great extent, and still deliver good products and access markets,” he explained.
When asked if Seaspire planned to fundraise, he added: “It takes a lot to work with very limited capital. However, it’s very important to stay true to the fundamentals of business and improve cash flows for a better and sustainable business model.”
What Indian consumers want from their food
Seaspire co-founders Varun Gadodia and Shantanu Dhangar | Courtesy: Seaspire
In terms of its home market, Gadodia noted that India has seen a modest rise in vegan consumption post-pandemic. A report by the country’s Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA) in May found that veganism has become “increasingly popular” over the last five years in India, with “more than 2% of people actively identifying as vegan”. A December 2021 survey by leading food company Kerry found that 63% of Indians would be willing to buy plant-based products regularly, with 60% not deterred by higher price tags.
However, Gadodia said that higher consumption of vegan food is restricted to “tier one” cities, which would include metropolises like New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. “Tier two” cities are witnessing a rise in traditional plant proteins, he added. “We have also observed that positioning ‘plant-based’ or ‘vegetarian’ protein is much more acceptable in the consumer space than ‘vegan’. Vegan connotations are seemingly turning off a potential audience.”
It aligns with previous research in other markets that highlights what term consumers prefer. A July 2022 ProVeg International survey covering the UK found that respondents were most likely to pick products labelled ‘plant-based’ or ‘veggie’, and least likely to do so with labels that read ‘vegan’ or ‘meatless’. In the US, too, the Plant Based Foods Association found that there’s a stronger preference for the terms ‘plant-based’ and ‘dairy-free’ compared to ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’.
“More than vegan consumption, consumers tend to follow vegetarian diets,” Gadodia added. While there are conflicting figures about the number of vegetarians in India, estimates put it between 20-40%. Even at the lower end, that figure is about 280 million – that’s more than double the entire population of the second-highest on the list, Mexico.
Moreover, eight in 10 Indians say they are reducing meat. Gadodia said targeting just vegans and flexitarians is “only scratching the surface”: “The bigger opportunity is inclusive of all consumers such as vegetarians who are looking for healthy and tasty foods.”
He added: “The Indian consumer space is very complex, and there’s no straight pattern as regional diversity and economics play a huge role in food choices. In general, the demand for protein sources is steadily growing, and many consumers are looking for alternative options to supplement their protein needs. As a thumb rule, India is still a traditional market and consumers rely on regional food preparations. Thus taste, local flavours in preparation and cost parity are crucial [for growth].”
Hybrid proteins could unlock alt-seafood’s potential
Courtesy: Seaspire
While India’s per capita consumption of fish is below the global average – which makes sense given its large vegetarian population – it still ranks among the largest seafood exporters in the world. The PBFIA report explains that as plant-based meat consumption in India “continues to grow, demand for alternative seafood is also expected to increase”. Apart from Seaspire, other brands offering plant-based seafood products in India include Mister Veg, VegetaGold, Veggie Champ and The Mighty Food.
Alternative seafood, Gadodia said, is imperative to cope with the rising demand, as well as tackle climate change: “We aim to leverage traditional channels to supplement with alternative seafood products. Seafood in general is a highly fragmented category, and testing alternative seafood in a traditional market like India will provide us with a strong footing to establish product market fit.”
So far, he noted that consumer response has been positive: “We have definitely managed to outgrow the consumer perception of plant-based products still not [being] quite there. Moreover, consumers have seen a lot of plant-based chicken or deli meats, but seafood is still scarce and that adds [to] the curiosity too.”
Seaspire hopes to “trail the path of technology innovation that can promote growth and adoption of alternative seafood”, said Gadodia. He also hinted that the key to success for alt-seafood in India could be in the confluence of plant-based and cultivated proteins. “More specifically, we believe the category will be unleashed by the rise of biotech-driven solutions – [like] cell-based and synthetic biology – and aim to develop enabling technologies or solutions for hybrid seafood alternatives.”
It involves mixing plant-based proteins with cell-cultured ones to produce a hybrid alternative to meat and seafood. So far, the only company working with cultivated seafood in India is Klevermeat. But as a whole, Asia has a number of food tech firms making strides in this space.
A new report commissioned by plant-based body Protein Industries Canada (PIC) has found that the global vegan market shows great potential over the next decade. But while Canada’s own alt-meat consumption has increased, major industry barriers remain.
The research was carried out by Ernst & Young (EY), and commissioned by PIC. Founded in 2018, the Canadian government-backed alt-protein organisation aims to “underpin the creation of new plant-based ingredients and food” by investing “collaboratively to accelerate innovation and the competitiveness of the Canadian plant protein sector” as one of its goals.
Much like the larger food tech industry, the global plant-based sector has faced a difficult 18 months after a few years of global hype, owing to the impact of Covid-19, supply chain disruptions, as well as inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. It has seen industry giants like Beyond Meat and Oatly experience sales declines and stock price volatility, as many companies have laid off employees, and some have shut down.
According to the PIC/EY report, there’s potential for the tide to turn here. The research’s findings suggest that the plant-based meat sector, which it claims is currently worth $16.5B, is set to grow by 16.5% annually to reach $139.4B by 2035. Similarly, alt-dairy is predicted to expand by 9.5% year-on-year from $14.4B to $51.3B, and the vegan bakery category is expected to see its value increase by 4.1% annually from $8.7B to $15.3B by the same year.
Key barriers towards consumer adoption
Courtesy: EY
The report mentions that consumers’ price sensitivity towards “products lacking texture and taste parity” with conventional counterparts has increased due to inflation, but that future improvements can offset this trend. Price parity, however, remains the biggest barrier to the adoption and growth of plant-based products, with 64% of consumers who reduced their vegan protein consumption citing cost as a reason.
Taste and texture come in second on this list, a detractor for 58% of consumers, according to EY’s analysis. Other obstacles include regulatory complications around labelling – most countries, including Canada, the US and the EU have restrictions on what plant-based companies can call their alternatives on product packaging – as well as supply chain issues.
The global food and agriculture sector has been hit by disruption from Covid-19, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent food shortages, export bans and the energy crisis, plus the effects of climate change. The latter includes widespread crop destruction, as extreme heat and water shortages could significantly disrupt the global food supply.
EY says funding is another key hurdle. Last month, a Stanford University study revealed that livestock farming receives 1,200 and 800 times more funding than plant-based and cultivated meat in the EU and the US, respectively. Meanwhile, 97% of all research and innovation spending in the EU (and 95% in the US) between 2014 and 2020 went to animal farmers, aimed at improving production.
Earlier this week, analysis by Pitchbook found that investors are deserting food tech, despite a survey by alt-protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) last December revealing that 87% of investors expected to make alt-protein investments in 2023.
Asia-Pacific plant-based milk is slated for growth, but dairy consumption is also rising
Courtesy: Cottonbro Studio/Pexels
The report focuses on Asia-Pacific as a key region for this sector’s growth. It points to higher instances of lactose intolerance in Asia and population increases as major factors for this. While there is no research proving an increase in lactose intolerance, studies have found that lactose malabsorption is prevalent in at least 70% of people of East Asian descent.
According to EY’s calculations, per capita GDP in the East Asia and Pacific regions has now surpassed the global average, pointing to an increase in incomes and willingness to pay for plant-based alternatives, which are often more expensive than conventional counterparts in this part of the world.
The report estimates that Asia-Pacific will be the world’s largest market for plant-based dairy, accounting for 40% of the total sector by 2035. It’s expected to overtake North America in the vegan bakery category, although Europe is tipped to remain the largest market for this.
But current headlines are in contrast with this forecast. For example, leading oat milk player Oatly saw a 15% drop in quarterly sales in Asia this year. While the company had been expanding in Asia, with a new factory announced in China and a joint facility in Singapore – when it launched in the Lion City in 2020, its own survey had found that a third of Singaporeans hadn’t heard of plant-based milk – a slower-than-expected recovery from Covid-19 in China has seen the brand slow down new product development and eliminate certain SKUs across Asia.
And while China’s population has a high prevalence of lactose intolerance, the country is now the largest importer of dairy in the world. That’s after it’s expected to become the third-largest dairy producer across the globe, with annual demand predicted to expand by 2.4% until 2032, according to Rabobank. The Chinese government actively encourages dairy consumption, “with national guidelines suggesting a daily dairy intake of between 300-500g/person”.
China is now the world’s third-largest dairy consumer. Between 2019 and 2021, household dairy consumption rose by 11.8% year-on-year to reach 42.3kg, according to government data. Additionally, Asia is home to India, the biggest milk-drinking country globally. So while EY’s projections certainly paint a positive picture, fundamentals suggest challenges ahead on the consumer adoption front.
Canada’s plant-based industry
Canada’s Sensible Hot Dogs recently raised nearly $12M | Courtesy: Sensible Hot Dogs
In terms of Canada – whose plant-based industry was a big focus of EY’s research, the report suggests the country has what it takes to be a leader in the plant-based protein space. This includes a “mature agricultural sector” and a “strong financial sector, stable economy, and well-developed capital markets”.
Last year, a third of Canadians said they tried a plant-based meat alternative, while 42% reported consuming a vegan dairy substitute, according to research by Dalhousie University. Meanwhile, 31% said they consume alt-meat at least once a week, and half said the same for plant-based dairy. Another survey revealed that Canadians eat alt-protein (7%) more than pork (5%) or seafood (4%) in a typical week.
But Canada has its own fto overcome. EY points to increased policy and infrastructure support, as well as more investment in the sector. There is also the regulatory question: as mentioned above, plant-based manufacturers are restricted by labelling laws in Canada. Currently, they aren’t allowed to use terms like ‘milk’, meat’, ‘cheese’, etc. on vegan product labels.
And while there are some proposed changes, they are still restrictive. Novel protein products would need to use the term ‘simulated’ and match certain nutritional levels, while alt-meat made from traditional vegan protein like tofu must have clear labels to identify the base ingredient, and won’t be allowed to be fortified with added nutrients.
Source: GFI State of The Industry Report
Pricing in misinformation risk
The positive global forecast and contrasting current challenges (many of which EY says are short-term) add to a growing body of fluctuating predictions about the alt-protein industry. GFI has compiled a host of different projections to show the difference in alt-protein forecasts over the next two decades.
Moreover, it’s unclear if the report authors factored in the risk of misinformation. As The Spoon’s Michael Wolf writes: most industry reports “do not attempt to assess or quantify the increased risk to the alternative protein industry from industry and product-related misinformation.” Lobby groups linked with meat and dairy companies have a history of acting against the plant-based industry via smear campaigns and commercials.
Courtesy: CCF
Big Dairy is about to go big again. The California Milk Processor Board, the body behind the popular and influential Got Milk? ad campaign, released a new commercial drive last month, titled ‘Everyone Wants to be Milk’. It seemingly poked fun at plant-based alternatives by imagining milk made from salmon, octopus, cranberries, ghosts and aliens, among others, and urging consumers to “get real”.
Such consumer-aimed campaigns can be highly successful and pose a risk for vegan brands as a whole hoping to welcome more shoppers to the category. While the EY/PIC forecast is hopeful, the global plant-based industry has a fair few struggles to overcome.
Three months after the UK company was bailed out of bankruptcy by fellow British plant-based meat brand VFC, Meatless Farm products are back on UK supermarket shelves. The brand has relaunched a few of its old products alongside a new offering, as it prepares a comeback marketing campaign nationwide.
It’s bewn a challenging time for the plant-based meat sector, what with sales declining, employees being laid off, and brands going out business. In June, UK-based Meatless Farm came close to the latter – before it was rescued by VFC in what is now a famous acquisition.
Meatless Farm has managed to turn its story from doom to gloom, as it now prepares to return to supermarket shelves across the UK. Its flagship pea-protein-based mince is making a comeback, and so are the burgers, chipolatas, chicken breasts, and chicken roast joints. Two of its pasta – the Beef, Red Wine & Porcini Mushroom Girasole and the No-Duja Ravioli also return to shelves.
In addition, a new chicken and bacon tortellini SKU will be launched exclusively in Tesco, while its other products will be available across Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Asda (which is also where Meatless Farm launched its pork and apple sausages last month).
Courtesy: Meatless Farm
Speaking to Green Queen, Meatless Farm and VFC CEO Dave Sparrow confirmed the company plans to relaunch more of its old lineup: “Our valued customers and consumers are our number one priority, [and] bringing their favourite Meatless Farm products back to the shelves has been our absolute focus.”
Along with its retail return, Meatless Farm has launched a national marketing campaign with the tagline ‘For the Tryers’, encouraging flexitarians to “give it a try” as it hopes to increase the adoption of plant-based meat in the UK. The campaign – which will run from September 25 to October 22 on tube car panels, digital six sheets, street hubs and billboards – is expected to reach over eight million consumers.
The ads will be integrated with a £2 discount coupon that shoppers can redeem in-store on Meatless Farm’s products. “It’s fantastic to see the brand return to retail,” Sparrow said in a statement. “And we’re all delighted to let everyone know that Meatless Farm is back for good via our national advertising campaign, encouraging consumers to make simple switches and give the brand a try.”
A triumphant return
Courtesy: Meatless Farm
This is the Meatless Farm’s first big step back into focus after a turbulent year that saw it nearly cease its operations. In early June, the company laid off its entire staff, days after filing a notice of intent to appoint administrators. It was facing millions in losses and needed to find a buyer to avoid administration – and the company had reportedly found an investor, who eventually backed out and the company ran out of time.
In just over a week, it was acquired by vegan chicken brand VFC in a deal worth €12M, saving it from bankruptcy and keeping the brand assets intact. At the time, Meatless Farm was a household name in UK retailers, and also had a US distribution deal with a presence in over 600 stores. It also had many foodservice partners, most notably securing a nationwide agreement with UK pub chain Wetherspoons in 2019.
Meatless Farm confirmed that it is using the same manufacturers, supply chain and recipes post-acquisition, and added that it is already back in foodservice channels. “We’ll have more updates on further expansion soon,” Sparrow revealed to Green Queen. “Innovation is a key part of our growth plans to reach more consumers via new eating occasions.”
Navigating a stagnating market
Courtesy: Meatless Farm
Its return is welcome news for the UK vegan market – it’s the second-largest in Europe, with Brits spending £964M on vegan meat and dairy last year. But sales have stagnated and, over the last decade, total investment in plant-based protein R&D has been overtaken by cultivated meat. Last month, the UK received its first regulatory filing for approval of cultivated meat sales by Israeli company Aleph Farms.
“Much has been reported on the plant-based market recently and it’s clear that, whilst it will see continued growth and demand, the level of early capital and emerging brands has saturated the space,” said Sparrow. “Consumer-led brands that stay true to their core values will weather the storm to create strong businesses.”
He added: “Within VFC Foods, that starts with having quality-led products, impactful brand communications and an eye on maintaining affordable price points for consumer entry into plant-based foods. Beyond this, ensuring that choice and convenience remain a priority to make eating plant-based food an easy transition is key – bringing both VFC and Meatless Farm brands together is a big part of our objective here and an excellent opportunity to be at the forefront of the market in the coming years.”
From Australia and Thailand to the Netherlands and the US, it’s easier than ever to find plant-based, overfishing-free alternatives to shrimp. You can make your own vegan shrimp cocktail, grits with shrimp or even ceviche – the world’s your, well, crustacean. Here are the best brands selling vegan shrimp.
I’ve never eaten meat or seafood, but I love a good vegan shrimp. I think it’s the texture that does it for me. The last time I had it, it was at a Thai restaurant in the US that made me an ultra-spicy noodle dish – I didn’t know there’s an unofficial spice scale in many American restaurants, and me being me, I went for level 10. It was the shrimp that saved me.
Plant-based shrimp is great – the texture is succulent and satisfying, and there’s a hint of the sea in the flavour (thank you, algae). Why stop with over-spicy noodles? Gather some ketchup and mayo, and make your very own vegan shrimp cocktail. While you’re at it, turn up the fryer (or air-fryer, whatever floats your shrimp), get some hot sauce and mustard, and complement your cocktail with some plant-based po’ boys.
Here are the best vegan shrimp brands you can try:
Vegan Zeastar
Courtesy: Vegan Finest Foods
Vegan Zeastar is one of four brands under the umbrella of Dutch plant-based company Vegan Finest Foods. It has an extensive vegan seafood range, including crab, tuna, salmon, cod, calamari and shrimp.
The shrimp line itself contains three varieties. There’s the plain version, but then there’s also crispy chilli and lemon flavours, which are coated with a seasoned breadcrumb mixture. The plain uses a combination of potato starch and kelp extract for texture and flavour, alongside sugar, salt, wheat fibre, and gelling agents. The protein comes through non-GMO soy protein powder.
The crispy shrimps take this base and add a breadcrumb coating that contains coconut oil, soybean powder, yeast extract, and beta-carotene, among other ingredients.
You can find Vegan Zeastar’s shrimp at online shops and independent stores across Europe.
Thai Union
Courtesy: Thai Union
Thai seafood giant Thai Union has a host of brands under its wing, and in 2021, it launched OMG Meat, a company specialising in vegan meat alternative SKUs. These include shumai dumplings with crab, crab patties, chicken and fish nuggets, BBQ pork buns, and hoy jor (crab and pork) alternatives.
It also makes shrimp dumplings, developed at its Global Innovation Centre. “We have had consumers come to us and say: ‘I know you are an expert in seafood and shrimp – I would like to have a shrimp tempura, but not containing shrimp,’” explained Thai Union’s innovation director Tunyawat Kasemsuwan.
The dumplings are filled with 68% of the plant-based shrimp, which is made from coconut oil, sugar, salt, gelling agents, and stabilisers. It’s combined with wonton wrappers, sesame and canola oil, flavourings, colours, thickeners and an acidity regulator.
You can find Thai Union’s OMG Meat vegan shrimp dumplings in stores across Thailand.
Lily’s Vegan Pantry
Lily’s Vegan Pantry
It began as May Way Vegetarian Kitchen in New York’s famous Chinatown in 1995 – now, it’s called Lily’s Vegan Pantry, in honour of owner Lily Ng. “We are committed to raising awareness about the physical and environmental benefits of consuming a cruelty-free diet,” she told Green Queen last year.
The Manhattan store has a mind-bending list of alt-meat products – it’s not just seafood, there’s also poultry, pork and lamb, among others. In its seafood range, it has three shrimp offerings. The original is the Vegan Red Spot Shrimp, which contains konjac powder, beta-glucan, potato starch, carrageenan, alginate, calcium hydroxide, and seasonings.
Then there are the plant-based shrimp rolls, containing a base of konjac powder and potato starch, mixed with vegetables, flavourings, and tofu skin. Lily’s Vegan Pantry also makes shrimp balls, which replace the konjac with yam flour. The other ingredients? Water, salt, calcium hydroxide and seasonings.
You can find Lily’s Vegan Pantry’s shrimp products online and at its Manhattan site.
All Vegetarian Inc
Courtesy: All Vegetarian Inc
At the opposite coast is another small business making a plethora of plant-based meat alternatives: vegan bacon, turkey roasts, chicken breasts, drumsticks, tuna, jerky – you name it, and All Vegetarian Inc probably makes it.
You can purchase its vegan shrimp in wholesale-size packs of six, 12 or 20. Each bag contains about 18 shrimps for you to enjoy, and these are made with unspecified modified starch, sunflower oil, glucomannan, pea extract, sea salt, seaweed extract and brown sugar. It also sells vegan shrimp balls on wholesale orders.
You can find All Vegetarian Inc’s vegan shrimp online.
HAPPIEE!
Courtesy: Growthwell Foods
Singaporean plant-based meat brand HAPPIEE! – a subsidiary of Growthwell Foods – has been making fish and chicken alternatives for its home market. But last month, it launched into the UK retail market with a range of vegan seafood (both frozen and chilled) and meat alternatives.
The seafood range includes plant-based versions of squid and calamari, as well as shrimp and breaded shrimp. The base for the vegan shrimp is potato and wheat starch, which is combined with sunflower oil, modified tapioca starch, methylcellulose, konjac flour, hydrolysed wheat protein, anti-caking and raising agents, seasonings, and paprika extract for colour.
For the breaded shrimp, HAPPIEE! takes this base and coats it in a mixture of wheat, rye and rice flour, water, cornflakes, rapeseed oil and seasonings.
You can buy HAPPIEE!’s vegan shrimp products at online retailer Ocado, and at Tesco stores across the UK.
Plant-Based Seafood Co.
Courtesy: Plant Based Seafood Co.
US producer Plant-Based Seafood Co.‘s product range is pretty self-explanatory. Its Mind Blown range has dusted scallops, crab cakes and two kinds of shrimp alternatives.
The dusted shrimp is made from konjac powder, vegetable gum, root starch, and seasonings, with the breading comprising brown rice, whole algae protein, and pea protein. In fact, it is breading itself is gluten-free, a combination of rice flour, potato starch, pea fibre, tapioca starch and xanthan gum – plus additional seasonings.
The vegan coconut shrimp, meanwhile, combines the base with the gluten-free flour breading, which is complemented with coconut sugar and baking powder.
Across the Pacific, Australia’s Boldly Foods has caused a stir since it announced its launch in January this year. Its extensive frozen vegan seafood lineup uses a base of konjac root, and includes the usual salmon, tuna and calamari rings, as well as the more uncommon whitefish, crab sticks, jumbo prawns and calamari steaks.
It also has two plant-based shrimp SKUs: baby shrimp and shrimp balls. Both contain a blend of konjac root, tapioca, wheat and potato starches, sunflower oil, salt and sugar, with 2% or less of malto0dextrin, hydrolysed wheat protein, palm oil, yeast, cabbage and paprika extracts and calcium carbonate. (The baby shrimp also contains extra natural flavourings.)
You can find Boldly’s vegan shrimp alternatives in US foodservice soon.
A month after becoming the first vegan steak to land on a US steakhouse chain menu, Israeli startup Chunk Foods’ whole-cut plant-based alternative is making its fast-casual debut via Leonardo DiCaprio- and Lewis Hamilton-backed chain Neat Burger. The new Chunk Steak Sandwich is priced at a premium of $19.99 and packs over 25g of protein.
Backed by Robert Downey Jr’s FootPrint Coalition, Chunk Foods says the new menu option is a “culinary experience that rivals traditional steak sandwiches”. It uses the biomass-fermented Chunk Filet, which is paired with ingredients and seasonings to replicate a classic steak sandwich. Complemented with vegan blue cheese, cilantro chipotle sauce and caramelised onions on an artisan roll, the sandwich is available at Neat Burger’s Nolito store in Manhattan.
Launched in 2020, Chunk Foods’ link-up with Neat Burger is a marker of the former’s increased foodservice presence, with its vegan steak itself having already appeared on the menus of several New York City restaurants, including Coletta, Anixi and The Butcher’s Daughter. And last month, it also became a menu item at Charley’s Steak House in Orlando.
Its whole-cut steak uses solid-state fermentation, which is cheaper than high-moisture extrusion or submerged fermentation. It won the ‘Plant Based Meat Product of the Year’ at the fourth annual AgTech Breakthrough Awards last month. The company, which has secured $17M in total funding, says it’s also working on pork, lamb and poultry alternatives. Chunk Foods, which raised $15m in seed funding last year, will also be opening a manufacturing facility in Israel – touted to be one of the largest of its kind.
“Partnering up with Chunk Foods not only hits the culinary innovation we strive for, but it’s also kind to the planet and pleasing to the palate,” said Neat Burger US COO Kenny Silvester.
Despite the retail decline, alt-meat thrives in US foodservice
Chunk Foods landed on Charley’s Steak House’s menu in Florida | Courtesy: Chunk Foods
Alt-meat brands have had a tough year in the US retail market, with retail sales of plant-based meat falling by 12.6% to $106.8M in the five weeks to July 2, 2023, and units down by 19.8% year-on-year. And for the year to July 2, 2023, sales declined by 7.3% year-on-year, while units saw a 15.6% drop. Many brands have faced bankruptcy or have been forced to cease operations, just as the number of American vegans hit a 10-year low this year.
Despite the grim reading, foodservice sales of alt-meat reached an all-time high of $730M in the US, with plant-based meat eaters making over 30 more foodservice visits per year than the average consumer, according to a report by industry body the Good Food Institute (GFI). Nearly 10% of Americans purchased vegan alternatives to meat in foodservice in 2022 – 15% of whom repeated their purchases over four times.
It aligns with a 2022 Mintel report showing that five in 10 omnivores and eight in 10 flexitarians say more US restaurants should serve plant-based meat alternatives. Meanwhile, further research has revealed that 76% of the country’s foodservice operators are aiming to maintain or increase their plant-based meat options – nearly half (48.4%) of all restaurants currently offer plant-based menu items.
Neat Burger’s expansion drive
Neat Burger opened its first location in Nolita, New York City | Courtesy: Neat Burger
“The long-term performance of plant-based proteins in foodservice indicates that the plant-based category is continuing to mature,” read the GFI report.
Neat Burger is a prime example of this. The vegan fast-food chain closed an $18M Series B funding round in May, amid accelerated expansion in key international markets. The Nolita store was its first in the US, opening earlier this year, and exceeded first-month sales expectations to outperform all other locations internationally.
“This is a pivotal moment for our business, and it allows us to accelerate our growth plans,” Neat Burger CEO Tommaso Chaibra said at the time. “With the successful launch of our New York location and record first quarter under our belt, we have demonstrated the strength of our brand, and are now well-positioned to bring our award-winning plant-based food to the growing number of consumers in the US and worldwide who are embracing a healthier and more flexitarian lifestyle.”
The chain had announced plans to open another US site and three more in London by 2025. Last month, it unveiled two new sites in London’s Dalston and Wembley, with the former featuring a grab-and-go concept (a first for the brand). Neat Burger will also enter Italy and expand its presence in the Middle East, where it opened its first store in Dubai last October.
Cats on a plant-based diet could be healthier than those fed meat, with owners reporting fewer visits to the vet, reduced medication use and assessments of severe illness, and more vets describing vegan cats as healthy, according to a new study. It comes two years after similar studies found that vegan diets can be beneficial for cats and pets.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Plos One, the study surveyed 1,369 cat owners, 9% of whom fed their pets a vegan diet. Examining 22 specific health disorders, the researchers found that 37% of cats on a plant-based diet experienced at least one of them, versus 42% of cats eating conventional meat-based foods.
Of these disorders, 15 were most common in meat-eating cats, and seven in vegan felines. And while most differences were not statistically significant, the plant-based cats scored higher on all health indicators – the number of health disorders per unwell cat decreased by 16% when fed a vegan diet.
In the year-long study, cats on a plant-based diet were found to experience a 7% reduction in veterinary visits, a 15% drop in medication use, a 55% decrease in progression onto a therapeutic diet, a 4% fall in cats being assessed as unwell by vets (and 8% for more severe illnesses), and a 23% decline in the number of owners finding their cats have more severe illnesses.
Cats have always been a carnivorous species, and meat has long been thought to be essential to their wellbeing. However, study lead Professor Andrew Knight argues that biologically, cats need a specific set of nutrients, not meat. They require a high-protein diet with certain nutrients (like taurine and vitamins A and B12) that are most common in meat.
But vegan cat food – a $9.2B market that’s expected to nearly double by 2030 – can contain these nutrients as supplements, either produced synthetically or sourced from certain plants. Meat-based cat food can also require added supplements, and Knight told the Guardian that the same supplements are used for vegan food to make sure it’s nutritionally sound: “There’s no scientific reason why you can’t supply all the necessary nutrients through plant additives.”
He added: “Modern vegan diets produced by pet food companies use plant, mineral and synthetic sources to supply all needed nutrients. They also lack hazards such as animal-sourced allergens that occur within meat-based pet food. We therefore expect to see health outcomes as good or better, when cats are fed nutritionally-sound vegan diets, and that’s exactly what this very large-scale study shows.”
The research findings echo a similar study co-authored by Knight two years ago, which examined the wider pet food category. That research also found that vegan pet food can have “as good – or better – health outcomes on plant-based diets as they did when fed on meat pet foods, provided these were carefully formulated with additional synthetic nutrients.”
A growing body of research
Courtesy: Canva
The same year, a study of 1,026 cats found that the 18% of felines who were fed plant-based diets were more frequently reported by guardians to be in very good health. “Contrary to expectations, owners perceived no body system or disorder to be at particular risk when feeding a plant-based diet to cats,” said co-author Sarah Dodd.
At the time, this was the largest research of its kind. Older research about meat-free diets for cats had been very limited in terms of case studies. A 2006 study, compared the health status of 34 vegetarian and 52 meat-eating cats in the US, and found that no significant differences existed between the two diets. Both sets of owners described their cats as generally healthy.
The British Veterinary Association previously discouraged pet owners from feeding their furry friends alternative protein. But it’s now reviewing its advice. “There is increasing interest among pet owners around alternative diets for pets, and while there is a lot of ongoing research into the impacts of vegan diets in particular, there has been a lack of robust data mapping the health consequences of this diet over time,” Justine Shotton, the association’s senior vice-president, told the Guardian.
She added: “In light of ongoing research, the British Veterinary Association recently convened a companion animal feeding working group which will inform our recommendations going forward. In the meantime, owners should speak to their vet if they are considering changing their pet’s diet.”
The new research aligns with guidelines published by industry body UK Pet Food in February. “With advancing technology and research, nutrients that were previously only available from animal-based ingredients can now be made synthetically or be sourced from novel ingredient,” it stated, adding that these do require careful formulation by highly qualified pet nutritionists. Overall, however, it found that “there is little evidence of adverse effects arising in dogs and cats on vegan diets”.
Consumer attitudes towards alternative pet food
Courtesy: Canva
In the UK, where Benevo debuted the first plant-based cat food in 2005, a 2022 survey by The Vegan Society revealed that 40% of owners who feed their cats a plant-based diet do so because they believe it’s healthier. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of pet parents cited environmental reasons – in the US, for example, producing dry cat and dog food equates to between 25-30% of all emissions related to animal consumption by Americans.
Globally, dog and cat food emit around 64 million tons of carbon per year – that’s the equivalent of over 13 million cars. “Increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, farmed animal welfare and competition for traditional protein sources are driving considerable development of alternative pet foods,” the latest study states.
The Vegan Society’s poll also found that the feeding of vegan, vegetarian and reduced-meat foods was more popular in cats than dogs, despite plant-based dog food being a much more established category. Vegan dog food brands (like Wild Earth, Omni and The Pack) outnumber the number of plant-based pet food producers dedicated to cats. That stands to reason, given that dogs are the most popular pet across the world, with one in three homes having a dog, as opposed to a quarter of people who own cats.
And for consumers who are still firm on cats’ status as obligate carnivores, some brands are now making cultivated pet food to allay these concerns. In 2021, Vienna-based BioCraft Pet Nutrition (formerly Because Animals) debuted the world’s first cultivated meat pet food with its cultured mice. Other brands in the cell-cultured cat food space include Bond Pet Food, which makes slaughter-free chicken for dogs and cats, and Marina Cat, producer of the world’s first cultivated fish for cats.
ingredient with exclusivity until 2039. Additionally, the company shared early results of a promising AI-led study into the health benefits of its mycelium strain.
