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Category: Alt Protein

  • Upstream Foods Says Cultivated Fat Will Help Plant-Based Seafood Market Surge

    salmon
    3 Mins Read

    When it comes to seafood alternatives, the choices are limited. Dutch start-up Upstream Foods aims to change that by cultivating fat from salmon cells for the plant-based seafood market.

    The alternative seafood sector has seen significant growth in the U.S., with both dollar and unit sales experiencing a 53 percent increase last year, according to the Good Food Institute (GFI). This upward trend is expected to continue. But to truly appeal to mainstream consumers, alternative seafood needs to elevate its quality.

    As consumer demand for sustainable alternatives continues to grow, companies like Upstream Foods are striving to meet the challenge and provide high-quality options. Upstream Foods’ innovative approach to cultivating salmon cell fat for use in plant-based seafood aims to revolutionize the industry.

    ‘Next level fat’

    Kianti Figler, founder and CEO of Upstream Foods, emphasized the need for improved product quality during her speech at F&A Next, an event hosted by Rabobank, Wageningen University & Research, Anterra Capital, and StartLife. She acknowledged that the current offerings do not yet match the taste and quality expected by consumers, Food Navigator reports.

    Plantish vegan salmon | Courtesy

    “When we’re talking about taste, we’re talking about fat,” she said at the event. “To take plant-based seafood to the next level, we need next level fat.”

    According to recent TURF analyses, the main reasons consumers would choose plant-based seafood are flavor (78 percent), the potential to reduce overfishing (7 percent), omega-3 content (3 percent), lack of bones (1 percent), and contribution to reducing plastic waste (1 percent). GFI suggests that once consumers have a positive impression of alternative seafood flavors, messaging focused on these additional benefits can make the products more appealing.

    Figler agrees with this approach and believes that taste and fat are closely linked. Upstream Foods’ solution involves cultivating fish fat from salmon cells through cellular agriculture. The company develops a proprietary cell line from salmon cells, cultivates them in a bioreactor, and then combines the fat with a plant-based matrix.

    Scaling up

    Upstream Foods is currently optimizing its salmon cell line and establishing its process at a lab-scale. The company foresees the main challenge in scaling up will be reducing production costs.

    Figler acknowledges that cost efficiency is a significant hurdle faced by the entire industry, as the infrastructure has primarily been designed for the pharmaceutical sector, lacking incentives for ingredient cost reduction.

    fish
    Courtesy Martin Widenka via Unsplash

    “Making this entire process cost efficient is, I think, the biggest challenge we’re all facing,” Figler said.

    While Figler expressed a desire to enter the European market first, she noted that the time-consuming process of submitting a Novel Foods application to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) might not be feasible for a start-up. Instead, Upstream Foods plans to focus on the U.S. market, aiming to scale its process and file for regulatory approval within four years.

    The road to market entry involves developing a proof of concept with global plant-based seafood players, followed by raising €3 million in seed funding. Upstream Foods plans to scale its process to 30L and then 100L, with further increases in scale before seeking regulatory approval in the U.S.

    While Europe may not be the initial market for Upstream Foods due to the challenges associated with EFSA approval, the company remains optimistic about the future of plant-based seafood and the potential to offer quality products that satisfy consumers’ taste preferences while delivering health benefits and affordability.

    The post Upstream Foods Says Cultivated Fat Will Help Plant-Based Seafood Market Surge first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post Upstream Foods Says Cultivated Fat Will Help Plant-Based Seafood Market Surge appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Quorn Foods And Prime Roots Partner To Expand Mycelium Meat Category

    Prime Roots is made from koji mycelium
    3 Mins Read

    Leading mycoprotein producer, U.K.-based Quorn Foods, has made a minority investment in the Berkeley-based vegan meat startup Prime Roots.

    Quorn pioneered the mycoprotein category, and its new partnership with Prime Roots, which relies on koji mycelium —Japan’s “national yeast” — for its vegan meat, will see both companies expand their reach and product range.

    Mycelium meat market opportunities

    The companies say they will collaborate on new product offerings using their novel mycelium tech. Quorn’s products currently dominate the frozen category while Prime Roots has targeted the deli case since its launch in 2017; it offers vegan versions of turkey, ham, salami, pepperoni, and bacon as well as pâté and foie gras.

    Kimberlie Le, Prime Roots’ Co-founder and CEO, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: “We are thrilled to partner with Quorn, the leader in mycelium-based proteins to create breakthrough innovations together and to bring great tasting foods that are better for you and for the planet to mass markets,” Le said in a statement.

    Prime Roots charcuterie board
    Prime Roots charcuterie board | Courtesy

    “Prime Roots is doing great things in developing the U.S. meat-free deli category, and we’re excited by the opportunity we now have to share knowledge and collaborate with Kimberlie and her team,” said Quorn’s CEO, Marco Bertacca.

    The alliance announcement comes in the wake of Prime Roots’ recent $30 million Series B fundraise aimed at escalating production for nationwide distribution.

    “People are asking for sustainable meat options that taste good, make them feel good, and do good with less planet impact,” Le said in a statement accompanying the Series B announcement. “Prime Roots delivers on all three: taste, nutrition, and sustainability.”

    According to Le, the recent funding is an indicator that there is a growing market demand for alternatives to conventional meat.

    Health benefits of mycoprotein

    The news also comes on the heels of recent research published in the European Journal of Nutrition looking at Quorn’s health benefits, particularly on the propagation of friendly gut bacteria. The research, published in February, found that the study participants who consumed mycoprotein had “statistically significant” decreases in biomarkers for colon cancer than the group that did not consume the mycoprotein.

    Courtesy Quorn

    “The study showed that this dietary change delivers a significant reduction in genotoxicity and an increase in beneficial gut microbes,” the researchers noted. “Our findings suggest therefore that this high-fiber protein source provides a good alternative to meat in the context of gut health and could help to reduce long-term bowel cancer risk.”

    Other research, published in 2019, found that Quorn’s mycoprotein increased muscle building in participants at more than double the rate of the group who consumed dairy.

    “These results are very encouraging when we consider the desire of some individuals to choose non-animal derived sources of protein to support muscle mass maintenance or adaptations with training,” said Dr. Benjamin Wall, Associate Professor of Nutritional Physiology, University of Exeter.

    “Our data show that mycoprotein can stimulate muscles to grow faster in the hours following exercise compared with a typical animal comparator protein (milk protein),” he said.

    Last week, Quorn’s UK parent entity Marlow Ingredients announced a collaboration with Danish food start-up Tempty Foods to introduce a range of meat alternatives featuring mycoprotein, the fungus-derived “super protein” the company says is more sustainable than conventional protein sources.

    The post Quorn Foods And Prime Roots Partner To Expand Mycelium Meat Category first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post Quorn Foods And Prime Roots Partner To Expand Mycelium Meat Category appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • These 8 UK Agri-Tech Startups Want To Future Proof South East Asia’s Food System

    4 Mins Read

    From improvements to yield, cost savings, and increasing climate resilience, there is much to change about the way we make food, especially given how much impact climate change will have on global supply chains, particularly in Southeast Asia.

    I found it fascinating to watch eight innovative agri-tech start-ups from the United Kingdom give their grand pitch in Singapore, a country that has little agricultural activity, at the Gateway to Asia Technology Showcase as part of Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme, and each of them left me feeling inspired and hopeful about the future of food. Here’s everything you need to know about each company and its mission.

    OlaTek

    Did you know that approximately 30% of all fish does not end up on our plates, but rather in our ocean, as waste? Further, this waste results in the contamination of marine ecosystems. Given how much we fish (and how much fish we consume), that’s a significant waste stream that can be upcycled. This is why start-ups like OlaTek are turning fish waste into something valuable- the team is currently working on a proof-of-concept whereby no fish waste gets sent back into the ocean. Even though they’re only just starting with lubricants for the F&B industry, they are expanding to other use cases. 

    Koolmill

    If you’ve heard about Software-as-a-Service, meet Machinery-as-a-Service. Koolmill aims to develop rice harvesting technologies that reduce grain loss and improve efficiency during production by creating a gentler way to process rice. The company’s mission is to help us use what we have more effectively and their motto, which left me giggling, is “be nice to rice”.

    Straw Innovations

    Southeast Asians love their rice, and like Koolmil, this company also wants to transform the industry. When rice gets harvested, its stems and leaves (also known as the straw) get left behind because it’s tricky to collect them, and they end up rotting or burning. This process releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas (and a key reason for rice’s hefty environmental footprint). Straw Innovations is developing a rice AND straw harvester, allowing you to leave less of a stubble (!), a cleaner way to shave the world (excuse the pun).

    Fotenix

    This company says it wants to create the metaverse of agriculture. With a slew of cool videos showing how they use small cameras to take pictures of plants growing in high-tech farming environments, this company uses these pictures to develop digital twins that can give you an amazing array of insights. Imagine being able to see when a plant gets diseased, the presence of pests and so much more without actually going to see the plant. Turning these images into assets, this company brings the real world into the digital one to help you better grow food.

    Intelligent Growth Solutions

    A vertical farm technology company founded by an actual farmer (fairly rare, believe it or not!), this startup has its own patented solutions of vertically-stacked growing systems to create ideal conditions to grow your plants. In a country with highly competitive uses for land, innovations in this space would allow us to maximise food production using far less space than conventional land-based agriculture.

    uFraction8

    As the cultivated meat market gains traction, key challenges around scaling remain, mostly tied to production capacity. The industry needs more efficient, resilient solutions in order to both lower costs of production and achieve economies of scale. This start-up is innovating new ways to build what it describes as the most efficient and scalable filtration solutions that have ever existed to solve the problems with harvesting and processing microbial cell cultures. The company’s enabling technology could remove major barriers as their product could be an important enabling technology that could make meat from cellular agriculture more accessible.

    Bright Biotech

    Bright Biotech is part of the relatively new sector of molecular farming, a type of food production technology that makes use of plants as production houses. The company uses chloroplasts to obtain large amounts of high-value proteins from plants using light, which results in scalable and low-cost proteins that can help cultivated meat players overcome their protein supply challenges.

    Higher Steaks

    Last but not least, is Higher Steaks, the startup with the punniest name by far. The company specialises in cultivated fatty meat and unveiled the world’s first cultivated pork belly and bacon without the use of genetic engineering last year. In fact, the company shared that they are working on “dong po rou” (braised pork belly) specifically for the Asian market. It’ll be interesting to see how they replicate the texture and melty characteristics of such a dish. High stakes indeed.

    Mounting challenges means a host of opportunities for innovative startups to truly revolutionise the way we produce and consume food. It was empowering to witness the passion of the founders of these companies as they take on the opportunity of a lifetime: securing a stable, nutritious, and climate-friendly future of food.

    The post These 8 UK Agri-Tech Startups Want To Future Proof South East Asia’s Food System first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post These 8 UK Agri-Tech Startups Want To Future Proof South East Asia’s Food System appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Fermbox Bio and Dyadic International Announce a Global Partnership for Sustainable Bio-Alternatives

    3 Mins Read

    Indian-based synthetic biology company Fermbox Bio, known for utilizing microbial precision fermentation for sustainable production of bio-alternatives, is joining forces with global biotechnology company Dyadic International Inc.

    The collaboration marks Dyadic’s first venture with an Indian entity for non-pharmaceutical uses on its renowned Dapibus platform. The partnership leverages the product development and process engineering expertise of Fermbox Bio, coupled with Dyadic’s proprietary filamentous fungal-based protein production platform, aiming to design, manufacture, and commercialize ground-breaking, animal-free alternative proteins and biomaterials.

    Biomaterials manufacturing

    Dyadic International Inc. and Fermbox Bio are both dedicated to creating sustainable and commercially viable products. Fermbox Bio is known for co-developing, manufacturing, and commercializing biomaterials for global markets, whereas Dyadic International Inc. is at the forefront of creating microbial platforms to meet the global demand for protein bioproduction and alternative proteins.

    Photo by Louis Reed at Unsplash.

    “We are very excited to partner with Dyadic to bring our complementary skills to action and use its novel Dapibus platform to create alternative biomaterials that are not only sustainable but also economically viable,” Subramani (suBBu) Ramachandrappa, Ferbox’s founder, said in a statement.

    “Our joint expertise across expression systems and execution capabilities from lab to large-scale manufacturing, uniquely positions us for success. We have a long-standing relationship with Dyadic leadership, and we believe that this co-development agreement can potentially accelerate the timelines for both companies to bring new and commercially viable bio-alternates to the market sooner.”

    Fermbox Bio, operating in both India and the U.S., is strategically positioned for global collaborations, benefiting from access to Indian scientific talent and manufacturing capacities. This collaboration, along with India’s prowess in gene expression, enzymatic pathway engineering, and low-cost manufacturing, could thrust the alternative protein sector forward, positioning India as a potential global supplier.

    “I am excited to announce this fully funded co-development and marketing agreement with Fermbox which is consistent with our business strategy of focusing on near-term commercialization opportunities that can create shareholder value,” said Joe Hazelton, Chief Business Officer of Dyadic.

    ‘End-market animal-free protein products’

    “Fermbox has extensive expertise in bio-alternatives development and microbial precision fermentation which we expect will accelerate our ability to exploit the Dapibus platform and expand Dyadic’s product offerings for non-pharmaceutical alternative proteins applications, such as food, nutrition, wellness, and other bioproducts,” Hazelton said.

    supermarket shopping
    Courtesy Pexels

    “We anticipate this collaboration will enhance our market penetration into the alternative protein markets, while at the same time continuing to pursue our biopharmaceutical activities which are advancing at a rapid pace. We believe that this collaboration will further leverage our proprietary Dapibus platform toward developing and commercializing multiple end-market animal-free protein products.”

    This collaborative model is setting a precedent, according to Nicole Rocque, Senior Innovation Specialist at The Good Food Institute (GFI) India. She says that a co-development partnership of this kind highlights the emerging role India can play in the global SynBio industry. “India has the potential to be a leader in the development of sustainable alternatives that have the potential to feed a growing population while showcasing a model of growth for other emerging markets.,” Rocque said.

    The post Fermbox Bio and Dyadic International Announce a Global Partnership for Sustainable Bio-Alternatives first appeared on Green Queen.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Green Rebel’s Vegan Chicken Launches At Nando’s Singapore

    Green Rebel x Nando's
    3 Mins Read

    Indonesia’s whole-cut plant-based meat brand Green Rebel has announced a partnership with Nando’s Singapore for a limited menu collaboration.

    The announcement marks the first time Nando’s, the South African-based chicken chain, has launched a plant-based menu option in Singapore. The new meatless Green Rebel Chick’n Steak is part of Nando’s “The Great Pretender” campaign.

    Green Rebel x Nando’s

    The new sandwich contains 18 grams of protein per serving and 7 grams of fiber — about the equivalent of 250 grams of spinach. The sandwich is rolling out to all six Nando’s locations in Singapore.

    The partnership marks a milestone for Green Rebel, which launched in Singapore last year. The company’s products are available in 1,500 locations across Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

    Green Rebel at Nando's
    Green Rebel at Nando’s | Courtesy

    “The way to convince more people in Asia to try plant-based foods is with products that work great in favourite local dishes,” Michal Klar, general partner at Better Bite Ventures told Green Queen last year following Green Rebel’s Series A funding round. “Green Rebel is doing exactly that by offering plant-based meats with authentic flavours like Indonesian beef rendang, chicken satay and more.”

    Last November, the company announced its expansion into the nondairy category with the launch of cheese, sauces, and dressings.

    Singapore as a vegan launchpad

    Singapore is increasingly cementing itself as a launch pad for vegan products. A confluence of increased consumer consciousness about environmental sustainability and ethical consumption has seen a rise in the demand for plant-based and alternative protein options across the nation. Singapore’s innovative, tech-forward business climate is ideal for the development and promotion of such products.

    Most recently, Dutch food technology pioneer Meatable hosted its first-ever cultivated meat-tasting event in Singapore — the only country that has approved cultivated meat for sale and consumption.

    meatable
    Courtesy Meatable

    Startups and multinational corporations alike are capitalizing on the opportunity. Recognizing Singapore’s potential, they’re launching an array of vegan alternatives, from lab-grown meat to plant-based dairy and egg substitutes. The government is also supportive of this burgeoning sector, contributing funds and resources for research and development in the food-tech industry.

    Crucially, Singapore’s status as a cosmopolitan city, with its diverse population and culinary tastes, makes it a fertile testing ground for new vegan products. Businesses are able to reach a broad spectrum of consumers and gain insightful feedback to continually improve their offerings.

    Furthermore, Singapore’s strategic location in Asia allows companies to expand into other markets in the region easily. Its role as a launch pad for vegan products underscores its broader ambition to become a leader in sustainable and innovative food solutions. This trend is likely to continue as the global demand for vegan and plant-based products grows.

    The post Green Rebel’s Vegan Chicken Launches At Nando’s Singapore first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post Green Rebel’s Vegan Chicken Launches At Nando’s Singapore appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Hong Kong’s DayDayCook Partners With Nestlé on Shelf-Stable Vegan Meal Range

    2 Mins Read

    Hong Kong-based DayDayCook and Harvest Gourmet, Nestlé’s strategic brand, have joined forces to create a new range of plant-based meal options.

    The new collaboration brings to market a line of shelf-stable products that incorporate Harvest Gourmet’s vegan ingredients sourced domestically. DayDayCook has traditionally focused on meal delivery kits for the home chef.

    “I am super excited to see this collection launch and come to life,” Norma Chu, Founder and CEO of DayDayCook, said in a statement.

    ‘Special yet accessible’

    The focus of the new vegan meat product range is to create something “special yet accessible” DayDayCook says. “We want to wow [customers] and bring them back to the fundamental of eating delicious and healthy meals with a dash of nostalgia for flavor.”

    According to the company, the partnership with the Nestlé R+D Accelerator worked to develop foods that will resonate in a positive way with the Chinese audience as well as create a buzz within the plant-based market.

    “We have been so honored to have the privilege of working with Nestlé, the largest food company in the world,” DayDayCook said. “During this process, we tried the full range of [plant-based meat] ingredients produced domestically by Nestlé  China. With such a strong root in R&D, we were impressed by how much variety of plant-based ingredients were readily available. Then, we took it upon ourselves to create the most delicious and easy-to-make meal kits with these Harvest Gourmet ingredients.”

    float foods eggs
    Float Foods’ OnlyEg looks, cooks, and tastes like chicken eggs | Courtesy

    Last December, Singapore’s Float Foods, known for its egg replacement OnlyEg, partnered with DayDayCook to bring its vegan egg to its Hong Kong consumer base.

    “People have enjoyed the experience of cooking and eating at home but are also hard-pressed for time and energy. The OnlyEg Meal Kits offer the chance to elevate the dining experience by introducing clean, contemporary, healthy meals,” Norma Chu, Founder, and CEO of DayDayCook, said in a statement. “Eating a healthy protein-rich meal should be accessible to everyone and bring a sense of celebration at the same time.”

    The post Hong Kong’s DayDayCook Partners With Nestlé on Shelf-Stable Vegan Meal Range first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post Hong Kong’s DayDayCook Partners With Nestlé on Shelf-Stable Vegan Meal Range appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Lewis Hamilton-Backed Neat Burger Secures $18 Million Series B: ‘A Major Milestone’

    neat burger
    4 Mins Read

    The U.K.-based Neat Burger, the plant-based restaurant chain supported by influential figures like Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio, is set to expand its global reach following a successful $18 million Series B fundraising round.

    Despite the challenging macroeconomic backdrop, Neat Burger has emerged as a leading player in the plant-based food industry. The recent fundraise saw Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton reinvest, alongside Chimera Capital. Notable new investors include LionTree, New Theory Ventures, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, and model and actress Sara Sampaio.

    Since its launch in 2019, Neat Burger has rapidly grown to become one of the world’s fastest-growing plant-based food groups and has garnered a reputation for its pioneering approach to appeal to both flexitarian and plant-based consumers.

    ‘A major milestone’

    The company’s focus on high-quality, fresh ingredients without compromising on taste has helped to make plant-based eating accessible and enjoyable for its customers. Neat Burger’s purpose is to offer ethical, sustainable, and delicious plant-based food served with passion and style.

    “We are thrilled to have reached this major milestone in Neat Burger’s journey with a successful fundraise from previous investors alongside an impressive group of new investors,” Tommaso Chiabra, Co-Founder of Neat Burger, said in a statement.

    “This is a pivotal moment for our business, and it allows us to accelerate our growth plans. 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 U.S. and worldwide who are embracing a healthier and more flexitarian lifestyle,” said Chiabra.

    Neat Burger
    Neat Burger is exceeding sales projections | Courtesy

    Leading the round is B-Flexion, a private institutional investment firm founded by Ernesto Bertarelli, which focuses on sustainability.

    “I love how Neat Burger is on a mission to make plant-based eating more accessible to everyone,” Chiara Bertarelli said om a statement. “Our generation is paving the way and driving this change, with research showing once Gen-Z adopt a vegan or flexitarian diet, 70 percent stick with it. So, the key is getting people to try it and integrate it into their daily lives. First impressions count and Neat Burger’s approach, combining fun and sustainability, has the potential to change the world.” Bertarelli is a recent Harvard University graduate and will now serve as Neat Burger’s Sustainability Advisor.

    The investor support not only recognizes Neat Burger’s growth potential but also acknowledges its unique and innovative approach. Neat Burger prioritizes an engaging restaurant experience that inspires consumer curiosity and encourages the adoption of a meat-free and flexitarian lifestyle. The group’s London restaurants have shown record-breaking performance in the first quarter of this year, with like-for-like sales up by 20 percent.

    Central to Neat Burger’s menu are its fully plant-based offerings, providing health-conscious consumers with guilt-free options for enjoying all-American burger classics. The Neat Burger patty is crafted with a blend of nutritious superfoods such as mung beans, quinoa, and chickpeas, and is rich in healthy fats and protein.

    Neat expansion

    Earlier this year, Neat Burger made its U.S. debut in New York. “We see New York as a tastemaker gateway to the U.S. and by all metrics it has been our most successful launch to date,” said Zack Bishti, Co-Founder and CEO of Neat Burger. First-month sales exceeded expectations, making it the best-performing store in the entire Neat Burger portfolio.

    Neat Burger New York
    Neat Burger New York | Courtesy

    “New Yorkers have good taste and strong opinions and we’ve been thrilled to see customers continually return,” said Bishti. “We’re at the heart of the growth in plant-based diets and our proximity to the customer voice sets us apart. In response to the growing demand for cleaner ingredients, we’ve incorporated healthier options into the New York menu, while continuing to serve our growing community food that’s as sustainable as it is delicious.”

    The chain is also expanding with restaurant launches in Italy and the Middle East. Additionally, the company is growing its business-to-business vertical by forming partnerships with hospitality groups and businesses aiming to achieve net-zero targets by shifting to plant-based offerings.

    The success of Neat Burger is reflected in its growing fanbase and also in widespread industry recognition. The company has been honored with the prestigious U.K.’s Best Vegan Restaurant of the Year award at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards for two consecutive years. These accolades highlight the positive response and acceptance of Neat Burger’s innovative approach to plant-based dining.

    The post Lewis Hamilton-Backed Neat Burger Secures $18 Million Series B: ‘A Major Milestone’ first appeared on Green Queen.

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  • The Vegetarian Butcher Taps Michelin Chefs for Its First Cookbook

    The Vegetarian Butcher
    2 Mins Read

    The Vegetarian Butcher, the Unilever-owned Dutch plant-based meat brand, has launched its first cookbook “New Meat.”

    The new cookbook builds on the success of the Vegetarian Butcher’s offerings since it launched in 2010. “New Meat” features 100 classic meat dishes made for “open-minded meat lovers.”

    The book builds on the success of The Vegetarian Butcher, which started out in The Hague, offering meat-free options out of a butcher shop after ninth-generation farmer and meat lover Jaap Korteweg gave up eating meat. The company has been a leader in replicating sausage, mince, and burgers, with placement in 55 countries and more than 40,000 retail outlets.

    open cookbook
    The Vegetarian Butcher’s New Meat cookbook

    “I was hooked on the taste of meat and my idea was how we can produce meat without animals with the same taste, the same texture, the same experience,” Korteweg told the World Economic Forum in 2019.

    “People like meat,” says Korteweg. “But it’s not necessary to live without it, you can eat as much meat as you want, without the use of animals.”

    The book features recipes from Korteweg along with a range of contributions from eleven top chefs including those from Michelin-starred chefs Asimakis Chaniotis, the executive chef at Pied à Terre in London; James Goodyear, the head chef at Adam’s; Ricky Saward chef at Seven Swans in Frankfurt, the first vegan restaurant in the world to be awarded a Michelin star and Michelin green star for sustainability; and Andrew Pern, chef and owner of the Star in North Yorkshire.

    Vegetarian Butcher sausage roll
    Vegetarian Butcher sausage rolls | Courtesy

    “New Meat” aims to spotlight the diversity plant-based meat offers. It features five of the Vegetarian Butcher products including vegan Chicken Chunks, the vegan Raw Burger, vegetarian Meatballs, vegan Chicken Breast, and the vegan Crispy Chicken Burger.

    The book features cooking tips and tricks for working with plant-based ingredients on recipes including vegan Wellingtong, Bourguignon, and Indian Butter Chicken. “All of them showcasing the best of plant-based, sacrificing nothing in terms of taste, texture and traditions.”

    Recipes cover five categories: Weekdays; Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch; Weekends; Snack Time; and Classics. Most of the recipes were developed by recipe developers, food stylists, and lifelong cooks José van Mil and Fleur van Mil, and photographed by Remko Kraaijeveld.

    The post The Vegetarian Butcher Taps Michelin Chefs for Its First Cookbook first appeared on Green Queen.

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  • Babybel Maker Backs AI-Powered Climax Foods To Make Develop Game-Changing Plant-Based Cheese

    3 Mins Read

    French cheese giant the Bel Groups is investing in and partnering with Californian biotech startup Climax Foods to develop AI-powered plant-based, sustainable and nutritious cheese products.

    French global food plater the Bel Group, known for its popular branded cheese products, has announced a unique partnership with biotech Climax Foods with the aim to develop a new generation of plant-based cheese products to help address the challenges facing the dairy industry amidst a worsening climate cirsis. Their goal is to create plant-based versions of Laughing Cow®, Kiri®, Boursin®, Babybel®, and Nurishh® brand foods with a focus on making low-carbon footprint products nutritious, affordable and are indistinguishable from their dairy counterparts. To achieve this, the two companies will leverage data science and artificial intelligence (AI) along with their complementary capabilities and expertise. Bel has acquired an equity stake in Climax Foods Inc. to support the development of their innovative solution.

    “Food is a key lever to address climate change, and we, at Bel, have a strong determination to explore new territories and develop innovative solutions that will define the future of food, for all,” said Cécile Béliot, CEO of the Bel Group in a press statement. “The products we will develop in partnership with Climax have the potential to make a big difference: they can meet the three-fold challenge of sustainable, nutritious, and accessible. This collaboration epitomizes our co-innovation strategy by combining their distinctive technological data science and AI platforms and expertise with Bel’s pioneering and historical knowledge.”

    Using predictive analytics and AI, Climax Foods has developed a comprehensive understanding of the molecular structure of animal-based foods. This knowledge allows them to create plant-based versions with identical texture, flavor, and nutrition density. By leveraging their AI technology, Climax Foods says it can expedite the product development process and harness the vast potential of the plant kingdom to create innovative plant-based recipes in a fraction of the time that it would take to do this manually.

    Climax Foods CEO Dr. Oliver Zahn said: “AI and data can be game changers in food in terms of delivering optimal taste and texture while at the same time making it affordable and sustainable. Evolving recipes over time is what we’ve been doing for hundreds of years. In addition to changing consumer preferences, climate change requires us to accelerate the evolution of food. Together with Bel, we can make a significant positive impact so that people and the planet are better off.” 

    California-based Climax raised $7.5 million back in 2020. Zahn, a former data scientist at Google, SpaceX and plant-based food tech giant Impossible Foods, attracted backing from GoogleX co-founder Tom Chi, Manta Ray Ventures and S2G Ventures. Earlier this year, the company said it was working with  Caroline Di Giusto, a global expert in conventional cheesemaking, and building a pilot and production hub in Petaluma to develop its “Deep Plant Intelligence”, which it describes as “a combination of molecular-level data about animal products and its proprietary plant-based ingredients database”

    Climax Foods’ team of food scientists has already developed multiple prototypes of specialty cheeses, such as blue, brie, feta, and goat varieties that closely mimic their dairy counterparts. Bel plans to introduce these new plant-based products in the U.S. and Europe before the end of 2024, which will help towards achieving the company’s goal of achieving a balanced portfolio of 50% dairy products and 50% plant-based/fruit products. Bel is looking to be part of a transition towards a new food system model that can feed 10 billion people by 2050 while limiting environmental impact.

    Caroline Sorlin, Chief Venture Officer of Bel, said: “Our group has always distinguished itself in its ability to dare and change the game with its innovative products. The challenge of the food transition is so big that collaborative innovation and the merging of skills is imperative. This partnership is definitely a source of pride, but above all, it is excellent news for the plant-based cheese market.”

    Bel, which has already debuted a plant-based version of Babybel and has its own plant-based cheese brand Nurishh, announced last year it was partnering with U.S.-based Superbrewed Food to develop dairy-free cheese via biomass fermentation and with French precision fermentation dairy company Standing Ovation to create microbe-based casein proteins to use in Bel’s suite of cheese products.

    The post Babybel Maker Backs AI-Powered Climax Foods To Make Develop Game-Changing Plant-Based Cheese first appeared on Green Queen.

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  • $8 Billion U.S. Plant-Based Food Sector Shows ‘Momentum and Resilience’, PBFA Report Finds

    supermarket milk set
    5 Mins Read

    In its State of the Marketplace 2022 Summary Report, the Plant Based Foods Association takes a deep dive into the category and identifies key trends ahead.

    Despite inflation over the last year and lackluster sales for several plant-based category leaders that dipped the sector by 3 percent, 2022 still saw growth, the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) says in its latest industry report. Overall, U.S. plant-based food sales grew 6.6 percent, bringing the category to $8 billion for the year.

    Courtesy PBFA

    “The plant-based foods industry’s momentum and resilience – built on robust consumer demand – is evident across 2022 retail and e-commerce sales and foodservice performance,” Julie Emmett, PBFA Vice President of Marketplace Development, said in a statement.

    “We know consumer interest is strong, now it’s a matter of continuing to increase access and awareness for existing and future innovative plant-based options and furthering the exciting potential of this industry,” Emmett said.

    The findings

    The rise in plant-based sales comes from the increasing adoption by mainstream, flexitarian consumers, the report says. Sixty percent of total U.S. households are now regularly purchasing plant-based alternatives to conventional animal products, with 80 percent repeating those purchases.

    This increase in plant-based purchases comes as animal-based food sales have declined, PBFA says, with plant-based seeing particularly noteworthy growth across eggs, protein powder, coffee creamer, RTD beverages, and dips and spreads. The categories driving the bulk of sales continue to be milk, followed by meat, creamer, ready-meals, and ice cream.

    Courtesy PBFA

    “The variety of standout categories speaks to the expansion of consumer interest in plant-based options for every eating occasion, from post-workout smoothies to morning coffee to indulgent meals,” PBFA notes.

    As the sector leader, plant-based milk is now in more than 40 percent of U.S. homes, the report finds, accounting for 15 percent of all fluid milk sales, with 75 percent of those consumers repeat buyers. The vegan milk category grew nine percent to $2.8 billion in 2022.

    “Against a backdrop of heavy inflation, plant-based milk units declined by two percent,” the report notes. “As consumers stretched their dollar across total food sales, the price gap between plant-based milk and animal-based milk impacted overall purchasing. In comparison, animal-based milk was also down two percent in units, but saw a 12 percent increase in dollar sales, illustrating the outsized role of inflated
    pricing in growing sales figures for animal-based milk.”

    Courtesy PBFA

    While vegan meat sales remained steady over 2021 numbers, the report notes the category is diversifying, with vegan chicken driving the bulk of sales. The frozen vegan meat category grew by five percent and shelf-stable options grew by more than 80 percent while refrigerated saw a 13.5 percent decline. “Many plant-based meat segments — such as filets; steaks; cutlets and jerky snacks; and nuggets, tenders, and wings — are growing in both dollars and units, while plant-based chunks and strips, deli slices, and meatballs are growing in dollar sales, demonstrating consumer adoption of many different varieties of plant-based meat,” reads the report.

    The future of plant-based

    It’s not just consumers stocking vegan options in their refrigerators that drove the growth; the report shows 48 percent of U.S. restaurants now offer plant-based or vegan menu options, “a percentage that has grown steadily, without decline, over the past decade.”

    Online sales also increased for plant-based foods, accounting for 6.4 percent of total online sales, compared to 4.5 percent in grocery retail.

    “In recent years, we’ve noticed more and more people embracing a conscious way of living,” says Heather Brand, Thrive Market’s senior category manager. “Consumers are more mindful of their impact on the environment, their health, and animal welfare. This has led to a surge in popularity of plant-based foods and products, as people look for healthier and more sustainable options.”

    In just the five years since the PBFA began reporting on the sector, it says the sector has gone from six categories to 20, and growth is expected to continue.

    “The plant-based foods industry has proven its resilience, weathering unprecedented challenges to maintain cross-category market shares and achieve $8 billion in U.S. retail sales,” says Rachel Dreskin, PBFA CEO.

    Courtesy PBFA

    “This success is a testament to the dedication of consumers who are looking for plant-based options for every eating occasion, and the innovative brands and marketplace partners who are working to meet growing demand for sustainable, healthy, and delicious options,” Dreskin said.

    PBFA, which worked with the think tank nonprofit The Good Food Institute to analyze the sales data, also found that while inflation affected every segment of the food industry in 2022, the average retail price of animal-based foods increased more than plant-based options. The animal sector increased by an average of 15 percent, while plant-based foods saw only a ten percent spike.

    Despite the economic and environmental benefits of increasing plant-based food, consumers are still largely motivated by health, the report found. The environment is the second motivating factor followed by animal welfare.

    Seventy-three percent of consumers consider themselves health-conscious, says PBFA, but they’re still motivated by taste and affordability. Younger consumers, particularly Gen Z, are aiming to reduce their carbon footprint, with 79 percent going meat-free one day per week and 65 percent wanting a more plant-forward diet.

    “While there is still much to be done by food system stakeholders to sustain and accelerate the momentum of the plant-based foods industry,” PBFA says, “the findings of this report affirm our confidence as an organization and an industry that we, collectively, are on the right path.”

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  • Germany Drops ‘Completely Unreasonable’ Meat Consumption To Record Low

    german food

    3 Mins Read

    Germans keep reducing their meat consumption, a new report finds.

    New data released by the Federal Information Centre for Agriculture in Germany shows that meat consumption per capita decreased by approximately 4.2 kg in 2022, dropping to 52 kg per person, the lowest it has been since the calculations began in 1989. This aligns with previous findings that 55% of Germans consumers describe themselves as flexitarian, the highest level in Europe.

    The findings

    The report also reveals that Germans consumed around 2.8 kg less pork, 900 grams less beef and veal, and 400 grams less poultry in 2022.

    The numbers show net production of animal meat in the country was down, with 9.8 percent less pork and 8.2 percent less beef and veal produced domestically compared to 2021, and a nearly three percent reduction in net production of poultry meat.

    sausage
    Photo by Александр Трубицын via Pexels

    Germany was eighth on Our World In Data’s 2020 list of top meat-eating countries per capita.

    Germany’s declining meat consumption trend has continued over the past few years — a shift reinforced by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach’s call to consume less meat. In 2022, he declared that “we will have to eat much less meat,” adding that “in the long term, we could reduce meat consumption by 80 percent. Not only in Germany, but worldwide, because it is simply very difficult to produce meat without massive CO2 waste.”

    The German minister also said meat consumption in Germany is “completely unreasonable” in many respects, “bordering on the delusional if you think about it.”

    Lauterbach says it starts with cruelty to animals, “the animals usually live in torment, the cheap meat cannot be produced otherwise.”

    Source: ProVeg

    Plant-based on the rise

    Meanwhile, Nielsen data revealed that sales of plant-based foods in Europe grew six percent in 2022, reaching €5.7 billion — a 22 percent increase over 2020. Germany accounted for the highest sales value of plant-based food across Europe, while the Netherlands had the highest average plant-based food spend per capita.

    ProVeg’s Vice President, Jasmijn de Boo, highlighted that public procurement of plant-based foods, policies to encourage the growth of the plant-based industry, investment in alternative protein product research and innovation, and incentives for farmers to transition away from meat and dairy production are among the actions urgently needed to avoid climate breakdown. She emphasized that other countries should replicate the trend seen in Germany.

    Raging Pig
    Raging Pig launches at Vincent Vegan in Germany | Courtesy

    “We’re really pleased to see the continued decline in meat consumption in Germany, which has been helped by people following flexitarian diets,” de Boo said in a statement. “It is imperative that policies are implemented to ensure that the trend seen in Germany is replicated elsewhere.

    The news comes on the heels of Raging Pig’s vegan bacon national rollout across Germany’s Vincent Vegan restaurant chain. The country has seen other notable vegan launches recently, including the expansion of Singapore’s TiNDLE vegan chicken into 6,000 German retailers.

    De Boo says the slow in meat consumption is good news for the environment, for people’s health, and animals. “Animal agriculture is responsible for about 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, along with widespread deforestation, and the pollution of waterways,” she said.

    “We can no longer ignore the need to significantly transform the food system to ensure a more sustainable future for all, and the good news is that the solutions are already out there to reduce meat and dairy consumption by encouraging a flexitarian diet.”

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  • Mycorena’s Sustainable Fungi-Based Fat Mycolein Makes Its Market Debut

    Mycorena's mycolein
    3 Mins Read

    Following its release in 2021, Sweden’s Mycorena says its fungi-stabilized sustainable fat dubbed Mycolein, is now available for sale.

    Mycorena first announced its fungi-based fat that mimics animal fat in late 2021. The product earned high praise for its superior behavior and sensory qualities that outperformed plant-based fats such as coconut oil. The product, which is being marketed as Mycolein, is now ready for its retail launch under the company’s mycoprotein brand Promyc, currently available across select European stores.

    “Recognising the challenges faced by our partner food companies in sourcing a stable fat ingredient, in 2021, we launched the first fungi-stabilised fat as a prototype product,” Ramkumar Nair, Founder & CEO of Mycorena, said in a statement.

    ‘Unparalleled benefits’

    “At that time, we were still determining the product’s scalability, as has been the case with many similar products launched in the market. And now, after nearly 1.5 years of development, we have successfully created a full-scale process for producing the product and are fully prepared to launch it commercially,” Nair said.

    The product underwent extensive trials and tasting with plant-based partners including the vegan steak producer Juicy Marbles and meat alternative producer Dalco Foods.

    Courtesy Juicy Marbles

    “We are incredibly grateful to our partner companies who have supported us with extensive verification and product development trials. It’s satisfying to hear that the addition of Mycolein has elevated their products’ palatability and sensory offerings,” Nair said.

    Mycorena says the product is now better than ever and holds significant potential for improving the sustainability of the food sector. Mycolein offers “unparalleled benefits,” the company says, due to its versatile nature that enhances the juiciness and flavor of any food product, including plant-based and alternative protein and meat products, “with superior qualities similar to animal fat or as a healthier fat in meat products.”

    A healthier vegan fat

    Compared to animal fats and popular vegetable fats, Mycolein has a better nutritional profile and delivers the same, or even better organoleptic results, “making it a healthier and more desirable option.”

    Unlike most fats, Mycolein is also a source of dietary fiber, offering more than a 40 percent fat reduction compared to other fats. The clean label fat also contains very little saturated fat — 85 percent less than coconut fat. It joins a burgeoning designer fat category that’s seeing fermentation and cell tech advance sustainable alternatives to animal fat and palm oil.

    Mycorena's Promyc meat
    Mycorena’s Promyc meat | Courtesy

    “Our fat solution stabilises emulsions, locks in all of the product’s flavours, and maintains its juiciness during cooking. Compared to conventional vegetable fats, our solution is healthier. In addition, the tailored recipe of our solution allows for the introduction of additional flavours and fortification, such as Omega 3,” says Joan Lluch Casarramona, Food Specialist at Mycorena.

    According to Mycorena, using mycelium biomass in its Mycolein is a novel use of the material, something the company says can revolutionize the industry. The company already operates the largest mycoprotein factory in Europe.

    “The potential applications of this technology are limitless. While we initially focused on enhancing food products through fat solutions, this is only the beginning,” says Sandra Zachrisson, Head of Product Innovation at Mycorena. “Our ultimate goal is to leverage this technology to unlock new, sustainable solutions for food manufacturing.” 

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  • 70% of Gen Zers Interested In a Vegan Diet for Their Health, Not the Environment

    gen z eating
    3 Mins Read

    Gen Z is driving the rapidly growing plant-based food market. According to a recent survey, 70 percent of Gen Zers say they plan to pursue a vegan diet in the next five years but the reasons don’t necessarily track with their climate concerns.

    Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2012 — have become the driving force behind the vegan food market. According to a recent survey conducted by Medical Inspiration Daily For Stronger Society (MIDSS), more than half of Gen Z chose to go vegan due to health benefits.

    MIDSS surveyed more than 3,000 vegans and non-vegans earlier this year to gauge their interest in, commitments, and motivations for the vegan diet.

    The findings

    Studies suggest that a vegan diet can promote better heart health, and healthy weight management, as well as reduce the risk of chronic diseases. More than 51 percent of the survey respondents said they chose a vegan diet due to its health benefits.

    Obesity has become a growing issue for young people, particularly in the U.S., with almost 20 percent of children and adolescents being obese. Obesity increases the risk of type-2 diabetes, asthma, joint problems, and other chronic diseases. Eating plant-based food helps prevent obesity and associated chronic diseases.

    Photo by Toni Koraza at Unsplash.

    Surprisingly, given Gen Z’s interest in climate action, the report notes that only 17 percent of Gen Z survey respondents say they follow the diet for environmental benefits. Nearly half of non-vegans said they doubted the positive environmental impact of the diet. Forty percent of respondents believe veganism has a positive impact on the environment. Only 17 percent of Gen Z survey respondents say they chose to go vegan for ethical reasons.

    Craving animal products and the feeling of missing out on good food are the main barriers to adopting a vegan diet, according to more than 30 percent of Gen Z who participated in the MIDSS survey.

    Vegan or not, the majority of Gen Z vegans have a positive attitude toward the vegan trend, with less than one-third remaining neutral.

    Barriers to entry

    The survey also revealed there are still hurdles to overcome, however; one in ten Gen Z vegans thinks that treating a vegan diet as a trend is “weird,” and some people are faking it to fit in and be cool “rather than for the actual benefits that come with being vegan.” Many also dislike vegan influencers, believing they “give it a bad name” and “make us look bad.”

    Courtesy Shutterstock

    Gen Z is also taking a proactive role in educating those around them about the benefits of veganism. Sixty percent of vegans say they educate others, hoping that more people will follow in their footsteps. Additionally, about 51 percent of vegans stated that understanding the health benefits was the biggest barrier to starting a plant-based diet.

    MIDSS says that despite the common belief that eating vegan is expensive, a vegan diet consisting mainly of vegetables, legumes, and whole grains is considerably cheaper than a diet rich in animal foods.

    The cost of plant-based meat substitutes can be expensive, but it is not a necessary part of the vegan diet. The meat-substitute market is currently valued at more than $10 billion and is estimated to reach almost $34 billion by 2027. Plant-based food options are increasing, and this trend is likely to continue as Gen Z grows older.

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  • 10 Companies Awarded China’s First Vegan Food Standard Certification

    Green Monday Raises USD 70 Million Plant Based Asia

    3 Mins Read

    China’s shift to a more sustainable food system took a significant step forward with the introduction of the country’s first domestic vegan food certification program and the first ten recipients.

    The China Vegan Society and the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation say the China Vegan Food Standard Certification seeks to standardize vegan claims within the Chinese market, increase transparency and consumer trust for vegan products, and aid in supporting consumers and food producers interested in animal-free options.

    The certification is also the first vegan certification to include a subcategory for vegan foods that do not contain garlic, onions, leeks, chives, and asafetida, which up to half of Chinese vegans and vegetarians avoid for religious and health reasons.

    China Vegan Food Standard Certified

    During a recent online conference, nearly 20,000 viewers learned about the first recipients of the China Vegan Food Standard Certification.

    dumplings
    Demand for plant-based food is on the rise across Asia

    Ten companies covering diverse food categories across the full food industry received the certification, including Veggie Ark, Green Monday, Ecobuyer, Deepure, Yeyo, Seleglu, GENBEN, Su Man Xiang, Liu Wei Zhi Ji, and Shu Jia Niang Food.

    The certification program’s first recipients cover a range of plant-based food offerings, from organic farming and vegan restaurants to health foods, alternative protein products, and vegan OEM manufacturers.

    Representatives from each organization introduced their brands and shared their perspectives on how the certification will advance veganism in China in the short term and establish vegan industry standards to lay a crucial foundation for future development.

    Cultivating a sustainable food future for China

    The certification program’s aim is to provide better-served consumers, more sustainable vegan product offerings, increased food biodiversity, the transition toward healthier food consumption and production patterns, and a better-regulated and more transparent vegan food industry.

    CBCGDF Deputy Secretary General Ma Yong emphasized the historic importance of plant-based diets in China’s traditional culture and their crucial role in supporting China’s sustainable future growth.

    haofood chicken
    Haofood’s new pulled vegan chicken is made from peanuts | Courtesy

    The certification development committee included VegRadar, a vegan information service platform offering a fully WeChat-enabled restaurant locator app and multi-channel media platform, and Dao Foods, an impact-oriented incubator and investment firm that invests in plant-based and alternative protein companies based in mainland China.

    In January, China took first place in the 2022 ProVeg Innovation Challenge APAC event. The country has also seen a number of alternative milestones this year including CellX announcing the first cultivated meat factory in China and Jimi Biotech unveiling the country’s first cultivated chicken. Haofood also debuted chicken made from peanuts in another industry first.

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  • Aqua Cultured Foods Raises $5.5 Million in Seed Funding to Disrupt ‘Big Fish’ With Fungi

    3 Mins Read

    Aqua Cultured Foods has announced $5.5 million in a Seed funding round to accelerate its mycoprotein-based seafood.

    The new funding was led by Stray Dog Capital, a venture capital fund that specializes in investing in alternative protein ventures. Other participants included H Venture Partners, Aztec Capital Management, and Amplifica Capital, as well as follow-on investments from current investors Supply Change Capital, Big Idea Ventures, HPA, Aera VC, Kingfisher Family Investments, and Swiss Pampa. The funding round also included a strategic investment from CJ CheilJedang, a South Korean-based global food and bio company.

    Fungi-fermented seafood

    Aqua Cultured Foods says the new funding will be used to equip new facility, scale up production, bring products to market, add key talent, and expand its roster of restaurant and foodservice outlets for product introductions this year.

    According to Aqua Cultured Foods’ CEO Anne Palermo, the company is grateful to have mission-aligned partners that offer strong strategic value for the next phase of its growth. “Being good stewards of investor capital is important to us, so along with hitting milestones earlier than expected, we are benefiting from government programs, academic resources, and other advantages to get to market quickly,” Palermo said.

    This Women-Led Startup Is Growing the 'Holy Grail' of Vegan Seafood From Microbes
    Courtesy Aqua Cultured Foods

    Aqua Cultured Foods is known for its low cost of scaling and path to price parity, thanks to proprietary fermentation methods that use relatively affordable inputs and equipment. Recently, the company acquired a food-grade facility that was already built out nearly to its requirements.

    The company estimates that this will save more than a million dollars in construction costs. Additionally, Aqua Cultured Foods was recently accepted into the Illinois Office of Business Development’s EDGE program, which provides tax incentives to growing companies, saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes over the next decade.

    Stray Dog Capital Partner Johnny Ream spoke highly of the founding team, product, and key partnerships, saying, “the work Aqua is doing with alt-seafood has immense potential to drive both human and planetary benefits in a massive $100B+ global market.”

    Scaling sustainable seafood

    According to a recent report, the global vegan seafood market was valued at $42.1 million in 2021 and is projected to reach $1.3 billion by 2031 with a CAGR of more than 42 percent.

    Aqua Cultured Foods approach to producing seafood alternatives is unique. The company is developing calamari, shrimp, scallops, and filets of tuna and whitefish with proprietary mycoprotein fermentation processes that do not use any animal inputs, genetic altering, or modification. Unlike plant-based processed foods that are formulated with starches and protein isolates, Aqua’s alt-seafood retains its naturally occurring fiber, protein, and other micronutrients. The company also produces minced “seafood” fillings for applications such as dumplings, ravioli, and sushi rolls.

    Courtesy Aqua Cultured Foods

    The alternative seafood market is rapidly growing as consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of commercial fishing and the health risks associated with consuming seafood. Fish farming practices result in habitat destruction, pollution, and the spread of diseases to wild fish, and the industry relies heavily on antibiotics and wild-caught fish for feed.

    Moreover, seafood, particularly finfish, is a source of foodborne illness caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Aqua’s products offer a more sustainable and healthier alternative to traditional seafood, and its innovative approach has the potential to disrupt the $100 billion-plus global seafood market.

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  • Overlooked and Underfunded: Are Climate Tech Investors Missing Out On Precision Fermentation?

    cowabunga milk

    9 Mins Read

    By: Beatriz Franco, Managing Partner at Vita Vera Ventures, and Maya Benami, PhD, Advisor to Vita Vera Ventures & Technical/R&D Consultant.

    Climate tech investors are missing out on a food technology solution with major GHG emissions-lowering potential, argue food tech experts Beatriz Franco and Maya Benami.

    Current food production is not only a driver of climate change, but it is also a victim of climate change.

    This means that, unfortunately, we cannot expect our food supply to continue at current levels. Combined with the added pressure of population growth, it is clear we will need to integrate emerging food technologies into our food supply system in order to support the demands of humanity, as well as the latter’s sustainability and resiliency.

    Climate tech investing has significantly increased in the last few years, based both on the urgency for solutions as well as the clear business opportunities it offers. However, we continue to see that investors are not appropriately targeting technologies with the highest potential for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and in the process, overlooking opportunities for both impact and returns.

    PWC’s State of Climate Tech report notes that the food and agriculture sectors are tied to nearly a quarter of all global GHG emissions (some say up to 1/3 of emissions) but they received only 12% of global climate tech venture funding. Meanwhile, the mobility sector received almost 50% of global climate tech venture funding in 2022, yet is responsible for only 15% of global GHG emissions.

    This is why we are shining a light on one fast-growing food technology sector that is still largely misunderstood, despite its immense potential: precision fermentation.

    What is Precision Fermentation?

    Fermentation itself is not new. Humans have been consuming fermented foods, such as cheese and alcohol, for centuries. They are made through traditional fermentation methods, where microorganisms, such as yeasts, transform sugars into an ingredient, new food, or beverage in order to remove toxins, increase shelf life, and/or improve taste and digestibility.

    Precision fermentation is a more advanced form of fermentation. It turns microorganisms, like yeast and bacteria into ‘factories’ to produce specific end-products such as proteins, enzymes, fats, vitamins, flavors, or pigments. Those microorganisms are fed carbon-based compounds, such as sugars, and are engineered and optimized to produce replicas of an organic molecule, such as protein. Precision fermentation is already used in pharma for the production of compounds such as vaccines and insulin, and it is now being applied to food production as well.

    In the past, insulin was harvested from cattle and pig organs. This process was highly inefficient at best, requiring tons of pig parts in order to obtain just a few ounces of purified insulin, not to mention that this non-human insulin ofte caused allergic reactions in many patients. Today, insulin is produced through precision fermentation by inserting the human insulin gene into a microbe and prompting it to produce human insulin.

    As far as new food applications go, examples of exciting products in development or in production through precision fermentation include whey protein, casein to make cheese, palm oil alternatives, animal fat, collagen, and even breast milk proteins for infant formulas.

    Seizing the Opportunity, Why the Disconnect?

    With so many opportunities for impact and returns, why aren’t we seeing more generalist investors looking into food tech?

    We believe one big challenge comes from the fact that it is becoming more complex to assess the opportunity given the evolution of new processing tech and biotech methods. Also, given its nascency, many companies are still in R&D and lab-scale phases, thus too early in their journey to offer revenue and customer metrics to analyze traction during investor diligence.

    Can investors leverage the biomedical sector as a proxy during diligence?

    Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. While some scientific aspects of pharmaceutical and biomedical diligence can offer comparative insight, other aspects can be quite different, especially when considering that the goal of food production is to make much larger quantities at much lower price points. Accordingly, business strategy as well as processing and equipment requirements can differ significantly.

    Drugs created via precision fermentation for the pharmaceutical industry are grown in expensive highly controlled bioreactors that are suitable for the production of high-value, low-volume products.

    The food industry, on the other hand, needs to create affordable, high-volume food compounds produced in food-grade conditions. This is why we are seeing so many new startups focused on building the infrastructure and enabling technologies around alternative foods, including built-for-purpose fermenters and bioreactors.

    One other difference to highlight is on the regulatory side. The regulatory process for novel foods can be perceived as easier and faster when the primary goal is to demonstrate that the new food is substantially equivalent to an existing food. Biopharma, on the other hand, needs to go through the rigorous testing required for new medicines that are often administered to immune-compromised patients.

    It is interesting to note that there are differences in the way scientists in these two industries approach their products. A cell biologist that works in the pharmaceutical industry will not be concerned (or necessarily understand) the nuances of what is needed to make a successful food product, which includes specific consideration of each sensory property, such as flavor, texture, and color, and using only food-grade reagents.

    Starting from the ground up?

    You might be thinking: is this new (old) tech a black box? Well, yes and no. Precision fermentation relies on living organisms and cells as part of its process. While biology is the oldest ‘technology’ in the world, so much is still not well understood, such as the mechanisms of cell communication and the complexities of cell organization.

    That being said, humans have been successfully using biology for advancement long before understanding the science behind it. See: the birth of agriculture- we’ve grown crops and bred livestock for over 12,000 years.

    These days, genetic screening, cell manipulation technologies, artificial intelligence, and machine learning greatly enhance our understanding of cell processes by pinpointing genetic sequences that are responsible for protein production pathways in a cell, just to take one example. So now scientists can use what we do know and build upon it to harness natural processes.

    Using precision fermentation, we can leverage microorganisms to sustainably create a vast array of known and novel foods and ingredients, from meat, dairy, seafood, eggs and honey to specific flavors such as new sweeteners, taste enhancers, and much more.

    The investors’ journey: important aspects to unpack during diligence

    So what should an investor look for during diligence? While there are many angles to be evaluated such as market opportunity, team, competitive landscape, IP, and moat, among others, commercial traction is most likely not going to be available at this stage.

    In order to address the intricacies of this nascent industry and its specific requirements, we unpack the key points that investors should take into consideration when performing diligence on a precision fermentation company.

    Customer Validation

    While it’s true that early-stage companies will have little to show in terms of revenues and customer traction, the next best thing to review is customer validation. Investors can and should talk to potential customers and validate that the product is actually solving a real need.

    Some companies will have LOIs, initial partnerships and customer trials; they may even have surveys that can provide an indication of what a potential customer is thinking. That being said, a phone call with a potential customer in your network is still advisable, not only to understand how important that solution really is but also to evaluate their willingness to pay for such a solution.

    Proof of Concept and Scalability Mindset

    As mentioned, many companies in the precision fermentation space are currently at lab-scale/ R&D phase. In the very earliest stages (lab-scale, where most companies are), they will be creating prototypes and proofs-of-concept and producing a few grams to a few kilograms per batch and using fermenters under 20L and likely between 1L and 5L.

    As they progress and move to pilot, demo, and commercial scale, quantities produced, and size of fermenters increase accordingly but one important thing that some investors forget, is that not all products are created equal. If a precision fermentation company is targeting products that represent a small percentage of the final food formulation, such a company will be able to go to market with a higher price point than one whose product makes up the bulk of the final food formulation, and therefore their path to a viable commercial scale is shorter. Investors should be aware that a viable commercial scale can vary in size significantly depending on the target product.

    In all cases, investors should always look for founders with a “scalability mindset”. In other words, no matter how early a company is in its journey, founders should be thinking about scalability from the start. This is shown through each of their decisions during technology & process development. For example: Are they frontloading their cost analysis while building their process? Did decisions around inputs take into consideration availability and supply chain resiliency? Are they already planning for their equipment needs and establishing partnerships?

    Scaling is one of the trickiest parts of the success of this industry. In addition to scaling up the technology itself and accurately forecasting budgeting needs, companies face an additional challenge: the bottleneck of little-to-no-fermenter availability, both from a co-manufacturing standpoint or direct purchase. Many fermenters available today are currently prioritized to produce high-value, lower volume pharmaceutical grade vaccines and drug compounds. Companies are purchasing biomedical infrastructure or fermenters from biofuel facilities or other industries and attempting to repurpose them, which is far from ideal.

    However, we expect and hope to see a positive change in this space in the near future given not only the surge of new companies tackling this problem but also the increasing interest shown by governments around the world through regulation and potential investments targeting the development of the industry.

    Process Feasibility, Efficiency & Optimization

    This is an important part of diligence: investors need to dig in and understand where the company’s process is at and how efficient both the upstream and downstream processes are. A critical aspect here is to ascertain how much final product you get at the end of the process and how long that takes from start to finish. This involves getting at how much product the microorganism secretes, how fast, and how much product is recovered after purification.

    Investors should not only be clear about where a company is today, but also where it’s going tomorrow and when it will be profitable, which is why reviewing its optimization plans and efficiency targets is vital, much like they would financial projections. All assumptions embedded in these plans should be checked to ensure they are realistic and reasonable.

    It’s Time to Seize the Opportunity

    Not a day goes by without media headlines reminding us of the consequences of the climate crisis. Now is the time to focus on technologies that can solve for these, particularly as they affect our global food system, and investors should be prioritizing solutions that can reduce the most GHG emissions.

    We have no doubt that precision fermentation will, together with other emerging food technologies, be a much-needed part of the answer to building a more resilient food system.

    And here is the proverbial cherry on top: there is real money to be made by investors. Climate tech is not only our biggest hope in the fight against climate change, but it is also simply good business. As it stands, the global food market represents a not insignificant 10% of the world’s GDP, and with a growing population to feed, demand will only increase.

    Startups that can offer good substitutes for foods whose current emissions costs is too high for our future world to bear (i.e. meat, dairy, eggs) at the right price and with a lower carbon footprint will undoubtedly find success- and those companies who can do so at a higher quality and a lower price will knock it out of the park. It’s time to invest in the future of food.

    Beatriz Franco is a Managing Partner at Vita Vera Ventures, a Climate Tech fund investing in vital innovations advancing the resiliency, efficiency and sustainability of the food industry.

    Maya Benami, PhD is an author and R&D consultant specializing in cellular agriculture, fermentation, microbiology, plant biochemistry, and environmental sustainability. She advises venture capitalists, start-ups, and global food and beverage firms on R&D, due diligence, and product development.

    An earlier version of this article was previously published on Medium.

    The post Overlooked and Underfunded: Are Climate Tech Investors Missing Out On Precision Fermentation? appeared first on Green Queen.

  • 10 Labeling Learnings: A Regulatory Expert’s Guide For Plant-Based Brands Going Global

    7 Mins Read

    Legal and regulatory expert Mathilde Do Chi shares her top 10 tips for plant-based brands on how best to label their products as they enter new geographies.

    First emerging as a disruptive category in the food industry, plant-based alternatives to products of animal origin have ballooned from a niche to a sizable share of the market in recent years. Nowadays, you can find endless options to replace animal-based products with their counterparts devoid of ingredients of animal origin. In many countries, there are now multiple leading brands for each product category from meat to dairy to eggs.

    Many of these brands are now eyeing new markets to expand their footprint and find a new audience of conscious customers. While great branding is important, it’s key to ensure that your messaging and your product information translate in other countries. Not to mention that it’s a regulatory minefield out there and it’s vital for companies to know how to protect themselves, their brands and their products, especially as they start entering new markets. Here are the 10 things to think about and consider before launching your label in a new land.

    1) Deliver the information in the local language

    Although English is used as the lingua franca in business, brands need to be mindful to provide all the necessary information in at least one of the official languages of the targeted country. For instance, the European Union encompasses half a billion inhabitants distributed in 27 EU Member States whose official languages amount to 24 in total! 

    English is only the official language in Ireland and Malta. It does not mean that consumers in other countries won’t understand English but significant disparities exist in terms of proficiency in the region. In the same fashion, Switzerland uses 3 out of its 4 official languages in business (French, German, Italian but not Romansh) which compels brands to provide information in the language spoken in the targeted region. 

    Additionally, make sure to localize your marketing materials and not translate your marketing campaigns word for word. Not adapting your marketing strategy has proven to be not only ineffective but also detrimental to reaching new markets abroad. 

    2) Be mindful of the culture 

    Communication happens on the listener’s terms, meaning that everything you say to a person is filtered through their frames of reference, biases and preconceived ideas.

    Culture is part of these elements that influence the perception of products and if this is overlooked it may result in you failing to gain new customers. Countries have different approaches to the importance of tradition regarding certain delicacies. 

    Some names of traditional products such as those listed under the protected designations of origin (PDO) and the protected geographical indications (PGI) cannot be used if their production methods and ingredient list do not comply with a rigid set of criteria. Resist the urge to give a plant-based twist to these products of animal origin as you could face some backlash from consumers and legal repercussions for not complying with legal provisions. Better stick an out-of-the-box strategy by coming up with original names when designating your products. 

    3) Take into account all the types of consumers that may come across your products

    Food law provisions stress that consumers must be provided enough information to be able to form an informed decision, thus easily recognizing what the plant-based food in question contains and what would be its animal-based version. 

    Unlike diets of people with specific needs – like those suffering from coeliac disease or practicing a given religion with dietary restrictions, such as Islam and Judaism, vegan and plant-based foods are not marketed specifically towards vegans and those eating a fully plant-based diet.

    Brands need to convey their message in a way it can be understood by omnivores, flexitarians and vegans, and vegetarians. This can be done by using descriptive and clarifying terms such as plant-based, and meat-free, or by adding the mention “do not contain meat”.

    4) Emphasize the versatility of your products

    A golden rule to attract more customers when introducing a new foodstuff is to showcase all its applications. You need to demonstrate how to cook and use it which can be easily done by providing signature recipes either on the back of the packaging or on social media or the company’s website. 

    Introducing new foods into one’s diet may seem daunting at first and can be easily remedied by guiding people on ways to best incorporate them into their daily life. 

    5) Shed light on the nutritional benefits 

    Plant-based products have been viewed as healthier than animal products due to their high fiber content and the fortification of vitamin B12 and iron. Don’t shy away from displaying the other nutritional components of your products such as being high in protein and low in fat. 

    6) Be careful between using the words plant-based and vegan 

    Vegan relates to the ethical belief of veganism which seeks to exclude any products or services that exploited animals in their supply chain. The food industry may resort to animal testing due to some outdated regulations to assess the toxicity of some components of a food ingredient and determine the maximum daily intake of a certain food. Thus, it is important to use the term only when the foodstuff and all its ingredients did not make use of animals. Additionally, you may also choose to showcase the genuine vegan nature of the foodstuff by having it certified by the V-label or the vegan trademark to bear their quality seals just like halal and kosher products bear theirs. 

    Alternatively, you may decide to go for the term plant-based on your packaging and have your product certified by the Plant-Based Food Association if you are selling in the US or Canada.

    Consumers have trust in products with a quality seal and it can also help consumers to find your products more easily by making them distinct. 

    7) Only highlight the environmental benefits of your products if you can prove them

    When making claims, it is paramount that you can substantiate them at the risk of ending in hot legal water through misleading consumer allegations coming from the animal and dairy industry, consumer protection association, or even plant-based competitors. 

    Even though the IPCC panel, the EAT-Lancet, and other respected organizations have demonstrated that plant-based products play an essential role in lowering GHG emissions in the food production industry, claims are always tied to a specific product and are not to be interpreted through reports issues the aforementioned organizations. 

    Avoid claims like eco-friendly, and good for the planet and rather go for specific and substantiated claims like “this product sold in the US emitted 83% fewer GHGs than US chicken as analyzed through this study performed by this entity”. 

    The more specific you can be the better! 

    8) Play the long-term game 

    The plant-based meat category in the US received quite a lot of backlash at the beginning of the year but this does not apply to other regions and other categories! A lot of brands entered the market with poor marketing strategies with products that lacked flavor and texture which did not result in establishing them as long-term players.  

    Analyze your target audience properly and tailor your marketing accordingly to broaden your customer pool and establish your brand. 

    9) Collaborate with others 

    Creating partnerships with other players in the industry is a win-win scenario where you will gain exposure to new markets and unlock new business opportunities. This is what LaVie did last year with its signature plant-based bacon by launching a collaboration with Hank Burger, a French vegan burger chain. 

    Likewise, partnering with non-plant-based entities can entice consumers’ curiosity and make plant-based offerings more accessible to the mainstream public. Since March 2021, Oatly has been available across the US which has contributed to broadening the plant-based milk choice for consumers. 

    10) Embrace brand activism 

    The very nature of the plant-based and vegan food movement lies in its willingness to disrupt the current food market to foster the adoption of new products that do not harm animals. Advocacy is usually based on the evolutive character of language and growing consumer knowledge and awareness, and eagerness to discover new ways of eating.

    Brand activism has been defined by the authors Christian Sarkar and Philip Kotler as business endeavors to encourage, hinder or direct social, political, economic and/or environmental reform or standstill intending to promote or impede improvements in society. This goes far beyond the values-driven Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programs in the sense it aims to demonstrate why a brand exists and how it contributes to the Common Good. 

    In our case, the Common Good refers to the end of animal exploitation, the creation of healthier food alternatives, and the lessening of the negative impact of food production on the environment. 

    The Spanish plant-based “meat” pioneer Heura excels in advertising its products unconventionally and educationally. Their campaigns are known for disseminating information to convince consumers to rethink their eating habits. Heura’s website displays a breath of fresh air, where they challenge the average conception that plant-based meats are alternatives by striking off the word alternatives and replacing it with the phrase “successors of meat,” reframing the evolution and place of plant-based products on the food market.

    Bernat Añaños, the co-founder of Heura, called out governments at the COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 since its agenda did not even mention the role of food production and especially meat production in GHG emissions and highlighted that moving away from animal products was a powerful tool to mitigate climate change. 

    Aligning your values with your brands will resonate much more than you can envision, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social impacts of their diets and demand to be empowered to be part of the solution.

    Want to take a deeper dive? Check out my book ‘Naming and advertising vegan and plant-based alternatives to products of animal origin in Europe’, available on order here.

    The post 10 Labeling Learnings: A Regulatory Expert’s Guide For Plant-Based Brands Going Global first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post 10 Labeling Learnings: A Regulatory Expert’s Guide For Plant-Based Brands Going Global appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Vow Founder On That Mammoth Meatball: “We Needed To Do Something So Outrageous That It Would Break Through Into Mainstream Media.

    6 Mins Read

    Green Queen‘s Sonalie Figueiras shares her reservations about Vow’s global headline-grabbing cultivated mammoth meatball event with company founder and CEO George Peppou in this exclusive interview.

    “We created the mammoth meatball to serve as a starting point for this conversation.” So writes George Peppou, the founder and CEO of Australian cultivated meat company Vow, in a Medium post about the startup’s unveiling of a cultivated meatball made with DNA cells from the extinct wooly mammoth.

    It’s safe to say that the company achieved this goal and more. In fact, chapeau to the entire Vow comms team, who did a phenomenal job and deserve a raise! (Or at least a bonus!). The mammoth meatball unveiling is likely the most talked-about cultivated meat event ever. As someone who covers the alt protein space closely, I can safely say I have never seen more earned media for such an industry announcement. Not only was the news broken by The Guardian, the story was also picked up by almost every major global news outlet: Bloomberg, TechCrunch, Business Insider, ABC, the Washington Post, the BBC to The Times all covered it. It made US television, with a bit on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which attracts an audience of over 2.3 million viewers. Even that altar of prestige journalism, The Atlantic, weighed in. We at Green Queen published the story too, nach.

    While the vast majority of the coverage has been positive, a select few have questioned. Gizmodo‘s Isaac Schulz wrote about his take in a piece titled: I Hate The Mammoth Meatball. Truth be told, I share many of Schulz’s reservations.

    Last year, a London-based startup called sent us a press release about their mission to produce cultivated lion and tiger meat and we chose not to cover the story. It seemed gratuitous, arrogant and entirely beside the point of the alternative protein industry’s raison d’être. The mission of this sector is to solve for food security and usher in an era of global food production that is safe, ethical, sustainable and nutritious. Why on earth would we want to do anything to glorify the consumption (and killing) of majestic, endangered creatures like lions and tigers? God forbid that this type of stunt would justify and embolden the already too numerous trophy hunters of today.

    Still, Vow is a well-established, mission-driven cultivated meat player who last year raised the largest Series A in the sector ever. Peppou, who is seen by many as a true and fearless visionary when it comes to the future of food, has spoken many times about the company’s goal to “invent entirely new meats” and has hinted at a future of cultivated zebra and kangaroo meat. I wanted to get more context from him about how the team decided to go ahead with the meatball and he kindly obliged – our interview below.

    A mashup of the Vow mammoth meatball media coverage – Courtesy Vow Product Manager Sarah Ellis’ Linkedin post.

    Sonalie Figueiras: You have said you did this to bring cultivated meat into mainstream conversation. Is this the right conversation? It could be argued that promoting extinct species consumption does not address climate change or food security, or health, ie the main motivators to disrupt food with cultivated meat? 

    George Peppou: Two key points here: (1) We needed to do something so outrageous that it would break through into mainstream media. The original cultured meat hamburger was produced 10 years ago, and yet the mainstream media still rarely covers any large advancement in cultured meat. The mammoth meatball project has been covered extensively, and has a whole new cohort of people talking about whether or not they would eat cultured meat. (2) While the mammoth meatball is a product concept (and not something we currently plan to bring to market), it is still produced using cultured meat technology, so all of the sustainability benefits that apply to cultured chicken, still apply to cultured mammoth. 

    Stephen Colbert showcases Vow’s mammoth meatball – via Twitter.

    Sonalie Figueiras: Do you worry that this could risk weaponizing the narrative of cultivated meat in the vein of the dangers of ‘bringing Jurassic Park to life’ narrative? 

    George Peppou: No. We are not bringing whole animals to life. That is definitely a criticism aimed at others but isn’t relevant here. For every one person who says “ew” there seems to be another two saying “yes, please!”.

    Sonalie Figueiras: On the conservation front, Gizmodo journalist Isaac Schultz writes: “When you think of the woolly mammoth, do you think “the future of food?” I don’t. What’s next—polar bear patties? Sea turtle stew? I don’t think a product designed to be salivated over and consumed is the best way to bring attention to climate change and conservation issues, even if the meat is lab-cultivated.” How would you reply to that?

    George Peppou: I think the very fact that Isaac has written an article about cultured meat, the future of food and sustainability indicates that this project has had its desired effect. We are having conversations today that we simply weren’t having yesterday. Cultured meat is (hopefully) only a few months away from being sold in the US, and yet still, very few consumers are familiar with what it is. 

    Courtesy George Peppou

    Sonalie Figueiras: Do you worry it may put off regulators, particularly in geographies where they are already skeptical of the technology, and that they may see this as a distraction / gimmicky?

    George Peppou: No, every regulator and country we have worked with has been incredible. The reactions from regulators have been the same as the public, entertained by the spectacle and aware that mammoth is a stunt, not a product. There is real support from within the regulatory bodies we have spoken to, to ensure that cultured meat can be brought to market in a safe manner. If it is not safe, it is not food. 

    Sonalie Figueiras: Do you wonder about the political ramifications of such a tasting, with the pro-meat lobby weaponizing the news to further push their anti-innovation, anti-food-tech agenda by saying that if funds were to be allocated to the space, they would be used for non-essential purposes rather than to sustainably feed the world? 

    George Peppou: To be clear, there was no tasting of the mammoth meatball. This was a concept used to start a discussion and bring cultured meat into the mainstream discussion. Throughout the press around the meatball project we have been very clear about our belief that traditional agriculture and cultured meat will need to co-exist. Cultured meat is not going to replace traditional agriculture in the near future, but it does provide an important source of high-quality protein in a sustainable manner.  

    Sonalie Figueiras: Lastly, and this was my biggest concern personally with the other startup that says it’s working on cultivated lion and tiger, do you worry that this kind of event will serve to glorify the consumption of endangered animals? 
    George Peppou: This is a valid question and something that we have spent a lot of time thinking and talking about internally. In the case of this particular project, we don’t believe that this is a concern (as the mammoth is already extinct).

    The post Vow Founder On That Mammoth Meatball: “We Needed To Do Something So Outrageous That It Would Break Through Into Mainstream Media. appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • OpEd: What The Anti-Cultivated Meat Brigade Aren’t Telling You About Italian Pork & Beef Production

    4 Mins Read

    “You can literally smell the pig and cow sh*t all around you”: A food technologist and Italian transplant living in one of Italy’s main pork production regions shares her feelings about the government’s push to ban cultivated meat.

    Yesterday, the Italian government endorsed legislation that would prohibit the production of laboratory-made meat, feed and other “synthetic” foods. The country’s agriculture minister emphasized that the bill was aimed at protecting Italy’s agri-food heritage and health protection. In recent months, agricultural organizations including Coldiretti, Italy’s biggest farmers’ association, have amassed half a million signatures demanding protection for “natural” food against “synthetic” food. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, part of the right-wing Brothers of Italy political party, is among those who have signed it.

    If the bill passes, Italian food producers will be prevented from producing food or feed from animal cell cultures or tissues; violators would face up to €60,000 in penalties.

    Here’s what they’re not telling you about Italy’s so-called “protection of food culture and tradition” in relation to heavy fines for cultured meat: You can literally smell the pig and cow sh*t all around you in the main regions of Italy that specialize in producing the country’s traditional meat and animal-based products. One of those regions is Emilia-Romagna, where I live with my family. 

    I’ve been living in the aptly-named “Italian food valley” for the last few years, the land of world-famous foods like prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano. The food here is incredible. Even fruits and vegetables are some of the best on the planet.  Living here, I re-learned an important lesson: food is best enjoyed outside the “fast-food” culture.

    Imagine yourself inside a car driving by fields and factories where animals are reared. You see all these beautiful sights: lush vineyards and bright green fields. But oh, the smell!  The car’s windows are closed but you can still smell the stink from the animals. The cows and pigs in their pens. The odor permeates everywhere; it’s inescapable. The air quality is bad. So, so bad! This is a reality of life for people like me who live in these areas.

    And it’s the price we pay for all those delicious meat- and dairy products the region produces. It makes sense that people want to protect it- it’s a very successful industry. Meat accounts for a whopping 57.7% of total exports from the region. The whole world craves our Parma ham. 

    You love your polpette, ragú, gnocco fritto and all the many types of salumi? Fill your lungs with this air. It has become so normal it is a part of the food culture and heritage.

    And the stench is only one (awful) part of it. There are also all the resources that producing meat the “natural” and “traditional” way requires. The water. The feed. The workers. Remember the drought last year? This year doesn’t seem to be any better after a winter of little rain and snowfall.

    If this rebranding by Italy’s Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, Alimentari e Forestali (MiPAAF) is about food sovereignty, then this move counters that.

    Because people should have freedom. And that means choices. Choices around the foods we eat and how they are produced. But also, the freedom to choose a future where people’s health, food tradition, and the planet’s future are not compromised.

    I feel so conflicted about all of this, particularly because Italy is where I first came across the idea of cellular agriculture. I moved here to get my master’s in food innovation and Dr. Mark Post (the Dutch scientist who first created cultivated meat and the founder of OG cultivated meat company Mosa Meat)  was our visiting professor. We attended his lectures and worked on related experiments in a lab right here in Italy. A few months later, my team was researching solutions for the future of meat, and cultivated meat emerged as one of our biggest findings. 

    I’ve had many a discussion with my Italian partner during which I’ve shared how much the sight of a basic steel tank and the centuries-old fermentation tradition it represents excites me. Italians have mastered the microscopic world and I can easily picture Italy as a leader in cultivated and fermentation-based protein technologies, after all, Italians are masters of flavour, fermentation and great stewards of culinary tradition, traditions, that were born out of innovation many centuries ago.

    If the country’s meat and dairy industry feels threatened, this new regulatory move doesn’t sound like a bold move. It feels desperate. And if history is our teacher, we know that we don’t achieve greatness when we operate from fear.

    When I talk to my Singaporean friends, they have a totally different mental model. The Lion City state’s government has understood what’s at stake: nothing short of their national food security. Singapore’s 30 by 2030 plan, which involves ensuring that the country achieves 30% domestic food production by the year 2030, has enabled the city-state to become Asia’s food tech capital. In 2020, it became the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat, a bold move that made headlines around the globe. China has recently pledged its support to alternative proteins too. These countries see the (climate crisis) writing on the wall. 

    Italy has all the elements in place to be a future food leader: knowledge (both modern and traditional), resources, and one of the best climates for growing food on the planet (if you have ever tasted a fresh, ripe Italian tomato, then you know.

    My hope for Italy? That tradition and technology can co-exist so my Filipina-Italian daughter gets a chance at a safe, ethical and sustainable future. 

    An early version of this article was first published on social media.

    Disclaimer: Jennibeth does work for Green Queen. This had no effect on the publishing of this editorial.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • South Korea’s Cellular Agriculture Support Center Opens With a Bang: The World’s Largest Piece of Cultivated Meat

    TissenBioFarm shows off its cultivated meat
    4 Mins Read

    TissenBioFarm debuted a giant piece of cultivated meat at the opening of South Korea’s Cellular Agriculture Support Center in the North Gyeongsang Province.

    This story has been updated at 13.00 on 31 March 2023 with additional information about the company’s 10kg cultivated meat prototype.

    South Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province has announced the opening of the North Gyeongsang Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center. This 2,309㎡ facility was built over six years with a total investment of KRW 9 billion (approx. USD$7 million), and it aims to develop biomaterials and support companies in the cultivated meat sector.

    South Korean startup TiessenBio Farm, which raised more than $1.6 million in a Pre-Series A funding round last September, unveiled a 10-kilogram piece of cultivated meat on the occasion.

    The North Gyeongsang Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center

    The four-story building houses laboratories, analysis rooms, and quality control rooms. The second floor will host five companies and Yeungnam University Cell Culture Research Center, while the third floor will feature research and analysis rooms with 55 types of corporate equipment to be installed by 2024 with a budget of KRW 3 billion.

    The North Gyeongsang Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center opening ceremony launch. | Courtesy

    “The Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center opened in Uiseong, where a new airport will be built, is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing a high-tech industry,” Cheol-Woo Lee, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, said at the launch. “We will continue our support and investment in promising new industries.”

    The opening ceremony was attended by about 200 people, including government officials, university representatives, research institutes, and private companies. The site tour showcased five companies, including TissenBioFarm, which unveiled a 10kg cultured meat prototype to the public for the first time. The company claims it is the world’s largest piece of cultivated meat to date.

    Green Queen contacted the company for further information to clarify the percentage of cultivated cells and tissue, scaffolds used and what other ingredients the piece contains. We also asked the company to specify what type of animal meat this is. So far, the company has not replied.

    Update: Tiessen’s Chief Strategy Officer La Yeonjoo told Green Queen the following via email: “This prototype is a hybrid cultivated meat, consisting of cells and bioink. We have developed original technologies that can make cultured meat of this size while keeping nearly all the cells alive.”

    The prototype’s ingredients are as follows: animal cells, bioink, food coloring, palm oil and food adhesive.

    La says the company has not yet publicly disclosed the % of cells of this prototype publicly because “it doesn’t appropriately represent the company’s capabilities”, adding that the event organizers at Cellular Agriculture Support Center asked them to make a prototype on very short notice. TiessenBio made it in their small lab in just a few weeks and La said they didn’t have enough time to grow the cells “as much as we wanted to and could have.”

    “By the end of this year, we will scale up our cell culture infrastructure, and will showcase 100% cultivated meat (that would translate into approx. 80% cells + 20% bioink and other biomaterials),” she added.

    North Gyeongsang Province has also announced its Cellular Agriculture Industry Promotion Strategy, which plans to link with the vaccine, drug, cosmetics, and green bio industries. Uiseong-gun is creating the Uiseong Bio Valley General Industrial Complex for the integration of the cellular agriculture industry.

    South Korea’s cultivated meat sector

    The opening of the North Gyeongsang Cellular Agriculture Industry Support Center marks a milestone in South Korea’s efforts to develop the cellular agriculture industry. With this center, the country hopes to become a leader in this emerging field.

    The center launch comes after 28 key industry stakeholders in South Korea signed a memo of understanding in February to advance the country’s cultivated meat industry.

    TissenBioFarm's giant piece of cultivated meat
    TissenBioFarm’s giant piece of cultivated meat | Courtesy

    The North Gyeongsang Province led the MOU. Other signatories include city governments (Pohang-si, Gyeongsan-si, Gumi-si, Uiseong-gun), universities (POSTECH, Yeungnam University), research and technology institutions (Korea Food Research Institute, Gyeongbuk Technopark, Pohang Technopark), and corporations including cultivated meat startup TissenBioFarm, health food manufacturer Ildong Foodis, and functional food ingredients developer Neo-Cremar. 

    “We are working on groundbreaking technologies to overcome key challenges in the cultivated meat field,” TissenBioFarm CEO Wonil Han said in a statement at the time. “Once it is done, South Korea will be a global game changer in the field.”

    The post South Korea’s Cellular Agriculture Support Center Opens With a Bang: The World’s Largest Piece of Cultivated Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Australia’s Magic Valley Debuts Cultivated Pork Meat

    Magic Valley pork wontons

    5 Mins Read

    Cultivated pork meat is Magic Valley’s latest achievement, following the launch of its lamb meat last year.

    Melbourne-based Magic Valley says its cultivated pork meat comes from skin cells retrieved humanely from a living pig. The cells are then grown using the company’s breakthrough technology that replaces fetal bovine serum.

    ‘An ethical and sustainable solution’

    According to Magic Valley, its tech allows the cells to replicate infinitely, turning into both muscle and fat — all from a singular skin scraping. The startup says this makes it a more stable and faster tech than those achieved by other cultivated meat producers. It says its tech is scalable for all types of meat, not just pork and lamb.

    “The global need for alternative proteins to meet the demands of the growing population is imperative as we take that journey to achieve net-zero, steering clear of traditional ways of consuming meat for ethical and environmental reasons,” Magic Valley founder and CEO Paul Bevan said in a statement.

    Unlike other players, Magic Valley does not rely on fetal bovine serum (FBS) as a growth media for its products. “We don’t need a replacement for Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) in our process, as we have never used it! Instead, we have developed our own proprietary growth media that is completely animal-origin-free, setting us apart from many of our competitors,” Bevan told Green Queen over email.

    “By eliminating the need for FBS, we are able to align our production process more closely with our core mission of promoting a more sustainable and ethical food system, and maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability and animal welfare,” he added.

    Pork format, cost per kg and cultivated material percentage

    The company is starting with pork meat in a minced/ground format to address “the growing concerns about the ethical and humane treatment of pigs in traditional meat production”. Pork is a widely popular protein source enjoyed by millions of people globally. In many parts of Asia, including China, it is the most consumed animal meat per capita.

    Bevan told us that its initial minced pork products are designed to contain approximately 20% cultivated material. “This percentage has been carefully selected as it allows us to effectively replicate the taste, flavour, and aroma characteristics of a traditional minced meat product, ensuring a satisfying eating experience for consumers.”

    He says that by incorporating 20% cultivated material in their product, they can “balance the benefits of our innovative cell-cultured technology with the practical aspects of production and consumer preferences.”

    Currently, production costs for Magic Valley’s minced pork product stand at $33/kg. Bevan recognizes this may seem high compared to conventional pork prices but is careful to underline that the company is in its very earliest stages and has significant potential for improvement. He says he is targeting a cost of $3.30/kg in the future to ensure competitiveness in the market.

    “As we move forward with our plans to establish a pilot plant facility and scale up production, we anticipate benefiting from economies of scale.”

    Actively fundraising and working with Australian regulators

    The news amidst active fundraising efforts for the company. Bevan told us that the company is aiming to raise $3 million to “support the next phase of growth and development”. The goal is to use the funding to work on regulatory approval for Magic Valley’s lamb and pork products, scale up production capacity and develop its first pilot plant facility.

    Bevan told us that he and his team are “actively engaged” with Australian regulators, particularly Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which he says is known for its proactive approach towards novel food technologies. The agency recognizes “the potential benefits it can bring in terms of sustainability, animal welfare, and food security” and has established a clear and comprehensive framework for companies like Magic Valley to follow.

    He described the process as “consultative” in nature and the communication flow as very “open and transparent”, with a great deal of collaboration with the regulators, with regulator meetings and discussion around Magic Valley’s technology and processes in order to address any concerns or questions raised.

    Magic Valley founder Paul Bevan
    Magic Valley founder Paul Bevan | Courtesy

    The global cultivated meat market is set to reach $630 billion by 2040 — representing what Bevan says is an enormous opportunity for Australia to benefit from and contribute to the industry that is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

    “So, with both the need and desire for new forms of protein, and the global economic opportunity growing exponentially, our newest cultivated pork milestone puts Magic Valley in good stead to capture a sizable market share to feed future generations,” Bevan said. He says the company’s cultivated pork products provide the exact same flavor experience for consumers that enjoy conventional pork. “It is an ethical and sustainable solution and at scale, our products will be much cheaper than traditional alternatives,” he said.

    Next up, the company will dive into cultivated beef, angling toward a full range of meat options as regulatory approval is expected in 2024.

    Food tech in Australia

    The news follows a string of announcements out of Australia this month. Earlier this week the precision fermentation company Cauldron announced a AU$10.5 million raise to build Asia-Pacific’s largest network of precision fermentation facilities. And in the cultivated meat category, Vow says it has created a meatball using cells from the extinct wooly mammoth as part of a project to showcase the potential of cellular agriculture. 

    Vow Cultivated Meat Factory
    Vow’s Factory 1 was announced last year | Courtesy

    Bianca Lê, Honorary Fellow at The University of Melbourne; Technical Strategy and Growth Manager at Mission Barns; and Board Director, Cellular Agriculture Australia, recently called for Australia to develop standards for biotechnology, including cultivated meat, as the nation is particularly vulnerable to climate change and needs food solutions.

    “Australia has been one of the world’s top three beef exporters for more than 70 years. We’re also a biotech leader. Two decades ago, Australia’s biotech sector was tiny. Now it’s amongst the top five in the world,” she wrote.

    “As we face an increasingly uncertain future, it might be a smart move to secure our food supply while protecting ourselves against climate change – and reducing environmental damage.”

    The post Australia’s Magic Valley Debuts Cultivated Pork Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Food Tech Investments In Europe are Down, But Not Out, Report Finds

    heura fish
    3 Mins Read

    Just how robust is funding for food tech startups in Europe? A new report takes a deep dive.

    A new report on the European food tech industry shows a decrease of 36 percent in investments between 2021 and 2022. But according to DigitalFoodLab, which authored the report with funding from Nestlé, investments in the future of food actually grew.

    Investments doubled

    The report found that nearly €6 billion was invested in European food tech startups in 2022 — almost double the amount invested in 2019 and 2020. Investments in AgTech startups grew by almost 50 percent, benefiting from the current energy and food supply chain crisis.

    Investments decreased overall by 36 percent but, according to Matthieu Vincent, co-founder and partner at DigitalFoodLab, “if we remove delivery startups, they actually grew by 21 percent, which is quite remarkable in the current context,” he told Green Queen via email.

    Vegan French cheese brand Nutropy recently raised money to scale | Courtesy

    Vincent says some categories stand out positively (packaging, for example) while others were almost wiped away like payment solutions for restaurants. “It is the same for countries,” he says. “The U.K. and France still grew quite significantly while Germany’s food tech investments went down by almost 90 percent.”

    The Nordic countries ranked third behind the U.K. and France. And a number of Eastern European countries ranked because of single startups; Estonia with Bolt and the Czech Republic with Rohlik. Germany and Spain were among the strong followers, while countries like Italy and Poland had limited money invested in food tech but possess strong potential.

    Hope for the future

    Despite quarterly investments in food tech still declining, there is hope for the future. There are likely to be more challenges raising capital, the report notes that some may still raise with a downturn at a lower valuation. However, those startups that raised with unrealistic profitability prospects may go bankrupt in the year to come.

    But realistic examples are visible in all directions. Spanish-based plant-based food brand Heura, says it increased its international sales by more than 260 percent in 2022. France, long a holdout in alternative protein, saw funding for a number of innovations in dairy and meat alternatives over the last year.

    milk
    France-based Bon Vivant recently raised €4M for its precision fermentation dairy. Photo Courtesy Pixabay via Pexels.

    But with increased retail and food service interest in emergent categories such as precision fermentation and cultivated meat, funding could see a renewed boost in the coming months. A report late last year found similar trends. As plant-based meat sales declined in the U.S., Dr. Catherine Tubb, Director of Research at Synthesis Capital, said it’s all part of the “S” curve growth. “History is littered with examples of technological products and services that were adopted with the famous ‘S‑curve,’” writes Tubb. “This adoption shape is ubiquitous, with products as diverse as refrigerators, cars, color TVs, and smartphones all showing that same familiar S-shaped curve.”

    The new report notes that despite current trends, the industry remains optimistic about the sector’s future. Technology-focused startups with long-term profitability prospects are still receiving funding and the shift to profitability may be a positive thing for some startups. The report says there has never been a better time to invest in food tech, whether as a future entrepreneur, a large agrifood or financial company, or an investor.

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  • Because Animals Sells Off Discontinued Products To CULT Food Science To Accelerate Cultivated Pet Food Technology

    4 Mins Read

    Cultivated meat innovation company CULT Food Science has acquired consumer brand assets, two patents, non-scientific IP and product formulations from cultivated pet food startup Because Animals.

    CULT Food Science, a publicly traded Vancouver, Canada-based cultivated meat innovation company, announced yesterday in a press release titled posted to its website that it had signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire the consumer brand assets, related patents, non-scientific intellectual property, and product formulations (referred to in the release as “the Assets”).

    The Assets include a yeast-based dog treat (noochies), a yeast-based dog food and two provisional patents for rehydrated-then-freeze-dried-yeast-probiotic-based pet supplements.

    According to the release, these assets will be combined with CULT’s existing pet food brands to form a new Pet Food Division that will work to develop and commercialize cultivated pet food products.

    Confusion around LOI news media coverage

    There was some initial confusion yesterday surrounding the LOI news, with social media posts and smaller media outlets suggesting that Because Animals had been entirely acquired and one platform that contacted us describing it as the “World’s First Cultured Meat Brand Acquisition”.

    In a statement sent to Green Queen via email regarding the original CULT press release, Shannon Falconer, co-founder and CEO of Because Animals reiterated that “Although it’s not clear from the press release, the consumer brand ‘Because Animals’ was not acquired.”

    Instead, Falconer told us that the company is focusing all its resources to accelerate the commercialization of its cultured meat technology. As a result, it discontinued the sale of its nutritional yeast-based products late last year and had recently agreed to sell all formulations and two provisional patents related to these discontinued products to Joshua Errett.

    Falconer added that “Because Animals retains all of its intellectual property relating to cultured meat – which is our core business – and we are committed to revolutionizing the pet food industry with this technology.”

    When asked to confirm the news mentioned in the release, Lejjy Gafour, CEO of CULT Food Sciences, told us via email that “as stated in the release formally on our website”, the news announcement referred only to the acquisition of “Because Animals Inc.’s consumer brand assets, related patents, non-scientific intellectual property, and product formulations” and directed us to “additional clarifying language included in the release which the other outlets or individuals may have overlooked”, which says that “Because Animals Inc will continue to innovate in the pet food industry.”

    Former Because Animals co-founder joins forces with CULT

    Errett is the former COO and co-founder of Because Animals. He departed in September 2022 according to Linkedin profile and on October 31, CULT announced that Errett had joined the company as Vice President.

    “The CULT platform is one of the most ambitious and comprehensive in the field of cellular agriculture. It has endless potential to impact the world’s food supply and so I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” added Mr. Errett.  

    Earlier this month, CULT, which according to its website is focused on “providing investors with unprecedented exposure to the most innovative start-up, private or early-stage cultivated meat, cell-based dairy, and other cultured food companies around the world”, revealed that Canadian biotech and cannabis entrepreneur Marc Lustig had acquired a 15% stake in the company, making him the largest single shareholder

    “I am very excited to have taken a significant ownership stake in CULT Food Science. I believe it is inevitable that cell-based foods will sustainably transform our food systems for the better, and that these products will be coming to market much sooner than most people think. As a first-mover in the cellular agriculture space, CULT has the opportunity to play a unique and valuable role in the industry’s exciting scientific innovation,” said Lustig of the investment news.

    Pet food is a growing focus area for cultivated meat startups

    Because Animals was founded in 2016 by Falconer and Errett, and backed by leading VC funds including Draper Associates and SOSV. It was one of the first companies globally to focus on developing pet food aimed at dogs and cats using cellular agriculture technology and in August 2021, debuted the world’s first commercially available cultivated cat food. In early 2022, Because Animals secured investment from European CPG company Group Orkla SA, bringing the company’s total funding to $6.7 million.

    Colorado-based Bond Pet Food created cultured chicken aimed at pets in 2020 and last November, vegan dog food company Wild Earth, which famously got Shark Tank judge Mark Cuban to invest $550,000 in 2019, said it had developed a cultivated chicken broth topper “aimed at making the category more sustainable”.

    The post Because Animals Sells Off Discontinued Products To CULT Food Science To Accelerate Cultivated Pet Food Technology appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Vow Debuts Cultivated Meat Made From Extinct Wooly Mammoth DNA

    4 Mins Read

    Australian cultivated meat company, Vow, has created a meatball using cells from the extinct wooly mammoth as part of a project to showcase the potential of cellular agriculture.

    Vow’s mammoth meatball is a token product showing not just how cells from unconventional species can create new kinds of meat, but also as a symbol of both biodiversity loss and climate change.

    Mammoths went extinct in large part due to human hunting as well as post-ice-age planetary warming. The novel meatball was unveiled on Tuesday at the Nemo science museum in the Netherlands.

    “We have a behaviour change problem when it comes to meat consumption,” Vow CEO George Peppou said in a statement.

    “The goal is to transition a few billion meat eaters away from eating [conventional] animal protein to eating things that can be produced in electrified systems.

    “And we believe the best way to do that is to invent meat. We look for cells that are easy to grow, really tasty and nutritious, and then mix and match those cells to create really tasty meat.”

    A copy of the invitation for Vow’s Wooly Mammoth Meatball tasting

    Cultivating curiosity

    While most cultivated meat producers are tackling conventional meat such as chicken, pork, beef, and fish, Vow is taking a different approach by investigating the potential of more than 50 less common species, including alpaca, buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, peacocks, and various types of fish. Tapping into human curiosity to taste less conventional meat could help acclimate consumers toward the novel cell tech, the company says.

    Vow Cultivated Meat Factory
    Vow’s Factory 1 was announced last year | Courtesy

    The mammoth muscle protein was created by Vow along with Professor Ernst Wolvetang at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Queensland. The team used DNA from mammoth myoglobin, a key muscle protein that gives meat its flavor, and filled in a few gaps using elephant DNA. This sequence was placed in myoblast stem cells from a sheep, which replicated to grow to the 20 billion cells subsequently used by the company to grow the mammoth meat.

    “It was ridiculously easy and fast,” said Wolvetang. “We did this in a couple of weeks.”

    Mammoth was the second choice. The initial idea came from Bas Korsten at the creative agency Wunderman Thompson. The team wanted to replicate dodo bird meat, but there is no DNA available for replicating.

    Mammoth worked just as well symbolically though. “Our aim is to start a conversation about how we eat, and what the future alternatives can look and taste like. Cultured meat is meat, but not as we know it,” Korsten said.

    Vow is not the first food tech company to explore mammoth protein. Last year the startup Paleo explored creating woolly mammoth “paleo protein” via its novel precision fermentation heme technology. And the biotech company Colossal is using CRISPR technology to potentially resurrent the species, which it says could play a crucial role in protecting ecosystems that trap and store carbon.

    Cultivating sustainable protein

    Like other cultivated meat offerings, Vow says cultivated meat uses much less land and water than livestock and produces no methane emissions. The energy Vow uses is all from renewable sources, and the company does not use the controversial growth medium, fetal bovine serum.

    No one has tasted the mammoth meat yet, though. “We haven’t seen this protein for thousands of years,” said Wolvetang. “So we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it. But if we did it again, we could certainly do it in a way that would make it more palatable to regulatory bodies.”

    Vow quail meat, Morsel | Courtesy

    Vow was moving toward approval last year for its cultivated quail meat, dubbed Morsel. It had anticipated an end-of-2022 launch into Singapore restaurants, but it has yet to be approved by Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

    The mammoth meatball debut comes as the U.S. FDA issued a “no questions” letter to California’s Eat Just for its cultivated Good Meat label chicken. Eat Just is currently the only cultivated meat producer in the world with regulatory approval, which was granted by the SFA in 2020.

    Eat Just and fellow Californian cultivated meat producer Upside Foods, which received FDA clearance last November, now must both pass USDA inspections before they can begin selling their meat in the U.S.

    The post Vow Debuts Cultivated Meat Made From Extinct Wooly Mammoth DNA appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Lypid Debuts Pork Belly Made With Patented PhytoFat

    3 Mins Read

    Taiwanese-U.S. food-tech company Lypid unveiled vegan pork belly made from its patented PhytoFat at the recent Future Food-Tech summit held in San Francisco earlier this month.

    The product ist the first release of Lypid’s upcoming line of plant-based products. According to Dr. Jen-Yu Huang, Lypid’s co-founder and CEO, there is a lack of solid, whole-cut alternative proteins on the market. “Our Pork Belly will revolutionize the food industry and provide environmentally conscious options for diners who crave the texture, taste, and mouthfeel of pork belly,” she said. Dr. Huang was recently included in the 2022 Forbes “30 Under 30” list.

    Vegan pork belly

    Lypid’s pork belly marks the company’s entry into the plant-based meat market. Dr. Michelle Lee, Lypid’s Co-founder and CTO, explained that the company combined its patented PhytoFat with a unique fibrous protein alternative to create an authentic pork belly experience. Several celebrated Bay Area chefs have begun testing the plant-based pork belly, with the goal of introducing the product to menus in the near future.

    The Pork Belly was served at the Future Food-Tech summit with Adobo Garlic Fried Rice prepared by San Francisco Marriott Marquis’ Executive Chef David Hollands and Executive Sous Chef Bernardita Gotis. “When it’s cooked, it behaves like pork belly – it becomes crispy and doesn’t solidify immediately,” Hollands said. “Not all vegan products perform like the real thing.”

    Sonalie Figueiras, Green Queen‘s founder and editor in chief tasted the pork belly at the summit and said: “As someone who grew up in Hong Kong, I’ve eaten my fair share of pork belly, I was amazed. the texture was uncanny and it was savoury like animal fat.”

    Photo courtesy Lypid

    PhytoFat recently took home the first-place prize for “Ingredient Innovation” at FoodBev Media’s World Food Innovation Awards in 2023. The company’s Pork Belly was also a finalist in the “Plant-based Product” and “Technology Innovation” categories.

    Last August, more than 500 Louisa Coffee shops across Taiwan introduced vegan burgers made with Lypid’s proprietary vegan PhytoFat. The company raised more than $4 million in Seed funding last spring to accelerate its product development and expansion plans.

    Pork successors loom large

    Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world, specifically across Asia. It makes up 36 percent of total global meat consumption, according to the USDA. But as consumers seek to diversify their protein, sustainable options are taking priority. Hong Kong-based Omni Foods is seeing success with its plant-based pork in Asia and the U.S., among other markets.

    Last month, the U.K. saw the country’s first cultivated pork debut. BSF Enterprises said its subsidiary 3D Bio-Tissues had successfully created a steak made from pork cells.

    3D Bio-Tissues steak
    3D Bio-Tissues has created the world’s first cultivated pork steak | Courtesy Kenn Reay Photography

    Not all companies are thriving, however. Last week, cultivated pork producer New Age Eats announced it was ceasing operations.

    “Creating the experience of meat without slaughter is extremely difficult,” New Age founder and CEO Brian Spears said in a statement. “We start with biotech borrowed from human health applications designed for high-cost, low-volume products. We worked to flip to low-cost, high-volume products. That is expensive, takes time, and needs a lot of patient capital.”

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  • The White House Issues Guidelines to ‘Harness the Full Potential and Power of Biotechnology’

    3 Mins Read

    The Biden-Harris Administration revealed new priorities detailed in a report last week that will trigger actions to advance American biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

    The move follows an Executive Order signed by President Biden last September aimed at advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovation. The goals aim to enhance America’s bioeconomy, restore local supply chains, and support the country’s innovation ecosystem.

    U.S. biomanufacturing

    Biomanufacturing, the use of biological systems to produce goods and services at a commercial scale, the tech has the potential to unlock sustainable alternatives across industries such as plastics, fuels, and medicines, the White House said in a statement. These innovations hold potential for new solutions in health, climate change, energy, food security, agriculture, supply chain resilience, and national and economic security.

    The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) detailed its plan in a new report outlining a vision for what is possible with biotechnology and biomanufacturing and the research and development needed. The report includes sections authored by federal departments and agencies that are responsive to the President’s E.O. on biotechnology and biomanufacturing R&D to further societal goals such as climate change solutions, food and agricultural innovation, supply chain resilience, human health, and crosscutting advances. These goals serve as a guide for public and private sector efforts to harness the full potential and power of biotechnology and biomanufacturing to develop innovative solutions in different sectors.

    lab worker
    Photo by Julia Koblitz via Unsplash

    The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Biomanufacturing Strategy will guide investments in bioindustrial domestic manufacturing infrastructure to establish a domestic bioindustrial manufacturing base. The strategy includes three priorities: establishing customers that stand to benefit from early-stage innovations, advancing biomanufacturing capabilities through innovation, mapping and tracking the biomanufacturing ecosystem to support future efforts. DoD is issuing a formal request for information on biomanufactured products and process capabilities that could help address defense needs and whose development and commercialization could be addressed by DoD investment.

    The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis will assess the feasibility of economic contributions to the country’s bioeconomy, as called for in the President’s E.O. Other deliverables from the E.O. are also in development, including plans to expand training and education opportunities for the biotechnology and biomanufacturing workforce, a report on data needs for the bioeconomy, a national strategy for expanding domestic biomanufacturing capacity, actions to improve biotechnology regulation clarity and efficiency, and a plan for strengthening and innovating biosafety and biosecurity for the bioeconomy.

    ‘Accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and resilient food system’

    Magi Richani, CEO of Nobell Foods, a biotech company making animal-free cheese, applauded the move in a statement shared to LinkedIn. “I can’t overstate the importance of this step in accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and resilient food system,” she wrote.

    “Our global food system over the last few years has proven to be anything but resilient. And with the continued environmental degradation caused by industrial-scale animal agriculture, it’s not only refreshing, but critical to see the work we are doing prioritized as a key solution to building a more resilient food system, increasing consumer choice, and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions,” Richani said.

    Methane emissions
    Photo by Joachim Süß on Unsplash

    Richani pointed to animal agriculture, which contributes close to 31 percent of total U.S. methane emissions — a planet-heating gas more potent than CO2. But the reality is, she said, “no one will change their behavior fast enough to offset its impact. Most people are not going to eat less cheese or meat if it costs more or tastes less.”

    The U.S. investment into biotech could help change that. “The bold goals and R&D needs outlined in this report serve as a guide for public and private sector efforts to harness the full potential and power of biotechnology and biomanufacturing to develop innovative solutions in different sectors, create jobs at home, build stronger supply chains, lower costs for families, and achieve our climate goals,” the White House said.

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  • Exclusive: Former Outcast Foods CEO Darren Burke Named In Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination On The Basis Of Sex

    7 Mins Read

    Canadian foodtech entrepreneur Marissa Bronfman says that after being recruited as co-founder for a new biotech mycelium fermentation company, she was subjected to a sexist work environment and was terminated by former Outcast Foods CEO Darren Burke for requesting that he hire a female scientist.

    Earlier this week, Green Queen received a PDF copy of court filings detailing that on March 13, 2023, Marissa Bronfman filed a complaint case in the Ontario Superior Court Of Justice naming Darren Burke, of The Different Food Co Inc. as the sole defendant. 

    Ms. Bronfman’s complaint alleges that Mr. Burke misrepresented himself, his intentions and his company, terminated her in bad faith, defamed her, discriminated against her on the basis of sex and misled her. 

    The filings cite further complaints against Mr. Burke including Breach of Contract, Breach of the Duty of Honesty in Contractual Performance, Bad Faith Manner of Dismissal and Breach of the Human Rights Code, among others.  

    According to the case documents, Ms. Bronfman says that she entered into an employment contract with Mr. Burke as part of a new mycelium fermentation-related biotech company he was starting after he recruited her for many months. She says the agreement meant she was entitled to CA$150,000 in annual base salary and ‘generous benefits’, as well as equity in the company and co-founder status. Although Ms. Bronfman was originally going to consult with the company, she says Mr.Burke changed his mind and would only work with her if she didn’t work anywhere else.

    In November 2022, Ms. Bronfman publicly announced that she was joining the company and then leveraged her personal network and social media presence to promote the company. She says she introduced Mr. Burke to potential investors, represented the company at an industry event in Toronto and offered him “significant” professional advice that “led to Mr. Burke changing his business model”.

    She says that things started to go awry when she suggested to Mr. Burke that the company hire a female scientist towards the end of November. According to the court documents, “These comments upset Mr. Burke and he expressed his disagreement with them.”

    By early December, Ms. Bronfman was told she was being laid off as the company needed to raise more funds and that she would be reinstated once the company had done so. However, Ms. Bronfman was actually wrongfully terminated after Mr. Burke said he did not wish to work with her any longer, and that “her opinions had been too ‘strong’ (emphasis in original).

    In January of this year, Ms. Bronfman says Mr. Burke published a defamatory post about her on his personal Linkedin profile which has over 11,000 followers. The filings state that “This post was clearly designed to intimidate the Plaintiff, and harm her reputation within the foodtech industry.” 

    After her attorney sent Mr. Burke a cease and desist letter, he removed the post from his profile, though Ms. Bronfman says that by then it had caused “significant embarrassment and reputational damage”.

    Ms. Bronfman says that she has suffered reputational harm, a limiting of employment opportunities in Canada, and mental and physical distress as a result of Mr. Burke’s actions.

    Ms. Bronfman is asking for a range of damages in the amount of CA$1,000,000 as well as  CA$150,000 in lost earnings, CA$500,000 for breach of contract and moral damages for bad faith dismissal, CA$250,000 in punitive damages, CA$75,000 for injuries to dignity, feelings, and self-respect as well as any legal costs incurred. 

    Further, she is requesting the 25% of company equity she was promised (in the court filings the latest valuation is listed at CAD$3,000,000, which Green Queen confirmed from the company’s most recent investment deck) and asking for a declaration that he breached their contractual duty of good faith and that he discriminated against her. 

    Screenshot from St Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada Website

    According to the filings, The Different Food Co Inc is a food-tech company incorporated in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The company’s mission involved ‘Harnessing mycelium fermentation to reengineer almonds using 90% less water’ according to a presentation deck. While Ms. Bronfman lists herself as a co-founder of the company on her Linkedin profile, there is no mention of it on Mr. Burke’s Linkedin profile. Green Queen has seen proof that the company is still in operation and that Mr. Burke is listed as a Director. 

    On his profile, Mr Burke is described as a “celebrated science-based entrepreneur focused on plant-based and alternative protein nutrition and social impact ideas to save the planet” as well as a “Former tenured university professor who commercialized scientific research into a new category of sports nutrition products.”

    Couresy Outcast Foods

    Accordion to the page, Mr Burke spent 10 years as a professor at St. Francis Xavier University, in Halifax, Canada and then founded Rivalus, a nutritional supplements company that he says he grew to $20 million in revenue before a “successful exit.” He then, along with fellow entrepreneur and former professional NHL hockey player TJ Galiardi, co-founded Outcast Foods, a Canadian sustainable food waste company that transformed old and ugly produce into powdered nutrition supplements. The company raised CA$10 million led by District Ventures which counts well-known South African-Canadian investor Arlene Dickinson as a General Partner. In a 2021 article from this publication, Mr. Burke said that the company had experienced YoY online retail sales growth of close to 4,000%. He is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which Green Queen confirmed via phone. Mr Burke also features on the institution’s website as Dr Darren Burke.

    We have reached out to Mr. Burke for comment and we will update the story once we hear back. 

    In an exclusive interview and over multiple conversations by phone, Ms Bronfman told me that the past few months leading up to the filing of the suit have been taxing: “Things have been very difficult, and the public nature of it has been challenging, but I am fortunate to have lots of support. Many people in the industry, especially women, have reached out to me.” 

    In addition, she said that fighting back is not easy but she believes it is necessary: ”I feel emboldened and empowered by the support I’ve received from people in the industry, and by the laws we have in Canada to protect people. I am looking forward to my day in court and pursuing justice.”  

    She also told me she believes that this kind of behavior by male executives is more prevalent in the industry than people realize: “Unfortunately, this is a very common story in tech and foodtech, though we rarely hear about it. All too often women are threatened, shamed and silenced into not talking about or seeking legal justice for unethical and illegal treatment in the workplace, whether from co-founders, investors and/or colleagues.” 

    She said that one of the reasons she is speaking out is to “help end an entrenched culture of mistreating, intimidating, shaming and silencing women, and inspire positive change and greater equality” in foodtech, where female founders and co-founders are a small minority yet suffer the majority of predatory, unethical and illegal behavior in the workplace. 

    “I will not be intimidated, I am not afraid and I will always fight for women’s rights,” she added.

    She said that while she hopes the suit will result in “a fair and just resolution”,  she wants her story to help make a difference to other women in the food tech space. “I hope that my story will empower others. It’s inspired me to launch my website, to expand my work with purpose-driven founders and investors, women in particular, and I look forward to continuing to speak on women in business and the future of food.” 

    Ms. Bronfman is being represented by Esq. Kathryn Marshall, attorney and partner at Levitt Sheik LLP, a leading labour and employment law firm in Toronto.

    Asked why she chose to take up Ms. Bronfman’s case, Ms. Marshall told Green Queen: “I frequently act for women in the tech and start-up industry and have observed a disturbing trend of women being mistreated, silenced and taken advantage of. This is an important case that will hopefully result in changes in the industry and help to empower female founders. Marissa is strong and brave and has fought for women her entire career. I am honoured to be her advocate.”

    For her part, Ms. Bronfman said: “I am grateful to be represented by such a passionate lawyer who has fought for women her entire career. 

    This is a developing story.

    The post Exclusive: Former Outcast Foods CEO Darren Burke Named In Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Alleging Discrimination On The Basis Of Sex appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Chipotle Charts a Sustainable Course for 2023 With ESG Goals and Food Tech Investments

    chipotle
    4 Mins Read

    Fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle has announced its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, which will be tied to an executive compensation bonus of up to 15 percent.

    Chipotle’s new ESG goals include increasing the pounds of local produce purchased, improving diverse employee retention — Chipotle says it increased its diversity from 60 percent to nearly 64 percent last year — and increasing the number of restaurants with composting programs. The announcement also comes on the heels of notable investments into food tech.

    ESG Goals

    “Chipotle’s ESG goals are a direct reflection of our commitment to inspire real, sustainable change with a potential impact far beyond this Company,” said Laurie Schalow, Chief Corporate Affairs, Chipotle. “We hold our executive leadership team accountable to make business decisions that Cultivate a Better World, and we want to continue to transparently showcase the steps we’re taking to help meet these objectives.”

    The restaurant chain, which has more than 3,000 U.S. locations, says it is committed to increasing the total pounds of produce purchased from local farmers year over year. It defines local produce as a 350-mile radius of one of its distribution centers.

    Chipotle puts a focus on locally sourced produce. Courtesy

    For this year, Chipotle’s goal is to purchase at least 37.5 million pounds of local produce, up from 36.4 million pounds purchased in 2022. The organization also met its 2022 goal of purchasing more than 57 million pounds of organic, transitional and/or locally-grown ingredients, with 58.3 million pounds in total minus rice and beans, which were excluded due to external crop factors.

    Chipotle is also leveraging its new venture fund, Cultivate Next, to make early-stage investments in companies that can help further its mission and meet its ESG goals. This includes increasing its local produce supply through its latest investment in Local Line, a leading local food sourcing platform for regional food systems, serving farms, producers, food hubs, and food buyers by helping them digitize their operations and sell products. That investment will also support Local Line’s U.S. expansion.

    Chipotle will also be increasing its focus on composting with a goal of reducing waste to landfills by 5 percent by 2025 and increasing the number of restaurants participating in its compost program by 23 percent this year. The chain said it exceeded its 2022 goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 percent, achieving a 13 percent reduction against 2019 emissions.

    Food tech investments

    Cultivate Next is also investing in Zero Acre Farms, a food company focused on healthy, sustainable oils and fats. Zero Acre Farms uses fermentation to make oils that are more environmentally friendly than conventional vegetable oils, namely palm and soy.

    Chipotle invested as part of Zero Acre Farms’ Series A extension round in an undisclosed amount. A spokesperson for Zero Acre Farm told Green Queen that the investment is not necessarily an indicator that the chain will be using the company’s oil in stores anytime soon. “This news is only in regards to a financial investment in ZAF by Chipotle,” they said. “That said, Chipotle makes investments through its Cultivate Next fund in companies it thinks can help it achieve its mission to cultivate a better world.”

    Zero Acre Farms | Courtesy

    However, the move could signal the chain is warming up to food tech. Chipotle has eschewed plant-based meat products such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods in the past, opting instead for tofu in its Sofritas instead, and a limited-edition plant-based chorizo made “using all real, fresh ingredients grown on a farm, not in a lab.”

    In 2019, Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told Yahoo Finance that the company spoke with the brands and “unfortunately it wouldn’t fit in our ‘food with integrity’ principles because of the processing, as I understand it, that it takes to make a plant taste like a burger.

    “If there’s a way for them to do this that would match our ‘food with integrity’ principles, I’m sure we would continue talking with them.”

    Chipotle’s Cultivate Next did invest in fellow Colorado-based company Meati Foods — a clean-label vegan meat made from mycelium.

    “We are excited to support new ways to bring vegetables to the center of the plate though plant-based alternative protein options that mirror Chipotle’s Food With Integrity standards,” Curt Garner, Chief Technology Officer at Chipotle, said in a statement at the time. “Meati is producing responsibly grown plant-based protein that tastes delicious.”

    The chain has yet to make any announcements about adding Meati to its menus, though. But a trial could be on the horizon as the startup has just started its retail rollout, landing in 380 Sprouts Markets earlier this month.

    The post Chipotle Charts a Sustainable Course for 2023 With ESG Goals and Food Tech Investments appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Cultivated Pork Startup New Age Eats Shuts Down After Five Years Amidst ‘Recent Market Turmoil’

    3 Mins Read

    The CEO of cultivated pork startup New Age Eats announced in a social media post that the company is shutting down after just under 5 years of operation.

    Founder and CEO Brian Spears broke the news on social media writing that “we made the painful decision to shut down New Age Eats” amidst a tumultuous funding environment and a lack of runway to continue.

    “As the CEO, I take ultimate responsibility for this shutdown. When we started ~5 years ago, we had no blueprint to develop and commercialize cultivated meat. I am grateful to everyone who supported our brilliant, talented team as we learned along the way,” he said.

    Earlier this year, Spears penned another social media post in which he shared that New Age Eats was letting go of the company’s pilot manufacturing facility in the Bay Area’s Alameda city food innovation hub, The Research Park at Marina Village and asked potential buyers to reach out. “Construction is 90% complete (put your final touches on it!) and 80% paid for (we’re walking away from significant investment because, well, we have to). You’d be move-in ready in 1-2 months…We will take the best offer in the next few weeks!”

    Spears confirmed today the company was unable to find a buyer for the plant and was not able to secure additional funding: “Unfortunately, with recent capital market turmoil, we have been unable to attract investment.” He told AgFunder News earlier today that things changed starting the second quarter of last year: “The shift in capital markets beginning around spring 2022 has made life challenging for startups across the board, he said.”

    New Age Eats was focused on bringing cultivated pork sausages to market and had raised over $32 million dollars since its founding in June 2018 and backers included seasoned food and tech VCs like IndieBio, TechU Ventures and Siddhi Capital. The company reeled in a $25 million Series A investment round back in October 2021 led by South Korean energy and real estate conglomerate Hanwha Solutions and at the time had been vocal about a launch plan that included both the US and Asia.

    Spears was hopeful about the state of the cultivated meat sector going forward, writing that “While our company will no longer survive, multiple companies will pick up the baton and use our technology to further our shared mission.”

    He was candid about the challenge of creating a cultivated meat company and alluded to how complicated it was to match investment timelines in a R&D context that requires long timelines: “Creating the experience of meat without slaughter is extremely difficult. We start with biotech borrowed from human health applications designed for high cost, low volume products. We worked to flip to low cost, high volume products. That is expensive, takes time, and needs a lot of patient capital.”

    Spears also expressed his gratitude for all the support the company has received to date. “Lastly, I want to express profound gratitude to everyone who supported me and the team along the way. I’m also grateful to those who worked against us. Without them, I wouldn’t have learned what I did, that everything is one – no crest without trough, buyer without seller, villain without victim. My gratitude is for everything in this beautiful existence that we share. Ideally, my future work leads to broadly sharing that increased appreciation.”

    Spears has been outspoken about the importance of focusing on founder mental health and in his latest post, he said he was encouraged that this topic was gaining more attention: “The toll on my mental heaIth to gain these perspectives over the years has been tremendous. I am encouraged that mental health – including of founders – is being more openly discussed.”

    The post Cultivated Pork Startup New Age Eats Shuts Down After Five Years Amidst ‘Recent Market Turmoil’ appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • ChickP Debuts Cream Cheese and Cheddar Made From Chickpeas

    chickpea cream cheese
    2 Mins Read

    Israel-based food tech start-up, ChickP Protein, Ltd., has developed a chickpea isolate that can be used in making plant-based cheese.

    ChickP says its prototypes for chickpea-based cream cheese and firm cheddar cheese match the appearance and flavor of conventional cheese.

    Chickpea cheese

    “Flexitarians dominate the consumer market for dairy alternatives,” Liat Lachish Levy, CEO of ChickP, said in a statement. “They are eager to eat vegan alternatives as long as those alternatives can level up to real dairy’s sensory and nutritional attributes. These are precisely the gaps the industry is striving to close. While some cheese analog producers succeed on the sensory points, this often comes at the expense of the desired nutritional balance — and vice versa.”

    ChickP hard cheese
    ChickP hard cheese | Courtesy

    ChickP’s formula includes a high-functioning chickpea isolate with a 90 percent whole protein composition, providing a nutritional boost to plant-based food applications. The isolate is also a clean-label ingredient, with a neutral flavor, which the company says makes it highly versatile.

    The new cream cheese formulation combines the isolate along with other simple ingredients and traditional cheesemaking processes that ChickP says make the resulting product naturally replete with probiotic benefits. The company says emmental, parmesan, and mozzarella are in the works.

    “We insisted on applying only traditional processes for our winning cheese analogs,” explains Maor Dahan, application manager for ChickP. “Our formulas contain no stabilizers or gums. We explored a range of cultures to find the strains that work best with our formula. On top of that, the synergy between the chickpea isolates and starch helped create a rich, smooth, creamy textured spread on par with real dairy cream cheese and awards hearty complete protein fulfillment.”

    Demand for dairy-free cheese

    ChickP says a Smart Protein Project survey conducted across ten countries found cheese is increasingly popular with individual consumption averaging from one to six times per week.

    Chickpea's protein makes for creamy ice cream
    Chickpea’s protein makes for creamy ice cream | Courtesy

    The findings show there is also strong interest in plant-based versions, but consumers say taste, texture, and value of products currently on the market don’t meet their expectations. Still, demand for plant-based cheese is expected to reach $7 billion by the end of 2030.

    The cheese debut follows ChickP’s chickpea ice cream prototype released late last year, a chickpea creamer prototype launched last summer, and an $8 million Series A funding round last January.

    The post ChickP Debuts Cream Cheese and Cheddar Made From Chickpeas appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.