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Category: Alt Protein

  • Looking To Start a Future Food Startup? Singapore’s Protein Innovation Centre Is The Launchpad You Need

    5 Mins Read

    With its world-class innovation centre, a Scale It Up Innovation Challenge, and pioneering protein aeration technology, leading machinery maker Bühler is helping global meat substitute startups supercharge their production and scaling journey.

    LAUNCH – Singapore as the Launchpad for Your Vegan Brand

    Singapore has built up one of the most exciting food tech industries in the world- some call it the world’s food tech capital. This moniker was all but solidified back in December 2020, when the tiny island nation became the first country in the world to give regulatory approval for the sale of cultivated meat- that is animal meat grown in a bioreactor from live animal cell cultures. A short few years later, founders from all four corners of the globe are leaving their home countries to establish a base in the Lion City state to pursue alternative protein dreams. As of 2022, 36 food tech startups are headquartered in Singapore, and collectively they have collectively raised over $214 million. 

    Early-stage food tech entrepreneurs need the ability to conduct research, run pilots, and test manufacturing above all else. Spurred on by the Singaporean government’s 30 by 2030 plan, which supports local food production technology, the little red dot has built up one of the most dynamic B2B plant-based protein ecosystems around, with infrastructure on all levels from world-class science & research talent to pilot production facilities to co-manufacturers and local ingredient sourcing, making it the ideal launchpad for a new vegan meat entrepreneur. 

    Companies building supply chains and doing R&D in Singapore include Swedish oat milk pioneer OATLY, Californian precision fermentation leader Perfect Day as well as homegrown brands like Next Gen Foods, maker of TiNDLE plant-based chicken, and plant-based nutrition company Growthwell Foods.

    Plant-based chicken wrap by SaladStop featuring SGProtein – Courtesy Bühler.

    TEST – Get a Market Ready Product in Mere Days with Bühler

    Possibly the most expensive part of a food tech startup’s Capex budget is a factory build-out.

    Building out your own facility takes years, and millions in funding and comes with huge regulatory and legal headaches. All the while, you are not able to test or iterate your product, which is the most important part of the first few. But what if the machinery you buy is not a fit? And what about factory running costs? Not to mention rising labor charges. 

    Your job as a founder in those early days is to build, test and improve, ideally without wasting time or capital. Buhler’s Protein Innovation Centre empowers you to do all that and more (get inputs from industry experts and know-how from veteran food players) at a fraction of the cost and stress of investing in your own.

    The Protein Innovation Centre, a collaboration between leading food equipment manufacturer Bühler and flavoring specialist Givaudan offers food tech founders and their teams a one-stop shop to innovate novel plant-based meat foods working with dry and wet extrusion techniques. The two Swiss giants’ combined expertise means that product development challenges can be avoided and shorten new product lead times. Startups can trial, test, and taste products in less than a week. To a young company, this kind of opportunity is life-changing.

    Food for the Future Featured Film: Bühler.

    “It was exactly what we were looking for, in terms of scale, in terms of availability and capability. For a pilot scale extruder that has the latest technologies attached at that particular scale..there is very few available in the region. It’s the best facility I have seen in the region, and it’s quite cost competitive, so it was a no-brainer!” 

    Professor Roman Buckow, CTO, All G Foods
    From Bean to Burger - infographic created by Bühler
    From Bean to Burger – infographic created by Bühler.

    INNOVATE – Protein Aeration Technology: The Next Generation of Meat Substitutes

    Beyond nutrition, accessibility, and price, a plant-based meat alternative needs to deliver on texture and taste. In fact, consumers often cite poor mouthfeel or lack of deliciousness as pivotal reasons they may not make repeat purchases of animal-free replacements. 

    Decades of machinery expertise means Buhler can leapfrog over available technology in the market and offer plant-based meat startups a crucial differentiation when creating high moisture extruded products: Protein Aeration Technology, the company’s latest equipment innovation dubbed by in-house researchers as the future of plant-based meat technology. The aeration process involves gas being injected into the product during the extrusion process to create micro “pocket” structures that result in increased flavor absorption, more authentic color, and biting properties that mimic meat and fish. The aeration technology even reduces raw material costs and offers higher nutritional content. 

    “Bühler made it possible for us to scale up to an industrial level.”

    Eric Stirnemann, Planted co-founder
    Bühler representatives at the Protein Innovation Centre in Singapore – Courtesy Bühler.

    deal Imagery: Photo of Buhler reps with clients and other partners (show people) and Innovation centre

    GROWTH – Scale It Up: The Key To Changing How The World Eats

    Bühler and partners Givaudan and Cargill have joined forces to support food tech startups beyond just providing manufacturing expertise. The Scale It Up Innovation Challenge is a niche program designed for entrepreneurs solving moonshot food system problems. Are you creating new plant-based meat with a unique taste profile? Or dreaming up novel protein sources for food ingredient companies that offer new opportunities along the food value chain? Do you have an animal-free product that is working to offer a high-fidelity experience for meat and dairy consumers? 

    Where most food accelerator and incubator programs are limited to theoretical learning and digital resources, the Scale It Up Challenge is practical, iterative, and functional. It’s a chance to upskill yourself and your team in key production areas such as extrusion, and formulation. 

    The program also provides support in marketing, operations, and sourcing. Startups can acquire training around all these verticals and be supported by mentorship and feedback from the organizers, build out a network of b2b service providers, refine their proof of concept at Bühler and Givaudan world-class facility, the Protein Innovation Centre, and scale to commercial readiness within a few short months. It’s hard to imagine a better opportunity for an emerging food tech founder. 

    All imagery courtesy of Bühler.

    This is a Green Queen Partner Post.

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  • Nourish Ingredients Closes USD$28.6 Million Series A for Microbial Fermentation Fats

    Nourish Ingredients
    3 Mins Read

    With backing led by Hong Kong-based billionaire Li Ka Shing’s VC Horizon Ventures, Australian food tech startup, Nourish Ingredients, has raised more than AUD$45 million (USD$28.6 million) in a Series A.

    The microbial fermentation-focused Nourish also received funding from Main Sequence Ventures and Hostplus to further its development of fats and oils for the alternative protein sector. The raise is an important milestone, says CEO James Petrie, that will help the company to fast-track and scale production and product development” of its animal-free fats. The new funding follows a $14 million Seed round last year.

    Nourish is working to scale its production in partnership with several universities and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), an Australian Government agency responsible for scientific research. Nourish founders Dr. James Petrie and Dr Ben Leita are both former CSIRO scientists.

    Nourish co-founders Dr. James Petrie and Dr. Ben Leita
    Nourish co-founders Dr. James Petrie and Dr. Ben Leita | Courtesy Nourish

    The company is differentiating itself from the sea of alternative meat producers by focusing on fats made with precision fermentation. That decision, according to the founders, came about as certain animal-based fats can’t be replicated with plants. To recreate the taste and performance of these fats, Nourish turned to microbes in a technique similar to how Perfect Day produces its animal-free dairy-identical whey.

    Fat is a key component to recreating animal products. Category leaders including Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have relied on coconut oil.

    “The first generation of alternative proteins made waves, mostly with vegans and vegetarians,” Petrie said in a statement.

    “By overlooking fats, the market has missed the most essential element to the taste experience. That’s where Nourish comes in. We’re not just mimicking meat — we’re creating animal ingredients but from an animal-free source.”

    Impossible Foods uses coconut oil to create a fatty taste and texture in its burgers
    Impossible Foods uses coconut oil to create a fatty taste and texture in its burgers | Courtesy Impossible

    Petrie says feedback from the company’s alt-protein food partners has been very positive. “Nourish’s products have a transformative impact on their products — they haven’t tasted anything like it before. Our main challenge is to scale fast enough to meet their expectations but we are also deeply invested in pushing the boundaries of alt-protein taste and experience into new spaces,” Petrie said.

    Following the company’s Seed round last year, Petrie told TechCrunch that the company exists to help improve the growing roster of meat alternatives. Until they do improve, you really cannot see market ignition,” he said. “You’re reaching through, not only to the vegans and vegetarians, but also reaching through to the carnivores and getting them to keep coming back to the foods. That’s our mission.”

    Nourish is anticipating 2023 launches for its fat in alternative protein products in Australia and other parts of the world.

    “We are still doing R&D and have a pipeline of products,” he said. “We also need to accelerate the conversion of our MVP to the point of which we have realistic quantities that people can actually do something meaningful with.”

    Lead image courtesy Nourish.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • India’s ‘Smart’ Protein Sector Poised for Rapid Growth

    3 Mins Read

    The Good Food Institute India, in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, held its first in-person Summit in New Delhi last week since the pandemic, taking a look at the smart protein industry and how India is positioning itself as a leader in the category.

    Participants from across India and around the world gathered alongside educational institutions, investors, and companies including Licious, Shaka Harry, and Blue Tribe Foods for the Smart Protein Summit in India. The event brought together industry stakeholders committed to transforming the global protein supply through cultivating smart protein and technology. The 2022 Summit spanned two days, with more than 80 speakers, 13 panel discussions, 8 curated roundtables, a plant-based tasting tour, and more events.

    Smart protein for the future

    “The challenges we face before us, in terms of food safety and security are growing,” Varun Deshpande, President, GFI Asia, said during the event. “We think that smart protein—meat, eggs, and dairy made from plants, cells, and microorganisms—is one of our best bets for a more sustainable, secure, and just food supply.”

    India is particularly vulnerable to food scarcity as a result of the changing climate. Earlier this year, Mumbai, India’s economic center and home to 19 million residents said it was aiming to achieve net zero ahead of the rest of the country as it faces imminent threats from warming temperatures.

    Shaka Harry
    Shaka Harry products.

    Developing the nation’s market for smart protein also supports India’s farming community—the country has between 90 million and 150 million farmers, many of them small family farms. “There’s an enormous opportunity for the smart protein sector to create linkages with Indian farmers and ensure that the protein supply comes from local producers,” Siraj Hussain, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Advisor and former Secretary, MoFPI & Agriculture, Government of India, said during the event.

    Developing India’s smart protein sector will also bring jobs to the country, which is expected to become the most populous country in the world next year, climbing to more than 1.5 billion by 2030 and 1.66 billion by 2050, according to recent data from the U.N.

    “India has crop diversity, a globally competitive talent pool, and hundreds of people working on this opportunity—which can create immense job opportunities across the value chain, and GFI India and Deloitte India’s modeling shows that the total number of jobs created by smart protein industry in 2030 ranges from 1,51,025 in a low growth scenario to 4, 27,985 jobs in a high growth scenario,” Deshpande said.

    India’s smart protein sector

    The plant-based and smart protein sector is responding to the challenge, with new products launching every few months, according to GFI India. It says there are more than 50 startups in the space and an ecosystem of more than 80 companies supporting the category growth.

    “But there’s a lot that remains to be seen and the market size of the smart protein sector in India hasn’t been comprehensively mapped before,” GFI India says.

    Licious products
    Licious products

    “India is one of the most sought-after countries in terms of manufacturing capabilities,” said GS Krishnan, President, Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises during the Innovators Showcase. “[W]e need to understand how to capture this opportunity to grow the bioeconomy to its full potential. We project that India’s bioeconomy can grow from the 80 billion dollars it is valued at today to 300 billion dollars by 2030.”

    GFI India’s own research alongside Deloitte India projects that smart protein’s total economic opportunity by 2030, for both domestic and exports, could reach $4.2 billion.

    Lead image courtesy Unsplash.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Thailand Just Got Its First Vegan Cheese Factory

    swees cheese
    3 Mins Read

    Beginning early next year, Swees Plant Based Foods Co., a Thai-based dairy-free cheese startup, will begin production in the country’s first vegan cheese factory.

    Expecting to be fully operational in its new facility by 2023, Swees says along with the launch of the factory, it’s gearing up for a Seed crowdfunding round launching on November 1st. It says the crowdfunding gives the public the opportunity to be “a part of the revolutionary movement taking the Thai food industry by storm.”

    Thailand’s dairy-free market

    Founded in 2018 by Nicolas Frauenfelder who went plant-based after moving to Thailand from Switzerland, the company has quickly gained ground in the nascent dairy-free market in Thailand.

    While Swees is initially focused on the Thai market, the company says it will also be exporting products to countries throughout Asia Pacific.

    Swees mozzarella
    Courtesy Swees

    Asian populations are particularly prone to lactose intolerance and allergies, with as many as 90 percent of Asians unable to digest dairy. Demand for dairy-free options has skyrocketed in recent years; the global dairy-free market is expected to surpass $113 billion by 2027. Around eight percent of the Thai population doesn’t eat meat largely for religious reasons, but dairy is still widely consumed even despite the genetic predisposition to lactose intolerance.

    Thailand in particular is ripe for dairy-free products; according to a 2021 survey by Rakuten Insights, around 88.5 percent of the respondents in Thailand claimed that they have tried plant-based milk alternatives. The second-most consumed plant-based food products amongst the survey participants were non-dairy products.

    nick founder of swees
    Swees founder Nicolas Frauenfelder

    The market is responding to the shift; in 2020, Starbucks rolled out several dairy-free options across Asia including an Oatmilk Cocoa Macchiato made with Oatly, and Almond Milk Hazelnut Latte

    The announcement follows the first dairy-free festival held in Asia last month. The Generasi Dairy-Free Festival took place in Jakarta, offering thousands of attendees a chance to sample dairy-free products from across Asia. It also featured a barista competition using only dairy-free milk.

    Sustainable dairy

    The new Swees factory is not only the first dairy-free cheese factory in Thailand, but it’s also designed with sustainability in mind, the company says.

    Swiss swees
    Courtesy Swees

    While the building is designed to reduce energy use and resources, dairy-free cheese in and of itself is better for the planet.

    According to Swees, vegan cheese produces 80 percent fewer CO2 emissions compared to conventional dairy-based cheese. Traditional dairy is a leading cause of global warming as animal agriculture produces about 15 percent of all global emissions, including methane, which traps more heat than C02.

    Lead image courtesy Swees.

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  • Synonym Announces $6.3M Pre-Seed Round for Biomanufacturing Development

    lab
    2 Mins Read

    Synonym, a financing and development platform for biomanufacturing, has raised a pre-seed round of $6.3 million, led by Andreessen Horowitz, Giant Ventures, Blue Horizon, Siddhi Capital, FJ Labs and Global Founders Capital among others.

    Synonym, founded by Joshua Lachter and Edward Shenderovich, is working to develop an “essential infrastructure” for the biomanufacturing industry—creating a network of facilities where its brand partners can produce their biomanufactured products at commercial scale and standardize manufacturing processes.

    Farming fermentation

    The funding comes as Synonym announced it’s in pre-development phase of its first U.S. facility, a “fermentation farm” that it says can produce large quantities of microbial fermentation products.

    Photo by Talha Hassan on Unsplash

    Synonym says this facility, along with the network of facilities Synonym aims to build, “will tackle the 1000-fold increase in production capacity needed to meet future demand for biomanufactured products,” the company said.

    “Biomanufacturing will be a core driver of 21st-century economic development, akin to how petroleum catalyzed so much of the 20th century’s growth,” Shenderovich, Synonym’s CEO, said in a statement.

    “In the last five years, the biomanufacturing ecosystem has exploded, and the products poised to come to market are revolutionary. But they cannot achieve that impact without the means of production at commercial scale and without appropriate forms of financing.”

    Biomanufacturing

    Biomanufacturing spans several industries including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and chemicals. Increasing demand for renewable energy sources is also expected to drive the category.

    lab worker
    Photo by Julia Koblitz via Unsplash

    According to recent data, the global biotechnology industry is expected to reach more than $852 billion by 2030 at a CAGR of nearly ten percent. The Global Food Biotechnology Market size was estimated at $20.36 billion in 2020, and is expected to surpass $35 billion by 2026.

    Biofermentaiton specifically shows great promise, according to Research and Markets’ Industrial Biotechnology Market Size, Share, Trends, By Type, By Raw Materials, By Application and By Region Forecast to 2030 report. It says fermentation made up the largest share of the market in 2019, due in large part to the advancements in the food and beverage sector.

    Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

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  • Beyond Meat Cuts 19% of Workforce As Sales Lag

    3 Mins Read

    In an expected move as sales continue to miss targets, U.S.-based Beyond Meat has announced layoffs affecting 200 employees.

    The layoffs at Beyond Meat include Deanna Jurgens, chief growth officer and North America president, and chief operating officer Doug Ramsey, who was suspended last month following his arrest and battery charges after attacking a man after a University of Arkansas football game. Days prior to the layoffs, chief financial officer Philip Hardin informed the company he was stepping down “to pursue another opportunity.”

    Beyond Meat says the layoffs are “based on cost-reduction initiatives intended to reduce operating expenses…and target cash flow positive operations within the second half of 2023.” Its shares dropped 87 percent to a 52-week low of $12.76. The last trading saw it up to $13.95, bringing the company’s market value to under $900 million.

    Beyond Meat earnings projections

    The layoffs follow recent adjustments to earnings projections, which are 14 to nine percent under 2021’s earnings. Beyond Meat’s initial projections expected revenue between $470 million and $520 million, but the company dropped that to $400 million to $425 million earlier this month. Third-quarter revenue is expected to be down 23 percent over last year, the company said.

    In August, the company reported net revenues of $147 million for the second quarter of 2022, which was down 1.6 percent compared to the same period last year.

    Plant-based Beyond Meat Sausage | Courtesy

    The vegan meat brand took another recent hit when McDonald’s announced it was pulling a U.S. test of the McPlant burger, made with Beyond Meat patties, from more than 600 stores.

    The news comes as Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat’s chief U.S. rival, announced it was laying off six percent of its staff. That move though came as part of restructuring and eliminating redundancy, CEO Peter McGuiness said in a memo to staff, not missed forecasts.

    Impossible Foods maintains steady growth and good cash positions, growing at 65 to 70 percent, as it sees global expansion for existing products and new product offerings. The company recently announced plans to launch a whole-cut filet mignon.

    “[W]e still need to prioritize the projects and initiatives that will best fuel our business and mission as we prepare for our next phase of growth,” McGuinness said, adding that the layoffs are part of the company’s planned “hypergrowth.”

    Vegan meat demand

    Sales for refrigerated meat alternatives at U.S. supermarkets are down overall, dropping more than ten percent by volume for the 52 weeks ending September 4, 2022, according to Information Resources Inc. It says higher prices are leading the decline as inflation takes its toll.

    Impossible Foods burger, courtesy

    But another recent report says this downturn is part of a natural “S-curve” growth trajectory seen in a number of other categories including electronics and pharmaceuticals.

    “History is littered with examples of technological products and services that were adopted with the famous ‘S‑curve,’” writes Dr, Catherine Tubb, Director of Research at Synthesis Capital. “This adoption shape is ubiquitous, with products as diverse as refrigerators, cars, color TVs, and smartphones all showing that same familiar S-shaped curve.”

    images courtesy

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  • Precision Fermented Egg Protein In Your Cocktail? Say Cheers to Pulp Culture’s ‘Build’

    the every company x pulp culture

    3 Mins Read

    A new line of hard juices from Pulp Culture features The Every Company’s precision fermentation egg protein in a first for the alcohol and precision fermented egg categories.

    Following seven years of research and its commercial launch last year, The Every Company (formerly Clara Foods) is now entering the $260 billion alcohol market in a novel partnership with Pulp Culture. The partnership will see the alternative egg protein added to the first protein-boosted hard juice.

    World’s first

    “With our growing portfolio of animal-free proteins, we’ve demonstrated versatility across a range of applications including cold-pressed juice, baked goods such as macarons, and now the world’s first protein-boosted hard juice,” Arturo Elizondo, CEO and co-founder of Every, said in a statement.

    “This launch further proves Every Protein’s capacity to unlock never-before-seen-or-tasted innovations. It’s exciting to continue unveiling new categories for food and beverage brands delivering the bullseye of what today’s consumers want.”

    the every company x pulp culture
    Courtesy

    The Build by Pulp Culture beverages also features a roster of healthy ingredients including probiotics, adaptogens, and superfoods alongside Every’s egg protein. Pulp Culture is the brain child of Vega founder Brendan Brazier and 101 Cider House’s Mark McTavish. The company recently closed a $7 million Series A to advance the fermented alcohol beverage category.

    Functional beverages are on the rise; more than 500 were launched so far this year, but only two of those contained alcohol.

    “You’re actually giving your body the building blocks it needs to recover and reduce stress, so that you’ll enjoy the moment and also come back better the next day, not hungover,” Brazier, who’s a former Ironman triathlete said of the brand.

    The future of alcohol

    “In Every we found a partner who understood our needs and shared our vision for creating products the world has never seen before,” said McTavish and Brazier, co-founders of Pulp Culture. “Our consumers have big asks, and we’re flexing to deliver better-than-ever options to fuel their needs. Every is not only powering this world’s-first super beverage: they’re powering the future of better bev-al.”

    The announcement follows a production milestone for Every, which saw it partner with AB InBev’s BioBrew last year. In August, the partnership saw the first large-scale fermentation.

    the every company x pulp culture
    Courtesy

    “From day one, we set out to do two things: 1) make animal-free proteins accessible to everyone everywhere, and 2) do it in a way that captures the imagination and taste buds of people with new kinds of foods that the world has never seen,” said Elizondo. “These latest accomplishments in the commercial and scaling realms are proof that we’re making big strides on that journey.”

    Last December, The Every Company closed a $175 million Series C fundraising round. “There has never been a better time to be a B2B ingredients platform,” Elizondo said in a statement last year along with the funding. “As the world’s biggest food companies work to evolve their product offerings into the 21st century by driving for cleaner, kinder, and more sustainable labels, the options available are few and far between.”

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  • Meatable Moves Closer to Becoming the World’s First Cultivated Pork Producer to Earn Regulatory Approval

    4 Mins Read

    Dutch cultivated meat producer Meatable says it’s poised to bring cultivated pork to Singapore through an exclusive partnership with the only approved contract cultivated meat manufacturer, ESCO Aster.

    Cultivated pork could be the next lab-grown meat to hit Singapore, which is currently the only country in the world that’s approved cultivated meat. It greenlit Eat Just’s Good Meat chicken in 2020—made in partnership with ESCO Aster, the only cultivated meat manufacturer approved to produce in Singapore. Now, Dutch cultivated meat company Meatable says it’s expanding its reach to the city-state in hopes of bringing cultivated pork dumplings, sausages, and other products to Southeast Asia with help from ESCO Aster.

    Cultivated meat is the future

    “At Meatable we strongly believe that cultivated meat is the future of food, in order to produce meat sustainably and as local as possible,” Krijn de Nood, co-founder and CEO of Meatable, said in a statement. “To do that it’s imperative that we provide a wide variety of products to cater for all cuisines, worldwide.”

    De Nood says that given Singapore’s status as “a pioneer of cultivated meat,” it’s focus is aimed at bringing its pork products to market by 2024. It says it expects to have supermarket-ready products by 2025.

    “Our team has been working closely with the country’s butchers and chefs to develop the perfect cultivated pork dumplings and it was incredible to recently taste the dumplings and know that we have created something indistinguishable from traditional meat – because it is real meat,” de Nood said. “Along with our sausages, we have made great strides in recent months to create products that will satisfy the world’s appetites without harming the planet or animals in the process.”

    Krijn de Nood en Daan Luining, Meatable founders with pigs
    Krijn de Nood en Daan Luining, Meatable founders with pigs | Courtesy

    Pork is a protein staple across Asia. According to Meatable, in 2020 alone, more than 123,000 metric tons of pork were consumed in Singapore; each Singaporean consumes an annual average of about 62 kilograms (136 pounds) of meat. The global demand for dumplings is also expected to rise to more than $4 billion by 2025. Meatable says it’s already working closely with Singaporean chefs to customize its pork products to Asian palates.

    “Meatable has emerged as one of the world’s leading companies in developing cultivated meat,” Xiangliang Lin, CEO at ESCO Aster, said. “We’re delighted to be partnering with them to facilitate their launch in Singapore and to enable the business to start producing cultivated pork for customers. With our scientific expertise, operational know-how and enabling technologies, we believe that we can help companies reach their milestones and advance to the next step of cultivated meat production with market approval at scale. We’re excited about the potential for cultivated meat to transform how we feed the world and we’re looking to expand our facilities within and outside of Singapore to enable more companies like Meatable across this space.” 

    “We’re excited to work closely with ESCO Aster and the Singaporean regulators as we gear up to launch our first products for restaurant launch in 2024,” said Hans Huistra, COO of Meatable. “Over the past four years, we’ve been constantly innovating and developing our technology to get it to the stage where we can perfectly recreate some of the meat products we all know and love. ESCO Aster will enable us in developing, upscaling and realizing our first consumer products, together we will make a positive impact on the Singaporean meat industry.”

    Single-cell tech

    Meatable says its proprietary opti-ox technology will revolutionize the cultivated meat industry. It says it’s working with a single-cell sample technology that is the fastest in the field. Earlier this month Umami Meats said it had patented a single-cell technology for its cultivated seafood.

    Meatable has also achieved its cultivated pork mince without the need for fetal bovine serum, a controversial media being phased out of the industry.

    lab worker
    Photo by Julia Koblitz via Unsplash

    A growing number of cultivated meat facilities have popped up across the planet in the last 18 months—and most promise production capacity capable of delivering tens of thousands of pounds of cultivated meat per year. But thus far, only ESCO Aster’s facility has obtained regulatory approval to produce cultivated meat in Singapore, which is also the only government in the world to approve cultivated meat for sale and consumption. While that’s expected to change soon, there are no confirmed timelines for other countries to approve cultivated meat nor are there any approval timelines for factory approvals.

    Singapore has been leading the race to a more sustainable food system with its 30 by 30 strategy—producing 30 percent of its food needs by 2030. Singapore currently imports 90 percent of its food.

    Lead image courtesy of Meatable.

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  • India’s Licious Adds Veggie Chicken and Lamb As It Moves to Take Over the Category

    curry
    3 Mins Read

    Licious, the Temasek-backed Indian meat company, has announced the launch of UnCrave, its first foray into vegetarian meat.

    The new launch will see Licious work directly with consumers on the UnCrave products, focusing on Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru initially, with more cities to come over the next year. Licious is a leading DTC meat company delivering about two million orders a month with a 90 percent repeat order rate.  

    India’s plant-based shift

    “India has about 100 days in a year where meat consumers cannot eat their favourite animal meat, and that is exactly where we’re positioning ourselves. Animal meat eaters who cannot consume meat on those 100 days are our target audience, not the vegetarians, because they’re anyway not used to the texture, else they would have converted. If they do try UnCrave, they’ll be a bonus for us,” Simeran Bhasin, business head, alternative protein, Licious, said in a statement.

    Licious says it spent about two years developing the products; it’s launching with vegetarian versions of chicken and lamb, with fish on the way.

    Think tank The Good Food Institute India worked with Licious on the development and launch. “Licious understands the meat consumer better than pretty much anybody else,” Varun Deshpande, Managing Director of GFI India said in a LinkedIn post. “[And] if they can do the same for plant-based, this foray will be fantastic for the entire category.”

    Licious products
    Licious products | Courtesy

    The company says it is also starting to look to acquire smaller startups in the emergent plant-based space. According to Bhasin, more than 100 startups have launched vegetarian meat in India over the last several years, and acquiring companies will help to secure its stronghold in the emerging plant-based category. Licious wants to be the category leader, Bhasin said.

    The world’s leading meat companies have begun to edge into the plant-based categories; plant-based meat earns the category leaders about ten percent of revenue at present. But recent research suggests the category is in an S-curve trajectory where mainstream acceptance and a market penetration tipping point expected within the next few years.

    Scaling up

    According to Bhasin, the margins are healthier for plant-based meat compared with conventional animal meat. But price parity at retail still remains a challenge.

    “Plant-based meat products are at a premium price point and are not for everyone to eat everyday. The raw materials sourcing and other factors need to be scaled up as we progress and bring in the economies of scale, to lower prices, that is a challenge we need to overcome,” Bhasin said. 

    India vegan meat brand GoodDot

    Meat consumption has been on the rise in India in recent years, but demand for plant-based has also climbed, estimated to see a $400 million value in the next few years. Licious has raised nearly $500 million from investors including Temasek, the Singaporean government’s holding company, along with Bertelsmann Investments, Avendus, and others. The company is now valued at about $1.5 billion.

    Lead photo by Canva

    The post India’s Licious Adds Veggie Chicken and Lamb As It Moves to Take Over the Category appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Forget Recent Sales, Widespread Vegan Meat Adoption Is Inevitable, Says Report

    burgers
    5 Mins Read

    New analysis suggests alternative protein and vegan meat is in the early phase of an “S” adoption curve. And by the next decade, there will likely be a tipping point.

    The new findings come as plant-based meat sales have waned; a recent analysis found a ten-percent drop in sales in the 52-week period ending September 4th. But that’s not likely to signal the end for sustainable protein, according to Dr, Catherine Tubb, Director of Research at Synthesis Capital. Tubb also co-authored the RethinkX report, Rethinking Food & Agriculture 2020-2030 The Second Domestication of Plants and Animals, the Disruption of the Cow, and the Collapse of Industrial Livestock Farming.

    “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 Impossible Whopper has been a tentpole achievement for alternative protein | Courtesy Burger King

    According to Tubb, S-curve adoption isn’t limited to information technologies; ingredients and pharmaceuticals have experienced the same adoption profile. She cites insulin, which saw two concurrent adoption S-curves with animal insulin disrupted by human insulin which was disrupted by synthetic human insulin.

    Novel protein technology, both in the plant-based sector and cultivated meat, is experiencing a similar trajectory, Hubb says. The S-curve happens typically in two phases: the first is the period before the tipping point—where rational consumers make a switch based on cost and capabilities, and the second phase follows with exponential growth.

    Phase One

    “During Phase One, which is where we are today for alternative proteins, early adopters are driven by social or environmental reasons rather than cost and taste,” says Hubb.

    “However, these products are yet to fully enter the mainstream; the costs are still high relative to traditional methods, or the quality, (in this case, taste, and texture), is not as good. Absolute sales numbers and the market share percentages are still very low (market share estimates for alternative proteins are only around one percent). While the market shows strong potential, this phase can be marked by volatile growth, which is expected so early on in a product’s lifecycle: absolute numbers are small and therefore growth can be disproportionately large or small. In addition, alternative products are still more expensive and cannot compete on taste and functionality with conventional products. We are seeing this today for plant-based meat in the U.S. which is seeing a significant slowdown in growth in 2021 versus 2020 (and the preliminary numbers indicate a further slowdown in 2022).”

    future of protein
    Courtesy Synthesis Capital

    Price parity is a key factor in widespread adoption, particularly as recession fears grow. Hubb says price parity will likely come within the next few years.

    But plant-based meat as well as bio-fermented and cultivated meat (that latter is not yet approved for sale in key markets such as the U.S.), also face the challenge of taste and texture. Cultivated meat has an advantage on taste and texture for the most part, but it’s battling other factors, including acceptance of the technology; biofermentation also faces similar challenges—these misunderstood technologies have been widely met with criticisms, GMO comparisons, and safety concerns.

    Further complicating the tipping point goal is the artificially low cost of conventional animal products. “The traditional animal agriculture system is protected by sunk costs in infrastructure, benefits from large economies of scale and is supported by legislation and policy,” says Hubb. “Value chains are mature, and public opinion remains, for the most part, supportive, as customers are accustomed and attached to their roast dinner or BBQ steak. We still have work to do to get to the tipping point for alternative proteins. Products still need to be cheaper, more convenient and taste better.”

    Phase Two

    But once these barriers have been broken, adoption happens exponentially faster. This is the second phase. Hubb says that while the tipping point can vary, it typically happens when market share for a new product or tech reaches between ten to 20 percent saturation.

    “At this point,” she says, “growth accelerates, as not only is one industry growing, but another is imploding as it struggles to capture investment, sees revenues and profits fall, and generally undergoes a ‘death spiral.’” The factors that once served to slow widespread adoption accelerate the category’s growth.

    “Lower costs and better products drive demand, investment in capacity and infrastructure drive supply and regulation can move in favour of the new system,” Hubb says.

    future of protein
    Courtesy Synthesis Capital

    “Imagine in ten years the introduction of a ‘meat’ tax. Just like we have for sugar in the UK, and many countries around the world, from Mexico to South Africa. These will all act as powerful accelerators to the alternative protein industry and also act as brakes to the incumbent industry. Traditional animal-based products will face a death spiral of increasing costs, lower demand, and a loss of investment, and the companies will consequently face bankruptcy. For alternative proteins, we expect the exponential adoption phase will be reached through the 2030s.”

    On this path growth can stagnate, as we’ve seen over the last year, says Hubb. And animal agriculture won’t disappear entirely, it will just slowly decline.

    And, she says, there will be laggards and non-adopters, “as we see for other technological disruptions.”

    But, Hubb says the analysis reinforces a conviction in the “significant opportunity” in investing in alternative proteins and the transformation of the food system. “The speed of technological development in the sector demonstrates that we are well on the way towards a tipping point, and that exponential growth will follow.”

    Lead photo courtesy Polina Tankilevitch via Pexels

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  • Thailand’s Ambitious Plan to Become the ‘Silicon Valley of Food’

    bangkok
    3 Mins Read

    Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA) SPACE-F project is aimed at bringing investment opportunities to the Thai food tech sector and creating the Silicon Valley of food for Southeast Asia.

    According to Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director of NIA, food security has been a challenge around the world in the wake of the pandemic. Likewise, the rapidly increasing global population, climate change, and a decline in agricultural labor, along with food waste, have made food security a “serious issue” that needs to be solved.

    The agency launched the SPACE-F program in 2019 to incubate and accelerate the growth of Thailand’s food tech startups through mentorships, business connections, and co-working programs and it continues its support in scaling up the sector through its 2022 edition of SPACE-F.

    NIA Accelerates Thai FoodTech Startups to Steer Bangkok Towards Becoming FoodTech Silicon Valley Through SPACE-F Project

    Dr. Chairatana points to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report from the UN, which showed ten percent of the global population—more than 800 million people—are now suffering from hunger.

    Thailand has sufficient raw materials to serve growing demands, Dr. Chairatana says. And it also has a top-notch logistics service. “These attributes make the Thai food industry exceptional and position Thailand as the kitchen of the world,” Dr. Chairatana says. But, he says, utilization of technology and innovation is lacking.

    Accelerating food tech growth

    “Most of the players in the sector are stuck at the SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) level where their focuses are mainly on domestic consumption. The NIA, therefore, stepped in to encourage the use of innovation in this particular industry. Intending to feed the world through innovation, the ‘SPACE-F’ project has initiated in 2019 to incubate and accelerate the growth of FoodTech startups in Thailand,” Dr. Chairatana says.

    “The project brings together FoodTech startups and corporates through innovative mentorship, business connections, and a co-working program. SPACE-F provides a prominent platform to encourage entrepreneurial startups to embrace deep tech and innovation to bring advancement to their business and the food industry. Selected startups then will be mentored to take on Southeast Asian and global markets,” he said.

    The SPACE-F project says it has facilitated a suitable and conducive ecosystem for the development of deep tech for the food industry. Now, it’s looking to encourage the creation of innovative products and services. “Innovative service helps attract joint venture investment, and enhance competitiveness as most competitors are often focused solely on innovative manufacturing,” it says.

    OMG Shrimp launched in August from leading seafood company, Thai Union

    It will continue to provide mentorship for startups through its programs ranging from the Incubator for new face startups and the Accelerator mentorship that speeds the growth of startups by adding value to the existing business.

    A sustainable food system

    With Covid restrictions easing, it’s also looking to attract foreign food techs to Bangkok with funding from Thai companies. “This will enable Thai entrepreneurs and startups to use more of deep-tech, learn international business models, and exchange innovative knowledge that is crucial for the sustainable growth of their food businesses.”

    Innovation is happening from established Thai-based companies, too. Earlier this year, leading seafood producer Thai Union launched a plant-based shrimp alternative.

    “By the end of 2025, the FoodTech industry is expected to be worth 7.76 trillion baht,” Dr. Chairatana said. “And with our vision and commitment to supporting the startup ecosystem, NIA will continue to drive Bangkok towards becoming the Food Silicon Valley,” he said.

    Since SPACE-F launched three years ago, it has mentored more than 50 FoodTech startups. “Graduates from the project are now blossoming and have received continued investment from the private sector, especially the Alternative Proteins,” Dr. Chairatana said. “These new economic warriors will play pivotal roles in shaping the sustainable future of global food security.”

    Lead photo by Evan Krause on Unsplash

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  • Vegan Meat Leader Impossible Foods Lays Off 6% of Staff Despite Steady Growth. What’s Next?

    4 Mins Read

    Impossible Foods, the Bay Area vegan meat brand behind Burger King’s Impossible Whopper, says it recently laid off six percent of its workforce. Is it a sign of more cuts or more growth ahead?

    According to Impossible Foods’ CEO Peter McGuinness, the recent spate of layoffs come as part of the company’s restructuring, following his appointment as CEO in April. McGuiness said in a memo to employees that the layoffs involve “roles that have become redundant to others in the organization or that are no longer aligned with our core business priorities.”

    Plant-based meat sales on the decline

    The news comes as reports of sales cooling for plant-based meat. According to recent data from Information Resources Inc., sales of refrigerated plant-based meat products have dropped more than ten percent in the 52 weeks ending September 4.

    “Proteins that were cheaper on a price-per-pound basis did fare better,” Jonna Parker, a fresh food specialist with Information Resources Inc. told Forbes. She said the price of vegan meat may be a factor as inflation has hit consumers hard in recent months.

    Impossible Europe
    Courtesy Impossible Foods

    But despite the category decline, Impossible Foods says it saw revenue grow 70 percent in 2022. By all accounts, 2022 has, so far, been a banner year for the brand. It launched its vegan beef in New Zealand and Australia in the spring and partnered with Kroger to develop co-branded vegan meat products. Over the summer, its Burger King partnership expanded to include Impossible Chicken patties in select locations while it also made its Asian debut in Hong Kong and launched sausages and nuggets in the U.K. Impossible also ramped up its food service items following California’s announcement that it was earmarking funds to bring more plant-based options to the state’s public schools.

    But is it just a matter of time before the category leader sees sales decline, too?

    Experts at Deloitte say it’s not just inflation that’s got consumers pinching closed their pocketbooks when it comes to purchasing plant-based meat. A survey conducted by the organization over the summer found declining beliefs that plant-based meat is healthier and better for the environment than conventional meat. Those have historically been two of the leading reasons consumers shift to plant-based products.

    “We have a lot of room to go,” McGuinness said, adding that consumers still have “low awareness” and “low understanding” about plant-based foods. “The category in and of itself has done a pretty lousy job of communicating it, and we haven’t done a great job either,” he said.

    But despite the struggles, the brand’s plant-based burger has become totemic for Burger King, which recently hosted several vegan and meat-free pop-ups around the world, as well as expanded its Impossible offerings in the U.S. But other launches, like Impossible’s recent sausage addition to the Cracker Barrel menu, earned the brand—and the vegan category—backlash.

    A Facebook post on the Cracker Barrel announcement saw more than 11,000 comments, many of which accused the rest-stop chain of being “woke” for adding the vegan sausage option.

    Photo by Impossible Foods.

    The new layoffs by Impossible Foods also come as JBS USA announced it was shutting down its plant-based meat business, Planterra. Canada’s Maple Leaf Foods’ Greenleaf Foods also recently cut employees.

    Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods’ chief competitor, has also recently announced cuts—the latest in a string of struggles. It recently cut its sales projections for the year from $560 million to $620 million down to $470 million to $520 million. McDonald’s, which had been testing the Beyond-based McPlant burger at more than 600 U.S. locations, recently pulled the test off the menu. Unlike the success of the Impossible Whopper for Burger King, McDonald’s says it struggled to meet sales projections and customer enthusiasm stateside for the burger. That’s not the case in other markets, like the Netherlands, where McDonald’s just made the McPlant a permanent menu item.

    A possible future

    But Impossible says it’s seeing good cash positions, solid balance sheets, and growing at 65 to 70 percent. It has also begun accelerating its global expansion and new product offerings.

    “[W]e still need to prioritize the projects and initiatives that will best fuel our business and mission as we prepare for our next phase of growth,” McGuinness told Impossible Foods’ employees in a recent memo announcing the layoffs. McGuinness says it’s part of the company’s planned “hypergrowth.”

    That growth may come via founder Pat Brown who left the CEO position in April to become Chief Visionary Officer, moving McGuinness from COO to replace him as CEO. Last month, Brown announced he was leaving that position, too, in order to helm a new venture—a research-focused spinoff currently dubbed Impossible Labs—which is expected to focus on the “transformative innovation that will propel Impossible Foods to achieve our mission.”

    Lead image courtesy Impossible Foods

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  • Umami Meats Patents Novel Single-Cell Tech to Bring Down Cultivated Seafood Costs

    fish
    3 Mins Read

    Singapore-based Umami Meats has filed a patent for a novel single-stem cell technology that it says can build both muscle and fat in cultivated seafood.

    The new patent for mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lines from fish is aimed at helping Umami meats make its cultivated seafood more accessible by lowering costs and scaling production. Current standards for cultivated meat and seafood require multiple cell lines and types to produce muscle and fat. Umami says its new MSC technology reduces that to one cell line and one production line for a variety of tissues. The company has also created plant-based and algae-based growth media that it says are cheaper and easier to scale. The cost of growth factors has historically been a roadblock to price parity with conventional meat.

    ‘Faster and more efficient cell growth’

    “So far, we have established MSC lines from three species, including our flagship species, Japanese eel. This innovative approach to cell lines builds the foundation for faster and more efficient cell growth. Our technology advances are a critical driver of lowering costs, increasing scalability, and making cultivated seafood affordable for mainstream consumers,” Mihir Pershad, Founder and CEO of Umami Meats, said in a statement.

    According to the organization WorldFish, global seafood demand is expected to double by 2050 despite the pressures already being felt by the world’s oceans and fisheries. Umami Meats says its cultivated fish and seafood play a critical role in addressing rising global demand.

    Photo by Caroline Attwood at Unsplash.

    “What makes Umami Meats different in the cultivated food industry is our method for cultivating premium seafood with the vision of reducing overfishing of endangered and difficult-to-farm species,” Pershad said. “Our single-stem cell method will be a game changer in enabling us to reduce the price of cultivated premium seafood to match that of traditionally-sourced fish.”

    Umami Meats says cultivated seafood can also address contamination risks widespread in wild-caught and farm-raised fish. “Advancements in cultivated seafood technologies could help address health risks like mercury and microplastic contamination in seafood or the growing risk of extinction for dozens of the most consumed seafood species,” the company said.

    Alternative seafood demand

    A recent survey by Good Food Institute APAC found a growing number of Asian consumers are shifting away from conventional seafood in favor of alternatives because of contaminants including heavy metals and microplastic. Plant-based seafood options are already making waves in the category, and while cultivated meat offers a solution, the category has yet to receive widespread regulatory approval outside of Singapore. By 2030, cultivated meat and seafood have the potential of becoming a $25 billion market, a recent McKinsey report noted.

    Cultivated seafood also addresses the increasing depletion of key species. Some species of eel and tuna, for example, are facing the threat of extinction if current fishing practices and ocean threats continue.

    fish
    Courtesy Martin Widenka via Unsplash

    “We know it will take multiple scientific and production process breakthroughs to make cultivated seafood affordable. But we are committed for the long term because we want premium cultivated seafood to be an everyday option for consumers,” Pershad said.

    ‘’The team is working diligently to shift the cost paradigm and will be increasingly leveraging advanced machine learning tools to accelerate the process of optimizing and scaling up production,’’ Pershad said. “The promise of cultivated seafood is compelling; our priority is bringing the tremendous potential of our scientific breakthroughs to commercial viability. We want to realize that promise and bring it to sufficient scale to create real impact for the world.”

    The announcement comes just days after California-based BlueNalu announced it developed technology to help it achieve scalability and reduce production costs by 75 percent for its cultivated seafood.

    Lead image courtesy of Pexels.

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  • ‘It’s Scary For Businesses To Take Risks’: Britty Mann of Planted Society on Vegan Menu Activism

    10 Mins Read

    This November, the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability is launching a month-long plant-based restaurant campaign and it’s all thanks to Britty Mann. Green Queen‘s Sonalie Figueiras talks to the Austin, Texas-based food educator and community activist about her mission to empower local chefs and restaurants to decarbonize their menus.

    Britty Mann was tired of the lack of vegan options in her home city so she created a platform for change. Just a few short years later, Planted Society has helped add hundreds of plant-based dishes items on restaurant menus, inspired restaurants to become fully vegan, and is about to debut a sponsored partnership with the City of Austin during the month of November dubbed ‘Plant Based for the Planet Challenge’, which will see local restaurants promote a variety of activations from free coffees with plant-based meals to eliminating plant-based milk surcharges and chefs creating special daily meat-free dishes.

    Below, I talk to Britty about how her mission has evolved, what has surprised her most about her journey, whether restaurant menus are inclusive enough, and whether the future is vegan.

    Brunch Bar x Planted Society

    What was the mission of Planted Society when you started versus what the mission is now?

    Britty Mann: I was running my local nonprofit ATX Vegans back in 2016 when I started a project pressuring non-vegan restaurants to serve more vegan food in my home of Austin, Texas. We were genuinely just interested in branching out from our regular spaces since the crowds at our events were getting bigger and it felt risky to invite folks out knowing we might fill the space before everyone could arrive. As much as I like to support fully vegan restaurants, omnivore restaurants around town had bigger seating areas and outdoor spaces, though many lacked good vegan options. I figured a “Vegan Night” was the least they could do if we were guaranteeing that 60-70 people would come out to dine, and we continued calling them “Vegan Nights” before I branched it out to become Planted Society.

    Back then, our only mission was to make Austin restaurants a little more vegan-friendly, but I quickly recognized that I could utilize our existing work to help local businesses navigate customer demand for more plant-based options. It can be scary for restaurants to implement even the simplest menu change since common mistakes can lead to high costs and low returns for businesses already working with razor-thin margins.

    Since inception, we’ve been able to help add just under 300 plant-based menu items at restaurants in Austin, Houston, Boston, and Chicago, including permanently converting 5 restaurants to 100% plant-based. Since we have outgrown our original home base, we decided this year to officially register Planted Society as a nonprofit and are preparing for a big year ahead, including seeking funding and grants to support our current work and grow our programming. Our projects currently include a partnership with the AVA Summit and the Plant Based for the Planet initiative, which is our largest to date. We have plans for initiatives with local school districts, hospitals, grocery chains, and more that we cannot wait to announce in the coming weeks and months.

    What has surprised you most about your journey with Planted?

    Britty Mann: What never fails to surprise me is the willingness and enthusiasm I receive from chefs, managers, and owners about the possibility of going completely vegan for a night or adding menu options. I begin every new relationship assuming I’m going to spend a lot of my time convincing, arguing, and pleading for folks to work with our programming – but with nearly every partnership, I’m met with the same sentiment: Managers and owners saying ‘I have been thinking that this might be a good idea and I just haven’t had the time to really sit down and think about how to do it. Or chefs saying ‘I love coming up with new things and this gives me a fun challenge.’

    Like many veteran vegans, I can’t help but pinch myself when I see businesses that want to cater to our needs or have perhaps already been trying to do so. Sometimes it just helps to have someone like Planted Society come in and make sure it gets done the right way.

    Black Star Co-Op x Planted Society

    Do you believe there is a future where everyone is vegan?

    Britty Mann: There was a time when I was certain a vegan future was possible as long as we never stopped fighting for it, even if I wasn’t lucky enough to be around by then. Though I’m still hopeful for that future, the goalpost for me is a lot simpler: I just want to make sure that veganism is as easy as possible for everyone who wants it. And the more work I do in this space, the more I see how necessary it is for activists, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers to remove barriers to veganism in any way that they can. My mission now is really just to make it as appealing as possible for everyone to make choices that benefit the planet and everyone on it. I think I’d be happy enough with that future.

    Britty Mann, founder of Planted Society

    Why is it so hard for restaurants to add vegan menu items? What type of feedback/pushback do you get most often?

    Britty Mann: The truth is that it’s usually not very hard for restaurants to add vegan menu items, it’s really just scary for businesses to take risks.

    Entrepreneurs and chefs express the same fears that we hear from friends and family: it’s too expensive, I don’t have time, it’s not going to stick, I’ll lose the respect of people I like and if it’s not ‘broke, why fix it? For businesses, this translates to fears about heightened food and labor costs paired with the prospect of losing existing customers and not gaining enough new customers to make up for those expected walk-outs.

    Chefs and owners are even more risk-averse after surviving a pandemic where restaurants were hit particularly hard, and considering that the industry as a whole is experiencing very real staffing difficulties post-quarantine, it’s no surprise that many are seeking a distraction-free path back to safety.

    Luckily, as soon as we come in, most of those arguments are out the window. It’s our job to show them that working with Planted Society is not a charitable favor (though we are a charity!) or a distraction, but can actually be part of a supply-chain-centered business strategy that can help lower their food costs, empower their kitchen staff, attract new customers and gain the respect of the community.

    What has been the reaction of consumers at the participating F&B outlets? Has this driven sales? Or have the menu items attracted flexitarians who would have otherwise eaten animal foods?

    Britty Mann: Though we like to say our target audience is anyone who likes plant-based food, the overwhelming majority of RSVP’s may come from members of the vegan community, though self-described omnivores and flexitarians are eating these dishes just as much if not more often than vegans. As we tell our restaurant partners, vegans are often the ones who get to choose where the group eats.

    Pre-pandemic, our activations ended in massive sales gains for our restaurant partners: anywhere from 35% sales increases to triple what they would normally see in a given period. Post-pandemic, we’re still trying to find an average expectation to share with partners that doesn’t artificially inflate the value of our program in these times. We can definitely still boast that partners should expect at least a 10-15% increase in sales during our activations, and we see that the longer we stay out of quarantine, the more that number is rising.

    Food is political in many ways. Do you see veganism as a political movement?

    Britty Mann: Though food is inherently political, I don’t see veganism itself as a political movement. I think advocates can allow themselves to think bigger by acknowledging that veganism is simply one of many disinvestment strategies that can work within several existing political movements. Animal rights, civil rights, environmental justice, healthcare…the list goes on… are all inextricably linked to consumption, and I think veganism is a great example of an individual boycott that can help support positive outcomes that aid the goals of larger movements.

    Do you see an overlap between the DEI movement/larger social justice movements and getting more vegan dishes on restaurant menus?

    Britty Mann: I am a firm believer that there is not one single strategy that will, in itself, solve the social and environmental crises that are caused by animal consumption, but I do believe we can help move money away from harmful industries by making vegan food available and affordable on as many menus as possible.

    Since Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-income communities are disproportionately and inequitably affected by animal agriculture, I believe that the fight for animal rights and environmental justice is inextricably connected to any anti-racist movement. We have a long way to go in making that connection a more purposeful, inclusive, and equitable one.

    Planted Society is, first and foremost, an organization that utilizes the inherent power of local public demand, so I think that our programs can be a meaningful resource to individuals and existing BIPGM-led grassroots organizations in the fight for food sovereignty, including efforts to eradicate food apartheids and food swamps. As we grow, my hope is that we are able to reach as many communities as possible, and that we can do our small part to make the overlap between animal advocacy and other social justice movements a more inclusive and intentional one.

    Planted Society x City of Austin’s November 2022 ‘Plant Based for The Planet’ campaign

    Tell us more about your partnership with the City of Austin. How did that happen? What are your goals with this? Do you see this as a potential framework/template for other cities?

    Britty Mann: This November, we are partnering with over 30 businesses in Austin to incentivize individuals to choose plant-based options when dining out. Each small-business partner is making a meaningful contribution to the challenge: Some are adding vegan dishes to their menu for the month, some are offering sizable discounts when customers choose a plant-based entree, and some are even giving away free food and beverages. At the end of the challenge, we’ll survey the community to determine the best dishes and give away some great prizes to individuals as well.

    Our campaign is focused not only on sending the existing plant-based community into new spaces, but reaching everyone who dines out in Austin with the message that we don’t have to sacrifice quality and taste to make small choices that positively impact the planet. Because so many Austinites are already making efforts in their own lives to lessen their carbon footprint, we estimate that a large number of restaurant patrons will be enthusiastic about participating.

    Because this is a city-wide, environmentally-focused campaign, the City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability was interested in sponsoring it since it aligned with the goals of Austin’s Climate Equity Plan. When they agreed to come on board, I was both thrilled and intimidated, and I have to say that it certainly has helped motivate me to make this the best program possible. We want to be able to use this as a blueprint so we can partner with existing organizations in cities around the country, and I’m happy to say those conversations have already started.

    Do you think local governments should be actively working to decarbonize their citizens’ plates?

    Britty Mann: Though many cities are making some effort to acknowledge the growing climate crisis, actually demonstrating a commitment to climate initiatives is easier said than done. I’m lucky to live in a region of Texas where a Climate Plan even exists, let alone one that addresses equity issues. And out of those who are pushing climate initiatives, so few of them are emphasizing anything other than transportation and landfill-related emissions solutions.

    I think that while it’s incredibly important and impactful when local governments sponsor, enact or legislate in the direction of a more sustainable local food system, any initiative is really at the mercy of what the public is willing to fight for. The best way to create local change is to support the efforts of existing grassroots organizations working with city governments, and if those don’t exist, sometimes you can even start one yourself!

    Lead image courtesy of Planted Society.

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  • BlueNalu Demonstrates Scalability and 75% Profit Margin for Cultivated Seafood

    3 Mins Read

    Cultivated seafood company BlueNalu says it has ‘cracked the code’ to significant profitability with 75 percent gross margins achieved through breakthrough technology.

    With its first large-scale facility and novel technology for its first product—bluefin tuna—San Diego-based BlueNalu says its operating and capital costs for production will yield a significant gross margin of 75 percent.

    “We believe that BlueNalu is the only company in the cell-cultured seafood industry to overcome each of these technology and market challenges, which will result in a scalable and highly profitable solution with demonstrable consumer benefits,” Lou Cooperhouse, co-founder, president and CEO at BlueNalu, said in a statement. “We are pleased to announce today that we have ‘cracked the code’ for creating significant profitability with our cell-cultured bluefin tuna toro and a series of other higher-value products that will follow.” 

    Cultivated meat scalability, affordability

    The biggest challenges facing the cultured meat category include scalability and costs. BlueNalu says it has overcome these challenges, which will help advance it to market.

    One of the pieces to the puzzle is a non-GMO, single-cell suspension line with growth rates aimed at accelerating the scale-up to larger bioreactors.

    BlueNalu’s 140,000 sq. ft facility will be able to produce six million pounds of seafood annually once operational in 2027. The company moved into its recently expanded 38,000 sq. ft pilot production facility earlier this year. It’s working there to scale its bluefin tuna and complete processes needed for regulatory approval, expected within the next few years.

    Courtesy BlueNalu

    “This also includes a revolutionary lipid-loading technique, that is projected to result in a significant reduction in capital expenditures and enable the company to make products with higher fat profiles and sensory attributes, such as the toro portion of bluefin tuna,” the company says. It has also designed downstream processes that allow continuous production and eliminate plant-based scaffolds, which it says can affect product cookability, scalability and flavor.  

    Scientific milestones

    “Over the past four years, our team has achieved remarkable scientific milestones which enable us to overcome the fundamental technology barriers required for success,” said Lauran Madden, Ph.D., CTO at BlueNalu.

    “In tandem with the plans for commercialization of our bluefin tuna, our team has continued to explore additional species using our platform technology,” she said. “So far, we have developed hundreds of cell lines for eight different finfish species, and we have initiated projects to expand into other premium seafood categories.”   

    Courtesy BlueNalu

    BlueNalu validated its achievements with an in-depth techno-economic analysis performed in tandem with a leading global Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firm and experts in bioprocess modeling. The analysis found using the single-cell suspension and lipid-loading tech could reduce costs by more than five times.

    “We believe these landmark technologies, when combined with high-value, high-demand seafood products, are the winning equation to long term financial success,” said Amir Feder, CFO at BlueNalu. “Our projected 75 percent gross margin within the first year of production of our large-scale facility is unheard of in the food industry. This sets a very strong growth trajectory for the company, as we introduce additional products and establish new facilities around the globe.”   

    Lead image courtesy Blue Nalu.

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  • Is High Protein Bread the Next Big Plant-Based Trend?

    Equii bread
    3 Mins Read

    Food tech startup Equii has closed a $6 million seed funding round for its proprietary microbial protein-based bread. Is this a new frontier for plant-based food?

    The seed funding round was led by Khosla Ventures, which also supported Impossible Foods in its early days. The new funding builds on $2 million in previous investments including funding from kdT Ventures, 1derlife Partners, Accelr8 Partners, Axial Ventures, and angel investors in the food tech space.

    Equii

    The company was founded by Monica Bhatia, PhD and Baljit Ghotra, PhD,. Both bring extensive food industry experience, working with companies including Cargill, Mondelez, ADM, and more recently, novel tech startups Geltor and Nature’s Fynd.

    Nature’s Fynd cream cheese.

    Equii, formerly Cella Foods, launched last year, using tech to ferment grains and turn then into high-protein flour. The Equii flour contains three to six times more protein than conventional flour, half the carbohydrates, and all of the essential amino acids, the company says. One slice of its bread contains ten grams of protein—nearly as much as two eggs.

    “We’ve been able to check the box on every single metric in terms of how this bread is similar to regular bread,” Dr. Bhatia said. “Bread is very simple when you bake it at home. It’s just water, flour, a little bit of fat, some salt and yeast and sugar. Our ingredient deck is pretty much that, other than our protein, and we add a little bit of natural preservative.”

    Bread’s image problem

    Bread has struggled with image problems in recent years as diets like Paleo and Keto eschew it for its high carbohydrate content. But as a staple food, it provides sustenance to billions of people around the world. Generally an inexpensive source of food, high-protein bread could also help bring a healthy option to the millions of children who rely on the public school system for several meals a day.

    bread
    Courtesy Pexels

    “At Khosla Ventures, we seek out companies that have the ability to make a massive impact on society,” Alice Brooks, principal at Khosla Ventures, said in a statement. “Equii is redefining the natural staples of our diet—starting with bread—to make healthier nutrition more accessible, and we are excited to back them on their journey.”

    “Bread, a household staple, is our debutant product,” Dr. Ghotra, said in a statement. “Beyond bread, Equii’s world-class team is developing a pipeline of products that include high-protein pasta, nutrition bars, and snack foods to provide healthy food options throughout the day. We are on the lookout for partners who share our mission of bringing sustainable and healthy foods to the consumer globally.”

    Equii is working to bring its high-protein bread into a range of food service locations this year.

    Lead image courtesy Equii.

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  • Asia’s First Dairy-Free Festival Is a Signal of the APAC Market Potential

    Alt Dairy China
    4 Mins Read

    Last month, Jakarta held Asia’s very first dairy-free festival and alternative milk latte art competition in a strong showing of the category potential across the region.

    Organized by the Jakarta Vegan Guide, the Generasi Dairy-Free Festival, the first dairy-free and plant-based festival in Asia, featured more than 40 brands and hosted over 3,000 attendees. The event was held from September 22-25 at Tribeca Park, Central Park Mall Jakarta.

    Jakarta Vegan Guide told Green Queen that the event was designed to target millennials and Gen Z consumers, many of whom are aware of the negative impacts of consuming animal dairy products and are attracted to the growing plant-based dairy trend that dovetails with the coffee culture boom occurring in metro areas across Indonesia.

    Dairy-free Asia

    According to a recent survey by Rakuten Insight, plant-based milk is the leading plant-based category in Indonesia ahead of plant-based meat and other plant-based products. Indonesians aged 40-54 years make up the majority of plant-based milk consumers. According to Jakarta Vegan Guide, many Indonesians in this age bracket tend to perceive animal dairy products as highly processed and excessively sweet and try to avoid them due to concerns about diabetes. Research from 2020 found that over 10 million Indonesians have diabetes, and this number is growing.

    Interest in dairy-free milk, cheese, and other products is on the rise across Asian countries as lactose intolerance affects up to 90 percent of the population. In Indonesia, a 2021 study found that 66 percent of adults are lactose intolerant. Dairy is also a driving force in climate change, with animal agriculture responsible for about 15 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.

    Indonesian coffee chain Janji Jiwa has over 900 outlets in over 100 cities.

    “Our aim is to dispel the myth that dairy-free creations are impossible to realize and the common assumption that these creations are boring, tasteless and unappetizing. Therefore, we picked only distinguished brands that we were sure everyone would enjoy,” Jakarta Vegan Guide co-founder Firmansyah Mastup, said in a statement.

    The event offered a range of plant-based food, including ice cream, gelato, coffee dan, and other beverages all made with dairy-free milk.

    “We made sure that our selection of tenants, especially the food and beverage stalls, catered to various types of dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, nut-free and sugar-free,” Mastup said.

    Alternative Milk Latte Art Competition

    The festival featured workshops and talks, as well as the Alternative Milk Latte Art Competition. It was sponsored by Oatly, Milk Lab, V-Soy, and Orasi. The content was judged by Indonesian Latte Art Championship 2019-2021 winner Restu Hadam Hasan and accompanied by Edo Huang and Azi Kardian Wicaksono. Lutfi Maulana, Ega Riandi, and Benedict Giovaldo were named the first, second, and third place winners of the competition.

    “With the rise of veganism and the alternative milk industry in Indonesia, we believe that coffee chains everywhere must have at least one alternative milk option in their line-up,” reasons Jakarta Vegan Guide co-founder and Generasi Dairy-Free Festival initiator Chandra Revo. “Through this festival, and particularly events such as AMLAC and AMCE, we wanted to encourage coffee chains in Indonesia to provide more dairy-free products in their menu, including non-dairy coffee as well as plant-based snacks, sweets, and light bites, if not also the main dishes.”

    The Alternative Latte Art Competition
    The Alternative Latte Art Competition | Courtesy Jakarta Vegan Guide

    The latte art competition comes as Indonesia’s coffee culture is on the rise. Revo says the event wanted to challenge baristas who are already crafting dairy-based beverages to use dairy-free options. The team is also working to help bring exposure to coffee chains that already offer plant-based milk.

    According to recent Mintel data, Asian consumers aren’t just swapping out dairy for their health. Many are doing it for the environment, too. In India, 33 percent said they’re reducing animal products. In South Korea, 71 percent said climate change is impacting their purchasing decisions. In China, 57 percent of urban consumers say the environment has become a higher priority. Mintel reports that in the 12-month period ending in May 2021, nearly half (47 percent) of new dairy-free products had sustainability claims.

    “The growth in eco-conscious, or ‘green’, food and drink consumers, increased focus on animal welfare, and higher priority placed on sustainability all present opportunities for manufacturers and brands in the plant-based dairy category,” Tan Heng Hong, APAC Food and Drink Analyst said in a statement. “Brands in the milk and yogurt sector should take plant-based diets, animal welfare, and sustainability into account when innovating new products and updating manufacturing practices, and highlight the benefits they offer when engaging with consumers.”

    Lead image courtesy Jakarta Vegan Guide.

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  • Vow Opens One of the Largest Cultivated Meat Factories In the World Ahead of Anticipated Regulatory Approval

    Workers at the Vow Factory 1
    3 Mins Read

    Australian cultivated meat company Vow has unveiled Factory 1, its NSW-based factory capable of producing 30 tons of cultured meat per year.

    Coinciding with the opening of Factory 1 in Alexandria in Sydney, Vow says it has started developing Factory 2, which can produce 100 times the amount of cultured meat as its sister site. Factory 2 is expected to be online in 2024.

    Factory 1

    “With Factory 1 Vow has quietly become a world leader in cultured meat, we are now operating at world leading scales and have achieved all of this in just three and a half years, with a fraction of the capital,” Vow’s CEO George Peppou said in a statement.

    Vow claims the factory, which is now up and running, is the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and is a sign of things to come out of Australia. Vow says Factory 1 and forthcoming Factory 2 are demonstrative of the country’s strong position as a leader in new technologies aimed at feeding the global population.

    (left to right) George Peppou, CEO, Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Tim Noakesmith, Cofounder
    (left to right) George Peppou, CEO, Matt Kean, NSW Treasurer, Tim Noakesmith, Cofounder | Courtesy

    “The team has developed an extremely delicious first product, and now we have the capability to produce it at scale. We couldn’t be more excited to announce it to the world in a month from now,” said Vow Cofounder, Tim Noakesmith. 

    Since launching in 2019, Vow has been focused on cultivated chicken, beef, and pork. It recently submitted its first product for regulatory approval. Vow expects its cultivated meat to launch in Singapore before the end of the year. Currently, Singapore is the only nation that has approved cultivated meat for sale. Vow says with its existing research and development facility, the new factory will allow it to bring development and production under one roof.

    Cultivated meat scaling up

    Vow joins other leading cultivated meat companies including the Good Meat factory coming to Singapore. Eat Just’s cultivated meat offshoot broke ground on the factory in June. Once up and running next year, Good Meat says it can produce “tens of thousands” of tons of its cultured meat annually.

    In the U.S., Upside Foods opened its “EPIC” factory in California last year. It’s capable of producing 400,000 pounds of cultivated meat annually.

    French onion dish with Morsel, Vow's first product
    French onion dish with Morsel, Vow’s first product | courtesy

    Efforts to scale up cultivated meat production and bring down costs are happening around the world. Just last month, Prolific Machines emerged from stealth mode with backing from Mark Cuban and Emily Ratajkowski. The cultivated meat company says it can bring the cost of cultivated meat down to price parity with conventional animal products, comparing its tech to doing for the category what Henry Ford did for automobiles.

    “Back then, nobody really owned cars apart from super-rich people. What really changed things was Ford,” Prolific Machines co-founder and CEO Deniz Kent told TechCrunch. 

    “They built the assembly line for cars and found a way to manufacture cars at a price that normal people could afford. That transformed the industry because then you went from hundreds of car companies to only three companies having over 70% of the market.”

    Lead image courtesy of Vow.

    The post Vow Opens One of the Largest Cultivated Meat Factories In the World Ahead of Anticipated Regulatory Approval appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Singapore’s Meatiply Debuts Asia’s First Cultivated Smoked Duck Breast

    Meatiply's cultivated duck meat
    4 Mins Read

    Singapore-based cultivated meat startup Meatiply, has launched three structured meat prototypes as proof of concept, including the first smoked duck breast meat in Asia.

    The three new cultivated meat offerings include kampong chicken yakitori, chicken katsu bites, and Asia’s first smoked duck breast meat. The company says the meat is a combination of cells and plant-based ingredients.

    ‘Just the beginning’

    “We developed a versatile platform that allows us to isolate and cultivate a variety of cells from different species. To date, we have developed prototypes with 3 different species, with at least 2 more in the pipeline. These 3 prototypes are just the beginning,” Dr. Jason Chua, Chief Scientific Officer & Co-founder of Meatiply, said in a statement.

    Meatiply Management Team
    Meatiply Management Team | Courtesy

    According to the company, the prototypes are structured, not minced, which Meatiply says will allow it to offer a wider range of products. The cell-based meat is made from multiple cell types including muscle and fat, which it says allows it to better resemble the taste and texture of conventional meat.

    “Given the depth of our experience in cultivating stem cells and optimizing for their growth and maturation, we felt we had a lot to offer in the realm of cultivated meat,” said Dr. Elwin Tan, CEO and Co-founder of Meatiply.

    Tan and Chua co-founded Meatiply in 2021 alongside Dr. Benjamin Chua and Prof. Teh Bin Tean—all were studying stem cell biology at the National University of Singapore.

    “From the very first meeting, we have been impressed with the strong scientific background and entrepreneurial spirit of the co-founders. Their prototypes are one of the most advanced we have seen to be developed in such a short time. They also have a clear roadmap for tackling challenges around scalability and cost,” said Michal Klar, founding partner at Better Bite Ventures, an early backer of the startup.

    Meatiply announced a pre-seed funding round in early 2022 that also included participation from Wavemaker Partners and Genedant.

    Chicken Yakitori
    Chicken Yakitori | Courtesy

    “By 2050,the global population is estimated to hit almost 10 billion people and 56 percent more food will need to be produced to sustain this increase. Moreover, the meat industry is also plagued with systemic problems that needed to be addressed. By shifting our focus from biomedical research to developing advanced food technologies, we felt that we could deliver significant impact on these pressing issues.” said Dr. Benjamin Chua, Chief Product Officer & Co-founder of Meatiply.

    Cultivated meat in Singapore

    The company says establishing Meatiply in Singapore was “an easy decision” due in large part to the Singapore government’s 30-by-30 goal, as well as the team’s well-established networks within the scientific community, the presence of international non-profit think tanks like the Good Food Institute AsiaPacific (GFIAPAC), and a healthy start-up and biotech ecosystem in Singapore, “we felt that we would be well supported on multiple fronts,” Tan said.

    Singapore is also the only nation in the world that has approved the sale of cultivated meat. Meatiply says this will help it grow the alternative protein category.

    Chicken Katsu
    Chicken Katsu | Courtesy

    “As a living laboratory and launch pad for global climate and food security solutions, Singapore’s innovation ecosystem is central to scaling up cultivated meat production and driving down costs. Consumer demand for sustainable protein continues to soar across Asia, and the need for additional technological optimisation is immense, so every promising new entrant into the Lion City’s fast-growing food tech sector has the potential to be a game-changer,” says Mirte Gosker, Managing Director of the Good Food Institute APAC.

    “Consumer demand for sustainable protein continues to soar across Asia, and the need for additional technological optimisation is immense, so every promising new entrant into the Lion City’s fast-growing food tech sector has the potential to be a game-changer,” she says.

    Meatiply is currently raising a seed round to further develop and scale its production, cost optimization, and explore regulatory approval.

    Lead image Meatiply Duck Breast / Courtesy.

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  • Woody Harrelson Helps Wicked Kitchen ‘Push Boundaries’ In $20 Million Bridge Round

    Wicked Kitchen co-founder Derek Sarno and Woody Harrelson
    3 Mins Read

    Wicked Kitchen, the plant-based empire that started out of the U.K. supermarket chain Tesco, has secured $20 million in bridge funding, including a convertible note from actor Woody Harrelson.

    In addition to Harrelson’s participation, funding for the new round comes from Ahimsa VC and NRPT, Thailand’s leading food producer and innovator. Wicked Kitchen, the ready meal brand founded by brothers Chad and Derek Sarno, says the new funding will support efforts to expand its range globally as well as into other channels, including food service.

    ‘Making it easy to go plant-based’

    Harrelson is no stranger to the plant-based category. The longtime vegan has backed Los Angeles restaurant chain Sage Bistro as well as vegan meat brand Abbot’s Butcher. He’s also supported a number of vegan and climate change campaigns.

    “I have known Chad and Derek for many years and have been impressed by their wicked creativity in the kitchen and that they are not afraid to push the boundaries,” Harrelson said in a statement. “What I love about this brand is that the products are actually created by chefs that always put flavor first, making it so easy to go plant-based.”

    Wicked Kitchen | Courtesy

    Wicked Kitchen made its U.S. debut last year. It has seen sales triple year-over-year as it expands its product offerings and availability outside of the U.K., including 23 products in Finland’s leading grocery retailer, S-Market.

    “During this high growth phase, it is validating to have support from additional investors who believe in our mission and in the future of plant-based foods,” said Pete Speranza, CEO, Wicked Kitchen. “This latest round of funding will help us go faster to expand our offerings in the U.S and abroad and it puts us in a well-poised position as we continue to lead plant-based innovations with flavor-forward products that appeal to vegans and omnivores alike.”

    Wicked expansion

    Last month, Wicked Kitchen acquired Good Catch, the vegan seafood company that was also co-founded by the Sarnos.

    Good Catch’s top-selling vegan tuna | Courtesy

    The company has seen rapid expansion in the U.S. market with placement in more than 6,500 stores including Kroger, Publix, Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Sprouts Markets. It’s also preparing to introduce 17 products into Thailand’s largest retailers, Tops Market and Central Food Halls.

    “Looking over the plant-based landscape, Wicked Kitchen stands out in the crowd not only because of our tremendous growth but also because of our variety across various supermarket departments,” said Speranza.

    “The fact that retailers are picking up multiple SKUs and some are even dedicating entire frozen door sets for our products is a testimony that they want to present customers a variety of options under a single flavor-forward, plant-based brand that has broader appeal.”

    The post Woody Harrelson Helps Wicked Kitchen ‘Push Boundaries’ In $20 Million Bridge Round appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Anina Turns Food Waste Into Sustainable Plant-Based Ready-Meals

    Anina ready meal veggie pod | Courtesy
    3 Mins Read

    Israeli food tech start-up Anina is using upcycled vegetables to create ready meal “pods” that use up imperfect vegetables for healthy plant-based meals.

    About 33 percent of the world’s food is wasted every year—close to 1.3 billion tons. Much of that comes from fruits and vegetables that are misshapen and unlikely to sell at retail. A growing number of companies are diving into this “ugly” vegetable category, reducing food waste and creating secondary revenue market streams for farmers. For Israel-based food tech startup Anina, it’s bringing food waste to its whole, plant-based “meal-in-a-pod” technology.

    Unwanted veggies

    “Anina is responding to a growing demand for making the most of unwanted veggies, and turning them into something artistic that appeals to the eye and palette,” Anat Natan, Anina co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.

    “Anina is making a real impact on the food industry by mitigating food waste and turning it into innovative, plant-based products with an exciting look and feel,” Natan says. “The result is a balanced, delicious meal with all the nutrients you need.”

    The meals can be cooked on the stovetop or microwave in a matter of minutes. Each pod contains two cups of vegetables—nearly half the recommended daily intake. The meals are also high in protein, fiber, and free from colorants or preservatives.

    “We buy leftover produce directly from farmers,” explains Esti Brantz, who co-founded the company after realizing there was an opportunity to convert local food waste into a solution for the global issue. “This provides them income for vegetables they usually have to discard.”

    Patented food tech

    Anina uses a patented lamination process for thin slices of vegetables to build its layered pods that are filled with ingredients including herbs and spices, pasta, lentils, and bulgur wheat. It currently offers bowls in three flavors: Mediterranean, Italian Primavera, and Vietnamese.

    “We produce these vegetable sheets with minimal processing, preserving the flavors, aromas, colors, and textures of the original vegetable,” says Mor Wilk, VP of R&D for Anina. “The heart of our technology is the creation of vegetable sheets. The flexibility of these sheets enables us to form any 3D structure and create any recipe in a decorative pod, each set to its unique controlled cooking time.” 

    Anina turns food waste into healthy meals | Courtesy
    Anina turns food waste into healthy meals | Courtesy

    The technique was developed over two years of testing. Since its launch in 2020, Anina has secured USD $3.3 million in a safe round from Strauss Group by The Kitchen Hub, Unovis, Unorthodox ventures, AgFunder VC, Wordcreate Inc., and the Israeli Innovation Authority. Following a successful product launch in Israel, Anina is now focused on bringing products to the U.S.

    “We’re changing the way we eat,” says Natan. “And we’re shaping the future for a meaningful culinary consumer experience. The Anina meal capsule also addresses today’s fast-paced lifestyle, which too often forces consumers to compromise on the quality of the food they eat.

    images courtesy Anina

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  • New Partnership Will Bring the First Cultivated Wagyu Beef to Europe

    Orbillion's Wagyu beef burger
    2 Mins Read

    A collaboration between U.S.-based cultivated meat company Orbillion Bio and Luiten Food, a European leader in premium meat, will bring cell-based wagyu beef to Europe, pending regulatory approval.

    Aiming to bring sustainable premium cultivated meat to the European market, the Orbillion and Luiten partnership will see opportunities across Luiten’s 1,200 distribution channels in food service, specialty retailers, and butchers, the companies said in a joint statement.

    Market-ready

    The goal of the collaboration is to co-manage regulatory approval processes—currently, Singapore is the only country that has approved cultivated meat for sale. The collaboration will also see the development of manufacturing facilities in Europe. With Luiten Food’s global network, the partnership is angling the companies toward global distribution.

    Courtesy Orbillion Bio

    Orbillion is currently the only company to develop cell-cultured Wagyu beef. It has also developed elk and lamb meat through unique partnerships with farmers to help develop a modern spin on farm-to-table cuisine.

    Luiten managed director Lennert Luiten said there was “no better partner” than Orbillion to develop a Wagyu beef that meets its strict quality standards. “We’re excited to bring our strengths in brokering the highest quality meats to a category that will be a big part of how we feed the future,” Luiten said.

    “At Orbillion, we have always inspired to produce and bring to market the highest quality cell-cultured meats,” Orbillion CEO Patricia Bubner said in a statement.

    Heritage breeds, legacy brand

    “We take great pride in being the only cell-cultured meat company focused on quality throughout the full-development process—from the heritage breeds where our cells originate to the final product that diners will enjoy, and with Luiten Food, we’ll be able to bring this new farm-to-table experience to Europe,” she said.

    Orbillion's Wagyu beef made from cultured cells
    Orbillion’s Wagyu beef made from cultured cells | Courtesy

    “Together, we’ll go beyond a scientific concept, to a tangible, delicious, and enjoyable meat that is more humane to animals, kinder to the planet, and has a more desirable and consistent nutrition profile.”

    Luiten Food says the new partnership deepens its sustainability commitment and reinforces its 80-year track record of innovation. Luiten is a leader in developing top-quality cell lines, which it says has helped make it a leader in the legacy meat category.

    “We’ve been successful for more than 84 years because we’ve focused on what’s ahead,” Luiten said. “And now, that’s sustainable meat. That’s high-quality meat. That’s cell-cultured meat.”

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  • ‘Adoption Will Take Decades But Macro Fundamentals Won’t Change’ – TiNDLE’s CEO Talks Future Of Plant-Based Meat

    Andre Menezes TiNDLE The Hatchery
    9 Mins Read

    Beyond Meat’s nosedive, lukewarm growth, mediocre products? We unpack the plant-based meat industry with the CEO of global alt meat startup TiNDLE.

    Just a little over two years old, vegan chicken maker TiNDLE is often held up as one of the poster children for plant-based meat and it’s small wonder why. The company is available in just under ten countries, including nationally across the United States, has raised over $130 million in funding and has attracted heavyweight talents from Rachel Konrad to Andrew Zimmern. Last week, it announced new U.S. headquarters & R&D center in Chicago. But where does TiNDLE fit in when it comes to the plant-based meat sector as a whole?

    As the industry faces looming headwinds including supply chain disruptions, skyrocketing inflation, lukewarm interest from US consumers and overcrowded shelves, Green Queen’s Sonalie Figueiras talks to TiNDLE co-founder and CEO Andre Menezes about the future of plant-based meat.

    Q: Let’s dive right in with what I call the industry’s avatar: Beyond Meat. The stock is down 70-80% over 12 months. How much of an industry bellwether is this? How much should we be extrapolating from this? 

    Andre Menezes: As a whole, it’s important to emphasize how the Nasdaq, SP500, and many other companies’ shares have seen a significant drop in 2022, not only for a plant-based food company like Beyond. We can’t discount that in the market, we’re seeing overall macro shifts like rising inflation, increasing  interest rates, and geopolitical tensions that naturally cause a movement towards more defensive assets, distressed business deals, or plain and simple lower capital deployment. The fundamentals driving today’s markets have changed.

    For our category, we do have to thank Beyond for opening consumers’ eyes to the sector globally, and whatever micro challenges they are facing will hopefully be addressed the soonest and they will hopefully continue to drive a meaningful transformation in our world. 

    Q: Recent data suggests that despite all efforts, so far plant-based as a category is firmly under 2% of the meat/protein retail market. Do you think this can change? What are brands doing wrong and what can they do better? 

    Andre Menezes: At Next Gen, we have always stressed how this is a paradigm shift that will not happen immediately – but adoption will take decades. Our job as a player within this industry of changing the way we produce food is to try to compress that adoption curve and accelerate the transition to the highest level possible. 

    There are countless parallels to other industries in how we are becoming less reliant on animal agriculture for the production of food. We have seen it in the way we mechanized manufacturing, on how we ditched horse-based transportation, and other examples in the disruption of old technologies in energy and communications. None of those transitions were quick or frictionless, just as we’re seeing in the current transition between internal combustion engine cars and electric vehicles. 

    On that, history teaches us that it is always a combination of factors that drive the transitions, and that the steeper portion of growth within the S curve of adoption comes with generational shifts. It is the same for plant-based meats and foods. We need, as an industry, to stop thinking that one isolated factor (be it a magic molecule, price, infrastructure, technology, or policies) will drive the change individually. It is the combination of important factors that will dictate both the speed of and viability of growth – which, not coincidentally – also explains why 70% of Norway’s car sales are EVs, why China is the biggest market for EVs with countless exciting local players, why the UK has led the industrial revolution, and why smartphones took off. 

    In the plant-based sector, a challenge we’re facing is when products are mediocre and don’t deliver on what consumers are looking for. These types of products that don’t match consumer needs end up making the category move backwards.

    Q: There is also data underlining that the category is not having much luck attracting repeat customers. What’s going wrong? 

    Andre Menezes: This is where I believe mediocre products are causing the most harm and can hinder subsequent trial, as consumers who have unpleasant experiences trying plant-based meats and foods will not come back for a second time so easily.

    Another factor that affects everyone in the category (no matter if they taste great or not) – and that needs to be addressed – is that plant-based products are no longer just for the vegan/vegetarian niche. So even if a product is liked/loved by consumers, it will still go head-to-head against the habit and category of animal-based options, which is a much larger pool of options and an industry with a wider distribution of animal-based products. That may simply result in consumers picking meat instead of plant-based, as the pull factor from flexitarians may not necessarily be strong enough to sway them.

    Q: A lot of the data we are discussing is US-centric. As a fairly global brand with presence in the UK, the EU and Asia as well in the US- how do things look outside of North America? 

    Andre Menezes: The U.S. is undeniably the biggest market in the world, but it is fascinating to see how the UK, Germany, and Netherlands are relatively ahead of the curve in terms of awareness and pull factors. If you walk down the streets in London, I welcome you to see that even street food operators and vendors have always proudly and loudly communicated a vegan option. From what I’ve seen in London, Berlin,  and Amsterdam, there is simply no option not to have a wide and well executed vegan section in any decent restaurant, and we see that reflecting in how our business has been growing quickly across these markets as well (where the category is already breaking out of the niche). 

    Singapore (where our company was founded) is another great example of how the curve has accelerated, and how it is now ahead of the entire continent in Asia in terms of consumer acceptance, awareness and even distribution. When we first started (and even through today), some of Singapore’s best chefs were quick to adopt and try out TiNDLE on their menus – treating it just as they would chicken on their menus and in their restaurants. Additionally, consumers are increasingly aware of the relevance of food security and not taking the current broken system for granted – especially with the border challenges during the pandemic and the more recent chicken export ban from Malaysia.

    Q: Who is doing it right, according to you? 

    Andre Menezes: Everyone plays a very important role in this current landscape. The exception to this are those putting out products that don’t deliver on taste or experience – or those that are stifling category  growth by trying to push competition out (instead of welcoming it). 

    Similar to the animal farming business, there is no single method, category or positioning that works to meet success. We need the combination of players and efforts to make change happen, and we welcome it all. With this, we’ve seen an attempt to use traditional tactics of killing competition in an effort to have a bigger piece of the pie – instead of focusing on how to drive the category altogether. Don’t get me wrong – competing for a customer or consumer naturally happens, but at the same time I see that as a healthy competition that forces everyone to be better across products, price, and distribution. 

    Q: What is TiNDLE looking to do over the next six months? What’s the focus- is it brand building? B2B sales? New country launches? 

    Andre Menezes: We have  concluded the 3rd step of our growth, and we are now simultaneously focusing on improving our efficiency as well as preparing for the 4th growth wave. If you recall – and we were privileged to have been able to share the journey with you since the very beginning– the first step was to design our business model, followed by the second step of testing diverse markets and make sure we were able to have a global reach and then opening the 3 biggest markets in the world (US, UK, Germany). All of that within around two years, offering literally millions of occasions where consumers tried and loved TiNDLE. Now we are preparing for the next big movement, which will happen sometime in 2023 and will be where all the learnings , infrastructure, trials and presence we built will come together to multiply our impact significantly.  

    Q: What are your customers telling you, both B2B and B2C? 

    Andre Menezes: We are very blessed that consumers and customers around the world have shared a positive response to TiNDLE – including  the way it cooks and tastes, but also that it exceeds expectations from what people have previously thought of what they think of plant-based chicken. Whether it’s chefs or diners, the feedback is unanimous and that is translating into meaningful growth. Today we’re in over 1,000 restaurants around the world, up from only about a dozen or so in Singapore initially in March 2021.

    Q: Are you currently fundraising? Has the environment changed? 

    Andre Menezes: Right now, we are 100% focused on driving the maximum impact and development for TiNDLE and the category in the most capital efficient way. Our previous rounds, and our very cautious and strategic capital deployment, gives us the ability to focus on where the impact is – and not having to focus on raising funds in the near term. While it is undeniable that the capital markets are under pressure, we still seeing a lot of interest from mission-aligned and long-term investors, who keep in touch and enquire about our next raise.

    Q: What would be your advice to a new plant-based meat startup? 

    Andre Menezes: I should probably start writing a book on that! The most important underlying advice I would have for any startup would be to avoid -at all costs- the trap of thinking that a magic silver bullet (whatever it might be) will give you an immense and magical success path. It is a business that you are building, and that business is a combination of your beloved product/technology, your value chain, your capital deployment strategy, your team, your brand (b2c or b2b, it doesn’t matter), and all other aspects.

    Q: Companies like Maple Leaf Foods say they are retracting from the category. What do you think about this? 

    Andre Menezes: As any new category, many players will throw in the towel. They have their strategic reasons and drive, and certain factors might require them to do so. Many companies will naturally fail, many will be acquired, and there will be consolidation… It is all a natural part of growth within a new disruptive category, and that is also true for any other industry. We believe it is all positive since the lower tide will force mediocre products and players, who are not driving this for impact, out of the field, and that will cause an overall improvement for the category. 

    Q: Consumers are facing huge uncertainty, a looming recession and inflationary pressures. Does that pose an existential threat for a category where prices tend to be on the high side? 

    Andre Menezes: The macro fundamentals behind this will not change, but the economic pressure may certainly drive a move towards cheaper options when applicable. It is unfortunate that animal products are able to receive such large subsidies, which makes them so much cheaper than plant-based options – which in general do not have any government support despite the actionable sustainability solutions it provides. 

    I am a believer that the industry is highly capable and that a change is extremely needed. All of these current challenges will make the industry emerge stronger, better developed, more efficient, and smarter on the other side. This is in stark contrast to the animal farming industry and old technologies there, which has fundamental limitations linked to animal genetics, resource utilization, and food conversion, which they will not be able to materially improve. 

    Lead image courtesy of TiNDLE.

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  • Aqua Cultured Foods Tackles Food Waste With Dumplings Made From Mycoprotein Offcuts

    dumplings
    3 Mins Read

    Mycoprotein seafood startup Aqua Cultured Foods is tacking on another category disruption beyond its alternative seafood. The Chicago-based company is using up whole-muscle offcuts from its vegan seafood in a new range of dumplings to reduce food waste.

    Angling toward go-to-market partnerships in the Asian foodservice category, Aqua Cultured Foods says its new dumplings featuring its minced mycoprotein seafood can be packaged and co-branded.

    Zero-waste dumplings

    The startup is developing whole-cut calamari, shrimp, scallops, and tuna and whitefish filets with a realistic taste and texture. Using up the off-cuts and imperfect filets for minced filling creates a new market opportunity for the brand as well as a way to reduce its food waste footprint.

    Food waste is a big problem around the world. An estimated 40 percent of edible food is wasted. In the U.S. alone, nearly 110 billion pounds of food is wasted. That’s the equivalent of 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion.

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

    Food waste is also a problem for the planet producing about 170 million metric tons of CO2, according to the EPA. That’s the equivalent of emissions produced by 42 coal-powered plants.

    Aqua Cultured says its dumplings are economical and scaleable, requiring less fermentation time than its whole seafood products.

    “We’re glad our partners challenged us to work on dumplings, and lucky to have their guidance through the process of perfecting the taste and filling for Asian palates,” Aqua chief growth officer Brittany Chibe, said in a statement. “I’m especially happy that this product moves us closer to zero-waste by finding use for our off-cuts, with the added bonus that it’s very efficient to make in volumes appropriate for foodservice.” 

    Microbial fermentation seafood

    Aqua Cultured Foods is the first company to use microbial fermentation to create whole muscle cut sustainable seafood alternatives.

    Fermented seafood. Photo by Aqua Cultured Foods.

    Recent research has found a growing interest in seafood alternatives, particularly in Asian markets. According to a recent survey conducted by think tank Good Food Institute APAC, Asian consumers are seeking out alternative seafood over concerns about heavy metals and microplastic in conventional seafood.

    The dumpling market is particularly ripe for innovation. Valued at more than $5 billion in 2020, it’s expected to surpass $10 billion by 2028.

    Aqua Cultured Foods says it’s starting with shrimp mince, but that’s not the end of its exploration. It says it’s looking at mince uses across spicy tuna sushi rolls, seafood cakes and patties, ravioli, and cannelloni, among other uses. 

     Lead photo by Abhishek Sanwa Limbu on Unsplash

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  • European Consumers Are Driving the Demand for Sustainable Protein, Survey Finds

    3 Mins Read

    European consumers are keen to see more alternatives to conventional animal products, finds a new survey.

    More than 60 percent of consumers across four European countries—France, Spain, Germany, and Italy—say more alternatives to meat products need to be found.

    A majority of consumers said conventional animal agriculture’s impact on the environment is a concern, with 60 percent of consumers across France and Germany, 71 percent in Italy, and 66 percent in Spain saying alternatives are necessary.

    The survey, commissioned by the think tank Good Food Institute and conducted by OpinionWay, asked 4,096 people about their own meat consumption habits and their thoughts on the future of food, namely sustainable protein sources.

    Alternative protein demand

     “It’s great to see plant-based meat become so strongly established in many people’s diets across Europe,” Carlotte Lucas, Corporate Engagement Manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, said in a statement.

    Spain's vegan Heura meat
    Spain’s vegan Heura meat | Courtesy

    “Companies now need to capitalise on this interest and invest in the development of products that can truly compete with conventional meat on taste and price to provide the sustainable options Europeans want. 

    “And with such growing support for cultivated meat, it’s clear there will be a significant market for this food in Europe. Governments need to listen to the views of their citizens and invest in the research and infrastructure needed to ensure cultivated meat can deliver the environmental benefits so many people want to see.”

    A growing number of these consumers say they’re reducing their meat consumption; the survey found 59 percent of people in France, 50 percent in Germany, 61 percent in Italy, and 58 percent in Spain have reduced their meat consumption over the last five years.

    Eating plant-based meat is happening on a monthly basis for half of people in Spain and Italy, 27 percent in France, and 41 percent of Germans, the survey found. Twenty-five percent of Germans and Spaniards surveyed said they plan to increase their plant-based meat consumption in the coming years.

    Cultivated meat

    European consumers are already cutting down on their meat consumption, opting instead for plant-based proteins.

    Mosa Meat FBS
    Cultivated meatball | Courtesy Mosa Meat

    They’re also interested in cultivated meat—more than half of Germans and 33 percent of French surveyed said they would buy it—even though it’s not yet approved for sale anywhere in the world outside of Singapore.

    Government support is critical, the consumers said, with 38 percent in France, 56 percent in Germany, 58 percent in Italy, and 68 percent in Spain saying they want governments to support cultivated meat production.

     

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  • After 40 Years, Dairy-Free Pioneer Tofutti Adds ‘Vegan’ to Its Labels

    Tofutti's new packaging
    3 Mins Read

    Legacy dairy-free brand Toffuti has announced its first rebrand in decades with one notable upgrade: the labels now includes the words ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based.’

    To the vegan-versed consumer, Tofutti’s new black and red packaging looks familiar. It resembles other modern brands: There’s Sweet Earth, with its dark black and brown labels. Wicked Kitchen‘s labels (white font on black), Gardein recently re-branded to darker packaging. Field Roast uses black boxes on a range of dark-colored backgrounds. The new label was designed by fellow New Jersey company Dark Horse Design.

    A change long overdue

    The new packaging was long overdue, the company says. It launched in 1981 as a dairy-free Kosher-Parve brand. But in the decades since its biggest following has been from vegan consumers and those seeking dairy-free options—not necessarily Kosher.

    Its product range includes ice cream pints and sandwiches as well as cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and sour cream.

    Tofutti re-branded
    Tofutti re-branded | Courtesy

    “Today’s natural foods market is flooded with competitors, so we knew it was time to reassess our branding. We want consumers to recognize all Tofutti products as Tofutti products,” Steve Kass, Tofutti Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement.

    Kass has been with Tofutti since the early years, starting in 1986. He says the new labels will make it easier for consumers to spot Tofutti in the crowded dairy alternatives sector. He also says it will reenergize its retail partnerships. “It’s not every day that a forty-year-old company changes its look; buyers are already enthusiastic about the changes,” he said.

    The new packaging design comes after a more subtle but in some ways, more significant change last summer: Tofutti added the word ‘vegan’ to its logo for the first time.

    “Look at the sorts of people who follow us on social media. It’s obvious that vegans are our biggest fans,” Gerry Pugliese, Tofutti’s Marketing & Public Relations Manager, said. “Adding ‘vegan’ will make our current customers happy and act as a bullhorn for attracting new, like-minded consumers—a new vegan is born every day!”

    Nurturing consumers old and new

    But Pugliese is quick to add that it still serves its original Kosher audience as well as anyone looking for tasty dairy-free alternatives.

    “Tofutti started as a Kosher Parve brand, it’s part of who we are, we’ll always be that too,” he said. “But now we shout ‘vegan.’”

    Tofutti cheese re-brand
    Tofutti cheese re-brand | Courtesy

    The new packaging also includes “plant-based,” a term just recently added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (along with “oat milk” and “greenwashing”). The inclusion of both “vegan” and “plant-based” on the branding is significant as the industry itself is divided on which one should be more widely used. Some say “vegan” has negative connotations for consumers that just want to eat healthier or more sustainably. Some vegans, though, have taken issue with “plant-based” as skirting the ethical issue tied to the word “vegan.”

    A growing number of brands are using both, and Tofutti says it’s confident that the new branding along with renewed efforts on social media and marketing, will help it retain its leadership status in the category and grow the industry demand.

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  • New Report Details How Asia Came to Dominate the Plant-Based Meat Industry

    3 Mins Read

    A new report published by the researchers at Roots Analysis details how the intellectual property for plant-based meat has grown more than three times over the last decade, jumping from 2,388 in 2012 to 7,126 this year. And leading the shift: Asia.

    According to the report’s findings, the majority of plant-based IP documents—77.4 percent—are patent applications and granted patents (18.7 percent). Asia sits at the top of the pile with more than half of IP documents originating from Asian-based companies versus 18 percent coming from North America and Europe.

    Replacing unsustainable meat

    “In 2020, close to 340 million tons of meat was estimated to be produced worldwide. Compared to the early 1960s (~70 million tons), this represents almost a 500 percent increase,” explains Roots Analysis. “Considering that the global population grew by 150 percent in the same time period, it is evident that meat consumption has increased at a rate that cannot be sustainable.”

    Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. It also uses nearly one-third of all freshwater, and is a leading cause of deforestation.

    Asia-based Tindle’s Char Siew Bao is made from plants.

    “Vegetarian meats and plant-based products that resemble meat, in texture and, to some extent, taste, present a viable solution to the abovementioned crisis,” the report notes.

    “Medical studies have also shown that replacing animal meat has the potential to reduce the risk of hypertension and heart disease, certain types of cancer, and diabetes.”

    The report notes that a range of technologies exist to develop a variety of meat products made from plants including beans and lentils, jackfruit, different types of nuts and seeds, pea protein, potato starch, seitan (vital wheat gluten), soy and tofu, and various vegetables.

    Asia’s plant-based shift

    Asia is ripe for category disruption.

    Countries across the region consume some of the highest amounts of animal meat including seafood, pork, and lamb meat.

    Good Meat’s cultivated lab meat

    A recent report from the think tank Good Food Institute APAC, found that consumers are shifting their dietary preferences across the region. That report looked at the growing demand for plant-based seafood in Asia, with concerns over heavy metal and plastic pollution in conventional fish as driving the shift.

    There are a growing number of plant-based meat producers across the region, including Singapore’s Tindle, Hong Kong’s OmniPork, and South Korea’s Unlimeat, among others.

    Singapore is currently the only country in the world that’s approved the sale of cultivated meat—animal meat grown in a lab from a cell sample. While not derived from plants, it signals a shift in consumer demand for ethical and more sustainable alternatives to the current animal-protein-heavy food system.

    Lead image courtesy Tindle

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  • All G Foods Launches Bloom Providore the First Vegan Meat Range for Chefs In Australia

    Bloom Providore dish at Ovolo
    3 Mins Read

    Australian startup All G Foods has launched Bloom Providore, a meat-inspired plant protein range made exclusively for chefs.

    “With more Australians opting for plant protein options, the market has crowded with too many plant-based burger patties,” All G Foods CEO Jan Pacas said in a statement. “That has left a major gap for chefs who want to use alternative ingredients, such as plant protein, to cater to their diners’ preferences and create dishes that leave a lasting impression.”

    To address the gap, All G’s Bloom Providore offers chefs minces inspired by beef, pork, lamb, chicken, duck, and fish.

    The range is launching at Ovolo Hotel Group, headed by chef Ian Curley.

    Ovolo hotel | Courtesy

    “Bloom Providore is a game-changer in the commercial kitchen,” Ovolo Hotels culinary director chef, Ian Curley said. “I am always looking for high-quality ingredients that empowers the chefs to push boundaries and challenge their creativity. We are excited to explore the endless opportunities that will come with Bloom Providore.”

    According to Pacas, Ovolo Hotels set the benchmark for a sustainable food future “and have been inspiring chefs across the globe to rethink fine dining and the need for animal proteins.”

    Ovolo made headlines when it removed meat from its menus in 2020 for an entire year. It renewed that commitment earlier this year.

    “Meat is being removed for a second year in a row at Ovolo Hotels. With a number of our Ovolo venues already serving plant-based cuisine, we have decided to go the full 100 percent,” Ovolo Group’s Founder and CEO, Girish Jhunjhnuwala, said in a statement.

    Bloom Providore

    “It’s been a strategic move, but Ovolo prides itself on being an industry leader. We believe that the world changes, therefore we continue to evolve – we want to ensure we are doing our bit to help preserve our environment, promote healthy eating and enhance the image of amazing vegetarian and plant-based dining.”

    Ovolo’s chef team has created several dishes including a tagine, stuffed peppers, tortellini, and “plant-based parcels” all featuring Bloom Providore’s beef-inspired mince.

    All G says it’s targeting other chefs across the country with progressive mindsets. It says with animal meat prices on the increase and the growing demand for healthier alternatives, it sees a market opportunity, especially for chefs who want to use alternative ingredients but have grown tired of the burger saturation.

    “With the right ingredients, flavours and texture,” says Pacas, “a chef can create beautiful things and with Bloom it further enhances that creativity.”

    Images: courtesy

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  • Q+A w/ Benedict Lim of OATSIDE, Asia’s First Full-Stack Oat Milk Startup

    3 Mins Read

    How did OATSIDE become one of Asia’s fastest growing oat milk companies? CEO & creator Benedict Lim talks to Green Queen’s Sonalie Figueiras about why malty milk matters and more.

    In less than two years, self-described ‘full-stack’ oat milk brand OATSIDE has become a force to be reckoned with on supermarket shelves in over 8 Asian markets including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. As of earlier this month, they have launched in Hong Kong. The company’s strength is down to its uber creamy and malty product, a robust regional supply chain (oats from Australia, coconut sugar and cacao from Indonesia) and full control over their oat extraction (the company owns its production facility). We met with CEO and creator Benedict Lim during his Hong Kong visit. Below he tells us more about their unique branding, how the company scaled so fast and why Asia needs another oat milk.

    Q: What are the key markets for OATSIDE? Do you want to focus on APAC or also eventually go to the US and EU? 

    Benedict Lim: We feel we have a better understanding of the palates and culture in Asia and it’s where we’re  currently focused! That said, we wouldn’t close off the possibility of expanding outside of Asia in the  future. 

    Q: What has enabled you to scale so fast? 

    Benedict Lim: The strongest factor has to be the taste of our product – there’s something about the creamy  maltiness of OATSIDE that is very familiar to people growing up in this region and that builds a  connection and joy that people want to share with others. 

    Q: Can you share more about your unique branding? 

    Benedict Lim: OATSIDE as a brand is optimistic, adult and as-is. The artwork was a way to convey our brand world – the OATSIDE of life; the bright side of life told in all its unfiltered, modern glory. The packs’ artwork are cartoons and yet have a feel and tone that speaks to adults, which is our intention. 

    Courtesy OATSIDE

    Q: Why do we need another oat milk brand? What’s the real mission here? 

    Benedict Lim: We want to be the plant milk for people who don’t care for plant milks – to lead the movement to  sustainable milk through incredible taste. Within plant milks – and oat milks in particular – there is a wide variance in textures, tastes and there has to be a varied offering across brands to achieve this shared mission globally. 

    Q: Why do most Asian consumers buy oat milk, in your view? What’s their motivation? 

    Benedict Lim: Oat milk is still a very new category in Asia, but oats are a familiar ingredient in most parts. It’s ultimately about taste/texture familiarity! 

    Q: Where is OATSIDE produced? Can you share more about your supply chain? 

    Benedict Lim: OATSIDE is produced in Bandung, a beautiful mountainous region of West Java, Indonesia, where we get access to clean mountain spring water for our production. 

    Q: How do you achieve the sweetness in the ‘no added sugar’ Barista blend? 

    Benedict Lim: Indeed there is no added sugar in OATSIDE’s Barista Blend – there are some natural sugars from oats  that are created through the enzymatic process of oat extraction.  

    Q: OATSIDE ingredients include canola oil? Do you feel this is a healthy choice given it is linked to certain issues?

    Benedict Lim: When thinking about a source of vegetable fat, canola was particularly appealing given it is an unsaturated fat and has a neutral taste profile. We use non-GMO canola with sourced in Australia.

    Q: Are you being affected by existing supply chain difficulties? 

    Benedict Lim: Over the past months, we’ve had to face some port congestion in various countries and limited vessel availability but our supply chain team has managed to mitigate these issues with good planning. 

    Q: Are you raising capital at the moment? 

    Benedict Lim: No, we are not raising capital at this moment.

    Lead image by Green Queen with photos courtesy OATSIDE.

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  • Perfect Day’s Latest Precision Fermentation Product? It’s the Technology Itself

    3 Mins Read

    Perfect Day, the pioneer in animal-free whey created through precision fermentation, has launched Nth Bio—a spin-off platform under the Urgent Company umbrella that will leverage its expertise and technology services for collaboration and hire.

    The Nth Bio name is taken from the math term the nth degree, meaning “to any required power”. And Perfect Day co-founder and CEO Ryan Pandya says that’s exactly the reason the company chose it.

    Nth Bio

    “It’s our commitment to creating a kinder, greener tomorrow through collaboration—taken to the nth degree. We look forward to continuing this work from our Salt Lake City base, supporting innovative, mission-aligned companies with Nth and extending our impact into new industries,” Pandya said in a statement.

    Nth builds on Perfect Day’s continued success. In the first half of 2022, the company produced more animal-free whey protein than it did in all of 2021. It says it has “unlocked the capacity to produce thousands of metric tons” through its four commercial-scale facilities around the world. Those products should begin rolling out early next year. Perfect Day’s ingredients are currently found in ice cream, milk, and cheese, among other categories.

    Perfect Day Raises $350M in Late-Stage Funding Round As Brand Prepares to IPO
    Courtesy Perfect Day

    The Nth team has been operating in stealth mode for the last two years working on its IP licensing, engineering, and scaling technology. It says it’s the only enterprise biology company in the world offering “end-to-end expertise and services from the earliest stages of molecular development to commercial-scale manufacturing, and the many steps in-between.”

    Kicking off the launch of Nth Bio, the company has partnered with Onego Bio, Ltd., the newly formed food tech startup that landed $1.1 million earlier this year, working to develop egg whites using precision fermentation.

    “Onego Bio is a serious, new player in the field, with top-notch technology skills and world-class experts that share our kinder, greener mission,” Pandya said. “We believe their animal-free egg white products will play a significant role in transforming our food chain.”

    Animal-free egg whites

    Onego Bio is using a novel technology to create precision fermentation ovalbumin—a protein found in egg whites. According to the company, global egg production has nearly doubled over the past two decades. The category is expected to reach close to 140 million tons by 2030.

    The company says with help from Nth Bio it can meet the growing demand for eggs with a more sustainable and ethical option. It says it plans to launch its first product, called Bioalbumen, for U.S. food service and confectionery use in the near future, eventually launching branded retail consumer products.

    egg white
    Courtesy Onego Bio

    “We are thrilled to announce the partnership with Nth Bio,” said Maija Itkonen, CEO of Onego Bio. “Perfect Day has been an enormous trailblazer in the global animal-free protein business, gaining GRAS status in the United States, and successfully communicating the no-compromise impact potential that its technology empowers to a larger audience. We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Perfect Day to follow in their footsteps with our own Onego Bio products.”

    Nth Bio says the inaugural partnership underscores its commitment to “impact through collaboration.” It says its unmatched expertise and potential for impact can’t be maximized alone. Perfect Day is no stranger to partnerships. Much of its success is owed to high-profile collaborations including a launch with Mars, General Mills, and a forthcoming project with Nestlé.

    “By giving access to essential tools and infrastructure, Nth allows partners like Onego to accelerate the things our world needs to move in a more sustainable direction,” the company said. “The best way to change the world for the better is to work with others to create broader impact. The potential is exponential.”

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