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Category: Alt Protein

  • GOOD Meat and ADM Confirm Strategic Partnership To Ramp Up Cultivated Meat Output

    4 Mins Read

    Californian-food tech Eat Just has announced that its GOOD Meat cultivated chicken brand is now partnering with food processing giant ADM to help accelerate commercial rollout of GOOD Meat products. The collaboration marks the first cultivated meat partnership for ADM, which recently pledged to invest $300 million towards better protein production.

    Photo by ADM.

    How two food pioneers will work together

    ADM’s side of the agreement will see it developing GOOD Meat’s cell growth capabilities, by optimising nutrients used during the production process. Animals ingest certain amino acids and other nutrients from their food, causing them to grow and develop muscle fibre. GOOD Meat’s harvested animal cells also need feeding the right ingredients. ADM will be providing the perfect combination of nutrients, as it has previously for the conventional meat industry, by manufacturing animal feed.

    “ADM has been making and innovating in food over 120 years. We are proud to partner with their incredibly talented team of scientists and engineers to take cultivated meat from a few restaurants today to millions of consumers tomorrow,” Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just said in a press statement.

    Simultaneously to nutrition expertise, ADM will be offering insight during product development stages. It will look to improve flavour and texture, alongside other considerations, of GOOD Meat’s cultivated items. Feedback will begin with chicken but extend to future projects.

    “ADM has long been a pioneer in the alternative protein industry, and our strategic focus right now is on developing innovative new technology and solutions to continue expanding our capabilities to serve the fast-growing global demand for protein-based nutritional needs,” Leticia Gonçalves, ADM’s president of global foods said in a statement. “Cultivated meat solutions have an exciting role to play in this space, and we are eager to work together with GOOD Meat to bring great-tasting, innovative cultivated meat products to the Singapore market and beyond.” 

    Photo by Eat Just/GOOD Meat.

    GOOD Meat’s industry-leading developments

    The Eat Just brand has secured its place in history, becoming the first cultivated meat manufacturer to sell its products commercially, anywhere in the world. With two chicken items now approved in Singapore, the company is seeking to continue its momentum. One way it is hoping to guarantee continued growth is through the construction of a new mega production facility, in the Pioneer area of Hong Kong City. A cultivated meat facility in Qatar was also confirmed, last year.

    Despite regulatory approval not yet being granted for the sale of cultivated meat in the U.S., Eat Just continues to build out its infrastructure stateside in preparation. 

    ADM’s positive forecast for the alternative protein sector

    ADM recently unveiled its 2022 Alternative Protein Outlook report. It identified seven emerging trends, as well as relevant drivers, such as consumers choosing health-conscious food sources and concerns surrounding sustainable food production. Of the trends cited, a price reduction in cultivated meats now appears more relevant than ever. Production costs being slashed are expected to have a direct impact on consumer acceptance of cultivated products, via increased accessibility. ADM also notes in its report that FDA and USDA acceptance of cell-based meat is anticipated for mid-2022. 

    Last month ADM revealed its expansion and new alt-protein facility plans, which will form part of its $300 million reinvestment into its own operation.

    Photo by CellX.

    Cultivated partnerships accelerating progress

    China’s CellX recently announced it will be working with Germany’s Bluu seafood to speed up cultivated meat production. The two will be combining their respective meat and seafood knowledge to accelerate regulatory approval within their home countries while sharing technical knowledge. The two have chosen cooperation over competition to promote the importance of cultivated products in the fight for global food security.

    Lead photo by Eat Just/GOOD meat.

    The post GOOD Meat and ADM Confirm Strategic Partnership To Ramp Up Cultivated Meat Output appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Willicroft’s Vegan Bean Cheese Nets $2.1 Million To Expand Across Europe

    4 Mins Read

    Dutch bean-based plant-based cheese startup Willicroft has closed its pre-seed funding round, securing €2 million. The round was led by PINC and Rockstart with Döhler and Feast Ventures participating. Funding has been raised to support international market entry. The U.K., Germany and Nordic European regions have been specifically earmarked. 

    Certified B Corp Willicroft is an alternative dairy company with a twist. Originally founded as a conventional dairy setup, in 1957, it was reinvented by the founder’s grandson and relaunched in 2018. The startup is focussed on creating ‘planet-proof’ cheese from beans, putting environmental credentials front and centre of all new developments.

    “Our new investor group can help open up a number of new markets whilst also fast-tracking our products’ continued evolution,” said Willicroft’s co-founder and CEO Brad Vanstone, speaking about the raise.

    Photo by Willicroft.

    Cheese: the lesser-considered climate change contributor

    Red and processed meats are known to be bad for the planet and human health. Widely discussed for being the largest emissions generators out of all animal products, they are followed by a potentially surprising food: cheese. Educating consumers about the environmental footprint of conventional dairy is considered vital if the $77.6 billion industry is going to be superseded.

    Cheese creates 13.5 kilos of CO2 equivalent for every consumable kilo produced. It is worse than pork, poultry and salmon, in terms of environmental impact. The main contributing factor is the amount of milk required, which brings dairy livestock into the equation. Adding cattle methane emissions exacerbates the problem further still.

    Consumers remain largely uninformed about the impact of conventional dairy. A CAST survey from 2020 revealed that 70 percent of people agree with a reduction in meat intake. Comparatively, 54 percent extended the same thought to dairy.

    Photo by Willicroft.

    Eco-friendly cheese going global

    “Our new bean-based range produces up to 5 times less CO2 than the dairy alternatives it’s replacing,” said Vanstone. “With this new raise locked in we’ll be bringing our delicious, beautifully branded range of plant-based cheeses to three new markets: the UK, Germany and the Nordics, bringing in senior hires and continuing on our quest to become the world’s first net-positive plant-based cheese company.

    Already available in limited locations in the U.K., Willicroft is looking to push distribution wider, while entering entirely new markets within Europe. To date, the products have been available in the Netherlands and Belgium. Product ranges include a parmesan alternative, cheese sauce, a Greek-style recipe and, most recently, a fondue analogue was added. This latest inclusion was the result of a partnership with Israel’s Innovopro, a chickpea protein specialist.

    “Willicroft is taking plant-based dairy alternatives to the next level. Alongside making delicious products (I’ve tasted several, I recommend them!), they are helping farmers to transition to sustainable production by enabling a local supply chain without the need for monocropping or highly processed ingredients,” said Mark Durno, managing partner at Rockstart. “They have spent the last years understanding their consumers and their footprint, and the next phase will be to put those learnings to scale.”

    Photo by Willicroft.

    Vegan cheese as a growing segment

    The plant-based cheese market has been identified as having a CAGR of 12-15 percent between 2015-2020. Predictions cite this trajectory as likely to continue. As a result, more companies are looking to break in ahead of industry overcrowding. At the same time, existing major players are seeking to stay true to their roots.

    In February, Miyoko’s Creamery moved to take its shreds and slices out of the company portfolio. The reason given was that the products were a ‘dumbing down’ of the cheeses that Miyoko’s usually creates. The move was considered brave, considering the commercial popularity f the items. Founder Miyoko Schinner remained steadfast, however, stating that she wanted to ‘honour the art of cheesemaking’.

    Lead photo by Willicroft of a vegan cauliflower cheese.

    The post Willicroft’s Vegan Bean Cheese Nets $2.1 Million To Expand Across Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Bosque Foods Just Bagged $3M To Transform Mycelium into Whole Meat Pork and Chicken

    Bosque Foods
    3 Mins Read

    There’s not doubt that mushrooms as a food group are delicious. Chewy, packed with umami and available in an assortment of textures, it’s hardly a surprise that chefs and food entrepreneurs everywhere are looking to create beef, pork and chicken alternatives from fungi. But for a bevvy of new startups, it’s the part growing underground that’s most exciting. Dubbed mycelium, these fungal root-like structure can be mined for their meat-like potential.

    Bosque Foods, a Berlin-based biotech company is cultivating mycelium using fermentation to provide lower carbon footprint options that can replace industrially produced meat in order to help fight the consequences of climate change. First up on the menu are whole-cut “chicken” and “pork” filets that replicate the taste, nutrition and texture of their animal counterpart.

    Founder and CEO Isabella Iglesias-Musachio’s aim is to feed flexitarians who want to cut down on beef and other animal foods and who are looking for clean-label, minimally processed and tasty alternatives. “A growing segment of consumers want to reduce their meat consumption for health or environmental reasons but feel unsatisfied by the alternatives available to them— ultra-processed patties, nuggets high in sodium, and products packed with synthetic chemicals and additives,” she said.

    Bosque Foods Founder & CEO Isabella Iglesias-Musacho

    Solid-state biomass fermentation

    According to non-profit think thank the Good Food Institute, biomass fermentation “uses the high-protein content and rapid growth of microorganisms to efficiently make large amounts of protein-rich food”, unlike cultivated meat, whereby animal cells are grown in bioreactors, or precision fermentation, where microbes are programmed to product protein. In other words, the mycelium is both the maker and the final product.

    While many alternative protein companies make use of liquid fermentation, Bosque works with solid-state biomass fermentation to transform mycelium into meat alternatives. The company, whose name means forest in Spanish, says its mission is to become a global biomass fermentation leader thanks to its proprietary technology.

    Iglesias-Musachio told Green Queen that solid state fermentation (SSF) is offers many advantages compared to liquid state fermentation such as: costs (it’s cheaper to scale and has better unit economics), the ability to use agrifood side streams (allowing for a more circular production process), the option to use mushroom strains (better for consumer acceptance) and a solid end result structure (less down stream processing and cleaner end products).

    Bosque Foods Chicken & Waffles
    Bosque Foods Chicken & Waffles

    Successful seed round

    The company has just announced a $3 million seed funding round led by Berlin-based FoodLabs, with participation from Blue Impact, Blue Horizon, Hong Kong’s Happiness Capital, SOSV (of IndieBio fame), and angel investor Arman Anatürk, founder of FoodHack.  

    Christian Guber, Senior Associate at FoodLabs, says investors are on the lookout for whole-cut innovators: “We’re seeing a major shift in the alternative protein space as fermentation technology is set to replace many plant-based products, combining flavor and texture with a short time to market. However, there are few solutions available addressing whole-cut meats. Bosque Foods has developed a fascinating approach that addresses this problem using the power of mycelium.”

    Bosque plans to use the capital to expedite the development and commercialization of their products and establish with progressive chefs and restaurants. The startup will also test their manufacturing technology at pilot scale and apply for regulatory approval to bring their products to market within Europe and the US.

    Mycelium startups on the rise

    Bosque is far from the only alt protein player focused on mycelium. Also in Europe, Libre Foods is making mycelium bacon, while Keen 4 Greens has created mycelium sausage links. Over in the U.S., both Meati Foods and The Better Meat Co are pioneering mycelium steak. All of Bosque’s peers use liquid-state biomass fermentation.

    All images courtesy of Bosque Foods.

    The post Bosque Foods Just Bagged $3M To Transform Mycelium into Whole Meat Pork and Chicken appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The 5 Best Vegan Burger Chains To Help You Through Your McDonald’s Withdrawal

    4 Mins Read

    If the McDonald’s McPlant didn’t set your heart on fire, and you’re looking to make the switch away from massive chain fast-food and embrace a vegan twist, you have to know about the following vegan burger chains.

    Looking for the ultimate vegan cheeseburger? We’ve got you covered. Interested in supporting Black-owned businesses? Come this way. We’ve even got a chain that you can find in the metaverse. 

    The world of fast-food burgers got a whole lot more inventive, delicious and independently owned when plant-based eating began gaining mainstream momentum. The following restaurants are some of our ultimate favourites when only a big stack will do.

    1. PLNT Burger

    What: A 100 percent Kosher, halal and dietary restriction-inclusive burger chain that wants to offer a safe space for all diners. PLNT Burger prides itself on creating a lot of joy through its food and supporting community initiatives. The main ethos is that everybody is welcome and catered for with plant-based burgers and sides.

    Specialities: Swirled soft serves and oat milkshakes thick enough to block a straw.

    Cheapest burger option: the namesake PLNT burger, coming in at $7.99.

    SSP (serious selling point): the genuine community engagement that the chain engages in, wherever it is based (nationwide). Fund and ‘friendraising’ events are regular occurrences.

    Locations: Nationwide at Whole Foods Market stores.

    2. Slutty Vegan

    What: The brainchild of Pinky Cole, designed to bring tasty vegan food into communities not traditionally given easy access to it. Slutty Vegan started as a home kitchen endeavour before growing into a food truck and then physodcal locations. It grew to give more people the opportunity to enjoy the foods they love without the cholesterol of traditional meat and dairy. Is it health food? No. Is it heathier food? Absolutely.

    Specialities: Innuendo-laden foods that will make you blush as you salivate. Try ordering a Super Slut without laughing if you don’t believe us. 

    Cheapest burger option: Most of the burgers are $15 so you can take your pick. However, if you don’t get a Fussy hussy you will be missing out.

    SSP: Cole remains committed to the communities she originally pledged to serve. By supporting a Black Woman-owned company, you’ll progress a lot more than your own desire to secure the best vegan burger in Atlanta. 

    Locations: multiple locations in Georgia, plus Alabama and New York.

     Read: UK Vegan Burger Chains To Get In A Pickle About

    3. Plant Power Fast Food

    What: A staunch rejector of the current animal-based food system due to the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Plant Power Fast Food couples tasty treats with education, empowering consumers to swap one regular burger a week for a plant-based alternative. 

    Specialities: Loaded fries and great sides including vegan chicken tenders and buffalo wings. The breakfast menu is exceptional too though, with more choices than most vegan chains. 

    Cheapest burger option: The Classic Burger for $7.95.

    SSP: The environmentalism is a refreshing side dish to an already conscious food choice. The chain highlights things with real-world examples, including that one burger a week swap amounting to the same emissions savings as 12 million cars being taken off the road.

    Locations: multiple locations across California, one in Las Vegas.

    4. Next Level Burger

    What: A husband and wife-run chain that puts the environment at the top of the priority list. At the time of launch, Next Level Burger was the first 100 percent plant-based burger restaurant. Matt and Cierra de Gruyter still serve in their restaurants, despite the chain growing.

    Specialities: The shakes, hands down. There are so many flavours but the Earth Day Birthday Cake Cookie Dough option had us sold.

    Cheapest burger option: the Classic ChzBurger and Crispy Chik’n Burger are both $8.95.

    SSP: Fighting climate change is high on the menu here. Next Level Burger makes it clear that every burger, side or shake helps to negate emissions from conventional fast food. All ingredients are organic and non-GMO and fair living wages are paid to every team member. Now that’s delicious.

    Locations: a few locations in Oregon and one in Washington.

    If you’re looking for UK-based vegan burger options, read our guide to the best Brit hotspots.

    5. Moonburger (Not 100% Vegan)

    What: A super traditional Americana burger chain, complete with drive-thrus and combo meals, Moonburger uses plant-based Impossible patties in its dishes. The menu is not 100% vegan as they serve dairy cheese and sauces.

    Specialities: A very simple and authentic menu that harks back to conventional burger joints. Solid American flavours and a focus on getting the sides right, with “golden, hot and crispy” fries front and centre.

    Cheapest burger option: The Classic Burger for $6.79.

    SSP: There’s a retro and nostalgic vibe to Moonburger that is irresistible. It’s date night rolled into easy eating and the overall vibe is sheer fun.

    The post The 5 Best Vegan Burger Chains To Help You Through Your McDonald’s Withdrawal first appeared on Green Queen.

    The post The 5 Best Vegan Burger Chains To Help You Through Your McDonald’s Withdrawal appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • This Chef Is Moving From Steakhouses To Sustainable ‘Symplicity Foods’ To Take On Beyond Meat

    4 Mins Read

    Neil Rankin, founder of London steakhouse Temper, is entering the plant-based food sphere. The chef claims that he is fed up with alternative protein not quite hitting the right mark and claims he can do better. His gripes include Beyond Meat, which he concedes is a good product but completely unprofitable to produce and sell. He also took aim at Quorn, which he appreciates on a sustainability level, but calls “tasteless”. 

    Rankin took to the kitchen to develop a new form of plant-based meat. The result is Symplicity Foods, a brand he hopes to use to tempt ardent meat fans away from their favourite meals. So far he has made burgers, schnitzel and sausages. Rankin claims his foods are “like a McDonald’s health food. But better”. 

    The secret to plant-based meat animal protein fans want

    Rankin is leaning on fermentation to create authentically umami meat alternatives. During the Covid-19 national lockdown in the UK, he began experimenting by fermenting vegetables which he then minced and compacted into burger patties. Showing promise, he took a further six months to perfect his recipe before launching a pop-up in London’s Brick Lane, to gauge consumer reactions. 

    Now, Symplicity Foods is in full production mode, in a Harlesden-based factory. The recipe remains unchanged from Rankin’s kitchen experiments and is not a closely-guarded secret. Mushrooms, onions, beetroot and barley miso are mixed together, cooked and fermented for 10 days. Once ready, the base meat is minced, seasoned and shaped into schnitzels, sausages and burgers. These are supplied to restaurants within London, with the leftover fermentation juice transformed into gravy or a natural flavour enhancer.

    Rankin has since partnered with Homeslice Pizza founder Mark Wogan and the two have secured restaurant supply deals. Bleecker Burger, Dishoom and Street Burger all purchase the Symplicity products, with more distribution being sought. Rankin has made no secret of the fact that he wants to supply schools, professional canteens and large chain restaurants with his clean-label alternative to existing plant-based meats. 

    The paradox of plant-based meat from a beef aficionado 

    Rankin is seeking to create clean label vegan meat, using waste minimising principles and sourcing ingredients as locally as possible. However, there’s no getting away from the fact that his other interests are focussed on ‘rare breed’ meats. 

    Of all meat varieties, beef creates the most emissions, including methane. It is estimated that for every 3.5 ounces of beef produced, 110 pounds of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. 

    Beef is also the leading cause of Amazonian deforestation, resulting in a staggering environmental footprint. Rankin might not enjoy the taste of Quorn, but products such as the microbial protein have been cited as having the potential to halve deforestation. By swapping out 20 percent of the world’s beef consumption for Quorn and similar products, felling could halve within 30 years. 

    The quest for clean-label alternative protein

    Clean label foods are a growing niche of the alternative protein sector. B2B ingredient suppliers and plant-based meat manufacturers are looking to leverage the perceived health and environmental benefits of small ingredient lists and less processed production methods. Fermentation is proving to be a popular way of accomplishing both.

    Keen 4 Greens, a Berlin-based startup, recently scooped $2 million to continue shifting over to fermented mycelium products, away from wheat and soy. The final product will be a five-ingredient meat alternative extruded and shaped before being sold. It is pending E.U. approval, however, as all mycelium-based foods are.

    Like Rankin, Actual Veggies has concentrated on using vegetables in its burgers, but without fermentation or attempts to perfectly mimic meat flavours. In February this year, the woman-founded company announced a distribution partnership with Plum Market that sees its products sold alongside real beef products.

    All photos by Symplicity Foods.

    The post This Chef Is Moving From Steakhouses To Sustainable ‘Symplicity Foods’ To Take On Beyond Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Finless Foods Is Debuting Pokè-Style Plant-Based Tuna

    4 Mins Read

    California’s Finless Foods is looking to generate excitement for its plant-based tuna analogue. The pokè style development will be unveiled at the national restaurant Association show later this month, in Chicago. The company is already known for its ongoing developments within the cultivated seafood sector. Plant-based analogues are being explored in the interim, to make a market entry.

    Finless first announced its tuna plans last year. At the time, it was reported that the company hoped to make the product widely available by 2022, through foodservice channels. The official debut of plant-based tuna at a trade show confirms that timescales are on track.

    Photo by Airam Dato at Unsplash.

    Tuna, without any catches

    “The newest revolution in the plant-based market is here and it’s pokè-style plant-based tuna by Finless Foods,” Michael Selden, co-founder and CEO of Finless Foods said in a statement. “Attending NRA with our sales partners, Elohi Strategic Advisors (ESA), will provide us brand exposure to thousands of chefs, restaurateurs, and foodservice operators who now have the opportunity to purchase our inaugural product. We know through previous experience, the best way to introduce Finless to the market is by letting the greatness of our product and mission speak for itself.”

    Finless describes its tuna as a product designed for consumers who enjoy the taste but also care about the oceans and their health. As confirmed last year, the vegan tuna is made using nine ingredients. It has been developed in partnership with chefs, to effectively replicate the look, feel and functionality of sushi-grade raw fish. 

    A compassionate alternative to tuna

    Tuna has been selected as a focus due to the impact it will make on global fish stocks, if it can be replaced. The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) recently reported that tuna caught from healthy stocks has fallen sharply in the last six months. Figures are said to be 80.5 percent in March this year, down from 87. 7 percent in September 2021.

    Further in its report, the ISSF states that 9.2 percent of total tuna catches came from overfished stocks and 10.3 percent came from those with only intermediate availability. 

    Overall, tuna stocks have been depleted by up to 60 percent, when compared with numbers 50 years ago. Sustainable fishing practices are limited with tuna, resulting in cultivated and plant-based alternatives presenting a viable opportunity.

    Funding the future of alternative seafood

    In early March, Finless confirmed it had scooped $34 million in a Series B funding round. It was already developing its plant-based tuna analogue at the time, but with extra backing, picked up the pace in terms of its cultivated interests as well. The round brought total funding to $48 million, in a show of confidence that the alternative seafood sector is one to watch. 

    The Good Food Institute alternative seafood report revealed that in 2021, 120 companies were meaningfully engaged in alternative seafood development. Combined, they raised $175 million, an increase of 92 percent in 2020. The market is set to get increasingly competitive and Finless is already going to come up against fellow plant-based tuna innovators.

    Diving into the tuna race

    California’s Impact Food completed a soft launch of its plant-based tuna analogue, in February. The startup used a biochemical approach to recreating raw tuna that is akin to sushi-grade fish meat and flakes authentically. It stated that the near-extinction of Bluefin tuna was a driving motivation for its R&D. The company still wants to improve the protein levels of its product, but the process is ongoing. 

    Also gunning for tuna success is Current Foods. Formerly Kuleana, the San Francisco startup made its plant-based sushi-grade tuna and salmon available via an online shop. Current is known for recreating tuna’s taste and texture using unexpected ingredients including bamboo, algae and potato.

    Chile’s NotCo is expected to enter the alternative seafood sector later this year. The unicorn company revealed it wants to recreate tuna using its proprietary AI tech, Giuseppe, earlier this year.

    All photos by Finless Foods.

    The post Finless Foods Is Debuting Pokè-Style Plant-Based Tuna appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Seafood Reboot Nets $3.3 Million To Launch A New Wave Of Plant-Based Fish

    4 Mins Read

    Paris-based alt fish startup Seafood Reboot has closed a €3.2 million pre-seed funding round led by Demeter Investment Managers with participation from Senseii ventures, Founders Future and Beyond Impact. New funding has been secured to support ongoing R&D activities ahead of commercial launch of a first-generation plant-based seafood analogue. 

    Founded by Francois Blum and Simon Ferniot in October last year, Seafood Reboot is a fresh face in the alternative seafood sector focused on the use of algae as a sustainable food source powered in part by a partnership with the seaweed engineers at Algama, a Paris-New York-based food tech that aims to leverage seaweed as ‘actionable ingredients’, particularly in plant-based foods. 

    Photo by Sebastian Woman at Unsplash.

    Seafood Reboot looking to begin production

    The pre-seed funding raised will be used to initiate more structure within Seafood Reboot. A priority is slated to be the construction of the startup’s first pilot production plant, by early 2023. The company seeks to move quickly, due to the relative lack of competition, when compared to the plant-based meat and dairy industries.

    “Faced with the climate emergency and the degradation of life in the oceans, the general public is becoming more aware every day of the need to change their eating habits,” Blum and Ferniot said in a statement.

    Seafood Reboot aims to be the catalyst for change and a literal ‘reboot’ of the existing food system. It claims to be on track to create alternative seafood, made from regenerative algae. The taste, texture and nutritional benefits of conventional seafood are said to be captured, while leaving no negative footprint behind.

    Photo by Brian Yurasits at Unsplash.

    Protecting the oceans with fish-free seafood

    The need to implement stewardship over the plant’s oceans is well documented. Various factual films, including Seaspiracy, have drawn attention to the plight of marine life in the face of commercial overfishing and increasingly stringent fishing laws attempt to rein in the practice. Regardless, 90 percent of all fish stocks are either nearing unsustainable levels or already being over-exploited. This has resulted in a prediction that seafood as we know it will cease to exist in less than 26 years.

    Environmentally, the oceans produce 50 percent of all oxygen in the atmosphere and sequester 25 percent of carbon emissions. However, water is being eyed as a potential solution to reducing global emissions in a bid to reach net-zero and prevent further global warming. Ways to sequester more carbon, without increasing ocean acidification are currently being developed, to protect biodiversity. 

    The products that will take fish out of the food system

    So far, Seafood Reboot has not provided any launch specifics, the company promises that its products will be vegan, non-GMO and algae-based. The startup does note that due to its French roots, it is going to be “picky” about what it releases, with health and sustainability remaining focus points.

    Photo by Happy Ocean Foods.

    Fellow fish-free pioneers

    Plant-based seafood is a growing sector, with predictions of reaching $1.3 billion by 2031. This represents a CAGR of 28 percent. As a result, a number of brands are seeking to tap into the trend before the market becomes unreasonably crowded.

    Notable amongst the fish-free seafood manufacturers is Happy Ocean Foods, a startup from Munich that recently secured funding through an appearance on Lion’s Den. It creates plant-based shrimp that impressed former Formula 1 racing champion Nico Rosberg enough to secure his investment.

    Making a splash this year is Plantish, an Israeli startup now infamous for its hyper-realistic salmon fillets. In March, the company raised $12.45 million, just one month after teasing images of its salmon development. Commercial launch into foodservice channels is slated for late 2023.

    Lead photo by Martin Widenka at Unsplash.

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  • Biotech Brightseed Scoops $68 Million For Bioactive Compound Mapping

    4 Mins Read

    California-based AI phytonutrient detection startup Brightseed has closed a successful Series B funding round led by Singapore-based Temasek, with added participation from both existing and new investors, the raise garnered $68 million. The new funding has been earmarked for accelerating the startup’s proprietary AI system’s ability to map plant compounds. 

    To date, Forager, as the company’s AI platform is dubbed, has recorded more than two million compounds. These remain in various states of validation, being beneficial for digestive, metabolic and cognitive health, amongst others. Once more compounds have been mapped and fully validated, Brightseed can approach the commercial launch of its first product in earnest. This will be manufactured in its new commercialisation centre, in North Carolina.

    brightseed compound work
    Photo by Brightseed.

    The secret ingredient for health foods of the future

    Brightseed will supply bioactive compounds on a B2B basis to other companies. In the meantime, it has partnered with multiple big names already, including Danone and Ocean Spray, to develop a working knowledge of plant-based food supply chains. From here, it will be able to make recommendations as to added ingredients, in future product developments. 

    “Nature holds an incredibly rich and largely uncharted source of powerful, natural bioactives that create health benefits in humans, and we’re now able to access and integrate them into products for food and health industries,” Jim Flatt, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer of Brightseed told Food Business News. “Discovering and mapping natural bioactives to human health benefits was just the first step for Brightseed. Now, we’re launching clinically-studied ingredients and insights to illuminate the hidden potential in nature to restore human health.”

    Brightseed’s first product release is said to be a digestive health-boosting ingredient. Investigating upcycled hemp hulls, the startup discovered two bioactive compounds which were deemed to be beneficial to human health. This was Brightseed’s first meaningful discovery and has been granted generally recognised as safe (GRAS) certification from the Food and Drug Administration.

    Photo by Brightseed.

    Tackling health concerns with natural ingredients

    Connections between red meat consumption and cancer, diabetes, obesity and more continue to be highlighted by scientific studies. This in turn is resulting in widespread advice and requests that people look to reduce their meat consumption but a question keeps cropping up: how healthy are meat substitutes and plant-based foods really? 

    The simple answer is that not all plant-based foods are healthy. Many, especially early incarnations of meat analogues, relied on coconut oil, which isn’t great for saturated fat levels. While most meat substitutes are good sources of protein, many rely on common allergens such as soy or wheat as a base and then comes the sodium levels. 

    In one Beyond Meat burger patty, consumers are getting 8 grams of saturated fat and 390 milligrams of sodium. As a highly processed plant-based food, it doesn’t support the idea that ditching meat is always healthy. Though it should be noted that only animal products contain cholesterol, so benefits can be felt here, if nowhere else.

    Less processed options, including tofu and jackfruit, contain almost no sodium and both have zero saturated fat. In order to appeal to consumers, however, they often need spicing up. Brightseed aims to straddle the middle, helping to develop considered plant-based lines for partner brands, with added health benefits gleaned from its verified compounds.

    “Consumers are increasingly looking for natural and accessible solutions to restore their health, but industry has been severely limited by a lack of tools and technologies to look more deeply into nature’s potential to do that,” Sofia Elizondo, co-founder and chief operating officer told Food Business News. “Brightseed is building the opportunity space for health innovation rooted in nature and delivering a clear path forward for clinical validation. We are eager to make our bioactives readily accessible for food and health industries as we move from lab to shelf and embrace consumers along the journey of bioactive discovery.” 

    Photo by Hoow Foods.

    AI to make consumers feel A-OK

    Brightseed is not alone in looking to unlock the natural power of existing compounds. Last year it was revealed that Singaporean startup Hoow Foods had bagged $3 million in a pre-Series A funding round to help it scale for wider product launches. The company works by analysing existing food and drinks, using its in-house AI platform, before creating an alternative composition that will be healthier. The Re-Genesys system is claimed to optimise the nutritional profile of favourite foods, using novel ingredients.

    Lead photo by Brightseed.

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  • V2food Enters The Ready Meal Category With Four Plant-Based Classics

    4 Mins Read

    Australian plant-based meat leader v2food is diversifying its range with ready meals to offer consumers fast and convenient access to prepared vegan dishes. The company is debuting four options including spaghetti bolognese, lasagne, penne bake and chilli con carne. The move marks v2food’s fourth round of innovation, following on from its beef mince and burgers, sausages, pork mince and chicken line.

    The company cites a rise in appetites for convenience foods as a motivating factor in developing the ready meals. The trend has been confirmed by an increase in meal kit orders, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Recipes were chosen according to classic appeal and given an animal-free twist with v2food’s plant-based meat.

    Making a sustainable switch

    V2food claims that if an Australian family of four switched from one beef-based meal to its bolognese once a week, the annual greenhouse gas emissions savings would be significant. A comparable example of driving a car 15,000km is given to amplify the point. Key to families taking up the challenge of eating plant-based is making the switch as simple as possible.

    “v2food is committed to making it easier for everyone to eat sustainably more often, Nick Hazell, CEO and founder of v2food said in a statement. “We are not asking every Aussie to become vegan, instead, we’re encouraging them to switch to more plant-based meals. However, we understand there are barriers, with people hesitant to do so because of not knowing how to prepare or cook plant-based meats.”

    The new ready meal range has been picked up by Woolworths. Nationwide rollout has been initiated with 1,081 ready to stock the dishes, designed to become ‘midweek go-to’s’.

    “The launch of ready-made meals, which are already loved family dishes, give us an opportunity to cut through this uncertainty and make it easier than ever for people to give it a go. With the same great taste as the meat equivalents, Aussies can enjoy their favourite meals, while doing good for the planet.” 

    The planetary beef with conventional meat

    New data recently revealed that swapping 20 percent of all beef consumed globally for a sustainable alternative could effectively halve deforestation within 30 years. Additionally, Global carbon emissions could be halved by 2050. The research was published in the scientific journal Nature and specifically cited microbial protein as a viable alternative. 

    In addition to carbon, methane emissions would be drastically reduced, which have been highlighted as being more potent and produced in high volumes due to the continued farming of livestock.

    Targeting eating habits

    V2food assesses consumer trends to steer its developments. Just as its new ready meals have been created in response to a rise in convenience eating, its pork analogue was finalised with the Asian market firmly in mind, allowing for APAC expansion. Prior to the prepared dishes now launching, chicken alternatives were designed to tap into national eating habits.

    Chicken is hugely popular in Australia. Per capita, it’s estimated that 45 kilos a year are consumed. In a bid to help the country embrace plant-based alternatives, v2food revealed three alternative poultry products: tenders, schnitzels and nuggets. The reveal came in March, with a rollout expected this month.

    Australia opening up to vegan foods

    The Australian plant-based market is predicted to reach $9 billion by 2030, due to shifting mindsets and growing consumer acceptance. As new products continue to launch, including Get Plant’d throughout Coles locations, understanding the move will prove vital for companies looking to tap into the trend.

    Taste and nutrition giant Kerry has published research that demonstrates what Australian consumers are looking for, particularly in plant-based burgers. The benchmark was revealed to be “beef but better”, giving manufacturers and brands key insights into how they can secure repeat custom.

    All photos by v2food.

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  • KFC Sets Its Sights On Vegan Chicken Buckets For European Restaurants

    4 Mins Read

    Following on from its original recipe Vegan Burger, KFC is looking to create a range of new products with Quorn including vegan chicken buckets. The first confirmed item is an animal-free tender. U.K.-based Quorn has been chosen as the chicken giant’s alternative meat partner thanks to the rapturous reception that its chicken burger patty received, back in 2020.

    Back in September, Kevin Hochman, KFC U.S. chief, told multiple interviewers that he believes plant-based chicken is not just a fad. He referred to a company-wide belief that this trend is here to stay and as a result, KFC would be looking to embrace more alt meat menu items to keep up with consumer preferences. This prophecy appears to have come true with Europe’s anticipated new releases.

    The popularity of KFC’s plant-based poultry

    KFC’s first burger, formerly known as the Imposter Burger, was trialled in a few U.K. locations in 2019. The test period was expected to last around a month, but stocks of the meat-free meals sold out in four days. This allowed for a wider rollout in 2020 and finally, permanent menu inclusion in the U.K. and Ireland, earlier this year.

    “Our fans were thrilled to see the launch of our Vegan Burger in 2020,” Kate Wall, strategy and innovation director at KFC, told FoodNavigator. “The Original Recipe Vegan Burger proved to be such a success in the UK and Ireland that we have already tested Quorn-based products in several other countries, and plan to extend into multiple European markets in the coming months.” 

    Ahead of vegan chicken buckets, consumers can enjoy Original Recipe Tenders, or ‘mini fillets’, depending on which country they are being sold in. Germany and the Netherlands got the jump on these products, with select restaurants already serving them.

    Quorn’s mission to replace chicken and save the rainforest

    Aside from being a longstanding favourite vegetarian and in recent years, vegan, alternative protein brand, Quorn is an environmental champion. Made from a protein found in nature which gets fermented and processed, the resulting mycoprotein boasts a far smaller impact than conventional chicken meat. Its pledge to contribute to the creation of a regenerative food system will further enhance its eco-ecredentials.

    When consumer choose Quorn, they aren’t just reducing their emissions, they are also fighting deforestation. A new study used computer modelling to create projections of deforestation demands if beef consumption continues to grow at its present rate. This was compared to a scenario where one-fifth of global beef was replaced with microbial protein, such as Quorn. The results were, frankly, staggering, with deforestation potentially being halved in the latter projection. 

    Fermented technology was used as a benchmark due to offering access to years of environmental data and production information. Cultivated meat is still considered too new to make accurate predictions about its eco-benefits. Along a similar vein, new styles of plant-based meat remain too unsubstantiated in regards to long-term emissions data. Quorn is approaching its 40-year anniversary (in 2025), meaning its production can be quantified for comparative studies.

    Plant-based KFC around the world

    In the U.S, KFC works with Beyond Meat for its vegan options. This is due to the chain’s parent company, Yum Foods, having a multi-deal agreement in place. The meat-free options have proved popular outside of Europe, mirroring the U.K.’s launches with instant sell-outs and calls for items to be added to permanent menus. 

    Earlier this year, every U.S. location of KFC added plant-based chicken to its roster, for a limited time. Thought to be coinciding with Veganuary it was the flexitarians that benefitted the most, as items were cooked in the same oil as chicken options, thus making them non-vegan.

    Dead birds at KFC’s supplier farm. Photo by VFC.

    KFC’s animal welfare woes

    It’s not all good news for KFC, however. Having launched its ‘behind the bucket’ marketing campaign, which included a film of happy, healthy chickens being reared with love at one of its supplier farms, it has been outed as “utterly misleading”. U.K.-based activist led-brand VFC conducted its own visit to the very same farm, just a few weeks after KFC’s camera crew. What co-founder Matthew Glover found was enough to shock even him, a known advocate of chicken welfare who has visited such locations before.

    Dead and dying birds strewn across shed floors, cramped conditions and none of the enrichment equipment that was repeatedly mentioned in KFC’s video painted a very different image. Though KFC tries not to label any of its products as vegan, it’s safe to assume that it would enjoy claiming the demographic as customers. Activities such as misleading animal welfare standards make that much harder.

    All photos by KFC, unless stated.

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  • OmniPork Honors AAPI Month With Plant-Based Collaborations

    4 Mins Read

    Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month will be celebrated in meat-free style this year. OmniFoods is partnering with a bevvy of chefs from the AAPI community and offering up its OmniPork products for them to develop limited edition dishes. The new menu items will be included on the chefs’ regular restaurant menus from May 16-31. 

    Some of the proceeds from each dish sold will go to the Heart of Dinner foundation. The organisation seeks to prevent food insecurity and isolation in the older Asian American population. The issues became increasingly prevalent and desperate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Where the AAPI dishes can be bought

    The chefs taking part in the initiative are a who’s who of NY talent. Confirmed are: chef Chung Chow, chef May Kaidee, chef LJ Almendras and chef Jimmy Ly. They represent a vast cross-section of Asian cooking influences and styles and service diverse restaurants.

    Chow noodles. Photo by Norretuh.

    1. Noreetuh

    Head chef: Chung Chow.

    Style of food: Noreetuh is a Michelin-starred Hawaiian restaurant that takes influence from APAC culinary traditions. Chow is a co-owner and having been born in Hong Kong and then raised in Hawaii, is perfectly placed to bring various cooking styles together.

    AAPI dish: Chow noodles.

    Steamed dumplings. Photo by May Kaidee.

    2. May Kaidee

    Head chef: May Kaidee.

    Style of food: May Kaidee is a Thai vegan restaurant that is an evolution of Kaidee’s original Bangkok street cart.

    AAPI dish: Thai Red Curry and steamed dumplings.

    Chorizo Burger. Photo by Gugu Room.

    3. Gugu Room

    Head chef: LJ Almendras

    Style of food: Almendras is currently a guest chef at the restaurant and focuses his flavour palate on foods that reflect Pinoy street food culture. 

    AAPI dish: Chorizo burger and sweet and sour meatballs.

    Xiu mai. Photo by Madame Vo.

    4. Madame Vo

    Head chef: Jimmy Ly

    Style of food: Madame Vo showcases authentic and traditional Vietnamese dishes that include home cooking, street-style and regions specialties. 

    AAPI dish: Vietnamese xiu mai.

    “Coming from Asia, our OmniFoods team is excited to partner with these up-and-coming Asian American chefs based in New York City in honor of AAPI month,” David Yeung, founder of Omnifood said in a statement. “Equally, we are humbled to support the tremendous work by Heart of Dinner in helping the elderly Asian American community.”

    Reaching Asian American seniors when they need the most support

    Asian American seniors are reportedly experiencing anxiety and fear about leaving their homes. Grocery shopping or visiting social service centres have been shown to present opportunities for vulnerable people to be victims of racial abuse, resulting in an overwhelming unwillingness to step foot outside. This has resulted in an increase in isolation and undernourishment. 

    A government report shows that seniors in an Asian household are twice as likely to stay indoors, despite not having enough to eat, than those in white households. The reason is widely attributed to a surge in Asian hate crimes, following what many believe to be the political weaponisation of Covid–19 blame. In New York City, hate crimes against Asian individuals grew by 361 percent in 2021, though this number is likely under representative given potential language barriers. 

    Asian seniors represent the fastest-increasing elderly demographic in New York. As such, ensuring they are fed, safe, and cared for is a growing concern.

    配图Green Monday绿客盟及Green Common绿客门创办人杨大伟先生 Green Monday
    Green Monday founder David Yeung. Photo by Green Monday.

    A natural extension of Green Monday

    OmniFoods getting onboard with the AAPI initiative is no huge surprise. It’s owned by Green Monday. A  social and operational enterprise, it seeks to create a shift towards better and sustainable living, while eradicating global food insecurity. This means that OmniFoods has philanthropy as a chief ingredient in all of its products. As well as partnering with more than 800 primary schools, it seeks to embrace Asian seniors.

    Lead photo by Seshadri Sarkar at Unsplash.

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  • China’s CellX Announces $10.6 Million Series A To Make Cultivated Meat

    3 Mins Read

    Shanghai-based cellular agriculture startup CellX has secured a $10.6 million Series A funding round with funding earmarked for recruitment efforts and optimizing the company’s platform technologies to achieve scale while decreasing unit costs. New backers included Joyvio Capital and SALT, amongst others, with previous investors Lever VC, Better Bite Ventures and Agronomics all joining again. The round Total investment to date now exceeds $15 million, making it the most well funded cultivated meat company in the country.

    CellX, which was founded in 2020 by Ran Liu and Ziliang Yang, is focused on creating pork, beef, and chicken using cellular agriculture. The round notably attracted participation from Joyvio Capital, which is backed by large conglomerate Joyvio Group of Legend Holdings in China and SK Group in South Korea.

    CellX pork prototype. Photo by CellX.

    “Eat meat, not animals”

    CellX’s slogan comes from co-founder and CEO Ziliang Yang’s personal philosophy. He has observed a flexitarian eating regimen for many years and says he now wants to make it easier for fellow consumers to follow suit, without compromising on what they enjoy.

    “Cellular agriculture uses next-generation technologies to create new proteins and new materials in a more sustainable way. Compared to traditional animal agriculture, cellular agriculture uses significantly fewer resources and emits less carbon,” Yang said in a statement.  “Cultivated meat has by far the largest market with the most carbon reduction promises within cellular agriculture, and it is also CellX’s current focus. We started with domestic pig breeds and have quickly expanded to beef and poultry.”

    Environmental benefits of cultivated meat

    Data suggest cultivated meat—if produced using renewable energy sources—will see massive reductions in emissions compared to conventional meat also produced using renewable energy. In terms of global warming impacts, beef’s footprint could be slashed by up to 92 percent, with a 95 percent land use savings. 

    When it comes to pork production, cultivated alternatives help decrease emissions by up to 50 percent, with a 72 percent reduction in land demand. It should be noted that the conventional meat emissions figures used to generate this comparison are considered “highly ambitious” and lower than those currently reported.

    CellX cultivated meat.

    Pressing ahead for progress and price parity

    CellX is looking to develop multiple meat varieties. To ensure fast progress it is leveraging four technologies simultaneously: cell lines, media, bioprocess, and end product.

    “A stable cell line and a low-cost culture media are critical pre-requisites to large scale production at low cost”, Dr. Binlu Huang, CellX’s co-founder and scientific lead said in a statement.

    CellX says that it has made significant progress in its cell line research and media development – and managed to secure an immortalized cell line as well as a low-cost media formula.

    Instead of working on mincemeat, CellX says it is mastering the taste and texture of conventional whole-cuts and believes this will be key when it comes to consumer acceptance of cultivated products.

    Driving industry acceptance from another angle, CellX has been a consistent presence in relative industry groups. The company attended the first Cellular Agriculture Forum in April of this year and is contributing to the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture. 

    Source: CellX

    Government support for China’s cultivated scene

    Earlier this year, China’s government voiced its support for the growing cultivated sector with improved access to funding for scaling and product development identified as key by nonprofit think tank the Good Food Institute APAC. It bodes well that previous recipients of similar support include solar technology developers and electric vehicle manufacturers, both of which are now huge industries. More could still be allocated, but this is widely expected to come as consumer acceptance grows.

    Lead photo by CellX.

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  • Evo Foods Announces New Partnership With Ginkgo Bioworks For Next-Gen Egg Products

    4 Mins Read

    Indian plant-based egg startup Evo Foods has announced it is partnering with Ginkgo Bioworks to create new ingredients for its products. The latter offers an established cell programming platform which will be leveraged to develop animal-free egg proteins. These will be included in Evo’s product portfolio in a bid to create the most realistic plant-based eggs.

    Founded in 2020, Evo is focussed on creating animal protein replacements that can be swapped out for their conventional counterparts seamlessly. The company notes that current egg products are still lacking in terms of taste, texture, nutrition and functionality. Working with Gingko is hoped to be the final puzzle piece to vegan egg superiority.

    Evo egg
    Photo by Evo Foods.

    On a mission to improve vegan eggs

    Evo looks to end animal agriculture for egg production with its developments while increasing food security. With roots in Mumbai and a recently established U.S. presence, the startup leverages India’s crop biodiversity to power its existing products, which include the “world’s-first” heat-stable boiled egg analogue. 

    Unveiled in March this year, the “heat and eat” vegan boiled follows the debut of a liquid egg replacement made from mung beans in 2021.

    “As consumers and food brands alike call for more sustainable food options, we are excited to collaborate with Ginkgo to pioneer a new class of animal-free ingredients, “Kartik Dixit, CEO at Evo Foods said in a statement. “Evo is committed to playing a part in feeding our ever-growing world, and this partnership will support us as we develop next-generation products in this market.”

    Gingko will be supplying Cell Development Kits (CDK) as its contribution to the strategic partnership. These will allow for cost-effective cell programmes to be launched, while slashing project timeframes traditionally needed to create engineered proteins. The proteins Evo will replicate will, potentially, allow for a faithful replication of regular egg flavours and more.

    Evo Foods’ vegan boiled egg. Photo by Evo Foods.

    Taking eggs out of the food system

    By 2020 egg production globally surpassed 86.67 million metric tonnes. Since 1990, the volume of production has increased more than 100 percent. This has been attributed, in part, to eggs being consumed as a secondary protein source, after meat.

    Egg production is an ethically and environmentally controversial industry. To produce the world’s glut of eggs, more than 300 million chickens are used for their laying ability each year. Factory-farmed birds are subjected to countless cruel mutilations, including beak trimming, before being confined to a minuscule wire cage for the duration of their lives. Cages often hold up to 10 birds, each creating filth that covers the others. Birds that die in captivity are frequently left in the cages to rot.

    ‘Free range’ hens are something of a misnomer as well. Farms are allowed to keep up to 9 birds per square metre. For context, The Guardian compares this to 14 adult humans living in a one-room flat.

    Evo looks to remove the need for animal eggs entirely and it isn’t the only startup working to do so.

    Photo by Evo Foods.

    Plant-based eggs getting animal farmers in a flap

    Vegan egg substitutes are on the rise. From broad bean-based liquid developments, a la The VGN in Germany, to Eat Just recently gaining regulatory approval for E.U. sale of its mung bean eggs, a lot is happening.

    The Every Co is taking a different approach to egg protein replacement. Instead of focussing on a whole egg liquid product, it uses precision fermentation to mimic egg white protein for use in other items. Most recently it showcased the functionality of its Every EggWhite by partnering with exclusive patisserie Chantal Guillon, to debut vegan macarons.  

    Even large-scale egg users are looking at the potential and marketability of plant-based alternatives. Japanese mayo giant Kewpie just announced it has developed a vegan egg product, called Hobotama. Translating to ‘almost eggs’, the dish is a scrambled egg replacement made using soy milk.

    Lead photo by Evo Foods.

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  • Unlimeat Crowdfunds To Launch Sold-Out Plant-Based Jerky In The US

    3 Mins Read

    Korea’s leading plant-based meat company is leveraging the power of crowdfunding to launch its jerky line in the U.S. A pre-launch campaign on Kickstarter allows global backers to participate. The official launch is scheduled for May 31. 

    The jerky sold out in South Korea shortly after its initial debut in April. Unlimeat first began with BBQ products made from upcycled food waste back in 2019. Since then, the company’s range has expanded to include pulled pork, dumplings, mince, and cheese. Unlimeat is hoping to capitalise on the growing appetite for Korean BBQ in the U.S.

    Photo by Unlimeat.

    Perks for Kickstarter backers

    Consumers looking to support Unlimeat’s project will be given access to discounts of 30-38 percent on their jerky orders. The raise will remain live on the crowdfunding site for one month, after which, U.S. consumers will be able to access the uniquely Korean flavoured jerky.

    The product has been developed by the Zikooin-owned brand, using non-GMO soy protein and wheat protein. Artificial ingredients and flavours have been negated, with colour being provided by vegetable dyes. Per serving, consumers get 9 grams of protein, matching conventional beef but doing away with cholesterol and trans-fats. At present, two flavours are available: Korean BBQ and Smoky Chili.

    “This is the first time we’ve introduced our Asian-inspired plant-based jerky to the US market. Korean BBQ is becoming popular in the USA, so we’re hoping this original, traditional Korean BBQ recipe straight from Korea will be popular. We hope we’ll attract a lot of attention from American consumers.”

    zikooin
    Photo by Unlimeat.

    Beef’s impact on human health

    Unlimeat calls its jerky a perfect snack for those undertaking exercise and anybody looking to watch their fat intake. In this way, it is a good substitute for beef, which has been connected to multiple human health concerns. 

    Red meat consumption, and beef in particular, increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, among other issues. There is no universally agreed ‘safe’ amount of red meat that can be eaten and it is not an essential part of human nutrition.

    In addition to health concerns, beef is inextricably linked to deforestation. Scientists have recently claimed that swapping 20 percent of the beef eaten globally for microbial protein would halve deforestation demand. 

    Beef is widely cited as a good source of protein, but as Unlimeat has proven with its jerky, the same amounts can be garnered through plant-based alternatives. 

    Photo by Unlimeat.

    Unlimeat in the U.S.

    Unlimeat entered the U.S. market earlier this year with a launch announcement on a Times Square billboard. Their products were made available via online retailer Wooltari Mall USA. It has not been confirmed if the jerky will be sold via the same channel or an alternative.

    Plant-based jerky as the must-develop snack

    Unlimeat joins the likes of Beyond Meat, which has itself recently launched vegan jerky. The product was developed as the first product to be released through its collaboration with PepsiCo. The two are working together under the moniker of Plant Partnership, to create a range of snacks and drinks using plant protein sources. 

    Canadian brand Noble Jerky identified potential for western flavours to tempt Asian consumers last year. The fully vegan company, which used to process conventional meat, launched in mainland China, in December. The company cited the growing number of vegans in China as an opportunity to enter the market.

    Lead photo by Unlimeat.

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  • Cargill And Cubiq Team Up To Take On The U.S. Alternative Fats Market

    4 Mins Read

    Barcelona’s Cubiq Foods has been developing its omega-3-rich smart fats since 2020 and now, the startup has announced a $5.75 million funding round from Moira Capital Partners, SGEIC and Newtree Impact to help it bring its developments to market by 2023. A key part of the news is Cargill’s participation, who invested and committed to deeper strategic partnership. 

    Cargill, the third-largest meat producer in the world and a giant of agribusiness, is now sourcing vital ingredients for its plant-based ranges, from Cubiq. The recent investment is the first stage of a wider partnership that includes product development. The two also have a commercial agreement in place whereby Cargill will promote and sell Cubiq’s products.

    Cargill Cubiq partnership
    Cargill CEO David MacLennan. Photo by Cargill.

    Cargill’s swift about-turn

    It’s hard to forget that just last year David MacLennan, CEO of Cargill, risked stakeholder ire by speaking of the “cannibalistic” nature of plant-based meats on the conventional sector. At the time, such animal-free developments were already being cited as forming a significant part of the future Cargill portfolio.

    As demand for plant-based meat has increased, alongside recommendations of reducing conventional animal protein intake, Cargill has jumped on the plant-based trend. 

    “Consumer interest in plant-based protein continues to be a strong trend, expanding the innovation opportunity for food manufacturers looking to address this demand,” Vivek Cherian, meat and dairy alternatives category leader, edible oils, for Cargill told Food Ingredients First.

    Plant-based burger patties. Photo by Beyond Meat.

    The demand for plant-based meat

    Earlier this year, the Good Food Institute (GFI) released a report that demonstrated the continued increase in plant-based meat demand. It stated that in 2020, retail sales for animal-free protein grew at a rate twice as fast as overall food sales in the U.S. Isolated plant-based meat sales grew by 45 percent. 

    These figures offer optimism in terms of the need to reduce conventional meat intake. Switching to plant-based alternatives is being cited as a simple way to encourage wealthy nations to drop their meat intake by at least 75 percent, to negate worsening climate change. 

    In order to keep up with the rising demand, the GFI cites the need for improved infrastructure. Strategic partnerships such as Cargill and Cubiq’s allow for a mutually beneficial entry into the plant-based sector. While one develops innovative ingredients to improve products, the other has an existing network and manufacturing footprint. Together, bottlenecks can be avoided, resulting in faster deployment to market and commercial advantage.

    Cargill Cubiq partnership for fats
    Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels.

    Cubiq’s omega-3 fats for functional foods

    It is claimed that Cubiq will be releasing its Go!Mega3. The product is the latest iteration of its microencapsulated fat that can be added to foods to support heart and nervous system support.

    Fresh from its recent funding round, the Spanish start-up is leveraging Cargill’s reach to expand its commercial and manufacturing interests both in Europe and the U.S. Continued development of a new fat ingredient designed to replicate the experience of eating meat remains a top priority.

    “Our strategic partnership will help us better serve our customers by accelerating the development of plant-based alternatives that offer the taste, texture and flavor and nutritional profile [of meat],” Cherian said.

    Cubiq has already released Go!Drop, an emulsion of vegetable oil and water that is designed to reduce oil use in food production, thus reducing saturated fats. This is not an ingredient that intends to mimic meat fats.

    Photo by Melt&Marble.

    Designer fats in vogue

    Alongside Cubiq, a number of startups are looking to perfect animal-fat alternatives that will take plant-based meats to new levels. California-based Yali Bio was founded last year with a specific mandate of improving plant-based flavours with better fats. The company has stated that tempting meat-eaters away from their beloved dishes is impossible without first capturing authentic taste profiles. It claims that its synthetic biology is capable of making fats that will create these flavour notes. Earlier this month,

    Melt&Marble, a startup from Sweden, revealed it has scooped €5 million in seed funding to continue developing its precision fermented beef fat alternative. Investment is earmarked for production scaling and building out the team to begin manufacturing in earnest.

    Lead photo by Cubiq Foods.

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  • Marco Pierre White Doubles Down On Redefine Meat Partnership With UK-Wide Menu Updates

    3 Mins Read

    Award-winning chef Marco Pierre White has developed two new recipes using Israel’s Redefine Meat’s New-Meat plant-based innovation. The Redefine Ragu alla Bolognese and Redefine Mr Lamb’s Shepherd’s Pie will both be rolled out across multiple U.K. locations from spring. White’s restaurants, totalling 38 across Ireland and Britain, are traditionally associated with high-end meat dishes. The addition of meat-free alternatives is considered a significant evolution, not a compromise. 

    White himself is a staunch advocate of Redefine’s developments. At his flagship Leicester Square location, diners have been able to order Redefine steaks, burgers, macaroni cheese and pizza for months. 11 further locations will now be serving the alternative protein meat cuts.

    Why is Marco Pierre White such a fan of Redefine Meat?

    The famously outspoken and unapologetic chef surprised people when he first sang the praises of Redefine Meat. He famously called New-Meat the “cleverest product” he’d ever seen in his life, remarking that the structure would fool anyone into believing it to be real meat. He put his money where his opinion was and included the whole-cut flanks on his most prestigious menu, as Mr Whites in London. 

    “I was a vegan for nine months myself,” White remarked in previous interviews. “I didn’t feel satisfied. We didn’t have New-Meat in those days. I was always hungry…I eat this [New-Meat], once or twice a week. It’s really clever.”

    Plant-based whole-cuts reshaping the food system

    Alternative protein has been heralded as a sector worthy of widespread support. As a potential way to alleviate climate change, by negating the demand for conventional meat, it is gaining traction. It is hoped that a shift towards plant-based meat will enable the elimination of deforestation by 2020, a goal set at COP26 last year. Animal agriculture has been confirmed as the number one cause of deforestation, in addition to being a significant emissions contributor.  

    Bringing consumers away from traditional protein sources remains the challenge, however. In a bid to tempt more consumers towards flexitarianism and meat-free eating, startups are looking to focus on whole-cut developments. Holy grails of steak, bacon, and chicken fillets are becoming more targeted than traditional analogues of minced or reconstituted meats. 

    Redefine Meat entered the alt-protein sector in earnest in 2020 with its debut steak. Last year it scooped $29 million in a Series A funding round. The investment was funnelled into the commercial launch of its 3D-printed vegan whole-cut meats, with “strong strategic partners” being sought. White, as a globally revered and respected chef fits that criteria.

    “It’s an honour for us to be working with Marco and now, to be featured on his restaurants’ menus,” Eshchar ben-Shitrit, CEO and co-founder of Redefine Meat said in a statement. “From the very beginning, we’ve worked alongside chefs with meat expertise and butchers, as they always provide the best feedback for us to better our products.” 

    Replacing meat around the world

    Alongside Redefine Meat, a number of whole-cut startups are putting their stamp on the alternative protein sector. From Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles, with its scarily realistic filet mignon to Colorado’s Meati, purveyor of mycelium superfood cutlets a wide spectrum of products are being released.

    In a sign of how competitive the sector is becoming, Meati is embroiled in a legal battle with California’s The Better Meat Co. The former is claiming mycelium harvesting techniques were taken to its competitor by a former associate. In turn, Better has levelled an accusation of IP undermining at Meati.

    All photos by Marco Pierre White group.

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  • ‘Beef But Better’: Kerry Identifies What Australia Consumers Are Looking From Plant-Based Beef Burgers

    5 Mins Read

    Consumers across the globe are adopting flexitarian diets, motivated by health and environmental factors. Newly published research by Kerry, the global leader in taste and nutrition, suggests the move towards alternative proteins starts with easy substitutions of existing favourite foods such as burgers. But what exactly do consumers look for when choosing a plant-based patty? Preliminary findings of Australian consumers suggest that taste and texture remain a barrier when it comes to plant-based meat, and a ‘beef but better’ mindset is front and centre.

    Kerry’s global research team conducted a six month exploration of consumers in four key plant-based markets around the world: USA, UK, Australia and Brazil, combining different analytical and insight techniques such as digital ethnographies and sensory immersions to better understand consumers’ plant-based taste experience.

    The study was based on 1,500 consumers between the ages of 25 and 40 years testing 16 plant-based burgers from 14 different manufacturers, including a mix of global and regional brands. The idea was to look at consumer sensory perception, what consumers like, what works, what doesn’t and where are the areas of opportunity.

    ‘Beef But Better’

    In Australia, consumers made it clear that they are looking for ‘beef but better’, with conventional animal beef an important benchmark, but one consumers say can be bettered. “In other words, consumers want a plant-based burger that tastes like beef, and they want it to be better for the environment as well as better for their health,” said Jie Ying Lee, Senior Strategic Marketing Manager for Plant-Based at Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa.

    Australian consumers expect a perfect balance of flavour in plant-based burgers

    But what makes a plant-based burger taste like beef? Too much salt is a no-no, as are overpowering and artificial flavours. The key for brands is to achieve a delicate flavour balance, and consumers also cited the importance of the right lingering aftertaste. Another key takeaway? The importance of the first bite.  

    Further, a pleasing taste will not overshadow poor mouthfeel, especially if it is very different from conventional meat.

    On the texture side, the study identified what they call ‘variation in bite’, whereby a burger has a firm outer part (as a result of charring) and a soft inner texture.

    Source: Unsplash

    Cooking behavior a key part of the plant-based meat puzzle

    When it comes to cooking, sizzle matters. In fact, they expect sizzling as soon as they place the patty on a hot pan, just like with a beef burger. Good sizzle creates positive expectations of taste and succulence. Further, consumers say that beef-life cues like meat browning and caramelising help them control the cooking process and signal when the patty is ready and safe to eat. Interestingly, consumers don’t want the plant-based burger to mimic a beef one too much — visible fat globules and pink juices were considered by the tasters as ‘going too far’, added Lee.

    Pricing influences consumer adoption

    While product pricing was not part of the study, according to Lee previous research by Kerry underscored that high relative prices of alternative protein meat is a major barrier for consumer adoption, and repeated purchasing of such products would require them to be the same cost or cheaper than their animal counterparts.

    Local influences and preconceptions affect expectations

    Depending on the country, consumers may have a different beef burger benchmark. For example, for Australian consumers, the beef burger benchmark is a fresh burger grilled on a BBQ so there is more of an emphasis on chargrilled, whereas in the U.S. and Brazil, they may make their own burgers from scratch and season to their liking, so meatiness is a key factor.

    Kerry plant-based burger
    Photo by Kerry.

    APAC consumers a key growth market for plant-based meat

    Previous research by Kerry underlined that the appeal of plant protein in APAC has increased by 75% and is outperforming the global average. 62% of APAC consumers are interested in plant-based meat, while 44% plan to increase their consumption of meat alternatives and 32% are actively trying to cut meat consumption. 28% have already dramatically cut their meat consumption. The overall takeaway is that APAC consumers are open to the concept of new foods, including plant-based meats, if they offer health benefits and effective nutrition, and clean labels with recognisable ingredients.

    Source: Unsplash

    Australian consumers poised for plant-based meat

    As a nation, Australia is a large consumer of meat, with one of the highest per capita intakes in the world (89.6 kilograms per year as of 2019). While chicken is the dominant animal protein, beef accounts for about 20 kg of that total. Across the last decade, beef consumption has declined and is predicted to remain on a downward trajectory.

    Today, 73% of Australian consumers are planning to cut meat intake and 55% plan to consume more plant-based food. Research shows that Australia is the third fastest-growing market in the world for plant-based foods, and its alternative meat sector is expected to reach A$3B by 2030. Kerry’s research highlights significant opportunities for plant-based meat manufacturers in the Australian market to offer healthier, more sustainable protein alternatives, provided they can rise to the formulation challenge: a combination of balanced flavour, good nutrition, comparable mouthfeel and identifiable cooking cues.

    Go deeper: Kerry’s research on plant-based burgers can be accessed here.

    Lead photo by Kerry.

    This is a Green Queen Partner Post.

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  • Haofood Partners With Lawson To Bring Plant-Based Chicken To 2,300 Stores

    4 Mins Read

    Shanghai’s Haofood has announced distribution partnership with Chinese convenience store giant Lawson that will see its new satay nugget stick product being stocked in 2,300 stores across the country, to give consumers easy access to alternative protein products. Shops in the Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces will be the first cities to get the satay sticks.

    According to Haofood, the partnership timely, given an observable rise in flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diet adoption across China. Millennials are thought to be driving this trend, due to increased environmental awareness. Personal health is considered to be another motivation.

    Haofood builds on recent funding success

    The distribution deal with Lawson is another win for Haofood. The plant-based chicken manufacturer, known for its peanut-based plant-based protein, recently celebrated a $3.5 million seed funding round. At the time, the company stated that the investment would be used to increase its reach throughout Asia. 

    “I am thrilled to be partnering with Lawson and look forward to bringing a different experience to our customers with our new satay nugget on a stick,” Astrid Prajogo, Founder and CEO of Haofood said in a statement. “At Haofood, our goal is to make plant-based chicken products accessible to people. We set our focus on China, the world’s most populous country for a start, as we believe that there can be a significant impact on carbon footprint reduction as customers here turn towards alternative meat products.”

    China’s need for increased food security

    China remains the most populous country on the planet. It registered 1.41 billion people in 2020 and while population growth has slowed in recent years, the need to address food security concerns remains. This has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and natural disasters.

    On the 2021 Global Food Security Index, China ranked 13th out of 113 countries. It has shown significant improvement over the last decade but more still needs to be done. This is why when President Xi referenced alternative proteins in a speech, the world’s media took it as a sign that China could be gearing up to become a powerhouse of plant-based and cultivated proteins. The Chinese five-year agricultural plan also made space for ‘future foods’ for the first time in history.

    Making alternative protein foods as accessible as possible and cost-effective will be vital to the acceptance of the items as a whole. A study in 2020 revealed that 95 percent of consumers in China are already aware of plant0based meat products, with 61 percent believing that eating them would be healthy. 41 percent said they assumed they have a lower carbon footprint than conventional meat.

    Haofood’s move into thousands of convenience stores is intended to make plant-based chicken an everyday food.

    Made for the meat-lovers

    Haofood uses its proprietary peanut-derived Innotein protein as its main ingredient. The company states that this gives it an advantage in the texture and taste stakes, yielding more umami notes and a fibrosity that meat eaters enjoy. Numerous restaurant partnerships are already in place and now, the ultimate convenience of snacks in grab-and-go locations takes things a step further.

    “This ties back to our mission of sustaining happiness from good food forever. We want to unite past, present and future through the creation of traditional dishes with our innovative, futuristic products that allow consumers to enjoy sustainable food in the present,” Prajogo said in a statement. “We will continue to seek ways to innovate, improve and bring people sustainable alternatives to meat while preserving cultural norms in cooking and making a positive impact on the Earth.” 

    Snacking on plant-based chicken

    All over the world, convenience stores are making it easier for consumers to access plant-based meat. Earlier this year, Lightlife partnered with 7-Eleven to make its vegan chicken tenders available as a grab-and-go hot snack throughout Canada. More than 600 locations were cited to be getting the snacks, which were being stocked as part of the convenience giant’s commitment to offering more plant-based options.

    Lead image created using Haofood product imagery.

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  • TiNDLE Maker Next Gen Foods Appoints 2 New Board Members To Strengthen Food System Disruption

    4 Mins Read

    Singapore’s Next Gen Foods, which owns the vegan TiNDLE brand, has welcomed two new board members to help cement the young company’s position as a global plant-based leader: Jenny Lee, a managing partner at GGV Capital, and Mathys Boeren, CEO of the Asia Sustainable Foods Platform at Temasek Holdings.

    Both new appointments bring a litany of impressive career successes with them. Lee is known for her diverse background which includes engineering, aerospace and venture capital investment. Boeren brings a personal commitment to developing sustainable foods and vast experience in scaling food tech startups.

    Bringing new perspectives to plant-based food development

    “We are always looking for strategic partners, board members and mentors who are motivated about transforming the food system and can guide us as we continue our rapid growth and market expansions,” Andre Menezes, Next Gen Foods Co-Founder and CEO said in a statement. “Both Mathys and Jenny’s extensive global and regional experience in the food tech industry, and in helping startups to scale swiftly, is essential to Next Gen’s vision of making delicious foods that ultimately impact the footprint that we have on this planet.” 

    Lee is a powerhouse of early-stage guidance. Currently based in Singapore, she has guided 18 companies to unicorn status and successful IPO listings and is regularly recognised by the Forbes Global 100 VC Midas list. A leading woman in business, she became the first female to ever break into the top 10 of Forbes’ list, in 2015. Lee is well-positioned to help Next Gen get to the next level. Most importantly, she wants to because of a shared vision of a future without resource-heavy food production.

    “Food tech innovations and developments in alternative protein will help us drive sustainability and mitigate climate change,” Lee said in a statement. “Agriculture, forestry and land use cause 7% of carbon dioxide emissions and 46% of methane emissions, much of which is driven by food production. Sustainable foods can help us address environmental concerns arising out of inefficient animal farming and food production.” 

    Mathys Boeren

    As the CEO of the Asia Sustainable Foods Platform, Boeren is au fait with the challenges of scaling alternative protein manufacturing and expanding distribution outside of domestic territories. He developed a thorough knowledge of the food industry through a 25-year career that saw him undertake senior positions at Kerry, Symrise, and Unilever, amongst others. In recent years he has been focussed on advising sustainable food startups. Boeren is also located in Singapore, allowing easy access to the Next Gen headquarters. He is excited by the prospect of driving Asia towards increasingly healthy and environmentally sound products.

    “An estimated US$1.55 trillion (S$2.09 trillion) of spending is needed by 2030 to meet food requirements in Asia, driven by changing consumer habits and demand for healthier and more sustainable foods.” Boeren said in a statement. “[TiNDLE is] an innovative product, delivering a tasty and sustainable meat experience that will help us meet this growing demand. I am excited to be a part of Next Gen and guide them through their journey of becoming a leading brand for plant-based foods.” 

    Jenny Lee

    Plant-based over poultry meat

    Some consumers have made a switch to what they consider to be less impactful meat in their diets. While it’s true that poultry creates fewer emissions than beef, it still isn’t the greenest choice available. 

    Beef cattle contribute significantly due to their production of methane. The animals are thought to create 3.7 percent of the total U.S. emissions. Former suggestions that chicken and fish are less carbon-polluting are now being questioned. A study conducted last year and published in the journal Nature Sustainability suggests that increased chicken and fish consumption is adding more emissions to the total meat sector. This is due to beef intake not lessening as chicken and fish consumption increases.

    In contrast, plant-based meat, including Next Gen’s TiNDLE chicken, has a much smaller footprint. Fellow vegan chicken brand VFC, recently revealed that it has been awarded an ‘A’ eco-impact grade. The U.K startup, headed by Matthew Glover and chef Adam Lyons, released data that compared VFC’s manufacturing footprint to conventional chicken with the latter faring badly.

    Next Gen gearing up for the next phase

    2022 has already been a record-breaking year for flagship brand TiNDLE. Last month saw entry into the U.K. market, one month after raising $100 million. The largest-ever single Series A investment round into alternative protein, the raise demonstrated what a hot ticket vegan chicken is becoming. TiNDLE has already entered Amsterdam and has a nationwide U.S. launch in progress, alongside established presence in the Middle East.

    All photos by Next Gen Foods.

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  • Q&A w/ AgFunder’s Louisa Burwood-Taylor, AgriFood Expert & Journalist

    Louisa Burwood Taylor
    6 Mins Read

    Green Queen founder Sonalie Figueiras recently chatted with Louisa Burwood-Taylor, AgFunder’s Head of Media & Research, about what makes an interesting story, covering portfolio company competitors, the rise of angel investing, and whether or not hype is a good thing.

    What started out as a newsletter a decade ago is now a US$90+ million agri-food-tech investment business with tickets in some of the world’s most exciting startups, from Juicy Marbles to Nobell to Supplant. And while many VCs focus on building out robust due diligence teams, at AgFunder, the prevailing mantra is ‘content is king’. So how exactly do they do it? Louisa Burwood-Taylor shared some insights.

    *This article is edited for length and clarity.

    GQ: As Head of Media at AgFunder, how do you decide what content to cover?

    LBT: Well, it’s been quite a journey on this front because in the early days I would have said anything and everything related to agtech and foodtech.

    But the industry has grown exponentially since I started covering agriculture in 2013; now we have to be a bit more careful with what we choose to cover and how we cover it with our limited resources, but also because there are so many other great news outlets around now covering, for instance, the funding announcements that there’s no point us publishing duplicate content.

    We introduced some new story formats to allow us to cover big, breaking news, even if not that in-depth, but ideally we want to be adding as much value to our readers as possible with more research and analysis-based pieces that can draw on our deep knowledge and experience of this industry today.

    GQ: What makes for an interesting story to you?

    LBT: I love in-depth tech pieces about how companies decided to build out their tech platforms, maybe they pivot in some way, and how they build relevant business models for their customers; the latter has been—and still is—a big question mark for many farmtech plays, especially in the software space. Who should be paying? Who is the actual customer? Because it turns out that for many digital ag tools it’s not actually the farmer.

    Obviously, massive funding rounds are exciting to cover but since there are so many outlets covering them these days, we try to take a fresh angle or dig into the use of proceeds. And anything related to the hype around categories.

    [Y]ou and I have talked about the lack of nuance in many categories of foodtech and agtech before—the intersection of a seriously complex industry with venture capital can cause entrepreneurs to oversimplify the problems they’re trying to solve and the solutions they’re presenting, as they try to raise as much money as possible with a clear message on how investors will get returns. I get it; but it could ultimately lead to some catastrophic failures where real traction never catch up to valuations—some believe we might start to see this in indoor agriculture for example.

    So, making sure we add some realism to the conversation is key, as well as holding companies to account; our colleague Jenn Marston is doing a fantastic job tracking the various corporate commitments made around carbon and regenerative ag, for example.

    GQ: Are there ethical walls between you and the investment team?

    LBT: Yes, we have pretty strict ethical walls. The editorial team will only find out about an investment after it’s closed and then we will cover it as we do other funding announcements, with full and clear disclaimers that these are portfolio companies of AFN’s parent company AgFunder.

    GQ: Would you cover portfolio companies’ competitors?

    LBT: Absolutely! We’re a team of professional, experienced journalists and if something is newsworthy we go after it. That doesn’t mean the investment team will be happy about it, but they understand we need to maintain our integrity and fairly cover the industry as much as we can.

    To be honest, we also totally lose track of AgFunder’s portfolio since they’re making so many investments over there. In our annual report, we recorded 22 unique company investments last year and that was apparently a slow year as they raised their fund! So often it’s news to us when we find out a company is in the portfolio.

    GQ: What is the role of a dedicated/niche media in an ecosystem?

    LBT: Education, awareness, intelligence—and nuance. 

    GQ: How much does hype play into the VC game? Is hype a good thing?

    LBT: I jumped the gun and already spoke a bit to this above, probably because it’s the elephant in the room for some agrifoodtech sectors. It’s really hard to say good vs bad, however; you’re always going to get some hype and some hype can be warranted.

    The problem comes, especially in our relatively nascent industry, when you have new investors jumping on a bandwagon without truly understanding the sector yet (and again, agrifood is highly complex and unlike any other industry) and pushing valuations to unrealistic levels.

    We’re seeing a lot of this in alternative protein right now and it makes increasing numbers of startups un-investable for the more disciplined, and dedicated agrifoodtech investors. Without their knowledge and expertise, arguably startups could go down the wrong path and that’s where you might start to see some big failures. When the failures come, the newer money into the space then leaves, and that’s no go for anyone.

    While agrifoodtech startups raised over $50 billion in funding last year, it’s still underweight compared to its contribution to GDP, not to mention the massive climate and supply chain-related issues the industry is facing today.

    GQ: What do you make of the rise of angel investing and the democratization of investing?

    LBT: I’m always in favor of democratization of anything! I’m not sure it’s that new; AngelList has been around for a while—and crowdfunding platforms. It’s actually been an interesting journey for the latter because at one point crowdfunding was almost a dirty word; the implication was if you had to go the crowdfunding route it was because you were desperate and couldn’t get funding from real investors, however, it’s proven to make a lot of sense for food products trying to create a brand but also for agtech startups wanting to get farmers invested in their idea.

    With so many complaints from farmers that entrepreneurs are not building tools for them that they actually want or need, bringing them into the journey from the early days is an awesome idea.

    I’ve actually never dug into how that ends up influencing the direction a startup takes (great story idea there!) but I can’t imagine it’s a negative, even if the crazy big CAP table is a bit of a mess!

    But in short, I think everyone should have an opportunity to benefit—and I mean make money—from the growth of any industry. For too long this has been the preserve—or the pleasure, you could say—of the ultra-wealthy or large corporations and firms. There are of course concerns about the risks for smaller investors, which is why there are limits put in place about who can make venture investments.

    GQ: Are a lot of your readers investors?

    LBT: Our audience is predominantly made up of entrepreneurs, investors, and agrifood execs, but we do also have a significant number of farmers reading us, government bodies, NGOs, and anyone interested in the future of food!

    GQ: Do you get a lot of investment tips from readers?

    LBT: I’m not sure I ever have actually! But we love getting feedback from our readers and find they are pretty engaged. We’re always open to chat!

    GQ: What are some of your predictions for the sector?

    LBT: Food-as-medicine and personalized nutrition. Without wanting to promote the AgFunder portfolio too much, we do have two fantastic companies in this space that I’m very excited about: Faeth Therapeutics is discovering how different foods can aid in the treatment of cancer—mind-blowing!—and BrightSeed is discovering phytonutrients in crops that can combat chronic disease like diabetes.

    Lead photo courtesy of Louisa Burwood-Taylor.

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  • 21-Time Michelin-Starred Chef Alain Ducasse Brings Vegan Burgers to Paris

    4 Mins Read

    French culinary superstar Alain Ducasse has unveiled a vegan burger kiosk in the Bastille region of Paris. Burgal is the latest meat-free innovation from the 21-time Michelin-starred chef known for his openness to plant-based dishes.

    The Burgal pop-up comes after the opening of a new permanent location, Sapid, in Paris, last year with a 95 percent plant-based menu. Ducasse’s new vegan burgers are constructed from a mix of vegetables, lentils, and quinoa. All ingredients are domestically sourced, apart from cassava and pepper. Traditional side orders of French fries have been replaced with vegetable and chickpea chips and a vegan chocolate mousse is offered for dessert.

    Eating for activism

    Ducasse describes how our food choices make a bigger impact than just a personal one. He created something of a manifesto about the power of food as a tool for activism in his book Manger est un acte citoyen, published in 2017. He drew attention to his own preferences for working with legumes and locally-grown cereals in a bid to minimise the environmental consequences of eating well. He discusses repurposing peelings and looking at ways to creatively reduce food waste while delivering the most flavour possible. 

    France has been effective in managing food waste, in a bid to drive down the country’s emissions. In 2016 it introduced a law making it illegal for supermarkets to dispose of unsold food, with items being donated instead.

    The book was a natural lead-on from his 2014 decision to turn his Plaza Athénée restaurant meat-free. The move was initially met with surprise, given Ducasse’s status as ‘the most French of French chefs’. At the time, he held 18 Michelin stars and systematically removed all meat from the menu, leaving just fish, shellfish, vegetables, and grains.

    Veganism has seen a steady increase in France ever since. In 2018 the vegan and vegetarian market grew by 24 percent, compared to the previous year. Cultural hurdles remain in place, with much of France’s gastronomy steeped in meat heritage, but the flexitarian arena is showing potential. The Xerfi study that identified growth in the market also highlighted that around 23 million citizens consider themselves flexitarian.

    Ducasse vegan burgers

    Ducasse takes on Bastille

    Still operating more than 80 restaurants worldwide, Ducasse has been making a gradual shift towards sustainable menus. Paris’ Burgal offers a unique opportunity to be vegan from conception for the duration of its run. This is currently set to end on June 30. Demand will be assessed after the pop-up, to determine whether the burger will be added to the menus in Ducasse’s other restaurants. One thing it is not designed to do is mimic meat.

    “We are not in the field of imitation meat,” Quentin Vicas, development manager of the Ducasse group told Liberation. “Our products contain no additives or dyes and it is not our intention to move towards meat analogs. It is the first vegetable burger of our group. The origin is to be found a few years ago, and to the irritation of Mr Ducasse, in seeing people ruining their health and the planet by eating low-quality hamburgers.”

    Photo by Eleven Madison Park of its main dining room.

    The rise of meat-free Michelin-starred restaurants

    Around the world, chefs are following Ducasse’s lead and looking to eliminate meat from the menus of traditionally animal-heavy locations. Three Michelin star holder Eleven Madison Park famously reopened after the Covid-19 pandemic as a freshly reimagined vegan eatery. Head chef Daniel Humm noted it was a risk but one that was worth taking in light of the importance of personal health, as well as remaining flexible when adopting sustainable food systems. The move proved successful, to the point where the restaurant has just launched its vegan meal kit delivery service. 

    Last year it was revealed that Copenhagen fine-dining spot Geranium, sporting three Michelin stars to its name, was due to stop serving meat in 2022. The menu redesign coincided with head chef Rasmus Kofoed’s own dietary choices. The restaurant now focuses on seasonal dishes constructed using locally-sourced seafood and vegetables.

    All photos by Ducasse group, unless stated.

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  • Coles Pledges To Cater To Flexitarians Across Australia With Get Plant’d

    3 Mins Read

    Coles has debuted a new-to-it plant-based meat brand. The grocery giant has more than 800 locations throughout Australia, all of which will be stocking the Get Plant’d range. Products have been developed to mimic the full experience of eating meat, with focus placed on texture, taste and aroma.

    Get Plant’d products feature wheat and soy protein as key ingredients in their plant-based bacon, chicken slices and fillets, roast pork and duck, and pepperoni.

    Photo by Catarina Sousa from Pexels.

    Coles targets the growing Australian flexitarian market

    Australia is one of the biggest consumers of animal protein, with 81.6kg per capita cited in 2019, despite the recommendations to reduce meat consumption in order to lessen meat’s impact on the climate and reduce the risk of negative human health consequences.

    The country has resisted shifting to plant-based protein with attempts to block ‘meaty’ plant-based food labelling. The premise was that Australian shoppers were being ‘duped’ into buying meat-free items. Later studies concluded that this was not an accurate depiction.

    Despite institutional reluctance to reduce meat intake, there is a growing flexitarian movement in Australia, driven by consumers. In 2019, the Australian Heart Foundation revised its dietary guidelines to include a reduction in red meat consumption. Health-critical information coupled with easier access to plant-based foods has led Australian diners to claim that 20 percent of them now identify as flexitarian. These are the customers that Coles hopes to appeal to by stocking Get Plant’d.

    Photo by Get Plant’d.

    Catering to an established movement and generating food security

    Coles cites research that highlights the increase in demand for plant-based meat items as a driving motivation for distributing the Get Plant’d line. Figures are said to indicate that one-third of eaters are actively ingesting less meat.

    “In Australia, there is a growing segment of ‘flexitarian’ customers who will happily choose plant-based pepperoni for their pizza, or opt for plant-based chicken in their sandwiches, provided these options are tasty, accessible, and convenient,” Cale Drouin, co-founder of Get Plant’d said in a statement. “Consumers are more conscious today, and they’re looking for simple solutions to the issues they perceive in their world.” 

    Drouin also purported that in a wider sense, plant-based protein has a critical role to play in Australia’s future food security. With global food supply chains still reeling from disruption caused by Covid-19, politics, and natural disasters, domestic provision has become a focus for most nations. 

    At present, Australia is heavily dependent on its meat and dairy industries. These are resource-heavy and actively contribute to the country’s emissions levels. 

    “Shifting government policies to prioritise plant-based protein would help to ensure Australians have consistent access to safe, homegrown crops that are more environmentally and economically sustainable,” Drouin stated.

    Photo by Australia’s Fënn Foods.

    Moving in the right direction

    Last month it was reported that the Australian plant-based market is expected to reach up to $9 billion by 2030. The country is being considered a potential driving force for all things animal-free, thanks to increased domestic grocery chain partnerships, more exportation, and tech-centred food development.
    Central to Australia’s reinvention as a vegan haven will be the Australian Plant Proteins project which has seen AU$378 pledged to develop three specialist new production facilities.

    Lead image created using Get Plant’d product imagery.

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  • Change Foods Scoops $1 Million Grant To Turn Sugarcane Waste Into Animal-Free Cheese Feedstock

    4 Mins Read

    US-Australian food tech Change Foods has secured a $1 million grant from the Australian Commonwealth Government to create a platform for upcycling sugarcane fibre waste that will be processed to offer a low-cost and accessible feedstock for Change Foods’ precision fermentation dairy products.

    The sugarcane fibre (bagasse) is plentiful in supply and will ensure the supply chain remains domestic in origin, wherever possible. Feedstock development will be conducted by Change Foods and in partnership with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The ultimate aim is to drive down the costs of animal-free dairy production.

    Change Foods casein.

    Using what’s available

    Queensland produces around 30 million tonnes of sugarcane every year, leaving 10 million tonnes of fibre behind. As a simple carbohydrate, it offers real potential to become a useful ingredient in the precision fermentation process. The grant to investigate this possibility came about in a bid to propel Australia to the forefront of sustainable foods manufacturing.

    “We were successful in winning the grant because of our strong partnership with QUT and the recognition that Queensland – with a wealth of world-leading micro-biologists and access to sugarcane waste – is uniquely positioned to benefit from the shift to synthetic biology and future food manufacturing,” Tom Davies, vice president of research and operations (APAC) for Change Foods said in a statement “We are developing more sustainable food solutions that are not dependent on animal agriculture – a major source of greenhouse emissions, and further reducing our impact by upcycling of waste to promote the circular economy.”

    A sustainability twofer

    Animal agriculture accounts for 57 percent of all food production emissions globally. The food sector as a whole takes credit for 35 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions created. To prevent the planet’s temperature from rising by more than 1.5°C, emissions need to be reduced by between 40 and 50 percent. It stands to reason that animal agriculture needs to be reduced significantly to make a meaningful contribution to sustainability efforts.

    Traditional cow’s milk is one of the main emissions culprits, after beef production. Removing cows from the food production system will vastly reduce emissions, namely methane. Change Foods looks to do this by developing animal-free dairy using precision fermentation.

    If the US-Australian company can perfect the process of turning waste sugarcane fibre into viable feedstock for its vegan casein alternative, it will create a sustainability double-win. Not only will livestock farming be potentially obsolete, but dairy alternatives could contribute to a circular economy model as well.

    Globally positioned for disruption

    Last year, Change Foods made the move to Silicon Valley, in a bid to position itself at the heart of food tech innovations. It set up home in BioCube San Jose and has since closed a $12 million seed extension round. Total company seed financing has now reached $15.3 million, a record for the precision fermentation sector.

    All funding is being channelled into continued R&D ahead of an animal-free dairy commercial launch, planned for 2024. The new agreement to upcycle sugarcane fibre appears to have delayed projected launch timescales, though it should also assist with reaching price parity with conventional dairy.

    Animal-free dairy as the future?

    The term animal-free dairy is still proving a little confusing, especially in terms of whether or not they can be considered vegan. However, Change Foods is not the only company looking to usurp cows from the production system. 

    California’s Perfect Day is one of the undisputed leaders in the precision fermentation dairy sector. Having successful produced animal-free dairy proteins, the company now supplies them to a variety of other brands to enhance their own products. Chocolate, ice cream and protein powder are all proving successful. The startup’s success has spurred global competitors on, with names including the U.K.’s Mighty and France’s Bon Vivant looking to tap into the trend.

    All photos by Change Foods.

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  • ‘It Flakes Like The Real Thing’: Irish Startup Debuts Whole-Cut Vegan Cod

    3 Mins Read Irish startup Sea & Believe recently unveiled its newest development: a vegan whole-cut cod fillet. The company considers the breakthrough to be its biggest to date. It follows the commercial release of seaweed goujons and seaweed burgers. Both are sold in 50 locations across Ireland presently. The cod fillet was shown at IndieBio’s demo day […]

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  • Slutty Vegan Gets $25 Million in Funding Led By Shake Shack Founder To Open 20 New Burger Restaurants

    4 Mins Read Atlanta’s Slutty Vegan burger chain has closed a $25 million Series A funding round, led by New Voices Fund and restauranteur Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments. The funding will be used to open 10 new restaurants in 2022 with a further 10 expected to follow next year. Hiring chief operations and chief marketing officers are […]

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  • The Price Gap Between Plant-Based And Conventional Meat Is Shrinking, New Analysis Finds

    A Plant-Based Future Is Certainly Possible
    3 Mins Read

    New findings published by ProVeg Netherlands show pricing between meat and alternative protein is shrinking.

    ProVeg Netherlands Worked with Questionmark on the pricing analysis across Dutch grocery stores. The researchers looked at 36 different products with comparable portion size. The group says while prices will vary by supermarket and product, the same trend “can be seen everywhere.”

    The findings

    According to ProVeg, in February, plant-based burgers were on average 56 cents per kilo more expensive than animal-based burgers. Now, they’ve dropped 78 cents per kilo below the price of meat.

    The report also found that vegan chicken dropped from 1.16 per kilo more than conventional to 37 cents per kilo cheaper today. Mincemeat dropped from 29 cents more per kilo to €1.36 cheaper per kilo currently.

    “The cause of the changes is entirely due to the increase in the price of meat, not to the reduction in the price of alternatives,” ProVeg said in a statement. “In most cases, plant-based meats remained the same price, or became slightly more expensive, but to a much lesser extent than meat. On average, meat became 21 percent more expensive between February and June, whilst plant-based meat alternatives rose in price by only two percent.”

    Photo by Nathalia Rose at Unsplash.

    “Meat has always been a product that requires an enormous amount of raw materials. To make one kilogram of meat, you need up to ten kilograms of grain. Now, in times of scarcity, that takes its toll,” Pablo Moleman of ProVeg Netherlands said in a statement. “Due to the large use of raw materials, meat is much more sensitive to disruptions in the world market than meat alternatives. Plant-based meat clearly wins out on efficiency, and we now see that reflected in the price.”

    Moleman says there are often “wafer-thin margins” on meat products. “Supermarkets try to attract customers by offering meat as cheaply as possible. Margins of around eight percent are common, and sometimes meat is even sold below cost. Meat alternatives, on the other hand, have margins of 35 percent to 50 percent. Those higher margins may have acted as a buffer to absorb the price blows, while with meat, supermarkets had no choice but to raise prices. That could explain why meat has been hit so hard by price increases and plant-based substitutes have not,” he said.

    Vegan meat prices dropping

    The findings follow another recent study on price parity between vegan and conventional meat, published by ProVeg Netherlands in May. That study looked at price comparisons over a five-year period. It found the price gap shrank between conventional and alternative proteins. It also found that more than half of all animal-derived products now have a plant-based counterpart that is either the same price or cheaper.

    Photo by Chuttersnap at Unsplash.

    That study was the first of its kind to look at price differences between conventional meat and plant-based meant in Dutch supermarkets including Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl, Aldi, Dirk, and Plus.

    The research also found that soy milk and margarine are both cheaper than cow’s milk and butter. Dairy-free cheese slices, animal-free burgers, and schnitzels were also cheaper than animal-based alternatives in 50 percent of locations.

    “These results radically break with the established image that plant-based alternatives are by definition more expensive,” Moleman said in a statement following May’s findings. “Previous research has already shown that a largely plant-based diet consisting mainly of fresh plant-based foods, grains and legumes is considerably cheaper than an average Western diet,” he said.

    “The Questionmark research shows that these differences more or less cancel each other out, which means that as a plant-based consumer it is not more expensive.”

    Lead photo by Likemeat

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  • Scientists Claim Swapping 20% Of Beef For Microbial Protein Will Halve Deforestation Demand

    4 Mins Read According to new research published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature swapping 20 percent of all beef eaten globally for microbial protein, such as the type used to make Quorn, would halve deforestation over the next 30 years, Further, emissions from global food production would decrease by 50% too, thanks to fewer trees being culled and […]

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  • More Than 30 D.C. Restaurants Join the First Veg Week In Washington

    DC veg week

    3 Mins Read The nation’s capital will celebrate its first Veg Restaurant Week from May 7-14th. If you’re looking for a last-minute treat for Mom this Mother’s Day, try booking a table at one of more than 30 restaurants participating in Washington D.C.’s first Veg Restaurant Week. The event was announced last week by Mayor Muriel Bowser and […]

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  • Happy Ocean Foods Nets New Investors for Its Vegan Seafood During ‘Lion’s Den’ Appearance

    3 Mins Read Munich-based Happy Ocean Foods has secured two investors following an appearance on Lion’s Den. The programme is the German version of the U.S.’s Shark Tank and the U.K’s Dragon’s Den. The alt-seafood startup welcomed backing from former Formula 1 racing champion Nico Rosberg and Dagmar Wöhr. As part of its presentation, Happy Ocean unveiled its […]

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  • Tomorrow Farms Raises $8.5 Million for Sustainable ‘Next-Gen’ Foods

    tomorrow foods

    3 Mins Read Closing an $8.5 million Seed Round led by Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital, Maveron, Valor Siren Ventures, Simple Food Ventures, and SV Angel, Tomorrow Farms says it’s gearing up to fuel the “sustainable food revolution.” New York-based Tomorrow Farms has yet to launch a product, but with its latest funding, which brings its total raised to […]

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