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Category: Fermentation-Based Alt Protein

  • With New Factory in Sight, Solar Foods Signs Latest Deal to Bring Solein Protein to Market

    solar foods
    4 Mins Read

    Finland’s Solar Foods has signed a letter of intent to commercialise up to 1,650 tonnes of its Solein gas protein, with plans to have its new factory fully operational by 2030.

    Amid its ongoing efforts to launch in the US, Finnish gas protein firm Solar Foods has signed commercialisation deals that could account for half of the production capacity of its upcoming facility.

    The company, known for its yellow-hued Solein protein, has secured a letter of intent with a leading international health and performance nutrition brand. If it leads to a binding agreement, the commitment would see 500-1,650 tonnes of the gas-fermented protein enter the market annually between 2026 and 2030.

    This is also the year Solar Foods is aiming to make its ‘Factory 02’ fully operational. The facility is set to have a capacity of producing 12,800 tonnes of Solein every year, around a hundred times greater than its Factory 01, located near Helsinki.

    This means that the higher end of the volume commitment in the latest letter of intent – 1,650 tonnes per year – would correspond to around 13% of the full production capacity of Factory 02, which is now in its pre-engineering phase.

    solar foods factory 02
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Solar Food secures deals worth half of its production capacity

    Solar Foods opened Factory 01, its demo plant, in April 2024, with an initial capacity of 160 tonnes of its fermentation-derived protein per year. This is set to rise to 230 tonnes by 2026.

    But to meet the demand for Solein, it has been working on the industrial-scale Factory 02 for years. It plans to build the plant in three phases to ensure an efficient cost structure and optimised unit economics. The first phase is set to be operational by 2028, and the following stages in 2029 and 2030.

    The company’s final investment decision for Factory 02 is set to be made in 2026, but it has already raised around €83M in equity and debt funding for its two facilities, with backers including the EU Commission and Business Finland.

    The latter, Finland’s official trade agency, has made a total of €110M in grants available to Solar Foods until 2035, and has already injected over €43M. It has set aside a total of €76M to help with the construction of Factory 02, if built on European soil.

    The upcoming facility, currently in its pre-engineering phase, is expected to be able to produce Solein at a cost of €4.30-5.20 per kg, and generate net sales of €80-200M.

    In May, Solar Foods signed two MOUs to commercialise a total of 6,000 tonnes of Solein annually. Combined with the new letter of intent, the volume commitment of all three deals would correspond to around 50-60% of Factory 02’s full capacity.

    “These agreements strongly validate Solein’s commercial potential, and should the collaborations lead to binding agreements, they would correspond already to a major share of the production capacity of Factory 02,” said Rami Jokela, who took over as CEO in April. “Customers’ interest towards Solein also plays an important role in preparing for the final investment decision for Factory 02.”

    solar foods solein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Targeting the health and performance nutrition market

    Solar Foods produces Solein by feeding carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen to microbes, instead of sugar, which eliminates the need for farmland, water for irrigation, and fertilisers and pesticides.

    The microbes are grown in a liquid form, and later dried into a flavourless powder that has 78% protein, 6% fat, and 10% dietary fibre. Its macronutrient profile is said to be akin to dried soy or algae, and it contains iron and B vitamins.

    Solar Foods calls Solein the “most sustainable protein” on Earth. The main raw materials for production are carbon dioxide and renewable energy, resulting in emissions equal to just 1% of those generated by conventional meat, and 20% of plant proteins.

    The ingredient received novel food approval in Singapore in 2022, debuting as part of a vegan chocolate gelato at Italian eatery Fico. In addition, it was the base of a Taste the Future chocolate snack bar released by Fazer (a majority shareholder of Solar Foods) in the city-state, and a line of mooncakes and ice cream sandwiches rolled out by Japanese food giant Ajinomoto.

    solein protein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    The company achieved self-determined Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US last year, and registered Factory 01 with the Food and Drug Administration to import Solein protein stateside. Here, its commercialisation strategy centres on the health and performance nutrition market.

    The new letter of intent was signed to advance product development and explore integration into end-consumer offerings in these categories, with products like protein shakes and bars.

    Solar Foods recently launched a ready-to-mix protein shake powder with Solein, aimed at athletes and gymgoers looking to enhance their performance and recovery. It has also signed supply partnerships with US-based GLP-1 wellness company Superb Food (worth €1.39M) and Italian food firm KelpEat (worth €500,000).

    “Our goal is to develop products that meet consumer demands for nutrition, taste, and functionality – while delivering a distinct advantage in sustainability and future supply security,” said Jokela.

    The post With New Factory in Sight, Solar Foods Signs Latest Deal to Bring Solein Protein to Market appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Australia’s Eclipse Ingredients Nabs $4.6M for Recombinant Breast Milk Protein

    eclipse ingredients
    4 Mins Read

    Australian precision fermentation startup Eclipse Ingredients has emerged from stealth with A$7M ($4.6M) in funding to scale up its production of human lactoferrin.

    Aiming to make “impossible-to-source” health ingredients widely accessible through sustainable production, Brisbane-based Eclipse Ingredients has emerged from stealth with its first target protein.

    A spinout from the national science agency, CSIRO, the precision fermentation startup has raised A$7M ($4.6M) in funding, with nearly A$3M ($1.9M) coming from the federal government via its Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), and the rest from AgFunder and angel investors.

    It’s starting with human lactoferrin, a whey protein found in breast milk, immune cells, and many organs, and known for its iron-regulating and functional health properties.

    “We’re not just making ingredients – we’re transforming what’s possible when nature’s most powerful compounds become accessible at scale,” said founder and CEO Siobhan Coster, a dietitian and MBA graduate. “Ingredients like human lactoferrin offer incredible health benefits across all life stages – including for babies – yet they’ve been locked away.”

    A ‘super capital-efficient’ precision fermentation platform

    precision fermentation lactoferrin
    Courtesy: Queensland University of Technology

    A highly sought-after ingredient, lactoferrin boasts antiviral, antibacterial, immunity-boosting, and gut-strengthening properties. It’s found both in human and bovine milk, but extracting 1kg of purified lactoferrin requires 10,000 litres of milk, leading to exorbitant costs and a strained supply, which is therefore reserved for infant nutrition and supplements.

    It means that despite its various benefits, lactoferrin remains absent from products that could benefit millions, according to Eclipse Ingredients. It has applications across a range of industries, from sports nutrition and immune-boosting functional foods to premium skincare.

    To overcome the supply and cost bottlenecks, the firm is turning to precision fermentation. The tech combines traditional fermentation with the latest biotech advancements to efficiently produce a compound of interest – in this case, human lactoferrin.

    In a process similar to brewing beer, Eclipse Ingredients genetically engineers yeast to produce proteins instead of alcohol in a highly controlled environment, with the resulting ingredients mirroring those found in animals and humans.

    The firm is now scaling up through the precision infrastructure at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where FaBA is helping it transfer its tech from lab scale to 2,000-litre fermenters. “Lactoferrin has incredible qualities that are hugely beneficial for our health, yet the human version has been impossible to produce at scale,” said Coster.

    “This partnership gives us access to world-class facilities and expertise, allowing us to focus on what we do best – turning breakthrough science into products that change lives,” she added.

    “We’ve built Eclipse’s platform to be super capital-efficient, leveraging existing infrastructure and expertise here in Australia at QUT, the University of Queensland, and CSIRO. That means we can stay laser-focused on what matters: our people, our patents and breakthrough science.”

    “Eclipse’s technology platform unlocks the immense potential of human lactoferrin at commercial scale,” added Michael Dean, founding partner at AgFunder. “By solving a critical bottleneck for the production of complex functional proteins, we believe they are positioned to disrupt the global wellness and skincare markets.”

    Eclipse Ingredients targets cosmetics launch for 2027

    recombinant human lactoferrin
    Courtesy: Eclipse Ingredients

    Eclipse Ingredients is now seeking commercial partnerships internationally, and aims to launch the first commercial products featuring its recombinant human lactoferrin in 2027.

    “While our initial focus is cosmetics, there are health benefits that human lactoferrin can deliver across other areas, including food and supplements, opening up a range of opportunities to support health and wellbeing,” said Coster. Its applications in skincare will follow food and infant formula products by the end of the decade.

    The startup said it is strategically positioned to access Asia-Pacific’s rapidly expanding health ingredients market, and is hoping to cement Australia’s position as a leader in ingredient innovation. It is the newest name in the country’s burgeoning precision fermentation sector, which includes All G, Nourish Ingredients, Eden Brew, Daisy Lab, and Cauldron.

    “We’re delivering trusted science, as well as helping to demonstrate new potential technology-led industries for Australia,” Crispin Howitt, research lead at CSIRO. “Australia is a leading producer in trusted, sustainable and high-quality ingredients, and can build on this reputation to open new high-value market opportunities using advances in precision fermentation.”

    FaBA is part of the federal education department’s Trailblazer Universities Program, benefitting from an A$50 investment, complemented by another A$110M from universities and industry. It is also working with All G to transfer its cow-free bovine lactoferrin from its lab-scale bioreactors to the startup’s large fermentation tanks.

    “Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator is well-positioned to bring together world-leading researchers from across universities to deliver new ingredients and premium products that consumers are increasingly demanding,” said FaBA director Chris Downs.

    Eclipse Ingredients isn’t the only one producing precision-fermented human lactoferrin. US-based Helaina and Portugal’s PFx Biotech are working on these proteins too, and have both benefited from new funding over the last year amid an otherwise dire investment landscape for alternative proteins. Yali Bio and The Live Green Co, meanwhile, are creating precision-fermented breast milk fats.

    The post Australia’s Eclipse Ingredients Nabs $4.6M for Recombinant Breast Milk Protein appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • EU Parliament Votes to Make Biotech A Strategic Priority, Calls for An Investment Boost

    4 Mins Read

    EU politicians have voted in favour of advancing the bloc’s biomanufacturing and biotech prowess to promote sustainability, public health, and food security.

    It’s a big month for biotechnology in the EU.

    The European Commission just released its life sciences strategy, which sets aside €350M for the development of sustainable innovations, improved biomanufacturing efficiency, and promoting the bloc’s bioeconomy leadership.

    The strategy includes the long-awaited Biotech Act. While delayed by a year to late 2026, it will help accelerate the approval of novel products, including cultivated meat and precision-fermented proteins.

    And now, MEPs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the European Parliament’s report on the future of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing sector, which paints it as an industry “of strategic importance in several different areas such as sustainability, economic security, food security and public health”.

    The industry was further recognised as one of 10 strategic tech sectors to boost Europe’s competitiveness, economic security, and sustainability.

    “Europe cannot succeed with its ambitions on competitiveness, decarbonisation and economic resilience without acknowledging the crucial role played by the EU’s biotechnology and biomanufacturing sector,” the Parliament’s report argues, highlighting the key bottlenecks faced by the sector, and calling for the creation of a chief biotechnology officer position in the EU Commission.

    Greater investment and public awareness critical for biotech sector

    precision fermentation cheese
    Courtesy: Those Vegan Cowboys

    “The EU is a global leader in research and biomanufacturing capacity, yet its potential remains unexploited due to the lack of a sufficiently coordinated policy framework that enables the efficient scaling up of innovation, the attraction of investment and the commercialisation of new technologies,” the Parliament acknowledged.

    It called for “urgent, coherent and consistent action” over the next few years to make the region a world leader in biotechnology.

    For example, the market demand for bio-based feedstocks can be further incentivised to speed up the transition from fossil fuels. These products, like sustainably sourced biomass, recycled waste, and carbon captured from biogenic sources, could be used to manufacture various products.

    But the Parliament expressed concern that the way the European Investment Bank (EIB) interprets sustainability criteria “may result in access to funding for bio-based materials and projects being denied”. It called on the EIB to propose de-risking instruments for biomanufacturing.

    It further noted that scale-up and commercialisation remain major challenges for the sector, stressing the need to enhance knowledge and tech transfer between academia and industry, and highlighting the importance of bolstering public-private collaborations. It called on the EU Commission to help create world-leading R&D hubs and robust physical testing facilities.

    “The sector is characterised by high levels of risk, and reducing the cost of investment failure in the EU is necessary for attracting large-scale capital investment,” the Parliament suggested. “Public awareness of biotechnology and biomanufactured products in the EU should be further strengthened to boost public acceptance.”

    EU Parliament calls for overhaul of ‘lengthy’ regulatory approval process

    lab grown meat approval
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    The EU Parliament laid out several criteria for a comprehensive Biotech Act, largely focusing on the regulatory challenges facing the industry, which includes novel foods.

    “Current EU regulatory frameworks do not cater precisely to the specificities of bio-based products,” it said, suggesting that their inconsistency across sectors creates legal uncertainty and slows market access for innovative solutions. “The lengthy authorisation processes, particularly concerning approval times, need to be urgently addressed.”

    Under the Biotech Act, it urged the EU Commission to take into account the regulatory frameworks of non-EU countries and learn from their best practices, as well as consider a simplified process for products already authorised for sale by “trusted regulatory bodies in like-minded countries with EU-equivalent standards”. Its former member state, the UK, is already doing so.

    The UK has also created a regulatory sandbox to help cultivated meat companies get approved and enter the market, and the EU Parliament is recommending using its own sandboxes to assess biotech applications, while developing a strategy that supports companies transitioning from the sandbox regime to full market access.

    It further called on the EU to double its research budget and reach the target of 3% of its GDP being set aside for R&D by 2030. The Commission, meanwhile, should integrate biotech and biomanufacturing in its digital and artificial intelligence (AI) strategies – the life sciences strategy already committed to creating an AI tool to help researchers embed regulatory compliance at early design stages.

    “The European Parliament has taken a strong position in recognising biotechnology as a strategic priority, and made it clear that food biotechnology must be central to that vision,” said Pauline Grimmer, policy manager at the Good Food Institute Europe. “This creates opportunities for the EU to support innovations in plant-based foods and fermentation as part of a diversified protein system, which can boost Europe’s competitiveness, sustainability, and food security.”

    She added: “The next step is for the Commission to follow through with a Biotech Act that delivers the funding, regulatory clarity, and ambition the sector needs to thrive.”

    The post EU Parliament Votes to Make Biotech A Strategic Priority, Calls for An Investment Boost appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Aldi Suisse Unveils Clean-Label Mycoprotein Chicken Filet at Price Parity with Meat

    aldi myvay chicken
    6 Mins Read

    Discount retailer Aldi Suisse has launched a cost-competitive meat-free chicken filet under its MyVay brand, using Planetary’s Libre mycoprotein.

    Visitors to Aldi Suisse’s stores can now buy a vegetarian chicken filet with four ingredients and the same price as conventional meat, thanks to the supermarket’s partnership with domestic biomanufacturing firm Planetary.

    The retailer has launched a Gourmet Filet under its MyVay meat-free label in 242 stores, combining Planetary’s Libre mycoprotein with egg whites, sunflower oil, and natural flavouring to offer consumers a clean-label alternative to chicken.

    It’s the first product featuring the mycoprotein ingredient following Planetary’s acquisition of Spanish startup Libre Foods last month, which included its core brand, commercial agreements, and IP for mycelium protein.

    “We have acquired Libre’s assets to create synergies with our current production capabilities and commercial strategy. These assets will help accelerate the commercialisation of Planetary’s fermented mycoprotein,” Planetary co-founder and CEO David Brandes tells Green Queen. “The Libre trademark will be dedicated to the B2B marketing of mycoprotein to our partners in retail and the food industry.”

    He adds: “We are particularly proud of the first product launch with this strategy… just in time for the barbecue season.”

    How Planetary bagged the Aldi Suisse collaboration

    aldi my vay chicken
    Courtesy: Planetary

    The Libre mycoprotein uses biomass fermentation and leverages the entire fungi organism, utilising upcycled materials and high-performing strains to achieve “industry-leading yields”. Libre Foods first teased a whole-cut chicken breast made from mycelium in 2023, though this is the first time an iteration of that has been commercialised.

    “At the heart of our recipe is mycoprotein, which makes up 93% of our product and is produced in our factory in Aarberg, Switzerland, through fermentation of a type of fungus,” says Brandes. “To give slightly more firmness to our product, an egg white is in our recipe, while natural flavour and sunflower oil help enhance the juicy and meaty experience of MyVay Gourmet Filet.”

    He adds: “As we focused on the aspect of minimal processing, the Gourmet Filet is produced extremely simply with the key steps involving only mixing, shaping and cooking – it is really that simple.”

    The partnership with Aldi was the result of a successful debut at Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley and Aldi Suisse’s Retail Shelf platform, which offered food innovators a chance to pitch their products and potentially put them on the retailer’s shelves.

    “During our product development process, we aimed to make the Gourmet Filet simple, with few ingredients, minimal processing, and obviously a great taste and meat-like bite. Thankfully, the task was made easier by using a planet-friendly ingredient, mycoprotein, which naturally has a meat-like texture and neutral, yet slightly savoury taste,” recalls Brandes.

    “Clearly, we had a big success with our innovative mycoprotein-based gourmet filet, which tastes great and was especially praised for its short and natural ingredient list.”

    The meat-free chicken packs 18g of protein in each 105g filet, while containing nearly 7g of fibre and just 0.5g of saturated fat.

    Planetary earns Swiss government grant for scale-up

    libre foods
    Courtesy: Planetary

    Based in Geneva, Planetary operates the only active industrial mycoprotein facility in continental Europe and is building a unique full-stack biomass and precision fermentation platform in line with the agro-industrial complex, titled BioBlocks. It’s designed to support the development and industrialisation of future-facing food and material solutions, using a wide array of feedstocks.

    “With Aldi, amongst other customers, selecting our naturally fermented mycoprotein, we are proving sustainable proteins can match the price and experience of animal-based protein,” says Brandes.

    The MyVay mycelium chicken filet is priced at 4.99 francs per 210g pack, or 22.7 francs per kg. “This puts Planetary’s product at price parity with Aldi’s Swiss chicken filet. In fact, our product is cheaper than many of the other alternatives on the Swiss market, despite being very high quality,” he explains.

    Brandes described mycoprotein as a whole ingredient naturally high in fibre and protein. Unlike most plant proteins, it is not chemically extracted, spray-dried or extruded. “Its neutral taste and natural fibrous texture make it really easy to incorporate in meat and dairy alternative recipes without heavy processing and many additives, contrary to other protein sources like soy or pea,” he notes.

    In fact, Planetary was recently named a finalist in the cheese alternative competition run by Lidl Germany and the ProVeg Incubator, where it was recognised for applying its global patent to leverage mycoprotein in non-dairy formats like milk and cheese.

    Speaking of which, the firm was one of 10 winners of the 2025 Global Award by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), thanks to its strategic use of IP to address sustainability challenges and achieve breakthroughs in scalable industrial fermentation.

    As it looks to scale up production at its Aarberg faciliry, Planetary has now secured a grant of 1.8 million francs ($2.26M) under national innovation agency Innosuisse’s Startup Innovation Project.

    “The recognition from Innosuisse and WIPO highlights the industrial maturity and technology leadership of our platform,” says Planetary co-founder and CSO Ian Marison. “We’re building real-world infrastructure that proves how scalable fermentation can bring sustainable proteins to market at speed and cost, not just in theory, but in practice.”

    New partnerships and products in the pipeline

    planetary mycoprotein
    Courtesy: Planetary

    Thanks to a large flexitarian population, Swiss consumers are already eating less meat and dairy, though plant-based meat only appeals to 15% of this cohort. The new dietary guidelines and national nutrition strategy both call on citizens to eat more plant proteins.

    While the Aldi Suisse filet is vegetarian, Planetary has also developed a vegan iteration of the chicken alternative. This uses a “proprietary, short and clean-label binding system” specifically developed for the firm’s mycoprotein applications, replacing the egg white with a two-ingredient plant-based binder. “We are planning to launch the vegan version of the filet with another food industry partner in the near future,” says Brandes.

    The company chose to use a white-label approach as it provided a faster path to market. “Planetary can benefit from the strength of the MyVay brand to reach consumers, without the lengthy process of building up brand strength and engagement,” he explains. “For Aldi, it’s a great opportunity to expand its product portfolio and offer a minimally processed, protein and fibre-rich meat alternative.”

    Laying out the firm’s plan for the next 12 months, Brandes says Planetary is looking to expand across geographies and categories as it builds out its fermentation capacity both in Aarberg and through partnerships with the agro-industrial complex. It will soon announce asset-light expansion co-location partnerships via the tech licensing of its BioBlocks platform at strategically suitable locations, which will turn sidestreams into value-added protein.

    “On the demand side, we’re preparing additional distribution agreements for the coming months in retail and food service, with other national and international distributors, as well as with food producers,” he reveals. “Our first short-term target is the Swiss market, but we also have sales opportunities in Germany, France, and the rest of Europe.”

    Aside from Aldi Suisse, there are several other partnerships in the pipeline. “In particular, we developed B2B recipes based on mycoprotein for our partners: cold cuts, sausages, schnitzel, burger patties, milk, cheese, and even protein powder,” says Brandes.

    “Currently, Planetary is, to our knowledge, the only commercial mycoprotein producer in continental Europe today. That said, we would appreciate seeing more mycoprotein producers succeed in building industrial scale and functional production infrastructure producing at retail-realistic cost in order to tackle the vast opportunity of ‘feeding the 10 billion’ jointly.

    “In the long run, Planetary will be positioned as a bioeconomy leader harnessing the power of microbial organisms to innovate the world as we know it today, reaching far beyond the food sector, and we welcome conversations with mission-aligned partners and investors at any time.”

    The post Aldi Suisse Unveils Clean-Label Mycoprotein Chicken Filet at Price Parity with Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Global Survey: 75% of Consumers Still Interested in Plant-Based Meat & Dairy

    5 Mins Read

    A majority of consumers globally remain interested in plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, while millennials are keenest on blended proteins.

    Despite the doom-and-gloom coverage of the plant-based sector, three-quarters of global consumers are interested in plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy, according to new research.

    Every generation wants to eat more protein, with its appeal peaking among millennials and Gen Zers (70% of whom say so). And nearly 80% of consumers believe eating plant proteins will help them age better and build or maintain muscle strength.

    The data from ADM’s 2025 Alternative Protein Landscape Report shows that 46% of consumers identify as flexitarians, a movement led by Germany, South Korea, the US and Brazil. Vegetarians and vegans make up a further 4% and 1% of the population.

    The rest are deemed “carefree” eaters, who eat both plant-based and animal proteins and don’t intentionally seek out or avoid either one. They skew slightly older and retired, and two in five don’t follow any specific dietary pattern. In fact, 73% of these consumers believe it’s healthier to obtain protein from a variety of sources beyond just animal products.

    “Gen Z and millennial consumers are particularly open to protein variety,” said ADM. “And with Gen Z’s purchasing power just beginning to emerge, we anticipate amplified acceptance and adoption of a wider array of protein offerings.”

    Here are five other takeaways from ADM’s annual report.

    1. Is fermentation the darling of alternative proteins?

    adm alternative protein
    Courtesy: ADM

    According to ADM, fermentation might be the future of alternative proteins, having garnered consumer acceptance for use in meat, dairy and seafood alternatives, as well as specialised nutrition. Notably, this is the only alternative protein vertical that has continued to attract investment against the tide.

    While flexitarians are most attracted to novel plant-based ingredients, blended proteins and fermentation-derived ingredients aren’t far behind – 64% express interest in such meat and dairy products. Millennials are the biggest market for the latter, with 72% interested in these foods, followed closely by Gen Z (68%).

    Meanwhile, 59% of global consumers show interest in cultivated meat, and 61% say the same for cell-cultured dairy proteins.

    2. Traditional plant proteins on the rise

    ADM’s research found that chickpeas and soybeans are among the most recognisable sources of plant protein globally. In fact, 83% of plant-forward consumers say soy protein is a good base for building and maintaining muscle, 81% call it a great option for reducing fat intake, and 79% link it with an active and healthy lifestyle.

    Lentils are the next big thing in the traditional plant protein space, according to the report. While they have an awareness-to-consumption gap of 20%, they’re thought of as extremely healthy and nutritious, as well as tasty, clean and natural, aligning with flexitarians’ top food drivers.

    3. Health and taste over everything else

    plant based survey
    Courtesy: Kampus Production/Pexels

    Taste and health are the dominant motivators for alternative protein trial purchases among both flexitarian and carefree consumers. Improved flavour and mouthfeel are increasingly important for products like baked goods, ready meals, meal kits, and sports nutrition offerings.

    Flexitarians place an equal emphasis on taste and nutrition, with 63% calling them a joint top driver for plant protein consumption. But health continues to be their main reason for choosing a flexitarian lifestyle, with 86% feeling it’s healthier to get protein from a wider variety of sources.

    For carefree consumers, taste is more important than nutrition when it comes to plant-based alternatives. That said, 67% of them say eating more plant proteins will help improve their overall health.

    Meanwhile, 78% of flexitarians say private-label plant-based products are just as good as branded, a sentiment particularly popular in Brazil and Australia. “In future innovations, consumers also want to see more food safety certifications, along with enhanced functional health benefits and sourcing transparency,” ADM said.

    4. GLP-1 boom could be a boon for plant-based

    The report looked at the impact of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, suggesting that their growth is positively influencing the uptake of plant-based food. Globally, 77% of flexitarians believe plant proteins make it easier to lose weight. In fact, weight management is among the top motivators globally for trying vegan snacks, sports nutrition, and ready meals, regardless of GLP-1 use.

    In the US, 64% of weight-loss drug users pay more attention to a product’s protein content, and 44% are intentionally adding more plant-based sources to their diets.

    Moreover, fibre is gaining relevance, with nearly half of consumers (49%) looking to eat more of this macronutrient. “New and reimagined plant-based foods and beverages that target portion control and deliver high protein and dietary fibre stand to succeed,” the report stated.

    5. Blended proteins stand to win big

    blended meat survey
    Courtesy: ADM

    Blended meat and hybrid dairy are all the rage now. These products combine animal protein with plant- or fermentation-based ingredients to offer consumers a more balanced protein offering without significantly changing their diets.

    Millennials are the most interested in these formats (75%), followed by Gen Zers (72%), Gen Xers (66%) and baby boomers (53%). There are several things that appeal to consumers here: they find blended proteins better for them and the planet, believe they add variety to diets and promote better balance between animal and plant proteins, and feel they’re more nutritious.

    Some companies are betting on plant-based ‘meat extenders’ to boost animal protein’s volume for cost-conscious shoppers, like Nestlé has done in Chile. “While one in four global plant-forward consumers have never heard of meat extensions and only 16% claim to currently consume them, the perception of meat extensions is much more positive than expected,” said ADM.

    “Protein blends meet every rising consumer demand – protein and ingredient diversity, higher protein content, elevated taste and texture, sustainability concerns and affordability,” it added. “And they do so better than the current selections in the marketplace, namely, traditional meat or dairy or all-plant products.”

    The post Global Survey: 75% of Consumers Still Interested in Plant-Based Meat & Dairy appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 21st.Bio Unveils Platform for Low-Cost Production of Cow-Free Dairy Protein

    21st bio alpha lactalbumin
    5 Mins Read

    Danish firm 21st.Bio has launched a new development programme for companies to create precision-fermented alpha-lactalbumin in a cost-effective manner.

    To help companies expand access to a key whey protein, minus the cow and the environmental damage, 21st.Bio has kickstarted a new development launchpad.

    The Copenhagen-based firm has opened up a precision fermentation programme for companies to produce recombinant alpha-lactalbumin, which makes up 25% of bovine whey content. It is built on an exclusive license of a high-yield microbial strain obtained from biosolutions giant Novonesis.

    It’s described as the first solution for companies to produce precision-fermented alpha-lactalbumin themselves. The highly functional milk protein is rich in essential amino acids, easy to digest, and linked to cognitive development benefits – but its current supply is limited and thus mostly reserved for the “very high-end infant formula market”, explained 21st.Bio CEO Thomas Schmidt.

    “Through precision fermentation, we make production more efficient, sustainable, and – most importantly – available to many, not just the few. On top of this, we are able to produce alpha-lactalbumin of high purity, an important parameter for infant nutrition,” he said.

    “We’re already in several promising collaborations and dialogues to bring precision-fermented alpha-lactalbumin to market,” he told Green Queen, noting that the talks are confidential. “There is robust interest across the nutrition and food sectors.”

    Can 21st.Bio make cost-effective alpha-lactalbumin a reality?

    21st bio whey protein
    Courtesy: 21st.Bio

    Alpha-lactalbumin is present at a high concentration in human milk (around 20-25%), and plays a key role in providing essential nutrients to infants, including amino acids and bioactive peptides. It also supports gut health and immune function in early life, making it a highly prized ingredient for baby formula.

    However, the protein improves sleep, aids in cognitive resilience, and relieves stress in adults too, which is why it’s garnering interest from manufacturers of functional foods, ready-to-drink beverages, clinical nutrition, and dietary supplements.

    The problem is, whey proteins only represent 20% of the protein content in cow’s milk, and alpha-lactalbumin accounts for just 3-5%, making it difficult and expensive to extract in large amounts. Currently, it takes 1,000 litres of milk to produce just 1kg of purified alpha-lactalbumin, making it one of the costliest dairy proteins on the market, according to 21st.Bio.

    21st.Bio, which operates a pilot plant in Copenhagen with a fermentation capacity of 3,000 litres, instead inserts the molecular sequence of bovine alpha-lactalbumin in microbes, which then produce the protein when fermented. The resulting liquid is filtered to separate the microorganisms.

    The firm is optimising the Novonesis-developed strain for industrial fermentation, scale-up, and commercialisation. Its technology offers companies a scalable, animal-free solution to consistently produce alpha-lactalbumin at competitive costs, tackling the major bottlenecks of the precision fermentation industry.

    This is critical, given the environmental impact of the dairy industry, and the volatility of its supply chain. The sector is responsible for around 4% of global emissions, and the climate change it’s helping cause could lower cows’ daily milk yields by 4% by 2050.

    “We’re heading for a protein supply gap. The industry itself is telling us: we won’t be able to meet future demand using traditional methods alone,” said Schmidt. “Precision fermentation is a complementary solution – one that can reduce pressure on natural resources, lower environmental impact, and create a more distributed and resilient supply chain.”

    21st.Bio to use royalty-based licensing model

    21st bio precision fermentation
    21st.Bio CEO Thomas Schmidt | Courtesy: 21st.Bio

    Schmidt and CSO Per Falholt founded 21st.Bio in 2020 as an end-to-end partner helping bioindustrial companies scale up from molecular innovation to industrial production. It has labs in both Copenhagen and Davis, California.

    Its alpha-lactalbumin launchpad is a phased development programme, through which it will work with dairy producers, food and beverage companies, and food tech startups. It will offer access to production-ready microbial strains, tailored fermentation and downstream process development, support for pilot and large-scale expansion, and regulatory advice. It will employ a royalty-based licensing model upon commercialisation.

    “We go beyond licensing our technology to our partners,” said Schmidt. “We help them through the entire process of industrial-scale production. Our experience in functional proteins and our goal of achieving at least price parity with traditional dairy makes this a game-changer for companies looking to supply the market.”

    The startup is already working on many other projects with customers in the nutrition, biomaterials, agriculture, and even biomining sectors. It has also launched BLG Essential+, a recombinant beta-lactoglobulin protein, for food companies, after self-determining its Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US last year.

    “We submitted our GRAS notification dossier for BLG Essential+ in April 2025. We expect our customers to launch products containing BLG in the coming year or so,” confirmed Schmidt.

    It is planning a GRAS filing for the alpha-lactalbumin in 2025, with a submission to the European Food Safety Authroity to follow shortly after. “We’re laying the groundwork now to support our customers when they’re ready to commercialise,” he said.

    Both proteins are derived from strains licensed by Novonesis, owned by Novo Holdings (also the parent company of Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk). “We see alpha-lactalbumin as a great fit for 21st.Bio’s strategy and portfolio, making it the right path forward while we at Novonesis continue to focus on other protein innovation,” said Thomas Batchelor, senior VP of advanced health and protein solutions at Novonesis.

    In 2021, Novo Holdings invested €86M ($97M at the time) in 21st.Bio against an ownership share. Asked about the firm’s fundraising plans, Schmidt said: “We have a group of owners right now that are in this for the long run.”

    Other precision fermentation companies working on alpha-lactalbumin include Israel’s Imagindairy and Portugal’s PFx Biotech.

    The post 21st.Bio Unveils Platform for Low-Cost Production of Cow-Free Dairy Protein appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Fan Favourite: As Sales Soar, Revo Foods Brings Back Hyper-Realistic Vegan Octopus

    revo foods octopus
    6 Mins Read

    Austrian mycoprotein player Revo Foods has re-released its 3D-printed octopus product, The Kraken, as a permanent offering after receiving “overwhelming demand”.

    Robin Simsa and his team get four to five messages every week about a single product. Revo Foods may be selling a range of mycoprotein-based seafood alternatives, from salmon to black cod, but none of its innovations have attracted as much fanfare as the vegan octopus tentacle it released last year.

    Titled The Kraken, the hyper-realistic alternative was a limited-edition release because Revo Foods thought it was “too niche” for mass production. The first batch sold out within 48 hours.

    In the months that followed, the startup churned out several new products, but customers, chefs and retailers alike inundated it with hundreds of requests to re-launch the octopus.

    revo foods sales
    Courtesy: Revo Foods

    “Releasing the product as a limited edition in March 2024 was more of a fun little project. We didn’t expect the amount of requests we received afterwards,” says Simsa, the company’s founder and CEO. “At the beginning of the year, we decided to bring it back permanently.”

    Described as a complete protein, The Kraken is characterised by a true-to-life tentacle shape, visible suckers, and a chewy texture. It’s made using mushroom mycelium at Revo Foods’s production site in Vienna, and is available across Europe.

    “The Kraken is a fun, niche product, so [it’s probably not for every supermarket shelf,” says Simsa. “However, we sell through our webshop all over Europe, with Billa in Austria (part of Germany’s Rewe Group), delivery services Gurkerl.at, kokku.de, knuspr.de, and with distributors in Italy, UK, France and Spain.”

    Why Revo Foods created a vegan octopus alternative

    Just like its other vegan seafood products, Revo Foods leverages its patented 3D extrusion process to produce The Kraken. This continuous manufacturing technology eschews the high-heat treatment common in other food production methods, and seamlessly integrates fats into a fibrous protein matrix.

    It allows products to preserve the nutritional qualities of the raw ingredients, while providing a satisfactory taste and texture. Thanks to the mycelium, the octopus alternative has a complete amino acid profile, with 6.3g of protein per 100g.

    revo foods the kraken
    Courtesy: Revo Foods/Green Queen

    It’s also high in fibre (7g per 100g) and omega-3 fatty acid content from DHA- and EPA-rich microalgae, giving the product a more similar nutritional profile to conventional seafood. The Kraken has a Nutri-Score rating of A, which will appeal to the 51% of Europeans looking to eat healthier food this year.

    The product can be eaten raw in a salad, though Revo Foods says frying it for pulpo-style dishes releases the best flavour. Octopus is a delicacy and common food ingredient in many countries, from Spain and Italy to Japan and Turkey, where it’s used in dishes like polbo á feira, meze, sushi and carpaccio.

    Octopus farming is considered highly unethical and planet-harming. Globally, we eat 350,000 tonnes of the mollusc every year, but overfishing has led to a decline in global octopus landings for several years now. Still, producers in several countries are attempting to build industrial-scale octopus farms to meet global demand, with Spain’s Nueva Pescanova facing fierce backlash for its effort.

    vegan octopus substitute
    Courtesy: Revo Foods

    With nine brains, octopuses are a highly intelligent, sociable and complex species. In fact, they’re considered sentient creatures by countries like the UK, which joined Switzerland, New Zealand and the US in outlawing the act of boiling them. In fact, in the latter country, the states of Washington and California have banned octopus farming.

    Being carnivorous, octopuses need fish and other seafood products – like fishmeal or fish oil – in their diet, which are still frequently harvested from the ocean. It takes about 3kg of feed to produce 1kg of octopus, a highly inefficient use of resources. The 2020 Oscar-winning film My Octopus Teacher shed light on the similarities between humans and octopuses, raising awareness on a mainstream level.

    Revo Foods outperforms 2024 revenue in six months

    vegan octopus
    Courtesy: Revo Foods

    Revo Foods is working on scaling up its production capacity for The Kraken over the next few months. It’s part of its wider expansion plan, which has been supported by an ongoing crowdfunding round that has brought its total raised to €11M.

    “We’ve already raised over €1.5M since the spring,” says Simsa. “We’ll use these funds to strengthen our distribution and advance our 3D structuring technology. We recently implemented a new extrusion system in our machines, which improves the output by 50% while drastically cutting the production waste.”

    Vegan seafood is still a highly niche sector, making up a fraction of the conventional seafood market. In fact, in the US, it only accounted for 0.8% of retail sales of plant-based meat in 2024, falling by 18% to $10M. Several startups have been forced to cease operations recently, including Ordinary Seafood, New Wave Foods (whose IP is now part of Bayou Best Foods), and Olala.

    vegan seafood sales
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    That said, Revo Foods seems to be doing well. It has launched two new product formats this year, and Simsa has teased another “that goes in a completely different direction” in a couple of weeks’ time.

    One of its newest innovations was The Prime Cut, a product it has internally dubbed “tofu 2.0”. The mycoprotein product is not meant to be a seafood alternative; it is designed to stand apart as a nutrition-forward protein that offers consumers something new.

    “The Prime Cut is right now rather niche. Many people ask: ‘Why do these products need to resemble meat/seafood?’, but this also helps consumers get a point of reference,” says Simsa. “The Prime Cut is a very ambitious product and sells well in some markets, but on a greater [scale], these types of products need more time to establish themselves.”

    juicy marbles kinda cod
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

    Last month, Revo Foods went international through a partnership with Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles, which introduced a whole-cut cod alternative using the former’s technology. “Juicy Marbles built an amazing distribution system in the US, together with a great brand,” he says.

    “I think it’s smarter to work together with partners that are stronger in some areas, than doing everything by yourself. So we do not plan to enter the US directly with our own brand in the near future, but rather want to collaborate with Juicy Marbles on this.”

    Revo Foods’s products are already available at over 1,000 distribution points in Europe, and it plans to be profitable by 2026. “In the first half of 2025, we already made more revenue than in all of 2024, so the trajectory looks positive,” says Simsa.

    The post Fan Favourite: As Sales Soar, Revo Foods Brings Back Hyper-Realistic Vegan Octopus appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Prime Roots: Omnivores Prefer This Netflix-Famous Startup’s Mycelium Deli Slices Over Meat

    prime roots meat
    4 Mins Read

    New York-based mycelium meat brand Prime Roots has revamped its whole-cut deli lineup, with meat-eaters preferring its cold cuts over conventional meat.

    Prime Roots, the koji meat maker that went viral on Netflix’s You Are What You Eat, has unveiled its first product refresh in seven years.

    The US startup has reformulated its deli meat alternatives to turkey and pork in response to consumer feedback. The result is a lineup that over 50% of meat-eaters prefer to leading brands of conventional cold cuts, according to third-party blind taste tests.

    “Over two years and millions of slices, we’ve listened to your feedback and we’ve made our best products ever,” said co-founder and CTO Joshua Nixon. “Our new products have a meatier and tastier texture with the same nutrition and clean natural ingredients you know and love. No gluten, no soy, and absolutely no nitrates.”

    The Prime Roots 2.0 range is housed in revamped packaging as well, and is available at delis and grocery stores in the US and Canada.

    Prime Roots drives 20% growth in deli sales

    prime roots
    Courtesy: Prime Roots

    Nixon founded Prime Roots with CEO Kimberlie Le in 2017, betting on a koji mycelium protein that it claimed could successfully mimic the flavour and texture of deli meats.

    The company positions its products as “whole-food” and “clean-label” offerings, eschewing plant protein isolates and heavy processing. Koji, the national fungus of Japan and the fungi strain that powers soy sauce, miso and mirin, takes only two to three days to grow, compared to 10-plus days for other fungi and years for animals.

    Prime Roots mixes whole koji with plant-based and fungi-derived ingredients to form its end products, which include turkey, ham, salami, pepperoni and bacon.

    Unlike other brands, which sell deli alternatives in slices, it retails whole joints, partnering with delis and grocers to give shoppers fresh slices instead.

    “As a new-school deli brand, we’ve always been committed to giving people the flavour and health benefits they expect from their favourite deli classics,” said Le. “We’re thrilled to unveil our upgraded recipes and new packaging that has been refined over years of feedback and that will drive real results.”

    Its 2.0 lineup includes smoked and cracker pepper turkey, smoked and black forest ham, salami, bacon, and cupping pepperoni for pizzas. The brand is already available at delis, grocery stores and restaurants in over 30 states, and is now looking to expand rapidly.

    “With some of our retail partners reporting that Prime Roots is driving 20% growth in deli sales, we’re not just taking share, we’re growing the category,” said Le.

    prime roots deli meat
    Courtesy: Prime Roots

    Targeting Americans’ demand for healthier proteins

    Prime Roots is targeting several key consumer pain points. Its products are a source of complete protein and packed with fibre, and being animal-free, have zero cholesterol.

    Deli meats are part of the processed meat category that the WHO has identified as a class 1 carcinogen, indicating that there is sufficient evidence that these foods cause cancer. With Americans looking to cut back on processed food, which has also hurt the sales of meat alternatives, brands that offer recognisable ingredients and clear health benefits stand to win.

    Research by the American Heart Association last year found that 77% of Americans would like to eat healthier. Another survey showed that 48% feel plant-based foods are healthier than animal proteins, and 36% want to eat less meat due to personal health concerns (a 7% rise since 2023).

    Moreover, polling has found that half of Americans believe plant-based diets can improve health and prevent chronic illnesses, and among those who are unsure, 65% are willing to try a vegan diet if shown that it can enhance their well-being.

    prime roots koji
    Courtesy: Prime Roots

    Prime Roots’ products are better for the planet too, linked with 91% fewer carbon emissions and 92% less water use, according to an independent life-cycle analysis. This will appeal to the 48% of Americans open to eating vegan food to reduce their climate footprint.

    The startup has raised $50M to date, with mycoprotein giant Quorn also joining as an investor. It is one of several US firms using mycelium to make meat alternatives, including Meati Foods, The Better Meat Co and MyForest Foods. Even Beyond Meat, one of the industry’s leading companies, is working on a clean-label mycelium steak.

    Prime Roots did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

    The post Prime Roots: Omnivores Prefer This Netflix-Famous Startup’s Mycelium Deli Slices Over Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Fermentation Sector Needs $500B Investment to Unlock Biotech’s True Potential: Report

    advanced biotechnology
    6 Mins Read

    The advanced biotech sector can cut global emissions by 5% and create $1T in annual economic value, but only with major investments to derisk scale-up and ensure cost competitiveness.

    Technologies that use microbes to feed the world, produce fossil-free materials, and create high-performing products with low emissions have enormous potential for the global economy, but they haven’t reached their “full scale of impact” yet, a new report shows.

    Up to 60% of all physical inputs globally could be produced or replaced with bio-based methods, though achieving that would require significant investment to help scale up the technologies and reduce costs, according to Advanced Biotech for Sustainability (AB4S), a coalition of companies and organisations including L’Oréal, Lallemand, EIT Food, the Good Food Institute, and Arsenale Bioyards.

    “Advanced biotechnology leverages breakthroughs in biological sciences such as genetic engineering techniques, as well as advances in computing and engineering, to achieve the full potential use of microbes at scale,” the report states.

    “Until recently, however, advanced biotechnology solutions and products have not been able to compete with fossil-based products and solutions on scale or price,” it adds. “We firmly believe that future goals can be more ambitious, positioning the industry on a more transformative trajectory.”

    Food represents the biggest biotech opportunity

    advanced biotechnology
    Courtesy: Advanced Biotech for Sustainability

    The AB4S alliance teamed up with consulting giant McKinsey to quantify the environmental and economic benefits of the advanced biotech industry. They focused on four key technologies: precision fermentation, biomass fermentation, organism-as-a-product (think livestock breeding), and tissue-as-a-product (for example, cultivated meat).

    They found that at its full potential, this industry could reduce three to four megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, or 5% of the global total in 2022. In addition, it can free up as much as four million sq km of land (equivalent to the size of India), lowering 3-6% of the total land used for agriculture.

    This land could then be repurposed in different ways, including growing feedstocks for other sectors to improve overall farming output and restoring land to ensure more resilient ecosystems.

    By providing an alternative to agriculture, advanced biotechnology could save between 250 to 500 billion cubic metres of water every year. For context, that’s between three to six times the water that flows through the Nile River every year.

    The sector can further help boost food security by lowering pressure on food demand without affecting affordability, and making food production resilient to supply chain, pandemic and geopolitical shocks. Governments dependent on food imports can achieve strategic autonomy through these technologies, which enable the production of nutritionally and environmentally superior goods.

    According to the report, the current market for advanced biotech stands between $200B and $300B annually; at its full scale, this could expand to $700B-$1.1T by 2040. This includes various sectors, like agriculture (which could account for up to $225B), food (up to $395B), chemicals ($100B), personal care ($75B), and transportation fuels ($320B).

    Fermentation and cell cultivation in focus

    lab grown meat israel
    Courtesy: Ever After Foods

    The food sector represents the highest economic potential for advanced biotechnology by far, while also effecting significant reductions in emissions, land use, and water consumption. This sector can complement conventional technologies by producing proteins and high-value ingredients more efficiently.

    AB4S outlines several use cases to highlight advanced biotech’s impact on the agrifood system, for example, meat and dairy production. Livestock accounts for up to a fifth of all emissions and uses 80% of the world’s farmland, despite only providing 17% of global calories and 38% of our protein supply.

    Cattle are the biggest culprit here, alone emitting over 10% of GHG emissions, mostly methane. Advanced biotech, however, can cut beef and dairy’s climate impact through both conventional and alternative pathways. The former group includes techniques like selective breeding, feed additives, manure management, and advanced crop breeding, which could lower the climate footprint of dairy by 30%.

    Alternative solutions, however, are threefold. Precision fermentation can replace dairy proteins like whey and casein. Since they’re already at low concentration in cow’s milk, purpose-made molecules derived from microbes can enable production at higher volumes.

    Precision-fermented proteins can generate less than 5% of the greenhouse gases emitted by the animal proteins they’re built to replace, while reducing water and land use by more than 95%. Moreover, they are bioidentical to conventional dairy proteins, offering the same taste, texture, and nutritional profile for manufacturers.

    Then there’s biomass fermentation, a commonly used technology that converts feedstock into protein-rich microbes to produce meat analogues. “Its broader potential lies in producing versatile proteins that can serve as ingredients in fortified foods, improve nutritional value, or substitute for conventional soy or whey protein,” the report states.

    Finally, cell culture technology enables animal cells to grow with the same biological process found in livestock, but in a bioreactor instead. It allows companies to produce cultivated fat and muscle for use in meat alternatives.

    According to AB4S’s analysis, fermentation could capture 20% of the market for food derived from cellular agriculture by 2040, while the higher price of cultivated proteins would enable it to take up 80% of the market.

    The three solutions to propel advanced biotech

    precision fermentation bioreactor
    Courtesy: Arsenale Bio

    While these technologies are brimming with potential, they face some tall hurdles. Scaling them to meet consumer demand and reduce overall costs remains the biggest of them all. “Achieving cost comparability with traditional dairy products would require continued innovation, both in advanced biotechnology and in efficient industrial production processes,” the coalition says.

    Moreover, consumer acceptance is still in its early stages, with many sceptical about the food safety aspects of cultivated meat and precision-fermented foods. Vast differences in regulatory approaches make things more complicated – while several such products are approved in the US, the EU is yet to join the race.

    The report suggests that the industrialisation of advanced biotech at a greater pace will rely on three enabling concepts: minimising the variety of approaches to focus resources efficiently creating uniformity across processes, tools, roles, and technology to streamline operations, development, and scaling; and shifting from high-tech development to cost-effective, repeatable deployment of mature technology.

    These concepts form the basis of AB4S’s three priority solutions. The first involves setting priorities based on market demand, focusing on products with the highest scalability and commercialisation potential. This entails overhauling policy and regulatory frameworks to steer demand and companies towards agreed goals.

    The second solution centres around derisking the scale-up process to increase success rates and reduce financing costs. VC funding for food tech has fallen dramatically over the last few years, although fermentation startups have been an outlier. Since 2015, precision and biomass fermentation firms have received $5B in venture capital.

    advanced biotechnology for sustainability
    Courtesy: Advanced Biotech for Sustainability

    The fermentation sector requires an exponentially larger amount to overcome the industry’s current challenges, $500B by 2040, to be precise. This accounts for both capital spending on the buildout and startup financing, with capacity expansion alone needing 85% of these investments. This amount would also be needed to overcome regulatory obstacles, bridge talent gaps, and improve consumer awareness and acceptance.

    The third solution mentioned in the report is to ensure cost-effectiveness at scale. “This can be achieved by strategies such as optimising plant operations to minimise running costs; applying best practice capital investment methods to develop and commission additional capacity; and using flexible, modular design and shared capacity,” AB4S says.

    Its analysis found that these measures could bring the unit costs of precision-fermented dairy molecules down to $8-13 per kg, making them 50-75% cheaper than current costs and reaching price parity with conventional proteins.

    “Many [hurdles are fully in the hands of the industry – in particular, prioritising products with the highest market demand, derisking the scale-up process, and reducing costs at scale,” the report says. “The challenges are significant, yet the rewards for successfully addressing them are paramount.”

    The post Fermentation Sector Needs $500B Investment to Unlock Biotech’s True Potential: Report appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • EU Spotlights Fermentation in Latest Strategy with €350M Funding for Biotech

    eu life sciences strategy
    6 Mins Read

    The EU Commission has set aside €350M in funding opportunities to boost food and biotech innovation, highlighting the “significant potential” of fermentation in its life sciences strategy.

    Already a leader in future food funding, the EU is doubling down on the bioeconomy with its new life sciences strategy, which sets aside hundreds of millions in funding for technologies that drive industrial innovation and sustainability, and puts the fermentation sector in sharp focus.

    Unveiled this week, the strategy was first announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her political guidelines, in response to Europe losing ground to global players in the life sciences sector (which involves the study of living systems).

    The new plan aims to make the region the most attractive place for life sciences by 2030. The industry, the Commission said, can drive innovation in medicine, food and sustainable production, support 29 million jobs, and add nearly €1.5T in economic value.

    It is backed by over €10B from the EU’s annual budget and aims to speed up innovation, facilitate market access, and build public trust in new technologies. It also proposes a Biotech Act to accelerate the approval of novel products, including cultivated meat and precision-fermented proteins.

    “Science changes lives, but only if we back the people behind it. With this strategy, Europe is doing just that – funding life sciences from lab to market, supporting startups, accelerating market access, and building trust,” said Ekaterina Zaharieva, the commissioner for startups, research and innovation.

    EU spotlights ‘significant potential’ of fermentation

    eu precision fermentation
    Courtesy: Onego Bio

    The strategy suggests that precision and biomass fermentation technologies offer “significant potential”, since they can produce a range of high-end products from renewable raw materials with low environmental impact.

    “Startups and other SMEs are playing a leading role in driving innovation in advanced fermentation technologies,” it states, before adding: “Upscaling is a capital-intensive and challenging process and requires, for example, development of biomass pre-treatment and downstream processing.”

    This is why the upcoming bioeconomy strategy will “drive the deployment and uptake of such innovations across value chains while ensuring [a] sustainable supply of biomass”.

    One of the Commission’s proposed actions is to support the scale-up and uptake of advanced fermentation via public-private partnerships, and the expansion of startups in this area by organising an annual conference on these technologies to connect stakeholders and promote knowledge exchange.

    The Commission pointed to a recent report by McKinsey, which estimated the global fermentation market to be worth up to $150B by 2050, accounting for 4% of global protein production. Many startups in the industry use agricultural byproducts as feedstocks, helping curb food waste and lower emissions and social costs.

    An AI tool to speed up novel food approval

    eu novel food
    Courtesy: Formo

    The new strategy represents a step change in the EU’s approach to novel food regulation. It will propose the Biotech Act to “make the EU regulatory system more conducive to biotech innovation in various biotech sectors”. It intends to do so through more “innovation-friendly regulation”, regulatory sandboxes, and better mobilisation of private and public investments.

    “Even with centralised approaches, long authorisation procedures under regulatory frameworks that require pre-market authorisation to ensure safety for human health and the environment can delay market entry of innovative products,” the strategy reads.

    “Efforts should also be made to increase efficiency and to significantly reduce the length of authorisation procedures in the health, medical devices and food areas, to make the EU more attractive in comparison to other regions in the world.”

    A study published this week found that the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) novel food regulation takes an average of 2.5 years to approve new products, outlining the “need for a critical reassessment of the procedural design” of the process. The researchers called for “clearer guidance, enhanced dossier quality, and more structured pre-submission dialogue” to speed up approvals.

    This is a view shared by the industry too. “Current approval processes under the novel food regulation are not sufficiently agile to keep pace with rapid innovation in fermentation,” read a recent position paper by trade body Food Fermentation Europe (FFE). “While Europe’s rigorous safety assessment is a cornerstone that we fully support, the process can be made more innovation-friendly without compromising standards.”

    To help companies navigate the regulatory landscape, the EU will create an AI-powered interactive tool that will allow users to identify and access key information, datasets and tools for their specific needs. It will support researchers in embedding regulatory compliance at early design stages, overcoming data searchability barriers, and fully utilising the data service of EU-funded instruments.

    EU answers industry calls with €350M commitment

    eu vegan cheese
    Courtesy: Delicious/X

    The EU is already a leader in research funding for alternative proteins, collectively investing over €252M for future food research since 2020, half of which was invested in 2023 and early 2024, chiefly from its Horizon Europe programme.

    The scheme set aside €50M to help scale precision fermentation and algae-based food startups in 2024. In addition, it has injected €5M in a project to create better-tasting vegan cheese via fermentation, and backed another effort to create whole-food meat analogues from upcycled ingredients and fermentation to tackle concerns around ultra-processed foods (UPFs).

    In fact, the new EU life sciences strategy will seek scientific advice on UPFs to tackle the “lack of clear information about the risks and benefits” of these foods, which can create uncertainty among consumers.

    Through the strategy, the EU Commission is mobilising €200M under Horizon Europe to enable researchers and businesses to work more closely together on life sciences. This investment will support the development of new sustainable innovations and improved biomanufacturing efficiency, which will directly impact companies working with fermentation and cell cultivation.

    Another €150M will be made available to promote the EU’s bioeconomy leadership, presenting opportunities to scale up fermentation-derived foods.

    Additionally, the EU will create a strategic research and innovation agenda to foster the development of sustainable and competitive food system solutions, providing opportunities for open-access research that can improve the taste, texture and cost of alternative proteins.

    “With the incoming Danish presidency highlighting the importance of biotech in food production, momentum is building behind innovative ways to develop a more sustainable food system,” said Lea Seyfarth, policy officer at the Good Food Institute Europe. “This strategy is a step towards unlocking the EU’s potential to become an alternative protein world leader, driving growth and reducing reliance on imports.”

    The move will be welcomed by the alternative protein industry. “By integrating fermentation technologies into the EU’s policy agenda, Europe can position itself as a global leader in sustainable food production, ensuring long-term economic and environmental success in the agrifood landscape,” the FFE stated in its position paper, adding that “regulatory clarity, investment incentives, and consumer trust-building efforts must go hand in hand”.

    The post EU Spotlights Fermentation in Latest Strategy with €350M Funding for Biotech appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Could the EU’s Biotech Act Finally Break the Novel Food Approval Deadlock?

    5 Mins Read

    In a potentially big win for cultivated meat and precision fermentation, the EU is set to publish a document outlining its push to overhaul and fast-track novel food approval.

    Novel food approval could receive a boost under a new legislation proposed by the European Commission, helping the region catch up with regulators in the US and Asia.

    The executive arm of the EU is set to unveil a draft of its Life Sciences Strategy on Wednesday (July 2), which will contain details of how the upcoming Biotech Act will seek to modernise the bloc’s novel food regulation, as reported by Euractiv.

    “The Commission will propose a Biotech Act to make the EU regulatory system more conducive to biotech innovation in various sectors such as health and food; and will facilitate and accelerate the approval procedures for Novel Foods,” the document reads.

    It would prove a major win for stakeholders in the alternative protein and future food industry, who have long called for an overhaul of the EU’s novel food framework.

    EU pinpoints precision fermentation amid need for public education

    eu novel food
    Courtesy: Formo

    Current EU law considers any food that wasn’t consumed to a significant degree before May 1997 a novel ingredient. This includes everything from cultivated beef and precision-fermented dairy to UV-treated vegetables and certain algae-based foods.

    It has already approved over 200 novel food products, and many others are waiting in the wings for the go-ahead.

    The Biotech Act was first announced by Margrethe Vestager, executive VP of the EU Commission, last year, with its final publication slated for 2026. Its aim is to drive economic development via high-value job creation and greater investment, ultimately enhancing the region’s global competitiveness.

    Moreover, the EU hopes to meet its environmental goals and boost food security by promoting sustainable agriculture and developing bio-based products through the act. In a briefing released last month, the European Parliamentary Research Service explained how public acceptance of novel foods and GMOs remains a “major challenge” that can “polarise opinion”.

    “Effective communication with the public could emphasise that biotechnology is already integrated in daily life, with many products relying on biotech processes or components, and to already very good results – not only in healthcare, but also in areas such as soil protection, energy, fertilisers, and combating water pollution, etc.,” it said.

    The current regulatory process to approve novel foods, run by the European Food Safety Authority, is too stringent and long, “hindering uptake and competitiveness” in the sector, the EU Commission argues in the draft.

    One of the technologies name-checked as having transformative potential for the food industry is precision fermentation, which combines traditional fermentation with the latest biotech advances to produce proteins, fats and other compounds. It enables companies to create bioidentical dairy, egg and other proteins, sans the animal.

    The EU Commission is planning the launch of an annual Food Fermentation Conference, which would connect industry stakeholders and bolster support for this technology.

    Cultivated meat and Impossible Foods’ struggles reflect the complicated EU novel food landscape

    lab grown meat approval
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    The EU’s regulatory framework for novel foods is amongst the world’s most rigorous, with the complexity and timelines driving many homegrown companies to look to other markets first. For example, Dutch cultivated pork startup Meatable is targeting Singapore as its debut market, as is France’s Vital Meat. Meanwhile, precision fermentation firms Vivici, Onego Bio and 21st.Bio have all focused on the US.

    Despite changes by the EFSA hinting at a shift towards an easier pathway to file for approval, the current deadlock has come to the benefit of non-EU countries in Europe. The UK began shifting away from its pre-Brexit regulations last year and is now working with several companies to fast-track approval – it has already received applications from European startups Vital Meat, Mosa Meat, and Gourmey.

    In addition, the latter two startups have filed dossiers in Switzerland (and are the only ones to have applied for EU approval too). Even companies from outside Europe, like Aleph Farms, have targeted the UK and Switzerland first.

    It’s not just new products untested in the market – even established ones that have found success elsewhere have struggled to get into the EU. Impossible Foods is a prime example here. While the company sells plant-based meat in the US, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, its use of soy leghemoglobin – a precision-fermented heme protein – has kept its signature alt beef lineup out of Europe for almost a decade.

    The company first filed for approval of the ingredient in March 2021. Last year, the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings issued a positive safety assessment of LegH Prep, a liquid preparation containing soy leghemoglobin and other ingredients.

    impossible burger eu
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    This was followed by a ruling by the regulator’s GMO panel, calling soy leghemoglobin “safe for human consumption with regard to the effects of the genetic modification”. The EFSA’s opinion was then followed by a period of public consultation ahead of final approval by the EU Commission and member states. Then, in February of this year, the EFSA stated that the public comments didn’t raise any further concerns, moving Impossible Foods an inch closer to the green light.

    In an interview at the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit in London this month, Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness called the regulatory process in the EU (and the UK) “on the slow side”.

    “That’s a double-edged sword,” he said. “When it comes to food and the health of people and the planet, the government should have a keen interest in that… The flip side of that is we’ve been trying for four years to get Impossible in [Europe], and we’re still not there yet. But we’re waiting patiently impatiently.”

    The Biotech Act, therefore, will be keenly watched by industry leaders. It could usher in some long-awaited changes to position the EU, already a leader in R&D funding for alternative proteins, as a future food leader.

    The post Could the EU’s Biotech Act Finally Break the Novel Food Approval Deadlock? appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Brazil’s Future Cow Raises R$4.85M to Scale Up Animal-Free Dairy Proteins Via Fermentation

    future cow brazil
    5 Mins Read

    São Paulo-based precision fermentation startup Future Cow has secured R$4.85M ($885,000) in equity and public funding to expand its platform for animal-free whey and casein proteins.

    Future Cow, a Brazilian precision fermentation firm producing recombinant dairy proteins, has raised R$4.85M ($885,00) in new funding to scale up its technology and begin licensing it to companies.

    The funds are a combination of crowdfunding and public investment. The startup attracted R$1.27M from 145 crowd investors on Captable in January, which was short of its initial target. But it has since secured additional financing from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and Brazilian research agency EMBRAPII, part of the National Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM).

    It takes the company’s total raised past $1.2M, including the $150,000 it raised as part of São Paulo’s Antler residency programme, and the $200,000 invested by Big Idea Ventures through its New Protein Fund II.

    The startup will use the fresh capital to advance its R&D efforts to optimise production and increase efficiency, with the aim of reaching commercial scale in 2026.

    Future Cow tests scale-up under state-backed accelerator

    precision fermentation brazil
    Courtesy: Future Cow

    Founded in 2023 by Leonardo Vieira and Rosana Goldbeck, Future Cow is one of Brazil’s only startups using precision fermentation to create next-generation proteins.

    The technology combines traditional fermentation with the latest advancements in biotech to efficiently produce a compound of interest, such as a protein or a fat. It involves identifying the genetic sequence in the animal’s DNA to ‘instruct’ a microbial host to produce recombinant proteins.

    Future Cow uses a digitalised blueprint of cow DNA to grow proteins through yeast, which is fed on agricultural byproducts and multiplies in fermentation tanks. The resulting liquid is filtered and dried to extract the bioidentical milk proteins.

    The startup is working on producing both casein and whey (including the iron-regulation bovine lactoferrin protein), enabling it to reach a wider consumer base for a range of applications.

    It already has a functional yeast strain and is now looking to increase its production yields. “The more the strain produces, the more the unit price falls. So we’re optimizing the fermentation processes,” Vieira, who is the company’s CEO, told the FAPESP last month.

    Future Cow’s techno-economic analysis shows that producing precision-fermented milk proteins on a 300,000-litre scale will be less expensive than conventional methods, though there’s some way to go before it reaches industrial manufacturing levels.

    It has previously carried out a proof of concept in 15-litre tanks, and has planned to test its technology in fermentation vessels with a capacity of 200, 2,000 and 5,000 litres, as a precursor to commercial-scale production.

    It’s scaling the process as part of a deep tech accelerator under CNPEM. “95% of biotechs fail when they leave a bench environment and go to a pilot plant or other relevant environment,” Vieira explained. “We’re very optimistic that with the support of the CNPEM and the available infrastructure, we’ll achieve the scale-up we need for the next stage.”

    CEO talks up hybrid milk and Brazil’s future food potential

    precision fermentation milk
    Courtesy: Future Cow

    Future Cow operates a B2B-focused model, positioning itself as an ingredient supplier to the dairy and food industry, instead of an end product developer. This, the company said, will help accelerate its path to market.

    “As an ingredient, our product can be incorporated into existing products without facing a high entry barrier,” said Vieira. He suggested that large dairy producers can’t increase production with current production methods and raw materials, so precision fermentation is a natural evolution for their goals.

    “When precision fermentation began, it was all very black or white: the product was either animal or it wasn’t animal. Now, we see more hybrid models,” he said. “If [companies] can mix our ingredient with the animal product to create a hybrid product and increase the scale, it’ll be a significant gain.”

    Dairy majors have been increasingly interested in the sector. The world’s largest dairy exporter, Fonterra, was an early backer of Dutch firm Vivici, which is now cleared to sell animal-free whey proteins in the US. French dairy giant Danone, meanwhile, has set up a biotech hub with a special focus on precision fermentation, with a view to lowering its emissions.

    Speaking of which, Future Cow says its milk proteins can lower emissions by 97% and water use by 99%. “Even if precision fermentation doesn’t fully replace animal milk, a 10% or 20% reduction in the carbon footprint of large corporations in the food sector would already represent a considerable environmental impact,” Vieira pointed out.

    His startup has already signed MOUs with dairy and food producers, including multinationals and the national market leader. “With the funds raised, we will accelerate the development of our precision fermentation technology, optimise production and prepare for commercial scale,” he said.

    To get there, though, Future Cow will require regulatory approval from the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). It will also need to fend off a legislative bill aimed at banning the manufacture and sale of “synthetic milk” in Brazil.

    The country’s food industry is under the microscope as it prepares to host the UN’s annual climate conference this year. Its cattle industry has had a disastrous impact on Amazon deforestation, and its beef sector alone is generating more than twice the GHG limit outlined in the Paris Agreement.

    Vieira believes precision fermentation is a unique opportunity for the nation. “Brazil is the only country in the world that has an abundance of water, sugar, and renewable energy, which are the three essential inputs for fermentation,” he said. “With these characteristics, Brazil can take the lead in a strategic industry for the future of global food.”

    The post Brazil’s Future Cow Raises R$4.85M to Scale Up Animal-Free Dairy Proteins Via Fermentation appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Aussie Govt Programme Teams Up With All G to Scale Up Animal-Free Dairy Proteins

    faba precision fermentation
    4 Mins Read

    In a government-backed effort, University of Queensland researchers have produced precision-fermented dairy proteins that will now be scaled up by Sydney startup All G.

    Powering Australia’s burgeoning precision fermentation sector, University of Queensland’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) has landed on the ideal “recipe” for recombinant dairy proteins after months of refinement.

    It is now turning to Sydney-based food tech firm All G to scale up the protein, in what is the first commercial technology transfer for FaBA’s Innovative Ingredients Program, which supports the development of next-gen food ingredients.

    All G is leveraging the breakthrough to develop a cow-free milk supplement. “Through precision fermentation, we have created proteins for people with specific dietary preferences,” said Esteban Marcellin, a professor at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

    “A key part of the project was to transfer new technologies, such as the new bioprocess, from the lab to a company, and this will speed the path to commercial outcomes for All G.”

    How FaBA produces its animal-free dairy proteins

    precision fermentation australia
    Courtesy: University of Queensland

    Precision fermentation combines traditional fermentation with the latest biotechnological advances to efficiently produce a compound of interest. In FaBA’s case, this was a dairy protein.

    “It’s a bit like brewing beer – except instead of alcohol, we’re producing dairy proteins that can be used in food supplements,” explained Marcellin.

    The team inserted a DNA sequence for making dairy proteins into plasmid DNA, which created recombinant DNA that was introduced into microbes. They then underwent fermentation in FaBA’s research bioreactors to produce the proteins, which were then extracted and purified.

    “The microbes are doing the work, but they only perform well if you give them the right instructions and conditions,” said Marcellin. “We had to try different ‘recipes’ to ensure we got the pH, oxygen and nutrient levels just right and as close to the real product as possible.”

    Aidan Beauglehole, a senior scientific officer at the university, said the custom-built bioreactors enable the careful management of each stage of the process. “We can precisely control oxygen uptake in the system, control pH at exact levels, and we have tested different conditions to ensure optimal growth,” he explained.

    “By closely monitoring and adjusting every element of the fermentation, we have demonstrated we can improve growth rates and better control any by-products of the process,” he added.

    Transferring the tech from FaBA’s lab-scale bioreactors to All G’s tanks in a manufacturing environment required the team to scale various elements of fermentation to ensure they were well-suited to the larger units.

    Government support is critical for precision fermentation

    precision fermentation lactoferrin
    Courtesy: All G

    All G is already a leader in the global precision fermentation space, having received regulatory clearance to sell recombinant bovine lactoferrin in China and the US in late 2024.

    This is an iron-regulating whey protein found in bovine and human milk, and is revered for its functional health benefits. The problem? Producing it is expensive, resulting in the ingredient being in short supply. While a majority of its stocks are reserved for infant nutrition and supplementation, several precision fermentation companies are targeting the protein for use in functional foods and drinks, protein powders, and sports and elderly nutrition.

    All G’s approvals don’t cover infant nutrition yet, as that is a more complex process. But the company is also making recombinant human lactoferrin on a grams per litre scale, which is expected to launch this year. Plus, it’s working on casein, the main protein found in dairy.

    “Our phosphorylated casein production is going well and we aim to move to a 1,000-litre scale in the first half of 2025,” founder and CEO Jan Pacas told Green Queen in December.

    All G has already been in talks with multiple contract manufacturing facilities to scale up production both in the US and the EU. Its CTO, Guillaume Barbier, believes FaBA’s optimised bioprocess will allow the firm to accelerate the development of its products.

    “Working with FaBA has given us a head start in designing a scalable, production-ready process,” he said. “It’s a valuable partnership as we grow and move ahead of the curve with the development of dairy products using new technology that [is] good for people and the planet.”

    All G is one of several companies involved in Australia’s precision fermentation space, including Nourish Ingredients, Eden Brew, Daisy Lab, and Cauldron. Experts have labelled government support crucial to the sector’s future. FaBA itself is part of the education department’s Trailblazer Universities Program, benefitting from an A$50 investment, complemented by another A$110M from universities and industry.

    Non-profit Cellular Agriculture Australia has called on the government to recognise the tech as a research and infrastructure priority, increase investment into pilot- and commercial-scale fermentation facilities, and boost regulatory resources to advance domestic approval of novel foods.

    The post Aussie Govt Programme Teams Up With All G to Scale Up Animal-Free Dairy Proteins appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Exclusive: Mycelium Bacon Startup Libre Foods Acquired by Biomanufacturer Firm Planetary

    libre foods
    7 Mins Read

    Spanish mycelium meat firm Libre Foods has sold its brand, IP, and key assets to Swiss fermentation manufacturer Planetary.

    Libre Foods, the startup known for its mushroom bacon, has been acquired by Swiss biomanufacturing platform Planetary. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

    The deal includes Libre Foods’ core brand, commercial agreements, and IP, and will help advance fungi-fermented protein production across Europe.

    “We were happy with the work we’d done at both lab and pilot scale the past few years, and also quickly realised how important access to manufacturing was for commercial success,” Libre Foods founder and CEO Alan Ramos tells Green Queen.

    “Considering the current complexities of raising private capital for capex, the nascent state of public and corporate financing for said endeavours, and, ultimately, how a ‘move’ to manufacturing would essentially be a pivot away from our specialisation and core business, we realised that the most effective way for our technology to realize its impact was through collaboration,” he explains.

    “We had a few open discussions, yet Planetary was high on our list from the start. This was mainly due to the dynamic edge of their technological platform, the advanced commercial readiness of their manufacturing facilities, and their internal know-how to both seamlessly and successfully transfer our technology to their lines and infrastructure.”

    As part of the deal, some staff members (Ramos included) will be part of the transfer, but won’t be joining Planetary’s team upon completion.

    Planetary eyes Libre Foods’s fermentation and AI capabilities

    mycelium chicken
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

    Using biomass fermentation to make fungal proteins, Libre Foods first made a splash in late 2022, when it unveiled its mushroom-based bacon product in Spain, using oyster mushrooms and pea protein. Months later, it teased a whole-cut chicken breast made from mycelium, the root-like structure of filamentous fungi.

    Its products leverage the entire fungi organism, utilising upcycled materials and high-performing fungal strains to achieve “industry-leading yields” through its R&D and novel fermentation tech. At one point, its bacon was available at over 30 points of sale, and it received a €335,000 R&D grant from Neotec to develop a low-cost mycelium protein ingredient.

    Last year, the startup worked with Spain’s Microfy Systems and Germany’s Software Logistik Artland to develop the Fungi.AI platform, an R&D tool for the fungi-based food industry.

    It uses artificial intelligence to power rapid experimentation and conduct high-throughput screening to find the best growing conditions for a range of fungal strains. The enhanced data quality and real-time monitoring are said to accelerate the shift from lab experiments to commercial production.

    libre foods bacon
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

    “After announcing our line of mycelium technology at the end of 2023, we spent 2024 scaling up our technology to pilot scale and into position for industrial trials,” recalls Ramos.

    “In parallel, we optimised our discovery capabilities for both strain and bioprocess development, to not only increase efficiencies in our initial mycelium bioprocess, but also expand into additional fungi-based ingredient solutions, leveraging the opportunities offered by the immense strain diversity of the fungi kingdom.”

    That work aligns with Planetary’s expertise. It operates the only active industrial mycoprotein facility in continental Europe, and is building a unique full-stack biomass and precision fermentation platform in line with the agro-industrial complex, titled BioBlocks. It’s designed to support the development and industrialisation of future-facing food and material solutions, using a wide array of feedstocks.

    Now, through the acquisition of Libre Foods, Planetary will look to expand its product offering and bolster its capacity to connect AI-led ingredient discovery with productive biomanufacturing at a commercial scale.

    Founders ‘bear some responsibility’ for alternative protein decline

    planetary sa
    Courtesy: Planetary

    “This is a strategic acquisition for Planetary as we seek to continuously build and strengthen our BioBlocks platform,” says Charles Pontvianne, group CFO of Planetary. “We are proud to partner with Alan and will seek to extract both operational and commercial synergies from Libre’s brand, products and IP in a short timeframe.”

    He added: “Combined with our full-stack fermentation platform, the acquisition of Libre’s assets will reinforce our asset-light licensing offering and further accelerate our commercial ramp-up.”

    As part of the deal, Libre Foods’s lead backer, Green Generation Fund, is joining Planetary’s investor base too. “With Planetary’s unmatched infrastructure, scientific expertise and deep vision for scaling bio-based technologies, we believe they are the ideal home to carry Libre’s product innovation from lab to scale and will build out further their position as the leading player for the next era of sustainable biomanufacturing in Europe and beyond,” says Peter Dorfner, the fund’s principal.

    Libre Foods’s acquisition comes at a challenging time for alternative protein. While the sector saw a 27% decline in investment in 2024, fermentation startups bucked the trend with a 43% hike in funding. That run has continued this year, with these firms attracting more than half of the sector’s financing in Q1.

    alternative protein funding
    Courtesy: GFI

    In fact, this tech vertical was responsible for the three largest rounds of the quarter: Formo’s $36M venture debt loan from the European Investment Bank, Vivici’s $33.8M Series A round, and Liberation Labs’s $31.5M investment.

    “I think that as both the visionaries and pioneers that we consciously and unconsciously agreed to be when we kickstarted our industry, we do bear some responsibility for the current state of the industry,” says Ramos. “Yet, I also believe that it is highly unrealistic to place all the responsibility on the founders, teams and solutions that were brought forth as a result of it.”

    “What the current state of global affairs is highlighting is precisely what we’ve been saying all along: just how fragile our food systems are, with everything from shortages to diseases to record-high prices, both across the value chain and ultimately, final products,” he continues.

    “Because the world is changing so quickly, everyone is kind of forced to think more short term, and as a result, kicks both seemingly long-term problems and solutions to the back burner, which ultimately not only delays, but also accelerates, the negative impact on both society and our planet down the line.”

    Libre Foods deal adds to industry consolidation drive

    libre foods acquisition
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

    The overarching downward trend for alternative proteins, both in terms of sales and funding, has led to widespread consolidation in the industry. While mycelium meat leader Meati was forced to sell for pennies on the dollar due to a technical banking default, other fermentation startups have filed for insolvency (like Arkeon) or been rescued from the brink (like Mycorena).

    In the broader industry, British vegan dog food brand The Pack was acquired by Prefera Petfood, dairy-free formula maker Kate Farms by Danone, frozen ready meal maker Daily Harvest by yoghurt leader Chobani, and Dutch meat-free startup Vega Insiders by poultry giant Plukon Food Group – all in the last two months.

    “On the one hand, you have M&A’s, which I believe are more often a combining of strengths or specialisations. And on the other, insolvencies, which can be due to a solution not solving a real problem, not solving it adequately enough, or a host of other factors outside of a company’s control,” says Ramos.

    libre bacon
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

    “We’re seeing a bit of everything right now, especially after the future of food boom of 2020/21,” he adds, but outlines that sustainable food solutions are no less important now than they were then. “So most important now is to continue supporting the companies that continue carrying the torch, not only for our industry, but more so, for our food systems as a whole.”

    What’s his advice to fellow alternative protein founders? “What makes our industry so unique is that it was birthed by many brave and bold founders who lived and breathed a personal mission to reinvent a food system – myself included – which I think is both noble and important,” he says.

    “[But] it is more difficult to build a sound business around impact, than it is to build impact around a sound business. It’s a subtle distinction, yet I believe that the only feasible way to achieve both is by prioritising as such.”

    The post Exclusive: Mycelium Bacon Startup Libre Foods Acquired by Biomanufacturer Firm Planetary appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Juicy Marbles x Revo Foods: Can CPG Brand Collabs Revive Plant-Based Meat Sector?

    juicy marbles and friends
    5 Mins Read

    Slovenian plant-based meat maker Juicy Marbles has teamed up with Austrian mycoprotein firm Revo Foods to launch a whole-cut cod alternative tailored for the US market.

    Meat and seafood alternatives may have suffered a 7% fall in sales in 2024, but that isn’t stopping two companies from debuting a new product that taps into what Americans are looking for from these products.

    Juicy Marbles, the Slovenian startup known for its ultra-realistic plant-based marbled steaks, has partnered with Austrian mycoprotein seafood producer Revo Foods on a raw, flaky vegan cod packed with fibre and omega-3.

    Seafood alternatives typically make up a fraction of the plant-based market, as well as the overall seafood sector. Consumers remain dissatisfied with the majority of the products, which tend to be in a breaded format. Complaints often surround their rubbery texture, translucent appearance, or disappointing flavour.

    The two companies decided to develop a vegan seafood product because people kept asking for it, Juicy Marbles co-founder Luka Sinček tells Green Queen. “Our customers – the ones who cook, explore, improvise – wanted a plant-based fish that wasn’t breaded, gummy, or just a vague fishy shape,” he said.

    “Kinda Cod is our answer. It’s not chasing a trend, it’s filling a need. A raw, whole-cut fish alternative you can actually cook with.”

    Vegan cod delivers texture enhancements and key micronutrients

    juicy marbles revo foods
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

    The new vegan cod, available in 110g packs on Juicy Marbles’s website, has its roots in Europe. The latest among Revo Foods’s portfolio of 3D-printed seafood products is El Blanco – Inspired by Black Cod, which it released in April.

    Its computer-guided models transform unstructured proteins (like mycoprotein) into products with aligned, heterogeneous fibres. The integration of fat into the protein matrix is key, leading to a ‘flaky’ texture reminiscent of black cod, which is produced using a new 3D extrusion technology.

    “Revo created something special – a structured, flaky fish filet using fungi and tech we deeply respect,” explains Sinček. “Together, we refined the recipe to better suit the American palate, but the essence remains theirs. It’s unlike anything in our current lineup: lighter, leaner, subtler — yet unmistakably Marbles.”

    He notes that Juicy Marbles’s role wasn’t technical, instead strategic and curatorial. “We didn’t throw our tech into a blender. We shared a vision,” he says. “We know our audience, we know food culture, and we knew this product needed to be brought to the stage – with a few flavour and texture tweaks to suit the American scene. That’s the real magic: taste meets timing.”

    The Kinda Cod is produced at Revo Foods’s production site in Austria, and is designed for a variety of cooking methods and cuisines, for both home cooks and professional chefs. “It’s priced to be accessible for the quality and innovation it delivers,” says Sinček.

    It contains 212g of DHA and EPA per serving from microalgae oil, making up a large portion of the daily recommended intake of omega-3 fatty acids in the US. It also boasts 40% of the daily value of vitamin B12, 30% of vitamin B6, 40% of folate, and 29% of fibre

    Juicy Marbles kicks off partnership model after 242% growth

    juicy marbles filet
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

    The cod follows the launch of several new products by each of the companies. Alongside its black cod alternative, Revo Foods brought out The Prime Cut, a novel product format that doesn’t aim to replicate meat, and focuses on nutrition.

    Juicy Marbles itself unveiled its Meaty Meat line of products this year, starting with Lamb-ish (with 34g of protein) and Pork-ish (with a Nutri-Score rating of A) in the US. These are precursors to the brand’s retail debut in the country, while the company is planning a wider rollout for them in Europe.

    “Last year, we grew 242% – not in hype, but in actual product moving from shelf to plate,” reveals Sinček. “Our Thick-Cut Filet is a retail anchor, and Meaty Meat is carving its own cult following. It’s humbling and thrilling.”

    The Revo Foods partnership isn’t a “one-off” – it’s rather the start of a new line of whole-cut alternative proteins imported for sale in the US, dubbed Juicy Marbles & Friends. The idea is to bring a wider range of innovations to consumers without relying on more investment (which fell by 27% sector-wide in 2024) or diverting from its core product line.

    The line will include products meeting various taste profiles, health goals, and price ranges. “This wouldn’t be possible if we insisted on doing everything in-house,” says Sinček. “Nothing beats developing your own idea and taking it to market, but if our customers want something we cannot produce – that someone else has already done a fantastic job with – why not find a way to bring it to them?”

    juicy marbles kinda cod
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

    Revo Foods founder and CEO Robin Simsa, points to how many startups “tried to do everything themselves” at the start of the decade while facing capital challenges – and says that letting startups combine their different strengths can bring the whole industry forward.

    “Juicy Marbles has built an international brand and distribution network, which most European brands have never achieved. We have pent-up demand for our products from the US that we’ve been unable to supply,” he explains. “So the end result fulfils both of our companies’ missions. I think this collaborative mindset is key to ushering in a new, more mature era for the plant-based industry.”

    As for Juicy Marbles & Friends, the future is “fluid”, according to Sinček. “More announcements are coming soon,” he says, adding that the brand has “many friends”. “And they’ve all been working on something weird and wonderful.”

    The post Juicy Marbles x Revo Foods: Can CPG Brand Collabs Revive Plant-Based Meat Sector? appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • EU Backs 16 Future Food Startups Tackling Climate Crisis

    eu future foods
    5 Mins Read

    The EU has extended its track record of investing in climate-smart food tech startups amid rising inflation and environmental threats in the region.

    EIT Food’s RisingFoodStars, an EU-backed programme to help agrifood tech startups scale up, has announced 16 members for its 2025 cohort.

    The startups’ focus spans alternative proteins, low-carbon alternatives to staple ingredients, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly packaging, which are helping tackle climate-change-induced supply chain risks, agricultural emissions (which only reduced by 2% between 2005 and 2022) and growing food inflation.

    “With food inflation at 3.3% year-on-year – still the EU’s top cost-of-living driver – and climate disruption threatening core ingredients, the need for scalable agrifood innovation is more urgent than ever,” said Narjis Chakir, programme lead at RisingFoodStars.

    “Our 2025 cohort brings tangible, science-led solutions, from carbon-smart farming to sustainable proteins, and we’re here to help them scale fast, access markets, and drive real transformation.”

    EU bets on cocoa and palm oil alternatives

    chocolate climate change
    Courtesy: Kokomodo

    Of the 16 startups, eight are producing future-friendly food ingredients via fermentation and other forms of cellular agriculture. UK-based Clean Food Group and Finland’s Perfat Technologies are both developing fat substitutes that can enable companies to transition away from polluting ingredients like palm oil.

    Clean Food Group turns food waste into oils and fats by fermenting scalable yeast strains, with the ingredients suitable for both human and pet food, as well as cosmetics. Perfat Technologies, meanwhile, is leveraging advanced oleogel tech to create solid fat alternatives that are nutritionally and environmentally superior to unsaturated fats such as butter, palm oil, and coconut oil.

    Also part of the cohort are two Israeli companies focused on decarbonising the cocoa industry with cell-based alternatives. Kokomodo grows its version all year round in controlled environments, which is optimised for functional health benefits in food and nutraceuticals.

    And Celleste Bio produces cocoa butter and powder from cell culture technology, while applying computational models to drive innovation in the chocolate industry.

    Palm oil is omnipresent in the CPG world, but is directly linked to large-scale tropical deforestation and human rights abuses. Its use in the chocolate industry contributes to dark chocolate’s sky-high emissions (only beef produces more greenhouse gases per kg), and climate change itself has decimated cocoa yields, leading to all-time-high prices.

    In the EU, 96.5% of cocoa is imported from regions unprepared for the climate crisis, which threatens the ingredient’s supply chain, so investing in alt-cocoa startups is a shrewd move.

    Fermentation scores big

    prewtein
    Courtesy: ProteinDistillery

    Precision fermentation is very much in the spotlight in 2025’s EIT Food RisingFoodStars cohort. Israel’s Imagindairy uses the technology to produce animal-free dairy proteins with the same flavour, mouthfeel, functionality and nutritional attributes of their conventional counterparts. Its AI-driven platform allows it to produce the ingredients in a cost-competitive manner, and it has received regulatory approval in both Israel and the US.

    Based in Portugal, PFx Biotech leverages precision fermentation to produce speciality bioactive proteins, starting with human lactoferrin, an iron-regulating whey protein found in breast milk. It recently received €2.5M ($2.6M) from investors in a seed funding round.

    In Germany, ProteinDistillery is upcycling beer waste with yeast to produce Prew:tein, which can act as an emulsifier, a gelling and foaming agent, and a binder to replace animal proteins and plant-based additives like methylcellulose in a host of products.

    The other future food startup in the cohort is Adamo Foods. The London-based startup uses mycelium – the root-like structure of filamentous fungi – to create clean-label, whole-cut meat analogues that replicate the texture of animal muscle.

    The EU’s bet on fermentation isn’t surprising. While plant-based and cultivated protein startups suffered from a 64% and 40% dip in venture funding, respectively, last year, fermentation firms attracted 43% more money – making it the only bright spot in the alternative protein sector.

    EU is a leader in future food funding

    eit food rising food stars
    Courtesy: EIT Food

    Apart from the above, the cohort includes sustainable packaging startups Greentech Innovators and Kelpi, functional mushroom specialist Kääpä Biotech, and soil and crop solution firms FA Bio, Resurrect Bio, AgroSustain, Hudson River Biotechnology, and CroBio.

    They will hope to add to the success of the RisingFoodStars initiative, which has supported 146 scale-ups since 2018, leading to 33 innovations coming to market, seven successful exits, and the creation of over 1,140 jobs. Alumni, which include seaweed packaging pioneer Notpla, animal-free dairy protein maker Verley, and palm oil alternative startup NoPalm Ingredients, have collectively raised €870M in funding.

    The EU has been a keen investor in future food technologies. It spotlighted several startups at EIT Food’s flagship Next Bite event last year, has included a number of alternative protein firms in its accelerator programmes, and invested €50M in precision-fermented and algae-based foods via the European Innovation Council.

    It’s part of the region’s broader leadership in research funding for alternative proteins. Since 2020, the region has pumped in €252M for future food research, half of which came in 2023 and early 2024, chiefly from the Horizon Europe programme, according to the Good Food Institute Europe.

    This is because livestock farming accounts for 81-86% of agricultural emissions in the EU, despite only providing 35% of its calories and 65% of its protein supply.

    Farmer groups and climate activists have both urged the EU Commission to deliver an action plan for plant-based food in its agrifood vision, a call backed by doctors, consumer groups, and even some of the largest food companies. While the Commission did not make that commitment in the final plan, it has pledged to create a protein diversification strategy to address the EU’s protein supply challenges.

    The post EU Backs 16 Future Food Startups Tackling Climate Crisis appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • This Startup Got $4.6M To Turn Food Waste & Fungi Into Plant-Based Meat Flavourings

    fungu'it
    5 Mins Read

    France’s Fungu’it has secured €4M ($4.6M) in funding to scale its technology that turns food waste into natural flavours for meat and cocoa alternatives.

    Using fungi fermentation to transform agricultural byproducts into natural flavours for the food industry, France’s Fungu’it has impressed investors to the tune of €4M ($4.6M) in a new financing round.

    Led by Asterion Ventures, with participation from Evolem and UI Investissement, the investment will help the startup build an industrial-scale pilot plant that can produce several dozen tonnes of product a year, patent its process, and develop a database from testing hundreds of combinations of microbial strains and food byproducts.

    The Dijon-based firm also plans to speed up the commercialisation of its first flavour solutions, which target the taste perception of plant-based meat and the price volatility of cocoa.

    “At this stage, we operate a pilot facility that allows us to produce dozens of tons per year of fermented ingredients. This is sufficient for prototyping, client testing, and early commercial runs,” says co-founder and CEO Anas Erridaoui.

    “Our production process is cost-efficient, with significantly lower energy and water use compared to traditional fermentation methods, and we’ve already reached a competitive cost of production versus conventional flavour ingredients like yeast extracts.”

    How Fungu’it makes its natural flavours

    fungu'it flavourings
    Courtesy: Fungu’it

    The flavour industry is a $20B behemoth, but in the era of clean-label ingredients and amidst the backlash against ultra-processed foods, it faces a big threat.

    People have long been trying to replace artificial flavourings in favour of those that are sourced naturally. Thanks to industry convention and regulation, even seemingly benign ingredients – like yeast extract or rosemary extract are produced in a highly processed manner that would make it hard to call them “clean label”. Research has shown that most natural flavourings aren’t too different from synthetic ones in their chemical composition.

    To make its natural flavours, though, Fungu’it upcycles food industry byproducts like wheat bran, brewer’s spent grains, and press cakes. They’re used as feed for fungi that grow on the surface of moist solids without the presence of free water.

    “As the fungi metabolise the substrates, they generate complex flavour molecules,” explains Erridaoui. At the end of the solid-state fermentation process, the fermented material is dried and ground into a powder, yielding an ingredient with strong flavour properties (such as umami, roasted, and cocoa-like).

    “Depending on the fungal strain, substrate, and fermentation parameters, we can develop a wide range of flavour profiles – from umami and roasted notes to smoky or cocoa-like aromas,” he says.

    Fungu’it is currently working with strains that have a long history of safe use in food production (particularly in Asia) and are reliable for large-scale applications. “This approach ensured that we could secure a stable supply early on, even before developing our own in-house cultivation capabilities,” he suggests.

    “We are building a proprietary database that maps combinations of substrates, fungi, and process conditions to their resulting flavour profiles. This ongoing work allows us to predict, select, and refine fermentations with high sensory value, adds Erridaoui.

    Its process offers some big environmental wins, too. It eschews the need for tropical inputs like cocoa, uses 10 times less water and up to 50% less energy than submerged fermentation, and contributes to the circular economy by upcycling food waste. As its process doesn’t require freeze-drying or intensive mixing, it reduces the carbon footprint by 92%, according to life-cycle analyses.

    Plant-based meat currently uses ‘processed, unconvincing’ flavours

    plant based meat natural flavour
    Courtesy: Fungu’it

    While the number of Americans who say they liked the taste of meat alternatives grew over the course of 2024, it still maxed out at 36%. Unsatisfactory flavours remain a key concern for consumers. Taste tests show that only 30% of omnivores and flexitarians – the main target demographic for alternative protein producers – like the average meat-free product.

    “Most meat alternatives today lack depth and authenticity in flavour. Plant proteins like soy, pea, or faba often bring off-notes or leave a bland base, and they don’t have the natural building blocks – like fats or amino acids – that develop real flavour during cooking,” explains Erridaoui. “Many brands try to fix this with yeast extracts or artificial additives, but the result is usually flat, processed, or unconvincing.”

    Fungu’it’s solution is designed to enhance the sensory performance of meat analogues by adding “umami, roasted and meaty notes, making plant-based products taste like food people want to eat”.

    “We’re working with a mix of major food manufacturers, specialised players, and plant-based startups in France across sectors like meat alternatives, sauces, snacks, and ready meals. Our ingredients are already being integrated into early commercial products and R&D formulations, notably in plant-based burgers, savoury snacks, and culinary bases,” he says.

    “We’re also in active discussions with flavour houses, blenders, and major ingredient companies to incorporate our fermented ingredients into their portfolios. Several industrial trials are underway, with larger product launches expected in the coming months as we scale up production.”

    The company’s cocoa flavour, meanwhile, can substitute cocoa in a recipe by up to 25%. It’s a solution that would appeal to chocolate companies big and small, whose profits have plunged amid supply chain disruptions and record-high prices, giving life to the burgeoning cocoa-free and cell-based chocolate industry.

    Beyond meat alternatives and cocoa, Fungu’it is targeting applications with smoky notes and fermented savoury bases. “These developments are guided by our proprietary database, which we’re building to map how different coproducts, fermentation conditions, and processing steps influence flavour outcomes,” says Erridaoui.

    “This allows us to screen and design new ingredients more efficiently, based on specific sensory or functional needs from our partners. The goal is to create a versatile, data-driven ingredient platform powered by solid-state fermentation.”

    The post This Startup Got $4.6M To Turn Food Waste & Fungi Into Plant-Based Meat Flavourings appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Portugal’s PFx Biotech Raises €5M for Precision-Fermented Human Milk Proteins

    pfx biotech
    4 Mins Read

    Portuguese startup PFx Biotech has secured €2.5M in seed funding, matching a recent EU grant for its recombinant human milk proteins.

    Making breast milk alternatives from yeast, Porto-based firm PFx Biotech has bagged €2.5M ($2.85M) in funding from investors, months after securing a €2.5M ($2.6M at the time) grant from the EU.

    The round was led by Buenavista Equity Partners, alongside the EU food innovation body EIT Food and Beta Capital. They join early investors in the startup, such as Biotope Incubator, Big Idea Ventures, and Pascual InnoVentures.

    It takes the food tech startup’s total raised to €5M, following the grant from the EIC Accelerator, which backed 71 companies in its latest cohort.

    “We believe PFx Biotech is one of the few companies with the scientific depth, technical execution, and visionary leadership required to make precision fermentation commercially viable at scale,” said Bibi Sattar Marques, partner at Buenavista Equity Partners.

    Making human lactoferrin from yeast

    precision fermentation breast milk
    Courtesy: PFx Biotech

    Founded in 2022 by CEO Ali Osman, COO Harry Barraza and R&D head Diana Oliveira, PFx Biotech uses precision fermentation to produce a range of human milk proteins for the advanced nutrition market. The technology combines traditional fermentation with the latest biotech advancements to produce compounds of interest.

    To do so, it provides the genetic information of milk proteins to proprietary strains of microbes, developed to be capable of secreting high yields of the proteins. They’re then supplied with water, sugar and other nutrients in a bioreactor, where they produce high amounts of protein under the right conditions. These are then collected as pure proteins and sold as ingredients.

    The proteins are structurally and functionally identical to those found in breast milk, and can be used across multiple applications. They can help reduce allergy risks and provide optimal nutrition to babies, boost immunity, bone health and muscle mass in elderly consumers, enhance performance and recovery in athletes, and offer nutraceutical benefits and general wellness across demographics.

    PFx Biotech is starting with lactoferrin, a whey protein found in human milk and bovine colostrum. It’s an iron-regulating ingredient that strengthens the gut and possesses antibacterial and anti-carcinogenic properties. The protein is “key in human immune system regulation, from birth to death”, a company spokesperson explained.

    However, lactoferrin isn’t easily available. It takes at least 10,000 litres of milk to produce just 1kg of purified lactoferrin, driving costs up to $750-$1,500 per kg in retail. It’s why a majority of the lactoferrin supply is reserved for the infant nutrition sector.

    By producing it in bioreactors via a scalable and repeatable process, companies can overcome the supply bottleneck. And the high costs of conventional lactoferrin make what is otherwise an expensive technology more viable. It’s why a number of startups are using precision fermentation to produce either bovine or human lactoferrin, including TurtleTree, All G, Helaina, De Novo Foodlabs, Noumi and Triplebar.

    Only the first two have received regulatory clearance to commercialise their animal-free lactoferrin: TurtleTree in the US, and All G in China and the US.

    PFx Biotech working on other human milk proteins too

    precision fermentation lactoferrin
    Courtesy: PFx Biotech

    Human lactoferrin isn’t the only protein under development at PFx Biotech. The firm told Green Queen that its technology platform can be “adapted to produce” bovine lactoferrin as well. Additionally, it is working on alpha-lactalbumin and osteopontin.

    The former accounts for up to a quarter of the protein content in breast milk and plays a key role in providing essential nutrients to the infant, including amino acids and bioactive peptides. The latter, meanwhile, boosts immunity, intestinal and brain development, and gut health in infants.

    In adults, alpha-lactalbumin improves sleep, aids in cognitive resilience, and relieves stress, while osteopontin has been shown to bolster bone health and regulate the body’s inflammatory response.

    PFx Biotech was the winner of the Most Innovative Nutraceutical Ingredient category at Vitafoods Europe 2025’s Startup Challenge last month, and with the latest capital injections, it’s aiming to accelerate its path to commercial readiness.

    “This is a defining moment for PFx Biotech,” said Osman. “We’re proud to be backed by mission-aligned investors to help us unlock the potential of lactoferrin in a more sustainable nutrition model.”

    He added: “As we enter this new growth stage, we are actively exploring strategic collaborations across R&D, scale-up, and go-to-market opportunities.”

    Other precision fermentation players working on human milk proteins include All G, Helaina, Better Dairy, Yali Bio and The Live Green Co.

    The post Portugal’s PFx Biotech Raises €5M for Precision-Fermented Human Milk Proteins appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Arkeon, A Startup Turning CO2 Into Protein, Files for Insolvency

    4 Mins Read

    Austrian biotech firm Arkeon, known for its gas fermentation technology to make proteins from air, has filed for insolvency.

    Vienna-based gas fermentation firm Arkeon has filed for insolvency, a marker of the investment and financial challenges facing the alternative protein sector.

    The startup upcycled carbon into amino acids, helping industries decarbonise while producing valuable proteins that aren’t a threat to the planet.

    In a LinkedIn post this week, co-founder and CEO Gregor Tegl confirmed that the firm had formally filed for insolvency. “While this is a difficult moment, I am incredibly grateful for everyone who believed in our vision for sustainable protein production via gas fermentation,” he wrote.

    An expensive technology with high investment needs

    arkeon biotechnologies
    Courtesy: Arkeon

    Gas fermentation involves feeding microbes on gases like carbon dioxide instead of sugars to produce high-value ingredients, such as fuels, proteins, and chemicals.

    Arkeon, founded in 2021 by Tegl, Simon Rittmann and Günther Bochmann, lowered the excess levels of CO2 in the atmosphere by capturing the gas from industrial emissions. It converted the gas into food using archaea, microorganisms said to be highly efficient and capable of producing viable and variable proteins.

    The microbial fermentation results in the secretion of all 20 proteinogenic amino acids to power what the company described as “carbon-negative, clean-label functional ingredients”.

    The process eschews the need for agriculture, land or animals, reduces waste gases, decarbonises heavy industries, and can play a part in tackling food security. That said, the technology, equipment and raw materials aren’t cheap, and the process isn’t easy to scale.

    Arkeon opened a pilot plant in Seestadt in July 2023, and has secured more than $13M from investors including Square One Foods, Synthesis Capital, ICL, and ReGen Ventures. But this is a fraction of the capital raised by other companies turning gases into food or feed.

    For example, Air Protein (a spinoff of California’s Kiverdi) has attracted $107M to date, Calysta has brought in around $172M, NovoNutrients has secured $27M, and Finland’s Solar Foods has received $79M (with additional government funding for its facilities).

    Most of this capital was raised before 2023, when money was cheaper and investors more interested in alternative protein technologies. The sector suffered from a 44% dip in funding in 2023, followed by a further 27% fall last year. Investment in the overall climate tech sector also declined by 38% in 2024, as venture capitalists flocked to artificial intelligence instead.

    alternative protein investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    Alternative protein businesses in a whirlwind

    These challenges have hit future food companies hard. Over the last year, seafood burger company Akua, plant-based startup Sunfed Meats, vegan cheesemaker Willicroft, cultivated meat firm SciFi Foods, and animal-free heme maker Motif Foodworks have all ceased operations.

    Fermentation player Mycorena, meanwhile, filed for bankruptcy before being rescued by Naplasol, and plant-based ready meal maker Allplants sold off its assets to Grubby and the founders of Deliciously Ella. Mark Cuban-backed vegan pet food startup Wild Earth has also filed for bankruptcy.

    Mycelium meat leader Meati, meanwhile, last month filed documents suggesting that it’s set to be sold for $4M weeks after a bank unexpectedly swept most of its cash reserves due to a technical default. The firm has raised $450M to date and was valued at $650M in 2022.

    Even giants like Beyond Meat and Oatly have struggled. The former suffered a “disappointing” Q1 where sales slipped by 9%, shortly after it suspended its operations in China (it did receive a $100M loan to help wipe off its debt). The latter shut its Singapore factory in late 2024 after a few years of turbulence.

    beyond meat jalapeno burger
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    And last week, the co-founder of French plant-based meat maker Swap stepped down as CEO after the company reportedly posted a turnover of just €1M ($1.1M) in 2024. It is now being helmed by former Mondelēz and Pierre Martinet executive Hervé Salomon, who would need to spearhead its efforts to raise €9M ($10.2M) by year-end, and nearly €30M ($34.1M) by the end of 2026.

    All of this to say, it isn’t easy being a future food founder or company in 2025. Still, Arkeon’s Tegl remains optimistic. “Although Arkeon’s journey has come to an end, my belief in the potential of sustainable biotechnologies remains as strong as ever,” he said.

    “Every failure teaches us something new, and the lessons we’ve learned about scaling our technology, engaging with stakeholders, and navigating regulatory landscapes will stay with me as I move forward.”

    The post Arkeon, A Startup Turning CO2 Into Protein, Files for Insolvency appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Most Brits Are Open to Precision-Fermented Foods, But Safety & Price Concerns Persist

    precision fermentation survey
    5 Mins Read

    While up to two-thirds of UK consumers are willing to try precision-fermented products, fewer would consume them regularly, exhibiting the need to build familiarity and trust.

    Between 52% and 68% of Brits are open to trying foods made from precision fermentation, though only three in 10 believe they should be made available for sale in the UK, citing concerns about food safety and affordability.

    It’s why only 17-35% say they’re open to regularly eating precision-fermented dairy or eggs, according to research by the UK’s Food Standards Agency, which reviewed 19 studies and analysed data from its own survey of over 2,000 respondents.

    Precision fermentation combines traditional fermentation processes with the latest biotechnology advances to efficiently produce a compound of interest, like a protein, flavour molecule, vitamin, pigment, or fat. It has been in use globally for over 30 years to make medicines like insulin and common food ingredients such as rennet.

    Brits’ interest in the technology’s use for novel food is tied to its benefits for animal welfare (cited by 43%) and human health (41%). Further, they’re curious about the novelty, and some are driven by a belief that they’re similar in taste and texture to conventional animal proteins, and the fact that they’re better for the environment.

    However, concerns about chemicals, ingredients and long-term side effects, a perceived unnaturalness, and their high price are the main demotivators when it comes to these foods. In addition, people are unsure about how to categorise precision-fermented foods, and may be confused about whether these products are vegan or vegetarian.

    Who is the precision fermentation consumer?

    precision fermentation uk
    Courtesy: Better Dairy

    The FSA review found that people in the UK are more likely to incorporate these animal-free foods in their shopping baskets and diets if they are male, young, university-educated, and politically liberal, have a higher income, and are from an ethnic minority.

    These products also appeal more to people who have already heard of precision fermentation, have high levels of conventional dairy consumption, and perceive animal-free products to be tasty, ethical, natural, and climate-friendly.

    In the UK, flexitarians tend to be the most likely to consume these future foods, while vegetarians and pescatarians show greater potential than both omnivores and vegans.

    The benefits and concerns related to precision fermentation are more important for some demographics than others. For example, women are more likely to be worried about chemicals and ingredients, and tend to be more motivated by the fact that it eschews animal farming.

    For men and youngsters, on the other hand, price is a bigger draw, with these groups more likely to be motivated to buy a precision-fermented product if it’s cheaper than its conventional counterparts.

    And farmers are more likely to be convinced of the risks of precision-fermented dairy and less likely to believe in its benefits than people in other professions.

    How do Brits view the labelling and regulation of precision fermentation?

    precision fermentation labelling
    Courtesy: Better Dairy

    The review highlighted the need for consumer education around precision-fermented foods, given that only 5-10% of Brits correctly understood that these innovations come neither from plants nor animals.

    To counter that issue, some companies have decided to use vegan certification labels, though experts argue this creates more confusion, as vegan products are perceived as safe for people with dairy allergies. Precision-fermented dairy innovations contain proteins that are molecularly identical to cow’s milk, so they aren’t suitable for these consumers. It’s why Swiss organisation V-Label has launched a dedicated certification for fermentation-derived products.

    The FSA cited research by the Good Food Institute suggesting that 62-64% of Brits prefer the terms ‘animal free’ or ‘non-animal’ on these products, and these are perceived as most effective at differentiating the products from both animal proteins and plant-based foods.

    There is a caveat, however. Without prior knowledge of this technology, these two terms are more likely to be linked to plant-based products compared to other phrases. It’s also unclear whether ‘animal-free’ or ‘non-animal’ sufficiently conveys allergen information to consumers.

    Interestingly, the terms ‘animal-free’ and ‘made from fermentation’ are perceived most positively by consumers who have no prior knowledge of precision-fermented dairy or eggs. Similarly, the former is most appealing to those who know about the technology.

    The research reveals that one of the most important predictors of purchase intentions of animal-free dairy in the UK is having a positive perception of the product. Moreover, studies show that more people are willing to buy such foods when their descriptions emphasise their benefits (such as a lower carbon footprint and no antibiotics).

    fsa precision fermentation
    Courtesy: FSA

    That said, Brits remain uncertain about the sale of precision-fermented foods. According to a survey by the FSA, only 7% think they should “definitely” be allowed to be sold, while another 22% say it should “probably” be allowed. These consumers skew male, young, and university-educated, and are more likely to be from an ethnic minority, have heard of the technology, and not be omnivores.

    Over a third (34%) are against the sale of precision-fermented products, with 16% feeling strongly about it. The remaining 37% of Brits don’t know where they stand on this issue currently. “People who are already open to trying novel foods generally trust in the regulation of precision-fermented dairy,” the FSA said, outlining the importance of building trust and familiarity in this technology.

    The post Most Brits Are Open to Precision-Fermented Foods, But Safety & Price Concerns Persist appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • What Do 2025’s Investment Trends So Far Tell Us About Alternative Proteins?

    vegan meat price
    8 Mins Read

    After a decline in alternative protein investments in 2024, funding further fell by 28% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period a year ago. Analysts blame AI, high costs, and low sales.

    There’s no other way to put it: 2024 was a bleak year for food tech. Post-Covid geopolitical tensions and higher living costs continued to threaten both shoppers’ wallets and investor sentiment, and startups aiming to futureproof the food system bore the brunt of the impact.

    It hasn’t gotten any easier, with 2025 bringing its own set of headwinds. President Donald Trump’s tariff war, Robert F Kennedy Jr’s attack on ultra-processed food and regulatory pathways, more bans on cultivated meat, a resurgence of beef and dairy both stateside and in Europe, and continued sales declines in several markets have all contributed to the storm engulfing the alternative protein industry.

    alternative protein investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    After a 44% drop in 2023, VC investments in plant-based food, fermentation-derived ingredients, and cultivated meat fell by a further 27% in 2024, according to Net Zero Insights data crunched by the Good Food Institute (GFI)

    Q1 2025 investments in the sector declined by 28% YoY, falling to $235M. Fermentation startups capture the bulk of this, attracting $146M, while plant-based ($54M) and cultivated protein firms ($35M) continued to falter.

    So who – or what – is to blame? And are there any bright spots for alternative protein?

    Fermentation continues to thrive

    Looking at the figures for both 2024 and early 2025, one segment sticks out: fermentation. It was the only alternative protein pillar to witness an increase in investment last year (by 43%), against decreases for both plant-based food (-64%) and cultivated meat (-40%).

    In Q1 2025, fermentation startups attracted half of all funding flowing into the sector, with precision fermentation particularly piquing investor interest. This tech vertical was responsible for the three largest rounds of the quarter: Formo’s $36M venture debt loan from the European Investment Bank, Vivici’s $33.8M Series A round, and Liberation Labs’s $31.5M investment.

    The only other investment round above $25M in this period was for Israeli cultivated meat startup Aleph Farms, which secured $29M as part of a larger fundraise in the coming months.

    alternative protein funding
    Courtesy: GFI

    “Many of the fermentation companies that received large investments are focused on leveraging agricultural and food industry sidestreams as a sustainable feed source, helping produce food more efficiently and affordably – both of which are attractive propositions for investors,” Helene Grosshans, infrastructure investment manager at GFI Europe, wrote last year about the success of fermentation.

    Still, fermentation investment totals fell year-over-year in Q1 2025, according to Daniel Gertner, lead economic and industry analyst for the organisation, yet ranked in the top half of the 10 most recent quarters.

    So while alternative protein funding remained subdued in the first quarter of this year, he warns that “few meaningful trends can be identified in a single quarter”.

    Can Europe keep up its momentum?

    Alongside fermentation, European startups showed promising signs, collectively raising $509M in 2024 (a 23% annual increase). This included a record year for Germany, where alternative protein firms attracted $145M (although $61M of that came from Formo’s Series B round).

    Here, too, fermentation shone. Biomass fermentation startups saw a 10% hike in investment in 2024, while those working on precision fermentation bagged more than thrice the funding totals of 2023. As mentioned above, that trend has continued this year, thanks to Vivici and Formo’s latest rounds.

    food tech investment
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    While at first glance it may seem that plant-based and cultivated meat startups performed miserably, context is crucial. As GFI Europe’s Grosshans points out, the decline for the former category is due to Oatly’s large $425M raise over two deals; if you discount publicly traded companies, privately held plant-based firms in Europe actually saw investment grow by 37% last year.

    Similarly, two relatively large deals for Mosa Meat and Meatable, totalling $53.3M, skewed the data for cultivated meat, too, where funding dipped by 59%. These two Dutch startups are preparing to enter the market soon, so they’re not reflective of where most of the sector is.

    AI has wrecked the investment landscape for everyone else

    In 2024, there was a 38% dip in climate tech venture funding, thanks to a shift in investor interest towards artificial intelligence (AI), where financing crossed $100B.

    In the first 12 weeks of this year, AI propelled global venture financing to its highest quarterly levels in nearly three years. OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, raised $40B – that’s with a ‘B’ – which led AI to account for 58% of VC deal value in Q1 2025.

    Non-AI sectors, however, experienced their weakest deal activity in a decade, notes Gertner. “Recent growth in overall venture funding has largely been driven by surges in AI investments, which have likely redirected capital flows from other industries,” he tells Green Queen.

    “Alternative protein funding has slowed amid this increased investor focus on AI, while elevated interest rates, high production costs, and topline sales declines have also weighed on investment activity,” he adds. “Alternative proteins are not alone in this trend: adjacent industries like climate tech and consumer packaged goods have experienced similar investment slowdowns.”

    food tech investment
    Courtesy: DigitalFoodLab

    Indeed, the wider food tech sector’s $2.2B funding in Q1 2025 was the worst quarterly performance in years. Matthieu Vincent, co-founder of strategy consultancy firm DigitalFoodLab, ascribes this to contextual reasons, as opposed to structural factors like the VC ecosystem being unsuited to long-term innovation.

    The Q1 decline is linked to “the current economic uncertainties, notably on tariffs and their impact on the overall agrifood industries”, he explained in his newsletter.

    Trump’s tariffs have already had investors worried, with Grey Silo Ventures’s investment manager, Matteo Leonardi, telling Green Queen last month: “As we are dealing with an industry that is already fighting to survive on the slightest of margins – and at industrial scale, let alone at pilot scale – US tariffs could result in a complete erosion of those already-thin margins.”

    Adam Bergman, managing director of EcoTech Capital, predicted the downturn to continue in 2026. “I expect that over 70% of agtech and food tech companies will either go bankrupt, cease operations, or be liquidated in a fire sale. It is likely that a similar percentage of the capital invested in these companies will never be recouped,” he wrote.

    The way forward for alternative protein

    “As AI dominates investor attention, alternative protein companies are either developing novel applications of AI for alternative proteins or choosing to compete for a smaller slice of non-AI capital,” Gertner wrote in a recent newsletter, signalling the pivots this sector may need to make to survive.

    Leading companies also need to turn their sales around, and fast. Addressing misinformation about meat, dairy, and plant-based alternatives is a crucial step.

    “Instead of creating more noise, we have been systematically engaging with registered and renowned dietitians, nutritionists and key opinion leaders, arming them with science-based facts about our category and our products, so they can be advocates for the truth,” said Daniel Ordonez, COO of Oatly, which recorded a 0.8% year-on-year decline in revenue in Q1 2025, but cut its losses by 73%.

    oatly q1 2025
    Courtesy: Oatly

    Beyond Meat’s fortunes worsened in Q1 after two quarters of revenue hikes, with sales dipping by 9% in the first three months of this year, with its founder and CEO Ethan Brown suggesting misinformation played a big part. Like Oatly, he added that the “truth is starting to come out” now, and that the meat alternative maker has “made it through that really intense pressure cooker”.

    Despite its disappointing sales, it did receive $100M in debt financing from Unprocessed Foods, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ahimsa Foundation, proving that investors still have an appetite for plant-based burgers. “The overall macro environment is challenging for alt-protein, but we are confident of the leadership and the outlook,” Ahimsa Foundation president Shaleen Shah told Bloomberg News.

    The volatility of the market was highlighted by Meati’s $4M sale this month. Once valued at $650M, its $100M Series C round was the largest alternative protein investment of 2024, but a technical default led its lender to unexpectedly sweep two-thirds of its cash reserves, leading to the sale at the paltry valuation.

    One of the issues in alternative protein is that there aren’t enough exits for startups, though there has been a rapid wave of M&A in the sector of late, from Danone and Chobani’s acquistions of Kate Farms and Daily Harvest, respectively, this month, to Ahimsa Foundation’s takeover of Wicked Kitchen, Simulate and Blackbird Foods in the last year. But exits like Meati’s don’t fill venture capitalists with confidence.

    It’s worth noting that despite the VC decline, public sector investment was still strong in 2024, reaching $510M, in line with the year before.

    plant based investments
    Courtesy: GFI

    “Going forward, the companies demonstrating clear competitive advantages, unique value propositions, and strong business models will have the best chance of securing funding,” Gertner tells Green Queen.

    “However, venture capital is only one piece of the investment puzzle,” he adds, outlining the importance of additional avenues for companies pursuing investment, like equipment leasing, strategic partnerships, sovereign wealth funds, blended finance, and government programmes.

    “Alternative protein companies and founders should continue exploring these creative and multipronged funding strategies to support growth,” he says.

    The post What Do 2025’s Investment Trends So Far Tell Us About Alternative Proteins? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • This Startup’s Planet-Friendly Solution to Beef & UPFs? Oats, Mycelium & Lego

    millow
    6 Mins Read

    Swedish food tech startup Millow is repurposing a Lego factory to produce an oat and mycelium protein with 97% fewer emissions than beef, and minimal processing.

    A result of three decades of research on mycelium, Millow is gearing up for prime time with a future-friendly protein that sits somewhere between tempeh and meat analogues, and is not shy of challenging beef.

    The Gothenburg‑based startup is repurposing an old Lego production hall to scale up production to industrial levels, backed by a €2.5M grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC). The 25,000 sq m facility will be fully outfitted later this year and will allow Millow to produce up to 500kg of protein a day.

    By refurbishing it into a food factory instead of erecting a new building altogether, it claims to have avoided roughly 1,400 tonnes of embedded CO2 emissions (these are the emissions that would have been released while making and assembling new concrete, steel and façade materials).

    millow factory
    Courtesy: Millow

    The firm turns Nordic oats and mycelium into a beef-like protein with minimal processing, time, and emissions, while matching or outperforming existing proteins – animal or otherwise – on nutrition and flavour. The key technology is a patented dry‑state fermentation process, which uses just three to four litres of water per kg of protein. This means it requires 99% less water than traditional plant proteins like soy.

    “Compared with traditional liquid fermentation used by most other mycelium companies, we only need 2.3% water, one-third of energy, and one-third of capex, and save over 95% of CO2e,” Millow chairman Staffan Hillberg tells Green Queen. “This gives us a cost advantage, allowing our products to compete head-on with traditional products without premium pricing.”

    The company is now finalising distribution agreements with brands, retailers, and distributors to launch multiple products in 2025. “We will start to roll out in foodservice in Sweden later this year. And as volumes grow and we have an adequate supply chain, we will enter retail together with our partners such as large food manufacturers.”

    How Millow makes its two-ingredient protein

    Millow was built on research by Mohammad Taherzadeh, a professor of bioprocess technology at the University of Borås and a renowned mycelium expert. He founded the startup with his son, CEO Esmaeil Taherzadeh, to commercialise the dry-state fermentation tech.

    “We have an upstream process where we handle the basic raw material, which, in our case, are oats and mycelium spores,” explains Hillberg. “We are also doing some interesting work on side streams from food production that can replace oats. This then goes into our unique solid-state fermentation process, which is based on our ‘S-units’ that use proprietary and patented hardware and AI-based software.”

    He continues: “Following the fermentation process, we have a downstream process that prepares the fermented product. This can, for example, involve simple processes like dicing or slicing, depending on the final product. The process is designed to scale in a modular and cost-efficient way.”

    The protein takes less than 24 hours to make, and generates 97% fewer emissions than beef. “Our platform can swap grain substrates overnight, allowing any region to grow its own advanced protein with minimal resources,” explains Prof Taherzadeh.

    millow meat
    Courtesy: Millow

    Millow currently sources oats from at least two large suppliers in Sweden, and has the ability to use local suppliers as it scales internationally. “Since our technology is very flexible, we can use basically any type of plant, which gives us many options,” says Hillberg. “Further down the line, we can see our technology being used in countries that lack food production and then using local Indigenous plants.”

    The resulting ingredient contains 27g of complete protein per 100g portion, as well as fibre, vitamins, minerals, and only 140 calories. It is said to sear like beef and have no aftertaste or boating effects.

    The startup’s business model focuses on end products. “Some of the products we currently have in our portfolio are an amazing minced meat, chicken-like bites, döner kebab, an alternative to dairy ingredients such as paneer for Indian dishes, and of course, as a Swedish company, we have our meatballs,” he says.

    Further, Millow’s product has potential as an ingredient in blended meat applications, with retail brands and foodservice collaborators able to combine its mince with conventional meat to lower emissions and improve health outcomes.

    Can Millow conquer the alternative protein headwinds?

    It isn’t the easiest time for emerging startups in the alternative protein space. Sales have been flatlining or declining, depending on where you are, while investment in these technologies has plummeted alarmingly. The sector suffered a 27% dip in funding last year, following a 44% decline the year before.

    Fermentation startups have been the only bright spot in the category, with venture capitalists investing 43% more money into this technology in 2024, though this segment has taken a hit too. Meati, a leader in mycelium fermentation, raised $100M in last year’s largest investment round for alternative proteins, but is now being sold for $4M, after a bank swept two-thirds of its cash reserves due to a technical default.

    What makes Millow confident, however, is the ability of its protein to outperform both plant proteins and mycelium competitors. “As we produce a complete food product that contains a combination of fermented plants with mycelium, we have a complete nutritional profile. This includes all the essential amino acids, minerals, fibres, and vitamins,” says Hillberg.

    millow mycelium
    Courtesy: Millow

    “Further, our technology reduces anti-nutrients like phytic acids, which increases the bioavailability of important vitamins like iron and zinc. There is an iron deficiency among teenage girls adhering to plant-based diets,” he adds.

    “We use the natural abilities of mycelium to build a dense and pleasing texture that also handles well when cooking. As such, it doesn’t fall apart when boiling or cooked in a high-temperature oven. Also, we have an appealing taste without the typical off-taste that you find in many other plant-based products.”

    The startup is positioning its protein as an additive-free antidote to meat analogues plagued by the ultra-processed food tag. “The wonderful thing with our process is that, compared with most other production processes, we have extremely few production steps,” says Hillberg. “We only have two ingredients: oats and mycelium. There are no binders or other additives. Totally clean label.”

    Taking a bite out of the Apple

    Millow’s marketing and packaging strategy seeks to communicate the clean-label aspect, especially since two in five Europeans are actively avoiding processed foods, and 60% would like to do so in the future, according to a survey of nearly 20,000 consumers this year.

    To build its brand, the firm has hired Rob Janoff, the American graphic designer famous for creating the iconic Apple logo. “Our branding strategy revolves around a ‘Made with Millow’ concept. We are committing significant resources to support our B2B clients in effectively communicating Millow’s unique value to consumers,” explains Hillberg.

    “The goal is to ensure consumers feel confident and satisfied when choosing a new category of meat alternatives that are cleaner and superior to conventional meat.”

    millow meat analog
    Courtesy: Millow

    The company is now pursuing co-branding opportunities that will see end products feature the Millow trademark. “This aligns with our clean label strategy and reflects the increasing demand among consumers and partners for minimally processed and transparent food options. The core mission of our science team has been to contribute meaningfully to this new standard in food production,” Hillberg says.

    While Millow is funded by its own founders and grants, it is looking to raise capital in the future. The €2.5M EIC grant includes the possibility of a further €15M grant from the European Investment Bank, which can invest in conjunction with external investors.

    “Recently, we also received €643,000 in an EU Horizon grant, which is part of a €4M grant in a larger consortium,” says Hillberg. “As we scale further, we can combine debt and equity as our production process is profitable.”

    The post This Startup’s Planet-Friendly Solution to Beef & UPFs? Oats, Mycelium & Lego appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • TurtleTree Earns First US FDA Approval for Cow-Free Lactoferrin Protein

    turtletree lf+
    4 Mins Read

    Food tech startup TurtleTree has secured the first ‘no questions’ letter for precision-fermented lactoferrin from the US Food and Drug Administration.

    Amid the uncertainty surrounding novel food approvals in the US, Singapore’s TurtleTree has hit an important regulatory milestone for its animal-free lactoferrin protein.

    The startup has received a ‘no questions’ letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), validating the safety of the ingredient for use in food and drink applications.

    TurtleTree had already self-affirmed the recombinant protein as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) in late 2023. The rule allows companies to determine their ingredients as safe based on scientific evaluations, without needing to go through FDA review. It could be scrapped under a directive by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who called it a “loophole” that businesses have “exploited” for too long.

    It has made it more important for future food companies to obtain the FDA letter, which would safeguard them from any disruptions they could face if the self-determination rule is scrapped.

    “This is one of the most significant milestones in TurtleTree’s journey,” said co-founder and CEO Fengru Lin. “Having our science and technology validated by the FDA is a powerful moment, not just for us, but for the entire precision fermentation space.”

    precision fermentation lactoferrin
    Courtesy: TurtleTree

    First FDA validation of animal-free lactoferrin

    TurtleTree is the first company to secure FDA approval for precision-fermented bovine lactoferrin, a recombinant whey protein known for its iron-binding and functional properties. It is said to be antibacterial and anti-carcinogenic, and can boost immunity and gut health.

    The ingredient is in short supply and has a high price point, making it an attractive bet for precision fermentation companies. Producing just 1kg of purified lactoferrin requires 10,000 litres of milk, which drives up retail costs to $750-1,500 per kg and is the reason why 60% of global lactoferrin supply is reserved for infant formula.

    TurtleTree uses precision fermentation to solve lactoferrin’s supply crisis and make it available for applications including sports nutrition, women’s health, adult and elderly nutrition, and functional foods. It is a process that combines traditional fermentation with the latest biotechnology advances to efficiently produce a compound of interest (bioidentical lactoferrin, in this case).

    A host of companies are producing precision-fermented lactoferrin now, many of whom diversified from their earlier target ingredients, thanks to this protein’s higher return on investment. While it’s a tall order to match the price of other conventional whey proteins like beta-lactoglobulin, lactoferrin’s already sky-high costs make it a more viable play.

    turtletree lactoferrin
    Courtesy: TurtleTree

    Australia’s All G also has self-obtained GRAS status for animal-free lactoferrin in the US. Others working on the protein include fellow Aussie firm Noumi, New Zealand’s Daisy Lab, and US startups Helaina, De Novo Foodlabs and Triplebar. Meanwhile, Dutch player Vivici – which already has FDA approval for beta-lactoglobulin – will introduce a lactoferrin protein later this year.

    In a social media post, TurtleTree described its lactoferrin as “a complex, iron-binding glycoprotein with over 690 amino acids and multiple functional domains – difficult to express, harder to keep bioactive, and now finally recognised as safe after a full GRAS evaluation, including genomic, toxicological, and compositional studies”.

    TurtleTree eyes commercial and global regulatory progress after FDA approval

    The company explained that the FDA validation would remove regulatory uncertainty and enable its global expansion. It is pursuing regulatory approval in other key markets in Europe and Asia too (including Singapore).

    It is already in talks with several partners and set to roll out products with its ingredient, dubbed LF+, in the near future. These include cold brew espresso shots with Cadence Performance Coffee and an immunity beverage and protein powder with Strive Nutrition.

    LF+ is already on the market through TurtleTree’s consumer brand Intentional, which launched in March. Its first supplement, IronKind, combines lactoferrin with prebiotics to support iron regulation, improve energy levels, and enhance gut health.

    intentional ironkind
    Courtesy: Intentional

    That rollout came after several months of uncertainty at TurtleTree. As reported by Green Queen in January, the firm had conducted multiple rounds of layoffs in the space of six months, leaving behind a skeleton staff of just nine employees at the time.

    The company, which has attracted around $40M from investors since 2019, was reportedly looking to raise another $15M in a pre-Series B round later this year. This may prove challenging, as venture capital has been drying up for the food tech and alternative protein sector, with Lin telling Green Queen last month that startups were undergoing “a more complex landscape” now. She added that “fundraising efforts are ongoing”.

    TurtleTree will hope that the FDA letter gives investors and consumers more confidence. “This is a big leap not just for us, but for the entire field of precision fermentation,” said Lin. “For years, we’ve known how powerful lactoferrin is. Now, thanks to this milestone, more people will finally have access to it – without relying on cows, and at a cost that makes sense.”

    The post TurtleTree Earns First US FDA Approval for Cow-Free Lactoferrin Protein appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Muu: Thai Animal-Free Dairy Startup Muu Bags Investment by Southeast Asian VC A2D Ventures

    muu thailand
    4 Mins Read

    Bangkok-based Muu has secured a strategic investment from VCs and a Japanese food conglomerate to advance its precision-fermented dairy proteins.

    As Thailand’s alternative protein ecosystem gears itself up for primetime, its first precision fermentation startup has attracted investors to accelerate its market entry.

    Muu, which makes animal-free dairy proteins, has secured an undisclosed sum from A2D Ventures, Leave a Nest Japan, and an unnamed Japanese food giant, which it will use to expand the production and reach of its ingredients.

    “Muu’s vision of revolutionising dairy through biotechnology aligns perfectly with our mission to advance deep tech for global sustainability,” said Yukihiro Maru, founder and CEO of Leave a Nest Group. “Their precision fermentation platform addresses the health, environmental, and ethical challenges of traditional dairy, while paving the way for a more secure and sustainable food future.”

    Muu targets lactose intolerance with casein and whey proteins

    muu animal free dairy
    Muu co-founders Chanapol Tantakosol and Ja Rawikarn Dechdi | Courtesy: Muu

    Muu was founded in 2021 by CEO Chanapol Tantakosol and CMO Ja Rawikarn Dechdi, both of whom previously worked in marketing at TikTok.

    The company’s four-step process involves strain development, fermentation, purification, and formulation. It’s similar to how beer is brewed, training its unique microbial strains to produce milk proteins instead of alcohol in fermentation tanks.

    It makes use of readily available, cost-effective raw materials from Thailand’s agriculture sector, in a process that reduces land use, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions by over 90%, compared to conventional dairy production.

    Muu is working on both casein and whey proteins, making it one of the only such startups in the animal-free dairy space. Casein is the most abundant protein group in cow’s milk, and is the element that makes cheese melt and stretch, and makes yoghurts creamy. Whey proteins, meanwhile, provide emulsification, gelling and foaming properties, among others.

    The Bangkok startup’s recombinant milk proteins are said to replicate the taste and nutritional profile of cow’s milk, and can be used in a variety of applications, from ice creams and chocolates to animal-free barista milks.

    The company is looking to appeal to Southeast Asia’s lactose intolerance problem, with 50-90% of the population suffering from it. Its precision-fermented proteins are bioidentical to dairy, making them unsuitable for people with dairy protein allergies. However, they’re free from the lactose sugars found in cow’s milk, so Muu’s milk works for consumers with intolerances.

    “Muu is uniquely positioned at the intersection of food, biotech, and climate impact,” said Ankit Upadhyay, general partner at A2D Ventures. “Their vision of animal-free dairy for Asia is bold, timely, and deeply needed… and their team has the chops to pull it off.”

    Thailand’s burgeoning alternative protein system

    muu precision fermentation
    Courtesy: Muu

    Having previously been backed by Singapore’s Glocalink and 144 Ventures, won the Real-Tech Award at the Tech Planter in Thailand, and graduated from Hong Kong-headquartered VC firm Brinc’s accelerator programme, Muu is now looking to scale across Asia and expand globally.

    Last year, the company signed an MoU with Lotte Fine Chemical, part of South Korea’s Lotte Corporation, which it labelled a “strategic move” that could help unlock future distribution channels and detailed market insights.

    While more consumer research on precision fermentation is needed, Thailand’s appetite for alternative proteins is a welcome sign for companies like Muu. A 12,000-person survey last year found that 92% of its citizens had tried plant-based milk.

    In a different survey from 2024, two-thirds of Thai consumers said they would reduce or stop eating meat in the next two years, with 44% wishing to replace it with traditional plant proteins, and 39% with novel alternatives. Meanwhile, a 2021 poll revealed that nearly all (97%) of Thailand’s population wants to try cultivated meat.

    The country is building up its biotech ecosystem to speed up the development of these industries. BBGI, the biotech arm of energy conglomerate Bangchak Corporation, partnered with India’s Fermbox Bio to build the region’s first large-scale precision fermentation plants with a capacity of one million litres. The two firms have also teamed up with Israel’s Aleph Farms to initiate Thailand’s first cultivated meat factory.

    Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) is reviewing a regulatory application for Aleph Farm’s cultivated beef steak, which could be approved for sale in mid-2026.

    On the government level, the commerce ministry has announced plans to make Thailand the leading producer of high-protein plant-based ingredients, with its trade policy office working with the Fiscal Policy Research Institute Foundation to produce a roadmap for the industry’s future, spanning everything from R&D and production to processing, marketing and investment.

    precision fermentation thailand
    Courtesy: Muu

    “During our early stages, we received significant support from both Thai government agencies and private sectors, including participation in early-stage accelerator programmes,” Tantakosol said in 2023.

    While fermentation startups have enjoyed a fruitful year in terms of investments and regulatory progress, most leading startups are based in Europe and North America. Muu is one of only about a dozen companies developing dairy proteins from precision fermentation in Asia-Pacific, including All G, Eden Brew (both Australian), Daisy Lab (New Zealand), TurtleTree (Singapore), and Zero Cow Factory (India).

    The post Muu: Thai Animal-Free Dairy Startup Muu Bags Investment by Southeast Asian VC A2D Ventures appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • This NZ Startup’s Animal-Free Bovine Lactoferrin Has A Higher Yield Than Cow’s Milk

    daisy lab
    4 Mins Read

    Auckland-based food tech startup Daisy Lab has achieved a high-yielding recombinant bovine lactoferrin that surpasses the protein’s concentration in cow’s milk.

    Daisy Lab, a precision fermentation startup making cow-free whey proteins, has produced bovine lactoferrin that outperforms its conventional counterpart.

    Found in bovine colostrum, lactoferrin occurs in cow’s milk at concentrations as low as 0.02g to 0.2g per litre, but the New Zealand startup has achieved a yield higher by “more than an order of magnitude”, producing multiple grams of the protein in a yeast host instead.

    It will allow dairy producers to use lactoferrin at low inclusion rates in a cost-efficient manner, presenting an alternative for what is traditionally a highly expensive protein.

    “When scaled, the cost to produce our lactoferrin is likely to be about 10 times lower than the commodity price of lactoferrin,” Daisy Lab co-founder and CEO Irina Miller tells Green Queen. “As we continue to scale up and refine our fermentation processes, the cost of producing our lactoferrin will come down.”

    Daisy Lab aims to enable – not disrupt – the dairy industry

    precision fermentation lactoferrin
    Courtesy: Matt Quérée

    Lactoferrin is an in-demand protein due to its many functional benefits, including antiviral, antibacterial, anti-carcinogenic, immunity-boosting, gut-strengthening and iron regulation properties.

    But it’s in short supply, since it can take 10,000 litres of milk to produce just 1kg of purified lactoferrin, which currently retails for $750-$1,500 per kg and is restricted to essential applications like infant formula and supplements.

    Precision fermentation – which combines traditional fermentation with the latest biotech advancements to produce compounds of interest – can solve the production bottleneck as it eschews the need for cow’s milk altogether. While it remains an expensive technology, the high costs of conventional lactoferrin make it attractive nonetheless, and even more so if startups like Daisy Lab can meet their cost projections.

    “Industrial purification will be the next biggest challenge, but geographically, we are best positioned to solve it,” says Miller. While Daisy Lab has not revealed exact details about the yield, the CEO notes that the breakthrough “has a very viable potential to disrupt the existing bovine lactoferrin market”.

    “New Zealand dairy companies are producing large volumes of lactoferrin that is traded on the market today,” she points out, outlining the company’s wish to be an “enabler” rather than a “disruptor” of the dairy industry.

    “We are in talks with dairy companies who are interested in the potential of our technology. Our model is to enable existing dairy operators to produce precision fermentation proteins, and we see ourselves integrating into their already existing state-of-the-art protein processing knowledge,” says Miller.

    “We have partnered with a third-party strain provider and are currently producing lactoferrin in our lab in Auckland,” she adds.

    Why Daisy Lab diversified into lactoferrin

    precision fermentation whey
    Courtesy: Matt Quérée

    Lactoferrin isn’t the only whey protein under development at Daisy Lab – it’s not even the first. The company has been working on beta-lactoglobulin (the dominant whey protein found in dairy), which has gelling, foaming and emulsification properties that enhance mouthfeel and texture in food and drink applications.

    Whey protein is the target of several precision fermentation companies, including FDA-approved Perfect Day, Remilk, Imagindairy, and Vivici. France’s Verley and Denmark’s 21st.Bio have both self-affirmed their ingredients’ Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, and notified the FDA of its ‘no questions’ letter too.

    Daisy Lab says its regulatory plans would “largely depend on where our potential partners are based globally”. It has scaled up its beta-lactoglobulin production to 10g per litre, and will begin fundraising in the coming months to build a 1,000-litre demo facility.

    “We are gearing up for the arrival of a larger fermenter later this year. This will allow us to demonstrate our technology at scale to our future customers,” says Miller.

    Having already raised NZ$1.75M ($1.08M), it only pivoted to lactoferrin in early 2024, reflective of a wider trend in the precision fermentation protein industry. “Due to some reported headwinds in the alternative proteins’ investment market, we felt that we needed to bolster our commercial strategy,” Miller explained at the time.

    “It is a very high-value ingredient, and it is rational to be chasing it to prove the commercial viability of your technology,” she says now. “Having high-producing strains is only part of the picture. Scaling up the fermentation and downstream processing – as well as ensuring the strains retain the functionality of their natural counterparts – are the next very important challenges to tackle.’

    Vivici recently also diversified into recombinant lactoferrin production, joining several other precision fermentation startups working on either bovine or human lactoferrin. This includes Australia’s Noumi, New Zealand’s Daisy Lab, and US firms Helaina, De Novo Foodlabs and Triplebar. So far, though, only Singapore’s TurtleTree and Sydney-based All G Foods have been cleared to sell animal-free lactoferrin in the US.

    The post This NZ Startup’s Animal-Free Bovine Lactoferrin Has A Higher Yield Than Cow’s Milk appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Mycelium Protein Firm Meati to Be Sold for $4M After Bank-Induced Crisis

    meati layoffs
    4 Mins Read

    Embattled alternative protein firm Meati Foods is set to sell for just $4M after an unprecedented financial crisis that turned the business on its head.

    Two months after a bank swept most of its cash reserves in an unexpected move, Colorado-based mycelium meat maker Meati Foods is preparing for a sale worth $4M.

    The deal was disclosed in filings to the Adams County District Court on May 2, with CEO Phil Graves assigning the firm’s assets to attorney Aaron Garber. It’s expected to be sold to a new company called Meati Holdings, though the filing did not provide any other information about the buyer, according to BusinessDen, which first reported the news.

    Garber wrote that the $4M sale would “preserve the operational value of the company, maximise recovery for creditors, and reduce collateral damage to stakeholders and interested parties when compared to a liquidation”.

    Meati, which listed $158M in assets, has asked a judge to allow the buyer to run the company even before the sale closes. It is unclear how this affects its employees and facilities. Meati declined to comment when approached by Green Queen.

    The $4M valuation is far below its $650M valuation in the $150M Series C funding round in 2022. Last year, the firm added another $100M via a Series C1 round, and was an outlier in an otherwise dire investment landscape for alternative proteins.

    How Meati got to this point

    meati sale
    Courtesy: Anay Mridul/Green Queen

    At the beginning of this year, Meati was cruising. It had raised the largest round in the industry in 2024, doubled its revenue, and expanded its retail distribution by 130%, with its mycelium steak, chicken and breakfast patty SKUs in over 7,000 stores.

    In late February, its lender swept away two-thirds of its cash reserves due to a technical default, despite assuring Meati that it wouldn’t. Meati was in the middle of an internal fundraising round that would have extended its runway into 2026; while the company was current on its payments, it had breached a financial agreement relating to revenue and gross profit.

    This legally forced the firm to issue a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN), informing all 150 employees of impending layoffs if immediate funding isn’t secured.

    The notice suggested that should Meati fail to raise the capital it needed by May 6, it would cease operations at its manufacturing facility in Thornton, Colorado and permanently cut all jobs at the site, all the way from the warehouse and food production technicians to the R&D team and the CEO.

    “Our lender unexpectedly removed cash from our accounts and took control of remaining cash reserves […] and the action was not reasonably foreseeable,” Meati’s WARN document read. “We would have liked to have given you more advance notice of this action, but we were unable to do so because our lender’s actions were wholly unanticipated and unforeseeable.”

    Meati had been hopeful of securing the required investment. And this Monday, AgFunderNews reported that Meati had secured bridge funding that would allow it to continue operating for the time being.

    Now, a judge is set to rule on Meati’s request, which, if approved, would give Garber control of its actions until the sale closes.

    Uncertainty plagues alternative protein space

    meati funding
    Courtesy: Meati

    Meati’s impending sale comes at a curious time for alternative protein. Global investment in the sector declined by 27% in 2024; plant-based food (-64%) and cultivated meat (-40%) startups took most of the hit.

    Fermentation startups, however, saw a 43% hike, surpassing the plant-based category for the first time. This was led by Meati’s $100M round. The company is actually one of the most well-capitalised in the industry, having raised $365M since being founded in 2017.

    It has had its fair share of troubles. It has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs since 2023 – with the latest described as a right-sizing move to move the company towards profitability – and has been involved in an IP dispute and false marketing lawsuits over the last few years.

    While meat alternatives also saw a 7% dip in sales in the US last year, Meati bucked the trend. Circana data for the 52 weeks to July 14, 2024 showed slowing sales of meat analogues, but Meati’s whole-cut steak was among the top 15 growth items. The company saw a $2.7M hike in year-to-date sales, thanks in large part to its all-natural ingredient list.

    “Consumers shouldn’t have to decide between feedlot meats that are inhumanely raised, wreck the environment and lack nutrients, or ultra-processed plant-based options that have a long list of ingredients you can’t pronounce,” Graves told Green Queen in January.

    Alternative proteins are a polarising topic in the US, where the discourse around ultra-processed food and Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Make America Healthy Again movement has dovetailed with a cultural shift back towards beef, despite its health and environmental detriments.

    As an established leader in the space attempting to decarbonise the food system, Meati’s impending sale is unfortunate and a further example of the uncertainty enveloping the sector.

    The post Mycelium Protein Firm Meati to Be Sold for $4M After Bank-Induced Crisis appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Global Plant-Based Sales Up By 5% in 2024 Despite US Setback: New Report

    vegan meat price
    6 Mins Read

    The Good Food Institute, an alternative protein think tank, has released its latest State of the Industry series of reports for 2024. Here’s how plant-based, fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins fared in 2024.

    While investment in alternative protein continued to fall in 2024, global sales of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are up, as is interest in whole foods, according to the 2024 State of the Industry reports by industry think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI).

    The annual series of reports explores the challenges and opportunities for plant-based food, fermentation-derived proteins, and cultivated meat. This year’s editions reveal a complex landscape for alternative proteins, with sales in markets like the US still declining and public investment in the industry on the rise.

    Alternative proteins are part of a polarising debate in many parts of the world, punctuated by high prices and taste concerns, and enveloped by the backlash against ultra-processed foods (UPFs). However, the global performance shows promise in the market at a time when it has been portrayed as anything but.

    Global plant-based sales on the rise

    plant based food sales
    Courtesy: GFI

    You’d be forgiven for thinking that sales of plant-based foods took a giant plunge, given all the coverage and discourse around them. In actuality, global sales reached $28.6B, a 5% increase from 2023.

    Non-dairy alternatives dominated the market, with sales up by 5% to reach $22.4B, while meat analogues hit $6.1B (a 4% increase). After milk, meat and seafood, vegan yoghurt is the most popular category.

    Europe was the leader in 2024, recording $9.7B in sales of plant-based meat, seafood and dairy, followed by Asia-Pacific ($8.9B), and North America ($7.3B), where conventional beef sales reached a record high last year.

    Meat and dairy alternatives decline in the US, while whole foods shine

    plant based meat sales
    Courtesy: GFI

    In the US, overall plant-based sales reached $8.1B in 2024, a 4% decline from 2023. More than a third of the market (34%) was occupied by non-dairy milk alone, whose sales dropped by 5% to $2.8B. Likewise, meat and seafood alternatives saw dollar sales fall by 7% to $1.2B, though the rate of decline was slower than in 2023.

    At the same time, the demand for protein led to an increase in sales of protein powders (11%), and growing interest in whole foods resulted in a 7% hike in sales for tofu, tempeh and seitan. The biggest windfall, however, came for vegan desserts and baked goods (13%).

    Plant-based eggs, meanwhile, saw a 2% increase in retail sales as avian flu wrecked chicken egg supplies in the US. This was true for foodservice too, where vegan egg sales were up by 28%. The report authors note that the data on unit sales and price changes is somewhat skewed due to the leading product in the category shifting to a larger pack size and thus a comparably higher price point.

    Still in foodservice, plant-based proteins suffered a 5% decline in sales, though non-dairy milk continued its climb with a 9% growth.

    Price parity and consumer reach still hindrance for the plant-based sector

    gfi state of the industry
    Courtesy: GFI

    Plant-based meat and seafood were 4% more expensive in 2024, versus just a 1% price hike for their conventional counterparts, widening the former’s premium to 82%.

    The price gap for chicken and milk remained the same, while widening for pork and turkey. On the flip side, rising beef rates mean plant-based versions are just 14% more expensive now. And chicken-free eggs, which had a 317% price premium in 2023, narrowed this to 110%.

    Bringing down prices of plant-based food is critical for them to compete with animal-derived products, as is improving consumer reach and acceptance. In the US, 59% of households bought a vegan product in 2024, similar to the year before, though down from 63% in 2022.

    Penetration of plant-based meat and seafood remains low at 13%, though encouragingly, 63% go back to the store for more. Further, almost all Americans who buy these alternatives are not vegan or vegetarian – 96% of buyers also put conventional meat in their shopping baskets in 2024.

    Milk alternatives reached 40% of households, with a repeat rate of 76%. Almond milk continues to remain the most popular dairy alternative (capturing 54% of sales), but oat milk is on the rise (25%).

    VC investment slides, public funding a bright spot

    alternative protein investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    Alternative proteins did not escape the bleak landscape for climate tech venture capital in 2024, with total funding for the sector only amounting to $1.1B, a 27% decline from the year before.

    Plant-based companies took the biggest hit, as venture capitalists backed away from foods linked to ultra-processing. These startups only raised $309M in 2024, a sharp 64% fall from the year before.

    Cultivated meat, meanwhile, witnessed a 40% decline, securing only $139M, its lowest annual total since 2019. In fact, in the last three years, this sector has cumulatively raised less money than it did in 2021 alone.

    The only bright spot for the category here is fermentation, where VC investment experienced a 43% increase last year, overturning a decline in 2023. This was led by Meati‘s $100M Series C round. Further, this category surpassed plant proteins in terms of the amount of public capital invested.

    Speaking of which, while private investors remained cautious, governments continued to pour money into alternative protein, amid a push to meet their net-zero goals and mounting pressure from climate experts to diversify protein sources. Public investment in alternative proteins reached $510M in 2024, in line with the year before.

    This was driven by the US, Denmark and the EU overall, while Asia-Pacific played a major role in the doubling of public funding for cultivated meat in 2024.

    plant based investments
    Courtesy: GFI

    Legislative headwinds make for uneven regulatory progress

    2024 was a milestone year for companies making novel food from precision, biomass and gas fermentation, with several regulators greenlighting products like cow-free casein, CO2-derived protein, and animal-free egg protein.

    However, in the US, Robert F Kennedy Jr’s potential removal of the self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) pathway could stall this momentum.

    Meanwhile, cultivated meat continues to face threats of bans in the US and elsewhere. According to GFI’s calculations, 12 states attempted to restrict cultivated meat last year, with Florida and Alabama being successful – the former is now facing a lawsuit from California’s Upside Foods. Already this year, a host of other states have proposed similar bills, with Mississippi becoming the third to enact a ban.

    fsanz cultured quail
    Courtesy: Vow

    Even so, cultivated meat regulation progressed in several other markets in 2024. Australia’s Vow was cleared to sell its cultivated quail and foie gras in Singapore (and later in Australia and New Zealand), and UK’s Meatly earned UK approval to commercialise cultivated chicken for pets, following Aleph Farms‘s greenlight in Israel in December 2023. Plus, regulators in the EU, South Korea, and Thailand received their first applications.

    “Although some uncertainty exists due to shifting political winds around the globe, more approvals are likely in 2025,” said GFI. “These approvals will increase the number of cultivated meat products on the market while also generating new and more robust data on their safety and nutritional profile”

    The post Global Plant-Based Sales Up By 5% in 2024 Despite US Setback: New Report appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Fermentation Can Futureproof the EU Food System – But Only With Regulatory Reform

    food fermentation europe
    5 Mins Read

    Fermentation has transformative potential for the future of the EU’s agrifood system – but industry leaders say they need regulatory and financial support from policymakers.

    The EU must build its modern fermentation capacity to strengthen agricultural resilience and safeguard its future food system, industry experts have said.

    In a new position paper, trade body Food Fermentation Europe (FFE) argues that technologies like biomass and precision fermentation can deliver resilient protein production, cut emissions, and boost the EU’s competitiveness, at a time when it is facing calls to greenify the food system.

    “The recently unveiled Vision for Agriculture and Food sets the direction for the sector, emphasising sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness,” the FFE says, noting that fermentation can “offer transformative solutions that align with the EU’s objectives”.

    In simple terms, precision fermentation involves using microbes to produce specific ingredients – such as recombinant animal proteins – and biomass fermentation entails cultivating microbial biomass as food.

    Unlocking the full potential of this industry requires decisive and bold policy action, including clearer regulation and increased investment to help scale up production and bring future-friendly ingredients to market.

    Why fermentation holds the key to EU’s future food system

    alternative protein investment
    Courtesy: GFI

    Formed in 2023, FFE represents nine fermentation firms working on animal-free proteins and fats, including whey, casein and egg alternatives. Its position paper is a result of months of consultation between policymakers, think tanks, scientists, startups, and industry leaders.

    It notes how fermentation tech supports some of the EU’s key agrifood targets, including the bioeconomy strategy, which outlines the need for innovative production models. The fermentation industry can create high-value jobs and attract investment – it was the only alternative protein sector to see an increase in financing last year.

    The authors argue that the category can boost food security by providing stable, local sources of high-quality proteins and essential nutrients. And since these innovations require less land and water than animal proteins – and mitigate food waste by valorising agricultural side streams – they help optimise food production while reducing pressure on natural ecosystems.

    In addition, precision and biomass fermentation can support the EU’s net-zero goal for 2050. The recently unveiled agrifood vision was criticised by climate experts for failing to highlight protein diversification; European Agricultural Commissioner Christophe Hansen has since promised to develop a comprehensive plan to diversify plant protein sources.

    eu protein diversification
    Courtesy: Nicolas Tucat/AFP

    FFE suggests that fermentation, by virtue of its efficiency and scalability, is poised to be a “key pillar” in the EU’s food vision. However, there are several hurdles that need to be addressed.

    One of the most urgent ones is the EU’s novel food regulatory framework, which has long been thought of as too complex and slow, pushing several alternative protein companies to look elsewhere to commercialise.

    “Current approval processes under the novel food regulation are not sufficiently agile to keep pace with rapid innovation in fermentation,” the paper states. “While Europe’s rigorous safety assessment is a cornerstone that we fully support, the process can be made more innovation-friendly without compromising standards.”

    There is also a lack of support for industrial scale-up, while the overall success of the fermentation industry depends on how well it’s integrated into the bloc’s food resilience and bioeconomy plans. “Ensuring that these technologies are considered in policy dialogues and that their strategic value is recognised by all stakeholders is imperative,” says FFE.

    Regulatory clarity, investment, and consumer trust key to success

    eu novel food
    Courtesy: Formo

    So how can the EU cultivate the right environment for fermentation tech? FFE believes the European Food Safety Authority must establish a clear, science-based regulatory framework for novel foods.

    It’s important to approve products based on science and safety considerations alone, without any influence of “subjective perceptions of threats to traditions or culture” (which have been used as arguments to ban cultivated meat). “We urge the Commission to not deprive European consumers of their freedom of choice to adopt innovation,” FFE says, adding that Europe would otherwise not remain a world leader in this sector.

    Further, the EFSA must speed up the approval process for fermentation-derived ingredients, and policymakers should recognise them as strategic assets in achieving the EU’s food resilience and climate goals, and reducing its reliance on external protein sources.

    “Ensure fermentation-based food production is embedded within the EU’s bioeconomy and biotech discussions, aligning with sustainability, competitiveness and food security goals,” says FFE.

    The bloc has already been investing millions into these technologies through initiatives like Horizon Europe, and is being urged to continue doing so. “Encourage risk insurance mechanisms to de-risk private sector investments in food biotech innovation,” the paper suggests.

    those vegan cowboys
    Courtesy: Those Vegan Cowboys

    Additionally, the EU should promote targeted R&D partnerships to bridge the gap between lab success and market viability. Here, public-private collaboration is key: this would help develop fermentation infrastructure and ensure integration into existing food and feed supply chains. Industrial symbiosis models – where fermentation facilities contribute to circular economy initiatives, such as waste valorisation and nutrient recovery – should be a major focus.

    Finally, greater awareness is key to consumer acceptance and adoption, so the EU is being called on to launch campaigns that educate the public on the benefits of fermentation-derived proteins.

    “By integrating fermentation technologies into the EU’s policy agenda, Europe can position itself as a global leader in sustainable food production, ensuring long-term economic and environmental success in the agrifood landscape,” FFE says, adding that “regulatory clarity, investment incentives, and consumer trust-building efforts must go hand in hand”.

    The post Fermentation Can Futureproof the EU Food System – But Only With Regulatory Reform appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Biotech Meets the Final Frontier: A Micro-Lab for Microbial Proteins in Space

    sustainable food in space
    4 Mins Read

    Scientists have launched a miniature lab into Earth’s orbit, which contains microbes designed to produce proteins in space.

    Space may be the final frontier, but could it also be the solution to Earth’s food security problems?

    It’s a question that led to the launch of a mini laboratory into the planet’s orbit this week, containing yeast to produce edible proteins via precision fermentation in space.

    The project is being spearheaded by scientists at Imperial College London’s Department of Bioengineering and Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, and Cranfield University, which collaborated with the European Space Agency, Frontier Space, and Atmos Space Cargo.

    The partnership installed a fully automated miniature microbe laboratory aboard Phoenix, Europe’s first commercial returnable spacecraft, which took off at SpaceX on Monday. The intention is to find a way to produce food and other bio-derived products in space for astronauts, which has implications for food production on Earth.

    Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, from Imperial College’s Department of Bioengineering, said: “We dream about a future where humanity heads off into the dark expanses of space. But carrying enough to feed ourselves on the journey and at our destination would be unimaginable in cost and weight.”

    He added: “We’re excited that this project makes use of academic and industry expertise in physics, engineering, biotech and space science – converging on this challenge.”

    Space protein exploration could have lessons for Earth too

    bezos centre for sustainable protein
    Courtesy: Imperial College London

    According to Imperial College, it takes food, water and fuel are heavy supplies that add to the cost of a space flight, which pushes up the cost of feeding each astronaut to around £20,000 ($26,500) per day. One solution could be to take yeast strains onboard and engineer them to produce food, pharmaceuticals, fuel and bioplastics in the microgravity of space.

    The lab will transport microbe specimens to space and return them to Earth for comprehensive analysis, providing crucial data about microgravity, long-term storage, and the impact of space transportation.

    Frontier Space CEO Aqueel Shamsul said the mission represented a “major milestone” in democratising access to space research. “Our SpaceLab Mark 1, ‘lab-in-a-box’ technology enables researchers to conduct sophisticated experiments in microgravity without the traditional barriers to space-based research,” he explained.

    “This project represents a significant opportunity to mature Frontier’s technology, providing bio-experimentation solutions for space environments with the future space infrastructure post-International Space Station.”

    The lessons from this experiment could speed up developments in space-based manufacturing, pharmaceutical research, and sustainable food production for long space missions.

    “If just a handful of cultivated cells could provide all our food, pharmaceuticals, fuels and bioplastics using freely available resources, that would bring the future closer,” noted Ledesma-Amaro.

    The work will build on his research at the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and Microbial Food Hub at Imperial College, where he and his colleagues are working on creating the next generation of alternative proteins.

    By exploring precision fermentation – which combines traditional fermentation with the latest advances in biotech to efficiently produce proteins and fats – in space, researchers could better understand how to make microbial foods on Earth, and in barren areas where food production is currently limited.

    Alternative proteins in space

    lab grown meat space
    Courtesy: European Space Agency

    Space and alternative protein exploration have a long history; in recent years, efforts have been ramped up as the need for future-friendly foods becomes more urgent by the day.

    The European Space Agency, which was part of this latest project, has previously supported two projects from the UK and Germany to grow cultivated meat in space. “The feeling is that we are at the beginning of a process that could transform the industry, making the conventional meat production model obsolete,” Paolo Corradi, an engineer at the agency, said in 2023.

    In the US, NASA has been conducting experiments on cultivated meat since 2001. And in 2022, it partnered with fungal protein startup Nature’s Fynd to develop a micro-gravity biofilm-biomass reactor to produce nutrient-dense vegan protein for astronauts. NASA runs the Deep Space Food Challenge with the Canadian Space Agency as well, and among its winners is Solein gas protein maker Solar Foods.

    Mexican cultivated meat producer Micro Meat, meanwhile, has teamed up with US-based space parks developer Orbital Assembly to install meat production equipment in its space stations.

    SpaceX, where this new mini lab was launched, has worked with cultivated meat firm Aleph Farms to conduct experiments on microgravity’s effects on muscle tissue growth, using beef cells harvested by the Israeli startup. Aleph Farms has also grown cell-cultured beef on the International Space Station, nearly 400km away from any natural resources.

    The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has been working with cellular agriculture innovator Integriculture and the Tokyo Women’s Medical University on a project involving cellular agriculture and cultivated meat production in space.

    The post Biotech Meets the Final Frontier: A Micro-Lab for Microbial Proteins in Space appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Solar Foods: Your Future Protein Powder Will Be Made From Air

    solein protein shake
    5 Mins Read

    Finland’s Solar Foods has developed a protein shake to help you pump your macros. The kicker? The ready-to-mix powder ditches dairy for CO2.

    As it prepares to enter the US market, Finnish food tech firm Solar Foods is targeting a food format precious to Americans today: protein shakes.

    The maker of Solein – a protein derived from microbes and gases – has developed a ready-to-mix powder to help you hit your daily protein goals.

    It’s the first readily available protein powder made from thin air, and is aimed at a consumer base obsessed with protein. Americans are eating more of the macronutrient than ever before, with six in 10 Americans increasing their intake last year, and 85% want to continue to do so in 2025.

    87% of them believe you need animal products to get enough protein, despite vast evidence to the contrary – and that’s before you account for the climate impact of livestock farming, which is making it increasingly difficult to meet America’s growing demand for food.

    As it begins its next phase under new CEO Rami Jokela, Solar Foods aims to challenge that with its gas protein, which it has described as “the most sustainable protein in the world”.

    solar foods
    New Solar Foods CEO Rami Jokela | Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Solar Foods targets US performance nutrition market

    The Solein Protein Shake has been unveiled in a Salty Caramel flavour, and contains no sugar. It’s designed as a daily protein supplement to support active lifestyles and conditions-based nutritional needs.

    Solar Foods says Solein’s unique properties eschew the need for any other protein sources. Each 16g serving of the powder boasts 10g of protein, with the ingredient containing all essential amino acids (including branched-chain), as well as iron and vitamin B12.

    “Solein is especially well-suited to be used in different kinds of ready-to-mix protein powders, as it blends well with liquid, bringing richness and indulgent, creamy consistency without dairy,” says chief commercial officer Juan Manuel Benitez-Garcia.

    “Solein Shake is one example of such a protein powder, ready for consumers as it is, or to be adjusted to different consumer needs from healthy snacking to fulfilling even demanding protein needs. By increasing the amount of Solein, the shake is also ideal for boosting performance as well as muscle growth and maintenance,” he adds.

    The company is positioning the product towards athletes and gymgoers looking to enhance their performance and recovery. That aligns with its commercialisation strategy for the US, which focuses on the health and performance nutrition market. Consumers in this segment consume 500,000 tonnes of protein powder worth $10B annually, according to Solar Foods.

    “Ready-to-mix protein powders are usually made with dairy-based whey protein, as it has been the top choice in taste, bringing fresh flavour to products without the off notes typical to plant-based proteins,” says Benitez-Garcia, before pointing out that the demand for whey is outgrowing supply.

    “When you’re a health and performance nutrition brand with a big part of your business based on whey but struggling to see where future supply will come from, you’re actively looking for better options,” he explains. “Thanks to Solein’s mild taste, it matches the freshness of whey, also bringing the upsides of sustainability as well as price and quality stability.”

    Solein’s protein powder is the latest in a growing list of animal-free protein powders looking to serve the ever-growing appetite for functional protein ingredients without the environmental cost.

    Perfect Day, one of the first companies in the world to create an animal-free whey protein powder, lent its ingredient to CPG protein powder brand Strive Nutrition, as well as online sports nutrition giant Myprotein. And last year, Nestlé released a Better Whey product under its Orgain line last year, featuring the same ingredient.

    France’s Bon Vivant has also introduced a three-strong range of functional animal-free dairy protein powders. Dutch microbial protein maker Farmless is also working on a ‘brewed’ protein powder. And this week, Balletic Foods entered the space with three fermentation-derived protein powders, one of which is focused on recovery.

    How Solein is produced

    solein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Solar Foods produces Solein at its demo plant in Finland, dubbed Factory 01, which can churn out 160 tonnes of the protein per year (rising to 230 tonnes next year). In addition, the company is building a much larger Factory 02, which would be able to manufacture 12,800 tonnes of product annually.

    It produces the protein by feeding microbes on carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen instead of sugar. Doing so eschews the need for farmland to grow sugarcane, alongside any irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides. The ingredient is not dependent on water or weather either, allowing it to be produced in climates like the desert, the Arctic and even outer space.

    The microbes are grown in a liquid form, and later dried into an orange-yellow powder that is flavourless and has 78% protein by dry weight, 6% fat, and 10% dietary fibre. Its macronutrient profile is said to be akin to dried soy or algae – but it outperforms both plant and animal proteins on sustainability.

    Since the main raw materials required for its production are carbon dioxide and renewable energy, Solein results in emissions equal to just 1% of those generated by conventional meat, and 20% of plant proteins.

    The ingredient received novel food approval in Singapore in 2022, debuting as part of a vegan chocolate gelato at Italian eatery Fico. In addition, it was the base of a Taste the Future chocolate snack bar released by Fazer (a majority shareholder of Solar Foods) in the city-state, and a line of mooncakes and ice cream sandwiches rolled out by Japanese food giant Ajinomoto.

    Moreover, the company achieved self-determined Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US last year, and registered Factory 01 with the Food and Drug Administration to import Solein protein stateside. At the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California last month, it announced Solein Protein Bites – Nut Mix Edition as a concept product to showcase Solein’s capabilities.

    Solar Foods, which has raised over €43M ($47M) in equity funding and €30M ($32M) in debt financing, has applied for novel food approval with the European Food Safety Authority, expecting the green light in 2026. In February, it gave the region a taste of Solein through a partnership with Italy’s KelpEat, which showcased a high-protein snack with the ingredient at the Pitti Taste food fair in Florence.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.