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Category: Future Foods

  • Joes Future Food Completes Construction of China’s Largest Cultivated Meat Facility

    joes future food
    5 Mins Read

    Chinese startup Joes Future Food has built the country’s largest pilot plant for cultivated meat, after completing the world’s first scaled trial production run of its pork.

    In a sign of China’s biotech prowess, Nanjing-based Joes Future Food has completed construction of the nation’s biggest production facility for cultivated meat.

    The new pilot plant can churn out 10 to 50 tonnes of cell-cultured products every year, and comes shortly after the startup successfully completed the world’s first large-scale trial production of cultivated pork in a 2,000-litre bioreactor.

    “This achievement marks a decisive leap from laboratory research to systematic engineering production, positioning China at the forefront of the global cultivated meat industry and laying a solid foundation for future commercialisation,” remarked Ding Shijie, co-founder and CEO of Joes Future Food.

    Speaking to Green Queen, he confirmed that the company is test-running the factory, which would be ready to operate in a month. The official opening, however, is subject to regulatory checks.

    “We have applied to the Singapore Food Agency. We are also preparing the animal toxic data in China,” he said when asked about the firm’s regulatory plans. “China not only need normal safety assessment, but also needs animal toxic data, so we prepared 120kg of cultured pork biomass for animal data.”

    He expects the safety assessment for the technology part to be completed before the end of 2026. “But whether China will approve cultured meat as novel food may still take some time,” he said, noting that it plans to file for approval in other geographies too. “We would try [launching] pork chops and dishes first.”

    It comes amid a year of major progress for China’s cultivated meat ecosystem, with ramped-up government and consumer support and the establishment of a new alternative protein innovation centre in Beijing.

    New facility provides blueprint for 10,000-litre production lines

    lab grown pork
    Courtesy: Joes Future Food

    Joes Future Food was spun out from Nanjing Agricultural University in 2019, after a team led by Prof Zhou Guanghong created China’s first cultivated meat prototype. This included Shijie, who co-founded the startup with other core team members to commercialise the technology.

    The company has since raised more than $14M over multiple rounds, as it progressed its scale-up strategy and developed a slew of applications with its cultivated pork, from lard and pork skin to meatballs and pork belly.

    In 2023, Joes Future Food completed what it said was the world’s first pilot-scale production of cultivated pork in a 500-litre bioreactor, with experts from the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology validating the tech on an internationally leading standard.

    Now, the firm has gone further, manufacturing cultivated pork in a 2,000-litre tank with a serum-free medium (eschewing the controversial and expensive fetal bovine serum).

    Its new pilot plant incorporates everything from cell line development and the low-cost serum-free medium to large-scale bioprocessing and a comprehensive food safety assurance system. This forms a closed-loop system covering core processes, large-scale production, and quality control.

    The facility provides data support and engineering insights to optimise the key parameters of cultivated meat, model manufacturing costs, and design a scalable blueprint for future 10,000-litre production lines.

    Cultivated pork for a variety of markets

    lab grown meat china
    Courtesy: Joes Future Food

    As it expands its capacity to produce cultivated meat, Joes Future Food has also established a parallel R&D system of new products to showcase the versatility and quality of cultivated pork.

    With the latter as the raw material, the startup utilised 3D-printing technology to create a structured pork belly that emulates the shape and texture of its conventional counterpart.

    Its Honeycomb Meat, meanwhile, is a hybrid innovation combining cultivated pork with mycoprotein, providing a porous structure and tender texture.

    Joes Future Food has been pushing the envelope with its prototypes too, leveraging molecular gastronomy to develop a cultivated pork consommé and create a clear jelly, which it pairs with crispy baked slices of its protein.

    These innovations demonstrate the sensory and functional flexibility of cultivated proteins, while opening up diversified market paths, including mass catering, high-end restaurants, household consumption, and innovative dining experiences, the company said.

    Joes Future Food leads China’s cultivated meat push

    cultivated meat china
    Courtesy: Joes Future Food

    Its breakthroughs will help propel China’s push to lead the global cultivated meat race. The government’s current five-year agriculture plan (which runs until the end of 2025) encourages research on cultivated meat.

    And at this year’s Two Sessions summit, top officials called for a deeper integration of strategic industries like biomanufacturing, shortly after the agriculture ministry highlighted the safety and nutritional efficacy of alternative proteins as a key priority.

    The No. 1 Central Document (which signals China’s top goals for the year) underscored the importance of protein diversification, including efforts “to explore novel food resources”.

    Meanwhile, the new $11M alternative protein centre in Beijing has been set up with part funding from the local administration. And in the Guangdong province, China’s most populous region, local officials are planning to build a biomanufacturing hub to pioneer tech breakthroughs in future food, including cultivated proteins.

    China is home to eight of the top 20 patent applicants for cultivated meat, with Joes Future Food filing more patent families (25) than any company globally, barring Upside Foods. And 77% of people in the tier 1 cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen say they’re willing to try cultivated meat, with 45% suggesting they’re likely to replace conventional meat with these proteins.

    “The era of cultivated meat is here. We are committed to shaping a more sustainable, secure, and resilient food system,” said Shijie. “Joes Future Food’s 2,000-litre breakthrough demonstrates China’s leading role in this global movement – particularly in cultivated pork – strengthening our position in the future of sustainable protein.”

    The post Joes Future Food Completes Construction of China’s Largest Cultivated Meat Facility appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Op-Ed: Food Tech is Creating A Clean Slate for the Processed Food Debate

    nourish ingredients tastilux
    3 Mins Read

    James Petrie, co-founder and CEO of Nourish Ingredients, argues why the processed food discourse lacks nuance, and how the food tech industry can provide winning solutions.

    The food industry is at a crossroads marked by confusion, corporate prioritisation of profits over health, and a lack of transparency that is troubling to consumers who are trying to understand how healthy their food is. 

    Processed foods have become a necessary cornerstone of feeding our growing global population (more on this later), but their complexity has reached undesirable levels. Today’s food labels often read like chemistry textbooks, leaving consumers increasingly wary of what they’re putting into their bodies.

    However, a change is coming. Rather than abandoning processed foods entirely, innovative companies are taking a clean slate approach to food processing. This transformation isn’t about elimination, it’s about simplification and transparency.

    Consider the current state of processed foods: manufacturers often rely on extensive combinations of artificial ingredients to achieve desired tastes, textures, and shelf stability. A single flavour component can contain more than 30 different synthetic chemicals, many of which are unrecognisable to the average consumer.

    This complexity isn’t just a marketing challenge; it represents a fundamental disconnect between our food system and the natural ingredients it should be built upon.

    ‘Minimal intervention processing’ will shape the future

    nourish ingredients
    Courtesy: Nourish Ingredients

    The future of processed foods lies in what we might call “minimal intervention processing”. This approach acknowledges that processing is necessary for efficient production but emphasises the integrity of natural ingredients while minimising artificial additions. It’s about finding the sweet spot between efficiency and authenticity. 

    New technologies are making this vision possible. At Nourish Ingredients, we are developing solutions that can replace dozens of synthetic ingredients with single, naturally-derived alternatives. This isn’t just about shorter ingredient lists — it’s about creating more honest, transparent relationships between food manufacturers and consumers.

    The implications of this shift extend far beyond the label. When food processing becomes simpler and more transparent, it benefits the entire food system. Manufacturers can streamline their supply chains (and costs) and reduce their reliance on synthetic additives. Consumers gain clarity about what they’re eating. And perhaps most importantly, we move closer to a food system that can sustainably feed our growing population without compromising on health or environmental impact.

    Ingredient innovation has always been a cornerstone of our food system. As we push for more sustainable alternatives, it’s time we move beyond synthetic flavour systems. Take insulin, for example. Not long ago, it was extracted from pig pancreases, a process with clear sustainable limitations. Then came a deep tech breakthrough: precision fermentation. The result? The exact same insulin molecule, but produced more efficiently and ethically.

    This sets a powerful precedent. We’ve proven that we can reimagine outdated ingredients and manufacturing methods, preserving authenticity while dramatically improving how they’re sourced and made.

    The problem with completely eliminating processed foods

    nourish ingredients tastilux
    Courtesy: Nourish Ingredients

    Critics might argue that processed foods should be eliminated entirely. There is some merit in this argument, but it does overlook the important role that highly efficient food production systems play in nutritional security, consumer convenience and choice.

    The real solution is to refocus our hugely efficient production systems on new ingredients that minimise processing while maximising nutritional value and transparency. Such a food system serves both human health and industry needs.
Looking ahead, we can expect to see a continued shift toward “clean label” foods. 

    This transformation will be driven by consumers demanding greater transparency and companies developing innovative solutions to meet these demands. The future of processed foods won’t be found in longer lists of artificial ingredients, but in simpler, more natural formulations that maintain the convenience and accessibility we need while honouring our connection to real food.

    The challenge ahead is significant, but the path forward is clear: processed foods must evolve to become simpler, more transparent, and more aligned with both human health and consumers’ rightful expectations.

    The post Op-Ed: Food Tech is Creating A Clean Slate for the Processed Food Debate appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 10 Things We Learned About China’s Alternative Protein Ecosystem in 2025

    china alternative proteins
    9 Mins Read

    It has been a big year for China’s future food economy – here are the 10 trends that defined the country’s alternative proteins space in 2025.

    From regulatory wins and public investment to patent filing and a restaurant boom, China’s alternative protein industry has had a lot going for it in 2025.

    The Asian behemoth has been angling to become a global biotech leader, having decisively conquered the green energy and mobility spaces.

    People in China have already been eating more protein per capita than Americans since last year, a majority of which comes from plants. As the world’s largest market for meat (accounting for around a third of the world’s supply), its food industry needs faster solutions to decarbonise.

    A transition to alternative proteins, whether plant-based, fermentation-derived, or cell-cultivated, can ramp up China’s emissions reduction drive, while also clearing up vast amounts of land.

    The country’s reputation as an R&D and biomanufacturing powerhouse, combined with growing support from citizens and the government, outlines its future food potential, as evidenced by this industry’s biggest trends in 2025

    1) Plant-based is defying China’s restaurant slump, but challenges remain

    vegan hotels china
    Courtesy: DragonImages

    Restaurants have always been a tough business, though never more so than after Covid-19. Rising food costs and wages and shifting consumer behaviours meant that 70-80% of Chinese restaurants lost money in 2024. In fact, seven in 10 new eateries failed within three months of opening.

    As highlighted by Toronto-based Dao Foods International, a China-focused impact investment firm, meat-free restaurants are bucking the trend. The number of vegetarian establishments has nearly tripled from under 5,000 to over 14,000 in the last five years.

    That said, the category still maintains a small share of China’s eight million restaurants, with several challenges and opportunities to grow. Scalability is particularly a big challenge, with over 95% of meatless restaurants having fewer than three locations, in contrast to meat-serving chains that have dozens (or even hundreds) of sites.

    2) Health is driving the Chinese vegan market’s growth

    china vegan survey
    Courtesy: China Vegan Society

    It’s well documented that health influences food choices in China more than any other factor, and this is true for consumers young and old.

    In a market survey by the China Vegan Society, which kicked off the Veganuary-style V-March campaign this year, 36% of respondents said they choose plant-based diets for health reasons.

    Data from Meituan, a Chinese app offering a wide range of lifestyle services, finds that people aged 25-35 make up two-thirds of vegetarian catering orders. And as vegetarianism has grown, the share of consumers under 30 who have embraced the diet has surged by 29% over the last three years.

    At the same time, the country’s rapidly ageing population – 310 million (or 22% of the total) were aged 60 or above as of 2024 – is dictating the market shift too. These consumers tend to reduce meat consumption due to digestive issues and cardiovascular concerns. Vegetarian chain Sumanxiang reports that 35% of its diners are 55-plus, highlighting how seniors have also become a core meat-free group.

    3) Prices still dictate future food adoption

    china vegan society
    Courtesy: China Vegan Society

    Still, affordability is a major barrier to the shift towards alternative proteins. Beyond Meat, which has suspended its China operations, is a good example.

    Its plant-based beef costs nearly twice as much as conventional beef mince in the country’s supermarkets. Even meat alternatives made by local brands are half as pricey as Beyond Beef. It’s not just beef, either – the company launched pork meatballs in February with a price tag over 10 times that of animal-derived counterparts.

    And when you factor in the ubiquity of tofu and seitan in China, the price gap widens even further. “Tofu and traditional alternatives are cheap, widely available, and sold in bulk. Plant-based meats are often significantly more expensive,” Jian Yi, founder and CEO of the China Vegan Society, told Green Queen in June.

    As Dao Foods pointed out, low-cost plant-based food can shift perceptions amid consumers hit by the cost-of-living crisis. Vegan buffet restaurants were initially not well-received by consumers, who associated them with religious veganism or low-income citizens and perceived the quality of the food to be poor.

    After the economic downturn, vegan buffets priced around ¥30 ($4.25) have gained traction; meat-based versions typically cost around ¥100 ($14.15). The former options, roughly the price of a bubble tea, offer compelling value, and most diners aren’t even vegan.

    4) China is going all-in on microbial proteins

    fushine bio
    Courtesy: Fushine Bio

    Proteins derived from microbial fermentation are having a moment in China. In Angel Yeast, the country is home to the world’s largest producer of yeast protein. It began operating an 11,000-tonne production line earlier this year, with built-in expansion capacity to meet future market growth for yeast protein.

    Meanwhile, Fushine Bio is the nation’s largest mycoprotein producer, and has become the recipient of China’s first regulatory green light for these foods. It can churn out 1,200 tonnes of product per year, and an industrial-scale line with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes is under construction.

    Overseas companies are recognising the potential. Australia’s All G received regulatory clearance to sell its recombinant bovine lactoferrin protein in personal care formulations, supplements, and more in China. It is now working with a local contract manufacturer ahead of a launch in early 2026.

    Fusarium venenatum has been identified as a key opportunity to advance China’s alternative protein sector, with a group of leading scientists recognising its ability to “meet the stringent protein quality requirements of high-end markets such as medical nutrition, sports nutrition, and infant formula” in a recent blue paper.

    Plus, the government’s current five-year agriculture plan (which runs until the end of the year) encourages research on recombinant proteins and cultivated meat. And President Xi Jinping has previously called for a Grand Food Vision that includes plant-based and microbial protein sources.

    5) China’s innovation ecosystem is second to none

    lab grown meat patents
    Graphic by Green Queen

    The East Asian country’s research prowess is the bedrock of its future food potential. According to the Good Food Institute APAC, of the top 20 all-time patent applicants for cultivated meat, eight are from China. That’s twice as many as Israel, the next on the list.

    The number of patent families – collections of applications related to the same invention – is significantly greater from Chinese entities than from other markets (totalling 160). Cultivated pork maker Joes Future Food leads the way in China with 25 applications.

    China’s applicants include multiple universities as well, such as Zhejiang University, Jiangnan University, and Ocean University of China. Experts say this indicates “very strong” government interest and an intentionally collaborative approach to build a national cellular agriculture ecosystem.

    6) The hospitality sector is leading the protein transition

    china plant based
    Courtesy: Lever China

    Though the research and manufacturing sectors are building China’s capacity to produce future foods, it will all be in vain if consumers don’t embrace them. It’s why the hospitality industry is critical, serving as a lever for greater adoption of alternative proteins,

    In a scorecard compiled by Lever China, 11 large hotel operators received an A+ rating for their corporate policies on increasing plant-based food offerings. The score reflects public, time-bound targets to make at least 30% of all meals plant-based, or increase the percentage of non-animal foods served per guest by at least 20%.

    Among the companies driving the industry’s protein transition are Accor Hotels, Marriott Greater China, Langham Hospitality, IHG Hotels & Resorts, and Dossen Group.

    7) Consumers are increasingly open to cultivated meat

    lab grown meat consumer acceptance
    Courtesy: APAC-SCA/Marco Livolsi/Green Queen

    As cultivated meat companies ramp up R&D and scale-up efforts, they will be buoyed by the public’s growing acceptance of these proteins. A survey by the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture (APAC-SCA) found that 77% of people in four tier 1 cities – Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen – are willing to try cultivated meat and seafood.

    Moreover, 45% of consumers say they’re likely to replace conventional meat and seafood with cell-cultured versions. There is a need for further education, though, as a third of respondents aren’t familiar with cultivated meat, and of the 63% who have heard of it, just one in 10 knows what the concept means.

    Further, China’s consumers need more assurances about the safety of these foods. “As consumers place a strong belief and trust in food safety regulators, unified messages from government stakeholders and industry players would be most effective to provide assurance on health and safety,” Calisa Lim, senior project manager at the APAC-SCA, told Green Queen.

    8) Global brands still find it hard to cut through…

    beyond meat china
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    Companies that may lead the market in other parts of the world aren’t guaranteed success in China. Oatly’s struggles are well-known, with the company restructuring its market divisions by separating Greater China from the rest of its Asian business.

    As alluded to above, Beyond Meat has failed to gain ground, leading the plant-based meat producer to close its China operations and lay off 20 employees. Concerns around ultra-processing, high prices, and unsatisfactory taste all contributed to its middling performance in this market.

    International firms need to home in on localised flavours and preferences, and they need to do so at an affordable price point. Beyond Meat did the former with its pork meatballs, but not the latter. In general, overseas brands find it difficult to break through the familiarity of established local companies.

    For instance, Japanese food giant Glico (the producer of Pocky) has been a household name in China for over a century. And since launching its almond milk in 2021, the company now sells more of it than any other company in the category, thanks to a deeply localised marketing strategy leveraging identity, self-expression, and social media.

    9) …but homegrown brands are going global

    china food trends
    Courtesy: Starfield

    The flip side of this issue is, Chinese companies are increasingly looking outwards for success, thanks in no small part to the impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs on the country. They have pushed companies to relocate manufacturing to other countries and enter the market with their own consumer brands.

    They’ve spotted it as an opportunity to drive higher margins, brand value, and market resilience in international markets, according to Dao Foods. The shift is also in response to expanding industrial overcapacity and a slowdown in domestic consumption.

    Chinese plant protein brand Starfield, for instance, showcased a diverse range of products, including a Poki Salad Bar, vegan bacon strips, and dairy-free cheese, at the 2025 International Food & Drink Event (IFE) in London.

    Meanwhile, alternative protein innovator Cellx relocated from Shanghai to San Francisco, pivoting to a licensing model for its cultivated meat platform, and launching a new brand of morel mycelium protein snacks for the US market.

    10) The government is going all-in on alternative proteins

    lab grown meat china
    Courtesy: Fengtai District Media Integration Center

    Perhaps the most significant future food trend in China is the continued support from the government. Building on its agriculture and bioeconomy plans, top government officials called for a deeper integration of strategic emerging industries (which included biomanufacturing) at this year’s Two Sessions summit.

    This came shortly after the agriculture ministry highlighted the safety and nutritional efficacy of alternative proteins as a key priority. In addition, No. 1 Central Document (which signals China’s top goals for the year) underscored the importance of protein diversification, including efforts “to explore novel food resources”.

    The policy support is translating into investment, too. China’s first alternative protein innovation centre was opened in Beijing in January, fuelled by an $11M investment from public and private investors to develop novel foods like cultivated meat.

    And in the Guangdong province, China’s most populous region, local officials are planning to build a biomanufacturing hub to pioneer tech breakthroughs in plant-based, microbial, and cultivated proteins.

    The post 10 Things We Learned About China’s Alternative Protein Ecosystem in 2025 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Fork & Good Partners with Nutreco & Extracellular for Affordable, Scalable Cultivated Meat

    fork and good nutreco
    4 Mins Read

    US cultivated meat startup Fork & Good has signed a strategic collaboration with Nutreco and Extracellular to scale up its beef and pork in a cost-efficient manner.

    Weeks after acquiring fellow cultivated meat producer Orbillion Bio to strengthen its global footprint, Fork & Good has notched a new partnership aimed at scaling up its operations and keeping costs down.

    The New Jersey-based startup has teamed up with animal feed company Nutreco and biotech contract manufacturer Extracellular to bring together their complementary strengths in future food R&D and scale-up processes and make alternative proteins more widely accessible.

    Fork & Good develops value-added ingredients for B2B purposes, delivering cost-efficient cultivated red meat. Extracellular builds the biomanufacturing infrastructure and R&D necessary for industrial deployment of such proteins. And Nutreco advances scalable future food systems with next-gen nutritional solutions.

    “Fork & Good already boasts one of the most efficient cultivated meat platforms in the industry,” said Fork & Good co-founder and CEO Niya Gupta. “With Nutreco’s food-grade cell feed innovation and Extracellular’s CDMO-scale R&D, we are building the supply-chain foundation necessary to deliver cost-effective cultivated beef and pork at scale to our customers.”

    Media formulations, streamlined costs, and ingredient innovation in focus

    orbillion bio
    Courtesy: Fork & Good

    “Fork & Good’s headquarters in Jersey City includes our pilot plant, which is capable of producing several tonnes of cultivated meat per year at full capacity,” Patricia Bubner, co-founder and COO of Fork & Good, told Green Queen, without disclosing specific numbers. In addition, the company now maintains a subsidiary in Abu Dhabi.

    The partnership will initially focus on high-performing media formulations, ingredient innovation, and dedicated workstreams to streamline cost drivers. It also lays the groundwork for a future supplier relationship for media manufacturing, supporting a resilient, long-term supply chain for cultivated meat.

    “Working with Nutreco and Extracellular advances our ability to deliver a cost-effective, scalable manufacturing platform,” said Jon Lee, bioprocess director at Fork & Good. “We’re excited to solve together a major lever in our platform that delivers a highly efficient cultivated meat production process.”

    The collaboration builds on Nutreco’s Innovation Roadmap, which stresses that progress in cell nutrition requires bold ideas, technical depth, and strong partnerships. As part of the deal, the company will advance cell nutrition, ingredient systems, and scalable feed strategies.

    “This collaboration underpins Nutreco’s commitment to Feeding the Future. We’re very excited about this partnership and proud to work with our partners in the cultivated protein space,” said Vincent Krudde, head of Nutreco’s alternative protein division.

    “This type of partnership is exactly what the cultivated meat industry needs to accelerate progress toward a viable commercial process,” added Lee. “By working together to solve shared challenges, we significantly de-risk manufacturing not only for Fork & Good, but for producers and vendors across the entire sector.”

    Fork & Good is targeting a cost of $5 per lb of biomass at commercial levels, eventually bringing it to parity with commodity pork at $2 per lb.

    Fork & Good teases blended meat and 2026 plans

    fork and good
    Fork & Good co-founders Niya Gupta and Patricia Bubner | Courtesy: Fork & Good

    According to Bubner, who founded Orbillion in 2019, the brand’s integration into Fork & Good is “going very well”. “Our teams have been working together for months already, delivering to our customers in a combined effort and expanding our offering,” she said.

    “It’s been a smooth, productive integration that’s accelerating our roadmap. The expansion of the leadership team is commensurate with our commercial traction.”

    Bubner remained tight-lipped on the firm’s regulatory plans, target locations, or timelines until there are more “concrete updates to share”.

    Fork & Good was already working with customers in North America and East Asia, and has since brought Orbillion’s European and Middle Eastern relationships online too. “We are working on our partners who will be the ones launching products, as we are a B2B provider, focusing on providing value-added ingredients to them,” she said.

    In 2024, it became the first startup to host a public tasting for cultivated meat in Europe, serving dumplings with 30% cultured pork in Davos. “We have tested, and tasted, a variety of product options, from dumplings and sausages to tacos, and our cultivated meat blended with conventional meat has always been a crowd pleaser, so maybe this will be one of the first products on the market,” Bubner said.

    Looking forward to 2026, Fork & Good’s focus remains squarely on commercial progress. “We’re closing the commercialisation gap by continuing to drive down cost through our three-way partnership with Nutreco and Extracellular, while expanding strategic partnerships across the value chain,” she added.

    “You’ll see us increasing revenue, deepening customer traction, and moving firmly into the early phases of market launch. It’s all about turning technical success into commercial scale while staying true to our approach of proving unit economics.”

    The post Fork & Good Partners with Nutreco & Extracellular for Affordable, Scalable Cultivated Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Bühler Teams Up with Pow.Bio to Advance AI-Powered Precision Fermentation

    pow bio
    3 Mins Read

    Swiss manufacturing giant Bühler Group has collaborated with US firm Pow.Bio to launch an AI-led continuous precision fermentation technology.

    Addressing a major bottleneck of food biomanufacturing, a new partnership seeks to advance industrial-scale precision fermentation with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

    It brings together Berkeley-based fermentation specialist Pow.Bio and Swiss equipment manufacturer Bühler Group, which have developed an integrated continuous precision fermentation platform to enable low-cost industrial-scale biomanufacturing.

    Precision fermentation involves inserting DNA into microbes to teach them to produce desired molecules when fermented. It’s a technology that has been used for decades to produce insulin and rennet, and is now being used to create animal-free proteins, lipids and bioactives with minimal environmental impact.

    “Our collaboration with Bühler sets a new benchmark for biomanufacturing: not just faster, but smarter and more robust,” said Pow.Bio co-founder and CEO Shannon Hall.

    This partnership solidifies Pow.Bio’s position at the forefront of industrial biotechnology, enabling us to deliver enduring value for our clients and the sector as a whole,” she added.

    A departure from fed-batch fermentation

    pow bio buhler
    Pow.Bio co-founder and CEO Shannon Hall | Courtesy: Pow.Bio

    Pow.Bio helps synthetic biology companies commercialise faster and at competitive cost advantages through its AI-enabled continuous fermentation platform. This technology rapidly identifies better-performing process conditions for fermentation, helping increase outputs from existing infrastructure in a short time frame.

    Now, it’s combining this technology with Bühler’s expertise in engineering, delivery, installation, and commissioning, supported by advanced model-driven control software. It has resulted in a platform that allows companies to establish precision fermentation capacity faster, with predictable performance, lower unit costs, and a direct path to scale.

    According to the companies, traditional fermentation approaches rely on batch or fed-batch processes, which are stop-and-start methods that require the tank to be emptied and cleaned between runs. Companies using these methods face cost and scalability constraints, as well as inconsistent output.

    Bühler and Pow.Bio’s platform, however, offers them an “ultra-efficient and streamlined solution” via a continuous, model-driven system. This enables customers to achieve significantly higher productivity, better process consistency, and more cost-effective manufacturing through an established, low-risk pathway from lab to pilot and full industrial scale.

    “Clients can now capitalise on proven technology and global deployment expertise to unlock commercial-scale production with lower risk and unprecedented efficiency,” Hall explained.

    Bühler and Pow.bio to onboard customers after successful scale-up

    buhler precision fermentation
    Bühler’s North American director of innovation, Thierry Duvanel | Courtesy: Bühler Group

    The new platform is designed for a whole host of fermentation-derived products, from ingredients like enzymes and organic acids to novel categories like functional proteins, specialty lipids, and bioactive compounds.

    Pow.Bio and Bühler’s partnership comes weeks after the former successfully scaled up its continuous fermentation platform to 3,000 litres at ATV Technologies’s facility in France, in an effort supported by Bühler. It showcased that Pow.Bio’s technology can deliver three times higher protein productivity than fed-batch methods and cut the projected cost of goods sold by over 50%.

    The companies’ joint solution addresses obstacles that have long slowed scale-up in the sector. “With the technology validated and the full system in place, we are prepared to onboard customers and support them through deployment and scale-up,” said Adham Rizk, sales and commercial manager at Bühler.

    “Precision fermentation has the potential to impact the food, feed, and specialty ingredients industries. Companies are already using it to produce dairy, meat, and egg substitutes, alternative oils and fats, and even novel pet food – and we are only at the beginning of what this technology can unlock,” said Thierry Duvanel, Bühler’s North American director of innovation.

    “By joining forces with Pow.Bio, we take a clear step toward reducing unit production costs in biomanufacturing, combining complementary expertise to accelerate innovation and deliver a fully integrated system backed by experience, service, and reliability,” he added.

    The post Bühler Teams Up with Pow.Bio to Advance AI-Powered Precision Fermentation appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Cottage Cheese, Veganuary 2026 & A Host of Awards

    vegan cottage cheese
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Treeline Cheesemakers’ cottage cheese, Veganuary’s participation for 2026, and the world’s best vegan restaurant.

    New products and launches

    US dairy-free brand Treeline Cheesemakers has launched a vegan cottage cheese made from cashews, which can be found exclusively on its website for $4.99 per 6oz pack.

    treeline cheesemakers cottage cheese
    Courtesy: Treeline Cheesemakers/Xoxostd/Green Queen

    Alcohol company Misunderstood Brands has won Walmart’s Golden Ticket programme, earning a listing with the retailer for its Oatrageous label of non-dairy liqueurs. It will first expand distribution in Florida, with plans to grow regionally in 2026.

    NBA star Chris Paul’s vegan snacking brand, Good Eat’n, has introduced White Cheddar Popcorn and Spicy Nacho Cheeze Tortilla Chips, both made from organic corn and available at Gopuff, H-E-B in Texas, and its website.

    morrisons strawberry trifle
    Courtesy: Morrisons

    And in the UK, supermarket chain Morrisons has relaunched its vegan strawberry trifle, sold under its Plant Revolution private label, for Christmas. It can be ordered from December 20, and is priced at £7 per 600g pack.

    Company and finance updates

    Singapore-based food tech firm Prefer has won an S$400,000 grant from Enterprise Singapore’s Startup SG to support the development of its fermented cocoa-free chocolate, PreferChoc.

    coa&co
    Courtesy: Coa & Co

    Still in Singapore, protein chocolate company Coa & Co has entered a research collaboration with Republic Polytechnic to enhance the bioavailability, sensory performance, and functional density of soybeans through advanced fermentation.

    In another alt-chocolate development, cell-based cocoa maker Kokomodo has teamed up with CSM Ingredients and Nexture through the Generate Program 2025 to co-develop next-gen ingredients with global scalability.

    believer meats wilson nc
    Courtesy: Believer Meats

    Israeli cultivated meat startup Believer Meats, which received approval to sell its chicken in the US in October, has been sued by Gray Construction over an alleged $34M in unpaid bills for its North Carolina facility, deemed the world’s largest for such proteins. It has also laid off staff at its factory and executive level.

    Global vegan discovery platform Abillion has crossed over two million active users, according to founder and CEO Vikas Garg.

    Research and policy developments

    A group of researchers have published guidelines for cultivated meat companies to conduct ISO-certified life-cycle assessments for their processes.

    cultivated meat lca
    Courtesy: The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

    The Polish health ministry has pledged to offer at least one plant-based lunch option in schools and nurseries starting September 1, 2026, following several years of advocacy from the Green REV Institute.

    In contrast, the UK’s health minister, Ashley Dalton, has said the government currently has no plans to provide plant-based milk to students as part of the Nursery Milk Scheme, which only reimburses schools for dairy milk and infant formula.

    veganuary 2026
    Courtesy: Veganuary

    Meanwhile, a new survey by YouGov suggests that 12% of UK adults plan to participate in Veganuary in 2026, with a third expressing interest in whole foods, 23% preferring them and plant-based meat equally, and 37% likely to buy meat and dairy alternatives.

    In Germany, eight out of 10 foodservice establishments expect a hike in demand for plant-based products over the coming years, according to out-of-home research by ProVeg International.

    plant based market germany
    Courtesy: Sascha Walz/ProVeg International

    The European Alliance for Plant-Based Foods has kick-started the Partners for Plant-Based Declaration, setting out actions the EU must take to unlock investment, support farmers, ensure fair market rules, and make healthy, sustainable diets more accessible. It has already been signed by over 75 organisations.

    Awards and honours

    Discovery platform HappyCow, which recently changed hands, has named Barcelona’s Asante as the number-one vegan restaurant globally, based on an analysis of millions of user reviews.

    asante barcelona
    Courtesy: Asante

    Swedish oat milk giant Oatly, US plant-based milk pioneer Califia Farms, and vegan cheese leader Violife have all been named in Fast Company‘s 121-strong list of Brands That Matter in 2025.

    Speaking of honours, plant-based meat giant Impossible Foods has been recognised as the only vegan company on Inc Magazine‘s 2025 Best in Business list.

    impossible foods eu
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    Likewise, plant-based business platform Vegpreneur has revealed the results of its 2025 awards, choosing 10 products after over 500 individual tastings by dozens of judges. Brands like Oshi, Redefine Meat, and Brown Sugar 1st were among the winners.

    Across the Atlantic, the Spanish Vegetarian Union has announced the winners of the V-Label Awards 2025, with dairy-free cheesemaker La Carleta and plant-based meat leader Heura among the honourees.

    plant based meat spain
    Courtesy: Heura

    Veg-forward meat alternative maker Symplicity Foods won four awards at the Future of Food Competition in London, alongside a special commendation for its work with whole-food, non-UPF nutrition.

    In yet more awards news, Kelly Pan, co-founder of vegan seafood brand Impact Food, has been named on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 list under the Social Impact category.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Cottage Cheese, Veganuary 2026 & A Host of Awards appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Strive Nutrition Wants to Take Over the Dairy Aisle with Protein-Rich Freemilk

    strive free milk
    9 Mins Read

    Strive Nutrition will be rolling out its Freemilk range, which contains 10g of cow-free whey protein per serving, at Walmart stores in 2026. Its co-founder lays out the startup’s challenges and future ambitions.

    “Trying, frustrating and challenging” is how Dennis Cohlmia describes the last few years.

    He is the co-founder and chairman of Strive Nutrition, the US startup behind Freemilk, a range of next-generation milks made from whey protein produced by microbes instead of cows.

    The technology behind the products, called precision fermentation, has been around for decades, with companies using it to produce everything from insulin to rennet for cheese. It involves inserting DNA into microbes to teach them to produce desired molecules when fermented.

    Strive first entered the space in 2022, launching a line of Freemilk products using whey from California’s Perfect Day. These offerings have been confined to a handful of cities, online stores, and limited-edition foodservice partnerships – until now.

    The Kansas-based startup rolled out new 48oz bottles of its original and chocolate Freemilk this year, and has been rapidly expanding its footprint. The range is now available in more than 1,000 grocery stores across Kansas and New York City, and is the default cold foam option at Joe Coffee’s 24 sites across the Big Apple.

    This is the springboard for its national launch into Walmart in early 2026, marking a pivotal step for Strive’s efforts to bring cow-free dairy to the mainstream. It’s a whole new chapter after several gruelling years.

    For Cohlmia, though, it’s just what a startup should be like. “Scaling your business is not just [about] hiring people; it’s about staying lean, focused, and innovative while finding the right strategy for the market and staying true to your vision,” he tells Green Queen.

    “At times, staying so disciplined and steady can be frustrating, but we prioritise great taste, nutrition and quality assurance.”

    Inside Strive’s product development process for Freemilk

    strive nutrition
    Courtesy: Strive

    The base of the Freemilk range is the whey protein. By definition, this is vegan, since it contains zero animal input; however, it isn’t suitable for people with dairy allergies, because it is bioidentical to the whey found in cow’s milk.

    The whey is then blended with water, cane sugar, sunflower oil, and small amounts of sunflower lecithin, gellan gum, guar gum, dipotassium phosphate (an acidity regulator), and stevia leaf extract. In addition, it is fortified with calcium and vitamins A, E, D2 and B12.

    The result is a neutral-flavoured milk with 10g of protein per cup, 5g of sugar and only 1g of saturated fat. Since this is a microbial protein, it contains all essential amino acids. And compared to cow’s milk, Freemilk has 25% more protein and 50% less sugar, and cuts down emissions by 97%, according to the company.

    While nutrition panels matter, Cohlmia notes that the first priority is to ensure it tastes great. “Don’t go to market if you can’t get that done,” he says. “The next steps are to create the essence of milk, which is a combination of flavour and mouthfeel.”

    With those priorities identified in the product development process, Strive then looked to ensure it kept a clean label and ticked off all its attribute boxes: enhanced, complete protein; reduced sugar with no lactose; and monounsaturated, ethically produced fats.

    “We tested multiple sugar replacers, but nothing could match granulated, non-bone-char cane sugar, and we will not use alcohol sugars or sucralose,” says Cohlmia. “We looked at several oils and fats, and chose the best supplier of high-oleic sunflower oil, which is expeller-pressed and is heart-healthy.”

    Highlighting the brand’s philosophy, he says: “We make the products for our customers, but we first make them for us. We are our biggest fans. I drink Strive Freemilk every day.  Our chocolate milk is the best on the market – lots of great Dutch Cocoa, and not ‘candy sweet’.”

    Three-ingredient milk alternatives lack ‘essential components’

    is strive free milk vegan
    Courtesy: Strive

    After nailing the taste and textural ingredients, the last and “probably one of the most important priorities” for Strive is product stability over a 12-month shelf life. “No one likes to open a milk alternative and pour out water followed by solids. And no one wants a super slick product loaded with xanthan gums and carrageenan,” Cohlmia says.

    “And honestly, [with] all of these plant[-based] products touting three ingredients at crazy prices, you better shake the heck out of them and are probably better off just making your own at home.”

    Strive uses sunflower lecithin, which Cohlmia calls a safe, natural emulsifier that he has “never heard widespread concerns about”. “Similarly, guar gum and gellan gum are both natural stabilisers, and we’ve only ever heard issues about these ingredients in very niche natural and organic markets,” he says.

    “We absolutely avoid xanthan gum, because it creates a slick product, and no one wants that in their milk alternative,” he adds. “Let’s be clear; you can’t just take three to five ingredients, process and pack a product, and expect it to work without certain essential components. Without crucial elements like natural gums, we simply would not have a stable, quality product.”

    He continues: “If you’re thinking we can be like Malk, Three Trees, or other products like them, that is simply not our category or our customer. We are not a plant-based milk. Strive is a meticulously formulated, protein-based food.

    “We are making a milk alternative that has the flavour, essence, and mouthfeel of conventional milk, while dramatically reducing emissions, water consumption, energy, and animal cruelty. This is far beyond what you get from basic plant products.

    Perfect Day took ‘wrong approach’ with marketing

    perfect day milk
    Courtesy: Strive

    When it first launched, Freemilk exclusively contained Perfect Day’s recombinant beta-lactoglobulin (BLG), which comprises 65% of dairy’s whey protein content. Strive still uses Perfect Day’s version, though Cohlmia says it is also “working with others who produce non-animal BLG whey protein”.

    Perfect Day is the pioneer of precision-fermented dairy, becoming the first company to be cleared to sell animal-free whey, which formed the base of products from a host of manufacturers, including Nestlé, Unilever and General Mills.

    Things have been turbulent for Perfect Day, which sold off its consumer brands in 2023 and gave away half of its stake in Indian manufacturer Sterling Biotech last year. Co-founders Ryan Pandya and Peramul Gandhi left the company in early 2024, and TM Narayan (who took over from Pandya as interim CEO) exited earlier this year. So far, a new CEO has not been announced, and the company is currently facing a false marketing lawsuit.

    Cohlmia says Perfect Day took the “wrong approach” to spread the word about animal-free dairy. “We wanted Perfect Day and their Precision Fermentation Alliance to spend money on consumer awareness, but spending went instead to industry awareness,” he explains.

    Asked to expand on what Perfect Day could have done better, he responds: “The rise and fall of the value of Perfect Day speaks for itself. There has been a lot written about that.”

    The Strive founder suggests precision fermentation’s obstacles can be addressed by great taste, nutrition, and consumer education. “All these new food tech products need to understand that consumers are not going to pay double or triple because you are sustainable,” he says.

    “Get it competitive, or halfway competitive, and find a way. Then get people to taste and enjoy what you produce, and always make sure your products are consistent.”

    Speaking of pricing, Strive is looking to compete in the specialty milks space, where companies like Fa!rlife and Lactaid are “generating pricing power”. “[This] helps us a lot. We shoot for $3.99-$4.99 in the dairy case,” states Colmia. “We will never be able to compete with conventional milk in the HDPE plastic jug. We are a speciality dairy product, and we are functional with our attributes.”

    Strive ‘can be friends’ with dairy industry

    strive milk
    Courtesy: Strive

    Strive’s impending nationwide launch comes amid a turbulent time for milk alternatives in the US. According to market research firm SPINS, sales of plant-based milk fell by 3% in the 52 weeks to July 19, against a 5% growth for cow’s milk.

    But, as Colmia points out, Freemilk is not a plant-based milk. “We have attributes of both plant-based and conventional dairy, but we are a category that sits right in the middle and offers the best of both,” he outlines.

    “However, we are more aligned with conventional dairy because we have complete dairy protein. The only plant protein that is complete is soy, and it still has not recovered, but I hope it does come back.  But pea protein, almond protein, oat protein and any other plant proteins are not complete and do not have the absorption and potential to build and retain muscle.”

    The dairy industry, for its part, loves to legally challenge alternatives over their use of words like ‘milk’ on product packaging. Aside from having ‘milk’ in its name, Freemilk’s label has phrases such as ‘animal-free dairy milk’ and ‘dairy without the cow’. Is Cohlmia worried about a lawsuit from Big Dairy?

    “I have always said we need to worry about both the natural/organic and the dairy industries. But what we are finding is [that] we can be friends of dairy,” he says, drawing on his 45 years of experience in the dairy industry.

    “We have worked with the FDA on our labelling to ensure we meet their requirements, and we talk to the dairy Industry to make them understand [that] we are a new innovation and will not replace them. We understand both industries very well, and we do lean towards dairy and work very well in conventional supermarkets.”

    Among the retail chains stocking Freemilk are Associated Supermarkets and Key Food, reflecting Strive’s focus on New York City. “We are in an exciting growth period right now,” says Cohlmia, nodding to the Walmart expansion next year.

    Strive looking to raise funds for 2026 operations

    strve freemilk
    Courtesy: Strive

    Strive has always been looking to expand beyond just milk products. Last year, it teamed up with Singapore’s TurtleTree to use its precision-fermented lactoferrin in an immunity-support beverage and a ready-to-mix protein powder.

    Lactoferrin is a fellow whey protein, known for its iron-regulating and functional benefits. But it’s in short supply and thus highly expensive, so most of its global stock is reserved for infant nutrition and premium supplements. Precision fermentation, however, opens up the ingredient to markets like functional foods and drinks, sports and elderly nutrition, and women’s health.

    Strive’s products with TurtleTree’s lactoferrin (which were supposed to contain Perfect Day’s whey) were earmarked for a launch earlier this year. “But we were not ready and wanted to keep the focus on Strive Freemilk,” says Dohlmia.

    “We stay in touch with TurtleTree, but wow, everyone is going into lactoferrin. We are talking to others in that category as well,” he adds. “This is a brave, new, dynamic market, and we’re always adjusting our plans to ensure we are doing the right thing for us. Sometimes you have to make adjustments at halftime to win the game.”

    That said, Strive still has many products in development and plans to expand its portfolio and reach, which includes “going back to our roots in foodservice”. “We developed the best protein soft serve ice cream you will ever taste, and that is a category we know about. But it will come at the right time,” says Dohlmia.

    He founded Strive back in 2017 with his wife JT, son Austen, and daughter Mikey and son-in-law David, putting in family money and bringing on some angel investors too. “We continue looking for the right VC and institutional investors who really understand our vision and our product,” he says.

    The company is now looking to raise between $500,000 and $1M from angel investors for operating capital for 2026. “We are a great team and have great investors, and would love to have more involved,” says Dohlmia. “We have people who believe in Strive, and we all share the same vision.”

    The post Strive Nutrition Wants to Take Over the Dairy Aisle with Protein-Rich Freemilk appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Ingredients Giant Lasenor Debuts Pea Protein Innovation to Replace Eggs in Baked Goods

    lasenor egg replacer
    4 Mins Read

    Spanish food emulsion producer Lasenor has introduced a new pea protein texturiser that can help bakery manufacturers reduce eggs amid supply and price shocks.

    The latest company to join the egg replacement drive, Barcelona-based emulsifier manufacturer Lasenor has unveiled a clean-label solution for baked goods.

    The ingredient, called VP-100, is a texturised protein from peas, designed specifically for commercial bakery applications. It was developed in collaboration with Israeli ingredient tech innovator Meala Foodtech, which introduced its own single-ingredient pea protein powder to replace eggs in September.

    “Lasenor VP-100 responds to consumer demands for plant-based alternatives and allergen-free options,” said Viktoriia Kubrakova, product manager for the egg replacer at Lasenor.

    She added: “Food manufacturers are actively seeking solutions that allow partial or full egg reduction, especially in light of the volatile egg supplies and price fluctuations.”

    Lasenor bets on plant-based egg replacement boom

    lasenor vp 100
    Courtesy: Patricia Ortin Blaya

    Lasenor says its new ingredient is designed to enhance aeration, produce a softer crumb, and extend shelf life and freshness by slowing the staling process of baked goods.

    It acts as a single-ingredient functional solution within bakery applications, which can replace 50-100% of the eggs in the formulation, all while maintaining stable texture, volume, and crumb structure. It allows manufacturers to reduce costs by 30-40%.

    VP-100 is characterised as having superior water retention to help bakery products stay soft and moist longer, and supports consumer demand for simple, short and transparent ingredient lists. Plus, it has no off flavours and features comparable volume and dome formation properties, making it suitable for all sorts of bakery applications without impacting any organoleptic attributes.

    The ingredient was created with the help of Meala’s proprietary texturisation technology, which was further optimised by Lasenor for aerated batter systems.

    The innovation comes amid soaring egg prices globally, thanks to the latest bout of avian flu and Newcastle disease, which have led to the culling of millions of chickens and highly volatile supplies. Combined with a sharp increase in demand, egg prices reached a decade-long high in Europe this year, and broke all-time records in the US.

    According to Lasenor, baked good categories (like muffins, sponge cakes, and sweet pastries) that boast plant-based claims are seeing double-digit growth in product launches, ascribing it to a demand for “more sustainable, ethical, and better-for-you products”. In the US, for example, Just Egg’s sales have skyrocketed.

    It’s why many are coming out with functional vegan egg replacers for B2B applications, like Dutch firm Revyve, which is using fermentation to produce a yeast protein that can substitute eggs in various food and drink products.

    Likewise, Spain’s MOA Foodtech unveiled a fermentation-derived ingredient that can reduce egg use in bakery, pastry and pasta formulations, and French player The Very Food Co introduced a powdered aquafaba product that can fit into the lines of artisan bakers and industrial manufacturers alike.

    Pea protein replacer delivers strong performance in muffins

    egg substitute
    Courtesy: Lasenor

    To showcase the capabilities of its pea protein ingredient, Lasenor debuted a line of muffins with 50-100% fewer eggs at Fi Europe 2025 in Paris (December 2-4).

    “Lasenor VP-100 delivers strong functional performance in muffin formulations, helping manufacturers achieve the desired texture, moisture, and structure, even with reduced egg content,” said Kubrakova. “Our trials demonstrate that VP-100 integrates smoothly into standard cake recipes without requiring changes to the processing methods.”

    The texturiser undergoes a controlled hydration and activation phase to optimise its functional performance, giving it the gelling, binding, and water-retention capacities critical for egg replacement. All the ingredients for the muffins are then whisked together for several minutes into an airy batter, where the activated protein enhances foam stability to maintain air retention during baking.

    “Trials with Lasenor VP-100 produced soft, voluminous muffins with a uniform fine crumb and a stable structure,” said Kubrakova. “The ingredient also fully aligns with market demands, supporting on-pack claims such as ‘100% plant-based’, ‘egg-free’, and ‘clean label’.”

    In kitchen lab tests, the egg replacer helped produce muffins that imparted volume, softness, moisture, and an “excellent consumer experience comparable to full-egg recipes”. This performance was seen in a broad range of other baked goods, like sponge cakes, pound cakes, and brioches.

    Lasenor recently opened a new technical centre with a fully equipped bakery lab, dedicated to providing on-site guidance to industrial manufacturers in formulating plant-based bakery concepts that tick all the sensory and functionality boxes.

    “Our customers can test recipes, optimise processes, and validate product performance under real manufacturing conditions,” said Chiara Marinanza, marketing director for Lasenor. “In addition, customers will benefit from Lasenor’s applications expertise, formulation know-how, and direct market access to the bakery industry.”

    The post Ingredients Giant Lasenor Debuts Pea Protein Innovation to Replace Eggs in Baked Goods appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Melt&Marble Raises $8.5M to Launch Animal-Free Fats for Food & Personal Care

    melt and marble
    5 Mins Read

    Swedish food tech startup Melt&Marble has secured $8.5M in Series A funding to scale up and launch its precision-fermented “designer fats” for use in food and personal care products.

    The alternative fat category keeps sizzling, with Swedish player Melt&Marble closing an 80 million kronor ($8.5M) funding round to bring its first ingredients to market.

    The Series A raise was led by Industrifonden, with participation from the European Commission’s European Innovation Council Fund, personal care giant Beiersdorf, dairy major Valio, Chalmers Ventures, and Catalyze Capital.

    It adds to a €2.5M ($2.7M at the time) grant from the EIC Accelerator last year, taking the 11-year-old firm’s total raised to around $17.3M. Melt&Marble will use the capital to expand production and commercialise its fermentation-derived fats, starting with personal care applications in 2026.

    “This investment marks a major milestone for Melt&Marble as we transition from R&D to commercialisation. With key scalability milestones already achieved and strategic partners onboard, we’re entering the market with the capabilities and confidence to deliver real impact, said Melt&Marble CEO Anastasia Krivoruchko.

    “Our vision has always been to deliver more sustainable, high-performance ingredients, and this round brings us significantly closer to that goal,” she added.

    How Melt&Marble uses yeast to create next-gen fats

    precision fermentation fats
    Courtesy: Melt&Marble

    Melt&Marble employs precision fermentation to create sustainable alternatives to animal and tropical plant-based fats. The process uses yeast as a cell factory, directing the microbes to convert sugars into fats instead of alcohol.

    “We grow our specialised yeast strains (that we have engineered to produce specific fats) in fermentation tanks, much like brewing, feeding them sugars and nutrients. As they grow, they produce the fats we’re targeting,” Krivoruchko told Green Queen. “After fermentation, we collect the yeast and extract the fats using standard extraction steps. This gives us a clean, consistent, and sustainable fat.”

    In food applications, its ingredients mimic animal fats with characteristics like slow melting and rich mouthfeel, making them ideal for improving the texture of meat and dairy alternatives, providing a cocoa-butter-like structure and melt profile in chocolates, and delivering desired textures in baked goods (from soft cakes to flaky pastries).

    In addition, the team has developed Marble7 for personal care products. This is a functional bioactive lipid with a similar fatty acid composition to human skin sebum. It stays solid at room temperature but melts upon contact with skin to deliver long-lasting moisturisation, boosting skin barrier integrity, hydration, and elasticity.

    “Our fats are currently positioned for higher-end specialty applications, where there is strong demand for locally produced, sustainable ingredients with novel functionalities. We expect to reach price parity with certain premium specialty fats over the next year, and we’re targeting broader cost competitiveness across the specialty fats category in the medium term,” said Krivoruchko.

    “This approach allows us to enter the market where our differentiated functionality delivers the most value while we continue driving costs down with scale,” she added.

    Melt&Marble plans 2026 personal care launch and US GRAS filing

    sustainable fats
    Courtesy: Melt&Marble

    Melt&Marble is currently manufacturing its fats through a production partner in Europe, where it has access to commercial-scale bioreactor capacity.

    “This new funding will support our transition from demo-scale to full commercial production, enabling us to produce many tonnes of product and meet our projected sales needs over the next one to two years across both personal care and food applications,” said Krivoruchko.

    Its process would first need to clear regulatory hurdles before the products can enter the market. “Our regulatory strategy is tailored to support an early market entry in personal care, while we progress our food clearances in parallel,” she revealed.

    “For personal care, we’ve already secured the necessary registrations to commercialise our ingredients in Europe and beyond, and are preparing for a product launch at the beginning of next year. For food, we’re currently progressing through the GRAS process in the US and will have the necessary clearances in place to enable commercialisation by the beginning of next year.”

    It has achieved an “impressive level of technical and commercial readiness” for a company at its stage, according to Tobias Elmquist, senior investment director at Industrifonden. “Their ability to engineer functional fats through precision fermentation addresses a clear and growing demand across industries,” he remarked.

    The startup is already co-developing products with companies across various industries globally, including Beiersdorf and Valio.

    “Melt&Marble’s designer fats, produced via cellular agriculture, are full of potential for developing new, interesting products for the store shelf and injecting dynamic new concepts into our food system,” said Susanna Kallio, VP at Valio, which owns plant-based dairy brands Oddlygood and Rude Health.

    Sustainable fats continue to attract companies and investors

    melt and marble funding
    Courtesy: Melt&Marble

    Alternative fats have become a focal point for planet-friendly food and personal care companies. They address consumers’ biggest pain point for meat and dairy alternatives, namely, inferior taste and texture, and allow beauty companies to shift away from unsustainable supply chains.

    Animal-derived fats are sourced from an industry that accounts for up to a fifth of all global emissions, while using up most of the world’s farmland and freshwater resources. Tropical plant-based fats like palm oil are linked to large-scale tropical deforestation, wildfires, and threats to Indigenous populations and wildlife.

    Within the EU, the upcoming deforestation regulation will ban the import of products with deforestation-linked palm oil, with manufacturers facing fines of up to 4% of their global turnover if they violate the rule.

    It’s why a host of companies are creating alternatives to these unsustainable fats, both for the food and personal care categories. These include Nourish Ingredients, NoPalm Ingredients, Clean Food Group, Äio, Lypid, Time-Travelling Milkman, Terra Oleo, and Fattastic, among others.

    “Fats sit at the intersection of large market demand and clear unmet needs. Many industries are looking for more stable, sustainable, and locally produced fat supplies, as well as improved functionality that conventional fats can’t always deliver,” Krivoruchko explained.

    “On top of that, fats serve multiple sectors, from personal care to food to industrial uses, so the category is less exposed to the volatility seen in areas like alternative proteins. This combination of scale, necessity, and versatility is driving both interest and investment [into the category].”

    “We’re entering a new era where fats and lipids are no longer seen as commodities alone, but also as precision ingredients that can drive performance, improve health, and support sustainability,” added Thomas Cresswell, its chief business officer.”

    Melt&Marble is among several alternative fat startups that have attracted funding in recent months. Dutch player Time-Travelling Milkman raised $2.3M for its sunflower-seed-based oleosomes, and Singapore’s Terra Oleo secured $3.1M to scale up its waste-derived precision-fermented palm oil and cocoa butter substitutes.

    The post Melt&Marble Raises $8.5M to Launch Animal-Free Fats for Food & Personal Care appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Australian State Pours $8M Into Next-Gen, Sustainable Plant Proteins

    australia plant protein hub
    4 Mins Read

    In Australia, the state of Victoria has invested A$12M ($8M) to set up a new research hub and glasshouse to develop climate-resilient crops to meet the global demand for plant-based proteins.

    Australia’s politicians are embracing the future of food with the opening of a multimillion-dollar hub to innovate with sustainable high-protein crops.

    The SmartFarm in Horsham, Victoria, is backed by an A$12M ($8M) investment by the state government, which was first announced in its 2022-23 budget. Most of the funds ($9M) have gone into a Plant Protein Hub, and the rest has been used to build a glasshouse.

    The project will fuel collaborations between farmers, researchers and businesses to develop climate-resilient, protein-rich crops to meet the growing global demand for plant-based food.

    “Having fit-for-purpose facilities like the Plant Protein Hub at Horsham SmartFarm strengthens our research capabilities and opens the door to new opportunities across agriculture and food innovation,” said Jacinta Ermacora, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

    How the Horsham SmartFarm will advance plant proteins

    horsham smartfarm
    Courtesy: Agriculture Victoria

    The Plant Protein Hub will provide collaborative spaces for growers, scientists and startups, alongside a fully equipped test kitchen, advanced analytical equipment and facilities to explore new plant-based products.

    The facilities will help researchers and industry stakeholders discover and develop crop varieties with high protein content, such as lentils, chickpeas, and field peas.

    According to the state government, this hub is already a leading centre for innovation, with PhD students working alongside researchers and industry. It has a capacity for up to 10 PhD students and three startups, and Victoria’s agriculture department has teamed up with the plant-based sector to shape future research opportunities.

    Meanwhile, the glasshouse is designed to accelerate crop research, enhance pest and disease management, and boost climate resilience, helping farmers adapt to changing conditions and maintain productivity.

    The construction of the Plant Protein Hub has helped create dozens of jobs across trades, suppliers, and professional and technical services. It will now keep generating opportunities for research, education and industry collaboration.

    Moreover, students from primary school all the way through to post-graduate level will benefit from hands-on learning in a dedicated education space at the site, creating pathways for future careers in agriculture.

    “This investment will help our communities reach new markets, drive local jobs, champion sustainable practices, and ensure a strong and resilient future for regional Victoria,” said Michaela Settle, parliamentary secretary for regional Victoria.

    Government support crucial to meet Australia’s future food potential

    australian plant proteins liquidation
    Courtesy: Australian Plant Proteins

    Victoria has emerged as a leading player in growing crops for plant-based protein products in Australia, with its pulse industry generating $638M in export income last year. “Victoria is leading the way in plant-based protein research, building world-class facilities and fostering collaboration that will transform agriculture and strengthen regional economies,” said Ros Spence, the state’s agriculture minister.

    In fact, Australia produces around 59 million tonnes of protein-rich cereals, pulses and oilseeds every year, including a vast majority of the crops used for plant proteins. It’s the global leader in lupin production, and is a major producer of wheat, barley and canola.

    Yet, it exports roughly 65% of its grain into global commodity markets. In 2023, Australia shipped out 41 million tonnes of protein-rich source crops, but imported 118,000 tonnes of plant protein ingredients.

    That puts the country at risk of conceding its future market share in plant protein manufacturing to countries with better policies and an established national plan, according to Melbourne-based think tank Food Frontier, which recently published a report calling for a federal strategy to boost high-value manufacturing of protein-rich crops.

    Uptake of plant proteins is hindered by limited awareness or understanding among food manufacturers and a lack of technical support, challenges compounded by high costs and supply chain gaps. Infrastructure and R&D are costly, and companies are financially constrained. However, financing is a challenge, as investors are cautious without catalytic public co-funding.

    Among Food Frontier’s recommendations for the government were to build the workforce and regional supply chains, and scale up manufacturing by strategically investing in regional hubs, shared infrastructure and capital co-investment frameworks.

    The Horsham SmartFarm is an example of such an effort. And to their credit, Australia’s politicians haven’t shied away from supporting future-friendly foods. For instance, Queensland is providing financial aid to help Cauldron Ferm build an industrial-scale hyper-fermentation facility, and New South Wales has unveiled a prospectus to attract plant protein manufacturers to the state. Likewise, the federal government granted A$100,000 ($62,800) to cultivated meat startup Magic Valley.

    And Australia’s national research agency, CSIRO, works with a number of food tech startups, including Cauldron Ferm and precision fermentation player All G, as well as incubating firms like Eclipse Ingredients, which makes recombinant breast milk proteins.

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  • Australian State Pours $8M Into Next-Gen, Sustainable Plant Proteins

    australia plant protein hub
    4 Mins Read

    In Australia, the state of Victoria has invested A$12M ($8M) to set up a new research hub and glasshouse to develop climate-resilient crops to meet the global demand for plant-based proteins.

    Australia’s politicians are embracing the future of food with the opening of a multimillion-dollar hub to innovate with sustainable high-protein crops.

    The SmartFarm in Horsham, Victoria, is backed by an A$12M ($8M) investment by the state government, which was first announced in its 2022-23 budget. Most of the funds ($9M) have gone into a Plant Protein Hub, and the rest has been used to build a glasshouse.

    The project will fuel collaborations between farmers, researchers and businesses to develop climate-resilient, protein-rich crops to meet the growing global demand for plant-based food.

    “Having fit-for-purpose facilities like the Plant Protein Hub at Horsham SmartFarm strengthens our research capabilities and opens the door to new opportunities across agriculture and food innovation,” said Jacinta Ermacora, a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.

    How the Horsham SmartFarm will advance plant proteins

    horsham smartfarm
    Courtesy: Agriculture Victoria

    The Plant Protein Hub will provide collaborative spaces for growers, scientists and startups, alongside a fully equipped test kitchen, advanced analytical equipment and facilities to explore new plant-based products.

    The facilities will help researchers and industry stakeholders discover and develop crop varieties with high protein content, such as lentils, chickpeas, and field peas.

    According to the state government, this hub is already a leading centre for innovation, with PhD students working alongside researchers and industry. It has a capacity for up to 10 PhD students and three startups, and Victoria’s agriculture department has teamed up with the plant-based sector to shape future research opportunities.

    Meanwhile, the glasshouse is designed to accelerate crop research, enhance pest and disease management, and boost climate resilience, helping farmers adapt to changing conditions and maintain productivity.

    The construction of the Plant Protein Hub has helped create dozens of jobs across trades, suppliers, and professional and technical services. It will now keep generating opportunities for research, education and industry collaboration.

    Moreover, students from primary school all the way through to post-graduate level will benefit from hands-on learning in a dedicated education space at the site, creating pathways for future careers in agriculture.

    “This investment will help our communities reach new markets, drive local jobs, champion sustainable practices, and ensure a strong and resilient future for regional Victoria,” said Michaela Settle, parliamentary secretary for regional Victoria.

    Government support crucial to meet Australia’s future food potential

    australian plant proteins liquidation
    Courtesy: Australian Plant Proteins

    Victoria has emerged as a leading player in growing crops for plant-based protein products in Australia, with its pulse industry generating $638M in export income last year. “Victoria is leading the way in plant-based protein research, building world-class facilities and fostering collaboration that will transform agriculture and strengthen regional economies,” said Ros Spence, the state’s agriculture minister.

    In fact, Australia produces around 59 million tonnes of protein-rich cereals, pulses and oilseeds every year, including a vast majority of the crops used for plant proteins. It’s the global leader in lupin production, and is a major producer of wheat, barley and canola.

    Yet, it exports roughly 65% of its grain into global commodity markets. In 2023, Australia shipped out 41 million tonnes of protein-rich source crops, but imported 118,000 tonnes of plant protein ingredients.

    That puts the country at risk of conceding its future market share in plant protein manufacturing to countries with better policies and an established national plan, according to Melbourne-based think tank Food Frontier, which recently published a report calling for a federal strategy to boost high-value manufacturing of protein-rich crops.

    Uptake of plant proteins is hindered by limited awareness or understanding among food manufacturers and a lack of technical support, challenges compounded by high costs and supply chain gaps. Infrastructure and R&D are costly, and companies are financially constrained. However, financing is a challenge, as investors are cautious without catalytic public co-funding.

    Among Food Frontier’s recommendations for the government were to build the workforce and regional supply chains, and scale up manufacturing by strategically investing in regional hubs, shared infrastructure and capital co-investment frameworks.

    The Horsham SmartFarm is an example of such an effort. And to their credit, Australia’s politicians haven’t shied away from supporting future-friendly foods. For instance, Queensland is providing financial aid to help Cauldron Ferm build an industrial-scale hyper-fermentation facility, and New South Wales has unveiled a prospectus to attract plant protein manufacturers to the state. Likewise, the federal government granted A$100,000 ($62,800) to cultivated meat startup Magic Valley.

    And Australia’s national research agency, CSIRO, works with a number of food tech startups, including Cauldron Ferm and precision fermentation player All G, as well as incubating firms like Eclipse Ingredients, which makes recombinant breast milk proteins.

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  • UK Government Publishes First Safety Guidance for Cultivated Meat Approvals

    4 Mins Read

    The UK’s Food Standards Agency has published the first of several pieces of guidance for cultivated meat regulation, born out of its ongoing regulatory sandbox.

    The UK is finally breaking away from EU-era regulations on novel foods, with the government publishing two pieces of safety guidance to advance its cultivated meat industry.

    The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have been working with several industry members since February as part of a sandbox programme to overhaul the regulatory framework surrounding these foods.

    Now, the first results of this collaboration are here, with two publications providing guidance on the classification, hazard analysis, and allergenicity and nutritional requirements for cultivated meat applications.

    It marks a shift away from the EU’s novel food regulations, which the UK still followed post-Brexit. “Directly applicable EU legislation no longer applies in Great Britain,” the guidance states, though it will continue to be applicable in Northern Ireland.

    “Our new guidance provides clarity for businesses, helping them to understand and correctly demonstrate to UK food regulators how their products are safe,” said Thomas Vincent, deputy director of innovation at the FSA.

    “Specifically, this guidance ensures that companies have assessed potential allergenic risks and that they are nutritionally appropriate before they can be authorised for sale,” he added.

    What does the UK’s cultivated meat guidance cover?

    uk cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Aleph Farms

    The first piece of guidance is designed to help companies understand and correctly apply hygiene requirements when producing cultivated meat.

    It confirms that cultivated meat produced using animal cells is defined as a product of animal origin. This means businesses must apply existing food safety regulations during the manufacturing process. That said, these products don’t satisfy the legal definition of “meat”, which is defined as having edible parts of animals.

    “We do not consider a final cell-cultivated product to be an edible part of any of the animals listed in that regulation,” the FSA and FSS wrote. Other legislations that relate to animal welfare or microbiological criteria can’t be readily applied to cultivated meat either. The regulators will give further thought to this issue in the future as part of the sandbox programme.

    The guidance also outlines how cultivated meat startups can create and adhere to a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), a legal requirement that ensures all risks are identified and mitigated in the manufacturing process and the final product is safe for human consumption.

    The second guide outlines the scientific requirements for evaluating the allergenicity and nutritional credentials of cultivated meat in regulatory filings. “Applications should demonstrate that a novel food is not nutritionally disadvantageous compared to any food it may replace,” the document reads.

    Companies must provide data on the macro- and micronutrient profile of their proteins, alongside amino and fatty acid compositions, and proposed uses. The role of cultivated meat in the consumer’s diet – whether replacing meat completely, or adding cell-cultured ingredients at a low percentage to a pre-existing product – needs to be understood to evaluate its nutritional impact, the regulators said.

    “It is expected that cell-cultivated proteins will be consumed by diverse and broad populations and may include exposure of individuals to allergens that they have not previously encountered,” they wrote. “Therefore, [they] require careful assessment to understand allergenicity risks, ensuring consumer safety.”

    Cultivated meat sandbox will boost regulatory efficiency, says FSA

    fsa novel foods
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    The sandbox programme, which runs until February 2027, is funded by the Department of Science and Technology. The FSA describes it as a “new approach to regulation” to allow the government to support innovation by giving companies clarity on how to prove their products are safe.

    The scheme included eight startups when it began: Hoxton Farms, Roslin Technologies, Uncommon Bio (all UK), BlueNalu (US), Vow (Australia), Mosa Meat (The Netherlands), Gourmey (France), and Vital Meat (France).

    Since then, Uncommon Bio has sold off its cultivated meat business to Vow and Dutch firm Meatable, and Gourmey has acquired Vital Meat to form a new company called Parima. Though the latter remains part of the UK sandbox, its exact current makeup is unclear.

    So far, only one cultivated meat product has made it to British shelves, but it was for dogs. When it comes to human use, Aleph Farms, Ivy Farm Technologies, and Parima (through both Vital Meat and Gourmey) have filed for approval, with the latter the furthest along in the assessment process.

    The FSA said its sandbox will boost business confidence and its own efficiency in regulating cultivated meat. It used the learnings from the programme alongside expert elicitation and literature review to publish the two documents, and has outlined plans to release further guidance for these foods throughout 2026.

    “The sandbox programme is allowing us to fast-track regulatory knowledge to reduce barriers for emerging food technologies without compromising on safety standards,” said Vincent. “Consumers can be reassured that these innovative new foods will meet the same rigorous safety standards as conventional foods.”

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  • EU Bioeconomy Strategy to ‘Accelerate’ Approvals of Fermentation-Derived Novel Foods

    precision fermentation survey
    5 Mins Read

    In its new Bioeconomy Strategy, the EU has outlined its intention to help “advanced fermentation” startups scale up and fast-track their novel food approval pathway.

    Amid calls for it to modernise its novel food regulations, the European Union is showing some early signs of promise.

    The EU Commission has published a new Bioeconomy Strategy that lays out a 2040 vision featuring a wide deployment of bio-based products, sustainable yield improvements that boost the resilience of food and farming systems, and biorefineries and advanced fermentation facilities that turn diverse feedstocks into food and feed products.

    The strategy proposes plans to support fermentation startups with scale-up and regulatory efforts, highlighting technologies that use “innovative, high-performance microorganisms to convert carbon-sources such as sugar residues and other secondary biomass into high-value compounds”.

    “The Commission will make technical support available for SMEs scaling innovative bio-based products to accelerate authorisations while maintaining high safety standards,” the strategy states.

    “In particular, the Commission will support SMEs developing innovative products based on advanced fermentation, including for food and feed,” it adds.

    The move has been welcomed by future food advocates, but only if the EU follows up on these proposals with concrete actions that help fermentation innovators escape the valley of death between lab breakthroughs and commercialisation.

    Regulatory sandboxes and novel food approvals in focus

    eu bioeconomy strategy
    Courtesy: Onego Bio

    Many proteins derived from advanced fermentation methods, which include biomass and precision fermentation, are subject to the EU’s novel food regulations. This applies to foods that were not commonly consumed in the bloc before 1997, and thus need approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to be sold on the market.

    The process is fraught with delays and a lack of clarity, and costs up to €250,000, causing significant financial distress for startups, which cannot sell their products and generate revenue until the EFSA completes its authorisation.

    The average time it takes for a novel food product to be approved in the EU currently is 30 months, far higher than the stipulated 18-month timeline – and this can stretch to as long as five years. For context, average timelines in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are 12 to 24 months.

    This process presents a huge barrier for future food companies, many of which turn their attention to North America or Asia, where regulatory processes are more streamlined. The Bioeconomy Strategy aims to nip this problem in the bud.

    “There is a need to make approvals faster, clearer and simpler,” it states. “The Commission will provide guidance on how to classify new bio-based products and create a single online entry point so that companies only need to submit information once. Risk assessments will be better coordinated across EU agencies to avoid duplication and reduce waiting times.”

    It nods to the forthcoming Biotech Acts, the first of which will be published this month, which are set to simplify regulatory requirements, speed up approvals, and introduce regulatory sandboxes. These are controlled environments that let businesses, researchers and regulators design standards and guidance for new products with regulators.

    The EU Parliament has recommended the use of sandboxes to assess applications, and is developing a strategy that supports companies transitioning from the sandbox regime to full market access. This is echoed by the Ministry of Future Affairs, a new think tank comprising regulatory experts across Europe, which recently published a framework for a novel food sandbox.

    That said, according to Euractiv, an internal document indicates that the EU’s regulatory sandboxes under this month’s Biotech Act would not apply to novel foods.

    EU to mobilise investments for fermentation scale-up

    the protein brewery
    Courtesy: The Protein Brewery

    In July, a report by companies and organisations including L’Oréal, EIT Food, the Good Food Institute (GFI), and McKinsey suggested that the global advanced biotech sector could create $1T in annual economic value, but would require $500B in investments by 2040 to do so.

    Capacity expansion alone would account for 85% of this capital, with the rest needed for regulatory filings, bridging talent gaps, and boosting consumer acceptance. Capacity bottlenecks plague the European sector too, thanks to a lack of large-scale facilities that are often too costly to fund with venture capital, according to GFI Europe.

    In a nod to this obstacle, the EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy has proposed to help fermentation startups scale up their businesses and begin commercialising their innovations by expanding access to pilot and demonstration infrastructure.

    It will also create a Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group on finance and investment, combining research, demonstration and scale-up financing across national and EU levels. This brings together the EU Commission, the European Investment Bank Group, national promotional banks, and private investors to create a pipeline of bankable projects, share risk more effectively, and crowd in private capital.

    “This coordinated approach should help mobilise public and private investment over the coming decade, particularly for first-of-a-kind biorefineries, advanced fermentation facilities and bio-based materials manufacturing,” the strategy reads.

    The EU Commission has previously announced €350M in funding opportunities to boost food and biotech innovation, with fermentation a key focus. Now, it’s introducing blended finance schemes to de-risk investments into the sector. This will help attract more private finance for projects like modern fermentation facilities and first-of-a-kind biorefineries.

    “It’s great to see the Commission recognise the crucial role that fermentation can play in driving green growth, reducing our reliance on imports and boosting Europe’s international competitiveness,” said Lea Seyfarth, policy officer at GFI Europe.

    “For Europe to establish itself as a global leader in this technology, these proposals now need to be followed up with concrete actions,” she highlighted. “The upcoming Biotech Acts must build on this growing momentum with clear policies enabling startups to commercialise Europe’s scientific expertise and bring innovative food products to the market.”

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  • ‘Turning Point’: Fushine Bio Obtains China’s First Regulatory Approval of Mycoprotein

    fushine bio
    4 Mins Read

    China has granted its first approval of mycoprotein as a new food raw material, a move hailed as a “significant step forward” for the global alternative protein sector.

    Chinese biotech firm Fushine Bio has received the country’s first regulatory green light for Fusarium venenatum, a source of fungal mycelium protein, as a novel food ingredient.

    The approval was granted by the National Health Commission (NHC) alongside 13 other new food additives and ingredients, and marks a “turning point for fermentation-based proteins in one of the world’s most influential food markets”, according to think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC.

    “This approval further validates the safety, potential, and future scale of mycoprotein, reinforcing our confidence in accelerating its adoption across the food industry,” Fushine Bio said in a statement.

    Fushine Bio already Asia-Pacific’s largest mycoprotein producer

    fushine bio
    Courtesy: Fushine Bio

    Mycoprotein is derived from mycelium, the root-like structure of filamentous fungi. Fushine Bio’s flagship ingredient, called FuNext, is produced via a biomass fermentation process with glucose and water as the primary raw materials.

    Its specific strains, A3/5 or TB01, can double their biomass every five hours, enabling an output 1,000 times more efficient than livestock-derived protein, according to the company.

    The ingredient is a complete protein with all essential amino acids and high digestibility. It’s rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals, low in fat, and has zero cholesterol. Beyond its nutritional benefits, FuNext offers environmental wins too, requiring far less land and water than animal proteins, with a fraction of the greenhouse gas footprint.

    Fushine Bio sell the protein in wet, dry and whole-cut formats. The former has a light beige tint and a mild, natural mushroom aroma with a fibrous texture akin to meat. It can be used to create structured meat analogues like meatballs, nuggets, ham slices, and sausages.

    The dry powdered form has an adjustable particle size and high dispersibility, and can be tailored for various processing needs. This is best-suited for functional nutrition products, protein-rich baked goods, meal replacement formulas, snacks, and nutritional supplements.

    Finally, the off-white whole-cut mycoprotein has a meaty aroma and naturally fibrous texture, resembling animal muscle tissue. Fushine Bio describes this as a high-flexibility format that can be shaped into slices, strips, chunks, and more, and added to a range of dishes and next-generation meat alternatives.

    The firm has earmarked several other applications for FuNext, including dairy-free cheese, pet food, medical supplements like low-sugar or condition-specific formulas, and food for consumption in space.

    Fushine Bio said it would “continue collaborating with partners to bring high-quality, clean-label mycoprotein solutions to more food applications”. It claims to be Asia-Pacific’s largest mycoprotein producer, with the capability of churning out 1,200 tonnes of product per year. The company is now building an industrial-scale line with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes.

    Mycoprotein a key opportunity for the Chinese and global future food sector

    china mycoprotein
    Courtesy: Fushine Bio

    Fushine Bio has already self-determined FuNext as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredient in the US, enabling its use in a range of food categories as a protein source, including meat alternatives.

    Mycoprotein from Fusarium venenatum has been on sale in many countries for decades, thanks to Quorn’s suite of meat-free products. However, China’s approval of Fushine Bio’s version is unusual, according to GFI APAC, in that it provides explicit national-level specifications and guardrails, such as formal composition limits and labelling mandates for sensitive groups (like young children or pregnant women).

    “With this level of detail, companies in China and abroad gain a much clearer understanding of what is required when they apply for approval in the future,” the think tank explained in a social media post.

    The move provides a boost to China’s food security strategy, with the government looking to diversify its protein supply and support domestic future food production to reduce reliance on imports.

    “This approval makes tangible progress towards achieving those goals, and also creates confidence and momentum outside of China, influencing ingredient demand, investment priorities, and manufacturing decisions,” said GFI APAC.

    Expanding on why the decision has implications far beyond China, the organisation outlined its potential to expand the global market runway, supporting scale-up, cost reduction, and supply chains that can serve multiple regions.

    Fusarium venenatum has been identified as a key opportunity to advance China’s alternative protein sector, with a group of leading scientists recognising its ability to “meet the stringent protein quality requirements of high-end markets such as medical nutrition, sports nutrition, and infant formula” in a recent blue paper.

    But the fungus’s rigid cell walls can hinder protein release, digestibility, and functional and nutritional utilisation, the authors wrote, highlighting the need for CRISPR-based gene editing and multi-stage extraction processes combining high-pressure homogenisation with pH shift solubilisation.

    “This systematic breakthrough in efficient cell wall disruption, separation, and extraction technologies will significantly enhance the product quality and industrial competitiveness of Fusarium venetum protein,” they said.

    The post ‘Turning Point’: Fushine Bio Obtains China’s First Regulatory Approval of Mycoprotein appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Eden Brew Eyes 2026 Approval of Animal-Free Milk Protein in Australia & New Zealand

    eden brew
    4 Mins Read

    Australian food tech startup Eden Brew has submitted the country’s first regulatory application for a precision-fermented dairy protein, with a decision expected by November 2026.

    Eden Brew, a company producing animal-free dairy proteins from microbial fermentation, has filed for novel food approval in Australia and New Zealand.

    The countries’ joint regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), has officially accepted the Melbourne-based startup’s application for assessment, a first for a precision-fermented milk protein.

    The submission covers Eden Brew’s animal-free beta-casein protein preparation (BCPP1), a functional and nutritional ingredient that can be used in a range of applications in place of conventional dairy or plant proteins.

    FSANZ has placed the application under its General (Level 5) Procedure, as opposed to the Major Procedure that some novel food filings have undergone. It means the process is expected to take less than a year, since it only requires one round of public consultation. Plus, it’s around A$40,000 cheaper.

    Micelle platform produces nutritionally equivalent cow-free casein

    precision fermentation milk
    Courtesy: Eden Brew

    Precision fermentation involves inserting a specific DNA sequence into microbes to teach them to produce the desired molecules when fermented. In Eden Brew’s case, the resulting ingredient is casein, which accounts for 80% of the protein content in cow’s milk.

    Casein is crucial to the taste and functional attributes of dairy products like cheese – it’s what makes hard cheeses melt and stretch when they’re heated, allowing water and fat to emulsify and deliver the desired mouthfeel. It’s a $2.7B market, but comes from a highly emissive, water-guzzling, land-hungry industry.

    Eden Brew genetically engineers a yeast strain called Komagataella phaffii (formerly Pichia pastoris), which has an extensive history of safe use in food products, including in alternative proteins, like the heme ingredient in the Impossible Burger.

    The firm claims the milk made from its recombinant casein generates 70% fewer emissions, uses only 5% of the land, and lowers water consumption by 99%, in comparison to conventional dairy. Moreover, it emits no methane, the major source of greenhouse gas emissions from cattle.

    Cow’s milk contains four kinds of casein proteins that self-assemble into micelles, which are highly hydrated spherical structures that serve as a building block for the functional and nutritional attributes of dairy products.

    Eden Brew’s DeepForte platform enables micelle formation to match dairy’s nutrition delivery, sensory experience and heat stability. Micelles have an enormous carrying capacity for calcium, phosphorus, protein and other nutrients, which they release slowly. The startup can further fortify the micelles with iron, magnesium and zinc.

    “The protein in the BCPP1 preparation is a composite, comprising approximately 25% A2 beta-casein and 75% co-purified host cell proteins,” the company stated in its application to FSANZ.

    “While the overall composition differs from purified milk protein, analysis confirms the protein quality of the entire preparation (via PDCAAS) is equivalent to conventional beta-casein.”

    ‘Critical step forward’ for precision fermentation in Australia

    precision fermentation fsanz
    Courtesy: Cellular Agriculture Australia/LinkedIn/Green Queen

    According to FSANZ’s administrative report, the scientific risk assessment of Eden Brew’s application will be followed by a round of public consultation from early April to mid-May. This will then move to the board approval stage in August, before being discussed by ministers in both countries in June. The final green light is expected in mid-November.

    In a social media post, Eden Brew called it a “huge moment” for both the company and the domestic precision fermentation sector. “Acceptance into assessment signals that FSANZ is satisfied our submission meets all high-level requirements, which is a major achievement and a testament to the depth of our science, our safety data, and our team’s relentless focus,” it said.

    Trade association Cellular Agriculture Australia labelled it a “major achievement”. “A significant amount of work has gone into the development and acceptance of the application, indicating that FSANZ is satisfied that it meets the high-level requirements outlined in the Application Handbook,” it stated.

    “This marks a critical step forward for the precision fermentation sector in Australia, and Eden Brew’s application will also serve as a test case.”

    Eden Brew has raised nearly $19M in funding from private and public investors, and is scaling up with a contract manufacturing organisation with a view to achieving price parity with conventional dairy by 2029.

    It will sell its casein proteins as a B2B ingredient for use in supplements, food fortification, sports nutrition products, and the GLP-1 market. The pivot aligns with several other precision fermentation companies, which began with a goal of producing animal-free milk but shifted towards higher-value markets for initial revenue generation.

    Eden Brew is one of several Antipodean startups using precision fermentation to produce dairy proteins and fats, such as All G, Nourish Ingredients, Daisy Lab, and Cauldron.

    Globally, only two companies – New Culture and Fermify – have been cleared to sell animal-free casein, both in the US (and the latter firm has since filed for bankruptcy). Others in the space include Standing Ovation, Fooditive Group, and Those Vegan Cowboys.

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  • Leading Scientists Lay Out Roadmap to Advance China’s Alternative Protein Sector

    lab grown meat china
    5 Mins Read

    A group of scientists have identified 10 bottlenecks hindering China’s alternative protein progress, calling for policy and investment support to overcome the barriers.

    Long heralded as a leader in the green energy and mobility spaces, China is well-positioned to spearhead the alternative protein race aswell.

    The country is home to eight of the top 20 patent applicants for cultivated meat, as well as the world’s largest yeast protein company. Its government has pumped millions into R&D for sustainable proteins, and recognised these foods as a bioeconomy priority. In fact, its biotech potential is so vast, it has sparked fears among some US lawmakers about their own country’s competence.

    Still, China’s alternative protein economy faces major constraints, from limited foundational research and technical bottlenecks to fragmented funding and weak links between industry and academia, according to a new blue paper.

    Penned by 48 leading scientists from the NeoProtein Professional Committee of the Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology (CIFST) and ProVeg China, the report provides a system-level analysis of 10 technical gaps and several emerging opportunities in the East Asian nation’s “NeoProtein” industry.

    It offers a strategic roadmap for aligning national R&D priorities, bolstering collaboration, and translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world applications to “drive China’s transition from a ‘follower’ to a ‘leader’ in NeoProtein technology” over the next decade.

    “The Blue Paper is a powerful call to action for advancing the industry,” said Nicole Wu, executive director and chief representative of ProVeg China. “It will help scientists concentrate on the most impactful research areas, guide policymakers and funders on strategic resource allocation, and enable industry stakeholders to identify where collaboration can make the greatest difference.”

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    What’s holding back China’s alternative protein sector?

    Outlining how existing plant protein extraction technologies suffer from high energy consumption and pollution, as well as protein denaturation issues, the report suggests prioritising the development of low-denaturation, green, and efficient extraction pathways, which would improve the functionality and sustainability of these foods.

    Single-source plant protein still struggles to achieve good gelation, water-holding, and oil-holding properties simultaneously, so the experts advise combining biotech with physical field treatment to optimise protein structure and functionality, design specialised equipment to construct 3D protein structures, and implement structural engineering of plant-based fats.

    For cultivated meat, the development of immortalised myogenic cell lines is central to scaling up, as is the establishment of serum-free culture media. The latter can be achieved through the development of plant-based or recombinant alternatives to animal inputs, integrating multi-omics data with AI algorithms, and bioreactor design with dynamic nutrient regulation tech.

    The report places a major emphasis on fermentation-derived proteins. It calls for the construction of highly efficient cell factories for microbial biomass production, as well as the intelligent design of protein biomanufacturing reactors for high-density fermentation and yeast chassis cells for efficient expression of functional proteins.

    angel yeast protein
    Courtesy: Angel Yeast

    Further, as low-carbon processing is integral to the fermentation industry’s success, for which the report suggests establishing AI-optimised control systems for solid-state fermentation, systematically optimising key elements like substrate formulation and aeration rates, and integrating non-thermal methods with enzymatic modification to improve proteins.

    Further, the blue paper argues that China must optimise the processability and multi-scenario application of yeast protein, championing techniques like high-pressure microjet processing and ball milling to shrink protein particles and combining proteomics with bioinformatics methods to analyse multilevel structures and post-translational modifications.

    Finally, it shines a light on Fusarium venenatum, a source of mycelial protein that is nutrient-rich but whose rigid cell walls can hinder protein release and digestibility. Companies should look to employ CRISPR-based gene editing to knock out genes linked to the synthesis of key cell wall components like chitin and glucan. In addition, they should develop a multi-stage extraction process combining high-pressure homogenisation with pH shift solubilisation.

    How China can clear hurdles to lead the protein transition

    “The research and industrial communities must work hand-in-hand to address these key challenges and drive the high-quality development of the industry,” said Jian Li, a professor at Beijing Technology and Business University.

    The report calls for a “forward-looking strategic vision” to bolster top-level policy planning and direct science and technology investments towards high-impact areas to tackle the core bottlenecks of the NeoProtein sector.

    cellx bacon
    CellX’s mycelium bacon prototype | Courtesy: CellX

    The scientists proposed six actions to help achieve “a historic leap from ‘supplementation’ to ‘substitution’, and then to ‘expansion’ and ‘irreplaceability’ within the global food system”:

    • Develop a national alternative protein strategy: This roadmap should define the priorities and timeline for technological breakthroughs to guide researchers, industry, and other stakeholders toward shared objectives.
    • Expand collaboration, funding and R&D support: China should introduce a collaborative innovation platform for alternative proteins, ramp up fiscal support, set up a major science and tech project dedicated to these foods, and integrate the sector into the key national R&D programme.
    • Create an innovation-friendly regulatory sandbox: This system would help fast-track food safety approvals for new novel proteins and ingredients, and should be complemented with stronger certification standards to regulate market order and boost consumer confidence.
    • Encourage regional action on bottlenecks: Local governments should be incentivised to incorporate the 10 barriers in industrial planning and biotech initiatives through industrial guidance funds, specialised industrial parks, and preferential access to land, energy and data to foster globally influential clusters.
    • Mobilise industrial capital for future foods: It’s critical to invest boldly in R&D and pilot-scale platforms and support collaboration across sectors and disciplines. Long-term investments should accompany frontier technologies through the “valley of death” between lab discovery and commercialisation.
    • Spur researchers to overcome boundaries: China can boost the sustainable protein sector by actively promoting collaboration between industry and academia to encourage researchers to jointly tackle technical bottlenecks and ensure scientific advances drive industrial scale-up.

    “Significant technical gaps still exist in plant-based and related fields,” said Xiaoquan Yang, a professor at South China University of Technology. “Future efforts should prioritise staple foods and alternatives to traditional animal proteins, so that novel proteins can genuinely become part of people’s everyday diets.”

    The post Leading Scientists Lay Out Roadmap to Advance China’s Alternative Protein Sector appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Christmas, Cultivated Egg Yolk & Michelin-Star Diners

    vegan christmas dinner
    6 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Grubby’s vegan Christmas meals, ImpacFat’s cultivated egg yolk, and India’s most vegan-friendly city.

    New products and launches

    UK vegan meal kit startup Grubby has launched a limited-edition Christmas menu, featuring nine recipes that cost under £3.50 each with a subscription. These include Christmas Dinner and Trimmings, Miso Mushroom Wellington, and an Ultimate Christmas Sausage Roll.

    vegan christmas meal kit
    Courtesy: Xiangliang Lin/LinkedIn

    Swedish packaging giant Tetra Pak has launched a powdered sunflower protein for plant-based food and drink manufacturers, which boasts 53g of protein per 100g and a high digestibility score.

    In Denmark, plant-based meat startup Tempty Foods has gained a listing for its Spicy Korean Stick in 57 7-Eleven stores nationwide.

    tempty foods
    Courtesy: Martina Lokajova/LinkedIn

    Pacific Foods, which supplies plant-based products for the foodservice sector, has expanded its Barista Series lineup with a pistachio milk that can be used in both hot and cold coffee drinks.

    Another plant-based milk company, Mooala, has refreshed its packaging to provide more transparent information about its ingredient sourcing, organic certification, and simple formulations.

    mooala milk
    Courtesy: Mooala

    To clear up the confusion about ultra-processed foods, plant-based products, and their impact on health, renowned physician and NutritionFacts.org founder Dr Michael Greger has announced a new book, Ultra-Processed Foods: Concerns, Controversies, and Exceptions. It is available to pre-order for $15, and will ship on January 21.

    Mr Charlie’s Told Me So, a fast-food chain dubbed the “vegan McDonald’s”, is opening two new locations in San Diego’s Pacific Beach and Hillcrest neighbourhoods, in parallel with a rapid expansion drive in Arizona.

    mr charlie's told me so
    Courtesy: Mr Charlie’s Told Me So

    Plant-based oil supplier AAK has expanded its partnership with chemicals distributor Nordmann, which will manage the former’s marketing and distribution across Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Austria.

    Company and finance developments

    Singaporean startup ImpacFat has showcased a chicken-free egg yolk with cultivated omega-3 fat in tastings held in partnership with Fuji Oil.

    lab grown eggs
    Courtesy: Xiangliang Lin/LinkedIn

    Californian startup Calysta, which makes proteins from gas fermentation, has closed its R&D labs and pilot facilities in the US and the UK after establishing its production process at commercial scale in China.

    In some packaging news, Korean Air has announced that it will phase out its plastic meal containers in favour of plant-based versions made from waste materials like straw, sugarcane and bamboo. The transition is set to fully take effect by the end of 2026.

    immobazyme
    Courtesy: Immobazyme

    South African startup Immobazyme has secured R25M ($1.46M) to accelerate the expansion of its precision-fermentation-based biologics platform and therapeutics programme, as well as set up a 1,800 sq m facility in Cape Town.

    Dutch firm Time-Travelling Milkman, which uses sunflower seeds to replace animal fats, has received funding from the EU and EFRO Oost for a project to develop plant-based fats for dairy and meat alternatives, and a natural texturiser, in partnership with NIZO Food Research and Duynie.

    dairy fat alternatives
    Courtesy: Time-Travelling Milkman

    Kirk Haworth, chef-owner of Plates, the UK’s first vegan restaurant to receive a Michelin star, has revealed that 95% of its diners are not vegan.

    At Finnish gas protein firm Solar Foods, co-founder and former CEO Pasi Vainikka has joined the board as vice chair, replacing Jari Tuovinen, who has left for personal reasons.

    Research, policy and awards

    Already a leader in the retail sector’s food sustainability transition, Lidl has urged the UK government to set ‘protein split’ sales targets for all supermarkets, which would create a level playing field for plant-based foods.

    lidl sustainability report
    Courtesy: Lidl

    Also in the UK, a majority of consumers are waving goodbye to turkey for Christmas dinner, and 7% are planning a plant-based main instead, according to a survey by Gousto.

    Speaking of holiday meals, a poll by Morning Consult and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine shows that 59% of Americans would consider a vegan main if they had a convincing reason to do so, like knowing that it would taste good (28%), trying something new (22%), having something healthier, or accommodating family and friends (both 21%).

    vegan holiday meals
    Courtesy: PCRM/Morning Consult

    Nearly one in 10 Germans say they’re vegan or vegetarian, while 37% follow a flexitarian diet, according to a new report by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Meanwhile, 34% of consumers buy milk or meat alternatives, 77% say eating less meat is important for the climate, and 56% are in favour of carbon taxes on food.

    Swedish oat milk pioneer Oatly has been recognised as the Plant-Based Supplier of the Year at the 2025 European Coffee Symposium + COHO Expo awards.

    oatly award
    Courtesy: Bryan Carroll/LinkedIn

    In more awards news, Boele de Jong, CFO of JBS-owned The Vegetarian Butcher Collective, has been named Changemaker of the Year Award 2025 by Change Inc.

    Meanwhile, UK startup Grow with Iris, which makes free-from plant-based milk for toddlers, has been granted an Ethical Accreditation from The Good Shopping Guide, securing a 98% score on its criteria.

    plant based growing up milk
    Courtesy: Grow with Iris

    Regulatory and scientific experts from Singapore and South Korea have called for greater international cooperation on food safety regulation for novel foods like cultivated meat and precision-fermented ingredients, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization participating in the events.

    Researchers from China have authored a new study outlining how gene-editing tool CRISPR can enhance the properties of Fusarium venenatum, a fungal strain with meat-like characteristics. It’s the same microbe used to produce Quorn’s mycoprotein.

    most vegan friendly city in india
    Courtesy: Peta India

    Finally, Peta India has crowned Kolkata as the country’s most vegan-friendly city for 2025, ahead of seemingly more obvious candidates like Mumbai, Bangalore or New Delhi. It presented the award to Mayor Firhad Hakim.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Christmas, Cultivated Egg Yolk & Michelin-Star Diners appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • A New Kind of TVP: Finnish Startup Bets on Fava Beans for Cheaper, Tastier Plant Protein

    happy plant protein
    4 Mins Read

    To offer better-tasting, more affordable vegan options, Finnish startup Happy Plant Protein has unveiled a textured vegetable protein offering made from fava beans.

    Usering in a new era for textured vegetable protein (TVP) – one without off flavours, chemical extraction, and heavy water use – Happy Plant Protein is taking the plunge with fava beans.

    At Paris’s Food Ingredients Europe trade show (December 2-4), the Helsinki-based startup has debuted a fava protein texturate that scores high on the nutrition, environment and flavour fronts, thanks to its patented extrusion technology.

    “To truly scale the plant-based market, protein needs to taste better, be produced more efficiently, and be easily adaptable to different end-products,” said Jari Karlsson, co-founder and CEO of Happy Plant Protein.

    “Our technology makes all three possible: it improves the availability of high-quality plant-based proteins while giving manufacturers the flexibility to design exactly the textures they need.”

    How Happy Plant Protein transcends existing processes

    fava bean tvp
    Courtesy: Happy Plant Protein

    Founded in 2024 as a spinout of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Happy Plant Protein is looking to position itself at the centre of the protein boom by solving what it says is one of the biggest gripes of typical plant-based options: their bitter and beany off-flavours.

    “Traditional protein isolates require chemical extraction, large amounts of water, and energy-intensive drying, producing wastewater and often leaving off-flavours,” noted Karlsson.

    “Happy Plant Protein bypasses this entirely by using a chemical-free dry extrusion process to transform local flours directly into textured protein. This approach strengthens regional protein independence and reduces reliance on imported isolates.”

    Its one-step process converts legume flour directly into textured protein using heat and pressure in a dry extrusion, without isolates, chemicals, or waste. It can be integrated into existing manufacturing setups with minimal investment, making it suitable for companies of all sizes.

    The tech is highly flexible, as it’s compatible with a wide range of legumes and cereals, and has been tested across multiple extrusion systems and with various raw materials, demonstrating robustness and adaptability, according to the company.

    The texture, bite and functionality of its ingredients can be adjusted directly during extrusion, allowing manufacturers to tailor the protein to their specific product requirements, from firm, meat-like structures to softer, more porous formats. So by simplifying the TVP production process, Happy Plant Protein says it can unlock a new wave of plant-based and blended proteins.

    Fava bean TVP gains ‘highly positive’ industry feedback

    fava bean protein
    Courtesy: Happy Plant Protein

    The startup’s fava bean texturate outperforms pea protein on many sensory credentials. It has a neutral flavour and smell, and significantly lower bitterness and beany notes. Plus, the fava bean TVP has a light beige tint and low sodium content, lending itself to a host of applications.

    It’s available in minced, granulated, and chunk formats, and can boost the structure and overall composition of vegan meat alternatives, blended proteins, ready meals, snacks, and more.

    The fava bean ingredient scores high on the nutrition front, boasting 61g of protein and 9g of fibre per 100g, positioned as a rich source of two macronutrients that have become the centre of food conversations.

    According to Happy Plant Protein, the tech has received “highly positive feedback and strong industry validation” from food and ingredient manufacturers, noting that this way of producing easy-to-use, highly adaptable ingredients is garnering increased interest.

    The flavour, nutrition and functional benefits are also why Happy Plant protein has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Most Innovative FoodTech Solution category of the FiE Startup Challenge.

    “It’s encouraging to see this category recognised since it shows how much our mission matters globally. We aim to make food healthier for both people and the planet,” said Karlsson. “Our long-term vision is to provide the food industry with a protein that enables the production at a fraction of the cost and complexity of existing solutions.”

    The potential of fava beans as a clean-label powerhouse has been recognised by plant-based giant Beyond Meat, which recently introduced a minced protein product with a base of fava protein and just three other ingredients.

    The post A New Kind of TVP: Finnish Startup Bets on Fava Beans for Cheaper, Tastier Plant Protein appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Spain’s MOA Foodtech Uses AI to Create Fermentation-Derived ‘Egg Reducer’

    egg replacer
    4 Mins Read

    Spain’s MOA Foodtech has launched a new fermentation-derived ingredient that can reduce egg use in bakery, pastry and pasta formulations amid price and supply challenges.

    Characterised by empty shelves and high prices where supplies are available, Europe’s egg market is still reeling from this year’s disease outbreaks.

    Egg prices reached a decade-long high in the region this year. According to the European Commission, the average cost of eggs rose by 20% in October, in comparison to the same period 12 months ago, and is currently nearly 50% higher than the 2020-24 average.

    Prices have, in fact, shot up consistently this year, going from €237 per kg to nearly €275 between January and October (a 16% hike), with notable peaks in Germany, Poland, Spain, and the Netherlands.

    The volatility is thanks to outbreaks of avian flu and Newcastle disease, which have led to the culling of millions of chickens across Europe and the globe. At the same time, the demand for eggs has sharply increased, but anticipated price corrections have led some producers of powdered eggs to delay purchases, causing a supply gap.

    Combined with the wider impact of food prices amid Europe’s cost-of-living crisis, the situation has created a perfect storm. In response, many food tech startups have come up with innovative solutions to replace eggs, from pea protein to aquafaba powders.

    Spain’s MOA Foodtech, though, is using AI to offer a fermentation-derived ingredient that can reduce the reliance on eggs across a variety of applications, while retaining functionality. The aim is to provide an alternative to the price and supply instability of the ingredient and help manufacturers navigate increasingly complex allergen protocols.

    MOA Q5 replicates egg functionality with one-ingredient solution

    moa foodtech egg
    Courtesy: MOA Foodtech

    Founded in 2021, the startup uses its AI-directed fermentation platform, Albatros, to convert food industry byproducts into high-value ingredients. The tech results in a biomass boasting all essential amino acids, with a protein digestibility score of 0.9 (on par with soy, beef, eggs and casein).

    MOA Foodtech is already producing an ingredient for use in pet food, meat analogues, and snacks at industrial scale – but it teased a new innovation last month. That has turned out to be the new egg reducer, called MOA Q5.

    This ingredient delivers the functional performance of chicken eggs in a clean-label and supply-stable format, enabling companies to reduce or eliminate egg and eggshell declarations wherever full replacement isn’t required.

    It offers equivalent emulsification, foaming, and coagulation capabilities in baked goods and pasta products, while maintaining volume, structure, elasticity, colour, and bite across a host of applications. According to the startup, it is ideal for R&D reformulation, large-scale bakery operations, pasta manufacturers, and companies making allergen-reduced premixes.

    “MOA Q5 represents the next chapter in functional ingredient innovation: a fermentation-derived solution that matches egg’s performance while unlocking cleaner labels and far more predictable supply,” said Bosco Emparanza, co-founder and CEO of MOA Foodtech.

    The egg-reducing ingredient will help food producers stabilise costs, simplify production and introduce circular sourcing without compromising technical performance. “Manufacturers want reliability without sacrificing quality. MOA Q5 delivers that reliability, while also offering a circular sourcing model that strengthens sustainability credentials,” he noted.

    MOA Foodtech talks up ‘modern ingredient’ as egg alternatives sizzle

    moa foodtech
    Courtesy: MOA Foodtech

    MOA Foodtech showcased the single-ingredient egg reducer at the Food Ingredients Europe trade fair in Paris (October 2-4), which Emparanza called the “perfect stage” for its debut. The ingredient will be featured in baked goods like muffins and cakes.

    “We’re excited to show manufacturers what’s possible when biotechnology, AI, and circularity work together: a truly functional, scalable alternative that performs like eggs, but behaves like a modern ingredient.”

    The startup is among several startups that have come out with functional vegan egg replacers for B2B applications this year. Dutch firm Revyve, for instance, is also using fermentation to produce a yeast protein that can substitute eggs in various food and drink products.

    French player The Very Food Co, meanwhile, introduced a powdered aquafaba product that can fit into the lines of artisan bakers and industrial manufacturers alike, and Israel’s Meala rolled out Groundbaker, a pea protein innovation that offers the same gelling, binding, emulsifying and foaming attributes of eggs.

    MOA Foodtech’s innovation comes months after it received €14.8M from the European Innovation Council, €12.5M of which was contingent on matching funding from private investors. “We have planned the round for the end of next year, and we already have more than 50% of the required private investment committed,” Emparanza told Green Queen last month.

    He was speaking after the launch of the MOA Box, a turkey service for manufacturers that uses its AI and fermentation tech to produce upcycled starch ingredients without the typical cost, time and regulatory barriers.

    “With our AI platform and fermentation expertise, we can offer a fast, de-risked, end-to-end solution that transforms waste into new revenue streams,” the CEO explained. “It allows our partners to unlock value, improve sustainability performance, and differentiate their portfolios, while positioning MOA at the centre of a circular, scalable, and economically attractive ingredient ecosystem.”

    The post Spain’s MOA Foodtech Uses AI to Create Fermentation-Derived ‘Egg Reducer’ appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The Protein Brewery Edges Closer to EU Approval of Fungi-Derived Novel Food Ingredient

    the protein brewery eu
    4 Mins Read

    The European Food Safety Authority has published a positive scientific opinion recognising The Protein Brewery’s Fermotein ingredient as safe for use, the penultimate step before it can enter the EU market.

    Weeks after closing a Series B fundraise and stating its mycoprotein was in the “final stage of approval” in the EU, Dutch food tech startup The Protein Brewery is one step away from entering the European market.

    The firm has received a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which states that its novel food ingredient, Fermotein, is safe for use under the proposed conditions.

    A whole-cell bioproduct derived from Rhizomucor pusillus, an extremophilic fungal strain that can deal with low pH levels and high temperatures, Fermotein is rich in protein and fibre, and is targeted towards the active nutrition, better-for-you snacking, and GLP-1 markets. It’s already approved in Singapore and the US.

    The EFSA’s Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens concluded that the information provided by The Protein Brewery raised no safety or genotoxicity concerns, and confirmed its low allergenicity. Now, the European Commission and member states will prepare a draft based on the EFSA’s scientific output to integrate Fermotein into the novel foods catalogue, authorising it for sale across the bloc.

    The development comes more than five years after the startup first filed for approval. “As we were pioneers, the process took maybe a bit longer than expected, but it paid off, and we would like to thank the EFSA for the collaboration throughout our novel food dossier process,” said Yvonne Dommels, its nutrition and regulatory affairs director.

    The Protein Brewery eyes GLP-1 market with fibre-rich mycoprotein

    the protein brewery
    Courtesy: The Protein Brewery

    Founded in 2020 as part of a demerger of industrial biotech company BioscienZ BV, The Protein Brewery is working to commercialise low-cost, low-carbon ingredients that turn low-nutritive crops into nutritional powerhouse products.

    Its first solution is Fermotein, which is grown in fermentation tanks under specific conditions, before being sieved and pasteurised, then de-watered and dried. The resulting biomass is milled to achieve the desired particle size and packed in bags to be shipped to its customers.

    The powdered ingredient is rich in dietary fibre to support the immune system and healthy cholesterol levels, and has a complete amino acid protein profile. In fact, it yields 26 times more protein than meat, five times more than soy, and four times more than pea protein. On the climate front, compared to beef, it uses just 1% of the land, consumes 5% of the water and releases 3% of the emissions.

    Moreover, Fermotein has a natural flavour, smell and colour, enabling food companies to use it without masking agents in a wide variety of applications – think high-protein drinks, nutrition bars, non-dairy milks and yoghurts, and protein-boosted pancakes, tortilla chips, muffins, and more.

    It’s produced in The Protein Brewery’s pilot plant in Mijkenbroek, Breda, which can churn out 100kg of the mycoprotein daily. It is already working with several manufacturers to bring its ingredient to market in the US and Europe, including Nepra Foods and CK Ingredients.

    Moreover, the startup is exploring the potential of Fermotein as a natural GLP-1 booster, targeting a lucrative space that has turned the food industry on its head. With its high fibre and protein content, it’s well-suited to users of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, who lose muscle mass much faster and place a greater emphasis on gut health.

    Fermotein to deliver ‘significant revenue growth’ in 2026

    the protein brewery funding
    Courtesy: The Protein Brewery

    The Protein Brewery self-affirmed Fermotein’s status as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in the US in 2021; with that rule set to be scrapped next year, it has notified the Food and Drug Administration in pursuit of a ‘no questions’ letter. This is expected in the first half of 2026.

    The company has raised around $60M to date, thanks to a $35M Series B round in September, whose investors included Novo Holdings, the parent company of Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk.

    Speaking to Green Queen at the time, CEO Thijs Bosch suggested that the startup was close to approval in the UK too. Additionally, it exhibited during the Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia in Singapore last month, where it’s working with a distribution partner to scale faster.

    According to the firm, the EFSA’s scientific output reaffirms the potential of Fermotein, and is an “important step” in commercialising the fermented protein with its “new customers and partners in Europe”. Combined with the funding and two key board appointments, it expects “significant revenue growth in 2026 and a need to expand its fermentation capacity in the coming months”.

    “The Protein Brewery sees tremendous potential to enhance the nutritional landscape of everyday food and drink choices for the busy and ageing European population,” said Bosch. “We recognise the trend towards convenience-driven food choices and a stronger reliance on healthy and sustainable nutrition, which are high in protein and fibre.

    “By incorporating Fermotein into these and more traditional dishes, we will increase their nutritional value, enriching them with protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals without compromising on taste and texture,” he added.

    “We are very pleased with this incredible milestone for The Protein Brewery and the EU food industry as a whole, for the first-ever fungal biomass to go through the novel food system,” noted Dommels.

    The post The Protein Brewery Edges Closer to EU Approval of Fungi-Derived Novel Food Ingredient appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Op-Ed: Dubai Summit Shows the Future of Food Hinges on Regulatory Sandboxes

    eu novel foods
    7 Mins Read

    Regulatory expert Stephen O’Rourke explains why the global future food industry could learn a thing from Dubai’s RegLab model.

    If foodtech is going to scale globally, the next breakthroughs will not come from bioreactors or cell lines. They will come from regulation, and more specifically, from a shift in regulatory mindset. That was hard to ignore last week at the Dubai International Food Safety Conference (DIFSC 2025).

    Dubai brought together an unusually diverse mix of voices: regulators, FAO leaders, innovators, scientists, municipal officials, and founders. In most countries, these groups orbit each other politely. In Dubai, they shared the same room and asked direct questions about what is required to deliver safe, scalable, and trusted food innovation.

    One theme resurfaced repeatedly, not only in my talk but also during my panel with Dr Markus Lipp (FAO) and Andrew Wilson, and in countless conversations across the event:

    Regulatory sandboxes are not shortcuts.

    They are structured environments for shared learning, and one of the most important tools the future of food will rely on. Dubai has made the urgency of the topic unavoidable.

    Food safety as soft power

    dubai food safety conference
    Courtesy: Stephen O’Rourke

    While Europe debates impact assessments and North America deals with fragmentation between federal and state responsibilities, Dubai is building something different: regulatory capability as national infrastructure.

    Food safety here is not treated as a bureaucratic burden. It is positioned as a strategic asset and a form of soft power that signals the UAE’s intention to be a safe, trusted, globally connected food hub.

    This matters because most regulatory delays in foodtech do not stem from the science. They stem from uncertainty over who decides what, how risk is interpreted, which evidence is considered relevant, and how predictable the pathway is.

    Dubai is addressing these gaps directly, using tools that reduce uncertainty at the source.

    In my talk, I used a line that drew an immediate reaction: “Innovators often feel like they are sprinting while regulators are walking.”

    This was not criticism. It was a description of reality. Startups must move quickly. Regulators must move carefully. Without mechanisms to bring these two tempos together, the result is predictable: stalled dossiers, shifting expectations, avoidable rework, longer timelines, and frustration for everyone involved.

    This is where regulatory sandboxes show their value.

    What the UAE is doing: the RegLab model

    A point that many outside the region overlook is that the UAE already operates a legally backed regulatory sandbox through the federal RegLab initiative.

    RegLab flips the traditional model on its head. It allows regulators and innovators to test new technologies before the rules are written. Most jurisdictions legislate first and test later. The UAE is testing first and regulating with evidence.

    Based on DIFSC discussions and insights from Dubai Municipality, RegLab provides three important advantages:

    1. Early visibility for regulators: Instead of assessing novel technologies from a static dossier, authorities can observe them in controlled pilots. This reduces blind spots and accelerates understanding.
    2. Less uncertainty for innovators: Founders can deal with strict requirements. What they cannot manage is unpredictability. RegLab allows companies to generate real-world data with government oversight, avoiding the mid-process shifts that often complicate the EU Novel Foods pathway.
    3. Regulation informed by real conditions: RegLab is not about speed. It is about insight. Regulators learn what actually works and design rules around that evidence.

    RegLab is similar to the way innovation is governed in sectors such as fintech and medical devices, where supervised pilots and early testing are considered routine.

    It is particularly well-suited to foodtech. This sector combines biological uncertainty, population-wide exposure, and the need for public trust. In that context, supervised real-world testing is not optional. It is essential.

    RegLab reflects an agile regulatory mindset. It does not lower standards. It reduces unknowns.

    Sandboxes aren’t new – and that matters

    lab grown meat uk
    Courtesy: Mosa Meat

    It is positive to see more organisations, including at the EU level, acknowledging the value of regulatory sandboxes. Conversations about this have grown across the European Parliament and several future-focused think tanks.

    But sandboxes themselves are not new.

    • The UAE introduced its federal RegLab initiative several years ago, applying sandbox-style regulation across multiple sectors.
    • The UK launched a cultivated meat sandbox earlier in 2025.
    • Singapore has relied on sandbox-style early engagement from the beginning of its novel foods framework, even if it does not formally label it a sandbox.

    Food tech innovation runs ahead of static regulatory structures. The system has been signalling the need for this shift for a long time. Only now is momentum catching up.

    The EU novel food system is changing, slowly but meaningfully

    While the UAE continues to test and adapt through RegLab, Europe is making adjustments of its own.

    In late 2025 and early 2026, EFSA and the European Commission will introduce new measures for the Novel Food pathway, including a pre-publication notification process, stricter timelines (including “three strikes” for unanswered RFIs), limits on extensions, faster completeness checks, and reduced acceptance of late evidence.

    These changes will not resolve Europe’s core issue of unpredictability. However, they do show that early alignment and consistent expectations are now recognised as essential.

    It is also worth noting that updates like these are never purely technical. They reflect the political pressure on EFSA and the European Commission to demonstrate predictability, transparency, and tighter process control at a time when novel foods have become a policy battleground.

    As one regulator in Dubai remarked: “Innovation slows not because the bar is high, but because the bar is not visible.”

    Europe’s reforms are, in their own way, an attempt to make that bar more visible.

    eu novel foods
    Courtesy: European Food Safety Authority

    The role of early scientific advice

    In both Europe and the UAE, one principle remains true: 20 minutes of early scientific advice can save a year of misaligned studies.

    Early alignment is the difference between a dossier that moves and one that stalls. In systems like the UAE’s RegLab or Singapore’s early-engagement model, companies know what evidence regulators consider meaningful before they invest heavily in studies.

    Europe often provides this clarity only after the data has already been generated. That timing gap explains much of the frustration that founders experience and much of the delay that regulators cannot easily prevent.

    Europe’s structure adds to this challenge. EFSA evaluates safety, the Commission manages the process, and Member States approve the final step. With responsibilities split across institutions, early scientific advice is available in theory but difficult in practice. The result is a system where predictability depends as much on navigation skills as on science.

    This is not a criticism of Europe’s expertise. It is a reflection of how its machinery works.

    Europe’s challenges and opportunities

    Europe has strengths that the UAE does not: long-standing institutions, deep scientific heritage, transparent review mechanisms, and strong legal safeguards. These are foundations that many countries would envy.

    But Europe also has a persistent weakness: it still lacks simple, predictable early-entry pathways for innovators.

    Dubai, Singapore, the UK, and the Netherlands have moved quickly to design systems that welcome innovators early. Europe still treats early engagement as the exception. That difference in approach slows innovation, not because Europe is less capable, but because its system expects alignment to happen late rather than early.

    The lesson is not that one region is ahead of another. It is that mindset and tools matter.

    Systems built around visibility, predictability, and early alignment consistently outperform systems built around late judgment. When innovators understand what regulators expect, regulators receive better evidence, and society receives safer, more thoroughly validated products.

    Europe can do this too. The scientific excellence is there. What is missing is a structure that allows innovators and regulators to meet earlier, share understanding earlier, and close uncertainty earlier. The opportunity is enormous.

    A global call to action

    dubai reglab
    Courtesy: WAM

    None of this is accidental. The UAE’s progress on regulatory agility, including the federal RegLab initiative and other sandbox approaches across the region, reflects sustained national investment in innovation governance.

    At the DIFSC level, the work done by the Dubai Municipality Food Safety team deserves recognition. Their openness and willingness to connect innovators, regulators, and global experts is a major reason Dubai is becoming a regional reference point for more collaborative regulatory approaches.

    It complements the UAE’s broader commitment to building a regulatory system capable of learning at the same speed as the technologies it governs.

    Dubai demonstrated something important. The future of food will be shaped not only by science or investment, but by regulatory mindset.

    Regulatory sandboxes are not experimental add-ons. They are practical tools that reduce uncertainty for regulators and innovators without weakening safety. They create shared understanding, build trust, and make regulatory decisions more predictable.

    If foodtech is going to scale, we need regulatory systems that learn as quickly as the technologies they oversee. RegLab is one model. The UK is building another. More will follow. The direction of travel is clear. The question is who will act with intent, and who will wait.

    Governments should not wait for perfect rules. They should create structured environments where rules can be informed by real evidence.

    Innovation does not need lower standards. It needs fewer unknowns. If governments build systems that learn, adapt, and engage early, then innovation will not have to fight the system.

    It will finally have a system designed to help it succeed.

    The post Op-Ed: Dubai Summit Shows the Future of Food Hinges on Regulatory Sandboxes appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Why Edonia is Betting the Farm on Spirulina to Fill the Plant Protein Gap

    edonia
    5 Mins Read

    France’s Edonia turns green spirulina into a brown mince with as much protein as beef and a much smaller environmental footprint than soy. Now, it will be part of 10,000 catering meals, having secured €15M worth of commercial deals.

    Can microalgae really be the answer to the protein boom?

    They’ve been under Big Food’s spotlight for some years now, thanks to a virtually abundant supply of raw materials and tremendous sustainability credentials.

    Now, one startup is taking things up a notch, using these marine organisms to foray into the booming protein sector. Based in Paris, Edonia has developed a process to transform spirulina (the green microalgae that has made its name as a superfood) and chlorella (a single-celled source of protein) into a complete protein with more branched-chain amino acids and iron than beef.

    The technology turns the spirulina into a soft-textured brown mince called Edo-1. It is minimally processed, free from additives, and has an ultra-low carbon footprint. In just a year, the startup has scaled up from lab to production and pre-sold several thousand tonnes of its ingredients, totalling €15M in pre-contracted revenue.

    Now, as it gears up to raise its Series A round, it has partnered with Newrest, a global catering giant, to deliver over 10,000 meals made from its spirulina mince across multiple sites.

    “Edo-1 is a ready-to-use ingredient delivered frozen to Newrest’s central kitchen. Chefs can easily integrate it into any recipe of their choice without hydrating, cooking, or thawing it – they simply add it directly to the dish,” Hugo Valentin, co-founder and CEO of Edonia, tells Green Queen.

    ‘We go beyond the idea of simply replacing meat: our mission is to build a more plant-forward, appetising, and nutritious food offering.”

    Edo-1 tackles UPF and fortification concerns around plant-based proteins

    spirulina protein
    Courtesy: Lilie Bedos

    Valentin founded Edonia with Pierre Mignon and Nicolas Irlinger in 2023, aiming to reinvent the consumer experience of microalgae “through food science and deep technology”.

    “Our patented Edonization process transforms microalgae biomass into a delicious, ready-to-use protein ingredient called Edo. Edonization changes the colour, taste, and texture of spirulina, turning it into a brown, fluffy grain with a natural umami flavour – without any of the typical algae off-notes. No one could tell it comes from spirulina,” says Valentin.

    “We achieve this without using any additives: no texturising agents, no flavours. Unlike most plant-based approaches, we don’t use conventional fermentation, extrusion, or enzymatic treatments. Instead, we developed a proprietary clean process with AgroParisTech’s research lab, already scaled up at our pilot plant in France,” he adds.

    “With this flavourful, textured whole ingredient (no extraction), made entirely from spirulina, we offer the cleanest and most nutritious ready-to-eat protein ingredient on the market, officially recognized under our ‘simple ingredient’ claim.”

    Edo-1 has 27g of protein per 100g, with all essential amino acids and a PDCAAS score of 0.97. In addition, it boasts 20mg of bioavailable iron per 100g, much higher than beef or soy, with Valentin labelling it “the most iron-rich natural food ingredient available today”. Plus, it has a climate footprint of 1.95kg of CO2e, which is 27 times lower than beef and 2.5 times smaller than soy mince for the same amount of protein.

    These attributes help fill a gap left by current plant-based protein options. More and more people are consuming protein now, and animal-derived options still tend to be the dominant sources, despite their negative impact on public and planetary health. However, meat alternatives have lost their momentum recently, with many consumers still wary about incomplete and/or insufficient protein content, as well as ultra-processing.

    Most plant-based meats need to be fortified with iron, and that is a major pain point for these products, with one review suggesting that only a third of such offerings are fortified with the micronutrient. By harnessing spirulina, long recognised as a superfood, Edonia is rising to the occasion with its first ingredient.

    “With Edo, we aim to make them practical for manufacturers and appealing to consumers,” says Valentin. “We are moving forward with determination to promote more plant-based eating, offering a natural and accessible alternative, far from the ultra-processed products that mimic meat.”

    Edo plots Series A funding for industrial-scale facility

    edonia microalgae
    Courtesy: Lilie Bedos

    The partnership with Newrest is part of its scale-up plans. Edonia notes that foodservice operators are increasingly looking to add alternative proteins to their menus, especially ones that offer a blend of enhanced nutrition, taste and variety, while being easy to use and in line with tight budgets.

    So how will Newrest’s customers, which include students and leisure centre guests, experience Edo-1 in their meals? “The first recipe is a plant-based bolognese sauce served with pasta, soon to be followed by a hachis parmentier (a French-style shepherd’s pie),” says Valentin.

    “Since Edo is not a meat look-alike but a new, versatile textured protein ingredient, the possibilities are endless. It can be used in stuffed tomatoes, ravioli, dal, curry, salads, pies, soups, purées, and more. Edo is also used in combination with animal proteins to create hybrid products, or even in chocolate cakes to develop delicious protein-fortified recipes for socio-medical food.”

    The Newrest collaboration is one of several agreements Edonia has signed with leading food manufacturers. “With most of them, we’ve successfully moved from R&D to pilot-scale testing and product launch preparation,” says Valentin, noting that the launch details are still under wraps. “Most of our partners are based in Europe, and we’re now beginning to sign agreements in Asia as well.”

    He adds: “Some of them are among the largest food manufacturers in the world, all stating that they’ve never seen such a flavorful microalgae-based product, nor this level of nutritional performance in a clean, whole ingredient. As a result, several of them are willing to sign offtake agreements to secure volumes from our upcoming industrial unit.”

    Edonia has patented its production process and finalised the design of its upcoming facility this year, and is now planning a Series A fundraise for early 2026. “The amount is still to be confirmed, but the objective is to finance the next stage of our industrial scale-up,” Valentin says.

    Given the funding challenges of alternative proteins in the last couple of years, how does he manage to attract investors? “We have managed to achieve significant milestones and momentum,” he says.

    “[This includes] strong market traction, as the new generation of plant-based products shifts towards naturalness, authenticity, and clean nutrition; [a] breakthrough proprietary technology redefining industry standards and addressing these trends; solid commercial proof points with major food industry players validating our offering; [and] proven industrial execution with a clear path to profitable large-scale production.”

    Edonia is among a host of companies leveraging microalgae for climate-friendly foods, fuelling a market set to surpass $25B by 2033. These include Brevel, Checkerspot, Algae Cooking Club, Mewery, Quazy Foods, Ocean Kiss, Algama, Sophie’s Bionutrients, Triton Algae, Solmeyea, and more.

    The post Why Edonia is Betting the Farm on Spirulina to Fill the Plant Protein Gap appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Vegdog Expands Low-Carbon Pet Food Range with Microbial Cat Treats

    vegan cat food
    4 Mins Read

    German food tech firm Vegdog has expanded beyond dog food with the launch of microbial-fermented vegan treats for cats.

    Vegdog is going from canines to cats.

    The Munich-based startup has diversified its low-carbon pet food portfolio with Pure Bites for cats, a hypoallergenic snack made with biomass-fermented protein. The treats are available online in Germany, Austria and Italy, priced at €2.99 per 60g pack.

    “From the very beginning, our vision was to replace meat-based products in the pet food sector with healthy plant-based alternatives,” said Tessa Zaune-Figlar, co-founder and CEO of Vegdog.

    “Having already grown Vegdog into the leading brand for vegan dog food in Europe, we are now taking the next step with Vegcat.”

    Vegan cat treats show high palatability

    vegcat
    Courtesy: Vegdog

    The pet treats are produced by fermenting biomass with microbes, which produce an ingredient with 60% protein and a much lighter impact on the environment than conventional meat. The fermented protein makes up 20% of the cat treats’ recipe, complemented with tapioca starch, pea protein, coconut fat, rapeseed oil, cellulose, brewer’s yeast, sodium chloride, and catnip.

    Developed in collaboration with veterinarians, the Vegcat Pure Bits contain 4,000 mg of taurine per kg, an amino acid essential for cats. Plus, it has 27% crude protein and 4% raw fibre, and no artificial colours or flavours.

    Since the fermentation process doesn’t involve any animals, allergies and cross reactions are “extremely unlikely”, according to Vegdog. That’s because the most common food allergens in cats are beef (18%), fish (17%) and chicken (5%).

    Plus, many conventional pet food products rely on inorganic phosphates (like sodium hexametaphosphate or phosphoric acid), and while these can increase palatability, they have been linked to kidney damage and other health problems. Vegdog avoids this by excluding phosphorus additives in the Pure Bites product.

    “Thanks to new, innovative raw materials and scientific advances, it is now possible to feed cats a balanced plant-based diet. This opens up completely new opportunities – for greater sustainability and for a future in which love for animals does not come at the expense of other animals,” said Zaune-Figlar, who founded the startup a decade ago with Valerie Henssen.

    In a post on social media, she explained that the new product was created for cats “who inspect, compare, and make their decisions quietly, but absolutely”.

    “When it comes to palatability, we wanted to do what previous vegan cat-food attempts couldn’t. We went through countless rounds, took a few hits along the way, and only moved forward once our own – very critical – cats approved,” she said, outlining that the Pure Bites were accepted by nearly 100% of cats in taste tests.

    Alternative pet food advances as vegan diets found beneficial for cats

    vegdog
    Courtesy: Vegdog

    Cats have long been viewed as obligate carnivores, hampering sustainable product innovation in the category. However, recent research shows that felines fed a plant-based diet can be healthier than those eating meat, with owners reporting fewer visits to the vet and reduced diagnoses of severe illness, and more vets describing vegan cats as healthy.

    Earlier this year, a study also found that plant-based food is the “most effective measure” to tackle the climate footprint of cats and dogs, whose diets account for 30% of the environmental impact of livestock production.

    It’s why alternative pet food is having a moment, especially products that embrace novel technologies like fermentation and cell-cultivation. This year, the UK became the first country where consumers could buy cultivated meat for their cats and dogs off the shelves. Further, Biocraft Pet Nutrition and Umami Bioworks secured EU registration to sell their cultured meats as pet food ingredients in the region.

    In Singapore, Friends & Family Pet Food Co secured regulatory approval to sell a line of cultivated Kampung bird treats for cats and dogs.

    Back in Europe, Marsapet rolled out a kibble product for dogs using Calysta’s gas-fermented FeedKind protein, and The Pack introduced microbial dog treats with MicroHarvest.

    The latter itself partnered with Vegdog in 2024 to launch Pure Bites for dogs, in a year when the Munich-based firm’s sales shot up by 66%. And this year, Vegdog raised $10M in funding to expand its team and product footprint – the cat treats evidently being a part of that plan – with the aim of achieving a growth rate of up to 80% in the coming years.

    The post Vegdog Expands Low-Carbon Pet Food Range with Microbial Cat Treats appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Dutch Govt Paves Way for Pre-Approval Tastings of Precison-Fermented Foods

    the protein brewery
    4 Mins Read

    The Netherlands has become the first EU country to approve public tastings of foods derived from novel fermentation processes before they’re cleared for sale.

    Extending its future food leadership, the Netherlands has established a streamlined process for companies to host tasting events for fermentation-derived foods, including animal-free cheese, eggs, and fats.

    The government has published a Code of Practice that outlines the requirements future food producers need to meet to be cleared to conduct taste tests for these innovations, before they’re approved for general sale in the EU.

    It makes the Netherlands the first nation in the bloc to allow public tastings for precision- and biomass-fermented products that fall under the EU’s novel food category, which involves innovations without a significant consumption history before 1997.

    It comes two years after the country established a similar procedure for cultivated meat tastings, with Leiden-based Meatable the first startup to host such an event in 2024.

    “The tastings for innovative fermentation products, just like those for cultivated meat and fish, meet a great need,” said Annemiek Verkamman, director of biotech association HollandBio, which helped develop the Code of Practice.

    “This means we can let consumers taste and experience these products, and with their feedback, we can further improve them in preparation for European approval and market launch,” she added.

    How the Netherlands embraced precision fermentation tastings

    precision fermentation regulatory approval
    Courtesy: Vivici

    While novel foods are usually only allowed to be served to the public after clearing the EU’s rigorous and long-winded approval process, this hampers companies’ ability to improve the taste, texture and other elements of their products.

    It’s why the Dutch House of Representatives passed a motion – nearly unanimously – to enter consultation with local food tech companies to facilitate tastings of such fermentation-derived products under controlled and safe conditions.

    In response to that motion, the Dutch Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, and Health, Welfare and Sport began working with Hollandbio, trade representative Cellular Agriculture Netherlands, and fermentation startups Farmless, NoPalm Ingredients, The Protein Brewery, Those Vegan Cowboys, and Vivici to develop a framework for tasting approvals.

    The Code of Practice describes the process, data and conditions under which companies can organise tastings. In their application, they must provide information about the microorganisms involved (and their history of use), the production process, the chemical composition of the food, the presence of mycotoxins, as well as safe intake values.

    Participants in the tasting events have to be healthy, non-pregnant adults with no food allergies or underlying diseases, who must be informed about the ingredients and given a guide for actions to take in case of adverse events.

    Companies can host a maximum of 10 tastings in a one-year period, with no more than 30 people per session. They’re required to provide descriptions of the dishes, inclusion rates and recipes, and ensure the availability of an emergency response officer and a medical hotline.

    Their applications will be assessed by a committee of five independent experts chosen by Cellular Agriculture Netherlands, which is carrying out the National Growth Fund programme’s €60M effort to advance cultivated meat and precision-fermented foods. The panel would need to unanimously approve the dossier before tastings can be held.

    First novel fermentation tastings expected in early 2026

    precision fermentation cheese
    Courtesy: Those Vegan Cowboys

    “Applications from innovative fermentation can make a crucial contribution to meeting the growing global demand for protein, reducing our climate impact, and minimising animal suffering,” said Verkamman, calling it “fantastic news for the Netherlands”.

    “By enabling the tasting of these products, we are strengthening the Netherlands’ decades-long pioneering role in agricultural and food innovation, both in Europe and beyond,” she noted.

    With the caretaker cabinet implementing the motion following the publication of a letter to the parliament, companies involved in the process expect to hold their first tasting events in Q1 2026.

    That includes Those Vegan Cowboys, which employs precision fermentation to produce recombinant casein, the main protein group found in dairy. The startup is looking to obtain Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status in the US by the end of 2025, before entering the EU in the next three to four years.

    Speaking to trade publication Eiwit Trends in January, its CEO Hille van der Kaa remarked: “We want to show what our product can do. It’s strange, of course, that you invite people to show your product and then have to say: ‘You can squeeze it, but you can’t eat it.’”

    She added that tasting events can help understand consumer perception of the product, which can help the company make improvements. “We also want to demonstrate what our ingredient can do: its stretch and melting properties. For example, sending out samples is a lot of work because it involves a lot of paperwork. It’s much more enjoyable to present it openly,” she said.

    Other future foods Dutch consumers may be able to try early next year include Vivici’s whey protein, The Protein Brewery’s high-protein, high-fibre Fermotein ingredient, and NoPalm Ingredients’s palm oil alternatives.

    Tastings can “ensure the tastiest products and make them accessible to everyone, without negative consequences for people, animals, or our planet”, outlined Verkamman. “This development brings us closer to that goal. We thank the ministries for their constructive collaboration and look forward to the moment when the first Dutch people participate in a tasting,” she said.

    The post Dutch Govt Paves Way for Pre-Approval Tastings of Precison-Fermented Foods appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Coffees, Barry Callebaut & Listeria Settlement

    oatly iced latte
    3 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Oatly’s iced coffees, La Vie and Cathedral City’s collab, and Danone and Walmart’s listeria settlement.

    New products and launches

    Swedish oat milk giant Oatly has rolled out its ready-to-drink coffee beverages in the UK, with the iced flat white and caramel macchiato SKUs available at Tesco for £2 per 235ml can.

    accro croque
    Courtesy: Accro

    Fresh from raising the largest investment for a European plant-based meat company this year, French brand Accro has introduced vegan cheese-filled Croques and Tex-Mex-style Spicy Wings.

    Fellow French plant-based meat maker La Vie has partnered with Cathedral City and Saputo to launch frozen vegan mac and cheese bites at Iceland stores in the UK.

    made in hackney book
    Courtesy: Nourish

    Also in the UK, vegan community cooking school and charity Made in Hackney has released a debut cookbook, We Cook Plants, to raise funds for its food justice work.

    German vegan food manufacturer Planteneers has unveiled a stabilising and protein system from its fiildDairy CH range, which can help companies achieve smooth, elastic textures in plant-based cheese slices with up to 8% protein.

    Company and finance updates

    Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate supplier, has partnered with Chilean AI-led food tech unicorn NotCo to develop more sustainable and innovative chocolate products.

    barry callebaut notco
    Courtesy: Matias Muchnick/LinkedIn

    Lazy Vegan, a Dutch brand of plant-based meals, has dropped the word ‘vegan’ from its name, in a rebranding move it hopes will attract more flexitarians. The products themselves will remain vegan.

    Danish firm Planetdairy has acquired the equipment and technology assets from Swedish vegan cheesemaker Stockeld Dreamery, which shut down last month, to supercharge its hybrid dairy efforts.

    stockeld dreamery cream cheese
    Courtesy: Stockeld Dreamery

    Animal rights charity Mercy for Animals has announced that current president Arash Yomtobian has taken over as CEO from Leah Garcés. He will serve in both roles.

    Policy, awards and events

    Danone, Walmart and Intact Insurance Company have reached a C$6.5M settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit against the sale of plant-based milk products linked to listeria. Those who drank said products are entitled to compensation from C$400 (for those who suffered symptoms for up to 48 hours to C$150,000 (for severe complications).

    michroma cj cheiljedang
    Courtesy: Michroma

    Californian natural colourant maker Michroma, which makes food dyes with fungi fermentation, has won The Future is Fungi Award 2025, part of which is a $289,000 prize and access to a network of partners, including L’Oréal, Novonesis, and Stanford University.

    In the UK, the London Vegan Fayre will be held at Kensington Town Hall on Saturday, December 6, from 10am to 6pm, with tickets costing £8 in advance (and £10 on the door).

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Coffees, Barry Callebaut & Listeria Settlement appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Exclusive: This Cultivated Meat Marketplace Sells Inputs & Equipment for Manufacturers

    cultigen group
    5 Mins Read

    Cultigen Group, which opened an online cultivated meat shop for consumers this year, has now launched a B2B marketplace for companies.

    To make it easier for the cellular agriculture industry to access equipment and inputs for future-friendly food production, UK-based Cultigen Group has opened an online marketplace for “cultivated meat procurement”.

    The platform, called Cellbase, connects suppliers of bioreactors, growth media, scaffolds, cell lines, sensors, and processing equipment with cultivated meat startups and researchers.

    “The supply chain is fragmented. Companies spend weeks chasing quotes and manually gathering product information across multiple vendor websites,” explains David Bell, founder of Cultigen Group.

    “Every emerging industry hits this wall. Someone has to build the rails. That’s what we’re doing. Cellbase removes procurement friction so companies can focus on R&D and scale rather than email chains and PDF spec sheets,” he adds.

    Cellbase’s launch comes six months after Bell set up a consumer-facing online store for cultivated meat, for when it eventually gets regulatory approval and enters the European market.

    These projects are part of the wider Cultigen Group, which emerged over the last 18 months as Bell mapped infrastructure gaps across the cultivated meat value chain.

    “Rather than building one business, I realised the industry needed an ecosystem, so I built out all the parts where I can add value through my niche expertise,” he said.

    Cellbase supports multiple currencies and languages

    cellbase
    Courtesy: Cellbase

    Bell notes that Cellbase is an international B2B marketplace, with localised currency support for “every major currency worldwide”. It has also translated the platform into 20 languages, including Dutch, simplified Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, Thai and Arabic, covering around 95% of the cultivated meat industry.

    Now, the website is live with the first cohort of partners across three core categories: cells, media, and scaffolds. “Launch suppliers include Multus, Sallea, Quest Meat, KCell, Mor-Cell.bio, Cellcraft, CellxCell, Qkine, Nexture Bio, and Defined Bioscience,” reveals Bell.

    We’re now actively onboarding across all other categories too: bioreactors, sensors, scaffolding, equipment, consumables, analytical tools, and services,” he adds. “We’re building comprehensive category coverage and looking for suppliers who want to be part of the industry’s default procurement platform. The target is 30 suppliers by year-end, and we’re moving fast.”

    The idea is similar to Ocatté Base, the B2B marketplace operated by Japanese cellular agriculture pioneer, IntegriCulture. “I respect what they’re attempting. That said, Cellbase operates at a different scale of sophistication,” says Bell.

    This includes multiple product categories with deep taxonomies; advanced filtering, search, and comparison via structured metadata parsing, full e-commerce functionality (online ordering, cart and checkout); comprehensive marketplace infrastructure (order management, automated payouts, account dashboards, etc.), and multiple suppliers across categories.

    “We’re a fully-fledged marketplace built to remove procurement friction, not a directory or consortium model. Think specialised infrastructure for cellular agriculture,” says Bell.

    Cellbase generates revenue the same way “most successful marketplaces” do: by taking a commission on completed sales. This covers platform infrastructure and hosting, payment processing, buyer acquisition and marketing, customer service, and product cataloguing, search, and comparison tools.

    There are no listing fees, monthly charges, or hidden costs. “Suppliers only pay when they make sales,” he explains. “Our incentives align: we win when they win.”

    Filling the technical execution and transparent pricing gaps

    cultivated meat shop
    Courtesy: Cellbase

    What roadblocks did Bella encounter when setting up Cellbase? “Honestly, the market response validated something we already suspected: this infrastructure gap was real. Suppliers approached us to list, buyers asked when they could order, and researchers engaged before launch. That told us we’re solving an actual pain point, not building a solution looking for a problem,” he outlines.

    “The challenge has been technical execution – creating uniform metadata structures across multiple products and categories. Suppliers provide specs in PDFs, manuals, and inconsistent formats. We’ve parsed and standardised that data into structured fields so buyers can actually compare products apples-to-apples.

    “The other friction point: pricing transparency. Many suppliers still operate on ‘request for quote’ systems: PDFs, email chains, weeks of back-and-forth. We’ve brought unit pricing, shipping costs, and purchasing into a single interface. One-click ordering, card or bank transfer, PO support.

    “Everything we build focuses on removing friction. This industry runs on dated procurement workflows, and that slows everyone down. Cellbase solves that. The faster scientists can source what they need, the faster products reach the market.”

    Bell bootstrapped the business, which has no external funding so far (and “currently none needed”). “We’re a small team that’s built everything from the ground up – every brand, site, system – without external funding. We move at operator speed: tight feedback loops, rapid iteration, sophisticated execution,” he says. “As we hit scale milestones, we’ll expand strategically where it creates leverage.”

    An all-encompassing vision for cultivated meat

    lab grown meat stores
    Courtesy: Cellbase

    Culivated Meat Shop and Cellbase are far from the breadth of Cultigen Group’s vision. The company says unlocking these proteins’ potential requires more than scientific innovation: commercial execution, public trust, and practical systems that make it visible, accessible, and desirable are equally important.

    As such, it is building a host of ventures tackling different tenets of the protein transition. Via public advocacy body the Cultivarian Society, it aims to establish “cultivarian” as a dietary identity for people who eat cultivated meat, while it’s planning an editorial platform called The Growth Medium and a real-time intelligence directory engine titled Cultideck.

    Further, Cultigen Group is developing Cell.farm, an infrastructure platform that promises a reimagination of production accessibility and scalability.

    As it builds this ecosystem, it’s recording quick progress on the ventures it has already introduced. Cultivated Meat Shop, for example, now operates localised domains and languages in over 20 markets in Europe, including Spain, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and France.

    “This positions us as the default consumer entry point for cultivated meat across the continent when products reach the market,” says Bell. “Products aren’t yet approved for retail in the UK or EU, so we’re in pre-launch positioning mode, building SEO authority, email subscribers, and brand equity ahead of regulatory clearance.”

    He adds: “We’re not onboarding companies yet in the traditional retail sense. We’re owning the digital real estate and building an audience ahead of market opening. First-mover advantage isn’t launching first; it’s being ready when regulation clears.”

    And Cultigen Group is certainly positioning itself to be ready. Can it grab that advantage?

    The post Exclusive: This Cultivated Meat Marketplace Sells Inputs & Equipment for Manufacturers appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Americans Will Be Able To Buy Protein Powder Made From Air in 2026

    solein protein shake
    3 Mins Read

    Solar Foods has announced the latest partnership for its gas-fermented Solein protein, which will form the base of Pothos protein powders to be launched in early 2026.

    Six months after introducing a prototype protein powder made from thin air, Solar Foods has notched its first commercial deal for the format.

    The Finnish company has teamed up with US nutritional supplement and lifestyle company Pothos, which will integrate the former’s Solein ingredient into a line of ready-to-mix vegan protein powders under its renewed PRVL brand.

    The limited-edition range is set to be rolled out in the US early next year. The announcement comes a week after Solar Foods collaborated with Fermenta to tease a line of gluten-free Solein protein bars, also slated for launch in Q1 2026.

    Solar Foods hails ‘big milestone’

    solein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Solein is produced by feeding microbes on gases like carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen, eschewing the need for sugar and, subsequently, 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, 10% dietary fibre, and a macronutrient profile akin to dried soy or algae.

    The deep-yellow powder has all nine essential amino acids, zero cholesterol or saturated fat, and is packed with iron and vitamin B12. Plus, it has a mild flavour, making it an ideal base for a variety of products.

    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.

    “Solein offers exceptional nutritional values, great taste and minimal environmental impact, setting a new standard for nutritional protein, and we can’t wait to see products powered by Solein available for consumers,” said Troels Nørgaard, chief commercial and product officer at Solar Foods.

    “Solein fits perfectly into clean-label products and Pothos’ minimalist approach featuring only essential, high-quality ingredients,” he added.

    “Pothos shares our excitement about Solein, and they have been able to develop a product to market really fast. It is a big milestone for us to enter this market segment and the ready-to-mix product category in the US.”

    Pothos taps into protein-hungry Americans with Solein

    solein protein
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Pothos, based in Texas, makes clean-label supplements “with a minimalist approach”. The protein powders it’s launching with Solein are non-dairy, gluten-free, and contain no soy.

    “PRVL is pioneering a new generation of protein, one that proves innovation doesn’t need excess. Every element is intentional; every choice backed by science, designed to meet the growing demand for cleaner, smarter, and more sustainable nutrition,” said Thomas Miller, VP of operations at Pothos.

    “We are very excited to work with Solein, which perfectly fits our philosophy of producing minimalist products free from unnecessary additives, offering a complete amino acid profile and vegan-friendly, non-GMO characteristics.”

    Solar Foods has already commercialised Solein in a bunch of products in Singapore, including mooncakes, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate snack bars, and beanless lattes. This year, it notified the US FDA of its self-affirmed GRAS status, singling out the health and performance nutrition sector as its initial target market.

    It comes as 70% of Americans try to consume protein this year, and one in three increased their intake, spawning protein-spiked coffee syrups, cup noodles, Doritos, and water.

    The publicly-listed company has raised around €83M in equity and debt funding, and signed several supply and product development agreements, including with US-based GLP-1 wellness company Superb Food and Italian food firm KelpEat. In fact, three other commercialisation deals could account for half of the production capacity of its upcoming large-scale facility, dubbed Factory 02.

    This facility, expected to begin operations in 2028, will be able to churn out 12,800 tonnes of Solein annually at €4.30-5.20 per kg. Its current demo plant, Factory 01, has a capacity of 160 tonnes of Solein per year, which is set to increase to 230 tonnes by 2026.

    The post Americans Will Be Able To Buy Protein Powder Made From Air in 2026 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • SuperMeat Raises $3.5M to Launch Cultivated Chicken in Europe

    supermeat funding
    4 Mins Read

    Israeli food tech startup SuperMeat has secured $3.5M in an ongoing funding round to support the commercialisation of its cultivated meat in Europe.

    A year after announcing it could produce cultivated meat at price parity with conventional chicken, SuperMeat has taken a big stride in its path to bringing the innovation to market.

    The Tel Aviv-based startup has bagged $3.5M in fresh funding to commercialise the production of its premium cultured chicken in Europe.

    The round was led by existing shareholder Agronomics, which invested $2M (via a combination of cash and new shares) and was joined by Milk and Honey Ventures (another return investor). It takes the company’s total raised to $18.5M.

    It’s part of a larger effort to raise $4.5M through the issue of a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), which allows subscribers to convert their investment into equity at the next qualifying fundraise or other liquidity event at a 70% discount, capped at a post-money valuation of $35M.

    “We are proud to further increase our investment in SuperMeat and its team,” said Agronomics executive chair Jim Mellon. “Its progress towards industrial-scale cultivated meat represents not only a compelling financial opportunity but also a strategic shift toward a cleaner, more resilient, and technologically advanced future for food.”

    How SuperMeat makes affordable 100% cultivated chicken

    supermeat
    Courtesy: Dror Varshavski

    SuperMeat is one of the earliest players in the cultivated meat space, having been founded a decade ago by Ido Savir, Shir Friedman, and Koby Barak.

    Its meat comprises muscle and fat derived from chicken cells, produced via a continuous process. These are grown in a seeding bioreactor, where they’re provided warmth, oxygen and nutrients. This helps them mature into meat tissues just like they would in an animal’s body. Once the cells reach the desired density, they’re harvested by removing the remaining liquid feed.

    The meat mass is harvested daily in the form of ground chicken that’s ready to be cooked. The process requires minimal space and resources and produces three lbs of meat (the same as the yield from one chicken) in just two days, compared to the 42 days it takes to raise and process a chicken.

    SuperMeat’s robust, self-renewing cell line allows it to reach densities of 80 million cells per ml in just nine days. It has developed a high-throughput system that replaces expensive animal-derived ingredients like serum and albumin with more affordable alternatives, resulting in media costs of under 50 cents per litre.

    Last year, the firm revealed that it had made several breakthroughs to make its cultivated chicken more affordable. The combination of a highly stable cell line, a fully controlled animal-free media formulation, and rapid differentiation protocols helped it achieve production costs of $11.8 per lb at a 25,000-litre scale, in line with the price of premium chicken in the US.

    And importantly, these cost advancements are based on a 100% cultivated chicken product (with 85% muscle and 15% fat), not a hybrid version with minimal cell-cultured ingredients and a larger share of plant-based inputs.

    SuperMeat has deals in place to commercialise in Europe

    supermeat cultivated meat
    Courtesy: SuperMeat

    “As global demand for protein continues to rise, it is essential to meet this demand sustainably, reducing the environmental and health impacts associated with industrial agriculture,” said Mellon. “Companies such as SuperMeat and its partners are delivering the science, technology, and commercial readiness necessary to drive meaningful change.”

    A life-cycle analysis by CE Delft last year found that SuperMeat’s innovation is responsible for roughly 50% fewer carbon emissions than conventional chicken.

    The company currently operates a facility that can churn out several hundred lbs of cultivated chicken in a week; when scaled to an industrial facility, it’s expected to manufacture 6.7 million lbs (or three million kgs) of the protein annually – equivalent to around 2.7 million chickens, with 80% less land required.

    SuperMeat has been working with regulators across the US, Europe and Asia. And while the US has long remained its top priority, this latest investment puts Europe at the centre of its commercial plans.

    The startup is a founding member of Cellular Agriculture Europe, and has partnered with German poultry giant PHW Group to launch its cultivated chicken in the EU. Moreover, it has signed a deal with Swiss retail leader Migros to produce and distribute the innovation in Switzerland. And earlier this year, it teamed up with biotech company Stämm to bring its cultivated meat to market by 2026.

    “Over the past year, we have made substantial advancements across our production platform, for the first time making cultivated chicken production commercially viable, and are now focused on translating these achievements into commercial launch,” said Savir, who is SuperMeat’s CEO.

    “This investment supports our progress toward bringing cultivated chicken to market with partners who understand how significant this category can become as demand and expectations evolve.”

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  • The World’s First Cultivated Meat Farm is Now Open in the Netherlands

    cultivated meat farm
    5 Mins Read

    RespectFarms has launched a pilot farm to produce cultivated meat in the Netherlands, with Corné van Leeuwen becoming the first farmer to receive EU funding for these proteins.

    Backed by public funding from the EU and the provincial government, dairy farmer Corné van Leeuwen will now also produce cultivated meat.

    Thanks to systems integration firm RespectFarms, his dairy operation in South Holland is now equipped with a cultivated meat production unit, making it the first such farm in the world.

    With the cultivated meat units installed and operational in the coming weeks, van Leeuwen’s farm will demonstrate how livestock farmers can integrate these proteins into their existing setups, allaying fears of the technology’s impact on the farming community.

    The project is supported by the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri) and the South Holland province, making van Leeuwen the first farmer globally to receive agricultural funding to grow cultivated meat.

    “We’re building a model where livestock farmers remain at the centre of food production, not replaced by factories,” said Ira van Eelen, co-founder of RespectFarms and Cellular Agriculture Netherlands. “This is an opportunity to make the protein transition fair, transparent, and rooted in rural communities.”

    Farmers must be at the centre of the cultivated meat ecosystem

    lab grown meat farm
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

    RespectFarms integrates cultivated meat and the knowledge of technology partners to develop a scalable, on-farm model for these proteins. Instead of relying on massive, centralised facilities, the startup supports a local, farm-first approach.

    This scale-out model introduces advanced agritech to farms, supporting innovation, income diversification, and locally rooted food production. It generates new knowledge and opportunities for livestock farmers and policymakers, and boosts the economic foundations of rural communities.

    “As a farmer, you have to look ahead, especially these days,” said van Leeuwen, whose farming family has always championed innovation, from using milking robots to producing artisanal cheese. “This is a chance to see whether a new income model can fit alongside what we already do. Making cultivated meat on the farm makes sense for many reasons. Not trying it would be a missed opportunity.”

    RespectFarms has previously explained that through this model, farmers would be able to produce more meat with fewer cows, which wouldn’t need to be slaughtered. It safeguards them against any disease risk to the livestock (and eventually humans who consume their meat).

    “RespectFarms boils down a world problem to farm size. And once it works, we scale this out to the world to increase impact,” said Ralf Becks, co-founder of RespectFarms.

    The project creates a real-world test centre for learning how cultivated meat production can complement livestock farming. And that has been a major sticking point for critics of the technology, with policymakers citing threats to farmers as the drivers of legislative restrictions and bans on cultivated meat.

    lab grown meat farmers
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

    In fact, farmers recognise the opportunities presented by cultivated meat and have opposed such bans, noting that they didn’t need the government’s help to compete with these proteins. Instead, they’re more worried about the social issues brought on by this technology, like Big Food controlling the market or the knock-on effects on rural communities, than the impact on their bottom lines.

    Further, consumer organisation Euroconsumers notes that small-scale on-farm cultivated meat production “can offer opportunities for farmers“, as long as we “keep things fair and make sure benefits don’t just go to a few big players”.

    Respectfarms to open experience centre to boost public engagement

    Euroconsumers also found that when it comes to ensuring the safety of cultivated meat, way more Europeans place their trust in farmers (27%) than retailers or private companies (11%), according to a Euroconsumers survey this year.

    So it’s a positive sign that public bodies are recognising this. EIP-Agri is an EU framework that connects farmers, researchers, and businesses to accelerate agricultural innovation. It funds experimental projects that enhance productivity, sustainability, and knowledge sharing.

    Meanwhile, the South Holland province contributed funds to support innovation, farmer engagement, and knowledge exchange. “This initiative demonstrates how innovation in agritech and biotech supports both our province and the Netherlands in the protein transition, while also creating economic opportunities,” said Meindert Stolk, the regional minister for economy and innovation.

    “By developing technology and knowledge locally and exporting it internationally, we strengthen our position as a leader in sustainable food production and strategic technology,” he added.

    lab grown meat farmers
    Courtesy: Respectfarms

    RespectFarms co-founder Florentine Zieglowski said the firm is “pioneering a fast way to commercialise cultivated meat – decentralised and together with agricultural, tech and supply chain partners”. These include Wageningen University & Research, cultivated meat firms Mosa Meat, Aleph Farms, Multus, sustainable agriculture company Kipster, and facility design specialist Royal Kuijpers.

    Together, they’re part of the Craft (Cellular Revolution in Agriculture and Farming Technology) Consortium, which was awarded €2M in a grant co-funded by the EU-backed accelerator, EIT Food, to build the cultivated meat farm.

    Respectfarms will open an experience centre at van Leeuwen’s farm next spring, engaging with farmers, value chain stakeholders, and policymakers, while welcoming local communities and educators to witness cultivated meat production firsthand. The goal is to foster public engagement and transparency, a key tenet for greater consumer acceptance of cultivated meat.

    “People need to see what’s really happening,” said van Eelen. “It’s good to have a place where science meets farmers, citizens, and policymakers to learn, debate, and co-create the future of food production and farming.”

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  • Chromologics Raises $8M to Bring Fermented Red Dye to US & EU Food Companies

    chromologics funding
    4 Mins Read

    Danish precision fermentation startup Chromologics has secured €7M ($8M) in funding to commercialise its natural food-grade alternative to synthetic red dye.

    Amid the rush to phase out synthetic dyes from food products, one startup has taken a big step towards bringing its natural alternative to market.

    Copenhagen-based Chromologics, which uses precision fermentation to develop sustainable food colourings, has raised €7M ($8M) in fresh funding from existing backers Novo Holdings and Danish state fund EIFO, as well as new investors Döhler Ventures, Collateral Good Ventures and Synergetic.

    The round takes the startup’s all-time funding to $21.7M, and will help it complete regulatory submissions for its bio-based food dye, Natu.Red, with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

    Additionally, the capital will support the scale-up of its production, in collaboration with a large-scale contract manufacturer, as well as the eventual product launch.

    “We continue to be impressed by the company’s ability to develop a truly differentiated red colour, and by the maturity of its technology, which has already led to a competitive cost position with potential for further optimisation,” said Thomas Grotkjær, partner at Novo Holdings’s Planetary Health Investments division.

    “The constructive dialogues with strategic players suggest that we can scale the business rapidly upon regulatory approval,” he added.

    How Chromologics uses microbes to produce natural food dyes

    chromologics
    Courtesy: Chromologics

    Founded in 2017 as a spin-out of the Technical University of Denmark, Chromologics has developed a precision fermentation platform to make cost-effective food dyes compatible with a wide array of dietary requirements.

    Precision fermentation involves inserting a DNA sequence into microbes to teach them to produce specific molecules when fermented. The firm uses the tech to create an alternative to carmine, the red pigment traditionally derived from crushed beetles and cochineal insects.

    The microbes are fed on sugar and other nutrients while submerged in water, helping them produce the red colour during the process. Chromologics can operate a circular system by recycling the water and using green energy for its fermentation runs.

    The end product, Natu.Red, is tasteless, odourless and stable across a wide temperature and pH range. The fermentation process allows the startup to operate independently of traditional seasonal production cycles and geographic constraints, and also requires less land, water and agricultural inputs than existing natural colours extracted from fruits and vegetables.

    The pigment can be used in a multitude of applications, from baked goods and confectionery to snacks, beverages, and plant-based meat alternatives.

    Moreover, Chromologics has another colour in its portfolio, called Sustainly.Red that is designed for categories beyond food, such as textiles and cosmetics.

    “In times of shifting priorities, we deeply value the continued trust in our mission. Biomanufacturing remains essential to stabilise food supply chains – an endeavour that requires patient investors who understand the realities of innovation,” said Chromologics CEO Gerit Tolborg, who founded the startup with CTO Anders Ødum.

    “The support from our existing shareholders underscores the confidence in both Chromologics’ technology and its commercial potential. Chromologics has demonstrated the cost efficiency, scalability, safety, and product-market fit of Natu.Red,” she added.

    Chromologics has conducted trials with 90+ companies

    red dye alternative
    Courtesy: Chromologics

    The investment in Chromologics comes during an upheaval against synthetic food dyes, thanks in large part to the Make America Healthy Again movement birthed by Robert F Kennedy Jr.

    The US health secretary has called food colourings “the most egregious” type of additives, claiming that they are behind a range of health issues, including cancer, hyperactivity and possibly autism.

    In January, before RFK Jr took office, the FDA announced a ban on Red Dye No. 3, a petroleum-derived hue shown to be carcinogenic in rats. He has since been calling on food industry giants to shift away from synthetic colours, a move supported by two-thirds of Americans. And Big Food has obliged, with Nestlé, Mars, Kellogg’s, General Mills and others all removing artificial dyes from various products.

    “As bans on synthetic food colourants increase and current natural alternatives fall short and are not fully sustainable, Chromologics sets itself apart with proven, scalable, cost-competitive fermentation-derived colours,” said Sara Sande, partner at EIFO. “In Chromologics, we see a future technology leader with strong commercial potential in the growing natural food colour market.”

    The startup has garnered interest from companies across multiple sectors, from beverages and confectionery to plant-based products. It has already conducted trials with more than 90 food manufacturers in the US and Europe over the last four years, generating insights into the performance and application potential of Natu.Red.

    It is one of several firms vying for a piece of the $4.8B natural dyes market, including Michroma, Phytolon, Exberry, Vetik, and Material Futures Lab.

    Rodrigo Hortega de Velasco, director at Döhler Ventures, said Chromologics is poised to lead the shift: “The sustainable fermentation technology provides a stable, scalable, and cost-competitive solution for customers to quickly transition from existing solutions to the high-quality, natural colours that are required to meet both new legislative frameworks and a surging consumer demand.”

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