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Category: Future Foods

  • Ever After Foods Raises $10M for Scale-Up Platform That Make Cultivated Meat 90% Cheaper

    ever after foods
    4 Mins Read

    Israeli biotech firm Ever After Foods has secured $10M to accelerate the growth of its bioreactor platform that allows cultivated meat producers to scale up manufacturing while driving down costs.

    Ever After Foods has received $10M from strategic investors in the EU and the US to support its scalability platform for cultivated meat, which offers a cost-effective and highly efficient manufacturing solution for producers.

    The funding round includes a second investment from Israeli cellular agriculture company Pluri and the Tnuva Group (the country’s largest food company), which formed Ever After Foods as a joint venture in 2022.

    “The current investment round in Ever After Foods is led by new global partners, and includes Tnuva’s renewed commitment as well. We believe this validates Pluri’s strategy and underscores the quality of our technology and solutions,” said Pluri CEO and president Yaky Yanay.

    Making more efficient cultivated meat at low costs

    cultivated meat cost
    Courtesy: Ever After Foods

    Formerly called Plurinuva, Ever After Foods has exclusive licencing rights to use Pluri’s technology and intellectual property to develop, manufacture and commercialise cultivated meat. It is starting with beef and poultry cells, but the latest investment has extended the licence to include seafood as well.

    The startup launched its bioreactor platform last year, with the ability to produce 10kg of cultivated meat mass with just a 10-litre tank at the time. Since then, however, it says it has “swiftly advanced” its technology and manufacturing platform, demonstrating the natural production of muscle and fat tissues for various animal cells, hitting the taste and texture touchpoints so crucial to consumers.

    This tech enables Ever After Foods to offer a 90% reduction in costs for its B2B clients, compared to “the second-best technology in the field”. Moreover, the bioreactors yield up to six times more protein and 700 times more lipids from each cell, offering better flavour and nutritional value.

    The cell cultivation process is also much, much lighter on the planet than industrially raised livestock, boasting 93% less air pollution, 95% less land, and 94% less water.

    “Ever After Foods’ unique and innovative production platform empowered the change to our business model. The shift to a technology enabler will allow us to serve more players in the value chain,” said Ever After Foods CEO Eyal Rosenthal.

    “Securing funding from new global partners is a testament to our team’s tireless dedication to solving the primary production barriers for the next step toward a more sustainable meat industry. In addition to the funding, working with new partners in the space will deepen our industry network and speed up our expansion into international markets as we drive the next era of scalable cultivated meat production.”

    Tackling the cost and scale hurdles

    cultivated meat investments
    Courtesy: GFI Israel

    Scalability and costs are two of the most pressing challenges holding back the progress of the cultivated meat industry. One investor told Reuters that these products need to reach manufacturing costs of $2.92 per pound to be price-competitive with conventional meat. But while companies have managed to bring down these costs by 99% in less than a decade, analysis by McKinsey suggests it will still take until 2030 for these proteins to become as cheap as conventional meat.

    This is a problem both locally and internationally. “Scaling up manufacturing for Israeli startups is challenging due to infrastructure costs, mirroring challenges encountered by startups worldwide,” Alla Voldman, VP of strategy and policy at industry think tank the Good Food Institute Israel, told Green Queen last month.

    “Consequently, most new Israeli startups tend to focus more on business-to-business (B2B) solutions, aiming to fill these industry gaps and overcome scalability obstacles,” she added.

    McKinsey further notes that cultivated meat companies would need over 17 times the fermentation capacity that currently exists in the global pharmaceutical industry to meet the growth demands of the industry. Responding to this need, in Israel, contract development and manufacturing organisations that have traditionally served pharmaceutical companies have now begun to expand to the cultivated meat sector.

    To address the cost challenge, government agency the Israel Innovation Authority established a research consortium in 2022, comprising 14 companies and 10 academic labs equipped with an $18M investment to develop cost-effective methods to produce cultivated meat.

    Israel is one of only three countries to approve the sale of cultivated meat, greenlighting local startup Aleph Farms‘ application in January. The country has made food tech one of its top five priority R&D areas, and attracted 10% of all VC funding ($1.2B) in the alternative protein sector in the last decade.

    By 2030, the industry is expected to produce 10,000 additional jobs (a third of which would be manufacturing roles), have more than 200 companies and over a dozen manufacturing facilities, and contribute $2.5B to Israel’s economy through exports, local wages, corporate taxes, and more.

    The post Ever After Foods Raises $10M for Scale-Up Platform That Make Cultivated Meat 90% Cheaper appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Cinnamon Miyoko’s, Vegan Euro 2024 & Fighting Florida

    john barnes euro 2024
    5 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Upside Foods’ cultivated meat tasting in Florida, a fermented sweetener from upcycled fruits, and Impossible Foods’ patent dispute with Motif FoodWorks.

    New products and launches

    Californian cultivated meat giant Upside Foods is fighting back against Florida’s ban on these novel proteins with a public tasting event in Miami on June 27, four days before the law comes into effect.

    florida lab grown meat ban
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    It has been a big week for Californian precision-fermented egg producer The Every Company. After forming the Fermy brand with Landish Foods for beverage mixes, it announced a partnership with Spain’s Grupo Palacios, which will incorporate the animal-free egg in its Spanish omelettes.

    More news from California: nut-free spread maker Voyage Foods‘ peanut and hazelnut butter innovations are now available in bulk sizes on Amazon to support the needs of foodservice operators.

    Plant-based dairy pioneer Miyoko’s Creamery has launched two new versions of its oat milk butter in Garlic Parm and Cinnamon Brown Sugar flavours, which are priced at $4.99 per 6oz tub at Whole Foods.

    miyoko's oat milk butter
    Courtesy: Miyoko’s Creamery

    Dutch plant-based ingredient company Fooditive Group has introduced a low-calorie, sustainable sugar substitute called Keto-Fructose in the US. It’s made from upcycled apples and pears via a fermentation process, which is now undergoing FDA GRAS assessment.

    In the Netherlands itself, retail giant Jumbo has replaced gelatin with plant-based alternatives in all its fresh pastries. The renewed lineup is now available at all 700 locations in the Netherlands and Belgium.

    In search for plant-based M&M’s? UK vegan chocolatier Mummy Meegz has rolled out dairy-free M’z Gems in chocolate and peanut flavours, joining its range of alternatives to classics like Cadbury’s Creme Eggs and Freddo bars.

    vegan m&ms
    Courtesy: Mummy Meegz

    Swiss plant-based meat company Planted has entered the foodservice market in the Middle East, with its products being featured on menus of certain UAE restaurants. It now plans to expand into hotels.

    German ingredients firm Loryma has introduced Lory Bind, a wheat-based binder intended as a clean-label alternative to methylcellulose in plant-based meat formulations.

    Fellow German company Billie Green has debuted a plant-based mortadella range in classic, garden herb, and cherry pepper flavours.

    plant based mortadella
    Courtesy: Billie Green

    And in Singapore, oat milk startup Oatside has expanded its ready-to-drink coffee line with Caramel Macchiato and Mocha flavours, which will be available at NTUC FairPrice, Don Don Donki, Shopee and other retailers from Friday at S$1.80 per pack.

    Finance and company updates

    Canadian plant-based producer Phytokana Ingredients has announced that it’s initiating a C$38M ($27.7M) Series C investment round, just as it introduced a new 70% faba bean protein concentrate that provides emulsification and gelling properties to vegan meat formulations.

    Australian plant-based startup The Leaf Protein Co has brought in $850,000 in pre-seed funding to develop nutritional additives for food applications with rubisco protein.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: The Leaf Protein Co

    Mycoprotein giant Quorn has added egg white to the three new flavours of its previously vegan Sweet Chilli Mini Fillets, with no plant-based variants of the snack available.

    Fellow mycoprotein player Mycorena, meanwhile, has discontinued its large-scale factory project for one of its core ingredients to focus on a long-term circular upcycling production model, citing an “unfavourable investment climate” and an unsuccessful Series B fundraising effort.

    Israeli cultivated meat producer Believer Meats has signed an MoU with Abu Dhabi’s brand-new AgriFood Growth and Water Abundance cluster to establish research opportunities, pursue regulatory advancements, and explore commercial facilities.

    abu dhabi agwa
    Courtesy: Believer Meats

    Global investor network FAIRR and Tufts University have released a Protein and Nutrition Factsheet for investors to gain more knowledge about sustainable nutrition, the scientific evidence of the health impacts of different proteins, and the risks and opportunities involved with the protein supply chain.

    Also at Tufts University, the Center for Cellular Agriculture has received an “unprecedented investment” from the institute to hire five new dedicated cellular agriculture professors.

    Policy and event news

    Impossible Foods has been dealt a blow in its legal battle with Motif FoodWorks over precision-fermented heme proteins. The US Patent and Trademark Appeal Board has invalidated one of the former’s patents, which covers a plant-based “ground beef-like food product” that “results in the production of at least two volatile compounds which have a beef-associated aroma” when cooked.

    In Spain, a coalition of over 20 seafood producers is accusing plant-based seafood companies of misleading consumers via their product labelling. The companies, which include Apromar, Interfish and Conxemar, intend to join SAFE Food Advocacy Europe to lobby for stricter regulations on vegan seafood, citing “unfair competition”.

    UK biotech firm Sun Bear Biofuture has announced that its precision-fermented alternative to palm oil is safe to eat, with independent research showing its product outperforming conventional palm oil on flavour.

    hacksummit
    Courtesy: FoodHack

    Italian cocoa-free chocolate maker Foreverland won the inaugural FoodTech World Cup at the HackSummit in Lausanne last week, beating out eight other finalists.

    German food trade show Anuga has announced a new event for alternative proteins in 2025. Called Anuga Alternatives, it will feature cultivated, plant-based and fermentation-derived proteins, alongside ingredients like algae, mushrooms and insects.

    Israeli alternative protein companies Imagindairy and Wanda Fish have been selected as the 2024 Global Technology Pioneers by the World Economic Forum.

    Finally, UK plant-based meat startup THIS has partnered with former England footballer John Barnes, to release THIS Is The One, a new parody track for Euro 2024, which features vegan food at stadiums across Germany.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Cinnamon Miyoko’s, Vegan Euro 2024 & Fighting Florida appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: DoD v Cattlemen, Non-Dairy Footballers & Vegan in the Bronx

    impossible hot dog
    6 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Alpro’s collaboration with Peter Crouch, a new alternative protein jobs platform, and a host of university-related news.

    New products and launches

    In the UK, Alpro has partnered with Peter Crouch to kickstart its new Alpro Plant Protein Morning Trials campaign. The former England footballer tests celeb fitness routines, including waking up at 2:30 AM, multiple gym sessions, and plunging into ice baths to promote the recently extended Plant Protein range.

    peter crouch alpro
    Courtesy: Alpro

    Also in the UK, there’s a new musical about the meat industry. Mad Cow will be coming to Canterbury’s new fully vegan Garlinge Theater next month.

    Swiss meat analogues maker Planted has rolled out its fermentation-derived steak in Switzerland at Coop and in Germany at Rewe stores.

    Belgian startup Bolder Foods is continuing to showcase its biomass-fermented cheese prototypes, with investors and entrepreneurs getting a taste of its product at an event hosted by ingredients leader Givaudan.

    plant based news
    Courtesy: Ilana Taub/LinkedIn

    San Francisco-based startup Impact Food has announced its sushi-grade plant-based salmon, with wholesale pre-orders running now. The product premiered at Oisixs Ra Daichi’s annual World Oceans Day event in sashimi and nigiri formats in Japan.

    That’s not all for vegan salmon this week – German alt-seafood producer BettaF!sh has also entered the space with SAL-NOM, a hot smoked salmon analogue made from seaweed. It retails for €3.29 per 130g jar, and will be launched as a tinned SKU too in the summer.

    As part of its roster of new mini-campaigns, Veganuary ran its Choose Fish-Free Week from June 3-8, shedding light on alternative seafood brands and recipes. A BBQ Month and Choose Dairy-Free Week will be next.

    veganuary choose fish free week
    Courtesy: Veganuary

    Israeli 3D-printed meat producer Redefine Meat has rolled out its New Meat range of lamb kofta mix, pulled beef, pulled pork, burgers, beef mince and bratwurst in German retail via e-tailer Velivery.

    Hybrid meat maker Mush Foods has partnered with French specialty meat purveyor Dufour Gourmet to introduce a charcuterie range made from its 50Cut mycelium meat. Offerings include a bratwurst, breakfast sausage, Italian-style sausage, and chicken sausage.

    Californian food tech company MeliBio‘s vegan honey, which retails in some parts of Europe under the Better Foodie brand name, is now available in Switzerland and Liechtenstein through a distribution deal with Swiss wholesaler Honeydew.

    vegan honey
    Courtesy: Better Foodie

    Fellow Californian startup Upside Foods served its cultivated chicken at Industry Only LA, as part of buffalo chicken bao buns and cold sesame noodles.

    In the US, catering giant Sodexo and the University of Cincinnati have introduced 513 Culinary Group, an immersive campus dining venture to spotlight inclusivity and local ingredients. The partnership entails new menu options with more plant-based foods and special care given to allergens.

    If you’re in New York, the Fordham Plaza is hosting the Bronx Vegan Bazaar every third Saturday from noon to 6 PM starting this weekend on June 15.

    questlove cheesesteak
    Courtesy: Stella Artois

    The Roots drummer Questlove partnered with Stella Artois to host the Questlove’s Cheesesteak Diner pop-up, which features Impossible Foods’ beef. It was the first event of the beer brand’s Let’s Do Dinner: Summer Series, which brings together food, lifestyle and entertainment platforms.

    Speaking of which, Impossible Foods‘ new beef hot dog has made its way into Safeway stores in California and Jewel-Osco locations in Chicago – and it’s gone straight into the meat aisle.

    beanless coffee
    Courtesy: Jake Berber/LinkedIn

    And Singaporean beanless coffee startup Prefer has moved into the frozen world with a gelato launched in partnership with local dessert parlour Aphrodite Waffles and Gelato. The ice cream uses Prefer’s bean-free coffee concentrate.

    Finance and company updates

    Accelerator programme ProVeg Incubator has announced its latest cohort of alternative protein startups, featuring Atlantic Fish Co, Optimised Foods, Friends & Family Pet Food Company (all US), AIProtein (Egypt/US), and Fisheroo (Singapore). The initiative has also been extended from 12 weeks to 20.

    Danish startup EvodiaBio has raised €7M to produce natural aromas for the food industry using precision fermentation. Its tech can improve the taste of non-alcoholic beer by producing yeast-derived ingredients that recreate the taste of hops.

    the better meat co
    Courtesy: The Better Meat Co

    Fellow fermentation company The Better Meat Co has slashed the production costs of its mycoprotein, which is now on par with commodity beef when manufactured at scale.

    Germany’s Veganz Group – which makes plant-based dairy, meat and snack products – has confirmed the drawdown of a grant from the State of Brandenburg’s investment bank to construct a new facility in Ludwigsfelde.

    Fellow German company Tälist has introduced AltProtein.Jobs, an AI-led ‘matchmaking’ platform to connect employers with prospective candidates in the future food sector. Its algorithm has made 2,000 matches with a 9+ score, 9,400 with 8+, and 25,000 with a 7+ rating.

    alt protein jobs
    Courtesy: Tälist/Green Queen

    The US Department of Defense has released a call for alternative protein funding proposals under BioMade, the public-private biomanufacturing consortium, with projects receiving between $500,000 to $2M. One of its key focus areas is on fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins for military rations. It has already spawned an outraged response from a cattle association.

    Research and policy developments

    Researchers at the United Arab Emirates University and the National University of Singapore have teamed up to explore novel plant protein sources that can be incorporated into meat analogues for better taste, texture and nutritional attributes.

    In the US, Western Oregon University has signed the Humane Society of the United States‘ Forward Food Pledge, committing to transition its campus dining menus to 50% plant-based meals by 2027.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Nottingham Trent University

    In more university news, the UK’s Nottingham Trent University has launched a master’s degree in smart agriculture, which will explore how AI, vertical farming and precision agriculture can enhance food security and reduce energy costs. Students will develop ‘recipes’ to produce food crops much more rapidly than currently possible outdoors.

    Finally, plant-based food company Strong Roots conducted a 1,000-person survey in the US, the UK and Ireland to find that 52% of consumers are more likely to purchase products with carbon footprints on their packaging, and 82% want to be informed about businesses that contribute to climate change.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: DoD v Cattlemen, Non-Dairy Footballers & Vegan in the Bronx appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Pureture Develops Technology to Produce Clean-Label Vegan Casein in 30% Less Time

    pureture vegan casein
    4 Mins Read

    US biotech startup Pureture has developed an innovation that cuts the production time for its yeast-derived casein protein by 30%, and enables clean-label alt-dairy formulations.

    As part of a rapidly expanding market for animal-free casein, US startup Pureture has improved the cultivation process of yeast protein, the base ingredient of its fermentation-derived offering.

    By boosting yeast growth and activity via novel ingredients, the company is now able to produce its casein 30% faster than before, bringing in both time and cost savings. Additionally, while traditional yeast cultivation methods lead to foam formation – requiring the use of additives like antifoaming agents – Pureture’s new patent-pending tech “virtually eliminates” this, meeting the growing demand for cleaner-label formulations.

    But despite the lack of additives, the startup says the casein maintains its emulsifying and thickening properties, and so products made from the casein retain their taste and functionality.

    The case for clean-label casein

    pureture
    Courtesy: Pureture

    Casein comprises 80% of the total protein content found in milk, and is responsible for emulsification – preventing water and fat from separating and giving the cheese its melty and stretchy properties. The ingredient can be used to make superior vegan products like cheese, milk and yoghurt analogues, as well as protein shakes.

    Currently, most plant-based dairy products use additives to replicate the functions of casein, but consumers are increasingly looking for foods free from artificial ingredients and with short ingredient lists. According to Innova Market Insights, more than two in three consumers are influenced by clean product labels, with respondents in the Americas and Europe specifically looking for additive- and preservative-free options.

    Meanwhile, around half of consumers would pay more for clean-label products. And a separate survey by Ingredion shows that clean-label and natural ingredients were the factors that gained the most importance for CPG purchases between 2020 and 2022. This is perhaps why the research predicts 70% of all food and drink portfolios to be clean-label within the next two years, given that 99% of European manufacturers find them essential to their business strategies now.

    Pureture’s casein protein is said to offer a cleaner alternative, as it eliminates the need for starches, gums, and emulsifiers. The company employs a six-step liquid fermentation process that combines yeast with plant-based ingredients.

    It begins by cultivating a yeast strain and enriching it. Then, it separates the protein and tests the emulsification functionality, before sterlising and drying the casein. Pureture has one 50-litre fermentation tank for seed cultivation, three 500-litre vessels for the first cultivation, and a further three 30,000-litre tanks for the second cultivation. This means it can produce up to 2,400 tonnes of protein annually.

    Pureture’s cheaper-than-dairy casein could attract climate-conscious companies

    vegan casein
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    Pureture has its roots in South Korea. It was founded in 2022 as Armored Fresh Technologies by Rudy Yoo, who rebranded the business in May last year to separate it from his other alt-dairy startup, Seoul-based Armored Fresh.

    Its animal-free dairy protein provides health gains too, offering a protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score of one, matching the digestibility of conventional milk. Additionally, since the entire process of yeast fermentation, protein recovery and emulsification is carried out continuously, Pureture’s protein can be supplied at a price 30-40% lower than conventional dairy versions.

    This will be attractive to companies looking to streamline their ingredient lists and lower their climate impact. According to an independent life-cycle assessment (LCA) by Standing Ovation, which employs precision fermentation to produce its protein, animal-free casein needs up to 94% fewer greenhouse gas emissions (although the LCA was done at pilot scale, and an industrial-scale analysis would provide a more rounded picture).

    Pureture has previously outlined its aim to collaborate with major dairy companies to co-brand its yeast-derived casein, and with global ingredients vendors to expand its use. To that end, in January, it partnered with South Korean food giant Namyang Dairy Products, which will develop a new vegan range with Pureture’s casein protein. Dairy is the third most-consumed protein source in South Korea, but the country’s national action plan now promotes plant-based foods.

    Casein is a $2.7B market, and a host of startups are attempting to disrupt the space with planet-friendly innovations. New Culture, Change Foods, Fermify and Zero Cow Factory are all using precision fermentation (like Standing Ovation), while Alpine Bio, Finally Foods and NewMoo are tapping into molecular farming to grow casein in plants.

    The post Pureture Develops Technology to Produce Clean-Label Vegan Casein in 30% Less Time appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Prolific Machines Nabs $55M to Create Cultivated Meat & Novel Proteins by Harnessing Light

    prolific machines
    6 Mins Read

    Californian biotech startup Prolific Machines has closed a $55M Series B1 round for its photomolecular platform, which leverages light to create novel proteins at significantly lower costs.

    The $55M investment represents the first close of Prolific Machines’ Series B round, and was led by Fonterra’s VC arm The Ki Tua Fund. BreakthroughEnergy Ventures, Mayfield, SOSV, Shorewind Capital, Darco Capital, Conti Ventures, In-Q-Tel (IQT), and several others participated as well.

    This means the company – which has previously set out its intention to raise a $170M full Series B round – has so far brought in $86.5M in total investment. Investors in its last round in 2022 included the likes of Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban and model and actress Emily Ratajkowski.

    Since being founded in 2020, Prolific Machines has developed a photomolecular biology platform to grow and control cells with light, allowing manufacturers to create products across cellular agriculture for the food and medicine industries. It will use the Series B1 capital to commercialise this platform through industry partnerships.

    “Photomolecular biology is the use of light and AI to precisely control and optimise cellular behaviour to more efficiently produce superior bioproduct solutions across wide-ranging applications, from food to pharmaceuticals,” co-founder and CEO Deniz Kent tells Green Queen.

    “We set out with a vision to use one of our most abundant resources – light – to create an exponentially better way to control biology,” he says, suggesting that this control is “critical to making cheaper and higher-quality products”.

    How does Prolific Machines harness light to create proteins?

    light sensitive proteins
    Courtesy: Prolific Machines

    Prolific Machines argues that current cellular biology processes are constrained by “expensive, inefficient, and imprecise molecular methods”. But the precision of light allows it to control these processes in “fundamentally new ways”.

    “Prolific harnesses light to produce everyday essentials more efficiently, from food and lifesaving drugs to novel biosolutions,” explains Kent. “We use light as a signal to control cellular behaviour with unprecedented precision and instantly instruct cells on what to do, and where and when to do it. Our process creates significant cost, speed, yield, and quality advantages compared to existing processes.”

    The company’s technology is inspired by the field of optogenetics, a combination of genetic and optical methods to control the activity and behaviour of cells through light.

    “We use ‘non-ionising’ light at relatively low intensities in our process, which means it doesn’t carry enough energy to harm living cells. It is safe for use in the production of both food and non-food products,” says Kent.

    How can light improve existing production techniques?

    photomolecular biology
    Prolific Machines founders Max Huisman (CTO), Deniz Kent (CEO) and Declan Jones (CSO) | Courtesy: Prolific Machines

    “Methods currently used to make bioproducts are limited to imprecise, inefficient, and expensive control levers – like temperature, chemicals, and proteins – to indirectly control cells,” Kent says. “Prolific’s first-of-its-kind photomolecular platform brings together safe and effective tools – light, bioengineering, hardware, and AI – to unlock unparalleled control and precision.”

    He explains that living organisms can sense light because of light-sensitive proteins (LSP), which are naturally occurring proteins found in everything from plants and bacteria to human retinas. These exist to detect and respond to light, and can do this very quickly, causing action in cells within seconds.

    “Proteins are at the heart of everything a cell does, from perceiving signals from other cells to switching genes on or off. By attaching LSPs to proteins that you want to control within the cell, Prolific makes it possible to precisely control subcellular biology using light,” he says. When met with light, which acts as a signal, the LSPs can control cells across key functions.

    “Prolific unlocks dynamic control by pulsating light in specific patterns, intensities, and wavelengths to activate cellular functions when and where it matters most, which is a game-changer for biotechnology,” adds Kent.

    What kind of products can Prolific Machines create?

    prolific machines cultivated meat
    Courtesy: Prolific Machines

    So what kind of products can you produce using light? “Prolific is co-developing the future of biology with innovators across cultivated meat, nutritional and therapeutic proteins, disease models, tissue engineering, cell and gene therapy, and beyond,” he reveals.

    “Examples include nutritional proteins used in supplements and infant formula, antibodies to treat diseases, whole cuts of cultured meat, higher fidelity disease models, and other innovations never before possible.”

    Kent calls the process a “boon” for cultivated meat, with companies able to achieve “massive cost, scale, and sterility benefits without the need for recombinant proteins or growth factors”.

    “Using light, our process can create structured or marbled products, like steaks. We can create all cuts of meat that would be impossible to make in a scalable manner with existing cultivated production methods,” he says. “Our process provides unparalleled spatial control, creating the patterning and structure to make alternative protein products with first-of-its-kind texture, taste, and affordability.”

    As for “nutritional proteins”, this could entail many “high-value proteins”, including those found in infant formula, such as lactoferrin (whose precision-fermented version has only recently been commercialised).

    Can light help make cultivated meat cheaper?

    lab grown meat cost
    Courtesy: Ark Biotech

    Prolific Machines suggests that the first applications of its technology will be announced via partnerships with manufacturers in the coming months. The company has already established two “robust” mammalian cell lines to support its food and pharmaceutical partners.

    While more details on pricing will be available once these link-ups are established, Kent offers: “One of the key benefits of our photomolecular platform is cost efficiency due to our use of light, which is the cheapest possible input into biology. Our process also removes the need for costly growth factors, which are the most expensive part of the cultivated meat process.”

    Reducing the cost and scaling up production are the two key manufacturing challenges facing producers in this space. While companies have managed to reduce costs by 99% in less than a decade, forecasts show these proteins won’t price parity until 2030. But startups like Meatly and BioCraft Pet Nutrition (both making cultivated pet food) have announced breakthroughs in their culture media to drastically bring down the cost of their products.

    “Our platform elevates our partners’ existing cell lines and product approaches, providing a critical infrastructure layer for biology,” says Kent. “Think of us as the ‘NVIDIA for biology’. We are already co-developing the future of biology with a number of partners.”

    While some countries and US states have imposed bans on cultivated meat, these proteins have been championed by UN climate bodies like the IPCC and the UNEP, since they have a much smaller environmental footprint, can secure the food system against climate and disease shocks, and feed an ever-hungrier planet poised to have 10 billion people by 2050.

    The post Prolific Machines Nabs $55M to Create Cultivated Meat & Novel Proteins by Harnessing Light appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Myocopia: Can Cell Metabolism Be the Catalyst for Cost-Effective Cultivated Meat?

    myocopia
    3 Mins Read

    Finnish researchers have come up with a way to make cultivated meat without expensive growth factors, relying on stem cell metabolism instead.

    As the race to produce cost-effective cuts of cultivated meat continues, researchers at the University of Helsinki are proposing an alternative to one of the most expensive parts of the manufacturing process.

    “All companies run into problems at roughly the same point of scaling up production,” said Pekka Katajisto, who is leading the team at the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLife).

    The solution, then, lies in the technology developed under its Myocopia project, which relies on stem cell metabolism instead of growth factors. Can it help companies bring costs on par with conventional meat?

    Cells grow meat only when instructed

    eat just facility
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Culture media are an essential part of cultivated meat production, comprising a mix of nutrients to facilitate the growth of animal cells. This accounts for the majority of the costs involved in the entire process, with growth factors – which help the cells differentiate – responsible for the bulk of those.

    Companies have been working on ways to bring these prices down – typically, culture media cost hundreds of dollars per litre. Last month, UK company Meatly, which is on the verge of receiving regulatory approval for its cultivated pet food in the country, announced it had reduced the cost of its culture medium to $1.25 per litre by developing a protein-free version.

    And just last week, fellow cultivated pet food producer BioCraft Pet Nutrition announced it had reached price parity with premium conventional meat by developing a nutrient medium composed of plant-based ingredients.

    At Katajisto’s lab, which is connected to the Centre of Excellence in Stem Cell Metabolism, researchers studied how cell metabolism regulates the division and differentiation of stem cells. This led to an innovation that can keep the cells expanding longer than with current methods, and grow meat only when instructed to do so, enabling precise control in bioreactors.

    “The cells can be kept multiplying in a financially viable way until the reactor is full. The cells are then guided to form meat – again using their own metabolism,” said Katajisto.

    Myocopia plans to spin out in two years

    cultivated meat stem cell
    Courtesy: University of Helsinki

    The idea was first tested using capital from HiLife’s proof-of-concept funding. Once they achieved promising results, the team received state financing from Business Finland to commercialise its technology. Under the latter, Myocopia will validate the tech on “commercially interesting” meat products like beef, pork and poultry.

    “We want to increase our understanding of the market and finetune our technology,” said Swetha Gopalakrishnan, scientific lead of the Myocopia project, who made the original observation that led to the innovation.

    The goal is to become a B2B provider that can license its technical knowhow to cultivated meat producers. Olga Balakina, commercialisation specialist for the project, is assessing the market for potential partners. “Our top priority is to identify the companies with which we can launch a pilot,” she said.

    Technology companies are of particular interest, since they can help the Myocopia team tailor the innovation based on market needs. The team has already begun the patenting process, and aims to speak to VCs and impact investors for financing next year.

    “After two years, we can strive to establish a spinout,” said Balakina. As a “tech enabler” of the industry, one of its solutions could be “a cell-growing cocktail” that could stimulate growth effectively in existing bioreactors.

    “I believe our innovation is going to be a game changer in the emerging industry as a whole,” added Katajisto.

    The post Myocopia: Can Cell Metabolism Be the Catalyst for Cost-Effective Cultivated Meat? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Non-Dairy Starbucks, Vegan Flights & A Bezos Protein Centre

    starbucks vegan whip
    5 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Starbucks’ upcoming Oatly collaboration, a vegan certification for hospitality operators, and Bezos Earth Fund’s alternative protein centre.

    New products and launches

    For its summer menu, Starbucks is reportedly launching a vegan cinnamon crumble Frappuccino with Oatly‘s vanilla Oat Whip, which will be available for a free swap – a welcome policy change from the coffee chain. It will also offer a non-dairy vanilla sweet cream cold brew, and free plant-based cold foam substitutes for all core drinks.

    oatly whipped cream
    Courtesy: Big Box Vegan

    Speaking of which, Oatly has now launched its 1.5-litre barista milk in the UK, which was teased in its latest earnings call to investors.

    Also in the UK, The Coconut Collaborative has unveiled what it says is the country’s first vegan yoghurt and granola topper.

    British vegan pet food maker Hownd has gained a listing for three hypoallergenic functional treat ranges – Keep Calm for stress relief, Got an Itch? for healthy skin and coat, and Yup You Stink! for bad breath – at Pets at Home, which will be available in stores nationwide in September.

    Fellow UK startup Sun Bear Biofuture has joined the expanding roster of companies offering sustainable alternatives to palm oil. Its deforestation-free innovation is derived from fermentation and makes use of agricultural sidestreams as feedstocks.

    beyond burger jalapeno
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    Meanwhile, plant-based giant Beyond Meat has rolled out a new SKU in the UK. The spicy jalapeño burger is available at 280 Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores each, with a frozen version coming to 200 locations each in September.

    In the US, Tomorrow Farms‘ animal-free milk Bored Cow, which uses Perfect Day‘s precision-fermented whey protein, has expanded into 2,000 new stores nationwide, with additional 11oz packaging for the original flavour plus four-packs now available in Albertsons, Safeway, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, Central Market, and Shaws, among others.

    Consultancy network Vegan Hospitality has launched a global certification programme for tourism and hospitality companies, offering companies expert strategy consulting, online staff training, promotional support, and free auditing.

    planteneers
    Courtesy: Planteneers

    In Germany, plant-based producer Planteneers has introduced a lineup of vegan desserts, comprising tiramisu, cheesecake, fermented oat dessert, pudding, and soft ice cream. They’re positioned as “healthy but indulgent” alternatives to their dairy counterparts.

    German airline caterer LSG Group has teamed up with Unilever-owned plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher to offer vegan meals for onboard dining.

    More news from the skies: Spanish meat analogues maker Heura and vegan cheese giant Violife have partnered with Vueling Airlines to launch a plant-based burger on the carrier’s summer menu, which is priced at €8.50.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Bernat Anaños/LinkedIn

    There’s a new plant-based butchery in Prague. Located in the Czech capital’s Letná district, Bezmasna features meatloafs, cold cuts, deli salads, as well as chlebíček (Czech sandwiches).

    Singaporean startup Jiro-Meat is aiming to commercialise its upcycled plant-based meat made from okara – the fibrous pulp leftover from soy milk and tofu production – in the next six months.

    And in India, Nestlé has rolled out a limited-edition edible plant-based fork for its Maggi cup noodles. The two-piece fork is made from wheat flour and salt.

    Finance and company updates

    The Bezos Earth Fund has opened its first Center for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State University, supported by a $30M fund. The facility aims to advance alternative protein production and commercialisation, and has onboarded Believer Meats (which is due to open its own cultivated meat facility in the state later this year) as a partner.

    Germany’s Planteneers has also opened a Customer Center of Excellence in Aurora, Illinois as part of its North American expansion. The facility will let customers collaborate on product development and create ingredient solutions via a plant-based meat laboratory (it will soon have one for alt-dairy too).

    seaspire
    Courtesy: PROT

    Indian vegan seafood player SeaSpire has rebranded to PROT, as it diversifies into other plant protein sources. Its alt-seafood lineup is being relaunched as a ‘Gill-t Free’ range ahead of World Ocean Day (June 8), supported by Veganuary India‘s Fish-Free Week campaign.

    Danish plant protein powder Nutrumami has closed a €450,000 seed funding round to expand its team and prepare for market launch.

    Policy and research developments

    A 9,272-person survey by YouGov shows that if cultivated meat was on par with conventional meat, only half would continue eating the latter (nearly a quarter remain unsure of what they’ll do). It’s an improvement from the 40% who would otherwise ‘definitely not’ eat cultivated meat. Meanwhile, Americans remain very split over bans on these products.

    lab grown meat survey
    Courtesy: YouGov

    In the UK, Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire – which adopted a climate change emergency policy in 2020 – wants to make its menus fully plant-based, with a preference for seasonal, non-processed foods.

    A joint venture between the Artevelde University of Applied Sciences and the City of Ghent has seen a food waste monitor installed in several restaurants, which will use the smart scale to better measure how much food is being thrown away.

    vegan ad campaign
    Courtesy: Eat Differently

    Finally, advocacy group Eat Differently has rolled out a parody ad campaign called Hate Vegans? in Los Angeles. It aims to highlight the reasons people care about plant-based diets and their impact on the planet – ‘injuries’ sustained from preachy vegans could turn into settlements with the help of fictional attorney Seymour Loudermilk.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Non-Dairy Starbucks, Vegan Flights & A Bezos Protein Centre appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • UK University to Create Climate-Resilient Crops in £3M AI-Powered Plant Lab

    climate resilient crop lab
    4 Mins Read

    The University of Essex has built a new facility to develop crops that can adapt to a hotter and drier planet, which features a vertical farm and is backed by AI-assisted research.

    Researchers at the University of Essex will leverage AI, robotics, vertical farming and imitation suites to create crops for “tomorrow’s atmosphere today” in a new flagship facility.

    Slated to officially open later, the £3M Smart Technology Experimental Plant Suite (STEPS) lab builds on the work of the Essex Plant Innovation Centre (EPIC), which brings together farmers, technologists and scientists to improve crop resilience to drought, increase yields, and enhance food security during extreme weather events.

    “This state-of-the-art facility will help the world cope with a growing population by ensuring future food security by developing climate resilient plants,” said project lead Tracy Lawson, a biologist whose expertise lies in plant productivity, improving photosynthetic processes, and boosting crop water use. She suggested that the lab “places plant research at Essex in a unique position” to grow and select future-facing plants.

    Leveraging AI, vertical farms and warming suites

    climate resilient crops
    Courtesy: University of Essex

    The lab features a commercially standard vertical farm (claimed to be the UK’s first for a university), an indoor field that can simulate real environments from anywhere on the planet, and suites that replicate a warming world (researchers can raise both temperature and CO2 levels). According to the University of Essex, this is the only lab in the UK that combines all these facilities.

    The team will also use plant scanning technology to monitor plants as they grow, and pick out precise changes in photosynthesis. The research, meanwhile, will be facilitated with AI and robotics, which will develop new ideas, technologies and strategies to predict changes in agriculture and the atmosphere.

    The STEPS lab will develop strategies to optimise plant performance whilst working towards net zero. The country has committed to reaching net zero by 2050, although based on its current policies, the UK lags behind the 2030 internationally agreed target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 68% (from 1990 levels).

    It was partly funded by the Wolfson Foundation, which pledged £1M to support the development. It will help the researchers foster connections with agriculture, horticulture, and technology businesses to progress their crop development efforts.

    “We are in a race against time to futureproof agriculture against climate change, not just in the UK but globally,” said Paul Ramsbottom, CEO of the Wolfson Foundation. “The University of Essex is leading the way in critical research and development to support innovation and sustainability in food production, and we are delighted to be funding the technology platforms that will help them achieve this.”

    Future-friendly crops vital in a climate-threatened country

    university of essex steps lab
    Courtesy: University of Essex

    The climate-resilient crop lab will put students at the forefront of its work, who will help develop and conduct experiments with the University of Essex’s researchers. It means young scientists can begin their careers in the facility.

    “This cutting-edge lab will put us at the forefront of research into how we can help plants change and adapt to climate change – helping secure everyone’s future,” said Lawson.

    The project also involves vertical farming tech provider Innovation Agritech Group (IAG), which installed the vertical farm unit and deployed a full-scale GrowFrame 360 solution – this system is said to produce a healthier root system, superior crop growth, and higher yields with no climate dependency.

    “Our innovative GrowFrame360 technology will empower scientists and students alike to tackle the complexities of a changing climate on future crop production, aiming for future food security,” explained Kate Brunswick, business development director at IAG. “This milestone collaboration embodies our collective dedication to driving positive change in agriculture.”

    The UK has been dealing with climate-induced food shocks and price hikes for a while now. A recent study by World Weather Attribution found that the relentless rainfall and storms during the autumn-winter period of 2023-24 were 10 times more likely to happen and 20% wetter because of climate change. And separate research by Lynx Purchasing warns that such wet weather can cause an 8% price hike for in-demand produce – for context, headline inflation rates in the UK were 2.3% in April, and that was after a decline from previous months.

    Extreme weather is further causing food shortages in Britain, with many areas unable to grow staple crops like potatoes, wheat and vegetables in the spring – and those that have been planted are of poor quality, and some are rotting in the ground. All this has made the UK more reliant on imports, just as the country battles growing food insecurity. In January, 15% of households went hungry.

    With a population set to increase by nearly 10% by 2036, solutions like the ones being developed by the University of Essex’s new lab might be vital.

    The post UK University to Create Climate-Resilient Crops in £3M AI-Powered Plant Lab appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Eat Just Reformulates Vegan Just Egg with ‘Biggest’ Improvement in Taste & Texture Since Launch

    just egg ingredients
    5 Mins Read

    Californian alternative protein leader Eat Just has debuted the fifth iteration of its vegan Just Egg, made from mung beans, which further closes the gap in taste and functionality with conventional eggs.

    It’s five years, five versions for Eat Just’s market-leading Just Egg, which now promises to match chicken eggs on flavour and functionality better than ever before.

    Announced in time for National Egg Day (June 3), Just Egg v5 is said to be the brand’s “biggest jump” in the taste, texture and functionality of its vegan liquid egg since its launch in 2019, with co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick calling it “the best Just Egg we’ve ever made”.

    The enhanced egg alternative has had no changes in its ingredients – instead, it’s all about the manufacturing of its mung bean protein, which forms the base of Just Egg. “Since the day the idea for this product was born, our goal has been to create an egg that tastes better, is better for you, and has the same or better functionality than a conventional egg, and v5 Just Egg represents a huge step toward that goal,” said Tetrick.

    This chimes with the brand’s 2024 goal, as a spokesperson told Green Queen in January, “to sell healthier, sustainable products to millions of consumers in a way that enables the company to sustain itself in the long term”.

    Fluffier, lighter, eggier – but no new ingredients

    The new liquid Just Egg is said to have a cleaner flavour profile than previous versions, which provides a more neutral palette for dishes from scrambles to quiches and allows its “pillowy, creamy texture” to dominate. The new formulation also elevates baking applications like breads, cookies, pancakes or muffins, thanks to better binding and aeration characteristics.

    The latest in a series of updates comes as Eat Just works towards a mung bean egg with superior flavour, functionality and nutritional profile than chicken eggs. The efforts to do so have traversed multiple disciplines, ranging from culinary expertise and protein science to operations and engineering.

    Just Egg’s newest iteration doesn’t have any new ingredients or alterations in its current ingredient list. It was actually born out of its team’s attempts to simplify the manufacturing process of its pourable vegan egg. But after testing out several process changes in its mung bean protein processing plant in Appleton, Minnesota, the company discovered positive benefits to the final product, alongside a more streamlined process.

    The taste and performance of the resulting vegan egg has impressed professional chefs, including American celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern. “Well over a decade ago, I became one of the first people in the world to try the very first version of Just Egg,” he said, describing it as “absolutely unbelievable”.

    “This latest iteration is fluffier and lighter, with better egg texture and more eggy flavour – and it performs better than any previous version I’ve tried. I cannot tell the difference between this and a conventional scrambled egg,” he added.

    “And quite frankly, it’s so much better for me. No GMOs, no artificial flavours, no egg, no cholesterol, 50g of protein in this whole carton. That is a delicious egg,” Zimmern said in an Instagram video.

    Eat Just has rolled out the Just Egg v5 at stores across the US, including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Walmart, Target, and Kroger. Its pourable and folded eggs are available in 48,000 retail locations, as well as 3,300 foodservice spots in the US and Canada, like Planta, Barnes & Noble, Caffè Nero, Peet’s Coffee, and Philz Coffee.

    Meeting consumer needs to drive category forward

    vegan omelette
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Just Egg is responsible for 99% of sales in the plant-based egg market, and Eat Just claims it is one of the fastest-growing egg brands – plant-based or otherwise – nationwide. To date, it has sold the equivalent of 500 million chicken eggs, preventing 87 million kgs of CO2e from entering the atmosphere, saving 18.3 billion gallons of water, and averting 26,900 acres of land from being farmed for soy and corn to feed chickens.

    But its product reformulation speaks to a wider need for plant-based brands – whether they’re industry leaders or fledgling startups – to continue to innovate to meet consumer needs. Beyond Meat, for example, relaunched its flagship beef mince and burger earlier this year with a healthier recipe and enhanced taste credentials.

    A recent survey of 1,500 Americans revealed that one of the main barriers to consumer adoption of plant-based foods is the health perspective, especially when it comes to vegan eggs. Despite the frequent threat of avian flu, this was the only food category where more respondents felt the animal-derived version was healthier (30%) than vegan analogues (27%).

    It perhaps explains why plant-based eggs are only bought by 1% of American households (although repeat purchases increased from 38% in 2020 to 48% in 2023). Last year, sales dropped by 5% to $43M. So there’s a sizeable opportunity for companies like Eat Just, and meeting consumers’ health expectations with newer formulations is a no-brainer.

    It will also help the business on its path to becoming profitable. “It’s the most important objective of the company and the team is focused on increasing the probability of achieving it,” Eat Just told Green Queen earlier this year, after relaunching its cult-favourite vegan mayo.

    As of November, Just Egg made up 99.9% of its profits. But Eat Just’s cultivated meat arm Good Meat, however, has been embroiled in several legal battles over the years. The biggest dispute concerns contract manufacturer ABEC, which had sued the alternative protein company for $100M over unpaid bills. Last month, a judge in Pennsylvania sided with Eat Just on some matters, and ABEC on others. While the case is ongoing, ABEC has now accused Eat Just of “bad faith” and engaging with “the worst aspects of litigation practice in the profession”.

    Good Meat, meanwhile, hit a milestone by becoming the first company to introduce cultivated meat in retail, debuting a hybrid version of its chicken (with 3% cultivated cells) at Huber’s Butchery in Singapore.

    The post Eat Just Reformulates Vegan Just Egg with ‘Biggest’ Improvement in Taste & Texture Since Launch appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Brevel Opens Microalgae Protein Factory to Create Superior Plant-Based Dairy Analogues

    algae protein powder
    5 Mins Read

    Israeli startup Brevel’s first commercial-scale facility will churn out hundreds of tons of microalgae protein powder to supply the plant-based dairy industry.

    Biomass fermentation player Brevel has opened a 27,000 sq ft commercial plant on the edge of the southern Israeli desert, which can produce hundreds of tons of microalgae protein for use in vegan cheese and other dairy analogues.

    Renovating an existing building in Kiryat Gat to fit its needs, the project took about a year to complete, and will enable the Israeli startup to manufacture its non-GMO, planet-friendly protein powder at an industrial scale.

    “Following test runs, the factory will be operational by the end of this year,” Brevel co-founder and CEO Yonatan Golan tells Green Queen. “We have [bioreactors] in all ranges from three litres, 50 litres, 500 litres, and now our new 5,000-litre bioreactor. We will be able to scale further to a total of 30,000 litres in this facility.”

    He added that the microalgae biomass it produces won’t just be used to extract protein, but also co-products like polar lipids, fiber, pigments and more. The facility expects to roll out its first products by Q1 2025, with a planned debut in the US. Additional international factories are on the horizon too.

    Using microalgae for functional, high-protein dairy analogues

    brevel protein
    Courtesy: Kira Kletsky

    Brevel was founded in 2017 by Golan and his brothers Ido (CTO) and Matan (COO), and employs a technology that unites light and fermentation into a single process, a feat the CEO describes as akin to “putting an electric motor into a Tesla car”. “It may sound like a very simple straightforward task to achieve, but is actually extremely complex,” he says.

    “Fermentation has been confined to dark environments and is instrumental in producing extremely high yields. However, microalgae’s natural makeup of nutrients – including protein, lipids, fibre, and pigments – depend on photosynthesis for their development and growth,” he explains.

    Brevel uses a strain of microalgae from the Chlorella family, a widely commercialised and highly important source of single-cell protein. This thrives in Brevel’s bright conditions, and has a regulatory advantage – it’s been classed as safe for human consumption by the FDA’s GRAS system in the US, and has been part of the EU’s safe list of novel foods for decades.

    “To extract the protein, we developed a unique downstream minimal process that does not involve any solvents or chemicals. It is safe and retains the high quality and nutritional value of the protein, as well as the very high functionality,” says Golan.

    The result is a white microalgae powder with 60-70% protein concentration and a full amino acid profile. Its “negligible” climate footprint adds to the functional superiority of the ingredient, which will appeal to plant-based meat and dairy producers.

    Brevel is first targeting the alt-dairy market, a segment that doesn’t yet have a plant protein solution with zero flavour or colour compromises, according to Golan. “Our protein is completely white and has a neutral flavour, which enables alt-dairy manufacturers to significantly increase nutritional values and benefits for consumers while maintaining the sensory experience,” he says.

    “The protein is very easy to use – similar to how one would use soy or pea protein,” he adds. “We have a team of food technologists and an advanced application lab in our new factory, in which we develop and finetune formulations that allow… maximal value for our partners.”

    To demonstrate its capabilities, visitors to the new facility – a group of over 150 investors, food tech startups, government representatives, and food manufacturers – were given a taste of a range of vegan cheeses made using the microalgae protein. It’s an example of the pain points Brevel is looking to address – research suggests that a majority (73%) of Americans are unhappy with the flavour and texture of non-dairy cheese. It’s perhaps why household penetration remains so low: while 97% of US households buy conventional cheese, only 7% purchase dairy-free analogues.

    Sidestream valorisation drives down financial and carbon costs

    microalgae protein
    Courtesy: Brevel

    Brevel, which has raised $22.5M in funding, has equipped its new facility with advanced bioproduction labs, spacious working environments, a modern food application lab, and state-of-the-art quality control equipment.

    One of the startup’s key differentiators is the low production costs, which are on par with soy and pea proteins. This is facilitated by its efforts to valorise the algae sidestream – instead of discarding the byproducts from the manufacturing process, Brevel uses them to make clean-label emulsifiers and nutritional boosters for functional foods and supplements.

    “The reason that soy protein is cheap is because protein is only one of the sidestreams extracted from the soybean, alongside oil, fibres, gluten and others,” says Golan. “Co-products are a key part of Brevel’s business model… The combination of light and fermentation enables the production of a large variety of valuable co-products, and not mere basic sidestreams.”

    Making use of byproducts further cuts the company’s climate footprint – food waste accounts for up to 10% of global emissions – and supports further food applications. “The polar lipids will be used as a functional emulsifier in food applications, the soluble fibres will be used in food applications as well, the pigments as high-value health supplements, and we are looking into additional fractions as well,” he explains.

    Brevel will supply its protein to manufacturers across the globe, some of which are investors in the startup. While Golan doesn’t go into specifics when asked about strategic partners, he reveals that two of them are dairy and beverage companies worth over $2B, and a couple others are interested in building large manufacturing facilities as joint ventures.

    ”We have strategised several joint-venture partnerships in the US, Europe, and Asia. The result will be the construction of larger facilities to fulfil growing demands for our sustainable protein in multiple applications,” Golan says. These facilities are set to have fermentation capacities of 900,000 litres and beyond, and while their production capacity will depend on the joint ventures’ needs, this is expected to range between thousands and tens of thousands of tons annually.

    “Following these, the final target is to reach capacities of millions of tons to meet the demand of the growing plant-based food industry,” he suggests. Golan adds that Brevel currently has a “long enough runway to work with” in terms of capital, but is “always speaking with investors” over its long-term vision.

    It is among a host of startups leveraging the potential of microalgae, which is set to be a $25.4B market by 2033. These include Checkerspot, Mewery, Quazy Foods, Ocean Kiss, Algama, Sophie’s Bionutrients, and Triton Algae, among others.

    The post Brevel Opens Microalgae Protein Factory to Create Superior Plant-Based Dairy Analogues appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Is Hellmann’s Plant-Based Mayo Rebrand Proof That ‘Vegan’ Labels Hamper Sustainable Sales?

    hellmann's plant based mayo
    5 Mins Read

    Hellmann’s has made a big splash by rebranding its vegan mayo to appeal to flexitarians, in a sign of the influence of labels on sustainable food purchases.

    In the UK, Hellmann’s egg-free mayonnaise is no longer labelled ‘vegan’, with the Unilever-owned brand opting for ‘Plant Based Mayo’ as a way to become more “inclusive” to flexitarians.

    The relaunched spread – which first appeared in the UK market in 2018 – now comes with a new recipe and redesigned packaging in a move that aims to solve multiple pain points at once: food waste, health concerns, and label barriers.

    The decision to drop the term ‘vegan’ from packaging is a conscious one, with the brand saying there was “considerable headroom for growth” in the vegan mayo world, “particularly from consumers who want to cut back on animal-based products without becoming fully vegan”.

    Currently rolling out across UK supermarkets, the new mayo now also has less rapeseed oil (down from 72% to 52%), supplementing it with a seemingly lower amount of sunflower oil. Plus, it now has xanthan gum.

    Hellmann’s leans into vegan labelling research

    vegan labeling survey
    Courtesy: GFI

    Explaining its reasoning, Hellmann’s said its consumer research has shown that “the word ‘vegan’ can be a barrier for flexitarians, who see ‘plant-based’ as more inclusive”.

    This chimes with a plethora of other studies on sustainable food labelling. In 2019, analysis by alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute found that terms like ‘100% plant-based’ and plant-based (both 53%) are much more appealing to consumers than ‘vegan’ (35%), which was amongst the least effective ways to label vegan food.

    Similarly, an oft-cited study by the University of Southern California last year – covering 7,341 people – used gift baskets as a gauge for which labels work. Participants were asked to choose between a vegan and non-vegan food basket, with the former being labelled in five different ways.

    Only 20% chose the ‘vegan’ gift basket over the meat and dairy one, while 27% picked it when labelled ‘plant-based’. However, describing them with impactful attributes represented a significant upturn: when marked as ‘healthy’, 42% went with the vegan basket, while 43% did so for those tagged as ‘sustainable’ or 44% when labelled as both ‘healthy’ and ‘sustainable’.

    This is why phrases like “100% sustainably sourced oils”, “free from artificial colours and flavours”, and “good source of omega-3” are prominent in Hellmann’s messaging around the rebranded Plant Based Mayo.

    Vegan giants like Impossible Foods and Eat Just have also been using terms like ‘meat from plants’ and ‘made from plants’ for their meat and egg analogues, respectively. In fact, the latter simply labels its relaunched vegan spread as ‘Just Mayo’ to attract flexitarians, who hold the key to success for plant-based food manufacturers.

    But when the world’s largest mayonnaise brand – a subsidiary of one of the biggest CPG companies globally – bids adieu to the word ‘vegan’, it’s a telling reminder that labelling matters. Hellmann’s plant-based sales have been growing for four consecutive years, so for Unilever to make the change, it’s an indicator that ‘vegan’ wording may be blocking the full potential of climate-friendly food sales.

    Since the company is aiming to reach €1.5B ($1.6B) in annual sales from plant-based products in categories that would have traditionally used animal-derived ingredients by next year, targeting flexitarians with its Plant Based Mayo is a shrewd move. In a similar move, its latest non-dairy ice cream is branded as Magnum Chill Blueberry Cookie, a departure from the Magnum Vegan moniker.

    Redesigned packaging leaves less Plant Based Mayo in the bottle

    hellmann's vegan mayo
    Courtesy: Hellmann’s/Green Queen

    The announcement accompanied a change in the egg-free mayo’s packaging, part of the brand’s long-standing efforts to cut food waste. Debuting in the UK and Ireland later this year, the new squeeze bottles are now lined with an edible plant-based coating that prevents the mayonnaise from sticking to the sides and minimises the amount left over after the spread is used up.

    “We know consumers want to be able to squeeze out as much product as possible – it’s an important cost and value benefit,” Krassimir Velikov, senior science and programme leader at Unilever, said of the new “easy-out” technology. “Some of the ingredients used in the plant-based mayo presented us with specific challenges, as they made the mayo more prone to getting stuck in the bottle. Correcting this issue involved creating an edible, vegan coating that would prevent this sticking problem by making the inside of the bottle more slippery,” he explained.

    “We had to make sure that this ‘easy out’ coating hit a balance that would achieve the desired ‘easy out’ effect without interacting with the product. Even a slight change could make an enormous difference. For example, a tenth of a percentage increase of the plant-based ‘egg’ could add a full 15g leftover portion to the waste.”

    Velikov added that by minimising the leftover mayo, the tech helps keep its bottles – which are “made with 100% recycled plastic where technically feasible” – in the recycling process. “If they exceed the maximum weight threshold needed, they will be rejected for recycling. By helping consumers to leave less mayo in the bottles, we in effect help them recycle more successfully,” he said.

    Hellmann’s has a commendable record with food waste, having launched a Make Taste, Not Waste campaign in 2018 to fight this issue. Its research shows that 59% of consumers feel brands have a role to play here, especially since food waste accounts for 8-10% of global emissions.

    The mayo maker’s food waste initiatives have involved a four-week-long Fridge Night challenge, dedicated Super Bowl ads for the last four years, a partnership with Ogilvy for use-what-you’ve-got recipes, a Smart Jar that revealed hidden messages when placed in fridges at 5°C or lower, a Meal Reveal tool to provide recipe ideas from what people have in their fridges, and a collaboration with Italy’s ID.Eight to launch a collection of sneakers made from food waste.

    That said, Unilever itself is walking back on several of its climate pledges, including abandoning its goal of cutting food waste in its operations by 50% by 2025. Its commitment to roll out carbon labels on the packaging of all 75,000 of its products by 2026 seems to be forgotten too. “It is possible that some of our brands may wish to communicate product carbon footprints in the future, and for this having accurate data is essential,” a company representative told Green Queen in April.

    “We also know information must be provided in context to be meaningful to consumers,” they added, outlining that the business was “committed to improving transparency of GHG emissions” in its value chain. “Our collection of more accurate data will help Unilever to make more informed procurement decisions as we work towards our climate targets.

    The post Is Hellmann’s Plant-Based Mayo Rebrand Proof That ‘Vegan’ Labels Hamper Sustainable Sales? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • What Do You Eat at Europe’s Top Climate Tech Conference?

    hack summit menu
    7 Mins Read

    The annual HackSummit is fast approaching. As one of Europe’s best climate events, it must deliver a sustainable catering menu – and it has. We speak to the team who designed it.

    Next month, food tech community FoodHack will host its third annual climate conference, the HackSummit, in Lausanne, Switzerland. It’s expected to convene climate activists, startups, entrepreneurs, investors, journalists, as well as food tech and sustainability stakeholders in a two-day showpiece that will also feature the first FoodTech World Cup.

    Last year, Green Queen founding editor attended the event and described it as “truly incredible”, with a calibre of attendees that was “the best I’ve experienced”. She also outlined that all climate conferences should be free of animal products, should not create waste, and should have no plastic bottles – and the summit had delivered on all fronts.

    hack summit
    Courtesy: FoodHack

    Of particular note were the apples in the conference, which sported some neat customised Hack branding. Sourced from Biofruits, these apples are making a return this year – as is a fully vegan menu that dials up the flavour and spotlights the health credentials of alternative proteins.

    Curated by chef Brice Jacverza, the menu has a global tint to it, complete with zero-waste compostable utensils by Originnovation. For breakfast, guests have the choice of the aforementioned apples, Swiss retailer Migros’s own-label V-Love Vegurts in four flavours, MeliBio’s Vegan Ohney, and sweet and savoury brioches from Dutch startup Revyve, which makes proteins and ingredients from brewer’s yeast.

    Revyve also appears on the lunch menu with its minced meat making up the filling of Khinkali dumplings (which come alongside a Georgian-style salad). Other lunch dishes include Asian-style ‘burgers’ with Planted’s hoisin duck, TiNDLE Foods‘ crispy chicken wings with Asian coleslaw, Redefine Meat’s lamb kebabs with pea salad, hummus and flatbread, Better Nature’s tempeh (with Indian spices) served with rice and vegetables, and tacos with Vegan Zeaster’s shrimp, courgette guac and Mexican salsa.

    plant based chicken
    Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods

    These lunch options will be available at the HackSummit Festival Food Trucks. Attendees can also get their hands on BettaF!sh’s vegan tuna sandwiches as an on-the-go option. And for dessert, Migros will provide its mini marble cakes and chocolate bars, and Paleta Loca will serve its artisanal ice cream.

    The 2024 HackSummit features two coffee options. There’s espresso from GoodLife Espressos, and if you’re after a filter, look no further than the beanless option by Dutch producer Northern Wonder. Guests can also opt for teas from ChariTea, and kombucha and super mate from Supernatural Soft Drinks. Swedish pea milk brand Sproud is the milk choice, and Be WTR will install water fountains for both still and sparkling water.

    It’s a mouth-watering menu that seems as well thought out as it is climate-friendly. What went behind all the decisions? We speak to Fascal Hukker, event manager at FoodHack, to find out how the HackSummit brought together the menu.

    This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and style.

    Green Queen: How and why did you choose the brands for the specific products? Do you prioritise local startups?

    planted hoisin duck
    Courtesy: Planted

    Fascal Hukker: It all starts with creating a great concept. We wanted three things: to go 100% vegan, offer a healthier menu and to serve meals which are fun. Healthier meant adding more vegetables and fibre in the dishes. And more fun meant more colours and different cuisines from around the world. 

    We started by looking for startups who could match all three of these requirements. For drinks and desserts, we love to work with local startups and companies. They are part of our community and, in turn, they can meet other innovators at the event. 

    At the 2023 HackSummit, our ice cream partner Paleta Loca met a packaging company, and since then, they have been working together on more sustainable packaging, which really shows the power of local collaboration.

    GQ: What kind of different food technologies does the menu represent?

    FH: Fermentation, extrusion technology, mycelium.

    GQ: Can you tell us more about the chefs, and why you chose these flavour combinations and cuisines for the products?

    FH: Our head chef Brice and I first worked out the concept in specific dishes, we wanted to cover multiple international cuisines. So we selected the products first, found partners. Then Brice selected chefs from individual food trucks that he was confident could cook these kinds of dishes.

    We delivered test products so they could try them before in the kitchen and work out the best-tasting options. Brice did culinary art direction on it and that resulted in the menu. 

    You need to believe in good taste to start with and have an amazing chef to believe in making it happen.

    GQ: Have the chefs worked with alternative proteins before?

    bettafish tunah
    Courtesy: BettaF!sh

    FH: Some of the chefs have worked with alternative proteins before because they were involved in last year’s HackSummit. But to others, it’s completely new. They are all willing to try and create test dishes to find the best application of the products, and I can tell you it looks very promising.

    GQ: Where can attendees find the on-the-go snacks, desserts and drinks?

    FH: The snacks and drinks will be spread out throughout the venue. We created several coffee and water stations, which will have snacks and Hack-branded apples on the side. The main bar will serve a larger array of drinks in cans, as well as still and sparkling water from BE WTR. 

    Desserts will be served after lunch, and we will treat our guests to local vegan ice creams from Paleta Loca.

    GQ: What was the motivation behind choosing Goodlife over other specialty coffee brands?

    FH: Our main coffee sponsor is Northern Wonder, which will serve coffee-free coffee from its own coffee machines across five stations in the venue. 

    GoodLife Coffee supplies the traditional coffee beans served at one coffee station. Those will be sponsored by Algrano, which helps roasters and farmers connect make direct trade easier and with more transparency via its online platform.

    northern wonder coffee
    Courtesy: Northern Wonder

    GQ: What made you go with Sproud over other plant-based milk makers?

    FH: We worked with Sproud in 2022, and our audience loved it then. So when we were looking for an alternative milk partner, it was an easy pick.

    GQ: How are you dealing with the potential waste generated both from leftovers and packaging?

    FH: For fresh and packaged food and drink products that are left over, we are working with Table Suisse. This organisation picks up the leftover products and distributes them to 500 regional centres for those in need, such as shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, and women’s shelters.

    For the packaging part, we focus on avoiding the most wasteful packaging, so we are ordering aluminium cans instead of glass bottles and are serving water from taps with reusable cups that will be washed and cleaned. We also work with suppliers that use wrapping materials that can be recycled.

    We are also partnering with Originnovation to offer 100% food-grade disposable tableware for our attendees. The packaging and tableware can be placed in the food waste treatment system and the packaging contains paper and PBAT – when shredded, the packaging paper composts within six months.

    GQ: What is the message behind the HackSummit menu? What do you want people to take away from it?

    redefine meat lamb
    Courtesy: Redefine Meat

    FH: The message is clear, as our event concept is Welcome to the Hack Arena, where we Hack the Food and Climate space. So we will serve food that matches that ambition and spirit. 

    We want to serve the stadium the food of the future. Good fast food. Good for people and the planet that’s vegan, fun and healthy. By serving great-tasting, sustainable foods we hope to showcase how it can add so much fun and memorable experiences to an event. 

    I want people to take away that it’s the dish that counts and not the ingredients – this way, we can do so much good for the planet by eating delicious, sustainable food.

    HackSummit will be held at the Beaulieu Congress Center in Lausanne on June 13 and 14.

    The post What Do You Eat at Europe’s Top Climate Tech Conference? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Kynda is Building A Large-Scale Mycelium Facility to Turn Food Waste into Meat in 48 Hours

    kynda mycelium factory
    4 Mins Read

    Germany’s Kynda has broken ground on a 6,200 sq m commercial facility that will allow it to produce 2,000 tonnes of mycelium meat each year.

    Hamburg-based biotech startup Kynda, which makes plug-and-play bioreactors, starter cultures and mycelium protein ingredients, has begun work on a commercial facility to scale up production of its Kynda Meat.

    The development comes two months after the company received planning permission for the new factory, a 6,200 sq m site with two production halls sprawling 720 sq m each. Equipped with 30,000 litres of fermentation capacity, the facility will allow Kynda to manufacture 2,500 tonnes of mycelium protein annually, which can be used to make products like chicken and pork analogues, and even dog food.

    “We’ve outgrown our current lab and fermentation facilities which were, ironically, based in a former pig barn,” said CEO Daniel MacGowan von Holstein. “We’re therefore thrilled to witness the expansion of our production facilities to continue shaping the future of food production.”

    Sustainable, nutritious and affordable mycelium meat

    kynda mycelium
    Courtesy: Kynda

    Founded in 2019 by von Holstein and COO Franziskus Schnabel, Kynda makes use of fungi and food industry sidestreams like soy-, oat- and rice-okara. These byproducts undergo a submerged biomass fermentation process, where microorganisms are rapidly grown in a liquid medium, and the entire biomass becomes the end product.

    Alongside its proprietary process, Kynda’s fungal strain – which is already compliant with the EU’s novel foods regulations and presents no major regulatory hurdles – allows it to produce mycelium protein in just 48 hours, compared to seven to 10 days for the industry standard.

    The resulting ingredient is a raw material that is cheaper to produce than plant-based texturates, and boasts environmental and nutritional aspects that will entice manufacturers. Kynda Meat emits 700% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than pea protein, an ingredient used by industry giants like Beyond Meat.

    It also has a protein content of 37% in dry matter and comprises all nine essential amino acids. Plus, it’s low in fat, rich in fibre and vitamins, and allergen-free. These attributes make the meat suitable for use in both plant-based and hybrid meat applications.

    “From the outset, our focus has been on crafting a product that is nutritious, sustainable, and accessible to consumers seeking environmentally conscious options,” said Schnabel.

    Kynda Meat was unveiled at the Internorga trade fair in Hamburg in March, as part of a collaboration with plant-based pork producer The Raging Pig Company, which swapped 17% of the high-moisture-extruded pea protein in its burger with Kynda’s mycelium meat.

    “By replacing highly processed raw materials with Kynda’s fermentation solution, we are answering the call of many consumers for healthy meat alternatives,” Raging Pig co-founder Arne Ewerbeck said at the time. He added that the partnership enabled his company to significantly lower production costs and be “finally able to compete with heavily subsidised meat producers”.

    Kynda goes global as fungi protein flourishes

    mycelium meat
    Courtesy: Kynda

    The mycelium burger patties showcased at the event served as a precursor to Kynda Meat’s market launch in Germany later this year, with further deals with B2C companies in both foodservice and retail soon to follow. Beyond Europe, Kynda is also in discussions with potential partners in Asia and North America.

    “With the new production capacities, we strengthen our cooperation with industrial food companies and thus further expand our growth course – and respond to the increasing global demand for sustainable proteins,” said von Holstein.

    Kynda is in the middle of a $4M seed funding round, and, last year, it received a non-dilutive grant from Germany’s food and agriculture ministry to scale up its fermentation platform and produce mycelium protein more efficiently. It’s one of several fungi protein producers in the country, including Nosh.bio, Bosque Foods and Infinite Roots (which closed a $58M Series B round in January, claimed to be the largest mycelium investment in Europe). Like Kynda, all these companies are valorising industry sidestreams.

    Interest in fungi proteins has been expanding lately, with US mycelium producer Meati bagging $100M in Series C1 financing earlier this month, the biggest alternative protein investment since 2022. And last week, Finnish mycoprotein startup Enifer received €24M in new funding to build a commercial-scale factory.

    Mycelium proteins have been acclaimed for their environmental and nutritional prowess, superior taste and texture, and potential to address food insecurity and global hunger. Companies like Kynda, which are leveraging agricultural byproducts, are advancing these claims by tackling food waste, which results in $1T in annual economic losses and contributes to 8-10% of global emissions.

    The post Kynda is Building A Large-Scale Mycelium Facility to Turn Food Waste into Meat in 48 Hours appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • AkkMore: Can This Fungi Fat Help Restaurants Tackle Obesity and Enhance Gut Health?

    akkmore
    4 Mins Read

    Researchers in Hong Kong have developed a fungi-derived fat alternative that can decrease the fat content of a product and improve gut health and metabolic benefits.

    The alt-fat world has been blossoming lately. Microbes, microalgae, carbon, you name it – startups all over the world are using techniques like fermentation to come up with fats that are better for you, and better for the Earth.

    These also hold a key to the progress of an Ozempic-hit food industry, which has contributed to and coincided with a rising awareness of gut health and metabolism.

    Joining this list of innovations is AkkMore, a fungi-derived fat designed to replace animal fats while preventing obesity and metabolic diseases, enhancing gut health and immunity, and relieving anxiety. That is the promise of its creators from Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU) Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN).

    “Our research team has completed three rounds of animal trials on AkkMore. The results show that the formula can effectively improve metabolism and aid in weight management,” said project co-lead Gail Jinhui Chang, a research assistant professor at FSN. “Moving forward, we are focusing on exploring applications of AkkMore in the development of healthy food.”

    Hitting health and sustainability touchpoints

    The PolyU researchers have been working on AkkMore since 2022, finding a way to extract the functional component from natural fungal sources. While conducting animal trials puts a question mark over the welfare aspects of the product, mice that had been administered the AkkMore formula were found to have a healthier gut microbiota, indicating better weight management, gut health, immune and metabolic system, and anxiety management.

    The research won a Silver Medal at the 2022 International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, and its applications for health benefits are being evaluated for patent filings.

    “This collaboration is testament to the successful translation of a research outcome,” said Chang. “Moving forward, we will further explore the application of AkkMore formula in innovative health foods and put greater efforts into identification of mushroom strains with better functions and standardisation of the cultivation process.”

    In addition to lowering the calorific content of food, AkkMore is also said to extend the shelf life of cream products, and have thickening, emulsifying and stabilising properties. Leveraging these attributes, the PolyU team developed Cream Mate, an alternative cream that can be used in conjunction with conventional cream to reduce the latter’s content in desserts.

    This, the researchers argue, could help cut dairy consumption and food waste in the long run, contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions and higher manufacturing productivity.

    AkkMore’s potential for the foodservice industry

    hotel icon afternoon tea
    Courtesy: Hotel Icon

    To demonstrate AkkMore’s viability for restaurants and the foodservice industry, RiFood and FSN have teamed up with Hotel Icon, which is owned by PolyU, whose fine-dining eatery Green has been using Cream Mate to develop reduced-fat soft serve and desserts.

    Hotel Icon commissioned a lab test to assess the nutritional components of the soft serve, which revealed that the fat content of the ice cream using Cream Mate was under 3%, and reduced by over 80% when compared to regular soft serve. Meanwhile, the total calories were also cut by more than half.

    Since May 1, the Green restaurant has been running a forest-themed afternoon tea offering with Japanese fruits and AkkMore. The tasting menu includes two Cream Mate soft serves in Japanese hōjicha and Hokkaido milk flavours. Guests can also opt for an Akkmore ‘special drink’ instead of tea or coffee for an additional price.

    While this is a limited-edition run, it’s part of a growing roster of alt-fat ingredients targeting sustainability and health in the food sector. In the US, GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are already making people eat fewer calories and fats as they look to manage their weight. Meanwhile, Roughly 30% of Hong Kong’s residents live with obesity, while another 20% are overweight. Meanwhile, 8.5-10% of people in the city live with type 2 diabetes.

    PolyU’s development aims to address these issues, while also lowering the foodservice industry’s climate footprint. The shelf life aspect will also help Hong Kong’s food sector reduce waste – 30-40% of Hong Kong’s municipal waste is made up of food waste, only 4% of which is recycled.

    The post AkkMore: Can This Fungi Fat Help Restaurants Tackle Obesity and Enhance Gut Health? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • This Chocolate Is Made With All Parts of the Cocoa Fruit – and Nothing Else

    cocoa fruit chocolate
    6 Mins Read

    Lower sugar, lower emissions, lower waste – it’s a chocolate bar that can do it all, and uses it all. Can this sustainable indulgence save chocolate and the world?

    Switzerland is renowned as one of the chocolate capitals of the world, whether we’re talking commodity, high-end, or a bit of both. So as cocoa crops and chocolate bars face an uncertain and increasingly volatile future, it should perhaps come as no surprise that the home of Nestlé, Lindt, Toblerone, Cailler and Frey is hoping to lead the fight for the industry’s survival.

    It may sound like an exaggeration – but just look at the data. Thanks to disappointing harvests, cocoa prices have been on a wild ride over the last year, reaching all-time highs in recent months. In April, a ton of cocoa was priced at over $12,000 – for context, they were under $2,500 in January 2023.

    Crop failures have driven a third consecutive year of cocoa shortages, and it’s those on the farm who are the hardest hit – large chocolate companies continue to line their pockets. While investment in the sector is dwindling, the climate crisis is a major culprit. Scientists are warning that a third of cocoa trees could die out by 2050, just as chocolate production continues to decimate the planet.

    Dark chocolate is the second-most polluting food (behind only beef), thanks in large part to the widespread use of palm oil, a major source of deforestation. While farmers in Ivory Coast, the largest cocoa producer, are truly feeling the heat, more than 85% of the forest has been lost since 1960. This is why the EU and the UK are introducing bans on importing deforestation-linked cocoa – although these come with their own strings attached.

    Suffice it to say: chocolate and our sweet tooth are in trouble. Some startups are developing cocoa-free and lab-grown, with future chocolate bars featuring “less cocoa or none at all”, as one writer puts it. But researchers at ETH Zurich, the public research university in the Swiss capital, are going the opposite route, making chocolate that contains all of the cocoa fruit, and just the cocoa fruit.

    It’s part of an Innosuisse (the state innovation agency) project, where a research team led by ETH Zurich professor Erich Windhab worked in tandem with cacao fruit startup Koa and Swiss chocolate manufacturer Felchlin to develop a recipe for the novel chocolate.

    Finetuning a game-changing cocoa gel

    cacao fruit juice
    Courtesy: ETH Zurich

    Consider the honeydew melon. It has a large outer shell, and when you cut it open, you encounter the flesh, as well as the seeds and pulp. Cacao fruit is similar.

    Cocoa beans are the seeds of this fruit, but very little of the plant actually ends up in the chocolate bars we buy. It’s why you see cocoa percentages on packaging, as they’re mixed with some kind of sugar, fat and other flavourings.

    But ETH Zurich researchers have managed to tap into the flesh as well as the outer shell – or the endocarp – for its ‘cocoa-fruit chocolate’. This is important because they represent 70-80% of the fruit, and are usually discarded, making it one of the world’s most wasted fruits. Making use of these parts of the plant can open up a new income stream for farmers, revive degraded landscapes, and produce clean energy too.

    It’s something startups like Pacha de Cacao, Cabosse Naturals (owned by Barry Callebaut), Blue Stripes and CaPao are already harnessing. However, many of these applications rely on cacao fruit as a byproduct – the team at ETH Zurich is treating it as an ingredient in its own right. This also helps remove the reliance on other industries – like palm oil and sugar – to create end products.

    Here’s how they replace everything else to make it an all-cocoa bar. They take the endocarp, dry it, and turn it into a fine powder. This is then mixed with part of the pulp and heated to form a cocoa gel, which is extremely sweet and can replace the sugar used in conventional chocolate. The cocoa mass, meanwhile, is made from the beans – so the only thing left over is part of the thin outer husk, which is traditionally used as fuel or composting material.

    eth zurich chocolate
    Courtesy: Kim Mishra/ETH Zurich

    While that might sound simple in theory, there was a lot of back-and-forth to find just the right recipe, with various tests assessing the texture of different compositions in the lab. Too much cocoa gel? It’s a clumpy chocolate. Too little? Not sweet enough. Finding the balance between sweetness and texture was hard, something that isn’t an issue when you just use powdered sugar.

    Finally, though, they settled on a maximum gel ratio of 20%, which gives you the same amount of sweetness as a bar with 5-10% powdered sugar content. This is still much below the 30-40% threshold of regular dark chocolate, but the perceived sweetness was still palatable to taste testers from the Bern University of Applied Sciences, who tried chocolates weighing 5g each. They contained varying amounts of powdered sugar or cocoa gel.

    “This allowed us to empirically determine the sweetness of our recipe as expressed in the equivalent amount of powdered sugar,” said Kim Mishra, lead author of a study based on the research, and R&D lead at plant-based meat pioneer Planted.

    Dual benefits of sustainability and health carry mass appeal

    Mishra and his team are excited about the health and environmental benefits of their creation. They carried out a life cycle analysis comparing conventional chocolate to their process both at lab-scale and commercial levels, revealing that their cocoa-fruit chocolate would have a lower climate footprint – in terms of global warming potential, and land and water use – if produced at scale.

    The nutritional factor is another plus. As new players come up with ways to reduce sugar – either by using novel sweet proteins or by turning it into dietary fibre – the ETH Zurich chocolate boasts a higher fibre content (15g per 100g) compared to average European dark chocolate (12g), thanks to the use of the cocoa gel as a sweetener.

    This translates to a 20% increase in fibre, as well as a 30% decrease in saturated fat, at a time when gut health is all the rage. “Fibre is valuable from a physiological perspective because it naturally regulates intestinal activity and prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly when consuming chocolate,” said Mishra.

    “Saturated fat can also pose a health risk when too much is consumed. There’s a relationship between increased consumption of saturated fats and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases,” he added.

    chocolate climate change
    Courtesy: Kim Mishra/ETH Zurich

    He argued that small-scale farmers can diversify their offerings and increase incomes if the whole cocoa fruit can be marketed for chocolate production. “Farmers can not only sell the beans, but also dry out the juice from the pulp and the endocarp, grind it into powder and sell that as well,” he said. “This would allow them to generate income from three value-creation streams. And more value creation for the cocoa fruit makes it more sustainable.”

    But it may be a while before you see cocoa-fruit chocolate in your local supermarket. “Although we’ve shown that our chocolate is attractive and has a comparable sensory experience to normal chocolate, the entire value creation chain will need to be adapted, starting with the cocoa farmers, who will require drying facilities,” said Mishra.

    To that end, ETH Zurich has filed for a patent for its chocolate recipe. “Cocoa-fruit chocolate can only be produced and sold on a large scale by chocolate producers once enough powder is produced by food processing companies.” You can’t help but think that its partnership with Koa and Felchlin will only continue to serve this purpose. And who knows, maybe your Lindor balls will be filled with cocoa gel soon.

    The post This Chocolate Is Made With All Parts of the Cocoa Fruit – and Nothing Else appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Indian, EU Elections & Squeezy Mayo

    heura plant based butchery
    6 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a new vegan restaurant in India, blended meat for kids, and Oatly’s climate election pledge.

    New products and launches

    Indian e-marketplace Vegan Dukan has opened Rollin’ Plantz, a plant-based restaurant in Bengaluru, which features Indian dishes and international favourites with a mix of whole foods and meat analogues.

    Singapore’s PetCubes has tapped Indonesian startup Green Rebel Foods‘ plant-based meat to launch a plant-based dog food SKU called Vegan Formula, which is high in protein and low in carbs.

    South Korean plant-based meat startup Unlimeat showcased its new line of Korean fried chicken at the National Restaurant Association in Chicago (May 21-27), featuring original, extra spicy, and Cheongyang Mayo flavours.

    The event also saw Tofurky unveil vegan hot dogs (a first for the brand) and new deli slices, which now contain 13g of protein per serving.

    The blended meat wave continues – and this time for kids. Colorado startup Teton Waters Ranch has rolled out its Taste Buds range, which combines vegetables with beef. The Meatball Buddies, Burger Buddies, Mini Corn Dogs, and Top Dog hot dogs are available at Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market, Central Market, and New Seasons Market.

    In a similar vein, vegan chicken maker Rebellyous Foods will soon offer its products in public schools in Chicago, as part of its larger strategy to up plant protein presence in school lunches.

    Dairy giant Bel Group has introduced the vegan versions of its The Laughing Cow snacking cheese to the Canadian market, which will be available at major retailers like Metro, Loblaws, and Real Canadian Superstore.

    malk creamers
    Courtesy: Malk

    US alt-milk maker Malk Organics has added three creamers to its lineup, priced at $7.99 per 16oz bottle. The lightly sweetened SKU has an oat base, while the vanilla and caramel flavours are almond-based. They’ll be available at Sprouts and select stores of Whole Foods, Erewhon, Fresh Thyme and other retailers from mid-June.

    Speaking of milk, UK brand Oato is making its move onto the shelves of Waitrose, following a listing with northwest supermarket Booths for its fresh oat milk in February.

    Danish player Naturli’, meanwhile, has secured a listing with Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, for its vegan block and spreadable butters.

    Months after acquiring La Fauxmagerie, UK plant-based pizzeria Purezza has opened the vegan cheesemonger in its Camden store, with over 40 cheeses and the cult-favourite cheese cellar in the basement.

    vegan ready meals
    Courtesy: Shicken

    Also in the UK, Shicken has updated its entire range of meat analogues from a soy and wheat protein base to an allergen-free pea recipe, with its existing products set to be phased out by the end of the month. The new iteration of its tikka kebabs is already out at Costco.

    As it aims to make half its menu meatless by next year, Wagamama has introduced four dishes with Australian startup Fable Food‘s pulled shiitake mushrooms – this entails gyoza, otsumami, soba noodles and a koyo bowl.

    In its efforts to address food waste, Unilever has redesigned its squeeze bottle for the Hellmann’s vegan mayo with an edible plant-based coating that prevents the spread from sticking to the sides and minimises the amount left over after use. The new packaging will be debuted in the UK and Ireland this year.

    In France, plant-based meat leader Heura is running a pop-up vegan butchery at E-Leclerc hypermarkets. It started at Saint-Brice-Courcelles (May 21-25), is now at the Levallois-Perret location (May 28 to June 1), and will end in the neighbouring Clichy store (June 3-8).

    happyvore
    Courtesy: HappyVore/Green Queen

    Fellow French startup HappyVore has introduced a first-of-its-kind plant-based meat range called Croq’Coulis. Inspired by chocolate fondants and mochi, these combine an outer crunchy layer of pea protein and vegetables with saucy fillings (aubergine-tomato, and carrot-sweet potato-coconut curry).

    And Swedish furniture giant IKEA has brought its vegan hot dogs to Australia. Made from rice protein, carrots, onions and apples, they cost A$2.

    Finance, research and company updates

    Australian plant-based meat maker Proform Foods, which retails under the Meet brand, has fallen into administration, appointing KPMG to manage the company. It continues to trade for now.

    Dutch cultivated meat producer Meatable, which recently hosted a public tasting of its pork in the Netherlands ahead of its impending regulatory approval in Singapore, has appointed Jeff Tripician as CEO, with co-founder Krijn de Nood continuing in his board position. The move comes as part of the company’s plans to expand in the US following its Singapore launch.

    meatable singapore
    Courtesy: Meatable

    Danish vegan cheese startup Færm has received follow-on funding through a €1.3M convertible loan from research firm BioInnovation Institute‘s Venture House programme.

    Canada’s alternative protein economic cluster Protein Industries Canada has invested C$2.6M in a project to expand the lupin protein market alongside Lupin Platform, PURIS Holdings and YOSO Canada, who will provide the rest of the funding in the C$6.2M initiative.

    Meat analogues will be the largest driver of the global incremental volume of protein ingredients, which are set to reach 860 kilotonnes by 2027, according to Swiss research company Giract.

    Analysis by Japanese news outlet Nikkei has revealed that the country has the second-highest value of alternative protein patents, behind only the US. It’s followed by Switzerland and China.

    crackd egg
    Courtesy: Crackd

    British plant-based liquid egg maker Crackd has launched a ‘love it or your money back’ guarantee to encourage people to try its product. The startup has sold the equivalent of three million eggs since its 2020 launch.

    Fellow British company Tate & Lyle has handed over its remaining 49.7% share in US plant-based producer Primient to KPS Capital Ventures, which will own 100% of the company once the transaction is completed (expected by the end of July).

    Policy and manufacturing updates

    Meat giant Maple Leaf Foods, which merged its animal and plant protein businesses in February, has announced the decision to close a production facility in Brantford, Canada to consolidate manufacturing in its existing network.

    Food giant GEA has broken ground on a new technology centre for plant-based, microbial and cultivated proteins. Scheduled to open next year, it aims to help food manufacturers meet the demand for alternative proteins, while creating future-resilient jobs and local economic opportunities.

    In India, the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology has signed a deal with Kerala’s Alter Wave Eco Innovations to tap its vegan leather manufacturing technology, using sources like pineapple leaves, banana stems, and rice straws.

    eu elections
    Courtesy: Oatly

    Finally, ahead of the EU elections from June 6-9, Oatly and Patagonia have joined forces to build voter engagement, imploring business leaders to encourage employees to vote. They’re giving staff time off to vote, providing them with informative resources, and giving parliamentarians a manifesto for climate-friendly policies.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Indian, EU Elections & Squeezy Mayo appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Molecular Farming Startup NewMoo Debuts Liquid Casein from Soybeans for Animal-Free Cheese

    newmoo cheese
    5 Mins Read

    Israeli startup NewMoo is using soybean plants to produce casein proteins in liquid form for animal-free cheese applications, with plans to partner with the dairy sector.

    As the molecular farming space continues to blossom, NewMoo has launched from stealth mode to debut casein proteins grown in soybean plants, which are turned into liquid form for animal-free cheese production.

    Casein proteins (which make up 80% of the protein content in milk) are considered the “holy grail” of milk structure, according to NewMoo. Its emulsification properties keep water and fats from separating in cheeses, and give them the sought-after melty and stretchy texture.

    While startups like New Culture, Change Foods, Fermify, Zero Cow Factory, and Standing Ovation are all producing casein via precision fermentation, and Alpine Bio and Finally Foods are doing so via molecular farming, what sets NewMoo apart is its final product, which is a liquid casein base, instead of a protein powder.

    “This allows us to be more cost-effective, as we avoid the complex and expensive processes of separation and purification of caseins,” co-founder and CEO Daphna Miller tells Green Queen. “It helps us minimise time and capital expenditure for new food development for dairy brands – by ensuring our product seamlessly integrates into their existing factories and processes.”

    Miller and her team have extensive experience in the dairy industry. “It was important for us to develop a strategy and product that is not only sustainable and great for the planet but also aligns with industry standards in terms of costs, scalability, and compatibility with existing infrastructure, so it can be a great choice for the dairy brands,” she says.

    How NewMoo turns soybeans into liquid casein

    molecular farming
    Courtesy: NewMoo

    Founded in 2021, NewMoo’s technology is built on research and IP from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, which developed both casein and whey proteins in one plant. After analysing the animal-free dairy market, the startup decided to focus on the former for cheese applications, starting with mozzarella.

    “Our technology is versatile and can produce any protein in almost any selected plant, it all depends on our strategy and the needs of the industry,” says Miller.

    “We researched many plant options, but came to the understanding that for our targeted end result, soy plants are the best host to start with,” she adds. “There are many reasons for this: the vast knowledge around soy, research and regulation as a GM crop, its price, the yield, the quantity of protein, and even the know-how of the soy milk industry.”

    Milk contains four types of casein proteins, which fold into a spherical structure known as a micelle – they are suspended in a highly hydrated solution and bound together with minerals like calcium. NewMoo’s tech can produce two or more bovine proteins in a single plant.

    “This approach incorporates novel cloning tools that allow us to introduce multiple proteins – specifically caseins – and their regulatory mechanisms into a single plant, targeting expression in the plant’s seeds,” explains Miller. But since it is targeting the dairy market with functional animal-free casein proteins, it is now developing all four caseins found in conventional cheese.

    NewMoo genetically engineers soybean seeds to express casein proteins, which are then sown in outdoor fields. After harvesting, they undergo a process that yields a hormone-free liquid casein base. “We developed a unique process that is based on well-known food technologies, processes, and machinery in the soy industry, to produce our liquid caseins,” says Miller.

    “Through this method and process, we take our NewMoo soy seeds, water, carbohydrates and special plant fats, and produce our NewMoo liquid base caseins that can seamlessly be used in the current cheese factories and manufacturing processes.”

    Creating a win-win-win solution

    animal free casein
    Courtesy: NewMoo

    A market tipped to reach $3.5B by 2029, molecular farming is advantageous as it relies on plants instead of expensive bioreactors – as is the case with cultivated or precision-fermented proteins – which makes it a more easily scalable and cost-effective process.

    “Precision fermentation is a well-known technology and its successful practice is mainly in pharmaceutical and cosmetics. While it’s super useful for certain types of products, it is also an expensive technology, not only because of the capex for building factories, but also because of the potential yield of proteins in the production,” says Miller.

    “In plant molecular farming, you don’t need factories – agriculture and fields are the production lines, and the potential yield is high enough to make this technology competitive and cost-effective even to the dairy industry, which requires a large amount of functional proteins,” she adds. The cost advantage also comes into play with the liquid format of the casein, which eschews the need for “the complex and expensive process of separation and purification”.

    NewMoo has previously raised $7M in seed funding to build its team, R&D tech, and downstream process for the liquid casein. It will initiate a new investment round next year to support the R&D process for genetics and food development, and grow its first seeds with all the required caseins inside them for cheese applications. As it progresses its path to market, it now also aims to finalise its genetic research to prove the potential of molecular farming and its unique approach for animal-free products.

    One major hurdle will be the regulatory landscape. “Most of the soy grown globally is genetically modified, so there is a lot of learning, know-how and regulation to learn from and follow,” says Miller. “The main challenge is how to control our production lines (our fields) and our supply chain, and make sure we are keeping the identity preservation of our crops, due to the fact that the seeds contain milk allergens.”

    It’s an important point – while this liquid casein is lactose-free, it’s bioidentical to bovine casein, making it unsuitable for people with dairy allergies. But it will appeal to the 73% of consumers who are unhappy with the texture of vegan cheese and want creamy products that taste and melt better.

    Miller reveals that as Newmoo is developing technologies for use throughout the production line, it has been in discussions with dairy manufacturers to learn and collaborate. “This has positioned us very close to large dairy organisations,” she says. “We intend to finalise our development and trials, and to provide the animal-free cheese industry with our NewMoo casein liquid base in a few years. As a startup, we have the ability to move fast, and that’s what we’re doing.”

    She adds: “At the end of the day, we want to create a win-win-win situation. Farmers don’t need to change a thing in the way they grow soy plants, dairy brands don’t need to change their production lines, and consumers can enjoy tasty non-animal dairy cheese at competitive pricing.”

    The post Molecular Farming Startup NewMoo Debuts Liquid Casein from Soybeans for Animal-Free Cheese appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • UK to Evaluate Novel Foods Based on Track Record of Regulatory Approval in Other Countries

    lab grown meat approved
    5 Mins Read

    The UK’s Food Standards Agency is set to announce plans to introduce a “sliding scale” mechanism for the regulatory approval of novel foods, which will take into account products’ track record internationally.

    As regulation around cultivated meat progresses rapidly internationally, the UK doesn’t want to be left out. For a long time, it retained the pre-Brexit novel food regulations of the EU, but recent efforts have sought to speed up and simplify the process.

    In its latest move, it seems the Food Standards Agency – the country’s food safety regulator – is looking towards a system of international cooperation for novel foods like cultivated meat, precision-fermented foods, insect protein, and CBD products, according to the Grocer.

    Set to be announced next month, it will involve a “sliding scale of international engagement” to clear the highly congested docket of applications, which currently face a two-and-a-half-year waiting period. This would mean that the UK could approve cultivated meat and other novel foods based on their track records in other countries.

    “As the UK regulator, we’ve been in touch with colleagues in Singapore, colleagues in Australia, New Zealand, and all over the world,” the FSA’s deputy director of regulatory services, Peter Quigley, told a forum in Westminster.

    “We have to be careful about naming specific countries where we may have a free trade agreement with them or may not. And so we probably aren’t going to set up a shopping list of the top five people we want to pick up the phone to,” he added. “It’s more having a framework of how we’d engage.”

    UK proposal may not include EU regulator

    ivy farm meat
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    There are at least 470 novel food dossiers awaiting regulatory approval in the UK right now, which has made it nearly impossible for companies with new products waiting to go to market. But the FSA’s new proposal would allow for both regulatory agreements between countries, and for approvals to be written into trade agreements with other nations.

    However, experts say the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), is absent in the list of potential collaborators. The EU regulator has an infamously complex regulatory framework, which has driven companies away from the region to launch their products in more open markets.

    “Currently, EFSA is not open to discussions with the FSA. All of which would tend to suggest that while there might be greater recognition of international approvals, this will not, most likely initially, include EU approvals,” a source told the Grocer.

    Rich Dillon, CEO of British cultivated meat startup Ivy Farm Technologies, said: “The FSA seems to be trying to be more nimble and aligning with countries that have good regulatory practice, which would save a huge amount of time,” he said. “You’ve got brilliant scientists in different countries doing the same amount of work on the same products. It makes sense to cooperate, and it already happens in other industries.”

    Ivy Farm itself has filed dossiers for regulatory approval, but it hasn’t disclosed where. “Ivy Farm has high hopes to achieve regulatory approvals in a number of regions in the not-too-distant future,” Dillon told Green Queen last week, after the company co-hosted a public tasting of its cultivated beef in Iceland, following a manufacturing agreement in Finland.

    One source told the Grocer that the UK’s slow pace has left it trailing behind nations like Singapore, the US and Israel, all of whom have approved cultivated meat for sale. “This should have been done a while ago,” they said. “This could have been a way of outsourcing some of the resources needed and we wish it had happened directly after Brexit.”

    Novel food regulation high on FSA agenda

    vital meat
    Courtesy: Vital Meat | Composite by Green Queen

    The FSA’s work on novel food regulation has been accelerating of late, as the country aims to break away from the pre-Brexit framework and become a leader in alternative proteins. In August, a report by think tank Green Alliance suggested that with the right combination of targeted investments and regulation, the UK’s alternative protein sector could be worth £6.8B annually and create 25,000 jobs by 2035.

    Just last week, French cultivated chicken producer Vital Meat filed its dossier to the FSA and Food Standards Scotland. “British consumers’ pragmatism and environmental consciousness align well with the sustainability benefits of cultivated meat. Their receptiveness to innovation and health awareness further create a favourable environment,” Camille Chevalier, communications manager at Vital Meat, told Green Queen.

    “Additionally, the British FSA is very proactive in facilitating the process,” she added, citing the regulator’s launch of a survey earlier this year, which asked manufacturers when they plan to submit applications for cultivated meat products, and what technologies they may be using. A 2023 Deloitte commissioned by the FSA suggested that speeding up novel foods regulation could help the UK meet its carbon reduction plans (it aims to reach net zero by 2050).

    But while Vital Meat awaits approval (which will take 18 to 24 months), British startup Meatly may be on retail shelves within the next couple of months. It’s because, unlike Vital Meat, its product isn’t made for humans – it is selling tinned cultivated chicken for cats.

    In March, the FSA declared it would create a new public register of regulated products, replacing the current system that requires the parliament to pass statutory instruments before they can be placed on the market. This added up to six months to the process, but following this, it would take up to two years to approve cultivated meat and other novel foods.

    The food safety body will also remove the requirement for products that have already been approved to reapply for clearance every 10 years. “The board has been clear that overhauling the way we authorise new foods is an opportunity for the FSA to drive benefits for consumers by enabling new and innovative products that we assess as being safe to come to market more quickly,” said FSA chair professor Susan Jebb.

    ”One of the options we have asked officials to consider is the possibility of extending the way we work with regulators in other countries where we are aligned in the safety standards of foods,” she added. “This could involve greater sharing of information or technical expertise as we assess the potential risks, whilst maintaining autonomy over decision-making.”

    Israel’s Aleph Farms (already approved in its home country for cultivated beef) also applied for the UK greenlight back in August, while Dutch startup Mosa Meat is eyeing the UK too.

    The post UK to Evaluate Novel Foods Based on Track Record of Regulatory Approval in Other Countries appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • PoLoPo Submits Molecular Farming Platform for USDA Approval to Grow Egg Proteins in Potatoes

    polopo usda
    5 Mins Read

    Israeli startup PoLoPo has filed for USDA approval of its molecular farming platform, which genetically engineers potatoes to produce egg proteins within the plant.

    PoLoPo is pursuing regulatory approval in the US for its molecular farming technology, which transforms potatoes into egg-protein-producing factories.

    Its application for Regulatory Status Review (RSR) to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) marks the first step of the regulatory ladder for its SuperAA platform. This is expected within six months, and will establish that PoLoPo’s tech poses no agricultural or pest risk compared to conventional potato cultivation.

    Following the greenlight from the APHIS, the startup would be able to pursue commercial plans to grow its transgenic potato plants in the US via partners and local growers. It would also need to engage with the FDA as the next step towards commercialisation.

    The company says it’s the first Israeli molecular farming player to seek US approval. Asked why it chose to launch here, PoLoPo co-founder and CEO Maya Sapir-Mir told Green Queen: “Although our product does not contain any DNA, GMO-based technology and production (growth of transgenic plants) are still an issue in most geographies. The US is the most suitable market in terms of regulation and customer acceptance for GMO-based products, so we are starting there.”

    She added that the country’s potato growing and starch processing industry is big too, and the startup intends to use existing infrastructure for production.

    An egg protein suitable for alt-meat, desserts and snacks

    polopo egg protein
    Courtesy: PoLoPo

    Founded in 2022, PoLoPo’s Super AA platform grows target amino acids within a potato’s tuber, which are harvested when they reach sufficient size. The protein is then extracted and dried into a powder that can be integrated into existing food processing lines and formulations.

    Currently deployed at greenhouse scale, the technology can generate patatin (a group of native proteins found in potatoes) and ovalbumin (the major protein found in eggs) through proprietary metabolic engineering techniques. It inserts a DNA sequence into the potato to teach it to produce an egg protein that’s fully functional, and nutritionally and chemically identical to chicken eggs. While this means there’s no animal input and the egg proteins are – by definition – vegan, they’re not suitable for people with egg allergies.

    According to PoLoPo, the product has undergone rigorous testing and meets all the necessary food safety standards, deeming it safe for consumption after quality control assessments. USDA approval would set it on the path to actually sell the product to manufacturers, who can use the ovalbumin powder in baked goods, desserts, snacks, meat and meat alternatives, and ice cream.

    The highly functional protein can also be used for stabilisation, increasing the nutritional value, and prolonging the shelf life of CPG products. “Our first RSR is for the SuperAA platform itself and not for a specific protein. This step is crucial, as the SuperAA will be the background variety for all our future commercial varieties (for producing different target proteins),” explained Sapir-Mir.

    “Once we obtain this approval, we can relatively quickly approve every variety expressing any target protein that we will commercialise (starting with ovalbumin).”

    PoLoPo targets 2026 launch via B2B partners

    molecular farming usda
    Courtesy: PoLoPo

    PoLoPo operates as a B2B ingredient provider, instead of selling its own end products on the market. Sapir-Mir did not disclose whether the startup has signed any agreements with manufacturers, but she outlined that B2C is outside its scope currently, and its ingredient fits perfectly into a B2B model.

    “The food industry already uses egg proteins in powder, so working with our functional protein powder will be almost straightforward. Moreover, we want to improve the global food production system as much as we can and make it much more sustainable,” she said. “Therefore, the B2B model is the way to go, allowing for a wide range of possibilities and potential impacts.”

    PoLoPo closed a $2.3M pre-seed funding round at the end of 2022, and it’s now raising capital again. “This is the right time for PoLoPo to give another boost in R&D and commercial aspects,” said Sapir-Mir. “We are keen to work with strategic investors, from potato growers to potato processors and ingredient providers.”

    It’s targeting a market that is inundated with volatile, unpredictable prices and supply shocks due to frequent avian flu outbreaks. It’s also addressing the cruelty issue – in the US, most (if not all) egg-laying hens are part of concentrated animal feeding operations.

    Sapir-Mir is targeting 2026 for the rollout of the first products using PoLoPo’s ovalbumin, via collaborations with CPG companies and foodservice chains. Asked if it had global ambitions, she said the current focus is in the US, a huge market with a ton of opportunities. “Nevertheless, we are keen to see other parts of the world that will understand the opportunity to feed the growing population by using GMO methods, and hope to grow our potatoes in more parts of the world.”

    Molecular farming is emerging as one of the next frontiers of alternative protein, thanks to its ability to scale up fast and keep costs down compared to animal cell cultivation or precision fermentation – this is made possible by the use of plants to produce ingredients, instead of expensive bioreactors.

    Alpine Bio (formerly Nobell Foods), Mozza, Miruku, Finally Foods and Moolec are all using the tech to develop various ingredients through plants. The latter is publicly listed on the Nasdaq and is one of the industry’s leaders. Last month, it received APHIS approval for Piggy Sooy, which are soybeans containing pork proteins.

    The post PoLoPo Submits Molecular Farming Platform for USDA Approval to Grow Egg Proteins in Potatoes appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Enifer Gets €24M in New Funding to Build Mycoprotein Factory That Will Feed 40,000 People Each Year

    enifer pekilo
    5 Mins Read

    Finnish biotech startup Enifer has received €24M in new investments to support the construction of a commercial-scale facility for its Pekilo mycoprotein. It expects to receive EU novel food approval by 2026.

    The latest set of funding involves a €15M Series B round led by Taaleri Bioindustry Fund I, with participation from existing investors Nordic Foodtech VC, Voima Ventures and Valio. This sum was complemented by a €7M junior loan by the Finnish Climate Fund, and a €2M loan by state-owned financer Finnvera.

    In addition to this, Enifer had also received a €12M grant from the EU’s NextGenerationEU recovery instrument in January. It brings the company’s 2024 financing to €36M, which it will use to build a new mycoprotein factory in Kirkkonummi, Finland. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, and will upscale the startup’s process of converting food industry sidestreams into fungi protein ingredients.

    The factory is set to cost €33M and slated to be the first commercial plant to produce upcycled mycoprotein. Enifer will use the remaining €3M from the latest investments for “R&D and other ongoing projects that are under development, including finalising novel food dossiers”, according to co-founder and CEO Simo Ellilä. To date, the company has now received €50M in financing, including equity, loans and grants.

    “Food production is – even at the level of technologies that can already be scaled – an unsolved key part of the climate challenge. In the future, sustainable food production will be based on several different solutions and the demand for new types of proteins is predicted to grow significantly over the next decade,” said Toni Mikkonen, CEO of the Finnish Climate Fund. “Enifer’s already-tested technology is interesting as the nutrients of various sidestreams can be upcycled and their processing value increased instead of energy use.”

    Enifer’s Pekilo protein targets multiple industries

    eniferbio
    Courtesy: Enifer

    Originating as a spinoff from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in 2020, Enifer was founded by five scientists to further develop and commercialise its Pekilo protein.

    The mycoprotein leverages a submerged biomass fermentation process that was originally developed to upcycle forest industry sidestreams into pig and chicken feed in Finland nearly 50 years ago. While the fungal strain was fed with a byproduct of paper making, Enifer has adapted the process to food and agricultural sidestreams to develop food-grade mycoprotein. It currently uses lactose permeate (which is derived from the ultrafiltration of milk to separate lactose from proteins and fats) as one of its feedstocks.

    “To make food-grade mycoprotein, we need to use food-grade sidestreams. At the first factory, we are mainly focusing on sidestreams from the sugar/starch industries and dairy industry,” said Ellilä. Valio, [a major] dairy company in Finland] is one of our shareholders, and we work closely with them.”

    The process – not too dissimilar to making soy sauce or brewing beer – generates a fibre-rich powder with varying quantities of protein, depending on the application. Pekilo can be used in foods for human consumption (with up to 55% protein concentration), pet food (over 60% of protein), and even aquaculture feed (up to 65% of protein).

    The mycoprotein powder is also neutral in colour and flavour, enabling use in diverse applications. “In food applications, we’ve successfully used Pekilo in very diverse applications,” said Ellilä. “While we expect the main use cases to be in alt-meat and -dairy products, it also has great promise in baking, cereals, snacks, etc. The fact that it is neutral (beige) in colour and flavour allows it to blend into most recipes.”

    Enifer eyes EU novel food approval by 2026

    enifer mycoprotein
    Courtesy: Enifer

    At full capacity, the new factory will be able to churn out around 450kg of mycoprotein per hour. Since it will run for about 11 months of the year (when factoring in maintenance and other breaks), this translates to an annual capacity of approximately 300 tonnes, which will be enough to meet the annual protein needs of 40,000 people.

    Producing 1kg of Pekilo emits just 1.66kg of CO2e – that is a 98% smaller footprint than beef, and half as much as milk production. Combining that with the fact that it uses sidestreams to advance the circular economy, it makes for a highly sustainable future food ingredient.

    Enifer’s factory will be built as a brownfield project – instead of constructing it on new land, it’ll tap into a previously used industrial site. The location is a 30-minute drive to Enifer’s existing R&D plant in Helsinki, and offers the new factory utilities like steam, electricity, process and cooling water, and wastewater treatment. It’s expected to ramp up operations in 2026.

    Later this year, Enifer will file a novel food dossier to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), whose approval is required to commercialise Pekilo. “Our factory will be based in Finland, and expected to mainly serve the Nordic market. Therefore, we need access to the EU, so we’re filing with EFSA, said Ellilä. “Since that is also the most difficult one, we plan to use the generated data to also file in Singapore, and the US in the not-too-distant future.”

    The company has already established industry partnerships with major players, including Nutreco’s aquafeed division, Skretting, and pet food giant Purina. “We produce a dry ingredient powder. We are bioprocess engineers and our company’s core know-how is in the production process,” Ellilä said when asked why Enifer opted for a B2B approach.

    “Food companies are best placed to make final B2C products, with their existing product formulators, sales channels and marketing. It’s hard enough for a start-up to fund a factory – building another factory for consumer products, plus sales, marketing, etc. is not realistic for us,” he added.

    Enifer is part of a rapidly growing fungi protein space. Fellow mycoprotein player Enough is also constructing a facility for its Abunda mycoprotein, following a €40M Series C round last year. Quorn, meanwhile, has been selling mycoprotein-based meat analogues since the 1980s. And earlier this month, mycelium meat producer Meati bagged a $100M investment to fuel its retail expansion.

    The post Enifer Gets €24M in New Funding to Build Mycoprotein Factory That Will Feed 40,000 People Each Year appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Doner Kebabs, Wild Salmon & Mayor Battles

    plant based news
    5 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Revo Foods’ new salmon analogue a new vegan doner kebab, and Good Eating Company’s impact report on plant-based nudges.

    New products and launches

    German startup Revo Foods has updated its plant-based smoked salmon. The new SKU, called Smokey Slices, has higher omega-3 fatty acid content than some conventional salmon products, and is said to be the first plant-based alternative to wild salmon on the market. It comes in original and dill-lemon variants.

    revo foods salmon
    Courtesy: Revo Foods

    In the US, frozen food giant Dr. Praeger’s will roll out two new snack SKUs – Southwestern Black Bean Crunchy Stars and BBQ Black Bean & Sweet Potato Slider Patties – at 475 Target stores. It has also added a Smoky Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger exclusively at Costco.

    California’s Oobli, which recently earned FDA approval for its Oubli-fruit-derived precision-fermented sugar alternative, has established its first B2B partnership, with Mexican food manufacturer Grupo Bimbo set to launch products with the sweet protein by the end of 2024 or the start of next year.

    At the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, local startup Land Lovers showcased Land Lovers X, a concept born out of a link-up with AI-driven kitchen solutions provider Botinkit, which will use robotics to produce the company’s vegan steak.

    Ahead of World Ocean Month (June), The Plant-Based Seafood Co has expanded its collaboration with PLNT Burger to unveil a Crab Cake Sandwich using the former’s Mind Blown crab cake at locations in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

    Fellow US startup Barvecue has earned a listing at Whole Foods, which will see its vegan Pulled BVQ and Carnitas in the retailer’s freezers nationwide.

    rollingreens
    Courtesy: RollinGreens

    Shark Tank success RollinGreens has unveiled a line of shelf-stable vegan ready meals, all of which contain rice and plant-based meat in classic, teriyaki, Mexican or stir-fry variants. The startup received a $500,000 investment by Robert Herjavec for a 20% stake on the show in 2020.

    Dutch alt-dairy producer Boermarke has developed a new range of vegan cheese with added vitamins and 10% protein. Available in Gouda, Cumin, and Mediterranean flavours, the Vairy slices will be launched at select European retailers in June.

    In the UK, free-from brand Crave has introduced vegan and gluten-free frozen doughnuts that can be cooked in air fryers in five minutes. Called Dodoughs, they’ll be in Sainsbury’s and Morrisons freezers from June 2.

    London-based Better Nature has scaled up the distribution of its tempeh products at Tesco and Asda, reaching a total of 1,000 stores among the retailers after a 250% annual sales growth.

    german doner kebab vegan
    Courtesy: German Doner Kebab

    And fast-casual chain German Doner Kebab has launched its first plant-based option in the UK, in partnership with Nestlé Professional. The new product is called OV Kebab and replaces pulled chicken with a soy-based doner.

    Policy and finance developments

    In New Zealand, Daisy Lab has received approval from the country’s Environmental Protection Agency to build its first pilot facility for precision-fermented dairy proteins and scale up production to 5,000 litres.

    Also in the precision fermentation world, Chicago’s Hydrosome Labs has developed a natural, chemical-free process to customise yeast and/or bacteria to produce specific molecules for use in a variety of applications using the tech, helping address yield and cost bottlenecks.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Lancaster University

    In the UK, the Lancaster University Students’ Union has voted for a transition to a fully plant-based menu on-campus dining services, with a 50% target for 2025, followed by a 100% shift by 2027.

    On the contrary, Worcester City’s new Liberal Democrat mayor Mel Alcott has reversed her predecessor’s decision to remove meat from the council’s receptions. In February, Green Party’s Louis Stephen had taken the measure to highlight the climate impact of animal agriculture.

    German alt-seafood company BettaF!sh has joined the EU-wide FunSea research project to advance the nutritional quality of cultivated brown and green seaweed and develop novel food products over a three-year period.

    actual veggies
    Courtesy: Actual Veggies

    Whole-food plant-based company Actual Veggies has brought in a seven-figure sum in a new round of funding, and will soon expand its products’ retail footprint, with the business now profitable.

    Research and company updates

    A major review of 49 studies spanning 23 years has shown that vegan and vegetarian diets have a robust link to better health, with reduced risk of heart disease, and gastrointestinal and prostate cancer. Plant-based diets were found to have significant health benefits.

    Israeli alternative protein startup Steakholder Foods has partnered with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute to develop and commercialise foods using the former’s 3D-printing tech and plant-based premises tailored for Taiwanese cuisine.

    steakholder foods
    Courtesy: Steakholder Foods

    Thailand-based CP Foods has received a Crystal Taste Award for its Meat Zero Chicken Nuggets, a recognition awarded for earning a three-star rating for three consecutive years.

    Contract caterer Good Eating Company and behavioural science firm Greener by Default have released an impact report for their initiative to nudge plant-based choices. Switching to an oat milk default decreased dairy consumption from 70-18% at one site, while 74% of Good Eating Company’s menu is now meatless.

    Speaking of health, Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown has called for more unity in the plant-based meat sector, suggesting the divide between whole foods and ultra-processed foods is hurting the industry and further driving the meat sector’s misinformation campaign against it.

    ethan brown
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    Finally, Beyond Meat has also suffered setbacks in its foodservice footprint, with Carl’s Jr taking the Beyond Burger off the menu from its 1,000+ locations, and Del Taco removing the meat analogues from its nearly 600 sites, citing low sales. However, the latter is exploring other plant-based dishes with Beyond Meat.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan Doner Kebabs, Wild Salmon & Mayor Battles appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Ivy Farm Targets 2025 Cultivated Meat Launch After Deal to Produce at World’s ‘Largest’ Alt-Protein Facility

    ivy farm cultured meat
    5 Mins Read

    UK food tech startup Ivy Farm has inked a manufacturing partnership to scale up at a new alternative protein facility in Finland. After hosting a tasting of its cultivated beef yesterday, it’s aiming to launch its first sales next year.

    British cultivated meat producer Ivy Farm Technologies has announced a major manufacturing partnership with Finnish biotech firm Synbio Powerlabs Oy, which will see the former demonstrate the scalability of its mammalian cells in food-grade fermenters at the latter’s new production plant.

    Synbio Powerlabs is converting a large Finnish food-grade facility into a multipurpose hub for cultivated meat and fermentation-derived proteins, backed by a €2.99M government grant. Slated to go live early next year, it will feature pilot-scale equipment and production scales at 10,000 and 27,000 litres, with six 250,000-litre manufacturing vessels. This will make it the largest such facility in the world, according to the announcement.

    Ivy Farm will have exclusivity in the cultivated meat section of the hub, and will be able to gain a strategic advantage, reduce capital expenditure costs, and mitigate risks linked to scaling up. The next phase of the partnership will focus on tech transfer and expanding production to 10,000-litre fermenters, with further plans to increase manufacturing in the next few years.

    It would be a major step up in the Oxford-based producer’s plans to commercialise its cultivated beef – its current pilot plant can produce up to three tonnes of product annually, but this facility is used for process development rather than continuous production. “The partnership with Synbio is designed to progress the production steps to larger scales and test what is possible all done in a low capex way,” Ivy Farm CEO Richard Dillon told Green Queen.

    A ‘unique’ facility powered by renewable energy

    ivy farm synbio
    Courtesy: Synbio Powerlabs

    The new plant, located near Helsinki, is dedicated to helping alternative protein companies accelerate their routes to market. The Nordics are home to some of the most innovative players in this space. While these countries are high importers of meat, the abundance of renewable energy and tech expertise makes them primed to capitalise on the novel foods sector.

    “With the support of Clingate Oy and the Finnish government, we are proud to lead the charge in transforming our vision into reality, positioning ourselves as a global leader in food innovation,” said Synbio Powerlabs chairman Alejandro Antalich. “Together with Ivy Farm Technologies, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is possible and shaping the future of food.”

    Speaking about the partnership with Ivy Farm, he added: “By converging our cutting-edge technology and innovative thinking, we are not only revolutionising the way meat is produced but also paving the way for a more efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly approach to mass-scale food production.”

    Dillon said the company was “committed to partnering with fermentation experts and licensing our technology” to speed up the commercialisation of cultivated meat globally.

    Asked why the startup chose Finland as a hub, he said: “There is no facility similar to this in the UK, so we were forced to look outside of the UK.” He called Synbio Powerlabs “real experts in fermentation”, explaining that Finland “has a strong track record in supporting technology and sustainability”.

    “Finland is second in Europe when it comes to renewable energy share [behind neighbouring Sweden]. The Synbio Powerlab facility is using power from a very efficient and sustainable Finnish energy system that is almost 70% renewable,” he said. “The facility and the tanks are multipurpose for different fermentation processes,” he added, outlining that the startup “has the possibilities to use all fermentation equipment in the future”.

    “Producing cultivated beef in this facility at the metrics expected would produce delicious and nutritious meat with potential savings of 92% GHG emissions, 90% less land and 66% less freshwater versus current industrial farming,” he added. The total production time from the cell thawing to harvesting tonnes of meat is two to three weeks, versus two to three years to produce the same tonnage of meat via current bovine pregnancy and farming methods.”

    Fellow British startup Eternal, which makes fungi-based Mycofood is one of the other companies that will be making use of the new facility, with other businesses to be announced in the future.

    Ivy Farm files for regulatory approval, targets 2025 launch

    ivy farm meat
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    The partnership was unveiled at Iceland Innovation Week yesterday, where Ivy Farm hosted the country’s second-ever cultivated meat tasting with local startup ORF Genetics, which produced recombinant growth factors for these proteins. In February, the latter co-hosted a public tasting with Australia’s Vow, whose cultivated quail is now approved and on sale in Singapore.

    Ivy Farm’s public tasting itself follows an event hosted by Fortnum and Mason in London, which previewed a scotch egg that featured the former’s cultivated Angus beef in the form of meatballs. The Iceland tasting was attended by government officials and food and tech leaders, with the beef cooked by Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, owner and head chef of fine-dining eatery Brút.

    “I couldn’t believe how enjoyable it was to work with cultivated beef, which is essentially just meat grown using new technology. In fact, it would be very difficult or even impossible for most foodies to distinguish between the cultivated beef and traditionally grown,” the restauranteur said.

    “Our primary focus is on premium cultivated beef, specifically Wagyu and Aberdeen Angus mince meat,” said Dillon. Ivy Farm is focusing on a B2B approach, which may mean its cultivated beef ends up in a hybrid product with plant-based ingredients, or even mixed with conventional meat.

    “We supply to food companies who already are experts in making and branding final meat products, such as burgers, meatballs and other delicious products from minced meat,” he explained. “Some may choose to combine with their existing meat products and some may combine with plant-based products. The food companies have the best consumer and customer insights, so will make good final product choices for their markets.”

    Dillon confirmed that Ivy Farm has filed dossiers for regulatory approval, though he remained tight-lipped about the timeline or country. “Ivy Farm has high hopes to achieve regulatory approvals in a number of regions in the not-too-distant future,” he said.

    In March, the company collaborated with BSF Enterprise (parent of cellular agriculture business 3D Bio-Tissues) to fundraise, launch and scale its cultivated meat in Asia. “We have engaged BSF, a technology specialist company, [which] is familiar and networked in Hong Kong, China and the broader Asia region to help us assess a number of enquiries from Asian companies to potentially license our technology and/or invest in the scale-up development work we have planned,” said Dillon.

    So when can we expect to see a product containing Ivy Farm’s cultivated beef? “2025 is going to be an exciting time for us as we look to scale and get first sales,” said Dillon.

    The post Ivy Farm Targets 2025 Cultivated Meat Launch After Deal to Produce at World’s ‘Largest’ Alt-Protein Facility appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The World’s Largest Dairy Company Just Launched A Plant-Based Milk Brand

    lactalis plant based
    5 Mins Read

    Lactalis Canada, a subsidiary of the French dairy giant, has introduced a new plant-based milk brand to the market, just after converting one of its facilities into a fully vegan hub.

    In a huge sign of the plant-based industry’s potential amid middling returns, the world’s largest dairy company has made a move into the non-dairy space with a new brand.

    The Canadian arm of French dairy giant Lactalis, which turned over $31.4B in 2023, has launched Enjoy, a plant-based milk brand skewed towards health-conscious individuals.

    The six-strong lineup is unsweetened and high in protein, and comprises oat, almond and hazelnut milks. Each option has 8g of pea protein per 250ml serving, and while they’re not marketed as barista milks, the company suggests it has a “creamy texture that froths nicely”.

    Enjoy joins Lactalis’s growing portfolio of dairy alternatives, which include Sensational Soy (which is why there’s no soy milk in Enjoy’s lineup), Lactantia margarine and yoghurt brand Siggi (which has a coconut-based range).

    “We are delighted to make a splash with the launch of Enjoy, which only further complements Lactalis Canada’s wide-ranging portfolio of now 20 iconic consumer brands and expands our plant-based offering to Canadian consumers by leveraging our expertise in this dairy-free category,” said Lactis Canada president and CEO Mark Taylor.

    A move towards Lactalis’s climate goals

    enjoy plant based milk
    Courtesy: Enjoy

    The six SKUs comprise plain oat, almond and hazelnut milks, vanilla-flavoured oat and almond variants, and a hazelnut-oat blend.

    “As nutritious, high protein, unsweetened beverages, Enjoy responds to a growing consumer demand for plant-based options that taste great and have positive health impacts including non-GMO and gluten-free certification with no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours,” said Nathalie Cusson, general manager of Lactalis Canada’s fluid division.

    “What sets Enjoy apart is its uniquely high protein content which consumers are increasingly desiring in their daily diet.”

    The plunge into non-dairy will aid Lactalis’s climate goals – as the world’s leading dairy company, its emissions footprint is large. In 2019, its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions alone reached 2.8 million tonnes, but these only make up a combined 5% of the business’s footprint – the remaining 95% comes from indirect scope 3 emissions.

    Lactalis plans to halve scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2033, compared to that 2019 baseline. However, it hasn’t laid out a specific strategy for scope 3 emissions, instead committing to reaching net zero across its operations by 2050. Emmanuel Besnier, CEO of the Lactalis Group, said in its 2022 sustainability report that the company must “extend our work on our indirect emissions” to more suppliers, and “intensify our efforts to track the risks of deforestation throughout our supply chain”.

    In its ESG report for 2023, which came days before the Enjoy launch, the company revealed that it has reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 11.2%, and reduced 14,000 tonnes of absolute emissions by reducing its reliance on road transport. Meanwhile, 84% of its packaging was recyclable in 2023, and it aims to increase this share to 90% this year.

    According to Enjoy’s website, its milk alternatives feature paper-based packaging certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Produced in Canada, it’s also part of the 1% For the Planet organisation, whose members devote at least 1% of annual revenues to environmental causes.

    “Our ongoing commitment to raising quality and food safety standards includes a focus on validating suppliers and enhancing allergen management, particularly for the new plant-based Enjoy brand,” the company said in its ESG report.

    Responding to market trends and consumer needs

    lactalis enjoy
    Courtesy: Enjoy

    The introduction of Enjoy, whose products are available in most major retailers in Canada, comes two years after Lactalis Canada announced its decision to convert its 33,150 sq ft plant in Sudbury into a dedicated hub for vegan product manufacturing.

    The facility fully ceased its fluid milk production and processing in September 2022, partly motivated by low demand in Ontario and the high prices in the market, which affected its profitability. It is now fully operational, and will form the bedrock of the company’s goals for the alt-dairy segment.

    The transformation project was aided by a C$1.4M ($1.02M) grant by the Ontario government, as part of the provincial administration’s fund to boost local production, create jobs, and expand and diversify the region’s food sector.

    Canada’s plant-based milk market nearly doubled in value from 2019 to 2023, reaching $346M last year. Over the next five years, it’s predicted to swell annually by 9%, with an expected value of $531.6M in 2028. And as of 2022, non-dairy milk accounted for 10% of sales for the overall milk market, with 42% of households purchasing these alternatives.

    These figures are likely major motivations for Lactalis’s latest move into plant-based dairy. After a turbulent year for the overall vegan sector – when dollar sales for dairy alternatives in Canada were down by 7% year-on-year – it’s a sign of confidence from one of the world’s largest animal protein players, a nod to the industry’s potential.

    “While our core business is dairy, as an innovation leader and as demonstrated by our forthcoming expansion into plant-based, we are constantly following the consumer and continually seeking opportunities to innovate and respond to the market,” said Taylor said after announcing the decision to convert operations at the Sudbury plant.

    “Our purpose is to enrich and nurture the lives of Canadians and this holds the same for our new offering which will provide consumers with complementary high-quality plant-based products that will benefit from our current capacity and capabilities as well as our rich and long-standing dairy expertise.”

    The post The World’s Largest Dairy Company Just Launched A Plant-Based Milk Brand appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The Vegetarian Butcher to Use The Every Company’s Animal-Free Egg Whites for Plant-Based Meat

    vegetarian butcher the every company
    5 Mins Read

    Dutch plant-based meat startup The Vegetarian Butcher has teamed up with Californian precision fermentation pioneer The Every Company to use its animal-free egg whites in meat analogues.

    Unilever-owned The Vegetarian Butcher will make use of The Every Co’s microbial egg whites as a clean-label binder in some of its meat-free formulations, marking a major collaboration in the alternative protein world.

    The Vegetarian Butcher’s chicken, beef, pork and fish analogues are present in thousands of retailers and foodservice outlets across Europe and beyond. Its partnership with The Every Co – the only company that has commercialised precision-fermented egg proteins – is a step in its efforts to do away with chicken-derived eggs from its entire lineup.

    Incorporating the animal-free egg white into its meat alternatives will allow it to provide a clean-label option to consumers who are increasingly apprehensive about ultra-processed foods and long ingredient lists.

    “When on a mission, we love to work with the right partners to become even more impactful together,” The Vegetarian Butcher said in a statement. “This breakthrough, clean-label ingredient is a natural fit with The Vegetarian Butcher’s mission to release animals from the food chain.”

    Ditching methylcellulose for the Every EggWhite

    vegan butcher
    Courtesy: The Vegetarian Butcher

    Currently, The Vegetarian Butcher uses methylcellulose in its formulations, which is becoming less and less popular among meat analogue makers. While it’s widely used in the industry as a binder and gelling agent, its overprocessed nature, complex moniker, and use in laxatives has garnered it a bad rep – in 2022, Beyond Meat was sued for using the ingredient while putting ‘all-natural’ claims on its burgers (it no longer labels them this way).

    But it’s a highly functional ingredient – it is non-toxic and allergen-free, can dissolve in cold water, and forms a gel at high temperatures. One of its most unique properties is its thermoreversibility: methylcellulose can set when hot and melt when cold. This means it provides meat analogues with a juicy bite and meatier texture, making it hard to replace.

    Singaporean vegan chicken maker TiNDLE Foods uses methylcellulose to keep its plant-based meat together. On its website, it explains: “Think of it as a plant-based egg white.”

    This is where The Every Co comes in. It genetically engineers yeast strains called Komagataella phaffii and feeds them on sugars to produce proteins found in eggs. Its precision-fermented EggWhite innovation contains ovalbumin, the most abundant egg protein, and provides aeration, whipping, gelling, binding, and foam stability properties.

    Nick Toriello, The Every Co’s chief commercial officer, told AgFunderNews that The Vegetarian Butcher has been trying to get methylcellulose out of its formulations for “quite some time”. “What was key to them was that EVERY EggWhite was a relatively simple and straightforward product to work with as it could just serve as a drop-in replacement,” he explained. “The taste and texture of the end product is superior, and they get a cleaner label at the back end.”

    The Every Co files for EU & UK approval

    the every company
    Courtesy: The Every Company

    While its egg proteins are certified by The Vegan Society – as no animals are used or harmed to produce them – they must still carry an allergen warning. But the ‘animal-free’ or vegan message isn’t a priority for many of its partners, according to the startup.

    “After years of dedicated effort to further veganise our product range, this new collaboration aims to accelerate the final steps of this process, while preserving the delicious taste and texture of our products,” The Vegetarian Butcher said.

    As we reported in December, The Every Co has already been granted three ‘no further questions’ letters from the FDA in the US, but for The Vegetarian Butcher to sell any products featuring the Every EggWhite, the Californian startup will need regulatory approval in the respective countries. It has filed novel food applications in the EU and the UK.

    “We aim to have that regulatory approval in parallel with the launch,” Toriello said, in relation to The Vegetarian Butcher partnership. “So the main market we’re targeting for this is the UK specifically, but we’re actively exploring near-term opportunities in other regions.”

    The Dutch startup isn’t the first to use the Every EggWhite to fine-tune meat analogues – last year, Colombia’s Grupo Nutresa partnered with The Every Company to use its animal-free egg white as a binder for products under its Zenú and Pietran brands. The Silicon Valley startup has also collaborated with ingredients giant Ingredion and drinks conglomerate AB InBev in the past.

    The Every Co’s 2024 priorities

    precision fermentation egg
    Courtesy: The EVERY Company

    The Every Co is actively producing two other products: Every Protein, a nearly transparent protein bioidentical to glycoprotein (found in egg whites) for neutral and clear-looking foods and beverages; and Every Egg, a whole egg that contains the EggWhite, plant-based oils, natural colours and flavourings, fibre and water.

    These products make for viable options among the volatility of chicken eggs, which have always had unpredictable prices and are frequently affected by outbreaks of avian flu. This is a big attraction for the startup’s B2B clients. “Every customer is different. Some want to absolutely take animals out of their supply chain,” explained Toriello. “But the bigger thing we’ve noticed in the last two years is that they want stability on supply and price. And on price, we are competitive with cage-free egg white pricing today.” (The startup has raised $233M in funding so far.)

    And it delivers on taste too, having impressed the likes of Daniel Humm, who hosted a special dinner at his three-Michelin-starred eatery Eleven Madison Park with the Every Egg as the centrepiece. “In collaborating with chef Humm and his team at Eleven Madison Park, we successfully demonstrated that EVERY Egg’s quality delivers on the highest standards of culinary excellence,” The Every Co CEO Arturo Elizondo, who co-founded the startup in 2014 with David Anchel, told Green Queen at the time.

    Speaking to AgFunderNews, he labelled “onboarding additional manufacturing capacity and translating that into products in the marketplace” as the business’s two top priorities for the year. “We’ve proven that our technology works at scale; we’re producing regularly in 100,000-litre+ fermenters, making metric tons of product,” he said. “So it’s now a matter of continuing to dial up scale so we have enough capacity to ultimately bring the cost down.”

    Lance Lively, the company’s VP and general manager, added: “What we’re thinking the most about is how can we get to the point where we can supply 20% of eggs to the top five egg users on an annualised basis.”

    The post The Vegetarian Butcher to Use The Every Company’s Animal-Free Egg Whites for Plant-Based Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Delicious Salads, Vegan Lidl & EU Support

    the salad project deliciously ella
    6 Mins Read

    In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a vegan salad partnership, a plant-based cheese rebrand and EU funding for cultivated meat.

    New products and launches

    UK fast-casual chain The Salad Project has partnered with Deliciously Ella on a new limited-edition menu, which will feature a Miso-Maple Aubergine Bowl, a DE Classic, a Super Green Salad, and a Little Plants Bowl (for kids).

    sheese vegan cheese
    Courtesy: Sheese

    Scottish vegan cheese producer Sheese has had a complete rebrand – a new logo, new orange packaging, and a new recipe – to make its products look and taste more like their conventional counterparts.

    Fellow plant-based cheesemaker I Am Nut OK has secured its first nationwide listing, with its cashew-based parmesan, feta and buffalo mozzarella now available on online retailer Ocado.

    Also in the UK, plant-based food brand Squeaky Bean has launched a hoisin duck pancake meal kit and a new snack range – comprising Southern Fried Straws, Duck and Hoisin Style Bites, and BBQ Pork Style Rolls – at select Tesco scores this week.

    Starbucks UK has collaborated with Nestlé on its new Mexican-Style Wrap for the summer menu, which features the latter’s Garden Gourmet pulled fillet, alongside a chilli-tomato sauce, peppers, spinach and vegan mozzarella.

    Another British startup, Myco, will roll out the first 10,000 burgers and 20,000 sausages made from its Hooba protein (made using vertically farmed mushrooms). It has agreed listings with several suppliers, including artisanal and plant-based wholesalers.

    lidl belgium vegan
    Courtesy: Lidl

    Lidl Belgium has followed its German counterpart in lowering the prices of its own-label plant-based alternatives to match the rates of meat and dairy, in a bid to double its vegan sales.

    Across the Atlantic, US fermented protein producer Calysta has joined forces with German pet food startup Dr. Clauder’s to debut air-dried dog treats using the former’s vegan FeedKind Pet protein, which will first launch in Europe.

    Meanwhile, Next Level Burger and Veggie Grill have rolled out the second phase of their Birds & Bees pollinator protection campaign for National Egg Month, with two new vegan egg sandwiches featuring Just Egg and WunderEgg.

    future food quick bites
    Courtesy: Next Level Burger

    Fellow American company Mighty Yum has reformulated its vegan Munchables lunch kits in response to demand for more allergen-friendly options, with its Turkey and Cheese and Ham and Cheese varieties no longer containing soy or gluten.

    Seafood giant Thai Union will unveil two new vegan shrimp SKUs at the THAIFEX-Anuga Asia event in Bangkok later this month. These include breaded shrimp and a shrimp patty.

    alma resort vegan
    Courtesy: Alma Resort

    And in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, Alma Resort has introduced a vegan menu in its Asiana restaurant as part of its sustainability goals and in response to growing demand for meatless food. Highlights include chicken katsu curry, crispy California sushi rolls, and mushrooms and tofu in oyster sauce. Its other eateries have also expanded plant-based options.

    Finance and company updates

    Indonesian plant-based meat brand Green Rebel has temporarily suspended its D2C operations in South Korea to improve management efficiency amid ongoing financial losses.

    Canadian vegan hot dog maker Sensible Foods has launched a strategic review that could result in a change in the company’s business strategy, with Shawn Balaghi replaced as CEO by Chris Jackson (on an interim basis).

    Fellow Canadian company Else Nutrition, which makes vegan infant formula and cereal products, has closed a second tranche of a private placement worth $1M for clinical trials related to the FDA and general working capital.

    Also in Canada, plant-based seafood startup Save Da Sea has netted C$650,000 ($475,000) in seed financing – led by a state fund for women-led startups – to expand the distribution of its products.

    save da seafood
    Courtesy: Save Da Seafood

    Cultivated meat company ProFuse Technology has received a €2.4M grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition programme, a recognition of policy support for alternative proteins in the EU.

    Isreli alternative protein company Steakholder Foods has inked a deal with Wyler Farms, which will manufacture its 3D-printed burgers, meatballs and minced meat at commercial scale and drive the startup towards profitability.

    Research and policy developments

    Berlin-based food tech startup Nosh.bio has opened a new factory in Dresden that can produce 1,000 tonnes of mycelium protein each year, with its first production run expected in the next four to five months.

    US commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer Waring has launched the Planit POD Fermentation System, allowing chefs to ferment and pasteurise up to eight lbs of custom-built plant proteins within 24 hours.

    According to analysis of Circana data by animal rights charity Wakker Dier, meat sales in the Netherlands have fallen by 16.4% since 2020. Last year, supermarkets sold 2.3% less meat than in 2022.

    Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies released the first samples of its cultivated pet food at Interzoo 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany, and is now on the lookout for an industry partner to put the product on shelves by year-end.

    bene meat cultured meat
    Courtesy: Bene Meat Technologies

    There are concerns that the UN’s Bonn Climate Change Conference (June 3-13), an intersessional event that will lay the groundwork for November’s COP29 in Azerbaijan, will return to a meat- and dairy-heavy menu. But ProVeg International is urging the UN to keep two-thirds of the catering plant-based – similar to the predominantly meatless menu at COP28 – to continue progress.

    In the US, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors have slated a citizen-led petition to ban factory farms for the ballot on November 5, a move that could have nationwide implications – although the board is opposing the initiative based on an inaccurate economic evaluation of a potential ban.

    Over in the UK, a historic ban on live animal exports for slaughter or fattening has passed the final stage in parliament, meaning it will soon become law – 50 years after campaigners first started protesting the move.

    lee hsien loong may day
    Courtesy: Lee Hsien Loong/X

    The Singapore Food Agency and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment have proposed a bill outlining new requirements for the pre-market approval of novel foods, which may now be subject to additional provisions before being imported or sold in the island nation.

    Researchers in Singapore have developed a cultivated meat prototype by co-culturing pig muscle and fat cells in a decellularised asparagus scaffold, which could unlock large-scale manufacturing of these foods.

    Finally, ethical pantry startup Voyage Foods has won the food honour in Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards for its peanut- and hazelnut-free spreads. Cultivated meat producer UPSIDE Foods, precision-fermented egg startup The Every Company, and home compost bin Mill were among the other finalists.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Delicious Salads, Vegan Lidl & EU Support appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Industry Execs & UK Government Form ‘Resilience Group’ to Discuss Climate Risks to Food Supply

    uk climate food supply
    4 Mins Read

    In the UK, food industry heads and the government have agreed to meet for a series of discussions about the impact of the climate crisis on the food supply chain.

    As the climate crisis threatens crops, farmers and the food supply, a public-private partnership in the UK is hoping to tackle the effects of global heating with measures that would safeguard the industry.

    The UK’s Department of Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Food and Drink Sector Council – an industry group focused on sustainability, supply chain resilience and the future of food – have established a new ‘resilience group’ after identifying risks to the food system as one of the UK’s key threats, according to the Grocer.

    The group is being chaired by Nigel Murray, managing director of British retailer Booths, and will include supermarket leaders, major suppliers, and agriculture and hospitality experts. They will be part of a series of discussions with the government to figure out how to address climate change’s effect on the food system.

    Helping the UK meet its climate adaptation goals

    booths sustainability
    Courtesy: Booths

    The roundtable would provide stakeholders with a forum to recommend interventions to help the food industry navigate the ecological crisis, according to the government, which said it was now searching for industry leaders to sit on the group next to Murray.

    The group’s agenda will be to tackle medium- to long-term threats to the supply chain and identify common issues in the agrifood supply chain, with the aim of finding solutions for different sectors to adapt to climate change events, as well as structural and geopolitical risks.

    “Food supply resilience is one of the industry and government’s key areas of focus,” said a spokesperson for Defra, who added that the group would help “assess, manage and communicate risk in the mid to long-term”.

    The roundtable will come up with recommendations for the industry to help the government meet its commitments from the third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3). The current version of the strategy runs from 2023-28, and its initiatives include protecting the natural environment, supporting businesses with climate change adaptation, adapting infrastructure, protecting buildings and their surroundings, safeguarding public health and commodities, and mitigating international impacts on the UK (such as food imports, which make up 46% of its supply).

    The move came ahead of prime minister Rishi Sunak’s Farm to Fork Summit, which was held yesterday at Downing Street, convening different supply chain actors to protect the food system. Here, the UK pledged to double its funding for the fruit and vegetable sector to reduce reliance on imports.

    Alternative proteins a viable opportunity as farmers consider quitting

    uk farmers climate change
    Courtesy: Dougal Waters/Getty Images

    The climate resilience group was announced after a major report by the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) in March, which noted that addressing threats to the resilience of the supply chain was the most urgent action needed to conserve the food industry. Climate change, water shortages and biodiversity loss were among a number of essential challenges.

    “We welcome the Food and Drink Sector Council’s intention to address the topic of resilience, and are keen that any conversations are converted into clear actions for the industry,” said IGD CEO Sarah Bradbury. “In order to feed the nation and work efficiently, the whole supply chain must work collaboratively to become more resilient.”

    She added: “UK food and consumer goods constitutes the UK’s largest private sector employer. We have a responsibility to continue empowering communities locally and nationally by attracting talent and feeding economies. Part of the collaboration needed to increase resilience is shared data and intelligence along the supply chain.

    “The FDSC Resilience Group/Roundtable will be one of the forums used to further this spirit of collaboration. However, we are concerned that conversations are converted to positive action, and we are ready, as an organisation to drive this with our stakeholders and the wider sector.”

    The establishment of the climate change roundtable comes after growing reports of farmer distress in the UK. The National Farmers’ Union said there has been a “collapse of confidence” among farmers, who are expecting reduced production next year and blame extreme wet weather and the phasing out of subsidies post-Brexit. Their confidence is actually at its lowest in 14 years

    In fact, the record amount of rain in the UK has left the industry “on the brink”, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. It has left many considering quitting the profession altogether. “A lot of farmers are really considering their options, and thinking about walking away from their farms, as they could make far more money doing something else,” Helen Browning, CEO of the Soil Association, told the Guardian.

    And earlier this week, a report by the Green Alliance showed that the UK could increase its self-sufficiency by a third if it moved to alternative protein sources, such as plant-based, cultivated and fermentation-derived foods. This would also give farms more space to adapt to climate change and help the country meet its biodiversity restoration targets. Additionally, government payouts to farmers for these environmental moves could prove to be a reliable income source as part of a more diversified business model.

    The post Industry Execs & UK Government Form ‘Resilience Group’ to Discuss Climate Risks to Food Supply appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Better Juice Earns Self-Affirmed GRAS Status to Reduce Sugars in Fruit Products by 80%

    better juice
    5 Mins Read

    Israeli startup Better Juice, which has developed a device that reduces sugar in fruit products by 80%, has obtained self-determined GRAS status in the US.

    In the world of Ozempic and GLP-1, sugar innovations are booming. The latest startup to disrupt this space comes from Israel, and promises to reduce the sugar content in your fruit juice by up to 80%.

    Better Juice, an alumnus of The Kitchen Foodtech Hub, uses microbial enzymes to convert fruit sugars into dietary fibre and non-digestible sugars – and now, it has obtained self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status in the US, meaning products using its technology can now be sold in the country.

    The 2018-founded startup opened a commercial-scale facility in the Nes Ziona Science Park last year, which has the ability to process 250 million litres of fruit juice annually. And having successfully trialled its technology with international berry juice manufacturers, it has now inked deals with several companies to bring reduced-sugar fruit products to the market.

    “Completing GRAS self-determination is a significant milestone for Better Juice, as it validates our technology’s safety and efficacy in reducing sugar content by up to 80%,” said co-founder and co-CEO Gali Yarom. Speaking to Green Queen, he confirmed the first products made with this technology will be out in Q4 this year.

    Better Juice converts sugar into non-digestible molecules

    reduced sugar fruit juice
    Courtesy: Better Juice

    Better Juice employs specialised equipment – including fermenters and immobilisation processors – to grow and harvest the beaded microorganisms that produce the sugar-reducing enzymes. The device is inserted as a simple pass-through production step, which makes it accessible and adaptable for a range of manufacturers.

    Here’s how it works. The product flows through the immobilised microbes, which contain active enzymes that bioconvert sugar molecules to non-digestible molecules – sucrose turns to dietary fibre, glucose becomes gluconic acid, and fructose is converted into sorbitol. “Gluconic acid gives us a better absorption of metal in the blood, and sorbitol is a natural sweetener,” said Yarom.

    “There is a different ratio of fructose, glucose and sucrose for each fruit,” he added. So the amount of sugar reduced depends on the makeup of the fruit. “In oranges, mango, peach, pineapple and banana, there is a high sucrose value and 50% sugar converts to dietary fibres. In apples and berries, the sucrose level is very low, and only 10-20% converts to dietary fibres.”

    The final product does not contain the microorganisms, but retains the new compounds, as well as the flavour and body of the juice. It isn’t diluted either, but the sweetness factor is lowered just a tinge. Plus, it maintains the natural profile of vitamins, minerals, organic acids and fibre. For manufacturers, the flexibility and plug-and-play nature of the bioreactor will stand out – they can choose how much sugar to reduce, as well as which molecules to convert.

    Better Juice can reduce the sugar content from “all kinds of juice flavours”, explained Yarom. “Orange, apple, all the berries, pomegranate, lemon, grapefruit, all the citrus, banana, mango, even coconut water. We can also reduce [sugar] from juice concentrates and purées, which gives us the ability to reduce [it in] all the food that contains fruits, like fillers in cereals, sorbets, jams… yoghurts and gummies.”

    Its technology has been granted patents in the US, Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Israel, and it has two further patents pending. The startup says it is the first solution that can reduce sugar from the whole range of 30-80%, and without adding enzymes.

    On-trend with the Ozempic boom

    better juice gras
    Courtesy: Better Juice

    With the self-determined GRAS status, Better Juice will enable food manufacturers to create cleaner-label, better-for-you foods at a time when their stock has never been higher. A 12,000-person global survey by Kerry in late 2022 found that 79% of consumers find reduced-sugar products healthier – but after honey, sugar or sucrose was the second most preferred sweetener for respondents (46%).

    It exhibited the need for solutions like Better Juice’s technology. Others innovating in this space include Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and British startup Zya, both of whom are creating ways to convert sugar into dietary fibre. “Zya converts the sugar to fibres in your body; it’s a different solution,” explained Yarom. “I prefer to say that I really consume products with fewer calories and low sugar.”

    Speaking of which, Better Juice’s process also reduced calories in juices by up to 60%. It will speak to the large swathes of Americans who use GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, as well as those who are looking for food-based alternatives to these products. Companies like Supergut, Olipop and Poppi are all targeting the prebiotic fibre space, so creating a product that turns sugar into prebiotic fibre (among other things) fits perfectly.

    “We reduce calories in our technology – it completely matches the trends of diet, healthiness and low calories,” said Yarom. Two-thirds of GLP-1 drug users have either quit or reduced their intake of sugary sodas, while 45% of Americans on these medications are consuming less sugar than before. With Ozempic taking hold over the food industry, investors believe companies making sugary foods should rethink their plans, including via new recipes.

    It’s why companies are flocking to Better Juice to use its device. It has completed a proof of concept with 17 in a long list of customers, with many others receiving samples or in different stages of collaboration with the startup. Two of these are Citrosuco (the world’s leading orange juice producer) and ingredient giant Ingredion, which has an entire business department dedicated to sugar reduction. Nate Yates, head of that division, said in January that Better Juice’s tech “adds a completely new dimension” to its portfolio and helps “reduce sugar without compromising on great taste or nutrition”.

    Ingredion’s VC arm will also lead the startup’s Series A investment round – it has previously raised $8M in seed funding. As it prepares for market entry, Better Juice will also notify the FDA for GRAS approval in the form of a ‘no further questions’ letter, which it expects to receive by mid-2025. It has international ambitions too, having filed for novel food approval in Europe, and with plans to do so in Canada, Brazil, and Australia and New Zealand.

    The post Better Juice Earns Self-Affirmed GRAS Status to Reduce Sugars in Fruit Products by 80% appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • New Culture Strikes Deal with CJ CheilJedang to Drive Down Animal-Free Casein Costs

    new culture cj cheiljedang
    6 Mins Read

    San Francisco startup New Culture has partnered with South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang on a manufacturing deal to enable low-cost production of its precision-fermented casein.

    New Culture, the first precision-fermented casein producer approved for sale in the US, is amping up its efforts to make cost-effective animal-free proteins through a manufacturing deal with CJ CheilJedang, which is also an investor in the US startup.

    The collaboration is focused on achieving commodity pricing for New Culture’s first product, a precision-fermented mozzarella made for pizzerias. Following a pilot partnership last year, the cheese will debut at Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles later this year.

    “Bringing our animal-free cheese to pizza lovers everywhere means producing it at a large enough scale and low enough cost so we can compete and win on product performance,” said New Culture co-founder and CSO Inja Radman.

    This is why teaming up with CJ CheilJedang, which has 10 manufacturing facilities in seven countries with millions of litres of fermentation capacity, was key for the alternative protein business. “CJ is the world’s largest producer of bioproducts made from fermentation. They operate at massive scale with some of the most sophisticated assets on the planet that produce products at commodity prices,” New Culture co-founder and CEO Matt Gibson told Green Queen.

    “Even getting to this point with CJ reflects the achievements of the New Culture team to demonstrate significant technical progress and make it clear that our bioprocess was robust enough to be worth their time.”

    Bringing down animal-free casein costs ‘essential’

    new culture casein
    Courtesy: New Culture

    The inherent problem with casein – a $2.7B market – is that it’s a dairy protein, and is not friendly to the environment. While New Culture, which is one of just a handful of companies making animal-free analogues of the conventional protein, has not conducted a life-cycle assessment itself, it has analysed publicly available data for comparable processes to estimate that its manufacturing represents at least an 80% drop in greenhouse gas emissions, 95% reduction in land use, and 95% decrease in blue water consumption compared to dairy-based mozzarella production.

    But despite delivering such huge climate gains, precision fermentation is still an expensive technology, and bringing down costs is vital if it’s to appeal to the masses. New Culture has claimed that its animal-free casein can produce cheese worth 25,000 pizzas per batch. “Against the backdrop of the almost $9B US mozzarella market, we are currently producing our mozzarella at a (relatively) modest scale and will be for years to come,” said Gibson.

    “Once we launch and expand our manufacturing capacity – enabled by this partnership with CJ and our previously announced partnership with ADM – our costs will fall dramatically.” The company has previously noted that scaling up can help cut manufacturing costs by 80%, and Gibson confirmed that its technological prowess and bioprocess will help it reach price parity for pizzerias within three years.

    “Reaching price parity is essential for the long-term success of New Culture,” he said. The startup conducted a survey in January, which revealed that 80% of people interested in its animal-free cheese eat animal products. Meanwhile, early adopters are happy to pay $4 more per pizza with the company’s cheese.

    “We have a product that is already outcompeting conventional mozzarella in tastings and early adopters are extremely eager to make the shift to animal-free dairy,” said Gibson. “Yet, it’s only by bringing the cost down that we will be able to convert the mainstream consumer who might love our product but be more price-sensitive.”

    CJ CheilJedang deal will aid New Culture’s profitability plans

    new culture mozzarella
    Courtesy: New Culture

    “This partnership with CJ sets us up to achieve price parity to attract those more mainstream consumers, and keeps us on the same timeline trajectory we previously shared,” said Gibson.

    Asked how the collaboration will work, he explained: “We’ll coordinate with CJ experts on the details of scale-up and cost drivers including considering facility options, engineering requirements, process optimisation opportunities, and more.

    “CJ has a range of world-class bioprocess assets in several countries around the world. We are working with them to understand which sites could be the most cost-effective to run New Culture’s process in order to produce our animal-free casein at the lowest price possible.”

    Backed by the likes of Kraft Heinz, SOSV and CJ CheilJedang itself, the company brought in $25M in a Series A round in 2021, and now hopes to strengthen its manufacturing position and path to profitability. “At New Culture, our goal is to build an enduring business that can span decades in order to have as much positive impact on the dairy industry as possible,” said Gibson.

    “We believe that sort of long-term success depends on fruitful partnerships with established, industry-leading companies. We aren’t going into this partnership with CJ with any constraints on how long we could work together,” he added.

    “Since our initial investment in New Culture in 2022, the CJ CheilJedang team has continued to be impressed by the company’s technical progress, robust bioprocess, and global ambition in the animal-free dairy industry,” said Seung June Choi, senior VP of strategic planning at CJ CheilJedang. “Whether through commercial manufacturing, procurement, or other technical support, this partnership enables the full scope of our expertise to accelerate New Culture’s growth and market leadership.”

    What goes into New Culture’s mozzarella?

    new culture pizzeria mozza
    Courtesy: New Culture

    In February, New Culture reached a milestone after obtaining self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status for its animal-free casein, and announced its plans to launch at Pizzeria Mozza. Gibson confirmed that the animal-free mozzarella is made from “New Culture casein, water, common plant-based fats, and minerals that are naturally occurring in animal cheese”.

    “Whether protein, fat, calcium, or other nutritionals, crafting our cheese from real (animal-free) casein enables us to deliver a nutritional profile comparable to what consumers expect from conventional dairy mozzarella,” he said. “This is an important differentiator for New Culture cheese vs existing plant-based options, which are low in protein, high in carbs, and often made from top allergens.”

    “I’ve always been of the school of thinking that just because it’s a substitute doesn’t mean it needs to be anything less than spectacular,” Silverton said in May 2023. “When I tried New Culture cheese, I was surprised and excited by the integrity of the product and really felt it lived up to our standards.”

    “We’re thrilled about the level of excitement and anticipation from pizza lovers who want a tasty, animal-free option,” said Gibson. “Preparing for any launch requires significant coordination and we’re working hard to get our cheese out into the world as fast as we possibly can.”

    Australian-American startup Change Foods, Austria’s Fermify, Indian player Zero Cow Factory, and Paris-based Standing Ovation are working on precision-fermented casein too. California’s Nobell Foods and Israel’s Finally Foods are using molecular farming to produce the protein, while New York-based Pureture and San Francisco startup Climax Foods are producing vegan casein.

    The post New Culture Strikes Deal with CJ CheilJedang to Drive Down Animal-Free Casein Costs appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • MyriaMeat Develops Scaffold-Free Cultivated Pork Fillet, Plans Tasting Event Later This Year

    myriameat
    4 Mins Read

    German food tech startup MyriaMeat has unveiled a cultivated pork fillet made from 100% pork cells, without any scaffolds or plant proteins.

    Months after emerging from stealth, German startup MyriaMeat has announced the successful development of a cultivated pork fillet made entirely from pig cells.

    Showcasing the fillet at an event in Berlin, which was hosted by MyriaMeat investor SPRIN-D, the German innovation agency, the cultivated meat uses no scaffolds or plant proteins for shape. “Our meat is free from vegetable additives and genetic modifications,” said Malte Tiburcy, co-founder of MyriaMeat and head of research at the University of Göttingen.

    “The industrial revolution is coming, We have the technological knowledge to end the suffering of billions of animals while feeding humanity on the basis of a healthier, more sustainable product,” said managing director Florian Hüttner. “We have a responsibility to facilitate that change.”

    How MyriaMeat produces cultivated pork with 100% pig cells

    Founded in 2022 by researchers from the University of Göttingen, MyriaMeat transfers its founders’ patented medical technology to food applications. Developed over 25 years of research, it leverages pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and parthenogenetic stem cells, which allow it to grow functional muscle structures and whole cuts of meat.

    Typically, producing structured or thick meats can be aided by growing cells on a scaffold, which enables the attachment, differentiation and maturation of cells in a specific manner. But scaffolding has a high cost attached to it. iPSCs, meanwhile, possess self-assembling properties that can be utilised by organoids to reproduce features of in-vitro tissue organisation and mimic the characteristics of a variety of tissues.

    MyriaMeat believes only iPSC-derived pure muscles can recreate animal muscles as closely as possible, and notes that the muscles it has developed can contract.

    “Our unique iPSC pipeline allows us to obtain stable stem cell cultures from a single, harmless biopsy,” said Hüttner. “Our vision is to redefine meat consumption in line with the needs of a growing world population and environmental protection, significantly reducing the CO2 emissions of meat production

    Fellow cultivated pork producer Meatable, which is gearing up to launch in Singapore this year, also uses a technology based on iPSCs to make its product. The company has streamlined the process in a way that it now only needs four days to create fully differentiated cultivated meat – the fastest in the industry. UK startup 3DBT, meanwhile, has created a cultivated pork fillet without any plant-based scaffolding, fillers or blends either, forgoing the hybrid approach being undertaken by many in the industry (including Meatable).

    Companies like Mewery, Clever Carnivore, Uncommon, Ivy Farm Technologies, Joes Future Food Tech, CellX and Magic Valley are all working on cultivated pork too. They’re creating a solution to the intensifying concerns about pig meat – outbreaks of African Swine Fever have occurred in many parts of the world recently, with pig populations being culled in Russia, Hong Kong, the UK, the US and India. That has led to a shortage of pork and subsequently driven up prices, with the viral disease adding to the meat’s existing carcinogenic status.

    A tasting event for cultivated meat

    cultivated pork
    Courtesy: MyriaMeat

    “In our company, it’s now about implementation, no longer basic research, and we have demonstrated this with our prototype developed in Göttingen within just one year,” said Hüttner.

    “At MyriaMeat, we have built a platform not only for the production of high-quality and pure meat but also for a variety of other meat-based products and are an ideal partner for the development of innovative foods with alternative proteins,” he added.

    The company has already secured €43M in funding, which was the largest investment in a cultivated meat startup in Europe last year. Aside from pork, it has plans to create cultivated Wagyu beef and deer meat, and it’s in discussions with industrial partners and potential investors to facilitate its scale-up efforts and host a tasting event later this year.

    Last month, Meatable held the EU’s first public tasting of cultivated meat, showcasing its hybrid pork sausages to members of the media, government and industry.

    While MyriaMeat scales up, it will likely keep a close eye on consumer preferences and regulatory developments in its home country, where pork consumption fell by 19% from 2015 to 2022. A YouGov survey of 2,000 Germans published in March showed that 47% of Germans are willing to try cultivated meat – although two-thirds of consumers find plant-based meat more appealing.

    According to the poll, two-thirds of Germans also believe cultivated meat should be produced locally to benefit the economy if it were to come to market, and 47% think the government should advance the sector’s development and support farmers to capitalise on the opportunities presented by alternative proteins.

    For its part, the German government has committed €38M in its 2024 federal budget to promote alternative proteins, including the manufacturing and processing of cultivated meat.

    The post MyriaMeat Develops Scaffold-Free Cultivated Pork Fillet, Plans Tasting Event Later This Year appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • FoodHack and Givaudan Announce 9 Finalists for FoodTech World Cup

    foodtech world cup
    5 Mins Read

    Flavour manufacturer Givaudan and food tech community FoodHack have announced the nine finalists of the FoodTech World Cup, which will pitch for the win at the HackSummit next month.

    Nine startups will pitch to jury members at the final of the FoodTech World Cup, the global tournament searching for disruptive technologies and consumer concepts, in Lausanne next month.

    FoodHack and Givaudan’s competition, which kicked off in March, has seen applications from over 200 early-stage startups from across 49 countries. Of these, 46 were selected to pitch to 28 judges across six regions, and nine were chosen as finalists.

    They will pitch their innovations to the jury at the HackSummit in Switzerland (June 13-14). Alexandre Bastos, head of front-end innovation at Givaudan, called the finalists “exceptional”. “We believe that collaboration and strategic partnerships are the key to success. By sharing expertise and resources, we can shape the future of food with these new and innovative products and solutions,” he said.

    hack summit
    Courtesy: FoodHack

    The finalists will make the same pitch they did at the semi-finals, but while that was a closed event just for the jury, their final pitches will be presented to all attendees of the summit, which will include investors, experts, startups and operators. The aim is to spark more conversations with audiences after the pitch.

    The jury is looking for answers to three main questions:

    • How big and impactful could this idea be in its largest form?
    • Why is this the right team to bring this idea to its largest form?
    • What level of conviction do we have that this technology can scale?

    Here are the nine startups that have made it to the final of the FoodTech World Cup, and why.

    Bioeutectics

    Argentinian green solvents company Bioeutectics is helping make a critical shift away from the harmful petroleum-based solvents used in food and beverage, cosmetics, agriculture and other industries. The startup offers cost-competitive drop-in replacements that are natural, biodegradable and sustainable. The FoodTech World Cup judges found it to have strong potential, with its products not only meeting, but exceeding industry standards, positioning it as a leader in the field.

    Bon Vivant

    An emerging player in the precision fermentation dairy space, Bon Vivant is working on both animal-free casein and whey proteins. Months on from a €15M seed funding round, its co-founder Stéphane Mac Millan impressed World Cup judges with a pitch on why the company will come out as a leader in the category. “We’ve all seen players building dairy alternative consumer products, but Bon Vivant is standing out by providing the inputs into better products,” said Bodil Siden, general partner at Kost Capital.

    rubisco protein
    Courtesy: Day 8

    Day 8

    Israel’s Day 8 is at the forefront of the duckweed/lemna protein space, extracting Rubisco – known as the most abundant protein on Earth – from the leaves of these green plants. Why the startup stood out to judges is its approach to commercialising Rubisco: unlike others in this sector, Day 8 is valorising the sidestream to produce the protein, making it less capital-intensive and more climate-friendly.

    Elevate Foods

    Attempting to decarbonise the agrifood industry in Asia-Pacific by addressing food waste and loss, Singapore’s Elevate Foods has an experienced team that focuses on viability and scalability. It presents a necessary solution for better food safety and waste reduction, when you think about the amount of logistics involved in the food supply chain across non-homogenous regions.

    Foreverland

    Disrupting Italy’s chocolate traditions with cocoa-free chocolate, Foreverland is tackling cocoa’s emissions and supply problems – the ingredient has reached all-time high prices this year. Its Freecao is a more sustainable chocolate alternative made using carob, and does not compromise on taste, according to FoodHack. The startup was chosen as a finalist due to its positioning in Italy (one of the largest chocolate markets) its strategic access to raw materials (Italy is the second-largest producer of carob), and its well-compositioned team.

    cocoa free chocolate
    Courtesy: Foreverland

    Gavan

    Plant-based fats have been identified as a key next step for vegan meat analogues to reach taste parity with their conventional counterparts. Gavan is making a three-ingredient plant-protein-based fat that replicates the functionality of animal-derived lipids. The clean-label, low-cost and flavour-forward solution was recognised as unique by the FoodTech World Cup’s judges.

    Legendary Foods

    Ghanaian startup Legendary Foods is innovating in the burgeoning insect protein space, utilising larvae that are commonly consumed across multiple continents and addressing waste and circularity through its farming process. “We were impressed with the founding team’s experience, including the founder’s background in the insect alt protein industry and the team’s connections to food manufacturing, helping them lay a strong commercial foundation with two products already in [the] market,” said Abby Stern, climatic culture officer at Holocene.

    Nat4Bio

    climatehack
    Courtesy: Nat4Bio

    Argentina’s Nat4Bio is developing biotech solutions to protect crops and extend the shelf life of produce, which minimises food waste and loss, and ensures a steady food supply. The startup has also secured a commitment from a customer to purchase its product, which demonstrates its preparedness and indicates a positive reception in the market.

    Typcal

    Brazilian Mycelium fermentation player TypCal is taking mushroom root and turning it into protein. “We need to accelerate the process to bring new technologies for the food industry. Typcal showed us that they are the most advanced company in Brazil that are producing proteins from fungi,” said Matías Peire, co-founder and CEO of Grid Exponential.

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