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Category: Future Foods

  • Plant-Based Seafood Startup Reels in $26M for Frozen Vegan Sushi & Poke Bowls

    konscious foods
    3 Mins Read

    In yet another sign of the growing popularity of plant-based seafood, Californian frozen vegan sushi brand Konscious Foods has raised $26M in a seed funding round. Founded by French chef Yves Potvin, who also launched Yves Veggie Cuisine and Gardein, the brand’s investors in the financing round included Protein Industries Canada, Zynik Capital and Walter Group.

    Launched in 2021, Konscious Foods’ frozen plant-based sushi is a world-first. The brand, which caters to both retail and foodservice, has 10 products across three ranges: sushi rolls, onigiris and poke bowls. The company aims to use the investment to grow its presence – it’s expected to be available in 4,500 stores across the US by the end of 2023 – support operations at its production facility in Vancouver, and deploy marketing initiatives for nationwide retail launches.

    “The products offered by Konscious Foods represent a significant shift in the plant-based food space,” said Pierre Somers, chairman and CEO of Walter Group. “It proves that meat alternatives do not need to be highly processed, filled with unnatural ingredients or cost more than the incumbent products. We believe the company will transform plant-based food and the seafood industry.”

    Overfishing and the demand for plant-based seafood

    “This investment validates our excitement about the demand – and critical need – for seafood made from plants,” said Potvin. “With the rising demand for fish, and subsequent overfishing crisis, we feel it is crucial to have better-for-you, better-for-the-world seafood options that don’t sacrifice taste or texture.”

    The seafood industry – much like the meat sector – is heavily industrialised and inundated with sustainability and labour issues. One of the major problems, as Potvin alludes to above, is overfishing, whose operators receive $22B in capacity-enhancing subsidies every year.

    Lily Ng, owner of Manhattan-based alt-seafood market Lily’s Vegan Pantry, previously told Green Queen Media: “​​Overfishing disrupts the food chain. And when populations are diminished, other species will overpopulate, destroying biodiversity and making changes to the entire ecosystem. In the end, our consumption of fish still destroys our planet.”

    Overfishing is a response to the growing demand for seafood, which has also exacerbated the industry’s poor climate footprint. Increased greenhouse gas emissions and fuel use by ocean fishery vessels both contribute to this. Additionally, plastic packaging, the presence of microplastics in oceans that get contaminated via toxic chemical runoff, and a history of child and slave labour make the sector an unsavoury prospect for many.

    Recent investments and growth of vegan seafood

    Konscious Foods is far from the only alt-seafood brand receiving investment this year. In June, German cultivated fish startup Bluu Seafood raised $17.5M in a Series A funding round, and also applied for scientific approval to distribute its products in the US. And last month, Swedish brand Hooked Foods raised about €644,000 via a crowdfunding campaign.

    In January, a partnership between Sweden’s Mycroena and Austrian producer Revo Foods received a €1.5M grant from Swedish innovation agency Vinnova, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, and EU funding programme Eurostars to create 3D-printed mycoprotein to replace seafood.

    Meanwhile, eight months after securing vegan seafood brand Good Catch, plant-based giant Wicked Kitchen acquired pioneering alt-seafood startup Current Foods in May, expanding the latter’s foodservice and fine-dining operations in Europe and the US. This comes as no surprise, given the year-on-year growth potential of vegan seafood in US restaurants is 57%.

    The plant-based seafood category is relatively small, but as restaurant menus look to be more inclusive and sustainable, it’s a bright spark in the wider vegan industry and a trend that holds tremendous potential.

    “The average consumer is becoming more aware of animal welfare and sustainability,” Maarten Garaets, alt-protein managing director of seafood giant Thai Union, told Green Queen Media in May. “And this is becoming a more important part of the selection criteria when they are buying food, but this is still a very small group.”

    He added: “Alternative seafood is a new category, with limited awareness, whereas meat is more established. However, seafood is bound to catch up soon. Health is less of a concern for seafood, whereas sustainability will be more of a lever.”

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  • Alpha Foods: Frozen Vegan Meat Startup Acquired by LIVEKINDLY Collective

    alpha foods livekindly
    3 Mins Read

    The LIVEKINDLY Collective (LKC) has acquired Californian plant-based meat startup Alpha Foods, which becomes the sixth food brand under the former’s portfolio. Founded in 2015, Alpha’s lineup includes frozen burritos, burgers, nuggets and tamales, with a nationwide presence in over 11,000 retail stores.

    The strategic acquisition allows the LIVEKINDLY Collective to enter the ready-to-eat breakfast and burrito snacking categories, and consolidate its position in the saturated plant-based food market. Alpha Foods will benefit from the LIVEKINDLY Collective’s vast distribution network – which boasts over 200,000 centres across more than 40 countries – and the deal will help both expand their reach in the US.

    The LIVEKINDLY Collective – which also owns Fry’s, Oumph!, LikeMeat, No Meat, and Dutch Weed Burger – aims to ensure a reliable supply chain and pricing structure comparable to Alpha’s animal-based counterparts.

    “Joining LKC will enable Alpha to grow sustainably while propelling innovation in a category that’s often accused of creating a plethora of plant-based versions of ubiquitous products like patties and nuggets,” says Loren Wallis, co-founder and chief innovation officer of Alpha Foods.

    Alpha’s sustainability credentials

    Soy protein concentrate is one of Alpha Foods’ main ingredients. Soy’s over-cultivation has contributed to deforestation and forest fires in the Amazon.

    Speaking to Green Queen Media in 2019, Alpha’s co-founder Cole Orobetz tackled the issue: “When we were sourcing soy, we made sure to use non-GMO soy, having in our minds the practices that come with GMO soybeans. And the more we realised how educated the consumer base is – people were learning a lot about soy production – we have been proud to say that all our soybeans are ethically sourced from the US where there is no deforestation to be concerned of.”

    He added: “We have made changes before upon learning new information. For example, we were previously using palm oil in our first pot pies. But when more news and reports came out about the ethical conflicts involved in palm oil production, we removed it from our ingredient list. Every single day, we really try to push to be as sustainable as possible.”

    Alpha Foods will benefit from the LIVEKINDLY Collective’s vast distribution network | Courtesy: Alpha Foods

    New products and collaborations in the pipeline

    The LIVEKINDLY Collective says that the acquisition complements its portfolio, and the companies have a shared vision. “We will first focus on integrating Alpha’s assets into the structure of LKC. LKC is a truly global organisation backed by shared functions such as R&D, operations and others,” Shaun Richardson, the LIVEKINDLY Collective’s US general manager, told Green Queen Media. “The primary focus this will be to make sure Alpha fits into this structure to unlock efficiencies and opportunities for the brand in the US and beyond.”

    The deal holds promising potential for new product development. “Our global infrastructure, allowing for better distribution, R&D pliancy and innovation, will open up opportunities in the market and beyond,” Richardson said in a statement.

    Speaking to Green Queen Media, he added: “We have an exciting innovation pipeline and unprecedented food tech knowledge in-house, which we will make sure Alpha will benefit from.”

    Alpha Foods has existing collaborations with fellow Californian startups Just Egg and The Every Co, the Anne Hathaway-backed precision fermentation producer. Alpha incorporates the former’s vegan liquid egg and the latter’s egg white protein to elevate its offerings as part of its product renovation plans. The brand recently also announced the integration of high-moisture extrusion technology to create enhanced protein formulations.

    With the LIVEKINDLY Collective’s acquisition of Alpha, could we see a collaboration between its other brands and the likes of Just Egg and The Every Co? “We are open for any opportunities that will get us in front of consumers,” said Richardson, before adding: “The plans are currently being developed.”

    The post Alpha Foods: Frozen Vegan Meat Startup Acquired by LIVEKINDLY Collective first appeared on Green Queen.

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  • Flora Ventures Emerges As Largest AgriFood VC Firm in Israel with $80M Fund

    Flora founders Esther Barak-Landes and Gil Horsky
    3 Mins Read

    Flora Ventures has announced the launch of its $80M fund, with its first closing securing commitments of $50M and establishing it as the largest Israeli-based AgriFood venture capital firm.

    The data from IVC confirms Flora Ventures is the largest new VC fund in Israel to complete a first closing during 2023 across all tech investment verticals.

    The firm focuses on investing in early-stage start-ups within Israel and Europe, aiming to build a more sustainable and resilient AgriFood system while supporting global expansion for these ventures.

    The fund has a partnership with the Israeli Kibbutzim, pioneers of innovative agriculture, who serve as anchor investors and partners.

    ‘the next generation of AgriFood unicorns’

    Flora co-founders, Gil Horsky, a former Mondelēz executive, and Esther Barak-Landes, a renowned VC investor, secured funding in just four months. They identified opportunities to address technology gaps in areas such as food security, digitization, sustainable agriculture, and food as medicine.

    Remilk
    Israel’s Remilk is producing dairy via precision fermentation | Courtesy

    “I’ve been fortunate in my career to lead important VC deals in the Retail-Tech, FinTech, and Digital Transformation sectors, which enables me to reapply proven technologies and business models to the AgriFood industry where it is greatly needed. I am excited to bring my skills to finding and fueling start- ups from Israel and Europe that are good for people and kind to the planet, while helping to build the next generation of AgriFood unicorns,” said Barak-Landes.

    “Working for leading food multinationals, as well as co-founding one of the industry’s most successful corporate venture capital (CVC) and incubation initiatives in Mondelēz, taught me the value of having design partners early on,” said Horsky. “That’s why we are excited that Flora can provide our start-ups proprietary access to Haifa Group, Sadot Kibbutzim and Harel Group, which are among the most innovative and agile design partners in the industry.”

    First investment

    Flora says it has already completed its first investment in Arrakis Bio, a stealth-mode Israeli startup, developing a breakthrough technology poised to revolutionize the production and utilization of human collagen and gelatin made without animal ingredients.

    test tubes
    Photo by Louis Reed at Unsplash.

    Flora Ventures successfully completed the initial raise with strategic partners, including Sadot Kibbutzim, providing the fund’s portfolio with proprietary access to agricultural land, production capabilities, and expertise. Other key anchor investors in this closing include Haifa Group, a world leader in plant nutrition and special fertilizers, and Harel Group, Israel’s largest insurance and finance group.

    The post Flora Ventures Emerges As Largest AgriFood VC Firm in Israel with $80M Fund first appeared on Green Queen.

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  • Sunny-Side-Up Yo Eggs Come to Veggie Grill Locations Nationwide

    2 Mins Read

    Yo Egg, the creators of the world’s first plant-based sunny-side-up and poached eggs, has announced a partnership with U.S.-based vegan fast-casual chain, Veggie Grill.

    Yo Egg and Veggie Grill are launching three new limited-time offerings (LTOs). The award-winning plant-based eggs from Yo Egg will be featured in Yo Poached Egg Avocado Toast, Huevos Rancheros Bowl with Yo sunny-side-up egg, and Yo Egg Kimchi Burger.

    Reinventing eggs

    “This collaboration with Veggie Grill exemplifies our mission to reinvent eggs and how foodservice operators use eggs in their menus,” Eran Groner, CEO of Yo Egg, said in a statement. “We can’t wait for consumers to taste these innovative dishes.”

    Veggie Grill’s vegan spin on the trendy avocado toast, the Yo Poached Egg Avo Toast, combines toasted sourdough, sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and a Yo Egg poached egg encrusted in everything bagel seasoning.

    Yo Egg has debuted in LA | COurtesy

    The Huevos Rancheros Bowl, a spicy vegan take on a classic, offers a tantalizing blend of brown rice, ranchero beans, fried corn tortillas, pepper jack cheese, Yo Egg’s sunny-side-up egg, salsa roja and verde, and chopped cilantro.

    The Yo Egg Kimchi Burger features a seasoned Beyond Burger topped with sesame aioli, shredded lettuce, pickled cucumbers, kimchi, all nestled in a sesame seed bun and crowned with a sunny-side-up Yo Egg.

    ‘Compelling additions’

    While Yo Egg is not Veggie Grill’s first vegan egg alternative — the first was San Francisco’s Just Egg — it is the first to get this many iterations.

    yo egg
    Yo Egg is now on the Veggie Grill menu | Courtesy

    “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Yo Egg,” T.K. Pillan, Founder and CEO of Veggie Grill, said about the collaboration. “Yo Egg’s sunny-side-up and poached eggs create uniquely compelling additions to our 100% plant-based menu and further our goal to bring guests the best of the plant-based world.”

    Yo Egg’s plant-based egg products have garnered significant recognition, earning the company two of the National Restaurant Association’s 2023 Food and Beverage Awards for the “world’s first and only” plant-based poached egg and sunny-side-up egg.

    T

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  • Better Nature Partners with Lidl for Nationwide Tempeh Rollout

    better nature tempeh
    2 Mins Read

    Leading U.K. tempeh producer Better Nature has announced the nationwide rollout of its Organic Tempeh, Curry Tempeh Pieces, and Mediterranean Tempeh Pieces into all 966 Lidl stores across the U.K.

    Better Nature’s product expansion marks its largest product rollout at more than 50,000 units, and it coincides with Lidl’s Vegan Week.

    The launch comes as Better Nature has made significant strides in the market recently. It successfully raised £700,000 in a seed plus funding round, secured listings with major retailers including Holland & Barrett, Selfridges, Gopuff, and allplants, and launched a £3 million funding round.

    ‘Tempeh is moving into the mainstream’

    “We are so excited to be working with Lidl to promote their Vegan Week,” Christopher Kong, Co-Founder and CEO of Better Nature, said in a statement. “Not only is it great to see the U.K.’s fastest growing retailer celebrating vegan food, we’re pleased they’ve decided to promote not one but three tempeh products as part of it.”

    temeph
    Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

    “This is yet another proof point that tempeh is moving into the mainstream, catering to consumers’ growing need for more natural, nutritious meat-free options,” Kong said.

    Lidl goes plant-forward

    Lidl’s decision to promote Better Nature’s tempeh products is part of the supermarket’s plant-forward strategy, aimed at reducing animal-based products and offering more plant-based alternatives to customers.

    Courtesy

    Christof Graf, chief buyer at Lidl, emphasized the importance of living within the planet’s boundaries and reducing animal product consumption as part of achieving a more sustainable future.

    The tempeh producer also secured its first supermarket placement at Tesco, demonstrating its commitment to expanding its presence in the U.K. and mainland Europe and becoming Europe’s go-to tempeh brand.

    “[I]t’s a very exciting time for us and we can’t wait to see how people enjoy our products,” Kong said.

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  • Aleph Farms Takes First Step Towards Cultivated Meat in Europe with Swiss Regulatory Application

    Aleph Farms Cultivated Beef Steak
    3 Mins Read

    Israel-based cultivated meat producer Aleph Farms has officially submitted an application to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office seeking regulatory approval to sell the world’s first cultivated beef steaks under its Aleph Cuts brand in Switzerland.

    Aleph’s milestone application is a collaborative effort with Migros, Switzerland’s largest food enterprise, which has been instrumental in navigating the country’s specific regulatory approval process.

    Leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of food production leaders like Migros, Aleph Farms aims to accelerate the scale-up, go-to-market activities, and commercialization of Aleph Cuts globally.

    Swiss consumers are eager to try cultivated meat

    As part of their collaboration, Aleph Farms and Migros have conducted extensive consumer research in Switzerland, revealing that 74 percent of Swiss consumers are open to trying cultivated meat due to factors like curiosity, sustainability, and animal welfare.

    Aleph Cuts Petit Steak
    Aleph Cuts Petit Steak, Courtesy Aleph Farms

    Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts to ensure food security while respecting planetary boundaries. “Food systems affect everyone, and it will take a coordinated effort between regulators, innovators and incumbents to ensure food security in a way that helps humanity live within its planetary boundaries,” Toubia said in a statement.

    “At Aleph Farms, we carefully consider partnerships that reflect our core values and sustainability commitments,” Toubia said. “Together with Migros, we are establishing the cow cell as the third category of food products from cattle, alongside beef and milk. We look forward to working closely with Switzerland’s Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office to enable access to both high-quality nutrition and world-changing innovation.”

    The two companies are working together to develop a go-to-market strategy for Aleph Cuts, including distribution and commercialization through fine dining food service channels in Switzerland. The country’s affinity for innovation and quality-conscious attitude towards food further contributes to cultivated meat’s growing momentum worldwide.

    Global cultivated meat market

    Pending regulatory approvals, Aleph Farms plans to launch Aleph Cuts in limited quantities in Singapore and Israel later this year, offering exclusive tasting experiences curated with select partners. The company’s regulatory team is currently engaging with authorities in various markets, including Switzerland, to ensure compliance with safety requirements.

    Chef José Andrés cooks Good Meat's chicken
    Chef José Andrés cooks Good Meat’s chicken | Courtest

    Demand for cultivated meat appears high in the U.S., which recently became the second country to approve cell-based protein for sale and consumption. Two California companies, Eat Just’s Good Meat and Upside Foods, have both served their cultivated chicken to diners in collaboration with esteemed chefs Dominique Crenn and José Andrés.

    Earlier this week, Good Meat announced a giveaway contest for a cultivated chicken meal at Andrés’ China Chilcano in Washington D.C. The contest was announced after the restaurant’s initial reservations to try the novel meat booked up in less than five minutes.

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  • $18.5M Seed Funding Propels Brevel’s Scalable Microalgae Protein

    Brevel Founder L-R Yonatan Golan CEO, Ido Golan CTO, Matan Golan, COO.jpg
    3 Mins Read

    Israel-based microalgae-focused alternative protein company Brevel has recently concluded an $18.5M Seed funding round.

    The new funding is earmarked to boost the mainstream food industry with what Brevel says is a novel, highly sustainable, affordable, and functionally adaptable protein. The fundraising round was led by NevaTeam Partners and received backing from the European Union’s EIC Fund, alongside an array of food, climate funds, and strategic food industry partners.

    Sustainable nutrition for the future

    “This substantial funding round will fuel Brevel’s journey forward and pave the way for our vision of sustainable nutrition for the future of our planet to materialize,” Yonatan Golan, CEO and Co-Founder of Brevel, said in a statement.

    Brevel’s technology integrates sugar-based fermentation of microalgae with potent light concentrations on an industrial scale. It has developed a protein that can be easily adopted by food manufacturers into plant-based products. Brevel says there’s an increasing demand for its protein from food manufacturers for use in a multitude of applications.

    brevel
    Brevel’s microalgae | Courtesy

    “Having followed Brevel’s impressive developments and achievements in recent years, we believe that Brevel will be one of the leading companies in the global alternative protein industry and we are excited to join their journey towards that goal,” said Shai Levy, Managing Partner at NevaTeam Partners. We believe that Brevel’s innovative technology enables the cost-efficient production of high-quality protein extracted from microalgae, which is crucial for the future of sustainable food production.”

    The company says it is predominantly targeting the dairy alternative sector that struggles with protein content. Brevel says it can offer a competitive edge over other plant-based protein sources, such as soy, which exhibit allergenic properties and are often associated with overwhelming flavors, making them less ideal for plant-based milk and cheese products.

    ‘An ambitious company’

    Brevel says it can achieve price parity with more traditional plant-based protein sources like soy and pea and triple profitability from microalgae over other sources.

    “We identified Brevel as an ambitious company with breakthrough technology which can provide significant impact,” said Svetoslava Georgieva, Chair of the EIC Fund Board. “After the Horizon 2020 non-dilutive grant, the EIC Fund made the decision to further support and join Brevel with an equity investment in their journey towards a sustainable future.”

    algae
    Photo by Vita Marija Murenaite on Unsplash

    Part of the company’s forecasted success is in its minimized environmental impact; microalgae are not influenced by weather fluctuations, climate change, or seasonal variations, Brevel says, and they don’t require fertile land. The company’s processes enable full water recycling, utilize on-site clean energy, and can feed the world with a fraction of the land currently employed for traditional agriculture. Currently operating a large-scale 500-liter pilot in Israel, Brevel is transitioning into its first commercial-scale factory equipped with a pioneering 5,000-liter fermentation and light system.

    “We are primed and ready for our next major leap,” said Golan, which is the global scale production of Brevel’s protein that will be integrated into “healthier, tastier, and environmentally friendly food products in every household.”

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  • 2 Alt-Protein Startups Receive Boost to Develop Fish-Free Salmon

    Oshi vegan salmon
    2 Mins Read

    A joint venture between Israel’s Oshi and California-based The Better Meat Co., is aimed at crafting sustainable and healthy alternatives to salmon.

    The collaboration comes on the heels of a $1 million grant to the two alternative protein startups by the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. These grants are part of a program initiated by the Israeli and American governments to boost cooperative industrial R&D efforts that are beneficial to both countries.

    Mycoprotein salmon

    The initiative was sparked by a significant downturn in wild salmon populations, attributed to factors such as overfishing and logging. Despite these concerning declines, the demand for salmon continues to surge year by year. Oshi (formerly Plantish) and The Better Meat Co., say they plan to address this problem through the fabrication of mycoprotein-based salmon fillets.

    oshi vegan salmon
    Courtesy Oshi

    Dr. Ariel Szklanny, co-founder of Oshi, expressed the company’s gratitude for the grant. “We’re honored to be selected for this prestigious grant with The Better Meat Co. and look forward to reducing pressure on our finned friends by making alt-salmon fillets that are better than the ‘reel’ thing,” Szklanny said in a statement.

    With the implementation of Oshi’s state-of-the-art 3D technology and The Better Meat Co.’s groundbreaking mycoprotein fermentation technology, the partners aim to use the BIRD grant to produce salmon-like cuts from high-protein, minimally processed, and natural whole-food mycoprotein, without endangering fish populations or human health.

    Better alternatives

    “Humanity only stopped harpooning whales once there were better alternatives to whale oil,” said Joanna Bromley, co-founder of The Better Meat Co. “Our goal is to create better alternatives to salmon with our friends at Oshi so we can leave more fish where they belong: in the water.”

    better meat
    Courtesy The Better Meat Co.

    Oshi has raised $14.5 million in funding for its realistic salmon filets. The company has attracted a number of notable collaborators incuding Michelin-starred chefs, cookbook author Adeena Sussman, and content producer Nuseir Yassin from Nas Daily.

    In 2021, The Better Meat Co. announced the launch of a large-scale 13,000-square-foot fermentation plant for its first whole food fermentation-based mycoprotein ingredient, Rhiza.

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  • Gelatin Substitute Made From Peas Emerges From University of Alberta

    gummies
    2 Mins Read

    Researchers have developed a novel plant-based substitute for gelatin derived from pea protein.

    Dr. Lingyun Chen and her team at the University of Alberta, who created the pea protein gelatin say the new product, currently in the patent-pending stage, showcases enhanced protein content compared to other existing plant-based gelatin alternatives such as pectin.

    What sets the new product apart from other gelatin substitutes is its unique ‘thermal reversibility’ feature — the ability to transition effortlessly between liquid and gel forms and vice versa, the researchers noted.

    Accidental discovery

    The Univeristy of Alberta team says the discovery occurred by accident during an experiment when the team realized that certain conditions, like changes in pH, resulted in creating the gelatin. The team says it boasts industrial applications that mimic conventional gelatin, which is made from animal cartilage and bones.

    gelatin
    Courtesy Pexels

    The newly discovered substitute could usher in a new era in the food industry by providing a plant-based alternative to gelatin used as a thickening agent in various food products, including soups, sauces, candies, and dietary supplements.

    Dr. Chen is currently collaborating with a multinational leader specializing in plant-based ingredients, using Canadian-grown peas as the primary ingredient. With an injection of $78,430 from Natural Products Canada (NPC), they are assessing the performance of the pea protein-based gelatin substitute in real-food applications and testing its scalability.

    The global market for sustainable gelatin

    “There is a huge global market for a plant-based gelatin substitute right now,” Chen said. The demand comes not only from vegans and vegetarians looking for an alternative but also from the growing Muslim population seeking Halal options and a general interest in sustainable food systems.

    Geltor's biodientical collagen
    Geltor’s biodientical collagen | Courtesy

    A number of food tech companies have been working to create a more sustainable and ethical gelatin market. Chiefly, California’s Geltor has raised more than $116 million for its bioidentical gelatin and collagen products.

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  • Sustainable Dining at Starbucks Korea Finds Favor With Record-Setting Sales

    Starbucks Korea sandwich
    2 Mins Read

    South Korean Starbucks branches have seen a surge in sales of recently introduced plant-based meat dishes. The chain has reported that it sold more than 100,000 products in just two weeks.

    The plant-based meat used in the new Starbucks dishes is supplied by Shinsegae Foods’ Better Meat; some of the menu items may contain dairy or eggs, but the group says it still signals the rising popularity of plant-based alternatives across the country.

    Starbucks Korea introduced its first plant-based menu in 2021, featuring four items: a chocolate cake, potato bagels, a Mexican-style rice burrito, and a sweet chili ciabatta. The company has been offering soy milk since 2005 and began serving seasonal beverages with oat milk in 2017.

    Courtesy

    Last year saw another addition to the plant-based offerings at Starbucks Korea: a vegan chicken salad and the world’s first Starbucks beverage using plant-based yogurt, the “Pine Coco Green Yogurt Blended.”

    Shinsegae, the company behind Better Meat, recently announced the launch of a plant-based burger and indicated the development of more offerings.

    Plant-based options at Starbucks

    Starbucks has been steadily increasing its vegan options across Asia. Most recently, it partnered with Indonesian vegan food-tech startup Green Rebel. Last month, the coffee chain launched a special meatless menu featuring Green Rebel’s Beefless Rendang and Chick’n Fillet. The Philly Steak Rendang Sandwich and Black Pepper Chic-ken Sandwich are available in 364 Starbucks outlets nationwide.

    Green Rebel
    Green Rebel is now available at Starbucks Malaysia | Courtesy

    “In order to maximize the success of plant-based protein adoption in new markets, we always emphasize the importance of flavor localization,” Max Mandias, Green Rebel co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, said in a statement. “Our partnership with Starbucks Malaysia is exciting because it is a celebration of the culinary diversity of the Asian region, where beloved local flavors take center stage.”

    The coffee chain has also removed its surcharge for dairy-free milk options in some locations, but not yet in the U.S., despite the urging from nonprofits and celebrities including James Cromwell and Alicia Silverstone, who says with significant profit margins on the coffee itself, the chain could afford to drop the added fee. “With such a high profit margin per cup of coffee, even after overhead, it is not an unreasonable request to stop charging for non-dairy milk,” Silverstone wrote on her blog, The Kind Life.

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  • Steakholder Foods Inks Landmark Agreement for Bio-Printing Technology in the Gulf

    3D-bioprinted steakholder foods
    2 Mins Read

    Israeli deep-tech cultivated meat company Steakholder Foods has announced a strategic partnership with an accredited governmental body based in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the first of its kind multi-million-dollar collaboration.

    Steakholder Foods, a member of the UN Global Compact, says the new partnership will help to address local food security goals across the Gulf region by leveraging its groundbreaking 3D printing technology to create hybrid fish products that are healthier and better for the planet.

    ‘A huge step forward’

    Ultimately, the company says its goal is to establish a large-scale production facility — the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf region. To facilitate this, the agreement specifies an initial down payment to Steakholder Foods for the procurement of its 3D printer technologies, followed by a milestone-based sales and procurement plan for industrial-scale output.

    “After intensive years of development, Steakholder Foods is excited to sign this first agreement with a strategic partner, generating our first income stream that represents one of the first substantial income agreements for a company in the cultivated meat industry, a huge step forward,” Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods, said in a statement. “We believe that we have chosen the right partner, and together, we are committed to advancing the cause of food security and creating a positive impact on the world.”

    Local Singaporean fish dish by Chef Moran Lidor. Photo by Shlomi Arbiv

    The strategic alliance aims to promote the scalability of Steakholder Foods’ 3D-printed food technology in GCC territories, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

    Under this partnership, Steakholder Foods will contribute its expertise in providing mature Ready-to-Cook (RTC) 3D printer technologies and customized bio-inks, enabling the production of a diverse range of species-specific cultivated fish and meat products, as well as vegetable-based alternatives.

    This innovative technology aims to overcome the limitations of traditional fish and meat production, delivering consistent, nutritious, and safe food products that closely resemble the taste, texture, and appearance of conventional meat, fish, and vegetables.

    Looking ahead

    Yair Ayalon, VP of Business Development at Steakholder Foods, sees the strategic partnership as a pivotal moment in the company’s journey towards commercializing its 3D printing capabilities. “Looking ahead, we remain committed to pursuing additional strategic partnerships to enable us to deliver innovative solutions for the foodtech industry,” Ayalon said.

    The announcement follows Steakholder’s May debut of 3D-printed cell-based grouper fish — a world’s first made with bio-inks from grouper cells provided by Singapore-based startup Umami Meats, with which Steakholder initiated a strategic partnership last year.

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  • VFC Expands Its Vegan Chicken Portfolio With Chilled Food Launch

    vfc chicken
    2 Mins Read

    U.K.-based plant-based food innovator, VFC, is broadening its portfolio beyond the supermarket frozen section with its first-ever plunge into the chilled food sector.

    VFC’s new foray will be led by two novel products: a chilled interpretation of its beloved VFC Original Crispy Chickn Fillets, and a brand new entry, Piri Piri Chickn Wings, complete with a separate dipping sauce. The products are currently available at Asda supermarkets.

    This chilled food venture marks the beginning of an anticipated slew of new products targeting what the company hopes to be new customer segments. Strategically innovating within closely related categories is a significant part of VFC’s international expansion plan and its commitment to excluding animals from food production.

    VFC burger | Courtesy

    This launch comes in the wake of a dynamic year for VFC, which has included a £6M investment, extensive frozen food development, and broadening distribution through key U.K. and international retailers as well as foodservice outlets like Marston’s Community Pubs. Recently, VFC made a move into diversifying its existing plant-based chicken range across multiple channels by acquiring the Meatless Farm brand in a £12m sales deal.

    ‘Another major milestone’

    “This is yet another major milestone for VFC and our unrelenting mission to convert more people into the incredible taste of VFC and spare the lives of more animals,” VFC CEO, Dave Sparrow, said in a statement.

    Sparrow says the chilled meat-free category is worth £275M and reaches a different consumer than those shopping the frozen section, making this launch “a natural next step” in what VFC hopes will be a game-changing series of innovations.

    VFC meal | Courtesy

    VFC co-founder Matthew Glover launched the popular U.K. Veganuary campaign in 2014 that has since grown into a global movement. “We’re activists first and food producers second,” Glover told Green Queen in 2021. “‘Plant-based’ doesn’t cover how we feel or what we want to achieve as a company.”

    The company has since carved out a niche in the overcrowded vegan chicken sector, going toe-to-toe with industry heavyweights including Quorn and Gardein, as well as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, both of which now offer chicken products.

    Last month, VFC announced the acquisition of floundering U.K.-based vegan meat company Meatless Farm. VFC says Meatless Farm will remain intact and its product range will enrich VFC Foods’ current product offerings.

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  • Dutch Startup Willicroft Introduces Fermented Plant-Based Butter

    Willicroft Original Better butter
    3 Mins Read

    Willicroft debuts a new vegan butter made from fermented beans.

    Dutch startup Willicroft, known for its plant-based cheese alternatives, is expanding its product range with the introduction of its first non-cheese offering: a fermented butter. The innovative product, named “The Original Better,” will hit the market in both retail stores and food service in September.

    Willicroft says it has made a “true” butter that mimics the taste, spreadability, cooking properties, and baking characteristics of conventional dairy butter — unlike margarine, which is made from fats, oils, and artificial ingredients.

    The Original Better Butter

    Willicroft says the butter was two years in development, and investments totaling €350K in order to produce the butter through a meticulous fermentation process, allowing the company to recreate the rich flavors of high-end dairy butter without the need for artificial flavorings. The company received grant support from Provincie Noord Holland.

    Willicroft vegan cheese
    Willicroft vegan cheese | Courtesy

    Staying true to its commitment to natural ingredients, Willicroft’s plant-based butter is crafted using a base ingredient of beans, along with 100 percent natural components. The product features European soybeans sourced from Austria.

    Compared with other plant-based kinds of butter, Willicroft’s Original Better contains lower levels of saturated fats while maintaining the desired taste and consistency, the company says.

    Beans make for better business

    Last year, Willicroft became the first plant-based cheese brand in Europe to obtain B-Corp certification.

    In a statement on social media, founder Brad Vanstone emphasized the importance of moving away from solely profit-driven endeavors. “The days of focusing solely on profit-making are over,” he wrote. “Simply put, business as usual will lead to the widespread destruction of a huge number of the planet’s species, potentially including our own. We certainly do not profess to be perfect, but we are on the right track.”

    willicroft cheese
    Courtesy Willicroft

    The company raised more than €2 million in Seed funding last year, led by PINC and Rockstart with Döhler and Feast Ventures participating. Its product placement has expanded rapidly across Europe.

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

    According to Vanstone, the use of beans as a base makes Willicroft’s cheese produce five times less CO2 than the dairy alternatives it’s replacing.

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  • Akua’s Kelp Burgers Get the SpongeBob Treatment to Support Nickelodeon’s Operation Sea Change

    akua
    3 Mins Read


    Akua, the New York-based creator of the “world’s first” kelp burger, has announced a partnership with Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants to introduce kid-friendly Kelp Patties.

    The new slider-sized patties, available in Original and BBQ flavors, are designed to make eco-friendly eating more appealing to children. The burgers will be launching in select U.S. retailers and at vegan fast food chain PLNT Burger locations this month.

    “These kid-friendly patties are not only tasty but also contribute to improving the health of little humans,” Courtney Boyd Myers, founder of Akua, said in a statement.

    Nickelodeon’s Operation Sea Change

    The collaboration aligns with Nickelodeon’s recently launched ocean sustainability initiative, Operation Sea Change. By leveraging SpongeBob’s popularity as an ocean-based cartoon character and Akua’s commitment to regenerative ocean-farmed foods, the partnership seeks to make such products more accessible to children. Other brands in the program include Brooklyn’s Conscious Step, Australia’s Munro Footwear, and apparel companies Miami’s Waterlust and California’s Seastra Surf.

    “Since its debut almost 25 years ago, SpongeBob SquarePants has become globally beloved for its contagious optimism and irreverent humor, but at its core the series has always had an intrinsic connection to the sea leading us to launch SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Sea Change to help protect the home of the very creatures that inspired Bikini Bottom,” Veronica Hart, Executive Vice President, Global Franchise Planning, Paramount Consumer Products, said of the initiative launch last year. “With this initiative not only are we funding change but reinventing how we do business by creating a connected global effort around sustainability, while also being afforded the opportunity to honor the legacy of the incomparable Stephen Hillenburg, Marine Biologist and SpongeBob SquarePants creator, who was so deeply committed to preserving our oceans and marine life.”

    Akua Burger
    Akua Burger | Courtesy

    Akua, which launched in 2017, specializes in meat and seafood alternatives made with kelp, a highly sustainable and nutrient-rich crop. Kelp requires no fresh water, fertilizer, feed, or arid land to grow, making it a zero-input crop. Akua sources its kelp from a network of ocean farmers along the New England seaboard.

    “Akua’s Kelp Patties offer a delicious and nutritious option for kids while staying true to Akua’s mission of creating great-tasting and planet-friendly food choices,” Myers said. “Crafted from 100 percent sustainable ocean-farmed kelp, these kid-friendly patties are not only tasty but also contribute to improving the health of little humans and the health of our vast oceans.”

    A clean food future

    In 2021, Akua secured $3.2 million in Seed funding from notable investors including inside linebackers coach for the New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo, Sir Kensington’s co-founder Brandon Child, and beauty founder Cristina Carlino. Akua is currently raising funds through a crowd equity campaign on Republic.

    Akua Burger
    Akua Burger | Coutesy

    According to Myers, kelp, among other novel ingredients and scaled-back formulations, are the new frontier in plant-based food. “The first wave of plant-based eating was the Boca Burger, beans, and tofu,” she said in 2021 following the company’s Seed raise. “The second wave is Impossible and Beyond, and the third wave is going to be the return to whole foods and clean eating.”

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  • Alpha Foods Partners With Just Egg, Improves Its Vegan Chicken Nutrition

    Alpha x Every
    3 Mins Read

    California-based vegan food brands Alpha Foods and Eat Just, have announced a partnership to expand Alpha’s breakfast offerings featuring Just Egg.

    Following its recent partnership with the Anne Hathaway-backed precision fermentation egg producer, The Every Co., Alpha is adding Just Egg, the market leader in the plant-based egg category. Alpha and Eat Just say they will collaborate this fall as part of Alpha’s product renovation plans.

    Alpha Foods, which is available in more than 11,000 retail locations across the U.S., has also announced the integration of new high-moisture extrusion (HME) technology. This renovation is driven by powerful consumer and retailer insights. The company says the new tech will help it produce nutritious, convenient, and accessible products.

    ‘Craveable, convenient, and accessible options’

    “These partnerships with Just Egg and Every Co., combined with our use of our new HME protein and enhanced formulations, will enable us to continue bringing innovative, craveable, and delicious products to our consumers, thus solidifying Alpha’s position as a leader that continues to create the most craveable, convenient, and accessible options in the plant-based market,” Cole Orobetz, CEO of Alpha, said in a statement.

    Alpha Foods' CEO Cole Orobetz
    Alpha Foods’ CEO Cole Orobetz | Courtesy

    According to Orobetz, these partnerships are key to Alpha’s growth and contribute to “raising awareness about the continuous innovation needed within the plant-based category.”

    He says the company is committed to empowering consumers to transition into plant-based eating while showcasing the positive impacts on their health, animal welfare, and the environment, “all without feeling restricted by food labels.”

    Improving taste, texture, nutrition

    So far, Alpha has introduced the HME technology for processing its plant-based Chik’n Strips, which the company says cook, shred, and taste just like their animal-based counterparts. The HME technology utilizes a specialized cooking and stirring method at high heat and pressure, resulting in products with fewer ingredients, higher protein content, lower carbohydrates, and fewer calories.

    alpha nuggets
    Alpha nuggets | Courtey

    The company’s Homestyle Chik’n Strips offer 18g protein, 7g carbohydrates, and 160 calories per serving. Alpha has also introduced the Chik’n & Maple Waffle Sandwich, a plant-based twist on a brunch classic, with more additions to its product portfolio scheduled for launch later this year.

    As part of Alpha’s evolution, the brand is renovating its core product portfolio with formulation changes that provide an enhanced eating experience packed with nutrition at an accessible price point. Formulation updates include Alpha’s All-Day Burritos, which will now incorporate the new HME protein and increased nutritional value.

    Alpha’s Original Chik’n Nuggets and Alpha’s Crispy Chik’n Patties, two of the company’s most popular products, will also undergo a formulation refresh that enhances the texture and flavor of the products.

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  • 79% of Dairy Consumers Will Buy Cheese Made By Microbes, Says Study: ‘A Dairy Revolution’

    formo cheese on a bagel
    3 Mins Read

    European precision-fermentation leader Formo has teamed up with the University of Saskatchewan on a landmark study, shedding light on the promising intersection of precision fermentation, the cheese market, and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives within the dairy industry.

    The new research, published in International Food and Agribusiness Management Review Journal, suggests that even with a 25 percent price premium, a sizable number of consumers will adopt animal-free cheese, accounting for an initial 22 percent market share.

    The findings

    When prices for cheese like Formo’s, which utilizes precision fermentation to generate milk from microorganisms, become equivalent to conventional cheese, the researchers forecasted that animal-free cheese will claim a 33 percent market share. As consumer adoption, industry alliances, and technological progress intensify, these figures are expected to increase accordingly.

    The findings draw on data from more than 1,200 U.K. residents.

    “The question of whether society will embrace the next generation of food has loomed over the cell-ag space for quite some time,” Associate Prof. Peter Slade of the University of Saskatchewan said in a statement. “As long as precision-fermentation dairy can achieve competitive prices, it is poised to revolutionize markets.”

    pie chart
    New research predicts precision fermentation will pull a significant market share | Courtesy

    According to Oscar Zollman Thomas, lead researcher at Formo, the observations indicate that higher cheese prices do not necessarily lead to a decrease in consumer cheese consumption. “Instead, consumers seek out alternative options,” he said. “The advent of animal-free dairy, produced through fermentation, introduces a completely new market paradigm. When presented with choices that respect their connection with cheese while addressing their existing concerns, consumers readily embrace the transition.”

    The study results are compelling; the findings imply that while the global dairy sector experiences an upsurge in demand, animal-free dairy cheese is set to replace a substantial portion of traditional dairy cheese consumption, thus greatly mitigating the environmental harm of rising dairy demand.

    The study further found that an overwhelming 79 percent of consumers seeking animal-free dairy cheese will have previously opted for conventional dairy cheese. This finding highlights the potential for a substantial new market within the global dairy industry, valued at more than $1 billion.

    ‘Precision fermentation will conquer mass markets’

    “The results demonstrate an increasing public awareness of the costs associated with industrialized dairy and a readiness for products that provide delightful experiences without the social repercussions,” Formo’s Founder and CEO, Raffael Wohlgensinger said of the study.

    “The overwhelming demand from mainstream cheese consumers confirms our hypothesis: Precision fermentation will conquer mass markets rather than catering solely to the vegan segment. With Formo on track to achieve cost parity with conventional dairy, we anticipate a paradigm shift in the supply and consumption of dairy and dairy-like products. We are witnessing nothing short of a dairy revolution,” he said.

    chart
    Precision fermentation will surpass nut-based cheese | Courtesy

    The study also measured the effectiveness of efforts including livestock emission taxes versus precision fermentation for curbing dairy consumption. According to the findings, precision fermentation has a more potent impact on reducing livestock emissions than carbon taxes.

    “These figures indicate precision fermentation dairy being 10x more effective at reducing animal-dairy consumption than carbon taxes at current levels,” Wohlgensinger said. “This highlights the superior impact of precision fermentation in curbing dairy consumption and should be a wake-up call for governments to back this groundbreaking technology.”

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  • AirAsia Partners with Green Rebel for Meatless Menu Options

    Green Rebel and AirAsia meals
    3 Mins Read

    Indonesia’s premier plant-based protein brand, Green Rebel, has teamed up with Malaysian budget airline, AirAsia, to provide meatless alternatives of traditional Southeast Asian delicacies for the inflight menus on regional routes.

    Beginning today, Green Rebel’s vegan Pak Nasser’s Plant-Based Nasi Lemak will be available on AirAsia’s Malaysia routes, while passengers on Philippines routes will be able to taste vegetarian Sisig. Two other plant-based dishes — Nasi Rendang with assorted vegetables and Rendang with Coconut Rice — will appear on the menus on select AirAsia’s Indonesia flights starting later this week.

    Greening up AirAsia’s in-flight menus

    Santan, AirAsia’s food service subsidiary, has replaced traditional meat ingredients with Green Rebel‘s plant-based proteins for these recipes. The substitution includes products like Beefless Rendang, Chick’n Chunks, and Plant Mince. Classic dishes like Nasi Lemak have been elevated using basmati and wild purple rice, served with Green Rebel Chick’n Chunks, eggplant curry, French beans, and potatoes. Guilt-Free Sisig, a popular Filipino dish, uses Green Rebel’s Plant Mince, seasoned with calamansi, onions, and chili peppers.

    Pak Nasser
    Pak Nasser | Courtesy

    “Green Rebel is the first plant-based alt meat brand to partner with AirAsia in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia,” Green Rebel co-founder and CEO Helga Angelina Tjahjadi, said in a statement.

    Tjahjadi says Green Rebel and AirAsia have aligned values, “in particular a commitment to sustainability and flavour localisation.”

    Green Rebel says its food technology ensures the plant-based protein not only imitates the mouthfeel of meat but also absorbs deep flavours and marination, making it perfect for Asian culinary methods like braising, stewing, steaming, hotpot, grilling, and even deep frying. Made from 100 percent natural plant-based ingredients, all Green Rebel products are free from MSG, preservatives, and refined sugar. The protein base includes non-GMO soy and shiitake mushrooms, and is flavoured using Asian spices and herbs for an authentic taste experience.

    Planet-friendly food

    Green Rebel has a strong commitment to sustainable, affordable, and tasty plant-based meat alternatives. The company conducts independent Life Cycle Assessments on its products and has found its plant-based beef and chicken alternatives have significantly less global warming potential compared to their traditional counterparts.

    “We discovered that our meatless beef has 91 percent less global warming potential than local beef, and similarly our meatless chicken has 84 percent less global warming potential than local chicken,” Tjahjadi said.

    Nasi Rendang
    Nasi Rendang | Courtesy

    “We are looking at savings on carbon emissions by 90 percent, water use by 72 percent, land use by 90 percent, and overall energy use by 81 percent to produce plant-based meat in comparison to animal-based meats.”

    The new partnership supports AirAsia’s environmental commitments, which align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius policy. AirAsia has been working on measures to reduce its carbon footprint, including reducing 221 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per aircraft per year through an optimization solution implemented in 2022.

    “We’re excited at the possibilities as mindfulness about healthy and sustainable eating grows in this part of the world,” said Tjahjadi.

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  • South Korea’s Armored Fresh Debuts Oat Milk Cheese Slices That Rival Conventional

    armored fresh oat slices
    2 Mins Read

    The South Korean food tech pioneer, Armored Fresh, has announced the launch of Oat Milk Cheese slices, marking another milestone in its mission to disrupt the dairy industry.

    Armored Fresh says it has successfully crafted the first commercially available oat milk cheese slices. The South Korean company, which raised $23 million last year, says its latest product expands on the brand’s dairy-free cheese offerings, which currently includes its popular American-style slices.

    The company says its new oat milk slices replicate the distinct sharp, salty, and nutty flavors commonly associated with dairy cheese. The cheese slices are available for food service partnerships within New York, but there are plans in the pipeline to increase availability across a range of states, retailers, and direct-to-consumer markets.

    ‘Delicious products everyone can enjoy’

    “It’s our mission to prioritize consumers’ well being by creating delicious products that everyone can enjoy, which is why expanding into oat milk to provide a dairy-free option to give consumers a wider variety to choose from was a clear next step,” Armored Fresh’s CEO and Founder, Rudy Yoo said in a statement.

    Armored slices
    Courtesy Armored

    “We’ve worked extensively with our R&D team to create an option that rivals traditional dairy cheese and are excited to expand our food service partnerships with this new offering,” Yoo said.

    The product development phase saw Armored Fresh’s R&D team conduct multiple trials to perfect the recipe. The result is a dairy-free cheese that authentically recreates the creamy texture and unique taste of dairy cheese. This oat milk cheese does not include any soy, gluten, dairy, preservatives, or artificial flavors.

    Armored Fresh began its roll-out at U.S. Kroger stores last month. Its Almond Milk Cubes and American Slices debuted in select stores.

    Building a better cheese

    Improving the nutrition profile of plant-based dairy is a core focus, according to Daniel Yang, Armored Fresh’s U.S. sales manager. He told Food Navigator in May that the company is working to increase the plant-based protein per slice from its current 1 gram per serving to as much as 15 to 20 grams of protein, among other benefits.

    Armored Fresh almond cheese is expanding in the U.S.
    Armored Fresh almond cheese is expanding in the U.S. | Courtesy

    “Potentially, we could supplement vitamins, probiotics, and even there’s talk about maybe we can get into nutraceuticals where people are eating for medicine rather than taking medicine on the side,” Yang said.

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  • You Can Taste Upside Foods’ Cultivated Chicken at Bar Crenn Beginning Next Month

    upside foods chicken at bar crenn
    2 Mins Read

    Following the USDA approval for its cultivated chicken, Upside Foods has announced that public reservations for the first dinner service at Michelin-starred Bar Crenn featuring its cultivated meat will go live on Thursday, July 20th at 12pm PT. 

    The public reservations availability follows the world’s first sale of cultivated chicken in the U.S., which took place on July 1, 2023, in San Francisco at Chef Dominique Crenn’s Bar Crenn.

    That dinner featured Upside Foods’ CEO Uma Valeti along with the five winners of the company’s social media contest for a chance to be among the first to taste the cell-based meat. It came just days after the USDA granted approval to California-based Upside and Good Meat — both produce cultivated chicken.

    “It’s truly an honor to serve Upside’s cultivated chicken at Bar Crenn and introduce cultivated meat to the U.S.,” Crenn said at the time. “It’s the first time meat has made it back on my menu since 2018 because Upside Chicken is the first meat that I feel good about serving.”

    upside foods chicken at bar crenn
    Upside Foods’ first menu appearance at Bar Crenn | Courtesy

    Crenn served the first cultivated chicken in the U.S. fried in a Recado Negro-infused tempura batter with a burnt chili aioli. The dish was served in a handmade black ceramic vessel adorned with Mexican motifs and Crenn’s logo, garnished with edible flowers and greens.

    Days later on the other side of the country, chef José Andrés served the first Good Meat chicken at his Washington D.C. restaurant, China Chilcano.

    Booking a seating

    Following this first public dinner service, Bar Crenn will serve the cultivated chicken on the first weekend of each month via six-course prix fixe menus priced at $150 per person beginning on August 4th at 5 pm, the company says.

    Reservations will be released monthly on the Bar Crenn website two weeks ahead of the seating on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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  • Path to Price Parity: Ark Biotech’s Plan for Affordable Cultivated Meat

    2 Mins Read

    New assessments from Massachusetts-based supplier to the cultivated meat industry, Ark Biotech, shows how cultivated meat could quickly become competitively priced alongside traditional animal-based meat.

    Ark Biotech’s novel techno-economic analysis (TEA) highlights the potential for biomanufacturing advancements as more regulatory approval for cultivated meat is expected in key markets. The U.S. saw its first two manufacturers receive final regulatory approval last month.

    The findings

    Ark Biotech provides industrial-scale bioreactors, operating systems, and services to cultivated meat producers. The company believes that current production limitations are the primary barrier to the widespread adoption of cultivated meat. It identifies four key areas of focus to overcome those limitations: reducing the cost of media, improving cell mass, optimizing the bioprocess, and reducing capital spend.

    Upside Foods’ EPIC cultivated meat factory, Courtesy

    “Industrial cell-culture achievements from the pharmaceutical industry can serve as a baseline for an achievable cost structure for cultivated meat,” reads the report. “Using pharmaceutical achievements as a baseline translates to cost of goods sold (COGS) of $29.5/lb (excluding downstream, packaging, and foodservice margins), reaching a cost comparable to filet mignon. There is ample room to further improve COGS, such as scaling-up media production and using larger bioreactors as well as surpassing pharmaceutical achievements through innovation.”

    Scaling production capacity

    Ark Biotech modeled production capacities at upwards of 50,000 metric tons, much larger than the 10,000 metric tons usually considered in such analyses. It has generated models for up to one million-liter bioreactors; most other studies have only looked at bioreactors with a capacity maximum of 25,000 to 250,000 liters.

    Steak grown from cells | Courtesy Shoji Takeuchi, University of Tokyo

    “Cultivated meat is the most important landmark invention of our time, and bioreactors are critical to actualizing this historic change,” the report reads. A significant portion of bioreactor costs are fixed and most variable costs scale at a factor, says the report. “Reducing bioreactor spend is critical for reducing capital cost.”

    Ark Biotech says it is designing bioreactor capacities that are 100 times larger than pharmaceutical plants, making energy and resource-efficient AI-operated systems that are capable of producing cells and structured tissues at high densities.

    “A great deal of innovation has been made across the cultivated meat ecosystem,” reads the TEA. “With continued focused innovation, especially in the four areas highlighted in this TEA, cultivated meat can achieve price parity. With so much at stake, there’s no time to lose.”

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  • MycoTechnology Debuts a Truffle-Based Sweetener As Aspartame Cancer Link Exposed

    3 Mins Read

    A new truffle-based sugar alternative discovery comes at a critical time for the artificial sweetener category.

    Colorado-based MycoTechnology says it has identified a sweet protein originating from honey truffles that could disrupt the conventional sugar and manufactured sweeteners markets. The groundbreaking development comes as the artificial sweetener aspartame has been identified as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

    Honey truffle sweetener

    MycoTechnology’s latest innovation underlines its commitment to applying cutting-edge technology to uncover the fungal world’s untapped potential. The honey truffle discovery holds significant promise.

    While honey truffles have been enjoyed for thousands of years, MycoTechnology says the newly discovered sweet protein is the first of its kind. It can deliver an intense, natural sweetness without the lingering aftertaste of common sugar replacements.

    truffle mushroom
    Photo by CHUTTERSNAP via Unsplash

    “Our honey truffle sweetener is derived from a protein, which brings an unprecedented level of excitement as proteins are widely recognized as the future of sweeteners,” MycoTechnology’s CEO, Alan Hahn, said in a statement.

    “This breakthrough ushers in a new era of clean label sweeteners, revolutionizing the way we create foods and beverages without relying on traditional sugar or artificial sweeteners,” Hahn said.

    Aspartame’s cancer risk

    The discovery follows recently released assessments from the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, (IARC), and the Food and Agriculture Organization Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, that aspartame, which is used in the popular soft drink Diet Coke among a range of other products, may cause cancer. The IARC classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic and JECFA reaffirmed the acceptable daily intake of 40 mg/kg body weight.

    diet coke
    Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash

    “The findings of limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and animals, and of limited mechanistic evidence on how carcinogenicity may occur, underscore the need for more research to refine our understanding on whether consumption of aspartame poses a carcinogenic hazard,” Dr. Mary Schubauer-Berigan of the IARC Monographs program, said in a statement.

    While the FDA has disputed the IARC’s warning, scientists have long called for more research into aspartame, which first entered the U.S. food system in the 1970s.

    MycoTechnology says it already has several potential partners interested in exploring collaborations with its honey truffle sweetener.

    Hahn says the MycoTechnology team’s commitment to a healthier future drove the discovery. The company is developing a proprietary platform designed to scale production, minimize manufacturing costs, and optimize yield. “Today, we stand on the brink of a sweet revolution that could transform the food industry and consumer health in unprecedented ways,” Hahn said.

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  • Meati Foods Taps AI to Improve the Health Benefits of Mushroom Meat

    3 Mins Read

    Colorado-based mycelium meat producer Meati Foods has announced a collaboration with Artificial Intelligence company PIPA to expedite its comprehension of the health and nutrition benefits of its nutrient-rich products.

    The new collaboration follows the establishment of the Meati Science Advisory Board (MSAB), which comprises health, nutrition, and protein experts from the University of California, Davis.

    The partnership is aimed at not only enhancing Meati’s understanding of the health benefits of its existing products but also identifying possibilities for new products that leverage the taste, nutrition, and sustainability advantages of their core ingredient, mycelium, commonly known as “mushroom root.”

    Improving the health of ‘everyone at the family dinner table’

    “When founding Meati and unpacking what it would take to achieve global-scale impact on our food system, the requirements were monumental: It had to be a delicious, whole-food solution plucked from nature, rapidly scalable and, critically, hyper-nutritious,” Dr. Justin Whiteley, Meati Foods’ co-founder and chief science officer, said in a statement. “AI is the perfect tool to help accelerate our understanding of exactly why including Meati products can improve the health of everyone at the family dinner table, and I can’t imagine pursuing this research without a world-class AI partner like PIPA.”

    Courtesy Meati Foods

    Meati says its products, which contain a complete protein (PDCAAS 1.0), are expected to positively impact heart health, digestion, the immune system, and blood glucose levels.

    “Fungi, including mushrooms and their mycelium root-like structures, have a long history of enhancing the nutritional quality of diets in many cultures,” said Dr. Roberta Holt, a member of the UC Davis Department of Nutrition. “Working with the unique AI capabilities of PIPA provides us an unprecedented opportunity to advance our scientific understanding of how fungi-based products such as Meati can provide sustainable nutrition to benefit public health.”

    Machine learning for better meat

    According to Eric Hamborg, chief commercial officer for PIPA, the research is in PIPA’s “sweet spot of accelerating what’s possible at the intersection of food, nutrition and health,” he said. “We look forward to supporting Meati’s efforts to better understand how their unique star ingredient can benefit people’s health and improve nutrition now and in the future.”

    Courtesy Meati

    AI is being used by a number of key players in the alternative protein space. Chile’s NotCo has notably worked with machine learning to unlock ingredients for its vegan products that include a co-branded range with Kraft Heinz. Bay Area vegan cheese producer Climax Foods is also leveraging AI to develop its high-end cheeses, including a co-branded partnership with the Bel Group.

    Meati’s AI announcement comes after big news for the brand last month: former MLB All-Star Derek Jeter invested in Meati, bringing its total funding to date to more than $250 million. Meati’s debut product line, Eat Meati, is currently sold in various grocery stores and eateries across the U.S. and has recently collaborated with food service redistributor DOT Foods. The product line won VegNews’ Best in Show award at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, Calif., last March.

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  • Vegan Nuggets Made From Algae? They’re Better Than the Real Thing In Nearly Every Way.

    SimpliiGood has debuted nuggets made from microalgae
    3 Mins Read

    Israel-based SimpliiGood, a front-runner in the food-tech industry, has announced the launch of chicken nuggets made primarily from spirulina microalgae. And the company says they’re a game-changer.

    SimpliiGood is pioneering an innovation in spirulina, which it says can mirror the taste and texture of conventional chicken while providing a higher nutritional value and a smaller impact on the planet.

    Microalgae meat

    Microalgae, like spirulina, have gained significant attention in recent years for their rich nutrient composition, including whole proteins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and a range of vitamins and minerals. Microalgae cultivation also presents ecological benefits as it requires less land and water compared to traditional crop cultivation. Its carbon footprint is much smaller than that of conventional livestock production.

    Developed by AlgaeCore Technologies Ltd., the SimpliiGood alternative meat comprises 80 percent fresh spirulina and prebiotic fibers, delivering a clean and nutrient-rich option. The company says it sets a new standard in harnessing the power of microalgae nutrition in everyday diets.

    Vegan nuggets made from SimpliiGood’s spirulina | Courtesy

    Baruch Dach, SimpliiGood’s founder and CTO, says the company started from a “minced prototype” before recreating a whole chicken breast filet. According to Dach, the product outstrips real chicken in nutritional density due to spirulina’s inherent richness and the new nugget provides a neutral taste, allowing for diverse flavor additions.

    “100 grams of SimpliiGood microalgae provides the equivalent of 200 grams of real chicken in protein load,” says Dach. “By consuming less while gaining more,” he says, “it also contributes to reducing waste and energy consumption, streamlining the supply chain, and minimizing the overall downstream carbon footprint.”

    Scaling spirulina production

    Following the success of its smoked salmon replica launch in February, SimpliiGood aims to roll out the new chicken analog on a commercial scale next year. The company, now partnered with Haifa Group Ltd., is also expanding its spirulina production capabilities, ensuring consistent supply and enhancing its market response time.

    algae
    Photo by Vita Marija Murenaite on Unsplash

    “We started out as cultivators of fresh spirulina,” Lior Shalev, CEO and co-founder of SimpliiGood, said in a statement. “But then we began to think of ways we can take the formulation of this highly sought ingredient beyond the boundary of the capsule matrix and into the mainstream of the plant-based food landscape. Microalgae such as spirulina is a high-value and eco-friendly alternative protein source. That’s how we evolved into spirulina innovators.”

    The company says it has addressed the long-standing sensory challenges associated with plant-based alternatives, enhancing their functionality and appeal. Shalev says this broadens its applications beyond the “exceptional nutritional profile” and high concentration of protein, making it also a clean-label potential to replace thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, binders, texturizers in multiple applications. “Plus our naturally color-free version is an excellent replacer for synthetic colorants,” he said.

    SimpliiGood is also scaling up its vertically integrated spirulina, which is produced in greenhouse ponds in the southern desert region of Israel. It says it can scale production to 250 tons of spirulina per year, with a harvest every 24 hours.

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  • Perfect Day Lays Off 15% of Its Workforce As It Shifts Focus Back to B2B Operations

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

    Pioneering precision fermentation food tech company Perfect Day has dismissed approximately 15 percent of its staff as it shuttered its consumer-facing arm, The Urgent Company.

    Perfect Day, which put “animal-free” precision fermentation dairy on the map, says it’s going to focus solely on its B2B efforts rather than its consumer-facing brands that include CoolHaus and Brave Robot.

    Last September, Perfect Day launched Nth Bio, its tech-focused spin-off platform that leverages its expertise and technology services for collaboration and hire. Perfect Day, which has focused on precision fermentation whey, has seen a number of high-profile collaborations including products for Mars, Nestlé, and General Mills.

    Refocusing efforts

    Employees were informed of the layoffs in a letter sent out late last week. The company’s president, Narayan Tripunithura Mahadeva, explained the decision in the letter, stating, “We [are] refocus[ing] all efforts on our founding principles of R&D innovation and the resulting B2B partnership opportunities from our investment into the technology we have been building over the past nine years. As part of this, we have to take the incredibly difficult step of parting ways with our talented B2C team members and reducing some Perfect Day positions to support this focused business.”

    cowabunga milk
    Nestlé and Perfect Day’s precision fermentation Cowabunga milk is now available in select locations | Courtesy

    Speculations about changes started circulating within the company late last month, after Alex Brittian, the head of Perfect Day’s consumer division for Asia and the U.S., was laid off. By July 6, the termination was officially communicated to the consumer division employees via a letter sent to their personal email accounts.

    The layoffs impacted a total of 134 employees globally, with 122 from the U.S. and 12 from the U.K. and Asia. The India-based manufacturing business of the company, acquired in 2022, remains unaffected by the downsizing. Other layoffs have taken place within the past year, although the company has not disclosed precise figures.

    B2C brand’s future is uncertain

    Perfect Day says it aims to prevent disruptions in its retail services and sell through its existing inventory by retaining a small number of TUC employees as consultants. The company has also expressed intentions to sell all or part of The Urgent Company, with plans to fully exit all consumer-facing businesses by September.

    Courtesy Coolhaus

    Perfect Day confirmed that it “will not be investing any more time or resources into brands,” and is “look[ing] for places where we can be opportunistic in offering partner products” to retailers.

    “As you can imagine, the economic climate right now is different than it was even just two, three years ago,” a Perfect Day spokesperson told NOSH. “There’s just a different level of focus that investors are expecting with their capital. And for us, that has always been B2B. There’s not the luxury that there used to be to be able to expand and maximize opportunities in different adjacencies.”

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  • Asia’s Growing Demand for Alternative Protein Benefits Antipodean Exporters, Report Finds

    3 Mins Read

    Asia’s surging demand for alternative proteins could open up new export avenues for manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand, according to recent research.

    The new report, Alternative Proteins and Asia, was compiled by independent alternative proteins think tank Food Frontier, market research firm Mintel, and New Zealand’s food and fiber sector think tank Te Puna Whakaaronui.

    The findings

    The groups say the goal of the report was to discern export opportunities for manufacturers by assessing 11 Asian countries in terms of market size and innovation, market entry and operations, and consumer intelligence.

    Good Meat's cultivated lab meat
    Good Meat’s cultivated chicken | Courtesy

    China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan were identified as the top five countries with the highest market potential. The report’s findings were supported by primary research involving 5,000 consumers across these markets. According to the findings, China demonstrates the most potential as a market for exporters of plant-based meat and cellular agriculture products, such as cultivated meat.

    Food Frontier Executive Director, Dr. Simon Eassom, noted that Australia and New Zealand enjoy an advantageous position due to their close proximity and history of trade with Asia. “With an expanding alternative proteins market in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand have the potential to build a major new food export industry that complements our existing ones,” he said.

    According to Statista, the Asian market for meat substitutes is valued at $4.32 billion and is projected to grow annually at a CAGR of more than 33 percent, hitting $13.63 billion by 2027. The demand is highest in China, where the market for meat substitutes is expected to grow by 20 percent annually.

    Recommendations

    Even though North America has historically dominated global investments in alternative proteins, start-ups from the Asia Pacific and other regions are gathering steam, reducing North America’s market share from 92 percent to 67 percent over the past decade, the report notes.

    According to Eassom, health, environmental, and food security concerns are behind the growing demand for alternative proteins. “Consumer interest in healthy and environmentally sustainable protein options is increasing, leading to more people becoming interested in a flexitarian diet — one where they regularly swap conventional animal meat for new options like plant-based meat, which provides a familiar eating experience without compromising on nutritional value,” he said.

    TissenBioFarm's giant piece of cultivated meat
    South Korea’s TissenBioFarm shows off its cultivated meat | Courtesy

    Te Puna Whakaaronui’s Executive Director, Jarred Mair, emphasized the importance of having a comprehensive fact base on potential opportunities for alternative proteins across key export markets. “This research provides valuable market insights for our conventional protein producers as well as emergent alt-protein ingredient companies in New Zealand,” he said.

    Eassom points to flexitarians as driving demand for alternative proteins in Australia, and he says, the latest research shows this is also the case in Asia. “A quarter of Chinese identify as flexitarian and one-third plan to reduce at least one type of meat,” he said. “Similarly, twenty-six percent of South Koreans want to reduce meat consumption.”

    The new report comes on the heels of a new study from Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) that highlights the impact of animal protein production on greenhouse gas emissions across Asia’s ten largest markets.

    “We are faced with a stark reality whereby this study demonstrates that the business-as-usual approach, even with generous mitigation measures modeled, will not lead to a sustainable future,” Kate Blaszak, ARE’s Director of Protein Transition, said in a statement. “The transformation of the protein system is not just a choice, but one that we need to embrace if we are to achieve the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, along with many other sustainability targets.”

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  • Magic Valley and Biocellion Partner to Develop the Future of Cultivated Meat Research

    Magic Valley lamb meat
    3 Mins Read

    Australian company Magic Valley Pty. Ltd and Washington-based Biocellion SPC have announced a partnership to optimize the efficiency of cultivated meat production by enhancing bioreactor design.

    Magic Valley says it has perfected a unique method that involves using a minor skin biopsy from a living animal to create cultivated meat in a fetal bovine serum alternative. The cells can be transformed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and subsequently developed into muscle and fat in bioreactors. Magic Valley says it is the first company in the world to create animal component-free cultivated lamb from iPSC.

    Coupled with Biocellion’s computer simulation technology, the companies say they can offer less costly and more efficient research and development opportunities to help scale cultivated meat and other protein alternatives.

    ‘Revolutionizing the way meat is produced’

    “At Magic Valley, we are committed to revolutionizing the way meat is produced, with a focus on sustainability and ethical practices,” Paul Bevan, CEO & Founder of Magic Valley, said in a statement. “By collaborating with Biocellion, we aim to unlock valuable insights into cellular behavior, enabling us to create delicious cultivated meat products efficiently at scale.”

    Magic Valley founder Paul Bevan
    Magic Valley founder Paul Bevan | Courtesy

    Simon Kahan, CEO of Biocellion, said the company is excited to collaborate with Magic Valley “in order to accelerate the development of bioreactor designs and drive efficiency in cultivated meat production. Together, we are shaping a future where technology and biology converge to address global protein demands.”

    Meat demand surge

    Like other cultivated meat producers, Magic Valley says it is producing “genuine meat,” that’s more sustainable and ethical than the conventional alternatives. This innovative approach has the potential to spare the lives of the approximately 70 billion animals slaughtered annually. It could also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 92 percent, land use by 95 percent, and water use by 78 percent. Magic Valley recently unveiled a prototype cultivated pork dumpling. Last September it debuted Australia’s first cultivated lamb meat.

    Cultivated lamb meat | Courtesy Magic Valley

    With the world’s population expected to surpass ten billion within three decades, demand for animal protein is predicted to surge by nearly 100 percent, the companies say. Traditional intensive animal farming methods are unlikely to keep pace with this escalating need.

    Brinc, the Hong Kong-based global venture accelerator, backs both Magic Valley and Biocellion. “As a keen advocate of food technology innovation, Brinc proudly supports the collaboration between Magic Valley and Biocellion, which represents a significant step towards addressing the challenges of sustainable protein production,” Manav Gupta, Founder & CEO of Brinc, said in a statement. “This partnership showcases the potential that interdisciplinary solutions can play to reshape the future of the food industry.”

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  • Fermify Expands Seed Round, Accelerates Animal-Free Cheese Development

    fermify
    2 Mins Read

    Austrian biotech company Fermify has announced an extended Seed funding round in addition to forming new alliances with multinational corporations, CREMER and Interfood.

    Fermify secured $5 million in Seed funding in May, in a round led by Dörte Hirschberg from the Article 9 climate tech fund and Climentum Capital. Now, with new partnerships, the company is expanding that funding.

    ‘World leading provider for precision fermentation technology’

    “These partnerships with CREMER and Interfood will further accelerate our path to become the world leading provider for precision fermentation technology,” Eva Sommer, CEO and founder at Fermify, said in a statement.

    Fermify Team | Courtesy

    The two new partnerships are expected to bolster Fermify’s growth and hasten the market introduction and development of animal-free cheese using Fermify’s precision fermentation process.

    The company, which launched in 2021 by co-founders Eva Sommer and Christoph Herwig, boasts a fully automated platform intended to produce casein derived from precision fermentation, thereby allowing for the large-scale production of animal-free cheese.

    The German multinational B2B supplier, CREMER, is renowned for its supply of plant-based raw materials and its sustainable nutrition know-how. The company’s collaboration with Fermify aims to develop media-feeding solutions for precision fermentation processes and optimize the production of sustainable proteins.

    New dairy solutions

    “We want to establish ourselves as a prominent contributor of the ongoing nutritional transformation and add significant value to the industry. Together with Fermify, we can take the next step in this direction,” said Dr. Ullrich Wegner, CEO of CREMER.

    fermify
    Fermify’s cheese | Courtesy

    Interfood, a top global provider for F&B that distributes over 1.1 million metric tons of dairy ingredients every year, aims to extend its portfolio with sustainable alternatives.

    “Dairy forms an integral part of global dietary patterns and has deep cultural significance,” said Edwin van Stipdonk, CCO at Interfood. “However, making the production of these loved products more sustainable is a complex challenge, one that requires inventive thinking and novel technologies,” he said.

    Fermify says it with its new partners, it can provide solutions “where economic and ecological sustainability can go hand in hand,” and that, it says, will allow “current and future generations to enjoy dairy responsibly.”

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  • Mycorena Carves Out Niche in Fungi Tech With Strategic European Partnerships

    3 Mins Read

    In a move designed to drive its global expansion, Swedish food tech company Mycorena has teamed up with a number of collaborators to introduce mycoprotein-based products in key European markets.

    Mycorena’s international growth strategy aims to establish the company as a global frontrunner in fungi technology.

    To that end, it’s leveraging strategic collaborations with leading industry players including Rebl Eats, Meeat Food Tech Oy, Revo, and RIP Foods, to carve out a niche in the food industry in Austria, Finland, France, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The new alliances, the company says, will help it unlock the market potential for its mycelium-based protein.

    Mycoprotein product potential

    In recent months, Mycorena, together with its industry partners, has introduced a range of products in various markets, resulting in nearly 60,000 servings of its Promyc-based products.

    Mycorena's Promyc meat
    Mycorena’s Promyc meat | Courtesy

    “We are excited to collaborate with these fast-moving companies with similar mindsets as Mycorena. It’s a conscious choice to work with innovative, trendy and aggressively expanding brands to push the industry forward,” Ramkumar Nair, Mycorena’s CEO, said in a statement.

    Nair says Mycroena is striving to create high-quality products that bring the entire alternative segment “to new heights” through new technology and innovative approaches.

    Together with Barcelona-based street food brand, RIP Foods, Mycorena plans to launch a vegan, Middle Eastern-inspired kofta in the Netherlands. This collaboration is aimed at developing superior mycelium-based street food options.

    Through its collaboration with Finland-based Rebl Eats, Mycorena’s Promyc-based products are now sold in more than 100 stores across the country, with the partners broadening their collaboration to reach the French market.

    Further bolstering Mycorena’s footprint in the Finnish market is the partnership with Meeat Food Tech Oy, with the first product prototypes debuted at the International Food & Drink Event in London.

    Mycorena’s partnership with Revo Foods, renowned for revolutionizing the world of 3D printing with plant-based seafood alternatives, also opens up new possibilities for exploring mycoprotein potential in product development.

    Elevating alternative food

    Through these partnerships, Mycorena aims to influence a broader market beyond vegans, elevating the alternative food segment through innovative products and technologies.

    “We want to prove that mycelium brings the untapped potential we’ve been missing. We believe our common values will accelerate the category beyond the vegan market,” Nair said.

    Mycorena's mycolein
    Mycorena’s mycolein | Courtesy

    In April, Mycorena debuted its fungi-based fat, Mycolein. The company says the product offers “unparalleled benefits,” due to its versatile nature for imparting juiciness and flavor in plant-based and alternative protein, “with superior qualities similar to animal fat or as a healthier fat in meat products.”

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  • New Research Outlines Blueprint for Sustainable Protein Production in Asia

    meat
    3 Mins Read

    A new study from Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) highlights the impact of animal protein production on greenhouse gas emissions across Asia’s ten largest markets.

    The new ARE study, entitled “Charting Asia’s Protein Transition”, looks at animal protein production in markets including China, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Indonesia and the environmental impacts. The research also looks at ways to achieve climate safety and resiliency by reducing dependence on animal agriculture.

    The findings

    The study looked at several key factors impacting protein consumption from animal sources, including emission intensities, production methodologies, and consumption-related elements. It identified changes in GDP per capita, age demographics, and population as primary determinants influencing the volume of meat, dairy, seafood, and egg consumption.

    In its analysis, the study considered three key scenarios in each of the markets: Business-as-Usual, Best Case Mitigation, and Protein Transition. Across all markets, the measures with the highest mitigation potential were identified as eliminating deforestation, peaking industrial production, and scaling alternative proteins.

    Meatable’s cultivated pork is coming to Asia soon | Courtesy

    According to the research, in order to attain climate safety by 2060, adopting mitigation measures is essential. This includes attaining a market share for alternative proteins between 40 to 90 percent, depending on the specific market, and the elimination of deforestation among other industrial animal production practices.

    “We are faced with a stark reality whereby this study demonstrates that the business-as-usual approach, even with generous mitigation measures modeled, will not lead to a sustainable future,” Kate Blaszak, ARE’s Director of Protein Transition, said in a statement. “The transformation of the protein system is not just a choice, but one that we need to embrace if we are to achieve the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, along with many other sustainability targets,” she said.

    “For example, we are witnessing environmental risks, animal exploitation, antimicrobial resistance, and disease outbreaks in these countries, driven by the rapid intensification of animal production.” According to Blaszak, this proves that the transition to “responsible but limited” animal production, along with scaling alternative proteins is crucial for achieving climate safety.

    Recommendations

    The report says these key markets need to achieve peak industrial animal protein production by 2030 at the latest. The report also highlights excessive per capita meat and seafood consumption in many markets, often exceeding double the recommendations by thLancet Commission.

    OmniPork in McDonald’s Hong Kong | Courtesy

    The study also emphasized the necessity of protein diversification and limiting industrial animal production as pivotal steps toward achieving protein security and climate safety. It urges food companies, investors, and governments to work towards a goal of Protein Transition, which necessitates responsible animal production and the scaling up of alternative proteins.

    This research bolsters the Asia Protein Transition Platform, a partnership between ARE and institutional investors representing around $3 trillion, providing tools to assist companies in their protein transition.

    Data released earlier this year showed year-on-year funding for alternative protein across the APAC region in 2022 had increased by 43 percent.

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  • Award Winning Beef Producer Finnebrogue Will Develop Cultivated Wagyu With Ivy Farm

    wagyu burger
    3 Mins Read

    U.K.-based food industry giant Finnebrogue and food tech startup Ivy Farm Technologies have just embarked on a world-first mission to offer cultivated Wagyu beef burgers to the British market.

    The groundbreaking collaboration will leverage Finnebrogue’s award-winning Wagyu cattle and Ivy Farm’s cultivated meat expertise to meet the demand for Wagyu meat while also reducing the environmental toll of its production.

    Award-winning Wagyu

    The partnership comes after Finnebrogue’s Wagyu beef burger was hailed as the best burger in the U.K. by Which? magazine last year. The new venture aims to deliver cultivated Wagyu beef from cells taken from Finnebrogue’s own high-grade Wagyu cattle herd, housed at the Finnegbrogue estate in County Down, Northern Ireland. The cells will be cultivated at Ivy Farm’s 18,000 sq. ft. facility in Oxford, mirroring a craft beer brewery setup.

    wagyu cattle
    Wagyu cattle | Courtesy Finnebrogue

    “Appetite from consumers for sustainable and delicious meat has never been higher,” Rich Dillon, CEO at Ivy Farm said in a statement. “This new collaboration with Finnebrogue showcases how cultivated meat can work with traditional farming, helping to reduce the pressure on producers to intensify operations to meet growing demand, while boosting consumer choice. In Finnebrogue we have found a partner who has a long history and track record of producing premium products that do not compromise on taste and quality,” Dillon said.

    Ivy Farm has produced British pork and Aberdeen Angus beef. The companies say Ivy Farm and Finnebrogue could also expand to include cultivated meat from Finnebrogue’s world renowned venison. Currently only the U.S. and Singapore have approved cultivated meat for sale and consumption.

    Ivy Farm’s state-of-the-art cultivation process will provide a viable, sustainable means for Finnebrogue to meet the surging demand for its Wagyu beef, yielding large quantities of the meat while significantly diminishing its carbon footprint.

    Evolving protein

    “Finnebrogue is best known for its agenda-setting innovation,” Jago Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer at Finnebrogue said. “Whether it be our revolutionary nitrite-free bacon, famous Oisin venison, our award-winning Wagyu burgers or more recently the delicious plant-based alternatives we are producing from Europe’s leading vegan food facility, we have never been bound by the way food has always been produced, nor have we been tied to a single protein.”

    Courtesy Ivy Farm

    The cultivated Wagyu beef will join Ivy Farm’s current line of British pork and Aberdeen Angus beef. This endeavour could potentially pave the way for future innovations, including the cultivation of venison from Finnebrogue’s world-famous stock.

    “Our task is always to make food that is nutritious, delicious, and sustainable for food-loving consumers up and down the land,” Pearson said. “Ivy Farm will be cultivating Wagyu beef from cells derived from the herd we keep on our Finnebrogue Estate in County Down, Northern Ireland. In time, we are excited to help realise the potential this may bring in producing sustainable food that can feed a growing global population.”

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