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Category: Future Foods

  • The Rise of Hybrid Dairy: Can It Follow in Blended Meat’s Footsteps?

    hybrid dairy
    6 Mins Read

    From Kerry’s Smug Dairy lineup to a new Dutch-Danish range of ‘hybrid milks’, could blending cow’s milk with plant-based ingredients be a winning solution?

    At Amsterdam’s World of Private Label International Trade Show this week, two companies joined forces to showcase a new range of milk that promises to be more sustainable, without compromising on the flavour of dairy.

    Dutch firm Farm Dairy and Denmark’s PlanetDairy introduced a three-strong lineup of ‘hybrid milks’, combining cow’s milk with plant proteins to deliver a 20-30% reduction in emissions.

    “Consumers are willing to prioritize sustainable food options, but they refuse to compromise on taste, nutrition, or price,” argued Jakob Skovgaard, co-founder and CEO of PlanetDairy, which entered the category last year through its Audu brand of blended cheese (which combines dairy with coconut oil, potato starch, and pea protein).

    “We are targeting dairy lovers who are mindful about the environmental impact of traditional dairy,” Skovgaard added.

    It is one of several efforts looking to blend dairy with plant-based ingredients to offer sustainability wins, with Kerry’s Smug Dairy range (combining milk with oats) perhaps the largest-scale example last year. This has dovetailed with the rise in blended meat, which omnivores have come to love and offer significant climate advantages over 100% meat.

    Can hybrid dairy match the momentum, both in terms of consumer preference and planetary impact, of blended meat?

    Why are brands revving up hybrid dairy?

    dairy plant blend
    Courtesy: Jacob Skovgaard/LinkedIn

    Hybrid milks are by no means a new solution. Companies in Thailand, for example, have been selling soy milk with small amounts of dairy for years. Danish dairy giant Arla used to sell a dairy-oat milk hybrid at one point, while France’s Triballat Noyal retailed a Pâquerette & Compagnie line with 50% cow’s milk and 50% oats, almonds and hazelnuts. Live Real Milk also introduced 50-50 blends with oats or almonds. All of these have since been discontinued.

    The rationale behind these products is threefold and interconnected. Consumers want an all-round nutritional profile with less saturated fat, and they’re concerned about the climate impact of dairy production; at the same time, they don’t universally love the taste of plant-based milk.

    Blends seek to meet them halfway. “We expect that this range will become the standard for the ‘flexitarian’ group of consumers,” Arend Bouwer, managing director of Farm Dairy, said of the new hybrid milk offerings.

    At the heart of the argument is that plant-based milk remains under-adopted. In the US, for example, only 40% of households purchased these alternatives last year, a four-point decrease from 2023. This trend is true elsewhere, too, with household penetration rates reaching 37% and 35% in Germany and the UK, respectively, Europe’s largest markets for vegan food.

    Last year, a poll found that health ill effects were driving Americans to eat fewer animal products like meat and dairy, and many cut back on their purchases of plant-based alternatives because of taste (32%) and price (28%) concerns.

    A recent global survey, meanwhile, suggested that among the 38% of people who don’t buy non-dairy products, 58% showcase the potential to switch if certain needs are met. The biggest problem was unsatisfactory taste or texture, which left 57% of consumers resistant to these products, followed by limited availability (55%) and high prices (37%).

    At the same time, dairy is resurgent in markets like the UK and the US, with concerns around ultra-processing and nutrition playing a role too. How do consumers feel about hybrid dairy, though?

    According to surveys by Mintel in 2022 and 2023, 42% of French consumers found the concept appealing, 56% of Irish respondents said they’d try hybrid cheese, and 26% of Thai citizens expressed interest in hybrid yoghurt.

    Replicating blended meat ratios is crucial to hybrid dairy’s success

    smug dairy
    Courtesy: Smug Dairy

    Would hybrid dairy as a concept work the same way as blended meat? The latter products have leveraged either plant proteins, vegetables and/or mushrooms to lower the content of beef and chicken in burgers and nuggets, respectively, with some brands outperforming 100% meat in the eyes of omnivores and flexitarians.

    It’s an important lever of the protein transition. Almost all (96%) households that bought plant-based meat and seafood in 2024 also purchased conventional versions, putting flexitarians at the heart of the consumer base. Meanwhile, research shows that even replacing half of your meat consumption can reduce emissions by 31% and water use by 12%, while doubling climate benefits.

    The key to these products’ winning mantra – both among consumers and for companies – is the meat-to-plant ratio and the pricing. Can hybrid dairy replicate those features while retaining the flavour?

    Danone has found success here. Its Dairy & Plants Blend was described as an industry-first baby formula and, crucially, contains 60% plant protein. This indicates the importance of having a higher share of plants, which can offer better health outcomes.

    All of this may turn out better for the future of the planet. Kerry’s Smug Dairy range largely focuses on dairy – its blended milk only contains 25% of plant-based ingredients, rising to 30% for its Cheddar and 25% for the block butter. The only offering with an equivalent amount of plants is its spreadable butter, which happens to be the range’s most climate-friendly product, offering 54% lower emissions than its conventional counterpart.

    Dairy accounts for around 4% of global emissions, twice as high as the aviation industry. So minor cuts – like the 18% reduction achieved by the Smug Dairy milk – won’t do much to really move the needle.

    Hybrid dairy isn’t more economical yet

    hybrid milk
    Courtesy: Tesco

    There’s another major barrier for hybrid dairy products: the price tag. The Smug Dairy butter retails for £9.38 per kg, higher than the £7 its Kerrymaid dairy spread costs in the UK. What’s even more striking is the cost difference with plant-based counterparts (which are often knocked for their high prices). The hybrid butter is more than twice as expensive as the dairy-free spreadable butter sold by Kerry’s Pure brand (for £4.30 per kg).

    There isn’t much difference between Smug Dairy’s other products and their 100% vegan counterparts. Its hybrid Cheddar block is only 36p cheaper per kg than Cathedral City’s dairy-free version, and its oat-dairy milk costs only 5p less than Alpro’s oat milk (and 15p less than its barista milk).

    For price-conscious consumers, this is hardly a win. So for hybrid dairy to succeed, undercutting the price significantly from fully plant-based products is the only way to justify the currently high ratios of dairy-to-plants.

    Farm Dairy and PlanetDairy know this and are targeting price parity for their new range. “By offering a retail price and taste comparable to traditional dairy, we believe we can reach a wider consumer base,” said Skovgaard.

    Product formats are important too. A recent poll found that consumers are most receptive to hybrid yoghurts and ice creams, and least interested in beverages and milk alternatives. Moreover, they prefer coconuts and cashews more than other plant-based ingredients for these applications, which are yet to make their way into brand portfolios.

    Will consumers take to hybrid dairy the way they have blended meat? Only if it delivers more substantial benefits than it currently does – on their wallet, on the planet, and on their own health.

    The post The Rise of Hybrid Dairy: Can It Follow in Blended Meat’s Footsteps? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Regulatory Approvals for Cultivated Meat Will Bring Investors Back, Predicts Simple Planet CEO

    7 Mins Read

    Along with its upcoming fundraise, Simple Planet is about to submit dossiers in South Korea and Singapore for regulatory approval – a feat its CEO says will make cultivated meat resurgent.

    Despite continued declines in funding and escalating political challenges, regulatory progress shows that cultivated meat can weather the storm, according to the CEO of one major industry player.

    Funding for cultivated meat startups shrunk by 75% in 2023, and another 40% last year, just as politicians in Italy, Florida, Alabama, and now Mississippi have banned the sale and production of these proteins. The industry, meanwhile, continues to face major headwinds due to high R&D costs, scaling difficulties, and the macroeconomic landscape.

    “However, as more bio-food tech companies gradually receive regulatory approvals from various countries, we remain optimistic that the cultivated meat sector will continue to expand, leading to a resurgence in investment and funding,” says Dominic Jeong.

    He is the co-founder and CEO of Simple Planet, a South Korean food tech startup that is taking a unique approach to cultivated meat. It produces cell-cultured ingredients like proteins (specifically, amino acids) in powder and paste formats, and omega-3 fatty acids in the form of an oil and a paste.

    cultivated meat investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    The firm – which is prioritising beef, chicken, and fish from its suite of 13 cell lines – is preparing regulatory dossiers for food safety authorities in South Korea and Singapore, aiming to file them within the first half of this year. It means its products could come to market in 2026, given the timeline of approvals in each country.

    “We are initially working on a muscle-derived cell line. This cell line will be submitted for regulatory approval upon completion of the necessary application data,” Jeong tells Green Queen.

    Simple Planet also has an eye on Thailand and Indonesia, and is amplifying its presence in the Middle East and North America. These efforts will be helped by its upcoming bridge loan worth $10M, Jeong notes.

    “It’s a complex time for cell-based food globally, particularly in funding and regulation,” Jeong says. “With investors becoming more cautious, having a clear path to market and a scalable business model is more important than ever. At Simple Planet, we’ve stayed focused on efficiency, partnerships, and long-term viability.”

    The company has already raised $8M from investors, in addition to an $8M government grant it received as part of a food security project last year. The new funding, the CEO says, will primarily be used to drive commercialisation, establish an industrial production facility, and expand Simple Planet’s business operations.

    Simple Planet’s multi-pronged path to market

    simple planet korea
    Courtesy: Simple Planet

    Simple Planet is producing a lyophilised cell powder with 16 times more protein than whey. “The powder has the potential to effectively substitute the whey protein currently used in Formula 75 (F-75) and Formula 100 (F-100), which are therapeutic milk formulations designed for the treatment of severe malnutrition,” explains Jeong.

    “We are actively engaged in efforts to replace whey protein in these products to provide a reliable and effective source of protein nutrition.”

    In addition to these ingredients, it has unveiled Balboa Kitchen, a healthy snacking brand featuring ready-to-eat granola, functional snacks, and “other clean-label products” made from the cell-based ingredients.

    “We’re planning to enter global markets this year, starting with Southeast Asia and Japan, where demand for Korean-made healthy food continues to grow,” reveals Jeong.

    Meanwhile, Simple Planet’s patented serum-free culture medium replaces fetal bovine serum with probiotic-derived metabolites, slashing costs by over 99.8% and addressing key ethical concerns. “Our serum-free culture media is aimed at research labs and biotech startups, particularly those working on cell-based food. We’re leveraging our network to support innovation across the industry,” he says.

    Since its innovations are ingredients rather than fully formed products, a direct comparison with the cost of conventional meat is not an appropriate measure, Jeong argues. “However, the initial cost per kilogram is comparable to that of conventional meat, while the protein content per unit weight is significantly higher. As production scales up to industrial levels, the cost is expected to decrease significantly,” he explains.

    “Our scale of production is using 1,000-litre bioreactors, and the capacity goal of ingredient production is a maximum of 3.2 tonnes per month,” he adds. “Our facility is currently in the process of obtaining GMP [Good Manufacturing Practice] certification, which will ensure that our production is conducted in a highly controlled, contaminant-free environment.”

    Simple Planet is targeting CPG players with the cultivated protein and fat. “We aim to produce at scale and collaborate with food conglomerates to enhance the nutrition of their products. These ingredients are highly versatile and can be applied to snacks, beverages, ready meals, and more,” says Jeong.

    “We’ve already completed successful proof-of-concepts with major Korean players like Nongshim and CJ, developing more nutritious versions of products like instant noodles and gyoza.”

    Several projects underway to advance cultivated meat

    lab grown meat korea
    Courtesy: Simple Planet

    The purpose of the bridge funding is fourfold. Simple Planet will aim to set up a large-scale production plant, establish strategic partnerships for product integration with food and beverage companies, expand its presence in global markets while pursuing regulatory approval, and hire top biotech, food science, and commercialisation experts to help execute these goals.

    In the meantime, it has embarked on several projects to advance its path to market. One of these is a proof-of-concept collaboration with a “global food conglomerate” to explore how its ingredients can enhance the taste and nutrition of its products across the food, beverage, supplement and wellness categories.

    “We are also exploring ways to support Indonesia’s national priority programme for free nutritious meals, working with local partners to contribute to sustainable and accessible nutrition solutions,” says Jeong.

    In February, Simple Planet announced it was collaborating with Chulalongkorn University’s Halal Research Center in Thailand to integrate Halal standards into its manufacturing practices. After the startup initiated discussions and shared data on its technology, the Korean Muslim Federation issued a fatwa confirming that cultivated meat can be consumed by Muslims if it meets certain criteria.

    In addition, the company is working with the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Thailand’s National Food Institute to advance the development of cell-cultured ingredients. And the startup has signed an MoU to partner with the newly announced cultivated meat research centre in Uiseong County.

    “For Simple Planet, government approval and halal certification are top priorities,” says Jeong. “We work closely with halal authorities and food regulators to ensure our serum-free, halal-compliant cell culture medium meets industry standards.”

    Cultivated meat needs ‘stronger government support’

    lab grown meat south korea
    Courtesy: GFI APAC

    Simple Planet has been engaging with regulators across key markets, including the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (which established a novel food framework in 2024 and is expected to greenlight an application from local startup CellMeat soon). Further, it’s working with the Singapore Food Agency and the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) in Indonesia.

    “In Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, and Singapore, there is increasing interest in alternative proteins as part of national food security and sustainability initiatives,” says Jeong. “Singapore has led the way with a regulatory framework, while other countries are actively developing policies on food safety and halal compliance.”

    He calls for “stronger government support” in regulation, research, and halal certification, which is crucial to unlocking the full potential of cultivated meat in mainstream markets.

    So far, cultivated meat has been cleared to be sold in Singapore (from two startups), the US (four), Israel, the UK, Hong Kong, and (preliminarily) Australia and New Zealand (one each). Despite all the turmoil in the sector, three approval decisions have come this year. Regulators in the EU, Switzerland, Thailand and South Korea are assessing applications too.

    “Regulatory progress varies widely – countries like Singapore and the US are moving forward, while others are still developing frameworks. This creates uncertainty, but also opportunities to help shape the conversation,” says Jeong.

    “Europe remains cautious about the commercialisation of cell-based food, although some products have entered the market as pet food. This might be an early sign that Europe may gradually open up to cultivated meat in the future,” he adds. Even in Singapore and Israel, challenges remain in terms of standardisation, market access, and regulatory consistency.

    But he indicates that the wave of approvals over the last 18 months is a sign of good things to come after a period of turbulence: “These hurdles appear to be part of the natural progression of introducing a new technology to consumers, and we believe they will be resolved in the near future.”

    The post Regulatory Approvals for Cultivated Meat Will Bring Investors Back, Predicts Simple Planet CEO appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Vegdog: German Plant-Based Dog Food Firm Raises $10M After Sales Grow by 66%

    vegdog

    4 Mins Read

    Munich-based vegan pet food startup Vegdog has raised €9M ($10.2M) in Series A funding to expand its European presence, after seeing sales hike by 66% in 2024.

    While startups working on alternative proteins for humans continue to face fundraising hurdles, those targeting our furry friends are enjoying more success.

    Vegdog, known for its wide range of vegan dog food and supplements, has secured €9M ($10.2M) in a Series A round led by the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF VC) and existing investor the Green Generation Fund.

    Angel investors Dominique Locher, Attollo SA, and Andrea Skersies, financing platform Select Alternative Investments, and existing shareholder SFO also participated in the round, which took the decade-old company’s total raised to $13.7M.

    The investment will be used to expand Vegdog’s footprint across Europe, and comes on the back of a highly successful year for the business, where it reached €10M ($11.4M) in sales in 2024 (a 66% rise from the previous year). Now, it is aiming to achieve a growth rate of up to 80% in the coming years.

    Vegdog looks to conquer Europe with the fresh capital

    vegan pet food
    Courtesy: Vegdog

    Founded by Tessa Zaune-Figlar and Valerie Henssen, Vegdog’s lineup includes both dry and wet food, snacks, and dietary supplements, which use ingredients like pea protein, lentils, and vegetables. They’re developed in collaboration with veterinarians to ensure high nutritional quality.

    Last year, it teamed up with fellow German food tech startup MicroHarvest to roll out Pure Bites, a line of dog treats made from the latter’s biomass-fermented microbial protein.

    Its products are available via its website and Amazon in Germany and Austria, as well as Futterhaus, Zoo&Co, and DM Drogerie stores. During Veganuary, they were listed in Aldi Suisse and Hofer in Austria too.

    This year, Vegdog is planning to double its workforce, as part of its planned expansion into the entire German, Austrian and Swiss region, as well as the Netherlands. It has a wider European rollout earmarked for 2026.

    “Our vision is a world in which healthy dog nutrition is no longer at the expense of other animals or the environment. This financing round enables us to accelerate innovation and growth,” said Henssen, who is co-CEO of the company alongside Zaune-Figlar. “The bigger Vegdog is, the greater our impact on dog health and animal welfare.”

    Vegdog says it will use the capital to refine its production process, scale its operations across Europe, and explore new blends that address diverse dietary needs across different canine breeds and life stages.

    “As consumer demand for ethical and environmentally friendly products rises, VEGDOG is well-positioned to challenge the status quo for the European pet food industry,” said Mathias Brink Lorenz, investment director at ECBF.

    Pet food bucks the alternative protein trend

    vegan dog food
    Courtesy: Vegdog

    The investment in Vegdog contrasts with what has otherwise been a tough landscape for plant-based food companies, which raised 64% less money in 2024 than the year before.

    That said, alternative pet food has enjoyed a fruitful 12 months. The British Veterinary Association has ended its long-standing objection to plant-based dog food, while studies have shown that vegan food is the most effective measure to cut the climate footprint of cats and dogs.

    Meanwhile, the UK became the first country where consumers could buy cultivated meat for their cats and dogs off the shelves, while Germany’s Marsapet rolled out a kibble product for dogs using Calysta’s gas-fermented FeedKind protein in Europe.

    British vegan pet food maker The Pack was acquired by Prefera Petfood, and fellow London-based startup Omni saw sales shoot up by 130% with 20,000 new customers in the three months after securing an investment from Steven Bartlett and Deborah Meaden on Dragons’ Den.

    Elsewhere, one US startup has conducted feeding trials in pursuit of regulatory approval in the US, and California’s Friends & Family Pet Food Co has inked two deals to launch stateside and in Singapore.

    And last month, Meatly made several breakthroughs to dramatically lower the costs of its cultivated chicken for pets, and BioCraft Pet Food revealed that its mouse meat generates 92% fewer emissions than conventional beef.

    The post Vegdog: German Plant-Based Dog Food Firm Raises $10M After Sales Grow by 66% appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Australian Lawmakers Get A Taste of the Future at Cultivated Meat Tasting in Parliament

    4 Mins Read

    Australian cultivated meat startup Magic Valley held a tasting for politicians in the New South Wales parliament last week.

    Just months before cultivated meat makes it onto restaurant menus in Australia, some of the country’s policymakers got a taste of it themselves.

    In the New South Wales parliament last week, politicians were treated to cultivated lamb meatballs and pork dumplings from Melbourne startup Magic Valley. And they were impressed.

    “It was delicious,” said Alex Greenwich, an independent representative for Sydney. “This type of meat is guilt-free: no animal cruelty, no deforestation, and saves water and CO2 emissions,” he added, a nod to lamb’s status as the third most polluting food product (after beef and dark chocolate).

    The tasting event came months after the firm received an A$100,000 ($63,000) injection from the federal government to transition from research to commercial production of its cultivated meat.

    Cultivated meat as an economic opportunity for Australia

    lab grown meat tasting
    Courtesy: Magic Valley

    The tasting was held at the parliament’s Rooftop Garden, attended by 17 politicians and ministers, including state treasurer Daniel Mookhey and innovation minister Anoulack Chanthivong. The dumplings were served with chilli oil and chilli crisp, and the meatballs featured a classic marinara sauce.

    Magic Valley’s technology eschews fetal bovine serum and leverages induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). It takes a small sample of skin cells from a living animal, which are expanded and turned into iPSCs, which in turn can be converted into muscle and fat.

    The cells are grown in a bioreactor, in a mixture of water, amino acids, and other nutrients. They’re harvested after a few weeks and turned into meat products. These can be made over and over again from the original cell sample, since the iPSCs can grow in an unlimited way.

    According to the startup, its process can reduce emissions by 92%, land use by 95%, and water use by 78% compared to conventional meat.

    The event came a year after it held a public tasting for its cultivated pork, serving it as part of baos at John Gorilla Café in Brunswick, Victoria. Magic Valley has also hosted a televised tasting on Australia’s Channel 7 network and appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Australia.

    Highlighting why it was important for politicians to try it, founder and CEO Paul Bevan said that the event was about more than just food. “It’s about jobs, technology, and positioning Australia as a leader in one of the world’s fastest-growing industries,” he said.

    Emma Hurst, a representative of the Animal Justice Party who hosted the tasting, concurred: “There is a real economic opportunity for New South Wales and indeed Australia to become a leader in the production, sale and export of cellular agriculture and to be part of this worldwide shift in the food system.”

    Government support is critical ahead of cultivated meat debut

    lab grown meat australia
    Courtesy: Magic Valley

    Magic Valley expanded into a new pilot facility at bio-innovator and incubator Co-Labs in 2023, which can house bioreactors with a capacity of up to 3,000 litres, allowing it to potentially produce 150,000 kgs of cultivated meat annually.

    As of now, it is raising capital to build its first manufacturing facility in the country, an effort backed by the A$100M grant from the government’s Industry Growth Program. The company is eligible for up to $5M in funding through the initiative.

    “With support from both government and private investors, we can build advanced facilities, create regional employment, and export high-tech protein to the world,” said Bevan.

    New South Wales is already home to one of the world’s leading cultivated meat startups. Vow, based in Sydney, makes cultured quail and foie gras, which have been on the market in Singapore since last year.

    In April, the firm received preliminary approval from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) for its quail product. With the final green light from ministers expected in June, Vow will debut its cultivated meat at “high-end restaurants and elevated fast-casual concepts” in Australia, before rolling out in retail later in the year.

    These developments coincide with a decline in meat consumption among Australians, 42% of whom are either reducing or not eating animal protein at all. But a 2023 survey of Australians and New Zealanders found that 74% weren’t familiar with cultivated meat, while only 24% would readily incorporate it into their diets (and 48% said they wouldn’t do so).

    Research has also found that when it comes to alternative protein policies, Australia ranks bottom of the list of the 10 most supportive governments in Asia-Pacific. So public tasting events and government support are key to building awareness and advancing the industry.

    The post Australian Lawmakers Get A Taste of the Future at Cultivated Meat Tasting in Parliament appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • California Sets Up Special Committee to Drive Alternative Protein Innovation

    california alternative protein
    4 Mins Read

    Home to a host of leading future food startups, California has established a special committee to advance innovation in the alternative protein sector.

    While several states in the US are banning (or hoping to ban) cultivated meat from being sold within their borders, some are doubling down on their commitment to supercharge the future food industry.

    Among those is California, which last month established the Assembly Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation to boost the state’s position as a leader in sustainable food systems.

    The special committee is being chaired by Ash Kalra, a Democrat from San José, who was instrumental in California’s $5M investment in alternative protein research in 2022.

    Why California is betting on alternative proteins

    beyond sausage launch
    Beyond Meat is one of a number of alternative protein leaders hailing from California | Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    In the US, select committees are established by the Senate for a limited time, and tend to be investigative rather than legislative in nature. These committees may or may not be given the authority to report legislation to the chamber.

    California’s alternative protein committee will focus on efforts to support all pillars of the alternative protein sector, including plant-based proteins, fermentation-derived foods, and cultivated meat.

    It will begin by organising information hearings to determine how California can expand its alternative protein economy while aligning with its climate and sustainability goals. “This committee is about more than just boosting a promising sector of our economy,” Kalra said. “It’s about investing in climate-smart food solutions that meet the needs of a growing population.”

    In 2022, the state unveiled what it claimed was the world’s first detailed climate neutrality pathway, aiming to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 48% in 2030 and 85% by the target year of 2045. It also aims to save $200B in healthcare costs related to pollution.

    California is also working to redirect 20% of food from being sent to landfills by this year, and reduce methane emissions by 40% (below 2013 levels) by the end of this decade. Targeting meat and dairy production is a key tenet of this latter target, considering that livestock is responsible for half of the state’s methane footprint.

    In fact, animal agriculture is responsible for 70% of California’s total emissions from the food system, and takes up a third of its land area. Expanding its alternative protein ecosystem is therefore a critical step towards decarbonisation.

    Producing foods from plant-based ingredients, microbes or cellular agriculture uses a tiny share of the land and water that animal proteins do, while emitting a fraction of the greenhouse gases as well.

    The Golden State is already a leader in alternative protein

    lab grown meat california
    Courtesy: Wildtype

    “Our state is a leader in alternative protein innovation and home to the first major plant-based protein companies, the first-ever cultivated meat startups, and numerous inventive fermentation food companies,” said Kalra.

    Indeed, California is the birthplace of modern-day plant-based giants Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, and a host of leading cultivated meat startups. In fact, all four companies approved to sell cultivated proteins in the US – Eat Just, Upside Foods, Mission Barns, and Wildtype – hail from the Golden State.

    It is also home to the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein. Opened last year at the University of California, Davis, it is conducting research on speeding up these future foods’ path to market.

    California also made the single-largest alternative protein R&D investment of any state back three years ago, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing a budget bill that provided $5M to UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UCLA. As mentioned above, this effort was facilitated by Kalra.

    uc davis cultivated meat
    Courtesy: UC Davis

    “I look forward to holding informational hearings on the topic of growing this new economy and how it can support California’s climate and food sustainability goals,” the senator said.

    Other states that have championed alternative proteins in recent years include Illinois, which poured in $680M in the iFAB Tech Hub to advance precision fermentation research and its biomanufacturing capabilities. Massachusetts, meanwhile, is home to Tufts University and its Center for Cellular Agriculture, and passed an economic development bill that pledged investment in the sector.

    The state has pledged $10M for local companies and to match grants supporting these proteins, and another $115M for an infrastucture programme to support job growth in key tech sectors, including plant-based, fermented and cultivated foods with “sensory characteristics that are consistent with conventional meat and dairy”.

    “I think it’s incumbent on us lawmakers to think long-term,” Senator Barry Finegold, chairperson of Massachusetts’s economic development and emerging tech committee, told Green Queen last year. “If we’re concerned about climate change, if we’re concerned about people’s health, then I think we have to take science seriously.”

    The post California Sets Up Special Committee to Drive Alternative Protein Innovation appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Siddhi Capital’s Steven Finn

    steven finn
    3 Mins Read

    In our interview series, we quiz future food investors about the solutions that excite them the most, their favourite climate-forward restaurant, and what they look for in successful founders.

    Steven Finn is the Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner at Siddhi Capital.

    What future food technologies most excite you?

    I am focused on those that can create actual businesses instead of save-the-world, pie-in-the-sky science projects. That usually translates to an interest in the technologies and ingredients that are positioned to improve taste and price, and can go into food products that are genuinely craveable by the mass market. It also means businesses that can be staged and not rely long-term on fickle capital markets.

    What are three future food verticals you are actively looking at for 2025?

    • Shared infrastructure, particularly around precision fermentation.
    • Low-inclusion ingredients with borderline pharma-level health claims, many of these being around gut microbiome optimisation. 
    • Replacement ingredients for those with troubled agricultural supply chains or impending supply shocks. Think eggs, cocoa, and whatever the next disasters are.

    What do you consider the food tech sector’s greatest achievement in the past five years?

    Probably the approval and sales of cultivated meat products. I’ve tried most of them, and they have been a bit hit or miss – but the good ones are good, and the fact that they exist and are okay to sell is still an incredible achievement.

    If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix plant-based meat?

    Make it taste like (or better than!) meat and cost less. As long as I have the magic wand, I’d probably also use Men in Black-style memory-erasing tech on everyone who’s tried the mainstream plant-based options, so they come back at it through a lens of excitement and wonder again, instead of with jaded disappointment.

    What’s the top trait you look for in a founder?

    Scrappiness. This boils down to capital efficiency; the ability to do more with less; the ability to pivot when necessary, no matter how far down a path they are; and the ability to see alternative uses for work they’ve already done to expand markets.

    The One That Got Away: What is the deal you wish you had gotten into, but didn’t?

    Series B of a well-known new-wave soda company. The valuation seemed like it was near a peak and we wouldn’t hit our return targets from there. I was wrong, and I drink it every day.

    What do you consider your most successful future food investment so far?

    Ask me in five years. We’ve got some will-be winners in our portfolio.

    What has been your most disappointing investment so far?

    All losers hurt, but the ones that have hurt the most have been those that raised stupid money from generalist tourist capital, and have run for the hills and left cap tables so messy, nobody could pick up the pieces. It’s what started me on a path to deeply understand cap table mechanics, which has become my speciality.  

    What do people misunderstand/get wrong most about VC?

    At least for me, I expect to be wrong most of the time. Going in with that understanding, when I’m right, I need to be very right. I just hope to not be wrong all the time.

    Also, when we invest, it’s because we believe in the product, market, and team at a point in time. When that shifts, we are not obligated to invest again. 

    What is the most ‘future food’ thing you have eaten this month?

    Cookies made with Plantible’s Rubisco protein instead of eggs. I never would have known in a blind taste test.

    Where is your favourite climate-forward restaurant/dish/place to eat anywhere in the world?

    BlueNalu’s cultivated bluefin tuna nigiri, in their offices only (for now). Next up, the world!

    What’s your ‘why’? What motivates you to do what you do?

    I love and have always loved food. I want to be a part of the ecosystem and an enabler of great food for others. Most importantly, I want to make money for my investors (and myself and my team) in a way that doesn’t leave the world worse than I found it. 

    The post 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Siddhi Capital’s Steven Finn appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan RXBar, NotMilk Avena, Pre-Frozen Tofu

    vegan rxbar
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Kellanova’s plant-based RXBars, Vivera’s pre-frozen tofu, and a cultivated seafood tasting event.

    New products and launches

    Kellanova (formerly Kellogg’s) has launched RXBar High Protein, a plant-based line of its famous clean-label bars. The peanut butter bars come in strawberry and vanilla flavours, and are packed with 18g of protein and only six ingredients.

    rxbar high protein
    Courtesy: Kellanova/Valerii Evlakhov/Getty Images

    US wellness startup Happy Aging has launched a plant protein powder called Lean Muscle Formula. It contains 20g of pea and pumpkin seed protein and 5g of creatine monohydrate per 100g, and comes in vanilla and chocolate flavours. The product is available on its website for $55 per 725g pouch.

    Israeli food tech startup Meala has partnered with DSM-Firmenich to launch a texturising pea protein called Vertis PB Pea. The ingredient is designed to replace modified binders like hydrocolloids to make cleaner-label meat alternatives, and is available in Europe.

    Also in Israel, Efishient Protein has introduced a plant-based grouper fillet. It is working on a cultivated tilapia in the background.

    oshi vegan salmon
    Courtesy: Oshi

    Speaking of alternative seafood, plant-based firm Oshi has begun direct-to-consumer sales of its vegan salmon, expanding from its foodservice-only model.

    In more seafood news, Austrian mycoprotein startup Revo Foods has unveiled a BBQ flavour of its flagship product, The FIlet – Inspired by Salmon.

    Chilean food tech firm NotCo has released the newest iteration of its AI-powered NotMilk, with a focus on a clean-label formulation. The NotMilk Avena SKU contains just oats, coconut butter, chicory fibre, and water, and is available in Chile and Brazil. It will soon roll out in Mexico too.

    notmilk avena
    Courtesy: NotCo

    French dairy-free brand Atelier Dessy has introduced a plant-based alternative to Icelandic skyr in raspberry and mango-passionfruit flavours.

    Dutch vegan giant Vivera has introduced a pre-frozen firm tofu that absorbs marinades more quickly, responding to a TikTok trend of freezing the protein to make it spongier. It will be available in UK supermarkets from June 9 for £2.75 per 200g pack.

    British food tech firm Myco, known for its oyster-mushroom-based burgers, has signed a deal to provide its Hooba ingredient to Teesside University as part of a blended meat range.

    choviva treets
    Courtesy: Treets/Candy Kittens

    Planet A Foods‘s cocoa-free ChoViva chocolate is part of Candy Kittens and Treets‘s Crunchy Corn, Crispy, and Salted Peanuts dragées in the UK. They’re available online and at retailers including Boots.

    South Korean food giant Pulmuone has revamped its dairy-free ice cream brand Planto with new packaging and label descriptors like ‘reduced sugar’ and ‘high dietary fibre’. The new products come in 90ml strawberry-raspberry and chocolate brownie packs, and will primarily be available online and through B2B channels, including Kurly, Coupang, and Shop Pulmuone.

    Company and finance updates

    Singaporean cultivated meat firm Umami Bioworks held a public tasting for its white fish (served in a fish-and-chips format) and caviar (served plain and in canapé-style) at London’s Underground Cookery School.

    liberation labs
    Courtesy: Vivici/Liberation Bioindustries

    Ahead of opening its large-scale precision fermentation facility, US biomanufacturer Liberation Labs has rebranded to Liberation Bioindustries.

    Likewise, plant-based firm Simply Better Brands – which makes vegan protein powders and bars – has rebranded to Trubar.

    Dutch fermentation startup The Protein Brewery has appointed former Cousin executive Thijs Bosch as its new CEO. He succeeds Sue Garfitt, who will transition into a non-executive role.

    oat milk powder
    Courtesy: cReal

    Swedish food tech firm cReal Food has opened a zero-waste oat milk powder facility in Bjuv, backed by a 300 million kronor ($31.3M) investment by Lindéngruppen and other investors.

    Finnish startup Enifer has partnered with Brazilian ethanol producer FS to produce its Pekilo mycoprotein in Latin America, using thin stillage derived from corn ethanol as feedstock.

    Research and policy developments

    The Spanish city of Parla has become the country’s first city (and the world’s 40th) to sign the call for an international Plant-Based Treaty.

    Vegans and vegetarians should receive special rations if the UK is hit with a major disaster, according to Prof Tim Lang, an emeritus professor of food policy at the University of London and an adviser to the National Preparedness Commission.

    beyond meat bbq
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    With BBQ season upon us, a survey by Beyond Meat has found that 42% of Brits eat less meat during the week now than two years ago, and 47% say having plant-based options on the menu is important to them.

    Two new studies show that the plant-based Portfolio Diet can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, and improve heart health across diverse demographics.

    A landmark study by the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture has revealed that the region can produce significantly more food with less money and fewer resources with regenerative agriculture systems.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Vegan RXBar, NotMilk Avena, Pre-Frozen Tofu appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Wildtype Cultivated Salmon Gets FDA Approval, Now on US Menus

    lab grown salmon
    6 Mins Read

    San Francisco startup Wildtype has become the world’s first startup to get US regulatory approved to sell cultivated seafood, with its salmon now on the menu at Kann in Portland, Oregon.

    Cultivated seafood has cruised to become a reality.

    US startup Wildtype has received regulatory approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its sushi-grade cultivated salmon in the country. It is now available at Kann, James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet’s live-fire Haitian restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

    “We have no questions at this time about Wildtype’s conclusion that foods comprising or containing cultured coho salmon cell material resulting from the production process defined in [its application] are as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods,” the FDA said in a scientific memo.

    It concludes a process that began three summers ago and required eight amendments as the startup’s process evolved and the regulator worked to confirm the safety of cell-cultured salmon.

    “Cultivated seafood, apart from catfish, is regulated solely by the FDA; there is no subsequent USDA step as there is for chicken and beef,” Wildtype co-founders Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck told Green Queen in an email.

    lab grown fish
    Wildtype’s salmon at Kann in Portland, Oregon | Courtesy: Wildtype

    That cleared the way for Wildtype to begin offering its salmon to restaurants immediately. “Regarding the timing of our Kann launch, Wildtype salmon is on the menu now,” the founders confirmed. “It is available on Thursdays in June, and every day starting July.”

    Backed by the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos, the startup is preparing launches with four other restaurants over the next four months. “Our plans for retail launch will follow our launch in foodservice,” they revealed.

    It is the fourth cultivated protein firm to be allowed to sell in the US, and the third with full approval. Fellow Californian startup Mission Barns secured the FDA letter for its cultivated pork fat in March, though it is still awaiting USDA authorisation for its pilot plant and product labelling.

    How Wildtype makes its cultivated salmon

    wildtype foods
    Wildtype co-founders Justin Kolbeck and Aryé Elfenbein | Courtesy: Wildtype

    Elfenbein and Kolbeck founded Wildtype nearly a decade ago, working to commercialise cultivated coho salmon saku, the most expensive part of the fish. Some populations of this species are either threatened or endangered, necessitating innovations like cellular agriculture.

    Wildtype obtains living cells from Pacific salmon, which are adapted to suspension culture. They are grown in tanks similar to those used to make beer or kombucha, under temperature and pH conditions that wild fish thrive in, alongside a nutrient mix containing proteins, sugar, fat, salt, and minerals like iron and zinc.

    The cells are harvested using bowl centrifugation, washed three times with a water and sugar solution, rapidly cooled using blast chillers, and stored frozen. They’re mixed with certain plant-based ingredients to replicate the structure and texture of conventional salmon, and the resulting product is used in raw sushi preparations like sashimi and maki.

    “The composition of Wildtype salmon has always included cells as the primary ingredient after water,” Elfenbein and Kolbeck said, but did not confirm which other ingredients are used.

    cultivated seafood
    Wildtype’s cultvated salmon can be used in raw sushi applications | Courtesy: Wildtype

    In 2021, Wildtype opened a pilot-scale Fishery in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighbourhood. At the time, it had the ability to produce 50,000 lbs of seafood per year, which could be expanded to 200,000 lbs at maximum capacity.

    The firm has held numerous tasting events for its coho salmon across the US, teaming up with chefs like José Andrés, Rose Ha, and Adam Tortosa to rave reviews.

    “You would have to tell someone that the Wildtype lox wasn’t conventional for them to suspect it was anything different,” suggested Brian Cooley, a technology expert who spent nearly three decades as CNET’s tech editor.

    He tried the salmon as part of a $24 bagel at a pop-up event at Loveski Deli in Marin County, California earlier this year. “I think it’s actually better than conventional lox because it doesn’t have the occasional gristle or silverskin you find in conventional products,” he told Green Queen.

    A ‘watershed moment’ for seafood and cultivated proteins

    kann portland
    Wildtype’s salmon will debut at chef Gregory Gourdet’s Kann restaurant | Courtesy: Wildtype

    At Kann, Wildtype’s salmon is paired in a summery dish with pickled strawberry, spiced tomato, strawberry juice, and an epis rice cracker.

    “We take pride in the ingredients we utilise,” said Gourdet. “Introducing Wildtype’s cultivated salmon to our menu hits the elevated and sustainable marks we want our menu to offer guests who share a similar value system to ours.”

    It is a milestone for the alternative seafood industry, which has long been an afterthought to beef, chicken, and pork analogues. There are several startups working on cultivated seafood, including BlueNalu and Umami Bioworks; Wildtype’s approval will likely usher them to advance their commercialisation efforts.

    It has become the seventh cultivated protein company to have received some form of regulatory clearance. That list comprises Eat Just‘s Good Meat (in Singapore and the US), Upside Foods and Mission Barns (both in the US), Aleph Farms (in Israel), Vow (in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand), and Meatly (in the UK). Regulators in the EU, Switzerland, Australia and Thailand are evaluating applications too, and judging from its inventory, the US FDA seems to have received at least four others.

    cultivated meat investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    It comes at a time when cultivated meat faces both financial and political upheaval. After VCs pumped $1.3B into the category in 2021, investment has dipped dramatically. In 2023, funding fell by 75%, followed by another 40% drop in 2024, reaching just $139M. It means that in the last three years, this sector has cumulatively raised less money than it did in 2021 alone.

    Wildtype itself has raised $120M, most of which came in a $100M Series B round in 2022. But its founders did not respond to a question about its fundraising plans now.

    Meanwhile, a host of legislative efforts to ban or restrict cultivated meat in the US and Europe are ongoing. Italy decided to ban these proteins in 2023 (before other EU attempts were thwarted), as have six states in the US, including Florida, Alabama and Nebraska. Several other states have floated similar bills in the current legislative session.

    lab grown seafood
    Wildtype’s cultivated salmon | Courtesy: Wildtype

    “Wildtype’s achievement is a watershed moment for domestic seafood production and for the cultivated protein industry overall,” said Dr Suzi Gerber, executive director of the Association for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood Innovation, a cellular agriculture trade group.

    “The thoughtful, evidence-driven review proves that innovative food technologies meet the highest safety standards, and can play a vital role in healthy American diets, while strengthening our food system’s domestic production and resilience, supporting the president’s executive order to expand seafood production in the US,” she added.

    The post Wildtype Cultivated Salmon Gets FDA Approval, Now on US Menus appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Californian Startup Proves Commercial Viability of Cell-Based Chocolate

    california cultured
    4 Mins Read

    California Cultured, a food tech startup making cocoa via cellular agriculture, has transitioned to large-scale biomanufacturing in a key breakthrough for the industry.

    US startup California Cultured has successfully moved from lab-scale shake flash experiments to large-scale manufacturing of its cell-based cocoa, proving the viability of using cellular agriculture to make commodity foods facing multiple risks.

    The expansion to precision-controlled bioreactor fermentation was executed with the help of Berkeley-based biomanufacturing firm Pow.Bio, and validates the economic and technical feasibility of producing cell-cultured cocoa on a commercial scale.

    It is a major win for the cellular agriculture industry and comes at a time when the chocolate industry faces numerous climate and supply chain threats, which have driven cocoa prices to record highs and threatened the future of the industry as we know it.

    How California Cultured reached commercial scale

    cell based chocolate
    Courtesy: California Cultured

    Founded in 2020 by CEO Alan Perlstein and COO Harrison Yoon, California Cultured collects samples from a cocoa plant with ideal organoleptic properties. These are then cultured in fermentation tanks that mimic the conditions of the rainforests where cocoa thrives. Within three to four days, the cells are ready to be harvested, fermented and roasted.

    To optimise it cocoa fermentation process for commercial volumes, it worked out of Pow.Bio’s newly commissioned 25,000 sq ft facility, which offers clean room capabilities, dual-chamber continuous fermentation systems, and real-time AI-based process control.

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

    The project with California Cultured focused on the culture media optimisation (which makes the bulk of the cost of cell-based foods), oxygen transfer rates, and pH control to improve cell growth and metabolite production.

    Among its core development goals were boosting metabolic efficiency to enhance growth kinetics and flavonoid and lipid synthesis (which are crucial for replicating the taste and mouthfeel of conventional chocolate). In addition, it tested scalable feed strategies and conducted continuous bioprocess monitoring to lower the cost per kg while maintaining product consistency.

    “This scale-up marks a major achievement in the food tech sector,” said Scott Mitchell, CEO of Cult Food Science, an investor in the startup. “By unlocking scalable, ethical alternatives to traditionally resource-intensive commodities like cocoa, California Cultured is helping shape a more sustainable global food system.”

    Cellular agriculture has the potential to drastically reduce emissions, resource use, water consumption, and land use, but the industry has historically been hampered by high costs, thanks in part to the use of pharmaceutical bioreactors that are ill-suited for food production.

    Cult Food Science called California Culture’s breakthrough a “key inflexion point” for the alternative cocoa category, and suggested that it laid the “foundation for future innovations, including continuous fermentation and commercial launch of cocoa and coffee-based ingredients and products”.

    Alternative cocoa is becoming more important by the day

    california cultured chocolate
    Courtesy: California Cultured

    California Culture is one of several startups working on cell-based chocolate, including Israel’s Celleste Bio and Kokomodo, Switzerland’s Food Brewer.

    These companies are aiming to address an urgent problem. Producing dark chocolate already emits more greenhouse gases than every other food except beef, while each bar of chocolate requires 1,700 litres of water on average. Add to that the vast amount of deforestation linked to the cocoa industry, thanks to increasing demand and the widespread use of palm oil.

    The cocoa industry finds itself in a two-sided bind: it is both exacerbating climate change and facing the full force of its impacts. Global cocoa stocks have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade. Ivory Coast and Ghana – the two largest producers of the crop – have been the biggest victims, thanks to extreme weather and crop diseases (as well as reduced plantations in favour of illegal gold mining).

    Scientists have warned that cocoa trees are threatened, and a third of them could die out by 2050, which could lead to a global chocolate shortage.

    All this has already caused major price hikes. In 2024, cocoa futures broke all-time records, and the cost will continue to remain high this year. That has hurt the sales of industry behemoths like Hershey’s, whose profit forecast for 2025 is below analysts’ expectations.

    Some are now turning to alternative cocoa products – Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest cocoa manufacturer, is using precision-fermented sunflower seeds for some of its offerings in Europe. Others, like Lindt & Sprüngli and Sparkalis (the VC arm of bakery and confectionery group Puratos), are investing in cell-based cocoa startups.

    Sparkalis is also an investor in California Cultured, which opened its new 12,000 sq ft facility in West Sacramento earlier this year. Additionally, it is co-developing products with Japanese chocolate giant Meiji as part of a decade-long partnership. “Meiji came to us because unpredictable weather patterns – including heavy rainfall – have disrupted cacao cultivation, leading to a consecutive year of supply shortages,” California Cultured’s head of strategy, Steve Stearns, told Green Queen last year.

    “This scarcity has driven futures prices to unprecedented levels, reflecting the strain on supply and demand dynamics within the chocolate industry.”

    Aside from cell-based cocoa, many companies are making cocoa-free chocolate from low-carbon ingredients, including Compound Foods, Voyage Foods, Prefer, Planet A Foods, Foreverland, Nukoko, Endless Food Co, and a host of others.

    The post Californian Startup Proves Commercial Viability of Cell-Based Chocolate appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    precision fermentation survey
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Who is the precision fermentation consumer?

    precision fermentation uk
    Courtesy: Better Dairy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    precision fermentation labelling
    Courtesy: Better Dairy

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

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

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

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

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

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

    fsa precision fermentation
    Courtesy: FSA

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • While Plant-Based Meat Sales Are Faltering, Blended Proteins Are Back in Vogue

    aldi hybrid meat
    5 Mins Read

    Discount retailer Aldi Nord has become the latest company to hop on the blended meat bandwagon with a burger made from 60% beef and 40% plant proteins in the Netherlands.

    As part of its move towards shifting protein sales in favour of plants, Aldi Nord has quietly released a blended meat burger in its Dutch locations.

    The discount supermarket’s newest burger contains 60% beef and 40% plant-based ingredients, and it is clearly labelled as a product blending animal and plant proteins.

    The product is priced at €2.50 per 300g pack, or €8.33 per kg. This makes it a more affordable option than several conventional meat options at Aldi Nord, including half-and-half mince (€10.83 per kg), ground beef (€14.15), and lean ground beef (€9.99).

    The move is part of its climate strategy. Lowering the amount of animal protein in a product and replacing it with low-carbon alternatives is an effective strategy to slash the emissions of a product.

    Aldi Netherlands has set a target of obtaining 50% of all protein sales from plant-based foods by this year, working towards a larger ‘protein split’ goal of 60% plant proteins by 2030. In 2023, these products made up 37% of its protein sales, but their share reached 40% last year.

    Crucially, it aims to maintain the amount of protein sold, so it would need to achieve this by actively replacing meat with animal-free products. To fast-track the transition, it rolled out its My Vay private-label brand last year, starting with dairy alternatives before diversifying into plant-based meat in the autumn.

    aldi protein split
    Courtesy: Green Protein Alliance/ProVeg Netherlands

    Can blended meat fill the plant-based gap?

    Aldi’s blended meat offering follows a similar launch at Lidl Netherlands, which last year rolled out a minced meat mix with 60% beef and 40% pea protein that was cheaper and far more friendly to the environment than conventional beef.

    Research shows that swapping just half of our meat consumption with plant-based proteins can lower agricultural emissions by 31% and land use by 12%, and halt deforestation.

    Blended meat, or balanced proteins as they are called by US-based sustainable food advocacy non-profit Food Systems Innovations (FSI), is a key lever for doing this, especially as the uptake of plant-based meat products slows down. Dutch retail group Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Albert Heijn, announced a plant protein strategy at the start of the year, but has since admitted that sales of these products have been disappointing.

    The retailer aimed to raise the share of plant proteins sold to 47% in 2024, 50% in 2025, and 60% by the end of the decade. However, the ratio failed to increase in favour of plants last year, instead falling slightly from 44.5% in 2023 to 44.2% last year.

    A major barrier is the discourse around plant-based meat and ultra-processing. A survey of nearly 20,000 Europeans this year found that 60% would like to avoid processed foods in the future, while only a quarter say the same for animal-based foods. In fact, 12% would like to increase their intake of meat and dairy.

    With blended meat, consumers can have their beef and eat it too. It does away with concerns around the taste of plant-based burgers, and efforts like Aldi’s and Lidl’s ensure that there are no complaints about price either. The climate benefit is almost an added bonus for consumers, whereas for the retailer, it is a driving force of the decision.

    Aldi is one of nine supermarkets that have committed to the 50-50 protein split goal for 2030, though as of last year, its share of meat alternatives (12%) was the lowest on the list. The new My Vay label and its blended meat offering will help it get closer to the goal.

    net zero supermarket
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    Aldi looks to redeem its blended meat legacy

    This isn’t the first time Aldi has dabbled with blended meat. In 2019, it brought out a BBQ Flexitarian Burger made from a mix of beef and beans in the UK, but it was widely panned. Other supermarkets have had missteps too – Tesco introduced a Lean & Greens range that combined chicken with vegetables in 2021, and discontinued it soon after.

    In the past, blended meat products haven’t been commercially successful, especially from private-label brands. In 2025, it’s a growing category. Companies like Nestlé, Purdue Farms, Quorn and even Disneyland have entered this space now.

    Sensory testing shows that these products are more likely to appeal to meat-eaters and flexitarians than plant-based alternatives. In some cases, they even outperform 100% meat products. Nectar, a non-profit initiative focused on accelerating the protein transition through taste, found four blended meat products that matched or surpassed conventional meat on taste.

    blended meat
    Courtesy: Nectar

    These products can deliver financial wins for shrewd brands. Fable Food, whose Shiitake Infusion product is blended with meat and is one of the four aforementioned products, achieved a 50% year-on-year growth last year and expects to further improve this year.

    “Taste is the gatekeeper for sustainable dietary change. These products represent a real breakthrough – where the more sustainable choice is also the more delicious one,” Tim Dale, category innovation director at FSI, Nectar’s parent organisation, told Green Queen. “Consumers don’t want to be convinced to love ‘better meat’. They want the meat they love to simply be made better.”

    net zero supermarket
    Courtesy: Madre Brava

    It’s not just the Netherlands where Aldi has launched a blended meat product – it has also introduced a BBQ burger with 70% beef and 30% plants in Germany. It comes on the back of research suggesting that the best way for German retailers to meet their climate targets without breaking the bank is to replace 30% of their meat and dairy offerings with plant-based alternatives.

    The largest market for plant-based food in Europe, retailers in Germany are leading the protein transition race. Lidl has announced a protein split target, while Rewe Group has unveiled a plant protein strategy. Now, Aldi has brought blended meat to the market, and the time is ripe for it to redeem its original attempt in the UK all those years ago.

    The post While Plant-Based Meat Sales Are Faltering, Blended Proteins Are Back in Vogue appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Thia Ventures’s Mirasbek Kuterbekov

    mirasbek kuterbekov
    2 Mins Read

    In our interview series, we quiz future food investors about the solutions that excite them the most, their favourite climate-forward restaurant, and what they look for in successful founders.

    Mirasbek Kuterbekov is the Principal at Thia Ventures.

    What future food technologies most excite you?

    I see huge potential in abiotic technologies such as cell-free manufacturing and chemical synthesis to unlock much better unit economics, beyond what is currently achievable with fermentation or cultivation.

    What are three future food verticals you are actively looking at for 2025?

    The broader category of food as health, which encompasses several verticals from healthier ingredients to supplements, is top of mind for us.

    What do you consider the food tech sector’s greatest achievement in the past five years?

    Giving consumers lots of choices to consume more fibre without sacrificing taste, texture, or convenience, best exemplified by probiotic sodas.

    If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix plant-based meat?

    Remove all subsidies from farmed meat.

    What’s the top trait you look for in a founder?

    Obsessiveness, both with the problem they are addressing and the niche they operate in.

    The One That Got Away: What is the deal you wish you had gotten into, but didn’t?

    Spore.bio. They are leveraging computer vision to streamline quality control across industries, including food. We missed their pre-seed round and, unfortunately for us, also their Series A. Kudos to the team!

    What do you consider your most successful future food investment so far?

    Switch Bioworks gives me a lot of hope in our ability to displace synthetic fertilisers from our fields.

    What has been your most disappointing investment so far?

    I became an investor only two years ago, so I haven’t yet made a disappointing one so far. But time will surely change that, as bold bets necessarily carry risk.

    What do people misunderstand/get wrong most about VC?

    Most generous checks at the highest valuation don’t mean a particular VC is the best partner for you.

    What is the most ‘future food’ thing you have eaten this month?

    Not this month, but a few weeks ago, I tried alternative chickpea-based coffee from Koppie, a Belgian startup.

    Where is your favourite climate-forward restaurant/dish/place to eat anywhere in the world?

    I will instead highlight my favourite ingredient: buckwheat, a hardy grain used to make delicious kasha and tasty galettes.

    What’s your ‘why’? What motivates you to do what you do?

    Climate change is the biggest threat and opportunity for my generation.

    The post 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Thia Ventures’s Mirasbek Kuterbekov appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Meatly ‘Proves Critics Wrong’ with Dramatic Cost Reductions for Cultivated Pet Food

    cost of lab grown meat
    6 Mins Read

    British pet food startup Meatly has announced a wave of breakthroughs that significantly slash the cost of cultivated meat, bringing it closer to price parity with chicken.

    Food tech innovators are continuing to make advancements that close the price gap between cultivated meat and conventional animal proteins.

    In the UK, Meatly has made waves over the last year after becoming the first company to be approved to sell cultivated meat in Europe, debuting cultivated treats for dogs on shelves in February.

    That limited-edition, co-branded product – titled Chick Bites – was priced at £3.49 per 50g pouch – or £69.80 per kg. And that only contained 4% of cultivated meat. In comparison, an oven-baked chicken treat by Good Boy is priced at £23.08 per kg. Conventional dog food can be three times cheaper than cultivated meat right now, but that may be about to change.

    Meatly has announced several tech breakthroughs in its production process, including the development of a new bioreactor and the optimisation of its protein-free culture medium, which allow the startup to inch closer to price parity with conventional chicken.

    “Many have cast doubt that the industry would ever reach this point – but we’re pleased to prove these critics wrong,” says Meatly co-founder and chief scientific officer Helder Cruz. “We are showing the world that we can produce meat in a kinder, better way, and we can make it at a price which makes it easy for brands to incorporate Meatly Chicken as an affordable ingredient in their existing product range.”

    Meatly breaks away from pharma bioreactors

    meatly pet food
    A rendering of Meatly’s future cultivated meat facility | Courtesy: Meatly

    According to consultancy giant McKinsey, to meet the industry’s growth demands, cultivated meat firms would need up to 22 times more fermentation capacity than currently exists in the global pharmaceutical sector.

    But it’s not just the capacity. Much of the biotechnology created to make pharmaceuticals isn’t purpose-built for cultivated meat. The per-tonne demand for cultivated meat is seven times higher than for biopharma drugs produced from mammalian cell cultures.

    There’s also a perception problem. People have more concerns about GMOs in food than in medicines, while the accepted ideal costs for biopharma drugs are between $500,000 and $1M. For cultivated meat, this is as low as $5-10 per kg.

    It necessitates the need for more modern, purpose-built bioreactors. Meatly has successfully built and conducted a first cell growth run in a custom-designed, pilot-scale bioreactor with a capacity of 320 litres. It has the biocompatibility, longevity, scalability and overall performance to meet the cell culture requirements of an industrial-scale facility with multiple 20,000-litre bioreactors.

    Meatly intends to develop tanks with the latter capacity as part of its next funding stage, but its new 320-litre equipment costs just £12,500 ($16,900), making it 95% cheaper than traditional fermenters, which can cost up to £250,000 ($338,000).

    It is one of several companies that have announced bioreactor breakthroughs. US startup Mission Barns, whose cultivated pork was approved for sale in the country this year, has developed a novel bioreactor that makes a departure from the single-cell suspension tanks of the biopharma sector, making cultivated meat production more efficient, easier to scale, and cheaper.

    Meanwhile, Israel’s Ever After Foods is working with Bühler Group to build a commercial-scale system that can produce cultivated meat using equipment at least 10 times smaller than the industry standard.

    Culture media wins will enable price parity at scale

    lab grown meat approved
    Courtesy: Meatly

    Meatly’s second crucial advancement concerns its culture medium, a mix of nutrients that facilitate the growth of animal cells. Typically, culture media cost hundreds of pounds per litre and account for the majority of the costs involved in the entire process.

    But last year, the London-based startup created a protein-free medium that contains no serum or animal-derived components, steroids, hormones, antibiotics or growth factors. The startup’s innovation is food-safe and used in its suspension culture bioreactors without microcarriers, which are typically needed to help cells proliferate and enhance their density.

    This has lots of advantages when it comes to cost and quality controls. “But in the composition of the cells, not so much,” Cruz told Green Queen last year. “Of course, we can always play with some nutrients, but not necessarily proteins, to fine-tune the composition – like fatty acids, some amino acids and so on.”

    Then, this culture medium cost £1 ($1.25 at the time) per litre. But now, it has further reduced this price to 22p (30 cents) per litre, which will further reduce to 1.5p (two cents) at industrial scale.

    “We’ve achieved this reduction by successfully replacing costly components such as albumin, transferrin, insulin, and all growth factors in our culture media – an industry first,” Meatly co-founder and CEO Owen Ensor tells Green Queen.

    “Additionally, we’ve managed to replicate performance using food-grade ingredients. This breakthrough has significantly lowered costs and improved supply chain resilience.”

    Additionally, the medium is now capable of supporting cell growth for over 175 doublings, a substantial improvement on historical media performance. It will allow Meatly’s cultivated chicken to be priced competitively with average EU chicken breast prices once scaled.

    Meatly confident in fundraising despite industry-wide downturn

    lab grown meat pet food
    Courtesy: Meatly

    “Our continued development of this protein-free culture medium marks a significant milestone for both Meatly and the broader cultivated meat sector,” says Ensor. “By setting a new cost benchmark, we’re addressing one of the industry’s most persistent challenges – bringing production costs down to make cultivated meat commercially viable and reach price parity with traditional products.”

    The company, which has raised £5M to date, is now kickstarting a funding round for a low-cost industrial facility to profitably scale production of its cultivated meat.

    “We’re confident in securing the capital we need. While we’re not disclosing the exact target publicly at this stage, we have a healthy runway in place and are actively engaged with several interested partners,” says Ensor.

    Convincing investors to bet on cultivated meat today is a tall order – the sector saw funding decline by 75% in 2023, and a further 40% in 2024. In fact, in the last three years, this sector has cumulatively raised less money than it did in 2021 alone.

    cultivated meat investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    “We recognise that the current investment climate is more cautious, particularly within the cultivated meat sector, so we’re taking a measured approach. That said, we’re well-positioned to scale quickly once funding is secured. Updates like the ones we’re making today show how Meatly is focused on continuing to prove there is a fast, efficient way to scale cultivated meat,” says Ensor.

    Fellow cultivated pet food startup BioCraft Pet Nutrition has also developed a plant-based growth medium that reduces the cost of its ingredient to $2-2.50 per lb. And in Israel, SuperMeat has made several breakthroughs to produce its cultivated chicken for $12 per lb, while Believer Meats has described how its continuous process can potentially produce cultivated chicken for $6 per lb at scale.

    As for Meatly, Ensor notes that the Chick Bites were a “one-off” product launch. “We’re now working on providing our Meatly Chicken for additional products in the near future,” he says, without going into any specifics. He teases more information on new products “in the coming months”.

    Its costs advancements are vital for the mainstream adoption of cultivated meat. According to a recent 4,000-person survey in Europe, three in five consumers feel cultivated meat will only be successful if it’s affordable for everyone. In fact, nearly half expect it to be cheaper than conventional meat, and only 15% would buy it if it’s more expensive (versus 60% who wouldn’t).

    “By reaching price parity, it then becomes a simple and easy choice for consumers to buy better meat for their pets,” says Cruz.

    The post Meatly ‘Proves Critics Wrong’ with Dramatic Cost Reductions for Cultivated Pet Food appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Why Are Politicians Banning Cultivated Meat? New Study Explains Why

    6 Mins Read

    Beef and lamb are among the foods that face the biggest threats from competition with cultivated meat, underscoring why some lawmakers want to ban the latter.

    One country and six US states have so far passed laws that prohibit companies from making or selling cultivated meat within their boundaries.

    For Italy, the reason behind the ban was a threat to its cultural identity. For policymakers in the US, while the arguments often touch upon food safety concerns, more often than not, they are tied to the same theme: protecting the ranchers.

    Take Nebraska, the latest state to join the list. Its governor is Jim Pillen, owner of one of the country’s largest pork processors, who has repeated this rhetoric over the last few months. “It’s important we get on the offence so that Nebraska farmers and ranchers are not undermined,” he said last year when making a promise to ban these proteins.

    Jack Williams made a similar comment when putting forward a similar proposal in Alabama. “Meat comes from livestock raised by hardworking farmers and ranchers, not from a petri dish grown by scientists. We are protecting our farmers and the integrity of American agriculture,” he said, before the law came into effect last October.

    Then there’s Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, on a mission to “save our beef”. “Some people think Florida is theme parks, South Beach and maybe some oranges, but they don’t understand that we have one of the top cattle industries in the country,” he said when signing the bill to ban cultivated meat last May.

    “What we’re protecting here is the industry against acts of man, against an ideological agenda that wants to finger agriculture as the problem, that views things like raising cattle as destroying our climate.”

    Those are all strong words, based on a common theme: cultivated meat is a threat to the livestock industry. And a new study seems to confirm those fears, highlighting how this novel food leaves staples like beef and lamb susceptible, and the planet happier.

    Carbon taxes could threaten high-polluting foods

    meat dairy emissions
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    The socio-economic analysis was conducted by researchers at the UK’s James Hutton Institute and Norway’s Ruralis Institute for Rural and Regional Research. They modelled two scenarios – one with a carbon tax, one without – to measure the impact of cell-cultured foods on both the food system and global emissions.

    Funded by the Research Council of Norway, the authors noted how cultivated meat offers much better benefits for the planet. Studies have shown that when produced via renewable energy, these proteins can have a 92% lower impact on global heating, need 95% less land, and use 78% less water compared to conventionally farmed beef.

    The issue, however, is that the livestock industry is backed by vast government subsidies that enable producers to keep animal proteins cheap, and make it much more difficult for cultivated meat, already a highly expensive technology, to compete on price.

    For example, in the EU, over 80% of farm subsidies are directed towards animal agriculture (and 44% alone went to the production of feed for livestock. This sum is four times higher than the amount invested in plant-based farming, whose inputs are a key part of cultivated meat production.

    The researchers focused on Norway and found that some animal products will be affected more adversely than others. Conventional beef, lamb, milk and egg are more likely to lose their market share to cultivated meat than pork and chicken, regardless of a carbon tax.

    When the tax is implemented, though, the loss of market share is much quicker and more dramatic due to the increased costs. Pork and chicken, which have relatively lower climate footprints, proved more resilient to the carbon tax in the study.

    As part of the project, the researchers conducted a related survey to find that consumers would be willing to treat cultivated and conventional proteins as “broadly interchangeable” up to a certain market share. The main factor influencing choice is price.

    Cultivated meat firms must focus on cost reductions

    lab grown meat cost
    Courtesy: Believer Meats

    “While there are still plenty of uncertainties here – such as whether technologies will ever improve to the point where cultivated proteins are commercially viable – this study suggests that sheep and cattle rearing could be most vulnerable to competition, especially if a carbon tax is introduced,” said Nick Roxburgh, a social systems simulation modeller at the James Hutton Institute.

    The research confirms the results of numerous polls and studies: for cultivated meat to succeed, the cost needs to come down rapidly. The industry has already made tons of progress, having lowered the average cost of these proteins by 99% in less than a decade. According to McKinsey, however, it will take until at least 2030 for cultivated meat to reach price parity with its conventional counterparts.

    To that end, Israel’s Ever After Foods has developed a bioreactor platform that offers a 90% reduction in cultivated meat prices for its B2B clients. Meanwhile, Israeli startup SuperMeat has made several breakthroughs to produce its cultivated chicken for $12 per lb, and Believer Meats has described how its continuous process can potentially produce cultivated chicken for $6 per lb at scale.

    Consumer research underlines the importance of these advancements. According to a 4,000-person survey in Europe, three in five consumers feel cultivated meat will only be successful if it’s affordable for everyone. In fact, nearly half expect it to be cheaper than conventional meat, and only 15% would buy it if it’s more expensive (versus 60% who wouldn’t).

    Farmers are more game for cultivated meat than politicians

    respectfarms
    Courtesy: RESPECTfarms

    “Given the potential for disruption, it will be important to plan carefully for the possible impacts of cultivated proteins on livestock farming and rural livelihoods,” said Roxburgh.

    Livestock farmers will undoubtedly be the group most acutely affected if cultivated meat takes off on a large scale, but it doesn’t necessarily represent an end to their livelihoods. One project from the Netherlands is working with farmers to show how this industry could be an additional source of income for them.

    Farmers in the UK also recognise the opportunities presented by cultivated meat, and are more worried about the social issues brought on by these proteins, like Big Food controlling the market or the knock-on effects on rural communities, than the impact on their bottom lines. And when considering changing weather patterns and global commodity markets, the threat of competition from cultivated meat feels like a “slow burn” to them.

    Andy Jarvis, director of the Bezos Earth Fund’s Future of Food scheme, debunked the idea that cultivated meat is completely detached from farming. “The [culture] media are sugars, and all sorts of minerals and things that are coming from crops, and they’re farmed goods,” he told Green Queen last year.

    “This is not an anti-farmer sector; this is a sector that is using farmed products in new ways. And generally using farmed products that are more profitable and highly sustainable in the way they’re produced.”

    In the US, too, livestock farmers themselves have opposed the numerous bans on cultivated meat, noting that they didn’t need the government’s help to compete with cultivated meat. One farmer told the AP that he welcomes cultivated meat producers to “jump into the pool” and try to compete with his Waygu beef, going on to describe his disdain for lawmakers’ efforts to stifle competition in a free market.

    This is also the view of the North American Meat Institute, the country’s oldest and largest trade association (representing 95% of the US’s meat output). In a letter sent to DeSantis in March 2024, it called Florida’s ban “bad public policy”.

    “These bills establish a precedent for adopting policies and regulatory requirements that could one day adversely affect the bills’ supporters,” it said, stressing the importance of consumer choice.

    The post Why Are Politicians Banning Cultivated Meat? New Study Explains Why appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Ahead of Singapore Approval, Gourmey Teases Cultivated Meat That Costs $3.40 Per Pound

    gourmey cultivated meat
    6 Mins Read

    A techno-economic analysis has found that French cultivated meat startup Gourmey’s bioreactor system can reach production costs of $3.43 per lb.

    When you remove the politics of it all, people aren’t as resistant to cultivated meat as some would have you believe.

    In a 16-country survey last year, support for the sale of these foods – if they pass regulatory assessments – ranged from 48-69% in Europe. Those who backed a ban on cultivated meat, meanwhile, were largely in the minority.

    One of the most influential barriers to any potential intake of cultivated meat isn’t cultural, as Italy’s ban seems to suggest. Instead, it has to do with the price tag.

    According to a 4,000-person survey in Europe, three in five consumers feel cultivated meat will only be successful if it’s affordable for everyone. In fact, nearly half expect it to be cheaper than conventional meat, and only 15% would buy it if it’s more expensive (versus 60% who wouldn’t).

    While the cost of producing meat by culturing animal cells in bioreactors has long been prohibitive, things are changing quickly.

    Among the companies spearheading the price shift is Gourmey, a French startup culturing duck cells to produce cultivated foie gras (and working on cultivated chicken and turkey too). It is pursuing approval in six markets, and was the first to file an application in the EU.

    lab grown foie gras
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    A techno-economic analysis by consulting firm Arthur D Little has revealed that the firm’s production model can dramatically lower costs, allowing it to potentially manufacture cultivated meat for as little as $3.43 per lb.

    The assessment validates the economic viability of Gourmey’s 5,000-litre bioreactor system, and confirms that it can reach these costs without relying on speculative technologies or mega-scale infrastructure.

    Gourmey CEO Nicolas Morin-Forest explains that the analysis was conducted on a finished product containing about half cultivated cells, with the rest made up of plant-based ingredients like fats or proteins. “This approach can hence apply to a very wide range of cultivated products,” he tells Green Queen.

    How Gourmey keeps cultivated meat cost-effective

    Founded in 2019 by Morin-Forest, Jérôme Caron and Antoine Davydoff, Gourmey’s platform is built around a “second-generation” technology stack that replaces legacy biopharma techniques with food-grade, cost-effective, scalable processes. It combines continuous production, undifferentiated cell biomass, and suspension-based cell cultures to support efficiency and consistency.

    “One of the main reasons we can keep costs low is that we use stem cells with natural, endless self-renewal capabilities. These cells can be cultivated for very long periods, allowing us to continuously apply selective pressure and adapt them to the most efficient cell feed formulations, all while maximising yields,” explains Morin-Forest.

    “Our stem cells are extremely robust and grow very quickly, doubling in less than 16 hours, which lets us reach exceptionally high cell densities,” he adds, outlining how this has enabled the breakthrough of its proprietary cell culture medium.

    lab grown meat approval
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    “Because our cells thrive without proteins or growth factors, we can bring our food-safe feed price down to around 20 cents per litre, just a fraction of what’s typical in the industry,” he says. “The stability and performance of our stem cells also make them ideally suited for continuous manufacturing, and we’re able to avoid traditional scale-up bottlenecks like scaffolding and micro-carriers to drive costs down even further.”

    Arthur D Little’s analysis finds that Gourmey’s modular and repeatable platform can enable it to keep capital expenditure under €35M per facility, with an output of 1,700 tonnes using just six 5,000-litre bioreactors. These benchmarks can be met via “achievable and clearly defined process optimisations”, the startup says.

    “The main levers are about relentlessly increasing cell densities by refining our proprietary, food-safe cell feed to reduce its cost while maintaining performance,” says Morin-Forest. “One of the industry’s challenges is minimising waste and making sure that every single compound in the cell feed is genuinely used for cell growth. We’re speeding up these developments with advanced modelling that predicts cellular behaviour, so we can cut iteration time.”

    He adds: “Ultimately, much of the cost reduction comes from trivialities: scaling out by adding more bioreactors and unlocking economies of scale as we ramp up cell feed purchases, just like in any industry.”

    lab grown meat cost
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    Gourmey expects Singapore approval soon, hints at broader portfolio

    Gourmey currently operates an innovation centre and a pilot facility in central Paris, where its team runs multiple 400L bioreactors. “In addition, we have a dedicated setup with a 5,000L bioreactor, the largest bioreactor for cultivated meat in Europe to our knowledge,” says Morin-Forest.

    “Most of the scale effects on production cost are already delivered at the 5,000L scale, allowing us to reach $3.43/lb, or €7/kg in a commercial setup, without the need for even larger, unproven bioreactors.

    Gourney”s approach keeps operational complexity, industrial risk, and capital needs much lower. Our production process is so efficient that scaling beyond 5,000 litres simply isn’t necessary.”

    The company has so far raised €65M via public and private investments: when asked about future fundraising plans, it declined to comment. No other cultivated meat company has filed regulatory dossiers in as many markets as Gourmey, which is awaiting approval in the US, Singapore, the UK, Switzerland, the EU, and another undisclosed region.

    “We expect our first approval in Singapore soon,” Morin-Forest reveals.

    It has been gearing up for launch over the last year, forming an advisory board with Michelin-starred chefs Claude Le Tohic (One65), Rasmus Munk (Alchemist), and Daniel Calvert (Sézanne), holding talks with major protein producers, and securing deals with premium foodservice and distribution partners.

    cultivated meat price
    Three-Michelin-starrd chef and One65 owner Claude Le Tohic | Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    Its cultivated foie gras is a high-margin product that takes on an industry marred in controversy. More than a dozen countries have banned the prized delicacy out of animal welfare concerns (geese and ducks are traditionally force-fed to fatten their liver). Gourmey’s version “significantly lowers the environmental footprint” and does away with the cruelty.

    It is not the only company making cultivated foie gras. Australia’s Vow unveiled its innovation last year under its Forged brand and has rolled it out to restaurants in Singapore. It will launch in its home country later this year, following final ministerial approval.

    As for Gourmey, the demand for their product is already outpacing its supply. “We’re a B2B company and our first customers are premium food wholesalers serving the world’s best tables,” says Morin-Forest. “Demand from premium food service and distribution partners now exceeds our planned production capacity.”

    And it isn’t stopping here. “Cultivated foie gras is our launchpad for a broader portfolio, including additional poultry proteins and other species,” he says.

    The post Ahead of Singapore Approval, Gourmey Teases Cultivated Meat That Costs $3.40 Per Pound appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    millow
    6 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

    millow factory
    Courtesy: Millow

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

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

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

    How Millow makes its two-ingredient protein

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

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

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

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

    millow meat
    Courtesy: Millow

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

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

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

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

    Can Millow conquer the alternative protein headwinds?

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

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

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

    millow mycelium
    Courtesy: Millow

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

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

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

    Taking a bite out of the Apple

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

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

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

    millow meat analog
    Courtesy: Millow

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Quorn x Tom Cruise, Impossible Chicken & Cultivated Meat at Indy 500

    quorn mission impossible
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Impossible Foods’ new vegan chicken, Quorn’s Mission: Impossible collab, and a new kind of tempeh.

    New products and launches

    Mycoprotein pioneer Quorn has launched a summer marketing campaign with Paramount Pictures to align with the launch of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The brand hired a Tom Cruise lookalike to sign autographs in London’s West End while eating its Cocktail Sausages, and also has a Mission Snack Swap ad campaign featuring its farm animal puppets.

    mission impossible final reckoning
    Courtesy: Quorn

    British oat milk brand Minor Figures has teamed up with Nigo‘s lifestyle label Human Made on a clothing and accessory collection, featuring a sweatshirt, apron, milk bottle, milk sleeve, an art toy, and more. It will be featured at a pop-up at StandBy in Harajuku, Tokyo this weekend (May 31 to June 1).

    Also in the UK, vegan meal kit maker Grubby has launched an eight-recipe menu featuring Symplicity Foods‘s plant-based meat alternatives. It includes a BBQ Smash Burger with Carrot Slaw, Hoi Sin Garlic Chilli Noodles, and Symplicity Schnitzel with Curried Potato Salad.

    impossible crispy chicken
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    Plant-based meat leader Impossible Foods teased its new Crispy Chicken Fillets at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. It has 17g of protein and half as much saturated fat compared to conventional fillets, and will roll out at restaurants soon.

    US startup LiveComplete will soon launch a new protein powder made using its NutriMatch technology, which blends plant proteins in a way that mirrors human muscles.

    indiana lab grown meat
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    To protest Indiana’s upcoming ban on cultivated meat (which comes into effect on July 1), Upside Foods served cultured chicken sandwiches at the Indianapolis 500 race on Memorial Day weekend.

    Canadian vegan fast-food chain Odd Burger has earned an exclusive listing at 7-Eleven for four of its retail products. The Crispy ChickUn Fillet, Chickpea Burger, Smash Burger and Breakfast Sausage will be available at over 500 locations, with select stores stocking them from next month.

    daiya cream cheese
    Courtesy: Daiya

    Fellow Canadian plant-based company Daiya has introduced a single-serve cream cheese featuring its fermented oat cream. The 1oz packs are aimed at foodservice operators. It will soon also launch a dairy-free cheese sauce.

    Danish biosolutions giant Novonesis has rolled out Vertera Velvet, an ingredient aimed at tackling weak foam and curdling in plant-based barista milks, with a specific focus on oat, pea and blended milks.

    lab grown seafood
    Courtesy: Umami Bioworks

    And Singaporean food tech startup Umami Bioworks has partnered with Japanese seafood firm Maruha Nichiro to co-develop and commercialise cultivated tuna.

    Company and finance updates

    German retailer Rewe Group has joined Food Fermentation Europe, a trade association representing the fermentation-derived food sector.

    kind kones
    Courtesy: Kind Kones

    Singaporean vegan ice cream maker Kind Kones has secured an undisclosed sum of funding from female-led firm Epic Angels. It will use the capital to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, specifically Dubai.

    Australian precision fermentation firm All G has filed a patent application for an infant formula innovation that includes all five major human breast milk proteins.

    solein protein shake
    Courtesy: Solar Foods

    Finnish gas protein firm Solar Foods has verified its pilot production parameters at an industrial scale at its first facility, confirming that the company’s upcoming Factory 02 will be profitable and enabling the production of its Solein protein in the US.

    Fellow Nordic fermentation startup Norwegian Mycelium (or NoMy) has received €1.25M in a funding round led by Nippon Beet Sugar Manufacturing Co (Nitten), listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It comes months after the company set up a subsidiary in Japan.

    nomy mycelium
    Courtesy: NoMy

    In the three months since its appearance on Dragons’ Den, where it earned €75,000 from investors Deborah Madden and Steven Bartlett, UK vegan dog food maker Omni has added 20,000 new customers with a 130% growth in sales. It is now approaching £10M in annualised revenue.

    Research, policy and events

    Drive-thru coffee chain 7 Brew has scrapped the dairy-free milk surcharge at all its 360 locations across the US.

    Dutch cultivated pork startup Meatable will join the Alternative Proteins mission at the Dutch Pavilion at World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, next month to outline its optimisations in cell feed, which have helped reduce its preparation time from several days to just 30 minutes.

    lab grown meat event
    Courtesy: Meatable

    Yet more research has come out proving the environmental superiority of plant-based eating. Focused on Iceland, the study found that vegan diets generate just half the emissions of an omnivore diet, and are overall more compliant with macronutrient recommendations.

    At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, one researcher is looking to develop a new kind of tempeh with peas and chickpeas. Backed by a four-year, $387,000 USDA Pulse Crop Health Initiative grant, the protein could help counteract health risks associated with the Western diet, like obesity, fatty liver, and diabetes.

    vivici protein
    Courtesy: Vivici

    Finally, biotech startups Agrobiomics and Vivici have won the Feike Sijbesma Sustainable Innovation Award 2025 for their work in climate-resilient farming and precision-fermented protein production at the F&A Next conference in Wageningen. Each received a $12,500 prize.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Quorn x Tom Cruise, Impossible Chicken & Cultivated Meat at Indy 500 appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Bee-Free Honey Startup MeliBio Acquired by Switzerland’s FoodYoung Labs

    melibio honey
    4 Mins Read

    Californian food tech startup MeliBio, known for its plant-based Mellody honey, has been acquired by Swiss innovation hub FoodYoung Labs.

    US bee-free honey startup MeliBio has been snapped up by FoodYoung Labs, a Swiss venture studio and innovation hub.

    The deal includes MeliBio’s consumer brand Mellody, which sells plant-based honey, its Generation 1 technology and related IP. It doesn’t involve the Generation 2 precision fermentation technology, which would have enabled the firm to produce bioidentical honey without the bees.

    It comes months after the Californian startup bagged an undisclosed sum in a pre-Series A round, taking its total raised to around $10M. The financing was a pivot from a planned Series A round that would have netted the business another $10M, but the funding challenges of the food tech market meant this never materialised.

    Co-founder and CEO Darko Mandich told Green Queen in October that the firm would open the Series A again this year. However, the company’s assets have now been acquired to expand the reach of its plant-based honey.

    “For food. tech to thrive, it needs the kind of deep roots that only experienced food companies can offer,” said Mandich about the sale. “With FoodYoung’s longstanding heritage and expertise, I’m confident this is the right environment for MeliBio’s mission to grow and flourish.”

    From Michelin-starred eateries to discount retailers

    vegan honey
    Courtesy: MeliBio

    Mandich established MeliBio with CTO Aaron Schaller in 2020 to commercialise a precision-fermented honey, before adding the plant-based version to its portfolio with the launch of Mellody.

    Unlike other vegan honey products, which make use of apples and lemons, elderflower, carob, or other ingredients, Mellody replicates honey through a combination of fructose and glucose, complemented by a range of plant extracts (red clover, jasmine, passionflower, chamomile, and seaberry), gluconic acid and natural flavours.

    The brand made a big splash by securing New York City’s three-Michelin-starred eatery, Eleven Madison Park, as its first customer. It later debuted the product in the D2C channel via a partnership with the restaurant’s online store.

    Mellody has since been expanded across the US (alongside a new hot honey variety), and is available at independent retailers and a growing list of restaurants, such as Palmetto Superfoods and Joyride Pizza in California and Moto Pizza in Seattle. Moreover, it has expanded its distribution through KeHE, UNFI, Greco and Sons, and ACE Natural.

    MeliBio has also launched vegan honey in Europe through a $10M, four-year partnership with Slovenia’s Narayan Foods. In the UK, this is in the form of Vegan H*ney under the Better Foodie brand, while in Austria and Switzerland, it sells as Vegan Hanny or Ohney under Aldi’s private label, Just Veg. The distribution deal aims to put MeliBio’s plant-based honey into 75,000 stores eventually.

    “It has been a pleasure taking the concept of real honey made without bees to a reality… into 400+ locations worldwide and countless palates,” Schaller wrote on social media. “It is amazing what can be achieved when pairing innovative science with time-tested business strategy and operations.”

    vegan hot honey
    Courtesy: MeliBio

    What’s next for precision-fermented honey?

    FoodYoung Labs operates an innovation facility in Balerna, Switzerland, with a focus on confectionery, baked goods, snacks and bars. Its portfolio of brands includes ZAZ, Kakoo, Bonnap, Frÿze, Man, and CimaNorma.

    “With our Swiss full-stack innovation lab and US commercial powerhouse, we’re taking MeliBio’s bee-free innovation to the next level – making Mellody truly clean-label and unrefined,” said FoodYoung Labs founder and CEO Abouzar Rahmani.

    The fate of MeliBio’s precision fermentation tech is not known for now, though the firm has made several tech advancements on this front in the last year. It has taken at least three of its protein and enzyme targets from ideation to proof-of-concept to bioreactors, and increased the titer – the amount of product per unit volume at the end of the fermentation process – of its main enzyme target by 1,300%.

    mellody honey
    Courtesy: MeliBio

    This was a result of its collaboration with AI-led biomanufacturing startup Pow.Bio; Melibio had been engaging in scale-up efforts with the latter since March 2024. As of October, MeliBio was evaluating further biomanufacturing partners for the next phase of its precision-fermented honey, though the future of this partnership is currently unknown.

    MeliBio’s sale comes amid a dire investment landscape for food and climate tech. Global agrifoodtech funding fell by 51% in 2023, and another 4% last year. The wider climate tech sector, meanwhile, suffered a 38% dip in venture funding in 2024.

    This new reality has forced several future food companies to either cease operations or seek acquisition deals. This year alone, vegan pet food company Wild Earth has filed for bankruptcy, while mycelium cheese maker Bolder Foods recently shut down too.

    And this month, dairy giant Danone bought dairy-free kids nutrition brand Kate Farms, while yoghurt leader Chobani snapped up frozen ready meal maker Daily Harvest.

    The post Bee-Free Honey Startup MeliBio Acquired by Switzerland’s FoodYoung Labs appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Swap: French Plant-Based Chicken Startup Replaces SEO, Seeks Emergency Funding

    swap vegan chicken
    4 Mins Read

    The co-founder of French plant-based chicken startup Swap (ex-Umiami) has been forced to step down as CEO amid weak sales, with the firm reportedly needing $10M by the end of this year.

    Swap, the Parisian vegan chicken firm formerly known as Umiami, is reportedly in financial trouble amid the wider slowdown of the plant-based meat category.

    According to French financial news outlet L’Informé, the startup is looking to renegotiate its debts with its creditors after recording a turnover of just €1M ($1.1M) in 2024 and running into issues scaling up production and delayed commercial development.

    The troubles have led to co-founder Tristan Maurel stepping down as CEO, moving to the role of board chairman. He has been replaced by former Mondelēz and Pierre Martinet executive Hervé Salomon.

    Swap, which has raised $107M since being founded in 2019, is reportedly in need of immediate funding to stay afloat. According to L’Informé, the company requires €9M ($10.2M) by year-end, and nearly €30M ($34.1M) by the end of 2026.

    Swap’s bet on international expansion

    swap plant based meat
    Courtesy: Swap

    Maurel, Clémence Pedraza and Martin Habfast founded the startup as Umiami, built on its ‘Umisation’ texturising platform for producing whole-muscle replicas of conventional fillets like chicken and fish.

    This involves a technique that transforms plant proteins into structured fibres without high heat or pressure. The tech was touted as a key reason why the company was able to produce plant-based meat with a handful of ingredients; Swap’s chicken features eight ingredients and no artificial flavours, colourants or texturisers.

    The firm opened a 14,000 sq m facility in the Alsace region last year, backed by a €38M ($41.3M) investment with support from local and federal governments. It says it can produce 7,500 tonnes of plant-based meat annually, eventually rising to 20,000 tonnes.

    In October, the company rebranded to Swap and launched into the US foodservice sector, targeting flexitarians via Chicago restaurants like Spirit Elephant, Soul Veg City, Majani, and Clucker’s Charcoal Chicken.

    The brand refresh was positioned as a call to action to encourage “consumers to make a positive choice for themselves and for the planet”, and allowed Swap to expand beyond chicken fillets to all kinds of meat and fish analogues, broadening its future product development plans.

    In April, Swap teamed up with Spain’s Heura Foods to launch a whole-cut chicken breast in over 3,000 stores in France, Spain and Portugal, with each firm labelling it a “turning point” for its European ambitions.

    Plant-based meat’s struggles continue

    alternative protein investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    Despite these moves, Swap has not been immune to the larger headwinds of the alternative protein sector, especially in the US. Retail sales of plant-based meat fell by 7% in 2024, while in foodservice, these products have suffered a 10% annualised decline since 2022.

    That has come amid a renewed appetite for meat, whose sales reached record highs in the US last year, compounded by growing consumer concerns about ultra-processed food. As a result, investors have remained cautious with their money, with financing in alternative protein startups falling by 27% in 2024. Plant-based startups were hit hardest, raising only $309M, a sharp 64% fall from the year before.

    Swap’s troubles come despite its chicken being the recipient of a Tasty Award by sensory-based research firm Nectar, signalling that more than half of taste-testing omnivores found it to taste the same or better than conventional chicken.

    swap chicken
    Courtesy: Swap

    It’s not alone, though. Beyond Meat, which also received a Tasty Award, posted a 9% decline in revenues in Q1 2025, with founder and CEO Ethan Brown labelling it a “disappointing” quarter reflecting “broader macroeconomic concerns and reduced consumer confidence”. The company received a $100M loan boost as it continues to evaluate further deals to address its $1.1M debt.

    Swap’s troubles echo those of US-based clean-label mycelium meat startup Meati, which filed documents earlier this month that suggest it’s set to be sold for $4M two months after a bank unexpectedly swept most of its cash reserves due to a technical default. The firm has raised $450M to date and was valued at $650M in 2022.

    Since 2024, several plant-based companies globally have been forced to cease operations or declare bankruptcy before being rescued, including Akua, Sunfed Meats, Willicroft, Mycorena, Allplants, and Wild Earth.

    Others have been acquired by larger companies and investment firms: Wicked Kitchen, Nuggs, and Blackbird Foods were all taken over by Ahimsa Companies last year. In recent weeks, dairy giant Danone bought dairy-free kids nutrition brand Kate Farms, and yoghurt leader Chobani snapped up frozen ready meal maker Daily Harvest.

    Back in Swap’s homeland, consumers are now more focused on whole foods like beans and grains, with their dietary habits driven by a health-first approach. The government has sought to ban meat-related terms on vegan packaging labels too, although top courts in the country and the EU rejected that attempt.

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  • As Cocoa Prices Soar, German Hypermarket Debuts ChoViva Alt Chocolate Products

    kaufland cocoa free chocolate
    4 Mins Read

    German hypermarket chain Kaufland has released two sweet treats using Planet A Foods’s cocoa-free chocolate alternative, ChoViva.

    As cocoa prices become untenable for both consumers and businesses, one supermarket is tackling the situation with a climate- and pocket-friendly alternative.

    German retailer Kaufland (owned by Lidl parent company Schwarz Group) has partnered with local startup Planet A Foods to use its cocoa-free chocolate in two new products.

    Launched under K-Classic, Kaufland’s private-label brand, the Waffle Bites and Neopolitans contain ChoViva, a chocolate alternative made from a base of sunflower seeds.

    “Cocoa cultivation is partly associated with ecological and social challenges,” said Tobias Stricker, head of purchasing for confectionery and pastries at Kaufland. “ChoViva’s chocolate alternative is a true revolution in the market and completely rethinks a traditional product.”

    Kaufland looks to cocoa-free chocolate for climate gains

    This isn’t the first time Kaufland has retailed a product featuring cocoa-free chocolate. Last year, Katjes International introduced a dairy-free version of its famous peanut dragées, Treets, with ChoViva on its shelves.

    To make its beanless chocolate, Planet A Foods combines a base of sunflower seeds, oats and shea butter with a proprietary fermentation process to produce cocoa mass and cocoa butter. The resulting products can be used as 1:1 replacements of conventional chocolate or in hybrid formulations.

    For Kaufland, partnering with the startup is a sustainability play. The industry is linked to vast amounts of deforestation, thanks to the widespread use of palm oil in its production and rising demand – it is directly responsible for 94% and 80% of deforestation in Ghana and Ivory Coast.

    Meanwhile, dark chocolate alone generates more emissions than all other foods barring beef, while each bar of chocolate requires 1,700 litres of water on average.

    ChoViva produces up to 91% fewer emissions than traditional chocolate, with its lifetime carbon footprint estimated at 1.3 to 2.4 kg of CO2 per kg of product, according to an independent life-cycle assessment by CarbonCloud. It also uses 94% less water than it takes to cultivate cocoa beans.

    The use of sunflower seeds fits into its local sourcing strategy. “The solution of producing a chocolate alternative from domestic raw materials is a real game-changer in many ways – one that we are very happy to use for our own-brand products,” said Stricker.

    The retailer said it follows the Planetary Health Diet’s guidelines, encouraging people to eat in a manner better for themselves and the planet. By 2034, it plans to reduce its forest, land use and agriculture emissions across the supply chain by 43% (from a 2024 baseline). ChoViva’s outsized benefits on water (and land) use and emissions will contribute to that goal, as well as its 2050 net-zero target.

    planet a foods
    Courtesy: Planet A Foods

    Why cocoa-free chocolate will soon be everywhere

    ChoViva is already present in over 20 products in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since entering the market 12 months ago, including with Lindt, Piasten, Lambertz, Griesson-de Beukelaer, Peter Kölln, Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn, and Seidl Confiserie. Apart from Kaufland, it has also been part of private-label offerings from retailers such as Rewe (and its subsidiary Penny), Edeka, Aldi, and Lidl.

    These products are already available in 42,000 stores, but the company is planning launches in the UK and France this year too, with the US and Asia in its sights as well.

    Thanks to climate change, global cocoa stocks have slumped to their lowest in a decade, while their prices have reached all-time highs. Ivory Coast and Ghana – the two largest producers – are the biggest victims of extreme weather, crop diseases, and reduced plantations in favour of illegal gold mining.

    In fact, a new report shows that the climate crisis has made cocoa one of six commodities coming into the UK from countries vulnerable to environmental threats. In fact, in 2023, 77% of cocoa came from nations whose biodiversity was deemed not to be intact.

    choviva chocolate
    Courtesy: Planet A Foods

    All this has hurt the bottom lines of giants like Hershey’s, whose profit forecast for 2025 is below analysts’ expectations. Some are now turning to cocoa-free or cell-based chocolate, like Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest cocoa manufacturer.

    It has opened up opportunities for alternative chocolate, a burgeoning industry populated by the likes of Voyage Foods, Win-Win, Cellva, California Cultured, Compound Foods, Nukoko, and Endless Food Co, among many others.

    Planet A Foods itself is working to expand its annual production capacity from 2,000 tonnes to over 15,000 tonnes, an effort supported by a $30M Series B round in December. “Our mission remains unchanged: to provide sustainable food ingredients that are decoupled from price-volatile and limited resources such as cocoa,” co-founder and CEO Maximilian Marquart said at the time.

    The post As Cocoa Prices Soar, German Hypermarket Debuts ChoViva Alt Chocolate Products appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Trend Report: Oat Milk Brands Go Beyond the Latte in New Era for the Non-Dairy Alternative

    oat milk
    9 Mins Read

    Oat milk continues to rise in popularity globally, thanks to its flavour and climate benefits – but it is so much more than simply another non-dairy alternative now.

    Despite what was perceived as a bad year for the category, oat milk, with its taste neutrality and climate credentials, remains a firm favourite for baristas and shoppers alike.

    The PR crisis for oat milk came as a group of influencers and media outlets questioned whether it is good for you, blaming it for blood glucose spikes, calling out its low protein content, bemoaning the inclusion of ultra-processed additives like emulsifiers and acidity regulators, and bashing its purported effects on bloating.

    A slew of new launches attest to the fact that oat milk is going nowhere. Beyond lining grocery shelves the world over, oats are the chosen hero ingredient in a range of new, trendy non-dairy products that showcase the grain’s popularity, versatility and omnipresence.

    Product innovators and market makers are creating new oat milk-based formats to serve new customer niches, making oat milk hot property in the plant-based dairy world yet again.

    Below, we deep dive into what coult be oat milk’s new era.

    Oat milk in numbers

    plant based food sales
    Courtesy: GFI
    • Globally, plant-based milk sales were up by 5% in 2024, reaching $22.4B. It is most popular in Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe and North America.
    • While almond milk still accounts for a majority of the US non-dairy market, its share fell from 58% in 2022 to 54% last year. It was oat milk that capitalised, going from a 22% dollar share in 2022 to 25% in 2024.
    • Dollar sales of oat milk were around $700M in the US last year – down by 1% – but the number of units sold increased by 1%.
    • In 2024, the average retail price of oat milk reduced by 2% stateside.
    • According to Oatly, oat milk’s household penetration is still under 30%, though its leaders did not say which markets this data is for.
    best oat milk
    Courtesy: GFI Europe
    • In the UK, oat milk is the best-selling dairy-free alternative, and it’s only becoming more popular, with its market share growing from 46% in 2022 to 52% in 2023 and 53% in the first half of 2024.
    • Sales volumes of plant-based milk jumped by 2.1% in the year to February 2025 in the UK, with oat milk accelerating by 7.2%. In fact, Brits purchase half a million litres of oat milk every day.
    • Annual sales of oat milk totalled £275M in the country in this period, up by 77% from five years ago. This year, analysts predict that oat will make up 40% of the market on a volume basis, with half a million litres sold each day in the UK.
    • One in four coffees sold in the UK is made from plant-based milk, with oat milk the top choice. Meanwhile, non-dairy milk is purchased by 35% of British households.
    • Blind taste tests have found that four times as many Brits prefer oat milk in their coffee than currently purchase it.
    • The global market for oat milk is expected to triple between 2024 and 2032, reaching $10.8B, according to one market research firm.
    • As of 2023, the Asia-Pacific region was the leading consumer of oat milk, responsible for half the market.
    oat milk sales
    Courtesy: Oatly
    • In the 24 weeks to the end of March 2025, retail sales of oat milk grew by 3%, according to Nielsen data cited by Oatly, the world’s largest oat milk company.
    • Oatly itself recorded its second-best quarter since its IPO in summer 2021 in Q1 2025, cutting losses by 73% and reaffirming its outlook for its first full year of profitable growth since going public.

    The problem: Why dairy and other plant-based milks can fall short

    • The climate question: Simply put, dairy is terrible for the environment, producing twice as many emissions as the entire aviation sector. Compared to oat, cow’s milk uses 11 times more land and 13 times more water, while producing 3.5 times more emissions. Plus, oat milk is one of the most water- and emissions-efficient than most plant-based counterparts.
    is almond milk bad for the environment
    Courtesy: Our World in Data
    • Non-dairy milks fall short on taste and texture: While Americans love the flavour of almond milk, baristas don’t as much, since it tends to change the flavour of the coffee significantly, while at the same time being harder to steam. Soy can be too beany, and coconut too overpowering. Oat milk is relatively neutral and performs ideally in coffee and cooking applications.
    • Anti-allergen wins: Oat milk offers an alternative for people with allergies to nuts and soy. And while it has its own allergen concerns with gluten, many brands now offer gluten-free oat milk to meet a wider consumer base – this ability is unique to oat milk, as you won’t find a nut-free almond milk, for example.
    • Opportunities for oat milk: The category has its own issues, too, such as the aforementioned concerns around ultra-processing and sugar content. There are opportunities for brands to clean up their labels and clarify how much sugar comes from the natural processing of oats, and how much is added sugar.

    What are oat milk brands trying to solve?

    Nutrition and functionality

    minor figures hyper oat
    Courtesy: Minor Figures

    Many new oat milk products are targeting the ultra-processed argument with cleaner-label formulations that do away with emulsifiers and other additives. Oatly’s Super Basic milk in the US is in direct response to this, containing just a base of oats, water and sea salt, plus citrus fibre. Meanwhile, its recently launched organic barista oat milk cleans up the ingredient list, with only rapeseed oil and an acidity regulator added to the oat milk base.

    In addition, Oatly is aiming to bat away concerns around the sugar content by introducing unsweetened or No Sugars versions of its milk, just as Alpro has done in the UK too. While this could raise concerns around overprocessing, it will help them avoid being taxed under the extended soft drinks industry levy.

    A growing number of oat milks are now skewing functional, and the UK is leading the charge here. Minor Figures recently unveiled its Hyper Oat range, featuring adaptogens and nootropics in berry, turmeric, matcha and mango flavours.

    Plenish is claiming to be making the country’s “only clean-label fortified” oat milk with no oils or additives. Its Enriched Oat Milk contains water oats, chicory root and citrus fibres, and is fortified with calcium, vitamins and iodine. Plus, it’s gluten-free.

    Another British brand adding adaptogens to oat milk is Floatmilk, whose additive-free oat milk won the Dairy Alternative Innovation category at the 2024 World Dairy Innovation Awards.

    All in on coffee

    oatly lighter taste
    Courtesy: Oatly/Green Queen

    Given baristas and their customers’ affinity for oat milk over other non-dairy alternatives, oat milk brands are making a big play in the coffee space.

    Oatly, for instance, launched its Lighter Taste barista milk last year, designed to pair better with light-roasted coffees. Its ingredient list is identical to the flagship barista milk, but the proportions vary – this version has less fat and a more neutral flavour.

    In Asia, Singapore-based Noomoo has also been working on two barista oat milks for different functions. The one titled ‘Barista’ is crafted from Australian oats and high-oleic canola oil, and geared towards medium to dark roasts, while the ‘Artisan’ version (still under development) preserves the pleasant acidity of light-roasted coffees with Mongolian oats and low-sodium lake salt.

    Oatly is experimenting with packaging formats too; the company is expanding the reach of its barista line through strategic partnerships using its 20ml Jigger, including one with British Airways. Further, it collaborated with Nestlé to co-launch a Nespresso capsule “for use with oat milk only”.

    Heightened sustainability

    blue farm oat milk
    Courtesy: Blue Farm

    While oat milk is already very climate-friendly, some brands are pushing the envelope further through innovative formats and packaging solutions. Some, for example, sell oat milk in bottles, like Oato and Float in the UK, or OatMlk and Alterati in India.

    A range of firms are making powdered oat milks, which aim to cut packaging waste, transport emissions, and water use. These include Overherd and Mighty in the UK, Blue Farm in Germany, Oatbedient in Singapore, JOI in the US, and Nimbus in Australia. In a similar concept, Germany’s Veganz offers 2D-printed oat milk sheets that can be blended with water.

    Meanwhile, in the UK, MYOM makes an oat milk paste, with each 65g pouch making 500ml of milk (it comes with a reusable glass bottle).

    Convenience and accessibility

    potina oat milk
    Courtesy: Potina

    ‘Tis the damn season of flavoured plant-based milks. Alpro recently introduced a caramel barista milk made from soy and oats, while Oatly released vanilla and caramel barista milks at Nordic coffee chain Espresso House. Oddlygood and Califia Farms sell vanilla-flavoured barista oat milks too.

    These milks lean into the demand for ease of use and convenience. Via Nature is a new British brand retailing Oat Shaker, a line of gut-friendly smoothies that blend oat milk with fruits – the three flavours are banana-coconut, blueberry-acai, and matcha-pineapple. They’re made for on-the-go snacking.

    Still in the UK, YouTubers James Marriott and Will Lenney, meanwhile, have launched a ready-to-drink coffee brand called Rodd’s. The dairy-free line comprises an oat latte, a waffle oat latte, and a vanilla matcha oat latte.

    And fellow British firm Potina is targeting gut health too, with a range of banana oat milks for kids. Minor Figures is leaning into this trend with the aforementioned Hyper Oat line too. Elsewhere, in Germany, Blue Farm’s oat milk powders come in a range of flavours.

    Novel taste experiences

    koatji
    Courtesy: Koatji

    Oat milk is already loved for its largely neutral flavour, and some firms are banking on this to offer elevated flavour experiences in different formats.

    US company Koatji, for example, blends oat milk with koji, the mould that forms the base of fermented products like miso, shoyu and soju. Designed by Michelin-starred chefs, its Oat & Koji Milk is being positioned as “the plant milk of the future”, with the fermentation process imparting an umami flavour to make dishes more complex and appealing to the palate, while complementing coffee and matcha’s tasting notes.

    Speaking of fermentation, oat milk is being used to enhance alcoholic drinks. In the US, Misunderstood Whiskey makes oat milk cream liqueurs under its Oatrageous brand, which come in espresso, coconut and bourbon cream with 14% ABV.

    baileys oat milk
    Courtesy: Diageo

    More famously, Diageo recently released two oat milk versions of its popular Baileys cream liqueur, which are available across the US in Coffee Toffee and Cookies & Creamy variants. (The company’s previous dairy-free Baileys iteration, made from almond milk, has since been discontinued.)

    Shrewed brands are noticing the potential of boozy oat milk. Oatly teamed up with Pernod Ricard’s coconut rum brand Malibu on a marketing drive in the UK last year, hosting a series of music, wellness, entertainment and lifestyle pop-ups to accompany the Piña Oatlada, a dairy-free soft serve featuring the brands’ oat milk and rum.

    As oat milk continued to encroach upon its fellow plant-based rivals’ share, there are opportunities for brands across health, sustainability, and new formats to sow their wild oats. The question is: will consumers flock towards the grain?

    The post Trend Report: Oat Milk Brands Go Beyond the Latte in New Era for the Non-Dairy Alternative appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Amazon of Synbio? This E-Shop Wants to Sell Cultivated Meat Across Europe

    where to buy lab grown meat
    5 Mins Read

    Cultivated meat isn’t approved for sale in Europe yet – but that hasn’t stopped this entrepreneur from setting up an online shop for these proteins.

    Forget Michelin-starred restaurants and famed butcheries. What if you could get cultivated meat delivered to your doorstep at the click of a button?

    David Bell has taken that idea and run with it. An e-commerce and digital marketing expert by day, he has established an online store for cultivated meat in 18 European countries, even though regulatory approval for these novel foods is at least a year away in the EU.

    “Everything starts before it’s ready. Waiting until products are on the shelf means playing catch-up,” Bell explains when asked why he decided to set up the e-store now.

    “Launching now gives us time to build awareness and visibility, educate the public, earn search presence and digital momentum, and position ourselves as the natural home for cultivated products,” he adds. “This space is moving fast. We’re creating the infrastructure before it’s urgently needed.”

    The website is CultivatedMeat.co.uk, and Bell aims to list a vast range of cultivated meat products (some, like crocodile, aren’t in development commercially, though Australian startup Vow has previously said it is working with the animal’s cells), as well as offering educational guides and a blog with science and industry news. “We’ve built a site that makes cultivated meat visible and tangible, even in concept,” he says.

    He’s based in the UK, where cultivated meat briefly appeared on shelves earlier this year – albeit for pet food. “We’ve secured the cultivated meat domains in 18 other European countries, so local versions will roll out imminently,” Bell notes. “Each of these will be localised as approvals come through.”

    Will an online shop work for cultivated meat?

    where to buy lab grown meat near me
    Courtesy: CultivatedMeat

    Bell has been vegan for 13 years, primarily for ethical reasons – the health benefits were a bonus. “Even so, I’ve always missed the taste and cultural aspects of meat. I just never thought there’d be an alternative that made sense to me,” he says. “Cultivated meat makes it possible to eat real meat again without causing suffering.”

    The website has sections for a variety of species, from beef, chicken and pork to duck, seafood, and even kangaroo meat, each of which is displayed next to an image of the living animal. Aside from the shop, it has guides and blogs describing how cultivated meat is made, its environmental benefits, and how you can cook it at home.

    So far, the few cultivated meat products that have made it to market have been launched into either high-end restaurants or premium butcher shops. In the US, Mission Barns’s cultivated pork products will be the first to debut in a supermarket when they roll out at Sprouts Farmers Market later this year.

    “That’s normal at the start – small batches, tight control. But long-term, consumer access will be the game-changer,” says Bell, explaining the rationale behind an e-store.

    “Early adopters will be looking online first. That’s always how new categories start,” he suggests, outlining the Internet’s capability to build “clustered interest, niche education, and targeted communities”.

    “Even as cultivated meat moves into the mainstream, physical retailers won’t carry every product, but we will. This site becomes the long-tail destination for the full range of cultivated meat options,” he says. “An online store also allows controlled launches per country, direct-to-consumer storytelling, data feedback for producers, and a single point of discovery for all cultivated meat.”

    Is ‘cultivated meat’ the best term to attract consumers? “Yes. It’s the most widely accepted term across media, policy, and industry. It avoids the baggage of ‘lab-grown’ while clearly describing what it is,” he contends. “Personally, as a long-time vegan, I see cultivated meat as a reconciliation of ethics, science, and taste. The word reflects that balance.”

    As he waits for cultivated meat to be approved for human food in Europe, his platform is focused on building its email waitlist, publishing educational content, and developing partnerships. “It’s not just a shop – it’s a public front door for the cultivated meat movement from a consumer perspective,” he notes.

    cultivated meat where to buy
    Courtesy: CultivatedMeat

    Cultivated meat startups in talks with online store

    Speaking of partnerships, Bell is already in talks with several cultivated meat firms, both in Europe and beyond. “We’re shaping what launch partnerships might look like,” he says.

    He says he is in contact with several organisations across the ecosystem. “We bring the consumer front-end. That makes us a useful partner for groups focused on research, policy, or production,” he explains.

    CultivatedMeat’s business model is flexible, both in terms of revenue and logistics. The platform will handle distribution in some cases, and pass it on to producers or third-party firms in others.

    “We already have access to specialist cold chain partners for frozen and chilled delivery for when this is ready,” he notes. “Most early product rollouts will be closely managed, so logistics will be smaller-scale and controllable to begin with.”

    As for the revenue stream, some partnerships might follow a classic buy-sell model, and others might be based on a margin, affiliate, or distribution partnership. “Longer term, revenue will come from retail markups or commissions, exclusive product collaborations, brand placement and launch support, sponsored content, and media visibility,” outlines Bell.

    lab grown meat eu
    Courtesy: Romain Buisson/Gourmey

    So far, only two cultivated meat companies have publicly filed for novel food approval in the EU: France’s Gourmey (for foie gras) and Dutch startup Mosa Meat (for beef fat). The process can take around 18 months, and Gourmey has indicated its plans to sell its product via restaurants by 2026.

    Both these firms have applied in Switzerland and the UK, as has Israeli cultivated beef producer Aleph Farms. The latter country is a frontrunner in Europe – it has already approved Meatly’s chicken for pet food applications, and is assessing human-focused applications from Vital Meat and Ivy Farm Technologies too.

    Bell is leveraging his online expertise to be ready for when these regulators eventually greenlight the products for sale. “As someone who’s worked in digital commerce for years, launching this platform felt like the most natural and meaningful thing I could do,” he says. “I’m just combining what I know about online ecosystems and ethical consumerism to help move this space forward.”

    The post Amazon of Synbio? This E-Shop Wants to Sell Cultivated Meat Across Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Great Circle Ventures’s Jacob Afriat

    jacob afriat
    4 Mins Read

    In our interview series, we quiz future food investors about the solutions that excite them the most, their favourite climate-forward restaurant, and what they look for in successful founders.

    Jacob Afriat is the General Partner at Great Circle Ventures.

    What future food technologies most excite you?

    I’m particularly excited about the application of AI across the food value chain—from ingredient discovery to formulation, bioavailability, and even optimising sensory properties like texture and mouthfeel. AI has the potential to dramatically reduce development cycles, personalise nutrition, and bring precision to taste and function in ways we’ve never seen before.

    What are three future food verticals you are actively looking at for 2025?

    1. ‘Beyond the label’ food safety and transparency
    2. Precision nutrition and functional food systems
    3. Next-gen preventative nutrition

    What do you consider the food tech sector’s greatest achievement in the past five years?

    One of the most encouraging achievements has been the consumer’s growing openness to changing habits. The rapid adoption of plant-based dairy and meat alternatives – even with imperfect products – showed that the market is ready for better options.

    While these categories are currently facing headwinds, mostly due to challenges in balancing taste, health, sustainability, and price, we believe the next wave of alternatives that get these four pillars right could see even faster and broader adoption.

    If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix plant-based meat?

    I’d create a product that’s not just an alternative to meat, but superior to it – especially from a health and nutrition standpoint. Today’s plant-based meats are often ultra-processed and nutritionally underwhelming. The ideal version would be minimally processed, clean-label, and deliver functional health benefits without compromising on taste or texture.

    What’s the top trait you look for in a founder?

    Grit. Founders building in food and climate face long timelines, tough science, and sceptical markets.

    Grit – the relentless drive to keep pushing forward despite setbacks – is what sets apart those who endure and ultimately succeed.

    The One That Got Away: What is the deal you wish you had gotten into, but didn’t?

    Function Health. I had a chance to invest very early – an opportunity that would have returned over 150x in just three years. At the time, it felt slightly outside our core investment thesis, but in hindsight, it was clearly aligned with the broader shift we believe in: empowering consumers with deeper health data and personalisation.

    What do you consider your most successful future food investment so far?

    While it’s still early, I’m particularly excited about our investment in Zya, which is pioneering a new approach to sugar reduction. They’re developing a proprietary ingredient that could disrupt the way we think about sugar alternatives. It’s too early to call it a success, but the potential is certainly promising, and we’re watching it closely as they move through their early stages of development.

    What has been your most disappointing investment so far?

    The investments we’re most disappointed with are those where we had to move too quickly and didn’t spend enough time evaluating the founders. It’s a reminder of how important it is to take the necessary time to get to know the team and ensure alignment before committing.

    What do people misunderstand/get wrong most about VC?

    One common misconception is that venture capital is about quick, big returns. People often point to short-term successes, but what they miss is that true value creation in VC takes time. While some companies may see huge returns in the short run, those gains are often unsustainable.

    Over a longer timeline, many of these companies experience an adjustment as they work through scaling challenges or market realities. The real value comes from supporting businesses over the long haul, helping them evolve, and creating sustainable growth.

    What is the most ‘future food’ thing you have eaten this month?

    I recently tried a freeze-dried whole broccoli snack from Veggie Vice. While it might not seem like the most futuristic food at first glance, I was really impressed by how this simple, well-known technology – freeze-drying – can be applied to preserve the full nutritional profile of fruits and vegetables.

    It was amazing to see how the shelf life of a vegetable can be extended while maintaining its integrity and minimal processing. It’s a great example of how innovation doesn’t always need to be groundbreaking technology – sometimes, it’s about reimagining the potential of existing tools.

    Where is your favourite climate-forward restaurant/dish/place to eat anywhere in the world?

    I recently discovered a small gem near my office in Madison Square Park, New York, called Rooted. It really stood out for its commitment to simplicity and transparency. The menu is centred around a few carefully chosen ingredients, and they’ve made a conscious decision to avoid using seed oils.

    It’s refreshing to see a restaurant that prioritises both sustainability and thoughtful sourcing while creating delicious, mindful dishes.

    What’s your ‘why’? What motivates you to do what you do?

    In a world that moves so quickly and where we’re constantly inundated with information – often contradictory – it’s incredibly satisfying to focus and try to identify the real “blue line”. I’m driven by the challenge of predicting the next trend, cutting through the noise, and finding opportunities that align with true, long-term value.

    The post 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Great Circle Ventures’s Jacob Afriat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly x Chris Parnell, Vegan Nutella & Forbes 30 Under 30

    forbes 30 under 30 asia
    6 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Nutella Plant-Based’s UK launch, Oatly’s collab with Chris Parnell, and Nestlé’s new biotech centre.

    New products and launches

    Ferrero has announced that it will launch Nutella Plant-Based in the UK on May 25. It will be available at Sainsbury’s for £3.99 per 350g jar, before rolling out to other retailers next year. For context, the classic Nutella is 30p cheaper for the same size.

    vegan nutella
    Courtesy: Ferrero

    US startup Nature’s Bakery has released two new products: a gluten-free strawberry flavour of its flagship Fig Bar, and a raspberry and lemon oatmeal crumble bar. The plant-based treats are available at Target and on its website for $7 per six-pack.

    Vegan snack brand Hippeas has rolled out Cheezy Cheddar Pops made from yellow peas and chickpeas. They contain 3g of protein and 2g of fibre per 1oz serving, and are available at Target, Walmart, and on Amazon and its website in various sizes.

    hippeas
    Courtesy: Hippeas

    French plant-based startup Hari&Co has launched Moroccan-inspired keftas, made from wheat and pea protein. They contain 20g of protein per 100g, have an A rating on the Nutri-Score scale, plus a 90/100 score on product-scanning app Yuka.I

    Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles is bringing its plant-based whole cuts to Spain via a distribution deal with Zyrcular Foods.

    juicy marbles lamb
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

    Germany’s Veganz Group has signed a deal with Jindilli Beverages to export its Mililk line of oat and almond milks in Tetra Pak formats to North America, Australia and New Zealand. The agreement also includes a new non-dairy creamer called Mililk Drops.

    Also in North America, Canadian vegan fast-food chain Odd Burger has secured its own distribution agreement with Dot Foods, which will see its retail and foodservice products expand their national grocery and restaurant chain footprint.

    odd burger
    Courtesy: Odd Burger

    Vegan pizza maker Blackbird Foods has rolled out its frozen products at 88 Hy-Vee supermarket locations across the Midwest. They’re available in Margherita, Supreme, and Pepperoni flavours (the latetr features Beyond Meat).

    And Indian startup Cosmix has launched No-Nonsense Plant Protein PRO, a yeast protein powder with the maximum protein digestibility score (akin to whey)

    Company and finance updates

    Speaking of India, New Delhi-based vegan egg startup Plantmade has ceased operations after four years.

    As part of its Blind Love campaign, Oatly has launched a spoof ad with comedian and Saturday Night Live alum Chris Parnell to spread the word about what it has termed Dormant Oatmilk Condition: five times more Americans prefer oat milk in their coffee over dairy, but they don’t know it yet.

    In Switzerland, Nestlé has opened a biotech centre to advance its nutritional solutions across a range of verticals, including early life, women’s health, and weight management. Among the hub’s credentials are enhanced capabilities in precision fermentation.

    Meanwhile, Beyond Meat has amended its lease on its headquarters, giving up 61,000 sq ft of its office space back to HC Hornet Way for a one-time termination fee of $1M. It continues to rent 220,000 sq ft of space, but expects to incur $600,000 in modification costs. This comes after a disappointing Q1 for the plant-based meat maker.

    beyond meat documentary
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    Food tech startup High Time Foods, which makes ambient plant protein products, has raised $1.2M in a new funding round. Following the deal, it has relocated from the US to India, and is gearing up its product development and international expansion efforts.

    Aussie firm Levur, which is working on a precision-fermentated alternative to palm oil, has also secured $1.2M in pre-seed funding.

    fable shiitake infusion
    Courtesy: Daniel Hine/Fable Foods

    Fellow Sydney-based startup Fable Food has posted a 50% year-on-year revenue growth, and projects an even better performance this year, thanks to its shiitake-mushroom-based products (which have taken the blended meat world by storm).

    In New Zealand, Opo Bio – a B2B supplier of livestock cells for cultivated meat production – has secured investment from Epic Angels to expand its R&D efforts and patent portfolio.

    eatkinda
    Courtesy: EatKinda

    Forbes has named Mrinali Kumar, co-founder and CEO of cauliflower ice cream brand EatKinda, and Emily McIsaac, co-founder and COO of precision fermentation firm Daisy Lab, on its 30 Under 30 list, under the Arts and Industry, Manufacturing & Energy categories, respectively.

    Canada’s Lovingly Made Flour Mills and Botaneco are working with British firm Stars UK R&D and the University of Leeds to develop Canadian-grown legumes and sunflower ingredients to improve the juiciness of plant-based burgers.

    just egg uk
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    California’s Eat Just has hired Kristie Middleton as its VP of foodservice sales. She was most recently the chief relationship officer at vegan chicken maker Rebellyous Foods.

    Also in California, cultivated meat startup Omeat has appointed Eric Schulze as its CTO. He is a former regulator at the FDA who later spent seven years at Upside Foods.

    Research, policy and events

    In the UK, The Vegan Society will celebrate its 80th year with the Veganism: Past, Present and Future exhibition at the Library of Birmingham from May 17 to August 24.

    Cellulaire Agricultuur Nederland and the Dutch Research Council (NWO) are preparing to open a €4M research call focused on scaling up the production and reducing costs of foods produced via precision fermentation and cell culture.

    Retail sales of plant-based meat in the US fell by 7.5% to $1.13B in the year ending April 20, 2025, according to SPINS. Refrigerated burgers bore the burnt of the fall, with sales dipping by 26%.

    The number one reason deterring people from plant-based milk is taste. At the Technical University of Denmark, researchers suggest the solution lies in the same microbes found in kimchi: lactic acid bacteria.

    foodtech world cup
    Courtesy: HackSummit

    Finally, Argentinian gut health startup Future Biome has won this year’s FoodTech World Cup at the HackSummit for its new class of fungi-based prebiotic solutions.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly x Chris Parnell, Vegan Nutella & Forbes 30 Under 30 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    turtletree lf+
    4 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    precision fermentation lactoferrin
    Courtesy: TurtleTree

    First FDA validation of animal-free lactoferrin

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

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

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

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

    turtletree lactoferrin
    Courtesy: TurtleTree

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

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

    TurtleTree eyes commercial and global regulatory progress after FDA approval

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

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

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

    intentional ironkind
    Courtesy: Intentional

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Beyond Meat, Quorn & 50+ UK Companies Are Giving Meat-Free Eating A Makeover

    meat free made easy
    5 Mins Read

    More than 50 brands, organisations, and restaurants have come together for a first-of-its-kind Meat Free Made Easy campaign.

    In the UK, half of adults want to change the way they eat, either by adding more plants to their diet, or cutting back on meat and dairy.

    In fact, two in five of them are already doing this, identifying as either flexitarian, pescetarian, vegetarian or vegan. But their belief in the nutritional attributes of plant-based food – and their ability to cook them – remains low.

    In response to these findings, British consultancy Plant Futures Collective has convened 53 companies and organisations to launch a collaborative campaign called Meat Free Made Easy. The coalition involves three dozen alternative protein brands, including Beyond Meat, THIS, Linda McCartney Foods, La Vie, Planted, VFC and Quorn.

    It also encompasses foodservice and restaurant operators like Compass Group, Mildreds, and Alexis Gauthier’s 123V, suppliers such as Compleat Food Group and Vegan Food Group, and organisations like Plant Based Health Professionals, Veg Capital, and Meat Free Monday.

    The campaign is being endorsed by Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon and author of the UK’s National Food Strategy. “We need fewer rules, and more real-world solutions,” he said. “This is the kind of collaborative leadership that moves consumers – and the category – forward.”

    It’s all about ease and convenience

    meat free mondays
    Courtesy: Plant Futures Collective

    Plant Futures teased the campaign in January, when founder and CEO Indy Kaur spoke to Green Queen about the firm’s research on Meat Free Monday. It had found that participants were “forming healthier eating habits throughout the week, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, trying new plant-based foods, and opting for more meat-free meals when eating out”.

    It’s what inspired the new campaign, which will run across social media and press channels, with a larger rollout set for Q4. This will include in-store activation, promotions to push trial, and a wider cultural push to “build new norms around meat-free eating”.

    “This is the first time the plant-based sector has come together at scale to actively drive category penetration through the power of collective action and coordination,” explained Kaur. “This campaign is built around real insights, design thinking and a systems change approach to inspire millions of people to shop the category.”

    She added that behavioural research shows ease is the “most powerful lever” of adoption: “Consumers aren’t necessarily resistant, they are uncertain, lacking in confidence, capability and know-how.”

    plant based meat consumption
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    The aforementioned research, conducted by Plant Futures, Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, and HarrisX, found that among the people who want to change their diets, a third want to reduce their meat intake, and 38% want to eat more plant-based food. Only 45% feel comfortable cooking a plant-based dish, versus 83% who say the same for meals with animal products.

    “Behaviour change isn’t just about awareness, it’s about ease,” noted Richard Shotton, a behavioural scientist and author. “Remove the friction, and you unlock mass behaviour.”

    Meat Free Made Easy will see participating brands showcase simple ways to swap meat for plants in everyday meals – think lentils in a lasagna or a veggie burger instead of beef. “Meat-free doesn’t have to be all or nothing, it just needs to feel doable and fun,” said Kaur.

    Meat Free Made Easy must build cultural momentum

    indy kaur
    Courtesy: Indy Kaur

    The campaign’s initial phase will focus on helping consumers imagine themselves trying something new and view meat-free eating as “normal, flexible and worth a go”. It marks a shift from siloed marketing by plant-based brands to collective action.

    It’s reminiscent of the ‘checkoff’ programmes in the US, which operate as centralised marketing and research funds to promote industries like beef and dairy. Marketing drives like Got Milk? are a result of these efforts. “The plant-based sector, however, doesn’t yet have this kind of infrastructure, which would be incredibly valuable,” Kaur told Green Queen earlier this year.

    Meat Free Made Easy’s strategy focuses on the three audience segments uncovered by its consumer research. Among those looking for dietary change, 13% are classed as Meat & Dairy Reducers; they want to eat fewer animal products without increasing plant-based food intake. These are mainly older people looking to lose weight.

    Over a sixth (18%) are Plant-Based Increasers. These Brits want to eat more vegan food without decreasing animal protein intake, and are likely to be younger and higher-earning, and often men, seeking protein and fibre with fitness goals like muscle-building.

    The third and largest group are Balanced Lifestyle Seekers (20%). These are midlife consumers aiming for health and variety, looking to both increase their uptake of plant-based foods and lower their meat and dairy consumption.

    meat consumption uk
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    There are several key messages that the participating companies must focus on. Only half of Brits believe plant-based foods are important for nutritional balance, and just a quarter have friends or family who eat vegan food. Meanwhile, a mere 27% of adults choose meat-free meals out of habit, compared to 64% for dairy.

    Building cultural momentum and new habits (through repetition and nudges) is essential, as is outlining the health benefits of these foods. “Helping the nation eat less meat will only be possible if we provide solutions that make it easy, affordable and enjoyable,” said Dimbleby. “That’s exactly what Meat Free Made Easy sets out to do.”

    Will collective action turn the tide for plant-based, and the planet? This campaign hinges on that premise.

    The post Beyond Meat, Quorn & 50+ UK Companies Are Giving Meat-Free Eating A Makeover appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Big Idea Ventures Acquires Food Tech Investment Platform Vevolution

    vevolution big idea ventures
    4 Mins Read

    Food tech investor Big Idea Ventures has acquired the assets of Vevolution, a digital platform that connects investors with startups in the future food space.

    VC firm Big Idea Ventures (BIV) has purchased the assets of London-based food tech investment platform and marketplace Vevolution.

    The terms of the transaction were undisclosed, but it aims to boost BIV’s global infrastructure and support the broader startup and innovation ecosystem across climate and agrifood tech, future materials, and sustainable artificial intelligence (AI).

    It marks the second exit in a month for two of Vevolution’s co-founders, Damien Clarkson and Judy Nadel, who sold their vegan pet food brand The Pack to premium manufacturer Prefera Petfood in a deal announced in early May.

    “Today marks a major milestone for Vevolution. We’re excited for the platform’s new chapter with Big Idea Ventures, a great partner to boost its global reach and assist more startups and investors,” they said in a joint statement with Michiel van Deursen, who joined as co-founder in 2020.

    Acquisition follows rapid expansion for Vevolution

    vevolution
    Courtesy: Vevolution

    Clarkson and Nadel founded Vevolution in 2017 as a media and events platform for alternative protein and future food businesses. It evolved into a global investment hub in 2020 after van Deursen, a tech entrepreneur and investor who founded VC firm Capital V, came on board.

    Headed by CEO Erik Amundson and CTO Tristan Hartman, the company has facilitated over $60M worth of investments in a range of companies across the globe, including bee-free honey player MeliBio, cell-cultured milk startup Opalia, precision-fermented dairy protein firms De Novo Foodlabs and Fermify, and plant-based meat maker Shaka Harry.

    Vevolution raised $330,000 in funding from Capital V, Kale United and Cult Food Science in 2022, when it hosted over 3,000 users on its platform. It has since expanded rapidly, serving over 8,000 users today, including 2,200 startups and 1,000 investors.

    “As we build ecosystems in key regions around the world, Vevolution will be a powerful platform to support innovation and collaboration – across agrifood tech, climate tech, biotech, and other key sectors in the bioeconomy,” said Andrew D Ive, founder and managing general partner of BIV.

    The development comes amid increased M&A activity in the alternative protein sector. In the US, Wicked Kitchen, Nuggs, and Blackbird Foods were all taken over by Ahimsa Companies last year, while vegan cheesemaker Vertage was purchased by Misha’s Inc this January. And earlier this month, dairy giant Danone bought dairy-free kids nutrition brand Kate Farms.

    In the UK, meanwhile, vegan ready meal startup Allplants’s assets were bought by Grubby and Plants – the latter is owned by the founders of Deliciously Ella, which itself was sold to Hero Group in a multimillion-pound deal last year.

    Big Idea Ventures prioritising scale-up technologies

    big idea ventures
    Courtesy: Big Idea Ventures

    Having been around since 2018, BIV calls itself the “most active food tech investor” in the world, managing upwards of $150M with over 150 portfolio companies across several verticals.

    In the alternative protein field, it has invested in the likes of MeliBio, DeNovo Foodlabs, and Opalia, as well as whole-food innovators Actual Veggies and Karana, cultivated foie gras maker Gourmey, vegan fat startup Lypid, and fermentation-derived seafood firm Aqua Cultured Foods.

    The VC firm said it would use its global expertise to expand Vevolution’s reach and impact via strategic partnerships, positioning the acquisition as a key step in its drive to build infrastructure for large-scale innovation.

    “Our mission is to support entrepreneurs, scientists, and engineers to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. We believe bringing together the global innovation ecosystem is essential to supporting the breakthrough solutions the world needs,” said Ive.

    The acquisition comes amid a dire investment landscape for alternative proteins. Investors continued to lose confidence in this sector last year, with plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated meat companies receiving 27% less VC money. The broader climate tech landscape also saw venture funding dip by 38% in 2024 (from $52B to $32B), as investor focus moved to AI.

    alternative protein investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    Speaking to Green Queen in February, Ive highlighted three areas that BIV will be keeping an eye on this year: food and biology, agriculture and nature, and food production and waste utilisation tech.

    One major focus he outlined was scale-up technology, which “presents challenges that require innovative solutions and approaches”. This was a key driver of its acquisition of Vevolution too.

    “Investors have been supporting remarkable future food companies across various sectors, discovering what’s possible with cutting-edge technologies,” he explained. “The next focus is scaling these technologies to benefit the food system sustainably.”

    The post Big Idea Ventures Acquires Food Tech Investment Platform Vevolution appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • From Clothes That Grow Crops to Carbon-Sucking Foods, This Is the Dinner Plate of 2050

    future food trends
    8 Mins Read

    Two experts predict what the food of the future would look like – if they’re right, you could be eating dishes that grew on your jeans for dinner.

    In 25 years’ time, the world population could well approach the 10 billion mark. Such a boom in population would bring about challenges and opportunities for a range of sectors, with the food industry firmly in the thick of it all.

    Poverty rates are already high, and hunger is increasing. So is our appetite for meat, and our nasty habit of wasting food. None of that bodes well for the planet or its inhabitants. The food system needs drastic changes, and immediately, if it is to sustain humanity come mid-century.

    Over half (57%) of Brits are worried about the food system’s future, and 37% believe that the food we’ll be eating will be bland and taste bad. But it doesn’t have to be that way, as food futurist Morgaine Gaye and Oxford climate scientist Joseph Poore suggest.

    Meal delivery service HelloFresh commissioned them to figure out what the dinner plate would look like in 2050. They came up with 10 trends that would shape diets and agriculture. Spoilers: supermarket shopping may be a thing of the past, and communal eating would come into fashion. Speaking of which, you could soon be growing broccoli on your bell-bottoms.

    Here are 10 trends we could see in 25 years’ time, according to Gaye and Poore.

    Tech will save food from going to waste

    ai food waste
    Courtesy: Winnow

    Reducing food waste is one of the simplest ways we can lower emissions, since it accounts for a tenth of our climate footprint. We waste a third of all food, and 60% of that happens at the household level. According to the experts, though, by 2050 we’ll have “successfully designed food waste out of our lives”.

    This would largely be thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI), which would help scale our use of ‘imperfect’ produce with innovative recipes – think broccoli stem rice and roasted cauliflower leaf stir-fries. AI will be managing our household inventory too, ordering groceries and planning meals based on available ingredients, health needs, and individual preferences.

    Plus, every household will have a zero-waste prep system, with leftovers and food waste fed into 3D food printers that can transform them into complex dishes. So your leftover rice and vegetables from lunch could be perfect for sushi night.

    Foods will absorb, not emit, greenhouse gases

    food trend predictions
    Carbon-absorbing kelp noodles with plant-based chicken and local vegetables | Courtesy: HelloFresh

    While the food system is currently responsible for a third of global emissions, with animal proteins accounting for 57% of that share, carbon-sequestering ingredients will dominate the system 25 years from now.

    Nuts, citrus, olives, and other tree crops absorb carbon when they expand, especially in areas where no trees exist. New farm technologies, increased consumer interest, and “maybe some policy incentives” would drive their growth. Seaweed and cacti will become important foods for their carbon-absorbing potential.

    The experts predict that much of our food will come from bacteria by 2050, which can be grown on demand and mixed with flour or sugar to be incorporated into our diets. Some of these can convert methane into energy, addressing a potent greenhouse gas. The consumption of meat, dairy, and seafood, meanwhile, will have significantly reduced by 2050, though shellfish could remain on the menu because they can act as carbon sinks.

    Climate change will reshape the crop landscape

    food in 2050
    What a carrot top pesto with aubergines, chickpeas and protein pasta with soybeans grown in Denmark could look like | Courtesy: HelloFresh

    Tropical fruits like mango, banana and avocado will be grown commercially in the Mediterranean in 2050, where they will become dietary staples. Italian coffee wouldn’t just be a reference to espresso- the beans will actually be grown in the country. Olive groves and vineyards will shift northwards, and Austria and Germany will begin growing quinoa and sweet potatoes, while frequent droughts will diminish potato yields.

    The UK, meanwhile, will become suitable for vineyards, and major crops like wheat, strawberries, onions, apples and oats will begin struggling, especially in its most productive region in the southeast.

    On the other end of the globe, kiwis, apples, and blueberries will shift southwards from northern New Zealand, giving way to bananas, pineapple and coffee.

    Heritage crops will bring back agricultural diversity

    future food 2050
    Courtesy: Yuelan/Getty Images

    The food of the future could very much look like the food of the past. Despite the Earth being blessed with 30,000 edible plants, 50% of its cropland is being used to grow just four of them: wheat, maize, rice, and soy.

    Crop diversity is critical in building climate resilience, food security, and human gut health. By 2050, Gaye and Poore believe we will have rediscovered native and Indigenous crops that were part of our ancestors’ diets.

    The underutilised crops benefit from being well-adapted to their local environment. Think milk thistle and dandelion in the Mediterranean basin, sorrel and plantain in central and northern Europe, and Australian millet and wattle down under.

    Niche will be the mainstream

    will there be enough food for the year 2050
    A savoury teff galette with vegan ham and freeze-dried blue galette, a symbol of niche foods becoming mainstream in 2050 | Courtesy: HelloFresh

    Staying with the crop theme, many crops that are niche today will become commonplace in kitchens in 2050. “Crops that are native to a certain area can often successfully thrive in another, even if on the other side of the world,” the experts say.

    Two Andean crops – kiwicha and kañihua – could follow the path of their cousin, quinoa. And Tarwi, the region’s lupin bean, could be a great alternative to soy.

    African crops could see similar gains. Teff and fonio could become “the new supergrains”, and the bambara bean and marama bean could compete with lentils, chickpeas, and common beans on the plates and farms of Europe and Australia.

    Goodbye, supermarkets?

    robot grocery delivery
    Courtesy: Daniel Bockwoldt/Picture Alliance/Getty Images

    With AI managing your house, you wouldn’t need to worry about food shopping, prep, or even cleaning up. “This ease with which we will get the ingredients and foods we need via AI will lead supermarkets to redefine their purpose,” Gaye and Poore believe.

    The weekly shop will be a thing of the past, replaced by meal delivery kits with personalised quantities and ingredients. Supermarkets, in turn, will evolve into hybrid physical-digital spaces that people visit for the experience of tasting new foods or to socialise instead.

    Food will be medicine

    food is medicine
    Courtesy: Heali

    Food as medicine programmes are already gaining ground, and medical advancements – like home diagnostic tools, genetic testing, and continuous microbiome analysis – will give everyone access to highly personalised health information.

    These will inform our AI assistants’ meal planning systems to optimise our diets for our wellbeing. “From automated portion control based on metabolic data and activity levels to customised food formulations addressing specific health conditions or genetic predispositions – the whole health, wellbeing and food equation will be highly integrated,” the forecasters say.

    Communal eating will play a key role

    food trends of the future
    Courtesy: HelloFresh

    The role of food as a “convenor” will become more important than ever. While we may be able to outsource cooking to AI in 2050, people will choose to continue cooking as a hobby and social activity. The sensory and emotional aspects mean full automation is unlikely to ever take hold in the kitchen.

    Communities will likely come together to create neighbourhood growing clubs and cooperatives, and communal meals will be on the rise, with streets and housing blocks gathering to share the results of their growing efforts.

    The stories and recipes of our favourite family meals will be preserved in multigenerational databases, and people will be able to experience viral cooking experiences with remote participants (or even deceased loved ones). “Using haptic sensors, we will even feel the touch of those on the holographic representation, making cooking with grandma feel even more real,” predict Gaye and Poore.

    Vertical farming and meals on clothes

    hellofresh
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    Urban agriculture will be all the rage in 2050. This could materialise in the form of the aforementioned communal buying clubs, as well as at-home countertop growing units and personal bioreactors, all powered by renewable energy. “The kitchen will include integrated home growing units for herbs, vegetables, and even some plant proteins,” the forecast suggests.

    Intriguingly, Gaye and Poore raise the idea of “grow-your-own clothing”. Material science innovations could allow nomads to stay self-sufficient by using their clothes to grow food on the go. For example, each pocket of a puffer jacket could be used to grow plants like herbs, microgreens and plant proteins.

    Meanwhile, vertical farms will be integrated into retail units for ultra-fresh produce, and alternative growing systems will be accessible via on-street vending machines to make fresh foods the future impulse buy. Printed foods with customised nutrient and flavour profiles will also be available in-store.

    Zero-waste packaging will be a reality

    saveggy
    Courtesy: Saveggy

    Edible packaging is already a thing; by 2050, zero-waste packaging systems could be commonplace. High-value recycling will see materials broken down and brought back into the circular economy, and most items will feature advanced preservation techniques to eschew packaging altogether.

    Consumers will have access to full-scale transparency through “product passports” that include food miles and carbon footprints. Blockchain-tracked supply chains will enable food origin and water footprint tracking too. Meanwhile, all products will now have eco-score labels.

    “Our diets will probably look different in 2050, but perhaps not in the way that people might think. Climate change will mean that a broader range of drought and heat-resistant crops will need to be cultivated, some of which our ancestors would have grown,” said Poore. “We’ll also need to eat a diet lower in animal products to avert severe global warming; these foods will be good for our health and the planet.”

    Holographic cooking may sound dystopian and unsettling, but if you can grow food optimised for your and the planet’s health on your countertop and clothes, the future looks promising.

    The post From Clothes That Grow Crops to Carbon-Sucking Foods, This Is the Dinner Plate of 2050 appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Nordic Foodtech VC’s Louise Heiberg

    louise heiberg
    3 Mins Read

    In our interview series, we quiz future food investors about the solutions that excite them the most, their favourite climate-forward restaurant, and what they look for in successful founders.

    Louise Heiberg is the Investment Director at Nordic Foodtech VC.

    What future food technologies most excite you?

    The ones that seem a bit out there. Where you think: “Wait, can this actually work?” and then realise it just might. The thrill of the unknown. The technologies that could radically reshape our food system in ways we can’t fully predict.

    While we absolutely need people to eat more plants and less meat, incremental change won’t get us all the way. We need bold leaps. And those come from the lab – from researchers and universities pushing boundaries.

    That’s why we love supporting science-based founders early on. It isn’t just a smart investment. It’s a front-row seat to something truly transformative.

    What are three future food verticals you are actively looking at for 2025?

    1. Biosolutions
    2. Biosolutions
    3. You guessed it: biosolutions

    Nature’s own toolbox has never been more relevant. From microbes that boost soil health to enzymes that reduce food waste to precision fermentation that creates the ingredients of the future. Biosolutions are quietly (and not-so-quietly) driving the next big shift in food and agriculture. High impact per kg is our love language.

    What do you consider the food tech sector’s greatest achievement in the past five years?

    We made food tech matter. It’s no longer niche. It’s recognised as a key lever for climate action and food system transformation. The sector has matured from novelty to necessity. It hasn’t been easy, but the outlook is strong.

    If you could wave a magic wand, how would you fix plant-based meat?

    I wouldn’t fix the product. I would fix the perception. That shift alone would change everything. And let’s stop comparing it to meat. Just let it be delicious in its own right.

    What’s the top trait you look for in a founder?

    Courage – the Brené Brown kind. The kind where vulnerability meets vision. Building something new is tough, and I look for founders who are brave enough to admit what they don’t know, honest enough to ask the right questions, and smart enough to learn fast.

    Founders who can say: “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out.” They’re gold.

    The One That Got Away: What is the deal you wish you had gotten into, but didn’t?

    Solar Foods. We weren’t in a position to invest at the time, due to our fund’s timing. But full credit to one of our partners Jari, who spotted them super early and went in as a private investor. They are building something truly bold: turning CO2 and electricity into food. A completely new category. It was, and still is, a moonshot we would have loved to be part of.

    What do you consider your most successful future food investment so far?

    In long run, I would say Ironic Biotech. They are tackling iron deficiency, affecting over two billion people and mostly women, with real science and a scalable solution. Putting female health and nutrition on the map is long overdue, and this is exactly the kind of underfunded area we love to champion.

    What has been your most disappointing investment so far?

    We invested in a company with a fantastic idea: turning overlooked Baltic herring into great products. It was smart, sustainable, and full of potential. The disappointment hit when authorities suddenly restricted herring fishing, basically pulling the carpet from under the entire business case right after launch.

    But here’s the twist: the team pulled off a brilliant pivot, switching to sidestreams from farmed fish instead. So, in the end, they saved the day and turned a tough situation into a success story.

    What do people misunderstand/get wrong most about VC?

    That it’s all about capital. It’s not. At its core, VC is a people business. Founders, teams, LPs, colleagues, co-investors, and ecosystem – relationships are everything. The real currency is trust. You’re building long-term partnerships in a world of uncertainty, and that only works if there’s mutual respect and alignment.

    Behind every good investment is a web of people who believe in building something bigger than themselves. And honestly? Women are great at this.

    What is the most ‘future food’ thing you have eaten this month?

    I tasted Wildtype’s cultivated salmon, and it was super impressive. And I visited Spora in Copenhagen, which always sparks ideas (and tastes great, too). They sit right at the intersection of gastronomy, science, and changing the world through food, which is exactly where future food should be.

    Where is your favourite climate-forward restaurant/dish/place to eat anywhere in the world?

    Teaming up with the Endless Food Co crew (all ex-Amass) has made my life easier. They know all the best places! But honestly, my favourite meal is everything leftovers. Whatever’s in the fridge, thrown in a bowl, or tossed into pasta. It’s zero waste, super easy, and the kids love it.

    What’s your ‘why’? What motivates you to do what you do?

    Food is everything: climate, nature, culture, health, justice, joy. It’s how we connect, care, and shape the future. Supporting bold people transforming the food system isn’t just exciting – it’s a way to help secure food for all forever.

    That’s a privilege, and I can’t imagine a more meaningful way to spend my time. And I get to do it with a stellar team.

    The post 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Nordic Foodtech VC’s Louise Heiberg appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Balanced Proteins: Omnivores Prefer These Blended Products Over 100% Meat

    hybrid meat brands
    6 Mins Read

    Blended meat could be a viable solution to accelerate the protein transition, and a new taste test has found several brands that meat-eaters prefer over conventional meat.

    In the US, plant-based meat alternatives have been losing some steam of late, thanks to concerns around ultra-processing and dissatisfaction with taste. Meanwhile, meat consumption is on the rise, as is a desire to eat healthier and incorporate more vegetables and whole foods into their diets.

    Some brands are hoping to give these Americans the best of both worlds through blended meat. These products combine conventional meat with plant-based ingredients to offer a more sustainable and health-friendly option.

    Research shows that replacing even half of your meat consumption can double your climate benefits and lower emissions by 31%. As with all things in food, however, these products will only click with consumers if they deliver on flavour.

    According to Nectar, a non-profit initiative focused on accelerating the protein transition through taste, meat-eaters even prefer some of these products to 100% meat.

    In a new sensory analysis with nearly 1,200 omnivores, Nectar tested 22 blended meat products – or ‘balanced proteins’, as it calls them – across nine categories, measuring their flavour, texture, appearance, overall satisfaction, and purchase intent.

    blended meat
    Courtesy: Nectar

    Of these, four products showcased “award-winning” credentials, either matching or surpassing 100% animal meat on taste – 50/50 Foods‘s Both Burger was preferred equally to a beef burger, while Duo’s beef and mushroom burger and Fable Foods‘s Shiitake Infusion ranked better than beef. Further, taste-testers found Perdue Farms’s Chicken Plus nuggets better than the conventional version.

    “For the burger category, the balanced leader outperformed animal products on the following high-level sensory attributes: overall liking, flavour, texture, and appearance,” Tim Dale, category innovation director at Food Systems Innovation, Nectar’s parent organisation, tells Green Queen. “In addition, a larger percentage of consumers thought the saltiness and juiciness of the balanced leader was ‘just about right’ versus the animal benchmark.

    “Taste is the gatekeeper for sustainable dietary change,” he says. “These products represent a real breakthrough – where the more sustainable choice is also the more delicious one.”

    He adds: “Consumers don’t want to be convinced to love ‘better meat’. They want the meat they love to simply be made better.”

    Sustainability and health drive Americans towards blended meat

    plant based meat taste test
    Courtesy: Nectar

    Nectar’s research found that balanced proteins are more likely to attract omnivores than plant-based meat, with 74% ‘interested’ or ‘extremely interested’ in the concept, and two-thirds saying they’re likely to purchase them (versus 57% who say the same for plant-based meat).

    Dale explains that blended meat is more likely to resonate with millennials and Gen Xers, women, flexitarians, those who have higher education levels, and those who consume plant-based meat frequently.

    More American meat-eaters preferred the taste of the leading blended burger (56%) over a 100% beef burger (42%). As for chicken nuggets, only 47% of Americans liked the conventional product’s flavour, versus 58% who said the same for the balanced protein option.

    “Also interesting is that 54% of respondents said they would consider purchasing balanced proteins in place of conventional meat 50% of the time or more, while 92% of consumers would choose a balanced protein at least 15% of the time,” says Dale. “This indicates the frequency with which consumers are willing to implement balanced products into their diets, and over time, the impact it could have on both human and planetary health.”

    hybrid meat
    Courtesy: Nectar

    So what draws Americans towards these products? Half of them are encouraged by the sustainability potential, while 47% are motivated by health. Only a quarter resonated with taste and affordability drivers, though, indicating “low consumer expectations that this category will deliver in those areas”.

    In fact, 45% are deterred by high prices, and 43% are unsatisfied with the taste of blended meat. For another 27%, a lack of familiarity is a major barrier.

    When asked what benefits would increase their interest, two-thirds pointed to better flavour, around two in five wanted more protein, micronutrients, and savouriness (and less saturated fat), and three-quarters said they’d be influenced by lower carbon emissions.

    How can ‘balanced proteins’ improve?

    Dale suggests that “improvement is within reach” for the products that didn’t outperform or match 100% animal proteins, given that six brands met certain consumer expectations, in addition to the four that won Nectar’s Tasty Award.

    “Flavour was the top opportunity for balanced protein products that did not win a Tasty. We found most products should focus on mitigating ’weird aftertastes’ and ‘off-flavours’, while boosting meat notes and fatty flavours to overcome blandness,” he says. “Additionally, texture is a key secondary focus – opportunities varied by category, but the most common theme was increasing firmness and cohesiveness.”

    He adds: “Overall, products that focus on whole-cut vegetables captured consumer interest and taste preference over products that incorporate novel ingredients like plant-based meat and mycelium, which were less desirable.”

    blended meat survey
    Courtesy: Nectar

    In fact, “a 50:50 ratio of meat with mushrooms or savoury vegetables was the most desired”, while meat-forward ratios and familiar ingredients scored highest overall.

    “We believe familiarity is one of the superpowers of this category, allowing consumers to have positive perceptions of the products before trial,” explains Dale. “In taste tests, mushrooms were the most preferred. Their natural umami and juiciness complement meat and were in two of the three products to reach taste superiority.”

    The inclusion rate of ingredients matters less than the product experience and product positioning. “The product experiences of some 50:50 products were as good or better than conventional meat. That’s the baseline for adoption,” says Dale. “But if a product that does well in sensory testing is not marketed correctly, people may actually have worse experiences.”

    Lessons for plant-based brands

    Dale points out that there’s “no consumer monolith” for blended meat – these products can serve different purposes for different people, and “solve problems that conventional meat alone cannot”.

    That said, he suggests three promising positioning opportunities for brands. The first involves “stealth health”. Parents looking to increase their children’s vegetable intake are a key demographic for balanced proteins.

    “A separate study of ours suggests that 85% of parents struggle to get their kids to eat healthier foods at least some of the time,” says Dale. “You see this positioning with Perdue Chicken Plus – one of the Taste Superiority [award] winners.”

    “Guilt-light” products represent another strategy, in reference to the health opportunity. “Consumers are looking to enjoy their same meat, but with added nutrients like fibre or reduced cholesterol and saturated fats,” says Dale.

    The third positioning strategy is for eco-conscious omnivores, since climate benefits were a draw for 51% of those surveyed. “However, we know that sustainability alone is not likely to drive purchases, and that’s why this research is so important – demonstrating that the sustainable choice is also now the more delicious choice,” says Dale.

    nectar balanced proteins
    Courtesy: Nectar

    Ultimately, though, these categories will “grow at the speed of taste”, he suggests. “Delivering an equivalent – or even superior – sensory experience is the baseline requirement for adoption. That’s why continued investment in sensory research and R&D is essential to ensure products meet consumer expectations,” Dale explains.

    “In the real world, taste perception doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s shaped by everything from packaging and context to messaging and marketing reach. How these products are positioned and a brand’s investment in marketing will be just as important as how they perform in a blind taste test.

    “Brands should start by asking: What problem are we solving for the consumer or customer? Then, they must communicate that benefit in a way that enhances the experience – without implying sacrifice or giving up the product they love.”

    The post Balanced Proteins: Omnivores Prefer These Blended Products Over 100% Meat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.