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Category: Future Foods

  • Could AI Be the Solution for Cheap Cultivated Meat? This French Startup Is Betting On It

    ai lab grown meat
    6 Mins Read

    French startup Gourmey, which is awaiting regulatory approval for cultivated meat in six markets, is betting on AI to solve the industry’s greatest problem.

    Gourmey, the Parisian firm producing foie gras by cultivating duck cells in bioreactors, is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address the scale and cost challenges that have long plagued the future food sector.

    The startup has partnered with DeepLife, an AI-led cellular digital twin tech company, to develop the world’s first avian digital twin. This is a virtual replica of poultry cells engineered to optimise growth conditions, nutrient density and flavour expression in cultivated meat.

    “The digital twin is an AI-powered virtual replica of our cell cultivation process. We train the model using comprehensive ‘omics’ data, such as gene expression and cellular composition, collected throughout the production cycle,” Gourmey co-founder and CEO Nicolas Morin-Forest tells Green Queen.

    “By integrating this data with first-principle models of cell metabolism, the digital twin enables us to run thousands of virtual experiments. This helps us identify the optimal feed formulations and bioreactor conditions to maximise yield, minimise resource use, and enhance the sensory qualities of our cultivated meat,” he adds.

    “Much like how animal feed impacts the quality of conventional meat, our digital twin helps us precisely tune every aspect of cell nutrition to deliver consistently high-quality products.”

    How DeepLife and Gourmey are leveraging AI to lower costs

    lab grown meat cost
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    The collaboration is initially centred on cultivated duck and poultry products, and combines DeepLife’s biology simulation engine with Gourmey’s proprietary cell cultivation platform. The goal is to produce cultivated meat on a large scale, at lower costs, and faster.

    DeepLife’s systems biology engine simulates and enhances key cellular behaviours, enabling companies to tweak variables like media composition (which tends to be the most expensive part of producing cultivated meat) and metabolic efficiency, ahead of conducting costly wet lab experiments.

    “Our goal is to tailor the feed and cultivation conditions to the exact needs of our cells. This optimisation increases yield and reduces feed waste, directly lowering our production costs. Moreover, the composition of the feed has a major influence on the sensory attributes, such as flavour and texture, of the final product,” says Morin-Forest.

    “By using digital twin models, we can optimise feed formulations not only to maximise efficiency but also to deliver the highest nutritional and sensory quality. And because we can simulate these changes virtually, we accelerate our R&D cycles and reduce costs associated with traditional trial-and-error.”

    The two firms are banking on the potential of an “integrative multi-omics approach” to optimise cultivated meat production. This combines studies of genomes, proteins, transcriptomes and metabolites to offer a powerful framework for characterising and validating cultivated meat at multiple biological levels.

    “These approaches can help ensure the stability of cell lines, characterise cellular composition, identify potential allergens, metabolites and other bioactive compounds, and assess the bioavailability of key nutrients,” reads a study by the two companies.

    “While many techniques can be adapted from pharma-oriented bioprocessing, cultivated meat production presents distinct challenges, including stricter cost constraints on culture media, constraints on the nutritional value of the cultured cells themselves, and a regulatory landscape that differs from that of pharmaceuticals,” it adds.

    “Currently, integrative omics strategies are not widely used in novel food risk assessment, due to a lack of validated approaches, although they represent a potential powerful tool to complement risk assessment and regulatory science.”

    Price reductions paramount for future of cultivated meat

    lab grown foie gras
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    Gourmey’s announcement of its partnership with DeepLife comes a month after a techno-economic analysis revealed that its 5,000-litre bioreactor system can potentially enable it to manufacture cultivated meat for as little as $3.43 per lb.

    “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,” Morin-Forest explained in an interview with Green Queen at the time.

    “This shows that cost-competitive, scalable, and economically viable cultivated meat is now within reach. Bringing costs down enables us to expand access, accelerate adoption, and maximise our positive impact across both premium and commodity protein markets,” he says now.

    “Lowering costs is critical for cultivated meat to become a mainstream, sustainable protein,” he adds. According to a 4,000-person survey, three in five Europeans 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).

    Efforts to do so have been top of mind for companies in the space. Experts suggest that cultivated meat can compete with conventional animal protein at a production cost of $2.92 by 2030. The industry has already lowered this by 99% in the last decade or so.

    Over the last year, several startups have achieved breakthroughs on this front. Meatly, which is approved to sell cultivated chicken to pets in the UK, recently reduced culture media costs to $0.30 per litre, which will further be lowered to just $0.02 at industrial scale.

    Another cultivated pet food startup, BioCraft Pet Nutrition, has 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.

    And last week, Chicago’s Clever Carnivore announced it has been operating with a media cost of $0.07 at pilot scale for over two years now.

    How AI can support filings for regulatory approval

    lab grown meat eu
    Courtesy: Romain Buisson

    Gourmey is pursuing regulatory approval in six markets, including the US, the UK, Switzerland, and the EU, and expects the greenlight in Singapore soon. It is using these AI-led optimisations to inform commercial-scale production and support its regulatory filings.

    “AI-powered digital twins provide a deep, data-driven understanding of our cell metabolism and production process. This allows us to demonstrate consistent product quality, traceability, and safety, key requirements for regulatory approval,” explains Morin-Forest.

    “By having robust, predictive models, we can more effectively document and verify the nutritional and sensory attributes of our products, which supports our applications with regulators in Europe, the US, and Asia.”

    Its partnership with DeepLife comes at a critical juncture for the cultivated meat industry. Seven countries have granted some form of approval for the sale of these proteins, and several others are evaluating applications. Currently, however, you can only buy cultivated meat in three nations (Singapore, Australia and the US).

    Meanwhile, in Italy and certain states in the US, politicians have banned the production and sale of cultivated meat, a move many others are trying to replicate. “We believe that consumers should have the freedom to choose foods that align with their values and preferences,” says Morin-Forest. “Rather than restricting choice, we encourage constructive dialogue and science-based regulation to ensure safety, transparency, and trust.”

    This is one of the many obstacles to large-scale, cost-competitive production of cultivated meat. And with investors no longer pouring sufficient capital into the industry to tackle these issues, it has prompted Gourmey to leverage their new favourite technology: AI.

    “This isn’t just a new biotech innovation – it’s the first step toward a food revolution,” claims DeepLife CO Jonathan Baptista. “And we are delighted to launch this partnership with Gourmey to create the AI-native leader in this emerging market.”

    The post Could AI Be the Solution for Cheap Cultivated Meat? This French Startup Is Betting On It appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Plant-Based Startup Prot Targets India’s Protein Deficiency with Category-First Block

    prot india
    7 Mins Read

    Mumbai-based Prot has released Prot Block, a shelf-stable ingredient offering health-conscious Indians a new format of plant-based protein.

    Walk into metropolitan India right now, and you might begin wondering whether you have a protein deficiency.

    Protein is everywhere right now, from chocolates and coffee to kulfi and even water. It has given a boost to functional health startups and forced dairy giants like Amul and Mother Dairy to innovate and introduce protein-rich offerings.

    Swathes of studies suggest that India has a protein problem—according to one survey, 73% of the country has a deficiency. That said, a separate analysis of household food intakes reveals that the risk of protein deficiency, when adjusted for digestible quality, is low in adults and non-existent in young Indians.

    Either way, the protein trend isn’t going anywhere. And in a country with the world’s largest vegetarian population, it’s an opportunity for plant-based companies.

    The challenge? Meat alternatives are still ultra-niche, and tofu (often marketed as ‘soy paneer’) is only just emerging into tier 2 cities. The industry’s USP, however, is health and nutrition.

    Polling shows that protein and health benefits are the most influential purchase drivers of plant-based meat and dairy in India, even more so than affordability. It’s what spurred the 18% growth of the vegan market between 2021 and 2024.

    According to market research firm Ipsos, this value is expected to expand 18-fold in the next decade, with plant proteins “set to be woven into everyday meals and snacks, attracting a wider audience beyond vegans”.

    It leaves room for new, innovative products that pack a punch with protein and fibre, all while satisfying the taste buds of a food-loving population.

    Not an alternative to tofu or paneer

    prot block
    Courtesy: Prot

    Prot, a Mumbai-based startup formerly known as Seaspire, is tapping into the opportunity. It has released Prot Block, a novel format of plant-based protein that isn’t quite a meat alternative or tofu, and holds its own on the culinary and nutrition fronts.

    “The motivation for us in developing this product actually came from an unintended blind test, where we just had some test consumers give insights on how they feel about the texture and early iterations of this product without any positioning… [except only] if they were given the option to eat plant protein,” co-founder Varun Gadodia tells Green Queen.

    “And this got us a strongly positive early feedback that vegetarian consumers in India and some Western markets are looking for a protein texture that can be incorporated easily in their daily food habits without sounding like any alternative or plant-based meat positioning.”

    Indeed, we’re already seeing this shift in Europe, where whole-food options and new formats are taking over the plant-based space. In the UK, Oh So Wholesome’s Veg’chop and This’s Super Superfood both offer protein blocks made from legumes and vegetables. Meanwhile, Austria’s Revo Foods uses mycoprotein to deliver The Prime Cut, which doesn’t mimic meat and is designed for functional nutrition instead.

    Prot Block – available in plain and tandoori flavours – contains 15g of protein (on par with tofu) and 10g of fibre per 100g, as well as 7g of fat sourced from coconuts and sunflower. In fact, both the overall and saturated fat content are over three times lower than paneer.

    “In the short to medium term, we don’t intend to raise this as a rival of traditional paneer or tofu, but more of an option in the vegetarian protein textures, as consumers don’t really have much to look at and they are looking for options more actively,” suggests Gadodia.

    “The commoditisation of soy and paneer in India within a very complex yet mature supply chain has left consumers with a choice paralysis with a cluttered marketplace of paneer, tofu and other soy derivatives,” he adds.

    “In order to meet the differentiated positioning, we took the road to break out of that clutter,” he continues. “An allergen-free offering is just another value-added category [in which] we aim to position this product as a counter.”

    Prot Block spotlights peas over soy

    plant-based protein india
    Courtesy: Prot

    Peas are the star ingredient, with the Prot Block comprising textured pea protein and pea protein isolate. Wheat fibre and spices close out the ingredient list.

    Using pea protein was a strategic choice to reduce the Asian market’s reliance on soy. “Reinventing the wheel with any soy-derived texture doesn’t compel consumers enough to look over the likes of tofu and tempeh, and soy granules, chunks or chaap (heavily consumed in many parts of India as a vegetarian protein),” Gadodia says.

    “The opportunity here is to establish bench standards for wider adoption of pea protein, which unfortunately has remained restricted to the supplement space,” he adds, contends that this will ultimately help lead to improved standards of protein processing and commercialisation.

    Prot describes the product as a versatile option suited to both local and international cooking styles, as well as a range of applications, from curries and rice to wraps and barbecue. “But this is just the beginning,” he says.

    “We are in the process of some process tweaks in the product, which can get us to position it as an on-the-go snack that can be consumed directly. The hint lies in packed halloumi sticks and cheese sticks,” Gadodia adds. “While the product is pre-cooked during the course of processing and can be consumed raw, we are not positioning this as a use case.”

    By offering a shelf-stable format, Prot is tackling a key bottleneck for India’s plant protein sector—the cold supply chain—while offering a long shelf life and potentially mitigating food waste.

    Government support is critical to tackling India’s protein deficiency

    prot protein block
    Courtesy: Prot

    The release of the product follows a closed-group pilot with more than 500 fitness enthusiasts, home cooks, and health-conscious, food-savvy early adopters. According to Prot, the feedback on taste, texture, nutrition and usability was “overwhelmingly positive”, underscoring the need for functional, high-protein options in the country.

    “India is largely protein-deficient, despite heavy dairy consumption,” says Gadodia. “The environment around plant-based protein as a healthier choice is offering a great stage. However, the motivators are high-protein, allergen-free, affordable, low-cholesterol, in contrast to slow or underperforming categories like plant-based meat alternatives.”

    Two in five Indians (21%) are looking to cut back on meat, while only 11% have given vegan alternatives a go (despite them being nutritionally equivalent or superior to animal protein). The space for new formats, therefore, is wide open.

    “The low-hanging fruit, even for us, is the audience seeking high-protein offerings and willing to try more value-added products, [whether] out of need or simply boredom,” he says.

    “The fact that plant protein products are still a niche is [reflective of] the consumer behaviour in India, which varies between a wide spectrum of cultural differences. While consumption in many regional markets is getting an upgrade with more disposable incomes, when it comes to food, consumers have a taste for traditional offerings,” the Prot co-founder explains.

    “Many of these traditional foods already include a good chunk of plant protein derived from lentils, etc., but clean and additive-free packaged foods that solve for convenience are still a white space.”

    The government, he believes, has a crucial role to play. Gadodia likens it to the promotion of the millet-based trade: “More formative policies can support the growth of plant-based foods, which need a robust supply chain and processing support to overcome scaling challenges.”

    This chimes with calls from other experts, who have urged the government to launch a national plant protein mission to scale the sector and build a dedicated policy framework for plant-based foods.

    Prot attracts pre-seed investment

    india protein deficiency
    Courtesy: Prot

    Prot’s protein block is priced at ₹199 ($2.3) per 200g product. That’s several degrees higher than what Indians pay for paneer and, in many cities, tofu.

    Gadodia admits that there’s an initial premium, though he insists that it is “well-gauged to a number that consumers are willing to pay for a value-added and differentiated protein offering that not only serves their need, but also hooks an aspiration to include a new product in their lifestyles”.

    “The current pricing is slightly higher than good-quality paneer offerings, yet it’s in a ballpark of what an early consumer is actively looking to spend to find a valuable offering. We have our early consumers who have found the product reasonable,” he says.

    “Our pricing strategy has been gauged carefully by understanding the value creation, early customers, unit economics and supply chain costs,” he adds. “Yet we have plans to improve pricing further with greater traction and quick turnaround times that could enable us to improve operational margins.”

    Prot Block is currently selling the ingredient on its website and via foodservice. “We have great foodservice partnerships in place with curated menus, kitchen takeovers, etc. taking place to raise consumer awareness, and driving it all to the B2C channel,” says Gadodia.

    To boost the startup’s plans, Gadodia and co-founder Shantanu Dhangar are now fundraising. “We have just closed a pre-seed funding round to support our growth plans with Prot Block and our growing presence in the retail and CPG space,” Gadodia says, hinting at an investor announcement in the coming weeks.

    In another example of the effort to diversify India’s plant protein sources, plant-based meat brand Blue Tribe Foods – backed by Indian actress Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli – has just unveiled Klaw, a brand of protein puffs derived from “supergrains”.

    The post Plant-Based Startup Prot Targets India’s Protein Deficiency with Category-First Block appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Make American Biotech Accelerate: Is RFK Jr’s Latest Promise Good News for Food Tech?

    rfk jr biotech
    6 Mins Read

    US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has pledged to cut red tape and maintain the country’s biotech leadership, despite the rollback of a Biden-era biomanufacturing mandate.

    From MAHA to MABA, the current US administration sure loves an acronym.

    Amid his war on pesticides and ultra-processed foods (UPFs), health secretary and former CRISPR investor Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced his intention to “Make American Biotech Accelerate”, as foreign powers gain ground in the sector.

    “The mission to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) includes MABA – Make American Biotech Accelerate,” he tweeted earlier this week. “We’re clearing the path to transform great science into real cures, at lower costs, and better health for the American people. Life science and biotech are at the heart of that.”

    The move is in direct contrast with Donald Trump’s executive order that rescinded his predecessor’s actions to advance biomanufacturing, as well as the government’s mass job cuts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.

    But could this biotech focus extend to food tech – and particularly alternative proteins, which have come under threat from state-level bans, a lack of investment, and the UPF discourse?

    RFK Jr looks to speed up regulatory approvals with MABA

    “President Trump showed in his first term what happens when you unlock American science – breakthroughs happen fast. Now, we’re going to do it again,” said Kennedy.

    Within the food tech world, cultivated meat firm Upside Foods previously told Green Queen that “most of the work” it did to get its chicken approved for sale in the US “was under the first Trump administration”. The same goes for Eat Just’s Good Meat, which was simultaneously greenlit by the US Department of Agriculture in June 2023.

    When RFK Jr took office, there were suggestions that the regulatory pathway for novel foods could become much more complicated. One close ally indicated that the health secretary was likely to make things much more complicated for startups pursuing FDA approval for cultivated meat.

    rfk jr self affirmed gras
    Courtesy: Win McNamee/Getty Images | Illustration by Green Queen

    Shortly after, he moved to eliminate a rule that allowed food and drug makers to self-affirm new ingredients under the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) pathway, calling it a “loophole” exploited by companies.

    “If the agency moves toward stricter oversight, it risks stifling innovation in the US, making it harder to bring groundbreaking, sustainable food solutions to market,” Brittany Chibe, co-founder and CEO of Aqua Cultured Foods, told Green Queen in March. Her startup uses biomass fermentation to make seafood analogues, and obtained self-determined GRAS status last year.

    Responding to the uncertainty, an FDA official told this publication at the time: “As the FDA continues to support innovation in food technologies, the agency’s priority is the safety of food produced through both innovative and traditional methods. The agency is committed to transparency on our approach to regulating foods made using innovative food technologies.”

    Speaking before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health this week, RFK Jr – a prominent vaccine sceptic – hinted that the US’s biotech approval process could become much more open.

    “We’re going to make sure that the United States remains the centre of [the] biotech revolution,” he said. “We’re going to try to dismantle the barriers to biotech development and approval, and to make sure that we do everything that we can to support that industry.”

    Already this year, Mission Barns and Wildtype have both received the FDA’s go-ahead to sell their cultivated pork and salmon, respectively, making the US the only country to have approved four such products. RFK Jr’s MABA initiative has a chance to extend this leadership, if deployed correctly.

    MABA is in contrast with Trump and RFK Jr’s actions

    “We know the power of US biotech. It’s time to let it flourish – not tie it up in red tape, misalignment, and a process that gives the edge to foreign interests and large incumbents,” Kennedy’s tweet read.

    Indeed, slowing action by the US government has driven increased innovation elsewhere. Singapore has long been a food tech leader (and was the first to clear the sale of cultivated meat), but China has made a wave of strategic advancements and backed alternative proteins to strengthen its biotech leadership.

    That has grasped the attention of Republicans, who last year aired their concerns in a letter responding to the director of national intelligence’s annual threat assessment. “Put simply, we cannot allow China to control more of the world’s food supply than it already does. To cede American leadership in the global innovative protein market to foreign adversaries like China is to forfeit the food security of the United States and its allies,” they wrote.

    make american biotech accelerate
    Courtesy: Jose Luis Magana/AP

    It’s in line with RFK Jr’s comments to the House this week, where he pointed out how China is “putting huge amounts of money into this space, and it’s important that we do the same thing”.

    But money is precisely the problem. Food tech funding has been on the decline, thanks to geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs, Trump’s tariff wars, and the rise of AI. But it’s not just private investors – the US government itself is divesting from the sector.

    One of the myriad executive orders signed by Trump upon his return to office rescinded a 2022 action by former President Joe Biden, which sought to advance biotech and biomanufacturing by prioritising R&D funding and streamlining regulation for precision fermentation, cultivated meat, and other novel foods. It led the Department of Defense to invest over $60M in 34 companies, including a host of alternative protein players.

    So the president has shied away from biotech innovation – how will that dovetail with RFK Jr’s promise? There’s also another conflict to consider. The health secretary wants to make it easier for biotech companies to secure regulatory approval, but seven states have now banned cultivated meat, and many others are planning to do the same.

    rfk jr ultra processed foods
    Courtesy: Margo Martin

    RFK Jr has also railed against UPFs, a classification most alternative proteins fall under. The government is now planning to launch a “bold, edgy” campaign to warn Americans about the health impact of these foods. These products have drawn ire from across the aisle, as well as Kennedy’s nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, despite nutritionists warning against a blanket rejection of all UPFs.

    It remains to be seen what the MABA programme really entails – and how it will sidestep the barriers created by its own proponents.

    The post Make American Biotech Accelerate: Is RFK Jr’s Latest Promise Good News for Food Tech? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Supreme Cheddarton, Vegan Dog Food & Nestlé Layoffs

    violife cheddarton
    6 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Violife’s protein-packed Cheddar alternative, Petaluma’s plant-based dehydrated dog food, and the EU’s vegan labelling war.

    New products and launches

    Vegan cheese giant Violife has launched Supreme Cheddarton in the UK. It’s a Cheddar alternative with at least 30% less fat and over 9g of plant protein (a rarity for coconut-oil-based cheeses), and is available at all major supermarkets for £2.95 per 200g block.

    violife supreme cheddarton
    Courtesy: Violife

    British frozen vegan pizza startup One Planet Pizza has revamped its recipe to add a bigger sourdough base, hand-stretched cheese, and more toppings.

    Still in the UK, the ongoing heatwave has led to plant-based meat firm This witnessing a 21% hike in sales of its vegan burgers and sausages over the past two weeks.

    German ingredient producer Raps has introduced Compound Vegan Roast, a functional solution to enhance the flavour of plant-based roast meat analogues.

    plant based roast
    Courtesy: Raps

    Likewise, French plant-based ingredient supplier Roquette has expanded its Nutralys line with two new textured solutions from wheat and pea protein.

    Following its success in the Netherlands, discount retailer Lidl has launched blended burger and mince SKUs with 60% beef and 40% plants in Belgium.

    In the UK, meanwhile, Lidl has unveiled high-protein vegan pudding pots in chocolate, caramel and hazelnut flavours under its Vemondo brand. They’re priced at £1.29 per 200g pack, each of which contains 20g of protein.

    unlimeat bbang
    Courtesy: Unlimeat/Green Queen

    South Korean plant-based brand Unlimeat has launched two desserts in the US. The Oat Cream Buns and Hotteok will be sold under the new Bbang label.

    Speaking of the US, plant-based chicken maker Rebellyous Foods has expanded its offerings with Spicy Kickin’ Nuggets, Tenders and Kickin’ Popcorn, which are now being served in over 390 school districts.

    Californian vegan pet food firm Petaluma has introduced the Whole Food Mixer, a dehydrated dog food topper with organic kale, spinach, and antioxidant-rich fruits.

    petaluma whole food mixer
    Courtesy: Petaluma

    And Indian vegan startup Plant Yum has released a millet-based, protein-packed mango shake premix as part of a new suite of instant drink powders aimed at the health-forward consumer segment.

    Company and finance updates

    Greek functional dairy-free ice cream maker Plan(e)t Foods has scooped up €1.05M to fuel its product development and expand into other European countries.

    Univer Solutions Belgium has expanded the distribution deal between its Foodology division and ingredient giant Ingredion to introduce plant proteins, functional native starches, and a range of stevia sweeteners to the Benelux region.

    proeon foods
    Courtesy: Proeon

    Dutch startup Proeon Foods is scaling up the production of its mung and peanut protein isolates in Pune, India, through funding from Invest International and national government agencies.

    Canada’s Burcon NutraScience Corporation, meanwhile, has signed a multi-year deal worth $6.8M to supply a leading provider of clean-label plant-based ingredients from its facility in Galesburg, Illinois. The first year is set to generate at least $1.4M in revenue for the manufacturer, which is set to increase every year.

    Swiss giant Nestlé will let go of 80 employees at its Krupka factory in Czechia, representing a fifth of the workforce. The move is in response to slowing demand for plant-based meat products in Europe.

    uk microbe hub
    Courtesy: Edinburgh Innovations

    The University of Edinburgh is leading the £14M state-backed Carbon-Loop Sustainable Biomanufacturing Hub, which aims to turn carbon-based waste into next-gen pharmaceuticals and cosmetics via microbial fermentation.

    Singaporean deep tech startup KosmodeHealth has shut its pilot plant for the production of its upcycled, high-protein W0W Noodle range, and shrunk its team by 80% as it is “trimming to grow”, its founder has announced.

    Belgian early-stage investor Biotope Ventures has announced the first close of €5M for its Biotope Ventures 2 fund, with an additional €4M set to be raised over the next 12 months to allow the fir to invest in up to 30 early-stage biotech startups.

    Research and policy developments

    The ‘veggie burger’ debate has cropped up again in the EU, with a group of ministers looking to introduce new rules to ban the use of meaty terms on plant-based products. It comes just months after the EU’s top court rejected a similar effort by France.

    Belgium has released its new food-based dietary guidelines, advising citizens to limit unprocessed red meat intake to 300g a week and promoting plant proteins, but there’s a lack of focus on dairy alternatives and sustainability-based recommendations.

    Researchers from South Korea have developed a scaffolding technology that can achieve precise marbling textures in cultivated meat. They used self-healing hydrogens that achieve robust, reversible bonding at a neutral pH.

    A report by tech forecasting firm GetFocus suggests that cultivated meat technologies are advancing faster than livestock farming, potentially accelerating the path to price parity.

    getfocus lab grown meat
    Courtesy: GetFocus

    Food awareness organisation ProVeg International has rolled out Future Plates, a catering guide to help large-scale event organisers offer plant-based meals to attendees.

    Events and awards

    Dutch cultivated pork startup Meatable is continuing its outreach efforts by participating in the Blue Earth Forum at the ongoing London Climate Action Week 2025 (June 21-29).

    On International Picnic Day, animal rights charity PETA unveiled a 23-metre-long vegan ham and butter sandwich at Place de la Bastille in partnership with La Vie, to symbolise the 23 million pigs killed for meat each year in France.

    peta jambon beurre
    Courtesy: Pam Méliee/PETA

    World Animal Protection, meanwhile, has launched the first Dine Vegan Nashville event. Running from June 22-28, it will promote vegan dining across the Music City via partnerships with local restaurants.

    In Hong Kong, animal welfare organisation Planet for All partnered with cruelty-free beauty pioneer Lush to promote Cage-Free Hong Kong, the city’s first welfare campaign for laying hens.

    In the US, organic plant milk brand Mooala‘s Simple Almond Milk has been named the Best Almond Milk in Good Housekeeping’s 2025 Snack Awards and Self Magazine’s 2025 Pantry Awards.

    cauldron ferm
    Courtesy: Cauldron

    The World Economic Forum has recognised Australian fermentation manufacturer Cauldron as a 2025 Technology Pioneer.

    Finally, ClimateCats Studios, the film studio run by the influencer duo Root the Future, has won the Best TV Series 2025 for its upcoming docuseries, Culturally Plant-Based, at the Milan Independent Awards.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Supreme Cheddarton, Vegan Dog Food & Nestlé Layoffs appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Doritos Plant-Based Collab: NotCo Unveils Flamin’ Hot Nuggets & Mayo

    notco doritos
    5 Mins Read

    Snack giant Doritos has teamed up with food tech startup NotCo to launch co-branded vegan products with the iconic Flamin’ Hot flavour in Chile.

    Known for its groundbreaking partnerships with food industry giants, Chilean food tech unicorn NotCo has unveiled its latest plant-based products that incorporate a renowned snack flavour.

    The startup has collaborated with PepsiCo-owned tortilla chip behemoth Doritos to launch Flamin’ Hot Not Chicken Nuggets, as well as the nacho-cheese-infused NotMayo Doritos.

    The result of an eight-month effort, the two products are available in NotCo’s home market of Chile, priced at $4.20 each. “Doritos, to me, is one of those things that you don’t need to be hungry to want one,” said NotCo co-founder and CEO Matias Muchnick.

    “The conversation began with a random connection. That quickly led us to a ‘what if?’ (which is the same as a ‘why not’, but reimagined),” he explained. “There were no infinite decks or eternal presentations. There was just a desire to do it. There were guts and common sense to move forward.”

    How NotCo and Doritos created the new products

    not mayo doritos
    Courtesy: NotCo/Doritos

    While the ingredients of either of the new products have not yet been revealed, they bear a resemblance to NotCo’s core products. Its Not Chicken Nuggets are made from a base of flour, sunflower oil, pea and bean protein, wheat gluten, while the original NotMayo contains soybean and sunflower oils, modified starch, spirit vinegar, chickpea flour, and more.

    The collaboration blends these innovations with the signature seasonings created by Frito-Lay, the PepsiCo subsidiary that owns Doritos, Cheetos, Lay’s and other snack brands. Flamin’ Hot originally contains a range of spices, cheese, MSG and food dyes, and the classic Doritos cheese flavour combines Cheddar and Romano cheeses with buttermilk, whey concentrate, and a host of spices.

    NotCo is known for turning CPG classics vegan, using Giuseppe, its artificial intelligence platform. It sifts through an almost infinite number of combinations to find the most suitable ingredients to replace animal-derived ones, complementing the work of food scientists, chefs, and product developers, from concept creation all the way to the final version of the formula.

    “When we sat down with the PepsiCo team, everything moved fast. The first thing was to try something out, and that was our bet – go big or go home,” said Muchnick. “Step one from Giuseppe? A Doritos ice cream sandwich covered in chocolate with Doritos-flavoured ice cream.

    “There were several of us at the table, and being a somewhat perceptive person, I noticed the immediate faces of: ‘What the hell did we get ourselves into?’ And rightfully so,” he recalled.

    But it was Benjamin Herrera, the marketing director for PepsiCo’s South Cone division, who stepped up and cracked the code. “I stared at him and saw the look on his face that screamed: ‘Holy shit,’ but he didn’t say it,” said Muchnick. “Instead, he smiled provocatively… and said: ‘Let’s go all in.’”

    Creating a Doritos-flavoured NotMayo “was too obvious not to do”, argued Muchnick, outlining how it made Doritos “even more Doritos-y”.

    “Then we jumped into the Flamin’ Hot craze and, with our collective obsession over Shaq’s reaction on one of YouTube’s most-watched shows, Hot Ones, we said: Not Chicken Nuggets Flamin’ Hot? Why (the fuck) not?” he added.

    doritos vegan
    Courtesy: NotCo/Doritos

    NotCo bets on AI tech to recreate more classics

    Herrera called the two products “intense, unexpected, daring and built with the best of both worlds: the power of Doritos’ intense and iconic flavour and NotCo’s food technology”.

    “This positions us at PepsiCo Southern Cone as a centre of talent and innovation. Because we are a global company, but we think locally in all the markets where we operate,” he said. “Thinking glocal is what allows us to continue surprising and growing.”

    The new nuggets and mayo will be produced by NotCo and sold by both brands, and other co-developed products will follow soon.

    PepsiCo is far from the only food and beverage leader working with NotCo, either on co-branded items or on tailored product development. Mars, Mondelēz International and Nestlé are all leveraging its AI platform to speed up their R&D and improve products.

    “Usually, they need better nutritional labels, [and] more cost-efficient formulations. Regulations are changing all the time. Governments are pushing towards having better products from many aspects,” Karim Pichara, co-founder and CTO of NotCo, told Green Queen in March. “Now, we have several projects with all these companies that are related to reformulation and end-to-end product creation.”

    not chicken nuggets flamin hot
    Courtesy: NotCo/Doritos

    Most notably, NotCo has formed a joint venture with The Kraft Heinz Company, which sells plant-based versions of classics like the blue-box mac and cheese and Oscar Mayer hot dogs in North America. This month, they released mac and cheese cups and chipotle-flavoured mayo to the market.

    The company recently unveiled a new GLP Booster powder for people who have weaned off Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs, or those who can’t or don’t want to use them.

    It’s already the largest alternative protein player in Latin America, and has teased more launches over the coming months. “We have a few products with some companies in Latin America, and also in the US and in Europe, where we are building entirely new concepts for them,” said Pichara.

    “There are several products – very iconic and famous products – that are going to be rolled out this year with a newer version, and we were the ones that reformulated those,” he added.

    The post Doritos Plant-Based Collab: NotCo Unveils Flamin’ Hot Nuggets & Mayo appeared first on Green Queen.

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

    libre foods
    7 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Planetary eyes Libre Foods’s fermentation and AI capabilities

    mycelium chicken
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

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

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

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

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

    libre foods bacon
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

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

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

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

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

    Founders ‘bear some responsibility’ for alternative protein decline

    planetary sa
    Courtesy: Planetary

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

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

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

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

    alternative protein funding
    Courtesy: GFI

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

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

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

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

    Libre Foods deal adds to industry consolidation drive

    libre foods acquisition
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

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

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

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

    libre bacon
    Courtesy: Libre Foods

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

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

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

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

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  • Dutch Retailer Albert Heijn Joins Blended Protein Push with Hybrid Meat & Milk Range

    5 Mins Read

    Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn has introduced 15 products combining meat and dairy with plant-based ingredients in the largest such rollout of blended proteins yet.

    The Netherlands really is going big on blends.

    After Lidl and Aldi, Albert Heijn has become the latest supermarket to join the hybrid protein crusade. And it hasn’t just launched a singular burger or mince, the retailer has gone all out with 15 new products combining animals with plants, spanning both meat and milk.

    The new range includes semi-skimmed milk, sausages, salami and deli meats, which are blended with ingredients like faba and butter beans, celeriac, and sugar beet fibre. They’re available in stores now, and crucially, are priced the same as their conventional counterparts.

    “These products are more than just delicious. They are the future of food – where taste, health, and sustainability go hand in hand,” said Danilla Vegam, global senior VP of health and sustainability at Ahold Delhaize, the retailer’s parent company.

    Can blended meat overturn poor plant protein sales?

    albert heijn hybride
    Courtesy: Albert Heijn/Green Queen

    By blending meat with plant-based ingredients, Albert Heijn is targeting both health and sustainability wins. 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 can be a useful solution, especially as concerns about poor taste and ultra-processing slow the uptake of plant-based meat products. While Ahold Delhaize announced a plant protein strategy at the start of the year, it has since admitted that sales of these products at Albert Heijn have been disappointing.

    The supermarket 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%.

    blended meat
    Courtesy: Nectar

    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. That’s likely what convinced Albert Heijn to go all out on blended meat. It is marketing the products as low-fat, and they cost the same or less than conventional meat.

    The range includes seven beef products, including hamburgers, minced meat, sausages, and soup balls. They contain 66-76% beef, which is mixed primarily with 21-23% sugar beet fibre, alongside flavourings, preservatives, and starches.

    For consumers, the big benefit lies in a lower saturated fat content. The blended burger and soup balls, for instance, contain 44% less saturated fat than their fully animal-derived counterparts. And while they contain slightly less protein, they offer fibre – a macronutrient currently in demand from consumers optimizing for better gut health.

    Meanwhile, Albert Heijn has introduced a line of deli sausages blended with plants too. The salami and cervelaat slices are mixed with butter beans and offer a 30% reduction in total fat, while the grilled, cooked, sandwich and roasted minced meat sausages are combined with kohlrabi (helping halve the fat content).

    Hybrid milk range targets saturated fat and emissions

    albert heijn hybrid milk
    Courtesy: Albert Heijn

    The hybrid milks were developed by Dutch firm Farm Dairy and Denmark’s PlanetDairy, who recently introduced a three-strong lineup of cow’s milk blended with plant protein to lower saturated fat content and deliver a 20-30% reduction in emissions.

    “The first challenge to overcome was taste and appearance. The new milk blend had to look and taste like traditional dairy milk that people are used to,” explained PlanetDairy CTO Paul Cornillon. “Then, of course, it needs to be affordable. So ingredients must be selected carefully. And in between, the team also had to ensure a strong nutrition profile.”

    Each round of product development was met with consumer feedback before being presented to Albert Heijn. In the final range, they settled on 60% cow’s milk for the semi-skimmed version, combining it with sunflower oil, faba bean protein, sugar and salt, and fortifying it with vitamins and calcium. The whole milk, meanwhile, contains 70% conventional dairy.

    There are several benefits here. By substituting some of the cow’s milk with plant-based ingredients, Albert Heijn is able to minimise the climate footprint of its dairy offerings. And while the blended milks have slightly lower protein (by 12-14%), they drastically reduce the amount of saturated fat by around 70%.

    According to the company, they retain the taste of 100% cow’s milk while adding plants to people’s diets – a key ESG and planetary health goal. “The idea of combination products is new and may take some getting used to. But taste tests show that these products are just as tasty as the regular versions,” said Nienke Tjerkstra, VP of health and sustainability at Albert Heijn.

    plant based barriers
    Courtesy: Roland Berger

    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%).

    Previous attempts at hybrid dairy have been middling, and existing ranges – like Kerry Group’s Smug Dairy line of cheeses and butter – are much more expensive than conventional dairy (and even some plant-based versions). So pricing the new blended milks at parity is a shrewd move by Albert Heijn.

    “This is just the first step. We are already working on our next project together: yoghurt blends,” said PlanetDairy CEO Jakob Skovgaard. This keys into what consumers want: a recent poll found that people are most receptive to hybrid yoghurts and ice creams, though they’re least interested in beverages and milk alternatives.

    Albert Heijn’s Tjerkstra remains bullish on the idea. “We’re making it easier to eat plant-based more often, without customers having to compromise on taste or habits. Small changes can make a big difference – for yourself and for the planet,” she said.

    The post Dutch Retailer Albert Heijn Joins Blended Protein Push with Hybrid Meat & Milk Range appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Agriculture: The Planet’s Biggest Resource Drain, And Our Most Untapped Solution

    agriculture map
    5 Mins Read

    A new map by RA Capital Management and the Nature Conservancy uncovers ‘the true impact’ of agriculture on Earth’s systems, and why it’s the most overlooked opportunity to improve public and planetary health.

    Despite the food system using half of Earth’s habitable land and 70% of its freshwater resources, and generating more methane than any other industry, its impact and scale often go unnoticed.

    A new Agriculture Map aims to change that. Created by investment firm RA Capital Management’s Planetary Health team and NGO the Nature Conservancy, the tool blends “proprietary data analysis” with a “systems-level approach” to help visualise agriculture’s effects on the planet and provide solutions to stakeholders at all levels.

    “The environmental and human health challenges posed by the food system are well-understood in some circles, but making this information material and actionable to stakeholders can be a real challenge,” said Stephen Wood, a senior scientist of agriculture and food systems at the Nature Conservancy.

    “This map makes it possible for non-experts to quickly understand the scope and scale of the problem, as well as the solutions,” he noted.

    Here are some key takeaways from the Agriculture Map.

    Agriculture’s climate impact outweighs other industries, including oil and gas

    agriculture climate change
    Courtesy: RA Capital Management/Nature Conservancy

    The agriculture industry produces more output by weight, from food and fibre to fuel and wood, than each of the cement, steel, and oil and gas industries. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, its impact is larger than all three of these heavy industries combined.

    Further, agriculture consumes more water and causes more water pollution than any other human activity. The other industries use just a fraction of the water agriculture does, and less than 1% of its land footprint.

    Energy is the only area where these heavy industries surpass agriculture, given the use of fossil fuels as power sources.

    Food production is the biggest methane culprit

    agriculture methane emissions
    Courtesy: RA Capital Management/Nature Conservancy

    More than any other human activity, it’s agriculture that releases the most amount of methane into the atmosphere. This gas is 28 times more potent than carbon over a 100-year period, and is linked to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths.

    The map shows that enteric fermentation, manure, and rice paddies contribute to 24% of global methane emissions. The digestive system of cows alone emits more methane than the oil, coal and bioenergy sectors combined. In fact, the overall GHG impact of cattle is roughly the same as all cars on the road globally.

    The amount of food we waste is off the charts

    Roughly a third of all food produced never ends up being eaten. That could actually feed a quarter of the world’s population, helping alleviate global hunger.

    It’s not just a blight to food security, but also to the planet. The land required to grow all the food we waste is almost twice the size of the US, and the water needed would fill 100 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. That’s a lot of resources to eventually toss into the bin.

    food waste stats
    Courtesy: RA Capital Management/Nature Conservancy

    Ozempic could make the food system more equitable

    The report suggests that the food system produces twice as many calories as needed to support the global population, concluding that the driver of malnutrition and food insecurity isn’t a lack of food, but rather inadequate distribution.

    The rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro “likely foreshadows [a] further reduced need for producing excess calories in richer countries”.

    Switching to cultivated meat brings massive land benefits

    If the entire meat industry were to exclusively switch to cultivated proteins, it would save over 36.3 million sq km of area currently being used for pasture and animal feed. It would free up 96% of land currently being used by the livestock sector – that’s equivalent to more than 18 Mexicos.

    lab grown meat climate change
    Courtesy: RA Capital Management/Nature Conservancy

    So, what can we do?

    While these stats make for grim reading, there are a host of solutions that can help decarbonise the food system and safeguard the planet’s future.

    The report touts the use of feed additives, vaccines, improved manure management, and rotational grazing to cut the methane impact of cattle, although studies have warned that the efficacy of some additives is vastly overstated.

    Optimising yields by applying the most productive practices across all staple grains and produce globally can help clear up land the size of Mexico. Shifting a significant chunk of fruit and vegetable production to greenhouses could save up to 40% of the land it currently uses.

    The report advocates for on-field interventions like cover crops, nutrient optimisation, weed control, and genetically optimised plant traits, as well as edge-of-field measures such as land restoration and terracing.

    Finally, the adoption of alternative proteins to reduce or replace animal-based foods represents a $14B opportunity, with more than 200 startups working in the space. The impact of displacing conventional meat with cellular agriculture exhibits the potential of protein diversification in the long term.

    “If we are serious about tackling climate change, water pollution, and food security, we must rethink how we grow, produce, and manage our resources,” said Kyle Teamey, managing partner of RA Capital’s Planetary Health team. “Sustainable solutions are not just an option – they are a necessity to transform agriculture into a cleaner, more efficient, and resilient industry that can feed the world for generations to come.”

    The post Agriculture: The Planet’s Biggest Resource Drain, And Our Most Untapped Solution appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Canada’s New School Foods Expands Into Plant-Based Beef Under New Entity

    ns/tx industries
    5 Mins Read

    Canadian whole-cut plant-based meat maker New School Foods has expanded its business structure and diversified from salmon to beef.

    Following months of aggressive expansion for its plant-based whole-cut salmon in Canada, New School Foods is now broadening more than just its foodservice footprint.

    The Toronto startup has now evolved into NS/TX (New School Textures) Industries, an expanded business that acts as a parent to its R&D and manufacturing divisions, as well as the New School Foods consumer brand.

    The move sees the firm expand its portfolio past seafood and into red meat, with NS/TX’s scaffolding process and directional freezing technology able to create not just whole-cut salmon fillets, but also steak and bone-in ribs.

    Expanding the business will allow it to operate both as a producer and as a manufacturing partner to other companies looking to experiment and scale up without having to build from the bottom up.

    “We have spent the last year scaling up our manufacturing process into an assembly line that can create all of these products, and we decided that we don’t want to reserve this technology for a single brand,” explained founder and CEO Chris Bryson.

    “The creation of NS/TX allows us to partner with other brands to develop and manufacture the next generation of alternative protein products.”

    NS/TX’s technology is ‘species-agnostic’

    plant based salmon
    Courtesy: NS/TX Industries

    Instead of extrusion, a widely used technique in the industry that denatures proteins via heat, NS/TX employs directional freezing to allow products to start raw and cook like conventional meat.

    The production method is built around a plant-based scaffolding that mimics animal muscle and connective tissues, with the same diameter, length, strength and behaviour. The layers of tissue are reproduced via a patent-pending injection process and give products a flaky texture.

    The scaffold macrostructure can be made into any shape and size, and the texture can be modified by tuning the diameter, length and resistance of the muscle fibres to match any meat type. The pattern and composition of the connective tissue can also be customised, while the multi-layered scaffolds can be infused with “nearly any protein, liquid oil, flavour and colours”, the company explained.

    NS/TX has previously described the platform as “species-agnostic”, hinting at its capabilities beyond seafood. Since the scaffolding can be used with plant-based, fermentation-derived or cell-cultivated proteins, it paved the way for the startup to enter B2B co-manufacturing and white-label partnerships.

    vegan ribs
    Courtesy: NS/TX Industries

    “Our scaffolding technology has proven to be more flexible than we imagined, and shown that it can be a superior manufacturing alternative to extrusion for red meat as well as seafood applications,” explained Bryson.

    The scaffolds can be embedded with plant-based ‘bones’ to emulate steak and ribs, opening up a new avenue for the company. Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles made a splash in 2023 when it launched vegan Baby Ribs with edible bones, which were made from the byproducts of plant protein production.

    In addition, NS/TX is utilising waste, finding that the excess material from shaping its whole cuts can form products like ground or flaked meats and fish. “We recently started processing the waste from our cutting process, and turned it into a salmon burger. We soft-launched it last month, and it’s doing super well,” Bryson told Green Queen last month.

    Evolved company pulls focus on manufacturing and R&D

    whole cut vegan steak
    Courtesy: NS/TX Industries

    Founded in 2021, NS/TX carries out all its R&D, engineering and production at its recently opened 28,000 sq ft facility in Toronto, using off-the-shelf food manufacturing equipment that significantly lowers costs compared to extrusion or cellular agriculture.

    This year, the company has signed agreements to bring its whole-cut salmon to over 30 restaurants across Canada, spanning Michelin Guide standouts, boutique hotels, ramen and sushi shops, and emerging chains. It has penned distribution deals with Gordon Food Service, the largest family-operated food distributor in North America, and speciality food purveyor Bondi Produce.

    Now, it’s moving into its next phase with the evolved entity, which houses three business units. New Schools Foods is the consumer-facing brand through which it will produce the salmon and beef analogues.

    NS/TX R&D will feature a scientific and culinary innovation team that collaborates with other companies to develop custom formulations and products using its technology.

    And NS/TX Manufacturing will open up its tech to a wider clientele, working with other food companies to develop and scale private-label, white-label and co-branded offerings. This division will be rolled out over time.

    new school foods
    Courtesy: NS/TX Industries

    The firm has raised upwards of $19M to date, including via a $6M funding round led by Inter IKEA, the holding company of the furniture giant, last year. That came during the ongoing investment drought for alternative proteins, where startups attracted 27% less capital in 2024 than the year before.

    “The 2018-19 era showcased that there is indeed demand for more sustainable foods. We also see that all the time in our sales process. The problem is that there is an R&D and product quality gap, and customer expectations have not been met,” Bryson told Green Queen last month.

    “At the end of the day, there needs to be a compelling value proposition for customers, and many products are just not there yet. Through proper investments in R&D and newer production technologies like ours, that can be solved.”

    The post Canada’s New School Foods Expands Into Plant-Based Beef Under New Entity appeared first on Green Queen.

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  • Cultivated Meat Firm Hoxton Farms Goes All-In On Asia’s Biomanufacturing Prowess

    hoxton farms

    4 Mins Read

    British cultivated pork startup Hoxton Farms has teamed up with Japan’s Mitsui Chemicals in its latest move, spotlighting Asia’s biomanufacturing leadership.

    When it comes to cultivated meat, Europe is still playing catch-up thanks to its regulatory framework, leading many startups to look elsewhere. But while the US may be the only country to have approved four of these products for sale, the protein culture wars have left the novel industry vulnerable.

    That leaves an Asia-sized opportunity for Europe’s alternative protein leaders, and they’re going all in. Several firms have applied for regulatory approval and struck partnerships to manufacture cultivated meat in the world’s largest continent, thanks to a thriving biomanufacturing ecosystem and an increasingly inviting regulatory landscape.

    One of those companies is Hoxton Farms, the London-based producer of cultivated meat. In March, it teamed up with Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation to commercialise its pork fat ingredient in the country and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

    Now, it is doubling down on Japan through a partnership with Mitsui Chemicals, which has joined as an investor in the British startup. They will work together to expand biomanufacturing, cultivated fat, and other cell-based ingredients across Asia-Pacific.

    Hoxton Farms and Mitsui Chemicals to develop suite of cell-based ingredients

    lab grown meat regulatory approval
    Courtesy: Hoxton Farms

    The collaboration will leverage Hoxton Farms’s technology and Mitsui Chemicals’s manufacturing expertise to accelerate the scale-up and commercialisation of biomanufacturing tech for high-value industries, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and sustainable materials.

    Hoxton Farms’s modular bioreactor systems are designed for large-scale cell culture at drastically low costs, paving the way for the manufacturing of a range of bioproducts. Mitsui Chemicals, meanwhile, has decades of experience in chemicals manufacturing, process engineering, and infrastructure development, alongside a portfolio of biomanufacturing-ready materials.

    The two companies said they will co-develop and deploy advanced materials that enhance the efficiency, durability and scalability of biomanufacturing systems.

    They will start with Hoxton Fat, a lipid derived from cultivated pork cells that offers manufacturers a “drop-in” replacement for unhealthy animal fats and poor-performing plant oils in products like soups, sauces, and even conventional meat. The alliance will further explore opportunities for other cell-cultured and bioengineered products – think cosmetics, cell therapies, or bio-based chemicals.

    “Starting with Hoxton Fat, an innovative and delicious ingredient that aligns with the sustainability policy of Mitsui Chemicals Group, we look forward to working together to establish an ecosystem for a wide range of applications and worldwide regions, leveraging our knowledge of materials and manufacturing,” said Shunsuke Fujii, general manager of Mitsui Chemicals’s New Business Incubation Center.

    Tapping into Asia’s biomanufacturing leadership

    hoxton farms mitsui
    Courtesy: Hoxton Farms

    Max Jamilly, co-founder and CEO of Hoxton Farms, said: “As demand for sustainable alternatives grows across industries, we need a new generation of biomanufacturing infrastructure.” The goal of the collaboration is to unlock cross-sector innovation and economic growth in Asia-Pacific and across the world.

    Globally, the next-gen biomanufacturing market, which offers low-carbon alternatives to petrochemicals and animal-derived products, was valued at $24B last year, and is expected to nearly triple by 2037. While North America retained the largest share, Asia-Pacific isn’t far behind.

    This is thanks to a rise in policies establishing robust local supply chains that lower the reliance on imports and boost the economy. China has already established itself as a biomanufacturing leader, integrating biotech into its Made in China 2025 strategy and the 14th Five-Year Plan (covering 2021 to 2025).

    Others are gaining ground too. South Korea’s Bio-Health Industry Promotion Plan looks to enhance its biotech ecosystem via initiatives like the Advanced Biotechnology Initiative and the National Synthetic Biology Initiative (which aims to turn 30% of its manufacturing into the bio-industry within a decade).

    Singapore has long been a pioneer of food tech innovation, having been the first country to approve the sale of cultivated meat and gas proteins. The Biologics Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore, meanwhile, aims to boost local manufacturing via a public-private consortium.

    eat just singapore
    Courtesy: Eat Just

    Last year, India launched its BioE3 policy with a focus on accelerating tech development and commercialisation by setting up biomanufacturing hubs and biofoundries. Japan, meanwhile, wants to become the most advanced bioeconomy society by 2030, and has announced an $8B fund to support biomanufacturing.

    Meanwhile, Singapore is already assessing several more regulatory filings for cultivated meat, as are Thailand and South Korea. And just this week, Australia and New Zealand granted final approval for Vow to sell its cultured quail (which has been available in Singapore since spring 2024).

    Speaking to Green Queen in March, Jamilly said: “We will file this year in Singapore and the US, followed by UK and other jurisdictions such as Thailand, Japan, Korea, and Australia and New Zealand. We expect to go to market in Singapore first.”

    The post Cultivated Meat Firm Hoxton Farms Goes All-In On Asia’s Biomanufacturing Prowess appeared first on Green Queen.

  • Are We Eating The Earth? An Interview with Award-Winning Author Michael Grunwald About His Groundbreaking New Book

    we are eating the earth
    11 Mins Read

    An interview with the author of a new book that exposes how flawed land-use math is derailing climate progress and argues that even eliminating fossil fuels won’t save us unless we fix food production’s massive emissions.

    We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate is the latest book by award-winning journalist and author Michael Grunwald. Its main thesis is that we’re basing our climate decisions on the wrong math when it comes to land use, and that until we solve for this Brazil-sized blind spot, we cannot solve for climate change.

    The book is heavy on science, numbers, and policy, which may discourage some, but Grunwald is a gifted storyteller. While he does not offer up any easy answers, Grunwald is a fan of humanity and an admirer of our capacity for world-changing innovation, and the book ends on a hopeful note. Below is an edited and condensed version of my interview with him. For a longer review of the book, see here.

    This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

    Sonalie Figueiras (Green Queen): What was your plan when you started working on this book about food and climate?

    Mike Grunwald: Honestly, I didn’t have one. I was pretty ignorant about the subject, despite being a policy reporter focused on energy and climate. I realised I was missing a huge piece of the puzzle, and I felt someone needed to figure it out, so I guess that would be me. I certainly didn’t know where it would lead.

    GQ: Who is this book for? It’s heavy on science and policy, not terribly popular topics for the average Joe and Jane. Did you have a specific audience in mind?

    MG: Publishers often tell you to find your “tribe”. The kind of people who are going to be your people, who are going to buy your book. One of the reasons I’m nervous about selling this book is that there isn’t one tribe. There’s going to be something in there that everybody—vegans, climate activists, farmers, foodies—is going to have a problem with. 

    So I guess this book is for people who are interested in policy, don’t know much about it, and want to learn. I’ve got to plead guilty to putting a lot of science and policy in the book…But I worked really hard to try to make the medicine go down easy, and make it fun and entertaining.

    GQ: Let’s talk about the main character. The book focuses on the life and career of Tim Searchinger. Why tell his story?

    MG: It happened organically. I’ve known Tim for 25 years. He was an important source for me early in my career. He gave me the tip that led me to write about the Army Corps of Engineers, so he was an important source for me early in my career. I knew him as incredibly honest and fact-driven, but also as someone who can be difficult and has a lot of enemies.

    When I was trying to sell the book, someone advised me to have a human element rather than just focusing on abstract issues. Tim became that anchor. When I started looking into food and climate, he was my first call. I realised he had become a leading authority on the intersection of agriculture and climate. His story became central because it quickly became clear this was a story about land use and about “eating the earth.”

    Courtesy: Simon & Schuster

    GQ: How did you come up with this concept of “eating the earth”?

    MG: It came from learning all these statistics, like how two out of every five acres of land on the planet are used for agriculture. And the main reason we’re losing tropical forests is agriculture. I realised that was the core story. 

    GQ: While the book is mostly about Tim and his journey, you take a detour into the story of Bruce Friedrich, the founder of the Good Food Institute, and the birth of the alternative protein industry for a couple of chapters. How did that happen?

    MG: I wanted to tell the whole story about food, agriculture, and climate – the demand side, the supply side, carbon farming, all of it. As you know better than anyone, alternative proteins are a really important part of the food and climate story, and it’s an awesome story. It would have been disingenuous to make it all about Tim, so he disappears from the narrative for a bit. I knew some reviewers might question that, but it felt necessary. 

    GQ: And from your telling, Tim played a role in connecting Bruce Friedrich with the Bezos Earth Fund, which led to significant investments from Bezos towards three alternative protein research centres in the US, UK and Asia, which was fun to learn about! 

    MG: Well, I’m just a reporter, but I guess I might have accidentally played a part! [Laughs]. The butterfly wings may have flapped a little bit there. 

    GQ: Your alt-protein chapters do seem very US-centric, while I would argue it’s a global industry.

    MG: That’s fair. The beginning of this tech story was in the US, with people like Bruce Friedrich, Josh Tetrick, Uma Valeti, Pat Brown, and Ethan Brown. I was lucky to attend the GFI Conference in San Francisco in 2019 when there were real conversations about the meat industry potentially disappearing.

    Of course, things are happening all over the world, and I can’t cover it all, but I wanted to tell the story of the birth of the sector, which was taking place in the US, so those chapters ended up being more US-centric.

    GQ: What are your biggest takeaways from the alt-protein chapters? 

    MG: What was different about this movement was the idea of trying to sell alt-proteins to non-vegetarians. It wasn’t just for a niche market…So I do feel like those few companies were doing something fundamentally different. I think there was a real story to tell about the start of that. Today, there’s a lot of doom and gloom in the alt-protein world, but I think it’s still a very exciting story.

    Michael Grunwald- Climate Feed Speaker
    Courtesy: Michael Grunwald

    GQ: Overall, you seem bullish on alt-proteins and hopeful about solutions overall. But the book also acknowledges that progress is slow.

    MG: Absolutely. It was important to me not to write a completely negative book. There are dozens of exciting solutions and fascinating people working on them, but none of these solutions has made very much progress yet. [When I started following the alt-protein industry], I was excited about what I was reporting on, but also objective enough to realise some people were being overly optimistic. Some people were predicting the end of animal agriculture by 2035, but that seems unlikely. One of the main messages of the book is that there isn’t just one solution. It’s not an all-or-nothing situation. We’re going to need many solutions. There will be advancements and setbacks.

    GQ: You also say Western countries need to eat less meat, but you’re not telling people to stop eating meat entirely. That’s not always a popular message.

    MG: No, it isn’t. People often want to hear a simple answer. But it’s about nuance. I believe “better is better than worse.” It’s okay if people make incremental changes. I still eat meat. I cut out beef for a while, but then I went to cattle ranches in Brazil and ate some delicious steak. We’ve been eating meat for millions of years. I think it’s great when people go vegan or vegetarian, but I also think it’s great when people just try to do better. I don’t expect anyone to be perfect.

    GQ: That’s interesting. That idea of “perfect” feels very American. As a half-French person, my sense is that Europeans have a more balanced approach, with my French and German friends being very comfortable saying: “I believe in climate action, and also, once in a while, I eat beef.” You see the rise of flexitarianism in Europe, with people reducing their meat consumption but not necessarily going vegan.

    MG: I think that’s true. This idea that it’s either black or white seems more American. Europeans tend to have a more balanced approach. 

    GQ: We do love a silver bullet, and I do think most people are going to ask you: “What’s the one solution, Mike?”

    MG: The fact is, even if the rich world reduced beef consumption by 50%—which is extraordinarily ambitious—and let’s say we cut food waste by 50%, which is also really hard, and got rid of biofuels (a ridiculous waste of farmland), we’d still need to raise yields faster over the next 25 years than we did in the last 50. We’d have to make a lot more food with a lot less land. We need to produce more food without using more land.

    Efficiency is key for food security and for protecting wildlands. High-yield agriculture is essential for feeding the growing population without destroying more of our planet. We can’t just hand-wave these numbers away and say: “Maybe it won’t get that bad.” We’re on track to deforest another dozen Californias by 2050 if we don’t change. So yeah, we’re going to have to make a lot of changes.

    GQ: My sense is that climate people don’t want to hear that no matter what, in the future, we’ll be eating more meat.

    MG: Look, the first thing humans do when they’re less poor is eat more meat. It’s silly to pretend otherwise. Consumerism is relevant to climate, but people have to eat. It’s not like fossil fuels, where we can find alternatives. Emissions might be peaking; we can see an energy transition happening. But with food? There are no alternatives. The problem’s getting worse—no positive trends here. We have to roll up our sleeves and get serious.

    I can’t give people the simple answer they want, which probably will hurt my book sales and make me a less compelling podcast guest. But this shit is hard.

    It’ll take nerds working on niche solutions, plus political, corporate, and behavioural change – none of which is happening now. That’s why I wrote the book. I’m banging my spoon, yelling: “Hey, world, we gotta do something!”

    I’m trying a big-tent approach. Industrial ag can learn from regenerative ag, and vice versa. We can honour vegans without demanding universal veganism. Whether your issue is antibiotics, pandemic risk, animal welfare, worker rights, or Big Ag’s terrible politics—all valid. Let’s all try to make things better. We don’t have to agree on everything. 

    GQ: You wrestle with whether consumers are responsible for the climate. You push back against the popular eco argument – “stop blaming consumers, these are systemic issues” – but also cite Project Drawdown’s list, which says that the top climate actions are wasting less food and eating less meat.

    MG: I hate this trend—I wrote about it for Politico during Covid—where it’s uncool to talk about individual action. Headlines like “I work in environmentalism”, “I don’t care if you recycle” or “Going vegan won’t save the world”. The idea is that focusing on personal behaviour makes environmentalists seem like scolds, or worse, does the work of oil companies and Big Meat. But Exxon and Trump aren’t driving your SUV to the mall. McDonald’s and JBS aren’t force-feeding you burgers.

    GQ: Though many people live where McDonald’s is cheaper than almost any other food. 

    MG: Absolutely, and we should fix that. But it’s a bad look for the environmental movement to say: “Climate is an emergency! We’re past 1.5°C – we’re screwed!” and then add: “But your personal emissions don’t matter.” No, it all matters. We need better policy, yes—we must talk about McDonald’s, food systems, and perverse incentives. Too much of my book is about accounting (sorry), because bad climate accounting creates bad incentives.

    But you nailed it: eating less beef and wasting less food are good. Beef is far worse than chicken or pork for climate and other reasons. If the average American swapped one beef burger a week for an Impossible Burger, we’d save a Massachusetts-sized chunk of land yearly. I won’t hand-wave individual actions away. They’re not the only thing—ignoring policy is a mistake—but we need better policy, better incentives, and better behaviour. When we fail, we try again.

    GQ: That’s fair. Once again, very nuanced. Very tough for people to swallow.

    MG: Doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker… [laughs].

    GQ: Unlike most non-vegan food-focused climate books and groups, regenerative agriculture does not come off too well in the book. Can you talk more about this?

    MG: It’s the ultimate silver bullet narrative: “Farm a little kinder, go back to the old ways, diversify crops, be nice to the soil, and all that atmospheric carbon will magically return to the earth—Kumbaya!” Carbon farming isn’t entirely bullshit, but mostly. Soil carbon is hard to measure, hard to keep in place, and hard to prove you’re not just robbing Peter to pay Paul. Worse, you can’t add significant carbon to soil without adding nitrogen, which has its own climate problems.

    The idea that regenerative agriculture will solve climate change? I push back hard. And it’s being pushed by Al Gore, Michael Pollan… And it’s not just the left – Bobby Kennedy, Joe Rogan, plus the Rockefeller Foundation, the UN, and agribusinesses like Danone and General Mills slapping “regenerative” on everything. As a climate solution, it’s wildly oversold.

    Look, I’m not just the “industrial ag guy.” The NYT gave my essay [about this] a provocative headline, but yes, we need better industrial ag—not its elimination. My North Star? High-yield agriculture. We must make more food with less land. Factories excel at mass production; factory farms are good at mass food. Sri Lanka tried ditching chemicals cold turkey—yields crashed, and the government fell. Disaster!

    That said, I don’t think all regenerative ag is bad. It does improve soil health. In Brazil, I met Bolsonaro-supporting ranchers – definitely not Michael Pollan readers—using regenerative and industrial practices (feedlots, fertilised pastures). They just wanted higher yields. Efficiency and yield are my priorities, which, to some, makes me sound like a corporate shill.

    “Factory” is a dirty word. But I’m not a farmer or agronomist. The agroecology crowd argues we haven’t invested enough in organic/regenerative yield research. I’m open to that. Still, yield must be the focus. 

    GQ: Would you agree that the book is fairly pro-GMO?

    MG: Well, at least pro-concept. There’s nothing wrong with them. But I do point out that some claims about their yield benefits are exaggerated.

    GQ: Tim offers some climate finance solutions, like air travel taxes and redirecting ag subsidies. How realistic are these?

    MG: They’re definitely tough sells, politically speaking. Any changes to agriculture are challenging because the industry is powerful everywhere. People hate any tax increases on food products. But, Denmark has passed significant agricultural reforms that incorporate many of these ideas, showing it’s not impossible. Also, governments give huge amounts of money to farmers. If we start adding strings to that money, requiring more sustainable practices, we could make a significant impact. We just need to be careful about it, so farmers aren’t overly impacted in the long run.

    GQ: What’s the main takeaway you want people to get from your book? 

    MG: We need to be pragmatic and find a middle ground. There are extremes on both sides of this issue, and we need common-sense solutions. We have to recognise that there are multiple valid perspectives here and that we have to work together to find solutions. We need higher yields, but also to make agriculture more efficient.

    We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate by Michael Grunwald (Simon & Schuster, $29.9) is on sale from July 1, 2025, at online and offline bookstores everywhere.

    The post Are We Eating The Earth? An Interview with Award-Winning Author Michael Grunwald About His Groundbreaking New Book appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Rival Foods: Plant-Based Meat Startup Lands $11.5M for Clean-Label Whole Cuts

    rival foods
    5 Mins Read

    Dutch food tech firm Rival Foods has secured €10M ($11.5M) in funding to scale up its suite of whole-cut plant-based meats, which contain minimal ingredients and high amounts of protein.

    If there are three things consumers want from their plant-based meat today, it’s fewer ingredients, lower prices, and better taste and texture.

    Dutch startup Rival Foods is attempting to do it all. Using shear-cell technology to replicate animal muscle fibres with plants, its meat alternatives undergo minimal processing while maximising texture and protein.

    To expand its technology, the firm has raised €10M ($11.5M) in a Series B funding round led by Dutch pension fund ABP, with participation from Pymwymic and ROM Utrecht Region and follow-on investment from PeakBridge.

    “This investment marks a major milestone in our mission to make high-quality plant-based meat mainstream,” said Birgit Dekkers, founder and CEO of Rival Foods. “With the backing of world-class investors, we’re ready to scale fast and reshape the future of protein. We’re called Rival for a reason –we’re here to be one.”

    plant based whole cuts
    Courtesy: Rival Foods

    Rival Foods looks to meet anti-UPF demand

    Founded in 2019 as a spinoff from Wageningen University & Research, Rival Foods is among several startups specialising in whole-cut meat alternatives. These products aim to mimic the fibrous texture loved by meat-eaters, addressing a key pain point for plant-based meat.

    Sensory testing shows a 38-point gap in texture preference between the average animal and plant-based meat product, with the latter being liked by less than three in 10 omnivores in the US. Another survey found that 22% of Americans are reducing their intake of vegan alternatives due to poor texture.

    Elsewhere, 26% of Germans say they’d pay more for a plant-based product if it has the same taste and texture as the food it’s hoping to replace. In the UK, too, 51% of people say taste/texture is the biggest factor driving them away from meat alternatives.

    rival foods shear cell
    Courtesy: Rival Foods

    Whole cuts offer a solution. Rival Foods uses patented shear-cell technology to recreate meat’s fibrous textures. “The process can simply be explained as a pressure cooker with a rotating part, using temperature and rotation to enable deformation and alignment of proteins for fibrous texture creation,” it says on its website.

    Its current portfolio includes chicken and beef, which contain a blend of plant proteins alongside water, natural aromas, herbs and spices, and salt. The chicken contains 28g of protein and 0.6g of fibre per 100g, and is available in fillets, blocks and pulled formats. The beef, meanwhile, boasts 26g of protein and 2.5g of fibre per 100g, and comes in chunks and pulled variants.

    The additive-free products are specifically designed to address consumer concerns about ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Viewing plant-based meat as overly processed has led many to perceive it as unhealthy, even though experts have warned that the level of processing doesn’t define how nutritious a product is.

    “Rival Foods have built something special: a scalable process to turn standard plant proteins into exciting fibrous, meat-like structures. Rival Foods’ products offer a satisfying bite with high protein content and a clean label,” said Lodewijk Meens, senior portfolio manager at ABP Netherlands’s Energy Transition & Biodiversity fund.

    plant based meat texture
    Courtesy: Rival Foods

    Cost reductions are key for plant-based meat

    In the Netherlands, sales of meat analogues fell by 7% in retail, as consumers cooled on centre-of-plate formats like burgers and fillets. Instead, products like mince and strips worked better, possibly because they’re now 6% cheaper per kg.

    Part of the reason why Rival Foods raised funds is to double its production capacity at its Geldrop facility, which will help the startup optimise its production costs and reach price parity with conventional meat.

    Research shows that if plant-based alternatives are more expensive than meat, their preference falls below 20%, and if they’re priced equally, this increases to 21%. Whereas if vegan alternatives cost about half of a conventional burger, the number of people choosing the former would double. And lowering the price of the plant-based burger by even 10% would result in a 14% increase in sales.

    In an interview with Green Queen, PeakBridge founding general partner Nadav Berger said if he had a magic wand to revitalise the plant-based meat sector, he’d make the products “20% cheaper than real meat”. “If it’s a really magic wand? 40% cheaper,” he added. “Texture and flavour are the other keys, but that’s already well on its way. The technology is there.”

    whole cut plant based meat
    Courtesy: Rival Foods

    Reacting to Rival Foods’s Series B round, PeakBridge partner and COO Martina Pace echoed the sentiment. “Real success in the alternative protein space demands three tough things to achieve: great taste, texture, and competitive prices. We’re proud to see Rival Foods achieving all three, she said.

    The company employs a B2B approach, working with chefs, retailers and brands across Europe to bring plant-based whole cuts to consumers. The new capital will help fuel its international growth, establish new partnerships with major clients, and expand its team.

    Whole-cut meat alternatives stand to win

    Expansion beyond Europe will only help the brand. In the US, while the overall category saw a 10% decline in annualised sales between 2022 and 2024, whole cuts like steaks, fillets and cutlets experienced a 16% increase.

    Conventional whole cuts are also the most popular meat category stateside, regularly consumed by 68% of Americans. For plant-based versions, this drops to 30%, though 44% would consider eating them if these products improve.

    plant based meat poll
    Courtesy: GFI

    Rival Foods’ successful round is proof that investor appetite for plant-based startups exists, particularly for scalable models that address consumer needs. While this sector saw VC funding fall by 60% last year, investors have continued to back innovative startups in 2025, such as Ecovative ($11M) and Project Eaden ($15.6M).

    The latter also makes whole-cut meat analogues, alongside a host of other players, including Tender Food (which raised $11M last summer), Chunk Foods, Juicy Marbles, and Redefine Meat.

    The post Rival Foods: Plant-Based Meat Startup Lands $11.5M for Clean-Label Whole Cuts appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Exclusive: Clever Carnivore Plans 2026 Cultivated Pork Launch with Industry-First $0.07/L Media Cost

    clever carnivore
    11 Mins Read

    US food tech startup Clever Carnivore has achieved industry-leading cost reductions for its cultivated pork, which it hopes to begin selling in the country next year.

    As companies scramble to lower the production costs of cultivated meat, one Chicago startup has announced several breakthroughs to compete with the price of conventional pork.

    Chicago-based Clever Carnivore has brought the cost of its culture media down to $0.07 per litre at pilot scale, sped up the doubling times of its porcine cells, and designed inexpensive bioreactors that could enable its demo facility to reach profitability in its first full year of production.

    Typically, cell culture media costs hundreds of dollars per litre, thanks to expensive inputs like bovine serum albumin (BSA) and fetal bovine serum (FBS), as well as growth factors and basal media (like amino acids, vitamins, and glucose).

    “Our expertise in media optimisation allows us to replace expensive components like BSA and FBS with carefully chosen alternatives, [and] ensure that we’re using only the absolutely essential components, maximising growth and minimising cost and waste,” CEO Virginia Rangos, who co-founded the startup with CSO Paul Burridge in 2022, tells Green Queen.

    Clever Carnivore is now raising a $7M extension to its seed round from 2023 (which also closed at $7M) to focus on new products and regulatory approval. “We have a term sheet in hand and commitments from current investors. We’re beginning concerted outreach to fill out the round,” she says.

    In addition, the firm is aiming to secure the regulatory green light from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and credits “pioneers in the space” that have already received approval and made it easier for companies to do so.

    “In reviewing their published dossiers, we paid close attention to which data the FDA ultimately asked them to provide, and we’re providing as much information as possible in our initial submission,” Rangos explains. “We project [our] cultivated meat could be available on the market as early as summer 2026.”

    How Clever Carnivore achieved industry-best media costs

    lab grown meat
    Courtesy: Clever Carnivore

    The bulk of the cost of cultivated meat comes from culture media. Over the last year, several startups have announced milestones to slash media costs, including Gourmey (€0.2/$0.23 per litre) and Meatly (£0.22/$0.30).

    Clever Carnivore’s culture media cost – which has been at the $0.07 level for two years now – undercuts its competitors. “That’s what we’re paying today – including our in-house growth factor production, water purification and mixing. We anticipate further reductions as we scale to a production plant with a capacity of thousands of litres,” says Burridge, who has over 20 years of research experience in cell line development and growth media optimisation.

    Most companies buy off-the-shelf bottled media or a pre-made powder. To help lower this cost, Clever Carnivore produces its media in-house, mixing it from stocks of vitamins, salts, and amino acids. This eliminates the cost of logistics, as well as the “massive profit margins of commercial media suppliers”, according to Rangos.

    “We also make our own growth factors – reducing what would otherwise be the most expensive component of our media to a negligible cost,” she says. These are specifically engineered for optimal performance with enhanced temperature stability and cost-effective production. “Most companies are reliant on external suppliers, and these suppliers charge a premium.”

    She adds: “To achieve a profitable, scalable process, cheap media is necessary, but not sufficient. Your media must also provide every resource your cells need to grow quickly and at high density. Our highly optimised media ensures the cells have exactly what they need (and nothing else) at each time point in their development.”

    One key aspect is the creation of cell lines that are never exposed to animal-based inputs; instead, they grow in this custom culture medium from the get-go. “It’s incredibly difficult to eliminate FBS or BSA from your media if your cells are ‘used to’ these expensive components. If you take them away from cells that have been exposed to them, their growth rate will plummet,” explains Rangos.

    Unlike human nutrition, cells aren’t influenced by the cost or variety of their diet. Once they’re adapted to a medium, they prefer it over others. “Our medium has the bare minimum inputs that cells require, and they thrive in that low-cost medium better than they would in a high-cost medium.”

    Innovative bioreactors further drive down costs

    cultivated pork
    Courtesy: Clever Carnivore

    Aside from the culture media cost reductions and optimised cell lines, Clever Carnivore’s porcine cells are capable of doubling in less than 14 hours in adherent culture. “We use our media to signal our cells to enter a naturally highly proliferative state,” says Rangos. “We don’t have to use genetic modification to ‘immortalise’ cells, but our cells are still extremely proliferative.”

    “With the right process and training, our method is actually much more robust than methods that rely on genetic modification. We can reliably produce new cell lines on demand, whereas methods like spontaneous immortalisation rely on chance mutations that cannot be reliably reproduced.”

    The startup is banking on a proprietary bioprocess design to lower costs and increase efficiency. Having low-cost media and numerous bioreactors allows it to run bioprocess experiments at an “unmatched pace” and refine all the parameters contributing to cell growth. “Elements like ideal temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and bioreactor design make a huge difference in yield,” says Rangos.

    A key factor was the use of secondhand bioreactors for benchtop experiments, which the company bought on eBay. The company has since moved to large-scale stainless-steel bioreactors, which form the basis of the process described in the dossier it will submit to the FDA.

    “Our goal has always been to submit for approval a process as identical as possible to our production process at full commercial scale, to ensure a streamlined path through approval,” explains Rangos.

    The cultivated pork is produced in two 500-litre bioreactors, with a third on the way. The firm has managed to cut costs on these larger-scale tanks considerably by developing a design without expensive components – while they might be standard in biopharma applications, they are unnecessary for cultivated meat production.

    It’s additionally working directly with steel fabricators that cater to food manufacturers, instead of ordering off the shelf from standard suppliers that usually serve the biopharma sector.

    Clever Carnivore’s other bioprocess innovations include the growth of cells without microcarriers, which are “expensive, yield-limiting components that must be included in the final food product”, and a seed chain design and disaggregation/re-aggregation method that substantially increase yield and shorten the production timeline.

    Upside Foods and Eat Just’s journeys paved the way forward

    lab grown pork
    Courtesy: Clever Carnivore

    The startup isn’t shy about the fact that it benefitted from being a late entrant to the space. Witnessing early pioneers hit R&D hurdles and various milestones allowed it to avoid common pitfalls.

    Rangos notes how Upside Foods and Eat Just – the first two cultivated meat makers to receive regulatory approval in the US – “didn’t have the luxury of waiting to submit a dossier for regulatory review until they had developed a process viable at factory scale”.

    “Investors wanted to see that cultivated meat could pass regulatory review, so that was a box they needed to check. We’ve had more flexibility to allow science to drive strategy because pioneers have already proven that cultivated meat can be sold and that consumers will buy it,” she explains.

    “We didn’t have to pitch why cultivated meat was important – just that we had viable technology and strategy to get profitable products to market.

    “We’re also unusual because – in part due to the personalities of the founders and in part through necessity – we’ve run a very lean operation. The executives take their turns cleaning the bathrooms, our team painted our new facility together, and if the bioprocess team have an idea, Paul is the first to drive over to the hardware store to find a part we can adapt to try it out right away.”

    Rangos outlines how early regulatory submissions “took a lot longer to progress” because the government and businesses had to work together to figure out how to evaluate cultivated meat.

    “Our path to approval should be relatively smooth because the groundwork for evaluation has already been laid, we’re presenting as much information as possible up front, [and] we’re submitting a process that is identical in all meaningful ways to what we intend to do at factory scale, ensuring we won’t need to complicate the FDA’s workflow by submitting substantive changes for review.”

    Complying with the FDA and the US Department of Agriculture’s standards for production facilities is critical. Clever Carnivore is designing its demo plant with a “well-validated process, high-level quality controls, and equipment that is proven and can be amortised under known schedules”, explained Burridge. It features low-cost inputs and equipment, helping the firm keep buildout costs under $4.5M.

    VC landscape forces Clever Carnivore to revise fundraising plans

    lab grown meat cost
    Courtesy: Clever Carnivore

    To date, Clever Carnivore has secured $9.1M from investors, most of which came from the seed round that it’s looking to extend now.

    “We initially planned to raise a Series A round to build our demonstration facility. Our commercial-scale factory design is composed of modular units of bioreactors and related processing equipment. The demonstration facility is designed to get a complete module up and running, producing profitable cultivated meat and providing final proof of concept for larger-scale facilities.”

    That plan would require an $18M raise. The problem is, capital is “tremendously expensive” now, as investors flock away from food tech. After attracting $1.3B in 2021, investment in cultivated meat has dipped dramatically. In 2023, funding fell by 75%, followed by another 40% drop in 2024, reaching just $139M. In fact, in the last three years, this sector has cumulatively raised less money than it did in 2021 alone.

    The headwinds have continued in 2025, with Aleph Farms’s $29M round the only sizeable raise for cultivated meat this year. “We’ve revised our initial plan for a Series A raise because cultivated meat valuations are at an all-time low, and many investors are sceptical about the space, due in part to the political climate, and in part to challenges faced by first-gen cultivated meat companies,” says Rangos.

    “Many food and ag tech investors made early bets in the space and aren’t looking to make additional cultivated meat investments, and many sustainability or generalist investors are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to the space right now.

    “We decided to pivot to a plan that allows us to raise less and focus on regulatory approval, commercial partnerships, and beginning beef R&D. That said, we’ve received positive feedback and interest from both seasoned alt-protein investors and more generalist funds. We look forward to building our demonstration facility when capital markets are more favourable.”

    Taste tests attract consumers and chefs alike

    clever carnivore funding
    Courtesy: Clever Carnivore

    Investors aren’t the only source of positive feedback for Clever Carnivore – consumers and chefs have taken to its cultivated bratwursts, breakfast sausages, hot dogs and meatballs too. This month, it held two tasting events, where it served over 50 bratwursts to rave reviews, according to the startup.

    “We’ve spoken to conventional meat advocates who candidly told us they ‘wanted to hate’ our product,” recalls Ramos. “But when presented with a product that cooks and tastes just like the sausage they’ve always loved, they quickly became intrigued.”

    Aside from taste, consumers have expressed appreciation for its value proposition – think meat free from steroids, antibiotics or GMOs, a secure food supply chain with domestic production, and expanded options that will keep products on shelves amid shortages and price inflation for conventional meat.

    “We’re very interested in partnering with existing conventional meat and restaurant chain brands. We know we’re asking consumers to try something new, and we think presenting Clever Carnivore’s cultivated meat for the first time under a label consumers recognise and trust will go a long way toward getting consumers to try the product.”

    The nutritional profile will only help expand the appeal, with the cultivated pork exhibiting similar amino acid profiles and nutritional values to conventional versions. “Our prototype products incorporate a plant-based fat. Our cultivated pork delivers the ‘meaty’ flavour, allowing us to use plant-based fats and reap the nutritional benefits of plant-based vs animal fats.”

    Why Clever Carnivore is targeting processed cultivated meat

    lab grown meat price
    Courtesy: Clever Carnivore

    Clever Carnivore is among a number of companies working on cultivated pork, offering alternatives to products that the WHO has deemed carcinogenic, like sausages and hot dogs. These include Mission Barns (already approved by the FDA), Meatable, Mewery, and Magic Valley.

    The decision to focus on processed pork instead of whole cuts was driven by “a combination of scientific considerations, budgetary constraints, and strategic market positioning”.

    “Producing whole cuts requires more time in the bioreactors – you need to swap the media and allow cells time to form tissues. Transition to a specialty bioreactor for added tissue development might also be necessary,” says Rangos.

    “We’ve progressed to this point with only $9M in investment so far. To use resources as efficiently as possible and to avoid overstretching our team, we decided to focus our R&D on pork before other meat and on formed products before whole cuts,” she adds. “We like the idea of debuting accessible products – cultivated meat not as a luxury, but as a high-quality, reasonably priced staple.”

    That being said, its process does make it feasible to develop whole cuts someday. “Getting there will require additional time and money, and we believe it’s important to bring competitively priced and compelling products to market as soon as possible,” she says.

    Aside from pork, Clever Carnivore’s expertise in mammalian cell biology and bioprocess enables it to fast-track other mammalian species through its R&D pipeline. “Our next priority is beef, but we’re also interested in working on lamb to expand our appeal to international markets where pork and beef are less popular.”

    The post Exclusive: Clever Carnivore Plans 2026 Cultivated Pork Launch with Industry-First $0.07/L Media Cost appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Vow Makes History As First Startup to Serve Cultivated Meat at Australian Restaurants

    lab grown meat australia
    6 Mins Read

    Sydney-based Vow received regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat in Australia and New Zealand, which will begin appearing on restaurant menus in the coming weeks.

    Australians will soon be able to order cultivated meat from restaurant menus, following the country’s first approval of these novel proteins.

    The joint food safety regulator of Australia and New Zealand has amended its Food Standards Code following a multi-year assessment of Vow’s cultured quail, allowing the startup to sell its innovation in eateries and supermarkets across the two countries.

    It followed the preliminary approval granted by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) in March, when its board had finalised the required food code changes, as first reported by Green Queen. They were then under review by food ministers across the two countries, before culminating in the approval decision for Vow.

    Speaking to Green Queen in April, co-founder and CEO George Peppou had confirmed the company would launch in Australia first, via “high-end restaurants and elevated fast-casual concepts first, followed by retail partnerships later in the year”.

    Now, the firm has announced that its cultured Japanese quail – sold under the Forged brand in concepts like parfait and foie gras – will debut at dozens of restaurants within weeks, including Bottarga and The Lincoln in Melbourne, and Nel, The Waratah, and Kitchen by Mike in Sydney.

    “This isn’t about replacing the meats we know and love. It’s about trying something entirely new – something that can only exist because of how it’s made. For chefs, that’s incredibly exciting. But for all of us, it’s a huge opportunity,” said Mike McEnearney, owner and executive chef at Kitchen by Mike.

    He has signed on as the first Australian ambassador of Forged, and will showcase its cultivated meat at the soon-to-open 1Hotel in Melbourne too. “The future always lies in bold ideas that seem impossible at first, but are rooted in real innovation – the kind that drives culture forward,” he added.

    FSANZ approval could speed up future applications

    fsanz cultured meat
    Courtesy: Vow

    Vow is already one of the leading cultivated meat players globally, becoming the only startup to be approved to sell in three geographies.

    It first secured the greenlight in Singapore last year, where its quail has rolled out at a growing list of venues since, including Two Men Bagel House, Mirko Febbrile’s Somma, and sustainability-forward bar Fura. According to the company, it is posting a 200% month-over-month growth in the city-state. Now, it can be sold in Australia and New Zealand too.

    In its approval decision, FSANZ confirmed that Vow’s cultured quail will be mixed with other ingredients – as is the norm for cultivated meat – to produce dishes in restaurants and foodservice establishments, and end products for supermarkets.

    It further noted that the product cannot be included in “special purpose foods” like sports foods, infant formula, or food for special medical purposes without additional pre-market assessments.

    And in the amended code, FSANZ clarified that these proteins must be labelled as “cell-cultured” or “cell-cultivated” on packaging, if it’s “represented in words, images or both as being from the animal” from which the food is sourced.

    “FSANZ has now successfully developed a dedicated regulatory pathway for cell-cultured foods, opting to introduce two new standards for Cell-Cultured Foods rather than relying on the existing Novel Foods Framework. This establishes ANZ as only the second jurisdiction globally (after the US) to adopt a bespoke regulatory process for cell-cultured meat,” explained Kim Tonnet, head of regulatory affairs at Cellular Agriculture Australia.

    “This move will make the requirements clear and defined for future applicants, reducing uncertainty and delays, and thereby streamlining the approval process. In a really positive step, FSANZ also indicated that future applications under these standards may benefit from faster and more cost-effective assessments,” she added.

    Vow hits production milestone with largest-ever cultivated meat

    lab grown meat approved
    Courtesy: Vow

    To make its cultivated meat, Vow uses a small selection of cells from a Japanese quail and places them in a nutrient-rich broth, which is transferred into fermentation tanks that recreate the conditions inside a quail’s body and allow the cells to grow and multiply naturally. The meat is ready for harvest in 79 days, when it is separated from the broth and incorporated into delicacies like parfait and foie gras.

    “Flavour is everything to us – it’s the reason Forged exists. We’re crafting meats that aren’t just rich and complex, but downright irresistible,” said Peppou. “Many [chefs] describe the product’s signature umami depth and silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture as unlike anything they’ve worked with before.”

    The startup has raised $55M to date, entering the market with a smaller outlay than others that have received approval, including Upside Foods ($608M), Eat Just ($270M), Aleph Farms ($147M), Wildtype ($120M) and Mission Barns ($60M).

    The FSANZ’s initial approval had come weeks after Vow cut back 30% of its workforce, a decision that stemmed from a longer-than-expected timeline for regulatory clearance, but one Peppou described as coming from a “position of strength as the industry leader, not a position of weakness”.

    The company has hit several production milestones in recent months. Its cell cultivation capacity has extended to 35,000 litres within its second factory, which it says was 20 to 50 times cheaper to build than competitors. It operates the largest food-grade cell culture bioreactor at 20,000 litres, and claims to have completed the largest cultivated meat harvest in history (538 kg) last month.

    By the end of the year, Vow expects to reach a production capability of up to 900 kg per harvest, scaling to 10,800 kg monthly or 130,000 kg annually. Longer-term improvements that make use of the full factory capacity will allow it to eventually surpass 20,000 kg a month.

    A ‘momentum shift’ away from the US?

    vow cultured quail
    Courtesy: Vow

    “Meat has never been more popular, especially in Asian markets that import top-quality proteins from down under. The challenge is that conventional production methods are highly inefficient: we currently feed up to 100 calories to a cow to produce just one calorie of beef,” said Mirte Gosker, managing director of alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute.

    “Sustainably satisfying rising meat demand will require scaling up additional forms of protein production that can complement the traditional farming methods Australia is renowned for,” she added.

    “Australia’s public embrace of cellular agriculture could enable local food producers to sell healthy and delicious cultivated proteins through existing agricultural distribution networks and add substantial new revenue streams to their ledgers. It also sets the stage for greater international regulatory harmonisation, which has the potential to unlock export opportunities across the world’s most populous region.”

    Globally, six other companies have received some form of regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat, including Eat Just (in Singapore and the US), Upside Foods, Mission Barns and Wildtype (all in the US), Aleph Farms (in Israel), and Meatly (in the UK). Regulators in the EU, Switzerland and Thailand are evaluating applications too.

    Vow’s success over the last 18 months comes as “momentum shifts away from the US”, according to the company, which appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for its viral woolly mammoth meatball stunt in 2023. Cultivated meat has become entrenched in the culture wars, with six states having banned these proteins from being sold or produced.

    Meanwhile, investment in cultivated meat has also continued to fall, by 75% in 2023 and another 40% in 2024. In the last three years, startups in this category have cumulatively raised less money than they did in 2021 alone.

    Currently, Wildtype and Vow are the only two companies actively selling cultivated meat in restaurants, highlighting the scale and commercialisation challenges faced by many startups. Vow’s cultured quail, however, will soon be served in over 50 venues, showcasing the true potential of the sector.

    “With an expanding network of restaurants in Singapore continuing to serve Forged just 14 months after launch, the appetite for what’s next is already clear,” said Peppou. “This is a new category of food that hasn’t just been accepted – it’s been embraced. And if that’s any signal, Australia’s just getting started.”

    The post Vow Makes History As First Startup to Serve Cultivated Meat at Australian Restaurants appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    juicy marbles and friends
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Vegan cod delivers texture enhancements and key micronutrients

    juicy marbles revo foods
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Juicy Marbles kicks off partnership model after 242% growth

    juicy marbles filet
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

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

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

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

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

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

    juicy marbles kinda cod
    Courtesy: Juicy Marbles

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • EU Backs 16 Future Food Startups Tackling Climate Crisis

    eu future foods
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

    EU bets on cocoa and palm oil alternatives

    chocolate climate change
    Courtesy: Kokomodo

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Fermentation scores big

    prewtein
    Courtesy: ProteinDistillery

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

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

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

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

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

    EU is a leader in future food funding

    eit food rising food stars
    Courtesy: EIT Food

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Protein Lattes, Food Tech Hubs & Tempeh Innovation

    laird protein latte
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a host of protein lattes, Better Nature’s tempeh rollouts, and Meatable’s presentation at a Wall Street Journal forum.

    New products and launches

    New York-based Laird Superfood has released an instant protein latte powder with 10g of plant protein per serving. It combines pea, hemp and pumpkin seed protein with mushroom extracts, coconut MCTs and Aquamin. It retails for $19 per six servings and is available on its website and at Sprouts Farmers Market nationwide.

    laird instant latte
    Courtesy: Better Nature/Laird Superfood/Tempty Foods

    Likewise, plant-based milk brand Califia Farms has introduced a ready-to-drink protein vanilla almond latte, offering 10g of pea protein per serving. It can be found at Target stores for $5.29 per 40z bottle.

    In similar news, Indian fitness and lifestyle brand HRX – co-owned by Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan – has unveiled a line of oat milk protein shakes, starting with a chocolate flavour (with 25g of plant protein per 100ml), ahead of introducing vanilla, cold coffee and lighter chocolate variants.

    hrx oat milk protein shake
    Courtesy: HRX

    Still in India, Néktar Bakery makes vegan desserts and viennoiseries, and will open a cloud location this month in the city of Pune.

    Back in the US, the owners of Salt Lake City’s Vertical Diner have inaugurated a new plant-based deli, with a menu featuring sandwiches, burgers, bowls, pastries, and more.

    better nature tempeh
    Courtesy: Better Nature

    Elsewhere, British tempeh brand Better Nature has rolled out its organic tempeh into around 150 additional Asda stores, and added a new Mediterranean-flavoured block to its lineup, which is available on Ocado for £3 per 220g pack.

    Beyond Meat, meanwhile, has introduced its jalapeño-flavoured burger to 317 Asda stores in the UK, in addition to bringing its original burger to 350 of the retailer’s sites.

    beyond meat jalapeno burger
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat

    And Danish mycelium meat maker Tempty Foods has brought its Spicy Korean Sticks to 7-Eleven Denmark stores. The product was created through 7-Eleven’s Innovation Corner competition last year.

    Company and finance updates

    Dutch cultivated meat producer Meatable was present at the Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum event in Chicago (June 16), where CEO Jeff Tripician spoke on how cultivated meat can complement conventional agriculture and boost global food security.

    Fresh from hosting a cultivated meat tasting in the New South Wales parliament, Australia’s Magic Valley is raising A$3M ($1.9M) to build its first manufacturing facility (which is expected to cost A$5M, or $3.3M) and produce 500 tonnes of product per year.

    Planted, the Swiss plant-based meat maker, has opened its new production facility in Bavaria, Germany, featuring “state-of-the-art fermentation technology”, which the company says will double its manufacturing capacity.

    lab grown meat australia
    Courtesy: Magic Valley

    Agriculture giant the Groan Group has signed a strategic partnership with plant-based ingredient maker Aminola to accelerate and expand the use of sustainable ingredients in the human food, pet food and aquafeed sectors.

    British plant-based ingredient maker Novo Farina has ceased trading, with its former managing director citing “market factors and ever-increasing cost challenges”.

    Green Grill, a plant-forward eatery with three locations in Sacramento, has permanently closed its doors, becoming the latest casualty in California’s restaurant space.

    AgFunder News reports that Yasir Abdul, the executive behind InvenTel, the company known for ‘As Seen on TV’ infomercials, has surfaced as the unexpected potential buyer of Meati, a fungi-based alternative meat company. The acquisition is being pursued through an entity named Meati Holdings, with Ryan Bethencourt, CEO of Wild Earth and an early-stage alt-protein investor, providing support during the transition.

    little island plant based
    Courtesy: Little Island

    In New Zealand, plant-based dairy and ice cream firm Little Island has entered liquidation after 15 years in operation.

    Luxembourg-based Moulins de Kleinbettingen has installed its second production line for plant proteins with a total investment of nearly €20M in its plant-based business, doubling its initial capacity and making co-manufacturing deals more flexible.

    In Sweden, Stockeld Dreamery and Jävligt Gott have opened Labbet, a food tech hub equipped with a kitchen, lab spaces and offices for small and growing businesses.

    javligt gott
    Courtesy: Jävligt Gott

    Similarly, Malaysia’s Pure Mylk has opened The Mylky Way in Kuala Lumpur, which is Southeast Asia’s first end-to-end innovation hub for plant-based milk and beverages. It aims to support companies small and big with product formulation, testing, and scaleable production.

    Research, policy and awards

    A Canadian-American study shows that a low-fat vegan diet can reduce moderate to severe hot flashes by 92% after women hit menopause, while also losing 16 times more weight than the control group.

    UK coalition Plant-Based Universities is convening over 200 students for a Plant-Based Universities Europe Camp in August.

    Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute, has been appointed to the Board of Advisors of EAT, the global food systems transformation non-profit.

    Strategic consultancy Mission Plant has compiled a list of job boards and resources for folks looking for positions in the alternative protein industry.

    vegan diet cheaper
    Courtesy: Institute for Organic Farming

    Research by the Institute for Organic Farming (commissioned by the WWF) has revealed that a vegan diet is the cheapest expensive for a family of four in Austria, saving €225 per month compared to an omnivore diet.

    Finally, Hélène Briand, co-founder of French precision fermentation startup Verley (formerly Bon Vivant), won the Female Founder Challenge at Vivatech in Paris.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Protein Lattes, Food Tech Hubs & Tempeh Innovation appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

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

    fungu'it
    5 Mins Read

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

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

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

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

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

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

    How Fungu’it makes its natural flavours

    fungu'it flavourings
    Courtesy: Fungu’it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    plant based meat natural flavour
    Courtesy: Fungu’it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Israeli Startup ‘Redefines’ Plant-Based Meat with 90% Less Saturated Fat

    redefine meat burger
    4 Mins Read

    Israeli 3D-printed meat maker Redefine Meat has introduced a new product line with dramatic reductions in saturated fat and methylcellulose use.

    To capture Europeans’ interest in the category, Redefine Meat has unveiled a new class of plant-based meat products centred on enhanced nutrition and flavour.

    Among the first of its next-generation products are a reformulated burger and beef mince, which feature improvements in saturated fat content, protein levels, and taste and texture.

    The move aims to address evolving consumer preferences in terms of nutrition and sensory appeal, and dissatisfaction with the current crop of meat analogues, which have suffered from poor sales as ultra-processing concerns come to the fore.

    “With our next-generation products, we’re now able to offer the premium-quality taste our customers enjoy, while delivering the nutritional values sought after by health-conscious audiences,” said Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, co-founder and CEO of Redefine Meat.

    New products outperform previous iterations on taste and nutrition

    One of the best-known plant-based companies, Redefine Meat markets its 3D-printed products as New Meat, with a diverse range of beef, pork and lamb alternatives in formats like pulled, mince, sausages, burgers, and whole cuts. Endorsed by Michelin-starred chefs like Marco Pierre White, they can be found at over 4,000 foodservice locations in 10 countries, plus retailers in several European markets.

    The new burger and mince products build on this existing portfolio, and now fulfil the nutritional requirements for a Nutri-Score rating of A, the highest possible score. They join its beef flank, pulled pork and pulled beef SKUs in meeting that standard.

    redefine meat protein
    Courtesy: Redefine Meat

    Redefine Meat achieved this through an 80-90% decrease in saturated fats compared to the previous iteration of the 3D-printed burger and beef mince, an increase in protein per 100g (from 11g to 14-16g), and a reduction in methylcellulose content to less than 2%.

    Additionally, the company says it has unlocked a “new quality benchmark” for taste and texture with an even meatier profile, a conclusion derived from collaboration and sensory tasting with meat experts, chefs, and consumers.

    Redefine Meat’s products undergo a patented additive manufacturing process – more commonly known as 3D printing – which helps it better replicate the taste of meat and texture of animal muscle fibres. The process disintegrates textured vegetable protein into fibres and blends them with a dough made from soy or pea protein isolates.

    Plus, it uses AI and machine learning to optimise its products, allowing it to prototype, test and commercialise new products significantly faster than existing production processes, the company explained.

    Redefine Meat hopes to allay taste and UPF doubts

    “Our unique taste-first approach is at the heart of all product development, understanding that taste continues to be the biggest barrier to repeat buying for many flexitarians and meat lovers,” said Ben-Shitrit.

    “While many other plant-based products continue to fall short in this area, our next-generation products build upon our premium-quality legacy to deliver an even meatier taste approved by our chef partners and rigorous consumer testing.”

    plant based survey
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    Indeed, polling shows that while some consumers in Germany and the UK are reducing their meat intake due to shifting taste preferences, animal proteins are still much higher on the flavour scale. Hitting the right tasting notes is critical: a survey of 7,800 Europeans last year revealed that taste is the most important factor when it comes to their daily food choices, cited by 87% of respondents.

    The new products are being rolled out at retailers in the Netherlands, Germany and France, continuing Redefine Meat’s efforts to expand across Europe. For Veganuary this year, it signed deals with more than 30 companies in the UK, where its foodservice sales nearly doubled in 2024.

    While plant-based meat enjoyed an increase in sales in Germany and France last year, the same couldn’t be said of the UK and Netherlands, where consumers have flocked to whole-food proteins and are choosing mince and strips over burgers, respectively.

    plant based sales uk
    Retail sales of plant-based food in the UK in 2024 | Courtesy: GFI Europe

    Many consumers perceive plant-based meat as overly processed and as a result, unhealthy, though experts have warned that the level of processing doesn’t define how nutritious a product is, and studies have shown that these products match animal-derived meat on protein, while providing far more fibre and less saturated fat.

    Touching upon this discourse, Ben-Shitrit said: “While misinformation around ultra-processed foods (UPFs) continues to spread, it’s important to understand the difference between good and bad UPFs. It’s clear that crisps or chocolate bars are not the same as our products, which deliver high levels of protein, vitamins and fibre, without cholesterol.”

    He added: “We recognise that nutrition is playing an increasingly important role in consumer buying habits. With our next-generation products, we’re now able to offer the premium-quality taste our customers enjoy, while delivering the nutritional values sought after by health-conscious audiences.”

    The post Israeli Startup ‘Redefines’ Plant-Based Meat with 90% Less Saturated Fat appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Israeli Startup Unveils AI-Powered ‘Natural’ GLP-1 Peptide to Rival Ozempic

    lembas
    4 Mins Read

    As Americans embrace Ozempic and food-as-medicine innovations, a new startup has created a bioactive peptide to activate the body’s GLP-1 hormone.

    Can a bioactive peptide revolutionise a food industry already shaken up by the Ozempic boom?

    Lembas, a startup born out of Tel Aviv, is betting on that with GLP-1 Edge, a CPG-ready ingredient that triggers the GLP-1 hormone in the body and naturally regulates appetite.

    The firm has just emerged from stealth with an oversubscribed $3.6M pre-seed funding round led by Flora Ventures, which also incubated Lembas. Fellow VC funds Bluestein Ventures, Fresh Fund, Longevity Venture Partners, Maia Ventures, Siddhi Capital, Mandi Ventures and SDH also participated in the fundraise.

    “We’re creating a new category of science-backed nutrition, empowering consumers for the first time to effectively and conveniently manage their weight through companion food and supplements without pricy prescriptions, injections, and unpleasant side effects,” explained Lembas co-founder and CEO Shay Hilel.

    Why Lembas is taking on Ozempic

    lembas glp 1
    Courtesy: Lembas

    Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are taking over the US, where nearly three-quarters of those aged 20 and above are overweight and obese, and one in five children and adolescents are obese. These drugs work by replicating GLP-1, an incretin hormone naturally released in the gut, which reduces appetite and prolongs the feeling of being full, and helps regulate blood sugar levels and manage weight.

    One in eight Americans has already used these medications, and forecasts suggest this could rise to up to 70 million people by 2028 – and by that year, they’ll likely have boosted the national GDP by 1%.

    However, GLP-1 agonist drugs come with a host of side effects, which include gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and vomiting, mental health problems like anxiety and irritability, and a phenomenon dubbed ‘Ozempic tongue’ (when people’s taste receptors react differently to foods than they did before GLP-1 use).

    They’re also costly. A month’s supply of Ozempic will run you around $1,000 in the US. Several startups and researchers are working to find side-effect-free, cheaper alternatives to Ozmpic. Lembas’s solution lies with peptides. These are short chains of amino acids that can be degraded by stomach enzymes.

    Fuelled by a patent-pending technology, the one-year-old startup’s proprietary computational AI discovery platform rapidly screens, analyses, and designs food-grade bioactive peptides that work with natural metabolic mechanisms.

    Its scientists have discovered and developed bioactives that demonstrated positive cell and animal model results, successfully stimulating the secretion of GLP-1 into the blood.

    The resulting peptide can be incorporated into a variety of food applications, from bars and snacks to shakes, beverages, and supplements, potentially giving the food industry a new tool to complement and compete with Ozempic.

    AI platform can unlock broad food-as-medicine tools

    glp 1 peptide
    Courtesy: Lembas

    Lembas will use the capital to accelerate the scale-up and commercialisation efforts for GLP-1 Edge, expand its AI discovery platform, and foster commercial agreements with ingredient, food and supplement companies.

    While the company’s initial focus is on natural GLP-1 weight management and metabolic health, its computational platform can accelerate the discovery of new functional ingredients with a broad pipeline of health and wellness benefits.

    “I believe the discovery of GLP-1 is the biggest disrupter the food industry has faced in decades,” said Gil Horsky, founding chairman of Lembas, and managing partner of Flora Ventures.

    “Lembas is the first science-backed company enabling food players to seize this disruptive opportunity by setting a new bar for food-as-medicine. We’re combining deep tech with cutting-edge science to unlock a scalable, credible path to make functional food actually functional.”

    And indeed, food-as-medicine initiatives are popular among Americans. Over four in five Americans believe the US healthcare system should offer more food and nutrition programmes to treat and manage illnesses, and nine in 10 patients would prefer to rely more on healthy eating than on medications to manage their condition, according to a poll released this month by the Rockefeller Foundation.

    Aside from Lembas, Shiru also offers an AI-led protein discovery platform for food businesses. Chilen food tech unicorn NotCo, meanwhile, has similarly used AI to develop a GLP-1 Booster that uses natural ingredients to stimulate GLP-1 production in the body and block the enzymes that break the hormone down.

    California’s One Bio recently raised $27M for its tech that extracts invisible and tasteless fibres from plants for use in GLP-1-friendly foods (among other products). And brands like Supergut are using probiotic fibre and resistant starches to create GLP-1 boosters too.

    Elsewhere, scientists at Spain’s Catholic University of Murcia have discovered two plant extracts that can potentially be used to make GLP-1 agonist pills.

    The post Israeli Startup Unveils AI-Powered ‘Natural’ GLP-1 Peptide to Rival Ozempic appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • This Project is Helping Brazilian Ranchers Switch to Plant-Based Farming

    livestock farm transition
    4 Mins Read

    Food awareness organisation ProVeg Brazil has kicked off the Cultiva Project, an initiative to help livestock farmers transition to plant-based farming.

    An age-old gripe about the calls to diversify our protein sources is how it will impact the people at the heart of the food system: the farmers.

    For many, farming livestock is all they’ve known, and they’re experts at it. It’s their main source of income and the base of their business relationships. But it comes at great costs: to the planet, and eventually themselves.

    Over the years, several initiatives have cropped up to help these producers transition away from animal agriculture and towards plant-based agroforestry. The latest project comes from food awareness organisation ProVeg Brazil, focusing on a beef and soy giant that’s home to the most deforested area in the world.

    Livestock farming is linked to 90% of deforestation in the Amazon. Further, estimates suggest that three-quarters of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions come from food production, and of this, 78% is directly from beef, the most polluting food group. Plus, a third of its land is used for crops or pasture, while it still faces challenges in widespread access to nutritious food.

    “We are proposing a solution to this impasse called the Cultiva Project, which will encourage just transition, food security and more sustainable agricultural production,” said Aline Baroni, executive director of ProVeg Brazil.

    What ProVeg’s Cultiva Project involves

    brazil livestock farming
    Courtesy: Igor Alecsander/Getty Images

    Through the Cultiva Project, ProVeg will offer agricultural, legal and marketing support to ranchers wishing to switch from animal farming to plant-based agroforestry systems, which integrate trees and agricultural crops in the same space in a planned and sustainable manner.

    According to ProVeg, agroforestry can help generate up to six times more income per hectare than livestock, while producing a diversity of food and other products. The practice helps battle deforestation and cut emissions, promotes greater biodiversity and land use, enhances soil health, and conserves natural resources.

    The idea is to promote a farming model that’s kinder to the planet, economically viable, and socially fair for family farmers.

    “We are offering, completely free of charge, technical support in the areas of agronomy, law and marketing for producers who are motivated to start producing plant-based foods,” explained Baroni. “It is an investment in the future of family farming, because we know how important it is to guarantee food security and promote healthy eating in Brazil.”

    ProVeg will select two rural producers currently operating in livestock systems of any type, like raising cattle, pigs and poultry for meat, milk and eggs.

    Once selected, farmers will receive an individualised transition plan alongside specialised technical support for at least nine months to implement at least one hectare of agroforestry on each property. The collaborative process will involve both virtual and in-person monitoring, as well as educational support for communities about the importance of vegetable-rich food systems and agroecological production.

    Why Brazil needs farm transition projects

    vegan farming practices
    Courtesy: Cstar55/Getty Images

    “Our goal is to accelerate the transition to more sustainable plant-rich food systems. With this project, we seek not only to reduce the environmental impact of animal production, but also to offer rural producers a new income prospect,” said Baroni.

    And Brazil, which will host the annual UN climate summit, desperately needs that transition. Scientists have warned that the country’s beef industry – home to giants like JBS and Minerva – is generating twice as many emissions as the limit outlined in the Paris Agreement.

    “Our findings show that it’s necessary to adopt practices in the production chain that reduce emissions. This also contributes to reducing the costs associated with climate change,” said the study’s lead author, Mariana Vieira da Costa, from the Federal University of São Paulo.

    The reason why a third of its land is used for farming today is because the area available for agriculture grew by 50% between 1985 and 2022, and much of this expansion (64%) was due to deforestation for pasture, mostly in the Amazon, a biome that is close to a tipping point.

    The government has introduced an agriculture emissions plan to provide continuity to sectoral policy and help the farming industry fight climate change this decade, though adoption remains low. And last year, a federal court in Brazil ordered a cattle rancher to pay a $50M fine for destroying parts of the Amazon rainforest, and ordered him to restore the land he cleared.

    It’s reflective of the government’s shift in climate policy after former leader Jair Bolsonaro’s reign saw a 60% increase in Amazon deforestation. Under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the country has updated its goals and pledged to eliminate Amazon deforestation by 2030.

    Brazil isn’t the only country where efforts to help farmers switch to plant-based farming are ongoing. In the US, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is piloting a farm transition grant programme, and has already supported farmers in Alabama and Nebraska. The Transfarmation Project and Animal Outlook are spearheading similar initiatives too.

    The post This Project is Helping Brazilian Ranchers Switch to Plant-Based Farming appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Opinion: Why Are Cultivated Meat Bans Getting So Much Attention?

    lab grown meat ban
    6 Mins Read

    Owen Ensor, co-founder and CEO of British cultivated pet food startup Meatly, on why political bans shouldn’t deter investors from the alternative protein ecosystem.

    The past year has witnessed a surge in media attention surrounding cultivated meat. There is an insatiable desire for cultivated meat stories, covering regulatory approvals, product releases, and product development.

    There is a dark cloud of local bans in the US and labelling disputes alongside this exciting industry progress. However, we need to have a perspective on these and look at what is actually going on. 

    In the last few years, many governments have funded, approved, or supported cultivated meat. By contrast, cell-cultivated meat has been banned in a handful of right-wing US states. The balance of debate is clear – there is great technical progress, and almost all governments are backing this innovative product.  

    So we need to ask ourselves: why are we giving these bans so much attention?

    Even the meat industry is against the bans

    lab grown pet food
    Courtesy: Meatly

    This negative coverage is driven largely by right-leaning political factions, attempting to cast this innovative food technology as the latest battleground in the ever-escalating culture wars. Alarmist language, such as accusations of “global elite authoritarianism“, has been deployed to fuel opposition, particularly in ultra-conservative strongholds. 

    To date, six US states have banned cultivated meat. At the same time, bans in other regions have been attempted, including Romania, where the bill is stuck in the legislature and is unlikely to proceed, and Italy, where a proposed ban contravenes EU law. 

    To my knowledge, cultivated meat is the first food ever to be banned before even being on sale, and for political reasons. These bans are purely to appeal to a hard right-wing electorate in certain states. The US meat lobby doesn’t even want cultivated meat banned.

    The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recently stated: “Telling Americans what they can and cannot buy at the grocery store does not align with NCBA’s policy book or our conservative values… and setting a precedent that the federal government can remove a product from the shelves completely is not wise for the cattle industry, when we have no idea who might be sitting in the White House or in Congress 10 years from now.”

    The global excitement for cultivated meat

    cultivated meat funding
    Courtesy: Meatly

    Looking beyond these bans, we get a clearer, more genuine understanding of the development and excitement of this industry. 

    Globally, there is a growing consensus in some of the world’s largest economies that cultivated meat and other cell-cultivated food solutions hold the keys to bolstering food security and creating a food system which supports sustainable farming.

    Several markets across the globe – including the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, and Singapore – have already granted regulatory clearance for cultivated meat for either human or pet consumption. A Trump appointee has also signed off on the most recent US approvals.

    These nations and regions, spanning diverse political landscapes and geographical locations, have undertaken rigorous safety assessments and concluded that cultivated meat is a viable and safe food source. This crucial step of regulatory approval signals a fundamental acceptance of the technology and paves the way for its integration into a sustainable food system.

    But that’s not all. The financial backing for cultivated meat research and development paints an even broader picture of commitment to this new food industry. A remarkable 22 countries, encompassing virtually every major global economy, have actively funded cultivated meat initiatives.

    This extensive list includes nations such as Canada, China, Norway, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Israel, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, India, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Brazil, in addition to those with regulatory approvals.

    It’s clear that while a handful of regions grapple with politically motivated bans, the overwhelming global direction of travel points firmly towards acceptance and support.

    A trillion-dollar opportunity

    mearltly
    Courtesy: Jack Lawson/Meatly

    Such widespread investment and attention underscore a deep-seated understanding of the potential benefits that cultivated meat offers across a spectrum of critical areas, beyond just tackling the substantial emissions behind industrial animal agriculture. 

    The biggest benefit is an economic one. The global meat market is worth $1.55T, and global demand for meat continues to grow. Countries that can get ahead on cultivated meat and other cellular agriculture technologies are looking at a major economic win, creating local industries that can feed people sustainably while creating jobs and generating revenue.

    Cultivated meat will also boost food security, not threaten it. This innovation can help produce sustainable meat in high volumes, while farmers can focus on high-quality, high-value regeneratively farmed meat. These proteins can also shorten supply chains and make nations less dependent on imported meat. This will have knock-on benefits for human health, where a reliance on industrial agriculture will limit the use of antibiotics and the risk of spread of zoonotic diseases such as avian flu.

    That’s why, when a handful of conservative US states push back with politically motivated bans, it feels increasingly out of sync with this broader global momentum and more like an attempt to stifle innovation and limit consumer choice. The sole outcome of this is that the future of food is passed from the US to Europe and Asia.

    It’s clear that by focusing on these bans, we obscure the significant progress being made globally, the substantial investments being channelled into the sector, and the growing recognition of its crucial role in building a more sustainable and secure food future.

    What this means for the industry

    cultivated meat investment
    Graphic by Green Queen

    For cultivated meat companies, the advice is simple: stay focused. 

    The world is vast, and almost all regions actively support and encourage the development and commercialisation of cultivated meat. Direct your attention, resources, and efforts towards these receptive markets. Engage with governments and regulatory bodies that understand the value proposition and are committed to fostering innovation. The long-term trajectory is undeniably positive, and short-term political noise should not derail strategic goals.

    For investors, the message is equally resolute: recognise the global landscape. 

    The commitment to cultivated meat is not confined to a few progressive enclaves; it has widespread support, embraced by major economies and forward-thinking governments worldwide. We’ve had VCs say they will not invest because of the ‘geopolitical debate’. It’s really staggering to hear a global VC fund is making investment decisions based on what a provincial hard-right legislator is doing.

    Let’s be very clear: you can build an exceptionally profitable, high-return business outside of Alabama… in fact, you can build an exceptional business outside of the US.

    The potential for significant returns and the opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable future remains, with the global support for cultivated meat providing a robust foundation for long-term growth and success. Now is actually the ideal time to be investing, given the suppressed valuations that the current debate has created. 

    The direction of travel is clear. Governments around the world realise the environmental, health, economic, security, and ethical potential of cultivated meat, as well as the value in allowing consumers and the free market to decide which safe products should be sold. It’s time we started having this define the political conversation around cultivated meat.

    The post Opinion: Why Are Cultivated Meat Bans Getting So Much Attention? appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • An Impossible Burger Blended with Beef? CEO Hints at Move Amid Category Struggles

    impossible blended meat
    5 Mins Read

    Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness has suggested that the plant-based giant could enter the blended meat space to entice more flexitarians.

    In 2024, nearly every American household that bought a vegan burger also purchased conventional meat, highlighting how exclusively plant-based eating is still niche.

    Meat alternative makers’ target consumer is neither vegan nor omnivore – instead, it’s somewhere in between. “Approximately over a hundred million US people fit the broad term of flexitarians. They are cross-eating,” suggests one industry leader.

    In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness made the case for why flexitarians are the brand’s biggest growth opportunity. “Capturing a sizable portion of flexitarians could quadruple Impossible Foods’ revenue in a short period,” he claimed.

    It’s a loosely defined term, as McGuinness himself admitted: some lean vegetarian and occasionally eat meat, others consume 50/50 plant-based and conventional meat.

    “That’s a huge market,” he said, nodding to the rise of blended meat. “To get this category going, I may do a hybrid burger that’s 50% beef.”

    Is it a concrete plan, or just a thought for the future? For one of the industry’s most well-known companies to suddenly embrace the very thing it exists to displace will certainly raise some eyebrows. There is logic behind the idea, though, especially if done right.

    Why plant-based meat is giving way to blended proteins

    plant based meat sales
    Courtesy: GFI

    As the name suggests, blended meat (some prefer the term ‘balanced protein’) involves combining animal-derived meat with plant-based ingredients, whether those are vegetables or vegan proteins.

    The idea isn’t new, but has taken off over the last couple of years as consumers cool on 100% plant-based meats that cost more than animal meat and don’t always meet their taste expectations. Last year, for example, retail sales of meat alternatives fell by 7% in the US, continuing a downward spiral that began in 2021.

    Americans have gripes about the flavour, price and nutrition of plant-based meat. These products are still 82% more expensive than conventional meat. Further, concerns about health are fuelled by the ultra-processed food backlash and, as many have pointed out, successful misinformation campaigns from the meat industry.

    Impossible Foods itself has hit back at misinformation with an online health hub and a renewed marketing strategy that targets meat-eaters, though these efforts haven’t had the intended effect. “Our spend wasn’t efficient because we tried to move immovables,” McGuinness told the Wall Street Journal. “We’ll do another campaign – but be much more targeted to where flexitarians live and shop.”

    impossible burger vs beef
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    So: blended meat. Everyone from Nestlé and Purdue Farms to Aldi and Disneyland has entered this space. The idea is to displace some, not all, of the meat with plant-based ingredients in a manner that enhances taste while offering better health outcomes (think more fibre and less saturated fat). And while not advertised, it has a big impact on the planet too.

    It’s what makes plant-based meat so important. Using animals as an intermediary to eat plants is an inefficient use of our resources and livestock agriculture is highly problematic from a climate point of view. Research shows that even replacing half of your meat consumption can reduce agriculture and land use emissions by 31% and water use by 12%, while doubling climate benefits.

    Still, Impossible Foods’s approach has already attracted critiques. “Flexitarians don’t need their plant-based meals to mimic meat. On the days they opt for a meatless meal, they’re not necessarily craving imitation. They’re seeking something veggie-forward, clean, and nutrient-dense – real food that satisfies on its own terms,” argued Kerry Song in a social media post. Song is the CEO of Abbot’s, a veggie burgers and vegan chicken CPG company, which has a popular mince made from pea protein and porcini mushrooms.

    “Impossible built a brand on saving the planet… and now they’re casually talking about blending real beef into their products to chase profits? That’s not disruption, that’s deception,” said Jason Rosenbaum, the co-CEO of whole food veggie burger brand Actual Veggies, which last year launched a product containing dairy cheese.

    Impossible Foods must do blended meat right

    plant based meat taste test
    Courtesy: Nectar

    Here’s what may be driving Impossible Foods’s interest in blended meat: flexitarians dig it. Sensory testing shows that these consumers find blends more appealing than plant-based alternatives. In some cases, they even outperform 100% meat products: alternative protein sensory research non-profit Nectar found that four blended meat products either match or surpass conventional meat on taste.

    Notably, separate research from Nectar shows that while most plant-based meat brands fall short, Impossible Foods is among the outliers. Six of its products won a Tasty Award (four more than anybody else), signifying that more than half of omnivores say they taste the same or better than animal protein.

    McGuinness, however, says his company’s beef is still not superior to the conventional version, suggesting it would take “two to three” more iterations before it gets there. He reiterated his belief that there are “too many companies” in the meat alternative space, and revealed that profitability is likely years away (while touching upon the idea of an IPO).

    impossible foods ipo
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods/Green Queen

    If Impossible Foods does begin offering blended meat, it has to do it right. If the company adds meat and sells blended products under its own portfolio, it could mar the positioning it has carefully crafted over the past decade.

    One possible way forward? Act as a supplier for existing meat producers, the way companies like Quorn have done. Substituting a percentage of beef with Impossible Foods’ plant-based version will bring wins for the climate and the bottom line of all parties involved. Australia’s Fable Food has done so with great success. Its blend-ready shiitake mushroom products led to a 50% revenue growth in 2024, with even better results forecast this year.

    The reality is, despite the hullabaloo, plant-based meats aren’t going anywhere. Concurrently, meat sales have never been higher in the US, and blended meat continues to grow as a category for flexitarians. By lending its plant protein to meat makers, Impossible Foods – already the second-largest plant-based meat company in the US, behind Morningstar Farms – could get a larger slice of the pie.

    While some Americans still have complaints about the taste and texture of blended meat, that outlines both the challenge and opportunity for leading brands. Can Impossible Foods get it right?

    The post An Impossible Burger Blended with Beef? CEO Hints at Move Amid Category Struggles appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Future Food Fund’s Silla Scheepens

    silla scheepens
    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.

    Silla Scheepens is a General Partner at Future Food Fund.

    What future food technologies most excite you?

    Generally speaking, we’re excited by agrifood tech innovations that help keep our food system within planetary boundaries.

    From AI-driven seed-breeding, biological crop inputs and protection to yield forecasting, low-emission food or preventing food waste – if it helps us grow more with less, whilst reducing waste and regenerating ecosystems, we’re paying attention.

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

    Allow me to squeeze in four:

    • Seed breeding and climate-resilient crops: AI-powered seed-breeding platforms that deliver climate-resilient crops with higher yields and lower input dependency. 
    • Biological inputs and crop protection: Nature-based solutions that reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers and pesticides, improving soil health and biodiversity.
    • Circular food systems: Tackling food waste, packaging and nutrient leakage by valorising what’s already in the system. It’s about doing more with less.
    • On-field intelligence and impact monitoring (MRV): Tools that help farmers make better decisions and validate environmental outcomes, from satellite-based yield forecasting to AI-driven irrigation or carbon tracking.

    Each of these verticals contributes directly to restoring balance within planetary boundaries such as climate, water use, biodiversity, and biogeochemical flows.

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

    The biggest shift is that the food system is now understood as central to the climate and biodiversity challenge. That systems view is starting to shape real innovation, in science, policy and finance. The momentum is here, even if it comes with headwinds and tailwinds: sometimes faster, sometimes slower, depending on regulation, consumer appetite or macro trends.

    But overall, the awareness is growing. Now it’s time to match that with serious investment. Public funding for the food transition needs to be on par with what we’ve seen in the energy transition.

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

    We’d stop treating it as B2B tech and start treating it as what it is: food. It deserves its own category: driven by taste, nutrition (think protein, fibre, gut health) and relevance.

    At the same time, we need to level the playing field. Current meat products don’t account for the environmental damage they cause. With impact-based accounting and fair taxation, the good stuff becomes the obvious and better choice.

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

    Clarity. In vision, in communication and in decision-making. Agrifood tech founders deal with long cycles and very complex systems. The ones who can tell a clear story, stay focused and act with conviction tend to have a better chance of succeeding.

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

    Soil Capital. They were ahead of the curve in linking regenerative agriculture to measurable climate outcomes – not via offsetting, but through insetting within food value chains. Their farmer-first, outcome-based model reflects exactly where we see the future of agrifood going.

    At the time, we were still exploring the carbon space in agriculture. Looking back, they were already building what the market now demands.

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

    Ask us again in 7 years!

    That said, we’re optimistic about several themes – from biologicals to food waste valorisation and MRV-based models. These aren’t point solutions; they target the root causes of environmental pressure in the food system and provide for a sustainable business case.

    What has been your most disappointing investment so far?

    We’re not disappointed in startups – the challenges are real and pivots are part of the process. But some verticals (for example, hardware and heavy indoor farming) haven’t lived up to the early hype. It’s a reminder of the fact that a novelty doesn’t equal scale.

    What do people misunderstand/get wrong most about VC?

    That it’s fast and we only get to pick the winners. In impact VC, especially in agrifood tech, it’s long-term work. You’re in it to help founders build through complexity and uncertainty. It’s strategy, not speed, and the biggest returns are usually in system change.

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

    There’s a sample box on its way to us with cocoa-free, fermentation-based chocolate. No tropical land use, no deforestation. A future-proof indulgence we’re really looking forward to.

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

    Big fan of food, especially when an ordinary legume or vegetable gets turned into something spectacular. There’s something special about places that use whole, seasonal produce with care and creativity. That’s where sustainability meets joy.

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

    I always joke that I’m a climate activist disguised as an impact investor, just without the tattoos. Whether it’s restoring biodiversity or greening a city street, I’m driven by solutions that bring us back within planetary boundaries. Sometimes that’s big and systemic, sometimes small and local. But if it moves us in the right direction, I’m in.

    The post 5 Minutes with A Future Food VC: Future Food Fund’s Silla Scheepens appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Cheap Private-Label Products Drive 2% Growth of Plant-Based Sales in Europe

    plant based sales europe
    7 Mins Read

    Retail sales of plant-based food in Europe grew by 2% in 2024, thanks in large part to inexpensive private-label offerings from supermarkets.

    Over the last year, a wave of retailers in Europe has pledged to increase the share of plant proteins sold in their stores. To do so, some have fine-tuned their lineups to meet consumer preferences, some have put meat alternatives in the meat section, and some have slashed prices to make them cheaper than animal proteins.

    The impact has been tangible. The double-digit growth in low-cost vegan food from supermarkets’ private labels has spurred the category’s rise in several key European markets, Circana data released by the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe shows.

    Value sales of six categories reached €4.7B in the region’s six largest markets in 2024, up slightly by 1.7% from 2023. Meanwhile, volumes rose by 4.5% and units by 4.3% year-on-year.

    Own-label products drove volume growth in Germany, Italy, France and Spain between 2022 and 2024. That said, people in the UK still exhibited an affinity for branded products, and their counterparts in the Netherlands embraced meat alternatives that could be added to existing recipes, despite a drop in volumes.

    “It’s great to see that Europe’s plant-based retail market remains resilient, with increasing sales volumes across four major countries last year. These foods are becoming ever more mainstream as retailers invest in more affordable products,” said Helen Breewood, senior market and consumer insights manager at GFI Europe. “However, the ongoing success of more expensive products in some categories shows that price is not the only factor.”

    Here’s a country-by-country breakdown of plant-based sales in European retail.

    Germany benefits from price parity

    plant based sales germany
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    In Europe’s largest market, value sales of plant-based food grew by 1.5% in 2024, reaching €1.68B. This levelling off reflects falling prices, given that sales volume was up by 7% during the same period. Germany also had the highest per capita spend (€19.92) in 2024.

    The country saw sales rise across meat analogues (4%), plant-based milk (3.5%), and non-dairy cream (3.5%), though seafood (-24%) and cheese (-16%) suffered from major declines.

    The overall performance was a result of the lower prices of plant-based alternatives, with many dairy-free milks now on par with cow’s milk, and vegan cream 5% cheaper than the conventional version.

    This itself is driven by private-label offerings: Lidl spearheaded the shift by achieving price parity for its Vemondo line. While sales of branded products fell by 0.4% in 2024, private-label offerings witnessed a 5.5% hike.

    Further, 37% of German households bought plant-based milk at least once last year, and 32% purchased a meat alternative, in line with the previous two years.

    UK embraces tofu over veggie burgers

    plant based sales europe
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    Despite a 4% drop in sales and a 3% dip in volumes, the UK held its position as the second-largest plant-based market in Europe with a value of €1.07B.

    Even though they’re more expensive, branded products were more resilient than private-label options: sales of the former declined by 3%, compared to a 12% decline for the latter. Several innovative companies bucked the trend with significant growth. This suggests that Brits value taste and quality more than price (which is still critical), and may point to the need for better own-label vegan products.

    The sales value of meat alternatives fell hard (-10%), with household penetration dropping by four percentage points (reaching 31.5%). Still, their volumes were five times higher than that of veggie burgers, showing the “continued importance to consumers of alternatives that look, taste and cook like meat”, GFI Europe said.

    Separately, the volume of tofu sold was 10% higher in January 2025 than 12 months prior, possibly due to its affordability and tempeh and seitan also enjoyed an 85% hike (albeit from a tiny base). In the ensuing months, products like Oh So Wholesome’s Veg’chop and This’s Super Superfood have rolled out in a bid to rival both meat analogues and tofu.

    “The relative performance of these foods in percentage terms may be a response to widespread media concern over ultra-processed foods in the UK, although the absolute increase in uptake of tofu, tempeh and seitan was far smaller than the corresponding drop in plant-based meat sales,” the report noted.

    Italy goes big on vegan cheese

    plant based sales italy
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    In the home of mozzarella and parmesan, sales of plant-based cheese doubled between 2022 and 2024, thanks to a rise in branded products.

    It wasn’t just cheese that witnessed growth. Three other categories performed better in 2024 than the year before: meat analogues (a 15% growth), milk (3%), and yoghurt (2%). The overall market was valued at €639M, with only plant-based cream suffering a drop in sales.

    That being said, vegan cheese was an outlier, as high inflation in Italy’s food sector led to a strong growth of affordable private-label plant-based products, whose sales were up by 16% last year. In comparison, sales of branded offerings grew more modestly, at 3.5%.

    France happy to spend on better-tasting brands

    plant based sales france
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    The country that lost its attempt to restrict the use of terms like ‘veggie burger’ saw growth in all five plant-based categories analysed by GFI Europe, led by cheese (19%) and chilled meat (15.5%). The overall market recorded €537M in sales, a 9% increase from 2023.

    Private-label products dominated the growth with an 11% hike in sales value, compared to an 8% rise for branded offerings. Supermarket ranges were particularly important for plant-based milk, the largest segment in the country.

    Own-label brands were particularly important in the plant-based milk and drinks category, overtaking the sales of branded options and undercutting their price by 30% on average.

    At the same time, the relatively expensive branded products gained market share in the vegan meat and yoghurt segments, and made up the majority of sales for plant-based cheese. This suggests that consumers are strongly driven by the taste and quality of animal-free products, not just their cost.

    Spain increased adoption of plant-based milk

    plant based sales spain
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    Plant-based meat was the only category that underperformed in Spain last year, where overall sales of vegan food grew by 6.5% to reach €491M. Still, meat analogues only fell by 1.5%. On the other hand, plant-based yoghurt enjoyed a 21% increase in value sales, cheese grew by 8%, and milk by 5%.

    Plant-based milk, in particular, has made major strides, making up nearly 10% of all milk sold in Spain in 2024. Household penetration climbed from 42% to 46% between 2022 and 2024. The success is down to the cost reductions achieved by milk alternatives, thanks in large part to cheaper private-label options.

    When looking at sales value alone, the gulf between the sales growth in own-label (5%) and branded products (8%) isn’t that high, but volume sales show a different picture. In terms of weight, plant-based items sold 3% more in Spanish supermarkets last year and private-label products shot up by 13%.

    Netherlands chooses pieces over whole cuts

    plant based sales netherlands
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    The Netherlands was the only other market apart from the UK that suffered a decline in overall sales of plant-based food in 2024, which plunged by 6% to reach €288M.

    This was punctuated by a decline in value sales across all categories analysed, with meat analogues hit hardest (-7%), followed by cheese (6%) and milk (5.5%). Still, the Dutch spent more per person (€15.78) than all countries bar Germany.

    According to GFI Europe, the 6% fall in volume sales of plant-based milk stemmed from significantly lower sales of chilled options – sales of ambient versions were stable. This is due to a rise in prices of chilled milk alternatives, against a levelling off of shelf-stable product prices.

    Centre-of-plate meat alternatives like burgers and fillets suffered from a decline, but products more likely to be used as part of home-cooked recipes (like mince or strips) remained relatively resilient.

    “There is a huge potential market for sustainable and healthy plant-based foods, and companies have a real opportunity to reach more people by developing tastier, nutritious and affordable products that can fit into their lifestyles,” said Breewood.

    The post Cheap Private-Label Products Drive 2% Growth of Plant-Based Sales in Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Everyone Who Tasted Cultivated Meat Opposed A Ban, Finds Tufts Study

    upside foods florida
    4 Mins Read

    A study of Upside Foods’ cultivated meat tasting shows what consumers want from these proteins and what they don’t want from their lawmakers.

    On June 27, 2024, a California company took a stand against the state of Florida.

    Upside Foods, the first startup to be approved to sell cultivated meat in the US, held a public tasting of its chicken at a rooftop in Miami. It was a precursor to what was to come four days later: a statewide ban on these proteins, championed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

    Since then, five more states have followed suit. Alabama, Mississippi, Montana, Indiana, and Nebraska have all outlawed the sale of cultivated meat, but the public doesn’t seem to be aligned with their leaders on this issue.

    In an analysis of Upside Foods’s tasting event, researchers at Tufts University found that cultivated meat is viewed favourably both on a sensory and political scale. Every attendee who was interviewed opposed a ban on these foods, be it Democrats, Republicans, or those with another political inclination.

    It comes during a year when the Food and Drug Administration has approved two additional companies to sell cultivated meat in the US, with Mission Barns now awaiting the greenlight from the Department of Agriculture for its pork fat, and Wildtype’s salmon already available in a Portland restaurant.

    lab grown meat taste
    Courtesy: Upside Foods

    How do Americans feel about cultivated meat?

    Attendees lining up to taste the cultivated meat spanned all ages, and while most attendees were white or Latinx, people from other ethnic and racial backgrounds were also present. That said, there were roughly twice as many men as women.

    They tasted the chicken as part of a tostada created by Caja Caliente owner and TV personality Mika Leon. The cultivated chicken was made a la Plancha con Sazón and accompanied by avocado, chipotle crema, beet sprouts, and fresh lime zest.

    Of those interviewed, 73% had a favourable review of the taste, but an equal share called for sensory improvements, mostly in terms of the chicken’s texture. This split opinion. Some found the cultivated meat indistinguishable from conventional chicken, while others found it similar or inferior to plant-based alternatives.

    Aside from complaints about a “rubbery” texture, one key concern was the use of fetal bovine serum, which led to “striking and sudden reversals” from acceptance to rejection. “I wish I’d known they use animal ingredients. If I had known, I wouldn’t have tried it. I wouldn’t have eaten it,” said one taster.

    florida banning lab-grown meat
    Courtesy: Kevin Martin Galante/Upside Foods

    Yet others indicated that they’d like to see cultivated meat reach price parity, an effort being accelerated across the industry. These reasons are why, while 80% expressed a willingness to try it again, only a quarter said they would do so regularly, pending further product development.

    Interestingly, many attendees wanted to try it in other formats and see if they could cook it themselves. “The skill of a celebrity chef cooking the food was highly salient for respondents and led to caution or hesitation when answering whether what they tried would influence future food decisions,” the study notes in the NPJ Science of Food journal, quoting one attendee who said: “This was definitely cooked by someone who knew what they were doing.”

    Democrat or Republican, nobody wants a cultivated meat ban

    While Floridians had some words of advice for cultivated meat manufacturers, they had stronger words for the politicians looking to ban the innovation.

    “I support innovation and I’m usually a big DeSantis supporter. But I don’t support him on this. I would vote against the ban,” said one attendee. “I feel like the ban is an interesting choice for a state that allegedly supports smaller government,” added another.

    For one taste-tester, the ban was “completely based on scare tactics and political nonsense” and set a “really terrible precedent”. “We don’t ban foods in America. That’s not who we are, that’s just not what we do,” they said. “There’s no science behind the ban. It’s nonsense.”

    The divergence from traditional party positions, particularly for those identifying as Democratic or liberal (who typically do not oppose government intervention), suggests that cultivated meat “might create new political fault lines defying traditional party stances”, the researchers write.

    florida bans lab grown meat
    Miami chef Mika Leon and Upside Foods CEO Uma Valeti at the Freedom of Food tasting event in June 2024 | Courtesy: Kevin Martin Galante/Upside Foods

    At the same time, the opposition to banning cultivated meat is non-partisan. “Self-identified Democrats, liberals, Libertarians and Republicans aligned on the belief that these technologies and foods should be allowed to progress and that government interference was overreach,” they explain.

    “The ban violates ingrained values of freedom for Libertarians, free markets for Republicans, and signifies moving away from progress for societal benefit for Democrats and liberals.”

    The study uncovered three theoretical pathways of acceptance: American identity, perceived sensory and cultural values, and the need for transparency and further innovation.

    “Cultivated meat companies must prioritise transparent communication that dispels misconceptions and educates consumers about the production process, while avoiding marketing strategies that could provoke a backlash when setting unrealistic expectations,” says the study.

    The post Everyone Who Tasted Cultivated Meat Opposed A Ban, Finds Tufts Study appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Lookbook, Kraft Heinz NotCo & McDonald’s Jackfruit Burger

    kraft heinz notco
    6 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Oatly’s recipe lookbook, Villareal CF’s tofu seminar, and People Magazine’s plant-based awards.

    New products and launches

    Swedish oat milk giant Oatly has unveiled a lookbook for the Spring/Summer 2025 season, featuring a range of recipes using its products. Think a maple miso latte, a lacto-fermented blueberry matcha, and a salty banana split.

    oalty lookbook
    Courtesy: Oatly

    Dutch alternative protein producer Schouten has launched three Taste of the World veggie burgers inspired by Mexican, Italian and Thai cuisines.

    McDonald’s Netherlands has re-released the Meatless McKroket two years after it was first launched, with a jackfruit filling made from Fiber Foods‘s PrimeJack ingredient.

    Swiss plant-based meat giant Planted has introduced ready-to-eat steak bites in select Coop stores across the nation.

    yellow sunshine
    Courtesy: Yellow Sunshine

    Yellow Sunshine is a new Swiss brand established by the founders of vegan creamery New Roots, Alice Fauconnet and Freddy Hunziker. It makes lupin protein blocks in plain, garlic and herbs, and pepper-paprika flavours.

    While Ferrero has just launched its vegan Nutella in the UK, a new competitor has already emerged. Pip & Nut has released a chocolate-hazelnut spread with a sixth of the sugar content. It retails at Sainsbury’s for £3.50 per 165g hat and £7.65 per 400g tub, before rolling out at Whole Foods Market, Ocado and Amazon.

    Spanish football club Villareal CF and the Embassy of Japan in Spain partnered to host a tofu seminar with Somenoya Co, a 163-year-old tofu company from Tokyo.

    yellow sunshine
    Courtesy: Yellow Sunshine

    In response to the high prices and market volatility of cocoa, German food giant Dr. Oetker has released a carob flour for consumers in Turkey to replace cocoa powder at home.

    In more alt-cocoa news, US flour giant Ardent Mills has launched a wheat-based Cocoa Replace product. It can substitute 25% of cocoa powder in baking applications.

    Kraft Heinz Not Company has unveiled the latest innovations in its US lineup: a NotMayo Chipotle Squeeze and Kraft NotMac & Cheese Cups.

    kraft vegan mac and cheese
    Courtesy: Kraft Heinz Not Company/Green Queen

    US breakfast foods company Purely Elizabeth has rolled out a Protein Oatmeal range in Apple Harvest Crumble, Chocolate Chip Banana Bread and Maple Cinnamon Roll. The vegan products have 10g of protein per serving and retail for $6.49 per 235g pack in supermarkets nationwide,

    Also in the US, the Plant-Based Seafood Co‘s Mind Blown brand has reignited its partnership with PLNT Burger to offer its Maryland-style crab cake in a limited-edition Happy Crabby Sandwich for the third year in a row.

    Häagen-Dazs Shops, meanwhile, has launched a summer blueberry collection featuring the brand’s first oat milk offering in the US. The Blueberry Lemon Non-Dairy Freeze drink combines its blueberry and lemon sorbet with oat milk and blueberry preserve.

    haagen dazs oat milk
    Courtesy: Häagen-Dazs Shops

    Plant-based ingredients maker Planteneers has introduced a methylcellulose-free texturiser blend with functional yeast protein for clean-label plant-based meat.

    And Israeli startup Alfred’s Foodtech has released dairy-free Gouda slices with 18% protein under its new Alfred’s Deli brand. They come in original and pesto flavours.

    Company and finance updates

    Danish ingredients firm Feast Foods has ceased operations after failing to secure funding for its yeast extract replacer.

    Also in the Nordics, Swedish dairy giant Valio has announced that it will close the Kauhava factory it took over from Raisio by the end of this year, relocating operations to its Joensuu site instead.

    valio
    Courtesy: Valio

    Online grocer Vegan Essentials has been acquired by Fake Meats owners Steven and Kim Skaff, who bought it from fellow retailer PlantX.

    British cultivated meat firm Ivy Farm Technologies has appointed Rebecca Wright as chief legal officer, as part of its effort to work with regulators globally to bring its Wagyu beef to market.

    US vegan fast-food chain Slutty Vegan has hired entrepreneur, investor and marketer Lauren Maillian as brand president.

    slutty vegan
    Courtesy: Slutty Vegan/LinkedIn

    The new owners of the Merit Functional Foods plant in Winnipeg, which went into receivership in March 2023, are not planning to restart it as a plant protein business.

    But fellow Canadian company Burcon NutraScience has completed the first production run of its Peazazz C pea protein at its facility in Galesburg, Illinois.

    Edinburgh’s Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre’s FlexBio facility is home to Scotland’s first open-access 300-litre fermenter, which was supported by an £847,000 grant from national agency Scottish Enterprise.

    is virat kohli vegan
    Courtesy: Blue Tribe Foods

    As part of its 2025 sustainability initiative, Indian plant-based meat startup Blue Tribe Foods recycled 1,475 kg of plastic in the first quarter of 2025, building on the 2,333 kg it recycled last year.

    A bankruptcy judge in Delaware has given vegan sushi chain Planta final approval to secure nearly $5M in financing after resolving comments from its debtor-in-possession.

    Venture firm Nordic Foodtech VC has hit its first close of €40M as part of an €80M fund to invest in new technologies for the food and agriculture industry.

    Policy, research and awards

    Californian precision fermentation leader Perfect Day has asked a District of Columbia court to throw out a lawsuit alleging that it had misled consumers about its animal-free whey products.

    perfect day whey protein
    Courtesy: Perfect Day

    Scotland’s biotechnology sector is celebrating the launch of the country’s first open-access 300-litre fermenter, which has been installed thanks to an £847,000 grant from the national economic development agency, Scottish Enterprise.

    Also in Scotland, the University of Stirling has developed the Clean Food Consumerism scale to help manufacturers meet evolving consumer preferences for clean-label foods.

    Ahead of its Singapore approval, French cultivated foie gras maker Gourmey has joined the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture.

    lab grown foie gras
    Courtesy: Sherry Hack

    In the Philippines, IHG Hotels & Resorts has committed to increasing its plant-based offerings to 30% of all menu items by 2027.

    Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found a way to control the key amino acids responsible for flavour in a bid to get cultivated meat to taste closer to its conventional counterpart.

    A study by the Federal University of São Paulo has revealed that 80% of these plant-based meat products in Brazil have good nutritional quality, based on the Nutri-Score indicator. Meanwhile, 73% of vegan alternatives were classed as ultra-processed, much lower than animal-derived meats (92%).

    beyond meat chicken pieces
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat/Green Queen

    Beyond Meat, Califia Farms, Whole Moon, Jell-O and Pop & Bottle have won People Magazine‘s food awards for the best plant-based products in grocery stores in 2025.

    Finally, animal rights charity Peta has named the 10 most vegan-friendly cities in the US for 2025. The winner is the home of deep-dish, Chicago.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Lookbook, Kraft Heinz NotCo & McDonald’s Jackfruit Burger appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • 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.