In Australia, vEEF has introduced a new range of meat analogues that are priced lower than animal-derived meat, keying into consumer trends.
Nearly a year after its merger with Love Buds, vEEF is rolling out a new range of meat analogues that tackle a key consumer pain point: cost.
Available at Woolworths, the new beef mince and sausages are on par with conventional meat, at AU$4.50 per 300g pack. This is much lower than Woolworths’ own-brand lean beef and beef sausages (ranging from AU$16-22 per kg, versus AU$15 for vEEF).
They are housed in renewed packaging that uses 50% less plastic than previous vEEF products and features a Carbon Neutral label, a reference to the brand’s carbon neutral certification by the eCarbon reductio Institute last year.
“We recognise that high costs have historically deterred many conscious consumers from embracing plant-based alternatives. In these challenging times, we’re committed to striving towards making delicious, nourishing plant-based foods accessible to all Australians,” said co-founder and CEO Alejandro Cancino, who received a Michelin star during his time in Tokyo, as well as three chef’s hats, Australia’s equivalent to the Michelin star.
“By offering vEEF at a fair price, we’re empowering more people to make choices that align with their values and dietary preferences. It’s about making plant-based eating an accessible option for everyone, not just a select few,” he added.
vEEF cuts profit margins to offer cheaper plant-based meats
Courtesy: vEEF
Cancino founded the company as part of Fenn Foods in 2018 with his wife, Paolo Moro, with a range that now includes nuggets, bacon bits, roast chicken, steaks and burgers across chilled and frozen formats.
Last year, vEEF merged with All G Foods’ Love Buds brand to form the Aussie Plant-Based Co. “This union combines our strengths, enabling significant growth in both retail (vEEF) and foodservice (Love BUDS) sectors,” said Cancino.
“Our consolidated resources and shared expertise have positioned us for continued expansion. We remain committed to delivering top-quality plant-based products across both channels, leveraging our enhanced capabilities to meet growing consumer demand,” he added. “This strategic alliance strengthens our market presence, allowing us to better serve our customers and drive innovation in the plant-based food industry.”
The latest soy-protein-based products are vEEF’s first new launches since the merger. They include a beef mince for use in tacos, pasta sauces, and more, as well as three sausages. The classic sausages are ideal for stir-fries and barbecues, the Smokey ones can be added to soups and casseroles, while you can top up pizzas and breakfast scrambles with the Chorizo version (which is much cheaper than conventional branded Chorizo sausages, which range from AU$26-50).
The company has managed to bring down the prices and overcome challenges like high raw material costs and supply chain instability through a multi-faceted approach. Its manufacturing hub streamlines production and reduces reliance on external suppliers to cut intermediary costs, while it has been working on addressing efficiencies in the supply chain.
vEEF has also continued to refine its manufacturing process, allowing it to increase output while maintaining its quality, and the economies of scaling up this way also bring down prices. Notably, it is accepting a lower profit margin to offer competitive pricing, with a long-term focus on market share and consumer accessibility.
Just earlier this month, a survey of 2,000 Australians found that price is the second largest barrier to the consumption of plant-based meat, with 37% deterred from choosing these products due to their high markups. That said, budgetary concerns were also the second most important reason for reducing the amount of meat Australians eat, a factor cited by 54% of respondents.
The price problem for plant-based meat
Courtesy: Food Frontier
The aforementioned poll, commissioned by Sydney-based think tank Food Frontier, suggested that nearly a fifth of Australians (21%) identify as meat reducers, while another 7% are flexitarian. Meanwhile, 15% are vegan or vegetarian – meaning more than two in five consumers are either cutting back on meat, or don’t eat it at all.
This is on the back of a 47% hike in plant-based meats sales in Australia from 2020 to 2023 (across both retail and foodservice). With another 12% of citizens hoping to reduce meat this year, and four in five going meat-free at least once a week, the market for plant-based analogues seems ripe.
But the latter category suffers from a major price premium, carrying a 33% higher markup than animal-derived meat. That said, this gap has narrowed from 49% in 2020, and Australian-made plant-based mince is only 8% more expensive than its cattle-based counterpart. Vegan sausages, on the other hand, have become 27% costlier in this time.
Courtesy: Food Frontier
Food Frontier found that manufacturers are prioritising health and nutrition in plant-based meat, followed by price. “Some Australian manufacturers said they absorbed price hikes whenever feasible to shield consumers from bearing the brunt, recognising the role of pricing in consumer decision-making,” the think tank’s CEO, Simon Eassom, told Green Queen in May.
“And some companies improved efficiencies in their supply chain, while others pursued vertical integration to reduce overall expenses. Another contributor to the narrowing of the price gap is the departure of several imported plant-based meats, which were more expensive per kilo than locally produced products.”
With continued manufacturing efficiencies, expansion in local production capacity, as well as some support from retailers, costs could be driven down even further, added Eassom: “If overseas trends are anything to go by, we think the Australian market, when it can, will see even closer price parity.”
Mexico’s Forma Foods is making whole-cut plant-based meat using a 3D printing technique that has impressed Michelin-starred chefs.
What started as a bioprinting firm in 2017 has turned into a full-fledged food tech startup, leveraging its chaotic printing technology to address consumer pain points about the texture of meat analogues.
For 75% of people around the world, the texture of plant-based meat is as important as its animal-derived counterparts – but only about 60% are actually satisfied with it.
In Mexico City, Forma Foods is hoping to give consumers the mouthfeel they want from these products based on a technology that doesn’t just replicate animal muscle fibres, but also adipose and connective tissues, resulting in a well-rounded textural experience for the consumer.
The startup’s beef analogues have impressed investors as well as chefs alike, landing on the menu of Rodrigo Rivera-Rio’s Koli, a recent recipient of a Michelin star. “It’s a protein, obviously, made with all the most cutting-edge technology in a laboratory,” the chef told TecScience in June. “It’s from Monterrey, it’s regia cuisine.”
Courtesy: Forma Foods
How Forma Foods developed its chaotic printing technology
Forma Foods was founded on the back of years of research by Grissel Trujillo de Santiago and Mario Moises Alvarez during their time at Tecnologico de Monterrey. With biotech engineer Li Lu Lam Aguilar joining as co-founder and CEO, the tissue engineering experts initially explored cultivated meat, but pivoted to plant proteins due to the much higher costs involved.
Its chaotic printing technology produces microstructures that mirror the architecture of animal tissues via the use of plant-based pastes: pea protein helps simulate muscle tissue, coconut oil mimics fat tissue, and prebiotic fibre from an Oriental root replicates connective tissue.
“The term ‘chaotic’ might seem counterintuitive, as it’s often associated with disorder,” admits Alvarez, the firm’s CTO. “But in mathematics and physics, chaotic flows are known for their ability to create intricate, highly ordered microstructures efficiently.”
The development of a now-patented specialised printhead in 2019 allowed the company to overcome the challenge of adapting 3D printing to produce meat analogues. “We use static mixers within our printheads to generate chaotic flows, enabling us to produce detailed microarchitecture within each filament. This innovative method allows us to recreate the complex texture of meat in a cost-effective and scalable way,” Alvarez explains.
“Our printing technology replicates the architecture and texture of real meat by precisely organising different components – protein fibres, fat, and connective tissue – at a microscopic scale,” he adds. “In real meat, these elements are not mixed randomly – they are aligned and structured, which gives the meat its distinctive texture. Similarly, we print multi-material filaments that emulate these components.
“While other plant-based meat producers typically create ‘ground meat’ products where all the ingredients are mixed and lack the fibrous structure of real meat, our approach coextrudes three different materials through the same nozzle, achieving a microstructure that mimics the natural alignment of meat at the micron level.”
Courtesy: Forma Foods
Forma Foods outpaces a cow by a factor of 100
Forma Foods has created plant-based versions of arrachera (skirt steak) and carne al pastor (grilled pork) to appeal to local palates. After all, more than half (54%) of Mexicans are swapping meat for plant-based analogues.
In 2022, a study suggested that 9% of the country’s population was vegan, another 19% vegetarian, and 15% identified as flexitarian – making it the largest plant-forward market in Latin America. Even Taylor Swift recognised this, offering Propel Foods’s vegan Bistec steak, Chorizo and Pastor tacos to Eras Tour visitors at the Foro Sol stadium in the capital last year.
As proof of its product potential, Forma Foods has raised over $1M in funding from Tec Ventures and Saya Bio. “We are seeking additional funding to accelerate the development and scaling of our technology,” says Alvarez.
Each of the company’s printers can currently produce 1.8kg of its beef per hour, a rate around 100 times speedier than the time it takes to raise a cow. “Our overall annual production is still limited, as we only have a small number of printers in operation (we design and build our own 3D printers),” he reveals.
“However, our technology is easily scalable by simply adding more printers, which will significantly increase our production capacity to tonnes per month by mid-2025,” notes Alvarez. Another milestone would be reducing the costs of the final product. “Our current market price is above that of traditional beef, but we aim to achieve price parity by 2026,” he adds.
Courtesy: Forma Foods
The startup has outlined a three-pronged strategy as part of its development plan: gain consumer trust, establish strategic partnerships in the market, and offer products that are unique and innovative. On that note, it’s been in talks with some foodservice customers, and currently supplies three cuts of its 3D-printed meat for special events at Tecnológico de Monterrey.
At Koli, Rivera-Rio served its beef as part of a conceptual dish. The story goes: as one beet watched cows eating other beets, it felt lonely and decided to become beef itself. To visualise this, he requested Forma Foods to shape its meat analogue in the form of a beetroot, pairing it with a beet sauce.
“I think it would be very interesting to keep this as an ongoing dish in the menu: the vegetable that wanted to be meat,” the chef said, hinting at an ongoing collaboration with the startup. “This season it would be beet, next it could be a carrot. It can be a thousand things.”
“Looking ahead, we plan to expand into retail stores across Mexico, particularly those specialising in vegan and health-conscious products,” says Alvarez. “We expect this rollout to happen at the beginning of 2025.”
Planet A Foods has partnered with Katjes International to launch a cocoa-free, plant-based version of the famous Treets peanut dragées.
Katjes International is bringing out a cocoa- and dairy-free version of Treets Peanuts, thanks to a partnership with German alt-chocolate producer Planet A Foods.
The new dragées – which feature Planet A Foods’s ChoViva chocolate alternative and vegan pastel shades – will be available in German supermarkets from the end of the month, accompanied by a large marketing campaign by Treets.
“I am particularly proud to launch a joint product with such a strong and well-known brand. Treets’ strong sense of sustainability and naturalness aligns perfectly with our values at ChoViva,” said Planet A Foods co-founder and CEO Maximilian Marquart.
“I am excited to offer consumers a new and delicious cocoa-free alternative with the Treets Peanuts Vegan,” he added.
Treets Peanuts goes cocoa-free
Courtesy: Planet A Foods
First introduced by Mars in the 1960s, Treets originally consisted of chocolate-coated peanuts with a hard outer shell, in the style of a dragée. They were discontinued in 1988, replaced by Galaxy Minstrels and peanut M&Ms.
In 2009, Mars reintroduced Treets, but by 2017, it let the property rights expire. Katjes acquired the brand a year later and permanently reestablished Treets in the European market. The range has since expanded to include peanut butter cups and spreads too.
While the dragées have had a vegan pastel coating since Katje relaunched them, now, the whole product is plant-based. To amp up its sustainability credentials, it’s also free of cocoa, opting for an alternative made from sunflower seed and grape flours.
The vegan Treets Peanuts will roll out at locations of all major supermarkets in Germany this month, including Kaufland, Globus, Famila, Tegut, Edeka and Rewe.
Aside from the aforementioned seed flours, they comprise sugar, peanuts, palm and shea fats, rice starch, emulsifiers, maltodextrin, glucose syrup, carnauba wax, and natural food colouring. Per 100g, the dragées contain 30g of fat (10g saturated), 48g of sugar, and 12g of protein.
This is the latest in a growing list of partnerships Planet A Foods has established for ChoViva. The alt-chocolate has been part of over 20 products launches since entering the market 12 months ago, including with Lindt, Griesson-de Beukelaer, Peter Kölln, Lufthansa, and Deutsche Bahn. It has also been part of private-label offerings from retailers such as Rewe and its subsidiary Penny, Edeka, Lidl, and Aldi.
Planet A Foods to launch semi-sweet ChoViva and enter UK in 2025
Courtesy: Planet A Foods
Planet A Foods uses a proprietary fermentation process to turn its ingredients into chocolate-like products with a “melt-in-the-mouth texture” and “full-bodied chocolate flavour”. With 30% less sugar, they can be used as both a 1:1 replacement of conventional chocolate or in hybrid formulations.
One of the key challenges it is addressing is climate change. Dark chocolate is more polluting than pork, chicken and farmed fish combined, releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than every other food except beef. Cocoa itself is linked to mass deforestation, which is why it is part of anti-deforestation bans coming to the EU and the UK.
Meanwhile, climate change itself is decimating cocoa production: extreme weather events have destroyed yields, leading to all-time highs in cocoa futures. Longer term, a third of cocoa trees could die out by 2050. As per an independent life-cycle assessment, ChoViva’s cocoa-free offering has a carbon footprint of 1.3kg of CO2e per kg, representing 83% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than vegan chocolate.
But Planet A Foods is also working on alternatives to palm oil, aiming to create a fermented ChoViva Butter by converting single-cell oils, agricultural sidestreams and local feedstocks like beet sugar into a fat resembling cocoa butter. Pending regulatory approval, the company aims to bring this to market by 2026.
In the short term, it plans to launch more products in Germany, including a semi-sweet version of ChoViva. Speaking to Green Queen after raising $15.4M in a Series A round earlier this year, Planet A Foods revealed it was making a play for the UK market.
This is on track, with a UK product expected in 2025, followed by rollouts in several other European countries. Additionally, it is also exploring the US and Asian markets.
Planet A Foods is among a number of companies working on climate-friendly chocolate and alternatives, including Italy’s Foreverland, London-based Win-Win, US startup Voyage Foods, and Israel’s Kokomodo.
Italian legacy meat producer Gruppo Tonazzo is shuttering its meat business to solely focus on plant-based proteins via its Kioene brand.
Driven by its impact on the environment and people’s health, one of Italy’s oldest meat manufacturers is going vegan.
Padua-based Gruppo Tonazzo, which began as a butcher shop in 1888, has announced that by the end of the year, it will divest its meat business. The company will switch its entire focus on plant proteins through its long-running Kioene brand, which itself has been around since 1988 and is an established leader in the country’s vegan market.
“We are embarking on the third revolution in our company’s history, and – we hope – in the sector as well,” said CEO Stefano Tonazzo, calling it “a gesture of great responsibility towards the environment and the nutritional wellbeing of future generations”.
This was echoed by his brother Albino, who is CEO of Kioene: “This is a choice that we have carefully considered within the family and shared with our collaborators, a decision through which we want to make our contribution to safeguarding the planet and promoting an increasingly conscious diet.”
Francesca Gallelli, public affairs consultant at alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, told Green Queen: “This decision demonstrates that alternative proteins are not a threat, but rather a chance for the conventional meat sector to diversify, innovate, and enhance its offerings to meet consumers’ demand – especially when backed by deep expertise and the strength of the ‘Made in Italy’ brand.”
Embracing vegetables for people and the planet
Courtesy: Kioene/Gruppo Tonazzo
The makings of the decision can be traced back to the establishment of Kioene all those years ago, the idea for which came about during a trip the Tonazzo brothers took to São Paulo. “We woke up very early and left with one of our suppliers to visit the slaughterhouses outside the city,” Albino recalled in an interview with Nord Est Economia last year.
“On the way, we saw an endless line of trucks stopped on the road. We asked what it was. It was soy, destined for animal feed,” he said. “It was shortly after, during dinner, that my life changed: they explained to me that the energy needed to produce one unit of animal protein was the same as that needed to produce 12 units of plant protein. An absurd ratio.”
It sparked a research effort that ended in Albino and his team creating some of the first soy burgers on Italian supermarket shelves. That lineup has since expanded to include a whole-food focus, using vegetables like aubergines, broccoli, kale and spinach as the base, and these propelled the brand’s market success.
Apart from the veggie burgers, its current portfolio also includes falafels, cutlets, and chicken fillets (though these contain eggs and aren’t vegan) in both fresh and frozen options. Its entire lineup has over 100 SKUs – including alt-dairy offerings – and has penetrated 2.3 million households in Italy (around 10% of the total).
In the last decade, Kioene has become a major money maker for Tonazzo, so much so that the plant-based burgers alone made up €50M of its €80M turnover in 2023 (a 63% share).
“While our family has been involved in the meat industry for five generations, nearly 40 years ago, we began a shift by introducing plant-based protein alternatives,” said Stefano. “With the same spirit of innovation and foresight, we are now closing all meat-related operations to focus entirely on plant-based proteins and our Kioene brand.”
Tonazzo leans into Italy’s fast-growing plant-based market
Courtesy: Kioene/Gruppo Tonazzo
Tonazzo’s factory in Villanova di Camposampiero will continue to produce plant-based products, and employees in the meat business will be offered new roles within the company to ensure a just transition, which is earmarked for December 31.
“As pioneers and key players in this market, we feel a deep responsibility towards future generations, and we want to help protect the Earth from progressive environmental degradation. We are aware of the need to help people take care of their wellbeing, starting with food,” Albino said.
“This is how we aim to contribute to change and collective awareness, and we are convinced that the market and consumers will follow us once again.”
Italians are actively eating less meat. A pan-European survey in 2023 found that the country had the joint-highest share of consumers (59%) looking to cut back on guanciale, vitello, pancetta and the like. This was primarily driven by concerns around health (54%), antibiotic use (17%), and the environment (16%), in line with the reasons Tonazzo is saying arrivederci to meat.
It does seem that the company is following consumer trends: among the Italians reducing meat, most want to replace it with legumes (57%) or legume-based proteins (43%), with the desire for plant-based meat lower at 39%. Kioene’s portfolio plays straight into this trend.
That said, it also comes at a time when meat analogues are the second-fastest-growing segment in Italy’s vegan sector, behind only plant-based cheese. In 2023, retail sales of meatless products in Italy swelled by 13%, nearly reaching €200M – only milk alternatives had higher sales, according to GFI Europe.
This isn’t a one-off. Plant-based meat sales are actually up by 24% from two years ago, and in the first four months of 2024, sales are 10% higher than the corresponding period last year.
“As more Italians incorporate plant-based meat into their diets, it’s inspiring to see a historic meat company embracing the potential of alternative proteins,” said Gallelli.
A majority of consumers in Spain are open to eating more meat analogues if they offer nutritional and taste parity alongside a lower environmental impact.
In Spain, over half of consumers (56%) have eaten plant-based meat in the last six months, and another 8% are considering trying them. But an even higher share of people would consume these products if they presented key benefits, according to a new survey.
Conducted by Spanish meat analogue leader Heura, the 1,000-person poll sought to examine the perspectives of the country’s residents on the nutritional, taste and environmental credentials of plant-based meat.
It found that consumption of these products skews higher in men, those aged 25-34, and people in the northeast. There was also a significant difference in socioeconomic acceptability, with medium- to high-earners more likely to eat plant-based meat.
But of those who haven’t consumed these products in the last six months, it’s people in the northwest of Spain and the age bracket of 35-54 who are most interested in trying plant-based meat in the short term.
To sway these consumers and take plant-based meat intake to an even higher level, companies need to meet their taste and health requirements while convincing them of the environmental benefits.
UPFs not a barrier, but consumers still unsure about nutrition
Courtesy: Heura
Spain is among Europe’s largest meat consumers and has one of the highest per-capita meat consumption rates globally. Based on data from the UN FAO, the country’s average meat intake per person is five times higher than what’s recommended by the WHO.
But Heura’s survey shows that Spaniards are open to plant-based meats, provided they meet their needs. It underscored the importance of taste and texture when it comes to meat analogues – 85% of consumers say they’d eat these products if they delivered the same sensory experience as their conventional counterparts.
This is particularly important to the 8% of people considering eating more plant-based meat in the near term – of these, 98% of people would be convinced to try vegan analogues if they matched animal proteins on taste. And this would persuade even those currently disinterested in these products, 65% of whom would be open to giving them a shot.
Heura, which saw sales jump by 22% last year (reaching €38.3M), says it has the highest repetition rate on the market, and claims that neurophysiological studies have found that its vegan burgers perform on par or better than conventional beef.
Another major concern surrounding plant-based meats is the health aspect. Red meat has been associated with increased risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other conditions, but the (often misleading) narrative around ultra-processing has left many questioning the nutritional value of plant-based meats.
However, only 8% of Spaniards believe that the ultra-processed nature of vegan burgers means they’re not healthier than animal-derived meat. Nearly three-quarters (71%) feel plant-based burgers are better for human health, but the poll also uncovered consumer uncertainty in this regard – only 26% of people strongly agreed with this statement.
Unawareness about plant-based meat’s planetary benefits
Courtesy: Heura
People in Spain remain largely unaware of the environmental potential of plant-based meat. Asked to rank four measures based on their positive planetary impacts, a majority (64%) ranked replacing meat with plant proteins as the least effective action, behind recycling, using renewable energy at home, and reducing water consumption.
Two-thirds (66%) of Spaniards found recycling to be the most effective action to combat climate change, despite the fact that the country’s recycling rates are lower than the EU average. In contrast, only 19% of respondents placed plant-based meat consumption in their top two climate actions.
However, recycling has been found to reduce an average of 5-9% of greenhouse gas emissions, much lower than the 75-90% reduction a plant-based diet can bring, according to the FAO. Independent research has also shown that vegan diets can reduce emissions and water pollution by 75%, while replacing 50% of animal proteins with plant-based analogues can cut agricultural emissions by 31%.
Heura – which closed a €40M Series B funding round earlier this year – says it has also reduced its own climate footprint by 23% per kg of product between 2021 and 2023, while its vegan beef emits 94% fewer greenhouse gases than conventional beef.
But when presented with a plant-based meat option that tastes the same, has a better nutritional value, and has a lower environmental impact, 86% of consumers would be willing to consume it. This is actually twice as high as the willingness to try a vegan burger with such attributes, suggesting that expanding the category is no longer limited to burgers.
“We are solving these challenges in a way that goes beyond what the industry is doing. With cutting-edge technology and new scientific approaches, we create foods that have the same textures and flavours as meat, but are better for your health and the planet,” said Heura co-founder and CEO Marc Coloma.
“We want to satisfy those who are looking for complete and sustainable options, while contributing to the wellbeing of everyone, from society and the planet to animals,” he added. “We don’t make alternatives, we make successors.”
In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Alpro’s new flavoured barista milk, vegan footwear wins, and Violife’s latest marketing campaign.
New products and launches
South Korean vegan cheesemaker Armored Fresh has announced that it will release a vegan grated parmesan made from oat milk in the US this fall.
Courtesy: Alpro/Green Queen
Alpro has released a 750ml caramel-flavoured barista milk made from soy and oats in the UK, which is available at Sainsbury’s for £1.75.
Another flavoured milk comes from Mighty, which has announced a Gingerbread Oat Barista milk as part of the UK’s annual tradition of releasing Christmas-themed products from September.
In more alt-dairy news, Cathedral City has added a Plant-Based Smokey cheese block to its lineup, which will be available at Tesco soon.
Courtesy: Beyond Belief Brewing Co
Also in the UK, Beyond Belief Brewing Co, a subsidiary of pasta supplier Ugo Foods, is launching a line of beers made using waste pasta in grocery, including a Pale Ale, IPA and Vienna Lager, which will be available at Ocado for £8.50-£8.75 this month.
Barefoot shoe maker Vivobarefoot has introduced the Gobi Sneaker Premium Canvas, a Vegan Society-certified sneaker made from 98% natural materials. Instead of plastic, the brand is using a bio-based alt-leather from Natural Fiber Welding called Mirum.
In more footwear news, sheepskin boot manufacturer Ugg has announced a vegan version of its signature shoe, partnering with New York label Collina Strada. The vegan Uggs are made from recycled polyester microfibre and corn leather, and are available in the UK on both brands’ websites.
Courtesy: Stroop Club
Texas-based startup Stroop Club has rolled out its vegan stroopwafels in Europe. Using sunflower oil and cacao fats, the products are available as two- or eight-packs at Ankorstore.com and Faire.com, and on its website.
Speaking of Dutch delights, plant-based giant Vivera has launched Protein Bites in the Netherlands, described as “plant-based meal enrichers” made from vegetables, grains and legumes. The whole-food product line is available in TexMex, Thai and Green flavours, and can be found at Albert Heijn, Jumbo and Plus stores.
Courtesy: Vivera
In the US, TiNDLE Foods‘ chicken tenders are now available on the menu of AI-driven meal kit and grocery solutions platform Hungryroot.
Meanwhile, Rich Products Corporation‘s F’real has debuted the first non-dairy edition of its DIY shakes, an oat-milk-based Choco Choco Chip flavour.
Plant protein company Havredals has expanded its fava bean meats on the US east cost through a distribution partnership with Performance Food Group.
Courtesy: Havredals
And Slovenia’s Juicy Marbles is also hoping to ‘steak’ a claim in the US with a 2025 supermarket launch for its whole-cut meat analogues. It’s working on a more accessible product line to widen its customer reach.
Finance and company updates
Plant-Ex Ingredients, a British supplier of plant-derived flavours, colours and extracts has raised £9M in funding from BGF to expand internationally, with the US a key focus market.
Canadian vegan meal replacement beverage maker Sperri has attracted new funding to spur its US expansion efforts. It has just entered the D2C channel via Amazon.
Swedish investor Kale United has announced a new €50M Kale Growth Fund for alternative protein startups.
Courtesy: MeliBio
Vegan honey maker MeliBio has been granted a utility patent in Germany, which it hopes will fuel its expansion in Europe.
Meanwhile, Copenhagen-based Meat Tomorrow, which is developing pluripotent stem cell lines for cultivated meat, has raised 4.1 million kroner ($610,000) to expand R&D efforts and establish partnerships.
As election season rages on in the US, vegan cheese giant Violife has debuted a new marketing campaign dubbed America Has Voted, after its product was voted the best dairy-free cream cheese. The company will take over bagel shops on election day (November 5) and offer samples in grocery store parking lots in Austin and Miami.
Courtesy: Violife
Givaudan‘s food innovation platform MISTA has chosen biomass fermentation as the central theme for the 2024 Growth Hack event.
Research and policy developments
As US lawmakers continue to find ways to try and ban cultivated meat, a federal judge in Florida has set a date for a hearing about the state’s ban on cultivated meat. In its lawsuit, Californian startup Upside Foods asked the court for a preliminary injunction, which Chief US District Judge Mark Walker will hear arguments for on October 7.
Courtesy: Kevin Martin Galante/Upside Foods
In a new research partnership, Indian cultivated meat startup ClearMeat will join forces with Melbourne’s La Trobe University under the Indo-Australian research corridor. It was announced as ClearMeat unveiled ClearX9, an FBS-free powdered growth medium.
Also in India, the Good Food Institute India and the state-owned CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology have signed a research agreement to advance the country’s alternative protein sector. The latter will provide scientific support and access to state-of-the-art labs and instrumentation facilities for GFI India’s research fellows.
If it manages to meet the taste and nutrition requirements, plant-based dairy could be 10% cheaper than cow’s milk by 2030, a new report shows.
Courtesy: William Shaw/National Trust
Finally, in the UK, conservation agency the National Trust is looking to make half of its food in cafes meatless as part of its net-zero pledge for 2030, with its 2.6 million members set to vote on the proposal. Around 40% of its current catering is plant-based.
Swiss food manufacturer Hero Group has taken over vegan healthy eating brand Deliciously Ella, with owners Ella and Matthew Mills remaining at the company.
Deliciously Ella, the UK-based pioneer of vegan snacking, has been acquired by Hero Group, a Swiss food company that also owns British children’s snack brand Organix.
While the terms of the deal were undisclosed, it is expected to make millions of pounds for founder Ella Mills and her husband Matthew, who are both majority shareholders and will remain in the business under the new ownership.
The takeover will allow Hero to expand its presence in the UK, and enable Deliciously Ella to “reach millions more customers around the world” – the brand is set to enter the US with its oat bars through Whole Foods Market.
The deal comprises the Deliciously Ella recipe app, its branded products, and its factory near Milton Keynes, but does not include the recently launched Plants brand (which sells pantry staples like pasta and sauces, as well as kombucha and soups) or the Plants by DE restaurant in London – the latter two remain under the Millses’ ownership.
It means that seven Deliciously Ella employees will move across to work for the Plants brand, and the remaining 70 will join Hero. “This is a transformational moment in bringing our natural, plant-based ranges to more people, both in the UK and abroad,” Ella and Matthew said in a joint statement.
“As a family-owned business, with a long-term view that aligns with our thinking, Hero Group are the right fit for us,” they added.
Deliciously Ella had ‘numerous approaches’ to sell
Courtesy: Deliciously Ella
Deliciously Ella began as a food blog in 2012 that Ella used to chronicle her recovery from an autoimmune disease by following a whole-food plant-based diet.
She tapped into her roots as a descendant of the Sainsbury family with her retail brand, which grew to a portfolio of over 100 products present in all major UK supermarkets. She has also authored eight cookbooks – her 2015 title Deliciously Ella became the fastest-selling debut cookbook in the UK at the time, while 2018’s Deliciously Ella: The Plant-Based Cookbook broke records as the fastest-selling vegan cookbook ever.
Ella has shifted more than 1.5 million copies of her recipe books, while her retail company has sold nearly 88 million units and is present in more than 10,000 stores across the UK and the EU – that equates to one Deliciously Ella product being purchased every second.
With her husband and business partner, she also opened three restaurants in London (two of which closed pre-pandemic). Plants by DE, in London’s Mayfair, initially struggled but has since been thriving.
The company generated around £24M ($31.7M) in revenue in its latest financial year, with a pre-tax profit of £1.8M ($2.4M). And to make things more efficient, it brought production in-house by buying a factory in Milton Keynes, which is now under Hero’s ownership.
“What started as a small recipe website and a cookbook has become something bigger than either of us could have imagined,” said the Mills couple. “We have had numerous approaches to sell or partner with other food companies over the years, but only this one felt right.”
They added: “Hero has brands all over the world and a proven track record in helping brands reach much greater scale.”
A major win for Ella Mills
Courtesy: Deliciously Ella
“Our multi-year strategy has focused on bringing brands that fit within our core categories with the aim of fulfilling our mission to bring natural, healthy food to consumers,” said Hero CEO Rob Versloot. “Deliciously Ella is a perfect fit for us, and we are particularly happy to have them on board.”
The company owns a number of brands across the world, such as healthy snacking labels Corny and Hero B’tween, jam makers Queensberry, Schwartau and Vitrac, and baby food players Semper, Beech-Nut, Baby Gourmet, and Organix.
The deal marks a feather in the cap for Ella Mills, who for years faced turbulent struggles with online trolls and the challenges that come with owning a multichannel business while raising a young family. She has faced bullying over motherhood and eating disorders, which worsened her mental health. All this while two of her restaurants closed before the turbulence of Covid-19 and its lockdowns.
Deliciously Ella’s products are now in Switzerland, Ireland, Austria and Germany, with the move to the US impending. “We’re completely reliant on the business for our income,” Matthew told the Times. “We’ve had a personal guarantee on our house for eight years.”
He added: “We started talking in December of last year. Ella and I dated for about two months before we got married whereas we dated these guys for ten months before getting married. That’s a long time for us.”
Hero’s purchase of Deliciously Ella comes amid a flurry of M&A activity in the vegan sector, following a 24% dip in investments last year and a flatlining of sales globally. Wicked Kitchen was snapped up by the newly formed Ahimsa Companies in June, while VFC evolved into the Vegan Food Group to become a holding company that now includes Meatless Farm, Clive’s Purely Plants and Tofutown.
In the US, Superlatus agreed to buy plant-based dairy and egg startup Spero, months after it signed a deal to purchase precision fermentation dairy leader Perfect Day’s consumer arm The Urgent Company. And in Australia, All G Foods spun off its meat analogue brand Love Buds, which merged with Fenn Foods’ vEEF to form The Aussie Plant-Based Co.
American comedian Kevin Hart’s plant-based restaurant chain Hart House suddenly closed all its locations last week.
Hart House, the Californian vegan fast-food eatery by comedian Kevin Hart, unexpectedly shut the doors of all its four locations on September 10.
“To our team, guests, and community, who helped make the change we all craved,” the chain wrote on Instagram. “A Hartfelt goodbye for now as we start a new chapter.”
CEO Andy Hooper confirmed the news to Eater Los Angeles, but the reason for the closure of the two-year-old chain is still unclear.
Hart established the venture in 2022, two years after publicly announcing that he was following a plant-forward diet, cutting out red meat, fish and seafood after a serious accident. “I founded Hart House to create a good experience that combines the joy of coming together over food with the power of purpose,” he wrote on the restaurant’s website, which still remains up with no reference to the closure.
Hart House’s competitive prices and in-house plant-based meats
Hart House opened its first location in Westchester in August 2022, followed by a second store in Monrovia in November. The chain’s flagship store was opened in May 2023 on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, while a fourth outlet was opened in University Park South a month later.
“If I can give people a place to have the option that’s placed smack dab in the middle of where your McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Burger King [are], people may see a Hart House and say: ‘I’m going to go plant-based today,’” Hart told The Hollywood Reporter in 2022.
To set up the business, Hart teamed up with investor Michael Rubin and chef Mike Salem, who helped launch the Impossible Whopper during his time at Burger King.
Known for its competitive pricing, the chain sold chicken sandwiches, burgers, and nuggets for under $8, with combo meals costing less than $15. Meanwhile, fries, salads and tater tots were available for less than $3, and milkshakes for under $6.
Despite Hart being an investor in Beyond Meat, appearing in marketing campaigns at the time, he and his team decided against using branded plant-based meats, instead developing its own range of proprietary analogues in-house.
But the fast-food chain – which outlined its ambition to be the future of quick-service restaurants – has now closed. Why that happened, and what happens to it next, is unclear.
In a statement sent to Eater Los Angeles, Hooper said: “The response to the product has been incredible, and we thank our committed team, our customers, and our community partners for helping make the change we all craved, and for their unwavering support of Hart House.”
Courtesy: Hart House
High costs and low sales key challenges for vegan restaurants
Hart House’s closure comes amid a turbulent time for plant-based restaurants in South California, and in the US as a whole.
Within Los Angeles, Vegan Drip Burger, Shojin, Nic’s on Beverly, Flore Vegan, Jewel, and Matthew Kenney’s VEG’D and Plant Food & Wine are among the plant-forward restaurants that have shut down this year alone. Even Shake Shack closed five stores in the LA area earlier this month.
This is part of a wider trend – according to the Los Angeles Times, at least 65 well-known restaurants closed in 2023. High inflation rates have squeezed consumer wallets, prompting them to spend less on dining out. A recent survey showed that American families spend 10% less of their food budget on restaurants than they did in 2022.
At the same time, restaurants themselves are facing thin margins, and high labour and ingredient costs. In 2023, pound sales of meat analogues dipped by 8% in the US foodservice sector, versus a 4% drop for conventional meat, according to Circana data cited by the Good Food Institute.
Plant proteins also suffer from a major price gap, which has been accentuated by the cost-of-living crisis – despite the cost of meat climbing faster than plant-based alternatives, the latter are still 38% more expensive. This has also pushed some formerly meatless restaurants to add meat to their menus, like Sage, Hot Tongue Pizza, Elf Cafe, Burgerlords, and Margo’s in Los Angeles.
That said, in California, the number of fast-food jobs has reached an all-time high, despite the mandated minimum wage increasing from $15.50 to $20 in April.
But as Hart’s restaurant closes, another celebrity-backed eatery is about to open its doors this winter, with siblings Billie Eilish and Finneal O’Connell partnering with restauranteur Nic Adler to set up Italian diner Argento in LA’s Silver Lake area.
In four nail-biting episodes, HBO’s Chimp Crazy zeroes in on the PETA Foundation’s high-stakes legal battle with notorious animal broker Tonia Haddix—the self-proclaimed “Dolly Parton of chimps.” Six chimpanzees were rescued from the now-defunct Missouri Primate Foundation, we launched a nationwide search for Tonka—who was found and recovered from Haddix’s basement—and now, we’re aiming to collect the nearly $225,000 Haddix owes us in attorneys’ fees and costs.
That’s what happens when seedy exhibitors, cruel experimenters, and deceptive companies try to go to bat with PETA and the PETA Foundation’s lawyers. If they don’t lose in a court of law, they eventually lose in the court of public opinion.
From dethroning major Tiger King villains to spotlighting SeaWorld’s cruelty, the PETA Foundation’s crack legal team has paved the way for dozens of historic victories for animals.
Here are some of the PETA Foundation’s sensational and unforgettable legal showdowns beyond Chimp Crazy:
PETA Decimates the Cruel Big-Cat Cub-Petting Industry
Remember “Joe Exotic,” “Doc” Antle, Jeff Lowe, and Tim Stark? These infamous Tiger King villains are either behind bars, out of business, facing federal charges, and/or in mountains of debt after losing to PETA. The work of PETA Foundation lawyers contributed to the closure of Lowe’s and Stark’s facilities by government prosecutors; the rescue of more than two dozen big catsfrom Stark and the transfer of all his other captive animals; and theseizure of 69 big catsfrom Lowe’s now-defunct facility.
By the time the Big Cat Public Safety Act was passed in December 2022, the big-cat cub-petting industry was already crumbling, thanks to PETA. With proper enforcement, this law—which prohibits private ownership of big cats and bans public contact with them—will serve as the final nail in the industry’s coffin.
The meat, egg, dairy, and fishing industries all have a common enemy: the truth. That’s why they relentlessly lobby for “ag-gag” laws, which are designed to silence anyone investigating and exposing the horrors that occur on farms and in slaughterhouses.
When the meat industry introduced laws to try to make it imprisonable and suable to document flagrant cruelty on farms and in slaughterhouses, PETA’s legal maneuvering stopped these “ag-gag” bills cold in 19 states, and versions of these laws were declared unconstitutional in five other states—including Idaho, Iowa, North Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming.
PETA Takes Down Secretive Experimenters
Laboratories that use and kill animals in painful, useless experiments often do so on the taxpayers’ dime—which is why they go to great lengths to conceal their operations from the public.
When the National Institutes of Health (NIH) quietly attempted to censor criticism of its horrific tests on animals, PETA and others slapped the agency with a lawsuit—and we won. A court ruled that NIH’s blocking of keywords—including “monkey(s),” “cats,” “mouse,” “experiment,” “testing,” “PETA,” “torture,” and “revolting”—on its social media pages violated the First Amendment.
And when a major international research conglomerate sued to prevent PETA from showing footage of laboratory workers violently thrusting petrified monkeys into containers and shoving plastic tubes up their noses, we gained the right to secretly film and publicize our video.
PETA’s famous Tilikum v. SeaWorld case was the first-ever filing seeking to apply the 13th Amendment to animals other than humans. Our lawsuit urged a federal court to declare that five wild-caught orcas forced to perform at SeaWorld were being held as slaves.
The court ruled against the orcas, but the lawsuit sparked a wave of awareness for orcas and other animals suffering at the abusement park. The release of Blackfish two years later—combined with PETA’s ongoing campaign against the company—further tanked SeaWorld’s reputation. Most travel companies have cut ties with SeaWorld, and hundreds of thousands of families now steer clear of the parks.
Humane washing is what happens when companies that exploit and kill animals for their flesh, eggs, or secretions want to market their products to conscious consumers. Using labels like “free-range,” “pasture raised,” “humane,” and “ethical,” these companies mislead well-meaning buyers into thinking that animal-derived products can ever be “humane.”
For example,PETA eyewitness video footage of a Nellie’s Free Range Eggs supplier showed approximately 20,000 hens confined to a single extremely crowded shed with severely restricted access to the outdoors, which they could reach only by fighting their way to hatchways that were only occasionally open.
PETA Foundation lawyers filed a lawsuit against Nellie’s and subsequently helped file a class action lawsuit against another humane-washing egg brand as well as a global milk seller. In three historic decisions, federal courts held that these lawsuits raised valid legal arguments. These wins set a precedent for future action against other deceptive companies.
PETA’s Unprecedented Lawsuit Saved a Chimpanzee Held in Solitary Confinement
Following a lawsuit from PETA and a concerned member of the public, Joe the chimpanzee—who was suffering in solitary confinement at an Alabama roadside zoo—was rescued and transferred to a true sanctuary. Joe, who is also Chimp Crazy star Tonka’s brother, was the first chimpanzee to be rescued as a result of an Endangered Species Act (ESA) lawsuit. He even met chimpanzee expert Dr. Jane Goodall during his rescue! Now he’s enjoying life at an accredited sanctuary, where he has ample space, expert care, the opportunity to socialize with other chimpanzees, and freedom from exploitation.
Stream Chimp Crazy to Follow Our Pivotal Case Against a Notorious Primate Broker
How does the PETA Foundation’s legal team do it? See for yourself by streaming Chimp Crazy on Max! Then take action to support a critical bill that would protect chimpanzees and other primates.
To address concerns about plant-based meat textures, Dutch company Schouten has introduced a chicken schnitzel made from its NewTexture fibre technology.
When it comes to plant-based meat, one of the biggest pain points for consumers is the texture. For years, many meat analogues have been described as dry, crumbly, mushy, or just unappealing in terms of mouthfeel.
It’s why companies are racing to come up with ways to produce meat analogues with whole-muscle structures that better resemble their conventional counterparts. It’s also why this effort is called the “holy grail” of plant-based meat.
Globally, the texture of vegan meat products is as important as their animal-derived versions for 75% of consumers – but only about 60% are actually satisfied with it.
Similarly, a 1,500-person survey this year found that 42% of Americans are deterred from choosing a meat analogue dish at a restaurant because they don’t think they’ll like the texture. And in Germany, 26% of people 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.
Responding to these needs, Dutch alternative protein pioneer Schouten has come up with a “self-developed” fibre technology, promising enhanced textures in meat analogues. It’s starting with a chicken schnitzel, which is now available for its foodservice customers.
Fibre technology aims to improve texture and reduce emissions
Courtesy: Schouten
Schouten explains that a lot of meat analogues require high amounts of energy and what some feel is “unnecessary processing”.
This is why it has developed a novel fibre technology, dubbed NewTexture, which it describes as a “replacement for textured proteins”. The innovation is aimed at providing a better texture for meat analogues, and it results in lower emissions than existing technologies.
“This new subline within our Classics range is the result of years of research and development,” says Niek-Jan Schouten, CEO of Schouten Europe. “We are confident that Schouten’s NewTextures will be a game changer for both our business partners and end consumers.”
Schouten is showcasing the technology in its new chicken schnitzel, made from soy and wheat proteins. This is said to have a uicy texture and white hue characteristic of conventional chicken. In addition to the visual and textural attributes, the schnitzel also has strong nutritional credentials, clocking in 12g of protein per 100g, nearly 5g of fibre, and only 1.2g of saturated fat.
“Meat substitutes are sometimes prepared incorrectly, which can make them a bit dry. These products retain their juiciness, making them even more appealing,” explains Schouten. “The overall package is spot on, and we are very proud of this launch, which will help elevate the product category to a new level.”
Others innovating with fibres to advance meat analogues include Germany’s Project Eaden and US startup Tender Foods, both of which are using fibre-spinning technologies.
It’s all about product diversity
Courtesy: Schouten
Schouten, a family-owned company, has been making meat analogues since 1990 – one of the earliest movers in the market. It has an extensive product range geared towards customers in over 50 countries, from supermarket private-labels to branded manufacturers and quick-service restaurant chains.
Outside its Classics line of meat analogues, the company also has a range called Variations, which involves products that aren’t meant to resemble meat. “Ultimately, we believe that meat substitutes don’t always need to mimic meat,” Schouten said. “With legumes and vegetables, we can develop excellent protein-rich products that don’t have a meat equivalent.”
He added: “However, to convince true meat lovers to buy meat substitutes more often, the classics are still essential. It’s important that we continue to improve the quality of these products. That’s why we keep investing in our Classics.”
It was with this line of thinking that the company announced a portfolio of mycoprotein products, through which it also aims to “market products with a lower footprint and less processing”.
These moves have legs, and are being replicated elsewhere too. Beyond Meat, one of the world’s largest plant-based meat companies, recently brought out Sun Sausages in response to consumer demands for whole foods – these links aren’t meant to resemble meat, and are instead made from vegetables and legumes. And just last week, the company said it would soon launch a mycelium-based steak as a clean-label option.
A decadent feast complete with loads of stuffing, piles of fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy, and even a savory roast for the centerpiece—all without cruelty? It’s not a dream—it’s ThanksVegan! PETA is inviting kind Canadians (and everyone else, too) to join in on this animal-friendly celebration, which falls on October 14 this year.
How to Have a Canadian ThanksVegan Menu
Whether you like to get creative in the kitchen or prefer to keep things simple, PETA has you covered with mouthwatering recipes for ThanksVegan classics, new favorites, and all the sides in between. So what are you waiting for? Let’s give thanks (for vegan food!) and dig in.
Want to make your “ThanksVegan” dinner as simple as possible? It’s easy to find all the essentials you’ll need to make a delicious feast at many Canadian grocery chains. Here are some that stock meatless roasts, vegan butter, nondairy milks, and so much more:
Get Inspired for ThanksVegan With These Vegan Canadian Influencers
Gravy and potatoes are great, but why not think outside the boxed stuffing? These vegan Canadian influencers offer simple ways to max out flavor and fun this ThanksVegan:
Rose of Cheap Lazy Vegan specializes in inexpensive vegan recipes for people who don’t know how to cook. Check out her traditional Korean dishes and other simple, flavorful meals.
Afia Amoako’s blog is full of colorful and healthy vegan recipes. Brighten up your ThanksVegan menu with any of her comforting vegan stews, soups, bowls, or other dishes.
Bodybuilder Derek of Simnett Nutrition offers a variety of tasty, whole-food vegan recipes. Elevate your ThanksVegan spread with his easy Thanksgiving sides.
Lauren Toyota of Hot for Food specializes in restaurant-quality vegan comfort food. Impress your friends and family this ThanksVegan with one of her many holiday recipes, like this vegan Thanksgiving roast.
Going vegan is easier now than ever—and PETA is making it even easier. Request a vegan starter kit to go vegan just in time for the ThanksVegan holiday. For the sake of us all, share this blog post with a friend to help them go vegan today!
New research presents the latest evidence of plant-based food’s benefits for dogs, with vegan diets presenting the best health outcomes for canines.
For dogs, vegan diets are linked with lower medication use, fewer health disorders, and less frequent visits to the vet compared to meat-heavy diets.
That’s the consensus of a new study, which found that overall, “vegan diets had the best health outcomes” for dogs. It’s the latest in a growing list of evidence that has tied plant-based canine diets to be nutritionally on par or better than meat-eating.
The researchers surveyed owners of 2,536 dogs, 54% of whom were fed conventional meat diets, 33% raw meat, and 13% vegan. “Dogs fed vegan diets clearly had the best health outcomes in this very large-scale study, and these results are consistent with prior studies in this field,” said lead author Andrew Knight, who has led a number of studies exploring veganism, pet health, and climate change.
He did caution that “care should always be taken to ensure diets are nutritionally sound, by checking package labelling and purchasing from reputable pet food companies”.
Vegan dog food better for several illness indicators
Courtesy: Heliyon
The study builds on 2022 research conducted on the same dogs, which found that among the 22 most common health disorders found in canines, 11 were most prevalent in those eating conventional meat, right in those consuming raw meat, and three in those on vegan diets. Overall, 49% and 43% of dogs fed conventional and raw meat were unwell, respectively, as opposed to 36% of those fed a plant-based diet.
But in that research, the differences in ages were large – vegan dogs were older than conventional meat-eating ones, and lower ages can improve health outcomes. This latest study added controls for age, sex, neutering status, breed size, and unusually high exercise levels, and measured them against seven illness indicators (as well as the 22 specific disorders).
“This trend was clear and consistent, with lowered odds of illness indicators usually both substantial and statistically significant, for dogs fed vegan diets,” the study notes.
Courtesy: Andrew Knight/Heliyon
The results indicated that by switching from a conventional meat diet to veganism, dogs will see a reduction of 21% in vet visits, 34% in medication use, 48% in a progression to a therapeutic diet, and 14% in the number of health disorders. Plant-based dogs are also 33% and 39% less likely to be assessed as unwell or severely ill by vets, respectively, with their guardians also 51% less likely to report severe illnesses.
Meanwhile, when compared to raw meat diets, vegan diets represent reductions of 10% in medicine use, 8% in health disorders, as well as 34% and 29% in vet and guardian reports of severe illnesses. Raw meat diets do result in 24% fewer vet visits than vegan diets, as well as a fraction of a chance of progressing onto a therapeutic diet.
That said, the study references numerous studies that have “demonstrated nutritional deficiencies or imbalances, and pathogen hazards, associated with raw meat diets” for dogs.
Alternative pet food on the rise
Courtesy: Damedeeso
“For six specific disorders, vegan diets were associated with statistically significant risk reductions of 50-61% compared to dogs fed conventional meat,” the authors write.
“After pooling our results with related studies published to date, vegan dog food was consistently associated with lowered risks of multiple specific health disorders. No health disorder was consistently more prevalent in dogs fed vegan diets.”
According to Knight, this is the 11th scientific study that demonstrates good health outcomes in dogs fed vegan or vegetarian diets. It comes weeks after the British Veterinary Association (BVA) reversed its position on the health effects of a vegan diet for dogs, recognising that it’s possible to feed canines on a fully plant-based diet, as long as they’re nutritionally complete.
It followed a survey by the association, which revealed that 42% of pet owners feed their furry friends meat-free diets. Commending the BVA’s decision, Knight said at the time: “It is now up to international veterinary associations to follow suit.”
Vegan dog food is already a $13.6B market, and with awareness about the environmental impact of meat consumption increasing, this sector is poised for further growth. Pets are thought to consume 20% of all meat produced globally. In the UK, they eat more meat than the entire under-18 population.
“Nutritionally sound vegan diets offer extremely large environmental benefits, so this is very good news for dog owners who want to protect the environment whilst also maximising their dogs’ health,” Knight says of the latest study.
Swiss meat analogue maker Planted will open its second manufacturing facility in Germany, Europe’s leading market for vegan food.
Planted, the Switzerland-based producer of meat analogues, has announced plans to open a new factory in Germany, its main market for exports.
The company, which recently unveiled a fermentation-derived whole-cut steak, already has a plant at its headquarters in Kemptthal, Switzerland. For the second site, it is reviving an old brewery in Memmingen, Bavaria to create a modern production hub for vegan meat.
The new facility is expected to begin production by the first quarter of 2025. At full capacity, it would be able to produce 20 tonnes of meat analogues every day, and around 5,000 tonnes annually. The facility in Germany – which accounts for 75% of Planted’s exports from Kemptthal – is set to create over 50 obs, adding to its 200-strong staff.
“Our international expansion follows the strategic decision to bolster our biotechnological expertise and locations abroad, closer to our consumers,” said Planted co-founder Lukas Böni.
Planted powered by a new whole-muscle platform
Courtesy: Planted
In April, Planted released its whole-cut steak, which has since made its way into restaurants and retailers in various countries, including Switzerland and Germany.
This is the first product resulting from its whole-muscle innovation platform, where it uses proprietary microbial fermentation processes to grow what it calls “biostructured proteins”. The startup says it’s “convinced that biostructured proteins will surpass animal meat in the future, in terms of flavour, sustainability, health, productivity and price”.
Planted began the strategic expansion of its production capacity at Kemptthal this spring via a state-of-the-art fermentation plant, and this effort will now continue at the new site in Germany.
For the Memmingen factory, Planted has partnered with green infrastructure firm Alois Müller Group. It will be entirely free of fossil fuels and “almost completely” carbon-neutral, making use of a well cooling system, regionally generated district heating from wood burning, and photovoltaics to ensure all energy at the plant comes from renewable sources.
“We are proud to be one of the few innovators of plant-based meat who covers as many steps as possible in the value chain – from research and development to industrial production,” said Böni.
“This depth of value creation allows us to develop our vision of ‘better proteins’ even more strongly and will be implemented at the new plant in Memmingen, for example, when it comes to green technology and sustainable production.”
The company noted that the Kemptthal facility will continue to “maintain its production and importance”, particularly for local consumers in Switzerland, where it is the market leader.
Planted bets on Germany’s growing appetite for plant-based meat
Courtesy: Planted
Planted’s whole-muscle steak is made from soy protein, rapeseed oil, bean and rice flours, and a blend of microbial cultures, and leverages a solid-state fermentation process that lasts 30 to 40 hours. It’s a departure from the high-moisture extrusion it uses to make its plant-based meat products like chicken, kebabs, duck and pulled pork.
The development of the steak was facilitated by a $2.3M injection by state-backed innovation agency Innosuisse, as part of the Swiss Accelerator Program. The company has secured $131M in total funding to date, helping it breach over 8,000 foodservice and 8,700 retail locations across Europe.
“Our goal is to quickly bring innovative products from our fermentation platform to the market – in particular the Planted steak, which currently uses our most advanced and disruptive fermentation technology in terms of scalability, flavour and product quality,” said Böni.
“The investment in the additional production site enables us to meet the rapidly growing market demand and produce even closer to our German consumers,” Böni added. In Germany, the company is one of the top 10 best-selling meat analogue makers.
The production of each Planted steak produces 97% fewer emissions and requires 81% less water per kg than conventional beef. At the new factory in Memmingen, this will bring savings equivalent to the annual emissions of half the city’s residents.
Germany is Europe’s leading vegan market in terms of sales, with the sector growing in value by 42% since 2022. In 2023, production of plant-based meat expanded by 17% from the year before amid increasing consumer demand for these analogues. A survey earlier this year revealed that 30% of Germans want to eat more plant-based meat in the next couple of years, just as meat consumption fell to record lows in 2023.
In March, Germany updated its dietary guidelines to recommend slashing meat consumption by half and making 75% of diets plant-based. Only two months later, the German Nutrition Society doubled down on this by acknowledging that veganism is a “health-promoting diet” with proper supplementation.
Moreover, Germany’s government allocated €38M in its 2024 budget to promote alternative protein consumption and a switch to plant-based farming, as well as open a Proteins of the Future centre.
In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Fry’s Family Foods’ formable mince, Domino’s vegan cheese collaboration in Australia, and upcycled food startup Reduced’s Series A fundraise.
New products and launches
Fry’s Family Foods has launched what it says is the UK plant-based industry’s first ‘formable’ mince. The Shape and Sizzle SKU can be made into meatballs, koftas, burgers and sausages, and is available at Tesco for £2.50 per 300g.
Mondelēz International has released a plant-based version of its Dairylea cheese Dunkers in Morrisons in the UK, with the garlic- and onion-flavoured crunchy tubes now accompanied by a coconut- and oat-based cheese dip.
Mycoprotein giant Quorn has rolled out a new foodservice menu solutions department called QuornPro, launching through a partnership with Good It’s Gluten Free to include gluten-free meals in foodservice.
Also in the UK, vegan chocolate brand Buttermilk has introduced the Choccy Wafer Bar, a dairy- and gluten-free replica of KitKat Chunky made from rice. It’s available online and at Sainsbury’s for £1.70.
Courtesy: Buttermilk
Speaking of replicating famous chocolates, fellow British brand NOMO has released a vegan coconut-chocolate bar in the style of Mars’ popular Bounty offering.
Canada’s Else Nutrition has rolled out vegan Ready-to-Drink Kids Shakes in chocolate and vanilla flavours at 19 Bristol Farms locations in Southern California. Suitable for ages two to 13, they’re made from a base of almond butter and buckwheat flour.
Icelandic brand Good Good has launched a vegan lemon curd with no added sugar in the US, which is available on its website and on Amazon for $9.99 per 330g jar.
Courtesy: Made With Plants/Domino’
And in Australia, Domino’s has partnered with local startup Made With Plants to introduce vegan and gluten-free mozzarella cheese for its plant-based pizzas.
Finance and company developments
Swedish precision fermentation startup Melt&Marble has achieved a manufacturing milestone, completing a demo-scale production of 10,000 litres of fermentation for its animal-free fat.
Swedish agrifood company Lantmännen has poured in 1.2 billion Swedish kronor ($116M) towards a new plant protein factory in Lidköping, which will be able to produce 7,000 tonnes of concentrated protein from peas and fava beans annually.
Courtesy: Martin Kaufmann/Reduced
Also in the Nordics, Copenhagen-based food waste startup Reduced, which creates upcycled food ingredients, has announced the second closing of its Series A funding round, which now totals €8M ($8.8M).
The Climate Bonds Standard, a certification scheme for green debt instruments, has added alternative proteins to its criteria to help drive investment into the sector.
Artisanal vegan cheesemaker Climax Foods has secured bridge funding from existing investors to extend its runway for the rest of the year, after a challenging few months that has seen a majority of employees furloughed, given unpaid leave, or take voluntary salary cuts.
Courtesy: Climax Foods
In England, the Stroud Farmers’ Market has closed its monthly vegan market, citing a lack of footfall and decreasing stalls each month.
Policy, research and awards
South Korea’s TissenBioFarm has received the Cultured Meat Product of the Year honour at the 2024 AgTech Breakthrough Awards for its marbled cultivated steak.
Courtesy: TissenBioFarm
In India, 69% of consumers find plant-based proteins to be as effective as meat, according to a survey by Wonderful Pistachios.
The Newcastle City Council in the UK has introduced a trial to generate renewable energy and fertilisers from food waste. Households will receive two new containers and caddy bags for food waste, which will then be recycled.
Another local government in the UK, the Nottingham City Council, has announced it will only serve vegan food and drinks at internal meetings from the end of September.
Courtesy: Oshi
Finally, Israeli alt-seafood player Oshi has received its trademark in the US, weeks after partnering with Lewis Hamilton-backed vegan chain Neat. It recently relocated production to California, spotting a bigger market for its plant-based fish in the US.
Backed by the Thai government, Sangtuptim Inter Co., a manufacturer of coconut-based products, has developed a plant-based pork analogue from coconut water.
A Thai company known for its coconut vermicelli has created plant-based meat using coconut water, as part of a government-led programme to promote the industrial economy.
Sangtuptim Inter Co. has developed the meat analogue under the Department of Industrial Promotion’s (Diprom) Reshape the Future policy. The product has won an award in the UK, and is said to represent a prototype for using innovation to increase the value of local food products.
Thailand is the 10th largest producer of coconuts globally, and has a burgeoning alternative protein sector marked by consumer enthusiasm for healthier products. According to Orasa Sangtuptim, managing director of Sangtuptim Inter Co., plant-based food has become popular in the country, with food safety, sourcing, and environmental impact being key considerations.
Treading international (coconut) waters
Courtesy: Sangtubtim Inter Co.
Diprom announced its Reshape the Future policy in January, with a view to keeping up with the changing economy, reshaping the country’s economic corridors, and increasing access to opportunities through investment. For 2024, the goal is to help over 18,000 entrepreneurs and create over ฿10B ($293.5M) in added economic value.
When it comes to the agriculture sector, the government agency plans to do so by promoting access to production technology, boosting value-added processing, and helping develop products that meet consumer needs – especially health-promoting plant-based foods.
Specialising in coconut products, Sangtuptim Inter Co. joined the Industrial Promotion Center, Region 8 scheme that looks to develop small and medium-sized enterprises, beginning with a coconut jelly and further innovating with fresh non-fat, sugar-free noodles made from coconut water, which can be served cold and hot.
The plant-based pork, meanwhile, is a mix of coconut water and king oyster mushrooms, and has recently been patented. As part of its international recognition, the product has received vegan certification in Italy, alongside the gold award at the International Invention and Trade Expo 2022 in London.
These products capitalise on the strength of local farmers in the Samut Songkhram Province, and elevate an agricultural raw material to a higher-value product through tech innovation. Currently, Sangtuptim Inter Co.’s products are sold locally, as well as in the US, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and Norway.
Plant-based demand strong in Thailand
Courtesy: Sangtubtim Inter Co.
“Throughout our participation in the DIPROM programme, we have gained practical knowledge that can be effectively applied,” said Sangtuptim. “We received in-depth advice from experts that has been beneficial to our business, resulting in an annual revenue increase of over ฿2M ($59,000).”
While the Thai plant-based sector has grown by 61% in the last five years – expected to reach 45B in 2024 – it still faces its challenges. In June, the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published draft regulations suggesting a ban on meat- and dairy-related terms (such as ‘almond milk’, ‘plant-based chicken nuggets’, ‘Angus’ and even ‘clean meat’) on plant-based analogues.
But this comes amid increased willingness to shift to alternative proteins in Thailand. According to a 1,500-person survey published in January by Madre Brava, two-thirds of Thai consumers plan to stop eating meat in the next two years, and only 9% say they wouldn’t consume alternative proteins in that period.
Health and nutrition concerns are both the main consumption drivers and barriers – 57% find alternative proteins healthier than meat, but 47% say they’d rather eat whole foods given the amount of processing meat analogues go through.
Price is another major concern, with 47% also finding plant-based alternatives too expensive. That said, two in five Thai consumers are willing to swap half their meat intake with alternative proteins, while 51% would swap half their meat consumption with traditional plant proteins.
Courtesy: Madre Brava
Meanwhile, Thai citizens want government action to support farmer transitions with new jobs (72%) and eco-friendly practices (69%). “If the government has a policy to seriously support the production of plant-based protein and alternative protein, both for domestic consumption and export, it would be able to correspond with the direction of both the domestic and export markets,” said Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi, Southeast Asia director at Madre Brava.
A product like Sangtuptim Inter Co.’s vegan pork – which uses locally farmed coconuts, offers health benefits, and promotes food security in a country where 10.5% of people face severe hunger every day – fits the bill.
In a major victory for cows, Starbucks announced that it will stop charging extra for vegan milks, effective November 7! The move follows a vigorous four year campaign, letters from more than 160,000 PETA supporters, protests at Starbucks around the country, and help from actor James Cromwell who glued his hand to a café counter in protest and starred in a satirical video calling out the upcharge, as well as an appeal from Sir Paul McCartney.
In September 2024, PETA paused our campaign to allow Starbucks’ new CEO Brian Niccol time to course correct. We’re thrilled that he made the right decision for everyone from cows to compassionate customers. To thank him, we’re sending over a box of cow-friendly vegan chocolates.
What Does a Surcharge-Free Starbucks Mean for Animals—and the Planet?
Starbucks is a top user of cow’s milk and prioritizes it above all other types of milk. Cow’s milk is a product of the dirty dairy industry, which forcibly impregnates cows, kidnaps their babies, and treats mother cows like milk machines instead of the deeply emotional individuals they are.
Now, customers are free to choose whichever vegan milk they prefer in their latte and they won’t be unfairly charged for making a compassionate choice!
PETA’s Campaign of Action Against Starbucks
Since 2019, PETA has made business as usual impossible for Starbucks. Here’s what we and our supporters have done so far to push the company to ditch its vegan milk upcharge.
Icons of Protest: We Took a ‘Dead Calf’ and ‘Polar Bears’ on Tour
To remind Starbucks and its customers about the cruelty that goes into drinks made with cow’s milk, PETA protesters took an extremely lifelike “dead calf” stuffed into a giant Starbucks cup to demonstrations outside the chain’s stores across the country.
We also had a pack of “polar bears” occupy several Starbucks cafés to illustrate how the dairy industry contributes to melting the ice caps, killing polar bears, and otherwise driving the climate catastrophe.
100+ Days of Nonstop Protests
Because Starbucks agrees that animal-friendly vegan milks are better for the planet yet continues to charge extra for them, PETA and Animal Rights Initiative supporters descended on the café at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle and protested every single day for over 100 days, starting in January 2022.
We Brought the Action to Starbucks and Its Execs
PETA and our allies brought our A game to direct actions in protest against Starbucks’ vegan milk upcharge.
Read The Reports
November 15, 2019: On the day when the largest Starbucks location in the world opened its doors in Chicago, PETA supporters marked the occasion by sitting outside the store all day with posters proclaiming, “Soy Milk Surcharge Sux.”
Protesters pointed out that Starbucks’ extra charge for dairy-free milk punishes those who are lactose intolerant—most of whom are people of color—and anyone who simply wants to reduce methane gas emissions or opposes cruelty to cows.
January 29, 2021: After Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson acknowledged that vegan milk is “a big part of the solution” in reducing the company’s carbon footprint, PETA’s “climate change cow” hand-delivered a letter to the company’s Seattle headquarters calling out Johnson and his disingenuous pledge to make changes to benefit the environment.
December 9, 2021: A mock website called out Starbucks for claiming to be committed to inclusion and diversity while still charging extra for nondairy milk—something that PETA has been challenging the company on for years, in light of the dairy industry’s cruelty to cows and people’s concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and their own health.
PETA cheered on these pranksters—who are apparently from the group Switch4Good—and their hoax news release (which took the internet by storm and even had multiple outlets reporting on it before realizing that it was all a ruse).
December 23, 2021: Christmas came early for Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson when PETA’s little helpers delivered a heaping pile of coal and a letter of admonishment to his door. The bold stunt was a reminder to the company that until it stops penalizing customers who care about animals, their own health, and the environment, it will remain on PETA’s naughty list.
March 16, 2022: PETA supporters joined Animal Rights Initiative in a spirited demonstration outside Starbucks’ headquarters in Seattle in which activists dressed as cows took center stage, drenched themselves in fake blood, and performed as a mother cow mourning the abduction of her baby—which is a reality for mother cows, whose calves are torn away from them by the dairy industry.
April 6, 2022: As new Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz started his first day on the job, PETA supporters joined Animal Rights Initiative for a spirited demonstration in Seattle. Udderly fed-up “cows” stood inside the company’s headquarters with signs explaining that the dairy industry is a leading cause of the climate catastrophe, and PETA supporters outside encouraged passersby to tell Starbucks to ditch the upcharge for dairy-free milk.
May 1, 2022: Members of PETA and Animal Rights Initiative protested outside Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s lakeside gated community, calling him out for charging customers extra for animal-friendly vegan milk. The company gave former Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson a $60 million payout when he stepped down in March, which alone could have offset nearly 86 million70-cent vegan milk upcharges.
July 13, 2022: On the day Starbucks opened its new grab-and-go café in the lobby of The New York Times Building—directly across the street from Sir Paul McCartney’s PETA billboard calling on the chain to stop charging customers extra for vegan milks—PETA was on hand to cause a ruckus with our “bloody calf” prop. Customers who missed PETA’s bold demonstration could still see our powerful billboard featuring the former Beatle.
August 18 and November 18, 2022: PETA supporters encased their feet in blocks of concrete and blocked the driveway and drive-through at Starbucks stores in Detroit and Nashville, Tennessee, while wearing shirts emblazoned with messages such as “Not Your Mom, Not Your Milk.”
Celebrities Brought PETA’s Message to New Heights
Our celebrity friends, staunch defenders of cows and the Earth, lent their images to sky-high billboards that called for an era of change for the coffee chain.
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May and June 2022: PETA billboards featuring Sir Paul McCartney are going up during his national tour at prominent locations in East Rutherford, New Jersey; New York City; Seattle; and Winston-Salem, North Carolina—including one near the company’s headquarters. They urged Starbucks to end its unethical upcharge for vegan milk, a request the pop legend also made in a letter to former Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson. PETA also joined McCartney on his tour, bringing along information about our Starbucks campaign and other animal rights issues.
May 22, 2023: Ahead of Succession’s May 28 series finale, actor James Cromwell took over the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey with a message for Starbucks: Stop milking customers who choose vegan options. The actor’s appeal was blasted on nearly 100 screens along the busiest stretch of the iconic walkway and within sight of two Starbucks locations.
PETA Blitzed Starbucks in North America With Our ‘Weeks of Action’
During PETA’s Weeks of Action against Starbucks, supporters occupied Starbucks locations across North America to protest the chain’s vegan milk upcharge.
Read The Reports
January 23, 2020: While PETA’s 2020 Week of Action was underway, Starbucks announced that it would add more vegan menu options and push customers to ditch dairy to combat the climate catastrophe, but we remained strong in our demands since the chain only responded with half-measures.
June 21, 2022: PETA took on Starbucks and its unethical vegan milk upcharge during our Starbucks Week of Action from June 20 to 26. Supporters took to the streets in bold demonstrations in Atlanta; Dallas; Orlando; Seattle; St. Paul, Minnesota; and more than a dozen other cities across the U.S. Activists also blasted the company on social media, blitzed the company’s phone lines, demanded change on Yelp, and took other actions.
April 12, 2023: Supporters of PETA and Switch4Good kicked off a weeklong push for Starbucks to drop its “penalty charge” for dairy-free milk, culminating in a sit-in with Animal Rights Initiative at a local Starbucks store. Accompanied by a social media uproar and protests in 23 cities across North America, the week of action followed PETA’s shareholder resolution, which won so many votes that PETA was able to submit it for a new vote in 2024.
Celebs and Others Glued Themselves to Starbucks Counters
To really get the message of outrage at Starbucks to stick, celebrities, a Buddhist monk, and other PETA supporters found a way to put a little more skin into our disruptions—literally.
May 10, 2022:Succession star and PETA Honorary Director James Cromwell superglued his hand to the café counter at a New York City Starbucks to protest the vegan milk upcharge. Police arrived to shut down the store.
March 8, 2024: On International Women’s Day, 74-year-old grandmother and renowned chef Babette Davis made headlines by supergluing her hand to the counter of a Starbucks store in Inglewood, California, in support of PETA’s campaign against the chain.
James Cromwell Became a Greedy Starbucks Exec in a Cutting Ad
In his first acting role since Succession, actor James Cromwell played Ewan Roy’s worst nightmare—a greedy, fictional Starbucks executive who exploits eco-conscious customers by charging them more for vegan milk—in a PETA video released in time for National Coffee Day (September 29, 2023).
Starbucks Sent Police to Arrest a Law-Abiding 13-Year-Old?!
On March 8, 2024, Evan and his family were joining other PETA supporters at a Starbucks store near Orlando, Florida—and although the store manager had given the protesters permission to hold a sit-in there, the coffee giant later called the police on the group.
Evan, at just 13-years-old, was wrongfully arrested on trespassing charges while peacefully protesting against Starbucks for charging extra for vegan milks. His charges were dropped in June.
Celebrities Penned Letters to Starbucks’ Top Brass
Kate Nash, Paul McCartney, and Alan Cumming all contacted Starbucks executives to ask them to put an end to the vegan milk upcharge.
Read The Reports
March 1, 2021: PETA Honorary Director Alan Cumming joined PETA’s campaign by writing to Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson. His letter urged Starbucks to drop the upcharge on vegan milks, noting that the dairy industry produces huge amounts of greenhouse gases and that manure from dairy farms contaminates waterways and creates dead zones in the ocean where no life can survive.
The most responsible move would be to stop selling cow’s milk altogether. But at the very least, you can end the upcharge on vegan milk that penalizes customers who are making the humane, environmentally friendly choice, along with those who are lactose intolerant—most of whom are people of color.”
—Alan Cumming
March 30, 2022: Ahead of Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson’s upcoming retirement on April 4, Sir Paul McCartney sent a letter to the outgoing exec, urging him to take the coffee giant’s problematic vegan milk upcharge out the door with him as he leaves the company.
“My friends at PETA are campaigning for this,” wrote McCartney. “I sincerely hope that for the future of the planet and animal welfare you are able to implement this policy.”
August 22, 2023: Hot off the set of Coffee Wars, actor, singer, and longtime vegan Kate Nash sent a letter on PETA’s behalf to Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan urging him to end the chain’s shameless upcharge on vegan milks in the U.S.
“I’m currently starring in Coffee Wars, a movie in which my character, like me, is all about creating delicious coffee drinks that no animal had to suffer for. And while I love Starbucks coffee, it left a bitter taste in my mouth when I learned from my friends at PETA that customers who choose non-dairy milk still have to pay extra in the US. There’s no surcharge for plant-based milk in the UK, so that just doesn’t add up.”
—Kate Nash
PETA Crafted Special Gifts for Starbucks Execs
Our creative gag gifts to the people in charge at Starbucks symbolized the harm that prioritizing cow’s milk over vegan milks does to the planet.
Read The Reports
July 28, 2022: It’s the golden global warming awards, and PETA presented three Starbucks executives—CEO Howard Schultz, Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori, and Head of Sustainability Una Hrnjak—with a Climate Catastrophy. With each award—which included a personalized placard and a letter—we let the coffee chain’s leaders know that if they really gave a frap about the planet, then they would drop the upcharge for vegan milks.
April 21, 2023: Gear up for a gas! New Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan got a cheeky gift from PETA in honor of Earth Day: a “cow fart” in a jar. Hoping Narasimhan would help clear the air, PETA urged him to stop “milking” customers and harming animals and the planet.
PETA Headed to Starbucks’ Boardroom
Since 2019, we’ve given Starbucks a piece of our mind at its shareholder meetings and submitted shareholder resolutions to advocate against the nonsensical charge for vegan milks.
Read The Reports
March 18, 2020: Clueless actor and PETA Honorary Director Alicia Silverstone joined Starbucks’ virtual annual meeting to ask the company to stop charging extra for nondairy milks.
“When will Starbucks put its money where its mouth is and remove the barrier to customers choosing climate-, health-, and animal-friendly vegan options by dropping the surcharge on nondairy milk?”
—Alicia Silverstone
March 16, 2022: PETA caused a stir during Starbucks’ annual meeting by calling out the company for being all talk and no action. We pointed out that the CEO himself—Kevin Johnson—has claimed that Starbucks wants to “give more than [it takes] from the planet,” but if that were really the case, the company would incentivize consuming animal- and environmentally friendly vegan milks by not charging extra for them.
Producing cow’s milk generates around three times more greenhouse gas emissions and uses nine times more land than vegan options do. It takes 628 liters of water to make 1 liter of cow’s milk—oat or soy milk requires 90% less water.
“Starbucks claims to value ‘challenging the status quo and … holding ourselves accountable.’ Words have to mean something.”
—From PETA’s question to Starbucks at its annual meeting
September 19, 2022: In PETA’s first-ever Starbucks shareholder resolution, we called on the company’s board of directors to commission a report examining whether the coffee chain is harming its reputation—and losing customers—by charging a premium price for the vegan milks it agrees are better for the planet.
PETA members caused a stir outside Starbucks’ headquarters in Seattle to call on the chain to stop penalizing customers who care about animals and the environment.
March 23, 2023: At Starbucks’ latest virtual shareholder meeting, PETA asked four pressing questions—one of our own and three on behalf of fellow shareholders who are also passionate about ending the vegan milk upcharge.
Since Starbucks’ new CEO Laxman Narasimhan started two weeks early and led the meeting, PETA hopes he received our input with fresh urgency.
We explained how the dairy industry condemns cows exploited for their milk to a relentless cycle of forced impregnation, birth, and nearly round-the-clock milking before sending them to a gruesome death after four or five years. Then we asked, “Knowing that dairy is the product of immense suffering, environmental destruction, and dietary racism, how do you justify supporting and even actively promoting its consumption by continuing to impose an ‘ethical tax’ on vegan milks?”
Following introductory lead-in comments for each, the three other questions were read:
“When will Starbucks return to the values that made me an investor by listening to its customers, leading the coffee industry instead of lagging behind, and dropping the upcharge on vegan milks?”
“Since Starbucks has admitted that dairy is the biggest contributor to the company’s carbon footprint and is a major factor in climate change, why doesn’t Starbucks institute a dairy upcharge or, even better, drop dairy altogether?”
“Given Gen Z’s aversion to dairy, why doesn’t Starbucks make vegan milk the default option instead of charging more for it?”
During the meeting, we also presented our shareholder resolution—originally submitted in September 2022—urging the company to commission a report examining how dropping the upcharge for vegan milks could increase Starbucks’ sales.
PETA supporters with Animal Rights Initiative descended on Starbucks’ headquarters in downtown Seattle at the start of the meeting to make their position known.
April 13, 2023: After PETA submitted a shareholder resolution calling out Starbucks’ problematic vegan milk upcharge, we received enough votes from the company’s shareholders to qualify to submit another resolution in 2024. This was great news, as submitting back-to-back shareholder resolutions allows us to keep pressure on the chain.
While we won a victory in the boardroom, we also kept the heat on Starbucks by partnering with Switch4Good—a nonprofit run by Olympian Dotsie Bausch dedicated to “[d]isrupting norms around dairy and health, working to abolish dietary racial oppression, and fighting climate change”—to hold a day of action against the company.
During the action-packed day, we hosted protests across the U.S. and Canada, mobilized supporters to blast the company on social media, held sit-ins, encouraged everyone to call the company to express their opposition, and more.
September 25, 2023: In our second-ever Starbucks shareholder resolution submission, PETA pressed the company’s executives to examine the true cost of alienating consumers who can’t stomach cow’s milk for ethical, religious, environmental, or dietary reasons.
According to multiple studies, Gen Zers—whose spending power has more than doubled in three years to reach an estimated $360 billion—view cow’s milk as “basic” or “uncool.” So by charging a premium price for vegan milks, Starbucks may be harming its reputation and actually losing customers in the process.
What Does Dairy Have to Do With the Climate Catastrophe?
The most significant thing that you can do to combat the climate catastrophe is to go vegan.
And what makes it so easy to be vegan is accessibility. Visit a Noah’s New York Bagels, Philz Coffee, or Costa Coffee store and get dairy-free milk in your drinks for free! Visit a Starbucks, however, and you’ll be forced to pay upwards of 90 cents for vegan milk in your handcrafted drink—and vegan food choices there are very limited.
Timo Recker, CEO of plant-based startup TiNDLE Foods, talks evolving consumer attitudes, sales and funding declines, the importance of taste, and his admiration for Beyond Meat.
It’s been nine months since Timo Recker took over the reins of TiNDLE Foods from his fellow co-founder Andre Menezes. The leadership change came at the end of a big year for the Singapore-headquartered startup, and that momentum hasn’t halted in 2024.
A year ago, the company rebranded itself from Next Gen Foods to align with its flagship plant-based meat brand TiNDLE, months after acquiring London-based alt-dairy startup Mwah! This was followed by the launch of a domestically produced breakfast sausage in the US, and the brand’s stateside retail debut months later.
All the while, TiNDLE Foods was making major strides in Europe, especially the UK and Germany, Recker’s home country. Under his leadership, the company has debuted in Switzerland, unveiled a crop of new stuffed chicken range – which were rolled out in August – introduced a new bratwurst line, and is diversifying its portfolio with a forthcoming barista oat milk.
Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods
It has also been forming partnerships with physical and e-commerce retailers in the US, recently launching its products into 160 Giant/Martin’s stores on the East Coast. And oh, it was at the Met Gala.
Recker, the former founder and CEO of LikeMeat (now part of the Livekindly Collective), is now back in Germany, overseeing TiNDLE Foods’ additional growth plans for Europe. This isn’t the first time he’s at the helm – having co-founded the startup with Menezes, he served as CEO from July 2020 to May 2021.
Now, as the plant-based sector suffers from faltering sales, lower investment, and misguided media coverage, Recker speaks to Green Queen in a wide-ranging interview. He explains how the role of a CEO has changed since he was last in it, what the industry is missing currently, why a host of startups have been forced to shut down, and what governments can do better.
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
Green Queen: You were previously CEO for a year. Why did you decide to return to this position?
Timo Recker: I held the role of CEO in 2020 through the first part of 2021, while we were still in the early stages of R&D and without a consumer product available yet. Andre Menezes took the helm as CEO at the start of 2021 to bring our first product, TiNDLE Chicken, to market, and he led the company through a period of rapid growth, establishing a name for the brand globally first in foodservice – by working with many recognised and trendsetting partners in the space.
At the start of this year, our focus was to grow the distribution of our products, especially in retail, where I have experience from my time leading LikeMeat. Foodservice will always be an important and influential channel for us, as that’s where many consumers have first tried TiNDLE products or will be introduced to new brands. But our goal was always to be available in both channels and make great-tasting plant-based products accessible to consumers wherever they shop.
We’re in grocery stores today across Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the US – many of which are some of the biggest and most challenging retail markets in the world. This year, we’ve been focused on introducing TiNDLE Foods to new retailers, but also growing and diversifying the product range to fit wider consumer needs.
Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods
GQ: How has the role changed at TiNDLE Foods from then to now?
TR: We’re working within a very different context today – both operationally with the addition of wider grocery distribution and in terms of the global economic situation.
As we’re available in retail both in Europe and the US today, our go-to-market approach needs to consider the grocery customer, whereas before we were targeted on restaurants and operators. The path to purchase is different here and a lot of work [is required] to understand the consumer needs to drive category growth.
We’ve had to update or develop new workstreams internally to address those needs, while maintaining our commitment to using high-quality and simple ingredients – which we’ve been doing since the very start.
Plant-based sales have also declined, but at the same time, we’re seeing moves within the space that indicate it’s not necessarily going away. A number of mergers and consolidation efforts have occurred over the last few years, and major global retailers are adding plant-based products to their private labels. To me, these are positive signals – and while organic growth may be slower than anticipated, our industry is adapting and actually getting closer to understanding the needs of our shoppers.
This doesn’t impact our category alone, as we’re seeing ripple effects of market factors like inflation, high interest rates, and global conflict and unease hit many industries and businesses. Part of my role today is navigating this market and making sure TiNDLE remains nimble as we keep an eye on achieving our mission of reducing humanity’s reliance on animals as a food source.
GQ: Building on that, how has the industry changed since the last time you were CEO?
TR: There’s now a wider understanding and acceptance of plant-based foods. Especially in Europe, where LikeMeat started, it’s become increasingly popular and frankly, the norm, to eat plant-based foods on a regular basis. It’s no longer a sustainability ‘fad’ or occasional dining habit, but one that’s rooted in the lifestyle and culture now.
Germany is the biggest market for plant-based foods, with the UK following behind as second. In Germany, where we have widespread distribution of our retail products with the Edeka Group, sales of plant-based foods have grown year-on-year – up by 42% since 2020. There’s generally a wider acceptance and willingness to try plant-based foods, which wasn’t the case when I started LikeMeat in 2013.
That also means there are more players and diversity of offerings in the market today. TiNDLE is not the only company making plant-based foods, so we do have the challenge of educating consumers about our products and what makes them different. While we’ve always focused on R&D and product innovation, we are also doing so now with a lens on home cooks and the retail experience.
Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods | Composite by Green Queen
GQ: TiNDLE Foods recently made a move into plant-based milk, a year after acquiring Mwah – can you tell us more about the product’s development and applications? When and where are you launching the milk and the gelato?
TR: We previewed our barista oat milk earlier this year at the Natural Products Expo West show, where we were able to gather product feedback from a wide range of consumers and retailers. With that helpful feedback, we’ve been working on finalising the final formulation for different regions.
We are happy with the innovation and product quality so far and have developed what we believe is a differentiated product in the barista milk category. We will share more once we have a rollout date and launch details confirmed.
Our acquisition of Mwah! last year allowed us to incorporate their dairy technology platform and capabilities, which will serve as a basis for future dairy foods. The platform will allow us to create gelato in the future, but for now, we’re focused on the development of our barista milk product.
GQ: You’ve always talked about being a multi-category company. Is TiNDLE Foods working on other meats like beef, pork or seafood too?
TR: Our current focus is widening the reach of our current products, which includes the complete TiNDLE Chicken range (for both foodservice and retail) and TiNDLE Bratwursts (in Germany), and continued development of our dairy products.
With the market for plant-based milks being established and performing well, we have the opportunity to use that cross-aisle promotion for our chicken and sausage products – bringing those active customers into the plant-based meat category.
We have the competence and know-how to do beef, seafood, other meats, etc., but don’t have plans right now to enter other categories. Our model and consolidation of all brands under the TiNDLE Foods umbrella would allow us to do so in the future.
Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods
GQ: What do you feel is missing in the plant-based industry right now?
TR: We’re missing the taste factor and culinary experience on the consumer side in the plant-based industry right now. Food is meant to be enjoyed and is behind so many of life’s greatest moments. We see that a lot of the backlash against the industry hits on that point, and particularly on taste – we feel that’s somewhat accurate when it comes to the overall experience consumers are getting from start to finish when trying a new plant-based product.
This is partly why we launched the stuffed chicken line now. Not only is it easy to prepare at home, but we’re paying tribute to our roots in the gastronomy world and bringing some of those chef-inspired flavours into people’s homes. We want to elevate the plant-based meat experience to that of animal meat.
You might plan your whole meal around a steak or roast chicken – or look up the menu at a new restaurant you’re trying and build anticipation – and we want to do the same with a centre-of-the-plate item like TiNDLE Chicken, whether it’s at home around the dinner table or a great restaurant.
What we also need to see are more products that bridge great taste and experience with great nutrition and clean labels. It’s important to have taste together with short, clean recipes that are also nutritious for the consumer. We’re seeing a move in this direction, but it needs to be coupled with what we mentioned earlier on taste/culinary experience.
GQ: As a CEO, how do you view the sales declines of plant-based meat over the last couple of years?
TR: What we’re seeing today is similar to what we’ve seen in past tough market waves. When times are tough, costs of goods go up and, so we’re seeing many people go back to animal meat, as it’s more affordable when compared to some of the premium plant-based meat options out there.
Our industry is under pressure and we’re seeing a number of players struggle and compete against the cost of conventional meat.
However, the sales dip is not necessarily negative to me, as it feels like a natural progression for any industry. The modern industry of plant-based meats is still quite young, having only been around for 15 years or so and having taken off in the last five to six years. On the other hand, the modern meat industry and factory farming have been around for decades.
The dips also show that there isn’t a lack of interest, but rather that demand was not as strong as our optimistic projections thought it would be. Consumers are still buying plant-based meats, and what we’ve seen specifically in our category of chicken is that there’s an appetite for new products and brands.
Customers are largely unhappy with the status quo items they’ve had on shelves for the last decade or more, and they want new and innovative selections to choose from. We’re seeing that chicken remains the #1 seller in the frozen plant-based category, ahead of beef and pork, with 37% of the total plant-based meat market share today [according to SPINS data].
TR: I think some investors were disappointed with the slower growth and adoption in plant-based, as their expectations were that there’d be more exponential growth. However, a dip in investment in the category doesn’t necessarily mean there is a lack of opportunity for plant-based companies.
Many investors are choosing to evaluate the current environment before taking additional risks. Some investors might actually want to invest right now and take advantage of the opportunities. In the next couple of months, I think there may be some interesting deals in our sector because of the downturn.
For TiNDLE, we have been able to preserve our runway longer and use it to focus on organically growing the business. While we’re not focused on fundraising or seeking out new investors right now, we are still dedicated to our mission and finding ways to solve the climate crisis.
Many of our customers and partners also are committed to finding sustainable solutions to our broader food system and ensuring food security and safety for future generations. We can continue to build this network, expanding the reach of products and continuing to innovate for our customers.
GQ: Quite a few companies have been forced to shut in the last 18 months. What do you think are the root causes of these developments, and how can they be addressed?
TR: Overall, we’re seeing that funding has declined with growth slowing. On top of that, there is difficulty in creating products that break through and can tap into unmet consumer needs.
One issue is also high overhead costs, typically coming from manufacturing or ingredients production. Our space is rooted in innovation and technology, which is fantastic and inspiring for the food industry in general – but the costs of maintaining extensive R&D or production facilities are high, especially today.
Labour, raw materials, infrastructure – all of that adds up and can be difficult to balance when growth over the last year plus has been slower than anticipated.
We’re always looking for efficiencies in the business and one way we’ve been able to do that is by working with co-manufacturers instead of owning and operating our own facilities. Our co-manufacturing partners are seasoned and understand the art of production a lot better than we do, so they’re able to take on the full workflow of food manufacturing on their end. It requires trust and a bit of a learning curve, but it’s been beneficial for us to reduce those high overhead costs.
We have also chosen to develop unique product recipes with simple ingredient lists, so availability and efficient production is not a problem for us.
Like I mentioned earlier, a number of mergers and acquisitions have taken place in recent years. These types of strategic partnerships and consolidation efforts can allow companies in our category to band together and strengthen the impact we can make on the food system and supply chain, as we ultimately share the same mission and long-term goals.
Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods
GQ: Do you believe governments need to invest more in the sector? How can they be persuaded to do so?
TR: Yes, I do believe they can do more. Governments can help stimulate production and promote widespread awareness of plant-based diets – ideally making it more transparent for consumers why shifting away from animal-based foods can be beneficial across so many areas of our daily lives.
Plant-based foods have to compete with the long-standing relationships that animal meat and food producers have with policymakers and governments. This has long allowed prices of animal food products to remain affordable, thanks to government subsidies.
The plant-based food industry does not have this type of support and to consumers – it looks like our prices are unfairly high when compared to their animal-based counterparts. Price is not the sole reason why consumers do not purchase plant-based products, but it is increasingly a factor of consideration for people today when doing their grocery shopping or choosing to dine out (especially with inflation concerns).
Governments are aware of food security concerns – particularly when it comes to feeding growing populations, overall global supply chain uncertainty and increased tensions internationally, and the climate and global warming threats impacting our natural resources. The awareness is there, but the persuasion needs to come with mass popularity of the issue with populations.
GQ: Which companies in the space are inspiring you the most right now, and why?
TR: The companies inspiring us today are those that are addressing broad consumer needs by innovating on ingredients. We are seeing really great innovation happening in the space of health and clean ingredients today.
To the majority of consumers, they still perceive animal meat as ‘healthier’ and ‘cleaner’ than plant-based meat. But the truth is that while animal meat may appear to offer certain nutritional benefits, there are still a large amount of additives and processing when you look closely at the full cycle of how that meat arrives from the animal to your kitchen. Whether it’s hormones, antibiotics, GMO crop feed, the animal meat is not as ‘clean’ and ‘unprocessed’ as it appears.
Companies in our space that are moving toward clean recipes and health-focused ingredients are inspiring to me. I admire Beyond Meat’s resilience and innovative power over the last year, as they pivot to wholesome ingredients. I’m also inspired by the ingredient innovation play from Meati and their use of mycelium – it’s really fascinating how they’ve been able to create a product with good taste and texture, but also hit on core nutritional needs.
I’m also impressed by the team at LikeMeat. After I left the company, they have more than doubled their revenue and grown significantly, becoming a household name in many countries.
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
GQ: What’s in store for TiNDLE Foods over the next 12 months?
TR: You will continue to see TiNDLE bring new innovation – including a new technology platform – adding on to the popular offerings we’re already selling today. We feel what we’ve done well is bring excellence in taste and experience to the plant-based category, so we’ll continue to grow and improve on that over the next year.
We also plan to make TiNDLE products more widely available – whether in local grocery stores or different retail channels (e-commerce, meal kits, etc.), and also with foodservice groups and chains.
GQ: Where do you see the brand in five years’ time?
TR: In five years, TiNDLE will evolve into a driving force in the category – supporting the jump from capturing 1% to 10% of the global meat market. In that time, we’d like to see people have closer and easier access to excellent plant-based products, thanks to increasing education around the power of a plant-based diet coupled with lower prices.
With the TiNDLE brand, we would help spark that shift by contributing the best-tasting and high-quality, clean products – continuing to innovate, grow efficiencies, and support broad consumer awareness in that time.
In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a first-of-its-kind alt-butter, the popularity of Silk plant-based milk, and the transformation of a former chicken farm.
Dutch CPG giant Upfield has expanded its Flora Plant B+tter range in the UK with a limited-edition Smoked Garlic-flavoured vegan block butter, which it describes as an “industry-first”. It will be available at 250 Sainsbury’s stores from September 29.
Swiss plant-based meat pioneer Planted has announced it will showcase its vegan steak at SIAL Paris (October 19-23). The product will also into French foodservice and retail in the coming weeks.
In the UK, vegan egg startup OGGS has rolled out a lemon loaf cake topped with aquafaba meringues. They’re available at Tesco and on Ocado.
Doughnut chain Krispy Kreme has added three new flavours to its vegan range in the UK: Salted Caramel Sensation, Blueberry Bubble Bliss and Cinnamon Swirl.
Courtesy: Bademiyan
In India, Mumbai restaurant Bademiya has introduced a range of plant-based meat dishes using GoodDot‘s meat analogues. Menu highlights include Soya Bhuna Masala, Soya Kadhai, and Soya Chilli.
Israel’s SimpliiGood has announced it will launch its spirulina-based smoked salmon in Europe early next year, featuring 40% protein and fewer than 10 ingredients.
And Sigma-owned meat analogue brand Better Balance has launched its new pea-protein-based Better Dog at all 27 Gelson’s Markets locations across Los Angeles County.
Company and finance updates
After Swedish mycoprotein producer Mycorena was rescued from bankruptcy by Nalpasol, there were questions about what this would mean for its employees. Mycorena founder and CEO Ram Nair has now confirmed that he has left the company.
Courtesy: Mycorena
ProVeg International has launched its Food Innovation Challenge for students in Asia to develop an innovative plant-based food product for the Asia-Pacific market. Winners will get a portion of the $10,000 prize money and the chance to partner with brands like Beyond Meat, Mars, Unilever and Monde Nissin.
Scottish food tech startup Nandi Proteins, which is developing an egg white replacer for gluten-free bakes and mycoprotein-based meat alternatives, has attracted €500,000 via a convertible loan, with participation from state investors like UK social innovation agency Nesta and Scottish Enterprise. This comes ahead of a £1M equity funding expected to close later this year.
Research and manufacturing developments
Derek Sarno, co-founder of Wicked Kitchen, has converted a chicken farm in Norfolk, England to a sustainable mushroom farm, in collaboration with The Little Mushroom Co. and Smithy Mushrooms.
The world’s largest dairy producer is also the world’s largest alt-dairy consumer, according to Statista. Nearly a third (32%) of Indians regularly drink oat milk and eat almond yoghurts – followed by Thais and Emiratis (both 29%).
Courtesy: Statista
Statista also found that Silk is the leading milk alternative in the US, with 34% of Americans having tried it, followed by Almond Breeze (30%). These two are also the most likely to make people come back for more, with 86% saying they’d purchase Silk again, and 84% saying so for Almond Breeze.
Months after first announcing the move, Ferrero has at last launched a vegan version of Nutella, starting with Italy, Belgium and France.
Milk powder is out in the vegan iteration of the world’s most popular chocolate spread, with Ferrero opting to use chickpeas and rice syrup in the new Nutella Plant-Based SKU.
After years of impassioned requests from vegans across the world, the Italian confectionery giant has today (September 4) introduced vegan Nutella in supermarkets in Italy, Belgium and France. The Vegetarian Society Approved product is retailing for €4.49 and comes in a 350g jar with a light-green lid.
Marking the company’s 60th anniversary, the launch comes months after industry insiders tasted the gianduja spread at Nielsen IQ’s annual Linkontro event in Sardinia in May, six months after Ferrero filed a patent.
“At Ferrero, we are always scouting and exploring opportunities on the emerging food trends and looking for ways to meet consumers’ needs and expectations,” a company spokesperson told Green Queen.
“Within this context, Nutella Plant-Based is a delicious new option developed by Ferrero to offer the unmistakable Nutella experience to even more consumers, like those choosing to reduce or avoid animal products whether for diet (for example, vegan, lactose intolerance) or lifestyle reasons,” they added.
As vegan Nutella hits shelves in Europe, here’s everything you need to know about the spread.
What are the ingredients in the vegan Nutella?
Courtesy: Ferrero
The ingredient list for Nutella Plant-Based is almost identical to the original version. Both spreads contain sugar, palm oil, 13% hazelnuts, 7.4% low-fat cocoa powder, and soy lecithin. The original Nutella contains vanillin, while the vegan label doesn’t specify what flavouring is used. Similarly, salt isn’t listed on the conventional Nutella, but it is present on the plant-based ingredient list.
The biggest difference, of course, is the dairy milk powder. In Italy, Nutella contains 8.7% skimmed milk powder made from cow’s milk, and this is what’s made the spread unsuitable for vegans. The plant-based iteration swaps the dairy for chickpeas and rice syrup powder.
That might seem like an odd combination, but it’s the result of five years of R&D at Ferrero. “Rice syrup allows you to obtain the same delicate sweetness as powdered milk, while chickpeas have such a balanced taste and texture that they integrate perfectly with the other ingredients in the recipe,” the company explains on its website.
How does Nutella Plant Based compare on nutrition?
Courtesy: Green Queen
Okay, so nobody’s saying Nutella is a health food – it was never meant to be. But it’s still worth comparing the classic version with its vegan counterpart.
Most of the differences are marginal – Nutella Plant Based has 534 kcal to the original’s 539 per 100g. The vegan spread also has 0.9g more fat (31.8g per 100g), 0.4g more saturated fat, and 0.5g more protein than the conventional version.
The more notable difference is in the carb content. Despite the addition of rice syrup, vegan Nutella has 4.1g fewer carbohydrates. An even bigger gap lies in the amount of sugar in each product: Nutella Plant-Based has 45.4g per 100g, while classic Nutella contains 56.3g of sugar. It means that the dairy-free Nutella has nearly 11g less sugar per 100g.
Where is vegan Nutella produced? And is it sustainable?
Courtesy: Ferrero
Nutella Plant-Based is being manufactured at Ferrero’s Sant’Angelo dei Lombardi factory in Italy, with the first industrial production dated June 2024. Designs for the vegan production line have been ongoing since January 2023.
It’s hard to determine how sustainable vegan Nutella is just yet, since Ferrero hasn’t released any details about this. But who says we can’t come up with some rough calculations of our own?
According to Carbon Cloud data, skimmed milk powder generates 15.5kg of CO2e per kg. Chickpeas account for a meagre 0.4kg of CO2e, and brown rice syrup comes in at 1.77kg of CO2e (there’s no Carbon Cloud date for white rice syrup).
Milk powder makes up 8.7% of Nutella, according to Ferrero’s website. Last year, the company produced 500,000 tonnes of the spread – based on our back-of-the-envelope calculations, that equates to about 659 million kg of CO2e from the milk powder alone.
Assuming that the rice syrup and chickpea have been substituted in equal measures, their combined emissions would equate to nearly 94 million CO2e for the amount of Nutella produced in 2023.
It means that by replacing dairy with chickpeas and rice syrup, the vegan Nutella could possibly reduce Ferrero’s annual production emissions for the spread by 565 million kgs of CO2e.
This is all based on a number of assumptions, of course. The real number will vary based on several factors, including where the ingredients are sourced from and the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Courtesy: Ferrero
As for the use of palm oil – which is linked to widespread tropical deforestation and human rights issues – Ferrero is considered an outlier in the food industry, ranking second out of 227 countries in the WWF’s 2024 Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard. It scored 22.9 out of a maximum 24 (behind only French bakery giant Cérélia), factoring in traceability, sustainability and commitments, among other metrics.
Still, climate advocates are hoping Ferrero eventually changes course anyway. Jasmijn de Boo, global CEO at food awareness organisation ProVeg International, told Green Queen: “We hope that Ferrero will further improve their product with a sustainable alternative to [palm oil]. More ingredients sourced from Europe will also help to reassure farmers that there is demand for their crops in the plant-based market.”
What about the packaging?
Courtesy: Ferrero
Ferrero is keeping sustainability in mind with the packaging too, with the Nutella Plant Based spread housed in a 60% recycled glass jar, alongside a recycled plastic lid derived from a mass balance approach. Here, both virgin and recycled materials are mixed during the production of the plastic.
“The process that guarantees the correct allocation of recycled materials to the Nutella caps is certified according to the ISCC standard,” the company explains on its website.
“With the ISCC certification, you are sure that at the beginning of the supply chain, an equivalent quantity of recycled materials has been inserted for each Nutella cap. One of the main advantages of the mass balance approach is the possibility of increasing the use of recycled materials in existing supply chains.”
Ferrero’s spokesperson said that the recyclable glass jar, plastic lid and paper disc can be recycled when collected in the appropriate glass, plastic and paper streams. “To preserve Nutella’s taste, we also use a protective sealing film made from a material composed of paper and aluminium,” they added.
Where else will vegan Nutella be available? And why should you care?
Courtesy: Ferrero
“Today, we have started launching this product in a few selected European markets, such as Italy, France and Belgium. In the future, we aim to roll out this product to more countries, taking into consideration its performance and consumers’ feedback,” the company’s representative told Green Queen.
Ferrero is reportedly planning a January 2025 launch for the vegan Nutella in Germany, coinciding with Veganuary. It has already filed a patent for the product in the country.
If you’re not vegan, lactose-intolerant or allergic to dairy, this development might not mean much to you. But Nutella is an ingredient in kitchens around the world, and its mass-market status means it’s significantly more affordable than other vegan chocolate spreads, a key factor for consumers in many countries, especially in the Global South. So Nutella Plant Based is, decidedly, a big deal.
Ferrero, through Nutella, is the market leader in spreads. Research shows that plant-based spreads will grow in value from $495M this year to $813M a decade later. For Ferrero, which made €53.2M ($58.8M) in profit in 2023, this is a ripe market there for the taking.
“Ferrero is setting an example of how taste and texture do not need to be compromised to make products containing dairy ingredients into more climate-friendly plant-based ones,” said ProVeg’s de Boo.
She is now calling on other industry giants to follow suit: “Developments in the eating habits of Europeans should add impetus to other producers of the world’s leading food brands to make plant-based versions of their products where feasible.”
US fast-food chain Shack Shack has added the Veggie Shack burger to the menu at all Hong Kong and Macau stores for a limited time.
The Veggie Shack is coming to Hong Kong and Macau, as Shake Shack continues to roll out the whole-food burger across Asia-Pacific, following launches in Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
Made from 11 vegetables plus grains like farro and quinoa, the vegetarian burger has been in the making for six years. It’s paired with American cheese, pickles, crispy onions, and ShackSauce, all housed between the chain’s signature potato bun.
The chain wants to diversify its offerings to appeal to both meat-eaters and vegetarians. While the patty itself is plant-based, other elements – like the cheese, sauce and bun – are not. So at the moment, to make it vegan, the bun can be swapped for a lettuce wrap and the other elements can be removed.
Green Queen’s Sonalie Figueiras tasted the patty at a launch event in Hong Kong yesterday. “After trying (and failing) to taste the patty three different times during a California trip last year, my expectations were high. But this totally delivered,” she says.
“Tasty and very vegetable-forward, the Veggie Shack feels almost healthy, which is not typical of a burger chain. It’s a game-changer for the Hong Kong market.”
The HK$66 ($8.45) Veggie Shack will be available from September 12 to November 3 at all its 7 locations in Hong Kong and its Macau outlet. On launch day, the company is offering the burger for just half its price (HK$33/$4.23), while touring the city with a van.
Courtesy: Sonalie Figueiras for Green Queen
Shake Shack celebrates veggie burger with truck tour
The Veggie Shack has been under development in Shake Shack’s Innovation Kitchen in New York City since 2018, with an iteration of the burger first launched in the US in May 2023.
The meatless burger is being introduced to the Asian market this year, with the QSR chain releasing it on the menu in Singapore in April. This was followed by the Philippines in August, and Thailand last weekend.
As in these other regions, the Veggie Shack is a separate menu item in Hong Kong and Macau and is cooked on the same grill as meat.
Unlike competitors McDonald’s and Burger King, whose vegetarian burger launches featured patties made by leading plant-based meat brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and the Vegetarian Butcher, Shake Shack’s 11-vegetable base is made up of portobello mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potato, carrot, celery, leek, roasted red onion, roasted garlic, cabbage, beet and chives, complemented with whole-food ingredients like sunflower seeds and miso, alongside the quinoa and farro.
In addition to the Veggie Shack, the restaurant chain has brought out a limited-edition Earl Grey Shake, which comprises thick vanilla custard and is tipped with shortbread cookies, whipped cream, and a sprinkle of freshly soaked tea.
Courtesy: Shake Shack
On launch day, a Shack-Van will be making its way through Hong Kong, starting at Central Pier at 11:30am, moving to Tsim Sha Tui at 1:30pm, and finishing at Kwai Fong at 4pm. Alongside the Veggie Shack, the food truck will feature lemonades and vouchers for free fries, as well as some goodies.
Shake Shack has also partnered with Simran Savlani, founder of local condiments brand A Spark of Madness (famous for its Hong Kong chilli crisp) and its eponymous vegetarian cookbook, who will host a Crinkle Cut Fries Jamming station on September 21 and 22 at IFC Mall and Harbour City, respectively. The experience will be open to guests who purchase both the Veggie Shack and Crinkle Cut Fries, with visitors getting to try Savlai’s line of sauces.
Keeping up with consumer trends
In its 20th year now, Shake Shack has taken a different route from fast-food counterparts like McDonald’s and Burger King, opting to develop whole-food patties in-house instead of collaborating with plant-based meat brands like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
The chain has tested different versions of its vegetarian patty in certain New York City locations since 2018. And it trialled a Vegan ShackBurger (with plant-based cheese and ShakeSauce too) at certain UK stores in 2020, before rolling out a Crispy Shallot Burger with a base of roasted mushrooms, onions, miso and bulgur wheat.
All these efforts play into consumers’ growing demand for whole-food options. Perhaps the most prominent example of this interest is Beyond Meat’s move into veggie sausages in July. With health at the forefront, Asian consumers want more whole foods too.
“Here’s hoping it inspires other chains to make their menus more inclusive,” Figueiras said of the new burger. “Many people love Shake Shack: teenagers, little kids, families – and those groups need options for the vegans and flexitarians among them.”
In Thailand, where the Veggie Shack is now available, 44% of consumers would like to replace meat with traditional plant proteins like beans, tofu and legumes, versus 29% who would prefer plant-based meat. Similarly, 47% say they’d rather eat whole-plant foods than meat analogues.
Courtesy: Shake Shack
Likewise, in China, “vegetables that are high in protein, iron, and calcium are particularly appealing to consumers”, according to a survey by ProVeg. Marketing campaigns and strategies that clearly highlight the nutritional value of fresh produce (as well as meat and dairy analogues) were earmarked as a powerful way to attract more plant-based eaters.
Currently, there are no confirmed plans for the Veggie Shack in mainland China, but its rollout across Asia-Pacific is promising. The company has been experimenting with various climate and health-forward trends. It began trialling Zero Acre’s Cultured Oil in two New York City locations last year, as sentiments cool on seed oils.
The company also debuted a plant-based chocolate milkshake and chocolate custard in partnership with NotCo, the Chilean food tech startup that counts Enlightened Hospitality Investments (EHI) – the growth equity fund by Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer – as an investor. (Neither of these offerings are available in Asia-Pacific.)
EHI also co-led a $25M Series A round for Pinky Cole’s cult-favourite plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan in 2022 – it now has 11 locations and is opening its latest one in the world’s busiest airport later this year.
British trip hop pioneer Massive Attack held a festival that rewrote the rules of eco-friendly concerts, and is calling on the live music industry to adopt its low-carbon playbook.
On Sunday, Massive Attack hosted 35,000 people at a daylong music festival at Clifton Downs in its home city of Bristol, also featuring American rapper Killer Mike, Irish folk group Lankum, and English actor and musician Samantha Morton.
While it may have been the trip hop band’s first home concert in five years, it was also a first-of-a-kind gig on a global scale. Described by the band as the lowest-carbon concert of its scale in history, it featured exclusively vegan food, an electric-powered stage, and no car park.
Aptly named Act 1.5 – after the 2015 Paris Agreement, where world leaders committed to climate action that would keep post-industrial temperature rises below 1.5°C – the gig was seven years in the making.
It came three years after the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research published a report laying out a blueprint for climate-friendly concerts, which was commissioned by Massive Attack. With help from non-profit A Greener Future (AGF) – which aims to lower music industry emissions – the festival acted as practical proof that such measures could be taken.
While many artists are trying to figure out ways to curb their live shows’ emissions, few are actually meaningful, according to Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja. “If what you’re doing’s not 1.5 compatible, it’s irrelevant,” he told the New York Times. “It’s simply a gesture, an idea. It’s not doing anything.”
Transport and energy emissions major targets for Massive Attack
Act 1.5 aimed to address key areas of greenhouse gas emissions, from transport and energy to food and waste. According to AGF, audience travel accounts for 41% of an event’s emissions, by far the largest source of this sector’s carbon footprint. When you factor in artists, their teams, and traders, this jumps to 57%.
This is why a host of measures squarely focused on mobility. To reduce transport-related emissions, local residents were prioritised with presale access to tickets, and for those travelling, Massive Attack incentivised them to use trains, offering access to a VIP bar and separate toilets.
Within Bristol, the band strongly encouraged attendees to walk, cycle or take public transport. It even organised free electric shuttles to and from the two main train stations, as well as five special trains from rail operator GWR for people to travel back home after the concert – since Sunday was a bank holiday, late-night trains were suspended. And doubling down on the transportation focus, the venue intentionally had no car park.
The band also reduced the number of trucks it uses to carry equipment to the venue and between the festival stages, going from six to two – and these were electric trucks. The entire site was powered by renewable energy through Ecotricity’s electric batteries.
“At blueprint level, it was: how do we design an exciting show that doesn’t take 25 trucks to move from place to place?” Del Naja told the Guardian. “Now our haulage is down to two trucks, and I feel the show is more confrontational, provocative and visually dynamic. It hasn’t lost anything – it’s gained more.”
The Safe From Harm singer added: “I’d like to think that next year all the big stages at all the big festivals will be powered by batteries, because that’s the look.”
Vegan food, compostable cutlery, and even upcycled urine
All food at the venue – whether it was for concertgoers or backstage – was vegan. AGF says food and drink represent the second-largest source of emissions at festivals, making up over a third (35%) of the carbon footprint.
This is why Massive Attack brought in fully vegan vendors like Chiki Monkey and Soy Ahoy. And while other vendors – such as Dead Wingers, Tasty Ragga, Bocca di Bianchi, Castaway Kitchen, and Hippy Chippy – don’t usually serve 100% meatless food, they also only dished up plant-based food at Act 1.5. Think fries loaded with courgette ragù and vegan Philly cheesesteaks. That said, some of the vendors were using gas canisters to power their grills, instead of green energy.
The festival also had a food waste prevention plan in place, including the redistribution of surplus food and the composting of food waste. Bars encourage people to bring their own reusable containers, while all serveware was compostable.
Massive Attack also banned glitter and disposable vapes to reduce waste, and implemented a strategy to ensure no waste from Act 1.5 would go to waste. Even the toilets were compostable, with some of the event’s waste sent to a firm that extracts phosphorus from urine.
Moreover, the band pledged to create a “permanent climate-resilient woodland” of 19,150 oak trees on land 45 miles away from Bristol. The area spans 85 acres of former farmland and unmanaged woodland.
Most of the festival went as planned, but one big gripe came with the waiting times for food. Concertgoers ended up in long queues, with some having to wait up to an hour for their orders.
In response, Act 1.5 apologised in a statement after the event, acknowledging that “there should have been more traders on the day”.
Could Act 1.5 usher in a new era for live music?
Courtesy: Warren Du Preez
The Tyndall Centre will publish a report this autumn to detail the event’s climate impact, with Massive Attack using the findings to further greenify future concerts.
The original report that formed the basis of Act 1.5 had a range of recommendations for musicians, promoters, venues, manufacturers, and local authorities. These included generating and using renewable energy on-site (via solar panels, for example), eliminating private jets and limiting air travel, offering fans incentives to use public transport, providing charging points for electric vehicles, and designing shows that reduce set and equipment demand.
Other major artists have been trying to limit the climate impact of their shows too. Coldplay famously announced a 12-point plan to halve their tour’s carbon footprint, which involved using kinetic energy to generate electricity when fans jump on the dancefloor, using palm-oil-free biofuels for transportation, and providing fans with plant-based, compostable LED wristbands.
The British rock band said these measures ended up reducing its Music Of The Spheres Tour’s emissions by 59%, a figure it noted had been verified by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative – but crucially, this did not take into account audience travel, the largest source of emissions for these events.
Similarly, Billie Eilish, who is famously vegan, directed London’s O2 Arena to serve only plant-based food during her 2022 residency, and recently worked with LA Metro to increase subway services to her album launch venue – but fans still would have needed to drive to get to a station. The singer is setting up Eco Villages as part of a raft of sustainability efforts for her upcoming Hit Me Hard Hit Me Soft tour, which starts next month.
Courtesy: Xavi Torrent/TAS24/Getty Images/Heura
Even Taylor Swift has served plant-based meat at some of her Eras Tour shows. But while it’s a welcome measure, it does very little to move the needle – especially when you consider her emissions from the record-breaking world tour.
Del Naja expressed discontent at the fact that no artist has really paid attention to the Tyndall Centre report. “It’s been five years and no one’s shown much interest. A couple of bands, a couple of promoters, but very little interest,” he told the BBC. “In fact, most other promoters say: ‘We’ve got our own report,’ which is slightly ridiculous because those reports are written by their own team. So that’s been really quite frustrating.”
He called for promoters – who “hold the power in this sector” – to stop waiting for governments to update their policies, and take action in their own hands. “They have the ability to make the change; the finances. What’s frustrating is knowing that people are sitting there on their hands, waiting for legislation to happen,” the rapper told the Guardian.
While exact estimates of the live music sector’s emissions vary, the wider music industry has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, with the Big Three labels of Sony, Universal and Warner joining forces with independents to sign the Music Climate Pact in 2021.
Ukraine’s defence ministry will provide vegan, halal and kosher military rations to its soldiers to meet their religious, ethical and health requirements.
Ukraine’s military will provide its soldiers with plant-based MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) as part of an effort to make field rations more inclusive, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
From December, soldiers will be able to choose from a wider variety of meals that cater to vegan, halal or kosher requirements, once the product lines have been developed and approved.
The development comes on the back of multiple consultations between Ukraine’s government, religious leaders and animal rights charities. We are aware that many of our service members have different religious customs and specific dietary restrictions, so we actively partner with religious communities and nutrition experts,” said Dmytro Klimenkov, the country’s deputy defence minister.
“We also recognise the significance of making ethical choices, which is why plant-based field rations will be an important part of our new strategy. It goes beyond nutrition; it is also about showing respect for the personal beliefs of every soldier,” he added.
How vegan MREs for the Ukrainian military came to be
Courtesy: Every Animal
The defence ministry and the State Operator for Non-Lethal Acquisition (DOT) – its military procurement agency – have held discussions with the representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Islamic and Jewish communities, and animal welfare organisations Every Animal and UAnimals.
This followed the signing of an MoU between UAnimals and the DOT in January, with the aim of developing plant-based meals for the armed forces. A month later, the charity started collaborating with Every Animal, which has been supporting the military with vegan MREs since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The two non-profits have been working with dietitian Mark Shpara and food companies Макро-2019 and Eat Me At to create a vegan MRE menu, helping develop rations with optimal costs, calorie content, nutritional value, and ease of preparation. They presented seven plant-based meals to the DOT in April, while meat analogue maker Happy Elk showcased 33 dishes.
Every Animal and UAnimals also presented a plant-based meal to Klimenkov at a meeting on Tuesday. This led to an agreement for continued cooperation to develop upgraded MREs.
“We believe that creating plant-based rations is about respecting our defenders,” said UAnimals founder Oleksandr Todorchuk. “We are glad that this process is moving forward, and we hope that soon the treatment of military personnel will reflect respect for their religious and other beliefs.”
“The concept of a diverse menu came about, among other things, because we move closer to European standards, where individuals with needs different from those of the community are not ignored but are given the necessary assistance,” added Halyna Litosh, director of food project portfolio management at the DOT.
Plant-based meals rooted in inclusivity
Courtesy: Every Animal
Calls to add meatless MREs for the military have been ringing since September 2022, when a petition by service member Pavlov Petro Mykhailovych calling on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to create vegan and vegetarian meals for the military received over 25,000 signatures – the threshold that mandates petitions to be considered by the government.
In response, Zelenskyy said the “comprehensive provision of Ukrainian soldiers is one of the most urgent tasks of the security”, but added that current regulations didn’t account for catering vegetarian meals. That said, he still directed Prime Minister Denys Shmygal to work on the issue.
“We aim to address the requirements of our service members while respecting their beliefs, health, and ethical principles. Our goal is to create circumstances where every defender of Ukraine is comfortable and confident,” said Klimenkov, the deputy minister of defence.
In late 2020, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology reported that 4.5 million Ukrainians were vegetarians (10% of the population at the time), and about 800,000 followed a vegan diet.
For now, vegan MREs are provided by volunteer organisations like Lviv Vegan Kitchen and Every Animal – the latter’s current plant-based parcels include eight appetisers and 10 mains with two types of plant-based meats (including Eat Me At’s soy protein analogues). These dishes include buckwheat soup, pea soup, borsch, as well as buckwheat, rice, pearl barley, and beans with vegetables. So far, the charity has delivered over 1,500 meals.
“Belonging to the Euro-Atlantic family, we must embrace an inclusive culture and strive to meet the needs of the military to the greatest extent possible,” said the DOT’s Litosh.
“We should aim to be more in line with the EU and NATO, not only in terms of standards but also in recognizing people’s choices. Improving nutrition inclusivity is not solely about changing field rations; it is about transforming mindsets and syncing with the Euro-Atlantic vector.”
Other recent examples of plant-based food in the military include Israel and the US.
New analysis by the Food Foundation shows that plant-based meat is better for the planet and mostly healthier, with traditional proteins like beans or tofu the most optimal options.
Plant-based burgers, sausages and nuggets are much more climate-friendly and largely better for human health – but their progress is hindered by a price premium, a new study by the UK’s Food Foundation has found.
While the environmental benefits of plant-based proteins are well-known – especially in high-income countries – the conversation around their health credentials has been skewed and misleading, and needs “much greater nuance”.
The report revealed that plant-based meats and traditional plant proteins like beans, grains, tofu and tempeh all have significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than animal-derived meat. The same is true for water use (barring rice). Meanwhile, vegan proteins also contain fewer calories, less saturated fat, and higher fibre levels than meat products.
Courtesy: Food Foundation
The Food Foundation split plant proteins into three categories: new-generation analogues, traditional proteins (both classed as processed), and beans and grains (which are less processed or unprocessed). It analysed 67 plant-based products and compared their climate, nutrition and price attributes to 46 meat products.
Beans and grains like chickpeas, rice, oats and lentils were on average the strongest-performing foods on all three fronts of sustainability, nutrition and price, and thus should be “an important part of strategies” to support dietary shifts. That said, in the short term, “like-for-like meat substitutions are likely to offer a realistic and feasible transition pathway”, the report suggested.
Plant proteins: a solution for UK’s fibre deficiency
Courtesy: Food Foundation
According to the research, the number of plant-based meat options far exceeds products offering traditional proteins like tofu or tempeh. And the proportion of ultra-processed food (UPF) – a thorn in the side of the vegan food industry – in each category also varies considerably.
While misleading media coverage has bred consumer confusion about UPFs – in the UK, an equal share of consumers believe UPFs are healthy and unhealthy, despite these foods making up 57% of the average British diet – the report pointed out that suggestions of plant-based meat being unhealthy solely because they’re UPFs are wide of the mark.
“Even plant-based alternatives with good nutrient profiles based on traditional nutrient profiling models, such as mycoprotein (Quorn), can be classed as UPFs,” the researchers wrote, adding that a 2023 study found positive health impacts from the intake of ultra-processed meat analogues.
While plant proteins were found to be lower in protein than meat, this difference was only marginal. And in any case, the UK doesn’t have any protein deficiency issues at a population level, the report said. In fact, Brits are overconsuming protein, with men and women eating 29g and 22g more of it, respectively, than is recommended by the British Nutrition Foundation.
Courtesy: Food Foundation
The biggest gain for plant-based meats and traditional proteins comes with fibre intake, a nutrient the UK is not consuming enough of. On average, conventional meat products only have 0.5g of fibre per 100g, versus 4.7g for vegan meats, and 5.1g for grains and beans.
But while tofu, beans and the like have minimal levels of salt, plant-based meat products have higher salt levels than animal proteins (1.3g vs 1.1g, respectively). The report also found that only a third of the meat analogues analysed are fortified with iron and vitamin B12. This leaves room for improvement: brands could enhance the health credentials of vegan meats by improving fortification and reformulating them to reduce salt content.
However, certain products are already outperforming their animal counterparts. Vegan bacon has on average 1g more protein per 100g, while plant-based meatballs have 1g lower salt content compared to their livestock-derived equivalents.
Light on the planet, heavy on the wallet
The Food Foundation cites figures from Our World in Data to show that meat production has an outsized impact on the planet. Beef (from beef herds) is by far the most polluting protein, followed by lamb and beef from dairy cows.
But even chicken – often floated as a ‘sustainable’ meat option – has more than twice the emissions impact of rice and Beyond Meat, and emits three times more greenhouse gases than Quorn and Future Farm.
Similarly, beef is the most water-intensive food analysed in the report, followed by rice and other animal proteins. The rest of the plant proteins use much less water – Quorn’s water consumption is 97% lower than beef, while Beyond Meat’s water footprint is 99% smaller.
Courtesy: Food Foundation
But while plant-based meats and proteins delivered plenty of wins on the health and environment fronts, their prices for consumers leave a lot to be desired. Meat analogues and plant proteins (like tofu and tempeh) are 73% and 38% more expensive than conventional meat products, respectively, with only grains and beans turning out cheaper (-52%).
Vegan bacon has the highest price premium, with these products almost three times more expensive than animal-derived versions. On the other hand, plant-based meatballs and mince are almost at price parity, costing only 7% and 14% more, respectively.
Courtesy: Food Foundation
UK should cut animal consumption with beans and blended meat
The report has a bunch of recommendations for different stakeholders in the industry. If you’re an investor, consider the fact that alternative proteins offer the highest CO2e savings per dollar of invested capital of any industry – three times higher than cement, transport or aviation – according to Boston Consulting Group.
For food manufacturers, restaurants and retailers, ensuring price parity for alternative proteins would be a major step forward, as would setting sales-based targets for plant proteins – several supermarket groups in Europe have already done so. These entities should also reformulate products that are high in salt or other unfavourable health metrics, so they’re on par or even more nutritious than meat.
Running cross-product promotions like meal deals and set menus for plant-based food, increasing the ratio of plant-rich foods to meat-based ones, and innovating with blended meat – mixing meat with alternative proteins, as Quorn is doing with the NHS – are all beneficial to this sector.
Courtesy: Quorn/Billion Photos/Green Queen
There’s a real focus on promoting unprocessed proteins like beans, which the report says represents a “win-win-win” for environmental, health and equity outcomes. Making beans more appealing via marketing strategies is key, especially since the consumption of these foods isn’t patterned by income levels.
As for policymakers, they should focus on strengthening procurement in schools and hospitals; introduce mandatory reporting of protein ratios for large companies; extend the VAT exemption of plant-based milks; and recognise the need to eat less meat as part of its climate strategy.
The UK government was also urged to reject EU proposals to outlaw the use of dairy-related terms on plant-based product labels, connect alternative protein development with public health goals, improve the regulatory system for new products, and build on its investments into this sector.
There has been some progress on the latter – earlier today, it was announced that UK Research & Innovation has invested £12M in a new National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre, which aims to develop and bring to market plant-based, cultivated and fermentation-derived proteins.
Speaking to Green Queen, Dr Stella Child, research and grants manager at the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, said that to ensure the UK remains competitive internationally, “the new government needs to build on the country’s growing scientific expertise and invest £100M a year in R&D and creating the infrastructure British alternative protein companies need”.
In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Chile’s vegan ads with Joaquin Phoenix, Maison Landemaine’s La Vie sandwiches, and Helaina’s animal-free lactoferrin study.
New products and launches
A new vegan brand is on the market. Spain’s Beanstalk Foods has entered the European market with a range of meat analogues like hamburgers, meatballs, pastrami, breaded calamari, as well as ambient salami and chorizo snacks. It will start with Spain and the UK, and has a sister company in New York for a US launch.
Courtesy: Beanstalk Foods
South Korean vegan cheese brand Armored Fresh has expanded its distribution footprint with KeHe Distributors, with its products now available nationwide for retailers in the US.
Israeli vegan meal kit producer Anina Culinary Art, whose products feature upcycled vegetables in dehydrated discs, has now launched nationwide in the US with its new online store.
German chocolate giant Ritter Sport is adding a new Vegan Double Crunch flavour to its Travel Retail Edition Vegan Tower in January. The range will be showcased at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (September 30 to October 3).
Courtesy: La Vie/Beanstalk Foods/Fundación Veg
Parisian bakery chain Maison Landemaine has introduced two sandwiches using La Vie‘s plant-based meats: a vegetarian croque monsieur with ham and a vegan club sandwich with bacon.
Speaking of bacon, the UK’s Squeaky Bean has introduced ready-to-eat Crispy Bacon Style Strips, described as a first-to-market vegan alternative.
In Chile, Fundación Veg has launched a new campaign in Santiago Metro to promote plant-based eating during the Fiestas Patrias (September 18-19), with an animal-welfare-centric painting of actor Joaquin Phoenix by local artist Fab Ciraolo.
Courtesy: Pythag Tech
New York-based Pythag Tech, a software provider focused on cultivated meat, has unveiled The Clean Meat Terminal, a market intelligence platform for investors, companies, consultants and researchers with news, regulatory information, a company database, and more.
In Hong Kong, The White Owl Group has opened a new joint location for its plant-forwardMaya Bakery and The Cakery at the IFC Mall in the city’s Central district.
KFC China partnered with famed Shanghai vegan eatery Spring Breeze Songyuelou to introduce plant-based steamed buns on its breakfast menu.
And in India, cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma (who are married) have appeared in a new ad campaign for plant-based meat brand Blue Tribe.
Research and policy developments
The Good Food Institute has released a report on investment in the alternative protein space, advising companies on where to target fundraising efforts amid a global squeeze in food tech financing.
Courtesy: Helaina
New York-based precision fermentation player Helaina has released a pre-print, non-peer-reviewed study, which found that its animal-free lactoferrin had a lower immunogenic response than the bovine version.
In the UK’s Slough Borough Council, a trial to collect food waste using dedicated caddies from residents in five areas has saved the council more than £3,000.
Courtesy: Chinese Nutrition Society/Dao Foods
During China’s National Nutrition Week 2024, the Chinese Nutrition Society promoted soy and legume consumption, with one event focusing on soy milk’s nutrition and releasing a white paper around guidelines and recommended intakes.
Events and awards
The Good Food Institute has unveiled the latest cohort of its student-focused Alt Protein Project, with 21 new chapters part of its fifth year.
Manufacturers, startups, investors, suppliers and scientists will gather at ProVeg International‘s New Food Conference in Berlin on September 3, where they’ll examine the current state of plant-based foods and best supply chain practices, as consumers reach a “societal tipping point”.
Courtesy: Solar Foods
Finally, Finnish startup Solar Foods, which makes Solein protein from air, has won the international Phase 3 category in NASA‘s Deep Space Food Challenge.
Over two dozen US Representatives have urged the Bureau of Prisons to offer more plant-based meat options to inmates in federal prisons.
A group of lawmakers in the US are calling for federal prisoners to be provided with more meatless options, highlighting better health outcomes for inmates and lower costs for prisons.
In a letter addressed to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), 26 House Democrats from across the US – led by California Representatives Adam Schiff and Julia Brownley – are urging the federal agency to include more meatless foods for breakfast and ensure healthier vegetarian choices on its national menu.
Currently, the BOP’s Food Service Manual requires a “no-flesh” (meat-free) option at both noon and evening meals, but the policymakers – including Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Jamie Raskin, Jamaal Bowman and Jan Schakowsky – believe further action to support plant-forward dining options could “improve inmate health, lower dining costs, and better meet the diverse dietary needs of inmates”.
“Expanding access to plant-based dining options at all mealtimes will give inmates meaningful options through which they can exert control over their own health,” said Madeline Bennett, a food system and nutrition policy analyst at public health non-profit Balanced.
“Though plant-based meals are no panacea, inmates’ having consistent access to such options would be an impactful corrective to the current insufficiencies of federal prison food service,” she added.
The letter was supported by Balanced, climate NGO Friends of the Earth, food policy non-profit Food Solutions Action, and health organisation the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).
Vegan options lead to ‘better health outcomes’ for inmates
Courtesy: Getty Images
Health is a major focus in the letter, speaking to national trends. A 2024 survey by the International Food Information Council found that 55% of Americans eat meat-free diets out of health concerns. And a similar poll by 84.51° in May revealed that health is the most important driver of plant-based meat consumption in the US.
“Expanding access to plant-based options is a pathway to better health outcomes for inmates. As you know, federal prisons house inmates who suffer from chronic and diet-related health conditions at or above the rates among age-, race-, and sex-matched populations within the general public,” the letter reads.
“However, inmates have far lower access to both preventive lifestyle measures and pharmacological treatments while in prison, which together contribute to excess mortality from nearly all major causes of death in the years following their release.”
The Representatives cite a 2016 government survey that found 33% of federal prisoners have a chronic health condition. “Consuming meals focused on plant-based foods offers nutritional and health benefits, as they contain less saturated fat and sodium than animal products, are higher in dietary fibre, and do not contribute to non-communicable diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” the lawmakers write in what is a strong endorsement of vegan diets.
“Inmates in federal prisons have little to no control over their diets and therefore diminished agency to make positive health changes – even though they suffer the same or higher rates of diet-related diseases as the non-incarcerated,” explained Bennett.
“Providing plant-based meals in prisons is the prescription for helping inmates prevent and treat diet-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease,” added PCRM Neal Barnard.
Religious and dietary inclusivity with plant-based food
Courtesy: Torsitt/Tor’s Images
There’s a focus on the need to better meet religious requirements, allergies, and food intolerances in prisons. The lawmakers note how “plant-based dining options are one of the few cuisines that will consistently meet” the dietary requirements of inmates following a Halal or Kosher diet.
Meanwhile, according to the National Institutes of Health, 95% of Asian Americans, 60-80% of African Americans, 80-100% of Indian Americans, and 50-80% of Hispanic people in the US are lactose intolerant, and plant-based options could better accommodate their needs.
“Given the extent to which these groups are overrepresented among inmate populations, BOP could take an important step forward,” the letter reads.
Vegan diets could further offer healthier choices to people suffering from an emerging disease called Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Associated with allergic reactions to beef and pork consumption, this now affects nearly half a million Americans.
Vegan meals lower prison food costs
Courtesy: iStock
It’s just not inmates who would benefit from more plant-based food. These meals could be cost-effective for prisons themselves too.
Taking a leaf out of the healthcare sector’s “forward-thinking” playbook, the Representatives cite an analysis by plant-based advocacy organisation Greener by Default. The non-profit assessed data based on a hospital with 350 beds and 5,000 staff members and found that moving to a ‘plant-based by default’ (where vegan options are the norm, not the alternative) would reduce food costs for patients by $0.75 per meal over six months, and $0.65 over a five-year period.
“While this calculation reflects the direct savings to the hospital’s food programme, it does not include more savings that in the context of a prison could relate to health improvements, behavioural incident reduction, less need for costly healthcare interventions, etc.,” the policymakers point out.
As a successful example, they add that upon adopting a default plant-based approach, the New York Health + Hospital saw cost savings of 59% per tray, with satisfaction rates among patients above 90%. New York, California and Maryland have all considered or adopted legislation that calls on prisons to increase plant-based options.
The Representatives requested information from the BOP to better understand its food policy and how they can support it. This includes questions about the inclusion rates of plant-based meals, the cost difference between animal-derived and vegan foods, whether inmates need to have a dietary restriction on file, and the barriers that prevent the BOP from serving more plant-based food.
They also say they’d support having the Food Service Manual encourage federal prisons to use plant-based proteins and set requirements to meet religious dietary needs.
“Every person deserves the right to choose a healthy, culturally appropriate, plant-based meal – including those who are incarcerated in federal prisons,” said Lisa Gonzalez, senior food and climate policy analyst at Friends of the Earth.
In Netherlands, discount retailer Lidl has introduced a blended minced meat SKU with pea protein, and reduced the price of its plant-based meat and dairy products.
With a new product and pricing strategy, Lidl Netherlands has taken a major step towards its 2030 goal of making 60% of all protein sales plant-based.
The discount supermarket has launched its first blended meat product, a minced meat mix with 60% beef and 40% pea protein. It has a lower impact on both the climate and consumer wallets.
In addition, it has permanently decreased the prices of its own-label vegan meat and dairy analogues, which will now be priced either the same as their conventional counterparts, or even lower than them.
“Much work is being done by supermarkets to encourage the purchase of plant-based food, but this move by Lidl in the Netherlands represents a hugely significant shift in the way supermarkets approach food system change,” said Jasmijn de Boo, CEO of ProVeg International.
Lidl establishes economic parity for Vemondo range
Courtesy: Lidl Nederland
Pricing has been a major climate strategy for Lidl across several markets. It first achieved price parity for products in its private-label Vemondo brand in its home country of Germany, before extending that to Denmark, Hungary, Austria and Belgium.
In the Netherlands, it conducted a six-month pilot that involved putting its plant-based meat SKUs next to the conventional meat aisle in 70 stores. The result was a 7% hike in sales, with visibility, taste and volume the key factors.
The retailer extended this placement approach across its 440 stores in the Netherlands, and has now brought its pricing strategy to the country too. It means that meat analogues like vegan burgers and sausages, and alt-dairy products such as plant-based yoghurt, cheese and crème fraîche now either cost the same as meat and dairy, or are cheaper.
This is key to consumer adoption: in 2023, a UK-based study by ProVeg showed that people are dramatically more likely to buy plant-based foods over their animal-derived equivalents when the former are lighter on the wallet.
Meanwhile, another survey by the food advocacy organisation revealed that plant-based analogues are now cheaper overall than meat and dairy in nearly all Dutch supermarkets, which – like Lidl – have committed to the 60/40 ratio by the end of the decade.
“Shifting to more plant-based diets is vital if we are to successfully stabilise CO2 emissions and halt habitat and biodiversity loss around the world,” said de Boo. “Supermarkets play a huge role here and Lidl has shown what can be done to encourage this shift. We urge other supermarket chains to compete with Lidl with their promotion of plant-based foods.”
A report by Madre Brava last month suggested that Lidl and Ahold Delhaize are leading the protein transition in the retail world, aligning their sales goals with climate targets. Lidl is working towards public targets across its locations, having published goals in six countries, with others to follow suit soon. “Doing so within this year could potentially turn Lidl into the first supermarket chain to publicly commit to align their protein offerings with human and planetary health goals,” the report said.
Taking on blended meat years after retailers’ failed attempts
Courtesy: Lidl Nederland
In 2019, Aldi brought out a BBQ Flexitarian Burger made from a mix of beef and beans, which got widely panned. Two years later, Tesco introduced a Lean & Greens range that combined chicken with vegetables. In both instances, the products are now discontinued.
Blended meat – especially from private-label brands – wasn’t commercially successful. But things have changed now. Everyone from Nestlé and Purdue Farms to Quorn in the NHS and even Disneyland are dabbling with these products, which deliver an improvement on the climate credentials and represent more uptake among meat-eaters and flexitarians.
Lidl Netherlands has made a major move towards lowering its climate footprint. Beef is the most polluting food on the planet, and by subbing out 40% of it with pea protein (whose emissions are 90 times lower), the retailer’s new minced meat produces 37% fewer emissions.
According to Lidl, half of the population in the Netherlands eats minced meat every week. But a large European survey this year found that 49% of Dutch consumers have reduced their meat consumption compared to 2023. And the top two factors for purchasing plant-based analogues are taste and price, two attributes Lidl’s alternative proteins must get right.
“The taste is the same, but the environmental impact and price are lower,” promised Geert de Vries, a buyer at Lidl. The 300g mince – available in all its Dutch stores now (and yes, placed right next to meat) – will set consumers back €2.29, a 33% improvement on ground beef.
“The development took quite a while. We wanted to develop a minced meat mix that contains less meat, but retains the taste,” said de Vres. “I daresay that even for the real meat lover, this minced meat mix is indistinguishable from regular minced meat.”
Martine van Haperen, health and nutrition expert at ProVeg Netherlands, lauded Lidl’s two initiatives. “Price is the main obstacle for people to choose plant-based more often. The step to make plant-based products the same price or cheaper than meat and dairy removes that obstacle,” she said.
“Also, not everyone wants to eat meat substitutes or legumes. By introducing a hybrid product, just in the meat section, they really appeal to the meat eater. They don’t even have to change their consumption pattern. This is a valuable addition that really gives Lidl the opportunity to influence the protein ratio.”
To memorialize the brave bull who did everything in his power to escape slaughter, only to be shot and killed near Lake Nippenicket in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, last week, PETA plans to place a billboard in his honor near where he was killed with an urgent message: “Help Others Escape the Slaughterhouse: Please, Go Vegan.”
See the billboard PETA plans to place in honor of the bull who was killed in Massachusetts:
This bull ran for his life and fought as hard as he could for his freedom, as any human would if someone tried to send them to slaughter. PETA’s billboard will remind everyone that they can honor his bravery and win freedom for all other animals—from pigs to birds—by keeping them off their plates.
Every year, humans condemn millions of animals to gruesome deaths in slaughterhouses. Workers cram these animals onto trucks, where they typically go without food, water, or rest for the duration of a journey, which can sometimes be days. Many cows collapse in hot weather.
In the cold, cows sometimes freeze to the sides of trucks until workers pry them off with crowbars. By the time the exhausted animals reach a slaughterhouse, many are too sick or injured to walk, and others who are too frightened to leave a truck are shocked with electric prods or dragged off with chains.
Here’s Why Everyone Should Be Kind to Cows, Bulls, and Calves
Every animal is someone. Cows are as diverse as cats, dogs, and humans: Some are very quick learners, whereas others are a little slower. Some are bold and adventurous, whereas others are shy and timid. Some are friendly and considerate, whereas others are bossy and devious.
Research shows that cows are generally quite intelligent animals who can remember things for a long time. Animal behaviorists have found that they interact in socially complex ways, developing friendships over time and sometimes holding grudges against other cows who mistreat them.
These gentle giants mourn the deaths of and even separation from those they love, sometimes shedding tears over their loss. The mother/calf bond is particularly strong, and there are countless reports of mother cows who continue to call and search frantically for their babies after the calves have been taken away and then sold to veal or beef farms.
What Can You Do to Help Cows?
Each person who goes vegan spares the lives of nearly 200 animals every year, dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint, and reduces their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity.
PETA’s free vegan starter kits can help those looking to make the switch.
The US Open has joined New York City mayor Eric Adams’ challenge to reduce food-related emissions by 25% by 2030, and will now aim to increase its vegan options.
Ahead of the 2024 tournament, the US Open has committed to curbing its food-related emissions by 25% by the end of the decade, as part of a cross-sector pledge initiated by New York City mayor Eric Adams.
The Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, announced in April by Adams (who follows a plant-forward diet), seeks to reduce the climate footprint of the city’s food system. Companies and organisations that accept the pledge commit to producing and serving more vegan food – the US Open, marking the 17th of its sustainability programme, is the first sports entity to sign on.
“We are excited to join the New York City’s Mayor’s Office and other signatories around the city to take on this challenge,” Lauren Tracy, senior director of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which runs the Grand Slam tournament, tells Green Queen.
“We are proud of the work we have done over the past 17 years to reduce the environmental impact of the US Open, and are always looking for ways to expand and improve our existing sustainability initiatives,” she added.
US Open exploring more plant-forward food options
Courtesy: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
The USTA announced the move in a press conference featuring vegetarian tennis player Marcus Daniell, as well as Mary McCarthy, VP of sustainability at US Open caterer Levy Restaurants.
“We know it’s the right thing to do for the planet. We know that it’s going to improve the health of everyone who lives on this planet, and that’s important for the USTA and the US Open,” said USTA president Brian Hainline.
“Our mission is to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere. We do that through our great sport, the healthiest sport on the planet, and we do it by working with the mayor’s office,” he added.
Tracy explains that the organisers are using this year’s tournament (whose finals run from August 26 to September 8) as a baseline “to better understand where there is room for improvement in this space”.
As part of the US Open’s ongoing Green Initiatives programme, Levy has been sourcing around 30% of its produce and ingredients locally, and offering 18% vegetarian options and 3% vegan choices. But these numbers are an estimate based on previous years, and the USTA hasn’t revealed an updated figure for the 2024 Championships.
While it means one in five dishes at the US Open have been meat-free, it’s a far cry from the Paris Olympics, which promised to make 60% of all meals vegetarian, and a third plant-based. And despite a slight U-turn and some puzzling comments on that commitment, it still was labelled the most vegan-friendly Games of all time.
But Tracy indicates that now that the USTA has signed the New York City mayor’s pledge, more plant-based food is on the radar at the US Open – whether you’re at the Arthur Ashe Stadium or Court 17. “We look forward to working with our concessionaire, Levy, to explore ways to reduce the food-based emissions at the US Open,” she says.
“In general, this means increasing the number of plant-forward options on the menus and being mindful of portion sizes for higher-impact animal proteins when they are offered,” explains Tracy.
Joining the city-wide food emissions pledge is the latest initiative of the US Open’s sustainability programme. Since its inception in 2008, the Grand Slam tournament has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by around 168,000 tonnes, the equivalent of taking nearly 40,000 gas-powered cars off New York City’s streets.
In this time, over 8,700 tonnes of waste generated during the US Open has been diverted from landfills, and almost 1,000 tonnes of food waste has been converted into nutrient-rich material or renewable energy through composting. Meanwhile, 240 tonnes of food has been donated to local communities, mirroring measures recommended by the federal government.
Other initiatives taken by the US Open to cut its carbon footprint include replacing plastic straws with paper or compostable versions, using bio-based, compostable materials for most of the food served at venues, reusing the tennis balls in USTA programmes or donating them to local communities, and providing reusable water bottles to staff and ballpersons.
“The US Open is leading the sports industry in building a sustainable food system for New York City,” said Kate MacKenzie, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy. “As the effects of climate change become more prevalent, it’s putting athletes and many of our favorite sporting events at risk.”
She added: “That’s why we need to draw down our greenhouse gas emissions, starting with food. We are proud to partner with the US Open in their efforts to reduce their food-based emissions through delicious, plant-powered meals.”
“We need as many players as possible to win the fight against climate change, and the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, along with the NYC Carbon Challenge, are excellent ways for the private sector to cut their carbon emissions and help us achieve our ambitious climate goals,” said Elijah Hutchinson, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice.
Food makes up a fifth of New York City’s emissions, which has prompted the local government to work to reduce emissions by a third by 2030. Vegan diets are much more planet-friendly than those heavy on animal proteins – meat and dairy alone account for 57% of the food system’s emissions (twice as much as plant-based food), and research suggests that veganism can cut emissions, water pollution and land use by 75%.
In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Lurpak’s plant-based butter, Cheetos’ limited-edition vegan release, and Oatly and Kolkata Chai Co.’s ice cream block party.
New products and launches
Arla‘s market-leading butter brand Lurpak has finally entered the plant-based world with a non-dairy spreadable version made from rapeseed, coconut and shea oils, oats and cultures. It debuts in the UK today, and in Denmark on August 26.
Courtesy: Lurpak/Meawnamcat via Getty Images
Another dairy-free win comes from Premier Foods, whose canned custard brand Ambrosia has introduced a plant-based edition in the UK. The non-HFSS 390g tin is currently available at Morrisons for £1.95 (on par with the £2, 400g dairy and egg version), and will roll out at other retailers next month.
Irish vegan influencer duo David and Stephen Flynn – known as The Happy Pear – is bringing its range of dips, soups, ready meals, granolas and drinks to UK supermarkets following a successful €2.5M crowdfunding round in June.
Courtesy: The Happy Pear
Swedish vegan meat analogue startup Hooked Foods has brought out four new products – chicken bites, chicken filets, tuna bites, and salmon bites – with a refreshed packaging design. They will be available at ICA Gruppen and Coop Sverige from October.
German pet food startup VegDog has permanently introduced a potato-based vegan popcorn snack for dogs.
Frito-Lay‘s cult-favourite cheese puff brand Cheetos has at last gone plant-based with a new Vegan Vegetalien White Cheddar Blanc launched exclusively in Canada for a limited time.
Courtesy: @accidentally_vegan_canada via Instagram/Yazgi Bayram via Getty Images
Ingredients giant Ingredion has released a functional native cornstarch called Novation Indulge 2940, which holds distinct gelling properties for use in vegan cheese, among other applications.
UK vegan meat maker Shicken has rolled out its Tikka Kebab in Costco stores in the US, making it the only British plant-based meat brand currently available on its shelves.
Also in the US, Oatly has partnered with Kolkata Chai Co. to promote their Oat Milk Chai Soft Serve at a block party at the latter’s East Village location in New York City this Friday (August 22), which is National Soft Serve Day. It comes a week after Oatly’s soft-serve began appearing at Impossible Foods‘ Chicago pop-up.
Courtesy: Oatly/Kolkata Chai Co.
Texas-based Kibo Foods has launched a new line of Veggie Crunch chips made from green peas. They come in three plant-based flavours: sour cream and onion, hot chipotle, and sea salt. They’re available on its e-store and on Amazon for $21.99 per 12-pack.
In Singapore, upcycled food startup The Moonbeam Co. has collaborated with coffee company Bettr to introduce the Resavour Mocha Siew Dai Cookies, made using spent coffee grounds.
Japanese restaurant operator Fujiya has announced a sorghum-based meat analogue brand called Nikugoe. The lineup, which includes Hamburg Steak, Meat Super Cheese Hamburger, and Meat Super Gyoza, is set to launch in the country in autumn, with future plans to take it to the US.
Courtesy: Tous les Jours
South Korean bakery chain Tous les Jours has added vegan cakes to its menu. The Plantastic raspberry-chocolate and blueberry-chocolate offerings are available nationwide.
And in Dubai, vegan café Seva is set to reopen on September 1 after undergoing renovations in the summer.
Research and company developments
Research by plant-based meat brand Meatless Farm has found that two-thirds of meat-eaters would swap beef burgers for a vegan option after learning that its meat-free burger has 85% lower emissions.
Courtesy: Meatless Farm
At the University of Lisbon‘s Técnico Lisboa, researchers have developed cultivated seabass via 3D bioprinting, a result of a five-year effort.
Inn Pakistan, the Institute of Agronomy at Bahauddin Zakariya University has launched an MSc (Hons) degree in Climate Change and Food Security.
Company and personnel updates
Sandhya Sriram, founder of cultivated seafood startup Shiok Meats (now acquired by Umami Bioworks), has been appointed as CEO of New Zealand-based food tech investor and accelerator Sprout Agritech.
In Canada, Danone’s plant-based milk brand Silk‘s coconut and almond milk ranges, and Walmart‘s private-label Great Value almond milks, have been recalled due to concerns of a Listeria outbreak.
Courtesy: Beacon Press
Mercy for Animals president and CEO Leah Garcés is releasing her second book, Transfarmation: The Movement to Free Us from Factory Farming, on September 17. Currently available for pre-order, it is described as an “insightful and pointed exploration of the injustices perpetrated by factory farming”, and will be promoted via a six-city book tour in the fall.
Finally, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has joined the growing list of retailers and caterers to commit to making 60% of all protein sales plant-based by 2030, with the aim of halving emissions by this time. The international airport will also introduce Fairtrade standards for food and coffee, with all products being deforestation-free by 2025 (echoing the incoming EU regulations).
Californian vegan pet food leader Wild Earth has rolled out its first product for cats, a “nutritionally complete” Unicorn Pate.
Wild Earth has entered the cat food sector with Unicorn Pate, a plant-based, nutritionally complete wet food product built on research proving that felines can be healthy on a vegan diet.
Made from a base of lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, microalgae and cranberries, the new pâté contains all the ingredients essential to cats, including taurine and vitamins A and B12. It has a crude protein content of 8.5%, 4% fat and 1.5% fibre.
The 5.5oz cans are now available on Wild Earth’s website, with a pack of 12 priced at $60 (a subscription brings the cost down by 30%).
“Our team is incredibly proud to launch a new category leader that we hope will catalyse change in the entire pet food industry,” said Wild Earth co-founder and CEO Ryan Bethencourt.
“Nutritionally complete vegan cat food has been a long time coming, and we’re very thankful to be able to launch a whole new category of products which we think will transform both cat nutrition and help make space for a kinder world for all animals.”
Transforming health and ‘pawprints’
Courtesy: Wild Earth
Bethencourt first hinted at a cat food product in January, when he tweeted: “People aren’t ready for us to turn carnivore cats vegan but I’m going to do it.”
He alluded to it in an interview with Green Queen earlier this year too: “One of our guiding principles at Wild Earth is to be bold and push the pet industry to change. We did this when we launched our plant-based dog food, treats and supplements, we’re doing that again with our vegan cat products.”
The result is the Unicorn Pate, which is formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a non-profit organisation that sets the safety and quality standards for pet food in the US.
It contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, promotes skin and coat health, supports digestion, and is associated with lower greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and land use than conventional cat food.
“Our launch of Unicorn Pate, which helps accelerate a whole new category of vegan cat food products, represents a huge step forward in our mission to transform the pet food industry for our pets, other animals, and the planet,” said Bethencourt.
“Today our pets account for 25-30% of the meat we consume in the US unnecessarily. With Wild Earth’s industry-leading vegan dog and cat products, we can transform both their health with plant-based diets and their global pawprint.”
Wild Earth expects meat industry pushback
Courtesy: Wild Earth
Wild Earth’s Unicorn Pate was inspired by research from University of Winchester professor Andrew Knight, who has led a number of studies on vegan pet food over the years.
Last year, he authored a study finding that a plant-based diet could be healthier for cats than a meat-heavy one. Knight surveyed over 1,300 cat owners, 9% of whom fed their pets a vegan diet. His research suggested that 37% of vegan cats experienced one of 22 examined health disorders, versus 42% of felines that ate meat.
Of the 22 disorders, 15 were most common in meat-eating cats, and seven in those consuming plant-based foods. When fed a vegan diet, the number of health disorders per unwell cat decreased by 16%, visits to the vet dropped by 7%, medication use was down by 15%, and 23% fewer cats had severe illnesses.
While most differences were not statistically significant, the plant-based cats scored higher on all health indicators, a marker that even these obligate carnivores can thrive on vegan diets. It fuels Wild Earth’s mission to “put plant-based diets as a first choice for consumers vs the last choice when their pets have struggled with other meat-based diets”.
Bethencourt acknowledged that the Unicorn Pate would receive some backlash. “We know and expect aggressive resistance from the meat industry on the launch of this industry-pioneering vegan cat food,” he said. “But we know there are a lot of cat parents looking for healthier plant-based and more sustainable options, and we want to be the leader in providing them with that choice.”
Wild Earth – which shot to fame after Bethencourt grabbed a deal from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank – is also working on cultivated meat for pets. Last month, fellow Californian startup Friends & Family Pet Food Co. announced it was partnering with SIngapore’s Umami Bioworks to produce cultivated seafood treats for cats, aiming for regulatory approval in the coming months and an early 2025 launch.
