It’s International Carrot Day! The best way to show that you carrot all about animals, the planet, and your health is to go vegan—and PETA’s charismatic mascot Chris P. Carrot is rooting for everyone to make the compassionate switch.
From gentle mother cows who protectively coddle their young to curious hens who establish meaningful friendships, every animal is someone with their own feelings, interests, personalities, and needs. The meat, egg, dairy, and fishing industries exploit and kill billions of these sensitive living beings every year while destroying the environment. The United Nations has said for many years that a global shift toward vegan living is necessary to combat the climate catastrophe and other environmental crises.
For International Carrot Day, join Chris in his mission to spare animals, protect Mother Earth, and bolster human health by going vegan.
20 Years of Activism: See How Our Vivacious Veggie Has Championed Animal Rights
January 29, 2004:Chris P. Carrot entered the presidential race with his running mate, Colonel Corn, to urge everyone to get back to their roots by eating more fruits, veggies, and grains.
August 14, 2005:Chris walked the red carpet before the Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson with the compassionate star and target of the event—who only agreed to do the roast on the condition that Comedy Central donate to PETA and air our ads during the special.
January 31, 2007: In an article in the National Hog Farmer, Chris was cited as the main reason why Smithfield decided to stop confining pregnant pigs to gestation crates—or stalls so tiny that the animals can’t even turn around in them. The article noted that it “appears that US grocery stores and restaurants will do whatever they have to do to keep that PETA guy in the carrot suit from standing in front of one of their stores.”
May 23, 2008: Chris attended the Veggie Pride Parade in New York City with Penelo Pea Pod, despite silly claims that root vegetables and legumes don’t belong together. One agitated hot dog vendor apparently blamed the duo for his lack of success, saying, “It’s because of the vegetarians …. It’s one of my worst days in four years.”
June 30, 2009: Chris made a star appearance at San Francisco’s Gay Pride Parade with PETA’s “Lettuce Ladies” and “Broccoli Boys.”
June 8, 2010: Chris joined Toronto’s first annual Veggie Pride Parade.
August 30, 2010: Chris attended a “Tea Party” rally to promote vegan living.
January 22, 2013: Chris attended President Barack Obama’s second inauguration with Celery Stalk and Mother Earth and distributed PETA’s vegan starter kits and copies of the video “Glass Walls,” a groundbreaking exposé of the meat industry narrated by Sir Paul McCartney.
June 16, 2015: Chris led the PETA brigade at the Capital Pride festival in Washington, D.C.
January 20, 2017: Chris attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration and urged the crowd to go vegan.
September 20, 2017: Chris traveled with his old pal Colonel Corn to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the International Day of Peace to promote nonviolence in food production.
January 10, 2024: Chris joined the campaign trail in Iowa to urge attendees at the first caucus of the 2024 primary season to go vegan for animals, the environment, and human health. He went on to South Carolina to continue his work.
Join Chris by Going Vegan
The adventures of PETA’s carrot mascot represent just one of our projects to change the world for chickens, cows, pigs, fish, and other animals around the world. Let’s crunch our way to a brighter, greener future together! Order PETA’s free vegan starter kit to start saving animals today:
Highlighting the climate and health benefits of vegan diets, 55 Congressional leaders in the US have penned an open letter to president Joe Biden, urging him to increase plant-based food options across all federal facilities nationwide.
As states continue their battle with the livestock sector’s newest ‘enemy’, cultivated meat, federal policymakers are championing that industry’s older rival, calling on the US government to increase its adoption of plant-based food.
In an open letter to Biden last month, 55 Congressional leaders asked the president to expand vegan offerings in all federal facilities nationwide, using scientific evidence to describe the environmental and health virtues of plant-based diets, and noting their importance in meeting the dietary and cultural demands of workplace meals.
“Our federal government spends billions of dollars on food procurement each year and can play an important role in empowering and providing consumers with healthy food offerings,” the letter reads. “Today, we write to encourage your administration to work with federal agencies to make a plant-based option available everywhere our federal government serves a meal – from museums to national parks, and federal agency cafeterias to military bases.”
Congress highlights studies showing vegan diets’ benefits
Courtesy: Cliff Owen/AP
The letter was led by Democrat Jamie Raskin, and facilitated by climate activism organisation the Environmental Working Group. It lays out findings from a host of studies outlining the impact of plant-based diets on human and planetary health, and is co-signed by policymakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Adam Schiff, Shri Thanedar, Julia Brownley and Barbara Lee, among others.
“A high-quality plant-based diet, rich in essential minerals, vitamins, healthy fats, and fibre, can bolster our immune systems, lower inflammation, and mitigate diet-related diseases including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic diseases,” the letter reads, adding that it can also help reduce cholesterol, inflammation, and high blood pressure.
It mentions the Stanford University trial led by Christopher Gardner, which compared the effects of a vegan diet on identical twins, and found that a healthy plant-based diet can lower LDL cholesterol, insulin and body weight – all factors associated with better cardiovascular health. The study was covered in the four-part Netflix documentary You Are What You Eat, released in January.
The letter goes on to spotlight a landmark study published in the Nature journal last year, which showed that vegan diets can reduce emissions, water pollution and land use by 75% compared to a meat-heavy diet. “In comparison, livestock farming is associated with larger environmental impacts, contributing to significant levels of US greenhouse gas emissions from land use, water use and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock waste and heavy fertiliser usage,” it states.
“Offering a plant-based meal option at federal facilities can help reduce our federal government’s carbon footprint while also promoting our people’s health.”
However, one of the biggest barriers to such policies is a lack of consumer education about these effects, with 74% of Americans thinking meat doesn’t have any impact on climate change, and the number of vegans hitting a 10-year-low last year.
Call for plant-based food comes during ‘climate election’ year
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, Jarino47/Getty Images | Composite by Green Queen Media
The open letter namechecks the White House’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which aims to foster “an environment that makes it easier for Americans to choose healthy food options”, and mentions a goal to “increase the availability of healthy beverage choices as well as plant-based options” in federal facilities.
“While the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities recommends that federal facilities provide ‘protein foods from plants’, a vegetarian or plant-based option is still not commonly offered at federal food facilities,” the letter argues. “About one in four American workers eat and drink food obtained from their workplaces, and this presents an exciting opportunity to provide federal employees and visitors with nutritious plant-based meal options.”
It further cites a Harvard University study revealing that “making more nutritious options available to federal workers and visitors will improve people’s health and lead to overall cost savings” for the government. The Biden administration has made investments in policies to end hunger, promote nutrition and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030. Commending this, the letter adds: “Our federal government can lead by example through its own food practices.”
In a blog post, the US Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) wrote: “Consumers want and willingly choose to put plant-based food options on their plates when available.” A 2023 multi-university pilot revealed that when presented with vegan meals as the default option (with meat-based options available on request), the demand for plant-based dishes can increase by up to 82%, while emissions can be lowered by 24%.
The PBFA’s own research shows that 43% of consumers think the availability of plant-based options improves the restaurant experience. “We hope to see these changes take hold within our federal institutions, and by offering a greater variety of plant-based options, prioritising thoughtful menu labelling, and educating the American public – not just those that identify as vegetarian or plant-based – we can create well-rounded dining experiences that appeal to all patrons, meet the demands of our planet, and promote the health and sustainability goals of our country,” the association noted.
The letter comes during what is being termed the year of climate elections, and at a time when Biden is being criticised for weakened climate policies. At the time of writing, the incumbent president is tied in the polls with his predecessor and challenger Donald Trump, whose potential re-election could bring about a regression of global climate efforts, according to former UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa, who says a White House return for the Republican “would have very strong consequences if we see a regression regarding climate policies in the US”.
An increasing number of local governments are embracing plant-based foods – including Los Angeles County, New York City, Baltimore and Texas – the federal administration would do well to follow in their lead ahead of November 5.
French food tech startup La Vie has expanded its foodservice footprint via a deal with Pizza Hut France, which will see its plant-based ham be available on demand for all of the chain’s menu items for 2024.
When Pizza Hut France tweeted on Monday that it was replacing its conventional ham with La Vie’s vegan version, it felt like another April Fool’s joke. That was the consensus on the social media platform too, until the startup responded with: “It’s not a joke.”
It definitely ruffled some feathers, with one user finding the ‘joke’ not funny and saying they’ll boycott the brand, and another – presumably a ham lover – warning the pizza chain it has just lost a customer.
But there was a catch: while Pizza Hut France did switch out all its animal-derived ham with the pea protein ham, it was only doing so for one day. So if you ordered a dish with ham from the restaurant chain yesterday, you ate La Vie ham.
Courtesy: La Vie/Pizza Hut
Starting today, conventional ham is back on the menu, but La Vie’s isn’t going away anywhere, with Pizza Hut making it available as an on-demand option for all its dishes for the rest of the year. And the best part? There’s no extra cost for swapping the hams – Pizza Hut France is offering La Vie without any upcharge.
“Pizza Hut France continues to innovate and doesn’t hesitate to break new ground,” said the company’s regional CMO, Emilie Genty. “Once again, Pizza Hut France is thinking big by collaborating with La Vie, to offer a plant-based alternative to ham on all our ranges: our Pizzas, our Melts, our Pastas, and our starters!”
Jambon végétal on your Pizza Hut order
La Vie says the partnership is built on shared values of conviviality, originality, and deliciousness, and is an extension of the brand’s successful foodservice partnerships. Its flagship bacon rashers and lardons have been a permanent fixture on Burger King menus since May 2022, and the ham was featured in a plant-based version of the iconic jambon beurre by vegan bakery Land&Monkeys.
But this marks the first time La Vie has teamed up with a pizza chain, allowing customers from across the dietary spectrum – vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and meat-eaters – to integrate a plant-based meat analogue into their pizza orders. Pizza is highly popular in France, one of the leaders in terms of per capita consumption. In fact, in 2015, it tied with the US as the largest pizza consumer in the world.
La Vie’s products have already been available at over 4,600 retail stores and 3,000 restaurants across Europe, and its entry into Pizza Hut’s 126 stores in France continues its mission of a responsible food system transformation. It is already featured as default on menu items like Croq-Monsieur Melts and garlic breads, and pastas, as well as the Queen, Texan BBQ, Jambon Beurre (ham and cheese), and yes, even Hawaiian pizzas.
Courtesy: La Vie/Pizza Hut
Its CMO Romain Jolivet cites a 2024 YouGov survey that revealed one in five French youngsters don’t eat meat, chiefly due to ethical and environmental reasons. “Fast food, being a pillar of the dietary habits of this generation, has already started to make the shift,” he said. “The evidence is with Burger King’s veggie offer representing 20% of sales, but that’s not the case in the pizza sector.”
He added: “That’s why we decided to accelerate the movement in our mission to convince the French to adopt a plant-based diet, while fully preserving gustatory pleasure, with our products rich in plant proteins and made in France, with Pizza Hut France taking the bet to offer all its ham pizzas with the La Vie plant-based alternative to meet this growing demand.”
La Vie originally launched its vegan ham in September, on the back of selling 2.5 million SKUs in the previous 18 months. What stood out immediately was the ingredient list, which comprised just seven ingredients: pea protein (making up 90% of the total composition), soy protein, natural flavourings, radish juice concentrate, salt, acidity regulator (potassium acetate) and vegan lactic acid.
Fast-growing La Vie aids Pizza Hut’s much-needed vegan expansion
The vegan ham is a nutritional powerhouse, with one serving offering 19.5g of protein and only 0.7 grams of saturated fat – compared to 21g of protein and 1g of saturated fat for the country’s market-leading conventional ham. This will appeal to French consumers, for whom, health is the main purchasing driver for plant-based meat alternatives, according to a large pan-European survey last year, where 51% said it was key.
But an even bigger motivation is the flavour, important to 52% of French consumers. Their concerns will be eased by the (favourable) controversy La Vie has attracted – it was the recipient of a cease-and-desist letter by the pork lobby, which accused it of unfair competition, stating that its plant-based bacon lardons were too similar to their conventional counterparts.
The same poll also suggested that 57% of French consumers reduced their consumption of meat last year. It came against the backdrop of France’s factory farming push and anti-vegan labelling law, which has prohibited plant-based companies from using 21 words like ‘steak’ or ‘beef’, as well as 120 other terms such as ‘cooked fillet’ or ‘poultry’, on product packaging.
However, a coalition of businesses led by vegan whole-cut chicken maker Umiami filed an urgent suspension request in late March asking for the decree to be held back, which is set to come into effect within the next few weeks if there are no responses from the government or the courts. La Vie is part of this group.
Courtesy: Pizza Hut
The Natalie Portman-backed startup has weathered the plant-based meat storm – whether it’s sales declines, negative media coverage or a venture capital drain. It completed an oversubscribed €2M crowdfunding round last September, following a record-breaking €25M in Series A round in January 2022. And in the first half of 2023, it witnessed a staggering 379% growth compared to the same period in 2022.
Pizza Hut, meanwhile, has expanded its growing vegan footprint internationally by incorporating La Vie’s ham into its menu. The chain uses Beyond Meat’s products and offers Violife’s vegan cheese in the UK, for example (the latter is also available in Germany), and introduced vegan wings in its Australia outposts last year.
That said, an analysis of fast-food menus in nine countries by ProVeg International found that plant-based menu items represent just 8% of Pizza Hut’s overall range, and 5.2% of its mains, placing it fourth on the vegan-friendly list of the Big Five fast-food chains. However, the report did note that the pizza chain is making an effort to offer vegan options, adding that integrating them into the general menu will likely appeal to a wider range of customers, including flexitarians and omnivores.
Offering La Vie’s ham on its dishes is one big step in that direction.
Diners on their way into Buffalo Wild Wings are in for an earful on Thursday, when “Hell on Wheels”—PETA’s life-size, hyper-realistic chicken transport truck covered with images of real chickens crammed into crates on their way to slaughter—will bombard them with actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries along with a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. The vexatious vehicle will deliver the horrors of the slaughterhouse straight to any patron thinking of chowing down on fried chicken during lunch.
“Behind every hot wing or bucket of fried chicken is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is an appeal to anyone who eats chicken to remember that the meat industry is cruel to birds and the only kind meal is a vegan one.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness.
Following a disturbing pattern of violations at Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company in Craig—e.g., a worker dragged a disabled pig by her ears and employees have repeatedly shocked or electrocuted animals—PETA rushed a letter today to 14th Judicial District Attorney Matt Karzen urging him to investigate and file appropriate criminal charges against those responsible.
In an incident on February 21 that resulted in a temporary suspension notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a federal inspector reportedly witnessed a worker grabbing a disabled pig by her ears and dragging her off a trailer, causing her to cry out and fall from the trailer onto a concrete floor. Once the pig was lying on the floor, the worker grabbed her by the ears again and dragged her on her stomach about 5 feet toward an alleyway, where she cried out and got into a “semi sitting position” while she continued to be dragged.
Additionally, last year, slaughterhouse workers at Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company botched stunning attempts on six different animals—a lamb, a cow, and two steers who were repeatedly shot in the head and two pigs who were repeatedly electrocuted. One of the pigs, who was electrocuted near the shoulder blades instead of on the head, cried out, ran around, and tried to climb out of the “stun box” before another employee finally rendered the animal unconscious.
“These violations show that Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company either can’t or won’t comply with federal law designed to prevent the prolonged suffering of animals,” says PETA Vice President of Evidence Analysis Daniel Paden. “PETA is calling for a criminal investigation on behalf of these animals and reminds everyone that the only humane meal is a vegan one.”
PETA is pursuing charges under state law because federal officials haven’t prosecuted any inspected slaughterhouses for acts of abuse since at least 2007.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Karzen follows.
April 1, 2024
The Honorable Matt Karzen
14th Judicial District Attorney
Dear Mr. Karzen:
I hope this letter finds you well. I’d like to request that your office (and the proper local law-enforcement agency, as you deem appropriate) investigate and file suitable criminal charges against Fitch Ranch Artisan Meat Company and the workers responsible for dragging a disabled pig by the ears off of a trailer and across the facility on February 21—and repeatedly shooting or electrocuting six animals—at its slaughterhouse located at 383 E. First St. outside Craig. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) documented the latest incident in the attached report, which states the following:
While the establishment was unloading a lame market swine from a livestock trailer at the secondary entrance into the alleyway, I observed an establishment employee grab the [conscious pig] by [her] ears and drag the animal on [her] belly off of the trailer. The swine began vocalizing when [she] was grabbed by the ears. The … animal fell from the trailer to the concrete floor … approximately 10 inches. Once the [pig] was out of the trailer and laying on the ground, the … employee then grabbed the swine by [her] ears again and continued to drag the animal on [her] belly approximately 5 feet towards the alleyway and the swine sat up into a semi sitting position for approximately 3 feet while still being dragged by [the] ears. The swine was vocalizing while being dragged.
Additionally, FSIS issued this facility a “Letter of Concern” last year for six violations of federal law that caused animals to endure prolonged, painful deaths:
On June 28, 2023, a pig was electrocuted, remained conscious, and cried out after electrical tongs slipped off her ears.
On June 26, a steer continued standing, looking around, crying out, and bleeding after he was shot in the head.
On June 21, a worker shot a lamb again after the first shot failed to stun the animal.
On June 20, a cow continued to stand and look around after being shot in the head.
On June 14, a worker electrocuted a pig near the shoulder blades instead of the head. The pig cried out, ran around, and tried to climb out of the “stun box” before another employee finally rendered the animal unconscious.
On March 1, a steer remained conscious after he was shot in the head.
Further details about some of these incidents can be found here.
This conduct appears to violate C.R.S.A. § 18-9-202. Importantly, FSIS’ actions carry no criminal or civil penalties and do not preempt criminal liability under state law for slaughterhouse workers who perpetrate acts of cruelty to animals. Given that FSIS has not initiated a criminal prosecution of a licensed slaughterhouse for inhumane handling since at least 2007, charges under state law are these victims’ only chance at a measure of justice.
Please let us know if we can do anything to assist you. Thank you for your consideration and for the difficult work that you do.
Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang has introduced its plant-based dumplings to grocery stores inside US military bases in South Korea, with plans to extend the range and expand in other countries too.
Plant-based options for US military personnel are growing, with CJ CheilJedang now offering its vegan Bibigo dumplings at grocery stores in four United States Forces Korea (USFK) bases in South Korea.
On Sunday, the company launched its Giant Dumpling product range under the Bibigo brand in original, japchae and kimchi flavours, following a three-day tasting event at the USFK. While the military declined to comment on the exact bases that stock the products, it confirmed that each pack was priced at $6.43, according to The Korea Times.
The ready-to-heat dumplings contain a mix of vegetables, wheat gluten and soy protein, and take only about seven minutes to prepare. The company’s plant protein contains an ingredient called TasteNrich, which helps add a rich umami flavour to products like meat analogues, and is produced in a dedicated $50M facility in Indonesia.
According to the company, one soldier who tasted the japchae dumplings remarked: “This is my first time trying plant-based food, and it tastes just as good as the regular dumpling products I used to eat.”
The development enables CJ CheilJedang – which is South Korea’s largest food company – to secure a new distribution channel, following a year in which sales of Bibigo’s vegan dumplings doubled year-on-year. In 2022, the brand’s overall sales totalled $8.2B.
CJ CheilJedang set to expand plant-based options for US military
Courtesy: CJ CheilJedang
In South Korea, food companies are only allowed to sell US-grown meat inside USFK bases, which means they’re forced to import from the US to meet military regulations. So until now, its shipments to the USFK were solely dependent on Cj CheilJedang’s US subsidiary, Schwan’s Company. But with the introduction of the vegan Bibigo dumplings, the company has gained more flexibility in this matter.
“The criteria for opening a grocery store in a US military base are very strict compared to general export channels, so we put in a year of effort, including tasting sessions and inspections of manufacturing plants,”
“Entering the market at USFK bases is much harder than other local markets here because of the American authority’s strict standards for products,” said Lee Jeong-chan, plant-based food manager at CJ CheilJedang. “We’ve invested the past year for this marketing to work out, holding tasting events for Americans and inviting them to our manufacturing plants.”
He added: “We plan to continuously secure a diverse customer base in line with the expanding trends of health and environmental friendliness.”
The company aims to expand its USFK offerings with rice balls and frozen gimbaps, and aims to launch its plant-based foods at US military bases in other countries as well, including Japan and Guam.
CJ CheilJedang has previously earmarked plant-based food as its “growth engine”, targeting ₩200B ($152M) in sales in the sector by 2025. “As these three trends – health and wellness, sustainability, and animal welfare – merge together, plant-based is becoming a global mega-trend. We project the global plant-based food market to grow up to ₩35T [about $26B] in the next 10 years,” a company representative said during a press conference in 2022.
This is the second instance of a plant-based company working with the US military to increase vegan options for service members. In February, Californian giant Impossible Foods – whose products have been available at various military operations for a few years now – announced it was working with the US Army Central, which coordinates foodservice at an army-wide level, to serve its vegan beef and burgers in military dining facilities in North Africa, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia.
Is there demand for vegan food among US troops?
Courtesy: US Army
In July 2022, the US House of Representatives passed the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, one of whose requirements was that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) produce a report on plant-based Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs), which are dehydrated field rations for troops in the US. The study was meant to determine the demand for vegan MREs among troops, including cost and feasibility analysis to produce at least two plant-based MREs, service member demand, and an implementation plan. (The results aren’t public yet.)
MREs have historically been meat-heavy, with the first vegetarian meals introduced only in 1986. The current menu of 24 dishes only contains four meatless options. “There may have been a vegetarian entree that was also vegan. “To date, there has been no military service requirement for vegan MREs,” the DLA told the Guardian in 2019.
But a 2022 Mercy for Animals survey of 226 American troops found that 3.5% are vegan, and 42% either didn’t eat meat, were flexitarian, or trying to decrease their animal product intake. The majority (81%) would pick climate-friendly MREs, and the same number feel the military should provide plant-based MREs – in fact, 63% suggested they’d choose a vegan MRE over a meat-based meal.
Additionally, 70% said they’d climate-friendly food options if available, and 63% believed plant-based foods are more sustainable than animal-derived foods. Many also felt vegan food is healthier (52%) and provides more energy (51%) too.
And in 2019, one vegan soldier successfully campaigned to include a plant-based main at every meal in a US Army dining facility. Given the army’s influence over wider food culture, well-known names like CJ CheilJedang and Impossible Foods joining its food offering will only serve to grow the footprint of plant-based foods in this sector.
In response to campaigning by Dutch animal rights group Wakker Dier, seven brands have agreed to make at least 50% of the recipes on food packaging vegan or vegetarian.
Seven CPG brands have agreed to increase plant-based and vegetarian visibility on-pack in the Netherlands, accepting animal advocacy group Wakker Dier’s request to make at least half of the recipes on product packaging meatless.
Conimex, Fairtrade Original, Jumbo, Knorr, Koh Tai, Patak’s and Plus will all make the adjustment, while Grand’Italia (with 48% of on-pack recipes free from meat and fish) and Lassie (53%) already do so.
“These brands inspire consumers and show that you don’t have to cook meat the old-fashioned way every day,” Collin Molenaar, campaigner at Wakker Dier, said. “Packages are ideally intended to inspire consumers with simple dishes. And so they can also help people to choose plant-based more often.”
Meanwhile, Albert Heijn and Maggi have plans to add plant-based tips to recipes, but haven’t said they’ll remove meat from half of them. And according to Wakker Dier, Honig (80% of whose packaging recipes are not suitable for vegetarians) is the only brand that hasn’t promised a shift.
On-pack recipes drive meat overconsumption
Courtesy: Wakker Dier
Currently, over 80% of all recipes on packaging and bags recommend meat or fish, according to an analysis of 657 recipes on product packaging by Wakker Dier. In fact, none of Maggi’s recipes are vegetarian, while only 6% of Patak’s recipes don’t feature meat or seafood. In fact, apart from Grand’Italia and Lassie, only Jumbo has more than 20% of recipes that are suitable for meat-free consumers, and even this is by a small margin (21%).
Given that many consumers follow back-of-the-box recipes, this encourages the overconsumption of meat. In fact, 29% of the recipes with red meat contain a larger amount than what’s recommended by the national dietary guidelines. Wakker Dier notes how the Health Council of the Netherlands recommends eating a diet where 60% of a person’s protein consumption comes from plant-based sources.
The Dutch eat 1.8 million kgs of meat every day, which makes up 60% of their diet. And while last year, 49% of consumers in the country reported reducing their meat consumption from the year before, government data revealed that only 5.5% are vegetarian or vegan. But on the flip side, as of last June, retail sales of meat had fallen for nine consecutive quarters in the Netherlands, down by 13% from 2019.
And analysis in 2022 from the Good Food Institute revealed that the Netherlands is the sixth-largest market in terms of plant-based sales, but its residents have the highest per capita consumption rates of plant-based foods.
Wakker Dier’s 60-40 plant-based campaign
Courtesy: Wakker Dier
One of Wakker Dier’s campaign goals is to have at least 60% of the proteins sold by food vendors in the country be plant-based by 2030, and ensure that the total amount of protein sold won’t increase. This target has been embraced by nine supermarkets and 16 caterers, including Albert Heijn, Lidl, Aldi, Jumbo, Compass Group, Van Leeuwen Catering and Albron.
These companies have pledged towards 50% plant-based proteins by 2025 – and 60% by the end of the decade – agreeing to monitor and publicly report their sales’ plant-animal ratio. “These caterers together make a huge impact for the animals,” Molenaar said in December. “If people experience how tasty and easy it is to eat fewer animals, they can also continue that good habit at home.”
Currently, Aldi has the lowest share of meat alternatives (12%), while Albert Heijn has the highest (36%). The latter ranks second in terms of physical shelf space for plant-based products, which make up 24% of its area, behind only Jumbo (25%). In fact, Jumbo made headlines earlier this month after announcing it will cease all meat promotions in its stores from May, following intense criticism by animal rights groups, including Wakker Dier.
Now, its campaign has effected another change, with Fairtrade Original, Jumbo, Knorr, Koh Tai, Patak’s and Plus all promising to introduce an even split between meat and meatless in on-pack recipes by 2025, and Conimex saying it will do so by 2026.
In other alternative protein news, the Dutch government recently became the first EU nation to develop a framework to allow public tasting events of cultivated meat. Speaking at an EU Agrifish Council meeting, its food quality and agriculture minister Piet Adema said: “We believe that it is important to support innovations that create production methods for animal proteins complementary to, and not as a substitute to, conventional sustainable production.”
As molecular farming gains steam as an alternative protein pillar, Israel’s PoLoPo joins the party with a tech platform that can transform potatoes into protein-producing factories, starting with egg proteins.
Your egg and potato hash could soon be a potato and potato hash. Emerging from stealth this week, Israeli food tech startup PoLoPo is using molecular farming technology to increase the native protein content in potatoes, and produce the main protein found in chicken eggs.
The company has unveiled its SuperAA platform, which it describes as the first step towards producing proteins from common plant crops. This is currently deployed at greenhouse scale, and is capable of generating patatin and ovalbumin via proprietary metabolic engineering techniques.
Molecular farming, which has been described by industry think tank the Good Food Institute as the fourth pillar of the alternative protein world, uses genetic engineering methods to biohack plants and produce functional ingredients and nutrients.
“The SuperAA platform uses plants as living factories, and leverages their natural productivity and storage organs to grow proteins that are identical to protein derived from a chicken’s egg,” said PoLoPo CEO Maya Sapir-Mir, who co-founded the startup with CTO Raya Liberman-Aloni in 2022.
How PoLoPo turns potatoes into egg proteins
Courtesy: PoLoPo
PoLoPo’s Super AA platform grows target amino acids within a potato’s tuber, which are harvested when they reach sufficient size. The protein is then extracted and dried into a powder that can be integrated into existing food processing lines and formulations.
Essentially, the startup inserts a DNA sequence into the potato to teach it to produce an egg protein that is fully functional, nutritionally equivalent and chemically identical to chicken eggs, but without any animal input. The latter is what sets it apart from other alternative egg products. While PoLoPo’s potato-derived egg proteins are vegan, unlike its plant-based competitors on the market, they’re not suitable for people with egg allergies.
The company claims the product has undergone rigorous testing and meets all the necessary food safety standards, deeming it safe for consumption after quality control assessments.
PoLoPo began with potatoes due to their resilience in diverse climates, low growth costs, short maturation time, relatively large storage capacity (in the form of tubers), high yields, and compatibility with existing technologies. Strategically, it is an efficient and sustainable ingredient that offers attractive financial opportunities for established agrifood producers, which will allow PoLoPo to chart a cost-effective course towards scaling its Super AA system.
Patatin is a group of native proteins found in potatoes, and PoLoPo’s powdered version can be used as an allergen-free protein for a host of applications, including plant-based meat and dairy, baked goods, cereals, snacks, beverages, sports nutrition and nutraceuticals. Additionally, it can improve food security in regions hit by malnutrition.
Molecular farming on the rise
Courtesy: PoLoPo
Molecular farming differs from cell cultivation and precision fermentation in that it modifies plant cells – not microbes or animal cells – so they can replicate animal proteins, which can be harvested from leaves or other plant tissues. It’s a process that occurs when microorganisms infect plants, transferring some genes in the process – scientists use similar methods to give plants new instructions to create proteins.
It offers some key advantages over other forms of alternative protein, especially in terms of cost and scalability, given that it doesn’t require bioreactors to produce ingredients – the plants themselves are the bioreactors in this case. Many companies – such as Moolec, Nobell Foods, Mozza, Miruku, Tiamat Sciences, Bright Biotech and ORF Genetics – have identified it as a viable and sustainable solution for producing planet-friendly analogues to animal products, and research suggests it’s a market that could be worth $3.5B by 2029.
“The high-scale production of proteins in plants via molecular farming has the potential to economically transform not only potato farming and processing, but broader agriculture and agtech, for a more resilient and sustainable food system,” explained Sapir-Mir, whose company closed a $2.3M pre-seed investment round last year.
PoLoPo’s proteins will soon be available to food manufacturers for testing. They will appeal to companies looking to diversify their portfolio, make their products more allergy-friendly, and remove their reliance on industrial farming – in the US alone, most (if not all) egg-laying hens are part of concentrated animal feeding operations. Plus, eggs themselves have gone through supply chain issues over the last few years, with avian flu leading to shortages and subsequent price hikes.
Ovalbumin, meanwhile, is a protein widely used in the CPG sector, given its textural and stabilisation characteristics. It also enhances nutritional value and increases the shelf life of products, and is set to hit $36B in market value by 2032.
Other companies working with egg alternatives include Just Egg (which represents 99% of all sales in the US vegan egg market), Yo Egg, Hodo, Simply Eggless, WunderEggs, Oggs, Crackd, Perfeggt, Neggst, and Neat Egg, among others, while The Every Co, Onego Bio and Formo employ precision fermentation.
Indonesian plant-based company Green Rebel will grace supermarket aisles in the Philippines with its shelf-stable and frozen ready meals via a partnership with Filipino condiment manufacturer and distributor NutriAsia.
Filipinos will soon be able to buy ready-to-cook vegan rendang, fried chicken, ribs and steaks in supermarkets, with Indonesian plant-based meat pioneer Green Rebel announcing its launch into the country through a collaboration with Manila-based condiment and sauce giant NutriAsia.
The development follows a consumer pilot conducted by the Indonesian brand last year, where it says it received “overwhelmingly positive responses” on its steak, rendang and crispy fried chicken products, which were sold online on e-commerce platforms in the Philippines.
“Crafting delicious, sustainable food isn’t just our passion; it’s our commitment to redefining the future of dining,” said Green Rebel co-founder and CEO Helga Angelina. “Every dish we create at Green Rebel is a testament to our belief that flavour, and sustainability go hand in hand, offering a tantalizing glimpse into a world where every meal nourishes both body and planet.”
Green Rebel taps into NutriAsia’s vast network
Courtesy: Green Rebel
The announcement was made at a launch event titled Dare to be Limeatless, which was attended by company executives, influencers and media personalities. It featured Green Rebel co-founder and R&D director Max Mandias showcasing the versatility and functionality of the company’s plant-based whole cuts.
The brand’s products are already available in over 1,200 foodservice locations and more than 300 retail stores across Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam, with the Philippines and Malaysia the latest to join that list. It has demonstrated its pedigree by establishing landmark partnerships with Starbucks, AirAsia, Tous Le Jours, NTUC FairPrice and Annam Gourmet.
The company says its products need 80% less energy and 67% less water than animal-derived meat, and have reduced 48,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the last two years – that’s equivalent to removing 1,100 cars from roads for an entire year. Its offerings are geared towards busy customers, with the ready-to-cook nature meaning they take less than 10 minutes to prepare, which can be done via a bunch of cooking methods, including high-moisture hotpots, steaming, stir-frying, wok cooking, and grilling.
These products leverage its proprietary Rebel Emulsion Technology, which helps recreate the mouthfeel of meat via an emulsion of coconut oil, water and natural plant-based seasonings. This allows the meat analogues to absorb deep flavours and marination, while presenting with the distinctive taste, aroma, and juiciness associated with animal protein.
So its link-up with NutriAsia, which is the country’s largest producer of condiments and sauces, makes sense. “We see a great synergy with NutriAsia as they have an extensive distribution network and complementary product range,” Angelina told Green Queen. “NutriAsia is the leading sauce and condiment manufacturer in the Philippines, while Green Rebel focuses on Asian-flavoured plant-based meat and dairy-free cheeses. This also opens a product collaboration opportunity, targeted for Filipino consumers.”
“With this partnership, we are moving from the side of the plate to the centre, added Mario B Mendoza Jr, NutriAsia’s head of new business development. “We are confident that just as our products have become staples of every Filipino home, our consumers would also welcome these delicious, healthier, and more sustainable meat alternatives. This synergy will add yet another flavour to the Masarap, Masaya Pinoy [NutriAsia’s tagline] at-home dining experience.”
Encouraging signs for plant-based meat in the Philippines
Courtesy: Green Rebel
Citing a 2024 survey by alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) APAC, Helga noted that Indonesian and Filipino consumers have the most positive perceptions around plant-based meat. “Indonesia and the Philippines share similar characteristics: strong economic growth, increased appetite to eat more protein, increased malnutrition issues linked to modern diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer,” she said. “We see this as an opportunity to offer healthier and more sustainable protein into the market with Southeast Asian flavours.”
The survey, which involved 960 respondents from the Philippines, found that 24% of them are looking to reduce their meat consumption this year, and 55% are looking to increase their intake of plant-based meat – across multiple metrics, health is the primary driver for these dietary shifts.
For example, 75% think vegan meat analogues are healthier, and 49% say more nutritious offerings would encourage them to increase their consumption of these products. In fact, health is by far the top factor that would influence Filipinos to choose plant-based meats over their conventional counterparts, with 66% citing this.
Price is an important consideration too, with 48% of consumers finding cost a barrier for plant-based meat consumption. The survey also highlighted gaps in the market and an opportunity for customer education, with only 37% of Filipino respondents agreeing that meat analogues are high in protein, and just 49% thinking they taste good.
Green Rebel says its products are high in protein and fibre content, and contain up to 50% less saturated fat, 30% fewer calories, and zero cholesterol, compared to conventional meats. This will appeal to the health-conscious population in the Philippines, 48% of whom have heard of these products, but never tried them. But there are signs that this will change this year, with 75% of those who haven’t tried plant-based meat likely to do so.
The introduction of Green Rebel’s products will make it easier for them to do so. Its shelf-stable SKUs – Indonesian Rendang Curry, Blackpepper Steak Bites, Korean-style BBQ Slices and Thai Green Curry – will initially be available in select Robinsons, Landmark and The Marketplace branches in May. And its frozen Steak, Beefless Bites, Crispy Fried Chick’n and Rybs are currently in the R&D stage with 50 NutriAsia foodservice accounts. All products will eventually be available across the country and online at Shoppe and Lazada.
Armed with the NutriAsia partnership, Green Rebel will now look to capitalise on the Philippines’ growing appetite for plant-based meat. “We are doubling down our penetration into existing markets, while expanding into the Philippines and Malaysia,” said Angelina. “In terms of product innovation, we are also rolling out our new exciting category, dairy-free cheese in Q2.”
Move over, Muddy and Muddonna. As Mud Hens fans flock to Hensville for the first game of the season tomorrow, PETA’s very own “feathered” mascot will pitch going vegan by handing out free delicious “chicken” salad sandwiches outside the ballpark and encouraging everyone to go to bat for animals by leaving them off their plates.
When: Friday, March 29, 2 p.m.
Where: Fifth Third Field, 406 Washington St., Toledo
Credit: PETA
“When people realize that chickens are smart, sensitive individuals who feel love and fear and value their own lives, they’re eager to step up to the plate and strike them from the menu,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s giveaway will encourage everyone to pull off a triple play—for animals, their health, and the environment—by going vegan.”
In the meat industry, chickens are confined by the tens of thousands to severely crowded, filthy sheds and bred to grow such unnaturally large upper bodies that their legs often become crippled under the weight. Hens used for egg production are crammed together inside wire-floored cages where they don’t even have enough room to spread their wings. At slaughterhouses, workers cut their throats—often while they’re still conscious—and scald many to death in defeathering tanks.
Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
Continuing its health-centric marketing drive, Beyond Meat has reformulated its line of plant-based beef crumbles, which now come in three flavours and are certified as heart-healthy and suitable for diabetes prevention and management by health associations in the US.
It’s a big year for product revamps at Beyond Meat. Weeks after announcing its Beyond IV platform, which saw its signature burger and mince undergo a recipe change to become meatier and healthier, the frozen Beyond Crumbles are now getting a makeover.
The range now includes a third flavour in the form of Italian sausage crumbles, which will roll out in the summer, while the new versions of its existing original and feisty beef crumbles are entering supermarkets across the US now, with a. bright yellow bar on the top of the packaging differentiating the new from the old.
The packaging of the bite-sized Beyond Crumbles now boasts important health certifications from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Heart-Check Food Certification Program and the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) Better Choices for Life Program, joining some of Beyond Meat’s other products on the list of these nutritionist-approved products, and extending its increased focus on consumer health.
“We continue to innovate across our product lines to deliver delicious taste and health benefits alike. For consumers who love the taste and versatility of beef, but want to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol in their diet, Beyond Crumbles offer a convenient, healthy protein for the cenrer of the plate,” said Beyond Meat founder and CEO Ethan Brown, who credited the health certifications to the products’ “strong nutritional profile” and “simple and clean ingredient list”.
Beyond Meat hones in on heart health and diabetes
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
The news comes shortly after Beyond Meat posted better-than-expected Q4 results, despite an 18% decline in annual net revenue. The company had already been amping up its messaging around nutrition and health, having just announced the Beyond IV products a week earlier. This approach was first evident in a marketing drive in October, which highlighted the health credentials of its Beyond Steak.
The offering was certified as heart-healthy by the AHA, then the first plant-based meat product to boast that stamp. The Beyond Crumbles followed next – and the alt-meat giant wants to amplify that on-shelf, with the new packaging bearing the AHA Heart-Check mark.
The Heart-Check programme is a part of the AHA’s drive to fight heart disease and stroke – cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the US, killing one American every 33 seconds. Red and processed meats have been consistently linked with heart disease risks, and in the US, overconsumption of these products is a real problem.
The AHA’s certification provides customers with an easy, reliable way to identify healthy foods when perusing nutrition labels. For products to meet its requirements, they need to be low in saturated fat and sodium, and contain at least 10% of the daily recommended value of essential nutrients. Beyond Meat’s chief rival Impossible Foods has also recognised the importance of this – its Beef Lite product was launched with a Heart-Check last year, the only other meat analogue to carry the certification.
But red and processed meat products aren’t just associated with ill heart health – they’ve also been linked with higher risks of developing type 2 diabetes, a condition that plagues over 11% of Americans. This is why it was important for Beyond Meat to also get certified by the ADA’s Better Choices for Life initiative, which has established evidence-based guidelines to help consumers make informed choices about the foods they purchase.
Nutrition is a key part of diabetes treatment and prevention, with adequate protein consumption essential for both those with and without the condition. With more than a third of Americans having prediabetes – and over 80% of them not knowing that – consumer education and awareness about the foods they eat is vital, and the ADA suggests that plant-based proteins provide quality protein, healthy fats, and fibre.
How health is influencing plant-based meat consumption
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
Beyond Meat is stepping up its support of scientific research into a transition from animal to plant-based proteins. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has reported the positive impacts on cardiovascular health by replacing conventional meat with Beyond Meat’s version over an eight-week period, including the improvement of several cardiovascular disease risk factors.
It’s doing so because consumers are largely conflicted about the health effect of plant-based meat. One survey from last year revealed that nutrition is the second-biggest reason (35%) deterring Americans from trying plant-based meat. Another poll – from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) – found that health was the main factor these consumers follow vegan or vegetarian diets.
But earlier this month, an analysis of annual IFIC surveys spanning 2012-22 suggested that 74% of Americans find plant proteins healthy, but only 39% feel the same for animal protein. But despite the consumption of plant-rich diets doubling over the years surveyed, this still stands at just 26%. At the same time, red meat intake has increased too.
A big reason for this is the rise in misinformation campaigns from meat industry interest groups over the years, which has borne apprehension about plant-based meats and their status as ultra-processed foods. This is something Brown touched upon during Beyond Meat’s Q4 earnings call last month, noting: “The current climate of misinformation and efforts by incumbents – including, sadly, pharmaceutical interests – to poison the plant-based meat well push us to accelerate gains in the health profile of our product platforms.”
He added: “We had to right the message. We can do that by yelling from the rooftops about the benefits of our existing products, or we can just try to make them even more healthy and unassailable.”
And with the new range of plant-based beef crumbles, that’s exactly what Beyond Meat is attempting to do.
UK startup Shicken has raised £4M in funds from Matthew Glover’s Veg Capital, which has tripled its investment in the plant-based meat brand. The financing will go into a manufacturing facility to scale up production of its Asian-inspired meat analogues.
A family-owned brand rooted in the founders’ Indian heritage, Shicken has secured an additional £4M in investment from Veg Capital, taking its total injection into the ready meal company to £6M.
The startup will use the capital as further capital expenditure into its manufacturing facility to increase the production capacity of vegan tikka and curry SKUs. Having recently received accreditation from the British Retail Consortium, the scale-up will make the Kent-based site one of the UK’s only dedicated plant-based, nut-free factories, and enable Shicken to produce a range of both branded and private-label products for retail and foodservice.
The investment will also fuel the expansion of its distribution both domestically and overseas, following Shicken’s launch into 380 Sprouts Farmers Market stores in the US in January, alongside a Teriyaki Kebab Skewer SKU – its first non-Indian product – at Costco in the UK, Iceland, Sweden and France. And in January 2023, the company gained a listing at Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, rolling out into 471 stores nationwide. This year, it expects to achieve five times its current growth.
Traditional family recipes for modern Indian food
Courtesy: Shicken
Shicken was founded as a D2C business during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 by husband-and-wife duo Parm and Satvinder Bains, who were already experienced campaigners in the food industry. Going back to 2003, the pair launched a vegan chicken breast under a brand called Love Foods, which was bought out by the Co-op and saw its listing cease.
However, the Bains retained the IP for the recipe as they went on other ventures. Parm worked with multinational food manufacturers to develop and launch private-label products for multiple UK retailers, while Satvinder initiated a Punjabi catering business. When they eventually started Shicken out of their family kitchen, the company was discovered by Glover, whose firm made an investment based on the product’s quality and proposition.
“It has been a phenomenal journey for Shicken so far and we’re incredibly excited to see business scale on an international level, both as a brand and as one of the UK’s few dedicated BRC-accredited specialist primary plant-based manufacturers,” said Parm.
“Veg Capital has been the perfect partner, aligning with our commitment to a more ethical and sustainable food system and backing our potential to become a global brand and major plant-based producer within the next five years,” he added.
Shicken’s plant-based chicken is made from a blend of soy, wheat and pea proteins using tech that the brand claims imparts “a succulent chargrilled chicken-like texture”. This is then used in products ranging from tikka kebab skewers and Madras curry to butter chicken and rogan josh, which are based on recipes passed down by Satvinder’s grandmother.
Navigating a tough market by meeting consumer demands
Courtesy: Shicken
“The Shicken range is simply delicious, and their curries and kebabs are flying off the shelves – it was a no-brainer for Veg Capital to reinvest,” said Veg Capital founder and director Matthew Glover. “We’re excited to play our part in helping this family business go global over the coming years.”
In fact, meat-free products were among the worst-performing grocery categories in the UK in 2023, with sales declining by £38.4M, and volumes down by 4.2%. However, one of the brands that did do well was VFC, whose sales exploded by nearly 200% year-on-year. “Whilst it’s a tough trading environment, I do feel like we’re soon to be over the worst of it,” Glover told Green Queen in February. “The signs are that the declines are reducing, and I think we’ll be cheering the news that the categories will be back in growth during this year.”
In a wide-ranging interview with Green Queen, he explained that winning back consumer trust and shifting dietary dynamics are important yet complex tasks that take time. “As we move forward, understanding and addressing these multifaceted consumer needs and concerns will be crucial for the growth and acceptance of vegan food in the broader market,” he said.
In October, a 1,000-person survey revealed that 66% of UK consumers are unhappy with the flavour of vegan meat analogues, and 62% find them too expensive. For 51%, taste and texture are the main reasons for reducing their consumption of these products. Price and health are crucial considerations, as are environmental and ethical factors. “Convenience, too, cannot be overlooked, with the demand for easy, quick-preparation vegan options rising,” said Glover.
That will be encouraging to Shicken, whose entire ethos lies in “restaurant-quality” ready meals that are cheaper than even Tesco’s own-label premium range of Indian dishes. Can Shicken help realise Glover’s prophecy for the plant-based sector this year?
New York-based plant protein brand Aloha has launched the Pa’akai Bar, the second product born out of its collaboration with Californian company Terviva, which uses its pongamia bean oil called Ponova.
A year after releasing the Kona Bar, Aloha is rolling out its second protein bar using Ponova, the pongamia bean oil developed by Terviva. The Pa’akai Bar is a special-edition product that makes use of locally sourced, sustainable ingredients, with a portion of the benefits going to empowering Hawaiian youth.
The new bar is a namesake of a term that carries cultural significance in Hawai’i. In Hawaiian, pa’akai refers to ‘solid ocean’ or ‘sea salt’, and is used as a connotation for preserving and flavouring food, as well as associated with perceived health benefits.
“Our partnership with Aloha is critical to introducing more people to our sustainable, delicious and versatile Ponova oil. We have been humbled by the response to the Kona Bar since its launch in 2023, and we are excited to see how customers respond to the rich flavour of the Pa’akai Bar made with Ponova oil,” said Terviva founder and CEO Naveen Sikka.
The launch comes just as SemCap Food and Nutrition secured a “significant” minority stake in Aloha, after buying out early-stage angel investors with a $68M investment.
Courtesy: Aloha
Pa’akai Bar extends Aloha’s climate and social cred
Aloha’s Pa’akai Bar is inspired by the North Pacific Ocean, and like its predecessor, it comprises responsibly grown ingredients. These include sea salt crystallised from the channel islands of Hawai’i, Hawaiian macadamia nuts grown using renewable energy, organic dark chocolate, an organic blend of brown rice and pumpkin seed protein, sunflower and cashew butter, and Ponova oil.
Another thing it shares with the Kona Bar is the scheme to donate 10% of proceeds from every bar sold to the environmental education non-profit Kupu, which empowers Hawaiian youth through service, education and workforce development in natural resources, climate change mitigation, and agriculture.
This plays into the sustainability strides made by Aloha. It’s certified B Corp and last year was accredited as a Carbon Neutral Certified business, the first plant protein brand to earn that badge. The company has had a tangible social impact too, having helped contribute and donate more than 173,000 meals in 2021 and 2022.
“Here at Aloha, our mission is clear: to nourish the world by sharing delicious and nutritious food made with traceable, high-quality, better-for-you ingredients,” said Aloha CEO Brad Charron. “Hawai’i is a beacon of inspiration for land stewardship and sustainable farming, initiatives that we hold dear. As a small, employee-owned company, we’re dedicated to making a difference by balancing our own scaling growth with equal parts of impact.”
Then there are the health benefits. The Pa’akai Bar, which happens to be gluten-free, is packed with 14g of protein and 10g of fibre per 56g pack. It also contains 12g of fat, 7g of which are unsaturated ‘good’ fats. It’s available on Aloha’s e-commerce website at $21.99 for a six-pack, and will be introduced to additional online retailers, including Thrive Market, in the coming months.
“Our mission is at the center of everything we do, and that includes a competitive price point,” a Terviva spokesperson told Green Queen. “As we scale up production of our sustainable Ponova oil, we expect costs to decrease while still maintaining our core principles of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and transparent sourcing. Our goal is to offer a premium, impact-driven, and delicious oil at an accessible price point.”
“The Pa’akai Bar exemplifies our commitment to using our business as a force for good, alongside other sustainability-minded brands, farmers, and organisations,” added Charron.
Courtesy: Aloha
The environmental and health credentials of Ponova oil
The environmental credentials of the Pa’akai Bar are headlined by the use of Terviva’s Ponova oil, which is derived from pongamia bean trees. These are fast-growing evergreen trees that are native to sub-tropical regions, and have historically been used for reforestation in Asia. They can restore soil quality, sequester carbon, reduce water and fertiliser use, and withstand climate extremes.
Terviva’s Ponova oil comes from the ultra-regenerative pongamia trees in Oahu, with a supply chain based in the sub-tropical regions of the US and India. They help convert distressed farmland into sustainable, productive acreage, making for a valuable income stream for local farmers and communities.
The Ponova oil is expeller pressed and lightly refined in a process similar to olive oil, with a “golden, amber colour” and “light, nutty and green aroma and flavour” akin to very light olive oil, without any astringency, according to the Terviva representative. “Its texture is notably richer than most other vegetable oils,” they added.
It has 55% of healthy omega-9 fatty acids (which is said to help reduce cholesterol levels) and 18% of polyunsaturated fats. Functionally, it can replace ingredients high in saturated fats, like coconut oil, in prepared foods like alternative dairy products, mayonnaise, spreads, baked goods and plant-based meats. “In plant-based cream cheese, Ponova oil can replace up to 75% of the coconut oil typically used in this application, resulting in a 50% saturated fat reduction per serving,” the spokesperson said.
Moroever, Ponova oil has a high smoke point of 225°C/437oF, making it a good frying oil. This will appeal to restaurants and manufacturers ditching conventional vegetable oils that contain saturated and trans fats, and have a high carbon footprint, and looking to replace them without compromising functionality. This is why it was recognised as a World Changing Idea by Fast Company in 2023 for its potential to positively reshape the food industry as an ingredient and cooking oil.
“We don’t currently have any culinary oil products planned as we are engaging in some co-marketing opportunities with small volumes for regional and small-scale campaigns in 2025,” the representative revealed. “In the latter half of 2026, we will be adding substantial volume and are seeking early adopting partners to work with us now in preparation for scale.”
Other companies producing sustainable and good-for-you fats include Zero Acre Farms, whose sugarcane-based fermented oil has made it into the kitchens of some Shake Shack and Hopdoddy locations, and Algae Cooking Club, which has impressed chefs like Eleven Madison Park’s Daniel Humm with its microalgae-derived oil.
Diners on their way into Raising Cane’s on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi are in for an earful tomorrow, when “Hell on Wheels”—PETA’s life-size, hyper-realistic chicken transport truck covered with images of real chickens crammed into crates on their way to slaughter—will bombard them with actual recorded sounds of the birds’ cries along with a subliminal message every 10 seconds suggesting that people go vegan. The vexatious vehicle will debut outside the Biloxi eatery before moving on to confront diners at Shaggy’s Gulfport Beach in Gulfport on Saturday, delivering the horrors of the slaughterhouse straight to any patron thinking of chowing down on fried chicken during lunch.
Where: Outside Raising Cane’s, 2590 Beach Blvd., Biloxi Outside Shaggy’s Gulfport Beach, 1724 E. Beach Blvd., Gulfport
When: Thursday, March 28, 12 noon Saturday, March 30, 12 noon
“Behind every hot wing or bucket of fried chicken is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is an appeal to anyone who eats chicken to remember that the meat industry is cruel to birds and the only kind meal is a vegan one.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness.
German retail giant the Rewe Group is set to open its first 100% vegan supermarket in Germany, after introducing fully plant-based stores under its Billa supermarket chain in neighbouring Austria in 2022.
Rewe is on the verge of opening its first fully vegan supermarket in Germany this spring, located at the site of the former flagship store of Veganz in the Berlin-Friedrichshain area, according to a report by Supermarktblog.
While the company declined to confirm any plans for a new vegan store, and no trademark registration has been made for the same, the publication claims the name of the store is already attached to the facade. It has been covered during the construction work, but was temporarily visible.
The new concept will reportedly be called Rewe Fully Plant-Based, which ties in with the tagline ‘fully plant-based, totally good’ (this is also displayed in the entrance area that has now been covered up again).
Taking over from a fellow vegan supermarket
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/CC
The new Rewe plant-based store takes over from the flagship store of Veganz, which was the first fully vegan supermarket chain in Europe. The company closed this location in December, and has now turned its attention solely to product manufacturing. When announcing the decision to shutter the store, Veganz had indicated that it “successfully sold the last branch location on Warschauer Strasse in Berlin to a subsequent operator”, which has now emerged to be Rewe.
Supermarktblog claims that the establishment of a fully plant-based concept brings with it twofold benefits of familiarity and diversification. For years, people looking for vegan products in this area ended up at Veganz, but that habit will now transfer over to the new Rewe store. Additionally, this will help Rewe propel its new brand towards the mainstream, adding to its growing list of plant-based offerings.
The report also forecasts that if the Rewe Fully Plant-Based concept ends up being successful, the retailer could subsequently launch a corresponding initiative in Rewe Center stores nationwide. This would be in line with the approach it has taken with the vegan Pflanzilla brand under its Austrian subsidiary Billa. Rewe opened the first Billa Pflanzilla store in Vienna in 2022, followed by a pop-up location in Graz last November (which ended its run last month). In addition to this, it has integrated Pflanzilla World as a mini-section in 21 of its Billa Plus stores.
With over 1,400 products on offer, Billa Pflanzilla targets consumers under 30 with its branding and design, but Rewe Fully Plant-Based marks a departure from the puns (Pflanzilla refers to ‘plantilla’) after gaining in sight from the Austrian market and wider discussions about the negative connotations of the word ‘vegan’, instead placing emphasis on plant-based nutrition. Visually, too, the new Rewe store mirrors the monochrome font opted by the preceding Veganz store, but freshly painted bright green tones could dominate points of sale.
Rewe appeals to Germany’s growing plant-based footprint
Courtesy: Rewe Group
The move is the latest in Rewe’s expanding vegan footprint. It launched a plant-based meat counter in a Kaarst store after seeing a 45% hike in vegan sales in 2022, and rolled out vegan meat analogues at service counters in select stores. The company additionally has vegan private-label brands in Rewe Beste Wahl Vegan and Rewe Bio+Vegan, which are likely to lay the foundations for its Rewe Fully Plant-Based. One consumer poll showed that 58% of Rewe customers have bought vegan products previously, and 27% replace animal-derived foods with plant-based alternatives several times a week.
It mirrors Germans’ growing interest in veganism. The country represents Europe’s largest plant-based market, and is home to the most number of flexitarians in the continent, with estimates suggesting 40-55% of its population identifies as such. And a large EU-backed survey last year found that 59% of Germans ate less meat in 2022 than the year before – the joint-highest in the EU.
The government has also expressed support for alternative proteins, earmarking €38M in its 2024 its federal budget to promote the manufacturing and processing of plant-based, cultivated and fermented proteins, support a transition to plant-based farming, and open a Proteins of the Future centre.
And earlier this month, the German Society for Nutrition updated its dietary guidelines to recommend halving meat consumption, limiting dairy intake, and eating more plant-based foods. It suggested that the latter should make up at least 75% of German diets, but stopped short of a full endorsement of plant-based meat, which it said “often differs greatly from that of animal foods” in terms of nutrition. For milk alternatives, however, the organisation stated these can be used as long as they’re fortified with sufficient amounts of calcium, vitamin B12 and iodine.
Rewe, which has dropped the prices of plant-based products to either match or be cheaper than their animal-derived counterparts in Billa and Penny stores, will hope to appeal to Germany’s growing appetite for veganism with the new plant-based store in Berlin.
Vegan entrepreneur Noah Hyams shares his top 10 future of food finds at Expo West 2024, from mycelium bacon rashers to vegan poached eggs to prebiotic candy bars.
Last week, Anaheim, California again lit up with New Hope’s Natural Products Expo West- THE tradeshow for all things natural, organic, and healthy. This year’s event drew a whopping 50,000 attendees and showcased thousands of future food and sustainable brands, both familiar and novel. While the plant-based sector is facing some headwinds, Expo featured countless awesome vegan products. Below, I share my top ten picks from my tasting and discovery tour.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak by OmniFoods
Photo by Noah Hyams
OmniFoods, hailing from Hong Kong, has built a reputation for its innovative plant-based pork offerings, including its renowned ground pork mince. Now, breaking new ground, they present their latest creation: the first-ever vegan steak crafted from Lion’s Mane mushrooms, now available in the US market. The flavor, texture, and smell were unreal. Be sure to try it when you get a chance!
Poached Egg by Yo Egg
Photo by Noah Hyams
Israeli startup Yo Egg creates chicken-free plant-based sunny-side-up and poached eggs. The eggs are made from a blend of soy and chickpea protein and sunflower oil. The yolks are designed to replicate the runny texture of traditional eggs- they are encased within the whites using a film made from alginate. I got to try the just-released poached eggs and I loved it. Ideal for brunch’s classic dish: Eggs Benedict.
Dumplings by Sobo Foods
Photo by Noah Hyams
Californian Sobo Foods makes frozen traditional Asian dumplings with a plant-based twist. At the Expo, Sobo was showing off three meat- and dairy-free varieties: “Pork” & Chive with a Chinese kick, Curry & Potato with a Japanese flair, and Kimchi & Mushroom with a Korean twist. I wasn’t the only fan: co-founder Eric Wu won ‘Best Pitch’ at VEGPRENEUR’s Pitch For The Planet competition, which took place during Expo.
Stuffed Chicken by TiNDLE Foods
Photo by Noah Hyams
Singapore-based TiNDLE Foods, a leading plant-based chicken startup, unveiled its newest offering: its TiNDLE Stuffed Chicken. Featuring initial options like Chicken Parmigiana, this product boasts a crispy breadcrumb coating on the outer layer, while the interior allows for customization with a variety of seasonings and sauces. The company is dedicated to crafting inventive plant-based foods that excel in taste, quality, and convenience, the company remains steadfast in its commitment. This plant-based stuffed chicken is scheduled to be available for order in Spring 2024! PS- we loved TiNDLE’s new oat-based barista milk too!
Cheese by Umyum
Photo by Noah Hyams
UmYum Foods, a Canadian plant-based food tech company, showcased its cashew-based dairy alternatives including its popular ‘Camembert’ at Expo West, marking its first appearance in the US since the company’s inception in early 2021. The brand specializes in artisan, fermented vegan cheeses crafted using traditional cheesemaking techniques. In addition to its cheese lineup, UmYum offers a variety of complementary cashew-based products including milk chocolate, butter, and puff pastry.
Nutty Candy Bar by Harken
Photo by Noah Hyams
Harken Sweets, an emerging ‘better-for-you’ candy brand, has unveiled its latest innovation: plant-based renditions of classic candy bars enriched with the nutritional goodness of dates. The Fair Trade-certified treats boast a remarkable 75% reduction in sugar content, 13 grams of prebiotic fiber, and less than 150 calories. The gluten-free and soy-free bars are slated for release in the US market as early as February. Highly recommend!
Coconut Bacon by Madly Hadley
Photo by Noah Hyams
Based out of San Diego, Chef Madly Hadley is dedicated to building a plant-based future, which led her to create a vegan bacon alternative made from nutrient-rich coconut flesh. The company is committed to sourcing only the finest ingredients for its products, which are certified organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and soy-free. The coconut rashers are now available nationwide in the United States at Sprouts Farmers Market stores- a must-try for bacon lovers!
Better Cheddar by Eat UNrestricted
Photo by Noah Hyams
Headquartered in Atlanta, Eat UNrestricted makes clean-label vegan sauces that cater to a wide range of dietary restrictions. Founder Dianna King was raised in a traditional Southern household with a dairy allergy so she is well-versed in the challenges faced by families accommodating dietary restrictions. This led her to launch 100% plant-based Creamy Cheddar Cheese sauce and now everyone can enjoy delicious meals without compromise.
MyBacon by MyForest Foods
Photo by Noah Hyams
New York-based MyForest Foods recently unveiled its innovative mycelium-based MyBacon, which I got to taste at Expo and I can confirm that it’s awesome. The company just launched the rashers nationwide at Whole Foods, allowing them to tap a much wider audience, and they are sure to sizzle, given what I tasted!
Ice Cream Bonbons by Eclipse Foods
Photo by Noah Hyams
Based in Alameda, California, Eclipse Foods is an established name in the plant-based dairy world. The company makes ice cream and other dairy alternatives from a blend of non-GMO plants such as cassava, corn, and potato. I got to try their newest creation, Chef-created Eclipse Bonbons, dairy-free ice cream bites enrobed in a decadent chocolate coating and they did not disappoint. Indulgent and addictive!
Described as the “Fortune 500 of agrifood tech”, food tech consultancy Forward Fooding has released its 2023 FoodTech 500 list, with the highest number of companies belonging to the plant-based sector. Other alternative protein startups also had strong representation on the list.
US mycelium fermentation startup Nature’s Fynd has topped Forward Fooding’s FoodTech 500 list for 2023, with four other future food companies joining it in the top 10. These include fellow US mycelium protein company Meati, Spanish plant-based meat maker Heura, US molecular farming pioneer Nobell Foods, and German fermentation tech startup Planet A Foods.
The annual list – which began in 2019 – recognises entrepreneurs addressing challenges throughout the food value chain, highlighting the most innovative businesses at the convergence of food, technology and sustainability. This year, over 1,500 companies submitted applications to be featured on the list, representing 34 domains, including plant-based, ag biotech, protein fermentation, cellular agriculture, and vertical and indoor farming.
Of the 500 companies selected, nearly a third (32.3%) were female-founded, and just over a sixth (17.8%) had Black, Asian or minority ethnic founders. Meanwhile, 95.4% of the finalists had received investment, with two unicorn companies (having raised over $1B without going public) and four publicly traded businesses.
Despite a challenging landscape in terms of both sales and optics, the plant-based industry was the most well-represented domain, with 63 companies (12.6%) appearing on the FoodTech 500 list for 2023. This was followed by farm management and precision farming (55 companies) and vertical and indoor farming (46 companies)
Future food startups innovating with fermentation had a strong presence too, with 33 such businesses on the list, which also had 23 cellular agriculture companies (even without any of their products actually being on the market, which displays their potential).
Courtesy: Forward Fooding
Alt-protein, agtech and next-gen food companies headline FoodTech 500
The ranking combines scores from three key areas – business size, digital footprint, and sustainability. The sustainability scoring framework was based on selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the UN, with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action) being the most addressed.
The business size score predicts growth based on financial indicators like the number of employees, funding stage, total funds raised and number of offices, while the digital footprint ranking forecasts digital presence growth based on website traffic, social media performance and follower growth.
The companies are divided into eight macro activities: Agtech, Next-Generation Food and Drinks, Food Processing, Food Delivery, Kitchen and Restaurant Tech, Consumer Apps and Services, Food Safety and Traceability, Surplus and Waste Management. Agtech dominates the rankings, with over a third (34.6%) of companies on the FoodTech 500 list involved in this space. This is followed closely by Next-Gen Food and Drinks, making up 28.6% of the rankings.
It’s the latter category that houses the five alternative protein companies mentioned above, with Nature’s Fynd – a Bill Gates-backed startup that makes breakfast patties, cream cheeses and yoghurts using its Fy protein – leading the overall list and Heura the highest-ranking plant-based startup (at 7th). The only other alternative protein company to surpass Heura is Meati (6th), which uses mycelium to make whole-cut chicken and beef analogues.
Other companies in the future food sector that make up the top 50 include InnovoPro, Algama Foods, The Seaweed Company, BlueNalu, Koa, Arbiom, Biomilq and Voyage Foods.
“Embracing alternative protein technologies (plant-based, cell-cultured, molecularly farmed, and fermentation-derived) is crucial for food security. These can complement culinary tradition while introducing exciting new options for consumers,” said Christian Pichler, managing director of Gerber VC. “But caution is warranted against misinformation spread by traditional lobby groups with vested interests and significant PR resources.”
Forward Fooding is embarking on a global tour to celebrate the release of the list, starting with London (today), and going on to San Francisco (March 21-22), Stockholm (April 9), Berlin (May), Barcelona (June), and Dubai (September).
We spoke to Max Leveau, co-founder and chief operating officer of Forward Fooding, about the 2023 FoodTech 500 list, the plant-based dominance, the biggest surprises, and the importance of female leadership.
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
Green Queen: Despite the sales declines and often negative narrative around veganism, why do you think plant-based was the biggest category?
Max Leveau: This year’s FT500 accounts for 63 Plant-based companies, which represents 13% of total companies and the most represented domain within our taxonomy. Our proprietary data tells us that despite the global VC turmoil, there are over 970 plant-based companies currently operating in the global marketplace. Although 47 shut down over the last couple of years, we still see there is strong demand and new companies keep emerging.
Yet, for the first time, in 2021, more capital was cumulatively invested in fermentation and cellular agriculture than plant-based companies. This marked the beginning of a major shift in the alternative proteins sector.
Courtesy: Forward Fooding
GQ: Which plant-based, fermentation, and cell ag companies stood out to you the most, and why?
ML: Over the past couple of years, we have witnessed two major ‘forces’ driving the alternative protein sector: increased consolidations and pressing scepticism, mostly driven by media, around companies’ ability to scale up production and overcome regulation hurdles (for example, cultivated meat) and, most of all, to create great-tasting products that will determine consumers’ mass adoption in the long haul. Even though investments in alternative proteins have dropped by 62% since 2021, the sector has reached a tipping point. Despite the negative investment trend, we believe that the current ‘crisis’ will help this industry in the long term.
These factors are forcing entrepreneurs and investors to focus on turning existing companies with strong fundamentals into profitable businesses while forcing smaller and less resilient companies to get consolidated or phased out. For example, we expect to see more ‘hybridisation‘ in product development. This involves creatively combining protein sources and processes (such as plant-based proteins with fermented or cultivated fats). By blending ingredients and technologies, companies can address key product experience elements. These include taste, texture, and nutritional value, but also scalability – think mycelium for umami flavouring of plant-based meat products, serum-free growth medium for cultivated meat, companies focusing on cell cultures, etc. Companies such as Mycorena, The Seaweed Company or Multus Bio come to mind.
Finally, despite reluctance from certain countries (like Italy and France), we do expect cellular agriculture to become regulated by more countries in the next couple of years. Recent approvals from the FDA – and investments from various governments (such as the UK, Canada and the Netherlands) to support the research and growth of the sector, alongside precision fermentation – are paving the way towards more regulatory approvals in the near term.
GQ: Most of the companies on the list have only been founded in the last five to six years. What does it say about the industry?
ML: It tells us three things. As with any tech sector, when a new technology solution is on the path to becoming mature, more ventures get created because the barriers to entry are relatively low.
More entrepreneurs are building ‘enabling solutions’, such as ‘software for vertical farms’ or growth media for cultivated meat/fish for existing industries (like vertical farming or cellular agriculture).
This is also a reflection of how the global agrifood tech investment landscape has evolved in the past two years:
Global Venture Capital is going through difficult times, with AgriFoodTech being no exception to the rule. Since its peak year in 2021, investments in the sector have dropped by 74% to reach $17.1.B in 2023. Many companies have had to shut down operations in the past year. Yet, making a comparison between 2021 and 2023 makes us understand how the investment landscape has been shifting, and we believe there is room for optimism.
Courtesy: Forward Fooding
First of all, not only has the number of deals (-44% from 2021 to 2023) not dropped as much as the capital invested (-74%), but the median deal has actually increased since 2021. Mega-deals have vanished (the average deal size fell from $31.5M to $14.1M), and generalist investors are leaving the space, while specialist and impact-focused ones tend to go ‘beyond the hype’ to invest in a broader range of solutions across the supply chain (such as technologies to fight food waste). This translates into a new distribution of investments, previously dominated by food delivery and alternative proteins (part of our Next-Gen vertical), as well as a growing proportion of early-stage investments towards less mature or ‘hyped’, but nonetheless impactful solutions.
New regional dynamics are also emerging. From 23% in 2021, 36% of total investments in the sector went to European companies in 2023. Europe is becoming a true hotbed for agrifood tech innovation, while Asia-Pacific has seen a drop from 11% to 1% (mostly due to a decline in China). And finally, North America continues to lead the sector, gathering 48% of global investments in 2023.
Overall, it is safe to say that capital is no longer a ‘commodity’. Entrepreneurs have to focus on building ‘healthier’ businesses with a clear path to profitability, and ideally ‘asset-light’ models. They also seem to be able to rely more and more on public funding to support their growth, as shown by the sharp increase in the number of grants allocated to agrifood tech startups (up from 6% to 23%).
More patience and smart capital will be needed to solve the challenges of our food system. Looking at the latest investment figures, this seems to be going in the right direction at the moment.
GQ: Which domain were you most surprised by?
ML: Beyond alternative proteins, there are a few domains that are standing out.
First of all, we are quite amazed to see how ag biotech is currently growing. From 17 companies in 2022, it has almost doubled this year with 36 companies within the finalists, as the topics of soil health and microbiome, and seed genetics-focused technologies like molecular farming are gaining more traction. 2023 finalist companies include the likes of Tropic, Soilsteam and Mozza Foods.
Looking at global investments, the surplus and waste management activity went from representing 3% of global investments in 2021 to 13% in 2023. This is well represented in the FoodTech 500 with food waste tech and food sharing platforms (26 companies), and upcycled ingredients, food surplus and waste efficiency (25 companies), with players such as Winnow, Spoiler Alert, Fazla and Peelpioneers.
Finally, it’s quite impressive to see how resilient the farm management and precision farming domain has been year after year, with the growing impact of remote sensing and AI, and led by companies like CropX, Agrivi and Cropin.
GQ: Do you think there’s still some ways to go in terms of female leadership in food tech?
ML: Yes, definitely. However, we think the agrifood tech space is intrinsically more diverse than other tech industries. As a matter of fact, over the years, we’ve been reporting that the food tech space is rather diverse, and when using FoodTech 500 as a proxy of the overall space, we have witnessed an increase year-on-year of female-founded businesses among FoodTech 500 alumni. On average, we went from X in 2020 to 30%+ in 2023.
GQ: Where is the food tech sector lacking, and what are its biggest challenges going into the rest of 2024?
ML: With more transparency and self-discipline from founders, combined with more thorough due diligence from investors, we think the agrifood tech industry can capitalise on the growing interest in leveraging technology to improve our food and agriculture system to make it more resilient and sustainable for both people and our planet.
As the market is correcting and science is advancing in the right direction, we believe 2024 could be a vintage year to invest in agrifood tech. Valuations are becoming more ‘sensitive’, and entrepreneurs do have to present a clear and solid path to profitability to be in a position to raise capital.
There’s a need for patient capital too. As AgriFood is one of the most slow-moving/resistant industries to change and technology adoption, we think most investors underestimate the pace at which new solutions can be brought to the mass market. A clear example of this is the plant-based category, which has been around for almost a century now through niche products (mostly vegetarian and vegan options), and only in the last decade has started to really get a growing interest as diets are shifting towards more plant-based. Despite all of this, in the US alone – the most mature market for plant-based meat 2.0 – sales reached only 1% of total meat sales in 2022.
Another example is the vertical farming sector currently going through a ‘disillusion phase’, after a few companies went through bankruptcy, despite having raised hundreds of millions in capital. This was mostly due to a misalignment between investors’ expectations, the readiness of the technology, and the validity of the business model of some companies.
With generalist investors leaving the space, and more and more ‘educated’ agrifood-tech-focused funds emerging, we expect to see a big change in that regard. Additionally, the speed of evolution for novel foods and alternative protein regulation around the world will have a key role to play.
GQ: What is your hope for the companies who have made it onto the list?
ML: That they will keep focusing on building ‘cash-positive businesses’ capable of generating real impact at a food system level. They will be able to adapt their business financing needs, as global markets may remain very difficult in the coming years as far as funding is concerned. And they’ll keep focusing on impact and mission-driven businesses that can prove to be a force of good in making our food system more sustainable and resilient.
Check out Forward Fooding’s full 2023 FoodTech 500 list here.
One of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024, Californian food tech startup MeliBio has teamed up with Pow.Bio to scale up production of its bee-free honey made from precision fermentation.
After a year of multiple product launches in the vegan honey space, MeliBio now has an update on its original, much-awaited innovation: precision-fermented honey. The Californian company is tapping into the AI capabilities of Berkeley-based biomanufacturing startup Pow.Bio to help scale up production for its bee-free honey.
MeliBio says it has wrapped up key in-house validation work and produced a proof of concept for its fermentation-derived protein targets, which showcases the commercial viability of its high-value bee proteins and enzymes. The startup is set to kick off scale-up projects with Pow.Bio this month, which is a crucial next step in disrupting the $9.1B global honey market.
“Working with cutting-edge science, particularly that aided by precision fermentation, has always been part of our long-term technological vision at MeliBio,” said MeliBio co-founder and chief technology officer Aaron Schaller. “Our ability to produce target bee proteins and enzymes through our experimental methods has yielded promising results, and we’re ready to take our technology to the next stage.”
Tapping into AI to advance bee-free honey
Courtesy: MeliBio
The partnership will allow MeliBio to tap into Pow.Bio’s expertise in blending traditional fermentation with a continuous approach led by AI. “Pow.Bio is helping MeliBio further understand and optimise our precision fermentation approach as we scale towards manufacturing readiness,” Schaller told Green Queen. “Pow.Bio is unique in that their fermentation platform utilises AI to maximize efficiency, which we plan to explore further in our work together.”
MeliBio says the collaboration isn’t all about scale, but also focuses on “precision, efficiency and embracing both AI-enhanced and time-honoured methods”. “This initiative will help us elevate the functionality of our products to come, and provide more of the benefits of bee-derived honey to current products, while also matching authenticity beyond taste and texture,” explained Schaller.
He confirmed that the company is pursuing regulatory filings to the FDA alongside the scale-up work, which will allow MeliBio to eventually launch its precision fermentation product to the market. “MeliBio strives to be a solution provider across multiple channels, and we will meet our customers where they are,” added co-founder and CEO Darko Mandich.
MeliBio has been working on precision-fermented honey ever since it was launched in 2020, and has raised $9.4M in total funding. It’s currently in the middle of a $10M Series A, which will help propel the company towards profitability. The company launched in the market last year with vegan honey under its CPG brand Mellody, and has raked in over $1M in profit in the first year.
The startup is tackling some big challenges facing the production of bee-derived honey. In Europe, 24% of bumblebee species are facing a threat of extinction, while in the UK, 17 species of bees have become extinct, with a further 25 endangered. Beekeepers have reported colony losses in countries like France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, Brazil and the US.
The primary cause behind all this is human activity, including land use change for agriculture or urbanisation, and intensive farming. Moreover, honey bees’ ability to produce the sweetener itself has declined, thanks to widespread herbicide use, conversion of flower-rich land into monocultures, a drop in soil productivity, and climate change.
Precision fermentation sets MeliBio’s honey apart
Courtesy: MeliBio
To accelerate its mission, launching into the market was key for MeliBio, which is why it launched Mellody, even as it continued to work on the precision-fermented product in the background. “We realised that our investors’ samples are becoming more sophisticated, to the point where chefs begged us to launch our plant-based honey,” Mandich told Green Queen in August. “We heard our customers loud and clear, and that’s how our pivot happened. It shortens our initial five to seven years timeline for product launch down to three years, which is great success.”
Mellody’s first product was a Golden Clover honey that was initially rolled out in foodservice across the US, and then through retail via Eleven Madison Home, the e-commerce arm of Daniel Humm’s Michelin-starred eatery Eleven Madison Park. After that partnership ended, Mellody evolved into a D2C brand, and just earlier this month, it released a Spicy Habanero flavour of its plant-based honey at Expo West.
MeliBio also struck a four-year deal worth $10M with Slovenian distributor Narayan Foods to enter the European market, which saw it launch Vegan H*ney under the Better Foodie brand in the UK, and Vegan Hanny or Ohney under Aldi’s private label, Just Veg, in the EU. The partnership’s aim is to put MeliBio’s vegan honey into 75,000 stores eventually.
“MeliBio products in Europe are at price parity with mainstream honeys and we expect to achieve the same in the US this year,” revealed Mandich. “We’ve enjoyed a fantastic market response to our plant-based honey products and will continue to serve that demand.” And it’s not just commercial success – the startup was just recognised as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the small and mighty category for 2024.
“Mellody is our flagship product and brand, and we’re committed to its growth,” he said. “Our products are available through multiple channels including DTC, grocery and retail, food service, and restaurants from casual to fine dining, in a growing number of geographies. We plan to continue to serve existing customers and reach new markets, no matter where they are.”
But now, the precision-fermented progress represents the next step for MeliBio, which will set it apart from competitors in the vegan honey space, such as Gaffney Foods’ Nectar, Blenditup, ChocZero, Plant Based Artisan’s Honea, and Sweet Freedom. “Beyond [the vegan products], accessing levels of product performance and authenticity not possible through plant science alon – through our enhanced technology platform – opens up a variety of significant commercial opportunities,” said Mandich.
He outlined this in his chat with Green Queen in August too: “It will empower us to go beyond the type of product we have right now, and set us [up] for success in launching many new products under the vision of creating the world where humans and bees thrive.”
Max Elder, founder of former plant-based meat company Nowadays and managing director of Food System Innovations, reflects on the journey of his vegan chicken nugget startup, explains why it was forced to cease trading, talks VC funding in food tech, and reveals if he’d do it all over again.
In August, Californian startup Nowadays announced it was shutting down. The decision came “due to an inability to raise venture funds in this market”, a year after it successfully closed a $7M seed funding round. The news reflected the growing venture capital pains faced by the plant-based industry – and food tech as a whole sector.
Max Elder, who was the co-founder and CEO of the brand, had noted that the nuggets were performing well in D2C and retail channels, with many consumers returning to purchase more too. But the financials associated with frozen food distribution for a startup of Nowaday’s scale were too steep. “The economics only work if you have the capital to really push a multi-year brand building and marketing strategy and it’s really hard to access capital now,” he was quoted as saying.
A highly respected figure in the alternative protein industry – who has been featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, Forbes and Fast Company – had predicted that in the long term, “the headwinds for conventional proteins will only get stronger”, saying: “I think we just need to batten down the hatches and weather the storm, and sometimes that means some companies can’t survive because there’s limited access to capital.”
Since then, he has been working as a managing director at sustainability non-profit Food System Innovations, which supports initiatives taking animals out of the global food system. We spoke to Elder about Nowadays, why it reached the end of its tether, and what the future of this industry looks like.
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
Green Queen: Did you see the end coming? What finally made you decide to say that’s it?
Max Elder: Every startup goes through an existential crisis between each round of financing, so all founders see the end frequently. Running a startup is a tricky balancing act of challenges and opportunities, successes and failures, growth and setbacks. There wasn’t one event that ended Nowadays – there were a plethora of factors, many outside of our control, that made it impossible to raise additional capital. We ceased operations when we became insolvent and couldn’t sustain the business any further.
Courtesy: Nowadays
GQ: If you could do it all again, would you?
ME: Absolutely. Founding a mission-driven food company is an extraordinary privilege I don’t take for granted. Building is a formidable challenge and feeding people is insanely rewarding. Most importantly, I’ve never had such a high velocity of learning in my life. I don’t plan on doing it all over again anytime soon.
I currently see a higher impact approach for how I spend my time: I’ve transitioned to work on systems-level change and category-level innovation at a public charity called Food System Innovations, co-founded by David Meyer and Galina Hale. While Nowadays was my shot on goal, I’m most excited these days by redesigning the playing field.
GQ: Do you have any big regrets? What would you do differently?
ME: I honestly don’t have any big regrets. I think there are a few I would do differently next time. The first is being more intentional about the co-founder relationship. That relationship is mission-critical and often ends at some point in a company’s journey, like it did at Nowadays. I also would have shut down Nowadays earlier than I did. It’s an insanely hard choice to make, and it’s hard to find allies in that choice.
Winding down your business is emotionally draining (layoffs, including yourself; liquidation efforts; legal) and can take a long time and cost a lot of money. I now help founders better understand what they need to responsibly wind down their business.
GQ: What are your biggest learnings? And what are you most proud of?
ME: Nowadays accomplished a lot. We built a differentiated brand, patented whole-cut manufacturing processes, launched into retail with Whole Foods Market, secured restaurant partnerships with critically-acclaimed partners, and fed a lot of people. While those are all impressive, I think what I’m most proud of is how I managed the company. Despite some really thorny problems and tough challenges, I always made values-based decisions and communicated honestly.
My biggest learning was that you can feel proud even if you don’t achieve your desired outcome as long as you hold yourself accountable to your own values. Even when I’ve failed, my values have never failed me.
GQ: You were straddling the line of processed plant-based food and ‘clean label’ with a product that had a short ingredient list. We are constantly told that processed products turn people off the plant-based category. Is this what consumers want? What’s your take on all this? Do we need more clean-label products?
ME: Meat is a $1.4T industry globally and a $180B industry in the US. The average American eats 330 lbs of meat (including seafood) annually, and about nine out of 10 Americans eat meat everyday. The market for meat is gigantic.
There are many different consumer segments who have different pain points for different meal occasions across different channels. There is no singular value proposition that consumers want. I believe food products in the US need to taste delicious and be priced competitively. For some consumers during some meal occasions in some channels, cleaner labels matter.
That said, I’m worried about the mis- and disinformation campaigns around ultra-processing and alt-proteins we’re seeing, as I see much of these concerns as industry talking points that eaters use to post-rationalise, more so than real pain points that drive purchase decisions.
Courtesy: Nowadays
GQ: Do you think the vegan nugget market is oversaturated?
ME: Market saturation at a macro level is when the supply of a product becomes higher than its demand. Sometimes this happens because the market has too many competitors offering the same product, or when the product has already reached the entirety of its customer base. While I believe there are many plant-based nugget products competing with each other, I also believe that the product hasn’t reached the entirety of its potential market.
If you think the market for vegan nuggets is only made up of vegan consumers, the vegan nugget market is oversaturated. If you think the market for vegan nuggets is made up of flexitarians, the vegan nugget market is full of blue sky. Chicken nuggets amount to an $8B market in the US; there’s plenty of room for demand capture.
GQ: What advice would you give for existing and new plant-based brands?
ME: I feel like I should be the one taking advice from existing and new plant-based brands! One pivot I made too late at Nowadays that I’d love to see other brands make is a pivot to institutional procurement. Plant-based products offer truly impressive environmental benefits that aren’t accurately priced in the market today.
While the climate crisis hasn’t quite yet become a consumer problem, it’s increasingly becoming an ESG problem. If consumer demand signals are weakening, institutional ESG commitments are getting stronger. The downside is that institutional sales cycles can be long and opaque, distribution hard to secure, and prices relatively low, but the upside is the potential for high, consistent volumes at a better margin than retail.
GQ: There’s a lot of talk about whether VC funding is the right choice for founders/startups. What’s your take? Would you take VC money again?
ME: I think the funding model you pursue needs to depend on the business you want to build. If you want to build for impact on a short-time horizon, you need a higher-risk capital source to support growth. It’s hard to imagine other sources of capital to underwrite innovative startups trying to solve big challenges quicker than venture.
GQ: Can you describe what a day in the life of a plant-based founder was like? Take us through your mental state on the average day.
ME: I think the founder role is overly romanticised. There are a lot of fun parts of the job, but a lot of the role is administrative work and constant problem-solving and making sure things get done. My days typically rotated through a cycle of strategy, fundraising, and capacity-building. I would build a strategic vision supported by core enabling milestones we planned to achieve; sell part of the company to secure the capital required to execute on that vision; and then build capacity to hit those milestones.
Throughout those cycles, my mental states fluctuated highly based on the frequency and scale of opportunities versus the frequency and scale of challenges. Some days, my mental state was calm, confident and proud. Other days, I’d be insanely stressed and not my best self. I’m so impressed with and inspired by people who build.
Courtesy: Nowadays
GQ: Do you still believe in the category? What needs to change?
ME: The more time I spend in the food and climate worlds, the more deeply I believe in alternative proteins. The problem of industrialised animal farming is only getting worse, and the alternatives are only getting better. I see truly mind-blowing innovation at a pretty fast pace for the food industry addressing an incredibly complex problem. Farmed animals are all complex living beings, so replicating their bodies with plants is a formidable task.
The industry is nascent. I see some opportunities to accelerate the protein transition across both supply and demand. On the supply side, I’m excited by the impact of choice architecture and default shifts at institutions. I’m inspired by market shaping efforts to accelerate alt-protein value chains and the potential of offtakes and advance market commitments. I’m also seeing some big improvements in taste and texture, which I hope continues, and I’m increasingly growing bullish on blended/hybrid meats (new category-level nomenclature to come).
On the demand side, I’m eager to see more category-level demand campaigns (they need funding!) and efforts to combat mis- and dis-information campaigns. Price, taste and nutrition are all necessary but not sufficient for plant-based products to break into the mainstream; we also need to understand and engage the social, cultural and political elephants in the room. All that said, I believe the alternative protein category is not a question of if, but when.
Every year at Natural Products Expo West, companies gather to show off new and exciting vegan products that will hit store shelves soon. This year, PETA staffers had a chance to try some of these items and get a sneak peek into the future of animal-friendly foods. Here’s a recap of the products we spotted, which you can expect to see in stores later in 2024 and into 2025.
Easy Eats
From healthy packaged meals to meat-free protein options that will help make dinner easy and delicious, quick foods were everywhere at Expo West this year.
The collaboration between NotCo and The Kraft Heinz Company was the star of the show, with the launch of its animal-friendly Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages, which have the familiar savory, smoky taste but no animal flesh—because every animal is someone who feels love, pain, joy, and fear and deserves our respect.
The Kraft Heinz Not Company’s booth also highlighted the vegan version of the classic creamy Kraft boxed Mac & Cheese, which offers a way to experience a nostalgic taste without exploiting mother cows for their milk.
Asian-inspired eats made a huge splash, too. Some of the products included the following:
OMNI’s Plant-Based Teriyaki Bao Buns are soft and satisfying.
Rawmyun’sSavory Curry Ramen is low-oil instant ramen made with rice noodles.
Sobo Foods’ Chinese “Pork” & Chive Dumplings feature a whopping 19 grams of vegan protein.
24vegan’s Vegetable Green Curry with Organic Brown Rice microwave meals are a healthy and quick lunch option.
We also saw packaged Korean kimbap from at least four brands—Baba, Ocean’s Halo, Sunlit, and UNLIMEAT—possibly inspired by the viral success of Trader Joe’s frozen vegan version.
UNLIMEAT, a Korean brand, is also launching its products in U.S. markets, with items like Bulgogi Jumukbap and vegan Pork Mandu.
Vegan chicken is a hit every year, because choosing this delicious and crowd-pleasing option spares the lives of countless intelligent, playful birds. We spotted a few new products, including Chef Chew’s Kitchen’s Spicy Fried Chicken Fillet, Golden Platter’s Angry Birds 100% Plant-Based Chick’n Nuggets, New Breed’s Jamaican Jerk Chik’n, and TiNDLE’s Parmigiana Stuffed Chicken.
For snack time, we loved Parmela Creamery’s Snackables, a Lunchables-style kit with crackers, vegan cheddar cheese, and smoky “meat” slices, and WunderEgg’s Plant-Based Egg(less) Salad.
Finless Favorites
The fishing industry threatens all marine animals—including fish, crabs, octopuses, and whales—who simply want to live in peace. That’s why more people are turning to vegan options for a taste of the sea. Some of the exciting new animal-friendly products we saw at Expo West included Avafina Organics’ Chiaviar, vegan caviar made from chia seeds and seaweed, as well as Franklin Farms’ Plant-Based Tuna, Konscious Foods’ Plant-Based Smoked Salmon, and UNLIMEAT’s Plant-Based Tuna flakes.
Dairy is dead—at least the kind that uses milk stolen from baby cows. The future of food is animal-free, and there’s no sign that the vegan dairy industry will slow down anytime soon. Never Better Foods’ Better Than Mozzarella is melty and made with chickpea protein, Simply V’s Plant-Based Cream Cheese comes in a bar for easy measuring, and UMYUM’s dairy-free Camembert cheese and slow-churned butter are stunningly creamy.
We saw cow-free milk and creamers from several brands we know and love. Califia Farms launched a limited-edition Cookies ‘n Crème Almond Creamer, Oatly introduced vegan coffee creamers in several sweet flavors, and TiNDLE expanded from its vegan chicken roots with a new Barista Oat Milk.
Creamy “cheese” sauces were popular, too. House Party’s Cheesy Dip is perfect for a party, and Le Grand’s Mac ‘N Cheeze Sauce makes whipping up your favorite comfort dish easier than ever.
Crackers and chips were everywhere, with a healthy spin and a focus on protein. Rivalz stuffed snacks are made with pea flour and brown rice and have 8 grams of protein per serving—along with a huge flavor punch. Mamame Whole Foods Tempeh Chips transform a staple vegan protein into a crunchy, satisfying snack made with black-eyed beans.
“Cheesy” snacks were especially popular: Brutal’s Velvet Cheddar Lupini Bean Puffs, Fair & Square’s allergen- and animal-friendly Cheddar Cheeze Crackers, Mary’s Gone Cheezee Cheddar Flavor Crackers, and Vegan Rob’s Dairy-Free Cheddar Captain Booty (from the creator of Pirate’s Booty).
Sensational Sips
With all the walking and tasting we did, we stopped by the RISE Brewing Co. booth for an energy boost, where we tried its canned Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.
The herbal teas and sparkling botanicals from Rishi Tea & Botanicals are perfect for midweek relaxation, while the fruity canned cocktails from Mixed Up have us excited for summer hangouts.
Bees work hard to make honey to feed their hives, so we were happy to see some bee-free sweeteners: Mellody’s new Spicy Habanero Plant-Based Hot Honey and Bee Mindful Honee, which is made with apples and also available in a hot version.
Doughy’s Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is a newcomer that you can enjoy raw or baked. Eclipse launched creamy plant-based ice cream bonbons covered in crunchy chocolate and available in three flavors: Coffee Almond Crunch, Hazelnut Chocolate Truffle, and Peanut Butter Pretzel. And Holi Scoops’ Discos are frozen cookie dough ice cream bites made with adaptogenic plants.
These are just some of the animal-friendly products featured at Expo West, and there are sure to be many others to look forward to in the coming years as more people go vegan for animals, the planet, and their own health. To learn more about making the transition for yourself, order our free vegan starter kit today:
Dunkin’ Donuts and Waffle House patrons might find their stomachs churning before they even sample the eateries’ meaty fare this month after they spot PETA’s striking new visual plea calling on people to stand on the right side of history by leaving pigs off their plates. The provocative message features a horde of pigs rioting in front of a burning landscape and urges viewers to “live vegan.”
Credit: PETA
“Like humans, pigs form strong bonds, enjoy listening to music, and experience a full range of emotions, yet they’re funneled endlessly into filthy warehouses and slaughtered just to satisfy fleeting cravings for their flesh,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA is calling on everyone to do right by those who can’t advocate for themselves by going vegan.”
In the meat industry, workers chop off piglets’ tails, clip their teeth with pliers, and castrate the males—all without pain relief. Then, they’re forced to spend their short lives in crowded, filthy warehouses under the constant stress of intense confinement. When the time comes for slaughter, they’re crammed onto trucks and transported hundreds of miles through all weather extremes without food, water, or rest, causing many to die from heat exhaustion. At slaughterhouses, workers shoot pigs in the head with a captive-bolt gun, hang them up by one leg, and cut their throat, often while they’re still conscious.
The World Health Organization reports that eating processed meats, including ham and bacon, can cause cancer. Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year and reduces their own risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch.
PETA’s billboard, which was designed by The Community ad agency, is located at W. Newberry Road and N.W. 75th Street, near Dunkin’ Donuts and Waffle House.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
