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Category: Vegan

  • Veganuary 2025 Participation Hits 25.8 Million Ahead of V-March Campaign Launch in China

    veggie challenge
    5 Mins Read

    In its 11th year, participation numbers for Veganuary reached an estimated 25.8 million globally. And now, the organisation is bringing a vegan campaign for March to China.

    Participation in Veganuary broke records again in 2025, with around 25.8 million people pledging to ditch meat, dairy and eggs this January.

    While the organisation has official campaigns in 20 countries, these figures come from YouGov surveys in 11 of its core countries (across Europe and the Americas), and represent a 3% uptick in participation from the 2024 campaign.

    Veganuary arrived at the number by assessing the YouGov polls (which involved around 15,500 people) and current population estimates for each of the nations, noting that it no longer measures participation by the number of email signups “as many people take part without officially registering through the website”.

    The organisation will now bring the monthlong concept to more people in March, when it’s launching a sister campaign to encourage plant-based eating in China.

    Multi-sector support key to Veganuary’s success

    veganuary china
    Courtesy: Veganuary 2025

    Since it was introduced in 2014, Veganuary has become a cultural phenomenon, attracting more and more people every year. Its success has been built on collaborations with celebrities and influencers who have spread the word far and wide – this year’s partners included actor Woody Harrelson, chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, The Great British Bake Off contestant Freya Cox, and social media star Giuseppe Federici.

    The campaign has also benefitted from policy support. For example, the City of West Hollywood voted in favour of a resolution to promote Veganuary to residents, staff, and businesses, and Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers announced a Veganuary proclamation in a council meeting yesterday.

    Also in the US, over 40 employers in media, education, solar, and manufacturing joined the Veganuary Workplace Challenge. And more than 50 restaurants celebrated Veganuary in New York City alone.

    Brands and retailers, meanwhile, came up with new products to appease the demand for vegan food, whether in the form of new ice cream flavours from Salt & Straw, tofu innovations from Squeaky Bean and Cauldron Foods in the UK, or 28 meat-free products from Lidl GB.

    lidl veganuary
    Courtesy: Lidl

    The continued support from businesses, celebrities and policymakers is notable, given that plant-based meat has become embroiled in a culture war, thanks in part to its association with ultra-processed foods and misinformation campaigns from Big Meat.

    “While there is some debate over the health aspects of plant-based meat, the environmental benefits of plant-based protein are undeniable, and this is what is drawing more and more people to choosing plant-based foods as part of their effort to reduce their climate impact,” Veganuary’s head of policy and communications, Toni Vernelli, told Green Queen ahead of this year’s campaign.

    “We’re also seeing more interest in whole food plant-based cooking,” she added, which was highlighted in recipes in its 2025 Celebrity eCookbook. “These offer the best of both worlds – health and environmental benefits, plus great flavour and texture to ensure they are satisfying as well as doing good.”

    Veganuary heads to China in March

    veganuary 2025
    Courtesy: Veganuary

    Veganuary has been expanding from its January-only presence recently, after finding evidence of long-term change in participants’ diets. Six months after the 2024 campaign, 27% of participants remained fully vegan, while 54% were eating half as much meat and dairy as they were before the challenge. Only 3% of people said it had no impact on their long-term choices.

    So in April, Veganuary announced a host of mini-campaigns to complement its January flagship, starting with a Choose Chicken-Free Week, followed by Choose Fish-Free Week, BBQ Month, and Choose Dairy-Free Week.

    Now, it is taking the monthlong concept to China with Mangchun Sanyue (Vegan Spring March or V-March), a campaign co-developed by the China Vegan Society. The 31-day drive is identical to the January challenge, but the first month of the year isn’t an ideal season for lifestyle changes for everybody.

    Lunar New Year falls between late January and early February (this year, it occurred on January 29). To accommodate the Chinese calendar, the team at the China Vegan Society came up with V-March as a twist on Veganuary.

    Over 50 businesses have already committed to participating in the March campaign by launching or promoting plant-based products, and many more are expected to join.

    china vegan survey
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    “Inspired by the amazing transformative power Veganuary has shown in changing people’s lifestyle for the better, we hope V-March will open up opportunities for people in China and others of Asian descent around the globe who observe the lunar New Year,” said Jian Yi, founder and CEO of the China Vegan Society.

    Alternative proteins are on the rise in the East Asian nation, with its population eating more protein per capita than Americans now, and mostly from plants. Both national and local governments are promoting plant-based and novel foods, with Beijing now home to the first cultivated meat and fermented protein R&D centre. And a 2024 survey suggests that when Chinese consumers are informed of the benefits of a vegan diet, 98% say they’ll eat more of these foods.

    “China boasts extraordinary plant-centred culinary traditions. We have more reasons than ever to celebrate those traditions amid all the health, ecological, and ethical crises we are struggling with today,” said Yi.

    The post Veganuary 2025 Participation Hits 25.8 Million Ahead of V-March Campaign Launch in China appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Oatly, Nestlé Join Forces to Create Nespresso Coffee Pods ‘For Use With Oat Milk Only’

    nespresso oatly
    4 Mins Read

    Nestlé has partnered with Oatly to unveil a limited-edition Nespresso blend tailored specifically for the latter’s barista oat milk.

    In an effort to boost its barista oat milk, Swedish giant Oatly has teamed up with Nestlé to create Nespresso pods to be used “with oat milk only”.

    The new coffee capsules, made exclusively for Nespresso Vertuo machines (they use a different capsule design from the standard Nespresso machines), are only available for a limited period. Their “biscuity” tasting notes are designed to be a “perfect pairing” for Oatly’s barista edition and would appeal to the growing number of consumers using plant-based milk.

    “We’re delighted to have worked with the experts at Nespresso to finally bring to market a coffee capsule that was tried and tested, especially for the millions of oat drink lovers out there,” said Toby Weedon, barista development director at Oatly.

    Cashing in on the alt-milk boom

    nespresso oatly pods
    Courtesy: Nespresso

    The two brands note that people are increasingly turning to plant-based milk for reasons spanning environment, health, animal welfare, and taste. In the US, nearly half (44%) of households bought milk alternatives in 2023, while more than 35% did so in Germany, Spain, and the UK. Asia-Pacific, meanwhile, is the largest market for these products, recording $13.4B in revenue that year.

    This growth is ascribed to several factors. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of the world’s population suffers from lactose malabsorption. At the same time, awareness around the environmental impact of dairy is on the rise – Oatly’s barista version, for example, generates up to 76% fewer emissions than cow’s milk.

    Consumers are turning to milk alternatives for their flavor, as evidenced by the 19% of American plant milk purchasers who buy conventional milk aswell. Oat milk, meanwhile, has surged in popularity, thanks to its relatively neutral flavour and superior functionality in coffee, compared to other plant-based counterparts.

    The Nespresso Oatly Barista Edition Coffee is described in press materials as “creamy, biscuity and indulgent”. Nespresso blended, roasted, and ground coffee beans in a way that could harmonise with the natural sweetness of oats. When paired with Oatly’s oat milk, the new espresso gives off a sweet, cereal-like aroma, complementing its smooth texture, low bitterness, and light body.

    “At Nespresso, we’re all about taste and we’re on a mission to make sure that every coffee lover out there can create their own perfect cup, just the way they like it,” said Karsten Ranitzsch, global head of coffee at Nespresso. “We know more and more people are reaching for plant-based drinks when preparing their favourite coffee recipe, which is why we are thrilled about our partnership with Oatly.”

    Oatly’s barista expansion continues

    oatly barista oat milk
    Courtesy: Nespresso

    The Oatly-Nespresso coffee pods are available in more than 15 countries, including the US, the UK, China, and Australia. They can be bought on Nespresso’s website or at its boutiques in these locations. In Canada, Nespresso is hosting immersive takeovers at several of its boutiques, running until the end of this month.

    The Nestlé-owned brand already dominates the coffee pod market, but collaborating with Oatly will broaden its appeal to a wider set of consumers. The division recorded $6.4B in sales in 2023, but weaker demand in Europe led to a 1% decline in the first half of 2024.

    It’s a nod to its sustainability efforts, an ever-lasting issue in the world of coffee capsules, which produce 576,000 tonnes of waste every year. The company spends over $35M annually on a pod recycling system, but only 32% actually gets recycled globally. While the composition of this new capsule isn’t anything new, offering it as an oat-milk-exclusive product could at least lower emissions at the household level, if people stick to the recommendation to use oat milk instead of dairy.

    For Oatly, the partnership is a way for the brand to reach more households with its barista oat milk, which has already become the default oat milk at numerous specialty coffee shops across the world. Nearly 10 million US households owned a Nespresso machine in 2023, and data suggests that 400 Nespresso drinks are consumed every second worldwide.

    “Thanks to its neutral taste, Oatly Barista Edition brings out the best flavour in coffee. It’s why it is used by professional baristas and embraced by coffee enthusiasts all over the world,” said Weedon.

    Oatly has been actively innovating with its barista milk to bolster sales. Over the last year, it has launched several new formats of the product, including an organic version, 1.5-litre and 500ml cartons, a refrigerated pack, a 20ml jigger for travel, and a Lighter Taste edition for light-roasted coffee.

    The Oatly barista jigger has also landed on the menus of travel operators like LNER, Avanti West Coast, British Airways, and Swiss International Air Lines.

    “Oatly has been focussed on expanding the Barista family over the last few years, bringing a number of new innovations and formats into market that offer convenience to both buyer and supplier,” an Oatly spokesperson told Green Queen last month.

    The post Oatly, Nestlé Join Forces to Create Nespresso Coffee Pods ‘For Use With Oat Milk Only’ appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Meet the Asian Students Taking on the Future of Food with Global Industry Giants

    proveg food innovation challenge
    6 Mins Read

    Self-heating vegan Hanwoo beef, plant-based octopus legs and Beyond Lamb were among the winners of the 2025 ProVeg Food Innovation Challenge.

    Student-led teams across Asia-Pacific have won big at the fifth edition of the ProVeg Food Innovation Challenge, working in conjunction with some of the world’s leading future food companies.

    This year’s winners have explored uncharted territory, creating innovations like plant-based lamb for Beyond Meat and Hanwoo beef for CJ Foods using local and innovative ingredients such as mung beans, konjac, rice bran, microalgae, duckweed, and wolffia.

    The contest involved Unilever, Mars, Beyond Meat, CJ Foods, Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), DaChan, Monde Nissin, and Thai Union, which presented the innovation topics students needed to address with their products. The first prize winner received $3,000, with those coming in second earning $1,500 and third getting $1,000.

    Already the world’s largest market, Asia is set to be home to half the world’s population by 2050. The region is a culinary trendsetter, but as part of the Global South, it is much more adversely impacted by the climate crisis.

    The continent will likely account for half of the global increase in beef and poultry consumption by the end of the decade, and 70% of global fish intake. To keep up with this demand, farms will need to increase their output by 60-70% versus a decade ago, a task growing harder by the day, thanks to the expansive land use and high emission of animal protein production.

    Experts have identified alternative proteins as crucial to decarbonising Asia’s agrifood sector, free up land, and drastically reduce water and resource consumption. They will also be key in addressing hunger and food insecurity in Asia-Pacific, which already impacts 800 million (or 10% of the global population) of its inhabitants.

    In Southeast Asia, research suggests a major knowledge gap around plant-based meat, with nearly half (44%) having never heard of it. But there are clear opportunities for the sector – particularly if these products were more affordable, nutritious and tasty than conventional meat. In China alone, 98% of poll respondents say they’re willing to add more vegan food to their diets once told their health benefits.

    Asia-Pacific is also home to over 200 alternative protein startups, but with younger consumers leading the demand for low-carbon foods, Gen Z and Alpha are poised to disrupt the sector with novel offerings. Pairing them with proven industry successes – as the ProVeg competition had – is a marker of the collaboration needed to propel the future food economy.

    Hanbap

    Position: First Prize
    Partner company: CJ Foods
    Universities: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (Australia), Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands)

    vegan hanwoo beef
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Hanbap answered CJ Foods’s call to create premium vegan meals inspired by Koran classics, which satisfied local tastes and the demand for healthier food.

    This team of students developed a self-heating lunch box featuring vegan Hanwoo beef – an animal-free version of one of the rarest and more expensive beef cuts (due to its high marbling) – rice, and local vegetables, with a wooden spoon.

    The beef was created with texturised pea proteins, oleogels and red microalgae, and made use of precision fermentation technology.

    Burstatic

    Position: Second Prize
    Partner company: Thai Union
    University: Institut Pertanian Bogor University (Indonesia)

    thai union vegan
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Based in Bogor, Indonesia, the four-strong team of Burstatic created Bomb Bites!, an innovative ready-to-eat plant-based product.

    This was in response to Thai Union’s call for convenience meals targeted to young urban Asian consumers, using its vegan seafood products – like tuna, shrimp or crab – as the base ingredients.

    VegVenture

    Position: Second Prize
    Partner company: CPF
    Universities: AgroParisTech (France), University of Newcastle Australia, University of the Sunshine Coast (Australia)

    vegan peking duck
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    A modern twist on a Chinese classic, VegVenture’s team created a plant-based Peking Duck Wrap Kit with a durian filling, dubbing it Bao Bei Duck.

    Working with CPF’s brief to develop a range of healthy and nutritious vegan ready meals to be sold in convenience stores, these students blended crispy plant-based duck with “bold flavours” in a format they said is convenient, sustainable, and ideal for busy, health-conscious consumers.

    VeggieAlgaeSeafusion Sauce

    Position: Second Prize
    Partner company: Unilever
    Universities: Ocean University of China, New York University (US)

    unilever vegan
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    One of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, Unilever is also the parent organisation of meat-free leader The Vegetarian Butcher (for now). It tasked students to create a new generation of products for the brand.

    The final winner of the $1,500 prize, the team at VeggieAlgaeSeafusion Sauce used microalgae as a raw material. It added savoury peptides extracted from a Chinese seaweed called Porphyra, alongside a seafood flavour to develop a rice dressing.

    They also used bursting purls to lock in the flavour substances and provide a unique sensory experience to diners.

    Baa-yonders

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: Beyond Meat
    University: National University of Singapore

    beyond meat lamb
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Working with a brief from one of the world’s largest plant-based meat makers, students at the National University of Singapore created a new product for Beyond Meat.

    This is based on the concept of ‘light eating’, and tailored to meet the taste preferences and use cases unique to Asian consumers.

    Baa-yonders’s answer was a marbled plant-based lamb, created with duckweed and Asian-inspired ingredients. It is aimed at flexitarians and Gen Zers, bridging the gap in vegan lamb options while addressing its high carbon footprint.

    Natugi

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: Thai Union
    University: Ho Chi Minh University of Technology (Vietnam), University of Hohenheim (Germany)

    thai union plant based
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Another team following Thai Union’s innovation topic was Natugi, developing a convenient, vegan sticky rice meal with the company’s fish-free tuna and shrimp products.

    The team said that many urban Vietnamese students skip breakfast due to time and budget constraints, so its offering could help provide balanced nutrition and a sustainable food option for busy youngsters.

    Teamo

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: Mars
    University: Bogor Agricultural University (Indonesia)

    mars sustainability
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    Confectionery giant Mars had issued a call for a new vegan snack product lineup that leveraged abundant plant resources and crops well-known to Asian consumers, which would be launched under an existing brand or a new label that advances its chocolate, snack and ice cream portfolio.

    The all-Indonesian group of Teamo came up with a winning solution, creating a chocolate made from the whole cacao fruit, filled with okara (the pulp from tofu production), tempeh, and chocolate paste.

    With a proposed price of $2 per 50g bar, it’s aimed at health-conscious women, featuring 30% of the daily recommended value of iron and fibre in Indonesia, and 35% of protein.

    World Peacemakers

    Position: Third Prize
    Partner company: CPF
    University: Jiangnan University (China)

    vegan octopus legs
    Courtesy: ProVeg International

    The final third-prize winner of this year’s challenge was a team called World Peacemakers, which worked on CPF’s call for healthy, convenient vegan ready-meals.

    The Chinese team leveraged microalgae protein, plant polysaccharides and 3D-printing technology to create plant-based, high-protein octopus legs, providing what they called a “nutritious, tasty and sustainable alternative to seafood”.

    The post Meet the Asian Students Taking on the Future of Food with Global Industry Giants appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Trend Report: From Potatoes & Bananas to Watermelon Seeds, Meet the New ‘Alternative’ Plant-Based Milks

    new plant based milk
    8 Mins Read

    Peanuts, potatoes and pistachios are just some of the ingredients taking on the established order of plant-based milk, which remains the most popular vegan category globally.

    Nearly half of Americans are drinking plant-based milk now, and most of them aren’t vegan. They like these products first and foremost for their taste, followed by their health benefits, not to mention for intolerance/allergy reasons. In Europe too, more than a third of consumers in several countries are now consuming milk alternatives.

    The category is dominated by four base ingredients: almond, oat, soy, and coconut. But with alt-milk the most profitable plant-based product category across the world, challenger brands are aiming to take a slice of the non-dairy pie with newer milk bases to upend the dominance of the Big Four.

    Think watermelon seeds, pistachios, buckwheat, and even potatoes. These plant-based milk products aim to keep the sector fresh and give the non-dairy-curious something new – whether that’s for taste purposes, better nutrition, or higher sustainability credentials.

    Plant-based milk in numbers

    plant based milk market
    Courtesy: Statista
    • Asia leads the worldwide market for milk alternatives, recording $13.4B in revenue in 2023. China alone accounts for $9.5B of this, making it the largest plant-based milk market.
    • The global market for these products was valued by one research firm at $19.4B in 2023, with a CAGR of 7.6% until 2030, reaching $32.4B.
    • In the US, milk alternatives account for 36% of the plant-based market, racking up $2.9B in sales, and 80% of all non-dairy milk sold is either almond or oat milk.
    • Nearly half (44%) of US households bought plant-based milk in 2023, and eight in 10 came back for more. That being said, one in five Americans who purchase vegan alternatives also put cow’s milk in their shopping carts.
    plant based sales
    Courtesy: GFI
    • Also in the US, 15% of all milk sales in the country are plant-based, a figure that rises to 41% in the natural channel.
    • Meanwhile, foodservice operators are spending much more on plant-based milk than dairy – while they bought 8% more cow’s milk in 2023 (spending 7% more), their purchases of vegan alternatives grew by 18% in volume, representing a 21% higher spend.
    • Across the Atlantic, milk alternatives make up 41% of all vegan sales in Europe’s biggest markets, reaching €2.2B in 2023.
    dairy free milk
    Courtesy: GFI Europe
    • Vegan alternatives take the highest market share of the milk market in Germany (10%), followed by Spain (8.6%) and the Netherlands (8%).
    • In Germany, Spain, and the UK, more than 35% of households buy plant-based milk.
    • A third of Americans still haven’t found a non-dairy product that meets all of their needs.
    • While non-traditional milk alternatives only make up 5.5% of the alt-milk market in the US – their sales value grew by 6% in 2023 to reach $160M.
    oat milk vs almond milk
    Courtesy: PBFA

    The problem: Why brands are looking beyond the established plant-based milks

    • We need to quit dairy: Simply put, dairy is bad for the planet. Per litre, cow’s milk uses 11 times more land than oat milk and nearly 70% more water than almond milk (often criticised for being too water-intensive), while producing around thrice as many emissions as rice and soy milk.
    • Current plant-based milks face multiple issues: As mentioned, almond milk suffers from a bad rep for needing too much water to grow, while oat milk has been through its own identity crisis with questions around seed oils and glucose levels. For many, coconut milk has too much fat, and rice milk too much sugar (it’s also the most carbon-intensive plant-based milk). Others, meanwhile, find soy milk’s flavour too beany or off-putting.
    is almond milk bad for the environment
    Courtesy: Our World in Data
    • Novelty helps: New innovations and food trends tend to go viral on social media, and brands that capitalise on these can win big. Offering alternatives to common plant-based milk options with attractive packaging and key functional benefits goes a long way.
    • People are often unsatisfied with the texture and performance: While baristas may love oat milk, others don’t quite match up in terms of foamability. Moreover, barista milks don’t always taste great on their own. The opposite is true too – good-tasting milks often have a texture problem. There are very few one-size-fits-all products in the current market.
    • Consumers want elevated nutrition: With health becoming more and more important to consumers, some brands could lose out. The demand for seed-oil-free milks is increasing, while being free from allergens like soy, nuts and gluten (from oats) is a major plus. And outside soy, protein is a key issue for the other common milk alternatives.
    minor figures oat milk
    Courtesy: Minor Figures
    • There are some sustainability question marks: Dairy milk is, of course, as bad as it gets from a climate point of view. Meanwhile, almond and rice milk both use up a significant amount of water, and rice alone produces 2% of global carbon emissions, and 8% of the anthropogenic methane output. Soy, meanwhile, is often associated with Amazon deforestation (although most of the crop goes to animal feed).
    • Users care about food waste: What do companies like Oatly, Alpro and Califia Farms do with the leftover pulp left from their production? The answers are varied, based on where a facility is located. What’s clear is there’s a major opportunity for brands to valorise the sidestream and upcycle ingredients destined to go to waste.

    What are these emerging plant-based milks trying to solve?

    As they look to gain ground and consumer trust, the new-ingredient plant-based milks are playing to a host of key trends.

    Targeted nutrition

    lattini sunflower milk
    Courtesy: Lattini

    Some consumers aren’t satisfied with the lack of protein in traditional almond or oat milks. And while soy milk is a great source, many are put off by its flavour. Enter brands like Sproud and Ripple Foods, which are positioning pea milk as the ideal alternative. They have seen considerable success over the last couple of years, attracting investors and celebrities alike.

    Brands like Bam and Niúke Foods, meanwhile, aren’t just focusing on the amount of protein, but also its composition. The former’s buckwheat milk contains all nine essential amino acids, as does the latter’s superfood quinoa milk, making both of them sources of complete protein.

    Whole Moon blends soybeans with oats, almonds, as well as pistachios to provide complete protein. It also focuses on fibre, a macronutrient that has become prominent in people’s nutrition goals – 95% of Americans don’t consume enough fibre, despite its benefits for the gut. Another fibre-centric blend comes from Potina in the UK, which mixes whose banana pulp oat milks are geared towards children.

    Others are providing allergen-free alternatives, which would speak to more than 225 million people globally. Lattini is catering to this population with its sunflower milk, which is free from the top nine allergens (which include soy, nuts, and gluten). Sweden’s Veg of Lund, meanwhile, makes potato milks under its Dug brand that are free from the top 14 allergens.

    Elevated sustainability

    tache pistachio milk
    Courtesy: Táche

    Companies are looking to offer superior environmental attributes to existing plant-based milks, which can be riddled with issues like excessive water use (like almond and rice milks) and deforestation (coconut and soy milks), as well as climate-change-induced supply shortages.

    Bam and Lattini, for example, is touting buckwheat’s credentials as a regenerative crop, while Sproud has been found to be the most sustainable plant milk out there by CarbonCloud. Dug’s potato milk, meanwhile, is 56 times more water-efficient than almonds, and uses only half as much land as oats. Hemp milk is also among the greenest, a segment led by brands like Good Hemp, Soon, and Pacific Foods.

    Sustainability is top of mind for the red-hot pistachio milks on the market. The US – where this segment is populated by Táche, Three Trees, and Elmhurst 1925 – has become the largest exporter of the premium nut in the last decade, thanks to California (where it’s the sixth most valuable commodity, directly behind almonds).

    The growth is partly ascribed to the fact that pistachios grow on drought-resistant trees that require lower-quality water than almonds. And since they take around seven years to start producing decent harvests, California may not have even reached its full growing capacity from the trees planted in the last decade.

    forca foods
    Courtesy: Forca Foods/Instagram

    Meanwhile, Força Foods is explicitly taking on the mainstream categories with Milkish, its watermelon seed milk, which uses 99% less water than almond milk, 72% less than oats, and 53% less than soy. And it’s not just water waste that the product seeks to address – it’s putting a commonly wasted ingredient in watermelon seeds.

    Austria’s Kern Tec is also making use of a food industry byproduct to transform the alt-milk landscape. Its apricot kernel milk is sold via its Wunderkern brand, and as part of offerings from dairy processor Bauer and Swiss retailer Coop.

    Food waste accounts for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and is recognised by Project Drawdown as the single most impactful thing people can do to fight the climate crisis and lower personal GHG emissions.

    And with food waste in sharp focus in the US – 38% of all food produced in the country goes to waste, amounting to $473B – formats that use discarded ingredients and industry byproducts stand to win.

    New taste experiences

    pkn milk
    Courtesy: PKN

    For some of the novel plant milks, it’s all about bringing a different flavour profile to the table. Niúke is banking on consumers’ curiosities with its indulgent peanut milk range, with a cocoa-infused offering that is said to taste like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

    The banana milk from Mooala Organic, meanwhile, is reminiscent of banana bread, according to the brand, helped by the addition of sunflower seeds and cinnamon.

    And then there is the new crop of pecan milk brands, hoping to take the essence of one of America’s most beloved nuts to the liquid format. THIS PKN, Pecanamilk and Treehouse Naturals (in canned packaging no less) are spearheading this charge.

    The emerging plant-based dairy category is vast and innovative – can it milk the market share of the established alternatives?

    The post Trend Report: From Potatoes & Bananas to Watermelon Seeds, Meet the New ‘Alternative’ Plant-Based Milks appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Coffee Creamers, Vegan Mayo & Cultivated Meat Legislation

    arla jord
    4 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers two new dairy-free coffee creamers, Hellmann’s social media prank, and Oato’s launch of fresh oat milks at Sainsbury’s.

    New products and launches

    Alt-dairy giant Violife has made a foray into coffee creamers, which use lentils as their base and don’t separate or curdle, according to the brand. They’re available in Tempting Vanilla, Seductive Caramel, and Boldly Original flavours at Walmart stores nationwide for $4.88.

    violife creamer
    Courtesy: Heura

    More news from the coffee creamer space: Organic Valley has introduced its oat-based lineup, with flavours like vanilla, caramel, oatmeal cookie, and cinnamon spice.

    A week after partnering with Moonburger, vegan cultured Cheddar maker Stockled Dreamery will now be the “headline cheese” at all 13 locations of plant-based fast-food chain PLNT Burger.

    Unilever-owned Hellmann’s has launched a new social-media-led campaign for its Plant-Based Mayo, which sees chef Matthew Ravenscroft trick his friends into making dishes with the product to prove there’s no difference in taste compared to the original version.

    At the Scientific Kick-off Event for Bezos Earth Fund‘s Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London last week, Californian precision-fermented fat startup Yali Bio showcased its designer cocoa butter alternative.

    Fellow Californian company Beyond Meat has brought its vegan steak and chicken ranges to foodservice operators in France via Metro, Costco, Creta Gel, SDV, and other distributors.

    Germany’s GoodMills Innovation has launched GoWell Tasty Protein, a new plant protein blend for baked goods, made from faba beans, yellow peas, sunflower seeds and wheat. It has a protein content of 60% and a well-rounded amino acid profile.

    British fresh oat milk maker Oato has gained a listing at Sainsbury’s. Its one-litre and one-pint bottles – which are non-UHT – will be available in the chilled aisle at over 370 stores nationwide.

    Speaking of plant-based milk, fellow UK startup MYOM has launched its powdered oat milk at Whole Foods Market stores, one of “many grocery listings” planned for 2025.

    Company and finance updates

    US precision fermentation startup The Every Company has named Evan Geisert as its new CFO. He was formerly the finance chief at Smart Wires and Kairos Aerospace.

    Spanish plant-based meat startup Heura was present at the Faculty of Medicine in Barcelona during the country’s Medical Residency Entrance Exam to spread awareness about the health benefits of a vegan diet to the doctors of the future.

    heura
    Courtesy: Heura

    French hemp fermentation startup Auralip has raised €500,000 ($521,000) from Business Angels Grandes Ecoles, Femmes BA, Yes Invest, and others, which could be matched by a loan from state investor Bpifrance.

    Czechia’s Ministry of Agriculture has decided against introducing stricter labelling regulations for plant-based meat and dairy after considering the feedback to the proposal, a big win for the vegan sector.

    jord oat milk
    Courtesy: Arla

    Danish dairy giant Arla has withdrawn its Jörd plant-based milk brand from UK supermarkets, with the range already unavailable at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda.

    Research and policy developments

    In the UK, the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, the Microbial Food Hub, the Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub, and the National Alternative Protein Centre (NAPIC) have signed an MoU to work together and address alternative protein challenges like cost reduction, scalability, and consumer acceptance.

    NAPIC has also opened applications for five fully funded PhD studentships for alternative proteins, covering subjects like allergenicity and processing, the gut-brain axis, colloidal performance, nutritional equivalence, and microbubble stabilisation.

    national alternative protein innovation centre
    Courtesy: NAPIC

    Across the Atlantic, anti-cultivated meat legislation remains popular. In South Carolina, SB 103 aims to restrict “misleading or deceptive” labelling of these foods.

    US-cultivated meat startup Orbillion Bio has won the Salesforce DreamPitch event at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Coffee Creamers, Vegan Mayo & Cultivated Meat Legislation appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • PETA’s Super Sweet New Video Features ‘Chicago Med’ Star Torrey DeVitto and Her Rescued Goats—Here’s Her Message for Shoppers

    Chicago Med star Torrey DeVitto is swapping her scrubs for a cozy vegan sweater in a new PETA campaign! The actor, new mom, and rescued goat guardian is urging everyone never to wear cashmere and to leave goats in peace—not pieces.

    In PETA’s video filmed at Barn Sanctuary, DeVitto—who was pregnant at the time of the shoot and just welcomed her daughter into the world—shares how compassion and kindness are the most important values she hopes to instill in her child.

    I want her to grow up around animals and have that respect for them and just be mindful of what she chooses to eat and wear.”

    As a guardian to two rescued goats, Pip and Squeak, on her Michigan farm, DeVitto reveals that goats suffer when their hair is torn out to make sweaters and scarves and encourages fans to choose cruelty-free options instead.

    torrey devitto and her rescued goat in PETA ad that says "let goats keep their coats"

    DeVitto says that pregnancy reinforced her empathy for all mothers—who “should get the same respect that a human mama gets.” Mother goats form strong bonds with their young, and both mother and baby recognize each other’s distinct calls—or “bleats”—shortly after birth. Like all mothers, goats want to nurture and protect their precious babies.

    “This kid,” says DeVitto, gesturing to her baby bump, “will never hurt those kids.”

    The Big Ugly Truth About Cashmere

    PETA Asia investigations into cashmere operations in China and Mongolia—where nearly all of the world’s cashmere comes from—revealed goats screaming in pain as workers pin them down, twist their legs, and tear out their hair with sharp, rake-like metal combs, even tearing off pieces of their skin and leaving some with bleeding wounds. When goats are deemed no longer profitable, workers violently slaughter them.

    Angora goats, the most commonly abused and killed animals in the cashmere industry, have interests, feelings, and unique personalities—just like Pip and Squeak.

    Let Goats Keep Their Coats, Cows Keep Their Skin, and Birds Keep Their Feathers

    No one wants to be abused and killed for fashion. Consumers can speak up against the fashion industry’s use of cashmere, leather, feathers, and fur by always choosing vegan materials. PETA’s shopping guide to vegan knitwear can help everyone cozy up this cold season and beyond with luxurious, animal-friendly fabrics.

    Shop Vegan Knitwear!

    The post PETA’s Super Sweet New Video Features ‘Chicago Med’ Star Torrey DeVitto and Her Rescued Goats—Here’s Her Message for Shoppers appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Nestlé Has A Plant-Based Break: Vegan KitKat Discontinued in All Markets Except the UK

    vegan kitkat discontinued
    4 Mins Read

    In a blow for the vegan chocolate industry, Nestlé has taken its KitKat V off shelves in all markets except the UK.

    Nearly four years after it was first introduced, the vegan KitKat is going off the market amid poor sales, a setback for both the plant-based industry and Nestlé’s climate goals.

    The dairy-free chocolate had reportedly not been available in stores or online for some time, and Nestlé has now confirmed that the KitKat V has been discontinued in all countries barring the UK.

    “We know that KitKat vegan was popular amongst those looking for dairy or vegan alternatives. Unfortunately, the sales were reducing to the point where production was adding significant complexity to our manufacturing operations, which could not be sustained,” a Nestlé spokesperson told Green Queen.

    “We have therefore made the difficult decision to discontinue KitKat Vegan. The vegan chocolate segment is still a niche market. Classic chocolate products continue to dominate the confectionery category and contribute to the vast majority of sales,” they added.

    “Our emphasis with the KitKat brand for the foreseeable future will be on classic chocolate variants, as they continue to be the preferred choice among consumers.”

    The company couldn’t confirm whether the continued availability in the UK was a case of backstock, or if it would continue to produce the vegan KitKat for this market.

    For the plant-based chocolate segment, though, the withdrawal of a flagship product from the world’s largest food company is a major blow.

    Vegan KitKat withdrawal a setback for Nestlé’s climate goals

    vegan kitkat
    Courtesy: Nestlé

    KitKat V burst onto the scene in summer 2021, and was born out of consumer demand. “One of the most common requests we see on social media is for a vegan KitKat,” Alexander von Maillot, then head of confectionery at Nestlé, said at the time.

    The rice-based bar contains ingredients like cocoa butter, wheat flour, corn fibre, and vegetable fats, and was an instant hit when it was first piloted in the UK and several other countries. This success led to a wider rollout in 2022, with 800,000 bars set to be produced every day.

    It was a sign of confidence in the vegan industry, with Nestlé bringing out a non-dairy version of one of the CGG world’s most popular, hardest-to-replicate food products. Every second, the equivalent of 560 bars of KitKat are eaten around the world.

    Many brands have tried coming up with copycat versions of the KitKat, including German retailer Aldi and startups like vegan producer Trupo Treats – but these products have either failed during development, or been discontinued soon after launch.

    The innovation was also slated to help Nestlé’s Net Zero plans for 2050. KitKat V has an 18% smaller carbon footprint than the original, so if it could take even a small chunk of the market share, the climate dividends would have been significant for the company.

    But it seems that, almost four years down the line, sales haven’t picked up as much as Nestlé would have liked, and the vegan KitKat faces an uncertain future.

    High prices and climate change keep chocolatiers innovating

    nestle vegan
    Courtesy: Nestlé

    KitKat turns 90 this year, but it leads an industry faced with historical supply chain and cost challenges, thanks to the climate crisis. The global demand for chocolate has wiped out large swathes of land in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the two largest producers of cocoa. And in a business-as-usual scenario, only a third of cocoa trees will die out by 2050.

    That has translated into high prices, with cocoa futures shooting up three- to fourfold last year to reach all-time highs. In New York, this peaked at $12,931 per tonne in mid-December, following weather-induced low supplies for the fourth successive season in West Africa.

    In fact, global cocoa stocks have dropped to their lowest levels in a decade, and it outgrew every other commodity in the value chain in 2024, with prices likely to stay high this year.

    Nestlé’s KitKat V was always more expensive than its classic counterpart, but more sustainable too. The bar’s individual climate reduction journey is now in limbo – especially since its maker abandoned the pledge to make the product carbon-neutral by this year after facing allegations of greenwashing.

    Confectionery, meanwhile, is the company’s second-smallest business segment, making up only 9% of its total revenue. But while it is divesting from plant-based chocolate, its European competitors are going all-in. Lindt already has several dairy-free chocolates, including its oat milk bars, Lindor truffles, and offerings under its Hello! brand. Ritter Sport and Cadbury have had vegan options for a while now too.

    And Ferrero released vegan Nutella last year to similar fanfare, after years of demand and countless replicas that didn’t quite hit the spot. It has also just begun rolling out a plant-based version of its Hanuta wafers.

    Meanwhile, Nestlé and other chocolate producers are in a legal dispute with German confectioner Katjes, whose patent for oat milk chocolate is being challenged – a sign that vegan products remain desirable in the industry. And with cocoa-free chocolate becoming a hot commodity too, the future for climate-friendly treats seems exciting, Nestlé’s KitKat decision notwithstanding.

    The post Nestlé Has A Plant-Based Break: Vegan KitKat Discontinued in All Markets Except the UK appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • The Humane Society of the U.S., ASPCA, and Others Are Factory Farm Apologists

    The Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevent of Cruelty to Animals (ASCPA), and Compassion in World Farming are failing to prevent cruelty to animals—by sitting on the board of directors for the humane-washing scheme Global Animal Partnership (GAP), they have become apologists for factory farms.

    The Humane Society of the U.S., ASPCA, and Others Are Betraying Animals Through GAP Support

    GAP uses misleading “animal welfare certified” labels to convince consumers that they’re buying the flesh and secretions of animals who were treated better than those on other factory farms, but marketing buzzwords mean nothing for animals raised and killed for food. PETA investigators documented systemic cruelty and suffering at 12 Global Animal Partnership-certified facilities.

    A PETA investigation into Sweet Stem Farm—which was certified by GAP at the time—revealed that pigs were crammed into severely crowded sheds and had painful, bloody rectal prolapses.

    Another  PETA investigation into Plainville Farms—which also was, at the time, GAP certified—documented that workers there kicked, beat, and threw turkeys and left ailing birds to suffer without treatment. PETA’s investigation resulted in former Plainville Farms workers being charged with six felonies and a total of 141 counts of cruelty to animals—the largest number in any factory-farmed animal case in U.S. history. Ten former workers have been convicted so far.

    Specific investigations aside, animals on GAP-certified farms can still be routinely mutilated without any painkillers, forcibly manually impregnated, and kept in factoary farm sheds that are virtually indistinquishable from oprtations that aren’t “animal welfare certified”. GAP does not prohibit companies from sending pigs into C02 gas chambers at slaughterhouses, where they convulse and slowly suffocate for up to several minutes.

    When GAP was founded, a fundamental principle was that its board would be split between animal organizations and the animal-farming industry, but now it’s made up of seven factory farm industry leaders and only three animal “welfare” groups.

    This makes it completely imbalanced: GAP has become little more than a humane-washing and marketing arm for the meat industry. For them to claim that they still have a voice at that table is highly suspect. 

    GAP is controlled by the meat, dairy, and egg industries—and that’s why PETA and other animal protection groups, like Farm Forward, dropped their support of GAP—and why we are urging the Humane Society of the U.S., ASPCA, and Compassion in World Farming to do the same.

    “The demands for accommodations became bolder and bolder until calls were made to eliminate even the fundamental principle of having a balanced board comprising half animal groups and half industry. I left the board when this shift away from the core principles upon which GAP was founded became inevitable.” Aaron Gross, Farm Forward

    By Supporting GAP, These Organizations Are Promoting Animal Suffering and Death

    In late 2024, GAP announced that it is phasing in the requirement that all producers follow the abysmally low standards of the “Better Chicken Commitment,” a humane-washing sham that allows chickens to continue to suffer mightily in vile, filthy, factory-farm conditions so the meat industry can profit.

    Over 8 billion chickens are killed for their flesh in the U.S. each year. Almost all of these chickens, called “broilers” by the speciesist chicken industry, spend their entire lives confined in dirty sheds with tens of thousands of other birds, even when their flesh is labeled “Animal Welfare Certified” in grocery stores like Whole Foods. The intense crowding and confinement by the meat, egg, and dairy industries often lead to outbreaks of disease, such as bird flu. When the birds are only 6 or 7 weeks old, workers cram them into overcrowded crates and truck them to slaughter.

    Supporting GAP Is Supporting Factory Farms

    The Humane Society of the U.S., ASPCA and Compassion In World Farming can work with the meat dairy and egg industries to create “imperfect change” to the factory farm industry, but they shouldn’t be promoting misleading labels that serve to give the public the false notion that “humane meat” is anything more than a myth.

    Join PETA in urging the Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, and CIWF to stop supporting factory farms and humane washing and start telling consumers the truth: eating animals is never humane. Go vegan—it’s easy.

    Take Action in Just 10 Seconds

    The post The Humane Society of the U.S., ASPCA, and Others Are Factory Farm Apologists appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • 130 Climate & Consumer Groups Urge EU to Create Plant-Based Diet Action Plan

    eu plant protein strategy
    5 Mins Read

    Over 130 organisations have written an open letter to the EU agrifood commissioner, imploring him to develop a plant-based action plan by next year.

    “The time for change is now.” That was the consensus of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture last year, which recommended that policymakers create a bloc-wide action plan for plant-based foods by 2026.

    It’s a sentiment now being reiterated by more than 130 climate advocacy organisations, animal rights activists, doctors, and consumer groups, who have written to ag commissioner Christophe Hansen to ensure the strategy is included in the region’s vision for agriculture and food, which is expected to be released next month.

    “A shift to healthier, more sustainable, affordable and balanced diets is essential for a successful transition to a more sustainable food system – and plant-based foods are part of the solution,” the letter reads.

    “Such an action plan should be accompanied by appropriate funding that boosts the production and consumption of plant-based foods, with a focus on organic and agroecological products.”

    Why the EU needs a plant-based action plan

    eu plant based report
    Courtesy: Dimarik/Getty Image, Alessandro0770/Getty Images, Canva AI | Composite by Green Queen

    The letter’s signatories include the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), the European Public Health Alliance, Greenpeace, Compassion in World Farming, and Four Paws, among others.

    These organisations argue that current policies don’t ensure that healthy, sustainable and balanced diets are the affordable choice, and new measures are sorely needed to ramp up plant-based production and consumption.

    An EU-wide action plan, they suggest, would help boost the bloc’s strategic autonomy. Currently, it relies on imports for two-thirds of its high-protein feed, exposing farmers and consumers to supply chain issues and price fluctuations. Increasing plant protein production for direct human consumption can assist in closing the protein gap and bolster self-sufficiency by “doing better with less”.

    At the same time, it would create new business opportunities for farmers, who can diversify their production and income sources by introducing new crops. This will increase profit margins and cut costs as there would be less reliance on inputs by integrating nitrogen-fixing legumes.

    The economic costs of animal protein production and consumption in the EU amounted to €3T in 2022, but a scenario with healthier and more plant-forward diets could save 43% of these externalities (or about €1.3T annually).

    All EU member states have dietary guidelines recommending a higher consumption of whole plant foods, and some are implementing strategies to promote a shift to plant-rich diets. “To ensure policy consistency and support from both farmers and consumers, a coherent EU-wide policy is needed to drive alignment with dietary guidelines across all parts of the value chain,” the letter reads.

    Then there are the public and planetary health benefits. Four in five Europeans aren’t eating enough produces, legumes, or whole grain, leading to chronic diseases and avoidable deaths. And climate change, soil degradation, and declining soil fertility are all threatening Europe’s long-term food security, but a plant-based action plan can create a more resilient agriculture system.

    Growing calls for food systems transformation in the EU

    europe plant based market
    Courtesy: V-Label

    The EU’s Common Agriculture Policy, which provides farmers with financial support, is heavily skewed towards livestock farming. The sector receives around 82% of its subsidies from this instrument, four times higher than plant-based agriculture. This is despite meat and dairy accounting for 84% of EU agriculture emissions and 71% of its farmland, and providing only 35% of calories and 65% of proteins in the region.

    The idea to create an action plan for plant-based food was floated by climate advocates and lobby groups representing farmers in September, with the goal to “strengthen the plant-based agrifood chains from farmers all the way to consumers”. The report acknowledged that EU citizens were eating too much meat, noting: “The sustainable choice needs to become the choice by default.”

    EU commissioner Ursula Von der Leyen had said this advice would feed into the Commission’s agrifood vision, to be unveiled within the first 100 days of her second term.

    But in his confirmation hearing, Hansen poured cold water on the Strategic Dialogue’s advice, calling it “rather a vague formulation” and suggesting more detailed discourse was needed. That said, he indicated that it was important for the EU to update its protein strategy from 2018 to include plant protein needs more prominently.

    The open letter states that both the EU Commission and its member states should embrace and support this transition on the supply and demand side to position the region as a “global leader in competitive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems’.

    One of those member states could serve as inspiration. Denmark was the first country to unveil a national plant-based action plan last year, and the organisations suggest that such a plan would put plant-based food on more of an equal footing with livestock farming.

    This is not the first open letter Hansen or his colleagues have received over sustainable food systems. Health organisations have urged lawmakers to prioritise preventative policies and promote healthy and sustainable diets in the region’s food and farming vision. And food giants including Unilever, Danone and Oatly have asked Hansen to deliver an agriculture vision rooted in sustainability to ensure long-term competitiveness.

    “The Commission’s upcoming Vision for the Future of Agriculture and Food needs to be bold on the demand side and pave the ground for an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods. It is the missing puzzle piece to make progress towards diets that will benefit people and the planet,” said BEUC director general Agustín Reyna.

    The post 130 Climate & Consumer Groups Urge EU to Create Plant-Based Diet Action Plan appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Plant-Based Lidl, House of Lords & Powdered Oat Milk

    mighty oat milk powder
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Lidl’s new plant-based range, a vegan workplace canteen, and the UK House of Lords’s nod to cultivated meat.

    New products and launches

    Discount retailer Lidl has unveiled 28 new affordable plant-based products in the UK, which include Meat Free Cordon Bleu, Barista Oat Milk, and Smoked Tofu. The range starts from £1.09.

    lidl vegan
    Courtesy: Lidl

    Also in the UK, plant-based milk brand Mighty has added caramel and chocolate flavours to its oat milk powder range.

    British foodservice wholesaler Brakes has extended its plant-based range with nearly 40 new products and created a Vegan Hub for Veganuary.

    London-based Tofu Vegan, a popular Chinese restaurant chain, has opened its fifth location on Gloucester Road.

    Across the Atlantic, tofu maker Hodo has announced a retail expansion into Meijer, Harris Teeter, and Giant Martin’s.

    New York-based Edenesque has launched a barista edition of its pistachio milk, which is available at Whole Foods Market, on its webstore, and at Joe Coffee for $7.99 per carton.

    AI-led ingredient discovery company Shiru has put out a partnership call to beverage manufacturers for the development and scale-up of a natural sugar replacer.

    Popular fast-food chain Slutty Vegan has opened a new Bar Vegan location in Baltimore’s Rye Street Market, which is part of the Baltimore Peninsula District development.

    Ingredients giant Griffith Foods has launched an Alternative Proteins Portfolio to complement its range of plant-based seasonings, sauces, dressings, binders, coatings, and all-in-one mixes.

    Dutch vegan food distributor GreenPro International has rebranded to Plantitude to solidify its role as the “connecting factor in the protein transition”.

    Crafty Counter has introduced Eggless Salad under its vegan Wundereggs brand, which is available at all Safeway and Albertsons stores across Idaho and Washington state.

    Meanwhile, Emirates Airlines has introduced a range of vegan meals for children, including pizza, vegetable fajitas, cauliflower bites and strawberry crumble. It adds to the carrier’s 300-plus plant-based options.

    Aussie plant-based player v2food has unveiled a new identity for Soulara, the ready meal brand it acquired in January.

    soulara
    Courtesy: Soulara

    And in India, vegan startup Blue Tribe Foods – backed by cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma – has rolled out sweet potato fries, which are available at online retailers like Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, and Blinkit.

    Company and finance updates

    Belgian agrifood company Arvesta has opened Nuverta, a plant-based protein facility in Mettet, which will initially produce pea protein concentrate.

    British green energy innovator Ecotricity, owned by Dale Vince, has opened what it says is the country’s first fully vegan workplace canteen.

    The University of Nottingham has partnered with UK plant-based food company Jampa’s and Canadian manufacturer Tartistes to develop next-gen vegan products, receiving funding from the UK-Canada Innovate UK scheme.

    heura
    Courtesy: Heura

    Spanish vegan meat startup Heura has opened a new innovation lab in Barcelona’s 22@ tech district, and plans to register six more patents over the next nine months, adding to the innovations it announced late last year.

    Slovenian plant-based food producer Narayan Group is set to be acquired by Edible Garden AG Incorporated, having signed a letter of intent to enter a share purchase agreement.

    In the US, animal-free component producer Nexture Bio has acquired Matrix Food Technologies, which makes plant-based, edible nanofibre scaffolds and microbeads for cultivated meat.

    tender food
    Courtesy: Tender Food

    Boston-based Tender Food‘s co-founder Christophe Chantre has announced that he stepped down from his role as CEO last fall.

    Tender Food also received $5.1M as part of the US Department of Energy‘s Technologies for Industrial Emissions Reduction Development (TIEReD) Program, while fellow Boston company Ginkgo Bioworks earned $2.4M.

    Superlatus, the parent company of The Urgent Company, has been sued by Eat Well Investment Group, which has accused the former of fraudulently selling its plant-based food tech platform to avoid contractual obligations and cheating it out of $10M.

    Research and policy developments

    In the UK, the House of Lords has recognised cultivated meat as a key engineering biology opportunity and is calling for improved regulation of these products in a report published by its Science and Technology Committee.

    Bezos Earth Fund‘s Centre for Sustainable Protein at Imperial College London has officially opened with a two-day scientific event.

    Vegan seafood startup BettaF!sh and upcycled apricot kernel company Kern Tec have each won a €5,000 award as part of EIT Food’s Marketed Innovation Prize.

    kern tec
    Courtesy: Kern Tec

    The University of Galway in Ireland has introduced a 12-week course on Animal Law for undergraduate law students, which starts this month.

    In their attempt to bring vegan cheese closer to what consumers expect, researchers from the University of Guelph and Canadian Light Source have found that blending coconut oil with pea protein provides better melting and stretching, and mixing it with sunflowerr oil lowers the saturated fat content without compromising functionality.

    Finally, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a motion to ramp up the procurement of plant-based foods to lower emissions and improve public health, with county food services now encouraged to adopt a 2:1 ratio of plant- to animal-based mains.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Plant-Based Lidl, House of Lords & Powdered Oat Milk appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Germany’s Project Eaden Spins $15.6M in Series A Funding for Ultra-Realistic Pork-Free Ham

    6 Mins Read

    German startup Project Eaden has secured €15M ($15.6M) in a Series A funding round to launch its fibre-spun whole-cut in retail, starting with REWE supermarkets nationwide.

    Using textile technology to modernise and futureproof the $35B ham market, Berlin-based Project Eaden has raised €15M ($15.6M) in an oversubscribed Series A fundraiser.

    The startup, which makes whole-cut plant-based meat with fibre-spinning tech, secured lead investors Planet A Ventures and REWE Group, with support from DeepTech & Climate Fonds, Happiness Capital, AgriFoodTech Venture Alliance, and existing backers Creandum and FoodLabs. This takes Project Eaden’s total funding to date to €27M ($28M), just three years since being established.

    Christoph Gras, General Partner of Planet A, said: “Research suggests that plant-based products
    could replace 11–22% of global meat consumption by 2035—but only if improvements are made in
    taste and texture. Project Eaden is leading this shift with its new fiber technology, which delivers a
    meat alternative that will appeal even to the most skeptical consumers. This first-of-a-kind
    approach is a crucial step toward decarbonizing the food sector.”

    The fresh capital will support scale-up efforts and a European retail launch. Its ham products will debut at 3,800 REWE supermarkets across Germany in early 2025, providing an alternative to the country’s favourite meat (pork). The company will follow this with entry into several other EU markets by the middle of the year.

    According to the company, the retailer was won over by Eaden’s ultra-realistic texture and taste. “Project Eaden is setting a new standard in alternative meat by delivering the meat-like experience that today’s consumers crave. As a launch partner, we’re excited to bring their innovative products to our stores,” said Hans-Jürgen Moog, chief procurement officer of REWE Group.

    Modern meat inspired by the textile industry

    project eaden
    Courtesy: Project Eaden

    Founded by Dr David Schmelzeisen, Jan Wilmking and Hubertus Bessau in 2022, Project Eaden went viral on the internet when it unveiled its whole-muscle steak and placed it next to conventional beef, with online commentators wondering if the image was doctored.

    The Berlin-based company has since expanded its portfolio to create whole-cut sausages, pork loin and, of course, ham. These meat alternatives are derived from an age-old fibre-spinning technology employed by the textile industry. This allows Project Eaden to meet technical requirements like elasticity, water-binding ability and strength to closely mimic animal muscle fibres.

    To get here, plant proteins are bundled into strands, and then unfolded in a solution to create a homogenous liquid. This is spun to form ultra-thin fibres, which get integrated into a compound to replicate the collagen-based connective tissues found in animals.

    Wilmking, the firm’s managing director, has previously explained that the tech uses two types of fibres. “First, we use strong and thin fibres for connective tissue, which don’t stick together much, but help make the meat structure and bite experience feel real,” he told Green Queen in July.

    “Then, a large part of our product is made from a cheaper, juicier fibre that sticks together just enough to hold meat juice in small spaces, making it taste tender and yummy, like real meat,” he added.

    Project Eaden’s ultra-realistic Serrano ham. Courtesy: Project Eaden

    The resulting products have been endorsed by butchers, Michelin-starred chefs, and retail buyers. “Our proprietary tech is versatile across meat types, cheap and highly scalable,” said Schmelzeisen, who has a PhD in textile engineering and is also a managing director at the company.

    The funding round comes at a challenging time for alternative protein startups, which have suffered from a lack of investor interest. Financing for plant-based companies fell by 24% in 2023, reaching $908M. The fall was even sharper in the first nine months of 2024, when the sector raised a mere $194M.

    That said, investors have shown they’re willing to back challenger brands with well-executed products in niche, underserved categories. Paris-based La Vie, for example, closed a €25M ($27.4M) round in October, while Spain’s Heura brought in €40M ($43M) – and both only launched their pork-free ham products in the last 18 monts.

    Alongside Project Eaden, these brands also benefit from what is a relatively competition-free space, with only Prime Roots, Squeaky Bean and Quorn the other prominent players making vegan ham.

    Germans turn away from meat amid health concerns

    Source: Pig Progress

    Much has been said about the slow sales of meat alternatives globally, but Germany has remained a high-performing outlier. It is the largest market for plant-based meat outside the US, and accounted for 46% of meat alternative sales in Europe’s biggest regions in 2023. These products witnessed a 6% hike in sales to reach €990M and entered over 37% of households.

    At the same time, 46% of Germans are cutting back on meat, particularly pork, just as plant-based meat production rises and the new national dietary guidelines recommend a shift away from animal proteins and towards plant-based foods. This is being driven by younger cohorts like Gen Zers, who have been found to be more receptive to meat alternatives than older demographics.

    Health is another key factor challenging pork consumption. Processed deli meats such as ham are often packed with nitrates, and the World Health Organization classifies such foods as Type 1 carcinogens. Eaden’s ham products are nitrate-free, as well as free of antibiotics and hormones.

    Still, several barriers remain, chief among them palatability. More than 60% of Gen Z consumers in Germany are unsatisfied with the taste and texture of plant-based meat, a number that rises to 80% for Gen Xers and 88% for those aged 69 and above.

    Wilmking believes Project Eaden’s whole cuts are solving that: “We are here to make the switch away from animal meat consumption a no-brainer. Our products deliver on taste, texture and nutrition.”

    Tackling climate narratives

    vegan deli meat
    Courtesy: Project Eaden

    The other issue is climate. Nearly two in five Germans think the country eats too much meat, and 30% want to increase their plant-based meat intake, though more than half don’t believe meat is a major problem for the climate – despite animal proteins being responsible for 57% of food system emissions (twice as high as plant-based foods).

    Project Eaden hopes to change this narrative – each kg of its products reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20kg of CO2e, cuts water use by as much as 56 cubic metres, and lowers land use by up to 20 sq m.

    The company will now expand its team across sales, marketing, operations and engineering, and is also working on broadening its range to more cuts, including Serrano and cooked ham, bratwurst, bacon, chicken breast, pastrami, and beef and pork flank steaks.

    Another startup making fibre-spun meat analogues is Massachusetts-based Tender Foods, which likens its production process to spinning cotton candy. The company has raised $23M since it launched in 2020, and its fried chicken and pork are on the menu at meat-free chain Clover Food Lab.

    The post Germany’s Project Eaden Spins $15.6M in Series A Funding for Ultra-Realistic Pork-Free Ham appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Funding Troubles: Dutch Plant-Based Cheese Startup Winds Down

    willicroft
    4 Mins Read

    Willicroft, a plant-based startup that evolved from a decades-old dairy company, has shut down after failing to meet its fundraising goals.

    Dutch company Willicroft, famous for its bean-based vegan butter and cheese range, has wound down due to funding difficulties, co-founder Brad Vanstone has announced.

    The startup, whose roots go back to the 1950s, had raised €2M from investors in 2022, and had opened a €350,000 crowdfunding round a year later.

    “2024 was a tough year for Willicroft. After failing to meet our fundraising goals, we made the difficult decision to sell the company,” Vanstone wrote on LinkedIn.

    “I said goodbye to this chapter of Willicroft by burying a small plaque in the Scottish Highlands – my grandparents’ and my favourite place on this planet,” he continued. “Willicroft, in its current form, was meant to last far longer. Nonetheless, it has been an experience I will never forget – one I feel privileged to have lived and one that has filled me with tremendous energy to build upon.”

    willicroft kaas
    Courtesy: Willicroft

    2024 a ‘sobering reality check’ on the protein transition

    Willicroft was founded in 2018 as an evolution of the dairy company founded by Vanstone’s father in 1957. With an ethos rooted in sustainability – the company’s CEO was Mother Nature – the brand’s products were available at retailers in three countries, and restaurants in several more.

    The B Corp-certified startup’s latest product lineup featured Greek White, Italian Aged, Young Dutch, and Original Fondue cheeses, as well as a hard butter called Better – all made from ingredients like cashews, soybeans and white beans via fermentation.

    “We came close to creating a self-sufficient business that balanced profitability with a positive impact but ultimately fell short. I take a great amount of heart in knowing that our recipes have found happy and trusted homes,” wrote Vanstone.

    “Last year, in particular, was a sobering reality check on the pace at which our food industry is transitioning,” he added.

    “A certificate my grandparents (a dairy farmer) received from the UK milk board illustrates this vividly: one of the Holstein Friesian cows on the farm produced 100 tonnes of milk across its lifetime. This is a staggering output for a single animal. By contrast, Willicroft, in its reimagined form, produced a little under 100 tonnes in total over our six-year existence.”

    The company also had a wine and cheese store in Amsterdam called Kelder, which closed its doors in May 2023. Following Vanstone’s announcement about the business’s closure, its website has now gone offline too.

    Non-dairy cheese has a major taste gap

    Vegan cheese was the fastest-growing plant-based product in Spain, France and Italy, and saw sales hike by 48% between 2022 and 2023 in Europe’s six largest markets. At the same time, this is a very small category within the plant-based sector, taking up just a 3.6% market share.

    Broadly, non-dairy cheese is a tough space. This is the one category perceived as most far away in taste and texture from its dairy-based counterparts, a challenge that has bred lots of competition among brands vying to fill this gap.

    Large and established brands like Violife, Sheese and Bel Group’s Nurishh dominate the market, but consumers remain unconvinced by the current options on the market. Three in 10 Europeans aren’t familiar with fermented vegan cheese products like Willicroft’s, according to a 2024 survey of over 7,800 people. And 22% of those who’ve tasted them don’t consume them, highlighting a major gap in satisfaction.

    willicroft cheese
    Courtesy: Willicroft

    While Willicroft was making strong inroads with its butter alternative, made from shea and coconut oil and fermented soybeans, its progress was likely impeded by the overarching financial challenges.

    And these challenges are only compounded by pressure from the dairy lobby, which holds a sizeable influence over EU policy. Livestock production has received the bulk of the money available under the Common Agriculture Policy, despite animal proteins generating 84% of the EU’s farm emissions and 72% of its land, while providing only 35% of calories and 65% of proteins.

    The contrast between the output of a single cow versus Willicroft’s entire existence “highlights the challenges we faced in scaling, the immense size and efficiency of the dairy industry, and the strain it places on animals within that system”, noted Vanstone.

    “It remains far too difficult for companies driving positive change in the food industry to thrive. My next steps are uncertain, but I am determined to confront this challenge head-on in the coming years.”

    Willicroft’s closure comes at a challenging time for Europe’s alternative protein industry. UK ready meal maker Allplants shut down in late 2024, while Swedish mycoprotein specialist Mycorena was rescued from the brink by Naplasol months before. Speaking of mycoprotein, industry leader Quorn posted pre-tax losses of £63M in 2023, a fourfold increase from the £15M it lost the year before.

    The post Funding Troubles: Dutch Plant-Based Cheese Startup Winds Down appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • French ‘Veggie Burger’ Labelling Ban Rejected by Country’s Highest Court

    plant based meat banned
    4 Mins Read

    The French government’s proposed labelling ban on plant-based meat products has been cancelled by its top court, echoing a similar decision by its EU counterpart.

    Veggie burgers are here to stay – yet again.

    A long-running saga in Europe’s food tech industry, the war on plant-based meat labels has taken another turn in favour of vegan producers, as France’s Conseil d’État has rejected two decrees proposing a ban on terms like ‘plant-based bacon’ on, well, plant-based bacon.

    In a ruling yesterday, the country’s top court called the decrees “illegal and contrary to European regulation”, noting that EU member states cannot independently regulate food labelling.

    The decision comes just over a week after the court held its final hearing on the matter, where its advocate-general – who assists the court and presents opinions on cases with full impartiality and independence – recommended cancelling both decrees.

    The advice argued that the decrees are not fit for purpose and that the government should pay legal costs to the plaintiffs, namely the European Vegetarian Association (EVU), the Association Végétarienne de France (AVF), and industry giant Beyond Meat.

    By throwing out the attempt to prohibit meat-like phrases on vegan products, the Conseil d’État has delivered a landslide victory for the plant-based industry, and agreed with a similar ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year.

    A swing of victories for plant-based meat labels

    france plant based labelling ban
    Courtesy: La Vie

    France’s first attempt to ban meaty terms on plant-based products came in 2022, when it issued a decree to prohibit all such descriptors except ‘burger’. The Conseil d’État suspended the decree after complaints from meat-free companies and associations, calling the wording too vague.

    The second decree – proposed in September 2023 – was nearly identical, co-signed by then Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. It aimed to outlaw 21 terms like ‘steak’, ‘ham’ and even ‘grilled’, threatening a non-compliance fine of up to €1,500 for individuals and €7,500 for companies.

    This second decree listed a further 120 more phrases – like ‘bacon’, ‘sausage’, and ‘nuggets’ – that companies could use only if the amount of plant protein didn’t exceed a maximum limit ranging from 0.5% to 6%. This, of course, meant that no fully plant-based products could use these terms.

    The Conseil d’État suspended this too, following the complaint from the EVU, AVF and Beyond Meat. It referred parts of the case to the ECJ, which also rejected the ban and returned the case to the French court for a final decision.

    The EU’s highest court ruled that the only way a member state can implement such a ban is to legally define meat products and descriptive terms first, and even then, such a ban would only apply to products manufactured within that country (creating an unfair environment for local companies). It also said countries can’t adopt national measures that determine minimum inclusion levels of plant proteins for labelling purposes.

    It’s not the first time the EU has ruled in favour of plant-based companies on this issue – the parliament voted to reject such a ban in 2021 as well, though choosing to enforce it on non-dairy products.

    Lawmakers should stop politicising ‘non-issue’

    beyond meat france
    Courtesy: Beyond Meat/Green Queen

    France is far from the only country targeting vegan product labels. These legislative proposals are common across the world – as recently as last month, the Czech government was floating a similar move.

    The major argument behind these proposed bans is that consumers are confused when they see a product labelled ‘veggie burger’ or ‘vegan chicken’. But this has been dispelled by numerous studies, with most consumers knowing the difference between plant- and animal-derived proteins.

    Rafael Pinto, senior policy manager at the EVU, argued that these attempts “do nothing but confuse consumers”, hindering the region’s shift to a more sustainable food system. “The data is clear, consumers are not confused by the use of traditional denominations for plant-based products,” he said.

    “Policymakers should be focused on promoting better conditions for farmers, citizens and innovation, instead of politicising a non-issue,” he added.

    In a positive sign, these efforts are increasingly being thwarted. Italy is reconsidering its ban after pushback from the country’s leading union of food manufacturers. A South African court ruled against upholding a ban last year too. And Turkey’s latest labelling laws allow companies to use such terms on packaging.

    Plant-based companies like Tofurky, Miyoko’s Creamery, Planted, Oatly and NotCo have all won legal battles over product labels – and Beyond Meat has now joined them.

    This story was updated on January 29 to reflect the French court’s final decision.

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    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Cornell Expert & How Not to Die Author Dr Michael Greger: ‘Plant-Based Meat Is the Ultra-Processed Food Exception’

    michael greger
    7 Mins Read

    Dr Michael Greger, founder of NutritionFacts.org and author of How Not to Die, spoke to the Good Food Institute about misinformation and the link between ultra-processed foods and plant-based meat.

    Perhaps the most pertinent public debate around plant-based meat today concerns ultra-processing, a topic that has prompted a shift to more whole foods, pushing industry leaders to reformulate products and talk more about nutrition on-pack.

    Ultra-processed food (UPF), a subset of the Nova classification, was never meant to be about health – it simply was a reference to how much processing a product has undergone. But the confluence of processing and ill health has strengthened over recent years, thanks to a host of studies.

    This has adversely impacted plant-based meat products, which – because of being ultra-processed – are thought of as unhealthy. Or at least not as healthy as they’ve been made out to be. A wave of misleading media coverage has only bolstered this narrative.

    is beyond meat processed
    Courtesy: Robbie Lockie

    It has dissuaded people from buying meat alternatives, with a 10,000-person survey from 2024 suggesting that more than half of Europeans avoid these products because they’re ultra-processed.

    Nutrition experts have been fighting back, highlighting the distinction between food processing and human health, and reiterating the benefits of meat analogues – especially over their animal-derived counterparts.

    NutritionFacts.org founder and How Not to Die author Dr Michael Greger, a leading health expert, is one of these voices. He plans to write a book dedicated to the subject, and hit back at the misinformation surrounding meat alternatives in the Good Food Institute’s latest Science of Alt-Protein seminar.

    Here are 10 takeaways from the event.

    1) UPF effects can be independent of dietary quality

    Studies involving nearly 10 million people have linked greater exposure to UPFs to a higher risk of chronic health conditions and premature death. But this association was found after controlling for dietary quality, so it wasn’t just that people were eating “junkier diets”.

    “At least some of the adverse consequences of ultra-processed foods may be independent of dietary quality. This could involve things like harmful additives, heat-induced contaminants or packaging chemicals,” said Greger.

    2) Plant-based meats are the UPF exception

    While there are several factors that could explain the connection between UPFs and ill health. Normally, when you compare ultra-processed products (like Kool-Aid or fruit candy) with the foods they were designed to replace (in this case, water or fruits), the former category tends to perform worse on the health scale.

    “However, plant-based meats appear to be the exception – better in most ways compared to the foods they were designed to replace,” said Greger. He cited a 2024 systemic review of nine studies comparing plant-based with conventional meat, and found that the former scored better based on every nutrient scoring system tested. And a 10th study rated plant-based meat three times healthier than animal-derived meat.

    plant based meat ultra processed
    Courtesy: Dr Michael Greger/GFI

    3) Are additives like methylcellulose a concern?

    There is growing evidence suggesting toxicity from several artificial food additives, like synthetic dyes and emulsifiers. One of the most commonly used additives in plant-based meat is methylcellulose, known for its binding, gelling and thermoreversible properties. It’s also often used in laxatives.

    But while there has been some potential harm found with methylcellulose use in mice, this is at 10 times higher concentrations than what’s found in plant-based meat.

    “Reassuringly, vegetarians who eat plant-based meat may actually have lower rates of irritable bowel syndrome than those who don’t consume plant-based meat, suggesting that at least from that standpoint, plant-based meat emulsifiers are not a problem,” said Greger.

    4) The sodium comparisons are misleading

    Despite plant-based meat having more fibre, lower saturated fat, zero cholesterol and oftentimes comparable protein levels, one area they face scrutiny over is the sodium content. “The most harmful additive currently in use is ironically the most traditional of all, and that’s salt. The number one dietary risk factor for death on planet Earth [is] excessive sodium consumption,” Greger noted.

    One study found vegan burgers to have 10 times as much sodium as beef. “But that’s because they were comparing raw beef with pre-seasoned plant-based meats. Now, they could have compared [cooked] burgers to burgers, but intentionally excluded them from the study, skewing the results,” he explained.

    When comparing like-for-like, the nutrition expert said the saltiest plant-based meatballs have been found to be lower in sodium than the least salty conventional meatballs.

    impossible burger vs beef
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    5) Plant-based meat can provide GLP-1 boost

    Nearly three-quarters of Americans over 20 are overweight or obese, which leads to a host of other life-threatening conditions. This has also given rise to GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. Greger cited research showing that a plant-based burger boosts the GLP-1 receptor about 40% higher than a beef burger.

    Additionally, even when people swap only a single serving of meat a day with vegan alternatives, they lose significantly more weight. This could be due to fewer branch-chain amino acids, which improves metabolic health, or because the resting metabolic rate in vegetarians has been found to be 20% higher than meat-eaters.

    6) Meat analogues enhance diabetes management

    Nearly 15% of American adults have diabetes (mostly type 2), while almost two in five American children and teenagers are prediabetic. Greger highlighted the potential of vegan meat products in reducing insulin resistance and managing blood glucose levels in diabetics.

    A four-year interventional trial shows that diabetics who replaced animal protein with TVP – a processed meat alternative – find significant improvements in blood sugar. Swapping a single serving of red meat with TVP vastly enhanced insulin resistance, though resting blood glucose levels were only significantly better through a shift to whole soybeans.

    In another study, pregnant women with gestational diabetes who swapped half their animal protein for TVP not only saw improvements in insulin resistance and blood sugar control, but also found newborn hospitalisations lowered by 85%.

    gut health diet
    Courtesy: LaylaBird/Getty Images

    7) Plant-based meat is good for the gut

    The GLP-1 boom has also put gut health in sharp focus, and meat alternatives can bring major benefits here. They can promote positive changes in the microbiome, helping feed beneficial gut microbes, for example, which produce anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids.

    Replacing a few servings of meat a day with Quorn’s mycoprotein alternatives has been found to increase the abundance of good gut bacteria and reduce the amount of DNA damage caused by faecal matter.

    “According to the latest data, about 85% of ground beef and turkey are contaminated with faecal bacteria at a retail level. And about half a chicken, and a third of pork,” said Greger. “But you don’t have to cook the crap out of plant-based meat because there shouldn’t be any crap to begin with.”

    8) Vegan products can reduce healthcare costs

    “These days, most of us are dying from diseases of excess, not deficiency,” Greger remarked. Too much salt, too much sugar, too much saturated fat, too many calories. “Higher intake of meat in general – red meat, white meat, processed, unprocessed – [is] also associated with increased risk of death from all causes put together,” he added.

    “If people swapped out about 75% of their meat, up to 50,000 lives can be saved every year in high-income countries potentially saving billions of dollars of healthcare costs,” he continued.

    9) On-pack labelling requirements can help plant-based food

    It was only last week that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed the rollout of a front-of-pack label that scored the saturated fat, sodium and sugar content of a processed food product from low to high. Greger praised on-pack labelling strategies, drawing a parallel with how the fight against trans fats was won when the food industry was forced to list them on their ingredient labels.

    He argued that these policies – unwelcome as they might be for many food producers – have forced their hand. They now “actually have to care about sodium”, for example. “It would be nice if companies were like: ‘Maybe we should care about sodium because we don’t like killing people,” Greger said, acknowledging that it’s not something shareholders will ask about.

    But front-of-pack labelling means companies can’t “hide behind some health halo”, such as “plant-based” or “natural”.

    10) Whole-food plant-based meat is the way to go

    Asked what his dream meat alternative would be, Greger said this already existed in the form of plant proteins “made by Mother Nature”, like kidney beans. But he painted a bigger picture.

    “Can we make something healthier than a kidney bean?” he said. The way you make something healthier than a lentil is to do something to it that makes people eat more lentils. “Add some potassium chloride to lentils – all of a sudden tastes better you’re eating more lentils,” Greger suggested.

    This could be complemented with some healthy fat, like a nut butter, and added fibre – or at least a mechanism that strips less fibre away. “Just more whole healthy foods in people’s bodies would be ideal,” he said.

    The post Cornell Expert & How Not to Die Author Dr Michael Greger: ‘Plant-Based Meat Is the Ultra-Processed Food Exception’ appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Impossible Foods Success: Startup Scores EU Patent Win for Flagship Vegan Burger Ingredient

    impossible burger europe
    4 Mins Read

    With hopes of a European launch growing, Californian plant-based meat leader Impossible Foods has had a patent for its heme protein reinstated in the EU.

    Two years after the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked a key patent it granted to Impossible Foods, the decision has been overturned by the agency’s Board of Appeals.

    A culmination of a protracted process that faced significant opposition, the patent concerned the plant-based company’s use of heme protein and flavour precursors in its flagship burger, which allow it to ‘bleed’, smell and taste like conventional beef.

    The heme ingredient – derived from soy and genetically engineered yeast – has been at the centre of a legal dispute in its home country, where the Californian firm triumphed over a long-running legal battle with Motif Foodworks, taking over its heme business. The latter ceased operations soon after the case came to an end.

    Why Impossible Foods’s EU patent was reinstated

    impossible heme patent
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The EU patent was first granted in 2017, covering a meat alternative compromising heme proteins and “at least two flavour precursor molecules”. Impossible Foods inserts the DNA from soy plants into a genetically engineered yeast strain called Komagataella phaffii to produce soy leghemoglobin via a process similar to how Belgian beer is brewed.

    But it was challenged by a straw man (or anonymous) opponent a year later, which argued that the patent was invalid due to a lack of novelty or an inventive step (when an invention is not obvious to a person skilled in the field), and insufficient disclosure.

    The EPO’s Opposition Division agreed that the patent was invalid for the latter reason. And while it believed that Impossible Foods’s heme protein was a novel invention, it lacked an inventive step.

    In its decision on December 20, the Board of Appeals said it was “readily apparent” the case was complex. “The proprietor had to address numerous and increasingly expanded attacks raised by the opponent and third parties during the opposition proceedings. More than 100 documents were filed, most of them after the filing of the notice of opposition,” it stated.

    The appeals body found that the requirement that the heme-containing protein be ‘isolated; was directly and unambiguously disclosed in the patent application, as were the combinations of three flavour precursors.

    Impossible Foods had also communicated how the heme protein and flavour molecules give its plant-based analogues the taste and smell of meat during the cooking process, the Board of Appeals noted. It additionally found that the company had made sufficient disclosures about its invention, which it said contained an inventive step.

    Impossible Burger inching closer to European plates

    impossible burger eu
    Courtesy: Impossible Foods

    The EPO Board of Appeals’s decision ended a year of significant regulatory progress for Impossible Foods in Europe. The company already sells its beef in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, the UAE, Australia, and New Zealand – but has faced several hurdles in the EU and the UK for its precision fermentation process.

    But in June, the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) food additives panel issued a positive safety assessment of LegH Prep, a liquid preparation containing the company’s soy leghemoglobin and other ingredients. This was provisional, as it was subject to an assessment from the regulator’s GMO panel.

    That came months later in November, when the GMO body ruled that the ingredient was “safe for human consumption with regard to the effects of the genetic modification”. It ended a Clock Stop – a period when evaluation is officially stopped pending further information from the company – that had hampered the process since December 2021.

    This then followed a 30-day consultation period, allowing the submission of purely scientific comments and questions to be addressed by the EFSA and the EU Commission. Following that, the Commission will draft approval decisions to be brought to the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, which will discuss and then vote on them.

    “The agency’s comprehensive, scientific assessment of the safety of soy Leghemoglobin (heme) across two applications reinforces the overall quality and safety of our food, echoing similar approvals from regulators in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand,” an Impossible Foods spokesperson told Green Queen in November.

    They noted that the GMO approval was “an important step toward bringing Impossible products to Europe”, adding: “We’re excited to continue our work with EU decision-makers to bring Impossible Foods products to European consumers.”

    Impossible Foods’s patent victory comes at a testy time for plant-based meat in Europe, where it has faced renewed attacks over the use of meat-related terms on product labels. But in a positive sign for the industry, the EU’s top court rejected the French government’s attempt to instate a labelling ban, a decision that is set to be finalised by France’s top court.

    The post Impossible Foods Success: Startup Scores EU Patent Win for Flagship Vegan Burger Ingredient appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Burger Wars Heat Up: Why McDonald’s is Losing to Plant-Based Rivals in Europe

    mcdonald's new burger
    7 Mins Read

    Sustained high meat prices on both sides of the pond are changing the burger business – for the benefit of people and the planet. But McDonald’s may be too centralised to adapt quickly enough to the changing times.

    The world’s largest burger restaurant chain, McDonald’s, has posted the biggest fall in global sales since 2020. It’s the second consecutive quarter of contraction since the height of the Covid crisis. International markets outside the US were hit particularly badly, with sales down by 2.1%, led by France and the UK.

    One of the key triggers for such poor performance is meal prices. Customers walk in McDonald’s stores looking for tasty AND cheap meals served fast. That’s the unique selling proposition of fast food chains. The problem is that McDonald’s meals are not so cheap anymore.

    In May, Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said in an open letter that the average price of McDonald’s menu items was up around 40% since 2019. Overall, the prices of McDonald’s food have risen an average of 100% in the last decade, which is about three times the general inflation rate, according to CPI Data.

    beef prices
    Courtesy: Statista

    Food inflation is to be blamed. Certainly, food prices have increased across all food categories in the past five years, but quite significantly in the meat category. For instance, the price of ground beef in the US has increased by 35% since the pandemic.

    The average EU meat price has also gone up since the pandemic: the cost of pork to consumers has increased by 42% since the pandemic; chicken 35%; and beef 30%. This is quite a blow for the operations of the Golden Arches brand because it is primarily an animal product business (beef, chicken, fish and dairy). 

    food price comparison
    Courtesy: Eurostat

    McDonald’s US reaction to plummeting sales has been to introduce a ‘$5 Meal Deal’ earlier in June for one month to attract lower-income customers back. It has been extended in the summer and again in November. Obviously, this move has squeezed profit margins. Even though the super cheap meal deal has helped increase sales in the US, net profits have fallen 3%.

    McDonald’s outside the US is trying out a different approach. Around the same time McDonald’s US extended the $5 Meal Deal until December, McDonald’s France launched a plant-based alternative to its Chicken McNuggets. Crucially, the plant-based version is sold at the same price as the regular nuggets, giving customers a clear choice (no price premium attached), while keeping the profit margin higher than with regular chicken.

    Why this could be a turning point for the vegan fast food sector

    mcdonalds vegan nuggets
    Courtesy: McDonald’s

    While the US is responding to the ever-increasing meat price pressure with super deals that are unsustainable in the medium run, McDonald’s in France is trying other avenues. This is important for three reasons.

    First, the size of the market. France is the Golden Arches’ largest market outside the US. The fast food giant clearly sees a growing demand for plant-based products, especially in Europe. Indeed, McDonald’s France’s chief marketing officer made that very point in the media surrounding the launch. 

    Second, the product. Chicken McNuggets are a flagship product. After the failure of the launch of the McPlant burger in the US, it’s telling that the company is piloting the plant-based chicken nuggets in such a key market for the company.

    Third, the marketing strategy. All the market research and the latest successes in fast food with Burger King and in retail with Lidl shows that selling plant-based alternatives at the same price as conventional meat products boosts sales significantly.

    All that glitters is not gold

    mcdonald's mcplant
    Courtesy: McDonald’s

    However, McDonald’s is a laggard in the sector. Rival Burger King is leading the plant-based race by a mile (or two), at least in Europe. 

    Burger King claims to have the largest plant-based range in the fast food sector in Germany, with a meatless version of almost every product since 2022. Their plant-based sales are beyond niche: One in five (20%) Whoppers sold in Germany are now plant-based, as well as one in four (25%) Long Chicken sandwiches. Similar sales performance has been registered in neighbouring Belgium and Austria. 

    The main driver of such success for the plant-based category is price parity. When Burger King Germany announced the full range of veggie options for each of their beef and chicken products, it did so by offering it at the same price as the regular animal products. 

    The bet paid off. And as meat prices have kept rising and the cost of veggie burgers have decreased thanks to economies of scale, in March Burger King Germany offered all their plant-based products at a lower price than meat.

    German supermarkets are witnessing the same downward trend: plant-based meat alternatives cost less and less every year, and in Lidl, Germany’s largest discount supermarket, veggie products today are cheaper for consumers than meat.

    Veggie burgers: good for people, animals and planet

    mcdonald's sustainability
    Courtesy: Profundo/Madre Brava

    The benefits of McDonald’s diversifying their protein offering are not only monetary. Selling more veggie burgers and plant-based nuggets is also a great deal for the climate, nature and animals. 

    McDonald’s is the world’s biggest fast-food chain with over 40,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. McDonald’s alone is responsible for around 1.5% of global beef consumption. 

    Analysis by research consultancy Profundo for Madre Brava shows that if McDonald’s replaced half of its beef burgers with plant-based patties globally, it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15.6 million tonnes. This is equivalent to taking 12 million new petrol cars off EU roads. Moreover, the 50% plant-based meat replacement could free up an area of land the size of Austria (84,000 sq km). Last but not least, it could save as much fresh water as 84,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.

    Rebalancing protein sales to offer as many beef burgers as veggie burgers is not only good for the health of our planet, but it is also for our own health and nutrition. According to the latest peer-reviewed multicriteria analysis, processed plant-based products such as veggie burgers offer substantial health and nutritional benefits compared to regular animal counterparts. 

    US vs EU?

    mcdonald's netherlands
    Courtesy: McDonald’s Netherlands

    Sustained high meat prices are here to stay, while plant-based products get tastier and cheaper due to economies of scale. Unless the US and EU pour even more polluting subsidies into the industrial meat complex to artificially lower animal product prices, this is not going to change. Thus, the burger business is demanding a new strategy that can succeed in the new normal of high meat prices while addressing ESG challenges.

    Two diverging business strategies seem to be competing within the Golden Arches global family. A US approach laser-focused on luring customers back with $5 meal deals, betting on regenerative agriculture and a shift from ‘beef to chicken’ to ‘solve’ their health and sustainability challenges.

    And a European way, led by McDonald’s France, Germany and the Netherlands, that shows how plant-based patties and nuggets can help retain more and more flexitarian customers who want to cut down on meat and bring in new, vegetarian/vegan customers – all while increasing profit margins and slashing climate emissions.

    Because the Golden Arches company is a top-down business where menu decisions and corporate strategies are made in Chicago and rolled out globally, it is quite easy to predict that the American approach will prevail for the time being.

    But McDonald’s has always prospered through innovation. What is happening in Europe is a far more innovative way of approaching the new challenges facing the business than doubling down on a tired model which is proving increasingly unprofitable and unsustainable.

    McDonald’s cannot afford to be left behind by more agile competitors. Its current problems have opened up a big opportunity. It should seize it.

    The post Burger Wars Heat Up: Why McDonald’s is Losing to Plant-Based Rivals in Europe appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Celeb-Backed Vegan Startup Stretches Portfolio with Takeover of Fellow Dairy-Free Cheese Producer

    misha's cheese
    4 Mins Read

    Californian plant-based food maker Misha’s Inc has acquired New York-based Vertage, a fellow vegan cheese producer, for an undisclosed sum.

    In a bicoastal deal, cashew cheese maker Misha’s has extended its dairy-free portfolio to include sliced and shredded offerings through an acquisition of Vertage, which uses mushroom fermentation to produce Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and mozzarella.

    Based in Los Angeles, Misha’s takeover seeks to leverage Vertage’s ongoing collaboration with Fresh Del Monte Produce, a distributor of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Running since May 2023, the partnership gives Vertage access to the latter’s production facility, tech, and distribution and transportation networks.

    Through the acquisition – supported by investors including QVT Financial LP, Composite Capital Partners LLC, Gaingels, as well as Fresh Del Monte – Misha’s will now gain access to Fresh Del Monte’s infrastructure and logistics, which is managed by its Tricont Trucking and Logistics arm. The vegan brand will also expand its product lineup beyond its spreadable cheeses.

    “By integrating Vertage’s expertise and leveraging Fresh Del Monte’s infrastructure, we’re not only scaling our operations, but also evolving our product offerings to meet consumer demand,” said Misha’s co-founder and CEO Aaron Bullock. “The introduction of shredded cheeses and slices is just the beginning – we’re excited to unveil even more categories in 2025.”

    An artisanal vegan cheese marriage

    artisanal plant based cheese
    Courtesy: Vertage

    Misha’s was founded by Bullock and Aaron Miller in 2018, homing in on the clean-label trend with nut-based cheese spreads free from coconut or palm oil, soy, gluten, and even nutritional yeast. In 2021, the startup raised $3M in a seed funding round that included Marcy Ventures Partners (co-founded by Jay-Z) and NBA great Chris Paul (also known as CP3).

    It currently has a six-strong lineup of cheeses, including Sari (featuring sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic and cilantro), Seven Point Five (jalapeño, habanero and strawberries), and Black Truffle (black truffle, shallots). They’re available in over 1,100 retail stores, including Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Kroger, and Erewhon.

    Vertage, meanwhile, is the brainchild of award-winning chef Margaux Riccio, who set up the business after developing a dairy allergy as an adult. The artisanal brand uses traditional cheesemaking techniques and patent-pending fermentation processes to make products like a sliceable mozzarella, Cheddar and Pepper Jack slices, and classic and Everything But the Bagel cream cheeses.

    The cream cheeses and mozzarella are made from fermented cashews – but the latter also contains shiitake-mushroom-fermented pea protein, as do the potato- and coconut-based sliced cheeses.

    Following the acquisition, Vertage CEO Tim Wildin will transition into the role of chief marketing officer at Misha’s, bringing his years of experience as brand director of Chipotle.

    “Misha’s and Vertage share a mission to reimagine the future of food. This acquisition allows us to bring our innovations to more consumers while staying true to our commitment to taste, quality, and sustainability,” Wildin said.

    “I’m thrilled to see Misha’s leverage our technology to expand the product line and redefine how delicious dairy-free cheese can be.”

    vertage cheese
    Courtesy: Vertage

    Dairy-free cheese has it tough – but opportunities abound

    The two companies are operating in a crowded category with a host of challenges – there’s no shortage of spreadable cashew cheese options in the US, and brands like Miyoko’s Creamery, Daiya, Climax Foods and Stockeld Dreamery are all using centuries-old fermentation processes to make vegan cheese.

    Then there are the financials. Vegan cheese isn’t making a lot of Cheddar – it was one of the only four plant-based categories that witnessed a dip in sales stateside between 2021 and 2023, falling by 5.4%.

    These products have also only penetrated 7% of American homes, with less than half (49%) buying them more than once in 2023 (down from 56% in 2020). Non-dairy alternatives’ dollar share in the overall cheese market has also remained constant at 1%.

    pbfa state of the marketplace
    Courtesy: PBFA

    Conventional cheese is a huge market, present in 97% of US households. But with at least 12% of Americans suffering lactose intolerance – and over 5% (15 million) having a milk or dairy allergy – there is a major opportunity for plant-based brands, if they can meet taste expectations. And polling shows that 18% of US consumers are actively replacing animal-derived cheese with dairy-free versions.

    The acquisition allows Misha’s and Vertage to consolidate their operations and streamline their supply chains, with the Fresh Del Monte deal enabling them to expand into new regions.

    “This partnership reflects exactly why we opened our robust logistics network to other businesses,” said Ziad Nabulsi, senior VP of North American operations at Fresh Del Monte. “It enables other companies to leverage a well-established, efficient system to expand their footprint and reach a broader audience.”

    Green Queen has contacted Vertage for further details on the deal.

    The post Celeb-Backed Vegan Startup Stretches Portfolio with Takeover of Fellow Dairy-Free Cheese Producer appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Future Food Quick Bites: Burger King Rib, Cured Swede Bagels & Ikea Vegan Sausages

    deutsche bahn vegan
    5 Mins Read

    Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Burger King Germany’s new vegan option, a cured root vegetable bagel at Deutsche Bahn, and the UK parliament’s cultivated meat research.

    New products and launches

    Burger King has released a new plant-based King Rib sandwich in Germany. The limited-edition menu item uses plant-based meat from The Vegetarian Butcher, which may be in the process of being sold by its parent company, Unilever.

    verrano
    Courtesy: Verrano

    Also in Germany, national rail operator Deutsche Bahn is offering a bagel with cured, smoked rutabaga (or swede) from Verrano, which makes whole-food-based alternatives to meat. It’s available at its on-board restaurants and bistros.

    German chemicals and ingredients specialist Brenntag has collaborated with Berlin-based biotech firm Cambrium to launch NovaColl, a skin-identical vegan collagen for the personal care industry in the UK and Ireland, France, Italy, and Iberia.

    Fellow Berlin-based company BettaF!sh has linked up with Austrian supermarket chain Billa to introduce a co-branded vegan Tu-Nah Sandwich in the latter’s stores.

    maya bakery
    Courtesy: White Owl Group

    In Hong Kong, White Owl Group has launched a joint location for its plant-forward F&B brands The Cakery and Maya Bakery at K11 Musea, with new menu additions including vegan pistachio croissants and cotton cake inspired by the famous Dubai chocolate.

    Ikea has teamed up with UK plant-based meat leader THIS to put its vegan pork sausages on the menu for its £4.95 Veggie Sausage & Mash meal at 19 locations.

    ikea this isn't pork
    Courtesy: This/Ikea

    Aussie startup Fascin8foods, which makes mushroom-based burgers, mince and meatballs under its Froom label, has released a 24-recipe cookbook for Veganuary.

    Are you struggling to keep up with all the new launches and announcements for Veganuary 2025 in the US? Hear about them from the horse’s mouth.

    rebellyous chicken
    Courtesy: Rebellyous Foods

    Vegan chicken startup Rebellyous Foods has partnered with Great State Burger, a Pacific Northwest restaurant chain, for a new crispy chicken burger menu addition.

    Company and finance updates

    Rebellyous Foods has also raised $2.4M in an extension of its $9.4M Series B funding in 2023. It will use the fresh capital to expand sales of its new Mock 2 production platform.

    tribe bars
    Courtesy: Tribe

    Across the Atlantic, UK plant-based energy bar brand Tribe has secured £2.4M ($2.9M) to support the launch of a new adaptogen-centric ‘Protein + Focus’ range.

    The Grocer has uncovered that London-based vegan ready-meal startup Allplants owed creditors £13M ($15.8M) when it fell into administration last year.

    In yet another move linked to protein transition, discount retailer Lidl has become the first major supermarket to use The Vegetarian Society‘s Plant-Based Trademark, which will appear on its own-label Vemondo Plant! range.

    lemna
    Courtesy: Plantible Foods

    Israeli minerals company ICL Food Specialties has announced a follow-on investment in duckweed protein player Plantible Foods‘s Series B round, which netted the startup $30M in November. The two firms launched a Rovitaris Binding Solution using the latter’s Rubi Protein in October.

    Swedish energy and tech giant Alfa Laval is building a Food Innovation Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark to support sustainable food production. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2027, and will initially focus on proteins, including plant-based and fermentation-derived ingredients.

    European fermentation association Food Fermentation Europe has appointed Sebastien Louvion – chief regulatory officer at animal-free casein startup Standing Ovation – as its new president.

    Israeli molecular farming startup Plantopia has switched from lettuce to sprouted oats to produce casein protein for animal-free dairy products.

    Research and policy developments

    Latin America now has 22% more vegan-friendly restaurants than it did in 2023, numbering over 10,000, according to research by Veganuary and HappyCow.

    The number of care home residents in the UK who are vegan or vegetarian will continue to rise over the next five years, doubling by 2031, according to a study by Swansea University’s OMNIPlaNT research group for Vegetarian For Life.

    uk lab grown meat
    Courtesy: Ivy Farm Technologies

    In its latest move to advance novel foods, the British parliament has commissioned a new research project to consider the opportunities and challenges of cultivated meat production. It’s expected to be published in May.

    Speaking of cultivated meat research, this was a hot topic in 2024, and Trove Biosciences founder Tarika Vijayaraghavan has laid out five takeaways after closely monitoring this space.

    whole cut plant based meat
    Courtesy: Hebrew University of Jerusalem

    At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, engineers have devised a way to leverage metamaterials to create whole cuts of plant-based meat that offer a more scalable and cost-effective solution to 3D printing.

    Researchers at the Beijing Institute of Technology have developed a method to use autoclaved vegetables as scaffolds for muscle and adipose cell growth for cultivated meat.

    The Good Food Institute has selected 14 researchers for its 2025 Research Grant Programme to accelerate alternative protein innovation.

    vegan dog food
    Courtesy: Omni

    Finally, plant-based granola maker Bio&Me and vegan pet food startup Omni have been named in the UK’s 2025 Startups 100 Index.

    Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

    The post Future Food Quick Bites: Burger King Rib, Cured Swede Bagels & Ikea Vegan Sausages appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • One in 10 Brits Are Cutting Out Meat Amid Shift to Plant-Rich Diets

    percentage of vegans
    3 Mins Read

    A major survey by The Vegan Society shows that 3% of people in the UK now follow a plant-forward diet, and one in 10 are cutting back on meat and dairy.

    As the British government gears up to become a policy and research leader in the alternative protein space, its public is seemingly embracing these future-facing foods too.

    According to a 10,200-person survey conducted by Ipsos Mori for The Vegan Society, 1% of Brits say they follow a vegan diet, while another 2% eat in a plant-forward manner (with only occasional instances of meat or dairy consumption).

    Collectively, this represents around two million Brits. On top of that, 4% of respondents identify as vegetarians, and 3% as pescetarians, meaning that one in 10 consumers are either cutting back their meat intake or have eliminated it altogether.

    Women, youngsters, and Londoners lead the way

    number of vegans
    Courtesy: The Vegan Society

    Contrary to other research pinpointing the taste and health aspects as the major drivers of plant-based consumption, The Vegan Society’s poll reveals that animal welfare is the leading factor behind UK consumers choosing to go vegan, with 57% identifying it as a primary motivator. This was followed closely by concerns around health (52%) and the environment (48%).

    But some trends align with previously published research, with younger generations – particularly those aged 16-44 – driving the shift towards plant-forward eating. These Brits are twice as likely as older generations to embrace such diets, as are women (3.6% of whom identify as plant-forward) versus men (1.98%).

    Unsurprisingly, London has the highest share of people following plant-rich diets (4%), alongside Northeast and Southwest England. Scotland, Wales and the East Midlands, however, have the lowest rates of meat-free consumers (2%).

    “These results reveal a remarkable transformation in attitudes toward veganism and plant-based living across Britain,” said Claire Ogley, head of campaigns, policy and research at The Vegan Society.

    “It’s inspiring to see younger generations leading the way, with a growing number of people adopting more sustainable and compassionate lifestyles for a variety of reasons, from health to the environment to animal welfare.”

    It follows a survey by Finder.com last year, which suggested that the UK’s vegan population grew by 78% from 2023-24, reaching 2.5 million. In fact, a total of 6.4 million people said they intended to adopt a meat-free diet in 2024.

    UK makes play for plant-based

    plant based meat sales
    Courtesy: GFI Europe

    The survey was carried out between August and December 2024 and is being released to coincide with Veganuary, the month-long challenge where people attempt to adhere to a vegan diet for January. Last year’s campaign already broke participation records (with an estimated 25 million people signing up), and the organizers expect the 2025 edition to be even bigger.

    The shift towards plant-forward eating is yet to be matched by companies’ balance sheets. Sales of vegan products fell by 2.8% in the UK between 2022 and 2023, with volumes dropping by 10% – although signs from early 2024 pointed to a slight rebound.

    Meanwhile, UK policymakers are getting in on the act. The government has contributed £15M to a National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre, for example, to ramp up the R&D and commercialisation of novel foods, including plant- and fermentation-derived proteins.

    The Plant-Based Food Alliance has called on Keir Starmer’s government to adopt several policies to make the food system more sustainable, including developing a national action plan for vegan food. Further, the Climate Change Committee has said meat and dairy consumption should be halved and replaced with plant proteins by 2050 to meet the UK’s climate goals.

    Research shows that vegan diets can cut emissions, water pollution and land use by 75%, given that plant-based foods produce half as much greenhouse gases as meat and dairy. And even a 50% swap of the latter with vegan alternatives would bring double the climate benefits, halting deforestation and cutting farm and land use emissions by 12%.

    The post One in 10 Brits Are Cutting Out Meat Amid Shift to Plant-Rich Diets appeared first on Green Queen.

    This post was originally published on Green Queen.

  • Bovine Burps Cause Climate Change!

    This burp machine, sent to the media by PETA, is the perfect gadget with which to tease friends and family members—and it also happens to come with a serious message. Cows’ burps fuel the climate crisis, and the lifesaving solution is for everyone to ditch dairy, forego flesh, and go vegan.

    A photo of PETA's "burp machine" and a black and white cow looking surprised

    This playful little package is tied to PETA’s investigation of Oakridge Dairy, which exposed the largest dairy in Connecticut duping consumers with bogus welfare claims about the cows it confines for a sham “clean energy” scheme. At Oakridge, suffering cows are confined indoors and on concrete floors their entire lives so that their manure can be collected and tossed into a “methane digester” machine and converted into natural gas for sale. PETA is calling foul, pointing out that the process fails to address the largest source of methane emissions from cows—it’s their burps, not their manure, that contributes most to the climate crisis.

    PETA’s investigation of oakridge dairy

    The only truly effective solution to the climate crisis is a global prioritization of dairy-free, vegan food, which would eliminate methane emissions from cows and spare these gentle animals severe suffering. Please go vegan today.

    ORDER A VEGAN STARTER KIT

    The post Bovine Burps Cause Climate Change! appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • California Is Running Out of Water to Fight Fires—It’s Time to Point Fingers at Animal Agriculture

    At least 10 humans have died, thousands of homes have been burnt to rubble, and hundreds of thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate amid the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history. Scores of firefighter crews are struggling to contain the massive inferno—in large part due to the tremendous pressure on the city’s water supply. Reportedly, water pressure to fire hydrants has diminished across the city—and many have run completely dry.

    Why Is California Out of Water to Fight Fires?

    Los Angeles’ water system is buckling under the pressure of these ongoing fires, which are mostly uncontained as of January 10. This unprecedented catastrophe begs the question: Where did all the water go?

    The Link Between Animal Agriculture and Diminished Water Supply

    We can’t talk about California’s water crisis without looking at animal agriculture’s tremendous use of water. According to some reports, the meat and dairy industries account for an estimated 47% of California’s water footprint. Up to 15% of California’s water is used to grow crops to feed livestock on farms. According to Food & Water Watch, California’s mega-dairies use an estimated 152 million gallons of water each day—more than enough to meet the indoor water needs for every resident of San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose combined.

    In Southern California, residents are encouraged to limit their water use to 500 to 600 gallons a week—approximately the same amount of water that it takes to produce a single hamburger. You need 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, 477 gallons of water for 1 pound of eggs, 900 gallons for 1 pound of cheese, and 1,000 gallons for 1 gallon of cow’s milk. One pound of tofu, on the other hand, requires only 244 gallons of water.

    It's Meat That Brought The Heat Ad california fires

    Water is used for all parts of animal agriculture—from growing feed crops and managing animal waste to cleaning massive, filthy farms and slaughterhouses and filling scalding-hot tanks used to remove animals’ hair or feathers after workers slaughter them.

    This isn’t just an issue in California—animal agriculture’s egregious waste of water is occurring all over the world, accounting for an estimated 20% of freshwater use globally. In the U.S. alone, animal agriculture guzzles 36 to 74 trillion gallons of water per year.

    Farming animals not only consumes massive amounts of freshwater but also pollutes it with tons and tons of animal waste. According to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 68% of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds in the U.S. and more than half of the nation’s rivers and streams are considered too polluted to use—and a main culprit is animal agriculture.

    Is the Climate Catastrophe Making Wildfires Worse?

    Research shows that the climate catastrophe contributes to the frequency—and severity—of natural disasters like the current Los Angeles wildfires. Additionally, the drastic changes between wet and dry years in California—which scientists say is exacerbated by climate change—are amplifying wildfire risks. In other words, the vegetation that grows abundantly during “wet” seasons becomes easily flammable—and vulnerable to ignition—during subsequent “dry” seasons.

    This, too, is linked to animal agriculture, which scientists agree is a leading cause of the climate catastrophe. By some estimates, animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the world’s transportation systems combined. Animal agriculture is also the single largest source of methane emissions. Methane is far more potent in terms of trapping heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. It has been estimated that more than 90% of all Amazon rainforest land cleared since 1970 is used for grazing livestock and that animal agriculture is responsible for the loss of over 16.4 million trees each day.

    PETA points out that the meat and dairy industries are causing the climate crisis and the natural disasters—including these wildfires—that come with it, yet in California alone, they have collected more than $1.112 billion in taxpayer dollars from government subsidies in the last 30 years.

    “While people lose their homes, you’re propping up the very well-financed industries that are killing our precious state,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman in a letter to Los Angeles Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Animal agriculture may be gasoline, but you are holding the match as long as California has dairy and meat subsidies.”

    How YOU Can Do Your Part

    The single most effective thing you can do to reduce your environmental footprint is to go vegan. Every individual who is vegan saves 1,100 gallons of water, nearly 40 pounds of grain, and 30 square feet of forested land each day—while sparing nearly 200 animals every year. Don’t wait until a devastating disaster is in your own backyard—do your part to protect the planet today. Order PETA’s free vegan starter kit to make the compassionate switch now:

    go vegan!

    Note: PETA supports animal rights and opposes all forms of animal exploitation and educates the public on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.

    The post California Is Running Out of Water to Fight Fires—It’s Time to Point Fingers at Animal Agriculture appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Win for Cows! Oakridge Dairy Drops Misleading Cow Claims

    It’s not a (humane) wash—it’s a win! Following a cease-and-desist letter from PETA’s attorneys and an eyewitness investigation into Oakridge Dairy LLC, the largest dairy in Connecticut, the company has removed several humane-washing, misleading, and false claims from its advertising language.

    After PETA’s Push, Oakridge Dairy Removes Multiple Humane-Washing Claims From Its Advertising

    Oakridge Dairy’s website used to claim that cows had an “optimal living habitat” and “plenty of elbow room” and that they “spend their days relaxing among their peers”—but after hearing from PETA’s attorneys, it removed the misleading language and took down a YouTube video that claimed that Oakridge “ensures the [cows’] well-being” and creates a “haven” for them. All the removed claims are examples of humane washing, a marketing ploy that misleads consumers into believing that they’re making kind choices when they’re actually not. In reality, the only kind choice is vegan. Oakridge confines approximately 2,600 cows inside a concrete-floored mega-shed so that their manure can be collected by a “methane digester” as part of a dubious “clean energy” scheme.

    Oakridge confines approximately 2,600 cows inside a concrete-floored mega-shed so that their manure can be collected by a “methane digester” as part of a dubious “clean energy” scheme.

    During the undercover investigation, PETA eyewitnesses documented the following:

    • Cows with swollen joints and apparent pressure sores on their legs.
    • Workers admitting that the animals are never allowed outdoors and are forced to use manure left over from the methane digester as “bedding”.
    • Cows kept in extremely crowded conditions where they appeared unable to move freely or find a comfortable spot to stand or lie down.
    • Oakridge staff saying they remove newborn calves from their mothers within 20 minutes of birth—so that the company can sell the milk meant to nourish them through the delivery service The Modern Milkman and distribute it through Dairy Farmers of America, which supplies dairy brands nationwide.

    Sign Our Petition

    Oakridge Dairy Is Another Company Added to PETA’s List of Humane-Washing Wins

    The PETA Foundation has been full-steam ahead for years making sure that companies like Oakridge Dairy stop misleading consumers. PETA Foundation attorneys have secured several other wins against food companies that use misleading claims in advertising:

    • PETA Foundation attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who accused Organic Valley of misleading her into buying its products at premium prices because it falsely claims to treat cows “with love”—when in reality, it separates newborn calves from distraught mothers, who sometimes run after trucks taking their babies away and cry for days over the loss. Organic Valley later changed its carton design and removed claims about offering “high” or “highest” standards of animal care, that cows are raised “with love,” and that cows are “happy” or “social”—as well as the word “humane.”
    • Following PETA’s investigation into a Nellie’s Free Range Eggs supplier, PETA Foundation lawyers filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of consumers who were misled into buying eggs sold under the company’s label. PETA eyewitness video footage of the supplier showed approximately 20,000 hens confined to a single extremely crowded shed with severely restricted access to the outdoors, despite Nellie’s claims that the chickens “roam where they please” and “have easy access to the outdoors.” In February 2020, the Southern District of New York held that a marketing campaign showing hens “frolicking in elysian pastures” could provide “enough specificity to elevate itself beyond puffery.”

    Take Action Against Humane-Washing Schemes

    As part of our initiative against humane washing, PETA is campaigning against the Global Animal Partnership,  “humane” label marketing scheme backed by the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and Compassion in World Farming. As our undercover investigations and wins against misleading claims show, there’s nothing “humane” about factory farming, and these self-described animal welfare groups need to take immediate action in order to cut ties with the Global Animal Partnership. Sign our petition and remind these organizations through polite social media comments that the Global Animal Partnership certification is a misleading sham.

    Take Action

    The post Win for Cows! Oakridge Dairy Drops Misleading Cow Claims appeared first on PETA.

    This post was originally published on Animal Rights and Campaign News | PETA.

  • Beyond the Headlines: Does Plant-Based Milk Really Cause Depression?

    veganism and depression
    7 Mins Read

    Research exploring the link between depression and different types of milk is doing the rounds, with plant-based alternatives bearing the brunt of the headlines – but they were barely mentioned in the study.

    You’ll be miserable if you drink oat milk. Or so they’re saying online.

    “Experts issue warning over oat milk – dairy alternative linked to health harm while semi-skimmed cow’s milk boasts surprising benefit,” read a Daily Mail headline.

    “Boost for dairy as scientists link plant-based milk with mental health issues,” wrote trade publication Farmers Guardian.

    The Times, meanwhile, went a step further: “Vegans are more likely to be depressed, study suggests.”

    They all reference a new paper in the Frontiers journal by researchers from the Southern Medical University in China, who analysed the data of over 350,000 people enrolled in a UK Biobank study. Between 2006 and 2010, the participants were asked about their lifestyle, health, and consumption habits – including milk intake – with their mental health being assessed through questionnaires a decade later.

    If you believe the headlines and the majority of the coverage, here’s what the study found: semi-skimmed milk lowers the chances of depression by 12%, full-fat milk reduces anxiety risk by 16%, and plant-based milk raises the likelihood of depression by 14%, compared to people who don’t drink milk.

    That seems scary if you drink non-dairy milk. In a media landscape that vilifies plant-based products, publications jumped on this, painting the entire category with the same brush and declaring that cow’s milk is king and vegan food is bad for your mental health.

    The problem is, this isn’t really what the study concluded – and even then, there were some massive gaps in the research, some of which the authors acknowledged themselves.

    “These findings are in no way compelling evidence for the bizarre claim that drinking plant-based milk causes depression,” said Amy Williams, nutrition lead at alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe. Here’s why.

    Study classification of ‘other milks’ unclear

    plant based milk study
    Courtesy: Bit245/Getty Images

    In the study, the researchers asked participants what type of milk they mainly drank at the start of the study, and what mental health conditions they experienced over the next decade. This wasn’t a controlled trial, but an observational study, and it’s impossible to know whether people exclusively drink a single form of milk.

    Most of the participants consumed semi-skimmed milk (65%), while others drank skimmed milk (20%), whole milk (6.5%), and what the researchers termed “other types of milk” (5%). The latter category included soy milk – the only mention of any plant-based milk throughout the study – but it was unclear what else.

    “The headlines focus on the findings of this ‘other’ category, on the assumption that it is entirely made up of plant-based milk drinkers, but this assumption was not made in the paper itself,” Williams pointed out.

    “All we know is that the ‘other’ group is made up of soy milk drinkers alongside everyone who selected ‘other’, which may include different kinds of animal milk such as lactose-free or sheep milk.”

    The researchers also did not measure the quantity of milk consumed, which makes it hard to draw conclusions about any single type of dairy-free milk.

    The problem with observational studies

    plant based milk depression
    Courtesy: Deniz A/Getty Images

    Observational studies don’t demonstrate causation, so to remove some of the uncertainties, the researchers performed a Mendelian Randomisation (MR) analysis, which uses genetic differences to examine the causal effects of an outcome.

    But the MR assessment was only performed on semi-skimmed milk, finding a 17% drop in depression risk – this is likely due to the presence of calcium and vitamin D. However, the “other types of milk” used were not fully disclosed, and it’s not known whether the plant milks included were fortified or not. Most such products today are fortified with both calcium and vitamin D too, and they would likely offer similar mental health benefits, based on the scientists’ hypothesis.

    Moreover, none of the other forms of dairy and non-dairy options were given the MR treatment. So the rest of the study’s findings were based on correlation, not causation, using self-reported dietary data. They were also “influenced by the extensive duration of the follow-up”, the author said, noting that the results “must be interpreted cautiously”.

    Observational studies should “always be taken with a pinch of salt”, according to GFI Europe’s Williams. “They are useful to identify possible directions for further study, but not for drawing firm conclusions about causality,” she told Green Queen.

    “To give a simple example, an observational study may find a correlation between people getting sunburnt and eating ice cream. It’s clear that both of these are caused by some other factor – both things happen on sunny days – but to test this, we need different kinds of study. 

    “Confusing correlation with causation in observational studies is a common problem in health reporting, but is fairly standard – but these headlines have taken this issue one step further.”

    I drink plant-based milk – should I be worried?

    plant based milk health
    Courtesy: AI-Generated Image via Canva

    Williams noted that the study is based on questionnaires taken between 2006 and 2010, when plant-based milk had a fraction of the drinkers it does today. In the UK, 35% of households purchased non-dairy milk in 2023, and today’s market contains a much wider range of options with better nutritional value than they did two decades ago.

    “What’s very curious is that a study which doesn’t even talk about plant-based milk beyond one passing mention and which doesn’t appear to have been press released by its authors managed to generate such widespread and misleading media attention,” said Williams.

    Bila Chniouer, a UK-based registered associate nutritionist, told Green Queen: “Some media reports suggest certain plant-based milks, such as soy, may be linked to depression. However, the study did not specifically investigate the impact of the consumption of specific types of plant-based milk on depression, nor did it determine whether participants were vegan, vegetarian, or simply preferred non-dairy options. This could substantially influence the findings.”

    It’s worth noting that the study included mostly middle-aged to older adults of European descent – so the impact on younger populations was not covered.

    Should they be worried about consuming vegan milk alternatives, especially soy? “No,” said Chniouer. “In fact, we know that soy consumption is associated with a lower risk of depression.”

    She explained that soy contains isoflavones – plant-based compounds that mimic the action of oestrogen by binding to oestrogen receptors in the brain – and they help regulate serotonin production in the brain, while having anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects on the body.

      “The study grouped all plant-based milks (such as soy, oat, and almond) into a single, broad category. As a result, it is unclear whether any specific type of plant-based milk has a definite impact on depression,” she added. “Therefore, additional research is needed to thoroughly evaluate the effects of each type of plant-based milk on depression.”

      Veganuary timing a coincidence?

      veganuary 2025
      Courtesy: Veganuary

      The Frontiers study has been circulating everywhere at the same time as another large UK analysis that linked greater calcium consumption to a decreased bowel cancer risk.

      The amount of calcium (300mg) that’s important can be found in foods like dark leafy greens, bread, and tofu – but the way it’s framed in the media, all you’ll need is a glass of milk, despite the authors specifying that this intake can also come from non-dairy foods, like plant-based milks.

      This is not the first time that studies have been reported on in a misleading manner to unfairly demonise vegan food – and it will likely not be the last.

      But they’re in the media during Veganuary, whose 2025 campaign is predicted to be the largest yet. Whether it’s just happenstance that this coincides with a drive to increase meat and milk consumption – backed by the UK government and slammed by medical professionals – can’t be determined for certain.

      However, some stories about the Frontiers study do mention the AHDB’s Let’s Eat Balanced campaign for January, and that has raised questions about the influence of the dairy lobby in media coverage around plant-based food.

      The post Beyond the Headlines: Does Plant-Based Milk Really Cause Depression? appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    1. Future Food Quick Bites: Veganuary Launches, Hospital Caps & A Ted Talk

      wagamama veganuary
      6 Mins Read

      In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a host of launches for Veganuary, several plant-based brand campaigns, and a Bezos Earth Fund Ted Talk.

      New products and launches

      In time for Veganuary, Starbucks has brought its popular brown sugar oat milk format to the cortado, launching the espresso-based drink alongside a vegan Spicy Falafel Pocket.

      molly baz restaurant
      Courtesy: Face Plant

      With a menu designed by former Bon Appétit Test Kitchen star Molly Baz, Face Plant is an upcoming vegan fast-food drive-thru restaurant set to open later this month at a former McDonald’s location in Portland, Oregon.

      Another Portland-based chain, ice cream maker Salt & Straw, has released five new dairy-free flavours for Veganuary, including coconut cake and pineapple jam, bananas foster with candied pecans, and chocolate caramel corn with candied peanuts. It’s also teamed up with pistachio milk brand Táche for vegan milkshakes.

      Plant-based chain Next Level Burger is jumping on the superfood demand with a burger and smoothie shake available at all 10 locations for January, while its subsidiary Veggie Grill has debuted a five-strong range of superfood smoothies on its permanent menu across all 16 stores.

      plnt burger tindle chicken
      Courtesy: TiNDLE Foods/PLNT Burger

      TiNDLE Foods has partnered with PLNT Burger, which will feature its vegan chicken on two burgers (in crispy and spicy variants) at all 13 locations on the East Coast.

      Whole-cut meat maker Chunk Foods is continuing its US expansion through a listing with online retailer Vegan Essentials.

      Los Angeles-based vegan protein shake maker Koia has extended its lineup with Koia Elite, which comes in vanilla and chocolate flavours and contains 32g of plant protein. The 12oz bottles are available in the chillers at Whole Foods, with shelf-stable versions set to come to 7-Eleven and e-commerce channels shortly.

      In Germany, Rewe subsidiary Penny has launched Cremembert, a white-label Camembert alternative made from fermented cauliflower by Veganz Group, in its stores. It’s available for €1.99 per 125g pack.

      alfiecooks
      Courtesy: James Moyle/Wagamama

      In the UK, Wagamama – which is aiming to make half its menu plant-based by the end of the year – has partnered with vegan influencer Alfie Steiner (aka alfiecooks) to unveil a Firecracker Chick’n Ramen across the UK.

      Bakery chain Greggs has reintroduced its Spicy Vegetable Curry Bake for Veganuary. It’s available nationwide for £2.10, and as part of its £3.35 savoury bake deal.

      Fellow British chain Zizzi, which serves Italian cuisine, has teamed up with Bold Bean Co to put a Butter Bean Stufato on its menu for Veganuary.

      galaxy vegan chocolate
      Courtesy: Claudia Riccio Photography/Galaxy

      Also in the UK, Mars has brought out a new flavour in its dairy-free Galaxy lineup in the UK. The vegan Hazelnut Praline chocolate bar can be found at Sainsbury’s for £3.

      Plant protein producer Squeaky Bean has launched ham-like tofu slices in spinach-basil and tomato-red pepper flavours, as well as a Super Grain & Vegetable Burger (featuring fermented rye). The 80g slices are available for £2.50 and the burger for £3.50 per two-pack at Sainsbury’s.

      In more tofu news from the UK, Cauldron Foods has come out with the “quickest-cooking tofu pieces ever”. The bite-sized cubes can be prepared in five minutes and are available for ¢2.75 per 160g pack at Asda.

      julienne bruno mozzarella
      Courtesy: Julienne Bruno

      London-based vegan cheesemaker Julienne Bruno has annoucned the first product of its Collection 02. The Mozzafiore Pearls are its take on mozzarella balls, and will be available at Whole Foods stores in Kensington and Piccadilly from January 9 for £3.95.

      UK dairy-free brand Nush has updated its almond yoghurt recipe to include more protein. The products now contain between 16g and 23g of protein per pot, and the move is complemented with the introduction of a new vanilla fudge flavour.

      British vegan frozen foods maker One Planet Pizza has gained a listing at 400 Asda stores for its recently launched Tex Mex Pizza.

      papa john's hawaiian pizza
      Courtesy: La Vie/Papa Johns

      And among the plethora of Veganuary innovations, one of the more outrageous ones comes from Papa Johns and vegan pork maker La Vie, which have worked together to roll out a Hawaiian Vegan Pizza for the chain in the UK.

      Company and finance updates

      La Vie, based in Paris, is also on the hunt for a new CFO to lead the startup’s financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and fundraising efforts.

      Vegan cheese giant Violife has rolled out a new National Quitter’s Day campaign to promote its dairy-free cream cheese across digital, social media, and out-of-home channels.

      violife cream cheese
      Courtesy: Violife

      The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks has teamed up with Danone-owned brand Silk to host a side-by-side live taste test of cereals with cow’s milk and its Vanilla Almondmilk. Held in New York City on January 9 (ahead of National Milk Day), contestants – those who prefer dairy over plant-based – will be hooked to a lie detector taste when asked which milk they prefer.

      In yet another Veganuary campaign, UK plant-based meat maker THIS has debuted its latest TV ad with creative agency St Luke’s. The mockumentary-style spot features a real estate agent who was inspired to (unsuccessfully) become a wingsuit flyer after tasting its vegan pork sausages.

      Months after announcing its closure, meat analogue maker Motif FoodWorks is auctioning off its lab equipment via New Mill Capital.

      Nestlé-backed plant-based food startup Sundial Foods has also shut down, having sold its IP to “an acquirer with greater scale and resources than we have”.

      Canadian cell ag platform Cult Food Science is now accepting cryptocurrency payments for its Noochies! line of vegan pet food. Customers can pay with currencies like bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), solana (SOL), and dogecoin (DOGE).

      longleaf valley
      Courtesy: TreesPlease Games

      British developer TreesPlease Games is running Veganuary promotions (including paid marketing) throughout the month on its Longleaf Valley mobile game. It’s expected to gain around 75 million impressions.

      Californian plant-based giant Beyond Meat has released results from a life-cycle assessment that shows its vegan steak generates 84% fewer emissions than conventional pre-cooked steak tips, while requiring 93% less water, 88% less land, and 65% less non-renewable energy.

      Policy and research developments

      Andy Jarvis, director of Future of Food at the Bezos Earth Fund, has delivered a Ted Talk on the future of food, and the importance of using a “yes, and” approach.

      Nearly half of American adults are looking to change their diets this year, but only 7% plan to eat plant-based, according to a survey by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Morning Consult.

      It’s also perhaps why the City of West Hollywood is urging people to participate in Veganuary, posting a list of meat-free restaurants in the city.

      reusable theatre caps
      Courtesy: Heriot-Watt University

      In the UK, NHS Scotland‘s Golden Jubilee University National Hospital has begun trialling biodegradable, plant-based theatre caps to cut single-use plastic waste. They were co-designed by the University of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt University.

      Finally, University of Exeter researchers are looking for 200 volunteers who are going vegan in January for a study about the impact of Veganuary.

      Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

      The post Future Food Quick Bites: Veganuary Launches, Hospital Caps & A Ted Talk appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    2. What Does the FDA’s Labelling Guidance Mean for Plant-Based Meat?

      fda plant based meat regulations
      5 Mins Read

      The FDA has updated its draft guidance for vegan meat, egg and dairy labelling, suggesting companies place an emphasis on the plant-based sources that make up the product.

      ‘Chickpea meatballs’ is a more favourable term than ‘plant-based meatballs’ when describing vegan products on packaging, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

      The government body, which has regulatory authority over all plant-based alternatives, has published draft guidelines for the labelling of vegan meat, seafood, egg and dairy products, excluding alt-milk (which were covered in separate guidance last year).

      For plant-based food producers, there’s one big win: they’re allowed to use terms like ‘sausage’, ‘burger’, and ‘yogurt’ on their packaging, so long as they don’t mislead consumers.

      But there is a big caveat too. The FDA prefers that companies highlight the source ingredients in their products. So instead of ‘vegan Cheddar cheese’, it’s more comfortable with ‘soy-based Cheddar cheese’. Likewise, ‘chickpea and lentil nuggets’ is preferred over ‘meat-free nuggets’.

      “Names such as ‘Plant-Based Burger’, ‘Meatless Meatballs’, or ‘Vegetarian ChickN Sausage’ may signal to consumers that the food is a meat alternative, but they do not identify the plant source comprising the food,” the document says.

      “The nature of the plant-based ingredients is important information for consumers and should be included in the name or statement of identity to identify and describe the food and distinguish it from similar foods.”

      fda plant based labeling
      Courtesy: FDA

      How would this work in practice?

      The FDA believes that when looking at a food label, consumers should be able to “easily determine not just that the product is plant-based, but also the plant source (e.g., soy, lentil, walnut, etc.).”

      It’s not just the use of ‘plant-based’ or ‘vegan’ – even descriptors like ‘meat-free’ or ‘beefless’ should be used in conjunction with the source ingredient. So, instead of ‘pork-free bacon’, it recommends using ‘plant-based soy bacon’ as the main term, with ‘pork-free’ used as a sub-descriptor above or below.

      These terms should be presented in a bold font on the front of the packaging. “We consider a prominent print or type for the statement of identify to be at least 1/2 the size of the largest print on the label,” the document reads.

      Meanwhile, vignettes or images that further describe the product’s flavour are allowed too, so long as they aren’t misleading. The FDA’s example includes the image of a cow on vegan jerky, with ‘artificially beef-flavoured’ written underneath.

      If a product has multiple plant sources, the predominant ingredient by weight should be stated first. So, for a vegan egg that contains chia seeds as its majority ingredient, alongside flax seeds, the recommended label would read: ‘chia and flax seed eggless scramble’.

      Within vegan subcategories too, the FDA outlines why it feels using the source names is important. “Plant-based alternatives to yogurt that are soy-based should bear names that distinguish these alternatives from those that are almond-based. Qualifying the names with “soy” or “almond” would inform consumers of the nature or source of the food, while also distinguishing one subclass of alternatives from another,” it states.

      plant based labeling requirements fda
      Courtesy: FDA

      Why is the FDA prioritising the source ingredients?

      Foods within the plant-based category can come from a variety of sources, from legumes and tree nuts to seeds, grains, and vegetables. The FDA feels its recommendations can help consumers distinguish between these products to align their purchases with their dietary needs or desire for nutritional variety.

      “Omitting a descriptor of the legume, nut, grain, seed, or other plant source in the name of the food may be confusing to consumers, as the product would not be readily distinguishable from other types of similar plant-based alternatives,” it says.

      Since there may be nutritional differences between plant-based alternatives and their conventional counterparts, conveying the source ingredients “may help consumers understand that the composition of the product is different and prompt consumers to review the Nutrition Facts label”.

      It argues that this practice could help Americans with food allergies, encouraging them to review the ingredient declaration and allergen disclosure statements on the packaging.

      “Further, consumers may value or be seeking out certain plant sources as they incorporate foods into their diet, especially as they are looking to build a healthy eating pattern in line with current dietary guidelines, so having this information on the principal display panel is important because it will enable consumers to identify the plant sources more easily,” the guidance reads.

      simulate nuggs
      Courtesy: Simulate/Green Queen

      How should brands respond, and what happens next?

      It’s important to note that draft guidance documents aren’t legally enforceable – instead, they’re recommendations that reflect the FDA’s “current thinking on a topic”.

      Companies may not need to change anything on their packaging, but the recommendation to use plant sources on packaging does feel a bit unnecessary. After all, other product categories don’t have the same obligation, so why should plant-based?

      The assumption that people with allergies wouldn’t look at the ingredients label anyway also seems a bit unrealistic. And imploring companies to use product descriptors like ‘soy and wheat jerky’ might hinder their efforts to attract meat-eaters looking for more realistic taste experiences in plant-based meat products.

      The FDA is now accepting written or electronic comments, which firms can submit until May 7, when it will begin work on the final version of the guidance.

      Its draft document comes just two weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House. The incoming president has picked Robert F Kennedy Jr as his health secretary, who has promised to overhaul the US health and food systems. It could mean a significant overhaul of the FDA and the US Department of Agriculture, with processed plant-based proteins coming under significant scrutiny.

      The post What Does the FDA’s Labelling Guidance Mean for Plant-Based Meat? appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    3. Future Food Quick Bites: XL Tempeh, British Airways & Yeasty Palm Oil

      oat milk 7 eleven
      3 Mins Read

      In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Octonuts California’s new cashew products, Gail’s new eco store, and Europe’s most vegan-friendly cities.

      New products and launches

      New York-based Bake Me Healthy, which makes allergen-free, plant-based baking products, has rolled out Soft-Baked Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies to its product lineup. Made from sunflower protein flour, it contains 8g of protein, 4g of fibre, and no added sugar.

      bake me healthy
      Courtesy: Bake Me Healthy

      On the west coast, plant-based snack manufacturer Octonuts California has debuted churro and strawberry cashew butters (priced at $11.99 per 16oz jar), as well as gochujang and crème brûlée cashew snacks ($6.99 per 5oz pouch).

      Across the Atlantic, UK vegan snack brand ChicP has made its way into the pantries of British Airways Club Lounges, stocking a trio of hummus and breadsticks in harissa, basil and truffle flavours.

      chicp british airways
      Courtesy: ChicP

      Also in the UK, Tiba Tempeh will launch an XL pack of tempeh (featuring two 200g blocks) on Ocado at £4.85 in January. Meanwhile, its original block, soy-marinated, and curry-spiced pieces will be available in 1,000 Aldi from tomorrow.

      Bakery chain Gail’s has announced it will open what it calls its first “sustainably built” store in London’s Southwark district at the end of this month.

      oatmlk
      Courtesy: OatMlk

      And Indian oat milk brand OatMlk has landed a listing for its 200ml pack and its protein shake at 279 7-Eleven stores in Singapore.

      Company, policy and research updates

      In Israel, beverage manufacturer Priniv has earned approval from the Ministry of Health to employ BlueTree Technologies‘s sugar reduction technology on its natural juice line.

      bluetree sugar
      Courtesy: BlueTree Technologies

      Catering company Accor Group Greater China has set a target to make half of the dishes at its hotel vegan or vegetarian by 2030.

      Despite 13.5 million American households facing food insecurity, 29% of Americans aren’t familiar with the term, and 76% don’t believe it’s among the top three issues impacting households today, according to a survey by Sara Lee Bread and US Hunger.

      us food insecurity
      Courtesy: Sara Lee Bread

      In the UK, scientists at Aberystwyth University and Sun Bear Biofuture are working together to produce a more sustainable palm oil alternative through yeast fermentation for use in food and cosmetics.

      Online booking travel platform Omio has analysed the number of restaurants on Tripadvisor to name the 10 most vegan-friendly cities in Europe. The winner? London.

      purezza london
      Courtesy: Purezza

      UK company BSF Enterprise (parent of cellular agriculture startup 3D Bio-Tissues) has listed 20 million new ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange.

      Finally, French agrifood firm Louis Dreyfus Co has signed a binding agreement to acquire BASF‘s Food and Health Performance Ingredients department in a bid to expand its plant-based ingredients business. The deal includes a production site, a state-of-the-art R&D centre, and three application labs.

      Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

      The post Future Food Quick Bites: XL Tempeh, British Airways & Yeasty Palm Oil appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    4. Editor’s Picks: Green Queen’s 10 Favourite Future Food Stories of the Year

      future food
      3 Mins Read

      It has been a big year for the future food sector. These are our editor’s picks of the 10 best stories on Green Queen in 2024 (in chronological order), featuring a public tasting for cultivated meat, an interview with a US senator, and Portugal’s plant-based strategy.

      Beyond Meat unveils IV lineup

      Plant-based giant Beyond Meat reformulated its flagship beef product line for the first time in three years. The meat analogues are now healthier, meatier, and costlier, and communications chief Shira Zackai explained why in an interview with Green Queen.

      lab grown foie gras
      Courtesy: Vow

      Vow CEO talks regulatory approval for cultivated quail

      George Peppou, co-founder and CEO of Australian cultivated meat startup Vow, spoke to Green Queen about obtaining regulatory approval for its Forged cultured quail parfait in Singapore, and the company’s business philosophy.

      Meatable hosts EU-first cultivated meat tasting

      We exclusively reported on Dutch cultivated pork producer Meatable’s historic public tasting for its hybrid sausages in the Netherlands, a first for the European Union.

      starbucks coffee tasting
      Courtesy: Starbucks

      A trip to Starbucks’s Farmer Support Centers

      Green Queen visited Starbucks’s Farmer Support Centers in North Sumatra, Indonesia to find out what the giant is doing to safeguard the future of coffee and the farmer community it employs.

      Bezos Earth Fund talks alternative protein

      After Green Queen revealed that Bezos Earth Fund’s third Center for Sustainable Protein will be in Asia (it opened in Singapore months later), its Future of Food director Andy Jarvis explained the organisation’s goals and the industry’s challenges in an in-depth interview.

      andy jarvis
      Courtesy: Bezos Earth Fund/Rocío Lower

      Alternative protein = EVs?

      We contextualised a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the Good Food Institute (GFI), and Synthesis Capital that explored what the future food industry can learn from the rise of electric vehicles.

      Massachusetts senator on highlighting alternative proteins in economic bill

      While US states like Florida and Alabama moved to ban cultivated meat, Massachusetts passed an economic bill that pledged funding to alternative proteins. Senator Barry Finegold, who spearheaded the effort, spoke to Green Queen about the move and the importance of food tech.

      florida lab grown meat ban
      Courtesy: UPSIDE Foods/Canva AI/Green Queen

      Behind Upside Foods’s lawsuit against the Florida ban

      Speaking of the Florida ban, California’s Upside Foods filed a lawsuit against the state, asking a federal court for an injunction and calling the effort unconstitutional. We broke down what the legal action meant, with insight from Upside Foods’s counsel. (A judge later rejected the request for an injunction).

      India’s BioE3 policy and its implications for future food

      Smart proteins, functional foods and climate-resilient agriculture were among the six pillars of India’s new biotechnology (BioE3) policy. Green Queen spoke to GFI India about how the policy came into existence, and what it meant for the alternative protein sector in India.

      plant based action plan
      Courtesy: Venn Canteen

      Portugal to develop plant-based strategy

      We explored the behind-the-scenes moves that led to the Portuguese government’s decision to develop a national action plan for plant-based foods with detailed inputs from ProVeg Portugal director Joana Oliveria.

      The post Editor’s Picks: Green Queen’s 10 Favourite Future Food Stories of the Year appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    5. Want to Stay Vegan After Veganuary? Get Your Friends & Family Involved

      veggie challenge
      4 Mins Read

      People taking dietary change challenges are more likely to stick to them months down the line if their loved ones participate too.

      Around 25 million people participated in Veganuary, the month-long vegan challenge, across the world this January. But how many really stick to eating plant-based – or at least reducing their animal consumption – in the long term?

      According to the campaign’s own research, a majority of participants. Six months after Veganuary 2024, over half (54%) of people who signed up said they had reduced meat consumption by at least 50%, while another 27% continued to remain vegan.

      Now that we’re days away from the 2025 edition of the challenge, it’s worth asking: what could help more people stick to their vegan diet in the long run?

      A study by researchers at Hasselt University and food awareness organisation ProVeg International might have the solution: your loved ones.

      Published in the NPJ Climate Action journal, the analysis suggests that involving friends and family in monthlong challenges like Veganuary and Challenge 22 can be the push participants need to continue their commitment to cutting out meat.

      Dietary change persists with support from loved ones

      vegan friends and family
      Courtesy: NPJ Climate Action

      The study specifically explored ProVeg’s Veggie Challenge, investigating the difference between individuals going it alone, or enlisting others to accompany them in their journey. The challenge involves a mobile app where people can set goals to reduce animal protein intake over 30 days, for which they receive daily support and information about the climate and welfare impact of their dietary shift.

      The researchers divided 1,213 participants from Belgium and the Netherlands into three groups: individuals, those joined by friends and family, and a control group.

      In both cases of interventions, the consumption of animal-based foods was 16-17% lower than the control group at the end of the challenge, with meat intake falling even further (22-27%). However, the impact varied as time went on.

      After a month, consumption of animal products among individuals bounced back to nearly reach the intake of the control group, while those doing the challenge with friends family did not witness any rebound. That trend continued three months later, with the participants in the social challenge cutting back on animal products by 11%, and meat by 25%.

      The researchers found that those who chose the vegetarian or vegan goal instead of a ‘meatless days’ target on the Veggie Challenge app experienced a “significantly lower reduction” in animal protein consumption.

      “Research into measures for behaviour change, such as providing information, often shows that it is difficult to change behaviour permanently,” said lead author Rosaly Severijns. “Our research shows that encouraging friends and family to get involved provides the social support needed to eat less animal products in the long term.”

      Reaching beyond regular audiences is critical

      plant based meat healthy
      Courtesy: Planted

      Quantifying the environmental and financial impact of the interventions, the research revealed that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the dietary changes reduced by at least 21% over the first three days of the challenge – a trend that persisted three months later.

      The researchers further found that participants in the social intervention were more active in the app, indicating that the involvement of friends and family led to more diligent participation in the challenge. The social element could also have led to a more supportive environment outside the app to maintain the dietary changes.

      Using social networks for behavioural change could be a promising pathway for reducing animal protein consumption, according to the study. App-based interventions, meanwhile, could prove to be a relatively cheap, feasible and effective way to reach a large audience and make various behaviour change techniques easily accessible.

      “The results of this research surprised us. They motivate us to focus even more on groups in our work, instead of on individuals,” said Pablo Moleman, strategic director of ProVeg Netherlands. “We want to bring the Veggie Challenge even more to the attention of large or small communities: colleagues, friends or sports clubs… This research shows: healthier and more sustainable eating is something you do together, not alone.”

      Governments and non-profit groups should target meat consumers by reaching beyond the regular audience of organisations like ProVeg, who are already interested in vegan diets, the researchers suggested. Additionally, repeating or extending the challenge through maintaining ‘streaks’ after the 30 days could be beneficial to stem the disappearing effect of the individual intervention.

      The post Want to Stay Vegan After Veganuary? Get Your Friends & Family Involved appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    6. Future Food Quick Bites: Mufasa’s Impossible Nuggets, Wow Burger India & Vegan Sneakers

      lion king nuggets
      4 Mins Read

      In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Impossible Foods’s Mufasa Lion King appearance, new Veganuary products, and Wow Burger’s deal to enter India.

      New products and launches

      At the world premiere of Mufasa Lion King in Los Angeles, celebrities and guests were served the new Lion King nuggets by Impossible Foods.

      mufasa lion king premiere
      Courtesy: Peter McGuinness/LinkedIn

      Plant-based milk leader Califia Farms has launched single-serve matcha latte and chai lattes (made from a base of almonds), which contain 40% less sugar than average coffee and tea blends on the market.

      Vegan sneaker and apparel brand LØCI has opened a physical pop-up in Future Stores, a retail theatre for immersive shopping experiences in London’s Oxford Circus.

      løci sneakers
      Courtesy: LØCI

      UK vegan food producer Moving Mountains has rolled out a new superfood range to complement its meat analogues. It includes burgers, sausages, crispy dippers, crispy burgers, and falafel, which will be available at wholesale supplier Brakes from January.

      The Tofoo Co, meanwhile, is bringing out Tofu Dippers, Sweet Chilli Cubes, Italian-Style Veggie Balls, and a Stir-Fry Block ahead of Veganuary 2025.

      aldi veganuary 2025
      Courtesy: Aldi

      Also in the UK, discount retailer Aldi has released its biggest-ever vegan Veganuary lineup under its Plant Menu brand, ranging from vegan liquid eggs and ‘gut health’ chicken smash burgers to kimchi koftas and pizza slices. They’re available from December 30, and – true to form – the prices start at £1.49.

      French vegan chain Green Farmer’s has teamed up with influencer Mélanie en Véganie to create a limited-edition Frosty menu (featuring a burger, fries, brownie and winter sauce) for its Paris and Amsterdam locations and delivery menu until March 6.

      Israeli alt-dairy startup Better Pulse has introduced an allergen-free yoghurt made from black-eyed peas.

      As part of its Blue Green Project, Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart has launched four new products under its plant-based product range, a Mont Blanc, a soy latte financier, a keema curry, and a bibimbap-style rice ball.

      Company and finance updates

      Hong Kong-based vegetarian fast-casual chain Wow Burger is entering India through a partnership with FranGlobal, the international business arm of Franchise India. They aim to open 100 outlets in the next five years, starting with metropolises like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

      wow burger india
      Courtesy: Wow Burger HK/Instagram

      Also in India, Sterling Biotech, the precision fermentation company co-owned by Perfect Day and Zydus Lifesciences, has broken ground on a 27-acre facility for recombinant dairy proteins in Bharuch, Gujarat. It’s set to be operational by early 2026.

      In Europe, New Wave Biotech has secured €1.5M ($1.6M) in a funding round that included EIT Food and Innovate UK. Having launched an AI bioprocess simulation software to scale up alternative proteins last month, it will use the funds to expand its team and customer base.

      planted steak
      Courtesy: Planted

      Swiss meat analogue maker Planted has received a media-for-equity investment in the “mid-single-digit millions” from SevenVentures, the VC arm of ProSiebenSat.1 Media.

      Danish startup Unibio, a fellow fermentation player, has unveiled a fresh brand identity to focus on its mission of full-scale commercialisation.

      cultivated beef
      Courtesy: Orbillion Bio

      Californian cultivated meat from Orbillion Bio has successfully called the production of its beef muscle cells in North America, Europe and Asia, added former Nestlé and DSM executive Dr Thomas Beck to its board of directors.

      Policy, research and awards

      Californian startup The Every Company, which produces precision-fermented egg proteins, has received a patent from the European Union for its recombinant ovalbumin ingredient, extending its IP portfolio in a major market.

      University of Adelaide PhD candidate Mel Nguyen has been awarded the institute’s Trending on VYT (Visualise Your Thesis) honour for her research into turning food waste into durable bioplastics.

      Finally, in Europe, vegan pork maker La Vie has won the Top Launch of the Year award from The Grocer.

      Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

      The post Future Food Quick Bites: Mufasa’s Impossible Nuggets, Wow Burger India & Vegan Sneakers appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.

    7. Future Food Quick Bites: Mufasa’s Impossible Nuggets, Wow Burger India & Vegan Sneakers

      lion king nuggets
      4 Mins Read

      In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Impossible Foods’s Mufasa Lion King appearance, new Veganuary products, and Wow Burger’s deal to enter India.

      New products and launches

      At the world premiere of Mufasa Lion King in Los Angeles, celebrities and guests were served the new Lion King nuggets by Impossible Foods.

      mufasa lion king premiere
      Courtesy: Peter McGuinness/LinkedIn

      Plant-based milk leader Califia Farms has launched single-serve matcha latte and chai lattes (made from a base of almonds), which contain 40% less sugar than average coffee and tea blends on the market.

      Vegan sneaker and apparel brand LØCI has opened a physical pop-up in Future Stores, a retail theatre for immersive shopping experiences in London’s Oxford Circus.

      løci sneakers
      Courtesy: LØCI

      UK vegan food producer Moving Mountains has rolled out a new superfood range to complement its meat analogues. It includes burgers, sausages, crispy dippers, crispy burgers, and falafel, which will be available at wholesale supplier Brakes from January.

      The Tofoo Co, meanwhile, is bringing out Tofu Dippers, Sweet Chilli Cubes, Italian-Style Veggie Balls, and a Stir-Fry Block ahead of Veganuary 2025.

      aldi veganuary 2025
      Courtesy: Aldi

      Also in the UK, discount retailer Aldi has released its biggest-ever vegan Veganuary lineup under its Plant Menu brand, ranging from vegan liquid eggs and ‘gut health’ chicken smash burgers to kimchi koftas and pizza slices. They’re available from December 30, and – true to form – the prices start at £1.49.

      French vegan chain Green Farmer’s has teamed up with influencer Mélanie en Véganie to create a limited-edition Frosty menu (featuring a burger, fries, brownie and winter sauce) for its Paris and Amsterdam locations and delivery menu until March 6.

      Israeli alt-dairy startup Better Pulse has introduced an allergen-free yoghurt made from black-eyed peas.

      As part of its Blue Green Project, Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart has launched four new products under its plant-based product range, a Mont Blanc, a soy latte financier, a keema curry, and a bibimbap-style rice ball.

      Company and finance updates

      Hong Kong-based vegetarian fast-casual chain Wow Burger is entering India through a partnership with FranGlobal, the international business arm of Franchise India. They aim to open 100 outlets in the next five years, starting with metropolises like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

      wow burger india
      Courtesy: Wow Burger HK/Instagram

      Also in India, Sterling Biotech, the precision fermentation company co-owned by Perfect Day and Zydus Lifesciences, has broken ground on a 27-acre facility for recombinant dairy proteins in Bharuch, Gujarat. It’s set to be operational by early 2026.

      In Europe, New Wave Biotech has secured €1.5M ($1.6M) in a funding round that included EIT Food and Innovate UK. Having launched an AI bioprocess simulation software to scale up alternative proteins last month, it will use the funds to expand its team and customer base.

      planted steak
      Courtesy: Planted

      Swiss meat analogue maker Planted has received a media-for-equity investment in the “mid-single-digit millions” from SevenVentures, the VC arm of ProSiebenSat.1 Media.

      Danish startup Unibio, a fellow fermentation player, has unveiled a fresh brand identity to focus on its mission of full-scale commercialisation.

      cultivated beef
      Courtesy: Orbillion Bio

      Californian cultivated meat from Orbillion Bio has successfully called the production of its beef muscle cells in North America, Europe and Asia, added former Nestlé and DSM executive Dr Thomas Beck to its board of directors.

      Policy, research and awards

      Californian startup The Every Company, which produces precision-fermented egg proteins, has received a patent from the European Union for its recombinant ovalbumin ingredient, extending its IP portfolio in a major market.

      University of Adelaide PhD candidate Mel Nguyen has been awarded the institute’s Trending on VYT (Visualise Your Thesis) honour for her research into turning food waste into durable bioplastics.

      Finally, in Europe, vegan pork maker La Vie has won the Top Launch of the Year award from The Grocer.

      Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

      The post Future Food Quick Bites: Mufasa’s Impossible Nuggets, Wow Burger India & Vegan Sneakers appeared first on Green Queen.

      This post was originally published on Green Queen.