Kirsten Strey, marketing director, Nomad Foods

© Nomad Foods

Nomad Foods: “The Development of the Plant-Based Area is Already in the Next Phase”

Nomad Foods (NOMD), Europe’s leading frozen food company and one of the largest in the world, holds a strong portfolio of leading and heritage brands, most prominently Birds Eye in the UK and Ireland, Iglo in Germany and other parts of Europe (having acquired the Iglo Group in 2015), and Findus in Switzerland, Italy, France, Sweden, and other Northern European countries. Kirsten Strey, Marketing Director, DACH, at Nomad Foods previously worked in various top FMCG brand companies and says that with having a family with two children she understands from personal experience the everyday challenge at the family dinner table. Here, Kirsten shares some interesting insights into the positioning of plant-based foods for the mainstream consumer; “The current discussion about plant-based nutrition is extremely linked …

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Sandy De Houwer, Cargill

Sandy De Houwer, image courtesy of Cargill

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Cargill: “We Take the View That We Need All Forms of Protein on the Table”

Minneapolis headquartered agribusiness giant Cargill, the largest privately held company in the United States in terms of revenue, has been active in the plant-based and alternative protein space for several years. As a platform concerned solely with the plant- and cell- based business niche (not to say we are unconcerned as a team about well-documented issues of ethics or sustainability, but these are not the focus areas of this publication), that encourages the entrance of conventional protein producers into the production of plant-based meat, we are interested in reporting on such a company’s work in the space to keep our readers informed of the activities of key players. Some of said activities undertaken by Cargill in recent years include, in reverse chronological order: Signs commercial …

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Roland Griesebner and Svenja Fritz of Oatly

Roland Griesebner and Svenja Fritz © Oatly

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Oatly: “We Measure Ourselves as a Company by How Many Litres of Cow’s Milk We Can Replace with Oat Drink”

With the appointment of Roland Griesebner and Svenja Fritz as new managing directors for DACH & Poland, Oatly aims to continue its success story and drive both growth and innovation. Together, Griesebner and Fritz aim to accelerate the company’s expansion, strengthen relationships with retail partners, expand food service and out-of-home partnerships, and further strengthen the brand in DACH and Poland. Oatly is focusing on a sustainable growth strategy to strengthen its leading position in the DACH markets and Poland. Under the new management of Griesebner and Fritz, the company plans to further expand its presence in the region and develop new product categories. A special focus will also be placed on integrating the core business and sustainability goals in order to advance not only the …

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Isabella Aldridge of Neat

Isabella Aldridge. Image supplied.

Neat: “We Aim to Make Neat a Globally Recognized Name Synonymous With Quality, Convenience, and Innovation in Plant-Based Dining”

Plant-based fast food chain Neat Burger has recently announced a rebrand, dropping “Burger” from its name to become simply Neat. The change heralds a new era for the brand, which will now shift its focus towards fresher, healthier dishes in line with evolving consumer demands. Launched in 2019, Neat has four locations in London along with international locations in Milan and New York City. Following the opening of the NYC restaurant last year, Neat reported that sales had beaten expectations, and the company subsequently raised $18 million in Series B funding. Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is a long-time backer, and the chain has also previously received investment from Leonardo DiCaprio. Isabella Aldridge, Head of Brand & Marketing at Neat, told us more about the …

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Keith Lesser, Vegan Accountants

Keith Lesser Vegan Accountants

Vegan Accountants: “Building a Vegan Team is a Great Way to Ensure Retention and Compatibility with Values”

Vegan Accountants, based in East London, serves the unique needs of ethical and plant-based businesses in the UK, having pivoted around five years ago to a purely vegan business model when partner Keith Lesser became increasingly focused on the vegan lifestyle, wanting to work with mission-aligned founders in the space. Recognising the distinct financial and ethical considerations of vegan businesses, Vegan Accountants offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to support businesses in navigating the complex landscape of sustainability-focused finance. With a commitment to promoting ethical business practices, the firm offers expertise in tax, accounting, and financial planning to empower clients ranging from startups to established enterprises. What advice can you give to businesses looking to incorporate ethical practices into their financial management? To be …

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Michael Fox CEO Fable Food Co

Michael Fox ©Fable Food Co

Fable Foods: “Reimagining Mushrooms by Improving Their Texture and Elevating Their Natural Umami Flavours”

Fable Food Co, based in Australia, creates sustainable meat alternatives with a focus on the shiitake mushroom to mimic the texture and umami flavours of meat. Fable’s product portfolio includes items like plant-based braised beef, designed to integrate seamlessly into a variety of dishes, from stews to tacos, and the company’s approach to the plant-based market is not just about offering alternatives to meat but also about contributing to a shift in food culture towards more sustainable and ethical consumption practices. Since we last spoke with CEO Michael Fox, back in 2020, Fable has raised US$8.5 million in Series A, with the funds invested to accelerate R&D, launch new mushroom-based products, and continue to expand internationally. We were long overdue a catchup with Fox, who …

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Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi

Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi © JACA

Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture: “Working to Achieve the Sale of Cultivated Meat in Japan from 2026”

Megumi Avigail Yoshitomi is the Representative Director of the Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) and sits on an advisory board for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s strategy to promote the biotechnology industry in Japan. Megumi was recognised by the Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 list in 2020 for her work in the field. The group works with a focus on policy-making in order to bring food products produced by cellular agriculture technology to the Japanese market. Please can you briefly introduce your organization? Japan Association for Cellular Agriculture (JACA) is a non-profit policy think tank based in Japan, focusing on policy-making to promote regulatory framework building and international collaborations around cellular agriculture. JACA communicates with ministries, politicians, existing meat industry players, consumer …

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Sandra Hungate of Veganuary US

Sandra Hungate. © Veganuary US

Veganuary US: “We Have Participants in All 50 States, Interest is No Longer Confined to Cities Like New York and LA”

Since starting out in the UK ten years ago, Veganuary has surged in popularity worldwide — particularly in the US, where the campaign is now taking place for the fifth time. The country has the highest number of participants of any nation, and over 400 American businesses took part last year. In 2024, a variety of restaurants are offering Veganuary menus, with new options such as pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. With a significant proportion of participants remaining plant-based for good after taking part in the challenge, Veganuary is driving a meaningful shift in dietary patterns, prompting many food service outlets to continue offering vegan dishes after the month is over. Veganuary US Director Sandra Hungate told us more about this incredible momentum and the highlights …

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Lars Langhout, founder of No Palm Ingredients

Lars Langhout, founder of No Palm Ingredients, image supplied

NoPalm Ingredients: “Our Oils and Fats Have a Dramatically Lower Impact on Nature, Climate and Biodiversity”

Based in Wageningen, Netherlands, NoPalm Ingredients “brews” tailor-made fermented oils and fats. These serve as high-quality, sustainable, local, and circular alternatives to palm oil in food, cosmetics, and detergent products. Lars Langhout (MBA) is the co-founder and CEO of NoPalm Ingredients. He founded NoPalm Ingredients together with Prof. Dr. Jeroen Hugenholtz (CTO) in 2022. Can you share some of the key challenges and highlights NoPalm Ingredients faced in 2023, particularly in the context of scaling up your production of sustainable palm oil alternatives? As with most startups, the key challenge has been raising money to scale up. The investment climate for sustainable, circular start-ups deteriorated over the past two years. At the same time, it is a process we have learned a lot from, and …

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Sam Tucker of Open Paws speaking at ProVeg Incubator

Sam Tucker of Open Paws, image credit Jan Michalko

Open Paws: “AI Can Play a Crucial Role in Marketing and Customer Engagement for Vegan Businesses”

Open Paws is a groundbreaking nonprofit dedicated to using AI to make animal exploitation obsolete. Its core mission is to build open-source AI models for animal advocates, help animal rights charities and plant-based / vegan businesses implement AI in their workflows, and advocate for systemic consideration for animals in the wider AI industry. We spoke to founder Sam Tucker, who spent 15+ years working in animal advocacy and now works at the intersection of AI safety and animal advocacy, striving to address the urgent and under-addressed challenge of speciesism in AI. Through combining his expertise in animal advocacy and artificial intelligence, Sam developed VEG3, the world’s first AI assistant dedicated to helping both individuals and organisations be more effective in advocating for animals and navigating …

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Matthew Glover of VFG

Image courtesy of Matthew Glover

Matthew Glover on VFG: “We’ll Be Able to Offer Retailers a ‘One-Stop Shop’ for a Wide Range of Plant-Based SKUs”

This week, vegan challenger brand VFC and its parent company VFC Foods became Vegan Food Group (VFG) presently including its acquired brands Meatless Farm and Clive’s Purely Plants, with plans for continuous strategic acquisitions. The move heralds a “transformative era in the plant-based food sector” according to Glover, who foresees a near future for the vegan industry based on collaborative efforts, “this is an opportunity for both VFG and the wider movement,” he says. Here Glover tells us more about the new group and its vision, along with an upcoming side project that will be of interest to many in the space. Can you elaborate on the vision behind transforming VFC Foods into The Vegan Food Group? What was the stimulus? Well, I guess it …

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Horst Hartl, Managing Director of AGRANA

Horst Hartl, Managing Director of AGRANA, image supplied

AGRANA: “We Offer a Substitute for Methylcellulose Which is in Great Demand in the Organic Sector”

Horst Hartl has been Managing Director of AGRANA Starch since 2009 and is responsible for sales, supply chain management as well as research and development. After studying agricultural economics at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, he began his career in the Austrian sugar and starch industry and then moved to the agricultural machinery industry, where he worked primarily in Eastern Europe and the former CIS countries. Over the last 25 years, he has built up extensive experience in international sales and marketing, both in the food industry and across agribusiness. Could you share some of the most significant achievements or developments for Agrana in the plant-based sector during 2023? What were the key drivers behind these successes? Producers of meat …

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Marco Bertacca, CEO of Quorn Foods

Marco Bertacca, CEO of Quorn Foods © Quorn

Quorn Foods: “We Are Expecting the Category to Recharge and Rebuild This Year”

Launched in 1985, Quorn Foods is one of the UK’s oldest and most successful meat alternative brands. The company was the first to recognise the potential of mycoprotein, a form of single-cell protein derived from fungi, as a healthier and more sustainable protein source. Quorn products are now available in 14 countries, for both retail and food service. In 2023, Quorn’s parent company, Marlow Foods, created an ingredients division to make its mycoprotein available to other brands. Later in the year, the company’s food service unit was rebranded to QuornPro, with the aim of giving the unit its own values and mission. Quorn already has highly successful food service partnerships with major chains such as KFC, Greggs, JD Wetherspoon, and more. We spoke to Marco …

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Rudy Yoo of Armored Fresh

Rudy Yoo © Armored Fresh

Armored Fresh: “Our Plant-Based Cheeses Are a Combination of Innovation and Culinary Art”

Armored Fresh is a South Korean food tech company focused on producing plant-based alternatives to cheese. The company has developed a range of innovative almond-based products that are said to replicate the taste and texture of dairy cheese, and are infused with nutrients to provide a comparable protein content. To cater to consumers with nut allergies, Armored Fresh launched a new range of cheese alternatives made from oat milk last year. Several varieties of both the oat and almond-based cheeses are available for retail and food service across the US, including via the company’s online store. In November, Armored Fresh significantly expanded its retail footprint in the country, gaining listings at Fresh Thyme Market, Town and Country Foods, Fred Meyer, and more. We spoke to …

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Isabel Jurado, Head of V-Label Spain

© V Label Spain

V Label Spain: “Our Mission is For a Vegan to Fill His or Her Supermarket Basket in the Same Way as an Omnivore”

Isabel Jurado, Head of V-Label Spain, has been vegan for almost the last 30 years. As a spiritual person, Isabel always felt close to the subject of animal wellbeing and the protection of the environment, trying to live a life in line with her values. What is the Unión Vegetariana Española, and what does the organization stand for? UVE is the organisation advocating for the interest of the vegan and vegetarian movement in Spain. We act to raise awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet for the people, the planet and the animals. In addition, as a leading organisation, we manage the awarding of the V-Label in Spain. What successes do you like to look back on? Our purpose has been the same since …

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Dr. Dorotea Pein of Planteneers

© Planteneers

Planteneers: “With Us, Companies Don’t Need to Invest in Expensive R&D to Bring Plant-Based Alternatives to Market”

Planteneers specializes in the development and production of plant-based food alternatives and is part of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe. The company’s expertise lies in the formulation of high-quality, functional ingredients and compounds that are tailored to mimic the taste, texture, and cooking properties of traditional animal-based products. ​​​After a successful 2023 during which Planteneers won the World Plant-Based Innovation Awards 2023 in the technology category for the Plantbaser and expanded into the USA with a new office in Aurora, Illinois, we spoke with Dr. Dorotea Pein, Director Technology, on thoughts for the year ahead not just for the company but for the alternative food space in general – “cultured meat and proteins from fermentation will become more important,” predicts Dr Pein. Can you tell us what …

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Daniel Staackmann and Nicole Sopko, founders of Upton's Naturals

Daniel Staackmann and Nicole Sopko, © Upton's Naturals

Upton’s Naturals: “Building a Brand That is On Pace With Transformation Means We Are Still Here and Still Viable”

Upton’s Naturals is an independently owned company and a trailblazer in the plant-based food industry, established in Chicago back in 2006. Initially launching onto the market with an Italian-flavored seitan, the company has since expanded its offering to include a range of flavors and products, such as the Updog, a plant-based hot dog alternative, and various jackfruit innovations. Founders Daniel Staackmann and Nicole Sopko, also known for her work with the PBFA, focus on simplicity, vegan values, and the use of real, recognizable ingredients. Due to this, and despite the fluctuating dynamics of the plant-based market, the company has continued to thrive, recently reporting a consistent upward trajectory in sales, growing 600% from 2013 to 2022. Uptons states that its slow and steady approach has …

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Hugo Verkuil of The Vegetarian Butcher

Hugo Verkuil. © The Vegetarian Butcher

The Vegetarian Butcher: “Our Mission Will Not Change, We Remain Committed to Releasing Animals From the Food Chain”

Founded 13 years ago in the Netherlands, alt meat producer The Vegetarian Butcher has since expanded into an international brand, seeing huge growth since it was acquired by Unilever in 2018. The Vegetarian Butcher’s success has partially been driven by its partnerships with major food service companies; the brand is Burger King’s main plant-based supplier, and has partnered with the chain to open meat-free Burger King locations worldwide. In the past year alone, The Vegetarian Butcher has launched plant-based butcher counters at Spanish supermarkets, developed a bacon alternative featuring new patented fat technology, and collaborated with a major döner producer to offer vegan kebab meat. The brand also marked its 13th anniversary with the opening of a plant-based butchery in Rotterdam. We spoke to Hugo …

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Anna Dominey. © The Coconut Collab

The Coconut Collab: “Winning on Taste is Non-Negotiable, and This is Where Our Greatest Strength Lies”

The Coconut Collaborative is a British producer of dairy-free, coconut-based yogurts and puddings. The past eighteen months have seen considerable success for the company, with its whippable plant-based double cream served at the Wimbledon tennis championships and its chocolate desserts launching on all Virgin Atlantic flights. The Coconut Collab has also recently expanded into milk alternatives with its barista-style M!LK™, which is described as a “game-changing” product that looks and behaves just like cow’s milk. Additionally, the brand’s natural yogurt alternative is now the UK’s top-selling coconut yogurt. We caught up with Anna Dominey, Managing Director at The Coconut Collaborative, to find out more about the company and its plans for expansion. Can you provide us with the backstory of The Coconut Collaborative and its …

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Catherine Bayard of Givaudan

Catherine Bayard. © Givaudan

Givaudan: “In the Future, Alternative Proteins in Dairy Won’t Be an Alternative Anymore”

Givaudan is a Swiss multinational company producing flavors and fragrances. In recent years, the company has been increasingly focused on alternative proteins, particularly dairy alternatives. Earlier this year, Givaudan partnered with open data intelligence agency Synthesis to research the topic of Dairy Alternative Futures, which anticipates future scenarios and challenges in the alt dairy industry. The company also expanded its Protein Hub in Kemptthal, Switzerland, in July to support the development of dairy alternatives. Last month, Givaudan released a research paper in partnership with The University of California Berkeley, identifying primary challenges and opportunities in alt protein and ten actionable pathways towards improved efficiency. Catherine Bayard, Global Product Manager at Givaudan, told us more about how the company envisions the future of alt dairy and other …

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