This Wednesday 2nd December sees the 2020 Alternative Dairy conference, presented by Protein Directory, a 1-day virtual global conference to learn about the latest business trends and best practices to transform the future of food with alternatives for dairy applications like cheese, milk and yogurt.
November 2020
Australia: ProForm Foods Opens $11M Plant-Based Meat Manufacturing Facility
Australian plant-based meat company ProForm Foods has opened a new factory at Mount Kurring-gai with the capacity to produce 5000 tonnes of meat alternatives per year.
Canadian Vegan Dressings Brand “Mother Raw” Closes $6.1M Funding Round
Mother Raw, a vegan dressings brand based in Toronto, has raised $6.1M to allow it to expand. The round was led by Forage Capital Partners and Export Development Canada, both new investors.
Mushrooms: A “Miracle Food” That Could Help Fight Winter Vitamin D Deficiency
Research commissioned by the UK & Ireland Mushroom Producers has found that mushrooms are often overlooked as a source of vitamin D. The vitamin helps to strengthen the immune system, making it particularly important during the flu season and the current pandemic.
Indian Cell-Based Meat Company Claims it Has Achieved Price Parity
Clear Meat, an Indian cell-based meat company, has developed cultured chicken mince that it claims is already as affordable to produce as conventional processed chicken.
Heura Foods Wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020
The magazine Emprendedores de España has awarded the 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Heura Foods, the Spanish vegan meat producer and the fastest-growing plant-based meat brand in Europe.
allplants: “The Funding Will Grow to Further Establish allplants as Europe’s Number One Plant-Based Food Platform”
allplants was way ahead of the curve when it launched its vegan delivery box service in the UK, with no way of knowing that COVID would bring a wave of demand and interest in both DTC and plant-based foods, leading to the largest crowdfund by any vegan business in the world.
SternVitamin’s New Mixes – Added Bone, Muscle & Gut Health For Plant-Based Drinks
Fortification with micronutrients gives products additional health value, and plant-based alternatives to dairy products are by far the strongest category, according to Innova. In response, SternVitamin has developed special micronutrient premixes for this segment that upgrade plant-based drinks based on oats and other protein sources.
Rollito Vegano Makes First Vegan Serrano Ham in Biodegradeable Packaging
Rollito Vegano was founded by Hugo and Alex during the pandemic, two vegan activists with aspirations to change the world. Their first product, Sinjamón, is the first 100% vegan Serrano ham in 100% compostable and biodegradable packaging and has been selling out in local retailers, helping to boost COVID time profits.
Chr. Hansen Presents New Fermentation Solutions for Plant Products
At a time when fermented plant-based products are becoming increasingly popular, Chr. Hansen is launching “FreshQ® DA”, a food culture selected to enhance the fermentation of these products and to better protect them from spoilage by yeasts and moulds.
Maple Leaf to Produce Plant-Based Line ‘Green Origin’ For Blackstone-Owned PFG
Greenleaf Foods, a subsidiary of Maple Leaf Foods, has been announced as the producer of a new line for foodservice called Green Origin, for US giant Performance Food Group Company. PFG states that with the launch, it will have one of the biggest plant-based exclusive brand portfolios in the foodservice industry.
PROFUSION Launches Pea & Fava Bean Protein Products as Fava Rises in Popularity
UK health-forward brand PROFUSION announces new soy-free Organic Pea and Fava Protein Mince & Chunks which are high in protein, 100% vegan, organic and gluten free. The release comes at a time when the fava bean is rising in popularity as a plant protein.
IKEA: 50% of Canteen Food and 80% of Retail Foods to be Plant-Based by 2025
New IKEA food commitments, announced Tuesday by the furniture giant, state that 50% of main meals offered in the restaurants will be plant-based, 80% to be non-red meat, and 80% of all packaged food offered to be plant-based by 2025. The company has recently introduced a veggie ball, a chicken ball, a veggie hot dog and a salmon ball.
Impossible Pork on Times Best Inventions List as Chinese Appetite for Pork Intensifies
Impossible Pork was named on the Times Best Inventions of 2020 list in the Food & Drink category, at a time when it is desperately needed; China’s pork consumption is set to be more than double that for all EU countries in 2020. Perfect Day’s Cow-Free Dairy was also named on the list for its innovations in sustainability.
8 Reasons Why the Future of Meat is Cell-Based, Not Animal-Based
The plant-based market is growing steadily, but in the future cell-based products may dominate and increasingly compete with plant-based products. By 2040, plant-based and cell-based meat alternatives are set to account for 60% of the market. We are moving towards a future where meat does not come from animals.
The Vurger: “The Challenge of 2020 Has Not Prevented Us From Innovating”
This February, The Vurger secured £1.4M investment for expansion – and a month later, the pandemic hit the UK’s foodservice industry hard. Like many of their peers, The Vurger had to pivot, though still managing to open a new location. At the end of one very unusual business year, Co-founder Rachel Hugh tells us how and why.
Brad Vanstone on Transitioning Plant-Based Cheese From Nuts to Beans
Willicroft has seen enormous success this year with its vegan cheeses in retail in the UK, and throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. Here founder Brad Vanstone discusses his brand’s journey, the crowdfunder which is now at 50%, and the plan to transition cheese production from nut-based to legumes.
What is the Plant-Based Secret Weapon for Success? Eric Schnell of Beyond Brands
Co-Founder and CEO of Beyond Brands, Eric Schnell talks with Plantbased Consultant Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour.
EXCLUSIVE: OmniPork’s Revolutionary Vegan SPAM to Arrive in Europe 2021
Hong Kong’s Omnipork has seen absolutely incredible success in 2020 with perhaps most notable to vegans (the McDonalds X Omnipork launch being vegetarian friendly but not vegan) being the launch of its vegan SPAM which has been an absolute phenomenon across Asia. In an interview with vegconomist, its European launch is revealed.
Did the $150M Beyond Meat McPlant Deal Break Down?
The story around the McPlant burger is becoming increasingly murky in terms of any agreement between Beyond Meat and McDonald’s. Recent commentators postulate that the plant-based burger could now be developed by McDonald’s alone, which may result in the loss for Beyond Meat of $150 million in revenues.