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animal vs plant proteins

Image courtesy of The Freedom Food Alliance

Guest Post: Daily Mail Distorts Outcome Of Major Study Showing Benefits of Plant Protein

Robbie Lockie, co-founder of Plant-Based News, recently established the Freedom Food Alliance in order to counteract widespread disinformation in the media regarding the food system. In this piece, Robbie describes one of the myriad examples of information being distorted to fit the purposes of the mainstream narrative. A recent article published in the Daily Mail online was based on the “quoting out of context” fallacy and is particularly misleading because it quotes a legitimate, scientific study, but distorts its results to serve the author’s points. In her article, Health Reporter Emily Joshu issues a warning to vegans: animal proteins are crucial for healthy aging and a vegan diet is harmful for overall health. As evidence for these claims, Joshu references a study led by Tufts …

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Elysabeth Alfano speaking at COP28

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Financing Food Fast: Take-Aways from COP28

As I write this, still on the ground in Dubai, I am struck by so many swift moves to bring sustainable food systems change through diversified proteins to the forefront of not just the climate conversation, but the climate strategy and execution conversation. As I come down from my four speaking engagements in the Blue Zone, I can’t believe the rapid zeitgeist shift, writes Elysabeth Alfano. Only last year, when I spoke at COP27, I was pushing to be heard, along with dedicated colleges at the Food4Climate, Food Systems pavilions, The Good Food Institute (GFI), Mighty Earth, Food Tank, FAIRR and so many others that food systems transition was not only key to the climate change conversation, but that we simply couldn’t hold on to …

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dsm tomato sauce for kids

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Guest Post: Spreading the Goodness – Where Flavor Meets Nutrition in Sauces, Dips and Spreads

In the world of plant-based eating, sauces, dips, and spreads play a crucial role. Vegetarian and vegan foods are largely seen as ‘better-for-you’ choices by consumers, but this virtuous reputation leads some to view plant-based foods as less flavorsome or exciting.[1] Condiments come to the rescue here, giving consumers a convenient source of ‘spice’ that makes a plant-based diet that bit more enjoyable. Everyone knows sauces and dips need to taste good, but is there scope to also view them as health boosters in their own right? Dressings Mayonnaise and salad dressings are the top sauces across Europe and the USA[2], but with consumers trying hard to eat healthier – both for themselves and the planet – demand for delicious, nutritious dairy-free alternatives is on …

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A mushroom burger

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Catalonia Makes Historic €7M Investment in Alt Proteins Research Center

Catalonia’s Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda, and the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA) have revealed Spain’s first Center for Innovation in Alternative Proteins (CiPA). With €7 million in funding — believed to be one of the country’s most significant investments made in the sector — CiPA aims to become a leading hub in southern Europe for research and innovation, focusing on ingredients, food, and feed alternatives to animal proteins. Nonprofit think tank the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI) has praised the Catalan government’s historic investment in advancing alternative proteins and helping companies develop sustainable meat. Alex Holst, senior policy manager at GFI Europe, said: “This landmark announcement is a major step towards turning Catalonia into one of Spain’s leading hubs …

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Evandro Oliveira de Souza, Senior Global Business Unit Director Cheese at DSM

Evandro Oliveira de Souza, Senior Global Business Unit Director Cheese at DSM, image supplied

Overcoming Challenges to Optimize Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives

In this guest post, Evandro Oliveira de Souza, Senior Global Business Unit Director Cheese at DSM, offers his unique insights into the vegan cheese category, discussing its challenges and how they can be overcome. Plant-based milk and meat alternatives have proved hugely popular around the world, but plant-based cheese is yet to enjoy widespread, global appeal as formulation challenges have prevented brands from achieving the full sensory experience that consumers desire. When flexitarian consumers can have the ‘real deal’ anytime they wish, plant-based cheese alternatives need to accurately mimic the robust, complex flavors and distinctive, comforting textures that make cheese a classic comfort food. A flexitarian future The global market for plant-based dairy alternatives reached a remarkable €18 billion in 2022.[1] Up-and-coming categories, like vegan …

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Ctrl Alt Meat: Good Global Health Makes a World of Difference

by Katie Briefel

Last year’s word of the year, according to Merriam Webster, was ‘vaccine’, which followed ‘pandemic’ in 2020 and ‘climate emergency’ in 2019. It reinforces the sense that our health and our climate are at the forefront of public concerns – and nowhere are these issues more interconnected than in our global food system. Last month saw both World Health Day and Earth Day, so it’s a timely moment to consider how we can address and improve human, animal and planetary health by improving the food system. In particular through addressing emissions and land usage, disease outbreak and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  These are topics covered widely by antibiotics expert Dr Lance Price and investigative journalist Andrew Wasley in the podcast produced by the Jeremy Coller Foundation, …

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Heüra Marc Coloma

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Marc Coloma: “The Magnitude of the Problem with Animal Ag and Why I Turned to Corporate Initiatives to Solve It”

When I was a teenager I couldn’t understand the way people were treating animals and the planet. This is why I decided to become an activist. I dropped out of high school to dedicate all my time to fighting for what I believe in and leading the regional section of an international animal rights organization.  We achieved some small victories: we changed laws and forced the closure of farms that were operating illegally. But this wasn’t enough to make the problem disappear.  At this point in my life, I realized that the whole food system is broken.  But instead of pointing to the problem, I needed to bring solutions. So I transformed my anger to create Heura and improve the food system.  I understood that …

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Isabel Fernandez_Heura R_D

Isabel Fernandez © Heura

Heura’s Lead R&D Scientist Isa Fernández Farrés: “It is Everyone’s Responsibility to Address Gender Bias”

My scientific background has been instrumental in developing new technological solutions or even improving existing ones. And by scientific background, I am not referring to the acquired knowledge during a PhD, which is the understanding of a narrow scientific field, but rather the tools I learned by practising science throughout 10+ years in research, both in academia and in industry.  Learning how to learn These tools are the ability to make testable predictions and the most powerful one for me is “learning how to learn”, which I constantly use to broaden my scientific knowledge in order to maximise technological outcomes. Balancing depth and breadth of expertise is the key to achieving technological impact.  And I found that learning the basics of different scientific fields was …

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Marisa Heath - PBFA UK

CEO Marisa Heath ©Plant Based Food Alliance UK

Marisa Heath, CEO of Plant-based Food Alliance UK

The Plant-based Food Alliance UK was created to act as a voice for Britain’s growing plant-based food and drink sector. Founded by Oatly, Alpro, The Vegan Society, Upfield and ProVeg UK, we are a coalition of civil society groups and businesses with a collective aim of making the UK a global leader in plant-based food and drink. Food systems account for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions globally and plant-based foods are a hugely impactful way of ensuring our food choices are sustainable in the future. “A shift towards plant-based will be vital in achieving the Government’s net zero target by 2050” A shift towards plant-based will be vital in achieving the Government’s net zero target by 2050. We are seeing people introducing more plant-based meals …

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Jeremy Coller, image supplied

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Jeremy Coller: Why We’re Launching the Alternative Proteins Association

The UK has always been seen as a pioneering nation – from the steam engine and industrial revolution to the computer and world wide web.  We are renowned for our scientific and research quality, as well as our engineering expertise.  British universities remain the envy of the world.  And the success of the UK’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout points to a new golden era of British bioprocessing and distribution. We, therefore, have the opportunity to be a global leader in food technology if we harness the power of our entrepreneurial spirit, leverage the UK’s world class R&D capabilities and get the right regulatory framework in place. So companies, investors, NGOs, academics, scientists and entrepreneurs are coming together to launch the Alternative Proteins Association (APA) in Parliament …

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DirtCandy

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Eat Beyond CEO Michael Aucoin: How Foodservice is Pushing the Plant-Based Industry Forward

Consumer interest in plant-based foods is at an all-time high and only shows signs of accelerating. This interest is not solely from vegan consumers, but also from a growing class of flexitarians looking to integrate more plant-based food into their diets, without fully committing to major lifestyle changes. In line with this, we have seen an explosion of plant-based products becoming available at the retail level and, while these were initially confined to the natural/specialty section of stores, they have now begun to take hold in the mainstream aisles as well. While the broad introduction of plant-based options in foodservice establishments has been slower, foodservice provides a unique opportunity to introduce new and innovative products to consumers in what can potentially be a much more …

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Future Proofing Our Food System, by Katie Briefel

How do we sustainably grow food to meet future demand? This was the key question for policymakers and business leaders at the UN’s Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods event in Dubai last week. With the human population set to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, and precious resources such as water and land dwindling, reshaping the future of our food has never been more important. The meat industry produces 44% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, is a significant driver of deforestation worldwide and produces double the waste created by the entire human population. Despite this, the average per-capita consumption of meat globally is increasing. Is it inevitable that such a system with meat consumption at the forefront will remain the incumbent? Or are we shifting towards …

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Ctrl Alt Meat: Veganuary and the Future of Plant-Based Foods

by Katie Briefel

The global food system is facing unparalleled challenges and changes. So how can we reset for a better, more sustainable future? The answer is already emerging, with investment in alternative protein companies reaching an all-time $3.1 billion high, policymakers beginning to push for reduced meat consumption and supermarket shelves hosting more vegan options than ever before. This Veganuary it is easier than ever to make the switch to a more plant-based diet. Veganuary, the movement which encourages individuals to adopt a vegan diet for the month of January, has proven to be wildly popular with over 500,000 taking the pledge last year, and two million signing up since the campaign began in 2014. As consumer engagement with Veganuary has grown, so too has the food …

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Business man in office at Christmas

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The Top 5 Year End Must Do’s for Plant-Based & Vegan Small Businesses

The Top 5 Year End Must Do’s for Plant-Based and Vegan Small Businesses are here compiled by Bonnie Brown, Co-Founder of Passion Placement and New Earth Partners, to help you reflect on the past year as year-end approaches. What were the wins and losses? What worked well or didn’t? Strategic Planning & Know Your Numbers Start with a personal review. You need to be in the right place and have the key events analyzed from your perspective before you gather your leadership team, stakeholders and perhaps consulting experts. Strategizing begins with planning. Assess the goals set at the beginning of the year and determine if those goals have been met. If not, why not? Should they be on next year’s goal list? Is there a …

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Robert Hagemann, co-founder and CMO of Aether Diamonds

Robert Hagemann, co-founder and CMO of Aether Diamonds

Robert Hagemann On Creating World’s First Vegan Diamonds With Carbon Sourced from Air Pollution

Robert Hagemann, co-founder and CMO of Aether Diamonds, producer of the world’s first positive-impact diamonds made from air, is an animal rights advocate and an outspoken proponent of how a vegan lifestyle can help to create a better world. In his role as the brains behind the idea of a vegan certification for diamonds, we invited Robert to share some of his knowledge on this fascinating subject. Why the world’s first vegan certification for diamonds is important for the jewelry industry “Aether Diamonds recently became the first company in the world to receive a vegan certification for their diamonds. The certification was granted in April by Vegan Action (vegan.org), which is one of the leading vegan certification organizations in the world. Vegan Action has over …

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Moku jerky

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Matt Feldman of Moku Foods: How to Create an Investible Plant-Based Brand

Matt Feldman is the CEO and co-founder of Moku Foods, a meat alternative brand turning clean label, plant-based ingredients into products that emulate the taste and texture of meat. Moku launched its first product, a plant-based jerky, in December 2020. Moku is backed by the founders of Thrive Market, Casper, Soylent, and Mendocino Farms as well as VC heavyweights, Siddhi Capital and Vanterra Capital. Additional investors include Mana Ventures, Barrel Ventures and KBW Ventures.  In 2020, Moku earned a coveted spot in Amazon’s invitation-only Emerging Brands Program and Matt was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30. Here Matt offers insight into how up-and-coming product founders can create a brand designed to attract investors. How I Created an Investable Food Brand – and How You Can, Too …

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David Benzaquen of Moonshot Collaborative

David Benzaquen: Should Plant-Based Meat Companies Prioritize Health or the Perfect Taste?

*The opinions expressed here represent only the author, and not any companies he may be affiliated with. 

Innovation often brings with it heated debate, and plant-based meat is no exception. With the recent wave of highly-realistic meat alternatives, we’re faced with the question: is the perfect taste worth arguably imperfect ingredients?

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