Company News

UNLIMEAT-upcycled-food-low

© UNLIMEAT

UNLIMEAT Plant-Based Meat Gyudon Now Available at 450 Sukiya Restaurants in China

Sukiya, a global chain restaurant specializing in Japanese gyudon, is now serving UNLIMEAT’s Plant Energy Don Series at all of its restaurants in China. UNLIMEAT is a South Korean brand focused on developing alternative plant-based meat using a percentage of upcycled products in its production process, thus contributing to food waste reduction. Nine months ago, UNLIMEAT partnered with the restaurant chain to introduce its plant-based meat gyudon at 15 locations. Following the success of the menu items, both parties decided to expand the offer to all the restaurant chain locations in China, with the expansion coming into effect on September 15th. The Energy Don Series The Plant Energy Don is a plant-based version of gyudon, made with UNLIMEAT’s plant-based Korean BBQ meat. Gyudon is a …

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© Barvecue

Barvecue and Arbiom Partner to ‘Dramatically Increase’ Consumer Acceptance of Plant-Based Meats

Plant BBQ brand Barvecue and protein innovator Arbiom announce a strategic partnership to improve the taste, texture and nutritional profile of clean-label plant-based meats.  The partnership seeks to “dramatically increase” public acceptance of plant-based meats by conducting product innovation, focus group research, and commercial trials.  Based in North Carolina, Barvecue produces an acclaimed line of wood-smoked pulled pork alternatives and carnitas. In 2021, the brand opened the world’s largest vegan smokehouse and has expanded its products to over 1,200 US stores, including Sprouts, Safeway and Harris Teeter. Since 2020, Barvecue has raised nearly $3M in investment funding.  “The world’s demand for protein is expected to double by 2050, and as a result, the need for high-quality alternative protein sources is going to increase dramatically,” said …

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©Clo-Clo Vegan Foods

CLO-CLO Vegan Foods Secures Huge Retail Expansion Across Midwest USA

Minnesota’s CLO-CLO Vegan Foods, a producer of allergen-friendly foods with a focus on pizza, bowls and plant-based cheese, announces retail distribution of its frozen vegan pizzas across 82 Cub grocery stores, marking the first time its products are available in the Midwest with market share in Minnesota and Illinois. The line, which rolls out into the frozen pizza section of Cub stores on 8th October, includes: Tuscan Inspired Pizza, Margherita Pizza; Mediterranean Inspired Pizza; Italian Sausage Pizza; Chick’N BBQ Recipe Pizza; and Vegetable-infused Pizza Crusts (2-pack). The brand’s healthy frozen pizzas are free from egg, soy, dairy, gluten, peanuts, seafood, fish and lupin, and feature cauliflower and sweet potato bases as a replacement for standard, less healthy pizza dough. The cauliflower line launched back in …

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vegan butcher section at Carrefour

© Verdali

Brazilian Verdali and Carrefour Open New Vegan Butcher Section

Brazilian plant-based meat specialist, Verdali has partnered with hypermarket giant Carrefour to offer its products at a designated vegan butcher section next to the fresh meat counters at one of the supermarket’s locations in São Paolo. The company claims to be the first company with plant-based certification in Brazil. In the last two years, it has launched a range of plant-based meat alternatives made with peas, soy, and chickpeas. The company describes its products as the new natural flavour of vegetal meat, nutritious and healthy. It is worth mentioning that the company says its packaging uses bio-based recyclable plastic. Verdali commented on the new vegan butcher section: “This innovative proposal aims to serve consumers who prefer plant-based proteins focusing on democratization by having the products exposed …

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© Müller’s Mühle

GoodMills to Take Over Sales and Application Activities of Müller’s Mühle Legume Flours

GoodMills Innovation is to begin running the sales, marketing, and application technology activities of legume flour producer Müller’s Mühle Business Solution. GoodMills says the flour range will complement its own cereal and legume-based offerings. The two companies are already under the same corporate umbrella, but it is hoped that the merger — which will create a division called Plant-Based Proteins — will take advantage of existing synergies. It will also combine the companies’ expertise in European sales, application technology, and product development. Following the merger on October 1, Müller’s Mühle will focus on sourcing, raw material supply, manufacturing, and quality management, while GoodMills Innovation will take over all aspects of B2B ingredient activities. GoodMills products Last year, GoodMills announced a collaboration with food tech company …

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Coperion extrusion seminar

© Coperion

Coperion’s Food Extrusion Seminar Taking Place Again This November 

Coperion’s Food Extrusion Seminar on the latest technical developments and trends in twin screw food extrusion will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, on November 9 and 10, 2022. In this seminar, participants will learn the basics and trends of twin screw extruders for food production and will master how to assemble screw elements in a practical session. In an additional Q&A session, Coperion’s experts will explain the entire extrusion process details, from feeding, processing, and pelletizing to drying and conveying. The seminar’s topics address the needs of production and development department employees that work with food extrusion or twin screw extruders regularly. The seminar is intended for product and process development staff and plant and manufacturing engineers. Participants should be familiar with food composition and …

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Plant-based meats

© Herblabism

Herblabism Becomes Member of Plant-Based Food Alliance UK

British alt meat startup Herblabism announces it is joining the Plant-based Food Alliance UK (PFA UK) as a full member.  Herblabism is a B2B meat-free company that supplies its products to major sporting, entertainment, and conference venues. As reported by vegconomist, the startup recently signed a deal with Levy UK+I, a caterer for sports stadiums such as Wembley, Aston Villa, and Chelsea F.C., as well as entertainment venues including the O2 Arena. At the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, Levy UK+I served Herblabism’s mushroom burgers and plant-based sausages. The startup says it plans to launch its products on its website for consumers to buy DTC. Marisa Heath, CEO of Plant-based Food Alliance UK, commented on the announcement: “The Alliance is so delighted to welcome Herblabism as …

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© Wicked Kitchen/Good Catch

Wicked Kitchen Raises $20M From Investors Including Woody Harrelson

Wicked Kitchen announces today that it has raised $20 million from investors including actor Woody Harrelson, and reports that it has more than tripled its YOY sales growth.   Today’s news comes three weeks after the announcement that Wicked, established by Derek and Chad Sarno, has acquired plant-based seafood company Good Catch — also founded by the Sarno brothers — expanding the company’s multi-category range to include the Good Catch portfolio of frozen and ambient vegan seafood products. New investors include Ahimsa VC of India, NRPT of Thailand (where Wicked is set to introduce 17 products), as well as actor Woody Harrelson. Harrelson, a vegan advocate, invested in Good Catch back in 2020, and also participated in a Series A round for Orange County vegan …

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Very Good Burgers

© The Very Good Food Company

The Very Good Food Company Considers Merger or Acquisition Amid Ongoing Troubles

Canada’s The Very Good Food Company (NASDAQ: VGFC) (TSXV: VERY.V) recently announced a strategic review to evaluate potential alternatives for maximizing shareholder value, including acquisition or merger with an industry partner.  The news follows months of financial uncertainty for the company, which saw the departures of CEO Mitchell Scott and co-founder James Davison in April. That shakeup led to a host of significant changes, including the temporary installation of Nestle exec Matt Hall as Interim CEO, who helped to stabilize the financially struggling company. In June, Very Good announced it had raised $6.5M in a private placement agreement, and soon after Vice President of Operations Parimal Rana was appointed to succeed Hall as the new CEO. In August, however, the company warned it still needed to …

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Dr. Praeger's New Expansion

©Dr. Praeger's

Dr. Praeger’s Foods Opens New Headquarters in Saddlebrook, NJ to Accomodate Growth

Plant-based frozen brand Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods announces it has opened new headquarters in Saddle Brook, NJ to grow its team and business.  According to the company, the new space is designed to foster collaboration, creativity and connection, and comes equipped with state-of-the-art IT and a test kitchen. The new offices will accommodate larger teams as the brand seeks to meet current and future growth. The new headquarters follows the company’s appointment of CPG veteran Andy Reichgut as CEO in July.  New leadership Founded over 25 years ago, Dr. Praeger’s sells a wide range of frozen and chilled products such as veggie burgers, sausages, nuggets, and breakfast foods. This summer, the brand partnered with Texas-based fast-casual chain Genghis Grill to offer plant-based chick’n and sausage in the chain’s …

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Project Pollo Vegan Chicken Fingers

©Project Pollo

Former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook Joins Chik’n Chain Project Pollo as Investor and Advisor

Plant-based chick’n chain Project Pollo revealed it has received a growth investment from former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook.  Easterbrook is also serving as a direct advisor to the chain as it aims to open 100 locations by the year 2025.  Easterbrook’s investment closed a recent seed round for the brand, reports QSR, which has opened 15 units across Texas in two years. Specializing in vegan chicken sandwiches, Project Pollo has ambitious growth plans and intends to compete directly with top chicken franchise Chick-Fil-A, according to founder and CEO Lucas Bradbury. In the near future, the brand is preparing to open new locations in Boulder, CO, Tempe, AZ and Las Vegas, with plans to enter markets such as Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa and Miami in 2023. Franchise …

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Land&Monkeys owners

© Land&Monkeys

Plant-Based Bakery Land&Monkeys Opens Sixth Paris Location

Land&Monkeys plant-based bakeries have been expanding rapidly in Paris since early 2020. There were already five of them in Paris, and now a sixth one is opening in the La Défense business district, in Nanterre. “This project is the story of a call for tenders… well, before that, it’s the story of the meeting between Land&Monkeys and EXALT, a subsidiary of the COMPASS group, a major player in collective catering in France and worldwide. EXALT has a soft spot for our gourmet and committed concept and we love the way they inspire thousands of people every day in their workplaces with an imaginative and surprising catering offer,” explains the 100% vegan bakery. The founders decided to present the Land&Monkeys concept in a call for tenders …

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ProVeg NFH

ProVeg International

Case Study: How Heura Foods Harnesses the Power of Social Media

ProVeg International recently published a case study exploring how Heura Foods harnesses social media to develop its brand and boost sales. Heura is a Spanish plant-based food company that sells plant-based meat alternatives to chicken, beef, and pork. The company has almost 200,000 followers on its Spanish Instagram, with tens of thousands more across its other global accounts – demonstrating the success of its engaging approach to social media. To boost your brand’s social media engagement rates in a manner similar to Heura, ProVeg recommends the following: Use humour to connect with consumers Promote education Collaborate with influencers Overall, crafting a successful social media presence as a plant-based brand is about striking the right balance between being genuine, educational, and promotional. In the words of …

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A plant-based taco

© Propel Foods

Propel Foods is Developing AI-Powered Plant Proteins Backed by Mexican Government

After winning the Hult Prize 2021, with a proposal to help local communities and the environment with alternative foods, Joel González, Sofía Hillman, and Jayat González received a US $150K prize which they used to fund their startup Propel Foods. Based in Mexico City, Propel Foods is an AI-powered startup that creates plant-based and hybrid-protein foods. The company says it combines the best of the vegetable and animal worlds in foods that are good for your health, delicious to eat, and good for the planet’s health.  Propel Foods commented in an interview: “Since we won the prize, we have continued turning our idea into a viable business. We were recognized in Mexico as a National Interest, were featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, and have entered into talks …

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A mushroom burger

© Innomy

Spain’s Innomy Receives €1.3M For Mycelium-Based Meats 

Spanish startup Innomy, dedicated to mushroom-based alternatives to meat, announced it has raised €1.3 million in a Pre Series A funding round to scale, promote and market its products in Europe. Innomy is part of Spain Foodtech startup acceleration program developed by Eatable Adventures in collaboration with ICEX (Spain Export and Investment), CNTA, and Rockstart’s AgriFood program. Innomy is based in Bilbao and was founded in 2021. The team consists of CEO and co-founder Juan Pablo de Giacomi, COO and co-founder Pablo Sánchez Rey, and mycologist CSO Francisco Kuhar. Innomy says it is developing a new generation of healthier, sustainable, and more delicious meat alternatives combining fungi and biotechnology. For years, the startup has been researching mycelium properties and their benefits on people’s health and …

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