Company News

ENOUGH's new plant

© ENOUGH

ENOUGH Inaugurates ‘World’s Largest’ Mycoprotein Facility

Food tech startup ENOUGH recently inaugurated what it claims to be the world’s largest mycoprotein facility, a game-changing supplier for the alternative protein market. The new factory will produce up to 60,000 tonnes of ENOUGH’s ABUNDA® protein by 2027, which is equivalent to growing a cow’s worth of protein every two minutes, explains the company. ENOUGH develops its mycoprotein by fermenting fungi using a technology that leverages renewable feedstocks, creating a unique zero-waste fermentation process for growing a complete food protein containing all essential amino acids also high in dietary fibre. Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) with its Plenitude project supported the production plant’s construction phase with €16.9M coming from European funds aimed at advancing competitive bio-based industries. Nicoló Giacomuzzi-Moore, CBE JU’s executive director, commented at …

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RIP Foods

©RIP Foods

RIP Foods Secures €625K to Accelerate Growth in Spanish Food Service

The Spanish plant-based meat startup RIP Foods recently announced it has closed a €625K pre-seed funding round led by Ship2B Ventures.  The funds will increase restaurant sales and double the company’s team to 20 employees by the end of the year. Launching products for retail and closing deals with major supermarkets are also among the company’s plans. RIP (Rich in Plants) was founded in 2021 in Barcelona. It is focused on developing plant-based chicken alternatives for the HORECA channel (foodservice). In January 2022, RIP launched two vegan chicken gyozas flavours, using its Meatrix formula, which it claims encapsulates fats and mimics meat to perfection. RIP’s CEO and Founder Kevin Forssmann commented on the raised funds: “We are very excited about the closing of this funding round due …

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A vegan whole-cut

©Rival Foods

Rival Foods Raises €6M for High Tech Vegan Whole Cuts

Rival Foods, a company dedicated to plant-based whole cuts, recently announced the completion of its €6M Series A funding round. The raised funds will be invested in developing new formulations with next-generation protein sources, scaling up its technologies, and expanding its operational capabilities.   Based in the Netherlands, it was founded in 2019 by Birgit Dekkers and Ernst Breel as a technology spin-off company from Wageningen University & Research. Rival Foods’ aim is to develop plant-based whole cuts and future products using new technologies and processes. Rival Foods claims that by developing technologies, equipment, processes, and product compositions, it can make plant-based whole cuts that deliver the same fibrous texture, rich mouthfeel, and juiciness experience of an animal cut. Its processes also can turn a wide …

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Carlotte-Lucas GFI Fish International

© GFI

The GFI at Fish International: “A Positive Sign for the Future of Our Oceans”

Germany’s Fish International fair took place at the beginning of September 2022 in Bremen, where numerous fish and seafood alternatives were exhibited among experts from the fish industry. Visitors had the opportunity to see and taste alternative products from Austrian Revo Foods, with its plant-based seafood, and Bluu Seafood from Germany, with the first cultivated seafood products to enter the market. Happy Ocean Foods presented its new plant-based products launched in partnership with Beyond Meat and ready to market soon.  Established food companies such as Nestle Professional and FRoSTA also showcased their alternative seafood products. Parallel seafood business meetings also took place, including one by the GFI Europe, the leading NGO in the field of promoting alternative proteins. Carlotte Lucas of the GFI provided the …

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© Hilton Food Group

Hilton Food Group Sees Vegan & Vegetarian Category Increase 40%

Hilton Food Group recently reported that its vegan and vegetarian category grew 40% in the first half of 2022. Over a three-year period, Hilton’s total revenue rose 20.4% to £2,038.7M. Hilton Foods is a company that processes, packs, and distributes meat and other protein products to UK and supermarkets, including Tesco.  According to the company, the rise in plant-based sales has been fuelled by flexitarian and vegetarian trends demanding alternative protein options. But with the continued disruption in global supply chains and rising inflation, Hilton says it has concerns for future profits. “In the first half of the year, Hilton has further strengthened its position as the international protein partner of choice. We have continued to focus on our strategy of diversification and differentiation, driving a further …

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Culcherd Vegan Cheese Spread

©Culcherd

Canada’s Culcherd Announces Strategic Rebrand of Its Artisan Butters and Cheeses

Culcherd, a Canadian dairy-free brand owned by Above Food, announces a strategic rebranding, including a new package design that better reflects the role of artisanal ingredients in the company’s products.  Featuring a fresh and sophisticated look, the new packaging focuses on the real ingredients in Culcherd’s flavor-forward line of plant-based dairy products, which includes various cheeses and butters. Culcherd’s products are made with simple, organic ingredients using both traditional and modern artisan techniques. Its fermented, cultured foods are also rich in nutrients, with the cheeses containing 1 billion CFUS of probiotics per serving.  Culcherd notes that sustainability is a core part of the company’s mission, and the latest packaging seeks to minimize waste by using recyclable paper and plant-based inks for the outer packaging. The …

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Plant-based burger

© CJ Freshway

CJ Freshway Plant-Based Burgers to Be Provided to Schools in Seoul

CJ Freshway, a South Korean B2B food distributor and food service company, will supply school cafeterias around Seoul with plant-based burgers. The company recently announced that its No Meat Cheese Cutlet Burger is ready for release and distribution.  The meat-free burger is made with non-GMO soy protein, vegan chipotle sauce, and romaine lettuce, served in a hamburger bun. It can be assumed that the cheese is dairy though vegconomist is yet to confirm. According to CJ Freshway’s official Lim Ji-sun, each school will have 30 plant-based burgers to offer twice a week. CJ Freshways’ distributors will deliver to school cafeterias a plant-based meal kit containing the cutlet and the rest of the ingredients needed to assemble the burger.   Plant-based alternatives for schools In 2021, …

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Rügenwalder Mühle Vegan Filet Type Chicken

© Rügenwalder Mühle

Germany: Rewe Supermarket Opens Vegan Meat Counter

Operating around 3,300 stores, Rewe is the second largest food retailer in Germany behind Edeka. This month the operator of the Kaarst location, the Röttcher family, opened a 100% vegan meat counter, following a 45% increase in sales of its vegan range compared to last year. The counter offers sausage and minced meat alternatives amongst other plant-based meats and the staff at the counter are specially trained. The retailer launched its REWE Bio + vegan range in autumn of last year, stating that by 2040, the group wants to become climate neutral at the corporate level. “Some time ago, I started to focus more and more on nutrition instead of just selling food, as I am convinced that customers are more enlightened and pay more …

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SCiFi Foods Cultured Beef Burger

©SCiFi Foods

SCiFi Foods Partners with Michigan State University to Test Scaling of Hybrid Burgers

Cell-based meat startup SCiFi Foods announces a partnership with Michigan State University to help test and finalize the plant-based portion of its first cultivated beef burgers.  SCiFi will work with MSU’s renowned Food Processing and Innovation Center (FPIC) to conduct initial pilot runs for the company’s debut commercial product, which combines plant-based beef with its breakthrough cultivated beef cells. The pilot runs are an important step in product development that will bring the company closer to regulatory approval, SCiFi says. The runs will also help to ensure the scaled product is still delicious, safe, cost-effective, and as nutritionally balanced as possible, the company notes.  Once the final formulation and test runs are complete, the burger’s plant-based portion will be combined with beef cells from SCiFi’s …

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Adamo Foods

Image: Adamo Foods on Facebook

Adamo Foods: Sustainable Whole Cut Steaks Made From Fungi

UK-based company Adamo Foods has developed whole-cut steaks made entirely from mycelium, the root structure of fungi. According to the company, fungi grow at an exponential rate with minimal resources required. A proprietary fermentation process is used to transform the mycelium into large fibrous slabs with a very similar texture to meat. Some natural flavourings are then added to replicate the taste of steak. The finished product contains fewer than eight ingredients. Adamo says its aim is to fight climate change, improve global health, and boost food security. According to the company, it takes over 15,000 litres of water to produce a single kilogram of steak, whereas the footprint of mycelium meat is much smaller. The global fungi market Interest in fungi is rapidly increasing …

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OnlyEg Float Foods

OnlyEg ©Float Foods

Float Foods’ OnlyEg Wins Best Plant-Based Functional Award

Float Foods’ OnlyEg was named Best Plant-Based Functional Award at the Plant Based Expo in New York City last week. The winning product in the category was OnlyEg XL Omelette, an extra-large omelette format that can be used for omelettes as well as a wide range of applications, from breakfast menus to burgers, sandwiches and crepes. Based in Singapore, Float Foods‘ legume-based egg, offering distinct egg yolk and egg white components, was first introduced in 2020, claiming to be Asia’s first commercial plant-based whole egg substitute. The company secured SGD $2.2 million (approx USD $1.66 million) in an oversubscribed seed funding round in June 2021, and just last month revealed the “first” plant-based tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) in Asia. The judging panel considered over 140 entries …

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Chris & Sebastiano, ForGood

Chris Smalling & Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni

List of High Profile ‘Changemakers’ Join Chris Smalling’s ForGood Fund

Earlier this year, athlete and investor Chris Smalling, in partnership with Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni and Rebecca Wheeler, launched global investment firm ForGood, with the purpose of investing in companies that address the world’s largest environmental challenges and help end animal suffering.  In a recent announcement, the investment consultancy revealed the names of four new high-profile ‘changemakers’ joining the ForGood community: Helen Skelton, an English television presenter and actress; Barcelona footballer Héctor Bellerín; Australian Snooker Star Neil Robertson; and English-Moroccan Musician Zak Abel. According to ForGood, anyone that invests in planet-friendly ideas, products, and services becomes a ‘changemaker’, hence the concept behind the changemakers community.  ForGood connects athletes, musicians, entertainers, and personalities with early-stage businesses focused on tackling social, environmental, and animal welfare issues, making investing …

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el origen latin american snacks

el origen founder Gordon Prox © Sarah Buth

German Influencer Launches Snack Brand ‘el origen’ Creating Jobs in Ecuadorian Communities

German influencer Gordon Prox launched a snack brand called el origen, which translates to “the origin”, with the brand claiming to place the highest value on natural ingredients and mindfulness towards people and the environment. The startup develops vegan snacks inspired by Latin American cuisine. The brand’s portfolio includes award-winning Organic Quinoa Bites, Organic Amaranth Crispies, as well as chips made from plantains and cassava. The story of el origin In September 2017, Prox founded the YouTube channel “Vegan is Unhealthy” with Aljosha Muttardi. They thematize vegan nutrition, deal with the latest products, while adding a large portion of humor to their content. This mixture made them famous within a very short time. “Vegan is Unhealthy” became one of the most successful Youtube channels in …

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Activated nuts

@ Boundless Activated Snacking

Boundless Activated Snacking Announces £650K Investment & New Director

Boundless Activated Snacking, a healthy snacks brand based in the UK, today announces the hiring of Ben Jones as the company’s new director and investor. The brand also announced its recently closed £650K investment round led by various investors.  Ben Jones is an experienced UK entrepreneur who has founded, invested in, and managed other fast-growing companies like graze.com, tails.com, and skinandme.com. Cathy Moseley, founder of Boundless commented: “It’s just the beginning for Boundless, but to have a founder of such a well-known household snacking brand join the Boundless family shows exactly what we’re here to do and shows how much we’re on to something.” “I believe a healthy gut equals a healthy mind and body, and I’m excited to help Boundless in their next stage …

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La Vida Vegan hazelnut spread

© Brinkers Food

Brinkers Presents New Chocolate Spreads at SIAL Paris 2022

Family-owned company Brinkers Food will be attending SIAL Paris 2022 to exhibit its new developments and trends in the chocolate spread category and will compete for the SIAL Innovation Award with a selection of its new products. Brinkers is a certified organic producer of high-quality chocolate spreads. The company is based in the Netherlands and started its spread journey more than 130 years ago with a margarine substitute. SIAL (Salon International de l’alimentation) is an international food innovation exhibition taking place in Paris for five days from the 15th to the 19th of October. With 7,200 exhibitors and 200 countries represented, visitors can discover the latest trends and innovations in the food industry. The event also holds the SIAL Innovation competition, which rewards the best …

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