Food & Beverage

Vegan food has come a long way over the last decade, with many vegan brands developing into industry leaders in terms of nutritional value, sustainability, and innovation of their products. While the animal-based food business is barely growing in many product categories, the vegan food sector is experiencing strong growth across the board.

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Awareness of issues regarding planet and animal welfare is growing and results in an increasing number of adults and children following a vegan lifestyle. Today, the search for vegan alternatives is easier than ever before, whilst revolutionary vegan food news delivered by brands all over the world are reported by the international press.

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© Symega Food Ingredients

Revolutionary food transition is shaping the future

A vegan lifestyle creates a link between the need for a healthier diet and the urgent shift to a sustainable food economy. Therefore, all signs point to a meat-free future that no longer exploits animals for food products.

News on food products without animal-derived ingredients are providing encouraging developments and events for a global food transition. Whether it’s vegan food news on airlines that will offer larger selections of vegan dishes, the emergence of dedicated plant-based school kitchens, or the creation of the world’s first vegan sub chain, they all provide clear indications for the direction that human nutrition is going to take.

A growing number of consumers are following vegan diets. Supported by a global vegan movement, including the successful non-profit organization Veganuary and The Vegan Society, many new vegan products entered the shelves of supermarkets and the menus of restaurants.

However, not only the number of vegan products in the store is rising, as searches for homemade vegan recipes are at an all-time high, while many celebrities and influencers are cooking vegan dishes to inspire their followers to go vegan. For vegan companies, it is essential to recognize trends early on and adapt the product range accordingly.

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©Eat Just

Trends in vegan news

The diversity and power of innovation in vegan food news from the nutrition sector is expanding every year. Trends to watch for in 2022 include cultured food produced using cellular agriculture, vegan egg alternatives, and innovative seafood products.

In 2022, the new category of cultivated pet food for cats and dogs will make its debut, while the development of nutritious egg alternatives continues to gain momentum. As predicted by the Vegan Society, 2022 will be the year that could finally boost veganism into mainstream.

Most relevant vegan food news

At vegconomist, the first vegan business magazine, you don’t have to search for relevant news, because we report on the latest innovations and developments in our category Food & Beverage several times per week. We receive emails from leading companies and market researchers in the vegan business world and guarantee for first-class vegan food news articles and interviews.

Through our newsletter, thousands of industry insiders and friends of the vegan business community are receiving the most relevant news from the vegan business environment directly into their inbox.

If you don’t want to miss out on the most relevant vegan news, sign up for the vegconomist newsletter here.

Plant based grilled burger patty with grill marks and rock salt isolated on white. Top view.

© Moving Moment-stock.adobe.com

HIFOOD and Alianza Team Introduce Revolutionary Fat Alternative to Tropical Oils for Better Plant-Based Meat

HIFOOD and Alianza Team Europe have developed an innovative, clean-label, plant-based fat alternative to tropical oils and chemical emulsions. The companies claim that the new product improves the taste and texture of plant-based meat, allowing manufacturers to make realistic alternatives. The Italian company HIFOOD, a CSM Ingredients subsidiary, specializes in researching, developing, and producing natural ingredients. Alianza Team Europe, headquartered in Germany, is the European division of the Colombian multinational vegetable fats and oils company Alianza Team. MirrorTissue Using MirrorTissue, a plant-based lipid solution by Alianza Team, and HIFOOD’s proprietary proteins, plant fibers, and technologies, the companies developed a protein emulsion with superior performance.  Made with a blend of allergen-free plant proteins, soluble plant fibers from oilseeds, and local oils and fats, the new enhanced product contains 10% more natural ingredients than …

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Ripple Foods half & half

© Ripple Foods

Ripple Foods Raises $49 Million in Latest Funding Round

According to a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing, alt-dairy producer Ripple Foods has raised $49 million in funding, as first reported by Forbes. Founded in 2014, Ripple Food uses protein from sustainably produced yellow peas, claiming to use significantly less water than dairy and other dairy alternatives. The company’s product lineup includes vegan ice cream, plant-based milk, kids’ milk, protein shakes, and dairy-free half and half, all made from pea protein. In 2021, the company announced a $60 million Series E funding round, exceeding its capital raise goals, with plans to accelerate innovation and growth across product categories and expand into new channels and global markets. The funding round seems to have paid off, with the company extending its product lineups with the launch of its Oatmilk + Protein milk last …

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Emily Nytko-Lutz

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Intellectual Property Law Expert Emily Nytko-Lutz Discusses the Chemistry of Non Dairy Cheesemaking

Emily Nytko-Lutz, Senior Associate at intellectual property law firm Reddie & Grose, handles patent work in the chemical and general mechanical fields. Emily advises a range of domestic and international companies. She is experienced in patent drafting and global patent prosecution, conducting due diligence and European freedom-to-operate assessments and European oppositions and appeals. Emily completed a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Inorganic Chemistry with a focus on the development of frustrated magnetic materials. Can non-dairy cheese melt barriers and conquer our tastebuds? By Emily Nytko-Lutz Consumers are increasingly seeking alternatives to dairy-based cheeses due to environmental, animal welfare, and personal health concerns. Producing a plant-based cheese that melts and stretches similarly to dairy cheese, however, represents a significant technological challenge. Casein, a …

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dog with food

Image courtesy ProVeg International

CULT Food Science Releases Third Proprietary Ingredient for Alternative Pet Food

Canada-based cell-ag investor CULT Food Science has released details and commercialization plans for its latest proprietary ingredient for alternative pet food, Bmeaty. This marks the third proprietary ingredient from the company, offering a savory, umami flavor appealing to cats and dogs. Made through a fermentation and fractionation process, Bmeaty is a blend of yeast extract, hydrolyzed yeast, and carrier yeast, which contains about 40% protein, along with fiber and B vitamins, helping to support digestion, cognitive health, and heart health. Bmeaty joins CULT’s lineup of patented ingredients for pet food, including Bmmune and Bflora. The CEO of CULT Food Science, Mitchell Scott (previously of The Very Good Food Co / The Very Good Butchers), who was appointed at the beginning of this month, commented, “We …

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Anne-Marie Gendreau of Lallemand

Anne-Marie Gendreau of Lallemand ©MCF

Lallemand: “The Plant-Based Market is Moving Forward Rapidly, and Innovation is Key”

Anne-Marie Gendreau is a Canadian pastry chef and food scientist. She is the North American Applied R&D team leader at Lallemand Bio-Ingredients. Anne-Marie is known for her ability to develop formulations and provide customized support across a broad range of food product categories. She embraces the challenge and variety in making plant-based savory applications or sweeter plant-based developments. Can you highlight some of the unique properties of Lallemand’s plant-based ingredients and how they contribute to the quality of plant-based products? Recently, we’ve been developing yeast extract-composed flavor bases, Savor-Lyfe® CI is the latest addition to the product line. The typical meaty yeast extract flavor profile is elaborated to contribute more specifically to the poultry flavor of plant-based foods. How does Lallemand approach innovation in the development …

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LoveRaw launches at Albert Heijn and Shell in the Netherlands

© LoveRaw

LoveRaw Launches at Hundreds of Albert Heijn and Shell Stores Across the Netherlands

Fast-growing UK-based vegan chocolate brand LoveRaw has gained new listings at two Dutch retailers — Shell and the Netherlands’ largest supermarket chain, Albert Heijn. LoveRaw’s M:lk Choc Wafer Multipack will now be available at 250 Albert Heijn stores, while the brand’s Cre&m Wafer Bar will be available at 150 Shell locations in M:lk and White varieties. This is LoveRaw’s first nationwide listing outside the UK, though the brand was already available in the Netherlands at Holland & Barrett and Flink. Within the UK, LoveRaw is available at major national retailers such as Tesco, Co-op, Waitrose, and Ocado. The brand recently announced that it would be launching at SPAR stores internationally after joining the retailer’s Challenger Brand program, and has also just secured its first ever …

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Armored Fresh american cheese slices almond

© Armored Fresh

Armored Fresh Expands Retail Presence, Disrupting $2.4 Billion US Cheese Slice Market

Food tech alt dairy company Armored Fresh is expanding the US retail footprint for its Almond Milk American Cheese Slices with new partnerships established Fresh Thyme Market, Town and Country Foods, Fred Meyer, and more. Armored Fresh specializes in crafting alternative dairy products using “patented fermentation” to overcome the taste barrier and meltability challenges commonly associated with plant-based cheeses. After launching the product online earlier this year, these new retail partnerships will help make Armored Fresh’s plant-based cheese products more accessible to a wider audience. Rudy Yoo, CEO of Armored Fresh, states, “We are on a mission to bring zero dairy cheeses to the masses, so everyone can enjoy what we love about cheese, regardless of [whether] they are plant-based or not.” Disrupting a multi-billion …

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Vegan Zeastar Coconut Shrimpz

© Vegan Zeastar

Vegan Zeastar Adds Crispy Coconut Shrimpz to Plant-Based Shrimp Range

Netherlands-based Vegan Zeastar, which claims to be the world’s largest supplier of plant-based shrimp, introduces the newest member of its family of 100% plant-based shrimp with Crispy Coconut Shrimpz. The NPD joins the lineup of Crispy Chili Shrimpz, Crispy Lemon Shrimpz, and Original Vegan Shrimpz, as introduced in November last year. So far in 2023, Zeastar has also launched the “world’s first” complete range of vegan sushi and poke bowl products and more recently, another “world’s first” in the form of a plant-based king crab product which it claims is cheaper than the conventional equivalent. The company, a brand of Vegan Finest Foods, offers a wide product range ranging from vegan Sashimi Salmon, No Tuna, Tasty Codd, Kalamariz, and Tuna Schnitzel. The market is ready …

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BENEO unveils innovations in plant-based beef alternatives

Image courtesy of BENEO

BENEO Unveils New Range of Semi-Finished Plant-Based Products for Beef Alternatives

German ingredients manufacturer BENEO has unveiled two new semi-finished plant-based products for beef alternatives: Beef Bites and Minced Meat. The semi-finished products, which are easy-to-process inputs that have undergone some processing, offer manufacturers an easy solution to create “juicy and meaty” alternatives to beef. They have been developed with a blend of pea and mycoprotein by Meatless BV, a Dutch producer of texturized plant proteins that was acquired by BENEO in 2022. The new range will launch at the beginning of 2024; however, the company is offering Fi Europe  2023(currently ongoing) participants the opportunity to taste the products in plant-based dishes prepared by Culinary Chef Jelbrich Hendrickx from the BENEO-Technology Center. Niels E. Hower of BENEO’s Executive Board shared: “Due to the high consumer interest, we made the decision …

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John Hopkins College Studnents Alt Protein

©Jacob Lund - stock.adobe.com

UC Berkeley & Givaudan Report Explores Opportunities for Greater Efficiency in Alternative Protein

The University of California Berkeley, in partnership with Swiss fragrance and flavor leader Givaudan, released its fifth annual research paper exploring insights into the alternative protein sector. Conducted by students in the Product Development Program, the whitepaper, titled ’10 Alternative Protein Pathways: Opportunities for Greater Efficiency,’ identifies primary challenges and opportunities in alt-protein and ten actionable pathways towards improved efficiency.  The whitepaper notes that as consumers gravitate toward alternative proteins, the industry sees both challenges and opportunities. Supply chain issues, sustainability concerns, and the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic pose hurdles. However, opportunities arise for retailers and meat producers who adapt, seizing exclusive distribution rights and acquiring startups. The sector stands at a crossroads, and success hinges on turning challenges into opportunities, with efficiency being …

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Hooked plant-based seafood range launches in Germany

© Hooked

Hooked Launches Plant-Based Seafood Range at Hundreds of German Stores

Swedish plant-based seafood brand Hooked has expanded beyond the Nordic countries for the first time, announcing a launch at hundreds of REWE West stores in Germany. The expansion has been made possible by a partnership with leading sales agent Ooha, which will allow Hooked to launch at anywhere between 250 and 500 REWE stores. The product range will include plant-based salmon, tuna, and seafood spreads, all made using high-moisture extrusion technology. The launch comes as Germany increasingly gains a reputation as Europe’s biggest plant-based market; data published earlier this year revealed that the country’s meat consumption is at a record low, while consumption of plant-based foods is at a record high. “A growing demand” Hooked raised the capital to fuel the expansion in June, through …

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juicy marbles' plant-based whole cut loin pictured on a wooden board and being cut by a man

© Juicy Marbles

Report Finds Plant-Based Meat a Healthy Option: Challenging Ultra-Processed Myths

A new report by the Good Food Institute Europe suggests that plant-based meat in Europe offers a good nutritional profile on average, which may lead to various health advantages. The report, reviewed by food scientists and health experts, analyzed recent studies conducted in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden comparing plant-based and animal meat, to determine the nutritional profile of plant-based meat against EU guidelines. According to the figures, plant-based meats are a source of fiber, bioavailable proteins, and micronutrients, with low saturated fat. On the contrary, animal meat lacks fiber, is high in saturated fat, and can contain traces of antibiotics and bacteria. Furthermore, plant-based meat, which meets the EU definition of high-protein foods, offers similar protein calories to conventional meat in all categories …

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Valsoia award-winning gelato

© Valsoia

Valsoia: Pioneering Plant-Based Foods & Award-Winning Gelato From Italy

Valsoia is an Italian brand founded in 1990 by neurologist Lorenzo Sassoli, who believed that a balanced plant-based diet is beneficial for the body, well-being, and mood. The company aims to improve quality of life by producing healthier alternatives to traditional Italian foods, with no sacrifice in flavour or texture. Valsoia initially offered plant-based drinks, hazelnut spreads, and meat alternatives, before expanding into yogurts and gelato. Valsoia’s meat and dairy alternatives are now widely available across major Italian retailers, and have expanded into over 40 countries. In Sweden, Spain, and Germany, they are available at stores such as Coop, Bon Preu, El Corte Ingles, Carrefour, and Rewe; in the UK, the brand has launched at online supermarket Ocado. Valsoia is also seeing successful sales results …

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© Swizzels

Swizzels Launches Campaign Urging Retailers to Stock Vegan Sweets for Veganuary

UK-based confectionery brand Swizzels has launched a new campaign reminding retailers to stock up on its range of vegan sweets for Veganuary 2024. Featuring the tagline “All these, all vegan, all year”, the campaign aims to point out that the vegan confectionery is available year-round, not just in January. This is the fourth year that the company has launched a Veganuary-inspired campaign. Founded in 1928, Swizzels offers a range of classic British sweets. Many of the best-loved — such as Love Hearts, Refreshers, Parma Violets, and Drumsticks — are now suitable for vegans, after being reformulated in recent years. High demand For Veganuary 2023, Swizzels launched a range of six new vegan sweets, including three variety bags (Luscious Lollies, Scrumptious Sweets, and Curious Chews), along …

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Meatless Farm burgers

© Meatless Farm Co

World Vegan Month: Expert Shares 4 Tips to Improve Taste & Nutrition in Vegan Diets

According to a recent study* by Ipsos, approximately 46% of Brits aged 16-75 are considering reducing their intake of animal products in the future, with 58% now using plant-based meat alternatives in their diet. Despite this, a survey** conducted by Bryant Research has revealed that 66% of people feel that plant-based alternatives do not match the taste of conventional meat, with a further 51% stating that taste and texture were the biggest reasons that they decided to reduce their use of meat alternatives. A healthy diet might meet all our nutritional requirements – but it’s also important for consumers to enjoy what they eat. The taste and texture of foods are key, especially when using plant-based meat alternatives. With this in mind, Kristina Vervoorst, Marketing …

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NotCo launches NotMilk Barista

© NotCo

Global Plant-Based Milk Market to Grow at 11.7% CAGR, Reaching Value of $47.55Bn

According to a report by ResearchandMarkets, the global plant-based milk market will be worth $47.55 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.7%. The high prevalence of lactose intolerance and milk allergies will be a key market driver, along with increased health awareness. Environmental concerns and increased support from governments and investors will also benefit the industry. However, fluctuating raw material prices and consumer preferences for animal-based dairy products could restrain the market. Allergies to soy, nuts, and grains could also pose a challenge. By type, oat milk is expected to register the highest growth rate over the forecast period, as it is soy-free, low in fat, and can be made gluten-free. Its neutral taste and rising consumer awareness of the health benefits of …

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mung bean sprouts

© vitaly tiagunov - stock.adobe.com

German Scientists Study Mung Beans as Promising Climate-Resilient Solution for Plant-Based Meat

New research carried out by German scientists at The University of Bonn and Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV into plant protein extraction methods highlights the potential use of climate-resilient crops, such as mung beans, for plant-based meat. According to the researchers, soy is still the most commonly used legume for protein. However, the acceptance of mung bean protein isolate as a novel food by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has created an opportunity to explore an alternative option, thereby expanding the protein sources. To understand whether mung beans were an optimal source for protein isolates, the researchers studied three plant protein extraction methods at different extraction pH levels: isoelectric precipitation (IP), micellization (MP), and a hybrid of both (HP). They measured …

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Herbie Wilde plant-based superfood for dogs

© Herbie Wilde

Herbie Wilde Launches Plant-Based Superfood for Dogs With 39 Natural Ingredients

Herbie Wilde is a new British pet food brand that has developed a nutritionally complete plant-based superfood for dogs, featuring 39 ingredients such as sweet potato, fruits, greens, ancient grains, herbs, and botanicals. The company was founded by former film production manager Ella Daines-Smith, who has worked on films such as Beauty and The Beast, Winnie the Pooh, Fast and Furious, and Jurassic Park. After trying to figure out why her dog, Bertie, was suffering from digestive issues, Ella discovered that the culprit was food. As pet food standards are lower than those for human food, manufacturers can include meat industry byproducts such as hair, feathers, hooves, bones, connective tissues, and beaks. While these are often high in protein, they are very difficult to digest, …

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Givaudan and neuroscience company Thimus have partnered to understand consumers' experience with food .

© Thimus

Givaudan and Thimus Partner to Revolutionise Product Development Using Neuroscience

Givaudan and neuroscience company Thimus have partnered to revolutionise product development and consumer satisfaction using neuroscience. The collaboration aims to understand consumers’ experience with food to redesign products that meet expectations such as sustainability, health, and quality. Neuroscience has the potential to bridge the gap between consumers’ opinions and their actual experiences to understand better and respond to consumer preferences, explains Givaudan. Thimus has developed a ready-to-use platform called TBox that provides integrated data on consumer behaviour, opening a window to their minds. According to Givaudan, it exceeds traditional methods like focus groups or questionnaires. “Neuroscience has the unique ability to reveal how consumers truly feel about a product throughout the eating or drinking experience,” commented Fabio Campanile, Global Head of Science & Technology for Taste & …

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Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies (BMT) has become the first company in the world to obtain EU Certification to produce and sell cultivated meat for pet food.

© Bene Meat Technologies (BMT)

Has Cultivated Meat for Pet Food Really Been Approved in EU? The Complicated Story of Bene Meat (and Others in the Space)

Two weeks ago, a press release was widely distributed by Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies, titled “Bene Meat Technologies is the first company in the world to be licensed to produce and sell cultured meat as dog and cat food” The release stated, ” On 7.11.2023, the Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies (BMT) won the world championship to produce and sell cultured meat for PET FOOD needs. With the certification obtained from the European Feed Materials Register, it becomes the only entity in the world that can produce and sell this product for PET FOOD needs.[…] Bene Meat Technologies is thus the first entity in the world to be authorised to produce and sell cultured meat for PET FOOD.”  This apparently groundbreaking news was covered …

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