Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Forma Foods crafts cow-less meat using a patented 3D printing process called "chaotic printing."

© Forma Foods

Forma Foods Creates the “Best Plant-Based Carne Asada” Using 3D Printing Tech to Replicate Tissues

“We are meat designers,” says the Mexican startup Forma Foods, which crafts cow-less meat using a patented 3D printing process called “chaotic printing.” Grissel Trujillo de Santiago and Mario Moises Alvarez, two tissue engineering experts from the School of Engineering and Sciences at Tecnológico de Monterrey, founded a bioprinting company in 2017. Initially focused on cultivated meat, they developed the “chaotic printing” technique to bioprint musculoskeletal tissue using live mammal cells. However, due to the high costs associated with animal cell-based processes, the founders decided to apply the technology to plant proteins. They officially established Forma Foods in 2022 with biotechnology engineer Li Lu Lam Aguilar as CEO, explains Tecnológico de Monterrey. “Ultimately, we want to push the boundaries of what’s possible with innovative food technology,” says Trujillo, who …

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MATR Foods secures loan from EIB

© EIB

MATR Foods Secures €20M From European Investment Bank to Construct First Full-Scale Facility

Danish meat alternatives producer MATR Foods has signed a €20 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB). The funding, which is supported by the European Commission’s InvestEU initiative, will allow MATR to construct its first full-scale production facility and conduct more R&D. This will enable the company to produce over 3,000 tonnes of its product per year. On LinkedIn, MATR claimed it was the first ever meat alternatives company to gain the support of the EIB. Healthy and sustainable MATR uses fungi fermentation to produce meat alternatives made from local crops such as beetroot, potatoes, lupin, and peas. The products are said to require minimal processing and are lower in fat than previous-generation meat alternatives. The fermentation process provides an umami flavor that …

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Schouten Europe unveils a new product development (NPD) — a plant-based chicken schnitzel — crafted with an innovative fiber technology called NewTextures.

Image courtesy of Schouten Europe

Schouten Europe Debuts New Fiber Technology Replacing Texturates in Plant-Based Chicken Schnitzel

Schouten Europe, the first Dutch company to develop meat alternatives and a market leader for decades, unveils a new product development — plant-based chicken schnitzel — crafted with a new fiber technology called NewTextures. The technology, developed in-house after years of R&D, replaces traditional textured proteins with fibers. According to Schouten Europe, these fibers enhance the texture and appeal of products, bringing them closer to the meat experience. The plant-based chicken schnitzel showcases the capabilities of NewTextures, boasting a juicy texture and the white color characteristic of chicken, explains the plant-based expert. Its ingredients include wheat and soy proteins, bamboo fibers, and oils such as rapeseed and sunflower. “Meat substitutes are sometimes prepared incorrectly, which can make them a bit dry. These products retain their …

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Novameat shredded beef

© Novameat

Novameat Secures €17.4M in Oversubscribed Round, Launches Improved Shredded Plant-Based Beef

Barcelona’s Novameat, a B2B company specializing in different cuts of plant-based chicken, beef, and turkey, announces it has raised €17.4 million in an oversubscribed Series A round led by Sofinnova Partners and Forbion via its BioEconomy Fund. Existing investors like Unovis Asset Management, Praesidium, and Rubio Impact Ventures also reinvested, betting on the company’s realistic alternatives to meat. The new capital will allow Novameat to expand its product range, including the launch of a new, improved shredded plant-based beef product — Shredded Nova-b*ef — on September 16th. The funds will also help boost commercial activities in new regions and scale production using its proprietary MicroForce technology. Giuseppe Scionti, CEO and founder of Novameat, commented, “This funding marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we …

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plant-based meat alternatives

© bit24 - stock.adobe.com

Guest Post: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in Plant-Based Meat Alternatives

The meat analogs sector has seen waning growth over the past two years. Even top markets such as North America experienced a 3.3% decline in the growth rate by volume between 2021 and 2023 in the meat and seafood analogs segment. However, the plant-based meat and seafood segment is expected to grow in North America at a CAGR of 2.1% between 2024 and 2028, and the global market for meat and seafood analogs is anticipated to grow in the next few years. Retail sales of plant-based products moderated in 2022 and experienced a drop in 2023 in the US. This can be attributed to price increases for plant-based products that occurred alongside high inflation and tighter consumer budgets, leading to decreased consumer engagement within plant-based categories. …

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Cosun Beet

© Cosun Beet Company

Cosun Beet Company’s Ambition Leads to Unique Plant-Based Innovation

Cosun Beet Company has developed a novel ingredient specifically designed for plant-based and hybrid products. This ingredient is the result of Cosun Beet Company’s ambition to valorize the full potential of its sugar beets. The name of this ingredient is Fidesse®, a name that is rapidly gaining recognition. Cosun Beet Company’s ambition stems from its vision: ‘The Plant Positive Way’. This vision is based on circularity and maximizing the potential of the crop, in this case, the sugar beet. With smart, sustainable solutions, Cosun Beet Company aims to extract everything possible from the sugar beet in the most sustainable way. The company has been doing this for years but continues to seek even more valuable applications. Climbing the ladder The Research, Development & Innovation department …

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Fry's Family Foods shapeable plant-based mince

© Fry's Family Foods

Fry’s Launches the “First” Shapeable Plant-Based Mince to Be Available in UK Supermarkets

Meat alternatives brand Fry’s Family Foods has announced the launch of a new product, Shape & Sizzle Mince, at Tesco stores UK-wide. The company believes the product is the first ever shapeable plant-based mince to be available in UK supermarkets. It is sold frozen and can be used in a range of dishes, including meatballs, burgers, spaghetti bolognese, and shepherd’s pie. Made from non-GMO soy, the mince is high in fibre, protein-rich, and low in saturated fat. In taste tests involving over 100 consumers, the product was reportedly preferred over other popular plant-based minces, with the taste, texture, and appearance all highly rated. “This innovation has been created specifically to meet strong consumer demand for a great quality, meat-like plant-based mince that can be used …

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Spirulina specialist SimpliiGood has announced that it will launch its much-awaited spirulina-based smoked salmon in early 2025.

Image courtesy of SimpliiGood

SimpliiGood’s Much-Awaited Spirulina Smoked Salmon to Launch in Europe Next Year

Spirulina specialist SimpliiGood has announced that it will launch its much-awaited spirulina-based smoked salmon in early 2025. Claimed as the first nutritious whole cut from microalgae, the spirulina smoked salmon offers 40% protein and features a clean label with fewer than ten “kitchen cupboard” ingredients, free from stabilizers and preservatives. We contacted Baruch Dach, founder and CTO at AlgaeCore Technologies, SimpliiGood’s parent company, to get the details of the product and its launch. “At this point, I can only say that the launch is going to happen in Europe, where we see better growth and higher acceptance for alternative products. Relatively, awareness seems higher than in other territories,” he told us. “The market’s first choice” The product was initially a single-ingredient salmon containing 95% of …

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table setting with vegan meat and plates of salads, olives and more

© Veganic

Veganic to Showcase B2B Plant-Based Product Range at SIAL Paris

Estonia-based Veganic will be showcasing its latest innovations at SIAL Paris 2024. The company, which prides itself on using only natural ingredients without artificial additives, is focused on providing business customers and consumers with delicious, healthy alternatives to traditional meat products. Veganic’s flagship product, “THE SOURCE,” is a whole-cut vegan meat, made from “only 10 pure ingredients”, avoiding extrusion machines and heavy processing. By emphasizing clean plant power, Veganic aims to set itself apart in the plant-based market, catering to health-conscious consumers seeking both flavor and nutrition. At SIAL, Veganic will introduce attendees to a variety of products derived from “THE SOURCE”. These include: Plant-Based Prime Filet: Made from a blend of wheat, lentil, and pea protein, this filet offers 29 grams of protein per serving. …

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Spicy Beyond Burger Jalapeño

© Beyond Meat

US Plant-Based Meat Focused Insights Report 2024-2029 Featuring Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, Quorn, Tofurky, and Tyson Foods

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “U.S. Plant-based Meat Market – Focused Insights 2024-2029” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The US Plant-based Meat Market was valued at USD 2.25 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach USD 5.25 billion by 2029, rising at a CAGR of 15.17% The US plant-based meat market reports consist of exclusive data on 28 vendors. The US plant-based meat market’s competitive scenario is intensifying, with global and domestic players offering diverse products. Companies in this market are continuously innovating to develop better and new products. A few major players dominate the market in terms of market share. Some companies currently dominating the market are Beyond Meat, Conagra, Hungry Planet, Impossible Foods, Kellanova, Maple Leaf Foods, Quorn Foods, Next Level, Tofurky & …

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Report analyses health and sustainability of plant-based meat alternative categories

© The Food Foundation

Report: All Plant-Based Meat Alternative Categories Have Lower Emissions, Less Saturated Fat & More Fibre Than Meat

A new report by The Food Foundation has analysed the environmental and health benefits of a variety of plant-based meat alternatives. The products are divided into three categories — new-generation meat alternatives such as Beyond Meat and Quorn, traditional meat alternatives like tofu and tempeh, and whole plant foods such as beans and grains. The results indicate that all three categories generate significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than meat and have a much lower water footprint. On average, they also contain fewer calories, lower levels of saturated fat, and more fibre. Overall, the whole food category was found to be the healthiest and most sustainable, with the highest fibre content and the lowest amounts of saturated fat, calories, and salt. These products are also more …

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Planted steak launches in retail

© Planted Foods AG

Planted Presents Plant-Based Whole Muscle Steak at SIAL Paris, Announces Listings in French Retail and Food Service

Swiss food tech company Planted has announced that it will be exhibiting at this year’s SIAL Paris. With ‘planted.steak’, Planted has developed a plant-based steak that is already available for consumers in many European restaurants. Following its successful launch in food service, it is now also available in retail outlets in Switzerland at Coop and in Germany at REWE. The steak will be presented to the international trade public at this year’s SIAL Paris in October. Planted’s vegan steak launches in France “We are very proud to showcase our latest innovation the planted.steak at SIAL this year, which has launched across food service as well as retail in Europe such as at Coop, Edeka and REWE. It will also be making its debut in French …

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New School Foods salmon

© New School Foods

New School Foods Lands $6M from IKEA and Global Investors, Opens Facility to Scale Plant-Based Salmon

New School Foods has announced the completion of an additional $6 million in seed funding, bringing the company’s total raised capital to $18 million. This latest funding round includes investments from global entities such as Inter IKEA Group, Good Startup, NewTree Capital, and Hatch. IKEA, which generates $2.5 billion in annual food sales, with seafood being its second-largest category after meatballs, has set ambitious plant-based targets for its restaurants. By 2025, IKEA aims to ensure that 50% of its main meals offered in restaurants are plant-based, 80% are non-red meat, and 80% of all packaged food is plant-based. Additionally, the company seeks to have 80% of its main meals adhere to the IKEA Balanced Meal norm for healthier options. Commenting on the investment, Robert Carleke, …

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ProVeg - the role of whole cut plant-based meat products

© ProVeg

The Role of Whole-Cut Plant-Based Meat Products

It’s out with the old, and in with the new – the plant-based meat industry is undergoing a new surge in innovation. While the industry has experienced a shake-out and consolidation in brands and products in recent years, it’s also seen food-tech milestones achieved. As a result, tastier, meatier, and more in-demand products are now taking centre stage and attracting new consumers to the category. In its latest New Food Hub interview, ProVeg International sat down with Edwin Bark, Senior Vice-President of Redefine Meat. Following the Flank Steak product launch, Edwin shared thoughts on attracting meat-eaters, industry challenges, and the future of plant-based meat. “As good as the animal version” Consumer research shows that the sensory experience of plant-based meat products is vital to their …

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Source: Alianza Team, Photo of Mirror Tissue application on Plant based Ham Alternative.

Revolutionising Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: The Game-Changing Impact of Mirror Tissue

In the burgeoning market of plant-based meat alternatives, a significant gap has emerged. While consumers are increasingly driven by health and sustainability concerns, many plant-based products fall short in imitating the flavor, texture, and juiciness of real meat (Appiani et al, 2023). This discrepancy has hindered wider adoption, plant-based meat sales declined more sharply than plant-based food sales overall, and surveys of lapsed consumers showed that plant-based meat products are largely not meeting consumer expectations, particularly in regard to taste, texture, and price (Good food Institute, 2024). Consumers are left craving a solution that offers both the benefits of plant-based foods and the sensory experience of animal fatty tissue. Enter Mirror Tissue, a groundbreaking innovation from the experts at Alianza Team, designed to bridge this …

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Both Burger by 50/50 Foods

50/50 Foods

A Deep Dive Into Blended and Hybrid Meats: What, Why, and Who Exactly Are These For?

As Lidl Netherlands today announces the launch of a blended mince product containing 60% beef and 40% pea protein — which it claims generates 37.5% less CO2 than regular mince and is 33% cheaper — we take a deep dive into blended and hybrid products and compile responses and opinions from experts and producers of such products to examine what are they, who is making them and why, and for whom. First things first: the definitions. “We tend to use the term ‘blended‘ to refer to products that are a mix of conventional and plant-based/ alt protein, and the term ‘hybrid‘ to refer to products that are a mix of cultivated meat with plant-based,” explains the GFI to vegconomist. Protein of the future will look …

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BeanStalk Foods, a new plant-based meat brand inspired by Beyond Meat, Moving Mountains, and Heura, is entering the European market with a wide range of plant-based meat products.

Image courtesy of BeanStalk Foods

New Plant-Based Meat Brand ‘BeanStalk’ Enters European Market with Diverse Range from Burgers to Pastrami

BeanStalk Foods, a new plant-based meat brand inspired by Beyond Meat, Moving Mountains, and Heura, is entering the European market with a wide range of plant-based meat products that the company describes as delicious and high-quality alternatives to animal proteins. Supported by a large international business group with operations in Madrid and Barcelona, a production facility near Shanghai, China, and a sister company in New York to market its products in North America, the company presents itself as a global entity producing and distributing high-quality plant-based meat. After a year of product development and adhering to European regulations, its portfolio includes traditional items like hamburgers and meatballs and less common options such as pastrami, breaded calamari, and pulled meat. It also offers salami and chorizo …

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German investment management firm Comitis Capital ("Comitis") has acquired The Tofoo Co., the UK's No. 2 meat-free brand, which commands over 60% of the market share in tofu.

© The Tofoo Co.

The Tofoo Co., the UK’s No. 2 Meat-Free Brand, is Acquired by Comitis Capital

German investment management firm Comitis Capital (“Comitis”) has acquired The Tofoo Co., the UK’s No. 2 meat-free brand, which commands over 60% of the tofu market share. Comitis Capital, which sees The Tofoo Co. ready for its next growth phase, aims to leverage its investment, expertise, and network to expand the brand. Founders David Knibbs and Lydia Smith will remain invested and continue to oversee the company’s growth in the UK and international markets. Nikolaus Bethlen, Managing Partner at Comitis, shares: “The Tofoo Co has firmly established itself as a leader in the plant-based meat alternatives market with a strong brand image offering high-quality products. David Knibbs and Lydia Smith have built a remarkable enterprise that is ready for the next phase of growth. The Tofoo …

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Fujiya, a Japanese restaurant operator in Tokushima and Kagawa prefectures and a gyozas manufacturer, has launched a line of plant-based meat called Nikugoe made from sorghum.

© Fujiya

Fujiya Introduces the Nikugoe Hamburg Steak Made with Japanese Sorghum, Claiming it “Transcends Meat”

Fujiya, a Japanese restaurant operator in Tokushima and Kagawa prefectures, has launched a plant-based meat line called Nikugoe made from sorghum (takakibi), harvested in Tokushima. Nikugoe’s lineup includes Hamburg Steak, Meat Super Cheese Hamburger, Demi Sauce Meat Super Hamburger, and Demi Sauce Meat Super Cheese Hamburger, and Meat Super Gyoza  — all vegan certified by the NPO Vege Project Japan. Fujiya claims its meat alternatives are closer in texture and flavor to animal meat compared to tofu while containing 65% less sodium and 55% less fat than traditional beef burgers. “Super Hamburger is not a substitute for meat. It’s a new food category that transcends meat,” says the company on its website. Sorghum vs soy Fujiya operates around 70 outlets, including yakiniku barbecue (grilled meat) …

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Vivera salmon dish

© Vivera

Vivera Discusses the Challenges of Producing Authentic Vegan Seafood

In contrast to meat alternatives, the range of vegan seafood available on the market is relatively insignificant, despite alternative seafood being a growing sector. Says Netherlands-based Vivera, a subsidiary of JBS since its 2021 acquisition, the development of convincing products that resemble fish in terms of flavour and texture poses challenges for producers. “Fish has a specific, very delicate consistency and a characteristic flavour that can only be approximated by other ingredients. In contrast to meat alternatives, there are significantly fewer flavourings available in the production of fish substitutes to replicate the taste of fish. In addition, fish such as salmon, herring or mackerel are an important source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12. These are nutrients that many fish alternatives are often unable …

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