General

© IFFA / Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH

IFFA 2025: Shaping Tomorrow’s Protein Industry

The world’s leading trade fair for Technology for Meat and Alternative Proteins, IFFA, is set to take place from 3 – 8 May 2025 in Frankfurt, Germany. IFFA brings the protein industry together every three years and is the mirror of the industry, where innovations are presented and a wide-ranging programme of events, consisting of IFFA Kitchen, IFFA Factory and Discovery Tours, rounds off the fair. IFFA offers a unique opportunity to connect with industry leaders, experts, and innovators while exploring groundbreaking technologies, trends, and solutions that shape the future of protein production. The trade fair serves as the industry’s ultimate gathering point, years to provide a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the protein industry.  What makes IFFA so special is that it shows the entire …

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Session 9 of the ‘update’ Webtalk Series: Foodservice – Gateway to Changing Consumer Habits

The international business webtalk series ‘update’ discusses the most pressing issues of the ongoing protein transition. Based on the latest news, data, and facts, the future of the industry will be put forward and discussed with key market players in this series of talks. Foodservice – Gateway to Changing Consumer Habits February 20th, 10:30 AM CT (CHICAGO) | 5:30 PM CET (BERLIN) | 4:30 PM GMT (LONDON) >> Register now! The foodservice sector holds immense potential as a gateway to driving the global transition toward a more sustainable and plant-based food system. As a critical player in shaping consumer habits and preferences, the industry has the power to transform the game—but how is it leveraging this influence? What strategies are currently being deployed by key players? Where are …

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© Roquette

Roquette Introduces 4 New Pea Protein Ingredients for Improved Taste and Texture in Plant-Based Foods

Leading ingredient manufacturer Roquette announces the launch of four multifunctional pea proteins designed to improve taste and texture in plant-based and protein-rich foods. The French company, which currently operates in more than 100 countries through more than 30 manufacturing sites, broadens its portfolio with four specialized pea protein ingredients: NUTRALYS® Pea F853M (isolate), NUTRALYS® H85 (hydrolysate), and two textured variants, NUTRALYS® T Pea 700FL and NUTRALYS® T Pea 700M. These innovations are tailored to overcome common issues in incorporating plant proteins into food and beverage products, offering enhanced texture and protein density for items like nutritional bars, protein drinks, and plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. The NUTRALYS® Pea F853M isolate is described as offering exceptional gel strength, facilitating the creation of meat alternatives and plant-based …

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Quorn's chicken strips

© Quorn

Vaess and Marlow Ingredients Join Forces to Drive Innovation in Mycoprotein Products

Dutch food tech company Vaess and UK company Marlow Ingredients have announced a collaboration that they say will strengthen their global presence to lead the sustainable ingredients industry. The companies, claiming to be the first in the world to develop binding systems for mycoprotein products, will leverage each other’s experience in the field to make high-quality and tasty mycoprotein alternatives. Vaess, previously Vaessen-Schoemaker, uses technology to offer functional ingredients and solutions to drive innovation in food products, including plant-based products for “tomorrow’s trends and today’s needs.” The company has been operating for over 75 years.  Marlow Ingredients is a recently established division of Marlow Foods, the manufacturer of Quorn Foods’ mycoprotein, which commercializes the fermented protein for the F&B industry; both companies operate under the Monde Nissin Corporation. Marlow Ingredients’ first client is Denmark’s Tempty Foods. Joris Hermans, director …

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Dr Praegers QVC veggie burger

© QVC

Dr. Praeger’s Launches Newest Veggie Burgers on QVC Shopping Channel

Dr. Praeger’s, an all-natural frozen foods company founded by cardiac surgeons Dr. Peter Praeger and Dr. Eric Somberg, featured on the QVC shopping channel last night, unveiling their latest veggie burger lines. The newly launched products will be available exclusively on QVC as a “prelude to an exciting retail launch in October,” according to CEO Andy Reichgut.  The two new offerings on QVC are Dr. Praeger’s 4-oz Veggie Crunch Burgers, available in two different varieties: Southwest Sweet Potato, with black bean, chipotle, and spinach, and Cauliflower, with broccoli, zucchini, and peas. These burgers further the brand’s offerings of plant-based burgers that focus on vegetables, as opposed to ingredients that mimic meat.  Reichgut, offered insights into the growing plant-based movement, telling vegconomist, “We expect to see …

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bill gates

© Masaru Kamikura - https://flic.kr/p/hZH18 - Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

Questlove in Bill Gates Podcast: “Something Told Me Plant-Based Is Going to Be the Future”

In the latest episode of his “Unconfuse Me” podcast, tech mogul Bill Gates sits down with Questlove, the drummer of The Roots and Philidelphia foodie. The thought-provoking conversation revolved around the landscape of plant-based foods, with both Gates and Questlove sharing insights into their personal journeys and perspectives on the industry. Questlove, a Grammy Award-winning musician and musical director for The Tonight Show, recalls his evolution from a self-proclaimed carnivore to a passionate advocate for plant-based food. His connection to the culinary world deepened when he started hosting food salons with celebrity chefs, ultimately leading him to explore the plant-based movement. And that’s when he encountered Impossible™ meat. He recalled a blind taste test he conducted, comparing a traditional hamburger with the Impossible Burger. “I …

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Better balance x kale my name

Image supplied by Kale My Name

Better Balance Continues Foodservice Expansion with Award-Winning Restaurant Collab

Since its US launch last year, plant-based food brand Better Balance has secured many global strategic partnerships, helping to build brand awareness and transform restaurant menus. The newest collaboration with award-winning Chicago restaurant Kale My Name marks yet another milestone in the brand’s mission to bring flavorful plant-based alternatives to consumers worldwide.  From the beginning, Better Balance recognized that partnerships were key to shaping its brand. Last year, it teamed up with Mexican chain Gorditas Doña Tota and 7-Eleven, and even helped Civitas Metropolitano become the first plant-based stadium in mainland Europe.  Most recently, Better Balance announced a new partnership with Kale My Name, becoming the first restaurant in the United States to offer its Better Hot Dog. The pea protein-based hot dog is gluten-free, …

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Alternative meats

© GFI/ Wild Type, Avant Meats, Shiok Meats

APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture to Host Cultivated Meat Pavilion at AFTEA 2023 in Singapore

APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture will host a cultivated meat pavilion during the annual Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia (AFTEA 2023) at Singapore International Agri-Food Week, which will take place from the 31st of October to the 2nd of November 2023. Cultivated meat and seafood startups and companies will have the opportunity to debut, showcase, and test their novel products at the pavilion. AFTEA is a strategic platform that explores strategies and solutions for sustainable systems and production in Asia APAC-SCA, a coalition of Asian cultivated meat and seafood companies that launched last year, aims to engage with institutions, industry associates, regulatory bodies, policy experts, scientists, and consumers on the latest insights, developments, and resources of cultivated meat products across the APAC region. The society advocates for cultivated products and helps to develop …

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DMK Group continues vegan expansion with cheese shreds and plant-based infant meals

© DMK Group

Germany’s Leading Dairy Group DMK Group Continues Vegan Expansion with Cheese Shreds and Infant Jar Meals

After launching an oat-based dairy range last year, DMK Group, Germany’s leading dairy group, announces new additions to expand the vegan portfolio of its popular brands, MILRAM and Alete bewusst. According to DMK, the new product expansion aims to meet the demands of consumers, particularly flexitarians, while achieving sustainable growth. By catering to the needs of flexitarians and offering a broader range of high-quality food options, the company hopes to attract more customers and capitalize on the potential for growth in this segment. Vegan cheese shreds for gratin favorites In August, MILRAM Green will launch Pizza-Zeit and Auflauf-Zeit, two vegan cheese products designed explicitly for grating on pizzas and casseroles. Both products are made using a blend of vegetable oils, potato starch, and pea protein. Last September, MILRAM Food Service, another …

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Aleph Farms launches Aleph Cuts brand ahead of commercialization

Image courtesy of Aleph Farms

FDA Approval in the USA to Trigger Wave of Investments in Cultivated Meat Companies

The FDA’s recent approval of UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat cell-cultivated chicken, along with the industry’s milestones on lowering production costs and the challenge of feeding a projected global population of 10 billion by 2050, will attract investments in cultivated meat companies and support from governments in terms of grants and loans. Investments in cultivated meat startups experienced a 233 percent growth from $92 million in 2019 to about $300 million in 2020. However, they stagnated at around $800 million as of November 2022. This new capital will fuel the expansion of the sector, argues Andy Ko, technology analyst at IDTechEx. Funding has been shifting toward institutional support and away from accelerators, early-stage venture capital, and angel investors typical of the industry’s first years, he …

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Mr. Charlie's Vegan Big Mac

©Mr. Charlie's

‘Vegan McDonalds’ Mr. Charlie’s Opening in San Francisco, Will Expand to Australia, New Zealand, and More

Mr. Charlies, the Los Angeles-based fast food restaurant popularly known as the “Vegan McDonald’s”, will soon open its second location in San Francisco’s Union Square. Debuting on January 28th, the new store on 432 Sutter Street is reportedly located directly across from an actual McDonald’s restaurant. The company also says that, since opening last year, it has attracted enormous interest from investors and is planning to open new locations in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore as early as Q1 in 2023. Mr. Charlie’s achieved overnight viral fame in 2022 for apparently spoofing McDonald’s iconic logos and branding. Its 100% vegan menu features items like the signature “Frowny Meal”, ‘Not a Hamburger’, and ‘Not Chicken Nuggets.”  Within months of opening, Mr. Charlie’s reported receiving an “overwhelming …

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Seaweed tampons

© Vyld

Vyld’s Seaweed Tampons Outperform Conventional Products

Vyld, a Berlin-based startup that develops period products made from seaweed, claims that its fiber tampons outperform conventional products when tested for vaginal microbiome presence. Vyld’s news comes from a scientific study in collaboration with MyMicrobiome, the world’s leading company in independent microbiome-friendly certifications. “The results of the pilot project are promising: lactobacilli, which are important for the vaginal microbiome, showed above-average positive growth compared to comparative products made from cotton and viscose. An intact vaginal microbiome is important to ward off pathogens,” explains Dr. Kristin Neumann, CEO of MyMicrobiome.  The Kelpon tampons Conventional menstruation products used worldwide contain toxic substances dangerous for women besides generating immense amounts of waste that pollute waters and soils.  According to the company, its Kelpon tampons are plastic-free and …

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Next Meats skirt steak bowl

© Next Meats

Japan Sees Soybean Boom in Plant-Based Food & Drink Production

Soy and tofu have been staples in Japan for around 1,300 years, traditionally consumed by Buddhists and initially introduced to the country by Chinese monks. Asia News reports today that use of the soybean in food and drink production has increased significantly over the past two years, and additionally, Japan Times states this week that “soy-based alternatives to animal-based sources of protein appear to be growing on Japan”. Aside from its traditional soy-based food items such as tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, and soy-based condiments; many of Japan’s meat-processing companies are starting to develop soy-based meat alternatives. This is attributed to increasing demand for healthier food options post-pandemic as well as  and the government’s drive for net-zero carbon emissions. The rise of soy milk Despite …

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Kokiriki plant-based ham

©Kokiriki

Kokiriki Expands Plant-Based Offerings from Vegan Charcuterie to Alt Tuna to Carrefour France

French plant-based producer Kokiriki is continuing to expand its alt meat offerings with the launch of an extensive new line. Having started with the production of vegan charcuterie, the brand is now launching a range of vegan nuggets and breaded alt fish products, as well as its awarding-winning plant-based tuna.  Kokiriki, a subsidiary of the Morbiano Jouault group, has been producing vegan meat in the form of charcuterie, burgers, and meatballs since its launch in 2021 and has been listed nationally in all Carrefour hypermarkets in France since the beginning of February. The product range launch comes after the brand won the Most Innovative Product award in the fresh and frozen category award at the Gulfood international trade fair in Dubai for its Veg-Toona plant-based …

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When Will Cultivated Meat Be Approved by the FDA and USDA? CEO of Matrix FT, Eric Jenkusky

What will it take for cultivated meat to succeed? CEO Eric Jenkusky, of cultivated meat scaffolding biotech company Matrix F.T., is on The Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano. Specifically, they discuss: What is scaffolding and why is it critical to the landscape of growing cultivated meat? What is the future for cultivated meat? When will it scale? What is the biggest challenge for cultivated meat? Will the food sector follow the pharmaceutical trajectory? Is there enough B2B demand and where is it coming from? How critical are open access research and government spending to support the sector? Eric’s thoughts on ‘tech not in our food.’ Here is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast here. Display “Will Cultivated Meat Get USDA/FDA Approval and Be …

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Image courtesy Jeremy Coller Foundation

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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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Help Ukraine – How to Donate Now For the Ukranian People and Animals

The people and animals in Ukraine need our help. The vegconomist team would be happy if you could support one of the following organisations with a generous donation. Thank you very much. Nova Ukraine: An non-profit organization focused on bringing humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations in Ukraine and spreading awareness of issues facing its residents to concerned parties in the United States. They are taking donations via Paypal, check, or cryptocurrency. Viva! Poland: Adopting animals at the border that need help. Our activists from Viva! Poland waited 24 hours to pick up dogs, and the Ukrainian woman who saved them drove with them for over a day. The food collection is still ongoing, details at https://viva.org.pl/apelujemy-o-pomoc-dla-podopiecznych…/ Support our activities by donating account number 53 1500 …

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vegamour cbd

©VEGAMOUR

Luxury Haircare Brand VEGAMOUR Receives $80M Funding From General Atlantic

VEGAMOUR, a digitally native brand of plant-based hair wellness products founded in 2016 by CEO Daniel Hodgdon, announces $80 million in minority growth investment from growth equity firm General Atlantic, to expand its portfolio and expand into new channels and geographies. Hair loss affects approximately 35% of women – amounting to around 60 million people in the US alone – and VEGAMOUR directly addresses this target group with its topical serums, organically-sourced supplements and natural hair maintenance and scalp health products. Daniel Hodgdon describes his brand and yesterday’s announcement: “After years of observing how things thrive in nature, it’s clear that when it comes to healthy hair, we should consider the body’s entire ecosystem. Hair wellness is impacted by so many factors – aging, stress, …

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LIVEKINDLY Iceland

Image: LIVEKINDLY/Iceland

UK Supermarket Iceland Doubles Plant-Based Offerings With Launch of LIVEKINDLY Brands in 1000 Stores

Following the LIVEKINDLY Co’s acquisition of No Meat, Iceland’s vegan meat alternative brand, the UK discount supermarket announces today it has doubled its meat-free offering in almost 1,000 stores, with the rollout of Fry’s, Oumph! and LikeMeat products. Andrew Staniland, Trading Director at Iceland Foods, stated: “We’ve seen substantial growth in meat free sales”. The products to be launched into Iceland and The Food Warehouse include: Fry’s – Chicken Burger, Chicken Nuggets, Big Fry Burger, Curry Pie and Fishless Fillet. Oumph! – Oumph! Kebab Spiced, Pulled Oumph!, Oumph! Balls, Oumph! Mince and Oumph! Smoky Bits. LikeMeat – Like Chicken Nuggets and Like Breaded Chicken. Domenico Speciale, General Manager, LIVEKINDLY Collective UK says: “Partnerships are crucial across the whole value chain to help deliver our mission …

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