Health

Beyond Burger in Store

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Beyond Meat and American Cancer Society to Advance Research on Plant-Based Meat and Cancer Prevention

Beyond Meat and the American Cancer Society (ACS) announce a multi-year agreement to advance research on the link between plant-based meat and cancer prevention. The first-of-its-kind commitment aims to increase the understanding of how plant-based meats contribute to healthy diet patterns, and their potential role in cancer prevention. The study will also help ACS to build a foundation of plant-based meat and diet data collection, and is a critical step toward long-term research on plant-based proteins.  “American Cancer Society guidelines have long recommended a diet rich in plant foods with limited intake of processed and red meat,” said William L. Dahut, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer at the American Cancer Society.  He continued, “While short-term research studies have shown that switching to plant-based meat improves risk …

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Oatly Commissions Study on Performance of Footballers on Plant-Based Diet

A study commissioned by Oatly has concluded that footballers perform equally well on plant-based and conventional diets. The research was carried out by the outpatient clinic of the University of Potsdam, the Institute for Nutritional Medicine of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, and the Research Institute for Plant-Based Nutrition (IFPE) in Biebertal. Oatly had no influence on the implementation of the study. 18 footballers from German regional league team SV Babelsberg 03 took part in the research, with some adopting a plant-based diet and others continuing with their ordinary eating habits. The players’ athletic performance was assessed before and after the eight-week trial, with no changes found. However, researchers emphasise that further studies are needed to confirm the results. Footballers who adopted a plant-based diet also …

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Veg Out School Lunch Program

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Chartwells K12 Launches ‘Veg Out’ Plant-Forward Lunch Menus Across US Schools

Dining service provider Chartwells K12 announces its newest culinary concept, “Veg Out”, is launching at US schools across the nation this fall, including school districts in Texas, Indiana and Washington state. The new program features over 100 new vegan and vegetarian lunch options. According to Chartwells, a subsidiary of Compass Group North America,  1 in 3 school-aged students rated vegan or vegetarian options as “extremely” or “very important” when choosing school lunch, while 37% said they would eat school lunches more often if there were better vegetarian and vegan choices.  Armed with this knowledge, Chartwells partnered with the Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Kids Collaborative, as well as other industry leaders, to create over 120 vegan and vegetarian options including: Watermelon Poke Bowl Tuscan Bean …

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Cresilon Series A

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Biotech Startup Cresilon Raises $25M Series A for ‘Revolutionary’ Plant-Based Hemostatic Gel

Brooklyn biotech company Cresilon announced it has completed a successful Series A-4 financing round to bring its proprietary hemostatic gel technology, VETIGEL, to the human health market.  Created entirely from plant-based polymers, VETIGEL is a hemostatic medical device that controls bleeding on contact, with no need to apply manual pressure. The gel has a wide variety of applications in veterinary medicine, including emergency care and surgical procedures. According to co-founder Joe Landolina, the gel essentially serves as a liquid band-aid, and using plant-derived materials allowed the product to be safer and more biocompatible, with fewer side effects. Cresilon plans to use the Series A funding to increase production capacity at its 25,000 sq. ft. biomanufacturing facility in Brooklyn, expand on VETIGEL’s successful launch, and “aggressively” …

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More Foods alt meat

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FoodValley Challenge Seeks Nutritious and Upcycled Plant-Based Products

International sustainable food organisation Foodvalley NL has launched a new challenge for startups developing nutritious and upcycled plant-based products. Foodvalley is seeking the next generation of plant-based foods to help feed a fast-growing global population. According to the organisation, while many alt-protein products have excellent taste and structure, their nutritional value could be improved. Additionally, there are several food industry sidestreams — such as wheat byproducts and press-cakes from vegetable oil production — that could potentially be used to make plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, reducing waste. These byproducts are often protein-rich, high in fibre, and low in sugar, making them nutritious as well as sustainable. Startups applying for the challenge should ideally meet both criteria, producing plant-based proteins that are nutritious and contain upcycled …

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Herbie Tofu Healthy Chicken Sandwich

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Herbie Burger Opens in LA to Offer Vegetable-Based Take on Vegan Fast Food

While most vegan burger spots make use of the ever-popular Beyond and Impossible Burgers, there’s a growing counter-movement that seeks to make whole vegetables and mushrooms the new star ingredients. Herbie Burger, which opened in Culver City, CA in August, is bucking the storebought brand trend to create its own line of indulgent black bean burgers, mushroom fried chicken, and healthier sides intended to shake up the plant-based fast food scene.  Herbie was founded by Peter Williams, a vegan of six years who enjoyed creating plant-based versions of classic comfort foods at home. When he struggled to find the same dishes at restaurants made without long lists of ingredients, Williams resolved to offer consumers the same decadent fare he loved with a healthier, whole foods …

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World’s First Compostable, Medical Grade Plant-Based Face Mask Approved by FDA

PADM Medical‘s PRECISION ECO plant-based procedural mask has become the world’s first plant-based face mask to receive FDA approval for use in medical and healthcare settings. The masks contain plant-based biopolymers that are fully compostable. You would be hard-pressed in these post-pandemic times to find a human on Earth that hasn’t witnessed discarded face masks polluting the environment. Billions of petroleum-based, disposable surgical masks are discarded each year. This study analysed data on mask and glove litter across 11 countries, and the results are truly heartbreaking. According to Greenpeace,1.3 billion surgical masks were produced in Taiwan at the peak of the pandemic, generating 5,500 metric tonnes of waste in a three month period alone. Says PADM Medical, “Most Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) consists of petroleum-based, …

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Silk Product Range

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Danone North America Plans to Reformulate 70% of Its Milk Alternatives to Be Healthier

Danone North America announced recently it will invest $22M in new health and wellness initiatives, including reformulating 70% of its plant-based milk alternatives with healthier ingredients.  Prioritizing nutrition The global dairy conglomerate revealed its pledge at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health held last week. In an effort to support the dietary health of 300 million Americans, Danone says it is committed to reducing added sugars across its children’s products, and will increase the nutrient density of most of its plant-based beverages. In 2020, the company partnered with bioscience startup BrightSeed to “usher in a new era of precision nutrition” for its plant-based products using artificial intelligence.   Danone, which owns dairy-free brands Silk, So Delicious and Alpro, also plans to allocate $15M …

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Roquette acquires Crest Cellulose

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Roquette Acquires Crest Cellulose to Meet Rising Demand for Plant-Based Excipients

Roquette has fully acquired Crest Cellulose, an Indian producer of excipients for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Roquette purchased a majority share in Crest in 2018, and hopes that the recent acquisition will allow it to meet rising demand for plant-based excipients. After becoming a Roquette subsidiary, Crest will help to provide premium quality and pharmacopoeia-compliant solutions to its parent company’s customers. Animal-free excipients currently manufactured by Crest include MICROCEL™ microcrystalline cellulose and Roquette Magnesium Stearate. The acquisition will significantly expand Roquette’s capabilities, allowing it to supply customers throughout India, Asia, and further afield. Plant-based medications With a huge proportion of medications containing ingredients of animal origin, a few companies are working to develop alternatives. Earlier this year, axunio launched the world’s first Vegan Society-certified …

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Plant-based meals the default option in NYC hospitals

Image: @defaultveg on Instagram

New York City Hospitals Make Plant-Based Meals the Default Option

The Better Food Foundation has partnered with New York City Health + Hospitals and the Mayor’s Office to make plant-based meals the default at all 11 NYC hospitals. While meat-based options remain available, the two daily Chef’s Specials are now always plant-based. So far, the program has been hugely successful, with over half of patients opting for the plant-based dishes and 95% saying they were satisfied with their choice. Initially, the plant-based meals were only offered at lunchtimes, but they have proved so popular that the scheme will be extended to dinner. This is despite the fact that only 1% of patients identify as vegetarian or vegan. The program is part of The Better Food Foundation’s Greener by Default initiative, which aims to help healthcare …

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Kate Farms Plant-Based Nutrition

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Kate Farms Closes $75M Series C Round to Expand Plant-Based Nutrition in Hospitals

Kate Farms, a leader in plant-based nutritional formulas, announces it has closed $75M in Series C funding, in a round led by life science investor Novo Holdings. The funding brings the company’s total raise to over $135M, and will be used to fuel additional innovation in the brand’s portfolio, develop new products and enter new market channels. “I’m pleased that… investors appreciate the significant potential of plant-based nutrition and Kate Farms’ leadership in this rapidly growing market” Accessible in over 95% of US hospitals, including top children’s hospitals, Kate Farms produces plant-based, organic and clinically demonstrated formulas for those with chronic illnesses and acute conditions. Its entire product portfolio, used for tube and oral feeding, is USDA organic and non-GMO certified, while being free from common …

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Seaweed tampons

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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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Mighty Yum Plant-Based Lunchables

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Mighty Yum Unveils New Line of “Nostalgic” Plant-Based Lunch Kits

Seeking to fill a major market gap for fun and healthy finger foods, Mighty Yum is debuting a new line of nutritious, meat-and dairy-free lunch kits at the Plant Based World Expo, taking place in New York City from Sept. 8th – 9th.  Made with 100% plant-based ingredients, Mighty Yum’s products offer a healthy twist on nostalgic children’s lunch kits, with a significantly improved nutritional panel. Available in classic flavors such as turkey and cheese, ham and cheese, and pepperoni pizza, Mighty Yum’s meals are non-GMO and filled with superfood ingredients, with the same flavor and texture as traditional meat and cheese.  Better kids’ meals The brand was founded by Marc Elkman and Howard Pane, two fathers who recognized the difficulty of finding healthy, tasty …

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As Nation’s Obesity Epidemic Continues to Rise, Physicians Slam USDA for $21.9 Million Effort to Market Meat to Americans

Announcement of bacon boondoggle especially egregious on eve of White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, doctors say WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a national nonprofit, public health organization with more than 17,000 doctor members, slammed the U.S. Department of Agriculture today for its gift of $21.9 million to help the meat industry push its products on U.S. consumers, many of whom suffer from obesity, diabetes, and other ailments made worse by consumption of these products. “Rather than marketing products known to contribute to our obesity epidemic and ill health, the USDA should instead support America’s farmers growing the very products, like fruits, vegetables, and legumes, that we know benefit human health, help fight chronic disease, and contribute to healthy weight,” says …

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Kevin Hart Vegan Fast Food

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Kevin Hart’s Vegan Hart House Restaurant Opening Aug. 25, With Eye Towards National Expansion

Comedian Kevin Hart reveals his plant-based fast food concept, Hart House, will open its first location in LA’s Westchester neighborhood on Thursday, August 25th.  Serving a menu of burg’rs, chick’n sandwiches, salads, fries, and milkshakes, Hart House aims to “disrupt fast food” with healthier and more affordable plant-based options, Hart says.  Several Southern California locations are already in the works, and the brand is looking toward US national expansion, with the eventual goal of competing with fast food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King, reports Nation’s Restaurant News.  Custom-made proteins Hart House is serving proprietary plant-based meats created by Mike Salem, Burger King’s former head of culinary innovation, who was hired by Hart House’s team to develop all-new protein analogs.  “Our analogs are at such …

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