Opinion

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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Brett Thompson CEO Newform Foods

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Op Ed: Brett Thompson, CEO Newform Foods, on Expanding the Definition of Meat

Brett Thompson founded Mzansi Meat Co., Africa’s first cultivated meat company, in the middle of lockdown, and the company became Newform Foods this summer after a rebrand and new strategy, redirecting its focus from being a consumer brand to offering meat cultivation technology. Here, Thompson explains that after spending time in the field of cellular agriculture, recently establishing a demonstration facility for cultivated meat products in Cape Town, he believes that we should alter the definition of meat, as cultivated products begin to enter mainstream consciousness and become part of our food system. Expanding the definition of meat By Brett Thompson After working in cultivated meat for four years, and over a decade in plant-based meat, my view on the definition of meat has drastically …

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Rob Reames of Planted in front of supermarket with products

Rob Reames © Planted

Op Ed: Rob Reames of Planted on Navigating the UK Plant-Based Market

Rob Reames is VP of Commercial at Planted, the number one meat alternative brand in Switzerland and Europe’s leading foodtech scale-up, known for its clean-label plant-based meat. In this piece, Rob explains that brands that invest in the long game with a focus on quality, authenticity, and innovation, are poised to redefine our food landscape. Rob’s experience includes some of the biggest global brands and he is no stranger to establishing new categories in the mainstream having led Alpro‘s commercial team across Europe at Board level. Other brand experience includes PepsiCo, Reckitt, and Danone. Rob strongly believes in purpose-driven businesses like Planted and is deeply passionate about accelerating the growth and adoption of meat alternatives as part of healthy, plant-based, and flexitarian diets. Navigating UK …

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Dr Helena Wright and Dr. Henning Stein

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Op Ed: Dr Henning Stein & Dr Helena Wright Explain Why Investors Should Be Hungry for the Next Food Revolution

Dr Helena Wright is Policy Director of FAIRR, a global investor network that raises awareness of the environmental, social and governance risks associated with intensive food production. Dr. Henning Stein is a Board Member at 1Businessworld, a global business ecosystem, network and marketplace. He has over 25 years of experience across asset management, pension funds, platforms, insurance and academia. Together they here put forward the case for not just a Green Revolution but an Ever-Green Revolution. Examining the Case for an Ever-Green Revolution By Dr Henning Stein & Dr Helena Wright “There are no solutions,” economist and social commentator Thomas Sowell famously remarked. “There are only trade-offs. You try to get the best trade-off you can get. That’s all you can hope for.” Particularly in …

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Rachel Calomeni, Senior Vice President of Growth and Innovation at HowGood

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Op Ed: Rachel Calomeni, SVP Growth & Innovation at HowGood, on Ingredient Data as a Powerful Tool

Rachel Calomeni is Senior Vice President of Growth and Innovation at HowGood, an independent research company and SaaS platform with the world’s largest ingredient sustainability database.  In this piece, Rachel argues that the next phase of innovation in vegan foods will be led by ingredient data.  Ingredient data is a powerful tool for vegan brands, here’s why. By Rachel Calomeni Consumers are demanding plant-based products. From 2018 to 2021, vegan alternatives to meat and milk grew by 54%, and in 2022, the plant-based food market was worth $7.4 billion according to the Good Food Institute. This exceptional growth has catapulted brands such as Beyond Meat and Oatly into the spotlight and into consumers’ kitchens.  While interest in vegan-based foods continues to grow, consumer interest in …

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Camila Perussello

Camila Perussello. © Emmylie Cruz

Op Ed: Camila Perussello PhD, Food Engineer & Author, on What Alt Protein Can Learn From Formula 1

Camila Perussello, PhD, is an extensively published food engineer who has worked as a scientist and food-industry consultant in different parts of the world. Dr. Perussello is an expert in food processing engineering, modelling & simulation in food manufacturing, and valorization of agrifood by-products. Her latest book, Food for Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate, was released in 2022. Dr. Perussello’s work aims to advance a sustainable, healthy, and nonviolent food system. What the Alt Protein Sector Should Learn From Formula 1 By Camila Perussello, PhD Both the agrifood and motorsports industries rely on technology and engineering. However, there is one primary thing Formula 1 has been doing right that the alt-protein sector should get inspiration from: modelling & simulation (M&S). Trial and error …

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Florian David and Anastasia Krivoruchko of Melt & Marble

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Op Ed: Dr Anastasia Krivoruchko, CEO of Melt & Marble, on Why Reformation of Food Regulations is Imperative

Dr. Anastasia Krivoruchko is an entrepreneurial scientist with a strong research background in molecular biology, microbial metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology. With over ten years of experience in precision fermentation, Anastasia has made significant contributions to the field. As a project leader at Chalmers University of Technology, she led cutting-edge microbial engineering projects, resulting in publications in top journals and multiple patents. Co-founding Melt&Marble, Anastasia focuses on precision fermentation to produce fats for animal-free foods. Reforming Food Regulation for a Greener Tomorrow By Anastasia Krivoruchko Recently, Nature Climate Change published a study concluding that emissions from the food system alone pose a substantial threat to world climate targets. Addressing unsustainable foods like meat and dairy becomes paramount. In this pursuit, innovative technologies like precision fermentation …

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Lorna De Leoz, Ph.D.

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Op Ed: Lorna De Leoz, Ph.D. of Agilent Technologies on Food Fraud

Lorna De Leoz, Ph.D., has nearly 20 years of experience in the food industry as a bench chemist, graduate researcher, and mass spectrometry specialist. She is currently Global Food Segment Manager at Agilent Technologies. Previously she was a Research Chemist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where she led a global study on the glycosylation of monoclonal antibodies and extended the scope of the NIST mass spectral libraries to include oligosaccharides. Lorna completed her Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of California, Davis where her research focused on understanding the role of milk oligosaccharides in infant gut flora. How testing early and often for food fraud can protect your customers and your brand By Lorna De Leoz, Ph.D. Those of us in the …

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Kavita Karnik

Kavita Karnik. © Tate & Lyle

Op Ed: Kavita Karnik, Global Head of Nutrition and Regulatory at Tate & Lyle, on Embracing Food Science

Kavita Karnik, M.Med. Sci, Ph.D., is the Global Head of Nutrition, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs at Tate & Lyle. She is responsible for providing evidence-based scientific support to the company’s ingredient portfolio through strategic nutrition science research and education. Additionally, she leads the Regulatory and Scientific Affairs group, which handles global regulatory approvals and claims strategy for Tate & Lyle products. Previously, Dr. Karnik has held various global roles in the nutrition and health-related commercial environment for corporations such as Unilever, Pfizer, and Nestle. She has also been involved in academic research at several universities. In this article, Kavita explores how food science can help to meet the nutritional needs of current and future generations. Let’s Embrace Food Science and the Solutions it Offers By …

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Lisa Feria, Stray Dog Capital

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Op Ed: Lisa Feria, CEO Stray Dog Capital, on Boosting Consumer Sentiment Around Alt Meats

Lisa Feria, as a good deal of our readers will know, is CEO and managing partner of Stray Dog Capital, a prolific US-based venture capital fund focused on the plant-based market, investing in early-stage food, food-tech, and biotech companies that set out to transform our broken food system. Lisa has more than 20 years of experience in food operations and CPGs and led billion-dollar brands in multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble and General Mills. Lisa has been selected twice by the “Top 100 Most Influential Latinas” list. A passionate vegan and triathlete, Lisa serves on the boards of Mercy for Animals, the Great Plains SPCA, Miyoko’s Creamery, and Deliciou. In this article, Lisa explores practical strategies to enhance consumer sentiment for the alternative …

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Alexandra Clark & Tom Chapman, Sentient Ventures

Op Ed: Alexandra Clark & Tom Chapman of Sentient Ventures, on Reinvigorating the Alt Protein Market

Describing itself as a “movement of change-makers”, UK-based early growth-stage fund Sentient Ventures, founded by Manish Karani and Alexandra Clark, is focused on funding “the best international companies that are developing superior successors to animal products,” and says its work is to “enable the innovators and change-makers to accelerate the removal of farmed animals from our food production systems, allowing our planet to heal and thrive.” Partner and Co-founder Alexandra Clark leads strategy and operations at Sentient Ventures having spent over a decade leading the EU advocacy for a policy and regulatory landscape to incentivise a shift away from animal product production and consumption. She joined impact investor Veg Capital as an investment adviser before co-founding Sentient Ventures. Tom Chapman, Head of Food Systems Impact, …

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Ali Al-Suhail

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Op Ed: Ali Al Suhail, Associate at DAI Magister, On Alt Protein as a Transformative Force

Disclaimer: The opinions here are those of the author and not necessarily shared by the platform, with respect in particular to the insect proteins. Ali Al Suhail, Associate at investment bank DAI Magister, discusses the alternative protein market, stating the sector is resilient and investor appetite remains healthy as demonstrated by startups securing $3.5 billion in funding in 2022. The alternative protein market has emerged as a transformative force with the potential to substantially reduce emissions. Alternative proteins are projected to surpass $290bn, globally, as the need for a more sustainable food ecosystem increases. According to estimates, transitioning to alternative proteins could contribute between 14% and 20% of the necessary emissions reductions to meet the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement until 2050. Global …

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Veronica Fil

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Op Ed: Veronica Fil, Founder of Grounded Foods Co, On Plant-Based Restaurant Trends

Veronica Fil is a former behavioral economist, who now specializes in marketing for the alternative protein industry. She is the co-founder of Grounded Foods Co. and author of Plant Based USA: a Guide to Eating Animal-Free in America. Reinventing the menu: more chefs embrace plant-based alternatives to meet diner demand By Veronica Fil As I patrolled the floors of the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago last week, I was struck by a realization: ‘plant-based’ no longer appeared as a specialty category of the food service industry. Judging by the sheer amount of meat, seafood, and dairy alternatives spread throughout the Show floor–and the excitement surrounding them–I knew that plant-based food had become firmly embedded in the mainstream culinary mindset.  It hasn’t always been this …

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Alexandre Ruberti

Alexandre Ruberti. © Future Farm

Op Ed: Alexandre Ruberti, CEO of Future Farm, on the Ebbs and Flows of the Plant-Based Industry

Alexandre Ruberti is the CEO of Future Farm and a board member at Celsius Holdings. Previously, he worked at Red Bull for 16 years, serving dual positions – President of Red Bull Distribution Company USA and Executive Vice President of Sales for Red Bull North America. He is credited with developing the business exponentially through incremental growth, and now brings his wealth of experience to the plant-based industry. Plant-Based is a Marathon and Not a Sprint by Alexandre Ruberti It’s no secret that the plant-based industry continues to ebb and flow, but it’s important to take a step back and ask why — while keeping in mind that plant-based is still a relatively new category. Like any new market, it will stabilize — and more …

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Marissa Bronfman Profile Photo

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Op Ed: Marissa Bronfman On Women Leading the Way in Alt Seafood

Marissa Bronfman is a serial entrepreneur, speaker, and business advisor to food founders and impact investors. She is passionate about helping people build, grow, support, and invest in woman-owned and plant-based businesses and is excited to be helping accelerate the alternative seafood space.   Inspired and encouraged by the number of women leading in the space, Marissa believes “there’s never been a better time to start, scale, or invest in a vegan seafood company”.   Alternative Seafood: A New Wave of Opportunity Led by Women By Marissa Bronfman It’s a hugely exciting time for seafood analogs, a relatively small but fast-growing category of alternative protein, with many new companies and technological developments being led by women from around the world. At a time when our …

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Lydia Hoye Founder, Bound to Prosper

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Op Ed: Lydia Hoye Founder, Bound to Prosper, on Pushing the Plant Transition

Lydia Hoye is the Founder of consumer PR agency Bound to Prosper. With 20 years of experience working with global brands, she now brings her expertise to bold and progressive brands and is on a mission to help the plant-based industry grow and go mainstream. Three ways the plant-based industry can help people transition how they eat now and in the future By Lydia Hoye Future generations are your future stakeholders. My plant-based daughter only knows the words ‘milk’ and ‘meat’ when referring to the plant-based versions. At seven years she’s growing up with a new set of semantics and a way of understanding what she consumes. BBC Good Food research has found that one in five, 5–15-year-olds say they are vegan or vegan-curious – …

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Alex Crisp

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Op Ed: Alex Crisp, Host of The Future of Food, on How Cultivated Meat Could Change Us as a Species

Alex Crisp is a prolific writer with a background in law, education, and activism. He hosts a podcast called The Future of Food, in which he discusses the food landscape in the near and distant future with academics, business leaders, and industry influencers. He also writes articles about ethical equities, Equity Rebellion, in which he discusses investing for a sustainable future. In this opinion piece, Alex contemplates whether cultivated meat could trigger a new level of human development. Will Cultivated Meat Make Us Kinder? By Alex Crisp This is an exciting time for vegetarians and animal-loving meat-eaters, because we are at the brink of something transformational. We are perhaps now entering a new stage in our food evolution, a food revolution, in which we’ll be …

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Yoshikazu Azuma

Yoshikazu Azuma ©2foods

Op Ed: Yoshikazu Azuma, CEO of 2foods, On Japan’s Evolving Vegan Market

Yoshikazu Azuma, CEO of Tokyo’s 2foods, is soon to expand Japan’s number one, 100% plant-based fast-casual and CPG brand to the US, bringing its award-winning products including ramen, Japanese curry, gateau, cheesecakes, and doughnuts, to American consumers through newly established arm 2foods US. “We believe that plant-based food has enormous potential in Japan,” says the serial entrepreneur. The ongoing evolution of plant-based in Japan By Yoshikazu Azuma The plant-based food industry has been growing at an unprecedented pace in recent years, with Europe and the United States leading the way. However, Japan is still in its early stages of development in the plant-based market, and there is much potential for growth and expansion. Despite an increase in the number of restaurants serving plant-based foods and …

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Eben Bayer headshot

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Op Ed: Eben Bayer, CEO, MyForest Foods, On What Lies Ahead for Plant-Based Meat

Eben Bayer, founder and CEO of Ecovative Design and MyForestFoods Co. (previously Atlast) is one of the most prominent voices in the world of mycelium. In this opinion piece, Bayer urges that for plant-based meat, the best is yet to come: “The current landscape does not spell trouble for most companies in the space. In fact, history promises that we’re just getting started,” he encourages. Plant-Based Meat Industry: The Best is Yet To Come By Eben Bayer The plant-based market has been sparking something that can only be described as ‘headline whiplash’ lately. Contradicting messages splash across our screens, from “save the world” potential to “this too shall pass” doom and gloom. So, which one is it?  As a long-time problem solver and innovator, I’ve …

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Veronica Fil headshot

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Op Ed: Veronica Fil, Founder of Grounded Foods Co., On Convenience as Imperative

Veronica Fil is a former behavioural economist, who now specialises in marketing for the alternative protein industry. She is the co-founder of Grounded Foods Co. and author of Plant Based USA: a Guide to Eating Animal-Free in America. Convenience as the forgotten factor in plant-based adoption By Veronica Fil Given the monumental hype around plant-based proteins over the past few years, you might be wondering why demand for these products hasn’t yet reached the fever pitch we were all hoping for.  What’s the hold-up? Why aren’t we achieving more widespread consumer adoption of plant-based products? As more people begin to understand and accept the health, environmental, and/or ethical need for this shift in global eating habits, the market for alternative proteins is still relatively small. …

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