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Fresh bamboo shoots

© Debbie -stock.adobe.com

Protein

Another Sustainable Alt Protein Source: Bamboo Shoots Found to Contain Proteins Similar to Cow’s Milk

Bamboo shoots, the edible part of some bamboo plants, are gaining recognition as a source of essential amino acids, according to a recent study by researchers from the China National Bamboo Research Centre. Titled “Bamboo shoot and its food applications in the last decade: an undervalued edible resource from forest to feed future people,” the study highlights bamboo shoots’ nutritional composition and health benefits, noting their protein content is “similar to cow’s milk.” Bamboo as a nutritional powerhouse In an attempt to demonstrate how bamboo plants can be an alternative to conventional foods, the researchers found that bamboo shoots are rich in seven essential amino acids, carbohydrates (mainly fibers), iron, and vitamins while low in fat, making them a valuable source of nutrition. Furthermore, similar studies …

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Oddlygood Barista and desserts roll out into Asda

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Products & Launches

Oddlygood Arrives in Asda UK with Dreamy Desserts & Flavoured Barista Oat Drinks

Oddlygood, a spinoff of Valio, a renowned Finnish food company, this week rolls its Barista Oat Drinks — already a best-selling range in Europe –as well as two varieties of its Dreamy Desserts, into Asda in the UK. The products are all free of gluten and palm oil and the milks offer “amazing foamability”, thanks to having one of the highest protein contents in the segment, according to the brand, of around 1.2g/100g. The Barista drinks launch into Asda in Salted Caramel and Vanilla, marking their UK debut, and the desserts launch in the varieties Dreamy Lemon Dessert and Dreamy Berries Dessert. Oddlygood’s original Barista Oat Drink will also be available in Asda stores from June. The launch comes as part of the brand’s “rapid …

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Clean Food Group (CFG) has raised £2.5 million to accelerate the commercial launch of its precision fermentation-derived, non-GMO alternative to palm oil by 2025.

Chris Chuck – Yeast alternative to palm oil © University of Bath

Fermentation

Clean Food Group Secures £2.5M to Launch Non-GMO Alternative to Palm Oil by 2025

UK-based biotech firm Clean Food Group (CFG) has raised £2.5 million to accelerate the commercial launch of its yeast-derived, non-GMO alternative to palm oil by 2025. Said to be equivalent to high-oleic palm oil, CFG’s go-to-market product is designed as a drop-in ingredient suitable for baked goods, confectionery, and cosmetics applications. CFG believes it can introduce its novel food product to the UK and EU markets, as the regulatory process for non-GMOs is less strict than that for genetically modified foods. The UK VC Clean Growth Fund, which supports climate tech businesses that reduce carbon emissions and tackle the climate crisis, made this significant investment in CFG — bringing the company’s total raised funds to £13 million.  So far, CFG has received funding from the cell ag-focused VC …

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Beyond meat beef crumbles

© Beyond Meat

Products & Launches

Beyond Meat Launches Revamped Plant-Based Crumbles, Earning American Heart and Diabetes Association Certifications

Plant-based meat leader Beyond Meat has introduced an updated and expanded selection of Beyond Crumbles, now available in the freezer sections of grocery stores throughout the United States. This latest iteration of the company’s plant-based crumbles is offered in three flavors, and has notably received third-party certifications from both the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Food Certification Program and the American Diabetes Association’s Better Choices for Life Program. The revamped Beyond Crumbles range is available in: Beyond Beef Crumbles Original, Beyond Beef Crumbles Feisty, and a new addition, Beyond Sausage Crumbles Italian-Style, which will hit shelves this summer. The new crumbles can be prepared from frozen in minutes and each serving contains 12 grams of protein, less than one gram of saturated fat, and no cholesterol. …

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Italian startups address cocoa supply chain crisis

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Sweets & Snacks

Italian Startups Address Cocoa Supply Chain Crisis Through Innovative Technology

The cocoa supply chain is in crisis, with the cost of raw materials rising by as much as 30-40% and retail prices increasing by 15%. This is largely driven by climate change, which is causing rising temperatures and reduced precipitation — especially in Ghana and Ivory Coast, which together produce around 60% of the world’s cocoa. These factors, combined with seasonal floods, have allowed diseases and parasites that attack cocoa crops to proliferate. Simultaneously, child labour in the industry is on the rise, increasing from 31% to 45% in West Africa between 2008 and 2019; an estimated 1.5 million children are now being exploited in the region. Geopolitical instability and increases in transportation and energy costs are introducing further challenges. These issues have highlighted the …

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PoLoPo unveils its SuperAA plant molecular farming platform already deployed in potato plants at a greenhouse scale.

Image courtesy of PoLoPo

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

PoLoPo Unveils Molecular Farming Platform in Potato Plants to Grow Egg Proteins

Last year, the Israeli agrifood startup PoLoPo raised $2.3 million, including $1.75 million in a pre-seed funding round to further develop its plant molecular farming technology for producing animal proteins in potatoes. Now, the startup unveils its molecular farming platform, SuperAA, already deployed in potato plants at a greenhouse scale. The initial focus of PoLoPo’s platform will be producing two key proteins: ovalbumin and patatin (the natural protein in potatoes). Ovalbumin, widely used in packaged foods for its functional properties, presents an affordable alternative to the industry amidst increasing egg prices and supply chain disruptions.  On the other hand, a patatin powder offers allergen-free protein suitable for various food products, from plant-based alternatives, such as DUG potato milk, to sports nutrition and nutraceuticals. Plant molecular farming is also used …

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Dr Charli Kruse

Dr Charli Kruse © CellTec Systems

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

CellTec Systems: “Whether it is Slaughtered or Cultured Meat Will Probably Make No Difference to the Consumer in Terms of Sensory Experience”

The Lübeck-based company CellTec Systems sees itself as the first German full-service provider for industrial cell production. Anyone wanting to get into cellular agriculture can obtain all the building blocks for production here: Cells, nutrient solution, bioreactors, and even training and consultancy services. What makes the company, which is a spin-off of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the University of Lübeck, so special is its 25 years of expertise in cell cultivation. CellTec Systems has also developed a special bioreactor with hydrogel capsules designed to cover the immense space requirements of dividing cells. Professor Dr Charli Kruse, co-founder and scientific director of CellTec Systems, talks to us in an interview about why he describes his colleagues and himself as cell whisperers, how the patented reactor with hydrogel …

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OLALA plant-based seafood brand design

© OLALA!

Marketing & Media

OLALA! Unveils New Brand Design for Alt Seafood That “Breaks Through Ordinary Taste Experiences”

French plant-based seafood startup OLALA! has collaborated with Scandinavian consumer branding and design agency Everland to develop a new brand design centred around taste. While many plant-based brands focus their marketing on the ethics of their products, OLALA! believes taste is the key to repeat purchases. The startup aims to “break through ordinary taste experiences” with products aimed at all gourmet foodies, not just vegans. The new brand design takes inspiration from bistros, with an off-white colour that resembles a tablecloth, eye-catching golden illustrations, and the O in the logo suggesting a plate. The brand name is inspired by the French phrase “Oh là là”, indicating a pleasant surprise. “When nearly all competitors focus on rationality and sustainability, we focus on the emotional aspects of …

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Birgit Dekkers & Willem Spigt of Rival Foods

Birgit Dekkers & Willem Spigt © Rival Foods

Interviews

Rival Foods: “We Believe the Whole Cut Segment Will See a Similar Evolution as the Processed Plant-Based Meat Segment”

Rival Foods develops and uses new technologies to create next-generation plant-based whole-cuts with “unprecedented” size, texture, and juiciness. We speak with the Netherlands based company which has very recently signed a lease for its first production location and is preparing to begin production by June this year. Birgit Dekkers, co-founder and CEO of Rival Foods, graduated as a food scientist and undertook PhD research on Shear Cell technology at Wageningen University, before founding Rival Foods. Willem Spigt, CCO of Rival Foods, graduated with a degree in Law and before joining Rival Foods he brought Beyond Meat to Europe for his previous employer Zandbergen WFM. Could you elaborate on the Shear Cell technology developed by Rival Foods, and how it sets your plant-based whole-cuts apart in …

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New portion sized format for Oatly

© Oatly

Company News

Oatly Becomes First Plant Milk Served in Swiss Rail with New Portioned Product Format

Oatly is cooperating with Swiss Federal Railways SBB and is now offering special portion sizes of its oat drink in all dining carriages. The Oatly Oat Drink for Coffee and Tea portion size is the smallest format of Oatly oat drinks to date. These portion sizes offer an alternative to larger packs, aim to reduce food waste, and have been designed for use in a catering environment, Oatly explains. Oatly becomes the first vegan milk in the SBB range and is to be offered in all 160 dining carriages. The vegan milk alternative will be available for coffee and tea at no extra charge. Following the cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, this is another milestone for Oatly and follows its mission to make the switch to …

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Rebellyous chicken cafeteria

© Rebellyous

Food Service

Rebellyous Foods Partners with Chicago Schools to Serve Plant-Based Chicken for National Nutrition Month

Chicago Public Schools (CPS), one of the United States’ largest school districts, has partnered with Rebellyous Foods to serve plant-based chicken and waffles in approximately 100 of its schools. This initiative, which started in March to coincide with National Nutrition Month, utilizes Rebellyous Foods’ plant-based chicken products to expand the nutritional and sustainable options available to students. Illinois has implemented initiatives that support the adoption of plant-based menu options in schools. In 2022, the state announced a bill (House Bill 4089), which mandated that all the state’s school districts would need to provide plant-based meals on request that met federal nutrition guidelines. The state has also been at the forefront of alternative protein development, with UPSIDE Foods announcing that it would build its first commercial …

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Cultivated meat startup Orbillion Bio has raised venture capital funding to develop further its predictive model or "scale-up algorithm" for cultivated meat.

© Orbillion Bio

Cultivated Meat

Orbillion Bio Secures Funds to Cultivate Beef at Scale With Innovative Algorithm

Cultivated meat startup Orbillion Bio has secured venture capital funding to develop further its predictive model or “scale-up algorithm” for cultivated meat and bring a product to the market “within a year’s time.” Specializing in cultivating heritage breed meats like Wagyu, elk, and lamb, Orbillion is currently focusing on creating a ground beef product that merges cultivated meat with plant-based ingredients to provide a “tasty, nutritious product at the price of conventionally produced meat,” Orbillion CEO Patricia Bubner, told Cultivated X. The Venture Collective led the funding round, with co-leadership from At One Ventures. YCombinator, Metaplanet, and other prominent global food investors backed the company’s cultivated meat algorithm. This capital brings the startup’s total raised funds to $15 million. The algorithm for cultivated meat Instead of solely …

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Frys Chicken Run nuggets World Food Innovation Awards winner image

© Fry's Family Foods

Marketing & Media

Fry’s Marketing Campaign with Aardman and Netflix Wins Global Innovation Award

A marketing campaign for plant-based nuggets from Fry Family Foods has been awarded Best Marketing Campaign in the World Food Innovation Awards. The ad was timed to coincide with Veganuary as well as the arrival of the nuggets into retail and the launch of the Chicken Run 2 movie, which touches upon issues thought to inspire many viewers to consider the concept of veganism. The campaign win was announced at an award ceremony at  IFE (International Food and Drink Event) at London’s ExCeL this Monday the 25th of March. The brand belongs to the LIVEKINDLY group, as does Sweden’s Oumph!, which similarly received a marketing accolade in 2022 with its famous Human Meat campaign for Halloween, which again causes the public to question their choices and …

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TOUS les JOURS X Oatly

© TOUS les JOURS

Food Service

Oatly Named Exclusive Oatmilk Partner Across 100+ TOUS les JOURS Bakeries in US

TOUS les JOURS, a bakery café chain known for its wide range of gourmet pastries, cakes, and desserts, has initiated a new partnership with Oatly, a global leader in oat drink production. Oatly is now the exclusive oatmilk partner for TOUS les JOURS in the United States, which has established a strong presence since its inception in 2004, with over 100 local stores and more than 1,750 globally. To commemorate the partnership, the bakery chain also introduced two novel beverage options infused with Oatly oatmilk, available from March 21 at participating outlets nationwide. The collaboration introduces the Shakerato, an iced espresso drink shaken with vanilla syrup and topped with Oatly’s Barista Edition Oatmilk, and the Shaken Tea Latte, combining Assam tea and vanilla syrup with …

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Crepes filled with animal-free cream

© Imagindairy

Fermentation

Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks Receive Grant to Accelerate the Launch of Cow-Free Dairy Proteins

Israeli animal-free dairy protein developer Imagindairy and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), a Boston-based biotech specializing in cell programming, announce a partnership to accelerate the introduction of a new wave of cow-free dairy. A joint grant from the Board of Governors of the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation has partly funded the companies’s multiyear program to commercialize non-whey dairy proteins. The collaboration will leverage Ginkgo Bioworks’ Protein Expression Services and Imagindairy’s process development and scale-up expertise to develop and manufacture animal-free whey cost-effectively to reach prices similar to dairy proteins.  Ginkgo is also working with the Chicago-based alt-seafood producer Aqua Cultured Foods to improve the economics and functions of its microbial strains for large-scale operations. Jennifer Wipf, CEO at Ginkgo Bioworks, shares, “Being awarded …

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soybean field, agricultural landscape

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Agriculture / Agribusiness

Report: Alternative Proteins Could Significantly Impact Farming in New Zealand

A report published as part of the Protein Futures NZ project (funded through the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge) has found that alternative proteins could have a significant impact on farming in New Zealand. The report outlines four alternative protein scenarios: Demand for alt proteins continues to increase but does not significantly affect animal protein supply chains. Growth is slow due to technical barriers. This scenario is described as unlikely due to the current level of innovation, interest, and investment in the sector. Demand for alt proteins continues and precision fermentation takes off. Consumer acceptance is driven by sustainability concerns. However, the development of cultivated products is stalled due to technical barriers. Plant-based products take off, and some of the barriers facing cultivated …

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Plantbased Business Hour

What You Need To Know Before You IPO: George Khalife of Toronto Stock Exchange

George Khalife, VP of US Capital Formation on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) at TMX Group joins Elysabeth on The Plantbased Business Hour With Elysabeth Alfano to discuss taking Plant-based Innovation brands public on the exchange. Here, they break down what you need to know before you IPO. Specifically, they discuss: What is the TSX history with taking plant-based brands public? What have been the TSX successes and trouble spots with that? What is your view on taking plant-based brands public on TSX going forward? What is your view on the sector as a whole: past, present and future? What do companies need to know before they IPO? Below is a highlight clip and transcription from their long-form conversation. Podcast link here. Display content from …

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Aqua Cultured scallop

Image courtesy of Aqua Cultured

Fermentation

Aqua Cultured Foods Partners with Ginkgo Bioworks To Elevate Scallop and Tuna Alternatives

Today, Aqua Cultured Foods, specializing in alternative seafood production through microbial fermentation, has announced a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, a cell programming and biosecurity company. This collaboration seeks to refine and enhance the production process of Aqua’s fish-free seafood products, which have been developed to mimic the texture, taste, and appearance of fresh-caught seafood. Based in Chicago, Aqua Cultured Foods has been developing seafood alternatives using a patent-pending fermentation technique and a blend of microbes, fibers, and plant-derived flavors to replicate the umami profile and buttery texture characteristic of oceanic seafood. Its inaugural products, tuna, and scallop alternatives, are said to retain their quality for up to six weeks. The company first began public tastings of its beta alternative tuna, shrimp, and scallops this time …

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Dutch brands make half of recipes on packaging meat-free

© Jumbo

Packaging

Seven Dutch Brands Agree to Make 50% of Recipes on Their Packaging Meat-Free

Following campaigning by animal rights group Wakker Dier, seven brands in the Netherlands — Conimex, Fairtrade Original, Jumbo, Knorr, Koh Tai, Patak’s, and Plus — have agreed to make 50% of the suggested recipes on their product packaging meat-free. Another two major brands — Grand’Italia and Lassie — already feature 50% vegetarian or vegan recipes, while Albert Heijn and Maggi have pledged to add plant-based tips to their packaging but not to remove meat from half of recipes. Just one of the brands approached, Honig, said it would not make any changes. After analysing 657 recipes on product packaging, Wakker Dier found that over 80% currently feature meat or fish. The group points out that the Health Council of the Netherlands recommends eating 60% plant-based …

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Shicken receives a further £4M from Veg Capital

© SHICKEN Foods

Investments & Acquisitions

Veg Capital Triples Investment for SHICKEN to Become a Global Brand & Major Producer Within 5 Years

UK-based SHICKEN Foods, creator of vegan Asian dishes (presently curries and kebabs) featuring highly realistic “chicken” created from a blend of soy, wheat, and pea proteins, today announces it has received an additional £4 million from Veg Capital, to take the brand fully global. This brings the total funding to date to £6 million in SHICKEN from the non-profit VC firm. The fresh capital will be used for further CAPEX investment in the brand’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kent, making it one of the UK’s few dedicated plant-based, nut-free manufacturers. The company will now have the capacity and capability to produce various branded and private-label products for both retail and foodservice. Made using a unique technology that creates a chargrilled chicken-like texture, the SHICKEN products …

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