Vemiwa is an independent plant-based food producer that manufactures a range of meat, fish, and dairy alternatives at its recently completed facility in Bavaria, Germany.
While many manufacturers use additives and thickeners to help give plant-based products a meat-like texture, Vemiwa has a focus on additive-free production. With support from the Fraunhofer Institute in Freising, the company has developed an extrusion technique that achieves a fibrous texture by combining plant proteins, water, and oil under high pressure and heat, with no need for additives.
“Enjoyment and a clear conscience are not contradictions”
While meat alternatives are often made from soy or wheat, Vemiwa uses legumes such as peas and fava beans, which are allergen-free and easy to source organically. These raw materials are all grown within Germany and Western Europe, keeping delivery routes short and making it possible to know precisely where the ingredients originate.
“Vemiwa is a plant-based family startup that combines tradition and innovation,” says founder Michael Walk Jr., who comes from a traditional butcher family.
“Holistic food system”
Vemiwa produces its own product range for retail, wholesale, and food service, and also manufactures custom white-label products for other brands. Shape, cut, seasoning, and marinade can all be modified. Vemiwa’s wet extrusion technical centre offers application testing, recipe creation, a laboratory, and best-before-date tests; the company is involved in the entire value chain, from development and production to packaging and marketing.
“We believe in a holistic food system that enriches people, animals, and the planet equally,” said Walk. “We are passionate about driving this change forward and want to convince people with taste, quality, and innovation that enjoyment and a clear conscience are not contradictions, but are compatible with each other.”
