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ProVeg Czechia product lineup

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Czech Parliament Hosts Seminar to Promote Plant-Based Diets

November 30, 2023

In early November, the Czech Chamber of Deputies hosted a seminar titled “New Trends in the Food Industry – an opportunity for the Czech Economy, a healthier society and a sustainable future?”. Organized by Klára Kocmanová, Vice President of the Environment Committee, and sponsored by the Ministers of Environment and Health, this event gathered food producers, retailers, and specialists to discuss advancing alternative protein sources. ProVeg Czechia‘s food industry and retail consultant, Tereza Trávníčková, initiated the seminar, highlighting the increasing adoption of plant-based diets among Czechs and the importance of achieving price parity. “Price significantly influences consumer decisions. Czech consumers face significant price differences: they pay over 160% more for a plant-based alternative to minced meat and almost 60% more for a plant-based alternative to …

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ProVeg Czech plant-based nutrition course

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ProVeg Czechia Qualifies 137 New Plant-Based Nutritionists in Successful 5th Cohort

November 8, 2023

ProVeg Czechia, an NGO that advocates for plant-based diets, recently launched a certified course in plant-based nutrition, with the lessons rooted in the latest nutritional research, including practical guidance on how to apply the newly acquired knowledge. After passing the final test, graduates receive a certificate of qualification and the opportunity to be featured in ProVeg’s database of certified nutrition experts. The course has just graduated 137 people, its fifth cohort since the course began. The organisation reports that the certification of participants is a rigorous process, ensuring that each member added to the database possesses the expertise required for providing sound advice. The course sees consistently high attendance, which ProVeg says bodes well for the future and the expansion of the expert database, as …

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Julie Karabinová. © ProVeg Czechia

ProVeg Czechia: “The Interest in V-Label is Unprecedented and Demand is Constantly Growing”

October 20, 2023

In 2021, the Czech Vegan Society became ProVeg Czechia, as interest in plant-based diets began to grow rapidly in the country. At the time, a quarter of Czechs were already reducing their meat consumption, with 6% avoiding meat altogether. Since then, the Czech plant-based market has only continued to grow, and ProVeg Czechia is now one of 11 ProVeg offices worldwide working to raise awareness of food system transformation. The organisation has been instrumental in bringing the internationally recognised vegan and vegetarian trademark V-Label to the country, along with helping to make plant-based foods more mainstream. Julie Karabinová joined ProVeg in 2021, working as V-Label certification manager for the nonfood section and New Food Forum co-organizer. We spoke to her to find out more about …

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Clextral’s innovative developments in producing affordable and tasty alternative proteins

ProVeg - how to attract flexitarian consumers

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Marketing & Media

Attracting Flexitarian Consumers with Comfort and Familiarity

October 9, 2023

Flexitarians – those who consume both meat and plant-based foods – are now the fastest-growing consumer demographic, making up nearly 30% of Europeans.1 This consumer segment holds the key to unlocking the plant-based industry. By shifting focus from the niche vegan market – which represents less than 4% of European consumers – to flexitarians, plant-based meat brands can open up a market over ten times larger!2 But how do you appeal to meat-eating, flexitarian consumers? In its recent case study, ProVeg International profiled the plant-based meat brand LikeMeat to demonstrate some of its strategies to create a ‘meaty’ experience and attract flexitarian consumers. The case study makes five key recommendations for plant-based brands looking to attract more meat-eating consumers: Optimise taste and texture Balance taste …

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Shaping the Future of Fish: Food Squared on Innovating Alt Seafood

October 2, 2023

Alternative seafood is the phrase on everyone’s lips right now – amid huge startup investments, tech innovations, and growing consumer demand. Certainly, fishless fish is a category to watch. And it’s all very timely, too. Experts predict that the world’s oceans won’t be able to keep up with this demand, with over 90% of ‘fish stocks’ considered either over-fished or exploited close to the point of ‘unsustainability’.1 2 Fortunately, alt seafood brands can provide a tasty, sustainable, and profitable solution. In its latest New Food Hub interview, ProVeg International talked with the co-founder of one such company, Food Squared – an innovative start-up focused on crafting plant-based shrimp. Throughout the interview, co-founder Frankie Fox shared insights into the essential criteria for developing the product, and …

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Dairy alternatives, showing nuts and other sources

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Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Plant Milk’s Ascendance: Revolutionising the Dairy Landscape and Beyond

September 4, 2023

Plant-based milk has truly entered the mainstream; no longer a niche product consumed by the few, it is a household staple for many. Indeed, plant-based milk is the most purchased category in plant-based food and drink and has both the highest market value and penetration. In its recent New Food Hub article, ProVeg International uses industry statistics and predictions to suggest that plant-milk is now the growth engine for the entire milk category[1] – leading in terms of product innovation and generating huge sales and overall industry growth. Industry driving force ProVeg explains that, in the US, plant-based milk has been a driving force in the milk industry for several years. For example, plant-based milk unit sales grew 19% from 2019 to 2022, compared to …

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Alternative seafood

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Alternative Seafood is Making a Sustainable Splash in the Marketplace

August 28, 2023

Seafood is an industry of immense depths – worth more than US$257 billion and growing year-on-year. To put this swell into perspective, global fish consumption has increased by about 30% since 1998, but scientists project it will increase by a further 80% by 2050. Experts also predict that the world’s oceans won’t be able to keep up with this demand, with over 90% of fish stocks considered either over-fished or exploited close to the point of unsustainability. Not only does this threaten global food security and economic stability (for people who have built livelihoods around seafood), but it also spells ethical, ecological, and climate disasters. What to do? Fortunately, there is a tasty, sustainable, profitable, and forward-thinking solution available: alternative seafood made from plants, cultivated …

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ProVeg NFH fast food

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What Role do Fast Food Restaurants Play in Normalising Sustainable, Plant-Based Foods?

August 14, 2023

Fast-food restaurants are more than just places to grab a quick bite. For many, they offer convenience, as well as a place to socialise over an affordable meal. Undeniably, fast food chains are a staple of our global culture. Increasingly, plant-based options have been proliferating across menus of popular fast-food chains worldwide. As such, fast food retailers are a key catalyst to skyrocketing plant-based food sales, as well as normalising veggie options over their meat equivalents. NGO ProVeg International explores this exciting idea in the latest New Food Hub article, following the release of its International Fast Food Ranking Report. Benefits of embracing plant-based normalcy While ProVeg’s article uncovers the financial and business gains that are up for grabs – it moves beyond that to …

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Burger King Costa Rica

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Global Fast Food Chains Become Increasingly Plant-Friendly, Normalizing Sustainable Food

August 10, 2023August 9, 2023

A report by ProVeg has found that the five leading global fast food chains — McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Pizza Hut, and KFC — are increasingly offering a range of plant-based options. The research looked at the plant-based dishes offered by the chains in Belgium, Czechia, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and the US. The chains were then ranked based on these findings, with main meals, sides, and desserts all taken into account. Burger King tops the list Burger King topped the list due to its wide range of animal-free main dishes. Yesterday (August 8) marked four years since the chain’s Impossible Whopper rolled out across the US; since then, plant-based Whoppers have become widely available in numerous countries, along with …

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ProVeg NFH Nigeria

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Tapping into Nigeria’s Plant-Based Food Market

August 7, 2023

With a rich food heritage, developing economy, growing bank of F&B innovators, and impressive population growth, Nigeria is one to watch as our world strives to transform the food system. Though ripe with potential, the African country’s market for plant-based foods has only started to take off recently, with first-mover VeggieVictory securing the spot as Nigeria’s earliest plant-based restaurant and brand. In its latest New Food Hub interview, NGO ProVeg International caught up with the Founder of VeggieVictory, Hakeem Jimo (also the new director of ProVeg Nigeria), to learn more about the African country’s food industry. An entrepreneur of many talents, Hakeem shared valuable lessons and insights into unlocking Nigeria’s plant-based food industry. Let the food do the talking “It was a bit crazy,” Hakeem …

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Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

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ProVeg Launches Unique ‘Kickstarting for Good’ Program to Transform the Food System

October 10, 2023August 3, 2023

Food awareness organization ProVeg International introduces ‘Kickstarting for Good’, a program to launch and grow nonprofits, impact initiatives, and social startups working in the field of food system transformation. Claimed to be the first program of its kind worldwide, Kickstarting for Good will be run by the ProVeg Incubator, which already runs an accelerator program for plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation startups. The program is open to those who have high-potential ideas for new initiatives, and also to those with the drive to take forward some ideas pre-identified by ProVeg. “We’ve identified a whole series of high-impact ideas, so we invite people to apply whether they have an existing idea or not. We’ll train you and introduce you to the right people to make this big …

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Egg Alternatives

How to Overcome Barriers in the Alternative Egg Industry

July 31, 2023

Like many emerging industries, the growth of the alternative egg sector is slowed by marketplace challenges and consumer barriers. We can only overcome these to maximise plant-based egg sales if we can recognise and understand them. So, what are some of the main issues? As part of the New Food Hub series on alt eggs, ProVeg International’s latest article uncovers the top challenges facing the industry. Steep pricing As consumers continue to grapple with the cost of living crisis, price is a primary factor influencing their purchasing decisions. With this in mind, the high cost associated with plant-based egg products and the lack of price parity with animal-based egg products is one of the major factors limiting industry growth. A recent ProVeg survey found that …

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ProVeg NFH product developer piece

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Overcoming Trials as a Plant-Based Product Developer

July 25, 2023

The food industry is a hard nut to crack at the best of times. Add to that the highly competitive and still immature plant-based sector and you have an even greater challenge. But what if the traditional startup route isn’t the one that’s best suited to you? What if you’re a solo innovator with a stand-out idea, and new to the food industry? Enter Anthony England, PhD Chemist and Product Developer. Dr England is currently developing a plant-based food product that he hopes could change how some consumers perceive eating and nutrition. As a solo innovator, Dr England wants to take his product to the next level of development and eventually, to the mass market. In its latest New Food Hub (NFH) interview, ProVeg International …

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Octopus

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Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

ProVeg Incubator Seeks Cultivated Octopus – “It’s What the World Needs Now”

July 18, 2023

Horror has been felt around the world since the announcement of the world’s first commercial octopus farm, based in the Canary Islands, which is set to slaughter around a million of the highly intelligent creatures yearly to create 3,000 tons of octopus meat. “From Mumbai to Mexico City, protesters have mobilised, adding their voice to the more than 100 academics who contend that farming a carnivorous animal known to be curious, affectionate and exploratory would be unethical and environmentally unsustainable. Others have sought to crack down on the sector before it gets started; lawmakers in the US state of Washington are mulling a ban on octopus farming while an online petition calling for a global ban has received nearly 1m signatures,” reported the Guardian last …

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Boosting plant-based chocolate sales

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Sweets & Snacks

Learn These Market Challenges to Boost Your Plant-Based Chocolate Sales

July 17, 2023

Although the plant-based chocolate sector is expanding, it faces several barriers and challenges that threaten growth. These include supply issues, competition, cost, labelling restrictions (a growing contention), and the big hitter – taste. Fortunately, with the right strategy, you can work to overcome many of the industry’s greatest challenges. In its recent New Food Hub article, ProVeg International uncovers the most significant barriers to the plant-based chocolate industry as well as recommendations on how to overcome them. Increasing confectionary competition One key point highlighted in the article is how increasing competition from other confectionery products affects chocolate sales. Indeed, overall chocolate consumption has decelerated in some developed markets, like Europe and North America, while growth in emerging markets has also begun to slow. This deceleration …

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Food4Climate Pavilion at COP28

Food4Climate Pavilion, image courtesy ProVeg International

Leverage Business Opportunities and Support Food System Change at COP28

July 10, 2023

With global temperatures reaching record-breaking heights last week, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at the latter end of the year might seem like it can’t come quickly enough. The 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP), taking place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12 2023, will see national delegates gathering to discuss global action on climate change. There, they will agree on common goals and commitments, and negotiate measures to reduce emissions and pollution. Recently, ProVeg International published an article on its New Food Hub uncovering its upcoming Food4Climate Pavilion at COP28, which it will be hosting for the second time. What’s all the hype about the Food4Climate Pavilion? This special forum is ProVeg International’s way of putting food system transformation …

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Healthy Veggie Burger

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ProVeg: 160 NGOs Sign Letter Urging President Biden to Promote Plant-Based Foods in Federal Facilities

July 4, 2023

Food awareness organization ProVeg US announces it and 159 other non-governmental organizations have signed a letter asking US President Joe Biden to issue an Executive Order promoting plant-based foods in federal facilities. The letter follows Biden’s 2022 proposal to expand plant-based and vegetarian options at federal facilities as part of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. In the letter, ProVeg and other NGOs express gratitude for the President’s commitment to update the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities (FSG). However, with less than two years left in his presidential term, the advocates state Biden has yet to fully implement the new measures in all federally owned and operated facilities. According to ProVeg, the US government spends about $8.8 billion every year on food …

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GOOD Meat chicken breast

GOOD Meat chicken breast © Eat Just

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Cultivated Chicken Approved for Sale to US Consumers: Industry Figures Respond

June 23, 2023

This week, as the majority of vegconomist readers will be aware, the USDA gave final approval to both UPSIDE Foods and Eat Just’s GOOD Meat division, for the sale of their novel foods to US consumers under the label cell-cultivated chicken. This regulatory approval means that the public should be able to order slaughter-free chicken within weeks. The restaurant selected for launch by UPSIDE is Bar Crenn in San Francisco, a restaurant owned by the three Michelin-star chef Dominique Crenn. And renowned restaurateur Chef José Andrés, owner of José Andrés Group, which operates more than 30 restaurants, will be the first in the country to serve GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken at a yet-to-be-disclosed restaurant in Washington DC. Here’s what the GFI, ProVeg, and Meatable have to say …

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ProVeg NFH pea crops

Image: ProVeg International

Alleviate Consumer Misconceptions Around Pea Protein to Drive Sales

June 20, 2023

If you’d have asked someone what they thought about eating pea protein 10 or 15 years ago, unless they were in the food business themselves, they’d likely have met your question with a baffled face. “Peas are just a vegetable to enjoy on the side of your meal, right?” Wrong. Most consumers now know that the small but mighty legume is packed with protein and other nutrients. Because of this, pea protein is skyrocketing to the top of the plant-based protein ingredients sector. Although pea-protein ingredients are experiencing huge success, consumer uncertainty about this innovative food persists. In its latest New Food Hub article, ProVeg International investigates common consumer misconceptions about pea protein and shares insights on how you can boost your pea-protein product sales …

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Beans is How campaign

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Charity & Campaigns

Google & the Bezos Earth Fund Want the World to Eat Twice as Many Beans

June 15, 2023

Over 40 organizations, including Google, the Bezos Earth Fund, and ProVeg International, have joined forces for a new campaign called Beans is How. Google and the Bezos Earth Fund are on the campaign’s “Bean Board”, helping to determine the steps that need to be taken, while ProVeg is raising awareness to help achieve the goals. Other organizations involved include The World Bean Council, the United Nations Foundation, and the Kraft Heinz Company. The campaign will work to double legume consumption worldwide by 2028 in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Beans release 90% fewer harmful gases than some animal-based foods. They are also a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and are extremely affordable. This makes them an excellent alternative to meat, and …

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