V2FOOD

Australian plant-based meat manufacturer v2food and the Dutch company AlgaeHUB by Lgem have joined forces to make plant-based meat more appealing.

© v2food
Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

v2food and AlgaeHUB by Lgem to Revolutionize the Appeal of Plant-Based Meat with Red Microalgae Colorant

The Australian plant-based meat manufacturer v2food and the Dutch biotech Lgem have joined forces to make plant-based meat more appealing. The companies collaborated to scale the production of RepliHue, a red microalgae-derived ingredient that replicates the visual experience of cooking conventional meat without synthetic additives, such as heme. Shades of pink and brown during cooking v2food, Australia’s leading brand, aims to provide sustainable, high-quality, and tasty plant-based meat to help people reduce their meat consumption. According to the company, a visual indication of successful cooking is needed to convince skeptical consumers of the viability of these alternatives. The plant-based company, looking for clean-label solutions to enhance its products, identified a strain of temperature-sensitive red microalgae that reacts to heat exposure, creating different shades of pink and brown …

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v2food acquires plant-based ready meal brand Soulara

© Soulara
Investments & Acquisitions

Australia’s v2food Acquires Plant-Based Ready Meal Brand Soulara

Australian alt meat manufacturer v2food has acquired plant-based ready meal brand Soulara, which is also based in Australia. Soulara’s meals — which include options such as Thai-Style Tofu and Eggplant Caponata with Ravioli — are delivered directly to consumers’ doors and can be prepared in three minutes. Through the acquisition, v2food hopes to expand beyond retail and food service into direct-to-consumer sales. Soulara will be integrated into v2food under a new entity called Flexitarian Meal Solutions, along with MACROS, a fitness-focused ready meal brand also owned by v2food. “We know consumers want to eat more plant-based products in their diets, but some of the barriers to making this change are concerns around taste and how to cook them,” said Tim York, CEO of v2food. “By …

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red algae close up

Red algae ©Danita Delimont

Ingredients

Coloring the Future of Plant-Based: v2Foods’ Color-Changing Algae, Exberry’s Realistic Red for Alt Meat, and ADM’s Pistachio Greens

What will future plant-based foods look like? Here we highlight v2food‘s new red algae-derived ingredient that changes color while it cooks; EXBERRY‘s Compound Red which creates realistic color changes in the cooking process of plant-based meat; and ADM’s color and flavor trends for 2024. v2food’s color-changing algal tech Plant-based meat company v2food has unveiled RepliHue, a new color system made from red algae for plant-based meat at Australia’s renowned discovery stage South by Southwest. According to v2food, RepliHue’s red algae is produced sustainably, capturing carbon dioxide and harnessing light as an energy source. RepliHue is a new type of ingredient that is said to be capable of mimicking the color of meat during different cooking timings. It reacts to heat exposure, displaying different pink and brown shades …

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v2food range

©v2food
Manufacturing & Technology

Australia’s v2food to Close Manufacturing Facility as CEO Steps Down

Australian plant-based meat producer v2food has announced it will be closing its manufacturing facility in Wodonga, Victoria, as co-founder Nick Hazell steps down as CEO. The facility was first opened in 2020 at a cost of $20 million, and employed 30 people at its height. But speaking to Grain Central, director Phil Morle said v2food had to “make decisions that keep the company successful in the near term”. He said that while the brand still aimed to eventually have its own plant, this was not the right time. “We’ve had a crack at it and not really been successful, ” he said. “I will say it’s not a dead plan, but it’s a pause for now plan.” V2food says all the ingredients currently produced at …

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v2food plant-based meat range in a photo for its launch in coles across australia

© v2Food
Products & Launches

v2food Launches New Plant-Based Meat Range in Coles Stores Across Australia

A few months after launching a vegan ready meal line for the convenience food category, Australian alt meat leader v2food has announced a new range of plant-based meats rolling out at Coles stores across the country. The range includes two new chicken alternatives, a Thai burger, and an ‘improved’ sausage range that comes in various flavours, including the Aussie favourite Garlic & Herb.  “We’re extremely excited to offer Coles shoppers a fresh selection of sustainable plant-based protein options that look, cook, and taste like their traditional counterparts. In Australia, a growing number of shoppers will happily choose plant-based sausages for their weekend BBQ or opt for plant-based mince in their spaghetti bolognese,” said v2food’s General Manager ANZ, Nathaniel Tupou. Plant-based meats for flexitarians V2food says …

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v2Foods ready meal range

© v2Foods
Products & Launches

v2Foods Launches Vegan Ready Meals Range in Woolworths Across Australia

v2food this week announced the launch of a range of ready meals in Woolworths stores throughout Australia, marking its newest product development following v2mince®, v2burger®, v2sausage®, v2 pork mince in Asia, and the line of crumbed-chicken products launched this  March.  The new range, available in Spaghetti Bolognese, Lasagne, Penne Bake and Chilli Con Carne, has been launched to cater for the demand for convenience meals in Australia, which has increased since the beginning of the pandemic, with the products evidently aimed squarely at flexitarians who continue to drive the market. Founder and CEO Nick Hazell explains : “v2food is committed to making it easier for everyone to eat sustainably more often. We are not asking every Aussie to become vegan, instead, we’re encouraging them to …

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plant-based protein research

© CSIRO
Agriculture / Agribusiness

GrainCorp, v2food and CSIRO Collaborate for $4.4M Plant-Based Protein Research Project

Australia’s GrainCorp has announced it will be joining forces with alt-meat company v2food and the country’s national science agency, CSIRO, to conduct plant-based protein research. Through the partnership, GrainCorp is seeking to improve domestic manufacturing and supply chains for plant-based proteins in order to reduce reliance on imports. The company has already received funding from the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects to process canola, soy, fava bean, and chickpea protein. Together, the three organisations will identify infrastructure improvements needed to commercialise Australian crops — in particular, they will work to improve plant processing capabilities at GrainCorp’s site in Victoria. The Victoria state government has also recently announced it will support plant-based protein research by awarding a A$12 million grant to the Grains Innovation Precinct. …

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Impossible grandma

©Impossible Foods

Products & Launches

Australia: Impossible Foods Beefs Up its Presence & v2food Debuts Plant-Based Chicken

The Impossible Foods beef range becomes available in supermarkets all over Australia, in the same week that v2food announces the upcoming launch of a plant-based chicken line including vegan nuggets, tenders, and schnitzel. “63% of Aussies are now open to buying plant-based meat” After the success of its plant-based mince, burgers, and sausages, the new Australian-made chicken range from v2food will be hitting retail in May this year. “Recent data tells us that 63% of Aussies are now open to buying plant-based meat as long as it tastes good,” explains CEO Nick Hazell, “In order to make a real difference to our planet, we need to create delicious, sustainable alternatives of the foods we love to make the switch easy and tasty for meat lovers”.  …

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Senator Susan McDonald Australia Meat

Senator Susan McDonald, photo source: susanmcdonald.com.au
Politics & Law

Australian Plant-Based Meat Producers Under Fire from ‘Super Butcher’ Senator at Labelling Inquiry

Australian plant-based meat companies face the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Inquiry into definitions of plant-based meat and other products this week, with chairperson Senator Susan McDonald – former owner of Australian meat retailer Super Butcher – pushing to prevent plant-based producers from using terms like “meat”, “beef”, and “chicken”.  Described by The Australian as “avowedly pro-coal”, Senator McDonald was appointed to the board of Beef Australia in 2016 and is now chairing the senate inquiry. Representatives of US manufacturers Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, as well as Australian companies v2food and Deliciou were present to defend the plant-based meat cause.  The Australian Red Meat Advisory Council – a powerful lobby group in the country famous for its meat consumption – recently commissioned a survey …

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Nick Hazell, CEO v2food

Nick Hazell, CEO ©v2food
Interviews

v2foods: “We Just Refuse to Go Slow With Our Mission, We Take Huge Risks”

With a total capital raise of US$138 million to date, v2food is the Australian alt meat leader with a global vision. Now the most funded alt protein producer in Australia, v2food is on a mission to make meat nutritious and sustainable for generations to come. This year saw the launch of its v2sausage, as well as the continued collaboration with Burger King in Asia to supply its Plant-Based Whopper patty.  Vegconomist had the opportunity to get to know CEO and Founder of v2food, former Masterfoods and PepsiCo Research Director Nick Hazell, to hear his views on being a future unicorn, the plant-based movement in Australia, and expansion into China.  Going back to the start, how was v2food born? Launched in 2018, v2food was formed by …

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[v2food] Nick Hazell in front of v2 display in Woolworths (1)

Nick Hazell ©v2food
Investments & Finance

v2food Secures AU$72M, is Now Most Funded Alt Protein Producer in Australia

Australia’s v2food has announced the closing of a US$54 million Series B Plus funding round, which in addition to its US$57 million round in October 2020, brings the company’s total funds raised to US$138 million. The company reports that, in just two and a half years, its value has increased from $2 million to over $500 million. Launched in October 2019 by CSIRO’s Main Sequence Ventures and food industry leader Jack Cowin, and led by former Masterfoods and PepsiCo research director, Nick Hazell; v2food’s latest round makes it the most funded alternative protein company in Australia. Ten months on from its last raise, v2food continues to expand its market presence, recently announcing its first restaurant partnership with critically-acclaimed Australian chef and restaurateur Neil Perry, launching …

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V2Food Drakes

©V2Foods
Products & Launches

Australia: V2Food Seizes $3B Opportunity, Now Available in Supermarket Chain Drakes

Australian startup V2Food’s mince and burger products are now available at all 61 outlets of Drakes supermarkets in Australia, the firm seizing the opportunity to gain an early foothold in the Australian-based meat substitute industry, which is estimated to generate $3 billion for the Australian economy by 2030.

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