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A supermarket cart with vegan products

© Vegetarianos Hoy
Market & Trends

Vegetarianos Hoy Celebrates Milestone of 2,000 Certified Vegan Products in LATAM

Vegan products certified by the NGO Vegetarianos Hoy have reached historic figures, highlighting the growth of the vegan movement in Latin America. According to the organization, over 2000 products from have been registered with the V-Label and the Vegan Seal across seven LATAM countries. The Santiago de Chile-based foundation announced the positive news within the framework of the region’s most important fairs of the F&B sector: the Food Tech in Mexico and Espacio Food & Service in Chile.  “The Foundation has registered sustained growth over the past 5 years in its vegan certification program and we are pleased today to announce this new milestone of more than 2,000 certified products in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Panama, and Costa Rica,” announced Ignacia Uribe, GD and …

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Novel Farms

©Novel Farms
Investments & Finance

Novel Farms Receives $999,967 NSF Grant to Elevate Cultivated Meat Production

Novel Farms, Inc., a Berkeley-based food technology startup, has secured a significant Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Valued at $999,967 over two years, this grant recognizes Novel Farms’ contributions to the cultivated meat production field, particularly its proprietary scaffolding platform. The platform employs microbial fermentation and tissue engineering techniques and aims to revolutionize cultivated meat production by slashing production costs. Novel Farms claims its technology enables it to produce the marbling and texture of real muscle cuts combined with the ability to scale more efficiently than other cultivated meats due to its highly customizable scaffolds. Dr. Nieves Martinez Marshall, CEO of Novel Farms, commented, “We are proud to be rooted in fundamental research and are grateful …

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New research by MycoTechnology shows that many mainstream consumers purchase plant-based protein powders.

© MycoTechnology
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

MycoTechnology Research: Widespread Adoption of Plant-Based Protein Powder Among Non-Vegan Consumers

New research commissioned by MycoTechnology, a company specializing in mycelial fermentation to make protein powders, shows that a significant number of mainstream consumers, not only vegans and athletes, purchase plant-based protein powder.  According to the research conducted by Brightfield Group in Q1 2023, out of 725 users of plant protein powder, only 17% identified as vegans. Meanwhile, the survey found that 46% of participants identified as athletes, although 77% claimed to engage in physical activity at least three times per week.  With about a third of the plant-based protein powder consumers identifying as ‘early adopters’ and ‘early majority’ shoppers, the data suggests that using plant protein powder is becoming popular among the general population rather than just a niche market, says the company. Jonas Feliciano, Marketing Director at …

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Impossible sausage patties

© Impossible Foods
Food Service

Impossible Foods Partners with IHOP to Bring Plant-Based Options to Nearly 1,700 US Locations

Impossible Foods announces partnership with major American family restaurant chain IHOP to bring its plant-based sausage patties and burgers to a new demographic.  Starting today, IHOP outlets nationwide will serve Impossible Sausage patties as part of the classic breakfast menu. For lunch or dinner, guests can opt for an Impossible Burger patty on any of the restaurant’s Steakburgers. This collaboration represents a significant development for both Impossible Foods and IHOP. With nearly 1,700 locations across the United States, IHOP’s wide-reaching appeal among families and diverse diners provides an optimal platform for Impossible Foods to extend its influence.  The new collaboration aligns with Impossible’s objective to introduce plant-based offerings to a broader consumer base, including flexitarians and meat-eaters who may have previously shied away from exploring …

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Yves Potvin of Konscious Foods

Yves Potvin. © Konscious Foods.
veg+ Interviews

Konscious Foods: “We Take Pride in Pioneering the World’s First Frozen Sushi Rolls Made From Plants”

In 2021, Canadian serial entrepreneur Yves Potvin founded the seafood alternatives brand Konscious Foods. Considering the success of the other plant-based companies founded by Potvin — Yves Veggie Cuisine and Gardein — it’s no surprise that Konscious Foods is already seeing rapid growth. The company has made a name for itself by launching products that are claimed to be the first of their kind, such as frozen plant-based sushi and onigiri. Konscious Foods also announced last year that it was working with fellow Canadian companies Merit Functional Foods and Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds to develop an extensive line of seafood alternatives. Retailers have proven enthusiastic about the plant-based sushi, with the products rolling out at all Whole Foods locations across the US and Canada in July. …

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Lypid pork belly pizza

© Lypid
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Lypid Exhibits Flagship B2B Pork Belly Products at Plant Based World Expo

Plant-based fat startup Lypid introduces two B2B pork belly products to the US foodservice market: Lypid Smoked Pork Belly and Lypid Braised Pork Belly. These offerings, incorporating Lypid’s proprietary PhytoFat™, were presented at the Plant Based World Expo 2023 in New York City, where Lypid secured first place in “The Plant Base’s Taste Challenge” within the meat category. In April, San Francisco Bay Area chefs tested a version of Lypid’s pork belly alternative, and it also debuted at Baganhood, a diner based in Taipei. Following these trials, co-founders Dr. Jen-Yu Huang and Dr. Michelle Lee officially unveiled Lypid’s PhytoFat™, a plant-based alternative to animal fat made using microencapsulation technology, to US foodservice providers in May.  Lypid showcased its new offerings in two distinct dishes at …

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Hershey Canada Oat Made chocolate bars

© Hershey Canada
Products & Launches

Hershey Canada Debuts ‘Hershey’s Oat Made’ Bar Created with Oat Flour

Hershey Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, has officially introduced its first plant-based chocolate bar: Hershey’s Oat Made.  Carly Cowman, brand manager at Hershey Canada, states, “Hershey’s Oat Made bars are everything you love about milk chocolate… except the milk. Our product development team did an unbelievable job delivering the smooth and creamy texture that we know Canadians love and expect from HERSHEY’S in our first-ever plant-based bar.” This new chocolate bar is available in two flavors – Creamy and Almond & Sea Salt, and offers the classic smooth and creamy taste that Hershey’s is known for with a fully vegan formulation. The core ingredient of these plant-based bars is oat flour, and they are Non-GMO Project verified and free from artificial flavors. …

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TiNDLE breakfast sausage

© TiNDLE Foods
Company News

TiNDLE Foods Commences North American Manufacturing, Launches into Mr Charlie’s & Neat Burger

Singaporean food tech TiNDLE Foods, formally Next Gen Foods, unveils the TiNDLE Breakfast Sausage through a series of foodservice collaborations in the US and rolls out into further UK establishments. This new addition to the company’s product lineup marks its first product entirely developed and manufactured in North America. The TiNDLE Breakfast Sausage aims to deliver the quintessential savory and juicy flavor profile of a classic American breakfast staple but without cholesterol, animal hormones, and antibiotics. Mr Charlie’s launch TiNDLE Foods has chosen to kickstart the launch by collaborating with popular American plant-based establishments. Los Angeles hotspot Mr. Charlie’s now offers a plant-based breakfast menu featuring the TiNDLE Breakfast Sausage and JUST Egg breakfast sandwich as part of its “Frowny Meal.” In the space of …

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JBS has commenced construction of Brazil's first research facility focused on cultivated meat.

© JBS
Company News

Meat Giant JBS Begins Construction on $62M Innovation Centre for Cultivated Meat

JBS, the largest meat processing company in the world, announces it has commenced construction of Brazil’s first research facility focused on food biotechnology — the JBS Biotech Innovation Centre. Located at Sapiens Parque innovation hub in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, and scheduled to open at the end of 2024, the center aims to be a model facility to produce cultivated meat efficiently, scalable, and at competitive prices. “As a global leader in protein production, it is our responsibility to be at the forefront of foodtech,” says Jerson Nascimento Jr., global supply and innovation director of JBS. $ 62 million According to JBS, the Biotech Innovation Centre will require approximately $62 million in investment over three phases. In the first phase, the meat giant will invest $22 million …

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Vegan Korean BBQ Brisket

© UNLIMEAT
Retail & E-Commerce

PlantX Adds UNLIMEAT to Ecommerce Portfolio

Plant-based food platform PlantX Life Inc. (CSE: VEGA) is further expanding its ecommerce offerings by adding South Korea’s UNLIMEAT to its brand lineup.  UNLIMEAT, owned by Korea’s Zikooin Company, specializes in a variety of Korean-inspired plant-based meat products, such as Korean BBQ, pulled pork, tuna, jerky, mandu, rice balls, and frozen Kimbap, made using upcycled ingredients like repurposed grain, rice and soy.  Among the products soon to be available through PlantX are UNLIMEAT’s plant-based Korean BBQ, pulled pork, mandu dumplings, and a selection of ready-to-heat products inspired by Korean flavors, including frozen Kimbap and rice balls.  Lorne Rapkin, CEO of PlantX, commented on the new distribution agreement, stating, “We are excited to support UNLIMEAT’s US expansion with this new logistics and distribution agreement. The brand …

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Mooala Simple

© Mooala
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Mooala Meets Consumer Demands with 3 Ingredient Shelf-Stable Plant-Based Milk

Organic, plant-based milk producer Mooala introduces the Mooala Simple line, featuring its first three-ingredient, organic, shelf-stable plant-based milk.  Mooala launched a line of shelf-stable plant-based milks in 2020, responding to changing consumer preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this new offering aims to address evolving consumer demands for products with simplified ingredient profiles.  Jeff Richards, CEO of Mooala, states, “Consumers are reading labels carefully – they are demanding fewer ingredients in addition to organic ingredients; we created Mooala Simple as an elevated product line to address both needs.” The new Simple Oat Milk and Simple Almond Milk contain only three ingredients, with no gums, oils, or other additives. While other Mooala products, including its popular Original Bananamilk, are available at major retailers around the US, …

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Motif Foodworks Foxtrot taco salad

© Motif FoodWorks
Products & Launches

Motif FoodWorks Launches Plant-Based Beef in Upscale US Convenience Store Chain Foxtrot

Boston-based food tech company Motif FoodWorks announces latest retail partnership with upscale convenience store and café Foxtrot.  Foxtrot, known for its freshly crafted chef-prepared meals, introduces Motif BeefWorks Plant-Based Beef Grounds as a primary ingredient in its premade vegan taco salad, now served at all 30 Foxtrot locations across the United States.  New portfolio of plant-based meats This new partnership comes on the heels of Motif FoodWorks’ introduction of a new portfolio of plant-based meats for foodservice earlier this year, featuring Motif PorkWorks™ Grounds and Motif BeefWorks™ Patties and Grounds. The new line of products is a result of the company’s recent developments in food technology, including two proprietary ingredients, HEMAMI, a heme protein, and APPETEX, a product replicating connective tissue found in animal meat. Motif also announced a partnership this …

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Impossible Meatballs

©Impossible Foods

Market & Trends

Ernst & Young Study Defies Plant-Based Market Decline, Anticipates Global Growth to Soar from $16.5 to $139 Billion by 2035

A recent study conducted by Ernst & Young projects substantial, global growth in plant-based protein sales by 2035. According to the report, global plant-based meat sales are anticipated to soar from $16.5 billion in 2021 to $139.4 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.5 percent.  Funded by Protein Industries Canada, the study leverages data from the Food and Agriculture Organization, Good Food Institute, and other third-party sources to examine factors impacting the plant-based protein market, including increased price sensitivity, tight labor markets, higher preference for healthy foods and rapid growth in emerging markets.  Despite the short-term economic challenges, Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, remains optimistic about the long-term prospects of the plant-based meat sector. He comments, “It’s been challenging …

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Grounded People winter boots

© Grounded People
Shoes

Grounded People Apparel launches Vegan, Ethical Winter Boot Collection

Grounded People Apparel Inc (CSE: SHOE), a Canadian ethical footwear company, presents the new All SZN Boot Collection. Grounded states this strategic move is also expected to strengthen customer loyalty and brand reputation, as it plans to make a name for itself in the multi-billion dollar winter footwear market and fill a niche for fashionable and sustainable winter footwear alternatives. With the goal of minimizing the fashion industry’s environmental footprint, Grounded’s 100% PETA APPROVED “All SZN Boot Collection” uses natural rubber and a vegan microfibre called OnMirco, an eco-friendly vegan leather microfiber. The launch comes after two notable, sustainable vegan footwear releases this year, following Grounded’s $2.5M raise this January. In March, the brand released a line of shoes crafted from recycled materials such as …

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Malk's vegan egg nog

© MALK
Products & Launches

MALK Organics Debuts Clean-Label Holiday Nog Containing Just 5 Ingredients

Austin, Texas-based MALK Organics has debuted its new Holiday Nog today at Natural Products Expo East before the product rolls out to US stores throughout October. With the brand focusing on its clean-label approach, MALK’s Holiday Nog contains no additives, gums, oils, or fillers, and is produced only with filtered water, organic almonds, organic maple syrup, organic nutmeg extract, and Himalayan pink salt, according to MALK. The nog drink contains just 60 calories per serving. Leading the trajectory MALK raised $9 million last year in a Series B round, stating its aim to become the “cleanest premium organic” dairy-free milk on the market, with CEO Jason Bronstad stating at the time, “Traditional dairy is still significantly [larger] in size compared to plant-based, but we’re excited …

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Veggie Grill and OmniFoods

© Veggie Grill
Food Service

Veggie Grill Relaunches Mexican Baja Fish Menu with OmniFoods Golden Fillet

Vegan fast-casual chain Veggie Grill announces partnership with OmniFoods, relaunching its Baja Fish menu items with OMNI Golden Fillet, replacing the Gardein Fish Filet.  The announcement follows the restaurant chain’s other recent, notable menu additions over the last few months, including steak fajita quesadillas with Beyond Steak and poached egg avocado toast with Yo Egg’s plant-based runny egg. Veggie Grill will feature the OMNI Golden Fillet in three authentic Mexican dishes: Crispy Baja Fish Tacos, Crispy Baja Fish Bowl, and Crispy Baja Fish Burrito. These menu items will be topped with a jalapeno slaw, cilantro, and pico de gallo.  The new offerings will be available at all of the chain’s 17 locations across California, Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts. This marks OmniFood’s first restaurant partnership in …

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New Culture team shot

© New Culture
Interviews

New Culture: “With Our Groundbreaking Science, Any Cheese is Possible and Can Be Made Completely Animal-Free”

Californian animal-free cheese producer New Culture revealed an impressive milestone last month, significantly upscaling its precision fermentation platform, managing to successfully produce enough animal-free casein in a single run to make enough vegan mozzarella for 25,000 pizzas. Since our last interview back in 2019, the startup has received backing from Kraft Heinz, ADM, and biotech giant CJ CheilJedang, for its innovative platform. It was time to catch up with CEO and co-founder Matt Gibson to hear more about New Culture’s string of success. What is New Culture’s mission or long-term goal?  New Culture’s mission and long-term goal is to lead the global change to an animal-free dairy future. We’re revolutionizing how cheese is made with our animal-free dairy products that stretch, melt, and taste like …

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Nuts for Cheese food safety

© Nuts for Cheese
Company News

Nuts For Cheese Earns Globally Recognized Food Safety Certification

Nuts For Cheese, producer of organic cashew-based artisanal cheese, announces its attainment of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Certification with an A grade. The BRC creates and implements global standards for food safety, ethical trade, responsible sourcing, packaging materials, and more. The achievement of this internationally recognized certification, overseen by the BRC Global Food Safety Certification program and endorsed by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), solidifies the company’s commitment to quality, safety, and excellence at its 25,000-square-foot cheese production facility located in London, Ontario. Margaret Coons, the founder and CEO of Nuts For Cheese, expressed, “Quality has always been our number one priority. From our wholesome ingredients to house-made cultures and sauces, our mission is to make delicious cashew-based cheese for cheese lovers everywhere.”  …

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Chunk Foods chunk steak sandwich

© Neat Burger
Fast Food

Chunk Foods Partners with Neat Burger to Launch Chunk Steak Sandwich in Manhattan

Chunk Foods has unveiled its newest foodservice partnership, this time collaborating with Neat Burger, a vegan fast-casual restaurant headquartered in London UK. The centerpiece of this collaboration is the Chunk Steak Sandwich, now available exclusively at Neat Burger’s Nolita location in the heart of Manhattan.  This partnership represents a significant step forward for Chunk Foods, as it marks the introduction of Chunk Steak to the fast-casual dining landscape. Founder and CEO of Chunk Foods, Amos Golan, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “We’re thrilled to partner with Neat Burger to introduce the Chunk Steak Sandwich. This marks a milestone as Chunk steak becomes available at a fast-casual dining establishment for the first time.” The Nolita location opened earlier this year, making it the first …

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shake shack and zero acre farms

© Zero Acre Farms
Gastronomy & Food Service

Shake Shack Transitions to Zero Acre Farm’s Cultured Sugarcane Frying Oil

US burger chain Shake Shack announces its new partnership with Zero Acre Farms, a food company focusing on creating environmentally conscious cooking oil made from cultured sugarcane. The collaboration was announced this morning, coinciding with the kick-off of Climate Week NYC. Two Shake Shack locations in New York City, at Hudson Yards and Battery Park City, will exclusively use Zero Acre oil for frying, replacing traditional soybean oil. Last year, Zero Acre Farms received a series of investments from notable figures like Robert Downey Jr. and Richard Branson, along with further sum from fast-casual chain, Chipotle earlier this year. Cultured sugarcane oil The world currently devotes 20–30% of all agricultural land to vegetable oil crops. But Zero Acre’s mission is to end the food industry’s …

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