Mexico

Carolin Przibylla, innovation analyst at Fashion for Good and brothers Gómez Ortigoza

Carolin Przibylla, innovation analyst at Fashion for Good and brothers Gómez Ortigoza © Polybion
Leather Alternatives

Polybion and Fashion for Good Join Forces to Drive Circular Fashion with Bacterial Leather

Spanish biomaterial company Polybion has announced that the global platform for circular fashion, Fashion for Good, has become its official partner and investor.  The news comes after Polybion participated in the Fashion for Good 2023 Innovation Programme, an initiative that supports innovators and finds relevant industry partners to develop and launch products. Polybion pioneers microbial fermentation and food waste upcycling to grow the next generation of vegan materials. The company’s first development, Celium, is a premium alternative to animal leather and petroleum-derived synthetics.  Fashion for Good is building a global coalition of brands, producers, retailers, suppliers, non-profit organizations, innovators, and funders to address the environmental impact of the fashion industry, from sourcing raw materials to retail.  “As our official partner and investor, their credibility and impact are unparalleled, and together, we are shaping …

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EVM

Rocio Cavazos. © EVM
Interviews

EVM: “Our Members’ Contracts for Meat Alternatives Will Spare the Lives of Over 770,000 Animals”

The Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (EVM) is a community of committed plant-based entrepreneurs on a mission to boost the growth and impact of plant-based businesses in Mexico. The organization is working to maximize consumers’ access to vegan products and empower them to adopt conscious, compassionate, and healthy lifestyles. EVM envisions a country where plant-based products are the default choice of the majority and are readily accessible to everyone. The Association is the organizer of Vegan Business Summit (VBS) — the most important business event for the plant-based industry and alternative proteins in Latin America — and is also collaborating with ProVeg to help Mexico’s most promising plant-based startups find success. Rocio Cavazos, Founder and President of EVM and Head of Incubadora ProVeg, told …

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Propel Foods

© Propel Foods
Products & Launches

Mexico’s Propel Foods Launches for Retail, Will Be Available at Taylor Swift Concerts

Propel Foods, a Mexican startup using AI to create plant-based and hybrid proteins, has launched its products into retail stores in the country for the first time. The V-Label certified meat alternatives — Bistec (steak), Pastor (grilled pork), and Chorizo — said to be ideal for use in Mexican dishes such as tacos, were previously only available via the brand’s online store. Propel Foods has also reported that it will be present as a vendor at Taylor Swift’s upcoming Mexico City concerts, which will take place from August 24-27. The developments come after the company participated in the ProVeg Incubator earlier this year, where its tacos proved extremely popular and won the Demo Day Audience Award. Looking to the future, Propel Foods reports that it …

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© Sushi Roll
Food Service

Mexico: Japanese Chain Sushi Roll Joins Forces With Better Balance for ‘Vegan Lab’ Menu

Sushi Roll, a Japanese-inspired restaurant chain in Mexico, has launched a new menu called Vegan Lab in collaboration with alt protein brand Better Balance. The menu features ten dishes, including starters, salads, soups, rolls, nigiri, and main courses. Meats such as pork and chicken have been replaced with Better Balance’s plant-based alternatives to achieve an authentic taste and texture. The launch comes in response to growing demand for plant-based food in Mexico; 65% of Mexicans now reportedly consume plant-based products on a regular basis, while 30% identify as flexitarian. “Innovation is part of Sushi Roll’s DNA and we are constantly renewing our menu to remain in the preference of diners. We know that more and more people expect to find plant-based options and, although Japanese …

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vegan business summit logo

© VBS
Fairs & Events

The Vegan Business Summit Comes to Mexico City in October

Vegan Business Summit (VBS), the most important business event for the plant-based industry and alternative proteins in Latin America, will kick off its new edition on October 5 and 6 at the World Trade Center in Mexico City. Organized by the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (AEVM) and with the collaboration of Proveg International, this event will have three spaces that will work in synergy to raise the profile and visibility of the sector and will have the participation of experts such as buyers, public agencies and the media, among others. The Vegan Business Summit will in turn have three events in one place: New Food Forum: Flagship event of ProVeg International for the first time in Spanish and on the American continent. Vegan …

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Desserto Agave, a limited edition alt leather made from agave fibers

Image credit: Desserto
Leather Alternatives

Desserto Unveils ‘Desserto Agave’, Upcycling Tequila Waste Into Sustainable Leather

Cactus-based biomaterials company, Desserto, has revealed Desserto Agave, a limited edition alt leather made from agave fibers, a waste product of Mexico’s tequila industry.  Agave, a sweet succulent plant, matures in the field for six to seven years before it is harvested and distilled into the famous liquor. In the process, agave fibers result in a waste by-product that can be collected and transformed into sustainable materials. “Through this project, the agave-tequila production chain has the opportunity to join the fashion industry in a sustainable and responsible way,” says Desserto in the announcement. Sustainability principles According to Adriano Di Marti, the company behind the Desserto brand, involving the tequila chain in the biomaterial industry generates economic benefits and creates opportunities for economic growth while respecting the …

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Better Balance 7-Eleven hot dog

© Better Balance

Company News

Better Balance Foods Partners With Solo de Croquetas in Spain and 7-Eleven in Mexico

Better Balance Foods recently joined forces with Solo de Croquetas to increase vegan croquette offerings in Spain. Concurrently, the brand, which belongs to the Sigma Group, increases its offering in Mexico through a deal with 7-Eleven to offer its vegan hot dog at 474 7-Eleven stores around the country. The agreement with Solo de Croquetas comes at an optimal time for both companies. On the one hand, Solo de Croquetas has closed a financing round of more than half a million euros, and on the other hand, Better Balance is already a leader in the vegetable sausage category. The two new flavors of croquette for foodservice and retail are Chili, made with vegetable protein meat, and plant-based Hot Dog. The ingredients for these new croquettes …

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©Better Balance

Gastronomy & Food Service

Better Balance Launches Plant-Based “Veggiebradas” at Mexican Chain Gorditas Doña Tota

Spanish plant-based meat company Better Balance announces it is partnering with Mexican restaurant chain Gorditas Doña Tota to launch vegan Veggiebradas. Made with the brand’s shredded plant-based meat, the Veggiebradas are now available at 38 locations in Monterrey and San Pedro.  Mexican growth Described as the chain’s “first vegan gordita”, the new Veggiebradas feature shredded plant-based meat served with salsa verde. The item is initially available in several dozen Gorditas Doña Tota locations, and the company says it looks forward to expanding nationally to the chain’s 200+ restaurants.  A subsidiary of global food company Sigma, Better Balance launched in 2021 with a range of plant-based shreds, grounds, hot dogs, and dairy-free cheese. In Mexico, the brand has a strong and growing presence, where it recently …

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A supermarket cart with vegan products

© Vegetarianos Hoy
Studies & Numbers

Ranking of Vegan Products in LATAM Supermarkets is Measured For First Time

The availability of vegan products in LATAM retail has been measured for the first time in a study carried out by the foundation Vegetarianos Hoy in collaboration with the Albert Schweitzer Foundation across five Latin American countries. Throughout 14 cities across Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru; 25 retailers were surveyed, which translates into almost 100 stores, to find out their availability of vegan products. According to Vegetarianos Hoy, Mexico stood out as the country with the most vegan products and Chile as the country with the most certified vegan products. Regarding the LATAM Ranking of certified vegan products, Chile took first place, Mexico second and Colombia third place. The ranking was based on three pillars: Availability of vegan products in the surveyed supermarkets. Number …

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veganuary 2023

© Veganuary

Charity & Campaigns

Veganuary in Spain and LATAM: More Than 80 Promotions and Discounts Available

During the 2023 Veganuary campaign, more than 80 brands, restaurants and retailers from Spain, Mexico and South America are participating with discounts and a wide range of vegan offerings to motivate those who may be trying a vegan or plant-based lifestyle for the first time. In Spain: Subway, VeggiAnimals, Vegan Food Club and Revolu Green! are some of the brands with the biggest vegan offerings during January In Chile: NotCo, Jumbo, Papa Johns, Yoguen Fruz, Vilay and Vegusta, will be offering significant discounts In Mexico: Mr. Tofu will have discounts on its own brands as well as Daiya and Better Balance In Argentina: Hiper Changomas and Más Online Supermercado will offer more than 100 discounted products for Veganuary In Ecuador: Veggie Lover In Colombia: Cero …

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Veganuary France

© Veganuary
Charity & Campaigns

A Hundred French Companies Are Already Mobilised to Promote Veganuary 2023

At time of writing, around a hundred companies have committed to participate in Veganuary 2023 in France. An impressive increase; in 2022 there were 85 in 2022 and in 2021 there were only 30. For the third consecutive year, the French animal rights organization L214, which has been defending animals used as food resources since 2008, is supporting the French edition of Veganuary. Last week, the association organised the official launch of the 2023 edition of this challenge, in the presence of numerous participating companies such as Monoprix, Planet Sushi, Eatic, TyK Affinage, Heura, Jay&Joy and many others. The 629,000 registered participants for the 2022 edition came from 193 different countries. In terms of participation, France came in 12th place, so L214’s goal is to …

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MingsBings @ Mr. Tofu Store

© Mr. Tofu
Company News

MingBings Launches Plant-Based Pockets into Mexico via Retail Chain Mr. Tofu

Plant-based frozen food brand MingsBings announces it has launched in Mexico, marking the brand’s first international expansion. MingBings will now be available at Mr. Tofu, Mexico’s leading plant-based retail chain, both in-store and online.  Founded by Iron Chef Ming Tsai, MingBings offer a modern Asian take on ancient Chinese “bings” (flatbreads) in familiar flavors like Cheeseburger, Sausage and Peppers, Buffalo Cauliflower and Fiesta. The fully gluten-free and vegan pockets are currently offered in over 3,500 US grocery stores, including Sprouts, Wegmans, select Targets and Whole Foods. The brand can also be found at major concession locations such as Fenway Park and Hard Rock Stadium, as well as colleges, universities and prep schools.  In October, MingsBings partnered with JUST Egg to debut new breakfast pockets featuring …

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A plant-based taco

© Propel Foods
Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Propel Foods is Developing AI-Powered Plant Proteins Backed by Mexican Government

After winning the Hult Prize 2021, with a proposal to help local communities and the environment with alternative foods, Joel González, Sofía Hillman, and Jayat González received a US $150K prize which they used to fund their startup Propel Foods. Based in Mexico City, Propel Foods is an AI-powered startup that creates plant-based and hybrid-protein foods. The company says it combines the best of the vegetable and animal worlds in foods that are good for your health, delicious to eat, and good for the planet’s health.  Propel Foods commented in an interview: “Since we won the prize, we have continued turning our idea into a viable business. We were recognized in Mexico as a National Interest, were featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, and have entered into talks …

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© Micro Meat

Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

Mexico’s First Cultured Meat Startup ‘Micro Meat’ Selected for Newchip Accelerator

Micro Meat, a startup funded by Y Combinator in the summer of 2021 and the first startup of its kind from Mexico, announces it has been accepted into Newchip’s renowned global accelerator program. Micro Meat is a “platform that helps businesses grow and thrive by providing them with the resources they need to produce cultivated meat,” co-founded by Anne-Sophie Mertgen, a tissue engineer, and Vincent Pribble, an ex-NASA and Blue Origin engineer. The company states its mission is to end animal suffering and prevent climate catastrophe by enabling businesses of any size to create and sell cultivated meat. Designed to help startups to rapidly fund, build and upscale, past cohorts at Newchip are said to have averaged more than 17.5 times the average funding amount. …

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©NotCo
Gastronomy & Food Service

Mexican QSR Giant Alsea Signs New Plant-Based Partnership with NotCo 

Alsea, the Mexican multi-brand restaurant giant, has entered into a new partnership with NotCo to provide plant-based products across its outlets. Including Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, and TGI Friday’s among its operations across Mexico, Europe, and South America, Alsea becomes the latest partner of leading plant-based food tech NotCo.  Alsea has stated that the strategy was carried out with the aim of providing consumers with more dining options, especially given the growing number of people opting for plant-based products. NotBurger, NotChicken, and NotMilk will be the first products to be launched in August, all produced with NotCo’s AI algorithm that replicates animal products using only plants.  In a recent interview with vegconomist, NotCo CEO Matías Muchnick revealed the company’s plans to: “Continue expanding and …

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Delike

©Delike
Fairs & Events

Best of Mexico’s Plant-Based Brands Steal the Show at ANTAD

As IFFA 2022 took place in Germany last week, Mexico held its own key food industry trade fair ANTAD. The Expo ANTAD & Alimentaria México 2022 brought together the major players of the food and service industry in the country, with this year seeing increased participation from plant-based producers.  Held between 17 and 19 May at Expo Guadalajara, the ANTAD trade fair saw five Mexican plant-based brands unite under the concept of VEGETAL REVOLUTION to showcase their products and projects to international buyers and suppliers. The brands present were Benji, Delike, Leaf, Veganisimo, and Zahini, in conjunction with the Association of Vegan Entrepreneurs of Mexico (EVM). Despite its retail footprint being relatively small compared to other international markets, Mexico’s plant-based economy is a growing market …

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Givenchy X Desserto

© Givenchy / Desserto
Company News

Desserto Announces New Collabs With Major Brands Inc Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld and Everlane

Mexican startup Desserto, the cactus-based biomaterial alternative to animal skin, continues to expand and score wins in international markets. The fast-growing alt leather producer has announced a new collaboration with Givenchy Parfums, part of the LMVH group, with its first marbled liquid lip balm Couture Rose Perfecto in a vegan cactus-based case developed through a unique partnership between the two brands. Karl Lagerfeld, meanwhile, announces his second collaboration with sustainability ambassador Amber Valletta. The new collection includes a selection of ready-to-wear garments and exclusive accessories made from sustainable materials, such as organic cotton made without harmful chemicals, recycled fibres, as well as cactus-derived leather designed by Desserto. In the US, Everlane has also launched a special collection based on the popular cactus leather. According to …

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Polybion to expand bacterial cellulose facility

© Polybion
Materials

Polybion Scales Up “World’s First” Bacterial Cellulose Facility After Raising $4.4M

Next-generation materials company Polybion, based in Spain and Mexico, announces today that it is to scale up production at its bacterial cellulose facility, which it claims is the first in the world. At full capacity, the carbon-neutral and solar-powered facility will be able to produce 1.1 million square feet per year of Polybion’s biotextile, Celium®. The material, which is an alternative to leather, is described as “designed with nature and manufactured with biology”. The news comes after the company raised $4.4 million in a Series A funding round led by Blue Horizon Ventures. Along with expanding its facility, Polybion will use the funding to increase R&D and deploy Celium into consumer goods. Next-generation materials A growing number of companies are working to meet consumer demand …

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© Micro Meat

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Micro Meat, Mexico’s First Cultivated Meat Company, is Ready to Scale Up Production

Cellular agriculture is on its way, and cultivated meat may very well be a regular item on supermarket shelves in the near future. In preparation for this moment, Micro Meat, a startup funded by Y Combinator in the summer of 2021, develops cellular agriculture systems and is the first startup of its kind from Mexico. The company’s sole focus is the development of systems that can enable scalable meat production, removing any obstacles that may hinder the efficient implementation of the forthcoming cell-based economy in the region, and enabling existing cultured meat companies to scale up the production of their products. The Micro Meat team Micro Meat is composed of a team whose combined expertise gives the company the added value needed to become a …

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Lecta / Kerry

Image courtesy Kerry Foods
Investments & Finance

Kerry Completes Strategic Acquisitions of Two Biotechnology Companies

Kerry, one of the world’s leading companies for taste and nutrition solutions, has reached an agreement on significant strategic biotechnology acquisitions. According to Kerry, millions of people throughout the world are consuming food and beverage products containing Kerry’s taste and nutrition solutions. Following Kerry’s announcement to become a plant-based leader in 2018, Kerry has reported steady growth through its plant-based divisions that include the Richmond and Naked Glory brands.   Strategic Acquisitions of Biotechnology Companies Since 2020 Back in 2020, food giant Kerry Group has acquired Pevesa Biotech, a Spanish specialist in non-allergenic and organic plant proteins. The acquisition was designed to strengthen Kerry’s leading position in the plant-based industry. Kerry is now significantly expanding its expertise and know-how in biotechnology, completing two acquisitions in …

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