South America

NotCo LATAM

© NotCo
Tourism & Travel

NotCo Partners with LATAM Airlines to Offer NotBurger & NotChicken Aboard Domestic Flights

Chilean foodtech company NotCo and LATAM Airlines Group have announced the introduction of NotCo’s plant-based products in the Premium Economy cabin of LATAM’s domestic flights in Chile as part of a menu update. This partnership will see the integration of six unique sandwich options into LATAM’s in-flight service, crafted through a joint effort between the airline’s chefs and NotCo. The menu options, which will vary weekly, feature NotCo’s plant-based products, including NotMila, NotChicken, and NotBurger, in combination with a variety of other ingredients. Max Silva, the country manager of NotCo in Chile, stated, “Getting on board LATAM planes is simply a dream for the company. Bringing the revolution and innovation that so distinguishes us to a company of such magnitude as LATAM makes us feel …

more

Organisations and brands:

The Live Green Co. unveils two new functional ingredients from its precision fermentation division: GreenTAGs Human Milk Lipids for infant nutrition and GutRevyv Postbiotics for gut health.

Image courtesy of The Live Green Co.
Fermentation

The Live Green Co. Unveils Yeast-Derived Breast Milk Fat and Gut Health Postbiotic

The Live Green Co. (TLGC), a US food tech company headquartered in Boston since 2022, unveils two active functional ingredients developed with precision fermentation: GreenTAGs —  an analog of human breast milk fat known as OPO — and GutRevyv, a postbiotic for gut health. Human milk fat, mainly containing Triacylglycerols or OPO, plays a crucial role in infant development and health: It benefits nutrient absorption, supports neurodevelopment, boosts immunity, favors gut health, and promotes infant well-being. Yeast-derived, GreenTAGs is said to closely mimic the nutritional profile of this human milk fat providing essential nutrients for infants. The functional ingredient is described as a game-changing alternative to the commonly used vegetable oils in infant formulas, capable of bridging the nutritional gap between breast milk and formula feeding. CEO …

more

Fazenda Futuro 4.0

© Fazenda Futuro
Market & Trends

Key Factors Transforming Brazil’s Alternative Protein Market in 2024

Experts at The Good Food Institute Brasil (GFI Brasil) argue that the country’s alternative protein market will experience a significant transformation in 2024 driven by technological innovations, changes in consumption patterns, and a growing awareness of health and the environment.  After analyzing the sector’s current trends, they forecast the driving forces that could make alternative options more accessible and appealing to a broader audience. Product variety and strategic partnerships The experts say one of the most notable predictions for the future of the alternative protein market is the increase in product variety. Consumers can expect a broader range of plant-based options that cater to various meal times and preferences, from healthier choices to more indulgent alternatives. This diversification aims to make plant-based foods more accessible and appealing …

more

Organisations and brands:

©Future Farm
Company News

Fazenda Futuro Announces Product Range Reformulation With Improved Taste and Texture

Brazil’s Fazenda Futuro, known internationally as Future Farm, has announced a strategic product reformulation across its entire range. This initiative aims to elevate the sensory experience of its offerings to more closely mimic the taste and texture of traditional meat in a market where cultural resistance to plant-based diets poses hurdles for brands. Mariana Tunis, the marketing director at Fazenda Futuro, spoke about the critical role of technology in overcoming the challenges faced in the development of the Future Burger 4.0, which the company launched last year. The brand has invested heavily in True Texture Technology, an approach designed to replicate the taste and texture of meat more accurately than in previous formulations. “To bring a richness of flavor, we use True Texture Technology, which works …

more

Organisations and brands:

Cellva ingredients secures R$6.5 million to cultivated pork fat

© Cellva Ingredients
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Brazil’s Cellva Raises R$6.5 Million to Develop Cultivated Pork Fat

Cellva Ingredients, the first startup in Brazil to develop and produce cultivated animal ingredients, starting with pork fat, has raised R$6.5 million in its first financial round.  Seed4SCience from Fundepar led the round with the participation of ProVeg Incubator, the Spanish fund Rumbo Ventures, and the Rio Grande do Sul angel investor network EA Angels. Cellva expects to close the round by March 2024, aiming to raise R$10 million. The startup was part of the 11th cohort of the ProVeg Incubator, joining a cluster of aspiring entrepreneurs determined to address some of the biggest challenges in alternative proteins. Cultivated pork fat in 21 days Sérgio Pinto (CEO), a former BRF executive, and Bibiana Matte (CSO), a cell culture and tissue engineering researcher, founded Cellva in Porto Alegre, Rio …

more

Organisations and brands:

NotCo wins appeal in Chile as court rules in favour of using the word 'milk'

© NotCo
Politics & Law

“NotCo is Officially NotGuilty” – Chilean Unicorn Defeats Dairy Union as Court Allows ‘Milk’ on NotMilk Labels

After filing an appeal against a court ruling prohibiting using the NotMilk trademark in Chile, NotCo has received positive news. As reported by local media, the Court of Appeals of Valdivia revoked the first instance’s sentence and rejected the lawsuit filed by the Association of Milk Producers of the Los Ríos Region, which accused NotCo of unfair competition for using the name milk on its plant-based beverages.  “We’re officially NotGuilty,” Matias Muchnick, founder and CEO, shared on social media.  The legal action against NotCo started in 2020, and last May, the court ruled in favor of the dairy union, mandating the cessation of any branding or imagery related to the dairy industry.  However, NotCo fought back and, during the appeal, presented a study by Cadem, the country’s …

more

Organisations and brands:

A man holding multiple NotMilk products

© NotCo

Politics & Law

NotCo Challenges Dairy Allegations in Court: 99% of Consumers Know it’s NOT MILK

In a recent appeal against a court ruling prohibiting the use of the NotMilk trademark in Chile, NotCo presented a study by Cadem, showing that most consumers understand that NotMilk is a plant-based beverage despite its branding and packaging displaying the word “milk,” reports La Tercera. Cadem, the country’s leading market research and public opinion company, demonstrates in its Analysis of the reception of the NotMilk product by consumers in Chile that only 0.1% of participants believe that NotMilk comes from a cow. The legal battle began in late 2020 when the dairy farmers union Aproval (Los Ríos Region Milk Producers’ Association) filed a lawsuit alleging “unfair competition” and accusing the food tech company of capitalizing on the reputation of milk and confusing consumers. Last May, the court’s …

more

Organisations and brands:

Peruvian Veef anticuchos

© Peruvian Veef
Company News

Peruvian Veef Targets $400K in Pre-Seed Funding to Lead Peru’s Alt-Protein Market

Lima-based Peruvian Veef was founded during the pandemic in 2020 with a mission to develop plant-based meat with Peruvian flavors, meat-like textures, and high nutritional value. The company has successfully launched 12 products so far, including vegan nuggets, plant-based anticuchos (grilled skewers), and four different burger options: the Chicken Vurger, Crispy Chicken Vurger, Meat Vurger, and Real Vurger. While the majority of the company’s products are made using soy and/or wheat, the Real Vurger is pea-based, providing an option to celiacs and those allergic to soy. Peruvian Veef has a strong retail presence in Peru with more than 60 points of sale, including Acari Foods, The Plant Based Factory, Naturlandia, Chimbote, and more. Linda Obregon, the CSO of Peruvian Veef, also cited recently secured contacts …

more

Organisations and brands:

Melt Pizzas collaborates with NotCo

Image: Melt Pizzas/NotCo
Food Service

NotCo Partners With Chile’s Melt Pizzas to Launch Two Vegan Pizzas Topped With NotCheese

Chilean food tech company NotCo has partnered with Melt Pizzas, a popular Chilean restaurant chain, to develop two plant-based pizzas. Both pizzas — The Vegan Pesto Margarita and the Vegan Veggie — are topped with NotCo’s mozzarella-style plant-based NotCheese. The Vegan Pesto Margarita also features cherry tomatoes and vegan pesto, while the Vegan Veggie is topped with red onion, green pepper, mushroom, black olives, corn, and tomato. Melt Pizzas said it chose NotCheese because the product’s melting properties are superior to other vegan cheeses, hinting that it may also roll out more options using the cheese alternative in future. The chain added that it has previously offered four vegan pizzas, which have all been a “complete success”, as the trend towards plant-based foods continues to …

more

Organisations and brands:

©Uber Eats
Delivery Services

Vegan Food Delivery Soars in Chile as Uber Eats Sees 45% Increase in Vegan Offerings

To celebrate Vegan World Month with good news, the charity Veganuary and Uber Eats have revealed positive findings from their latest research on vegan food delivery in Chile: more restaurants are offering vegan food on the app. Figures from the analysis show that the vegan category of Uber Eats has experienced a 45% increase compared to the previous year. And interestingly, it has already surpassed the 2022 growth mark so far this year.  “We have seen that there is a great interest on the part of app users to open up to new options. At the same time, restaurants and associated businesses have made an effort to satisfy these new consumer trends, offering much more. Therefore, we believe that this is a trend that will continue to grow”, says Verónica …

more

Organisations and brands:

AGN Consultoria Plant Based Day

© AGN Consultoria
Fairs & Events

Brazil’s AGN Consultoria to Host Plant Based Day for Food Service

Brazilian consulting firm AGN Consultoria has joined forces with V-Label, Vida Veg, and Meta Foods to host a Plant Based Day focused on the food service industry. The event will see participation from notable companies such as Cia Tradicional do Comércio, Sodexo, Hilton, Abrasel (Associação Brasileira de Bares e Restaurantes – Seccional São Paulo), Gouvêa Food Service, and Boali. Panels and lectures will focus on various themes within the plant-based food service category. Spotlight on startups There will also be a spotlight on plant-based food and beverage startups, such as Vida Veg, Meta Foods, Plant Choice, Galpão Cucina, and Solo Snacks. This will include presentations and discussions on the current market landscape, along with product tastings. AGN Consultoria says it aims for the event to …

more

Organisations and brands:

OZO_ChickenCutlets

©Planterra Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

From Beef to Beans: When Big Meat Enters Plant-Based in the Americas, Part One

The entrance of Big Meat into the plant-based category was nothing short of inevitable when the food industry began to realize both the huge potential of alternative foods as well as the future limitations on the planet’s capacity to “grow” animals for human consumption. Back in 2019, the New York Times highlighted the fact that Big Meat (with this particular article focusing on Tyson, Smithfield, Perdue, and Hormel) was beginning to gain a foothold in the plant-based category. And last year, Yahoo Finance declared: “The meat industry is going through major upheavals. For example, a dramatic rise in the number of consumers preferring vegetarian food has forced companies to develop plant-based meat products.” Whether the animal meat industry indeed had its hand “forced” by the …

more

Santiago games 2023 logo

© International Paralympic Committee
Fairs & Events

Athletes at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 Have Vegan Options for the First Time

The celebration of the Pan American Games starting today and ending on November 5 for the Pan American Games and from November 17-26 for the Parapan American Games will feature a varied offer that will include vegan options for the first time. For context, in Chile, 43% of consumers recently stated they are reducing their consumption of animal-based foods, and in another study, 73% responded that they are likely or very likely to consume a plant-based product given that it is of equal or better nutritional quality than the animal-based alternative. This initiative has counted on the collaboration of the Santiago 2023 Corporation and the Vegetarianos Hoy Foundation, which has actively participated in the review and suggestions to veganize some of the planned menu preparations. …

more

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 …

more

Organisations and brands:

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 …

more

Organisations and brands:

Nude. and Mae Terra launch oat milk range for children with carbon footprint labels

© Nude.
Products & Launches

Brazil: Nude. and Mãe Terra Introduce Oat-based Drinks for Kids with Carbon Footprint Labels

Brazilian oat specialist Nude. and Mãe Terra Produtos Naturais e Orgânicos have partnered to create a line of sustainable oat-based children’s drinks that display the product’s carbon footprint on the packaging. The new Nude. Zooreta oat milk range comes in three flavors: cocoa, red fruit, and vitamin (banana, apple, and papaya). The initiative marks the first time for Mãe Terra, though carbon footprint labels are already part of Nude.’s climate-transparent message. Both companies are B Corp Certified. The new vegan drink range will be part of Mãe Terra’s Zooreta portfolio, which includes snacks, granola, and cookies for children. Suitable for vegans and lactose-intolerants, the drinks are gluten-free, without added sugar or additives to offer a clean-label alternative. Lower environmental impact  Nude. was founded in 2020 by Giovanna Meneghel and Alexander Appel in …

more

Organisations and brands:

Nestle Maggi Veg

© Nestle
Products & Launches

Nestlé Announces New Shelf-Stable Line in Chile After Registering 333 Plant-Based Patent Applications

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, is expanding its plant-based portfolio with the launch of a range of shelf-stable plant-based meat products for the Chilean market. These new items, launched under the brand name Maggi Veg, are certified vegan and include the company’s first shelf-stable plant-based mince meat made from soy.  The launch is part of Nestlé’s efforts to expand its plant-based offerings and give consumers more options for affordable alternatives to meat. The new product line bulks out the company’s plant-based portfolio, which features plant-based eggs, chocolate, and plant-based toddler milk. “We continue launching plant-based products in many regions of the world to offer people tasty, nutritious alternatives to meat that they can enjoy with family and friends,” said Torsten Pohl, Global …

more

Organisations and brands:

Fotortec

© Fotortec
Company News

Chilean Biotech Fotortec Partners with Sustainable Firms to Introduce Food Waste Upcycling Technology in Sweden

Chilean biotech Fotortec announces a partnership with Swedish consultancy firms A Better Future AB and Xylo Sweden AB to introduce its innovative food waste upcycling technology and mushroom-based ingredients into the Swedish market.  Fotortec aims to redefine waste by repurposing food waste or by-products into new and valuable items. The company has developed a scalable technology for cultivating mushrooms using food waste. These mushrooms can be transformed into beneficial ingredients, including flavor enhancers, protein isolates, fertilizer, energy-boosting methane gas, animal feed, and raw materials suitable for packaging. The company franchises its technology to third parties and this collaboration marks Fotortec’s expansion into the Nordics. Better Future AB and Xylo Sweden AB will represent Fotortec in Sweden, promoting sustainable and circular solutions for the region, aligning with their sustainable future goals. “This …

more

Organisations and brands:

Argentina's URV launches Dulce de Leche Plant Based

© Un Rincón Vegano (URV)
Sweets & Snacks

Argentina Responds to Growing Vegan Demand with Plant-Based Version of South America’s Iconic Dulce de Leche

Un Rincón Vegano (URV), an Argentinian company that claims to have introduced the country’s first vegan alfajor (traditional pastries) in 2015, recently launched its latest creation: Dulce de Leche Plant Based. Dulce de leche, or caramelized milk, is a sweet delicacy well-loved in Latin America, made by slowly heating sugar and milk for several hours. It is an icon of Argentina’s gastronomy, present in many desserts and pastries, including alfajores, where it’s sandwiched between two cookies. Described as golden, and creamy, at the same time delivering the flavor, the new vegan dulce de leche promises to satisfy traditional palates and consumers looking for animal-free alternatives. The new product comes in a 1 kg or 10 kg format to offer an option for individual consumers and …

more

Organisations and brands:

load more