Austria

Austrian supermarket chain BILLA opens plant-based area

© BILLA
Studies & Numbers

Diet Shift Continues in Austria: Veganism Surges While Meat Consumption Declines

The latest Smart Protein survey on European consumers has revealed a continuing diet shift Austria, where the number of vegans has risen 2%, and over half of Austrians have reduced their meat consumption since 2021. The study carried out by food awareness NGO ProVeg International, in partnership with Innova Market Insights, the University of Copenhagen, and Ghent University, surveyed 7,500 people in ten countries to compare and analyze the eating habits of Europeans regarding plant-based foods. In Austria, 750 individuals (50% men and 50% women) making the purchasing decisions in their household provided information on their current shopping habits and attitudes towards plant-based foods. Following the analysis, the figures show that Austria is leading the way in veganism, with the vegan population rising from 3% …

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Austrian supermarket chain BILLA opens plant-based area

© BILLA
Retail & E-Commerce

Austrian Supermarket Chain BILLA to Open Dedicated Plant-Based Area in 21 Stores

Austrian supermarket chain BILLA has opened a new superstore featuring an area called “PFLANZILLA Welt” (PFLANZILLA World), which is dedicated entirely to plant-based products. The chain has also revealed that a further 20 of these areas are set to open in other stores across the country. The news comes just weeks after BILLA opened its second fully plant-based store, BILLA PFLANZILLA, in Graz. The 100m² store offers around 2000 vegan products, and follows the success of the original BILLA PFLANZILLA store that opened in Vienna last year. The new PFLANZILLA Welt area will feature 150 products, many of which were previously only available at BILLA PFLANZILLA. The concept will help to bring a wide range of vegan options to areas without a dedicated plant-based supermarket. …

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BILLA plant-based range

© BILLA
Retail & E-Commerce

BILLA’s Online Store Expands Plant-Based Range by 50% in 3 Years

BILLA, an Austrian supermarket chain operational throughout Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, reports that its online plant-based online offering has doubled in the last three years and currently features 2,300 products. The organic share of the overall range has always been high at 15 percent and has continued to grow as the number of items has increased. Additionally, the gluten-free range in the BILLA online shop has experienced a particular increase in just one year with more than 200 items added. The company has been making consistent strides in its vegan-friendly direction over recent months, opening two 100% plant-based locations in Vienna and consistently listing some of the most innovative vegan brands such as Revo Foods, Juicy Marbles, and Wunderkern. Furthermore, the retailer recently followed …

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Italian company Biolab launches new products in BILLA PLUS, Austria

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Retail & E-Commerce

Biolab Expands into Austria with Billa Plus Listings for Vegan Cold Cuts and Seitan

Biolab, an Italian company specializing in vegan cold cuts, has expanded into Austria after securing listings with the supermarket chain Billa Plus. Three products under two different brands — Liveg’s vegetable pastrami slices, Biolab’s vegetable carpaccio slices, and  Biolab’s seitan — have already launched in 150 stores across Austria. All the products, made with Italian organic wheat gluten, are said to be rich in protein, a source of fiber, and low in carbs.   Biolab, a pioneer in the plant-based food industry, has been in operation for over thirty years. The company was founded by Massimo Santinelli in 1991 after discovering the health benefits of macrobiotic and vegetarian cuisine.  Since its inception, Biolab has focused on producing organic plant-based foods, sourcing most of its ingredients from its …

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© AGRANA
Ingredients

AGRANA Starch Ingredients: Optimize the Texture and Protein Content in Your Plant-Based Product

Are you developing a new plant-based product, or are you planning to? Then the following keywords are certainly familiar to you: “meat-like texture”; “protein content”; “methyl cellulose-free”; “clean label”; and even “rich in fibre”. Product development of plant-based meat alternatives can be challenging: We want to meet the demands regarding texture and structure. It is important to find a valuable plant-based protein source. Surely, we want to meet consumer demands for “clean label”, organic, GMO-free, gluten-free or soy-free, etc. AGRANA Starch is your partner for natural ingredients and the ideal complement for your plant-based product. The carefully selected raw materials of AGRANA Starch are corn, potatoes, and wheat. We produce starch products for the food industry as well as for other industrial sectors from these …

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BILLA popup, Graz

© BILLA
Retail & E-Commerce

Yet Another EU Retailer Drops Vegan Prices as BILLA Makes “Plant-Based Possible for Everyone”

In addition to the announcement of BILLA’s second vegan store which opened today, the retailer has just announced that “customers can expect new prices in the Vegavita range in all BILLA and BILLA PLUS stores across Austria to make plant-based possible for everyone”. With the goal of making plant-based products affordable for all Austrians, BILLA says that all future products added to its own-brand range Vegevita at BILLA and BILLA PLUS, and have an animal-based counterpart, will automatically be priced at the same level or, if possible, at a lower price. A promising trend yet to be seen in UK or NA The move follows the initiative taken firstly by Lidl in October and followed by Kaufland days later, as well as Penny and Aldi …

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© BILLA
Retail & E-Commerce

Second Vegan BILLA PFLANZILLA Store Opens in Austria Today

BILLA PFLANZILLA opens in Graz, Austria on November 9th. After the flagship store in Vienna, this is the second REWE Group store in Austria with a vegan shop concept. The range in the new, around 100 m² BILLA PFLANZILLA store in Graz will include around 2,000 purely vegan products. BILLA PFLANZILLA recently celebrated its birthday, having opened its first plant-based store in Vienna in September 2022. Earlier this year, Billa revealed that it now offers Austria’s largest range of plant-based products, with around 4,000 products verified as animal-free by the Vegan Society Austria. The chain has achieved this by significantly expanding its own-brand vegan range, along with offering products by other brands including Juicy Marbles, Wunderkern, and Revo Foods, whose mycoprotein-based salmon filet launched at …

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Peter Pane founder Patrick Junge

Peter Pane founder Patrick Junge, Image credit Peter Pane
People

Peter Pane Founder: “In 20 Years, Meat Consumption Will Be the Exception. People Who Eat a Meat-Free Diet Are Pioneers”

Patrick Junge, founder of German burger chain Peter Pane, has spoken about sustainability in the company, which operates throughout Germany and Austria. Since its foundation in 2016, the company has become one of the most successful restaurant chains in Germany. Today, more than 2,000 team members work at more than 51 locations, and the goal is to reach 65 locations by 2025. With the company’s “Peter Plant” project, which began in 2012 on its own land, mixed forests are grown, totalling around 1,000 hectares, with at least 150,000 trees added per year, with the project already creating 600,000 square metres of flower meadows. “Greenwashing by certificates he refuses,” states the company in a press release. Junge has implemented the inclusion of vegetarian and vegan burgers …

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Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods

Revo Foods CEO Robin Simsa, image supplied
Interviews

Revo Foods: “3D Extrusion Technology is Not a Far-Fetched Dream, But a Reality That You Can Already Buy in Supermarkets”

When we last spoke with Revo Foods just a year ago, CEO Robin Simsa boldly stated that, in five years, “Revo will be the leading provider of plant-based seafood in the world”. Since then, the young Austrian team has famously gone on to launch its mycoprotein-based salmon filet into REWE’s flagship vegan superstore, the 200-metre square Billa Pflanzilla, marking the first-ever 3D-printed product to be available in supermarkets worldwide and receiving huge amounts of international attention. As Revo works to scale up production in three distinct steps, with the second step set to conclude next year, it will gain capabilities to produce far higher volumes and roll out the product into multiple locations. Exciting times for Austria and for the food industry, as Robin explains …

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© Wunderkern
Cheese Alternatives

Wunderkern Launches the “First” Cheese Made from Upcycled Apricot Kernels at Billa Plus Austria

Austrian startup Wunderkern introduces what it says is the first plant-based cheese alternative made from fruit pits to be available in national retail. As of now, Wunderkern Kesä is available at Billa Plus throughout Austria, in three variants: Mountain Gaudi, Pesto, and Tomato Olive. At the heart of Wunderkern’s mission is to reduce the waste of fruit pits that would otherwise be produced in the manufacture of juice and jam. Through unique processes, the seeds of apricots, plums and cherries are transformed into sustainable food that not only tastes good, but is also good for the planet. Melts when grated The startup based in Lower Austria has already celebrated considerable success with the Wunderkern Drink, a plant-based milk alternative made from apricot seeds, and last …

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Biocraft Cat food in dish

Cat food © Biocraft Pet Nutrition

Pet Food

BioCraft Pioneers AI to Streamline Production of Cultivated Meat for Pets

BioCraft Pet Nutrition, formerly Because, Animals, states it is pioneering AI to reduce costs and accelerate the development of cultivated meat for the pet food market.  BioCraft claims to have developed a new proprietary AI tool that supports R&D in finding nutrient inputs, giving it an edge in achieving optimal cell proliferation, thus expediting production. Using AI, the company conducts fewer and more focused experiments to improve cell growth and enhance the nutritional value of cultivated meat.  “The main costs and time sinks on the way to commercialization are R&D-related, and our AI has substantially streamlined this process, accelerated our progress, and reduced costs,” said BioCraft founder and CEO Dr. Shannon Falconer.  BioCraft’s AI collects and processes data from publicly available scientific papers and databases. Subsequently, …

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Kern Tec raises funding for alt dairy made from upcycled fruit pits

Kern Tec founders. © Chris Landl
Investments & Acquisitions

Kern Tec Raises €12M to Scale Up Alt Dairy Products Made From Upcycled Fruit Pits

Austrian company Kern Tec, which uses upcycled fruit pits to produce sustainable plant-based foods, has raised €12 million in funding. Claimed to be the largest ever Series A raise for an Austrian food tech company, the capital will allow Kern Tec to further scale up the production and commercialisation of its plant-based milk alternatives and confectionery. The round was led by Telos Impact, with participation from the PeakBridge Growth 2 fund and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. Kern Tec’s products are made by extracting oils from the seeds within upcycled apricot, plum, and cherry pits, of which 500,000 metric tonnes are currently sent to landfill each year. These oils can then be formed into a base compound for plant-based alternatives to dairy products such …

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Austrian startup Revo Foods introduces THE FILET, a mycoprotein-based salmon filet.

Image courtesy of Revo Foods
Products & Launches

Revo Foods’ Mycoprotein-Based Salmon Filet Becomes First 3D-Printed Alternative to Hit Supermarket Shelves

Austrian startup Revo Foods introduces THE FILET, a mycoprotein-based salmon filet that will be available from the 14th of September at REWE’s famous vegan superstore, the 200-metre square Billa Pflanzilla. According to Revo Foods, it is the first-ever 3D-printed product available in supermarkets worldwide. Revo Foods and Swedish startup Mycorena collaborated to develop the 3D-printable mycoprotein, utilizing Mycorena’s Promyc ingredient. The project received €1.5 million from Swedish innovation agency Vinnova, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency, and the cross-border EU funding program Eurostars. With its primary ingredient being mycoprotein, THE FILET is a clean-label product that is said to offer remarkable nutritional values, such as high protein content and Omega-3. The product has received a Nutriscore of A in recognition of its nutritional benefits. Founded in 2020, Revo Foods is pioneering large-volume 3D food …

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veggie bbq grill

© Greenpeace / Mitja Kobal
Market & Trends

Wide Range of Veggie Grills Available in Austrian Retail

A new Greenpeace market check has checked what the supermarkets in Austria have to offer in terms of meatless grilled products in time for the grilling season. The result is very positive: whether vegetarian sausage, vegan steak, or tofu – on average ten of the 15 meatless products surveyed can be found on the supermarket shelf. In order to ensure climate-friendly nutrition, Greenpeace has long been calling for VAT to be dropped on plant-based foods. Interspar wins the market check, followed by Billa Plus and Hofer. “As the Greenpeace market check shows, the barbecue can also work without meat. Austrian supermarkets now offer a wide range of plant-based products,” says Melanie Ebner, spokeswoman for agriculture at Greenpeace in Austria. “Those who rely on veggie products …

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Fermify and Bilfinger collaboration

© Fermify
Fermentation

Fermify Fuels Animal-Free Cheese Growth with New Strategic Partners, Extends Seed Round

Austrian biotech company Fermify has extended a previously closed Seed round and has announced new industry partnerships with multinational companies CREMER and Interfood. According to the company, the new collaborations will fuel its growth and accelerate the development of animal-free cheese and their market entry. Founded in November 2021 by Eva Sommer and Christoph Herwig, Fermify claims to have developed a fully automated platform to produce precision fermentation-derived casein to make animal-free cheese at scale. Becoming a world leader In May, in a round led by Dörte Hirschberg from Article 9 climate tech fund and Climentum Capital, the company secured $5 million to accelerate and digitalize its precision fermentation process to disrupt the dairy industry. Now, with the new partnerships, the biotech company is extending the Seed round. Eva Sommer, CEO …

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Arkeon Biotechnologies opens pilot facility

© Arkeon Biotechnologies
Company News

Arkeon Biotechnologies Opens Pilot Production Facility to Bring CO2 Proteins to Market

Arkeon Biotechnologies, an Austrian startup converting CO2 into functional protein ingredients, announces it has achieved a significant milestone in its production process after successfully setting up a new pilot production plant. Located in Vienna’s Seestadt Innovation Hub, the new facility expands the company’s infrastructure with a 150L bioreactor system that, according to Arkeon, will improve its process and lay the biotechnological foundation for future large-scale production. Last year, Arkeon Biotechnologies unveiled its revolutionary new tech, which is capable of transforming CO2 into proteins. Its advanced process requires 99% less land and only 0.01% of the amount of water needed by traditional agriculture. Moreover, the microorganism fed with the gas fermentation technique is able to generate all 20 essential amino acids, explains the startup. The pilot plant …

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BioCraft Pet Nutrition introduces cultivated chicken ingredient for pet food manufacturers

CEO Shannon Falconer with Nori and Gaia © Kezia Jauron
Pet Food

BioCraft Pet Nutrition Introduces Cultivated Chicken for Manufacturers Seeking Conventional Meat

BioCraft Pet Nutrition, formerly Because, Animals, known for its cultivated mouse meat ingredient, announces it has developed a new ingredient for cat and dog food: cultivated chicken.  BioCraft Pet Nutrition is a cultivated meat ingredients supplier for pet food manufacturers. It was founded in 2016 by Shannon Falconer to create sustainable, slaughter-free pet food. “More than 25 percent of the environmental impact of animal agriculture is attributed to feeding pets in the US alone: if cats and dogs occupied their own country, they would be the world’s fifth largest meat-consuming nation,” argues BioCraft Pet Nutrition. Conventional meat According to the company, chicken is among the conventional species preferred by pet food manufacturers and consumers as a protein source, despite being among the top allergens for cats and dogs. BioCraft Pet Nutrition …

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EAT HAPPY instore sushi concept

© EAT HAPPY

Food Service

EAT HAPPY Trials Vegan Fish Sushi in Austria Where Vegan Diet is “Rising Steadily”

EAT HAPPY, an in-store sushi concept and leading supplier of Asian convenience products in mainland Europe, launches three plant-based fish sushi products, stating that the company sees the “proportion of those people who eat a purely vegan diet rising steadily in Austria”. The products being trialed at four initial test markets in Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck are Vegan Salmon Nigiri, Vegan Salmon Maki, and Vegan Tuna California. The vegan sushi products are set to expand nationally throughout Austria after the test phase. EAT HAPPY’s plant-based offerings EAT HAPPY is represented in more than 3,000 locations in stationary food retailers throughout Europe and operates 50 EAT HAPPY Shops as well as in more than 1,000 chests at stores such as Billa and Spar. Last May, the …

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Cultivated cat food/ pet food in a dish

Cultivated cat food ©BioCraft Pet Nutrition
Company News

Because, Animals Rebrands to BioCraft Pet Nutrition to Bring Cultivated Meat to Pet Food Market

Biotech company Because, Animals announces it is re-branding to BioCraft Pet Nutrition to focus exclusively on bringing cultivated meat to the pet food market. As part of the change, the startup will shift to working directly with pet food manufacturers rather than developing its own branded products. The company has also appointed Dr. Theresa Rothenbücher, former chief science officer of Austria’s Revo Foods, as its new chief product officer.  According to BioCraft, its name change follows the decision to dedicate its resources to prioritize commercializing cultivated meat for pet food, including R&D, infrastructure, and collaborative relationships. In late 2022, the company discontinued its plant-based products sold under the Because Animals brand, divesting from related formulations and provisional patents, but retained all intellectual property relating to …

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Fermify secures $5 million for its animal-free caseins to make vegan cheese

Image courtesy of Fermify
Fermentation

Fermify Secures $5M for Mission to Remove Cows From Dairy by 2027

In a female-led seed funding round, Austrian biotech company Fermify has secured $5 million for its revolutionary animal-free production system that allows the removal of cows from cheese production. Founded in November 2021 by Eva Sommer and Christoph Herwig, Fermify has developed a fully automated platform to produce precision fermentation-derived casein proteins to make animal-free cheese at scale. Fermify aims to facilitate the “full disruption of cows” by 2027 by enabling the production of real cheese without the cruelty and environmental destruction caused by the dairy industry. Female-led investors Dörte Hirschberg from Article 9 climate tech fund Climentum Capital led the round. Co-investors include Bettine Schmitz from Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund and Nina Wöss from Fund F. Clima Now, Satgana Ventures, Triple Impact Ventures, and existing investors, …

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