Austria

AGRANA AGENAPURE starches

© AGRANA
Ingredients

AGRANA Launches AGENAPURE Clean Label Starches Derived From European Raw Materials

AGRANA, an Austria-based global producer of specialty starch-based ingredients, is expanding its product portfolio with the launch of a new line of clean-label starches called AGENAPURE. Designed to meet the evolving needs of the food manufacturing industry, the high-performance starches are derived from European-grown raw materials. They are said to offer an excellent balance between functionality, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. According to AGRANA, AGENAPURE starches have a neutral flavor profile and exceptional thickening and texturizing capabilities. They also have broad application flexibility in sauces, dressings, bake-stable fillings, and yogurts. “Clean label is no longer a niche – it’s the new norm,” said Horst Hartl, CEO of AGRANA Starch. “AGENAPURE offers our customers a smart and scalable solution that supports clean label formulation without sacrificing functionality.” “Continuous …

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Revo Foods

© Revo Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Revo Foods Launches THE PRIME CUT, a “New Category of Functional Plant-Based Foods”

Austrian food tech startup Revo Foods has announced the launch of THE PRIME CUT, which is claimed to be a “new kind of functional food designed for performance and longevity”. Rather than attempting to mimic meat, THE PRIME CUT targets health-driven consumers who are focused on ideal nutrition. Described as the “first product of the plant-based 3.0 generation”, it is made from mycoprotein, which requires minimal processing and is said to be ideal for clean-label foods. Mycoprotein provides a natural umami flavor and is rich in fiber, while being low in carbohydrates and cholesterol. It reportedly has among the highest bioavailability of all proteins. THE PRIME CUT also contains microalgae oil, and is said to provide the daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids with just …

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BioCraft Pet Nutrition

© BioCraft Pet Nutrition
Pet Food

BioCraft Pet Nutrition Partners With Prefera Petfood to Commercialize Cat Food Made From Cultivated Mouse

Biotech company BioCraft Pet Nutrition has announced a collaboration with Prefera Petfood, a specialist in premium natural wet pet food production, to commercialize cat food made from cultivated mouse meat. The first product launched by the partnership will be a hypoallergenic, nutritionally complete mouse “mousse”. The food is a source of protein and provides an omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio that is said to be superior to traditional meat. It is described as a sustainable option that is very similar to the natural small prey diet of cats. In most products made using cellular agriculture, the percentage of cultivated ingredients used is relatively low; however, BioCraft’s product is made from 99% cultivated mouse meat. Palatability tests have reportedly demonstrated exceptional acceptance rates among cats, …

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© Revo Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Revo Foods Launches Black Cod Alternative Made With Fungi Protein & 3D Extrusion Technology

Austrian food tech company Revo Foods has announced the launch of EL BLANCO, an alternative to black cod made from mycoprotein (fermented fungi protein) and microalgae oils. The product is made using a new 3D extrusion technology, which gives a layered texture and the appearance of a scaled fish filet. Using computer-guided models, the technology is able to transform unstructured proteins such as mycoprotein into products with aligned, heterogeneous fibers. Integrating fat into the protein matrix provides the flaky texture typical of black cod, while microalgae oil makes the product rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Mycoprotein provides a complete amino acid profile, high bioavailability, and a rich source of fiber, while being low in carbohydrates and saturated fat. The ingredient does not need high-temperature processing, …

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BioCraft Pet Nutrition

© BioCraft Pet Nutrition
Ingredients

BioCraft Pet Nutrition Receives Registration to Sell Cultivated Pet Food Ingredients in the EU

BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a biotech company developing cultivated animal ingredients for the pet food market, announces that it has received registration from the Austrian authorities to use its ingredients in the European Union. There is currently no pre-market approval process in the EU for animal feed ingredients, but companies must meet legal requirements to ensure their products are safe and become registered users of animal byproducts. BioCraft has now met these obligations, meaning it can begin selling ingredients to EU pet food producers. BioCraft has achieved legal status following rigorous studies conducted over a three-year period, which confirmed that the company’s ingredients are produced using stable, non-immortalized, non-genetically modified animal cells. They were also found to be free of pathogens, viruses, heavy metals, and biogenic …

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The New Originals Company

M. Krön and M. Robin © The New Originals
Investments & Acquisitions

The New Originals Company Expands Tofu Portfolio with SoFine Acquisition

The New Originals Company is further expanding its expertise in the tofu convenience category with the acquisition of SoFine. With the acquisition of the established SoFine brand and the production facility in Landgraaf, the Netherlands, the New Originals Company aims to strengthen its innovative capabilities and expand its expertise with an extended product portfolio. Matthias Krön, CEO of The New Originals Company, stated, “We are very pleased to be sustainably expanding our expertise with the new site and almost one hundred highly qualified employees. With SoFine, we are expanding our portfolio with important innovations such as sliced tofu, diced tofu, minced tofu and tofu in water packs, and can thus contribute to the further development of the entire category. “The plant in Landgraaf complements our …

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Pioneering the Culinary Arts: Austria Launches the World’s First Vegetarian-Vegan Culinary Apprenticeship

Starting July 1, 2025, Austria will introduce a vegetarian and vegan culinary apprenticeship program. A draft regulation from Austria’s Ministry of Economy and Labor regarding this culinary training was already prepared in June 2024. Austrian Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) has now officially announced the publication of the regulation, marking a significant milestone for the hospitality industry. Vegan Society Austria welcomes the Vegetarian Apprenticeship “Austria can be proud: with 5% of the population identifying as vegan, the country leads Europe and is now a global trailblazer in meat-free culinary education,” said Felix Hnat, Chairman of the Vegan Society Austria. The society’s years of advocacy have paid off. Through its Vegucation project, over 300 instructors have been trained as vegan-certified chefs. Lisa Klein, Vegucation project manager, …

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Revo Food's vegan salmon fillet with animal-free heme

Image courtesy of Revo Foods
Company News

Revo Foods & Paleo Unveil €2.2M EU-Backed Project for Salmon Alternatives with Animal-Free Heme

Two alternative protein startups, Austria’s Revo Foods, a manufacturer of 3D-printed vegan seafood, and Belgium’s Paleo, a precision fermentation startup developing animal-free heme, have joined forces to advance sustainable and realistic seafood alternatives. In a project initiated earlier this year and funded by the European Union’s Eurostars program with €2.2 million, the companies are working to develop a “unique” animal-free salmon heme for Revo Foods’ 3D salmon fillet. Speaking to Cultivated X, Hermes Sanctorum, CEO of Paleo, explained that the project is specifically focused on tailoring the company’s heme technology to enhance Revo’s plant-based seafood. “We’re currently in the testing phase, refining our approach to meet quality and sensory expectations,” he said. Alternatives that deliver “real” taste Paleo’s heme lineup for the plant-based sector includes …

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Vegan cheese made with animal-free caseins

Image courtesy of Fermify
Company News

Fermify Secures US GRAS Status for Fermented Casein, Animal-Free Dairy Tastings on Horizon

Fermify, an Austrian precision fermentation company developing milk proteins, announces it has obtained self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for its precision-fermented casein after conducting a comprehensive safety study, as per FDA requirements. The GRAS milestone validates the quality and safety of Fermify’s casein and is crucial for introducing animal-free cheese and dairy products to the US market. It also positions Fermify as one of the few suppliers of fermented casein in the country. The company says it has also voluntarily notified the FDA of its GRAS conclusion and is now pending a “no questions” letter confirming the status. “This is a key development for Fermify and the entire precision fermentation sector. We are one of the first companies to sell their casein proteins …

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Revo Foods opens food-printing facility in Vienna

© Revo Foods
Printed Technology

Revo Foods Opens “World’s Largest” 3D Food-Printing Facility in Vienna

Austrian food tech startup Revo Foods has announced the opening of what is claimed to be the world’s largest 3D food-printing facility in Vienna. Called the TASTE FACTORY, the facility will use Revo Foods’ 3D Structuring technology, which has been developed in-house. It will produce up to 60 tons of product per month at full capacity; according to the company, this makes it the first production facility in the world to apply 3D food-printing technology on a large scale. 3D Structuring involves combining two different materials, such as fat and protein, into new complex forms. This enables the production of juicy and tender products with novel textures, such as plant-based filets or steak products. For example, the technology effectively creates the layers of Revo Foods’ …

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New version of Austrian Nutritional Recommendations

© Fotostudio Mayer mit Hut
Health

Austria Publishes New Nutritional Recommendations That Advise Consuming Predominantly Plant-Based Foods

An updated version of the Austrian Nutritional Recommendations, commissioned by the country’s Ministry of Health, has recommended consuming more plant-based foods and fewer animal products. A new “plate model” published as part of the guidelines suggests that 50% of a person’s diet should consist of fruits and vegetables. Another 25% should be made up of whole grains and potatoes, and the final quarter should consist of predominantly plant-based proteins. For the first time, legumes and legume-based products (such as tofu and soy yogurt) have been given their own category in the new recommendations. Omnivores are advised to eat three servings of these products per week, while vegetarians should eat four. Meat-eaters are also advised not to eat more than three servings of meat and fish …

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Meatable, a Dutch producer of cell-based pork meat, has become the first company to hold an officially approved cultivated meat tasting in the European Union and the first in the Netherlands.

Image courtesy of Meatable © Bart Maat
Cultivated Meat

Austrian Agriculture Officials to Use Negative Survey Results to Advocate Against Cultivated Meat

A study commissioned by Austria’s Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry in Carinthia (a southern region in the Alps and and least densely populated state), found that 90% of respondents are unwilling to eat cultivated meat regularly, 72% expressed health risk concerns, and 82% even want to ban the technology. The survey questioned over 800 people aged 16 and older, and, according to Deputy Governor Martin Gruber (ÖVP), participants were informed neutrally and objectively about the production process before being asked whether they would consume “lab-grown” meat. “This vehement rejection is a confirmation of our fight against laboratory meat, plain and simple. It’s about preventing this fake meat on the EU market,” Gruber told local media. Siegfried Huber, President of the Carinthia Chamber of Agriculture, said, …

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MICROBIOMES4SOY is a new EU-funded Horizon project exploring how microbiomes impact human, soil, and environmental health to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems.

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Sustainability / Environment

Can Microbiomes & Soybeans Revolutionize Plant-Based Diets? EU-Backed Project Set to Find Out

MICROBIOMES4SOY, a new EU-funded Horizon project, will explore how microbiomes impact human, soil, and environmental health to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems. The project focuses on soybeans as a climate-positive protein source, aiming to improve their resilience and nutritional quality by employing microbiomes in their production and further use in food and feed. During the five years of implementation (2024-2028), the project aims to develop microbiome-based knowledge and awareness, explore the effects of soybeans on the human gut, create microbiome-based solutions, and facilitate healthy soy-enriched diets. Based in Vienna and coordinated by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), MICROBIOMES4SOY gathers expertise from 17 partners from 10 countries, top universities, research centers, and non-profit organizations. This multi-actor approach seeks to leverage expertise in soil, …

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Cultivated meat company BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a manufacturer of pet food ingredients, announces that it has reached price parity with premium traditional meat

© BioCraft Pet Nutrition

Company News

BioCraft’s Cultivated Ingredients Achieve Price Parity with Premium Meat for Pet Food

Austrian cultivated meat company BioCraft Pet Nutrition, a manufacturer of cultivated ingredients for pet food, today makes an announcement claiming it has reached price parity with traditional premium pet meat products.  BioCraft says it has achieved a commercial price of $2.00 to $2.50 per pound of cultivated meat, making it competitive with premium meat for pet food. To put these prices in context, research by the Good Food Institute found that cultivated meat could be cost-competitive with some conventional meats by 2030 at a production cost of $2.92 per pound. CEO Shannon Falconer commented, “Achieving price parity and a robust nutritional profile for pets were the only elements holding back cultivated meat for the pet food industry — and BioCraft has now achieved both.” Rethinking …

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© Revo Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Revo Foods Unveils Plant-Based Salmon 2.0 with Revamped Recipe & New Flavours

Austria’s Revo Foods has launched Version 2.0 of its plant-based smoked salmon slices, featuring an optimised recipe and a new name — SMOKEY SLICES. The products are available in the flavours “Smokey Style” and “Dill & Lemon Style”. The revamped recipe contains microalgae oils and is claimed to provide more omega-3 fatty acids than some aquacultured salmon products. Other ingredients include pea protein, sea salt, fibres, and the essential vitamins E, B12, and B6. The salmon alternatives are said to have excellent bioavailability, meaning the proteins they contain can be easily absorbed by the body. Widespread launch in mainstream retail The SMOKEY SLICES will be available from Revo Foods’ online store in most European countries from May 15. The products are also set to launch …

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Kynda and Revo Foods CEO statements

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People

CEO Statements: Revo Foods & Kynda Biotech on Mycoprotein, the Vegan Meat of the Forest

In this installment of the series “CEO statements: what excites, moves and motivates“, in which our German language platform interviews CEOs on current topics, vegconomist spoke to Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods, and Daniel MacGowan- von Holstein, CEO of German company Kynda Biotech GmbH. Both companies specialise in alternative products based on mycoproteins and see it as the future of meat alternative products. Mycoprotein is becoming increasingly popular due to its texture similar to meat and its high nutritional value. This protein alternative is often produced through the fermentation of fungal components and offers not only a sustainable source of protein, but also one that is very similar in texture and flavour to conventional meat. This makes mycoprotein an attractive ingredient for the development …

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Berger-Schinken, a German firm with over 130 years of history in ham and sausage processing, and the Austrian upcycling and food tech company Kern Tech have partnered to launch a 100% cheese plant-based sausages.

© Kern Tec
Products & Launches

Ham Producer Berger-Schinken & Upcycled Fruit Pit Startup Kern Tec Unveil Plant-Based Cheese Sausages

Berger-Schinken, a German firm with over 130 years of history in ham and sausage processing, and Austrian upcycling and food tech company Kern Tec, have launched a co-branded product: plant-based cheese sausages. The new vegan sausages are crafted from pea protein and feature Kern Tec’s most recent development — Berg-Gaudi — a plant-based cheese made from upcycled fruit pits.  This first-of-its-kind cheese launched in various flavors last year under Kern Tec’s brand Wunderkern, joining a range of no-milk drinks made with apricot kernels that became the most-sold product at vegan superstore BILLA Pflanzilla a few months later. Wunderkern also offers oils and chocolate spreads from waste seeds from the juice and jam industries.  The plant-based cheese sausages are gluten-free, lactose-free, certified vegan, and are available just in time for …

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Lidl Austria equalizes prices for over 30 vegan items from its own Vemondo brand.

Alessandro Wolf, CEO Lidl Austria © Lidl Austria
Retail & E-Commerce

High-Growth Financial Year for Lidl Austria Since Expansion & Price Drop of Vegan Range

Lidl Austria has increased its market share in Austria by 0.6% to 5.9% since December 2022 and generated added value of over EUR 1.1 billion for domestic food companies in the 2023 financial year. The increase in the area of plant-based products is particularly emphasised, with a 24% increase in the number of plant-based substitute products sold and a 13% increase in sales in the vegan range. The vegan range currently comprises over 450 items. Lidl has also announced that it will continue to expand its range until 2025, focusing on regional ingredients and a low level of processing in order to offer healthy and environmentally friendly alternatives. “We are satisfied with the development in our anniversary year. Since December 2022, we have increased our …

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Kern Tec

© Kern Tec
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

How Bauer and Kern Tec Turn Apricot Kernels into Plant-Based Milk

The private dairy Bauer launched a range of plant-based drinks, yogurt alternatives and puddings at the beginning of 2024 under the ZUM GLÜCK! brand. The products are based on ingredients made from apricot kernels, an upcycled product from fruit farming. Here, Privatmolkerei Bauer is cooperating with the Austrian startup Kern Tec, which has created an innovative ready-to-use solution for the food industry from previously unused fruit kernels. We spoke to Frank Mayerhofer (Director of Marketing & Innovation) and Sascha Leiser (Sales Director Brand) from Privatmolkerei Bauer as well as Michael Beitl (founder of Kern Tec) about the new brand, product development, and the successful collaboration. Why did Privatmolkerei Bauer decide to launch a vegan brand? How does this fit into the company’s long-term strategy in …

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Revo Foods launches THE KRAKEN plant based octopus

© Revo Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Revo Foods Unveils ‘THE KRAKEN’ Plant-Based Octopus Crafted from Fungi Protein

Austrian startup Revo Foods today announces a “culinary innovation” with what it describes as the world’s first plant-based alternative to octopus tentacles, created with fungi protein. When asked as to its production methods, Revo responded that it is “testing a unique new 3D structuring approach” for which further details cannot be revealed as yet. Branded as “THE KRAKEN – Inspired by Octopus”, the product is ready to eat but can also be grilled, fried, or baked. It can be used to replicate classic octopus-based dishes such as the Spanish Pulpo a la Gallega or Greek Octopus Salad. The mycoprotein tentacles are said to offer an authentic aroma, taste and texture, a Nutriscore A nutritional profile grading, as well as a high omega-3 fatty acid content …

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