Germany

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The Raging Pig Company has launched the Raging Weißwurst, a plant-based Bavarian white sausage alternative.

Image courtesy of The Raging Pig Company

Products & Launches

The Raging Pig Company Launches Vegan Bavarian White Sausage for Oktoberfest

Food tech startup The Raging Pig Company has launched the Raging Weißwurst, a plant-based Bavarian white sausage, in partnership with SIGGIS, a restaurant chain based in Munich, to coincide with the 188th edition of Oktoberfest. The innovative product, made with high-quality plant-based ingredients such as peas and mushrooms, will be available as a traditional breakfast served with sweet mustard, pretzels, and white beer.  “Our Raging Weisswurst is the result of intensive research & development and passion for plant-based products. We are convinced that this innovation will not only appeal to convinced vegans, but will also encourage meat lovers to try plant-based alternatives,” says Dr. Arne Ewerbeck, co-founder of The Raging Pig Company. Oktoberfest is taking place in Munich until the 3rd of October, offering many plant-based dishes, including Planteneers’ Bavarian veal …

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Sausalitos Beyond Burger

© Sausalitos

Food Service

Germany: Beyond Meat’s Steak, Burger, & Meatballs Now on Menus at SAUSALITOS

German gastronomy chain SAUSALITOS is launching new dishes with Beyond Burger, Beyond Steak, and Beyond Meatballs. SAUSALITOS is bringing three new plant-based dishes to the menu featuring Beyond Burger, the Beyond Meatballs and the award-winning Beyond Steak at over 40 SAUSALITOS locations in Germany. The new offerings come in response to the increasing number of German consumers consciously refraining from eating animal meat. According to a survey by GFI Europe, one in two Germans has reduced their meat consumption in the last five years. Instead, 41% of Germans eat plant-based meat at least once a week. “The wishes of our customers change, so we constantly adapt our offering and keep up with the times,” says Eiko Scharfenberger, food product manager at SAUSALITOS. “Beyond Meat’s plant-based …

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Planteneers fried sausage on fork

© Planteneers
Market & Trends

German Consumers Are Increasingly Plant-Based for Environment, Biodiversity and Health

A recent BVLH survey on plant-based nutrition makes clear consumer expectations regarding product range design and customer communication. More and more German consumers are becoming aware that the way they eat can have an impact on their environment, biodiversity, and their health. With this in mind, they increasingly prefer plant-based foods. According to a current representative consumer survey commissioned by the Federal Association of the German Food Retailers (BVLH), 41 percent of those surveyed stated that they were flexitarians, i.e. they only eat meat occasionally. Nine percent are vegetarian and three percent are vegan. The consumer survey on the topic of “plant-based diet” was conducted by Forsa from August 10th to 14th, 2023. A total of 1,026 people aged 18 and over were interviewed using …

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Symrise chickpea and aquafaba products

© Symrise
Ingredients

Symrise Introduces Chickpea Range Including Vegan Egg Yolk Alternative Aquafaba Flakes

Symrise, a global supplier of fragrances, flavorings, cosmetic active ingredients, and raw materials, with a reported € 4.6 billion in 2022 sales, launches a range of diana foodTM chickpea and aquafaba ingredients including aquafaba flakes. According to the German company, which is represented in more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the United States, and Latin America, the aquafaba (chickpea water) flakes act as a vegan alternative to egg yolk allowing for clear labeling. The product offers texture for vegan products while offering water and oil retention properties, providing comparable texture and taste to mayonnaise and salad dressings.  Additionally, the company produces chickpea flakes, which bring texture and juiciness to a wide range of applications, including falafels, healthy snacks, and dips …

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The Cultivated B. facility

© The Cultivated B.
Company News

The Cultivated B. Enters Pre-Submission Phase for Approval of Cultivated Meat in Europe

The Cultivated B — the cultivated meat subsidiary of Germany’s second-largest animal-based sausage manufacturer Infamily Foods — states it has entered the pre-submission phase of regulatory approval for the sale of hybrid cultivated meat products in Europe. The company explains that it has entered the initial stage, which is an official EFSA process requested at least six months in advance of the official submission. After the application is submitted, TCB would become the world’s first biotech company to apply for EFSA certification for cultivated meat, if there have been no further applications in this period. It should be noted here that while Aleph Farms did apply for regulatory approval in Switzerland this July, marking it the first-ever submission for cultivated meat in Europe, this application …

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© aamulya - stock.adobe.com
Ingredients

Alzchem Group Launches Animal-Free Creatine for Use in Meat Alternatives

Alzchem Group, a specialty chemicals supplier based in Germany, is set to launch animal-free creatine monohydrate powder specially developed for the food industry. Creatine is an amino acid found in small amounts in meat and fish; it is also made by the liver and pancreas at a rate of around one gram per day. However, some studies suggest there are benefits to taking additional creatine in supplement form, particularly for athletes. These include increased strength, injury prevention, and more muscle mass. Creatine may also have benefits for cognition, bone health, and skin aging. Alzchem has been producing creatine monohydrate — a synthetic, animal-free form of creatine — for over 30 years. However, the ingredient has previously only been available in supplement form. The new product, …

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Planteneers fried sausage on fork

© Planteneers
Fairs & Events

Plant-Based Bavarian Veal Sausage, Nuremberg Bratwurst & Liver Loaf Available for Oktoberfest 2023

Last year’s Oktoberfest, a traditionally extremely meat-centric beer festival, saw an increased shift towards plant-based offerings, with chef Sebastian Copien hired to develop vegan options, a partnership between the festival and German alt-meat brand GREENFORCE to offer a vegan Weißwurst (white sausage) for the first time, as well as Redefine Meat presenting its new Redefine New-Meat™ Bratwurst. The first announcement in the plant-based space for this year’s festival comes from Planteneers, which reveals its capabilities to offer caterers favorites like Bavarian veal sausage, Thuringer, and Nuremberg bratwurst, and an entirely plant-based liver loaf. “Our fiild-Meat flexible stabilizing system is based on pea and fava bean protein, hydrocolloids, and starch,” explains Dr. Pia Meinlschmidt, Team Leader Product Management at Planteneers. “It lets manufacturers use conventional processing …

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The Vegetarian Butcher and Düzgün Food Group, launch plant-based kebab skewers for food service.

© Unilever
Food Service

The Vegetarian Butcher and Düzgün Group Launch Plant-Based Kebab Skewer for Food Service

Unilever’s The Vegetarian Butcher and Düzgün Food Group, a producer and wholesaler supplying skewers to döner chains, shops, and restaurants in more than 15 countries, announce the European launch of their first jointly developed product: a plant-based kebab skewer for food service. The new meat-free kebab, intended for large-scale operations, can be cooked and grilled vertically on a large skewer and shaved off as traditional animal meat. The NPD is said to offer the authentic taste and experience of the traditional kebab. It is halal-certified and lactose-free, suitable for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians. The product is already available for distribution.  “Hacking meat icons like the döner kebab with plant-based equivalents is what it is all about for us. We are targeting meat lovers – from vegans …

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Veganz X Fraunhofer vertical farming

©Fraunhofer IME
Company News

Veganz Group AG and VeGreat LLC to Launch Vertical Farming Project for Protein Crops in Dubai

A few months ago, the Berlin-based Veganz Group AG acquired the licensing rights for the vertical farming platform technologies OrbiPlan and OrbiLoop from the research organization Fraunhofer Institute IME. These technologies allow the industrial production of food and protein crops under highly efficient indoor conditions anywhere in the world.  Now, the Veganz Group AG and US-based company VeGreat LLC announce OrbiFarm, a joint venture to exploit these vertical farming technologies in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. VeGreat LLC recently acquired newly issued shares of the Veganz Group AG, increasing Veganz Group AG’s capital by 10%. “This will make it possible for the first time, anywhere in the world, independent of climate and environmental influences, to realize the production of plant-based alternatives from seed to end product in one hall with maximum efficiency and …

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Cyril Carrat, KaTech

Cyril Carrat © KaTech
Interviews

KaTech: “Our Texture Solution Without Methylcellulose is Game-Changing for Meat Alternatives”

Founded as a startup in 2012, KaTech has certainly come a long way. The customized texture solutions company – which has facilities in Germany, Poland, and the UK – was acquired by global ingredients giant Ingredion Incorporated, two years ago.     We caught up with KaTech’s group managing director, Cyril Carrat, to find out more about the company and how its texture experts are helping manufacturers create vegan products that are affordable, nutritious, and taste great.    Please introduce KaTech Our focus is on developing the best product and process-specific texture solutions for our customers. The fact that we source raw materials independently gives us the widest possible view of the global market which, together with our proven technical knowledge, means we can adapt our approach to …

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Billie Green salami baguette

© Billie Green

Company News

German Startup The Plantly Butchers Reports Huge Success of its Debut Brand Billie Green

Since the launch of its first five products in September 2022, the young corporate startup The Plantly Butchers (TPB) has exceeded expectations with its first brand Billie Green, having already surpassed the 10 million mark, making it one of the most successful food newcomers in Germany in recent years. With a strong repurchase rate of 58 percent (2nd place, GfK as of June 2023), the market leadership with Billie Green vegan ham cubes and a turnover of 10 million euros in its first year, The Plantly Butchers (TPB) has quickly become the 5th most successful producer of vegetarian and vegan vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives in Germany (as of July 2023). “The initial situation for market entry was anything but ideal: global crises and inflation …

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BK Germany Spongebob Meal Deal

© Burger King Germany
Fast Food

Germany: Burger King Launches Plant-Based SpongeBob Inspired Bikini Bottom Burger

Inspired by cartoon character SpongeBob (whose home is called Bikini Bottom in the popular series), Burger King Germany launches the Bikini Bottom Burger with vegetable patty and pineapple sauce, available in a standard size or junior deal for kids. The “patty is not a meat alternative … just without meat,” notes BK. Burger King, the pioneer in meat-free burgers in Germany, now offers customers another plant-based alternative, and instead of imitating the taste of beef, chicken, or fish, the fast food chain has developed a new vegetable patty product. It consists of salsify, beets, other vegetables, and herbs, is tender on the inside but firm to the bite in consistency and crispy on the outside, according to the chain. In the Bikini Bottom Burger, the …

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Founder, The Cultivated B.

© The Cultivated B
Cultivated Meat

The Cultivated B Partners with denovoMATRIX to Explore Large-Scale Cultivated Meat Production

German bioengineering company The Cultivated B (TCB) announces a partnership with biotech and biomaterials company denovoMATRIX to explore the possibilities of cultivating meat on a large scale, economically, for commercial purposes.  The companies will conduct a joint feasibility study using microcarriers to overcome the limitations of growing cells in suspension. Their goal is to establish a pilot-scale cell manufacturing that can be adopted as a standard to cultivate meat at scale successfully. Dr. Hamid Noori, CEO of The Cultivated B, comments, “This collaboration not only signifies a step forward in cell line technology but also reflects our mutual dedication to progressive innovation in the cultivated meat sector.” B2B technology providers The collaboration leverages the technical competencies of the two German B2B technology providers. denovoMATRIX will …

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Swedish meatballs in cream sauce, potatoes and lingonberry sauce in bowl on slate, stone or concrete backgrounds. Swedish cuisine. Delicious creamy mashed potatoes. Top view.

Image supplied by Hydrosol
Company News

Hydrosol Offers Solutions for the Coming Hybrid Products, Dives into Cultivated Meat Trends

Hydrosol, a developer and international supplier of food stabilizers and texturing systems for meat, dairy, and alt proteins, is presenting its product development services and ingredient solutions to improve the functional properties of hybrid products. According to Hydrosol, due to cost considerations, cultivated meat companies will introduce products made with a mix of cultivated and plant proteins to the market first. However, these hybrid products must satisfy consumers’ expectations by replicating the taste and experience of traditional meat. Hydrosol argues that closely resembling the texture, fibrousness, frying behavior, and mouthfeel of conventional meat is crucial for consumer acceptance of cultivated meat and thus, these hybrid products. Consumer acceptance According to Katharina Schäfer, team lead product management at Hydrosol, consumer acceptance is the biggest challenge in …

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Anton Paar HQ

© Anton Paar GmbH
Manufacturing & Technology

Germany: Anton Paar Acquires Brabender

Technology specialist Anton Paar has acquired the traditional German company Brabender, which will be integrated into the Anton Paar Group as Anton Paar TorqueTec GmbH with immediate effect. Brabender, headquartered in the German town of Duisburg, offers measurement and process technology solutions for testing various raw materials and for recipe and process development. Special attention is also given to process solutions in the field of alternative protein sources. One product group that is extremely successful at Brabender includes various models of single-screw and twin-screw extruders. Extrusion technology also plays an important role in achieving global sustainability goals; Brabender extruders are used, for example, to develop alternative protein sources for meat alternative applications. A promising addition The signing of the acquisition agreement took place on 1 …

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Plantenners team in the USA

Planteneers' North America team - Image courtesy of Plantenners
Company News

Planteneers Expands into US Market with New Office and Customer Center in Aurora, lllinois

German food tech company Planteneers announces it has opened a new office in Aurora, Illinois, USA, in response to the increasing demand for plant-based products in the region. Additionally, the company announces that it has begun construction on a new Customer Excellence Center, also located in Aurora, set to open next summer. The center will be a dedicated space for addressing customer-specific requirements in the US market. Strategic sales leader Gretchen Moon will join the company as VP of commercial operations for North America and will lead the new team focusing on sales, distribution, marketing, and product development, says Planteneers. “At our new location with production, R&D, and the upcoming Customer Center, we can address customer-specific requirements for the US market even better,” comments Moon. Innovations with …

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Simpliigood unveils high quality chicken analog made with spirulina

© Nimrod Genisher
Studies & Numbers

43% of German Consumers Have Reduced Their Meat Consumption in the Past Year

A new Mintel consumer study, Global Outlook on Sustainability, has provided some encouraging insights into the habits and attitudes of German consumers regarding meat consumption. Just 22% of Germans said they ate meat at almost every meal, compared to 47% of French consumers and 51% of Brits. 43% said they had reduced their meat consumption in the past year, compared to an international average of 28%. Furthermore, 37% of Germans believed that eating less meat was the most effective personal measure they could take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the highest proportion worldwide to hold this viewpoint (the international average was 21%). However, the number of consumers avoiding meat altogether remains low, with 2% identifying as vegan, 4% as vegetarian, and 18% as flexitarian. This …

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Oatly soft serve

©Oatly

Tourism & Travel

Oatly’s Soft Serve Launching at All Deutsche Bahn Lounges Across Germany

Oatly today announces a partnership with Deutsche Bahn (DB), one of the largest railway companies in Europe, to offer Oatly soft serve for the first time in all 16 DB lounges across Germany.  Oatly and Deutsche Bahn initially collaborated in 2022 by making Oatly Barista Edition the first-ever plant-based milk to be served on all Deutsche Bahn ICE and Intercity trains. Since then, the national rail company of Germany, which serves on average just under 2 billion passengers per year, has gone on to provide further plant-based options including a vegan currywurst option as well as a chilli sin carne with the LikeMeat product Like Hack. Oatly Soft Serve, which launched in the US in 2021, is available at New York City’s iconic ice cream …

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Participants of the Fi Europe Startup Innovation Challenge 2022

Image courtesy of Informa Markets
Fairs & Events

Fi Europe Startup Innovation Challenge 2023: Cutting-Edge Innovations for Sustainable Food Production

The Fi Europe Startup Innovation Challenge 2023 welcomes young startups to submit their cutting-edge ideas for making food production healthy and sustainable using cellular agriculture, plant-based innovations, or plant-breeding technologies. Applications are open until 1 September. Supported by Fi Europe, the world’s largest gathering of F&B ingredient buyers and suppliers, and organized by Informa Markets, the challenge will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, from the 27th to the 28th of November, 2023.   Since 2016, Fi Europe Startup Innovation Challenge has provided a unique opportunity for participants to take their innovative concepts to the next level: receive international recognition, attract funding, and present products and ideas to key players in the industry.  Pitch your idea Startups active for five years or less can pitch their …

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Gestation Crate Pigs McDonald's

Pigs in gestation crates ©The Humane Society
Market & Trends

Germany Witnesses a Striking 2.2 Million Drop in Pig Slaughter During the Initial Half of 2023

According to preliminary results, commercial slaughterhouses in Germany produced almost 3.3 million tons of meat in the first half of 2023. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), this was 5.9% less than in the same period of the previous year. Notably, 9.4% less pork was produced than in the first half of 2022. The news comes as the latest in a series of developments demonstrating the increase in plant-based and the decrease of conventional meat in the country, whose population is around 83 million. As we reported this May, in 2022, German companies produced 6.5% more meat alternatives compared to the previous year, and production increased by an impressive 72.7% compared to 2019. Aside from declining meat consumption, it was also revealed this …

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