Iceland

ORF Genetics and Cellmeat host cultivated shellfish tasting

Image courtesy of ORF Genetics
Seafood

ORF Genetics and Cellmeat Host “First Cultivated Shellfish Tasting Outside Asia” in Iceland

Last week, Icelandic plant biotechnology company ORF Genetics partnered with South Korean cultivated seafood startup Cellmeat to host what was claimed to be the first cultivated shellfish tasting held outside Asia. The tasting took place at the Iceland Ocean Cluster, a center that supports, incubates, and invests in startups creating value from under-utilized marine resources. Among the attendees were Mr. Björn Skúlason, the First Gentleman of Iceland, and Mrs. Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, the Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. Guests were given the opportunity to taste cultivated shellfish products prepared by South Korean chef Jinyoung Park. Around a year ago, ORF Genetics facilitated what was claimed to be Europe’s first cultivated meat tasting in partnership with Australian cultivated quail producer Vow. The event was attended …

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(L) Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Education, Industry, and Innovation and Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries - Image provided
Cultivated Meat

Icelandic Ministers Taste Ivy Farm’s Cultivated Beef During Iceland Innovation Week

The UK-based cultivated meat company Ivy Farm Technologies and the Icelandic biotechnology company ORF Genetics held a cultivated meat tasting and panel discussions at an event last week during Iceland Innovation Week. The tasting featured cultivated meatballs made with Angus beef cells prepared by Chef Ólafur Örn Ólafsson, owner and chef of the restaurant Brút in Reykjavík. According to the announcement, many stakeholders from the food and technology industries attended the event, including Áslaug Arna Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Minister of Education, Industry, and Innovation, and Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.  Sigurbjörnsdóttir commented: “It is very exciting to see the developments in cultivated meat production globally and it is particularly enjoyable to see an Icelandic company, ORF Genetics, taking part in this. Iceland Innovation Week has been very diverse, and getting to taste meat from Ivy Farm was a …

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Vow's cultivated quail

© Vow
Cultivated Meat

Icelandic Prime Minister Tries Vow’s Cultivated Quail at Europe’s First Official Cultivated Meat Tasting

Australian cultivated meat firm Vow and the Icelandic biotech company ORF Genetics recently held what they claim was Europe’s first official cultivated meat tasting featuring gourmet dishes crafted with Vow’s cultivated quail. The pioneering event took place on the 12th of February. Among the attendees was Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister and acting Minister of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture of Iceland, who, according to the announcement, tasted cultivated meat for the first time. Jakobsdóttir shared: “Cultivated meat is one of the solutions to the climate challenge. The Icelandic authorities are determined to pave the way for the adoption of new solutions in Iceland and we are eager to see the development of an EU regulatory framework for cultivated meat.” Why Iceland? ORF Genetics, which develops MESOkine, a …

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SHICKEN Foods founders and team in kitchen

© SHICKEN Foods
Company News

SHICKEN Poised for Multi-Million Growth Amid Global Expansion Plans Including Sprouts Stores in 23 US States

UK challenger brand SHICKEN reveals it is set to achieve five times its current growth having secured distribution at Sprouts Farmers Market in the US for its popular range of frozen ready meals, along with the launch of NPD Teriyaki Kebab Skewer at Costco throughout the UK and newly-secured European markets. SHICKEN was founded by husband-and-wife team Parm and Satvinder Bains in 2020 during lockdown, creating dishes based on traditional Asian recipes passed down by Satvinder’s grandmother. The “chicken” meat is crafted with a blend of soy, wheat, and pea proteins, using a unique technology and with a focus on natural plant-based ingredients. After receiving investment from Matthew Glover’s Veg Capital in October 2021, the company first launched its Tikka Kebab Skewers into Costco UK, …

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Biotech SeaWith and Icelandic molecular farming company ORF Genetics are partnering to accelerate SeaWith's production of cultivated meat.

© ORF Genetics
Company News

SeaWith Partners with ORF Genetics to Produce Han-Woo Cultivated Beef with Plant-Based Growth Factors

South Korean biotech SeaWith and Icelandic molecular farming company ORF Genetics are partnering to accelerate the production of cultivated meat with plant-based growth factors. SeaWith is preparing to scale its cultivated meat platform to introduce Han-Woo cultivated beef products (a breed of small cattle native to Korea) under the “Welldone” brand to the market by 2025.  The collaboration, outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will secure SeaWith a stable supply of ORF Genetics’s animal-free growth factors to develop sustainable meat at lower costs. The MoU also highlights plans for further joint R&D initiatives of growth factors for cultivated meat production. Growth factors made from barley ORF Genetics, which produces animal-free growth factors with proteins grown in barley using molecular farming, aims to reinforce the company’s position in the rapidly …

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Iceland's Loki Foods develops plant-based cod

© Loki Foods
Investments & Acquisitions

Iceland’s Loki Foods Raises $650K for Whole Cut Plant-Based Cod

Iceland’s Loki Foods has raised $650,000 in its pre-seed funding round. Investors in the round included Sustainable Food Ventures, Kale United, VegInvest, and Lifely VC, among others. The alt-seafood producer, which claims to be the first of its kind in Iceland, will use the funding to further develop its plant-based Atlantic cod fillet. Loki Foods describes the white fish alternative as “plant-based cod that cooks like cod”, adding that it is high in protein, vitamins, and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. The product is said to be better for the environment than conventional cod, requiring less land and water and generating less waste. Additionally, it is free of microplastics and other pollutants often found in conventional seafood. Whole-cut fish alternatives Worldwide, companies are taking …

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Fry's and Oumph! launch vegan chicken at Iceland

© Fry's
Products & Launches

Plant-Based Chicken Products by Fry’s and Oumph! Launch at Iceland

UK supermarkets Iceland and The Food Warehouse will begin stocking vegan chicken products made by Fry’s and Oumph! from today. The Fry’s products are Stars & Moons — breaded plant-based chicken in star and moon shapes, aimed at children — and Chick’n Fillets. Fry’s plant-based Popcorn Chick’n also launched at Iceland and The Food Warehouse last year, and has proven to be immensely popular. “We are delighted to bring two new family-proof products to the UK. Inspired by our families and our kids, we are excited to deliver convenient and delicious plant-based options to UK families,” said Tammy Fry, Global Brand Lead at The Fry Family Food Co. Iceland and The Food Warehouse are also set to launch Oumph!’s Spicy Drums — plant-based chicken drumsticks …

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Frys Popcorn Chickn packshot on green background

©Fry Family Food Co

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Fry Family Co Launches Vegan Popcorn Chick’n Into Over 700 UK Stores

The Fry Family Food Co., originally of South Africa and now available internationally, announces the launch of vegan Popcorn Chick’n into over 700 Iceland and The Food Warehouse Stores across the UK. The campaign advert can be seen here. “We are happy to bring this delicious meat alternative to Iceland customers in the UK. Our version of a bite-sized chicken snack will help families swap to delicious plant-based alternatives when preparing for movie nights or attending birthday parties together. It also works well with students and adults, we tried them!” says Tammy Fry, International Marketing Director at The Fry Family Food Co. In 2020, The Fry Family Food Co. was acquired the LIVEKINDLY Collective, which was established by Blue Horizon Group and incorporates LiveKindly Media. …

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LIVEKINDLY Iceland

Image: LIVEKINDLY/Iceland
Marketing & Media

Iceland Trademarks Term ‘Flexitebruary’ to Encourage Plant-Based Choices After Veganuary

Iceland trademarks term ‘Flexitebruary’ with the hope of continuing January’s plant-based sales boom. After seeing a strong boost in plant-based sales during the Veganuary campaign, British supermarket Iceland is attempting to trademark the term ‘Flexitebruary’. The chain intends to place the branding on a huge range of products, both conventional meat and plant-based. Iceland hopes that the move will encourage consumers to replace some of the meat products they buy with plant-based alternatives, in February and beyond. This is not an entirely new approach for the chain — it has been targeting flexitarians for some years. “Meeting the needs of the growing vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian markets will be integral to our food development in the future, and we will continue to innovate using plant-based …

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Oumph Kebab Doner Style lifestyle

©Oumph!
Products & Launches

Oumph! Launches “Shaved” Döner Kebab Meat Made From Pea Protein in UK

Swedish plant-based brand Oumph! this week launched a new product – Oumph! Kebab Döner Style – into Iceland supermarkets in the UK. The new vegan kebab is made from pea protein, is gluten-free, and comes in “shaved” pieces like traditional kebab meat. Oumph! continues its success after being acquired by LIVEKINDLY Co and rolling out into Germany through the Edeka Group stores this June and also expanding into the Australian market in July. The brand’s portfolio is now in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, South Africa and Australia. “We are proud to share the newest plant-based innovation from Oumph! with all fast food lovers in the UK”, says Domenico Speciale, General manager UK at LIVEKINDLY Collective. “When I first tasted …

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LIVEKINDLY Iceland

Image: LIVEKINDLY/Iceland
General

UK Supermarket Iceland Doubles Plant-Based Offerings With Launch of LIVEKINDLY Brands in 1000 Stores

Following the LIVEKINDLY Co’s acquisition of No Meat, Iceland’s vegan meat alternative brand, the UK discount supermarket announces today it has doubled its meat-free offering in almost 1,000 stores, with the rollout of Fry’s, Oumph! and LikeMeat products. Andrew Staniland, Trading Director at Iceland Foods, stated: “We’ve seen substantial growth in meat free sales”. The products to be launched into Iceland and The Food Warehouse include: Fry’s – Chicken Burger, Chicken Nuggets, Big Fry Burger, Curry Pie and Fishless Fillet. Oumph! – Oumph! Kebab Spiced, Pulled Oumph!, Oumph! Balls, Oumph! Mince and Oumph! Smoky Bits. LikeMeat – Like Chicken Nuggets and Like Breaded Chicken. Domenico Speciale, General Manager, LIVEKINDLY Collective UK says: “Partnerships are crucial across the whole value chain to help deliver our mission …

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ascocell logo

© ascocell™ / Kohne Marketing & Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG
Non-Food

Vegan Skincare Products Created With Icelandic Brown Algae by ascocell

Vegan skincare and dietary supplement brand ascocellTM creates products derived from wild brown algae, with a mission to improving skin, body, and well-being. The algae, grown near the Westfjords Islands, is said to maintain healthy skin and support the therapeutic treatment of neurodermatitis and psoriasis.

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Iceland supermarket

©Iceland
Society

That Iceland Advert: All You Need to Know

Earlier this year, Greenpeace released an animated film about devastation of orangutan habitat as a result of palm oil production. Palm oil production is a major contributing factor to deforestation in Southeast Asia, but is found in nearly half of all supermarket products, from food to cosmetics.

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markitvegan

©Animal Aid
Top Stories

Iceland Agree to Comply with Vegan Labelling

Last month, vegconomist reported on the #MarkItVegan campaign initiated by UK animal rights organisation Animal Aid, which petitions supermarkets to clearly label their their own-brand vegan products in some way, whether by the use of the words ‘suitable for vegans’, a logo or otherwise. Today Animal Aid announce the good news that Iceland has confirmed it will introduce a clear labelling scheme for their upcoming vegan range, in adherence with the campaign.

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