Romania

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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Verdino announces rebranding strategy

© Verdino
Marketing & Media

Romanian Plant-Based Meat Company Verdino Announces New Rebranding Strategy

Verdino, a Romanian producer of pea protein-based meat alternatives, has announced a new rebranding strategy that aims to strengthen its market position. The updated brand identity has been developed based on quantitative research conducted by the company last year, which highlighted that consumers are interested in products made from vegetables and different types of plant protein. Respondents wanted options that were healthy and easy to integrate into their daily routines. Based on this research, Verdino has developed a new logo that looks like a broad smile, along with the slogan “Live. Life. Green”. The branding aims to create an emotional connection with consumers, while symbolizing the joy of eating well and benefiting the planet. Verdino is also working to update its recipes, making its portfolio …

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Alpro new branding

©Alpro
Studies & Numbers

39% of Romanians Consume Plant-Based Products As Flexitarianism Surges

According to research by Danone Romania, 39% of Romanians now consume plant-based products, up from 30% last year. Meanwhile, less than a third (31%) eat meat daily. 33% of respondents said they choose plant-based foods for their taste, while 30% cited sustainability. Consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 are the most likely to choose a more plant-based eating pattern. 30% of those surveyed said they follow a particular dietary principle, such as vegetarianism, veganism, or flexitarianism. The latter is becoming particularly popular in the country; according to the study, this reflects “an evolution in food preferences and awareness”. The research was conducted last month by NMS Hungary Kft, which surveyed a representative sample of 500 Romanians. “Promising trajectory” A recent report by ProVeg …

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Unfished products

©Prefera Foods

Company News

Verdino Green Foods Takes Over Unfished and Green Course Brands From Prefera Foods

Verdino Green Foods, a plant-based leader in Central and Eastern Europe and the first alt meat producer in its native Romania, announces it has taken over the Unfished® and Green Course® brands from Prefera Foods, consolidating the entire portfolio and adding alt seafood products and stating that it now becomes one of the players with the most diversified plant-based portfolio in Europe. Launched just last year, Unfished offers canned PlanTuna, ready-to-eat salads and alt tuna and salmon spreads, winning various awards including Best Vegan Tuna at the PETA Vegan Food Awards 2022. Green Course offers a range of ready meals, meat alternatives, sauces, and vegan mayonnaise. “Consolidating the plant-based product portfolio is a priority for us, which is why we took a step forward in …

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Verdino_Mortadella_Peta Award 2022

©Verdino Green Foods

Company News

Verdino Green Foods Wins Best Cold Cut & Best Vegan Tuna at PETA Vegan Food Awards

Romania’s Verdino Green Foods recently celebrated a double win at PETA Germany’s Vegan Food Award 2022. The PETA jury and community chose Verdino’s Mortadella with Pistachios as the best vegan cold cut and Unfished PlanTuna as the best vegan tuna. The fish alternatives in its Unfished brand are available in cans as well as in bulk for food service, in olive oil, in water, in vegan mayonnaise, with Mediterranean herbs and with lemon & pepper. The range also includes two ready-to-eat salads with PlanTuna and various vegan fish creams. Verdino is Romania’s first producer of meat alternative products based on pea protein. After becoming the market leader for meat alternatives in its native Romania just three years after launching, the company is enjoying successful international …

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Raul-Ciurtin-CEO-Prefera-Foods

Raul Ciurtin ©Prefera Foods

Interviews

Unfished: “On a Transformational Journey Driven By New Food Trends and a Conscientious Approach”

Fish made from plants is the next big thing says Raul Ciurtin, CEO of Romanian company Prefera Foods, producer of the Unfished range of products. Here Ciurtin speaks to vegconomist about long ingredient lists, emotional business decisions and reservations about Eastern Europe. With Unfished PlanTuna, you are just launching a range of tuna alternatives in German supermarkets. What is the demand like? Germany is one of the countries that interests us the most because here the demand for seafood alternatives is already high. The consumers’ interest towards plant-based fish is growing worldwide –  and especially in Germany where many people have a strong environmental awareness. They are more willing to accept innovations and change their lifestyle. Our German distributor – Verdino GmbH – has already …

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©Verdino
Products & Launches

Romania’s First Alt Meat Brand, Verdino, Now Offers 52 Products as it Continues its Pea-Based Success

Romania’s Verdino Green Foods produces the country’s first meat alternative products using pea-protein. The company’s portfolio now reaches a total of 52 SKUs of vegan products with a new range of plant-based sausages, cheeseburgers, and veggie balls. The investment in the new products was encouraged also by the increase of exports in countries such as Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Serbia.

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vegan bacon by Verano

vegan bacon ©Verdino
Company News

Romania: Salconserv Food Invests €3 Million in Verdino’s “Food of the Future” Made of Pea Protein

Verdino, a plant-based brand in Romania offering a variety of pea-protein based products, receives 3 million euros from Salconserv Food, saying that this investment is a “bet on the food of the future”. Salconserv Food is the first and only Romanian producer to offer a plant-based alternative to minced meat based on pea protein.

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Remus Cernea

Image supplied by Remus Cernea
Interviews

Romanian Politician Remus Cernea: “We Have to Accelerate the Transition to a Far More Sustainable Green Economy”

Remus Cernea served as a Romanian Member of Parliament between 2012 and 2016, when he helped to pass several environmental and animal rights laws, such as the law to ban the use of animals in circuses, which after more than three years of campaigning was passed by a parliament which was previously hostile to the idea.

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