Global/International

Green peas

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Science

New Scientific Breakthrough Could Unlock Development of Sustainable, Resilient and Nutritious Pea Crops

An international research collaboration has used genomics, bioinformatics, and genetics to map the diversity of an important pea collection, uncovering agriculturally useful genetic diversity on an unprecedented scale. The research will make a new gene bank and a set of genomic resources available to researchers and breeders worldwide, with the potential to revolutionise pea breeding. Published in the journal Nature, the study is the result of a collaboration between the John Innes Centre (JIC) and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), together with other research groups in China, the UK, and France. The research builds on the work of Gregor Mendel, who famously developed theories about genetic inheritance by studying pea plants. The tools created by the new collaboration are being used to revisit …

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Phytolon

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Fermentation

Phytolon and Ginkgo Bioworks Reach Key Milestone in Natural Food Colors as FDA Moves to Ban Synthetic Dyes

Phytolon, a biotech startup specializing in natural food colors, and Ginkgo Bioworks, a leader in cell programming, have successfully completed the second milestone in their collaboration to improve the production of natural food colors. This achievement marks a nearly threefold increase in the efficiency of yeast strains used to produce two natural pigments: Beetroot Red and Prickly Pear Yellow. Improved strains enhance efficiency The improved strains, developed through Ginkgo’s AI-driven modeling and high-throughput screening, are designed to meet food-grade quality and performance standards across a variety of applications, including baked goods, dairy and dairy alternatives, confectioneries, and snacks. The enhanced production process not only boosts efficiency but also reduces costs and the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. Unlike conventional natural color production methods that …

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Beyond Meat

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Marketing & Media

Beyond Meat Premieres Documentary “PLANTING CHANGE” on YouTube

Today, Beyond Meat has launched its first documentary-style short film, PLANTING CHANGE. Narrated by the company’s founder and CEO, Ethan Brown, the film explores the intersection of health, sustainability, and plant-based nutrition, emphasizing the shift from animal-based to plant-based food systems. The documentary presents a range of perspectives, featuring interviews with medical professionals, climate advocates, historians, and farmers who are transitioning to growing pulses for plant-based foods. These farmers, many of whom have been in agriculture for multiple generations, are presented as key players in reshaping the future of food production, providing an alternative to the traditional, animal-based agricultural system. Challenging entrenched systems PLANTING CHANGE examines the broader impacts of dietary choices, addressing both the environmental and health benefits of incorporating more plant-based foods. The …

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ProVeg International new food hub

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Market & Trends

Why There’s a Shift Towards Plant Products Based on Wholefoods

Is the future of alternative proteins looking a little more… whole? While much attention has been given to cultivated meat and precision fermentation, a quieter shift is taking root – and it’s one rooted in simplicity. Across global markets, brands are responding to increasing consumer demand for minimally processed foods made with recognisable ingredients and fewer artificial additives. With this trend, there is growing momentum behind products that emphasise wholefood ingredients.  In ProVeg International’s latest article on the New Food Hub, they spotlight products and innovations that are based on and inspired by wholefoods. Take Plenish’s enriched oat milk – made with just oats, water, and salt, yet fortified with essential nutrients. Or Moving Mountain’s surprising pivot: its Superfoods range ditches the meat mimicry in …

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Lean startup principles whitepaper

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R&D

New Whitepaper Explores How Lean Startup Principles Could Accelerate Food Tech Innovation

New Wave Biotech and Nurasa have partnered to publish a new whitepaper exploring how lean startup principles — originally designed for fast-moving software companies — could be used by food tech innovators. Titled The Lean Startup Meets Food Tech: Does It Work?, the report reinterprets the five Lean Startup principles originally written by entrepreneur and author Eric Ries, outlining how they could apply to food tech and biomanufacturing. The resulting principles are: “Helping teams move faster and smarter” The paper draws on insights from investors, founders, corporates, and scientists from across the food tech ecosystem, including Givaudan, Tetra Pak, Nucleus Capital, and CJ CheilJedang. It also consults startups such as Liven, MeliBio, and DeNovo. The resulting guidance illustrates how lean principles could be used to …

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Meatable

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Society

Meatable Collaborates with Major NGOs to Address Global Food Challenges

Meatable, a company specializing in cultivated meat technology, announced its collaboration with three global organizations dedicated to advancing sustainable food systems: Food Tank, The United Nations Global Compact, and The Hunger Project. This partnership is part of Meatable’s ongoing efforts to address the environmental and societal challenges of global food production. The world’s population is projected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, which will significantly increase the demand for protein. Traditional livestock farming, however, relies on large amounts of land, water, and energy, and is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. As the environmental costs of food production rise, alternatives like cultivated meat, which aims to reduce these negative impacts, are being seen as a potential solution. Danielle Nierenberg, co-founder of …

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Moolec Science

© Moolec Science
Company News

Moolec Science Merges with Bioceres Group to Scale Molecular Farming Platform

Moolec Science, a producer of animal proteins through molecular farming, has entered into an all-stock business combination with Bioceres Group Limited and related entities. The deal, finalized on April 17, 2025, will position Moolec as the parent company of Bioceres Group, Nutrecon LLC, and Gentle Technologies Corp., creating a larger entity focused on innovation in food production and sustainability. Moolec uses molecular farming to produce animal proteins and nutritional oils by engineering plants to carry animal protein genes. This approach allows for the production of proteins typically sourced from animals, but using plant-based systems, which could provide a more sustainable and scalable alternative. In the new structure, Moolec will issue up to 87 million new shares and 5 million warrants to the shareholders of the …

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Ilya Sheyman GFI

© Ilya Sheyman
Company News

Leadership Transition at The Good Food Institute as CEO Ilya Sheyman Steps Down

The Good Food Institute (GFI) will undergo a leadership change this summer as CEO Ilya Sheyman prepares to step down from his role, effective June 2, 2025. The organization’s current Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, Jessica Almy, will serve as interim CEO while a nationwide search for a permanent successor is conducted. Strategic growth under Sheyman’s tenure Sheyman joined GFI in 2021, leading the organization through a period marked by expanded international presence and increased financial support for alternative protein research and development. During his tenure, GFI established a new affiliate in Japan and reported the mobilization of substantial private and public investment into alternative protein innovation. In a statement, Sheyman said, “Over the past three years we’ve catalyzed hundreds of millions …

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Stefania Stoccuto

© Stefania Stoccuto
Guest Posts

Revolutionizing Alternative Proteins: An End-to-End Approach from Farm to Future Food

Stefania Stoccuto oversees the Global Business Development activities related to Future Food at Siemens. She is responsible for the growth and acceleration of Siemens’ solutions portfolio in the Controlled Environment Agriculture & Alternative Proteins market, by fostering collaborations and developing an ecosystem for leveraging new opportunities. In this guest post, Stefania discusses how a holistic, end-to-end approach is addressing key challenges in the alternative protein industry, from improving production efficiency to ensuring sustainability. As consumers increasingly demand more sustainable and ethical food choices, alternative proteins derived from sources like microalgae, mycelium, and cell-based cultures are rapidly gaining attention. To support this transformation, innovative technologies are being deployed to make protein production more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. A key player driving this change is leveraging …

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Animal-free cream cheese

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Investments & Finance

How Can Cellular Agriculture Startups Stand Out When Seeking Early-Stage Capital?

A new peer-reviewed study has examined what venture capitalists prioritize when investing in cellular agriculture startups. The study was conducted by Fabian Baumann, Senior Strategy Associate at precision fermentation startup Formo, and Prof. Dr. Marc Mehlhorn of TH Köln. It is published in the journal Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Review. The aim of the research was to discover what makes cellular agriculture startups stand out during the initial venture capital screening phase. By questioning 44 investors in the field, the authors uncovered three factors: “Interesting starting point for further research” Unlike in most sectors, scalability and product value came before team criteria. For founders, attitude and vision were found to matter more than experience. These insights could inform how startups pitch, increasing their likelihood of …

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gan eden

© GanEden
Investments & Finance

PeakBridge FoodSparks Expands Portfolio with Investments Across Key FoodTech Sectors

Foodtech venture capital fund, PeakBridge FoodSparks, has recently made four new seed investments in companies that span key areas of food innovation. The investments target plant-based ingredients, functional mushrooms, digital transformation in food services, and health-oriented products, focusing on emerging trends within the food industry. These four investments, according to Yoni Glickman, managing director of PeakBridge FoodSparks, demonstrate the transformative potential of food technology in addressing real-world challenges. He also explains how “each uniquely addresses an emerging and significant gap in the food sector.” GanEden plant-based ice cream Among the latest additions to the PeakBridge portfolio is GanEden, an Amsterdam-based startup that has developed a plant-based ice cream with a focus on natural, clean-label ingredients. Their product replaces more than half of the sugar typically …

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SuperMeat cultivated chicken

© SuperMeat
Cultivated Meat

Report: Cultivated Meat is “Proving Doubters Wrong” as It Becomes Increasingly Viable

A new report by Lever VC has found that skepticism about the viability of cultivated meat may be unfounded. In 2021, an analysis published by researcher David Humbird claimed that it was essentially impossible for cultivated meat production costs to go below $16 per kilogram, meaning products would struggle to compete with conventional meat. Humbird’s findings were widely reported by mainstream media outlets, spreading the idea that cultivated meat would never be viable. However, Lever VC’s report — titled A Second Generation of Cultivated Meat Companies Breaks Through Projected Cost Barriers — claims that recent developments have proven this analysis wrong. It asserts that the cost of cell culture media is already up to 30 times lower than Humbird thought possible, with those developed by …

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Modern Agriculture Foundation

© Modern Agriculture Foundation
Fairs & Events

Modern Agriculture Foundation Announces Leading Women in FoodTech Award 2025

The Modern Agriculture Foundation (MAF), a nonprofit focused on advancing alternative protein solutions, has launched the Leading Women in FoodTech Award 2025. The award aims to recognize women who are driving innovation and leadership within the global FoodTech sector, with a focus on sustainability, animal welfare, and ethical food systems. The award will honor women across various roles within the FoodTech ecosystem, including research, development, entrepreneurship, regulation, and corporate leadership. MAF seeks to spotlight those who have made significant contributions to the transformation of food production and consumption. The Leading Women in FoodTech Award 2025 will feature four categories: The award ceremony will take place in May 2025 at the Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot, Israel, as part of MAF’s annual conference. Applications for nominations …

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GEA unveils a new technology called perfusion, which includes the use of pilot scale bioreactors and a machine for rejuvenating the grown media.

Image courtesy of GEA
Fermentation

New FAO Report Discusses Precision Fermentation and Food Safety

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published a new report discussing the food safety aspects of precision fermentation. Titled Precision Fermentation – With a Focus on Food Safety, the report outlines the importance of establishing regulatory frameworks and safety protocols within the industry. It notes that there is currently no universally accepted definition of precision fermentation, which could hinder the development of effective regulatory frameworks. The authors acknowledge that there are existing frameworks in countries such as Singapore and the US, but claim that a cohesive global approach to regulation is needed. They suggest that authorities elsewhere in the world could look to these countries when establishing regulatory processes. Additionally, they argue that regulations should be adaptive in order to …

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Health

Study: Healthy Plant-Based Diets May Reduce Risk of Blood Clots in the Legs or Lungs

A study published in the journal JACC: Advances has found that consuming a healthy plant-based diet could reduce the risk of dangerous blood clots in the legs or lungs, known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). 183,510 participants free of VTE were recruited and assessed to see how closely they adhered to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Their genetic risk of VTE was also tested. Participants were then followed for 13 years and periodically answered questions about their diets. Those who most closely followed a healthy plant-based eating pattern were found to have a 14% lower risk of VTE. Participants with a high genetic risk of VTE were 47% more likely to develop the condition than others in the study; …

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jerky

© CellX
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

CellX Expands into US Market with GRAS-Cleared Morel Mycelium and New Jerky Brand

CellX, a biotechnology company operating in both cultivated meat and mycelium-based protein development, has received self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for its morel mushroom mycelium ingredient under US FDA regulations. The determination was made by an independent panel of scientific experts following an evaluation of safety data and nutritional composition. The company, which began developing mycelium-based ingredients in 2022, has introduced morel mushroom mycelium as a high-protein alternative protein source. Produced via biomass fermentation, the ingredient contains approximately 50% protein and 25% fiber, along with B vitamins, iron, and zinc. CellX’s proprietary morel strain was developed in partnership with a university and isolated from a wild sample collected in Shangri-La, China. CellX founder and CEO Ziliang Yang stated, “After four years of R&D, …

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CSM Ingredients egg reduction solution

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Egg Alternatives

CSM Ingredients Addresses Egg Supply Chain Issues With Advanced Egg Reduction Solution

Global ingredient-tech company CSM Ingredients group has announced the launch of Egg ‘n Easy Plus, an advanced egg reduction solution designed for cakes, muffins, and brioches. The ingredient is said to build on the success of the company’s Egg ’n Easy line, offering a new formulation with greater flexibility and cost-efficiency. It could help to address the supply chain issues increasingly facing the egg industry, as avian flu outbreaks reduce availability and drive up prices. Egg ‘n Easy Plus is a fully customizable plant-based powder solution that can replace up to 100% of whole eggs in brioche recipes, which typically contain 5% to 15% egg. Switching from free-range eggs to Egg ‘n Easy Plus can reportedly lower egg-related costs by up to 55% while preserving …

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Four cows in a field

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Sustainability / Environment

Study: Grass-Fed Beef is Up to 40 Times More Carbon Intensive Than Other Proteins

A new study published in the journal PNAS has debunked the idea that grass-fed beef is an environmentally friendly option. The research finds that even under the most optimistic scenarios, grass-fed beef is not less carbon-intensive than industrial beef and is three to 40 times as carbon-intensive as most plant-based and animal-based alternatives. This makes beef the most resource-intensive of common foods. It is sometimes claimed that cattle grazing enhances soil carbon sequestration. However, the study authors find that the evidence for this is not conclusive, and that even if it were true, the effect would not be impactful enough to reverse beef’s carbon intensity. Contrary to popular belief, grass-fed beef may even be worse for the environment than industrial beef, since animals are fattened …

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Heura York-style plant-based ham

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Company News

Alternative Protein Companies Including Nature’s Fynd, Heura & Upside Foods Rank Highly in the FoodTech 500

The FoodTech 500, an annual ranking by Forward Fooding that showcases agrifoodtech startup and scaleup companies working to create a better future of food, has published its results for 2024. Several notable alternative protein companies have made the top 25, including: Methodology All entries were manually validated to create a shortlist of 500 finalists, then data from each application was processed using algorithms to provide a business size score and a digital footprint score. Each company was then assessed on its sustainability using data from a self-assessed questionnaire devised by sustainability experts, taking into account each Sustainable Development Goal the companies were achieving. Finally, the three scores were aggregated to give each company a score out of 300, determining their rank. For example, Nature’s Fynd …

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Libby Peppiatt The Vegan Society

Libby Peppiatt © The Vegan Society
Company News

The Vegan Society Appoints Libby Peppiatt as New CEO

The Vegan Society has announced the appointment of Libby Peppiatt as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 14 May. Peppiatt, who was selected by the charity’s Council of Trustees, will succeed Abbey Mann, who has served as interim CEO following Steve Hamon’s departure in September. Peppiatt comes to The Vegan Society from her previous position as CEO of Restore, a mental health charity based in Oxfordshire. There, she led national behaviour change campaigns and implemented workplace wellbeing and mental health programs. She also has held senior roles at other mental health organizations, including Mind and Rethink, and contributed to the Time to Change campaign. In a statement regarding her appointment, Peppiatt acknowledged The Vegan Society’s history of pioneering work in advocating for animal rights and …

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