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Country Life Seasoning

©Country Life Foods
Products & Launches

Country Life Foods Unveils New Scrambled Tofu Seasonings and Instant Cheeze Mix for Convenient Cooking

Country Life Natural Foods, a natural and organic online retailer, has introduced several new products to make plant-based cooking simpler and more convenient.  Tastier tofu Country Life’s new Tofu Scramble Seasoning Pack features Classic, Lemon Herb, and Smoked BBQ Seasonings designed to help people prepare the classic protein because, as the brand says, “a lot of people don’t know how to season tofu.” To make, home cooks need only to crumble a block of tofu into a pan and add the seasoning of choice.  The seasoning mixes can be used to make a wide variety of tofu scrambles as well as provide flavoring for rice and vegetables.  “One of the healthiest egg or meat substitutes is tofu, but only when seasoned to perfection,” says Country …

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Adam Lowry

©Ripple Foods
Company News

Ripple Foods Co-Founder Adam Lowry Joins Bon Dévil Desserts as Executive Chairman

Plant-based dessert company Bon Dévil, formerly known as The Coconut Collaborative, announces Adam Lowry has joined the brand as Executive Chairman, succeeding Tom O’Rourke.  As part of the executive team, Lowry brings extensive experience in the plant-based foods industry, most recently as the co-founder of the highly successful dairy-free brand Ripple. Lowry also co-created the eco-friendly cleaning products brand Method. According to Bon Dévil, he brings a robust overall track record of launching and building top CPG brands, based on his experience with Method and Ripple.   “Bon Dévil is an impressive brand in the plant-based food category with a great trajectory for growth,” said Lowry. “My interest in building businesses with sustainability principles while generating strong shareholder returns meshes perfectly with Bon Dévil’s mission.” Guilt-free …

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Aleph Farms New CEO

©Aleph Farms
Company News

Israel’s Aleph Farms Appoints Kevin Benmoussa as Executive VP and CFO, Opens 1st Office in New York City

Cultivated meat company Aleph Farms announces it has appointed food industry veteran Kevin Benmoussa as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Benmoussa will lead the company’s global growth agenda and operational expansion in the US from the company’s new headquarters in NYC.  According to Aleph Farms, Benmoussa brings extensive food industry experience, having served as CFO of The Vita Coco Company, where he was responsible for expanding the brand’s global finance functions ahead of its IPO in 2021. Benmoussa also previously held corporate leadership positions with Nestlé Waters North America, Inc. and PepsiCo. “Kevin is a veteran of the food and beverage industry, and brings invaluable expertise in defining and executing winning strategies for achieving growth and profitability,” said Didier Toubia, CEO and …

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Silk Product Range

©Silk/ Danone North America
Company News

Danone North America Plans to Reformulate 70% of Its Milk Alternatives to Be Healthier

Danone North America announced recently it will invest $22M in new health and wellness initiatives, including reformulating 70% of its plant-based milk alternatives with healthier ingredients.  Prioritizing nutrition The global dairy conglomerate revealed its pledge at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health held last week. In an effort to support the dietary health of 300 million Americans, Danone says it is committed to reducing added sugars across its children’s products, and will increase the nutrient density of most of its plant-based beverages. In 2020, the company partnered with bioscience startup BrightSeed to “usher in a new era of precision nutrition” for its plant-based products using artificial intelligence.   Danone, which owns dairy-free brands Silk, So Delicious and Alpro, also plans to allocate $15M …

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Great Foods Research & Advisory

©GTFO It's Vegan
Company News

GTFO It’s Vegan Launches GreatFoods Research & Advisory to Help Plant-Based Brands Compete in the Marketplace

Online retail platform GTFO It’s Vegan announces the launch of GreatFoods Research & Advisory Services to help companies in the plant-based market achieve greater levels of success. GreatFoods’ solutions, combined with a team of industry experts, are designed to help food and beverage companies navigate the complexities of developing, launching, and growing plant-based products and brands. Launched in 2020, GTFO has sold more than 500K items across 50K orders from tens of thousands of customers. The company says it now maintains one of the largest proprietary databases of plant-based sales data and consumer preferences; it also boasts thousands of product reviews and social media comments from 150K Instagram followers.  According to GTFO, it spent many months planning the launch of GreatFoods Research to provide advisory …

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Close up of BlueNalu's whole-muscle, cell-cultured yellowtail, beer-battered and deep-fried for fish tacos

©BlueNalu
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

BlueNalu Says Breakthrough Tech ‘Cracks the Code’ to Significantly Scale Alt Seafood Production

Cultivated seafood company BlueNalu announces two new technologies it says unlock the path to significant profitability and scalability of its cell-cultured seafood. By utilizing breakthrough single-cell suspension and lipid-loading techniques, the startup says it can achieve 75% gross margins in its first year of production, and cultivate up to 6M pounds of premium seafood annually, beginning with Bluefin Tuna Toro.  While many cultivated meat and seafood companies employ “adherent” techniques that attach growing cells to microcarriers, BlueNalu says it has developed non-GMO cell lines in single cell suspension, meaning large numbers of cells can freely grow in bioreactors without the need for costly microcarriers.  In addition, BlueNalu reveals its patent-pending lipid-loading technology allows cultivated muscle cells to actively store fat, eliminating the need to grow …

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Odd Burger founders

©Odd Burger

Company News

Canada’s Odd Burger Announces Odd Burger U.S, Intends to Franchise Across 25 US States

Odd Burger, the first vegan fast food chain to go public, announces the launch of its franchising operations in the United States. The Canadian vegan fast food chain has formed a Delaware corporation that will serve as the franchisor of, and that will operate as Odd Burger U.S, with the intention of selling franchises in 25 states, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The news comes shortly after the chain announced plans to bring 40 new Odd Burger locations to Ontario over the next eight years. In July this year, the corporation also revealed it had acquired …

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Reebok/ National Geographic Shoe Collection

©Reebok
Fashion, Design & Beauty

Reebok and National Geographic Launch Vegan Shoe Collection Inspired by Endangered Species

British athletic wear company Reebok and National Geographic have partnered to launch a new footwear collection inspired by the world’s endangered species, including the Nano X2 Grow and Club C 85 Vegan. Debuting Oct. 4th, the collection is also influenced by National Geographic’s award-winning visual storytelling and is made without any animal-based products. The collection features the following designs: Club C 85 Vegan – A version of the Club C shoe that honors sixteen endangered species with unique patterns dedicated to different animals, including the Galapagos Penguin, Black Rhino, Eastern Gorilla, Ring-tailed Lemur and Fiji Banded Iguana. Nano X2 Grow “Formidable Species”  – A plant-based version of Reebok’s popular Nano X2 training shoes, featuring patterns showcasing such as the Grizzly Bear, Puffer Fish, Poison Dart …

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Plant-Based Egg Substitute

©AcreMade
Products & Launches

PURIS Launches AcreMade Plant-Based Egg Made From Upcycled Peas

PURIS, a leading supplier of pea protein in North America, announces the launch of its first consumer brand: AcreMade plant-based eggs. Its debut product, the Plant-Based Egg Substitute, is a shelf-stable powder that can be scrambled, cooked or baked.  Described as a “game-changer” for egg-based cooking, AcreMade’s Plant-Based Eggs are nutritionally comparable to traditional eggs with 5 grams of protein per serving and zero grams of cholesterol. The eggs are also free from the top nine allergens, including gluten and soy.  According to AcreMade, it is the only brand to use yellow field peas as the main protein source for a plant-based egg. The brand’s Upcycled Certified™pea starch benefits the environment by helping to build soil health and requiring few resources to grow. Upcycled Certified™ …

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©MorningStar Farms
Products & Launches

MorningStar Farms’ New Incogmeato Chick’n Patties Include First-Ever Vegan Eggo Waffles

Kellogg’s-owned MorningStar Farms announces it is rolling out two new plant-based chicken products throughout the rest of 2022. One of the products will feature the first vegan waffle ever created by Kellogg’s iconic breakfast brand Eggo. New entrees Sold through MorningStar’s Incogmeato line, the new chicken additions feature the Plant-Based Hot and Spicy Crispy Chik’n Filet, plus the Chik’n and Eggo Liege Style Waffle Sandwich. According to the brand, the Hot Crispy Chik’n offers a tender inside with a spiced, crispy and crunchy exterior with a juicy inside. The item is available in packages of four filets, with each filet containing 29% less fat than conventional chicken filets (12 g total fat per serving vs. 8 g), and 17 g of plant protein. The Chik’n and …

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Chef Spike Mendelsohn

Spike Mendelsohn ©Eat the Change
Interviews

Eat the Change: “There is Endless Potential When it Comes to Innovation and Plant-Based Diets”

Founded by Chef Spike Mendelsohn, founder of PLNT Burger, along with Seth Goldman of Beyond Meat, Eat the Change is on a mission to create nutrient-dense snacks that are better for the planet and aligned with consumers’ health goals. After initially launching ultra-sustainable mushroom jerky, Eat the Change has continued to innovate with other healthy snacks, besides supporting other plant-based brands via grants. Now, the company is turning its attention to the beverage industry. Co-founder Spike Mendelsohn is well-known for finishing in the top five on TV show Top Chef. He is a television personality, product developer, cookbook author, SNAP program advocate, chef, and restaurateur. We spoke to him to find out more about Eat the Change and making plant-based foods appealing. What is the …

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Van Leeuwen banana bread

© Van Leeuwen

Sweets & Snacks

Van Leeuwen Launches Vegan Banana Bread Pudding at 390 Sprouts Stores in 23 States

New York’s Van Leeuwen, a producer of dairy and vegan ice creams, rolls out Vegan Banana Bread Pudding — featuring vegan banana ice cream, fudge swirls, and brown sugar bread bites — into 390 Sprouts locations across 23 states.   In 2020, the company secured Series B funding of $18.7 million, and in 2021 it launched its line of dairy and vegan ice cream bars. The new retail distribution marks the brand’s first exclusive collaboration with Sprouts.   Vegan ice cream reached a value of US$ 592.8 million in 2021 and is projected to reach a value of US$ 833.8 million by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.45% during 2022-2027.   “Sprouts has been an amazing partner to Van Leeuwen the past few years, so …

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OZO_ChickenCutlets_GarlicHerb_3DPkg_Front (002)

©Planterra Foods
Company News

Meat Giant JBS Discontinues US Plant-Based Business Planterra Foods

Brazilian meat processor JBS is ending its US plant-based food business after about two years, the company said on Monday. JBS in the US includes Planterra Foods with its plant-based brand OZO. In July 2021, Planterra announced the expansion of its operations to the UK, Australia and New Zealand. At Anuga 2021, the OZO brand was still represented with a stand. JBS now wishes to focus on its plant-based activities in Brazil and Europe, said Nikki Richardson, spokesperson for JBS USA. The European and Brazilian operations “continue to gain market share and expand their respective customer bases,” she commented. In Europe, JBS acquired vegan brand Vivera in spring 2021 for more than €300m. In Brazil, JBS has been marketing plant-based products under the SEARA brand …

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Proveg AI NFH

© Proveg International

Manufacturing & Technology

Big Plant-Based Data: Four Ways to Harness AI and Transform your R&D Process

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning technologies are transforming the world as we know it, and are proving to be integral to advancements within the plant-based industry. ProVeg International recently published an article which details four key ways in which your company can utilise AI to improve your plant-based product-development process, helping to reduce company costs, promote productivity in your workforce, and truly excite consumers. In ProVeg’s full article, which draws on insight from experts in the plant-based AI field, you can find out how to effectively harness AI by adopting the following four key strategies: Lead with consumer insight Drive innovation and reduce costs with AI-powered flavours Connect and collaborate with other companies Keep humans at the forefront But why is AI becoming such a …

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Impossible Foods Pat Brown

©Official Impossible Foods Facebook Page
People

Pat Brown to Establish New “Advanced Research Venture” at Impossible Foods

Impossible Foods founder Pat Brown is to step down from his role as Chief Visionary Officer to establish a new research venture within the company. As reported by Business Insider, the news was disclosed via company emails, which also revealed that the new arm would be tentatively known as Impossible Labs. Impossible Foods is reportedly seeking a replacement for Brown, and the new venture will not supersede the company’s R&D team. Instead, Impossible Labs will “focus on the transformative innovation that will propel Impossible Foods to achieve our mission.” Impossible clarified today to vegconomist that the development was a planned leadership change and that the new advanced research venture will exist in addition to Impossible’s current R&D team. Ambitious goals When Brown first announced he …

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