Beef

Impossible Foods Launches the Indulgent Burger as Its Boldest, Most Decadent Patty Yet

June 21, 2023

Impossible Foods is expanding its portfolio with the brand’s “boldest” burger yet – the Impossible Indulgent Burger. Created as a premium version of the original Impossible burger patty, Impossible states that the Indulgent Burger is thicker and offers a more gourmet flavor. The burger will launch this summer at select US restaurants, including Bareburger and Monty’s Good Burger, followed by select retailers. According to Impossible Foods, the Indulgent Burger was developed using a taste-first approach. Each third-pound, restaurant-style patty offers a more beefy flavor with “maximum flavor and juiciness” that can be cooked on the stovetop or grill. In a blind taste test, the company reports 82% of consumers said the product tasted as good as or better than ground beef from cows. Innovating beef …

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

The Indulgent Burger

Chopstix Noodle Bar Launches Vegan Beef Stir Fry in Partnership With Miami Foods

March 16, 2023

UK chain Chopstix Noodle Bar has launched a new topping, Plant Based ‘Beef’ Stir-Fry, at selected stores. The menu option consists of plant-based beef strips, peppers, onions, chillies, garlic, and Chopstix’s Top Secret Stir Fry Sauce. It can be paired with a starchy base such as noodles, or another vegetable-based dish. Initially, the topping will be available at six Chopstix locations — Manchester, Trafford, Peterborough Extra Services, and three London restaurants (Westfield, Lewisham, and Oxford Street). It will roll out nationwide over the coming months. Chopstix Noodle Bar first launched at London’s Camden Market 20 years ago, and now has over 90 stores nationwide. The chain introduced its first vegan option, Green Thai Tofu Curry, in 2019 following significant consumer demand. Miami Foods The plant-based …

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Chopstix Noodle Bar

Miami Foods

©Motif FoodWorks

Motif FoodWorks Announces First Consumer Launch of Motif BeefWorks™ Burger Patties Featuring APPETEX

March 11, 2023March 10, 2023

Boston-based Motif FoodWorks announces it has launched its second food technology ingredient, APPETEX™, for large-scale commercial distribution. Described as a “breakthrough” ingredient, APPETEX is said to enhance the texture of plant-based foods by providing the unique springy and juicy chew found in animal meat products. To enable consumers to taste the benefits of APPETEX, Motif will offer its first finished products, Motif BeefWorks™ Plant-Based Burger Patties, to consumers beginning in April. According to Motif, APPETEX (a combination of “appetite” and “texture”) is an edible plant-based hydrogel that is capable of recreating the bite associated with animal connective tissue. While plant-based proteins like texturized soy or pea protein can mimic the fibrous structure of meat, Motif says, these ingredients fall short in creating the springy “chewdown” …

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Impossible Foods Launches Beef Lite With 45% Less Fat Than Lean Animal Beef

March 8, 2023

Impossible Foods has introduced Beef Lite, a leaner version of its plant-based beef alternative that is designed to be “better than lean ground animal beef”. Containing 21 grams of protein, Beef Lite has 75% less saturated fat and 45% less total fat than 90/10 lean beef from cows. It is a good source of fibre and is free of cholesterol and trans fats. According to Impossible, the beef alternative cooks and tastes like ground animal beef and is ideal for use in dishes such as tacos, chilis, stir-fries, and lasagna. The product is already rolling out in the fresh meat aisle at selected retailers. Competing with beef Impossible’s original plant-based beef is now the best-selling product in the entire US plant-based meat category. The company …

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List of the best plant-based steak products in North America

Food & Beverage

The 9 Most Incredible Brands Disrupting Steak with Plants (North America)

March 31, 2023February 4, 2023

While plant-based burgers, sausages and meatballs have long dominated the alt-meat landscape, creating realistic steak from plants has always represented the highest, if seemingly unattainable goal, for many brands. But thanks to fearless and relentless innovation, a host of shockingly meaty and juicy plant-based steaks have arrived on the US and Canadian market, and are rapidly coming to the fore. Here, vegconomist takes a look at the most noteworthy names bringing animal-free steak to mainstream consumers. 1. Beyond Meat While not a fully structured filet, Beyond’s “revolutionary” plant-based steak tips marked a major milestone for the company, which previously only offered ground-textured products like burgers and sausages. According to CEO Ethan Brown, Beyond Steak took five years of extensive R&D to develop. The product can …

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Impossible Foods to Cut 20% of Staff, Plans to Launch Major Marketing Campaign in ’23

February 1, 2023January 31, 2023

Impossible Foods is reportedly planning to reduce its workforce by one-fifth as the company contends with a difficult economic environment, as well as an overall slowdown of the plant-based category. According to Bloomberg, the California-based company employs about 700 workers, which could lead to the layoff of over 130 employees. A source also revealed the company offered employees “voluntary separation payments and benefits” at the end of 2022. Last fall, Impossible cut 6% of its workforce (about 50 employees) – at the time, CEO Peter McGuinness said the cuts were necessary to help the company re-organize in order to focus on future growth. With the latest round of layoffs, Impossible joins a growing list of companies, along with Beyond Meat, that have been forced to reduce …

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Southwestern Plant-Based Steak Wrap ©7-Eleven Canada

Wamame’s ‘Waygu’ Beef Launches in 7-Eleven Canada Plant-Based Steak Wraps

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023

Canada’s Wamame Foods announces it is launching its ultra-premium Waygu™ plant-based meat strips in 7-Eleven Canada locations nationwide. Now available for a limited time, Waygu is featured in several items on the chain’s “ready-to-serve” menu, including the Southwestern Plant-Based Steak Wrap and Mexican Plant-Based Steak Wrap. According to Wamame, its products were chosen as 7-Eleven Canada’s top choice to help drive the chain’s mandate to offer more “ready-to-serve” vegan and sustainable options. Wamame states it worked directly with 7-Eleven Canada for six months to develop the new offerings. Every 7-Eleven across Canada “We are excited that Wamame products are now available in every 7-Eleven location across Canada,” says Mr. Jarrett Malnarich, CEO of Wamame Foods Inc. “Being able to develop, launch and support 7-Eleven Canada’s …

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7-Eleven

Wamame Foods

©Impossible Foods

Impossible Foods Appoints Sherene Jagla as Chief Demand Officer, Reports 50% Retail Growth in 2022

January 9, 2023January 7, 2023

Impossible Foods announces it has hired CPG industry leader Sherene Jagla as its first-ever Chief Demand Officer. In her new role, Jagla will integrate Impossible’s sales, marketing, insights and product development teams as the company prepares for its next phase of growth. In addition, Impossible reports it achieved record growth in 2022, and continues to rank as the fastest-growing plant-based meat brand in US retail. Jagla joins Impossible with over 25 years of sales, marketing, and management experience at Fortune 500 companies in the CPG and food and beverage industries. Most recently, Jagla served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager at Newell Brands, where she oversaw a $2 billion business across 50 brands in 18 categories. Previously, Jagla has also held senior leadership …

©Beyond Meat

Cellular Agriculture Netherlands

Beyond Meat Expands Beyond Steak and Popcorn Chicken to Costco and Sam’s Club

January 5, 2023

Beyond Meat announces its popular Beyond Steak and Popcorn Chicken are expanding to wholesale retailers Costco and Sam’s Club. As of January 4th, Beyond Steak can be found at over 50 Costco locations in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Southern California, while the Popcorn Chicken is now available at all US Sam’s Club stores. The launch means consumers can now purchase both products in bulk quantities, with Beyond Steak and Popcorn Chicken offered in 28 oz. and 30 oz. packages, respectively. “Better-for-you” proteins Beyond Steak, which debuted in October, features chopped plant-based tips that caramelize and crisp when seared. Each serving offers 21 grams of plant protein, is low in saturated fat and contains zero cholesterol. In 2022, TIME Magazine recognized Beyond Steak as …

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Sam's Club

Cultivated Meat

Mosa Meat Whitepaper Urges Governments & Food Industry to Invest in Cultivated Meat

December 21, 2022

Cultivated beef pioneer Mosa Meat has released a whitepaper calling on governments and the food industry to collaborate to mitigate the climate impact of industrial beef production by investing in the advancement of the cellular agriculture industry. “Beef needs a solution. Industrial meat production continues to accelerate the climate crisis, while the world’s demand for beef is steadily growing. We are creating an alternative approach to producing real beef. I am very excited for what lies ahead as we help reshape the global food system,” says Maarten Bosch, Mosa Meat’s CEO. “Swapping meat with meat” Mosa Meat believes that only “swapping meat with meat” has the potential for the mass consumer adoption needed to solve the sustainability issues currently associated with our food system. But to …

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Mosa Meat

Krijn de Nood en Daan Luining, oprichters van Meatable.

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Meatable Jointly Secures €1M for Cultivated Meat Scaffolding R&D

December 21, 2022

A Dutch consortium of businesses and academia, including cultivated meat pioneer Meatable, DSM, VIVOLTA, and TU Delft, has been awarded the Open Technology Programme by the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The programme will grant the consortium €1 million to fund a five-year research project using protein-based biopolymers such as elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) for food and healthcare applications, including soft tissue repair. According to Meatable, ELPs have the potential to create the scaffolds necessary for developing cultivated meat products, including whole cuts. Creating synthetic biopolymer prototypes TU Delft’s professors, Dr. Gijsje Koenderink and Dr. Jean-Marc Daran, will lead the research project to study the scalability and cost-effectiveness of ELPs and non-animal-derived collagen. Participants companies DSM and VIVOLTA will add their “world-class biotechnology competence,” which is critical …

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DSM

Meatable

a grilled plant-based salmon fillet on a plate served with lemon wedges made by the dutch company plnt

Sustainability / Environment

PLNT Introduces 100% Plant-Based Salmon, Launches Two New Chicken Products

December 16, 2022December 16, 2022

Dutch plant-based meat and fish producer PLNT announces the launch of three products — Salmon Fillets, Chicken Nuggets, and Chicken Tenders. The company says the new plant-based salmon and chicken developments are part of its ongoing effort to respond to the most critical trends in food: a healthier life and a healthier planet. PLNT’s plant-based salmon is made with pea proteins and is allergen-free, while the new chicken items contain 39 % wheat protein. The brand claims its meats are nutritious — high in proteins and containing vitamins and minerals — and better for the environment. “We source our ingredients as close to home as possible, with wheat from Denmark and the Netherlands and soy from Austria, which are just two examples,” Marleen Kolijn, senior brand …

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Future Food Group

PLNT

©SCiFi Foods

SCiFi Foods Says First Sustainability Study of Cultivated Beef Proves Climate Benefits

December 15, 2022

Cultivated beef startup SCiFi Foods announces it has conducted the first-ever Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of cultivated beef products. According to SCiFi, the study, which was conducted by Ohio State University, substantially proves that cultivated beef benefits the climate more than traditional beef. The study has been published in Sustainability, a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal. For the LCA environmental impact study, researchers looked at a SCiFi burger consisting of cultivated beef cells and plant-based ingredients (such as water, soy protein isolate, etc.) and compared it to traditional animal-based beef. In all areas of consumption, including GHG emissions, energy, land and water usage, SCiFi says its burger emerged as a more sustainable product compared to a traditional beef patty. Unit SciFi Burger Beef patty % …

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Wamame Foods Welcomes New Partners to Expand Plant-Based Waygu Beef Across Canada and US

December 9, 2022December 9, 2022

Canada’s Wamame Foods, which produces the world’s first plant-based wagyu beef, welcomes Teja Foods and Sierra Meat and Seafood as new consortium partners. Along with innovation partners Merit Functional Foods, Wismettac Asian Foods and Crush Dynamics, and a co-investment from Protein Industries Canada, the plant-based consortium seeks to develop and distribute Wamame’s plant-based alternatives to wagyu beef. The companies’ efforts will build on the early success of Wamame’s Waygu brand by investing in research and development through partnerships with the University of British Columbia and the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre. According to Wamame, the research process will help create a suite of products that can compete against the best beef brands in the world. These offerings would be sold under both the Waygu brand and …

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Wamame Foods

©Orbillion

Orbillion Bio Partners with Solar Biotech to Scale Cultivated Wagyu Beef for US Market

December 7, 2022

Cultivated meat startup Orbillion Bio announces it is partnering with Solar Biotech, a leader in SynBio bioprocessing, to further develop and scale production of premium cultivated Wagyu beef for US consumers. The partners plan to scale to 20,000L bioreactors, which will be capable of producing over 4 million pounds of meat every year. According to Orbillion, the strategic partnership reinforces their commitment to achieve price parity with conventional meat by 2026 and commodity pricing for beef by 2030. Through the collaboration, Orbillion states it now has a clear path to US commercialization of its first product, cultivated Wagyu beef. The effort will combine Orbillion’s proprietary cell culture platform with Solar Biotech’s scale-up bioprocess development capabilities and infrastructure, proprietary AI-driven bioprocess software, biosensing technologies, and vertically …

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Orbillion Bio

Solar Biotech

Society

SuperMeat Survey Reveals Nearly 90% of US Chefs Would Serve Cultivated Meat

September 11, 2023October 29, 2022

A new survey conducted by food tech company SuperMeat discovered that 86% of American chefs are interested in serving cultivated meats, poultry or seafood to customers. Conducted with market research consultancy Censuswide, the survey polled opinions from 251 US chefs and food professionals. The results found: 86% of chefs are interested in serving cultivated meat or poultry, with 22% of those saying they are “very interested” 84% would consider replacing conventional meat with cultivated meat on their menus if pricing were similar 77% would be willing to pay a premium for cultivated meats, with two-thirds willing to pay 11-15% more Those surveyed indicated food safety, concerns for the environment and customer demand were top motivators for adding cultivated meat to their menus. Chicken is top …

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supermeat

©Mosa Meat

Mosa Meat Expands to First Industrial-Scale Production of Cultivated Beef

October 20, 2022

Dutch food tech company Mosa Meat announces it has entered the next phase of scaling up cultivated beef by expanding its production facilities to a total of 77,000 sq. ft. The new space, together with existing operations and pilot facilities, will reportedly make Mosa the largest cultivated meat campus in the world. Expected to launch in 2023, the latest development center will house industrial-size production lines and enable larger production quantities of beef. Simultaneously, the company has expanded its footprint at existing operation centers in Brightlands and a pilot facility in Maastricht. The company took the next steps toward commercializing production after demonstrating its beef cultivation process at pilot scale. According to Mosa, its R&D capacity continues to grow rapidly, with over 160 employees, including 80 …

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Mosa Meat

Impossible Shop Foods Restaurant Burger Dog Haus

Impossible Food’s Pat Brown Reveals Company is Now Working on Filet Mignon

October 19, 2022

Impossible Foods founder and ex-CEO Pat Brown says the company is currently working on developing plant-based filet mignon, and has already completed a number of successful prototypes. Though Brown couldn’t reveal a release date, he hinted the new steak is forthcoming during the MIT Technology Review’s ClimateTech conference on Oct. 12th. According to Brown, he sampled multiple steak prototypes earlier this year. “I’ve tasted our filet mignon prototypes—and they’re pretty damn good,” Brown told MIT Technology Review editor James Temple. Noting the primary challenge was perfecting the texture, Brown said the company had to re-work its process for making ground beef to replicate the more difficult structure of steak. He also explained Impossible’s goal is to meet or exceed the taste of traditional animal foods, …

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