Chicken

Quorn expands Chiqin range with vegan strips

© Quorn
Products & Launches

Quorn UK Expands ChiQin Range With Chef-Approved Vegan Strips for Food Service

Meat alternatives brand Quorn has expanded its successful ChiQin range with a new product for food service — Vegan Strips. Initially launching in the UK, the new products are set to roll out in the  Nordics, Germany, and BeNeLux, according to the company. Made with Quorn mycoprotein, the strips have already been certified by the Craft Guild of Chefs, the UK’s main professional chef association. The previously launched Buttermilk ChiQin Burger has also been certified. “The Craft Guild of Chefs certification gives our products a seal of approval that’s recognised across the industry, which we don’t take for granted. We’re delighted to achieve this stamp of excellence on our crispy coated ChiQin products,” says Phil Thornborrow, Foodservice Director at Quorn Foods UK. Describes as “crispy, …

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cultivated ground meat hot dog

Image courtesy of UPSIDE Foods
Company News

UPSIDE Foods Unveils Next Gen Cultivated Meat Products & Scientific Breakthrough

UPSIDE Foods announces a new consumer product line, including chicken sausages, chicken sandwiches, and dumplings made with cultivated ground meat, herbs, and plant-based proteins. Pending regulatory approval, this next generation of products marks an expansion of UPSIDE’s commercial portfolio, offering consumers a range of cultivated meat options. This new range follows the company’s signature cultivated chicken filet that made history last year when it received a landmark FDA green light, accepting UPSIDE’s safety conclusion.  The regulatory process for UPSIDE‘s new products will be a separate request from the cultivated chicken filet, which is currently undergoing review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for remaining approvals, explains UPSIDE. Major scientific achievement Since introducing the world’s first cultivated beef meatball in 2016, UPSIDE has achieved various milestones in improving its …

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Vegan fried chicken

©VFC
Investments & Acquisitions

VFC Receives £6M for “Next Level” Expansion Plans and Ambitious NPD Pipeline

Vegan fried chicken brand VFC announces it has received a £6M ($7.4M) investment to further drive expansion in the UK and international markets. Led by Veg Capital, the funding will be used to grow VFC across multiple channels and introduce “game-changing” innovation in adjacent categories, such as chilled products, later this year.  Launched in 2020 by Adam Lyons and Veganuary founder Matthew Glover, VFC has since expanded throughout the UK and reached multiple global markets. According to the company, the past six months have seen especially strong growth, with brand coverage increasing tenfold. Exponential growth VFC reports its latest product innovations, including a “more meat-like” recipe, a new Spicy variety, and its first kids’ product, Stompers, has helped increase distribution at Sainsbury’s, as well as …

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TiNDLE Next Gen Foods

TiNDLE © Next Gen Foods
Retail & E-Commerce

TiNDLE Debuts in UK Retail With Burgers and Nuggets Arriving at 350 Morrisons Stores

After successfully testing its grocery products last winter in the UK, plant-based chicken brand TiNDLE, owned by Singaporean company Next Gen Foods, announces a grocery debut at UK retailers Morrisons as well as online plant-based grocery and delivery service Mighty Plants.  TiNDLE Burgers and TiNDLE Nuggets will roll out nationwide this week in over 350 Morrisons stores. Mighty Plants will offer TiNDLE’s full range: TiNDLE burgers, nuggets,  popcorn, tenders, and wings, later this month. Demand for plant-based chicken The move comes in response to rising consumer demand for plant-based chicken and is supported by a study commissioned by TiNDLE and conducted by Censuswide. According to Next Gen Foods, the study found that 68% of people in the UK believe plant-based meals will become more widely accepted in the …

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SHICKEN founders

© SHICKEN
Interviews

SHICKEN: “Aiming to Become a Household Name in Plant-Based and a £5M Food Brand”

SHICKEN Foods, the fast-growing ready meal producer specialising in plant-based Indian cuisine, was created during the pandemic in its founders’ kitchen, and since then has seen staggering growth, raising over £2 million from investment fund Veg Capital and upgrading to larger manufacturing sites as demand soars. SHICKEN secured its first retail launch at Costco stores across the UK in early 2022, before rolling out at hundreds of Tesco locations this January. The company is now said to be on track for ten times its current growth, with a significant increase in exports expected in 2023. We spoke to founders Parm and Satvinder Bains to find out what’s next for SHICKEN. How did SHICKEN Foods start and what is the role of your Indian family in …

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Quorn katsu fillets

© Quorn
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Quorn Launches Vegan “Fakeaway” Katsu Fillets in the UK

Alt meat brand Quorn has expanded its chilled range in the UK with a new product — chicken-style Katsu Fillets. The fillets are made from Quorn’s mycoprotein-based meat-free chicken, coated in panko breadcrumbs and served with a coconut-based katsu curry sauce. The brand notes that katsu is “very on-trend right now”; at the beginning of the year, pub chain Wetherspoon began offering a katsu curry made with Quorn nuggets. According to Quorn, the new product will appeal to consumers looking to recreate restaurant dishes at home. It is said to be ideal for midweek dinners, as it comes in an oven-ready tray and is ready to eat in 20 minutes. “Crispy coated meat-free chicken continues to be a consumer favourite and many people are recreating …

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Vegan BBQ Bacon Flatbread

©Daiya
Products & Launches

Daiya Rolls Out New Allergen Friendly Chick’n Shreds on Top of Pizzas and Flatbreads

Dairy alternatives leader Daiya announces its newest product innovation, Chick’n style shreds, which the brand is rolling out on new signature pizzas and flatbreads.  The shreds, made from peas, oats, and rice, are said to be an allergen-friendly product that meets current demand for better plant-based chicken alternatives. When paired with Daiya’s pizzas and flatbreads, the shreds are said to offer an easy and convenient frozen meal option. Now available at Walmart, consumers can enjoy the Chick’n style shreds in the following products:  Daiya BBQ Plant-Based Chick’n Style Thin Crust Pizza – Daiya’s gluten-free thin crust layered with chick’n style shreds, smoky BBQ sauce, tomatoes, red onions, and melty mozzarella shreds  Daiya Plant-Based Chick’n, Smoked Bac’n & Ranch Style Flatbread – Pulled shreds, smoked bac’n …

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Squeaky Bean first frozen range

© Squeaky Bean
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Squeaky Bean’s First Frozen Range Features Chick*n Nuggets, Dippers, & Poppers

British alt meat brand Squeaky Bean is set to introduce its first frozen range, which features three chicken-style products — nuggets, dippers, and poppers. The chicken alternatives are made with wheat, soy, and pea protein and coated in crispy breadcrumbs. They are suitable for a range of applications, such as snacking, dipping, and wraps. While the nuggets and dippers will be sold in plain varieties, the poppers are hot and spicy, seasoned with a spice blend that includes pepper, garlic, cayenne, and paprika. All three products are high in protein and low in saturated fat, and can be prepared in the oven in just ten minutes. New product launches Squeaky Bean has launched numerous new products over the past year, including chilled seasoned chicken-style pieces, …

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100% cells cultivated chicken

Cultivated Chicken, image courtesy of Jimi Biotech
Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Jimi Biotech Unveils “China’s First” 100% Cultivated Chicken

Hangzhou-based company Jimi Biotech claims it has successfully developed China’s first 100% cultivated chicken, made without using plant scaffolding. Jimi has also announced a new round of funding, invested exclusively by Shiwei Capital. The news comes just three months after the company secured funds in an angel round, after unveiling China’s first cultivated beef product. Jimi Evolution System Weichang Jiang, a partner at Shiwei Capital, said: “Although only three months have passed since the last round of funding, Jimi Biotech has still made significant technological breakthroughs. In addition to the rapid progress in core areas such as cell lines and culture media, we believe that Jimi Biotech’s deep integration of automation and AI into the research and development also reflects the founder’s emphasis on continuously …

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Plant-based chicken products

© Beyond Meat
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Beyond Meat Launches Plant-Based Chicken Range at Dutch Supermarkets

Beyond Meat has launched three plant-based chicken products — the Beyond Burger Chicken-Style, Beyond Schnitzel, and Beyond Tenders — in the Netherlands. The burger and schnitzel are new products, with the schnitzel specifically aimed at the European market. All three options are breadcrumb-coated and can be prepared in a frying pan, air fryer, or oven. The chicken alternatives will be available from this week at selected locations of the supermarket chains Jumbo and Albert Heijn, which recently pledged to be majority plant-based by 2030. Fava protein While the original beef-style Beyond Burger is made primarily using pea protein, some of this has been replaced with fava beans in Beyond’s plant-based chicken. The brand says fava protein is “the optimal ingredient to obtain our award-winning chicken-style …

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Vegan Chicken Fries

© Morningstar Farms
Products & Launches

Morningstar Farms Joins with Pringles to Debut ‘First-Of-Its-Kind’ Plant-Based Chik’n Fries, Unveils Egg Bites

Less than a week after announcing it would strategically retain its plant-based foods business, Kellogg appears to be doubling down on its alt-protein investment. Morningstar Farms now collaborates with potato chip maker Pringles, also a Kellogg brand, to launch “first-of-its-kind” vegan Chik’n Fries. The plant-based brand will also debut a new breakfast item, Breakfast Bites with Vegan Egg and Cheeze, in the US later this year.  Described as fry-shaped, dippable finger food,  MorningStar Farms Chik’n Fries will be available in two varieties: Original, which combines notes of chicken broth flavor with Pringles’ signature potato-crisp taste, and Scorchin’ Cheddar Cheeze. According to Morningstar, the 100% plant-based Chik’n Fries are golden on the outside, juicy on the inside and offer 11 grams of protein per serving. Both flavors can …

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LikeMeat Chick'n/ Chicken Wings

©LIVEKINDLY.co
Studies & Numbers

Sales of Plant-Based Wings Grow as Americans Expected to Consume 160M Vegan Wings for Super Bowl

A new report by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) shows that an estimated ten million Americans will consume about 160 million plant-based wings during this year’s Super Bowl. In addition, brands like Blackbird Foods report soaring demand for new vegan wing products as the segment continues to undergo expansion and innovation. Every year, Americans consume an enormous amount of party foods, including pizza, nachos and dips, during football’s biggest night. Perhaps the most popular dish of all is chicken wings – about 1.4 billion wings are eaten annually during the game.  But plant-based wings are steadily gaining ground as more Americans turn to a growing range of vegan wing options.  To estimate vegan wings’ popularity, CIWF estimated that roughly 6% of the U.S. population consider …

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Skinny Butcher

© Skinny Butcher
Retail & E-Commerce

Retail Expansion for Skinny Butcher’s Plant-Based Chicken in 3 Major Michigan Stores

Michigan-based Skinny Butcher is expanding throughout its home state with launches at three major chains. The brand’s plant-based chicken products — which include Crazy Crispy Chick’n Breasts, Tenders, Nuggets, and Patties — will be available at Costco Wholesale, SpartanNash corporate stores, and all Gordon Food Service locations. The chicken alternatives are made from vegetable fibres, which are combined with pea protein and a proprietary spice blend. The products are then coated using a double-breading method. According to Skinny Butcher, the finished plant-based chicken has “the crispiest, closest to real fried chicken taste and texture on the market”. Successful debut Skinny Butcher previously launched at Costco stores in Northern California, the Midwest, and selected Utah locations. The brand also arrived at Walmart stores nationwide through a …

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product of the year 2023 winners

Image: vegconomist
Fairs & Events

Product of the Year 2023: 17 Vegan Winners in Multiple Categories Chosen by UK Consumers

*Updated 2/2 to remove Starbucks Chilled Classics Multiserve which is not vegan* The Product of the Year, the largest consumer survey of product innovation in the UK, has revealed the winners of its 2023 awards, with 17 vegan products chosen by consumers across multiple categories. According to organisers, this year, nearly a fifth of consumers said plant-based was the most important factor when buying or trying a new product and plant-based products made the “greatest imprint” across multiple categories, ranging from big brands to startups. Consumer led The annual Product of the Year Awards is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation and serves as a benchmark for predicting top interests and trends in the year ahead. In its 19th edition this year, 8,000 adult UK consumers …

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© Kindness
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Thai Startup Kindness Exports to 25+ Countries With 4000t Annual Output

Kindness is a plant-based food tech startup based in Thailand, with a fun tagline, “Let’s go Beyond the Impossible,” tipping its hat to its biggest international peers. Kindness offers ready plant-based formulas and product development and plant protein consultancy to brands and manufacturers that “desire to innovate within the vegan protein space.” With 30 years of combined experience in plant-based food production, Kindness claims its R&D team has developed 300-ready formulas using soy, wheat, konjac, and pea protein, which other companies can leverage to expand their current CPG offer or develop innovative products. A non-animal-derived diet Founded by Mike Yang, the Thai startup aims to develop high-quality, plant-based foods at a competitive cost to propel consumers’ adoption of a non-animal-derived diet. With the brand’s plant-based formulas, …

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