Circular Economy

GRO collage

@ GRO
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Oyster Mushrooms Grow in Waste Coffee Grounds, GRO Harnesses Them to Create Vegan, Veggie & Blended Products

Rapidly expanding Dutch startup GRO focuses on the tasty, versatile and circularly grown oyster mushroom. The circular process starts with the coffee bean used to make a cup of coffee. What remains as raw material, or coffee grounds, is collected from wholesalers and repurposed for growing oyster mushrooms, which are then crafted into products made for vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians such as croquettes, ragout rolls, carpaccio, crisps and burgers. Founded in 2011 by Jan Willem Bosman Jansen, GRO Mushrooms was inspired by a sustainable initiative in Zimbabwe, where coffee plantation waste was repurposed to cultivate mushrooms. Bringing this concept to the Netherlands, Bosman Jansen laid the groundwork for GRO, which produces snacks and finger foods from oyster mushrooms grown on coffee grounds collected from corporate …

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Revyve egg white replacer

© Revyve
Sustainability / Environment

It’s Time to Address the Huge Potential of Agricultural Byproducts in Alt Proteins

A recent Good Food Institute report highlights the potential of under-utilized agricultural byproducts to sustainably scale up production of alternative proteins. Based on North American research, the findings are also applicable to Europe, offering insights into how farmers and ingredients producers can leverage sidestreams from barley, maize, wheat, and rapeseed / canola. The report describes how agricultural sidestreams which would normally go to waste can be valorized by the plant-based, cultivated meat and fermentation sectors. Byproducts can be utilized in several ways to create a circular economy that can help produce food more efficiently, affordably, and sustainably: Byproducts from rapeseed / canola oil extraction can be used to produce protein concentrates, adding texture and nutritional properties to plant-based meat,  Byproducts from the maize milling process …

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Jonathan Goshen, CEO of Yeap and an employee

© Yeap
Protein

Israel’s Yeap Receives Investment from Fermentation Expert Lessafre for Upcycled Yeast Proteins

Israeli startup Yeap announces that Lessafre, a global player in fermentation-derived products, has made a 10% investment in the company to introduce proteins made from upcycled spent yeast to the plant-based market. Yeap was founded by cultivated meat pioneer Didier Toubia, CEO of Aleph Farms, Dominik Grabinski, and Jonathan Goshen, CEO of Yeap, to develop sustainable proteins incorporating a circular economy model. Its shareholders include The Kitchen Hub by Strauss and AgFunder. The company already has several products in the pipeline and is a member of the Upcycled Food Association. Through the new partnership, Lessafre will assist Yeap in completing the development of these proteins made from upcycled yeast. Biospringer by Lesaffre, a leading producer of natural food ingredients extracted from yeast and other microorganisms, will oversee the collaboration. “The product under …

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David Whitewood -founder of upp

Image courtesy of upp
Agriculture / Agribusiness

Upp Project Extracting Proteins from Upcycled Broccoli Gets £800K Grant from UK Government

A UK consortium led by upp, a broccoli harvesting and protein specialist, has been awarded an £800K grant from the UK government for a project to accelerate the development of low-cost, low-impact, highly nutritious protein from upcycled broccoli.  In cooperation with the James Hutton Institute and Agri-EPI Centre, the SusProt Project targets 80% of currently unharvested broccoli crop biomass, such as the stem and stalk, to extract proteins and ingredients for plant-based foods. The Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) selected the consortium’s project at UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge.  Sustainable food from waste David Whitewood, co-founder and CEO of upp, commented:  “We’re delighted to have won this grant and to be working with some of the UK’s best AgriFoodTech teams to …

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Chocolate Sea Salt Cereal, SunOpta X Seven Sundays

Image: BusinessWire
Products & Launches

SunOpta and Seven Sundays Launch “First Ever” Cereals With Oats Upcycled From Oat Milk Production

Plant-based foods and beverage company SunOpta, headquartered in Minnesota USA, announces what it describes as a first-of-its-kind partnership with breakfast company Seven Sundays. The news comes as SunOpta shareholders have been notified that CEO & Director Joseph Ennen has purchased US$101k worth of company stock, according to Simply Wall St. Through the partnership, the companies have launched the “first-ever” Oat Protein Cereal made with SunOpta’s upcycled oat protein powder OatGold™, a byproduct of oat milk production. The product debuts in four flavors – Simply Honey, Super Fruity, Maple Cinnamon, and Chocolate Sea Salt, and contains five grams of upcycled plant-based protein per serving. “At SunOpta, sustainability is part of our DNA and we are always looking for sustainable solutions in our operations,” said Lauren McNamara, …

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revyve's healthy foods made with BSY proteins

© revyve
Investments & Finance

Netherlands: revyve Secures €8M For Upcycled Ingredients From Beer Industry

Cosun and Oost NL last week invested €8 million in Netherlands foodtech scale-up revyve to support the development and production of sustainable ingredients from food industry byproducts. revyve uses a patented technology to produce protein and fiber from brewer’s yeast, a byproduct of the brewery industry. These upcycled ingredients have a low carbon footprint and can replace animal proteins and E-numbers (such as methylcellulose). Because of their great versatility and high functionality, these ingredients can be used in a wide variety of food products, including meat alternatives, pastas, baked goods, sauces, and snacks. Revyve states it is working to increase production to more than 100 tons per year. At revyve, a process has been developed that enables the production of functional ingredients from brewer’s yeast. …

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Unsweetened sesame milk in store

©The Planting Hope Co.
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

Planting Hope Reports “Record Year of Growth” in 2022, Quadruples YOY Revenue

The Planting Hope Company (CVE:MYLK) announces its financial results for the fiscal year ended December 2022, and reports it achieved record revenues of $12.2M last year, more than 4.6 times its revenue in 2021.  Planting Hope, whose products include Hope and Sesame sesamemilk, RightRice and Mozaics Veggie Chips, says its 2022 revenues were 358% higher than in 2021, driven by its acquisition of RightRice, significant North America retail expansion, and enthusiastic response to its Barista Blend Sesamemilk in food service and coffee shops.  “In 2022, we rolled out our flagship Hope and Sesame Barista Blend Sesamemilk to the critical Café channel,” said Julia Stamberger, CEO and co-founder of Planting Hope. “After five years of formulation, development and testing, sesame milk is the first meaningful new …

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Vegan clean-label mushroom burger

©Shroomeats
Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Shroomeats: Disrupting the Status Quo with “Revolutionary” Upcycled Mushroom Meat

Mushrooms are quickly becoming a top ingredient of choice for many alt-protein brands and startups, thanks to their exploding popularity as a highly functional and sustainable food with a pleasing taste. However, mushrooms currently do not star as the top ingredient in most plant-based meats. Shroomeats, founded by Thai native Dissaya Theerakaosal, seeks to disrupt this status quo and launch a new trend for cleaner-label, mushroom-based meat alternatives.  First launched in 2019 as a frozen product, the US-based Shroomeats now sells a line of shelf-stable vegan meats made from upcycled shitake mushrooms. Containing just six ingredients, Shroomeats’ line includes Mushroom Patties, Meatballs, and Shred-It (a shredded product.)  The brand says its simple list of ingredients – shiitake mushroom, pea protein, sunflower oil, salt, pepper, potato …

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brewbee-team-innovation

Yves Habermacher, Johannes Lenz & Simon Haas, © brewbee
Retail & E-Commerce

Switzerland’s First Upcycled Food Brand brewbee Rolls Out into Coop Stores

Food upcycling instead of food waste: brewbee wants to conquer the Swiss market with its sustainable foods created with spent grain from the beer industry. Coop will now carry the brand’s muesli, pizzas, potato chips, and meat alternatives, throughout Switzerland. The startup transforms the byproducts of traditional beer brewing into high-quality foods. Spent grain, brewer’s yeast, soft beer and pithy secondary wort are processed in Appenzell into “Tschipps,” pizza, muesli and “Gschnetzlets.” These sustainably produced foods are now available at Coop stores across Switzerland. As yet, it is barely known what can be possible with beer brewery by-products. “Brewer’s grains contain more protein and fiber than other raw materials – you feel full faster and, above all, longer,” emphasizes Simon Haas, food technologist and product …

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Grounded People Shoes

©Grounded People
Fashion, Design & Beauty

Grounded People Launches São Paulo Shoe Collection Made From Recycled Car Tires

Canadian fashion brand Grounded People (CNSX: SHOE)  announces its new unisex São Paulo collection is launching to customers throughout the US and Canada.  Named in recognition of São Paulo, Brazil – the state in which the shoes are manufactured – the collection is crafted from recycled materials and features high-top and low-cut styles in black and khaki colors. As part of the brand’s dedication to sustainability, the Collection features shoes with extra-durable outsoles made from used car tires (black) or volcanized natural rubber (khaki) to provide improved comfort and traction. The shoes also offer all-metal D hooks to provide reliability when lacing up and 100% recycled cotton, Grounded People says. Prices start at US $219, and the shoes are backed by the brand’s “industry-disrupting” five-year warranty …

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Yeastup patties in packaging

© Yeastup
Studies & Numbers

FHNW Study: Yeastup Protein Shows Up to 81% Lower Ecological Footprint Than Pea & Beef

A study conducted at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) recently examined the environmental impact of different burger patties and found clear advantages in Yeastup protein, which is upcycled from the beer brewing process. A patty with proteins from brewery surplus yeast was compared with a conventional version made from beef and a vegan patty as a benchmark. The life cycle assessment according to ISO 14040 ff showed that Yeastin® can reduce the environmental footprint of a 113 g burger patty by 74 to 81%, depending on the indicator studied. The research results from the Institute for Ecopreneurship at FHNW show: A vegan burger patty made from Yeastin® protein by Yeastup has an even smaller environmental footprint than one made from pea protein. …

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EatKinda ice cream

© EatKinda
Milk- and Dairy Alternatives

EatKinda: Innovative Dairy-Free Ice Cream Made From Upcycled Cauliflower

EatKinda is a New Zealand company making plant-based ice cream with an unusual key ingredient — cauliflower. The brand was founded in 2020 by longtime vegan Jenni Matheson and food technology student Milli Kumar. To make the ice cream, cauliflower that would otherwise be wasted is combined with ingredients such as coconut oil, pea protein, and chickpea flour to give a rich, creamy texture. The product is currently available in three flavours: Strawberry Swirl, Chocolate Swirl, and Mint Choco Bikkie. In blind taste tests, it is said to have performed equally to conventional dairy ice cream. Lost crops EatKinda’s journey so far has not been without its challenges — 460kg of cauliflower earmarked for use in the ice cream was lost in floods earlier this …

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©THIS PKN
Products & Launches

Pecan Specialist THIS PKN Launches ‘New Generation’ of Coffee Creamers Made From Pecanmilk

THIS PKN, a dairy-free brand owned by sustainable foods company Lifestock, announces it is launching a ‘new generation’ of plant-based creamers made from pecanmilk. In March 2023, the brand will debut two creamer varieties in Original and Vanilla on its website, followed by a rollout in Sprouts Farmers Markets.  Described as a creamy, flavorful addition to coffee and tea, PKN uses the naturally occurring richness and fats found in pecans to complement coffee’s acidity and the tannins in tea. In addition to hot beverages, the pecanmilk can be added to cereals, smoothies, granola or morning oats.  Available in Original and Sweet Vanilla, PKN’s new creamers made without added sugar or oil and contain Omega-3s, antioxidants, calcium, zinc; as well as vitamins A, B, and E. …

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persiskin's vegan leather made from persimmon

© Persiskin

Materials

Persiskin Launches Vegan Leather Made from Waste Persimmons

Persiskin, a Valencian company developing innovative textiles using raw plant materials, has launched a vegan leather made from leftover persimmons, providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather and reducing food waste.  “We are located in the cradle of persimmon production in Europe. So we can affirm by having extensive knowledge about this fruit, its cultivation, and its great capabilities that it is an ideal raw material for producing this new vegan leather,” states the company. Persiskin’s persimmon leather results from a €2 million investment initiative launched by la Comunidad Valencia (autonomous community of Spain) and the participation of the textile industry research association AITEX to provide an outlet for the region’s surplus persimmon production, which is around 500 million kg annually.  Persimmon leather on demand …

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planetaria's plant ribs

© Planet Ribs
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Planetarians Raises $6M to Upscale Vegan Meat From Upcycled Ingredients

B2B plant-based foods company Planetarians has raised $6 million in a Seed II investment round to produce at a commercial scale its vegan meat blocks and supply the food service industry.  The food technology company has invested seven years in R&D to develop a sustainable, low cost alternative to meat made only from two upcycled ingredients: oil cakes and brewer’s yeast.  The raised funds will be used to build a pilot facility capable of producing tons of vegan blocks per year and move to a commercial production phase. Mindrock led the investment round, joined by Traction Fund, Techstars, SOSV, and AB InBev, the company behind some of the world’s largest beer brands and Planetarians brewers’ yeast supplier, committed to recycling barley and yeast from its brewing …

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Laminates Vegetables

ANINA's Ugly veg, image credit Yasmin & Arye Photographers

Fairs & Events

Future of Food Events Announces the Inaugural Upcycled Ingredients Summit

To support the growth of the upcycling industry, Future of Food Events, a division of world-leading conference company C5 Group Inc., announces the inaugural Upcycled Ingredients Summit which takes place May 31 – June 1. This inaugural event will gather industry leaders to discuss how to scale implementation of upcycled ingredients to combat waste and create a more sustainable food system. A growing sector As the upcycled foods sector continues to grow, engaging the consumer, as well as developing the supply chain and mutually beneficial partnerships, will be critical to creating a circular economy that not only meets the needs of the consumer but also achieves net-zero goals.   The summit will bring together leading F&B brands and producers with innovative ingredient suppliers and solutions providers …

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HopeAndSesame three cartons

©Planting Hope
Sustainability / Environment

Hope and Sesame Expands at Kroger, Becomes ‘World’s First’ Upcycled Certified Plant Milk Brand

The Planting Hope Company, maker of Hope and Sesame, announces it has become the ‘world’s first’ plant milk brand to earn Upcycled Food Association (UFA) certification for its organic sesamemilk. The company is also expanding its distribution with Kroger, America’s largest grocery chain, to introduce Hope & Sesame’s new 48 oz refrigerated bottles.  According to Planting Hope, The Upcycled Certified Program is the world’s first third-party certification program designed for upcycled ingredients and products. To qualify for designation, products must be made with surplus food or food by-products and contain at least 10% upcycled ingredients. Companies must also have verifiable supply chains and demonstrate a positive impact on the environment.  Made from the byproducts of sesame seed oil production, Hope and Sesame’s milk provides 8 …

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Fat made with up cycled ingredients

© ÄIO
Fermentation

ÄIO Raises €1M to Replace Palm Oil With Fats Made From Sawdust

Estonian startup ÄIO has secured €1 million to further develop its technology, which converts agricultural and wood industry sidestreams such as sawdust into alternative fats. The process uses a microbe called the “red bug” to ferment the industrial byproducts, converting them into nutrient-rich fats. These could replace commonly used products such as palm and coconut oil, which often have a hugely detrimental impact on the environment. The fats will be suitable for a range of applications, including foods such as plant-based meats along with cosmetics and household products. Funding was contributed by Nordic Foodtech VC, EAS, and others. ÄIO plans to use the capital to increase production capacity and collaborate with the food industry to test the fats. The startup will also apply for the …

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Cashew fruit meat

©Caju Love
Products & Launches

Cajú Love Debuts Organic, Upcycled Cashew Fruit Meat in Retail and Food Service

Upcycling startup Cajú Love announces it is launching its novel cashew fruit meat in US retail and food service. The brand’s organic fruit meat can now be found at BESTIES Vegan Paradise, Los Angeles; Food Fight! Grocery, Portland; Orchard Grocer, New York, and also on Amazon. Made from Brazilian cashew apples, the discarded byproduct of the country’s cashew nut and juice industries, Cajú Love is a meatless alternative that cooks and shreds like chicken, pork or tuna. Previously only available online, the brand’s 200g cashew fruit meat pack is now sold at select retail outlets, while a new 800g pack is now available for food service.  “Customers have been very excited to try Cajú Love,” shared Beth Sullivan, owner of Food Fight! Grocery. “We have …

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fermentation-derived beef fat

© Melt&Marble
Science

Researchers Upcycle Agricultural Waste to Produce Fats for Alt Meat

Researchers from Connectomix Bio are investigating a method to transform agricultural waste into lipids for use in meat alternatives. The method will involve turning discarded parts of crops, such as corn husks, into a gas. This gas will then be used to feed microbes, which will produce lipids via fermentation. The resulting fatty acids could be added to cultivated and plant-based meats, improving their taste and texture. The researchers will tailor the lipids to particular applications, such as chicken, beef, or pork alternatives. They will also investigate different processes — for example, the biogas that is initially produced could be converted into another type of gas or a liquid to make the method more economical. Funded by GFI, the project will be run by a …

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