Beyond Meat and Wendy’s Georgia announce the launch of a new plant-based meat burger, the Wendy’s Plant Burger in all 19 Wendy’s locations across Georgia.
Food Service

Beyond Meat Continues to Expand in Europe with Launch of Wendy’s Plant Burger in Georgia

Beyond Meat and Wendy’s Georgia announce the launch of a new plant-based meat burger — the Wendy’s Plant Burger — in all 19 Wendy’s locations across Georgia. The collaboration targets the growing demand for meat-free options in the country and marks a further step in the company’s expansion across Europe, where plant-based food sales have been rising, signaling an interest in sustainable alternatives to animal products. The company’s presence on the continent remains strong, with new products launching through retail and food service in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia, Belgium, Italy, Romania, Austria, the Baltics, and Malta. Just last month, McPlant Nuggets made with Beyond Meat’s chicken rolled out to over 1,500 McDonald’s locations across France. “We’re proud to be partnering with Wendy’s …

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(L) Chayadhorn Taepaisitphongse, Managing Director of Betagro Ventures and Jeff "Trip" Tripician, CEO of Meatable

(L) Chayadhorn Taepaisitphongse and Jeff Tripician © Meatable

Investments & Finance

Thailand’s Leading Meat Company Betagro Invests in Meatable to Fuel Asian Expansion

Dutch cultivated meat company Meatable announces it has received a strategic investment from Betagro Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Betagro, a major agri-industrial and food company based in Thailand, producing and distributing meat (chicken and pork) and animal feed. The news comes six months after Meatable onboarded meat industry veteran Jeff Tripitcian, with over 25 years of experience in the American meat industry with roles including president of Perdue. At the same time, Dean Banks, former president and CEO of Tyson Foods, joined the Board of Directors. The investment will help accelerate Meatable’s growth and market presence in Asia beyond Singapore, a region with a growing demand for meat that needs sustainable, scalable alternatives to animal farming. The collaboration also anticipates opportunities for …

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© Plantible

Investments & Finance

Duckweed Protein Developer Plantible Raises $30M to Scale Operations Amid ‘Insatiable’ Demand for Functional Ingredients

San Diego-based Plantible Foods, a vertically integrated startup extracting the protein RuBisCo from the leafy green aquatic plant called lemna (duckweed), has raised $30 million in a Series B funding round co-led by Piva Capital and Siddhi Capital. New investors, including Betagro Ventures, Cultivate Next (Chipotle Mexican Grill’s venture arm), and Nourish Ventures (from Griffith Foods), backed the startup and existing investor Astanor Ventures. With the new capital, Plantible will expand its manufacturing operations to meet the “insatiable” demand for its sustainable and highly functional proteins for use in plant-based alternatives, baked goods, gluten-free products, pasta, and other applications. Founder and CEO Tony Martens Fekini commented, “This funding will enable us to significantly expand our manufacturing capabilities and meet the rapidly growing demand for our …

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Ingredients

Ingredion and Lantmännen Join Forces to Develop a Portfolio of High-Quality Pea Protein Isolates

Two ingredient companies, Chicago’s Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR) and Sweden’s Lantmännen, announce a long-term partnership to develop a portfolio of plant-based protein isolates derived from locally sourced yellow peas. The collaboration will focus on expanding the companies’ capabilities from sales to product innovation and process improvements. The goal is to cater to consumer demand for more appealing and healthier products with high-quality, plant-based proteins and to supply the growing alternative protein market, starting with Europe. According to GFI’s latest analysis, plant-based food sales in Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK reached €5.4 billion in 2023, up 5.5% from 2022, while volume sales were up 3.5%. “By joining forces with Lantmännen, we are expanding our footprint in the European market. This marks a significant …

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Axiom Foods expands pea protein production

© Axiom Foods

Ingredients

Axiom Foods Expands Production of “Better-Tasting” Pea Protein to Address Supply Gaps and High Prices in the US

California’s Axiom Foods, one of the biggest plant-based ingredient companies in the US,  has expanded the production of its better-tasting and versatile pea protein —Vegotein N — to offer a cost-effective solution for plant-based and allergy-free foods. The pea protein is now produced at Axiom Foods’ facilities in North America using local ingredients and the company’s patented process. By January 2025, over 2,000 metric tons will be processed annually, and capacity will be doubled within 12 months, the company said. A supply chain shift Axiom Foods says the new development signifies a supply chain shift, breaking China’s dominance, which supplied 96% of pea protein. In 2023, steep tariffs (270% anti-dumping and 340% countervailing duties) were imposed on Chinese pea protein imports, significantly disrupting the US market. …

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Amazon Rainforest in Anavilhanas National Park, Amazonas - Brazil

© Marcio-Isensee-e-Sa. - stock.adobe.com

Startups, Accelerators & Incubators

ProVeg International Expands to Brazil With First-Ever Office in South America

  ProVeg International, a food awareness organization aiming to replace 50% of animal products globally with plant-based and cultivated foods by 2040, has expanded its global presence by opening its first office in South America: ProVeg Brazil. Led by journalist Aline Baroni, the Brazilian team will promote plant-forward public policies and work with the Brazilian government to highlight “food systems” as a central theme during the 2025 UN Climate Summit, COP30, which will take place in the Amazonian city of Belém. With this addition, the organization now operates in 14 countries, broadening its reach and influence in promoting the health and environmental benefits of plant-based diets. The Brazil office follows the establishment of ProVeg Portugal earlier this year and offices in Nigeria and Malaysia in 2023. …

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Australia's Cauldron Ferm announces that the Queensland Government, through its Industry Partnership Program (IPP), will support the development of the Cauldron Bio-fab, a precision fermentation manufacturing facility in Mackay.

Mrs. Julieanne Gilbert (L), Member for Mackay and Assistant Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Industrial Relations and Racing; Michele Stansfield, co-founder and CEO of Cauldron; Belinda Hassen, Candidate for Mackay, and Robin Stinson (R), CFO at Mackay Sugar - Image courtesy of Cauldron

Fermentation

Cauldron Ferm to Develop Asia-Pacific’s Largest Precision Fermentation Facility Following Queensland Government Support

Australia’s Cauldron Ferm announces that the Queensland Government, through its Industry Partnership Program (IPP), will support the development of the ‘Cauldron Bio-fab’, a precision fermentation facility in Mackay. The facility will be the first and largest end-to-end contract manufacturer for bioproducts in Asia-Pacific, with a projected annual output of over 1,000 tons. It will deploy Cauldron’s hyper-fermentation technology for cost-effective and resource-efficient production of alternative proteins and widely used petrochemicals for multiple sectors. Co-founder and CEO Michele Stansfield shares, “We are honored to be receiving support from the Queensland Government to develop our first industrial-scale operations in Mackay. This funding enables us to scale our innovative technology as a major milestone in our journey to redefine the scope of biomanufacturing.” Reaching price parity Cauldron aims to …

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A photo of a Odd Burger restaurant

© Odd Burger

Investments & Finance

Odd Burger Opens $4M Round to Fuel Vegan Fast Food Expansion Following Strong Q3 Results

Odd Burger Corporation, the company behind the vegan fast food chain Odd Burger, has announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to $4 million via convertible debentures. As explained in the announcement, the debentures have a 36-month maturity and carry a 15% annual interest rate. Additionally, they can be converted into common shares at $0.25 each and may be forcibly converted if share prices increase significantly. Odd Burger is a franchised vegan fast-food chain with a vertically integrated supply chain and 17 operational stores across Canada. The first Odd Burger restaurant opened in London, Ontario, in December 2016, becoming the country’s first vegan-fast food restaurant. Today, the firm focuses on smart kitchens, advanced cooking technology, competitive pricing, and high-quality ingredients to offer healthier options …

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Meatable_Dumplings

© Meatable

Company News

Dutch Startup Meatable Joins APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture, Set to Pioneer Cultivated Pork in Singapore

Dutch cultivated pork startup Meatable announces it has joined the APAC Society for Cellular Agriculture (APAC-SCA), becoming its newest member as of September 2024. APAC-SCA is a coalition of Asian cultivated meat and seafood companies advancing cell-based foods to meet the soaring animal protein demand in a bid to ensure food security and sustainability. The organization has opened its membership to companies based outside the APAC region, aiming to support those with business strategies in the area. Meatable has operations in Singapore, where its cultivated pork products, made in just four days, are pending regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), with hopes to launch between the end of this year and 2025. Meatable’s General Manager in Singapore, Aaron Yeo, now appointed member representative, …

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The Italian beef trader Gruppo Tonazzo, a family business for five generations, announced it would discontinue its meat business at the end of this year.

© Tonazzo Group

Company News

Gruppo Tonazzo Shuts Down Meat Business to Focus on Plant Proteins: “We Feel a Deep Responsibility to Future Generations”

The Italian beef trader Gruppo Tonazzo, a family business for five generations, announced it would discontinue its meat business at the end of this year. The company said it would focus solely on plant proteins and expand its plant-based brand, Kioene, which was introduced almost 40 years ago and, today, is among the market’s leaders, offering over 100 products. As reported by local media, the company’s meat facilities in Villanova di Camposampiero will specialize in producing high-quality vegetable and legume-based foods. Employees involved in the meat division can transition to roles within the plant-based business, ensuring job continuity. A long-term vision According to Tonazzo’s leadership, the strategic decision reflects a long-term vision to address the environmental impact of meat and promote healthy diets for future …

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Better Balance, Sigma's global plant-based food brand, announced the launch of its popular Better Dog at all Gelson's Markets locations across Los Angeles County.

Image courtesy of Better Balance

Retail & E-Commerce

Better Balance’s Gluten & Soy-Free Plant-Based Dogs Hit Gelson’s 27 Locations in LA County

Better Balance, Sigma‘s global plant-based food brand, announces the launch of its latest release — the Better Dog — at all 27 Gelson’s Markets locations across Los Angeles County, from Santa Barbara to Pacific Beach. The Better Dog is a gluten and soy-free alternative made from pea protein. The brand claims that it has quickly become a favorite among consumers and industry experts for its superior taste and texture. The product earned various accolades after its initial launch in Spain in 2022 and its US debut in Chicago’s foodservice scene this February. Gelson’s will offer two SKUs: the Jumbo pack, featuring two extra-long hot dogs, and the Classic, a five-pack of traditional-sized hot dogs. Ana Guerra, Head of US for Better Balance, shares, “As we …

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The PHW Group will establish a new subsidiary focusing on traditional and precision fermentation to develop ingredients for alternative products.

© PHW Group

Fermentation

Poultry Giant PHW Enters Precision Fermentation Ingredients With New Subsidiary 

PHW Group, the largest poultry producer in Germany known for the Wiesenhof brand, will establish a new subsidiary later this year, focusing on traditional and precision fermentation to develop ingredients for alternative protein and blended products. The firm, which has invested millions in its plant-based meat brand Green Legend, intends to integrate plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation technologies under its roof to position itself as a critical player in the sector. As part of this expanding strategy, the company launched an ingredients platform in 2023 and recently invested in the Dutch company Mosa Meat, which focuses on cultivated beef and fats. “It is going to be a core technology” Marcus Keitzer, Board Member for Alternative Proteins at the PHW Group, told Cultivated X, “Precision fermentation technology …

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Germany’s Kaufland, a hypermarket chain operational since 1984 that offers a comprehensive range of plant-based alternatives, is expanding its brand K-take it veggie lineup to over 100 different items.

© Kaufland

Products & Launches

Kaufland Adds Vegan Parmesan & Salmon to Lineup, Expands Range to Over 100 Items

German hypermarket chain Kaufland announces an expansion of its brand K-Take it Veggie to offer approximately 20% more items, now reaching over 100 vegan products. The new SKUs include Parmesan cheese, salmon, and cheese sticks, adding new consumer options to support plant-based nutrition. According to Kaufland, one in five Germans is interested in a vegan diet, and more than 1.5 million people in Germany are already living a vegan lifestyle. The trend is rising, and the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, is even trying to address the country’s all-time low meat consumption by suggesting new market opportunities. “With K-Take it Veggie, we want to offer our customers plant-based products that are suitable for every taste and every day, and also inspire them to …

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Cultivated seafood startup Umami Bioworks and India’s IKP Knowledge Park, a premium Science Park and Incubator India, have announced a partnership to accelerate the production of cultivated seafood.

© IKP Knowledge Park

Cultivated Seafood

Cultivated Seafood Pioneer UMAMI Bioworks Sets Foot in India with IKP Partnership

Cultivated seafood startup UMAMI Bioworks, (previously Umami Meats) has announced a partnership with India’s premium Science Park and Incubator, IKP Knowledge Park, to accelerate the production of cultivated seafood. IKP has recently established the Centre for Smart Protein and Sustainable Material Innovation in Bangalore, which facilitates core R&D, innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange for the smart protein sector. At the centre, UMAMI Bioworks’ team in India will lead the engineering and validation of the company’s plug-and-play manufacturing hardware, supporting tech transfer from their demonstration line to customer sites. Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairman and CEO of IKP Knowledge Park, welcomed UMAMI Bioworks and expressed excitement about the novel technology platform it brings to the smart protein ecosystem. She shared, “This collaboration will not only accelerate Umami’s growth …

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Made With Plants launches at Coles

© Made With Plants

Retail & E-Commerce

Australia’s Made With Plants Expands Into 500+ Coles Stores

Made With Plants, an Australian company producing meat and dairy alternatives, has announced it is expanding into over 500 Coles stores across the country. Coles customers can now purchase Made With Plants’ plant-based bacon, chicken, ham, and grated mozzarella. The ham and chicken are made from seitan, the bacon is soy-based, and the mozzarella is made from sunflower and coconut oils. Coles previously told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2022 that it was working to offer more plant-based options, after seeing a “rise in the flexitarian and people seeking out alternative protein sources”. A report published in May found that plant-based meat sales surged by 47% in Australia and New Zealand between 2020 and 2023, noting that the price gap between conventional meat and plant-based …

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Bored Cow's milk original flavor

© Bored Cow

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Bored Cow Celebrates Major Expansion as Animal-Free Milk Reaches All 50 US States

Tomorrow Farms‘ consumer brand, Bored Cow, has reached a significant milestone in its national expansion: its animal-free milk range — Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, and Original — has launched in 2000+ additional stores and is now available in all 50 US states.  The expansion includes the introduction of a new 11-oz format for the Original flavor and new 4-pack mini cartons. Recently, Bored Cow added a range of animal-free yogurts in strawberry, vanilla, and passion fruit mango flavors to its lineup of animal-free dairy made with fermented proteins.  When Bored Cow launched two years ago, the products were only available through the company’s website. Later, in 2023, the brand hit a major milestone by securing listings in Sprouts Farmers Market. Then, the products gradually reached thousands of …

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Dodo Vegan Hut's team

© Dodo Vegan Hut

Food & Beverage

Dodo Vegan Hut Sees Success with Wholesome & Halal-Certified Frozen Food Lineup

After identifying a gap in the market for convenient and healthy vegan food products, Manimegalai Parry founded Dodo Vegan Hut in 2022 in Penang, Malaysia. With only two years in business, the company, supported by an all-women team, plans to widen its distribution channels and scale operations to expand locally and internationally through strategic investments and partnerships.  Initially operating from a commercial kitchen in Bayan Lepas, Dodo Vegan Hut acquired a production facility in Simpang Ampat at the end of 2023 to expand its operations. Parry recently told the Malaysiakini that the popularity of plant-based foods has surged due to increasing awareness of health, environmental, and ethical concerns. In addition, in April 2024, Dodo Vegan Hut successfully achieved JAKIM’s Halal certification, broadening its market reach among …

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Dreamfarm almond-based cheese

© Dreamfarm

Cheese Alternatives

Italy’s Dreamfarm Launches Innovative Almond-Based Cheeses in Germany

Italian startup Dreamfarm has announced that its almond-based cheese alternatives are launching in Germany. The cheeses will initially be available at Edeka stores in Berlin, and may later launch at restaurants and pizzerias. The news comes less than two months after Dreamfarm expanded to Delhaize stores in Belgium, following an “incredibly positive” reception in Italy. A launch in the Netherlands is also said to be on the cards. The startup’s rapid expansion has been made possible by a €5 million investment from food industry entrepreneurs Giampaolo Cagnin and Francesco Mutti, which has also allowed for the establishment of a new production facility. Dreamfarm aims to provide a healthier alternative to other plant-based cheeses on the market. While many cheese alternatives are made predominantly from coconut …

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Vegan calamari rings on a plate

© Vrave

Products & Launches

Spanish Seafood Producer Aguinamar Partners with Vrave to Launch Vegan Calamari in Major Retailers

In another collaboration between a traditional food company and a food startup, the Spanish seafood producer Angulas Aguinaga Group, via its brand Aguinamar, has partnered with Grin Grin Foods (which recently rebranded to Vrave) to launch its first plant-based product, Aros de Mar, a vegan calamari. With Aros de Mar, Aguinamar is adding a vegan option to its lineup of easy-to-prepare seafood products, expanding into the growing plant-based seafood category. The new alternative will be available in Carrefour and Alcampo at the end of April. The product is konjac-based, providing quality and texture to the calamari alternative while offering a good amount of fiber and a few kilocalories. It is suitable for pan frying, baking, or air frying, allowing it to obtain a crunchy and firm texture. Konjac …

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JULIENNE BRUNO artisan vegan cheeses launch at Coop Switzerland

© JULIENNE BRUNO

Cheese Alternatives

Artisan Vegan Cheese Brand JULIENNE BRUNO Expands to Switzerland with Updated Packaging

UK-based artisan vegan cheese brand JULIENNE BRUNO has announced an expansion to Switzerland, rolling out at hundreds of Coop stores across the country. The brand’s burrata alternative, Burrella, will be available at 375 Coop locations, while its stracciatella alternative, Superstraccia, has gained listings at 170 stores. Both products are award-winning — Burrella won the Dairy Alternative Innovation category at last year’s World Dairy Innovation Awards, while Superstraccia has received a Great Taste Award. This is JULIENNE BRUNO’s first international launch, with further market expansion planned in the coming months. The brand is also developing a new product range called Collection 02. New packaging In the meantime, JULIENNE BRUNO has relaunched its Collection 01 (featuring Burrella, Superstraccia, and the cream cheese alternative Crematta) with updated packaging. …

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