Gourmey

© Gourmey

Gastronomy & Food Service

Gourmey Enlists Michelin-Star Talent to Elevate Cultivated Foie Gras Ahead of Regulatory Approval

Gourmey, a Paris-based foodtech developing cultivated foie gras, has announced the creation of its inaugural culinary advisory board. The board includes three renowned Michelin-star chefs: Claude Le Tohic, Daniel Calvert, and Rasmus Munk. The chefs will lend their expertise to the company’s flagship product as Gourmey prepares for the anticipated regulatory approval of its product. The company submitted market approval applications in Europe, the US, Switzerland, and the UK, in the first half of 2024, and was the first to apply for regulatory approval to sell cultivated meat (foie gras) in the European Union this July. This advisory board is a first for the cultivated meat industry, and the three chefs bring a wealth of experience and creativity from across the globe: Le Tohic, based …

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Vow cultivated quail foie gras

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Company News

Vow’s Quail-Based ‘Forged Gras’ Launch Marks First Cultivated Meat Sale in Hong Kong

Australian cultivated meat company Vow has unveiled Forged Gras, a cultivated alternative to the luxury delicacy foie gras. Derived from Japanese quail cells, Forged Gras is now available in Hong Kong, marking the first commercial sale of cultivated meat in the region. The launch solidifies Vow’s status as the first company to sell multiple cultivated meat products across multiple markets, following the debut of its Forged Parfait in Singapore earlier this year. Unlike traditional foie gras, which has faced widespread bans due to ethical and environmental concerns, Forged Gras offers a reimagined version of the dish. Created without animal slaughter, the product mimics the fatty liver’s rich texture while introducing a subtle, gamey flavor profile unique to quail. George Peppou, Vow’s CEO, explained the company’s …

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a photo of a foie producer presenting a whole duck liver

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Politics & Law

Foie Gras Bans Gain Momentum in France as Pessac Becomes Latest City to Implement Restrictions 

Pessac has joined French municipalities, including Bordeaux, Poitiers, and Montpellier, in halting the service of foie gras at official functions, showcasing a growing sensitivity toward animal welfare in France. With this decision, Pessac, located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, has become the third city in the region to restrict foie gras, a traditional delicacy deeply tied to French culinary culture. Controversy surrounding foie gras Foie gras, derived from the fattened liver of ducks or geese, is traditionally produced through a method of force-feeding known as “gavage,” which has drawn criticism from animal welfare groups for its impact on the animals involved. This delicacy is widely popular in France, with 93% of the population consuming foie gras. The average French person consumes approximately 170 grams of the …

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Dr. Foods vegan truffle butter, caviar, and foie gras

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Company News

Dr. Foods and Next Meats Eye US Market Entry with Vegan Alternatives to World’s Top 3 Delicacies

Two Japanese food tech companies — Next Meats and its spinoff Dr. Foods  — were finalists in the Alternative Proteins – Cultivated Meat category at the FoodNiche Summit held at Cornell Tech University in New York. At the event, they presented their sustainable versions of the world’s top three delicacies: vegan foie gras, vegan caviar, and the recently launched vegan truffle butter. In its eighth year, the FoodNiche Summit aims to bridge the gap between academic scientific discoveries and marketplace innovations, presenting an excellent expansion opportunity for Dr. Foods and Next Meats. According to the announcement, the Japanese finalists seek local distribution partners to enter the New York market with their plant-based products. “The companies would like to team up together with industry-leading American companies to …

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Dr. Foods vegan truffle butter, caviar, and foie gras

© Dr. Foods

Products & Launches

Japan’s Dr. Foods Adds Vegan Truffle Butter to Range of Plant-Based Delicacies

Japanese food tech company Dr. Foods has announced the launch of its vegan truffle butter, which is ready for B2B distribution in Japan and internationally. The truffle butter is made with Italian summer truffle from Tuscany, combined with a proprietary plant-based butter made from Italian extra virgin olive oil. Dr. Foods has previously launched vegan foie gras and caviar, and says the truffle butter will complete its lineup of alternatives to “the world’s top three delicacies”. The company has already held tasting sessions for all three products in the U.S., Singapore, the Netherlands, Thailand, and the UAE. The response has been positive, and Dr. Foods will now make “full-scale efforts” to export the delicacies to hotels and restaurants worldwide. Since September 2023, 160,000 servings of …

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Market & Trends

Vegan Foie Gras Market to Grow With 5.8% CAGR as Consumers Demand Ethical Alternatives

A report by FACT.MR has found that the vegan foie gras market will grow with a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast period 2024-2034. The production of conventional foie gras has a high environmental impact and involves force-feeding ducks and geese, a process often considered unethical. This has led some areas, such as California, to ban animal-derived foie gras. Consequently, the market for vegan alternatives is growing, and companies are increasingly working to cater to this demand. One example is California-based The Better Meat Co, which has developed mycelium-based foie gras that has proven popular at upscale restaurants. Another Californian company, Prime Roots, has taken a similar approach with its foie gras made from koji fungus. In Europe, Nestlé’s plant-based Garden Gourmet brand relaunched its …

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Prime Roots

© Prime Roots

Food Service

Prime Roots Partners With Three Little Pigs to Bring Plant-Based Pâté to NYC

Prime Roots, the producer of koji-based deli meats, has partnered with Three Little Pigs, an artisanal charcuterie and pâté maker, to introduce its collection of plant-based pâtés and foie gras to customers in New York City. The range blends traditional French cuisine with the innovative and sustainable ingredients of Prime Root’s plant-based products, including its Black Truffle Koji-Pâté, Harvest Apple Koji-Pâté, and Koji-Foie Gras. These products are developed using koji, a fungi root commonly utilized in Asian cuisines for its umami-rich qualities, which is key to replicating the taste and texture of meat-based products. Founder and CEO of Prime Roots, Kimberlie Le, commented on the launch, saying, “It’s so fun to wow people’s tastebuds with a plant-based koji-pâté, and koji-foie gras that gives people the …

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Garden Gourmet Voie Gras Nestle

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Products & Launches

Nestlé’s Plant-Based Foie Gras Alternative, Voie Gras, Returns With a New Recipe

Nestlé has announced the re-release of Voie Gras, its plant-based alternative to foie gras, under its Garden Gourmet brand. Available to consumers in Belgium, Spain, and The Netherlands, the product previously gained popularity during its seasonal launch last year in Spain and Switzerland. Produced at Nestlé’s R&D centre in Singen, Germany, the recipe has been revamped by product developers and contains miso paste, sea salt, and a soy base, aiming to achieve the authentic texture and flavour of traditional foie gras. Marjolijn Niggebrugge, European Business Head of Plant-Based Meal Solutions at Nestlé, comments, “Garden Gourmet stands for food where taste feels good. Voie Gras is our testament to offering great-tasting seasonal options that cater to the growing demand for plant-based alternatives, balancing taste with environmental …

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hello plant foods' vegan foie gras served on a wooden board

© Hello Plant Foods

Company News

Hello Plant Foods Expects to Almost Quadruple YOY Sales of Vegan Foie Gras Hello Fuah! Over Xmas Season

Hello Plant Foods, a Spanish company specialising in the production of vegan foie gras, has announced that it expects to sell more than 110,000 units of its vegan Hello Fuah! during the coming Christmas season. This is almost four times the sales figures of last Christmas, when upon the launch of the product it managed to reach the figure of 30,000 units sold in one month. Throughout the Christmas campaign, Fuah! will be available in around 1,000 points of sale across various supermarket chains, distributors, specialised shops and restaurants. Following significant retail success in its domestic market, this year Hello Plant Foods has begun a process of international expansion and in recent months has managed to penetrate 3 key markets: Germany, France and Poland, and …

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Foi Green, Aberyne's plant-based foie gras made with cashews.

© Aberyne

Company News

Aberyne Announces Expansion in Europe and USA to Offer the “Best Plant-Based Foie Gras” Before Christmas

Foi Green, Aberyne‘s plant-based foie gras made with cashews, acclaimed by the three Michelin star chef Albert Adrià, will arrive at vegan and gourmet shops in Spain, the UK, and Switzerland, just in time for Christmas, Mikel Abeberry, the founder of Aberyne tells vegconomist.  Additionally, he shared that Aberyne will launch Foi Green in gourmet shops in the USA before the holidays; the company signed an agreement with a nationwide US distributor, marking the company’s first overseas expansion. Moreover, Aberyne has launched a Kickstarter campaign to establish a commercial office and get a foothold in the US, one of the most dynamic plant-based food markets, Abeberry said.  Foie gras, a staple of haute cuisine traditionally eaten at Christmas, is no longer a seasonal delicacy, with more consumers using …

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prime roots pate

© Prime Roots - Photo by Andrea D'Agosto

Products & Launches

Prime Roots Partners with Fabrique Délices to Offer Koji-Based Pâtés and Foie Gras

Producer of koji-based alternative meats, Prime Roots partners with Fabrique Délices, an artisanal French charcuterie maker, to create and distribute a line of fungi-based koji-pâtés and koji-foie gras for foodservice. One notable highlight of this partnership is the introduction of the only legally approved plant-based foie gras that can be served in California’s restaurants, addressing ethical and environmental concerns surrounding traditional foie gras production. Prime Roots joins the ranks of other global animal-free innovators disrupting the foie gras industry, including Dr.Foods in Japan and Foodys in Spain. Prime Roots distinguishes itself as the first company to introduce a range of freshly sliced deli meat and charcuterie, pâtés, and foie gras crafted from koji. CEO and co-founder of Prime Roots, Kimberlie Le, explained the significance of koji …

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© Hello Plant Foods

Retail & E-Commerce

Hello Plant Foods Continues its Success Story With Hello Fuah! Expanding into 170 Alimerka Supermarkets

Spain’s Hello Plant Foods, a producer of vegetable foie gras, expands into 170 Alimerka supermarkets in Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, and Galicia.  Hello Plant Foods’ vegan foie gras offers the same organoleptic characteristics as animal foie gras, giving it a virtually identical taste and texture according to the brand. Currently, the company has a production capacity of 4 million Fuah! units per year, which is equivalent to 15,000 units per day. Sold out in 12 hours In December of last year, Hello Plant Foods launched Hello Fuah!, billed as a “hyper-realistic” vegan foie gras alternative, in Alcampo hypermarkets and specialized vegan food stores across Spain. After only after 12 hours all the SKUs had sold out, exceeding the startup’s expectations and causing the company …

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© Dr. Foods

Products & Launches

The Animal-Free Innovators Disrupting the Foie Gras Industry

As Nestlé reportedly looks to launch its plant-based foie gras worldwide, we take a look at the variety of animal-free foie gras alternatives that have been introduced over the past year. Nestlé Nestlé originally conducted limited trials of its foie gras alternative in Spain and Switzerland last year. Called Voie Gras, the product was sold under the Garden Gourmet brand and contained soy, miso paste, and truffle. Now, the corporation has registered the trademark Veggie Gras internationally, suggesting that it is preparing for a global rollout. Dr. Foods In April, Japan’s Dr. Foods (owner of Next Meats) said it had developed what it claimed was the world’s first plant-based foie gras made by cultivating microorganisms. The product is set to be showcased at 28 wedding …

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foie gras

©PUNTOSTUDIOFOTO Lda-stock.adobe.com

Food Service

Dr Foods / Next Meats Expands its Vegan Caviar & Foie Gras Into Wedding Halls Across Japan

Tokyo-based food tech Dr. FOODS Inc., a publicly listed corporation on the OTC Market in the USA under the ticker symbol “DRFS”, counting Next Meats Co as a subsidiary, revealed in January its plans to launch vegan fois gras and vegan caviar into the North American market. In April, the company stated it had successfully developed “the world’s first plant-based cultured foie gras“. Although the title of first cultivated foie gras likely belongs to France’s GOURMEY, the distinction lies in the fact that the Japanese product is not created from cultured animal cells, but uses the name “cultured foie gras” since “microorganisms are cultured in the manufacturing process. In the future, the company intends to expand into the boundary area between plant-derived meat and cultured …

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hello plant foods' vegan foie gras served on a wooden board

© Hello Plant Foods

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Vegan Foie Gras Hello Fuah! Sells Out Within 12 Hours After Spanish Launch

At the beginning of December, the Spanish plant-based meat producer Hello Plant Foods launched Hello Fuah!, a “hyper-realistic” vegan foie gras alternative across Spain. The company’s launch strategy for the holiday season consisted of 5,000 units distributed in supermarkets and specialty vegan stores. But only after 12 hours all the SKUs were sold, said Hello Plant Foods’ founder, Javier Fernández, to El Mundo. The success of the100% plant-based pâté exceeded the startup’s expectations as orders kept coming, causing the company to multiply its production sixfold. “The plan was to put 5,000 units in Alcampo hypermarkets and vegan stores, but after the great reception and the number of requests for pre-reservations, we have had to launch some 30,000 units,” said Fernández. 500 selling points Hello Plant Foods’ R&D department …

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Next Meats Debuts Steak in California

©Next Meats North America

Products & Launches

Japan’s Next Meats and Dr. Foods Will Launch Plant-Based Foie Gras, Caviar, and More in US in 2023

Tokyo-based startup Next Meats a spinoff company of Dr. Foods Inc. (OTC: DRFS) together announce they will launch Vegan Fois Gras, Vegan Caviar, and shelf-stable Next Meats products in North America in 2023.  Exclusive debut To debut the new offerings, Next Meats held an exclusive launch on Dec. 14th at the Los Angeles Cooking School and JETRO in Culver City, CA. The event featured the world-renowned Chef Reina, who prepared Next Meat’s offerings in a variety of global dishes, including Beef Stroganoff, Korean BBQ, and Bistek. Dr. Foods Inc. is the inventor of Vegan Foie Gras, described as the first vegetable-based foie gras. Next Meats says Dr. Foods will commence its business in Singapore, the global capital of cell-based food technologies.  Extensive range Next Meats …

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6 hello plant foods vegan foie products piled up on top of a table

© Hello Plant Foods

Products & Launches

Hello Plant Foods Launches “Hyper-Realistic” Vegan Foie Gras Across Spain

Hello Plant Foods, a Spanish plant-based meat producer, announced the launch of Hello Fuah!, a vegan foie gras alternative, in Alcampo hypermarkets and specialized vegan food stores across Spain. The company states that this new gastronomic and technological innovation will revolutionise Spain’s foie gras market, where there are no alternatives besides Nestlé’s vegan foie gras limited edition. Javier Fernández, committed to a healthy and sustainable diet, started Hello Plant Foods in 2021 to develop vegan products that mimic animal meat’s organoleptic properties. Hello Burger Healthy was the company’s first product, soon joined by Hello Bacon. Hello Fuah! marks the newest addition to the brand’s animal-free meat portfolio. “Hello Fuah! will become the category’s benchmark product and will be available throughout the year,” says Fernández. A hyper-realistic …

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vegan Foie gras by Picard

© Picard

Products & Launches

Leading French Frozen Food Retailer Picard Offers Discount Vegan Xmas Meal With Foie Gras

Picard, the leading frozen food supermarket with over 400 stores across France, has unveiled a vegan foie gras and a 100% plant-based Christmas menu totalling of €12.16 per person. Délice Végétal (Vegetable Delight) with Cashew Nuts and Mushrooms is Picard’s plant-based alternative to foie gras. Retailing at €5.99 per 220g box, or €27.22/kg, the product is far cheaper than duck foie gras, which costs a minimum of €50 per kilo. The vegan menu, entitled Noël Veggie (Veggie Christmas), also includes the following products Chestnut and mandarin jelly appetizers Sweet potato gnocchi with butternut squash sauce Pan-fried potato, mushroom, snow pea and chestnut Red fruit, mango, lemon and pear ice cream log “We present the Délice Végétal which is our vegan version of foie gras. It …

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vegan foie gras product called voie gras made by gourmet garden

© Garden Gourmet Schweiz-Suisse-Svizzera

Products & Launches

Garden Gourmet Launches Vegan Foie Gras in Swiss and Spanish Supermarkets

Garden Gourmet, Nestle’s plant-based brand, recently announced the launch of a limited edition of Voie Gras, the brand’s vegan alternative to foie gras, in Swiss and Spanish supermarkets. Voie Gras, which simulates the taste, texture, and aroma of the traditional duck liver pâté, will be the first vegan-certified alternative to reach large retail distribution in both countries, said Garden Gourmet in a statement. Foie gras consumption has fallen  Traditionally, foie gras producers force-feed ducks to make their livers fatty for the rich and greasy spread. This routine is widely considered one of the cruellest practices in the farming industry. According to Animal Equality UK, foie gras production is banned in many countries, including Switzerland, the UK, the Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, Poland, Germany, and Turkey. …

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Prime Roots Plant-Based Deli Meat

©Prime Roots

Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Prime Roots Launches First Sliceable Koji Meats to Disrupt $300B Bulk Deli Industry

Fungi innovator Prime Roots announces its breakthrough line of Koji-Meats is now available at select deli counters and sandwich shops in the San Francisco Bay Area. Offered in bulk sizes for fresh slicing, the launch is a preview ahead of a larger US retail and restaurant expansion in 2023.  Prime Roots’ preview launch features classic deli staples and charcuterie, including:  Whole Koji-Turkey in Classic Smoked, Cracked Black Pepper, and Golden Roast  Whole Koji-Hams in Classic Smoked, Black Forest, and Sugar Shack Maple  Koji-Pepperoni  Koji-Salami  Koji-Pâtés with apple & sage or black truffle  Koji-Foie Gras Torchon In the Bay Area, local diners can find the products at the following restaurants and markets: Berkeley Bowl Bi-Rite Market Rhea’s Deli Timeless Coffee Millennium and Above Ground Pizza Driver’s …

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