Genetically modified (GMO)

Plantbased Business Hour

What is Plant Transformation? Mary Fernandes of Solis Agrosciences

Mary Fernandes, President of Solis Agrosciences, discusses Plant Pipeline as a Service (PPaaS), plant transformation, gene editing, and the future (or the now?) of food on today’s episode of The Plantbased Business Hour. Specifically, they discuss What is Plant Pipeline as a Service? What is the demand for PPaaS? What is Plant Transformation? Gene Editing? Why do we need these things? What is GMO? Is it bad for you? Can we feed the world without GMO and without tech in our food? Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here . Display “Mary Fernandes of Solis Agrosciences Predicts Farmers Will Need Help From Scientists In The Future” from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always …

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Alternative Protein Shopper/ Consumer with Basket

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Retail & E-Commerce

USA: Non-GMO Project Finds Absence of GM Ingredients Vital to Plant-Based Shoppers

According to non-profit organization the Non-GMO Project, as the plant-based food market matures, buyer preferences are becoming more nuanced and apparent. The Non-GMO Project states that shopper behavior indicates that not all plant-based foods are perceived equally by consumers. The organization says there is a growing awareness that some plant-based foods have no real health advantages over traditional, conventional products such as meat, eggs and dairy. For example, most shoppers want to avoid GMOs – and this is especially true when it comes to plant-based products. This means that a GMO ingredient can negate the supposed benefits of a plant-based product. Shoppers’ continued preference for non-GMO ingredients is an important part of the plant-based food conversation. Consumers are signaling their aversion to genetic engineering through …

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Green Boy Chicago

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Company News

Green Boy Group Opens New Chicago Office Led by Ingredients Veteran Thomas Smit

Plant-based protein supplier Green Boy Group announces it has opened a new office in Chicago, led by the newly appointed Thomas Smit.  According to Green Boy, Smit’s career began at agribusiness company Nidera (now Syngenta) in Amsterdam, where he focused on supplying plant-based food ingredients globally. In 2016, Smit joined Royal Ingredients in Chicago as that company’s Managing Director, which has since been acquired by BayWa thanks to strong US sales growth.  “I am grateful for my time at Royal where I gained a lot of experience on how to start, run and expand an office in a market that is constantly evolving,” says Thomas Smit. “But when Green Boy approached me to head their new office in Chicago, I was getting very excited. Green …

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President, North America

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Company News

Equinom Appoints New President of North America and CSO As It Prepares to Launch First Products

Israeli ingredients company Equinom announces the appointment of Ephi Eyal as its new North America President and Adi Costa as Chief Science Officer. Eyal and Costa join the company as it prepares to accelerate the commercialization of its minimally-processed plant proteins and continues to develop its Manna™ technology platform. According to the company, Eyal brings significant leadership experience in the food and nutrition industries, where he helped drive growth and innovation for specialty ingredients companies like J.M. Huber, CP Kelco, and Innovative Food Processors. At Equinom, Eyal will oversee the North American commercial and farming operations as the company scales up its seed, grain and ingredients through different strategic partnerships. “Equinom is on a quest to become the food industry’s end-to-end ingredient innovation partner starting …

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Plant-Based Sushi/ Seafood

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Company News

Aqua Cultured Foods Begins Building Chicago Facility Ahead of Commercial Launch in 2023

Food tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods announces it has begun building out a new facility that will enable it to begin scaling production of whole-cut plant-based seafood.  The company is also holding tasting events with strategic partners as it prepares to introduce its products in Q2 2023.  According to Aqua, the new Chicago facility is nearly triple the size of the company’s current headquarters. The space is already food-grade and needs minimal upgrades to customize it for scaling the production of fermentation-enabled protein.  Aqua adds its space-efficient methods are similar to vertical farming and that it only uses standard equipment, which allows for a rapid and affordable buildout.  Founded in 2020, Aqua is creating ‘ultra-realistic’ calamari, shrimp, scallops, and tuna and whitefish filets with mycoprotein fermentation. …

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Soy plants/ crops

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Investments & Finance

Equinom Closes $35M in Funding to Scale Minimally Processed, Non-GMO Plant Protein

Israeli nutrition company Equinom announces the close of $35M in funding to bring its more optimized plant proteins to market. The round brings the company’s total funding to date to $71M.  Equinom will use the capital to accelerate the commercialization of its plant protein ingredients, which will be sold to food companies via established multinational suppliers.  Equinom specializes in breeding new non-GMO varieties of important proteins used by the plant-based industry, such as soy and pea, that are optimized for food production and require less processing. These improved proteins are said to offer better taste and nutrition while reducing production costs and complexities. According to Equinom, this thus enables food companies to develop tastier and more affordable alternatives to meat and dairy. “Today’s food system …

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PeaTos Snacks

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Investments & Finance

PeaTos Closes Oversubscribed Series A3 Round and Launches into US Walmart Stores

Plant-based snack brand PeaTos announces it has closed an oversubscribed Series A3 round led by POST Holdings, and is launching into several hundred US Walmart stores nationwide. The brand says the Series A funds will enable it to continue challenging the dominance of snack giant Frito Lay, which PeaTos accuses of monopolizing the salty snack category with unhealthy ingredients.  “While the amount of money we raised is a rounding error to Frito Lay, we are extremely proud of this show of strong show of support from our investors, as well as retailers and consumers, who believe in our important mission,” said PeaTos founder Nick Desai. Great strides He added, “Even in today’s challenging fundraising environment, there is still a strong demand for a compelling and …

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Green Boy New Managing Director

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Company News

Green Boy Group Hires Former Interfood CEO Jeroen van den Heuvel as Managing Director

Plant-based protein supplier Green Boy Group announces it has hired Jeroen van den Heuvel, former CEO of global dairy supplier Interfood, as its new managing director.  In addition to managing Green Boy’s daily operations, Jeroen will oversee hiring and provide strategic input to increase the company’s commercial activities.  “I was connected to Green Boy the last two years via the advisory board which allowed me to get to know the company pretty well,” said Jeroen. “The energy and creativity that the team at Green Boy brings to the table is amazing. I’ve never seen a company grow so fast and have such a positive impact on the food industry. It is really exciting to be able to contribute with my experience in a meaningful way …

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Malt ingredients PlantMalt

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Ingredients

Muntons Launches PlantMalt Clean Label Ingredients for Meat Alternatives

Muntons, one of the world’s most significant malt and malted ingredients companies, announces the launch of PlantMalt, a new line of grain, liquid, and powdered malt extracts to be used in plant-based foods to make better meat analogs. According to Muntons, PlantMalt has been developed to help manufacturers achieve succulent flavours, texture, colour, and mouthfeel of meat alternatives. PlantMalt’s line was created by consulting alternative protein experts and adding Muntons’ extensive knowledge of malts. Richard Platt, the senior product development technologist at Muntons, said: “As a team, we fully immersed ourselves into the plant-based category, benchmarking the existing products, we were able to understand the challenges that manufacturers are facing. We identified the common ingredients used and understood their functionalities before creating our own plant-based burger, sausage, …

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Next Level Burger Stacked Vegan Burger

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Gastronomy & Food Service

West Coast Favorite Next Level Burger Opening New Flagship Location in Denver, CO

Plant-based burger chain Next Level Burger announces it is opening its flagship restaurant in Denver, CO on August 20th. The new outlet will be the Oregon-based brand’s ninth national location and first in Colorado.  Calling itself “America’s First Plant-Based Burger Joint”, the eight-year-old Next Level brand is famous for its healthy yet decadent take on fast food, ranging from stacked vegan burgers and Crispy Chik’n sandwiches to baskets of tenders, loaded fries and creamy hand-spun milkshakes.  Next Level emphasizes clean eating by maintaining a non-GMO policy and using all-organic produce as well as compostable packaging. The brand is concentrated on the West Coast but operates additional locations in Brooklyn and Austin, TX.   Quadrupling locations In February 2022, the chain announced plans for an accelerated US …

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Products & Launches

NotCo Launches Best-Selling NotBurger in US Retailers Nationwide

NotCo, the Chile-based food tech unicorn, is launching its signature NotBurger in retailers across the US. The brand’s AI-created burger, which has enjoyed sell-out success in Latin America, can now be found at Whole Foods Market and select regional retailers, with an upcoming rollout at Sprouts Farmers Markets in August.  Created with ingredients like peas, bamboo, spinach, chia seeds, and cocoa powder, the NotBurger offers the taste and tenderness of a conventional burger with no eggs, gluten or GMO’s. Like all of NotCo’s products, the NotBurger recipe was developed by Giuseppe, the brand’s patented AI technology, and a team of AI chefs and R&D experts, who use Giuseppe’s knowledge to craft plant-based foods with the same taste, texture and functionality as animal products.  5% market …

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Bel Brands USA Dairy-Free Products

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Company News

Bel Group and Superbrewed Food Enter Partnership to Develop Cheeses with Postbiotic Cultured Protein

Multinational cheese leader Bel Group, which owns iconic snacking brands Babybel and Boursin, announces a strategic collaboration with fermentation startup Superbrewed Food to develop a line of cheeses with Superbrewed’s Postbiotic Cultured Protein. According to Bel, the company intends to develop a full range of cheeses, both dairy and plant-based, that incorporate Superbrewed’s Protein, a nutrient-rich ingredient made from microflora that convert plant fibers. The protein will be ready to ship from Superbrewed’s Delaware facility in the first half of 2023, and Bel says it plans to propose the newly formulated products to consumers “very soon”.  Based in New Castle, Delaware, Superbrewed uses traditional anaerobic fermentation processes to create a high-quality protein with all 9 essential amino acids. According to Superbrewed, this minimally processed ingredient delivers …

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Daily Harvest Plant Protein Crumbles

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Gastronomy & Food Service

Daily Harvest Adds First Plant Protein Product “Crumbles” to Its Meal Delivery

Daily Harvest, a plant-based meal delivery service, announces the debut of Crumbles, the brand’s versatile new plant protein ingredient. Now available through Daily Harvest’s website, each unit includes three servings and sells for $9.79. Made from whole ingredients like lentils, nuts, vegetables and seeds, Crumbles contain 13 grams of protein per serving and are free gums, fillers, hydrogenated oils, GMOs, or any artificial additives.  Available in Walnut + Thyme and French Lentil + Leek varieties, Crumbles was created by Daily Harvest’s team of chefs and nutritionists. Both flavors feature a savory, herbaceous taste and can be sauteed and added to tacos, pasta sauce, flatbreads or a wide range of recipes.  The products are easy to prepare and ready within minutes, offering a simple way to …

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Nature's Fynd Yellowstone Park/ Buffalo

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Society

Nature’s Fynd Awarded $4.76M Grant to Expand Fermentation Tech to Rural Farmers

Nature’s Fynd, a food company growing novel Fy™ protein from fermented microbes, has received a $4.76M grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to introduce its fermentation technology in low- and middle-income farming communities. Intended to bolster global food security, the multi-year grant will support the development of inde­pen­dent fer­men­ta­tion-based pro­duc­tion units that can provide more income and nutritional benefits to rural farmers.  “Decentralizing fermentation” According to the company, approximately 1/3 of the world’s food is produced by 500 million small farming households in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. However, most of these households live off of less than $2 per day and manage less than five acres of land, limiting farmers’ opportunities to diversify their income and invest in greater production. By decentralizing the production …

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Amys Vegan Thai Red Curry

Image: Amy's Kitchen
Top Stories

Amy’s Kitchen Opens 389,000 Square Foot Facility, Creates 680 New York Jobs

The organic food company, Amy’s Kitchen, recently broke ground on the construction of its first food production facility in the Hudson Valley, Upstate New York. This $95 million facility will create 680 jobs in the town of Goshen, located in Orange County. The plant is expected to begin operations in 2021.

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Nancy's Probiotic yogurt

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Food & Beverage

Nancy’s Probiotic Foods Launches the First Oatmilk Yogurt for Nationwide Distribution

Springfield Creamery, the makers of Nancy’s Probiotic Foods, has recently introduced its first oat milk non-dairy yogurt in the US. Though Scandinavian company Hälso launched its organic, oat-based yogurt drink containing pro and prebiotics almost a year ago in US grocery chain Wegmans and Sweden-based Oatly launched its oat-based yogurt (both known as oatgurt) in spring 2019, Nancy’s Oatmilk Non-dairy Yogurt is the first to be distributed nationwide.

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Anja Grunefeld – Marketing Director G-A-CH at Alpro GmbH

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Interviews

Alpro: “Focusing on a Healthy Lifestyle and the Environment”

Any consumer who thinks about plant-based milk alternatives will think about one name: Alpro. The milk alternative pioneer can look back on almost 40 years of marketing experience and still knows how to keep the brand trendy. The brands Alpro and Provamel aim to score with non-GMO ingredients, accurate production processes and a diverse product portfolio within the next years, how Anja Grunefeld – Marketing Director G-A-CH at Alpro – told us in our exclusive interview.

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©2018 NuttZo | JAGRMA, LLC
Products & Launches

NuttZo Bold BiteZ: High Protein & Low Sugar

The American company NuttZo, which specializes in organic nut and seed butters, recently introduced a new vegan snack. The snack bar Bold BiteZ will be available in the flavours ‘Peanut Pro Cacao Nibs + Probiotics’ and ‘Power Fuel Maple + Matcha’. The vegan bar is the ideal snack for health-conscious and sporty food lovers, due to its low sugar content and high protein content.

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