© Novozymes

Cultivated, Cell-Cultured & Biotechnology

Novozymes Launches New Clean-Label Biosolution for “Perfect Textures” in Plant-Based Meat

Novozymes (NASDAQ OMX: NZYM-B), one of the world’s largest providers of microbial technologies and enzymes, has launched Vertera®ProBite, a new clean-label product that the company claims delivers “perfect textures” in plant-based meat. The Danish company says that its new biosolution addresses consumers’ concerns about the texture and long ingredient lists of alt meat, ultimately encouraging more people to choose sustainable food options. A study conducted by the company shows that 95% of consumers think plant-based meat should improve. According to the 2023 Unmet Needs Discovery Survey by the Plant-Based Food Association, texture is the number one factor dissuading consumers from adopting plant-based alternatives. “Now’s the time to raise the (burger) bar and find perfect textures that consumers will love inside plants,” states Novozymes. Unlocking the potential …

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Cyril Carrat, KaTech

Cyril Carrat © KaTech

Interviews

KaTech: “Our Texture Solution Without Methylcellulose is Game-Changing for Meat Alternatives”

Founded as a startup in 2012, KaTech has certainly come a long way. The customized texture solutions company – which has facilities in Germany, Poland, and the UK – was acquired by global ingredients giant Ingredion Incorporated, two years ago.     We caught up with KaTech’s group managing director, Cyril Carrat, to find out more about the company and how its texture experts are helping manufacturers create vegan products that are affordable, nutritious, and taste great.    Please introduce KaTech Our focus is on developing the best product and process-specific texture solutions for our customers. The fact that we source raw materials independently gives us the widest possible view of the global market which, together with our proven technical knowledge, means we can adapt our approach to …

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Plant based grilled burger patty with grill marks and rock salt isolated on white. Top view.

© Moving Moment-stock.adobe.com

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

UK Researchers Unveil Microgel Breakthrough That Makes Plant-Based Meat Juicy and Appealing 

Professor Anwesha Sarkar from the University of Leeds and her scientific team have discovered a simple solution to make plant-based meat more palatable: microgels. According to these scientists, one of the “key bottlenecks for consumer acceptability” has been the dry texture and lack of moisture of plant-based meat. But using a process called microgeletion, they can create individual microgels of water and lubricants in dry plant protein used for foods. These capsules, under pressure (biting), explode, thus changing the dry texture of plant-based meat. “What we have done is converted the dry plant protein into a hydrated one, using the plant protein to form a spider-like web that holds the water around the plant protein,” explains Professor Sarkar. Only water and heat Sarkar explains that microgeletion involves …

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Bunge to build soy protein concentrate facility

© Bunge

Agriculture / Agribusiness

Bunge Breaks Ground on $500M Facility to Supply Soy Protein for Plant-Based Foods Market

Global agribusiness firm Bunge announces it has begun construction on a new $500M soybean processing facility in Morristown, Indiana. Opening in mid-2025, the “fully integrated” plant will produce soy protein concentrates and textured soy protein concentrates for the plant-based foods market.  The new facility is adjacent to Bunge’s existing soybean processing plant in Morristown, which focuses on processing soy for animal feed and byproducts like soybean oil. Once operational, the new plant will employ 70 workers and be able to process 4.5 million bushels of soybeans every year.  According to Aaron Buettner, president of food solutions at Bunge, the success of Bunge’s first processing plant influenced the company to re-invest in the Morristown community.  “It’s really the relationship that we have with community and the …

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APPETEX Plant-Based Burger Texture

©Motif FoodWorks

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Motif FoodWorks Announces First Consumer Launch of Motif BeefWorks™ Burger Patties Featuring APPETEX

Boston-based Motif FoodWorks announces it has launched its second food technology ingredient, APPETEX™, for large-scale commercial distribution. Described as a “breakthrough” ingredient, APPETEX is said to enhance the texture of plant-based foods by providing the unique springy and juicy chew found in animal meat products.  To enable consumers to taste the benefits of APPETEX, Motif will offer its first finished products, Motif BeefWorks™ Plant-Based Burger Patties, to consumers beginning in April.  According to Motif, APPETEX (a combination of “appetite” and “texture”) is an edible plant-based  hydrogel that is capable of recreating the bite associated with animal connective tissue. While plant-based proteins like texturized soy or pea protein can mimic the fibrous structure of meat, Motif says, these ingredients fall short in creating the springy “chewdown” …

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Sweets & Snacks

Sponsored Post

Ingredients trends: H&F Pectin improves starch-based vegan gummy confectionery

Gummy and jelly confectionery is a large and important segment of the confectionery industry. Manufacturers and consumers have particularly high demands on the taste, texture, and appearance of vegan alternatives. Starch is often the main ingredient used to gel vegan gummy confectionery. In contrast, the combination of starch with pectin offers a perfect alternative with many advantages over purely starch-based products: ✓ Shorter moulding time ✓ Less stickiness ✓ Better flavour release ✓ Increased throughput ✓ Earlier achievement of product firmness ✓ Reduced energy and storage costs You can save up to 5% starch and replace it with just 1.1% pectin without losing any of the essential texture properties! In addition, there are further advantages: ✓ The use of pectin leads to a less sticky …

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plant-based meat texture for chicken

© Food Evolution

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Italy’s Food Evolution Unveils “New Plant-Based Meat Texture” For Vegan Chicken

Italian startup Food Evolution announces the development of a new plant-based texture for chicken that is claimed to offer cheap yet highly nutritious products. Food Evolution was founded by the Musacchio family, owners of the first vegetarian restaurant in Italy opened in 1979. The family is known for its plant-based cookbooks, its training activities for international chefs and now for producing innovative alt-meat products. Last year, the company completed a multi-million investment round to accelerate its alt-meat development. New plant-based meat texture for chicken Food Evolution is using a High Moisture Wet Extrusion technology, where Dutch scientists from Wageningen University were an integral part of the research process. Alberto Musacchio, CEO of Food Evolution, states: “We stretch the protein cell mechanically and manage to create …

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Firmenich

© Firmenich

Food & Beverage

Firmenich Launches Exclusive Natural Solution For Recreating the Juiciness of Meat in Vegan Alternatives

Swiss flavour and fragrance developer Firmenich this week unveiled Dynarome® SR. This innovative natural ingredient has been created to give consumers an even more authentic experience when consuming plant-based meat alternatives. In particular, to recreate the juiciness of animal meat. “With this innovation, we strive to develop products that consumers will love. For meat alternatives in particular, this means providing our customers with solutions to meet a growing demand from flexitarian consumers for a meat-like taste experience,” said Antje Ratz, Vice President of Firmenich’s SmartProteins® programme. She continued: “The juiciness, succulence and fat persistence of meat are key sensory cues that Dynarome® SR offers for the development of plant-based alternatives. We look forward to exploring this new product line with our customers to create even …

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Motif-Foodworks
Food & Beverage

Motif Foodworks & University of Queensland to Break New Ground in Plant-Based Protein

Motif FoodWorks, an animal-free ingredient innovation company, today announced a partnership with The University of Queensland to test and identify new formulations to improve the texture of plant-based meat products through ​in vitro ​processing. The partnership represents the first time​ in vitro ​oral processing will be applied in the category of meat analogs.

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