Enifer Secures €12 million grant to build a first-of-its-kind mycoprotein ingredient factory

Image courtesy of Enifer

Investments & Finance

Enifer Receives €12M EU Grant for “First-of-its-Kind” Mycoprotein Facility in Finland

Finnish biotech startup Enifer announces that it has received a grant worth over €12 million from the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme, to construct its first commercial-scale mycoprotein facility in the Uusimaa region (the exact location has not been revealed). Enifer has developed a mycoprotein ingredient called PEKILO using fungal fermentation, industrial byproducts, and waste streams. The plant’s total construction cost is €30 million and is set to be completed by the end of 2025, with production starting in 2026. Once operational, the biotech claims that the mycoprotein factory, the first-of-its-kind, will be ready to produce three million kilograms of PEKILO per year — equivalent to the protein yield of 30,000 cows while emitting at least 20 times fewer carbon emissions. “This plant will be a critical …

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Smallhold mushroom pesto

© Smallhold

Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Smallhold Launches “World’s First” Upcycled Mushroom Pesto

US-based organic mushroom producer Smallhold has launched what it claims is the world’s first mushroom pesto. The vegan-friendly pesto is made by dehydrating surplus or imperfect organic mushrooms that would otherwise go to waste. The mushrooms — which include blue oysters, trumpets, and shiitake — are then ground and cooked down with roasted onion and garlic, balsamic vinegar, spices, and oil. Like traditional pesto, the resulting sauce can be used in sandwiches, pasta dishes, dressings, and more. It is currently available at various independent retailers in New York City, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. “Something brand new” Smallhold uses cutting-edge technology to grow mushrooms in both urban and rural spaces. The company has farms in Brooklyn, New York, Austin, Texas, and LA. Smallhold also operates …

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The Spare Food Co. Spare Starter

© The Spare Food Co.

Ingredients

The Spare Food Co. Debuts Spare Starter Made From Upcycled Farm Produce

The Spare Food Co., a company dedicated to tackling food waste through upcycling, has launched its latest product, Spare Starter, a versatile plant-based ingredient blend with a range of applications. Spare Starter can partially substitute animal protein in dishes like burgers and meatballs, aligning with the growing trend of plant-forward diets. Spare Starter uses surplus farm produce to turn quality, edible produce that often goes unused into a valuable culinary ingredient. Comprising six vegetables and a proprietary spice blend, it utilizes parts of vegetables that are typically discarded in the food production process. Following the success of its fermented whey beverage, Spare Tonic, the company’s latest product development and potential was recognized early by leading college food service provider, Harvest Table Culinary Group. In response, …

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Revyve egg white replacer

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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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© Wunderkern

Cheese Alternatives

Wunderkern Launches the “First” Cheese Made from Upcycled Apricot Kernels at Billa Plus Austria

Austrian startup Wunderkern introduces what it says is the first plant-based cheese alternative made from fruit pits to be available in national retail. As of now, Wunderkern Kesä is available at Billa Plus throughout Austria, in three variants: Mountain Gaudi, Pesto, and Tomato Olive. At the heart of Wunderkern’s mission is to reduce the waste of fruit pits that would otherwise be produced in the manufacture of juice and jam. Through unique processes, the seeds of apricots, plums and cherries are transformed into sustainable food that not only tastes good, but is also good for the planet. Melts when grated The startup based in Lower Austria has already celebrated considerable success with the Wunderkern Drink, a plant-based milk alternative made from apricot seeds, and last …

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Kern Tec raises funding for alt dairy made from upcycled fruit pits

Kern Tec founders. © Chris Landl

Investments & Acquisitions

Kern Tec Raises €12M to Scale Up Alt Dairy Products Made From Upcycled Fruit Pits

Austrian company Kern Tec, which uses upcycled fruit pits to produce sustainable plant-based foods, has raised €12 million in funding. Claimed to be the largest ever Series A raise for an Austrian food tech company, the capital will allow Kern Tec to further scale up the production and commercialisation of its plant-based milk alternatives and confectionery. The round was led by Telos Impact, with participation from the PeakBridge Growth 2 fund and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund. Kern Tec’s products are made by extracting oils from the seeds within upcycled apricot, plum, and cherry pits, of which 500,000 metric tonnes are currently sent to landfill each year. These oils can then be formed into a base compound for plant-based alternatives to dairy products such …

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Fotortec

© Fotortec

Company News

Chilean Biotech Fotortec Partners with Sustainable Firms to Introduce Food Waste Upcycling Technology in Sweden

Chilean biotech Fotortec announces a partnership with Swedish consultancy firms A Better Future AB and Xylo Sweden AB to introduce its innovative food waste upcycling technology and mushroom-based ingredients into the Swedish market.  Fotortec aims to redefine waste by repurposing food waste or by-products into new and valuable items. The company has developed a scalable technology for cultivating mushrooms using food waste. These mushrooms can be transformed into beneficial ingredients, including flavor enhancers, protein isolates, fertilizer, energy-boosting methane gas, animal feed, and raw materials suitable for packaging. The company franchises its technology to third parties and this collaboration marks Fotortec’s expansion into the Nordics. Better Future AB and Xylo Sweden AB will represent Fotortec in Sweden, promoting sustainable and circular solutions for the region, aligning with their sustainable future goals. “This …

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revyve's healthy foods made with BSY proteins

© revyve

Ingredients

Upcycling: 7 Companies Redirecting Byproducts to Create Waste-Free Ingredients

On a planet with a growing population and limited resources, many companies are redirecting industry byproducts such as sesame, spent brewer’s yeast, barley, oats, and forest industry side streams into a new generation of high-quality plant-based ingredients and foods. The upcycled trend is gaining traction and according to Upcycle Trade Association (UFA), in the US alone, the upcycled foods market is expected to grow to $80 billion by 2032. Let’s take a look at the latest developments involving partnerships or investments that are making it possible to bring these novel products to market. Sesame The Planting Hope Company ©Planting Hope US producer, The Planting Hope Company, uses wasted sesame from the oil industry to make the ‘world’s first’ milk Upcycled Certified by UFA. According to …

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Mexicana More Foods

© More Foods

Protein

More Foods and Osem-Nestlè Group Partner to Develop & Market “Meaty” Products Made of Pumpkin Seeds

More Foods of Tel Aviv announces a strategic collaboration with Tivol, a subsidiary of the Osem-Nestlè Group, to bring to market a portfolio of ‘meaty’ products made from pumpkin seeds The collaboration between More Foods and the Osem-Nestlè Group seeks to address the increasing demand for nutritious and environmentally friendly food choices. The Osem-Nestlè subsidiary caters to the Israeli market, where 13% of the population identifies as vegetarians or vegans and an additional 45% of the population actively reduces their meat consumption. The technology developed by More Foods enables them to utilize discarded remnants of highly nutritious seeds, commonly referred to as “superfoods,” which are generated during the production process of pumpkin seed oil and sunflower seed oil. The company announced in 2022 its plans …

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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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