Proteins

Animal-free ambition: Perfect Day partners with egg protein startup Onego Bio via nth Bio enterprise biology business

20-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Perfect Day – which pioneered the production of ‘animal-free’ dairy proteins using microbes instead of cows – has announced a new brand identity for its enterprise biology business, nth Bio, and unveiled its first publicly-announced partner: Finnish startup...

Novozymes ramps up investment in alternative proteins: ‘Our journey has just begun’

19-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Novozymes is increasing its investment into alternative proteins, specifically its portfolio of enzyme solutions that can be used for the production of alternative protein food and beverage products, which it is expecting to become a significant driver...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How can plant-based protein overcome sliding sales, better meet consumer demand?

19-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Plant-based meat alternatives continue their downward slide with sales, units and volume all dropping in July from a year ago – a trajectory that IRI data crunched by 210 Analytics shows was set in motion months ago, but which doesn't shake at least...

Quorn Foods USA president talks meat alternatives: ‘We all need to take a deep breath’

16-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

It’s been a “rollercoaster year” for meat alternatives, acknowledges Quorn Foods USA president Judd Zusel. But flagging sales in some parts of the market do not mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.

'Yellow pea is full of promise and potential': Equinom and AGT partner to commercialize ultra-high yellow pea protein

14-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Equinom has partnered with AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. to bring commercial quantities of its non-GMO ultra-high protein yellow pea protein ingredients to market and co-create a portfolio of functional plant-based ingredients.

‘There’s going to be a lot of burnt capital…’ Navigating the ‘hand-wringing phase’ of alt meat investment

12-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative driving meat alternatives is clear: We only have one planet, with a growing population and finite resources, and raising animals to feed them all just takes up too many of them, says Tom Mastrobuoni, chief investment officer at...

‘BioBetter has the key to scale-up cultivated meat’: An innovative approach to growth factors could cut cultured meat costs

12-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

BioBetter is a food tech start-up that aims to address one of the biggest bottlenecks facing the cultured meat sector: the high cost and low availability of growth factors. A fresh round of funding positions it to do just that.

NextFerm announces production deal for yeast-derived vegan protein

09-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

Nextferm, an Israeli company focused on fermentation technology, has announced a production deal for one of its flagship ingredients branded as ProteVin vegan protein.

Kibbutz Yotvata and Brevel sign MOU to build ‘largest microalgae fermentation reactors of their kind’

08-Sep-2022 By Stephen Daniells

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is an agreement to build a facility for the cultivation and production of microalgae-based protein and related products for the food and beverage industry.

Beyond Meat hits Panda Express locations nationwide for a limited time with Beyond The Original Chicken

07-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Panda Express is rolling out Beyond: The Original Orange Chicken – a “plant-powered” entrée co-developed with Beyond Meat – to 2,300+ US locations until November 30, while supplies last, following a successful small-scale trial in 2021.

General Mills, Orgain seek to ease nutrition concerns as kids return to schools where universal free meals may no longer be available

06-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As children nationwide return to the classroom this week, many caregivers are worried about providing them nutritious food amid rising inflation and the expiration of pandemic-era waivers for universal free school meals – prompting General Mills, Orgain...

Conagra Brands (Gardein) talks alt meat: ‘There's no way the space supports 20 manufacturers making plant-based burger patties’

06-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

“12-18 months ago, refrigerated plant-based meat was growing at three times frozen and we were thinking should we try and jump into that?” recalls Bob Nolan, SVP demand science at Conagra Brands, which acquired alt meat brand Gardein in 2018 via the acquisition...

Organoid tech can deliver 3D tissue in cellular agriculture: ‘It is a highly scalable platform that bypasses the scaffolding stage’

06-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Forsea Foods has developed cell-cultured fish leveraging its patented organoid technology. FoodNavigator hears how this novel approach is simplifying the process of growing animal cells in bioreactors and assembling them into whole cuts and fillets.

Brightfield Group: 'Plant-forward consumers are going to be the ones to make or break the category. And right now their loyalty is wavering'

01-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The pressure of inflation and general consumer disillusionment are causing an overall downward trend in self-reported consumer usage of plant-based categories, finds new research from Evergi, Brightfield Group's research platform.

Where next for meat alternatives? Stakeholders weigh in: ‘Building a food company is not like going live on an app… it takes patient capital’

01-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Have we reached peak alt-meat? Or is the weakening performance in US retail merely reflective of inflationary pressures (plant-based meat is more expensive than conventional, although the gap is narrowing) and well-publicized issues at some of the publicly-listed...

Shiru teams up with Puratos to develop next generation egg replacers

31-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Shiru – a California-based startup producing proteins via microbial fermentation – has teamed up with bakery ingredients specialist Puratos to develop the next-generation of egg replacers.

Heyday Canning Co: Ex Clif Bar, Sweet Earth execs aim to disrupt ‘tired’ canned food category

29-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Offering great value for money and some sustainability bona fides (low food waste/easy recycling), the canned food aisle has obvious attractions, especially if you're on a tight budget. But it’s not exactly the place you go to discover exciting new...

Hain Celestial CEO reflects on difficult fiscal year but points to stronger performance ahead

26-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Hain Celestial had a tough fiscal 2022 year but has a positive outlook on its North American business as supply chain disruptions abate and consumers remain loyal to the natural and organic segment.

Impossible Foods tweaks formulation, slashes saturated fat: ‘The category has done a lousy job of explaining itself,' says CEO

26-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

While weakening retail sales and grim quarterly earnings from some publicly listed players have prompted intense debate about the future of meat alternatives, the “crisis of confidence” this has prompted has overshadowed the fact that amid all this noise,...

News in brief

Bernstein: ‘The alternative meat space is going through a shake-out period’

26-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Having experienced an average +30% YoY growth in 2019 and 2020, the alternative meat category slowed to flat YoY growth in 2021, with industry leaders such as Beyond Meat seeing negative growth in measured channels.

Future Meat Technologies unveils cultivated lamb, aims to break ground on US facility early 2023: ‘Price parity has to be the goal’

25-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Future Meat Technologies is finalizing the site selection process for a large-scale cultivated meat plant in the US, with plans to break ground early next year and start manufacturing in 2024. However, it hopes to get products from its pilot plant in...

‘We saw huge potential to disrupt the market’: biotech firm creates ‘world-first’ cultivated bovine lactoferrin

24-Aug-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

TurtleTree says it can produce the protein up to a 100 times faster and at a larger scale to make the hard-to-get ingredient more accessible to food manufacturers.

Dairy grown in lettuce? Meet the start-up triggering protein, pigment, and aroma production in a greenhouse

23-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Pigmentum is producing biomolecules for the food industry in transgenic plants. Co-founder Tal Lutzky explains how the technology works, which hurdles stand in the way of commercialisation, and whether consumers are willing to drink ‘lettuce...

Plant-based meat by numbers in US retail: A tale of two temperature states

23-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of meat alternatives in measured channels tell a tale of two temperature states. Dollar sales of refrigerated meat alternatives are declining in double-digits, while frozen products are growing in the high single digits, according to IRI...

Aleph Farms CEO: ‘It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat’

22-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

“It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat,” says the CEO of Israeli cell-cultured (a.k.a. ‘cultivated’) meat co Aleph Farms. “The addressable market is larger for cultivated meat than for plant-based because the products...

Burger King tests plant-based chicken sandwich from Impossible Foods as frozen patties hit stores nationwide

22-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Impossible Foods is expanding its collaboration with Burger King with tests of a plant-based ‘chick’n’ patty in 47 restaurants in Cincinnati, Ohio, through mid-October. The move comes hot on the heels of tests of Impossible’s plant-based nuggets in Burger...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Where will plant-based go next as it pushes past a sales dip in select segments?

22-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While sales of refrigerated plant-based meat may be slowing, shares of some plant-based milk brands are slipping and consumer response to a handful of new products are tepid at best, industry leaders argue the party is far from over for the overall plant-based...

Target cuts overloaded inventory levels to refocus on high-growth categories

19-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Target has cut its inventory levels by 20% in the last two months in a conscious effort to streamline its business and set the company up for improved long-term growth, shared chairman and CEO Brian Cornell.

Laird Superfood receives takeover offer

18-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Health and wellness company Laird Superfood has confirmed its receipt of an unsolicited offer from EF Hutton SPV I LLC to acquire the company's outstanding common stock for $3.00 per share in cash.

Stray Dog Capital: ‘Truly astonishing’ innovations afoot in alternative proteins, after you sort through me too products

16-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

It’s easy to see the grim P&L figures at Beyond Meat and Oatly and the recent lackluster performance of some refrigerated meat alternatives in US retail as proof that the entire ‘alt protein’ space is a busted flush, but the real picture is more nuanced,...

Phyll enters evolving smoothie category to help fill void as big-name brands exit, shift

16-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

At a time when pushback against sugar is spurring large CPG players to exit the ready-to-drink smoothie and juice market by off-loading well-known brands, two best friends see an opening for a new line of produce-packed beverages positioned as having...

JUST Egg reaches price parity with premium chicken eggs: 'It's an opportunity for trial by consumers who may have been on the fence before,' says CEO

15-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As the average retail price of chicken eggs has surged 51% in the past year, JUST Egg has reduced pricing for its 12-ounce plant-based liquid egg product by 41%, reaching cost parity with premium chicken egg competitors, according to recent data from...

ADM to commercialize Benson Hill ultra-high protein soy ingredients with first products to launch in early 2023

11-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

ADM will soon begin processing ultra-high protein (UHP) soybeans from farm tech company Benson Hill with the first commercialized products expected to hit the market in early 2023.

IFT FIRST

Plant-based pain points: Solutions for cleaner labels, improved moisture retention and a better bite

11-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers become more familiar with plant-based alternatives to animal products they are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate their options and less willing to compromise on nutrition, taste, texture and variety – pushing industry to find...

Plant-based yogurt brand Lavva acquired by Next in Natural, appoints new CEO

10-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Plant-based yogurt brand, Lavva, has been acquired by Brooklyn-based venture firm Next in Natural and has appointed a new CEO, Jeff Lichtenstein, to help the brand keep up with consumer demand and produce additional innovation.

'Blind fury' prompted former co-packer's recent lawsuit over protein content and methylcellulose, argues Beyond Meat

09-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

A lawsuit* recently filed by former co-packer Don Lee Farms accusing Beyond Meat of “grossly” overstating the protein in its products is motivated by “personal vendetta" and should be seen as a “transparent attempt to gain leverage” on the eve of...

Paragon Pure unveils OléPBM vegan fat targeting plant-based meat applications

09-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh off closing a $3.9m seed funding round* led by Unovis Asset Management, Paragon Pure is debuting its OléPBM alternative fat technology made from rice bran oil, which it claims outperforms palm and coconut oils in plant-based meat products.

Tyson Foods sees mixed results as higher protein prices drive shifts in shopping

09-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Higher grocery prices across categories are starting to take a toll on consumers as they pull back on premium cuts of meat, overall animal protein volume and seek less expensive, value options, Tyson Food executives reported during the company’s third...

Sustainability in focus at IFT First 2022: ‘We don’t want regenerative ag to become the next ‘natural’ because then it doesn’t mean anything’

07-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Sustainability “is probably on slide two or three of every customer presentation now,” notes Ingredion, but how can consumers cut through the PR noise to make meaningful comparisons between brands? Checkout our final gallery of trends at IFT FIRST exploring...

Beyond Meat Q2: CEO under pressure as firm posts $97.1m loss on sales -1.6% to $147m, lowers guidance

05-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown faced another grilling from analysts on the firm’s Q2 earnings call Thursday after posting a $97.1m net loss on net sales of $147m, lowering guidance for the full year from $560-$620m to $470m-$520m, and cutting 4% of its global...

New CEO at Motif FoodWorks after recent round of layoffs

04-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Boston-based food tech firm Motif FoodWorks has promoted its CTO Dr Michael Leonard to the role of CEO, effective immediately, as current CEO Jonathan McIntyre moves to an advisory role in the company.

Sorghum in focus: ‘The goal is to increase the use of sorghum in the US food supply,’ says Sorghum Checkoff

03-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Despite being a nutrient powerhouse with more fiber and protein per serving than quinoa and nearly twice the amount of iron as a 3-ounce sirloin steak, sorghum hasn’t quite crossed into mainstream territory with most consumers. But that could soon change,...

There’s more than one way to make meat from mycelium, says MyForest CEO: ‘What we’re doing is far cheaper than building fermenters’

02-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Fungi-fueled startup firm MyForest Foods (formerly Atlast Food Co) has started commissioning ‘Swersey Silos,’ a new production facility in Green Island, New York, which will start churning out meaningful quantities of mycelium-based meat by the end of...

'Exceptional gel strength and elasticity...' Merit Functional Foods touts methylcellulose replacer

01-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Recent applications work has demonstrated that Merit Functional Foods’ Peazazz pea protein isolate – in combination with an enzyme called transglutaminase - can replace methylcellulose, a binding and gelling ingredient widely used in meat alternatives...

Amazon brick-and-mortar sales up double digits, 'We continue to improve the customer experience,' says CEO

01-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Net sales in Amazon's physical stores - Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go - grew 12.5% year-on-year to $4.72bn in Q2 2022 and grew 2.8% vs Q1, 2022.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What does ‘plant-based’ mean to consumers? FMI investigates

01-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumer interest in ‘plant-based’ products has grown in recent years, so too have products proudly proclaiming their status as such – but what does the term actually mean, and how influential is it really?

Plant-based milk for kids: Kiki Milk taps into unmet market need

28-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

When it comes to plant-based milks for kids, the options are few and far between, say Alex and Lauren Abelin, founders of Kiki Milk, which is made with organic oats, hemp seeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, coconut, and other “whole food ingredients.”

Kraft Heinz will ‘redeploy’ more promotions as supply chains, inflation slowly improve

28-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As supply chains slowly recover and some commodity prices recede, Kraft Heinz says it will offer more “mutually beneficial” promotions with retailers, coupons and other deals to soften the impact of recent price hikes on increasingly budget-conscious...

Trendspotting at IFT First 2022: From upcycled foods to plant-based meat and dairy innovation

27-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The IFT First 2022 show floor was abundant with companies touting their upcycled ingredients and other exhibitors highlighting plant-based meat and dairy innovation. Take a look at some of the trends highlighted at the show this year.

Gavan’s zero waste continuous extraction platform: ‘No part of the plant is left out’

26-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Israeli start-up Gavan Technologies has developed a novel continuous extraction method that utilises the entire plant. FoodNavigator caught up with CEO Itai Cohen to learn more.