Proteins

Health concerns drive plant-based meat and dairy consumption, Euromonitor survey finds

02-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

What is driving consumers to eat plant-based meat and dairy alternatives? According to Euromonitor International's 2022 Voice of the Industry survey, a desire to feel healthier and avoid long-term health risks are ahead of environmental and animal...

USDA investments to ‘transform’ food system could shift power between large, established players and small, mid-sized challengers

02-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Announcing the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars across the supply chain, the US Department of Agriculture says it hopes to rebalance the food system’s historic focus on efficiency with much-needed resiliency so that the country is better...

Brevel scales production of ‘ghost protein’ from microalgae with $8.4m seed round

02-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Lauded as a “ghost protein” that boosts nutrition without changing finished products’ taste, color or texture, Israeli startup Brevel claims that its microalgae-based alternative protein could give competing pea and soy-based proteins a run for their...

What feedstocks will fuel the next wave of microbial fermentation? High-protein ‘mycelium flour’ startup Hyfé Foods turns to ‘goldmine’ in waste water…

31-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Growing food from microbes – whether it’s meat alternatives or high-intensity sweeteners - is more efficient and in many cases more sustainable than raising animals or growing crops. But if we want to build a truly circular economy, says Hyfé Foods co-founder...

Joywell Foods raises $25m as it gears up to launch beverages featuring sweet proteins

27-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Joywell Foods, which deploys microbes to produce nature-identical ultra-sweet proteins found in fruits and berries, has raised $25m in a funding round* led by Piva Capital as it gears up to launch its first consumer products featuring the sweeteners.

Lower cost and more sustainable feedstocks essential for microbial fermentation to flourish, says Synthesis Capital after launching $300m food tech fund

26-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

While much of the press coverage in food tech is devoted to brands making meat, egg, and dairy alternatives, these technologies will only be scalable – and sustainable - if we pay the same level of attention to the enabling technologies underpinning them,...

GOOD Meat strikes deal for ‘largest known bioreactors for avian and mammalian cell culture’ for US cultivated meat facility

25-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

GOOD Meat, the cultivated meat division of Eat Just, has signed an exclusive seven-year deal with bioprocess equipment specialist ABEC to design, manufacture, install and commission the “largest known bioreactors for avian and mammalian cell culture”...

ADM bets big on nutrition to drive profit as it amps up capacity in high-growth areas

24-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

ADM’s nutrition business may represent only 15% of its operating profit currently, but executives expect that to double in the next three years and to drive a majority of the company’s operating growth thanks to its “systems” approach to business development,...

Calls for more research into ‘forgotten’ crops as food crisis bites

23-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The global food price crisis illustrates the need for key players in the food chain to bring forgotten and under-researched crops to the attention of markets and to consumers' tables, according to author Dan Saladino.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Fast-growing popularity of medicinal mushrooms spurs innovation

23-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

They may not be magic, but mushrooms – at least medicinal ones – are having a moment as consumer demand for functional benefits, such as clarity, calm, digestive support and enhanced immunity, are driving discovery and sales of the versatile, easy-to-you...

Superbrewed Food secures self-affirmed GRAS status for 'postbiotic cultured protein,' expects first product launches in 2023

20-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Superbrewed Food has secured self-affirmed GRAS status for a new whole food, non-GMO ingredient - marketed as a ‘postbiotic cultured protein’ – that founder Dr Bryan Tracy is billing as “the most nutrient dense protein source on the planet,” with 80%+...

Egg prices soar, supplies could tighten as war, cage-free transition and Avian flu take toll

20-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Already high, egg prices likely will continue to climb as some producers struggle to meet increased demand as supplies tighten with the spread of Avian flu and efforts to convert to cage-free production ahead of looming deadlines slow repopulation efforts...

Tyson Foods ‘working on blueprints’ to expand ready-to-eat, value-added business

20-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Tyson Foods is betting big on ready-to-eat and value-added products, which it estimates could return margins of 10-12% even during a recession, as part of its ambitious goal to get ahead and stay ahead of the competition and outpace the market.

How are companies using canola protein? In conversation with Merit Functional Foods

19-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

A new entrant to the burgeoning plant-based protein arena, canola protein can improve the taste, texture, and nutrition of everything from protein bars to plant-based ice cream, says Merit Functional Foods, which recently opened a facility in Manitoba...

ENOUGH and MeaTech3D collaborate the next generation of meat alternatives... ‘Hybrid products with cultured meat’

19-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Plant-based meat analogues are still striving to deliver a genuine ‘meaty’ taste, texture and mouthfeel. Could combining plant proteins with cultured animal fats offer a solution? Food tech innovators ENOUGH and MeaTech3D have launched a collaboration...

Tomorrow Farms debuts animal-free flavored milk brand Bored Cow with Perfect Day: 'Animal-free is the future of this category'

19-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh off of a $10.5m funding round, Tomorrow Farms is debuting is first product and brand -- Bored Cow -- which uses Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein to recreate a cow-free version of flavored milk, giving consumers the nutrition and functionality...

Impossible Foods makes UK debut… without its flagship ‘heme’ ingredient

18-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

California-based Impossible Foods is making its European debut in the UK this week with the launch of plant-based chicken nuggets and sausage patties, formulated without its flagship soy leghemoglobin ingredient, which is not yet approved in the UK or...

NotCo dips into foodservice with test launch at select Shake Shack locations

18-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

NotCo, a foodtech startup that uses patented AI technology to produce plant-based versions of traditional animal products, has partnered with fast food chain Shake Shack on a test launch of a plant-based chocolate custard and milk shake.

GOOD Meat and ADM partner to accelerate development of cultivated meat

17-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

GOOD Meat - a division of Eat Just, Inc. currently developing and producing cultivated chicken - has entered into a joint development agreement with global nutrition company ADM to accelerate the production of cultivated meat while driving overall costs...

Walmart plans to push back on rising food prices: 'We need to do more to help customers’

17-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Walmart’s already low appetite for price increases across food and beverage may be further dampening as more consumers switch to private label and smaller packs to keep expenses down – a signal to the retailer that it is not doing enough to deliver on...

Nuritas establishes US HQ to support growth of AI-powered bioactive peptide discovery platform targeting everything from blood glucose management to wrinkle-reduction

17-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Nuritas – a Dublin-based biotech firm deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to identify bioactive peptides in plants that could impact everything from blood glucose management to skin aging – is setting up its US headquarters in Connecticut to support...

The Real Good Food Company on path to 'robust long-term growth'

16-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Real Good Food Company, which makes lower carb, higher protein, gluten- and grain-free versions of frozen comfort foods, has exceeded growth expectations and raised its guidance for the full year.

Plant-based meat gamechanger? Rebellyous Foods tackles two key hurdles facing the industry: cost, and quality-at-scale

16-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

While even the analysts downgrading Beyond Meat’s stock in the wake of grim Q1 figures believe meat alternatives are “not a fad” (to quote Brian Holland at Cowen), the brand’s slowing sales and elevated costs have prompted some soul-searching about why...

Study: Do vegetarian diets impact growth outcomes for kids?

13-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Children following vegetarian diets have similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets, but are more likely to be underweight, according to a new study from researchers in Toronto.

Rising food costs outpace those for all goods, suggesting more inflation to come

13-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food prices likely will remain stubbornly high as the cost of key ingredients, packaging materials, transportation and warehousing paid by producers continues to rise, albeit at a slightly slower pace – sparking optimism among some that high inflation...

SpoonfulONE enters Walgreens stores nationwide expanding access to early allergen introduction

12-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

SpoonfulONE, a line of nutritional products that introduces babies to 16 food allergens at the beginning of their feeding journey, has expanded distribution to nearly 5,000 Walgreens stores nationwide helping make early allergen introduction a common...

Beyond Meat CEO faces grilling from analysts after posting grim Q1 figures

12-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Despite its grim near-term figures, Beyond Meat’s long-term prospects are good, insisted CEO Ethan Brown on the firm’s Q1 earnings call Wednesday as analysts queried how much longer the plant-based meat firm would have to speculate before it started to...

Future Farm CEO says future is still bright for plant-based meat: 'We have to take responsibility for developing this category'

11-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Brazilian plant-based meat firm Future Farm is steadily making inroads into the crowded plant-based meat category in the US, where CEO Alexandre Ruberti still sees runway for growth.

From mush to meat? Talking edible scaffolding for cultivated meat with Gelatex and Matrix F.T.

10-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

As cultivated meat gets closer to market, more attention is being paid to enabling technologies, from bioreactors to growth media to edible scaffolding. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with two players trying to replicate the extracellular matrix of meat:...

Consumers struggle with grocery shortages and rising price of goods, report finds

10-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While many consumers report struggling with product shortages and delays in online orders along with mounting concerns over inflation, demand for groceries “tends to be relatively inelastic,” according to Morning Consult, which has just surveyed 1,000...

Tyson counters labor constraints hindering volume with added benefits, automation

10-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As labor challenges continue to hold back Tyson Foods' ability to meet heightened demand, the firm is doubling down on efforts to become the ‘most sought-after place to work,’ while simultaneously investing in automation to relieve staffing needs.

Synthetic biology and the future of food. In conversation with ‘biology by design’ co Ginkgo Bioworks

09-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

When Ginkgo Bioworks’ head of codebase Dr Patrick Boyle was working on his doctoral research between 2006-12, he was “basically ordering DNA one gene at a time,” he recalls. “I think I ordered less than six total genes for my entire PhD.” Today, the Boston-based...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Voyage Foods lands $36m Series A funding, first product launch planned for Q2 2022

05-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Oakland, California-based food tech company Voyage Foods has raised $36m in a Series A funding as it prepares to launch its first product in Q2 2022.

Mars exec talks innovation: 'We're at a fascinating moment, where we will be creating the next relevant portfolio for consumers'

05-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As a 100+-year-old company of some of the most well-known CPG brands, Mars Inc. sees innovation as the driving force behind the company's next chapter of growth and the key to maintaining consumer relevancy.

Smallfood targets alt seafood market with ‘wholefood’ marine organism combining high quality protein, omega-3 EPA+DHA, and seafood flavor

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Halifax-based Smallfood is targeting the alternative seafood market with a novel marine-based whole food ingredient high in protein “with an amino acid profile similar to beef” and meaningful levels of the coveted long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and...

Tate & Lyle bets big on chickpea protein, flour, with deal to acquire Nutriati

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Tate & Lyle – a global ingredients company best known for sweeteners, fibers, and texturizing ingredients – has moved into the burgeoning plant-based protein arena with a deal to acquire Virginia-based chickpea protein and flour co Nutriati, six months...

IFF unveils SEAFLOUR, a whole food seaweed stabilizer offering ‘exceptional stability’ in plant-based beverage formulations, and a clean label

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

IFF has launched SEAFLOUR, a hydrocolloid from red seaweed with particular potential in higher-protein plant-based milks made with pea or soy, enabling formulators to offer cleaner labels and shorten their ingredients lists.

Beneo builds new pulse-processing plant for ‘rising star’ ingredient faba bean

27-Apr-2022 By Flora Southey

The ingredients supplier is investing €50m in the new facility to make protein concentrate, starch rich flour and hulls from faba beans – a crops that comes with ‘convincing sustainable credentials’, Beneo’s Christoph Boettger tells FoodNavigator.

Remilk to build the world’s largest precision fermentation site in Europe

26-Apr-2022 By Flora Southey

Animal-free dairy start-up Remilk has announced plans to build its first fully-owned facility, and the largest of its kind in the world, in Denmark.

‘Proudly genetically modified…’ Moolec ‘molecular farming’ co gears up to launch meat proteins from GM crops

25-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Moolec Science – which has developed a ‘molecular farming’ platform to produce plants that express animal proteins – is developing genetically engineered peas and beans containing bovine and porcine proteins that it claims can improve the taste, texture,...

Motif FoodWorks challenges validity of Impossible Foods patent as plant-based meat IP battle heats up

20-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Motif FoodWorks has upped the ante in a high-stakes legal dispute with plant-based meat co Impossible Foods over meaty-tasting ‘heme’ ingredients by filing a petition with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to challenge the validity of a patent it argues...

Nowadays raises $7m, gears up for Whole Foods launch: 'Plant-based meat has to be delicious, nutritious, and affordable'

18-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

While shoppers care about animal welfare and sustainability, these things are not, yet at least, primary purchase drivers for most Americans, despite what they tell you in surveys, says the co-founder of plant-based chicken startup Nowadays. “What’s the...

NOVA system unfairly tars plant-based milks, burgers, from soy with ‘ultra-processed’ brush, argues academic

15-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

“Maligning plant-based meats and milks because of the processing they undergo is nutritionally unjustified and counterproductive to achieving the health and environmental goals of the World Health Organization,” claims one academic who has been studying...

Could sunflower protein join the plant-based protein major league? It ‘checks all the boxes’ says Burcon

15-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Sunflower is the world’s third largest oilseed crop behind soy and canola, so why isn’t it a major player in the plant-based protein arena?

Misfits Market launches private label line: 'It's clear shoppers are looking for new ways to save'

14-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Direct-to-consumer online grocer Misfits Market has launched its own private label offering of 'Odds & Ends' pantry staples specifically designed to address certain supply chain inefficiencies around sourcing, food waste, and elevated pricing,...

ADM makes $300m investment to expand alternative protein production capabilities

14-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

ADM has made a $300m investment to expand existing production capabilities of its soy protein concentrate and open a new protein innovation center in Decatur, Illinois.

Record-breaking spike in cost of goods portends inflation will go higher before it levels off

14-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

March’s staggering 11.2% year-over-year producer price increase revealed yesterday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests inflation, which reached a 41 year high of 8.4% last month, may be far from peaking and manufacturers, and consumers, should...

WATCH: Gut health soda, plant-based, and regenerative agriculture... Trendspotting with PRESENCE

13-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With 33 years operating in the natural foods industry, national food broker PRESENCE has seen many trends come and go and others grow into long-term growth drivers for the industry.

SuperMeat CEO talks commercial viability of cell-cultured meat, plans US production facility in 2023

12-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Israeli cell-cultured meat startup SuperMeat is aiming to set up its first production facility in the US in the second half of 2023.

Private label returns to solid single-digit growth while outpacing national brands, reports PLMA

08-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After experiencing unprecedented double-digit growth in 2020 fueled by pandemic shopping behaviors, private label brands grew by a more modest 1% for the full-year 2021, but have gathered steam again in the Q1 2022 registering 6.5% sales growth compared...