Proteins

FDA moves to keep coronavirus fears from interrupting ingredients trade

25-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

The US Food and Drug Administration says it will move actively to prevent the worldwide trade in dietary ingredients, food ingredients and whole foods from being restricted because of misplaced coronavirus infection concerns.

NEW PRODUCTS GALLERY: From sparkling CBD beverages and 'snapchilled' coffee to keto bone broth

24-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

From more CBD-infused sparkling beverages to keto bone broth, adaptogen-laced yogurts and 'snapchilled' coffee, checkout FoodNavigator-USA's latest gallery of new products hitting shelves.

Pea protein + chickpea flour = the next generation of plant-based meat... minus methyl cellulose, says Nutriati

23-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

Combining pea protein with a proprietary form of chickpea flour could pave the way for a new generation of plant-based meat products with a meatier texture and a cleaner label, claim the makers of Artesa textured pulse protein (TPP).

Merit Functional Foods secures additional $10m in debt-free financing to ‘redefine plant-based protein’ market

23-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Canada-based Merit Functional Foods - a joint venture between plant protein tech specialist Burcon NutraScience and three veteran food industry executives – has secured additional debt financing of $10m in the form of a 10-year interest free loan from...

Untapped market potential found in ‘big gap’ between consumers seeking, using functional foods

23-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even before the coronavirus outbreak hit the US, consumer interest in immunity was on the rise, but data from The Hartman Group revealing a substantial gap between consumers who intentionally use foods and supplements to manage their health and boost...

'Plentify' novel single cell protein ‘ludicrously efficient’ to produce vs animal protein, claims startup

20-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

A new player has emerged in the burgeoning alternative protein space touting a novel protein sourced from a bacterium found in the human microbiome, which it claims can give traditional animal and plant proteins a run for their money.

Serenity Kids: ‘Everyone had said we were on a rocket ship, and now we are finding out they were right’

18-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Dreams of a startup taking off like a rocket ship with broad distribution, strong sales and widespread brand recognition can quickly become a nightmare if entrepreneurs don’t first have in place effective strategies for hiring, financial management and...

Children under 2 years should avoid all added sugars, says Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

18-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Children under the age of 2 years should avoid all added sugars in order to better make “every bite count,” according to the Dietary Guidelines advisory subcommittee tasked with creating the first ever dietary guidelines for children younger than 24 months....

The LIVEKINDLY co. acquires Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!

17-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The LIVEKINDLY co., which launched in March with the ambition of becoming one of the largest plant-based food companies, has acquired Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!, known for its soy-based burgers, strips, and pulled meat products.

General Mills launches three-year regenerative dairy pilot project

16-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

General Mills – maker of Yoplait and Liberté yogurt brands – has launched a regenerative agriculture pilot project at three dairy farms in Michigan, a key sourcing region for the company's fluid milk supply.

BIOMILQ raises $3.5m to fund mammary cell-cultured human breastmilk platform, disrupt infant nutrition market

16-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

BIOMILQ – a startup producing breastmilk by culturing human mammary cells - has raised $3.5m to meet the needs of the four fifths of women who transition to dairy-based formula before the recommended six-month exclusivity period for breastfeeding, but...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Hormel Foods VP of corporate strategy retires

11-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Hormel Foods’ group vice president of corporate strategy, Jim Splinter - who led the acquisition of Justin’s nut butters in 2016 - has retired from the global food company.

Beyond Meat expects to begin European production at end of 2020 after Dutch expansion

11-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

US plant-based meat specialist Beyond Meat expects to begin European production by the end of 2020 after opening a new plant in Zoeterwoude and acquiring a further site in Enschede.

Nestlé Health Science to acquire majority stake in Vital Proteins

10-Jun-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Nestlé Health Science has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Chicago-based Vital Proteins, adding the leading collagen brand to its other vitamin, mineral, supplement and wellness brands, including Atrium Innovations, Garden of Life, Pure Encapsulations...

MycoTechnology raises $39m in Series D to expand functional ingredients platform

10-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

MycoTechnology – which is building a functional ingredients platform utilizing mycelia, the filament-like roots of mushrooms - has raised $39m in a series D financing round from investors* including plant-based meat specialist Greenleaf Foods to Tyson...

Snack Bar Trends: Join us for a FREE webinar on emerging trends, branding strategies, and market research

08-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

How is 2020 reshaping the snack bar market, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the latest diet trends and go-to-market brand strategies?

Hooray Foods takes its allergy-friendly plant-based bacon to the retail market

07-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

San Francisco-based startup Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – is now in talks with retailers looking to expand their plant-based meat set.

Impossible Foods launches direct-to-consumer site and rolls out to hundreds more retail stores this month

05-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Impossible Foods has launched an e-commerce site to make its plant-based burgers available to all US consumers in the lower 48 states, offering free, two-day shipping of larger, family-sized quantities of the Impossible Burger.

FreshRealm develops new 'high-quality, low-effort' ready-to-cook meals with restaurant chains, retailers

03-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

While many Americans have cooked more than ever in recent weeks, with some picking up new skills, demand for fresh ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals that require minimal effort has never been higher, says the founder of FreshRealm, which has teamed...

Investing in the Future of Food: NextGenChef connects ‘foodpreneurs’ with mentors, consumers online

03-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...

New technology could improve, taste, texture, nutrition of plant-based meat and dairy, claims Motif FoodWorks

02-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

New technology could reduce saturated fat and significantly improve the taste and texture of plant-based meat and dairy products, claims Motif FoodWorks, which is working on a variety of ingredients to make these foods more “craveable.”

Slammers’ pouched smoothies level-up with addition of Wellmune for immunity support

02-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

With fears that another wave of the coronavirus could hit the US just as the academic year begins, parents likely will seek products that could help support their children’s immune systems, claims Slammers Snacks.

From ‘Incredible’ to ‘Sensational’: Nestlé loses row with Impossible Foods over burger name

02-Jun-2020 By Flora Southey

Food giant Nestlé plans to file an appeal having been forced to rebrand its plant-based Incredible Burger in Europe.

Acosta: Consumers mixed on when grocery shopping will return to post-pandemic normalcy

01-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While many states emerge from several weeks of shelter-in-place mandates and businesses begin to reopen, many consumers feel their usual shopping behaviors won’t return to “normal” for some time, an Acosta report revealed.

Whole Foods Market and King Soopers lead in plant-based product assortment and marketing, reports GFI

29-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As the plant-based food sector continues to grow (up 11% in dollar sales in 2019 to $5bn), the category has become an integral part of many grocery retailers’ store assortments, marketing, and promotional strategies, according to The Good Food Institute...

Wake up and smell the … peanuts? Virginia Gold Peanut Coffee offers novel twist on classic drink

28-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

With the invention of peanut coffee, fifth generation peanut farmer James Harrell found a way to combine in one product the rich history and future of his hometown of Suffolk, Va., which as the headquarters for Planters Peanuts was once known as the ‘peanut...

ADM and Marfrig to launch plant-based protein joint venture, PlantPlus Foods

27-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Global ingredients company ADM and beef producer Marfrig have agreed to create PlantPlus Foods, a plant-based protein joint venture serving North and South American markets.

Japanese cell cultured meat co IntegriCulture raises $7.4m, aims to commercialize foie gras in 2021

27-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Tokyo-based cell-cultured meat company IntegriCulture has raised JPY 800m (US$ 7.4m) in a Series A round that will help it advance its mission of ‘democratizing cellular agriculture’ and build a production facility to take slaughter-free foie gras to...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Plant-based foods outpace total food sales during pandemic, PBFA and SPINS data shows

26-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

New data from the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and SPINS shows that US retail sales of plant-based meat, cheese, tofu, and tempeh outpaced total food retail sales for the 16 weeks ending April 19, 2020.

E-commerce expert: “This is a great entry time for new and small brands to flourish on Amazon”

26-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The uneven impact of the coronavirus on sales of food and beverage brands of different sizes has created an opportunity for smaller and emerging companies to drive consumer awareness by advertising on Amazon at a scale that previously would not have been...

FDA grants temporary labeling flexibility for non-allergen minor ingredients

22-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

With many food manufacturers experiencing difficulties in sourcing some ingredients during the pandemic, the FDA is allowing temporary flexibility in food labeling requirements enabling them to make minor formulation changes without updating labels, provided...

Plant-based meat: Rebellyous Foods pivots to retail; Lightlife, Field Roast gain momentum

22-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Rebellyous Foods – a Seattle-based startup that has been targeting high-volume foodservice accounts with plant-based chicken nuggets – has made a dramatic pivot to retail with the launch of family-packs at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest.

Trophic explores potential of red seaweed protein concentrate as multi-functional ingredient in plant-based meat, seafood

22-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Seaweed is well established as a source of thickeners and emulsifiers such as carrageenan and agar and has carved out a small segment of the healthy snacks aisle, but it could also give rivals a serious run for their money as a source of plant-based protein,...

Miyoko’s Creamery experiments with higher protein products, gears up for battle over plant ‘butter’ labels

22-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based dairy brand Miyoko’s Creamery – which built an artisan cheese brand based on cashew nuts but has since introduced new products featuring legumes and oats - is experimenting with a novel ingredient that’s naturally high in protein, and developing...

Walmart leads in online grocery during coronavirus, but will it last post-pandemic?

22-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nearly a quarter (24%) of consumers have taken their grocery shopping online in the months of March and April 2020 compared to 6% in 2019 highlighting the need for retailers to provide a seamless shopper experience between in-store, pickup, and delivery...

Consumer concern for employee wellbeing impacts perception of food safety, access, research shows

21-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As news continues to break about more workers at grocery stores and meat and poultry packing plants contracting coronavirus, consumer concern about employee health and their access to food and beverage during the pandemic is on the rise again after a...

PeaTos launches DTC website: 'The fight for snack share just headed online'

20-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused brands to look at their direct-to-consumer (DTC) businesses with fresh eyes, including emerging brand PeaTos, which launched its own DTC site, BetterSnacks.com, to fulfill Americans' at-home snacking needs and desire...

JUST partners with Post Holdings' Michael Foods, plans for largest foodservice expansion yet

18-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

JUST (Eat JUST, Inc.) has partnered with Michael Foods, a subsidiary of Post Holdings and one of the largest egg processors and suppliers, to bring plant-based JUST Egg to millions more consumers in the US.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Consumers embrace local, organic food amid coronavirus pandemic

18-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While consumer interest in where food comes from and how it is produced has been growing in recent years, an organic industry leader says the coronavirus pandemic has turbocharged shoppers’ interest in local, organic and sustainably produced products...

Califia Farms unveils Protein Oat, plant-based butter, becomes EBITDA positive as benefits of scale kick in: ‘This is a turning point for our company’

15-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Califia Farms is moving into new territory with the launch of plant-based butters - its first foray into the fats & oils category - and Protein Oat, a line of plant-based milks with a comparable level of protein to dairy milk per serving.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Benson Hill scales production of ‘ultra-high protein’ soybean variety

14-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Crop improvement company Benson Hill has contracted 30,000 acres of land in the US to grow its non-GMO ultra-high protein soybeans, which it claims deliver high nutrient density while maintaining competitive yields.

Chobani president: 'When this is all over, companies will be judged on how they behaved...'

14-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Through a combination of donations, supply chain reinforcement and upcoming retail promotions, Chobani is staying true to its food philosophy – or “D.N.N.A.” to provide all Americans “delicious, nutritious, natural and accessible” food, despite mounting...

Grocery inflation surged in April despite a decline in world food commodity prices

13-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

While the price of gas, clothing, and many other consumer goods has fallen during the pandemic, grocery prices are on the rise, with the food-at-home index showing the largest monthly increase since February 1974, despite continued declines in world food...

“Supply chain problem solving doesn’t occur in a vacuum,” CBA says of new critical infrastructure council

12-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Following recent high-profile claims that the food supply chain is buckling under pressure from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Consumer Brands Association is teaming with more than 35 trade associations to address long- and short-term challenges...

N’ice cream… minus the cows? Smitten teams with Perfect Day to make next-generation vegan ice cream

08-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

San Francisco-based Smitten Ice Cream is the first food company to use ‘non-animal’ whey protein from Perfect Day in a commercial product, giving the market a glimpse of how foods featuring these ingredients might be marketed.

Beyond Meat to launch value packs, more aggressive pricing, and direct-to-consumer operation

06-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat is taking a series of “offensive measures” to chart a course through the coronavirus pandemic, including switching some foodservice production lines over to retail products, developing value packs, offering more aggressive pricing, and building...

Investing in the Future of Food: Aloha CEO shares tips for securing shelf space, courting Trader Joe’s

06-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Waiting for a response from cold calls to retail buyers about placing a product on store shelves can feel demoralizing to emerging brands, but Brad Charron, the CEO of the plant-based bar and beverage brand Aloha, advises entrepreneurs not to take it...

Plant-based meat brands seize initiative as [animal] meat processors struggle, but no room for complacency, say Impossible Foods, Atlantic Natural Foods

05-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

As more meat plants temporarily close or operate at reduced capacity as coronavirus spreads, plant-based brands “have a window of opportunity to present themselves as more reliable alternatives,” says Lux Research. But no production facilities are immune...

60-second interview: Jon Peters, president, Beneo

BENEO president: ‘We have seen higher and more volatile demand during the pandemic’

05-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

From fewer containers and reduced shift work at harbors to delays in planned maintenance in factories, the coronavirus pandemic is impacting global supply chains in myriad ways. FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Jon Peters (JP), president at Beneo,...

WATCH: Three Wishes Cereal trials drive-thru sampling

05-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

With Expo West canceled and instore sampling off the menu for the foreseeable future, New York based high protein, low-sugar gluten-free startup Three Wishes Cereal decided to get creative…