Proteins

Affordable lab-grown meat: India looks to become global cell-based meat hub

10-May-2019 By Pearly Neo

The world’s first research centre focused on research and development in the cell-based meat category has been announced in Maharashtra, India, with the first phase set to open by 2020.

Tyson Foods expects a sales boost from African Swine Fever, but warns the disease could spread to US

07-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

The rapid spread of African swine fever across China, Asia and parts of Europe over the past year represents a double-edge sword for Tyson Foods, which is well-positioned with its diverse portfolio to capitalize on a worldwide decrease in pork supply,...

Post Holdings’ potential Active Nutrition IPO is ‘on track’ with SEC and a strong second quarter

06-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

The initial public offering of Post Holdings' fast-growing Active Nutrition segment, which includes the iconic PowerBar brand, remains “on track for a fall execution,” but may not happen before the end of the fiscal year, the company’s President...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Boulder Food Group shares how it hopes to invest its second fund of $100M in food & beverage startups

03-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Attracted to recent high-dollar acquisitions, consumer demand for healthy and sustainable options, and the opportunities created by a diversifying retail landscape, the number of investors flocking to the food and beverage industry continues to grow exponentially...

GUEST ARTICLE: Protein... where's the beef?

02-May-2019 By Stu Strumwasser, managing director, Green Circle Capital Advisors

These days, as I travel through the offices of natural products CEOs and investors, and grocery aisles, and trade show booths at Expos North, South, East and West, I find myself constantly informed of the protein content in food and beverage products....

Bernstein: Beyond Meat could potentially generate annual sales of $2bn in 2033

Beyond Meat IPO ‘extremely rare exit strategy in the highly centralized food industry,’ says GFI

02-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat’s decision to go public amounts to “an extremely rare exit strategy in the highly centralized food industry and is almost unheard of in the plant-based food space,” says The Good Food Institute (GFI), a nonprofit that promotes plant- and cell-based...

Investing in the Future of Food: Biena CEO shares tips for launching a product that is new to the category vs new to the world

01-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Developing and launching a new product is never easy, but according to the CEO of the chickpea snack company Biena, the specific challenges entrepreneurs will face across sales, marketing and operations will vary significantly based on whether they are...

YUMI founders on fresh baby food, millennial moms and going viral: ‘Parents love to share recommendations…’

30-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

New parents are busy, demanding, and sleep-deprived (cranky). But if you make products that solve problems for them, they’re also far more likely than most consumers to tell other people about your brand, which is the kind of free marketing most start-ups...

News in brief

Burger King plans nationwide rollout of Impossible Burger by the end of 2019

29-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Will plant-based meat go mainstream? It’s early days, but there were some positive signs this morning as Burger King confirmed that trials of the Impossible Burger in St Louis went so well that the chain aims to roll out the plant-based burger nationwide...

InnovoPro proffers chickpea as a protein that can overcome hurdles other plant-based options can’t

29-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the plant-based protein category is booming, none of the top-selling ingredients dominating the space offer a perfect solution in terms of function, nutrition, sustainability and consumer-experience – a gap in the market that the CEO of Israeli...

Clara Foods completes Series B, joins forces with Ingredion to commercialize egg proteins... minus the chicken

25-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Clara Foods, a San Francisco-based startup producing egg proteins via microbial fermentation, has ditched the chicken in favor of yeast, and teamed up with ingredients giant Ingredion to develop and commercialize...

Danone N. America marks first anniversary as B Corp with improved procurement, packaging & employee benefits

25-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Since becoming a Certified B Corp one year ago, Danone North America has made strides in improving its procurement process, meeting consumer demand for increased sustainability and rallying its employees to prioritize the company’s commitment to social...

Beyond Meat rolls out in 3,000 stores in Canada as it gears up for IPO

24-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Beyond Meat's plant-based Beyond Burgers will be available in the meat case at more than 3,000 retail outlets in Canada including Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, and Whole Foods Market by the end of May.

WATCH: Planetarians promotes protein- and fiber-packed upcycled ingredients: 'Imagine a ham sandwich where the bread contains more protein than the ham'

22-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

One of 15 startups pitching at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco, Planetarians uses a proprietary process to transform defatted oilseeds – the dry matter left after oil extraction - into high-protein, high-fiber ingredients that are now being...

Stryve Biltong continues consumer education push with ramped up marketing and new distribution

19-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With $16.5m in Series B funding and an industry veteran taking over as CMO, Stryve Biltong is continuing it rapid growth trajectory in the snacking category.

Yellofruit frozen banana-based desserts to enter 600 stores in Canada this summer: 'This is not a niche brand'

19-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Canadian startup Yellofruit is using the same principles of ice cream food science to make its non-dairy frozen banana desserts that founder Andrew Kinnear says closely mimic the experience of eating traditional dairy ice cream.

Soylent unveils new Soylent Squared 100-cal mini-meal bar, plans savory product launch in the fall

18-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Almost three years after launching - and then rapidly withdrawing - its Food Bar from the market, Soylent has unveiled Soylent Squared, a 100-calorie ‘mini meal bar’ featuring 5g of soy protein, 36 essential nutrients and probiotics.

Cease fire in Cheetos vs Peatos trademark dispute as parties come to ‘amicable’ resolution

17-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

A trademark dispute between Cheetos and pulse-based rival Peatos has been “amicably resolved,” after the latter agreed to remove the offending tagline, ‘Tigers live longer than cheetahs’ from its packaging and website.

Founder of Proper Cookie Dough leverages social media, Kickstarter to market on shoestring budget

17-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Advertising on Facebook is about more than spreading the word about a new brand or product, it is also a tool for entrepreneurs to identify their core consumer base, which might not be who they initially thought, according to one entrepreneur who recently...

News in brief

Plant-based JUST Egg rolls out to Silver Diner, Bareburger locations

16-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

JUST Egg - a plant-based scrambled egg alternative from Just Inc – is rolling out to Silver Diner locations in Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey, and all 34 Bareburger locations in the US.

Beyond burgers? Del Taco to roll out plant-based tacos with Beyond Meat across all 580 locations

15-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

In another move signaling the mainstream potential of next generation plant-based meat brands, fast-food taco chain Del Taco will roll out tacos featuring Beyond Meat's pea-protein-based crumbles to all 580 locations starting April 25, following...

WATCH: Grasshoppers, not crickets, will drive the edible insect revolution, says Hargol Foodtech

12-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Edible insects were always going to be a slow burn in the alternative protein market, given both the ‘ick’ factor and the lack of infrastructure to farm and process them at scale. But just because investors have been cautious about the sector doesn’t...

Introducing Futuro: Brazilian start-up launches 'tech-based' vegan burger

12-Apr-2019 By Niamh Michail

Brazilian start-up Fazenda Futuro has launched a plant-based meat alternative, the Futuro Burger, developed using artificial intelligence (AI).

More than half of consumers shop at a store specifically for its private brand, says Daymon report

11-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Private label continues to give national brands a run for their money with over half of consumers saying they shop a store specifically for its private brand, according to a report by Daymon, a private brand innovation and development firm.

Maple Leaf Foods aims to emerge as refrigerated plant-based protein leader in North America

10-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Maple Leaf Foods -- parent company of Lightlife and Field Roast brands -- and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods, has announced a $310m plan to build the largest (230,000-square-feet) plant-based protein facility in North America, claims president...

GUEST ARTICLE: Is 'vegan' a four-letter word on product packaging?

10-Apr-2019 By Paul Shapiro

Vegan. Vegetarian. Plant-based. Plant-strong. Plant protein... All of these terms are used in some variety on the ever-blossoming category of animal-free foods intending to compete against the conventional meat, egg, and dairy industries.

NEWS IN BRIEF

fairlife to build $200m production facility to meet mounting consumer demand

09-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Ultra-filtered milk brand fairlife (backed by Coca-Cola) is increasing its production and distribution capacity with plans to build a $200m, 300,000-square-foot facility in a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The new facility is slated to be operational...

Sprout Foods commits to adding more veggies to its baby food to help prevent obesity later in life

09-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Frustrated that efforts to “treat or fix” childhood obesity in the US have fallen short, Sprout Foods is teaming with the Partnership for a Healthier America to try and prevent the problem from occurring by training children from an early age to crave...

Soylent rolls out to 4,378 Walmart stores, targets 20,000 retail locations nationwide

08-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Soylent has sealed nationwide distribution in 4,378 Walmart stores for five of its ready-to-drink (RTD) meal replacement drinks, furthering the company's goal to bring complete and affordable nutrition to all, said Soylent CEO Bryan Crowley.

News in brief

Tofurky raises $7m to fuel plant-based meat ambitions, but doesn’t give away any equity

05-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Tofurky has raised $7m via a private investment to help scale production of its plant-based refrigerated sausages, deli slices, grounds, roasts and tempeh as consumer demand for meat alternatives continues to grow.

WATCH: The times they are a changin’ when it comes to protein production, says Bond Pet Foods

05-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Bond Pet Foods – one of 15 startups pitching at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco last month - deploys microbes as tiny factories to produce proteins for pets in fermentation tanks. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with founder Rich Kelleman before...

Quevos egg white chips readies for next phase of growth with Kickstarter launch

04-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Quevos, a Chicago-area startup making egg white chips, is preparing to enter its next phase of growth through crowdfunding site Kickstarter, to build its customer base and brand awareness with further plans to enter the natural retail channel later this...

Investing in the Future of Food: Rising conscious consumerism demands companies look beyond profit

04-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

As conscious consumerism gathers momentum, retailers, investors and shoppers all are scrutinizing companies’ values more closely and looking to support brands that are focused on more than just profits.

New products from Applegate deliver consumer demand for three ‘C’s – clean, craveable and convenient

04-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

While some animal protein producers might see the rise in plant-based eating as a threat, Applegate sees it as an opportunity to push forward its mission of changing the meat we eat with several new products, including a blended burger that combines meat...

TerViva raises $20m to fuel plant-based protein ambitions with ‘vertical soy’

02-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

TerViva - a California-based start-up on a mission to commercialize a new source of plant-based protein from the pongamia tree - has raised $20m in a series D round.

WATCH: 'We've developed a completely new food concept...'

02-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

The Worthy Company - one of 15 food & ag startups pitching at Rabobank's FoodBytes! event in San Francisco last week -​​ has developed a novel food concept (the 'blendie bowl') combining fruits, veggies, legumes and chia. But where...

Burger King trials the Impossible burger: A 'major milestone for the plant-based meat industry,' says GFI

01-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

In a move signaling the mainstream potential of next generation plant-based meat brands, Burger King is testing the waters with a limited edition trial of the Impossible Burger in 60 locations in and around St Louis to gauge consumer interest.

The Jackfruit Company: Health and eco-conscious meat eaters will fuel next-stage growth

29-Mar-2019 By Kacey Culliney

The Jackfruit Company has developed a ready-to-eat pulled pork imitation that it hopes should propel growth, drawing interest from meat eaters considering plant-based alternatives for health and environmental reasons.

At Expo West 2019, enduring appeal of protein shows

27-Mar-2019 By Adi Menayang

Not long ago, high protein content call-outs were reserved for ready-to-drink milkshakes and protein bars. Today, everything from snacks to pasta to frozen food boast high protein content on their packaging. What’s sustaining the protein fortification...

Impossible Foods issues voluntary recall as it gears up for launch at 570 Red Robin locations

27-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based meat start-up Impossible Foods has issued a voluntary recall of a single lot number of its product after a restaurant in California discovered a “food-safe, sealed, one-inch plastic object in a case of Impossible Burger bulk product.”

Blue Apron founder launches Cooks Venture: ‘We started by fixing the biggest problem in the food system: chicken’

26-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Meat often gets a bad rap on the sustainability front, but not all animal production systems have the same impact on the planet, says Blue Apron founder Matthew Wadiak, who has launched a regenerative agriculture venture that will initially focus on pasture-raised...

Thrive Market: 'We’re dramatically expanding into frozen' and pushing regenerative agriculture messaging, says SVP

26-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

In the past five years, online grocery retailer Thrive Market has grown its business to 500,000 paid members shopping its 6,000+ products, allowing the company to dive head first into new projects around regenerative agriculture, and "dramatically"...

Alpha Foods raises $7m to fuel frozen plant-based foods empire: ‘We started at Walmart…’

26-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

While most new plant-based brands debut in the natural channel, the trend is becoming so red hot that Alpha Foods – which has just raised $7m in a round co-led by New Crop Capital and AccelFoods – started by knocking on Walmart’s door… and found it open,...

There is a need for global harmonization of protein recommendations: IPB chief

26-Mar-2019 By Stephen Daniells

Scientific and technology advances, coupled with the increased consumer interest, means that there is a need to update and harmonize the recommendations for protein intakes around the globe, says the head of the International Protein Board.

Natural and clean label trends 101: From malic acid and glyphosate residues to ‘clean protein’

22-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Consumers want more natural, less processed, ‘clean’ foods. But do they give certain brands – and categories – a pass? And what cues are they looking for? Checkout what our consumer and legal experts had to say in the opening session of our Natural and...

VIDEO: Ripple Foods co-founder talks ‘designer proteins,’ lacteal secretions, and the future of plant-based protein

19-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Are we approaching ‘peak plant milk’? Will ‘designer proteins’ created via synthetic biology catch on? And should dairy milk serve as the nutritional benchmark for plant-based ‘milk’? Elaine Watson caught up with Ripple Foods cofounder Adam Lowry at the...

Corn protein is allergy-friendly, and has ‘interesting functional benefits,’ says Cargill

18-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Cargill will have commercial quantities of Non GMO corn protein available by 2022 as it seeks to capitalize on growing demand for plant-based proteins.

Chobani Incubator’s diverse new cohort illustrates new focus to lift up underrepresented entrepreneurs

18-Mar-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

“Disheartened” but “not surprised” that so little venture capital currently is invested in startups led by women and minority entrepreneurs, Chobani Incubator’s new program director Zoe Feldman says she wants to more intentionally support founders from...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Beyond Meat revs up distribution of Beyond Sausage to over 4,000 stores

15-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Since launching exclusively at the Whole Foods Market Pearl Street store in Boulder, Colorado, in late 2017, Beyond Meat's Beyond Sausage has expanded its distribution to over 4,000 grocery stores, restaurants, and sports stadiums across the US....

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Trendspotting at Expo West reveals upticks in keto, MCT oil, plant-based protein and better-for-you snacks & kids’ foods

15-Mar-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

CBD far and away stole the show as the hot new ingredient at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week, but it wasn’t the only notable trend with promising market potential or significant recent development.