Bioscience company The Better Meat Co. is scaling up production of its allergen-free mycoprotein Rhiza with the help of a recent US Department of Defense (DoD) grant, as the company prepares its next round of funding.
Mycelium can be a protein-rich alternative to animal products. But will consumers accept it? The interplay of disgust and naturalness perceptions is the key, a new study suggests.
The alternative protein industry offers immense opportunities for innovation and market expansion, but successfully navigating this complex landscape requires a balance of advanced R&D, strategic partnerships and a deep understanding of consumer...
Lever VC is zeroing in on innovative companies within the alternative protein space, backing those with strong technological potential and the ability to scale, Nick Cooney, founder and managing partner, Lever VC, told FoodNavigator-USA during Future...
For cultivate meat companies to hit ambitious goals of scaling production from a few kilograms a year currently to tons annually within the next three years, the industry must overcome manufacturing, regulatory and funding challenges by embracing AI,...
The US must significantly increase public and private investment in alternative proteins, including cultivated meat, to maintain global competitiveness, according to the Good Food Institute's (GFI) State of Policy report and GFI's Policy Specialist,...
A solid data foundation is crucial to leveraging AI to address alternative-protein market challenges, including raw material shortages and developing on-trend products faster, CEO of AI-based recipe company Proxy Foods Panos Kostopoulos shared at the...
Combining plant and animal proteins into hybrid and blended products can diversify diets which “may have a positive environmental impact on our food ecosystem,” Dina Fernandez, global science & tech director, alternative proteins, ADM, told FoodNavigator-USA.
50/50 Foods' Both Burgers with a 50/50 beef and veggie blend target flexitarians who love meat but want more plants, while also addressing water scarcity caused by traditional agriculture, according to CEO Drew Arentowicz at the Future Food Tech...
Mycelium has a long history in food, but its potential for today’s consumer packaged foods (CPG) industry highlights the need for increased R&D in resourceful and responsible food production that helps address the challenges of a growing global population...
This week, food tech venture capital (VC) firm PeakBridge closed its Growth Fund II after raising $187m – surpassing its target — and invested in meat, dairy, and cocoa alternatives as part of its second fund, Nadav Berger, the company’s founder and managing...
Alt-protein companies scaling their fermentation processes beyond the lab face numerous challenges that require them to think through production processes, raw ingredients, and the design of a manufacturing facility to create a commercially viable product....
While alternative protein sales and units declined notably in recent years, players cite improved food science, commercial scale, production and navigation of retailer expectations during the Natural Products Expo West event last month.
Arizona, along with Florida and Texas, is the next state to propose stringent laws like censorship and bans for cultivated meat products, running the risk of “stifling the free market and their state’s economy," Curt Chaffin, GFI's director...
Austrian start-up Revo Foods is well known for its 3D-printed fish and meat whole cuts. Now, it has announced technology that can work continuously and produce a variety of products simultaneously, introducing significant flexibility into the production...
While the alternative protein scene continues to pursue widespread uptake and acceptance, in 2024, expect to see new and evolving concepts, technologies and regulatory support to progress towards attaining resilient food systems.
A four-year research project between IFF and Unilever, along with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) scientists in the Netherlands, will focus on how flavors bind to protein molecules “with the goal of recommending novel flavoring strategies that...
Is the labelling of Nestlé’s plant-based ‘Vuna’ product too similar to conventional tuna? This was up for debate recently in Brussels, where stakeholders met to discuss ‘fishy’ labelling for plant-based alternatives.
Manufacturers and retailers are improving their technology stack through digital transformation strategies and AI to improve operations and address historical food and beverage challenges from ingredient shortages and reformulations to predicting current...
The virtual pitch competition on Nov. 1, 2023 is an opportunity for women founders in the plant-based and animal-free industries to gain more visibility and funding.
Alternative proteins offer myriad potential solutions to curb the effects of climate change and public health risks, while creating space for partnerships with corporate meat producers, panelists said during the Good Food Conference last week in a session...
Mycoprotein supplier ENOUGH has raised €40m to scale up production in the Netherlands. And if global demand increases, the company will look to replicate its model further afield, CEO Jim Laird tells FoodNavigator.
The intrinsic connection between consumer preferences and market dynamics will be shaped by a once limited and now more stable supply chain, improved inflationary pressures and a departure from COVID-19 concerns, giving brands more clarity on how to develop...
"We're not just passively investing in promising sustainable food technology startups," said co-founder and general partner Jennifer Stojkovic in a press release. "Our team is fully committed to leveraging our expertise, powerful network,...
While food security, health and sustainability continue to shape the food landscape, consumers are still demanding a sensory experience, which means there is a growing need for expanded protein choices that can be incorporated into bakery and snacks....
MyForestFoods recently raised $15 million in Series A-2 funding to support the growth of its portfolio across the East Coast, including its mycelium bacon aptly called MyBacon, which was featured at the Vegan Women Summit in New York City May 19. The...
Mycoprotein and fungal proteins take up less land than animal farming, and can be used to aid in regenerative agriculture, explains mycoprotein major Quorn - perhaps the best-known manufacturer of mycoprotein-based meat substitutes.
Libre Foods is working with both fungi fruiting bodies and mycelia to boost diversity, functionality, and taste in meat-free offerings, CEO Alan Iván Ramos tells FoodNavigator.
Startup Liberation Labs is one step closer to easing crippling capacity constraints holding back precision fermentation – one of the most promising technologies in the fast-growing alternative protein market – with an infusion of $30m in equipment financing...
Food-tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods’ plant-based, whole-muscle seafood made through biomass fermentation will launch in select restaurants this summer thanks in part to an infusion of $5.5 million in seed funding led by Stray Dog Capital announced this...
Creating a sustainable food supply to meet population demands will require more than just a focus on growing the alternative proteins sector despite its current hype, according to industry experts.
With the opening of a new facility, dubbed the “Mega Ranch,” fungi-based startup Meati seeks to place its mushroom-root-based, sliced meat product in “tens of thousands of stores” in 2023, company co-founder and CEO, Tyler Huggins, told FoodNavigator-USA
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...
Where’s the smart money in food tech? Tackling food waste? Precision nutrition? Cell-cultured meat? And where can investors have the biggest impact on human and planetary health… and make a return? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Nadav Berger and Yoni...
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...
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...
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,...
So-called ‘alternative proteins’ – from upcycled barley and canola protein to animal-free whey made in fermentation tanks using genetically engineered microbes – were a hot topic at IFT First in Chicago. But with US retail sales of some meat alternatives...
From fermented dairy proteins to cellular agriculture and molecular farming, Spanish dairy major Pascual has its finger on the pulse when it comes to innovation in next generation dairy. But why should a traditional dairy processor invest in this space?
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...
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,...
'Animal-free’ protein startup The EVERY Company - which deploys synthetic biology to genetically engineer microbes to produce high-value ingredients such as egg proteins (without chickens) via precision fermentation - has closed a $175m series C...
Israeli firm InnovoPro – which recently launched a US subsidiary in Chicago – has unveiled a textured vegetable protein (TVP) combining chickpea and pea protein that it claims will enable food manufacturers to expand the ingredient toolbox for plant-based...
The Urgent Company – best known for Brave Robot ‘animal-free’ ice cream– is moving into new territory with the launch of Modern Kitchen lactose-free cream cheese, its second brand featuring Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy proteins (made with microbes,...
From 'whole cuts' of seafood from fungi, to plant-based lamb, to highly functional proteins from brewers' spent grains, here's a quick snapshot of some of the alternative protein startups participating in a virtual pitch slam at last...
Addressing the lack of public investment in the alternative proteins space, the Good Food Institute (GFI) is awarding nearly $5m to 22 research projects that the organization says will get closer to unlocking “the holy grail” of alternative proteins:...
Interested in meat, dairy, and seafood alternatives? Is all the hype - and the wads of cash - truly justified? Are some formulations (think plant-based cheese and yogurt) really ready for prime time? Are the purchase drivers for plant-based seafood the...
Join Noblegen, Plantible Foods, Superbrewed Food, Mattson and Lever VC to discuss the future of protein
Plant-based proteins such as soy and pea continue to dominate the so-called ‘alternative protein’ category, but they’re not the only game in town. New options are now emerging from ‘animal-free’ collagen and whey to a novel set of proteins produced naturally...