The Evolution of The Alt-Milk

Even with sales in some quarters of the plant-based industry taking a hit, dairy alternatives continue to take the world by storm – with sales growing by 19% between 2020-22. Oat milk is as popular as ever, while almond milk is still king in the US.

This growth has been helped by a wave of alt-milks that come in different formats and offer more uses for the consumer. These novel versions eschew the traditional for something unusual – whether it’s a harmony of multiple base ingredients or new ways to prepare and consume dairy-free milk.

Alt-Milk Powders

While they’ve been around for a while in the US, powdered plant-based milks are slowly making their way to the global mainstream. In the UK, for example, two new oat milk powders were launched in January.

One was from Mighty, the brand introducing the UK to pea milk before expanding into oat and precision fermentation. The other was from a start-up called Overherd.

While alt-milks are hailed for their animal-free nature and eco credentials, they also come with their problems. This industry is associated with a lot of waste, whether raw material residue, use-by dates or product packaging.

Most mass-market vegan milks are presented in Tetra Paks, which preserve freshness and extend their shelf life. But this comes at an environmental cost: currently, only 26% of Tetra Pak cartons are recycled globally.

This spurred Sandy Eyre, the founder of Overherd, to create powdered oat milk. He also had another reason. “I was surprised to see an oat content of only 10%, the rest being mostly water,” he explains. “It seemed silly to ship around all this water when we have taps at home.”

Sustainability is the biggest advantage that alt-milk powders possess. Overheard uses 90% less packaging weight than standard oat milk cartons on a per-litre basis. It’s also 10 times lighter, saving on transport emissions throughout the supply chain and making it ideal for travel and camping.

Additionally, it is a dried product and boasts a much longer shelf life. And to further address food waste, you can customise how much oat milk you want to make in one go – a litre or two, a pint, or even just a glass. While you can mix some with water when and as needed, even if you make a large batch, they’ll be good for three days in the fridge.

There’s another major plus, notes Eyre: “Less food waste also means financial savings for customers, which is important at the moment.”

He says the flavour isn’t too dissimilar from store-bought oat milks. He finds that the resultant milk has a natural sweetness and mild oat flavour, and you can adjust the concentrate-to-water ratio to reach the desired thickness.

And what about using it as an alternative to conventional milk powder? The most exciting aspect of alt-milk powders is their multifunctionality – they can replace cow’s milk powder in various applications, including cooking and baking. They can also double as a creamer, mixing them directly into your coffee or tea. This is the case with the Instant range by US brand Goodmylk, which includes vegan-flavoured lattes and creamers in powdered forms.

While these products aren’t specifically designed to be used as barista milks, Eyre says Overherd’s offering steams well and can be used in latte art. Mighty’s powder contains oats, coconut oil, and salt. At the same time, Overherd comprises oats, coconut MCT powder (for creaminess and its brain health benefits) and chicory root fibre (for texture and mouthfeel), and is fortified with calcium carbonate and vitamin B12.

As with good coffee, the one downside of the DIY nature of this product is the water quality – your milk will only be as good as the water you use. Eyre also feels that powdered milk doesn’t have the best reputation. “But we’re trying to change that,” he asserts, “at least for plant milk powders, anyway.”

Nut Milk Pastes

Another relatively new format of alt-milks are nut pastes. Think of them as a middle point between plant milk powders and liquid versions. In the US, JOI is a market leader in this sector. In the UK, it’s Nooj. “The alternative milks category is bloated with many replicas,” argues its founder Caroline Barton. “And consumers deserve more choice.”

Nooj’s pastes are essentially nuts ground with water to form a base for plant milk – as a consumer, all you have to do is add water at home to turn it into milk. It differentiates from regular milk in flavour – which is intentionally very nut-forward – and nutrient retention (Nooj’s manufacturing techniques help preserve nutrients in a way regular nut milks can’t).

Currently, Nooj’s offerings include almond and cashew pastes. While other ingredients are in the pipeline, it started with nuts due to their nutrient density and creamy texture, which sets them apart from other base ingredients.

Nut pastes share quite a few similarities with vegan milk powders. To start with, they’re highly versatile. “They can be mixed with many ingredients [and] stand in for a variety of dairy products, not just milk,” notes Barton. Think a base for cheesecakes, ice creams or chocolate truffles, or a star ingredient for vegan mayo, butter and even sour cream.

Additionally, they’re lighter to transport (saving on greenhouse gas emissions), and are quick and easy to use. These pastes can also be frozen to prolong their freshness and shelf life (even without doing so, they last 45 days in the fridge).

A key difference with regular homemade milks is that there are no discards here: if you’re making almond or cashew milk from whole nuts, you’re left with nut pulp. With nut pastes, nothing is filtered out, which means the ingredients add to the flavour and texture of the final product.

Perhaps the major question is how these pastes differ from unroasted nut butter. Barton believes nut butters need reconstituting with a blender instead of being mixed with a spoon or protein shaker to make a milk (which is the case with Nooj’s pastes). Moreover, unroasted nut butters are much more expensive and harder to manufacture.

Since nuts are also allergens, these pastes have their own manufacturing issues. The same could be said of oat milk (though Overherd’s powers use gluten-free oats). And Barton adds that nut milks are currently under the shadow of oat milk in terms of sustainability, but again, oats have their own problems with land use.

The clean-label ingredient list also appeals to many consumers. These pastes contain almonds or cashews, rapeseed glycerine, sunflower oil and salt. And while there are no acidity regulators, Barton says they do foam well and could be used for frothy milk.

Concentrated Milks and Blended Varieties

Alt-milk concentrates are also gaining ground. The aforementioned Goodmylk offers almond, hemp and ‘super oat’ milk in frozen formats. The almonds are sprouted for additional nutritional benefits, and comprise 60% of the final product (as opposed to the 2-4% found in conventional almond milks). The oat milk combines gluten-free oats with tiger nuts to balance the flavour profile and lend the milk a velvety texture.

Another major trend in this space is the emergence of blended milks. While they’ve been around for a while, interest in these products has exploded thanks to a demand for premium barista milks that mimic the taste of dairy. While many companies are using and exploring precision fermentation or artificial intelligence (like NotMilk), these milks see multiple ingredients used as a base.

So instead of calling it oat milk, these are blended “not milks”. And these are different from the hybrid varieties we’re seeing emerge, which combine diary with a plant-based ingredient.

In 2021, Mighty introduced its M!lkology range of biomass-fermented oat and pea milks. A year later, industry giant Alpro followed with its version called This is Not Milk, a blend of oat, corn fibre and pea protein. Nestlé has also entered this space, launching its Natural Bliss alt-milk range that combines oats with fava beans.

Innovation in this category is rife, and according to Barton, these new-format milks will gradually occupy their own space in the alt-dairy sector – not just for milk, but also yoghurts, desserts, mayonnaises, dips, spreads, cream cheese, and ice cream. Meanwhile, Eyre hopes to see alt-milk powders become more widespread in refillable formats in zero-waste wholesale stores.

The future looks complex – in the best way possible.

Vegan Pet Food: The Financial Opportunity

It’s not just humans driving veganism forward – plant-based food is an ever-growing presence in pet diets. Globally, the vegan pet food sector is set to more than double in the next decade, swelling from $26bn in 2022 to $57.4bn in 2032. This growth is faster than that of conventional pet food.

Investment in this sector is at an all-time high, with start-ups across the globe raising sums to further product development and spur innovation in the sector. Here are some of the most notable recent funding stories in the plant-based pet food market:

Omni

Launched in 2020, UK vet-founded startup has been making waves in this space with its plant-based dog food. The brand’s name is a pushback to the perception that canines are carnivores.

In January, Omni launched a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs, smashing its £400,000 target within 15 minutes of going live on the platform. This came a year after it raised £1.1 million in funding, with investors including ProVeg International, Trellis Road, Kale United, Purple Orange Ventures and Shiocap. The brand has seen a 30% monthly revenue growth since May 2021 and sold half a billion meals in 2022.

The Pack

Another UK dog food brand, The Pack closed its seed funding round in January with £835,000 ($1.01 million), held through global investment platform Vevolution. The startup plans to use the funds to launch a nutritionally complete, oven-baked dog food offering.

This investment round received participation from the likes of Scelta Products, Veg Capital, Kale United, Leap Ventures and the Mars Petcare Companion Fund (among others), as well as angel investors like Simon Day, Alicia Robb, Victoria Betoeski and Simon Newstead. The Pack was also one of the two pet nutrition startups to be selected for Leap Venture Studio’s 2021 accelerator programme.

Good Dog Food

A joint venture by the UK’s Roslin Technologies and cellular agriculture firm Agronomics, Good Dog Food is a cultivated pet food company launched in 2022. Earlier this month, it raised £3.6 million in a seed funding round, with Agronomics participating with a £1 million investment.

Jim Mellon, executive director of Agronomics, also financed £300,000, along with pet food investor Siddhi Capital and other private individuals.

Vegdog

Munich-based dog food startup Vegdog secured €3.5 million in Series A funding last November. Founded in 2016, the brand reported revenue of €2.4 million in 2021 and expected its turnover to cross €4 million last year.

Green Generation Fund led the financing round, while Startup Family Office and previous seed investor Katjes Greenfood also participated. The brand plans to use the funds to develop new products, expand into European markets, optimise sales channels and hire more staff.

Scrumbles

While not an exclusively vegan company, UK startup Scrumbles offers a line of plant-based dog food. In March, it received £6 million ($7.3 million) in funding from UK private equity firm BGF (backed by banks like Barclays and HSBC).

Founded in 2016 by a husband-and-wife duo, the brand received B Corp recertification last year (after initially having it in 2018), and its revenues have tripled since its launch.

Heads Up for Tails

Heads Up for Tails is an Indian pet product retailer (with both brick-and-mortar and online presence). It’s expecting to raise $25 million from investment firm KKR, with an additional $10-15 million from existing investors, including Sequoia Capital and Verlinvest SA.

The retailer, which has 65 stores and 35 pet spas across 12 Indian cities, previously raised $37 million through Series A funding in 2021 and reported operating revenue of $15.1 million in 2022 (an 86% year-on-year growth).

While Heads Up for Tails isn’t an all-vegan platform, it’s a key player in the pet food market and is looking to diversify the segment by exclusively launching Canadian plant-based pet food brand Nature’s Hug in India – signalling a truly cross-continent trajectory for this sector.

The Future of Vegan Pet Food

The market opportunity is ripe with so much investment activity happening in this space. Manufacturers are urged to invest in ethical feeding trials and peer-reviewed studies to validate this sector further. Even among consumers, interest is rising: in 2022, a third of Brits said they’d be looking to invest in vegan pet food as long as it was healthy, according to a study by The Vegan Society.

It cited research by the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, which found that 59% of UK households shared their home with a companion animal in 2021, with 33% living with cats and 27% with dogs.

In The Vegan Society’s survey, 20% of respondents with cats said they had purchased vegan cat food in the past, with 49% saying they’d be interested in buying it again. Likewise, 24% of those with dogs had bought plant-based canine food in the past, and 45% were looking to do so again.

With consumers more attuned to the environmental cost of the products they consume, as well as the growing trend of humanising pets, the financial opportunity for vegan pet products is massive.

The industry has been around for a while, and trailblazers like V-Dog, Benevo and Wild Earth have been leading this movement. But newcomers are furthering this trend and increased investment is pushing the vegan pet food market to new, unprecedented heights.

Brand Collaborations, Conferences, EU School Schemes, Funding and Expansions, and more

Welcome to our round-up of plant-based news. We have been keeping across what has been happening in the sector and scouring newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms to bring you the most interesting and important plant-based news. If you have news for us, why not get in touch? Please email us at [email protected] with your stories! 

New products

Boldly

Launched in January, Australian alt-seafood brand is formally launching its product portfolio at Chicago’s National Restaurant Association Show (May 20-23). The brand, which claims its vegan seafood range is the largest of the kind on the market, makes vegan whitefish, salmon, tuna, crabsticks, calamari steaks and rings, jumbo prawns and shrimp bites from konjac and/or soy protein. These are designed for the US foodservice industry.

Cracked x This and Applewood

The UK vegan market has seen a significant brand collaboration. Plant-based egg brand Crackd has partnered with alt-meat startup This and cheese producer Applewood to offer plant-based quiches, which will launch exclusively at Tesco stores at the end of May.

The product range consists of Quiche Lorraine (which uses This Isn’t Bacon), Cheeze & Broccoli, and Caramelised Red Onion (all using Applewood’s smoky vegan cheese). This comes a month after the quiches won silver and bronze awards at the 2023 Farm and Deli Awards at the Food & Drink Expo. Crackd also won Product of the Year 2023 in January.

Funding and expansions

Prime Roots

US mushroom-based vegan deli meat manufacturer Prime Roots has raised $30 million in its latest financing package, taking its total funding to $50 million with a Series B round. The consortium of investors includes Quorn parent company Monde Nissin. Prime Roots makes charcuterie products like turkey, ham, salami, pepperoni, bacon, pâté and foie gras from mycelium.

The Vurger Co

UK vegan burger chain The Vurger Co has been acquired out of administration in a pre-pack sale by a new company formed by its founders alongside new and existing investors. The development will see the brand’s Canary Wharf location close, but it saves three sites in Shoreditch, Brighton and Manchester.

Founded in 2016, the company says it was heavily impacted by Covid-19, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis. It had allegedly found a buyer at the end of last year, who pulled out at the last moment, but it has now raised the additional funds it needed to stay afloat.

Odd Burger

Canadian fast-food chain Odd Burger has announced its international expansion plans. It aims to open 150 locations in Asia – 145 in India and five in Singapore – and will open a flagship store in Mumbai by the end of the year. With 90 locations already in operation or under development in Canada, the brand also plans to expand into 25 US states and some countries in Europe.

ProVeg International

Global non-profit ProVeg International has opened its first office in Nigeria to promote the benefits of climate-friendly diets and plant-based food and help transform the food system of the world’s third fastest-growing population. The charity will serve vegan regional dishes in markets streets, schools and hospitals across the country. This follows the launch of its African accelerator programme in 2021.

Legislations and conferences

European Parliament

While the EU parliament has voted to adopt a report implementing a school scheme focusing on unprocessed, locally produced and organic food, it has rejected amendments calling for plant-based beverages to be included in the scheme. Member of European Parliament Carmen Avram (from Romania) created the report and called for a vote in favour of a motion to “end the exclusion of children with intolerances, allergies and food restrictions”, but this was rejected.

However, ProVeg International, which campaigned to include alt-milks in European schools, said the EU Commission is now working on a new proposal to make lawmakers reconsider.

Bridge2Food

Dutch event management company Bridge2Food is hosting the Plant-Based Foods & Proteins Summit Europe The Hague, Netherlands on June 7 and 8. The conference will feature over 75 speakers and panellists – including representatives from Nestlé, Unilever and Danone – as well as more than 40 exhibitors.

The summit will cover three main topics – Consumer & Industry Challenges, Delicious Foods, and Sustainable Processing Innovations – all keeping the UN’s sustainable development goals in mind.

Vegan Women Summit

The Vegan Women Summit 2023 ran from May 18-20 in New York City, featuring over 100 speakers and panellists. It was hosted by founder Jennifer Stojkovic and Miyoko’s Creamery founder Miyoko Schinner.

Topics of discussion included The State of Women in Business, Why Politics Belongs at the Dinner Table, Is the Media Fair to the Plant-Based Industry?, and How Science Will Make a More Compassionate Food System.

Discontinuations and bankruptcy

Heck

UK sausage maker is cutting down its vegan range due to a lack of consumer appetite. While it originally had 10 plant-based products in its portfolio, it is discontinuing all but two, with chipolatas and burgers being the only items it’ll keep making. This follows the withdrawal of several high-profile products in the British vegan market, including Oatly’s ice creams, Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet and Wunda lines, and Innocent’s dairy-free smoothies.

Raw Indulgence

Raw Indulgence, the US brand behind the Raw Rev protein bars, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York. The court filing states that the company has estimated assets between $500,000 and $1 million, and liabilities between $1 million and $10 million. It also cites that funds will be available to unsecured creditors.

Cultivated Fish, Funding News, Plant-Based Seafood Trends, New Product Listings and More

Welcome to our round-up of plant-based news. We have been keeping across what has been happening in the sector over the past fortnight. We have and scoured newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms to bring you the most interesting plant-based stories. If you have news for us, why not get in touch? Please email us at [email protected] with your news.     

New Food  

Plant-Based Seafood Trend  

Sales of plant-based seafood are showing signs of growth. Between 2019 and 2022, the category saw a 53% growth in unit sales. While plant-based meat may have plateaued, the few start-ups in the plant-based seafood space are attracting funding. Keerthi Vedantam at Crunchbase News explains the evolving trend.  

Cultivated Fish  

Israeli food-tech company, Steakholder Foods, has made cultivated fish fillets from grouper fish cells from the Singapore company Umami Meats. Testers reported that the cultivated fish had an impressive taste and flakiness. The collaboration with Umami Meats received funding from the Singapore-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD). It aims to scale up the production of cultivated fish using 3D bio-printing technology and customised bio-inks. The companies are hoping to bring the food to market next year, first in Singapore, and then gain regulatory approval for sale in the US and Japan. 

EVERY EggWhite  

California-based Plant-based egg and meat start-up Every Co is partnering with Alpha Foods to develop meat alternatives using animal-free egg whites made with microbes. The EveryEggWhites will provide binding and gelling qualities to make products more meat-like. The product could eventually replace methylcellulose in plant-based food.  

New Factories  

Switch Foods  

Abu Dhabi’s Switch Foods has a new 2,000-square-metre plant in the Khalifa Industrial Zone. The factory can produce 1000kg of plant meat per hour or 8000 kg per day and will produce plant-based kebabs, kofta, patties and mince. The products will be available in supermarkets across the country later this month. Switch CEO Edward Hamod said the factory will enable the region to reduce its dependence on imported plant-based food.  

Chunk Foods Raises $15 Million  

Israeli-based Chunk Foods has raised seed funding worth $15 million. The money will be used to build one of the world’s biggest plant-based whole cuts factory. The facility will be finished by the summer of 2023 and will be able to produce millions of steaks per year. . It is the biggest seed funding for an Israeli plant-based company. Investors include Fall Line Capital, the MIT E14 fund, and Robert Downey Jr’s Footprint Coalition  

Retail  

Mellody Honey  

Mellody plant-based honey has partnered with Eleven Madison Home to make the product available direct to US consumers. Mellody is made without bees but tastes and performs like conventional honey. It was launched last month by MeliBio. The company raised $2.2 million last November. It is planning to launch in Europe through a partnership with Narayan Foods.  

Meatless Farm New Range 

Meatless Farm has launched four new products for UK retail. New items include plant-based meat-filled pasta, Chorizo-style Sausages and New York Style Cheeze Burgers. The new products are available in Sainsbury’s and Ocado.  
 

Native Snacks in M&S  

Native Snacks, the UK company making vegan prawn crackers, will be stocked in Marks and Spencer in the UK. Native Snacks Original Pr*wn Crackers are already in British supermarkets, including Ocado, Planet Organic, Whole Foods and Asda, as well as restaurants, including Yo! And Travelodge.  

Foodservice 

BettaF!sh in Vending Machines 

Vending machines in offices, airports, railway stations and hospitals in Germany will offer BettaF!sh plant-based tuna sandwiches. They will be available in Foodji vending machines across the country. This follows BettaF!sh’s entry into European stores and on board Japan Airlines.  

Ontario Universities Learn Plant-Based Cooking  

Chefs from Ontario universities have been trained in plant-based cooking in order to offer more choices to students. The programme was a partnership with the Humane Society International’s Food Forward programme. The universities are boosting their vegan options in response to student demand. The universities’ goal is for 40% of the menu to be plant-based by January 2024 and 50% by 2025.  

Food Safety Standards For Cultivated Meat, Plant-Based Food Sales Up, Mung Beans Protein And More

Here in the UK, we are wiping away the winter weather and enjoying some spring energy. As always, it is busy in the plant-based food world, with lots of company news to share. Here we bring you a selection of some of the leading plant-based stories from newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms. If you have news for us and would like to be featured in our next round-up, please email us at [email protected]

Market Insights

European sales of plant-based food grew by 22% between 2020 and 2022, reaching a total of €5.7 million, according to the Good Food Institute Europe. Sales of plant-based meat rose to €2 billion in 2022, accounting for 6% of the overall pre-packaged meat market. Other categories, including plant-based seafood and cheese, saw double-digit growth. The category with the fastest growth was plant-based seafood.

Food Safety

The FAO and World Health Organisation have set out their recommendations for food safety standards for cultivated meat. The report was launched in early April 2023 and includes the result of an FAO-led consultation that identified potential hazards. It is the first step in a risk assessment process that will lead to the development of regulations.

New Protein

Mung beans could be more widely used to make protein, according to a report from Good Food Institute APAC. The study says mung beans are currently underused, with Asia’s plant-based protein production relying on soy, wheat and Western imports. Mung beans are less allergenic than soy and wheat and have many plant-based applications.

Fungi Fat Available 

Mycorena fungi-stabilised fat is now commercially available under the brand name Mycolein. The fat mimics animal fat in how it tastes, feels, and behaves. Mycorena collaborated with producers, including Juicy Marbles, Dalco Foods and Meeat, to perfect their product, which is intended to improve the appeal of plant-based food. Mycolein contains very little saturated fat and is a source of fibre, giving it a good nutritional profile compared to animal fat. 

Alternative Seafood

Aqua Cultured Foods has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to bring realistic seafood alternatives to market. The investment, led by Stray Dog Capital, will enable the company to equip its new facility, scale up production, and bring products to market. Aqua uses a mycoprotein fermentation process to create a range of plant-based seafood containingTuesday April 1 fibre, protein, and micronutrients. 

Lab-Grown Fat

Scientists at the Tufts University Center for Cellular Architecture (TUCCA) in Massachusetts, have made lab-grown fat tissue with similar properties to animal fat. The product could give cultured meat a more realistic taste and texture. Until now producing cultured fat has been a major challenge because of the way fat grows. The project is at the lab stage but could be scaled up and produced in bioreactors.

Egg Replacers

UK bakers are turning to egg replacements to help with supply problems. Oggs, which supplies an aquafaba egg replacement, is working with major UK bakeries to help them reduce egg usage. Lydia Stuart-Kregor, head of strategy and marketing at Oggs, told British Baker: “The cost pressures, combined with the threat of animal-borne disease, has highlighted just how inefficient and unsustainable animal-based food production is. That’s why our mission is to remove eggs from bakery products and replace them with plants.” 

JUST Egg in Barnes and Noble 

JUST Egg has announced its largest foodservice partnership, with the US’s biggest bookseller Barnes and Noble. Their JUST Egg Breakfast Sandwich will be in all 500 Barnes and Noble Cafes from 10 April, for a limited time. It is the cafes’ first plant-based sandwich and contains folded JUST Egg, melted Violife provolone and plant-based aioli on a ciabatta roll. JUST Egg is currently available at more than 3,000 restaurants and cafes throughout the U.S.

Naturli US Launch, Nestle Ends Plant-Based Brands in The UK and Oxford City Council Goes Plant-Based  

Welcome to our fortnightly business round-up. We have scoured the newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms for the most important plant-based news stories. If you have news for us, why not get in touch? Email us at [email protected] with your stories!  

Company News  

Naturli Butter Launching in US 

Danish plant-based food firm Naturli is launching its plant-based butter in the US. Texas-based retailer H-E-B will start selling the spread in June. US distributor Kehe will also take on the product. Naturli is also in talks about expanding its ice cream sales in the UK via supermarkets.  

Very Good Company in Receivership  

Canadian meat and dairy alternative company The Very Good Food has gone into receivership after failing to secure new finance. The Vancouver-based business will continue to operate while a buyer is being sought.

Nestle Ends Plant-Based Brands in UK and Irish Retail  

Nestle is removing its vegan meat-free Garden Gourmet and alternative-dairy Wunda brands from retail in the UK and Ireland. Garden Gourmet products will still be available for foodservice in the UK and Ireland.  

Market Reports 

Innova’s Top Trends  

Despite inevitable roadblocks, the future for plant-based is rich with innovation and opportunities, according to a report from Innova Market Insights. They list plant-based as one of the top ten trends for 2023. Consumers told Innova that they are concerned about nutritional value, sustainability, global food production, and competitive pricing. 

Sports Nutrition  

The sports nutrition industry is experiencing a trend towards plant-based products in line with more people switching to plant-based eating. The Business Research Company’s Sports Nutrition Global Market Report 2023 notes that manufacturers are introducing plant-based versions of protein bars, powders and drinks. For example, US brand Osage has launched SolvPro, a new line of plant-based protein blends.   

New Foods 

Cultivated Chicken Cleared by FDA 

A second US cultivated meat company has got clearance from the US Food and Drink Administration (FDA). Good Meat, the cultivated meat division of Eat Just, received a “no questions” letter for its cultivated chicken. This follows a similar result for Upside Foods. Good Meat is now working with the US Department of Agriculture to get further approval to enable it to be sold. Good Meat has already launched cultivated chicken in Singapore. 

Demolish Launches Chicken Whole-Cuts 

Indian start-up Demolish Foods has launched plant-based whole-cut chicken breasts. The Bangalore-based alternative-protein company has created protein fibres that mimic the texture and nutritional content of meat. The company was a finalist in the XPRIZE Feed The Next billion competition, where teams compete to make meat alternatives. 

Formo Announces New PF Cream Cheese  

The German precision fermentation company Formo has created an animal-free cream cheese. Formo announced on LinkedIn that the cheese is made with microorganisms instead of milk from cows, “perfect for elevating your bagel, pasta or cheesecake”. 

Chickpea Cheese  

An Israeli company has developed a chickpea isolate that can be used to make plant-based cheese. Green Queen reports that ChickP Protein Ltd is making an isolate that is 90% protein and has a neutral flavour. This follows a prototype creamer ice cream that was released last year. ChickP is currently working on producing Emmental, parmesan and mozzarella. 

Advocacy  

Norwich Endorses Plant-Based Treaty  

Norwich has become the third UK city to support the Plant Based Treaty. The local authority will offer plant-based food in council spaces, including markets, events, and leisure centres. So far, over 20 cities and towns worldwide have endorsed the treaty. 

Green Standard Schools Signs Pp  

The Plant Based Treaty has also been endorsed by Green Standards Schools, a global association of language schools committed to protecting the environment. 

Oxford City Council Goes Plant-Based  

Oxford City Council has voted to serve plant-based food at councillor events. Plant Based News reports that the councillors voted unanimously to ban meat at internal catered events. 

Retail and foodservice  

Meat-Free Month at Burger King in Copenhagen 

A branch of Burger King in Copenhagen has ditched meat for a month. Meat items were taken off the menu at the Radhuspladsen restaurant from March 15. Plant Based News reports that patties and fillets from the Vegetarian Butcher will replace the traditional fillings. 

Julienne Bruno in Ocado  

Artisanal vegan cheese brand Julienne Bruno has secured a listing with UK retailer Ocado. The range is made from organic soya and coconut oil using a unique fermenting process that took two years to perfect. 

Veganuary 2023 Results, Impossible Foods’ Leaner Meat and Eat Just Staff Lay-offs

Welcome to our fortnightly business round-up. We have scoured the newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms for the most important plant-based news stories. If you have news for us, why not get in touch? Email us at [email protected] with your stories! 

Advocacy   

Veganuary Results  

Veganuary has published its review of its 2023 campaign. A record-breaking 700,000 people officially signed up, with participants in almost every country in the world. A YouGov survey found that participation was much higher than official sign-ups, with 4% of respondents in the UK, 9% in Germany and 5% in the US taking part. Over 1,610 new vegan products and menu options were launched globally during the campaign.  

You can read the full report here. 

Queen Mary University of London Votes for Plant-Based Food  

Following the Cambridge Students’ Union’s decision to go plant-based, Queen Mary University of London has voted to do the same. The Plant-Based university’s campaign calls on universities and student unions across the UK to adopt plant-based catering.  

Market Research 

Consumers Open to Precision Fermentation  

A new study has found that 77% of those familiar with precision fermentation are likely to buy products made with its ingredients. The survey of 2,500 US adults, by Hartman for Cargill and Perfect Day, found that most consumers had a positive opinion of the benefits of science and technology on our food system. More than half said they would be willing to drastically change their lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly. 

Chinese Attitudes to Plant-Based Food 

Chinese consumers reveal positive attitudes to plant-based meat in a report published in the Journal of Integrative Agriculture. The survey of 600 consumers in four cities in China found that 82% had purchased plant-based meat.  

Company News  

Nex Gen foods Acquire Mwah!  

The Singapore plant-based meat company Next Gen has acquired UK plant-based dairy start-up Mwah! The Mwah! cashew ice cream is currently available in two outlets in London. Next Gen Foods said it would look into expanding Mwah! in the UK, US and Germany.  

Tofurkey Acquired by Morinaga  

Leading US vegan brand Tofurkey has been bought by Morianga Nutritional Foods. Morinaga is part of the Tokyo-based dairy company Morinaga Milk Group, and was previously the tofu supplier for Tofurkey.  

Eat Just Laying Off Staff 

California plant-based company Eat Just has announced job losses in its Just Egg division. The company said the cuts do not affect Good Meat, the company’s cultivated meat division.  

Impossible Foods Launches Leaner Meat  

Impossible Foods has launched a leaner version of its mince. Impossible Beef Lite is designed to be leaner than its animal counterpart with 21 grams of fat and no trans fats or cholesterol.  

Ish and Dot deal  

Vegconomist reports that The ISH Company, a US plant-based seafood supplier has reached a deal with Dot Foods, the largest food distributor in North America. ISH says the deal will enable it to expand across the US.  

Konscious Foods Launch  

New Vancouver-based Konscious Foods™ has launched a range of plant-based sushi rolls, onigiri, and poké bowls at the Expo West in California. The brand, created by Gardein founder Yves Potvin, aims to make plant-based seafood price-equivalent to its fish-based counterpart.  

SunOpta New Factory  

US plant-based dairy company SunOpta has opened a new $125 million manufacturing factory in Midlothian, Texas. The 285,000-square-foot facility will make plant-based milk in different-sized packages for food service, retail and e-commerce.   

Cabbage Protein  

UK company Naylor Nutrition is upscaling its operation that turns cabbage trimmings into protein. The company has got finance worth $37 million from Invest International to build a factory with Dutch company Colubris.  

Retail  

Hershey’s Launch Vegan Reece’s Cups 

The Hershey Co has announced the arrival of Reece’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups. The oat chocolate confectionery will be the company’s first to be sold throughout the US. A second offering: Hershey’s Plant Based Extra Creamy with Almond and Sea Salt will follow in April.  

PlantX Deal With Affirm  

Plant-based shopping app PlantX has announced a partnership with the payment network Affirm. Affirm offers different payment options such as fortnightly or monthly instalments.  

Foodservice  

Plant City X Opens at Bryant  

Plant City X has opened a new outlet at Bryant University in Rhode Island, USA. It is the third location for the plant-based fast-food eatery.  

MyGovindas Expansion Plans  

Dubai-based Indian vegetarian chain MyGovindas is expanding throughout the UAE and beyond. Director Sanjit Advani told Arabian Business that the company want to cater to the growing number of customers seeking more sustainable and plant-based meals. MyGovindas is also looking at launching US and European franchises.  

Second Plantude in Seoul 

A second Plantude restaurant is opening in Seoul, South Korea. The eatery, owned by plant-based food company Pulmone, will be in Seoul’s central Yongsan district.  

Mr Meat Goes Meat-Free  

In Eindhoven, NL, the Mr Meat BBQ restaurant has taken meat off the menu. The eatery has rebranded as Mr No Meat and will serve only vegetarian and vegan dishes

Plant Milk Labels, Miyoko Leadership Change, Yeast Meat and More

We have scoured all the news outlets to bring you the most important stories from plant-based businesses across the globe. Here are the top stories from the last couple of weeks.   

Plant Milk Labels 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says plant milks can be called milk, under new proposed guidance. But they must explain the nutritional difference between plant milk and dairy. The guidance acknowledges that consumers understand that plant milk isn’t dairy but recommend plant milks display a label clarifying the difference.   

Company News 

Miyoko’s Leadership Change  

Leading vegan cheese company Miyoko’s Creamery has announced the departure of founder and CEO Miyoko Schinner. Business Wire reports that the founder and company have parted ways as the company enters a new stage of growth. Company CFO Jon Blair has taken the role of interim President.  

Kellogg Keeps Plant-based Range 

The US Food Giant is keeping its plant-based offering rather than separating it into a new independent company. Plant-Based represents 2% of the company’s net sales. Kellogg owns the meat-alternative brand Morning Star Farms and Incogmeato.  

Impossible New Products  

The California food producer has just launched three new chicken items. The nuggets, patties and tenders will be sold frozen in supermarkets across the US. Green Queen reports that Impossible Foods directors say growth is solid, with retail sales up 55%, and strong performance in foodservice and other sectors.  

Fazer Drops Dairy  

Finnish producer Fazer is ending dairy production to focus on oat drinks and products. In a press release the firm, whose products include chocolate, confectionery and baked goods, said it will stop dairy operations at its Koria plant by August 2023. It said the change “will enable the company to focus on the plant-based core business, in which the Koria factory plays an important role in the future.”  

Danone’s Non-Dairy Nutrition Drink  

Danone’s Nutricia nutrition drinks business has created a plant-based medical nutrition drink. Following three years of development it has launched Fortimel Plant Based Energy, a ready-to-drink supplement aimed at those with medical malnutrition who avoid dairy. 

Market Reports 

Vegan Yogurt  

The global vegan yogurt market is expected to be worth $2.1 Billion by 2027, according to a ResearchAndMarkets.com report. The category is predicted to show growth of 18.11% between 2021 and 2027.   

Scaling Up 

Expansion For Olive and Melon Seed Cheese  

Spanish vegan cheese brand Vacka has won funding worth €1.1 Million to expand its products made from olive oil and fermented melon seeds. Vegconomist reports that funders included Capital V, Big Idea Ventures, Leanox Venture capital and private investors. Last year Vacka achieved a turnover of €285,000 with a sales increase of 300%  

New Factory For Brewer’s Yeast Meat  

Californian company Planetarians has raised $6 million to build a factory for its innovative vegan meat. The company uses spent brewer’s yeast from beer production and soy flakes from the vegetable oil industry to make vegan whole cuts. Veg News reports that funders include Mindrock, Traction Fund and beer giant AB InBev who already collaborates with Planetarians on upcycling brewer’s yeast.  

 NH Foods Develops Plant-Based Seafood  

Leading Japanese food manufacturer NH Foods has developed plant-based seafood. The supplier of meat and fish has spent a year creating fish fries and popcorn shrimp from soya beans with seaweed extracts. The company says it wants to expand plant-based protein pre-cooked foods.  

Retail and Foodservice  

Cambridge Students Vote For Plant-Based Food 

Students at Cambridge University have voted to transition to vegan catering. The students’ union decision was backed by 72% of voters. It follows campaigning by Plant Based Universities, a nationwide initiative calling for universities to introduce plant-based food.  

Veggie Grill Franchise Opportunities  

Vegan burger restaurant chain Veggie Grill will be franchising its model and is reaching out to entrepreneurs  seeking a franchise opportunity. The California-based 35-branch eatery will be launching franchise deals and says it will provide comprehensive training and support for franchisees.  

Ikea Declares End to Dairy  

Swedish retailer Ikea says it aims to remove or replace dairy across its stores. The company also says it plans to make all its main meals in its restaurants 50 percent plant-based by 2025. 

Beam Available in The UAE, Grass Protein, Plant-based on Campus and Market Reports

We’ve been tracking the news for the best plant-based stories. From news outlets across the globe and our own industry insiders – here are the most interesting and relevant news stories from the last couple of weeks.   

Veganuary Effect  

Organisers say the annual January challenge broke all records. More than 700,000 officially signed up, from almost every country in the world. In the UK a YouGov survey found that 4% of brits participated, and that overall 9% have participated since the challenge began a decade ago. The growth of Veganuary was food for thought around plant-based investment in a column by Moira O’Neill in the Financial Times.  

Market Reports – predicted growth in plant-based foods 

Egg-Substitutes 

The vegan egg substitute market is predicted to grow at rate of 39% by 2028, according to a new report from Market Intelligence Data. The study says the increase is driven by concerns about food safety, and that the use of antibiotics and hormones are driving consumers to plant-based substitutes. As a result some food companies are phasing out or reducing the use of eggs in their supply chain and switching to plant-based alternatives.  

Protein Shakes   

Health concerns are also driving the growth of vegan protein shakes. Digital Journal reports that industry analysis found that consumers embracing healthy lifestyle are driving the adoption of vegan shakes.  

Vegan Chocolate 

The vegan chocolate market is set to surpass $1975.2 million, with a growth rate of 15%, by 2028 according to Vantage Market Research. The most popular category is bars, with demand driven by teenagers and employees at work leading the trend in plant-based snacking. Awareness of environmental issues, animal cruelty and health are cited as factors in the trend.  

Research and Development 

Grass Protein 

The rumour that vegans eat grass could become reality, as grass is being trialled as an ingredient in plant-based meat. Food Ingredients First says Schouten Europe and Grassa are researching the potential of grass protein to replace soy in meat substitutes. According to Grassa’s director, grass produces 2.5 times as much protein per hectare as soy and could soon be made into human food.  

UK’s First Cultivated Pork Steak  

UK scientists have produced the world’s first cultivated pork steak. The cut was made from pig cells by Newcastle-based biotech start-up 3D BioTissues. This report is from Food Manufacture.  

Scaling Up  

Cultivated Meat in China  

Green Queen reports on the development of the first cultivated meat plant in mainland China. Start-up CellX and manufacturer Tofflon have agreed a partnership to scale-up cultivated meat in the Asian market with the new factory. Building has already started, and manufacturing is expected to start in mid-2023.  

 Omni Dog Food 

Vegan dog food Omni has reached its crowdfunding target of nearly $500k according to Pet Business World. The company surpassed its goal within 15 minutes of going live on the Seedrs platform, the fasted ever success in the dog food category.   

New School Foods Plant-Based Salmon  

New School Foods has secured $12 million of seed funding to build a pilot plant for its plan-based fish. Food Dive says funders include Lever VC, Hatch, Good Startup and Blue Horizon Ventures. The company is developing realistic plant-based fish fillets using a freezing process instead of extrusion.   

Algae ingredients  

French company Algama, making algae-based ingredients has achieved investments worth $13 million, according to the Fish Site. Their most promising product is Tamalga, designed to be a replacement for eggs in baking.  

Expanding   

GreenGo  

Ukranian start-up GreenGo is expanding its tofu-based cheese production despite the ongoing war. Food Ingredients First says the business is planning a new factory close to the Polish border to enable it to ship products to the EU and beyond. The company also makes plant-based seafood and steak from a mixture of pea protein, wheat, and soya.  

Meati Mushroom Factory 

A “MegaRanch” that farms mushrooms instead of cows has opened in the US. Millions of pounds of mycelium-based meat will be produced every year by Colorado-based Meati in the new facility. This from Plant based News 

 Rebellyous Nuggets 

Plant-based nugget brand Rebellyous has raised $9.5 million for a new manufacturing system, according to Food Dive’s reporter Megan Poinski. Rebellyous aims to produce inexpensive convenient comfort food that undercuts chicken on price. Founder, CEO and former Boeing engineer Christie Lagally told Food Dive: “Such a huge majority of consumers will totally replace their chicken if they can just get that price point there,” 

Every Co Egg Alternative 

Plant Based News reports that actor Anne Hathaway is among the investors in plant-based egg. She is putting up an undisclosed amount into the San Francisco-based EVERY Co that uses precision fermentation to create egg protein without chickens. The company has raised $230 million in total.  

Retail and foodservice  

Juicy Marbles in UK supermarket 

Juicy Marbles steaks have gone on sale in UK supermarket Waitrose. The Slovenian-based start-up, founded by microbiologist Luka Sincek, makes ultra-realistic high protein mock-meat that is bought raw and caramelises like animal flesh when cooked. In November 2021 the company raised $4.5 million seed funding to produce the steak.  

Beam Available in The UAE  

Allergen-free plant-based snack bars from Northern Ireland’s Bream brand are now on sale in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The range are available in stores run by Spinneys, Grandiose and Waitrose in the region.  

Plant-Based on Campus 

Vegan restaurants are making their way into university campuses, as students increasingly look for plant-based options. According to Veg News Bryant University in Rhode Island will be home to a branch of Plant City X, and Georgia Tech in Atlanta will be home to a Slutty Vegan at its John Lewis Student Center. Slutty Vegan is reported to have secured $25 million in investments to expand across several states.  

Upcoming Webinar Featuring Experts From Deliveroo, Meatless Farm, Veg Capital, and More

Tuesday, February 7 at 9am EST (2pm GMT) will see new webinar series, Insider Talks launch live on Plant Based World Pulse. 

The monthly segment will feature key players in the industry as they engage in topical conversations hosted by Indy Kaur, Founder of Plant Futures and former Plant Based Strategy Lead at Tesco. 

The first topic: ‘Celebrating Plant-Based Successes and Planning for The Challenges Ahead’ features:

  • Morten Toft Bech – Founder, Meatless Farm 
  • ElenaDevis - Head of Vegan Category, Deliveroo 
  • RabinderHarrison - Commercial Director, Veg Capital 
  • MarisaHeath - CEO, Plant Based Food Alliance 
  • Simon Day – ex-Squeaky Bean and Investor 

Agenda:

  • How did Deliveroo lead the online delivery market to create a multi-million vegan category? 
  • How Meatless Farm became one of Europes fastest-growing plant-based brands available in over 20 countries, and what challenges lie ahead? 
  • How did Squeaky Bean go from £0 to £15m in under 3 years and what were some of the lessons, as well as the successes? 
  • Why plant-based has attracted so many investors, how they are fuelling change and why investment is becoming harder to find. 
  • Where did the early sales boom come from? And why this will be different going forwards? 
  • Is it only price that drives consumer perceptions of value? What role can taste, health or other benefits play?

The webinars will include behind-the scenes insights from major players in development, manufacturing, foodservice, retail, finance, and advocacy.  

The series aims to give those who work in the plant-based field a space for open and honest conversation about the most pressing topics, challenges and opportunities facing businesses. It is aimed at anyone working in the plant-based field or those who want to support and understand the issues driving success, the hurdles the businesses face and how others have overcome them.  

The series has been created by Plant Based Pulse World Product Manager Damoy Robertson and Indy Kaur, after they identified a need for timely debates about pressing issues.  

Insider Talks is free to attend. Register now to via the link below:

Insider Talks

Copyright 2022 | Privacy Policy

Plant Based World Pulse is a go-to resource for the plant-based industry. Offering high-value insights, educational content, and the latest information year-round, it compliments the annual industry events Plant Based World Expo North America in New York City and Plant Based World Expo Europe in London.