‘All about health’: Bebop takes dairy-free ice cream across APAC
Bebop is targeting APAC markets with a dairy-free, plant-fat ice cream as it seeks to scale beyond Taiwan
Bebop is dairy-free and made entirely with plant fats, using a blend of ingredients including cashew, coconut, almond, oats, soy and rice to recreate the creaminess and texture of conventional ice cream.
China puts alternative proteins at heart of future food strategy
China’s future food roadmap puts alternative proteins at the centre of efforts to strengthen food security, nutrition and sustainability
China is positioning alternative proteins within a wider future food system spanning food security, nutrition, sustainability and consumer needs, according to Prof Li Zhaofeng, vice president of Jiangnan University.
Terms including ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ could be added to EU ‘meaty’ names ban
Restrictions on ‘meaty’ names for meat-free products could be extended in the EU, adding terms that had previously been exempt from the regulation.
The initial ban, part of proposals to review the EU’s Common Market Organisation (CMO), agreed to restrict the use of 31 meat-related terms only to meat products. Terms including ‘steak’, ‘bacon’ and ‘chicken’ were restricted. However, there were exemptions for others, including ‘sausage’, ‘burger’ and ‘nugget’.
These exemptions may not last. New proposals to amend the CMO include terms ‘burger’, ‘hamburger’, ‘nugget’ and ‘sausage.’ These proposals also introduce new terms that were not previously included, such as ‘rabbit’ and ‘meatball.’
Could dropping ‘vegan’ unlock growth?
What if the future of vegan food isn’t vegan at all? Why the next wave of growth could come from selling great food that just happens to be animal-free
Once a powerhouse of food and beverage, the vegan trend is now in rapid decline, with major brands like Beyond Meat reporting significant losses, and consumers turning away from the restrictive diet in their droves.
But could it be that the food industry is missing a major opportunity? One that would not only keep the plant-based industry alive but also help drive growth for non-plant-based manufacturers.
Why China should matter to every alt protein company
Despite the geopolitical tensions, all alternative protein companies globally need to factor China in their production strategy to scale, compete and reduce costs. Here’s why.
At the core of the production of many types of novel alt proteins such as mycoprotein or microalgae-derived protein is the process of fermentation — and herein lies a core reason that all alt protein companies need to take note of China as a high-potential production location when planning for their futures.
“China’s novel food transformation is underpinned by two main factors: Economic and Strategic. Economically, it already produces much of the world’s fermented industrial and pharmaceutical products but [various factors] have created price pressures for these products,” biotechnology and geopolitical expert Dr. Dirk van der Kley stated in his new report on China’s Biomanufacturing Boom published via the Good Food Institute.
