Meat, fish and savoury ingredients

Is it ‘shakedown’ time for the plant-based sector? Meat-free innovators weigh in

07-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

With signs some plant-based makers are struggling, we ask innovators whether the meat alternative category is experiencing a slowdown, a ‘shakedown’, or other?

UK’s first cultivated meat approval submitted

04-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Aleph Farms’ submission comes a week after the startup applied for approval in Switzerland.

France’s ‘veggie’ burger ban escalates to the European Court of Justice

03-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

France’s Council of State is calling on the European Court of Justice for greater understanding of implications concerning a potential ban of ‘meaty’ denominations for plant-based foods.

Could eating insects slow weight gain in people with obesity?

02-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

A new study suggests consuming insect protein slows weight gain and improves health status in obese mice. The findings are promising for humans, lead study author Kelly Swanson, interim director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University...

Plant-based isn't a threat, and meat can be made more sustainably - Pilgrim's UK

28-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

As plant-based foods become more ubiquitous in many key European markets and experts warn against eating too much meat, animal agriculture is considered by many as a problem. Can it be produced more sustainably for the future?

Massive study shows that high meat consumption is bad for environment, especially compared with veganism

27-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new study with a sample size of 55,504 has found that the more meat a diet consists of, the worse it is for the environment. While vegans had the least environmental impact, followed by vegetarians, it was those with a high meat consumption whose diet...

First application for cultivated meat approval in Europe submitted

26-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Israel’s Aleph Farms has submitted an application for regulatory approval to the Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) with the goal of selling Aleph Cuts in Switzerland.

Pork proteins produced in soy? Molecular farming tech produces pig-plant protein hybrid soybean

24-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Molecular farming company Moolec Science is combining plant-based and cell-based technologies to produce pork protein in soy.

How Thai Union plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050

21-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

The seafood giant has announced near-term and long-term climate targets, including an ambition to achieve net zero ambitions by 2050. Adam Brennan, chief sustainability officer at Thai Union Group, talks us through the strategy.

‘A great achievement for the Dutch government’: First Member State approves pre-market tastings of cultivated meat

19-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

The first government sanction in the EU for how cultivated meat tastings can be conducted has received national government approval in the Netherlands.

‘It doesn’t cost the earth but will help us protect it’: Why data is a ‘critical and untapped’ asset for the meat farming sector

19-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Europe's meat farmers face a host of burdens. They need to remain competitive in a global market, cut their environmental footprint, while all the while meeting consumer expectations for animal welfare standards.

Redefine Meat ‘bullish’ in face of consolidation of plant-based brands

14-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Redefine Meat is accelerating its UK distribution to meet demand with eight wholesaler partners. Its UK wholesalers now span national and regional brands including Albion Fine Foods, Braehead Foods, Brakes, Classic Fine Foods, Elite Fine Foods, Food Republic,...

Sainsbury’s steak packaging switches from plastic to cardboard in latest sustainability move

12-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Supermarket retailer Sainsbury’s has replaced the plastic packaging on its ‘by Sainsbury’s’ steak range. This will remove 70% of the plastic per tray.

Seafood sector wades into controversial deep-sea mining debate

12-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Seafood industry groups have called for a pause on plans to extract minerals from the ocean floor.

‘A blank canvas to add whatever flavours desired’: Start-up provides nutrient-rich spirulina meat substitutes

11-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The algae spirulina has a wide range of health benefits. Now, a start-up is exploring its potential as a clean-label meat substitute, with flexibility in flavour and in use.

News in brief

BLUU Seafood raises EUR 16 million in Series A funding to bring cultivated fish to market

10-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

German food biotech start-up BLUU Seafood says it has secured the necessary capital to focus on the regulatory approval of its first products after raising EUR 16 million.

A study of low connectivity: The risks of infectious disease in Austria’s pig transportation system

07-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Austria’s pig industry is mostly self-sufficient. But this doesn’t mean that bacterial infection doesn’t pose a danger to livestock. A new study charts how the different networks of communication between farms, slaughterhouses and other points in Austria’s...

Behind Nestlé’s dual strategy for Garden Gourmet: Meat mimicry and plant-forward foods

06-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet brand sells meat imitations (think plant-based chorizo or vegan tuna) as well as more plant-forward or ‘vegetable-based’ offerings, such as broccoli patties. Marjolijn Niggebrugge, business head plant-based meal solutions Europe...

Plant & Bean factory lives to see another meat-free day under Heather Mills ownership

05-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Administrators of the troubled contract plant-based meat manufacturer have sold its manufacturing site and associated equipment to two businesses run by vegan activist Heather Mills.

‘Chicken carcasses should be seen on par with chicken fillets’: Valorising poultry by-products for food

03-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

The sought-after chicken fillets, drumsticks, and wings only account for around 50% of the bird. How can technology help valorise the other half for use by the food industry?

Exclusive

‘We know that time temperature indicators have huge potential to reduce food waste’: Behind HelloFresh’s push for regulatory changes to enable new food labelling solutions to be unboxed

29-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As new research from HelloFresh reveals one in five consumers throw away perfectly safe and edible food because they rigidly follow date labelling, HelloFresh is urging the EU and UK to revise rules to allow innovative time-temperature indicators to minimize...

Industry tie-up for ‘meaty’ alt protein made from pumpkin seeds: ‘We don’t focus on replicating meat; our products stand on their own’

22-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up More Foods, which makes ‘meaty’ products made from pumpkin seeds, is announcing a strategic collaboration with Osem-Nestlé Group subsidiary Tivol.

Europe ‘falling behind’ after US approval of two cultivated meat products

22-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

European food standards authorities are hindering innovation, it has been claimed, after lab-grown chicken was approved for sale in the US.

Meatless Farm off the chopping block as VFC Foods confirms takeover

21-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Vegan food company VFC has announced its acquisition of Meatless Farm, rescuing the struggling plant-based meat maker from administration.

A sign of investor delusion? Or just an unfortunate casualty? What Meatless Farm’s fall might signal about plant-based meat

16-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Does Meatless Farm’s decision to send employees home for good suggest a particularly challenging period for the plant-based meat sector? Are industry experts hopeful for the future of meat alternatives in the UK and further afield?

Heat-damaged DNA in food could be linked to cancer, study shows

15-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Foods including red and processed meat have been frequently linked to cancer. A new study suggests that this could be because of the cooking process – food cooked at high heats could damage the DNA in the food, leading to increased cancer risk in those...

Soy animal feed’s trail of deforestation: What are the solutions?

14-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Soy is one of the main drivers of deforestation around the world. Forests are cut down every day to make way for the growth of soy crops. However, most of this soy, in fact almost 80%, is grown to feed not humans, but animals.

UK start-up raises $30M to scale cultured meat using RNA technology

13-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Uncommon, formerly called Higher Steaks, leverages RNA, the molecule that contains the chemical instructions that direct cells’ natural machinery into making a protein, to create cultivated bacon and pork belly from animal cells.

‘We’re prioritising innovation over profit’: Cheaper, licence-free cell banks now available for cultivated meat research

12-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

The cell bank initiative is being spearheaded by Extracellular, a CDMO concerned that cultivated meat research is being impeded by costly animal primary cells.

UK mulls rule changes to allow faster cultivated meat and animal-free dairy approvals

09-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The UK is considering novel foods regulation changes that could speed cell-based meat and precision fermentation approvals.

Parma Ham players aim to cure environmental impact of packaging

09-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The Parma Ham Consortium is carrying out research to identify more sustainable alternatives to the traditional packaging of the pre-sliced product.

Danish project seeks to upcycle fish farming waste into fibre- and umami-rich algae for food sector

08-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A major new innovation project led by the University of Copenhagen will convert nutrients and CO2 from shrimp and fish farming into seaweed for the food sector.

Good news for innovation or backward step into food nationalism? The ‘Made in Italy’ bill unravelled

07-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Following its criticisms of Nutri-Score and cell-based foods, Italy’s government is seeking to put its famous gastronomic heritage at the heart of its economy and national identity.

SuperMeat on why its business model is key to overcoming cultivated meat industry bottlenecks

06-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

We caught up with Ido Savir, CEO & Co-founder at the Israeli cultured meat start-up.

Mycoprotein and fungal proteins – The sustainability potential

06-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

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.

Plant-based diets become more popular indicator of masculinity among male athletes

31-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Traditionally, eating meat has been considered a cornerstone of masculinity, especially for professional male athletes. A recent small study, however, suggests that attitudes towards plant-based diets are changing among athletes.

Seafood without the catch? Cultivated salmon fat in development for ‘next level’ plant-based seafood

30-May-2023 By Flora Southey

In working to improve the taste of plant-based seafood alternatives, Dutch start-up Upstream Foods is cultivating fat from salmon cells for the B2B market.

Quorn owner inks first mycoprotein deal with maker of ‘next gen alternatives that don’t imitate meat’

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Marlow Foods’ newly set-up ingredients division is announcing its first supply deal for the same mycoprotein used in Quorn branded meat alternatives.

'Once the animals are trained, you can pop them out anywhere' - Virtual fence technology could make meat and dairy more sustainable

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Since agriculture first developed around 8,000 BC, fences have been vital to keep livestock reigned in. For Norwegian company Nofence, however, physical barriers are not necessary. Its technology uses GPS to provide an invisible barrier, or ‘virtual fence’,...

'The acceptability of insects is influenced by their visibility': Consumer perceptions of edible insects explored

22-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Edible insects have many benefits. They are a good source of alternative protein, a rival to plant-based meat; they are often considered more sustainable than conventional meat; some insects are even higher in protein than beef. However, many consumers...

Military conflict, deglobalisation and climate change – The future of feeding the world

19-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The world is not a stable place. Conflicts, both civil and international, as well as deglobalisation and the looming threat of climate change, are just some of the things that have the potential to radically disrupt the food system. At the City Food and...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Is consumer food waste giving the industry an unfair rap over emissions?

19-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

New research suggests food wastage – much of which comes from people simply not eating what they buy – is a bigger problem than previously thought, which if cut in half would help remove around one-quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions from the global...

Protein Vision first speakers announced: Hear from Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat and more

18-May-2023 By Flora Southey

What’s the latest in alternative meat and dairy innovation? Join our expert speakers – including Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat, Those Vegan Cowboys and more – at Protein Vision 2023 to find out.

"Even relatively large reductions in salt content go unnoticed by consumers" - Action on Salt takes on the saltiness of the pizza industry

17-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

New research by campaign group Action on Salt has revealed the vast salt content within pizzas, with one in two pizzas containing at least the entirety of daily recommended salt levels. The group, which is made up of experts and based in Queen Mary University...

‘Food and feed safety risks are not static’ - How the Border Target Operating Model could impact Great Britain-Europe trade

16-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On 11 April, the UK government released the draft of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). The BTOM will, if accepted, have a significant influence on the import of food from Europe into Great Britain (Northern Ireland is not affected). An online...

WATCH: Paleo talks animal-free myoglobin, regulatory challenges, and the ‘vegan’ opportunity

15-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste, appearance, and nutritional profile of plant-based meat analogues can be improved by a single ingredient, according to Belgian start-up Paleo: myoglobin. We catch up with co-founder and CEO Hermes Sanctorum to ask about this novel, animal-free...

Nutri-Score fake news? Scientists counter frequent ‘misunderstandings’ about FOP label

11-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Is Nutri-Score opposed to the Mediterranean diet? Does the algorithm discriminate against traditional foods? And why doesn’t it take ultra-processing into account? Scientists and health professionals address Nutri-Score ‘misunderstandings’.

Meatable on market strategy, regulatory exemptions, and the ‘first of many’ tastings

11-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The Dutch food tech pioneer is working with regulators to bring cultivated meat to Europe. But in the meantime, Meatable is focused on Singapore, where a regulatory exemption was recently achieved to hold the ‘first of many’ tastings.

WATCH: Collagen in functional food and drink – the next ‘hot trend’ after CBD?

10-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The collagen trend has been building over the last few years and Romain Quillot, co-founder of functional collagen food and drink brand Humble+, expects it to continue. We ask about the challenges of incorporating collagen into products, the functional...

How next-gen protein innovators plan to win over consumers

08-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste and texture of meat and dairy analogues have come a long way. But according to alternative protein experts, ‘there is still room for improvement’. How will the next generation of innovators win over consumers, and what hurdles will they need...