Proteins

Soy protein quality ‘not negatively impacted by processing’: Unilever and Wageningen University research

29-Sep-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists claim to have proven for the first time that processing soy increases the protein’s nutritional quality.

World’s best steaks revealed: Who made the cut?

29-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Results from the 2022 World Steak Challenge are hot off the grill, with a Japanese Wagyu judged to be a cut above the rest.

Europe’s first mycelium-based ‘ultra-realistic’ steak alternative under development

28-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

In the UK, Adamo Foods has secured funding and investment to complete the development of ‘Europe’s first convincing beef steak alternative’, Adamo Foods founder and CEO Pierre Dupuis tells FoodNavigator.

Plant-based innovators push back at ‘ultra-processed, ultra-unhealthy’ critique

28-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegetarian diets are often characterised as healthy options delivering higher nutritional quality. But the surge seen in recent years of plant-based analogue products that many classify as ultra-processed has placed this reputation under pressure. Are...

Meat distributor to bring ‘world’s first’ cell-cultured wagyu beef to Europe via Orbillion Bio tie-up

27-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

The duo will work together on manufacturing capabilities and will co-manage regulatory approval processes in Europe.

European supplier CSM Ingredients eyes Latin America: ‘Our global growth strategy is centred on scaling up in other parts of the world’

26-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

CSM Ingredients is entering Latin America through a strategic partnership with Chilean player ICB. FoodNavigator catches up with CSM CEO Aldo Uva to learn more about how this expansion positions the European supplier for further growth.

How can precision fermentation and cellular agriculture scale?

26-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

From precision fermentation to cellular agriculture, novel food innovators face a common challenge: how to bring their tech to scale.

MicroHarvest to scale ‘world’s fastest protein production system’ for 2023 market entry

23-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

A Series A injection will see MicroHarvest ‘ramp up’ production with a new pilot plant in Lisbon. The start-up plans to commercialise next year.

CSM Ingredients and Allozymes in strategic tie-up on rapid novel enzyme development

22-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

CSM Ingredients has entered into a strategic partnership with Allozymes, a Singapore-based start-up that leverages proprietary tech to develop novel enzymes, FoodNavigator can reveal. In this global exclusive, we catch up with CSM CEO Aldo Uva to learn...

Protein bars getting smaller with less protein, and must satisfy all senses

22-Sep-2022 By Nicola Gordon-Seymour

Protein bars are central to the narrative of sports nutrition going mainstream, according to Nutrition Integrated founder, Nick Morgan, speaking at the launch of Arla Foods Ingredients new protein concept.

Why ex Alpro CEO is moving from Danone to The Protein Brewery: ‘I want us to be the leaders in fermented fungal food ingredients’

21-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Sue Garfitt has been appointed the new CEO of Dutch alternative protein start-up The Protein Brewery. FoodNavigator catches up with Garfitt to ask what factors influenced her decision, what expertise she plans to bring to the company, and what’s next...

ENOUGH opens mycoprotein facility: ‘Game changing scale for non-animal protein’

20-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Mycoprotein supplier ENOUGH is opening its flagship production facility in a move the company says will deliver ‘game-changing’ additional production capacity in the animal-free protein market.

Beating the bioreactor bottleneck… German start-up plans ‘bigger and more out-of-the-box ways’ to scale cultivated meat

20-Sep-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Germany’s The Cultivated B. has emerged from stealth mode and has bold plans to enable cellular agriculture at an industrial scale, FoodNavigator hears.

How new processing techniques have ‘great potential’ to make food more sustainable

20-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Processed food can get a bad rap. But according to researchers in Norway, new processing techniques can help extend shelf-life to reduce food waste and its detrimental effects on the environment.

How mycelium innovation is ‘unlocking the potential of the fungi kingdom’

16-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

From pea protein substitutes to whole cut meat alternatives and pet food, the versatility of mycelium is helping to attract a growing number of start-ups to the space. How are entrepreneurs innovating to bring this sustainable ‘root-like’ structure to...

Study linking deaths to red meat ‘appears implausible’ and ‘lacks transparency’

09-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

The World Cancer Research Fund International is accusing the GBD 2019 study of ignoring the nutritional value of red meat and lacking rationale.

‘Highly’ marbled cell-based beef bites developed with 3D printing tech

08-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Steakholder Foods has coined the ‘first-of-its kind’ and ‘richly marbled’ structured meat product Omakase Beef Morsels.

EU-backed macroalgae project wants to ‘prove the sceptics wrong’: ‘We aim to make seaweed a staple of European diets’

07-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

A public-private partnership aiming to produce 12 seaweed-based products – including fermented fibres for meat alternatives and biomaterials for packaging – has launched in the Faroe Islands.

What’s meat's beef with vegan burgers? The case against ‘meaty’ names for plant-based substitutes

07-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

For the most part, the meat industry is against the use of ‘meaty’ denominations for plant-based alternatives. What’s the sector’s beef with ‘vegan burgers’ and ‘plant-based sausages’? FoodNavigator investigates.

Intercropping to boost yield, resilience, and biodiversity: ‘It’s practiced globally…but we haven’t got to grips with it in Europe’

05-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Intercropping, whereby more than one crop is cultivated in a field at the same time, has proved beneficial in Africa and Asia. Now researchers are investigating its potential to improve sustainable agricultural practices in Europe.

Tech innovation to further fuel plant-based boom, claims Planted after successful fund raise

02-Sep-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The food-tech start-up’s proprietary combination of high-moisture extrusion and fermentation technology is central to addressing the challenges in the meat alternative sector, FoodNavigator hears.

Can monkeypox virus be transmitted via food? Experts aren’t ruling it out…

01-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Risk of contracting monkeypox through food cannot be completely ruled out, according to experts at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and French food agency ANSES.

Cell-based meat with 5 times more protein? Media supplement developed to fill ‘huge whitespace’ in industry

29-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Profuse Technology is ‘revolutionising’ the cell-based meat sector with its small molecule-based media ‘cocktail’. Co-founders Guy Nevo Michrowski and Dr Tamar Eigler-Hirsch explain how the supplement is optimising muscle creation in...

Plant- and meat-based hybrids developed from sunflower side-streams: ‘Sensory properties are key to alt meat acceptance’

26-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The potential for sunflower press cakes to be upcycled into vegan meat alternatives and blended hybrid products is being investigated by a new EIT-Food funded project.

Could faba replace soy flour in bread for homegrown protein boost?

26-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The potential for locally grown faba bean to increase the protein content in store-bought bread is being investigated by researchers in the UK.

Are children hungry for plant-based meat?

24-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

What do kids think about plant-based meat alternatives? Is a meat-free diet even suitable for children? As a growing number of studies seek to answer these questions, FoodNavigator brings you the findings.

Dairy grown in lettuce? Meet the start-up triggering protein, pigment, and aroma production in a greenhouse

23-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Pigmentum is producing biomolecules for the food industry in transgenic plants. Co-founder Tal Lutzky explains how the technology works, which hurdles stand in the way of commercialisation, and whether consumers are willing to drink ‘lettuce...

‘People are unwittingly eating lead’: Researchers warn of toxic lead risk in pheasant meat

23-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

A new study out of the UK suggests pheasants killed by hunters using shotguns can leave small lead particles in the meat. Consumers of these carcasses are ‘likely’ to be exposed, according to researchers.

Norway invests in cellular milk, egg, and meat production as a ‘new direction’ for industry

19-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The Research Council of Norway is funding the development of cellular agriculture technologies to produce the ‘food of the future’.

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry Insights from NIZO: Food fermentation - modern applications for an ancient technique

17-Aug-2022 By René Floris, Food Research Division Manager at NIZO

From providing new protein sources or health-boosting ingredients to improve the taste, texture, and safety of food products, Janneke Ouwerkerk, microbiome and fermentation expert at NIZO, explains how fermentation can add value to the food industry.

One ingredient that can do it all? Bio-based hydrocolloid developed to ‘clean’ up plant-based

16-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

German start-up Bioweg claims its bio-based hydrocolloid made from bacterial cellulose can improve taste, texture, and appearance of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.

60% people don’t want lab-grown meat: UK adults quizzed on cellular agriculture, genetic modification, and meat consumption

15-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

A survey in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is asking the big questions: Are consumers willing to try cell-based meat? Have they heard of genetic modification? And are they reducing how much red meat, poultry, and fish are on their plates?

How Arkeon Biotechnologies is turning CO2 into food: ‘Excuse my language, but this is next-level cool’

12-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Vienna-based start-up Arkeon Biotechnologies is producing all 20 amino acids with just three inputs: a microorganism, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. FoodNavigator catches up with CEO Gregor Tegl to find out how.

How cultivated and plant-based technologies can unlock the next wave of innovation in the protein transition

11-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

Growth in the plant-based space has been fuelled by the development of products that mimic meat with increasing accuracy. But formulation challenges remain as the industry works to develop high quality analogues that are also clean label. Could a synergistic...

Producers urged to fill the ‘supply-side gap’ as researchers reveal climate food calculator breakthrough

10-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Understanding of the true environmental impact of food and beverage products will not progress until supply chain transparency issues are overcome, FoodNavigator hears.

German startup presents its first cultivated seafood products in Europe

09-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Bluu Seafood says it is ready to enter the regulatory approval process in the EU, UK and rest of the world after producing its first market‐ready products made from cultivated fish cells.

Insects or algae for dinner? Optimising 3D printing can help overcome the yuck factor for new protein sources

09-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

Researchers examine how 3D printing could be harnessed to make alternative protein sources, such as insects, more palatable and accessible.

‘We’re not trying to mimic meat’: Danish start-up taps mycoprotein for tofu and meat alternatives

05-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Denmark’s Tempty Foods is sourcing mycoprotein from Swedish supplier Mycorena to develop products with ‘a bite and a base umami flavour’.

Detect nitrites with a smartphone? Colour-changing film developed to check nitrite levels in cured meat

05-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Scientists in Spain have developed a colour-changing film consumers could use to analyse nitrite levels themselves.

Bringing cultivated meat to Britain: What will it take to scale up?

04-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

For cell-based meat to reach its full potential in the UK, it must be a widely available, preferred choice among consumers. Boston Consulting Group and Ivy Farm Technologies share the challenges standing in the way.

Mimic Seafood tackles conventional fishing with store cupboard ingredients: ‘Our tomato-based substitute looks, tastes, and behaves like raw tuna’

02-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Wary of long, unpronounceable ingredients lists in the plant-based category, the Madrid-based start-up is turning to well-known fruit, vegetables, and sauces.

Meat products less healthy, less sustainable than plant-based alternatives, finds research

01-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Forty-three studies investigating the healthiness and environmental impacts of swapping out meat products for their plant-based alternatives have been reviewed by researcher Christopher Bryant from the University of Bath, UK.

Vegan ‘steak’ on the back burner? France suspends ban on ‘meaty’ terms for plant-based products

28-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

France’s Council of State (Conseil d’État) has agreed to put its ban on the use of words like ‘steak’, ‘bacon’, ‘sausage’ or ‘Carpaccio’ to describe plant-based foods en pause.

SuperMeat links with retail major Migros on cultivated meat distribution: ‘We expect to be selling in Switzerland by 2025’

27-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli food tech company SuperMeat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Switzerland’s largest supermarket and meat manufacturer, Migros.

Gavan’s zero waste continuous extraction platform: ‘No part of the plant is left out’

26-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Israeli start-up Gavan Technologies has developed a novel continuous extraction method that utilises the entire plant. FoodNavigator caught up with CEO Itai Cohen to learn more.

Plant-based now cheaper than meat in the Netherlands: ‘Vegan burgers are on average 78 cents cheaper per kg’

26-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

Mapping the price differences between animal products and plant-based substitutes in retail suggests the cheapest animal products are now more expensive than their cheapest plant-based counterparts.

Emmi sells Italian cheesemaker Ambrosi to Lactalis: ‘Italian cheese classics are no longer part of our core range’

26-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

French dairy major Lactalis Group has acquired a 25% stake in Italian cheese specialist Ambrosi S.p.A.

Cultivated seafood start-up targets ‘fleshy’ tilapia species for mass disruption: ‘Our cell-based fish will be better than the original’

25-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

E-FISHient Protein is developing raw material for fish cutlets, fish fingers, and fish balls, with plans to do the same for fish fillet, the start-up’s CEO Dana Levin tells FoodNavigator.

‘Right now, the plant-based category is pretty murky’: Eatplanted challenges perceptions about plant-based quality with Gizzi Erskine tie-up

21-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Swiss plant-based food maker Eatplanted has entered into a partnership with food writer and TV chef Gizzi Erskine to challenge perceptions about the plant-based segment.

Commodity prices are going off the boil but don’t break out the champagne, analysts warn

21-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Agri-food commodity prices have dipped, raising hopes that the input inflation spiral seen in 2022 was indeed transitory. However, analysts at Jeffries warn, it is too early to ‘break out the champagne’.