Singapore cultivated seafood firm Umami Bioworks believes that strategic mergers are crucial to overcome doubts about the sector and achieve buy-in from major brands which can help the category scale-up.
Insects are not only thought to contain at least as much protein as conventional meat, but are also more environmentally sustainable. However, their novelty on the market poses challenges in consumer acceptance. How do start-ups persuade consumers to...
A fermentation bottleneck still exists for the microbial fermentation sector, according to Swiss biotech Planetary, who is working to optimise protein and fat production with not just ‘overall infrastructure, but correct infrastructure’.
Alt-protein companies that heavily relied on venture capital (VC) funding are now taking a more holistic approach, including leveraging more non-dilutive financing options, to build their business in 2024, a panel of investors shared during a recent webinar...
Cultivated meat needs growth factors in order for its cells to grow. These are usually added to the cell culture media at considerable expense, impacting potential for commercialisation. New research, however, has shown that edited bovine cells can produce...
Food-tech company SCiFi Foods inches closer to releasing its hybrid meat product that consists of a blend of cell-cultivated beef and plant proteins, upon completing its first commercial-scale production run, company co-founder and CEO Joshua March told...
The world’s first regulatory approval for cultivated beef has been granted in Israel. For EU cultivated meat stakeholders, is the greenlight yet another sign the EU – which has yet to approve such a product – is falling behind? Or does it hold promise...
According to delegates from Italy, France and Austria, cellular agriculture practices represent a threat to primary farm-based approaches and ‘genuine’ food production methods.
A collaboration between two Finnish companies – Solar Foods and Fazer – has seen protein ‘made from air’ added to a chocolate snack bar for consumers in Singapore.
Talk about a ‘protein transition’ is rife in the world of food. But what exactly is a protein transition? A study by Nature Food identifies three narratives through which a protein transition is interpreted, and three potential drivers of change.
Japanese tech giant Konica Minolta and Swiss foodtech start-up Planetary are working on a first-of-its-kind solution that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced sensing technology to optimize the production of precision fermentation-derived...
European cultivated chicken ingredients may soon be winging their way to Asia if Vital Meat is successful in its novel food regulatory submission to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
The duo’s latest white paper, “10 Alternative Protein Pathways: Opportunities for Greater Efficiency”, provides insights into how the sector can make plant-based products more affordable and sustainable.
The UK Government, in its recent National Vision for Engineering Biology policy paper, cemented its backing for the alternative protein sector. While many challenges remain, such as the lack of infrastructure to realise their development, the government...
Farmless, a startup producing protein using a feedstock which combines hydrogen, nitrogen, CO2 and renewable energy, is planning to build a pilot plant after a new injection of funding. Its purpose is simple – cutting down on the land used to create protein,...
The Future Ocean Foods association has several activities on the agenda, including improving the nutritional profile of alternative seafood, with a particular focus on protein and omegas.
The global food and beverage company is running a six-week promotion in partnership with retailers to drive the consumption of plant-based milk alternatives in Belgium.
Working alongside Lund University, the food processing and packaging major will leverage bioprocessing technologies to create sustainable foods and materials in a newly-formed research hub based in North Europe. “Bioprocessing-derived proteins can be...
The government of Catalonia, Spain has invested €7m into alterative protein research, one of the largest investments into the sector in Spain’s history. It will aim to scale up Catalonia’s plant-based and fermentation-made food production.
Having achieved muscle and protein gains in 2D environments, Profuse Technology is celebrating a ‘breakthrough’ in cultivated meat growth within 3D environments, CEO Guy Nevo Michrowski explains.
With research into cultivated meat becoming ever more abundant, a report from the Good Food Institute shows that funding is strong. However, a study from Stanford University reveals that traditional meat is still receiving more public funding, and a more...
The plant-based protein industry continues to suffer losses with two well-funded companies closing their doors, while the cultured meat segment steadily checks milestones and tackles hurdles as it prepares for broader distribution and consumer adoption....
The world’s largest producer of ‘natural’ food ingredients derived from microorganisms is taking a 10% share in Israeli alternative protein maker Yeap.
A new £15 million research hub will look to improve the UK’s alternative protein sector: how to improve taste and texture of alternative proteins, reduce the cost and scale up production of alternative proteins, and even improve best practice.
As food and beverage CPG companies of all sizes look to support sustainable business practices, lifecycle assessments (LCAs) are becoming a crucial aspect of backing up product claims and ensuring that a company is meeting its environmental, sustainability,...
One of the barriers to consumer acceptance of plant-based proteins is often considered to be texture – a dry, non-juicy texture that doesn’t accurately replicate the succulent nature of meat. A new study has found that plant proteins can be given more...
Israel's Brevel is claiming a world first in combining the sugar-based fermentation of microalgae with the high concentration of light at industrial scales.
Many vegetarians choose not to consume meat for ethical reasons, believing that harming and killing animals simply to provide humans with food is wrong. However, they still eat non-meat animal products (NMAPs), which often have the same result. A new...
The first government sanction in the EU for how cultivated meat tastings can be conducted has received national government approval in the Netherlands.
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.
From improving sustainability and nutritional value of products to anticipating technological changes, there are plenty of challenges ahead for the early life nutrition sector as it faces its toughest customers yet. FrieslandCampina Ingredients'...
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...
While the consumer market for plant-based meat does not completely consist of vegetarians and vegans, choosing a vegan burger over a meat one remains a conscious rejection of meat-eating. This provides plant-based meat with a meaning, its presence in...
A new project is harvesting broccoli stems, stalks, and leaves – which would otherwise be left in the field – and upcycling them into an alternative protein ingredient for food and beverage makers.
As alternative protein develops, brewer’s yeast is emerging as a strong driver of the market. Start-up ProteinDistillery has created a protein, developed from brewer’s yeast, that can not only be used for meat and dairy alternatives, but also to replace...
Finnish start-up Solar Foods is marketing its novel microbial protein Solein for the first time. In partnership with Singapore-based restaurant Fico, the duo has developed a dessert made with ingredients ‘derived out of thin air’.
Some products, such as croissants, need a bit of butter to get their unique texture. Israeli startup Gaven Technologies hopes to provide a vegan replacement of butter and other animal fats in bakery products, with its new plant-based fat FaTRIX.
A new alternative protein made from brewer’s spent yeast has scaled up and will now transition to full production. The protein, which is made by the EGGcited consortium and coordinated by NIZO, can act as a substitute for egg and dairy, and can replace...
One of the key challenges in finding alternative protein sources to meat and dairy is trying to provide consumers with the health aspects, especially high-quality protein, that they expect from animal products. Mycoprotein, as FoodNavigator found out...
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.
In the food industry’s search for alternative protein sources, upcycled ingredients are becoming more useful and more popular. But it is often with difficulty that they are developed – upcycling products into edible and palatable foods often requires...
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...
Rapeseed is very high in protein. The rapeseed cake, which is left over after the oil is extracted, contains a significant amount of the crucial nutrient. However, because of glucosinolate defence compounds that reduce its nutritional value, there are...
Farmless claims to be making 'carbon negative' protein. The Dutch start-up has developed the means to make this protein using between 10 and 25 times less agricultural land than your average plant-based protein, and between 250 and 500 times...
As alt-protein companies respond to changing industry dynamics, many brands are examining how best market products and respond to consumers needs, a panel of experts shared at the Bridge2Food Summit Americas.
