Meat-free alternatives to burgers, sausages and steaks have become popular in recent years as consumers look to reduce their meat consumption. But do these meat-free alternatives offer the same benefits as meat itself?
Plant-based diets have grown in popularity in recent years, so what’s encouraging the increased interest in plant-based alternatives and why might others avoid them?
‘Dry’, ‘chalky’ and even 'gritty' are just some of the less than favourable words used to describe the texture of plant-based proteins. However, scientists at the University of Copenhagen believe they have discovered the secret to significantly...
France has outlined exactly which ‘meaty’ words are to be banned when describing, marketing and promoting plant-based products – and the list is extensive.
After seven consecutive quarters of revenue declines, Beyond Meat executives say they hope to turn the corner in 2024 with new product innovations, SKU rationalization, and price increases, but the company's fourth quarter and full-year results show...
The term ‘ultra-processed’ is increasingly used to describe the ‘unhealthiness’ of a product, particularly in the context of plant-based meat. But how processed a food is reveals nothing about its nutritional impact, contends new research.
Could plant-based meat products be made more sustainably? Research trialling a ‘revolutionary’ concept that shortens supply chains and promotes plant protein diversity has received EU support.
How can manufacturers improve the nutritional credentials of plant-based milk and dairy? Tune into FoodNavigator’s upcoming digital summit, Positive Nutrition 2024, to find out.
Despite some progress being made, price parity between meat and plant-based meat products has still not been achieved everywhere. Price remains a key consumer concern when it comes to plant-based meat. But why do plant-based meat producers struggle to...
Plant-based meat company VFC (Vegan Fried Chick*n) has rebranded. Following several acquisitions in 2023, it is now Vegan Food Group, and aims to grow through acquisitions into a larger, more versatile and further reaching part of the plant-based meat...
Consumers are paying more attention to what’s on their plate, including when it comes to plant-based meat. The more they query ingredients lists, processing methods, and nutrition profile, the more influence they will have on the category, suppliers suggest.
January is a time where many people abstain from indulgent things, from alcohol to chocolate. Meat and dairy, increasingly linked to climate change and animal suffering, are other products those taking part in 'Veganuary' also abstain from at...
At Food Ingredients Europe this year, the ‘Plant-based Innovation Award’ went to MirrorTissue, a plant-based ‘fatty lipid solution’. Here the producers discuss their triumph
Making simple substitutions by swapping animal-based products for plant-based alternatives and opting for lower-impact protein supports climate change efforts and personal health goals, a new study reveals.
Food tech company Nourish Ingredients launches its animal-free fat, Tastilux, calling it a “world-first” and “breakthrough” new product development designed to enhance global food security.
A report finds that plant-based burgers, meatballs and bacon alternatives are healthier than their meaty counterparts, but animal meat scores better for chicken chunks, chicken fillet, and schnitzel.
A new study suggests that repeated consumption of plant-based meat over time does not improve consumer liking. However, the context – what meals the plant-based substitutes are used in – is highly significant to how they receive it.
Italy’s government has announced the passing of a bill banning the production and marketing of cultivated meat. The measures, which also restrict labelling for plant-based products, aim to protect Italy’s traditional food culture.
French plant-based whole-cut chicken producer Umiami has secured a further €32.5 million Series A funding, bringing its total raised to date to over €100 million.
Consuming plant-based meat, rather than its conventional counterpart from animals, is correlated with a “significant drop” in an emerging cardiovascular risk factor in a small study funded by an unrestricted gift from Beyond Meat and presented last week...
Can technological innovations help turn the tide on plant-based meat? We ask ingredient suppliers which technologies might be letting down the category, and what tools can be leveraged to reignite consumer excitement.
Despite the abundance of NPDs for plant-based meat in recent years, concerns about nutrition still resound in the sector. There are many nutrients, critics claim, that are difficult to find outside of animal products. One of these is B12. Yet it is possible...
Meet GreenProtein AI: the non-profit leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning to help innovators improve the texture of their plant-based meat products.
The negative attention around plant-based meat, including consumer concern about premium pricing amid rising grocery costs to ingredient transparency, have impacted Beyond Meat’s declining Q2 financials, prompting the company to launch its “There’s Goodness...
This week, it was announced that revenue for plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat had fallen by more than 30%. Does this say more about Beyond Meat or the plant-based sector in general? Why are some consumers rejecting plant-based meat?
Faced with a global market slowdown, plant-based meat players are looking is renew demand and encourage repeat purchases of their vegan beef, pork, and seafood alternatives. Pulling levers from taste to texture and nutrition, how can plant-based meat...
Between recent acquisition and slumping unit sales, the plant-based meat alternative (PBMA) market faces headwinds as consumers shift to less expensive proteins in the face of economic pressure, though all might not be lost for the category, Mintel shared...
With signs some plant-based makers are struggling, we ask innovators whether the meat alternative category is experiencing a slowdown, a ‘shakedown’, or other?
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,...
Plant-based meat company Heura has collaborated with schools across the Iberian peninsula to bring more plant-based meat to the diets of schoolchildren. Across 450 schools, it has introduced plant-based meat into school meals.
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...
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.
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...
Israeli start-up More Foods, which makes ‘meaty’ products made from pumpkin seeds, is announcing a strategic collaboration with Osem-Nestlé Group subsidiary Tivol.
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?
Following a successful seed round last year, foodtech startup Lypid is ready to take its plant-based fat technology to a larger audience with the release of a whole-cut, plant-based pork belly, designed to meet the demand for healthier meats, brand founders...
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...
It’s time plant-based manufacturers stop talking about the healthy nutrients that plants don’t have and focus on those they do have, says influential Wageningen food scientist Atze Jan van der Goot.
The recent Plant-Based Protein Manufacturing Summit in Amsterdam brought together leading businesses in the plant-based food and beverage industry with co-manufacturers, innovative equipment and solution providers to explore the challenges and opportunities...
Plant-based company Heura, known for its meatless chorizo sausages, chorizo burgers, and chicken, has unveiled new technology to create high-protein plant-based meat, free of e-numbers.
Meat.The End claims to be introducing the first meat alternative burger to market made from texturized chickpea protein isolate, using its proprietary technology. We catch up with CEO Dr Yishai Mishor to ask what makes this development an industry first.
Survey findings suggest ‘meat alternatives are here to stay’, says Jeremy Coller, president of the alternative proteins trade association that commissioned the research.
Plant-based is one of the most important trends in the food industry today. Meat- and dairy-free products are helping provide food alternatives to an ever-growing flexitarian market. But some questions still remain. For one, since many plant-based foods...
Sales of plant-based foods across 13 European countries have grown by 22% since 2020 with the category reaching a record €5.7 billion, according to a new report. These options still make up a small fraction of the overall market, however.
The Kerry-owned company has announced the expansion of its production facilities in Ochten in the Netherlands to meet ‘growing demand for its meat alternatives technology’ despite ‘tempering’ growth in some markets.
