Search Results | The Plant Base (2024)

Bunge expands plant protein offerings with pea and faba concentrates

Bunge is expanding its portfolio to include pea and faba protein concentrates, in a move to meet rising demand for alternative plant-based proteins beyond soy. Bunge is collaborating with Golden Fields, an agricultural company and dry miller of pea and faba based in Europe, to produce the protein concentrates exclusively for Bunge at a new factory in Liepaja, Latvia. The new pea and faba protein concentrates will complement Bunge's leading soy protein concentrate offerings. The products are non-GMO, light in colour, finely powdered and deliver 55-70% protein content on a dry basis, allowing food and feed customers to easily enhance protein content and support non-GMO and allergen-free labelling. Bunge says the new concentrates also bring sustainability benefits as they are made from crops farmed through crop-rotation practices and extracted via dry-fractionation without using water or solvents. #plantprotein #fava #pea #plantbased #Bunge

Mycorena scraps new factory project, focuses on pivoted growth plan

Swedish food-tech Mycorena, a developer of mycoprotein ingredients, has discontinued its large-scale factory project to focus on a new pivoted growth plan. The company, which has been active in the mycoprotein market since 2017, had been planning to build a large-scale production plant capable of producing thousands of tons of mycoprotein ingredients for the plant-based sector. In a statement announcing the decision, Mycorena explained that while it has attracted over €35 million in funding, it has faced challenges due to ‘changing market conditions and an unfavourable investment climate’. The company added that despite a €24 million Series A round in early 2022, it failed to raise funding for its Series B round in 2023 due to a lack of investor interest in the capital expenditure project within food-tech, and the ‘slow-moving market interest’ toward the mycoprotein segment. The scale-up factory, designed in collaboration with Tetra Pak, aimed to achieve a total production volume of up to 100,000 tons in multiple stages, with an initial production capacity of 5,000 tons by the end of 2023. Having discontinued the project, Mycorena said it will now redirect its focus to its core operations at its demo facility in Gothernberg, Sweden. It envisions its production scale-up journey to be more focused on a circular upcycling production model, unlocking the potential of co-location with industry partners. "We still have strong confidence in the potential of fungi and mycoprotein's impact on the food system. However, given the current investor climate and geopolitical situations, we must pause our scale-up journey." Ramkumar Nair, founder and CEO at Mycorena, commented: “The scale-up factory was conceived during the market peak. Now, with the market decline, we can't meet expectations on cost competitiveness from the industry.” He added: “In addition, most of our key partners have also slowed their growth plans due to the changing market environment, adding more uncertainty to the scale-up project”. Nair explained that while the start-up successfully scaled its Promyc ingredient, as well as other ingredients beyond mycoprotein – such as its fungi-based fat, Mycolein – the company believes its scale-up project suffered a case of ‘wrong timing,’ with market sentiments changing ‘drastically’. Mycorena is now pivoting from a pure B2B ingredient sales model to a more B2B2C approach. Ebba Fröling, co-founder and COO at Mycorena, described the challenge it faced of a “constant catch-22 situation where investors demand binding purchase contracts to invest in capex, while food companies won’t commit without a proven large-scale production”. She added: “After almost 24 months of efforts, we’ve concluded that the industry isn’t ready yet for big bets on mycoprotein or fermentation-related products. Therefore, we’re taking a step back to focus on our core operations and reinforce the interest in mycoprotein products before scaling up further.” Mycorena’s revised business plan will maximise production capacity at its existing Gothenburg site, supporting existing and new partnerships. It plans to venture into foodservice and private label sectors, focusing primarily on the Nordic market, where consumption of mycoprotein is high combined with strong demand for locally produced alternatives. The facility in Gothenburg has the potential to produce mycoprotein ingredients capable of supplying up to 500 tons of end-consumer products, planned to be rolled out during 2025. Co-founder and CEO Nair concluded: “We still have strong confidence in the potential of fungi and mycoprotein's impact on the food system. However, given the current investor climate and geopolitical situations, we must pause our scale-up journey. We will also focus on our core competence of working with industry side-streams, to build a co-location-based scale-up production model for the future roll-out.” #Mycorena #Sweden

World Plant-Based Taste Awards 2021: Winners Revealed!

On Friday afternoon, the winners and finalists in FoodBev’s inaugural World Plant-Based Taste Awards were announced, in association with Plant Based World Expo Europe ! During Plant Based World Expo Europe , the finalists of six live categories were judged blind for a second time by a hand-picked panel of judges – Heather Mills , Richard Fox & Deiniol Pritchard . The judges tasted and scored each finalist on taste, texture, appearance and likeness. The six live categories were; Best faux meat burger, Best faux meat sausage, Best cheese alternative, Best faux chicken product, Best faux fish / seafood, and Best faux bacon product. The winners of these six, and all of the categories were then revealed in the first ever World Plant-Based Taste Awards ceremony, hosted at the Finnebrogue stand, by FoodBev Media marketing manager, Matthew Rushton and awards marketing executive, Jonathan McGowan . A full list of winners and finalists in each category follows below. Best beverage WINNER Friendly Viking – Latte Oat drink FLAX & KALE – Kombucha Dragon Lemonade Bodyhero Plant Protein Shake – Rich Chocolate [LIVE] Best cheese alternative sponsored by MANE WINNER Honestly Tasty – Veganzola Les Nouveaux Affineurs – L’Affiné d’Albert Honestly Tasty – Shamembert Best chilled dessert/ice cream WINNER Chateau Dessert – Vegan & Gluten free chocolate cheese cake Rethink Foods – Pink Albatross Mango & Passion fruit Beau’s Gelato – Raspberry Gelato Best convenience/ready to eat product WINNER Verdino UK Ltd – Plant-Based Pepperoni Pizza Eat Just Inc. – Just Egg Sous Vide Lidl US – Vegan California Burger Best dairy alternative WINNER Bear Paw – Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Creamer Friendly Viking – Greek Style O’gurt Mango Kitchen Circus – Organic Alphonso Mango Yoghurt Best egg alternative WINNER OGGS – scrambled OGGS NABATI – Plant Eggz Eat Just Inc. – Just Egg Sous Vide Best faux analogue meat product WINNER Lidl US – Vermondo Classic Vegan Meatballs Dawn Farms – Plant Deli Jackfruit Vegeroni Omni Foods – OmniPork Luncheon [LIVE] Best faux bacon product WINNER La Vie – Plant based Bacon Dawn Farms – Plant Deli Crispy Bakun Slices Finnebrogue – Artisan Naked Without the Oink Bacon [LIVE] Best faux chicken product WINNER planted.chicken – Lemon & Herbs Quorn Foods – Roarsomes This – This Isn’t Chicken Pieces [LIVE] Best faux fish/seafood product WINNER Seabloom – Tuna Free Flakes – Lemon Omni Foods – Omni Golden Fillet Finnebrogue – Artisan Naked without the Splash No Fish Goujons [LIVE] Best faux meat burger WINNER Beyond Meat – Beyond Burger Biffs – The Biffburger Future Farm – Future Burger 2030 [LIVE] Best faux meat sausage WINNER Verdino – Plant-Based Merguez Sausage Kitchen Circus – Tofu Hot Dogs Beyond Meat – Beyond Sausage Best pie / pastry WINNER Clive’s Purely Plants – Organic Beefy Ale Puff Pie Higgidy Ltd – Spinach & Roasted Tomato Vegan Quiche Best sauce / store cupboard product WINNER RightRice – Risotto Lidl US – Red Lentil Spaghetti Lidl US – Chickpea Fusilli Best savoury snack WINNER Cauliflower Nudie snacks – Crisps SnackIT – Plant-Based Snack Original Lidl US – Organic Roasted Garlic Hummus Best soy-based/fermented product WINNER Kitchen Circus – Sweet Chilli Barbecue Tofu FLAX & KALE – It’s Plant-Based Creamy LIDL US – Organic Firm Tofu Best sweet snack, biscuit or confectionery WINNER Stroop Club – Vegan Stroopwafels Chicago Vegan Foods – Dandies Marshmallows Greenback Plant Protein Bar – Hazelnut About The World Plant-Based Taste Awards The World Plant-Based Taste Awards , in association with Plant Based World Europe Conference & Expo , are a celebration of taste across many categories of the global plant-based industry. As one of the first of its kind in this sector, these awards are a fantastic way for you to enhance the promotion of your plant-based brand and to ensure it gains global recognition. Being named ‘winner’ or ‘finalist’ provides a hallmark of success that will prevail long after the awards ceremony and can highlight the contribution your company’s products and team are making to the plant-based industry. About FoodBev Media Established in 2000, FoodBev Media is the food and beverage industry’s leading media and communication business. With a portfolio of international magazines, the website www.foodbev.com and the industry’s largest social media network, FoodBev Media ensures you are continuously kept up to date with the latest trends and innovations. Since 2003, FoodBev Media has gained a reputation for organising successful international awards schemes in the food, beverage and dairy industries. For more information about our selection of awards programmes, please visit www.foodbev.com/awards/ or email awards@foodbev.com. #Winners #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards2021 #PlantBasedWorldExpo #finalists #awards #plantbased

BettaF!sh expands portfolio with seaweed-based salmon alternative

Alt-seafood start-up BettaF!sh has introduced its latest product, Sal-Nom, a plant-based alternative to hot-smoked salmon made from European seaweed. This latest innovation follows the launch of BettaF!sh’s Tu-Nah in October 2021. According to the Berlin-based food-tech, Sal-Nom looks and tastes like traditional salmon, delivering an ‘authentic taste of the sea’ thanks to its blend of ingredients. Sal-Nom is crafted from fava bean and pea proteins alongside organic European seaweed, delivering a seafood-like flavour without the use of soya or wheat. The product is designed for health-conscious consumers, providing a rich source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. Seaweed can provide essential nutrients as a food ingredient, and requires no resources such as soil, freshwater, fertilisers or pesticides. With overfishing and habitat destruction becoming an increasing threat to wild salmon stocks, Betta!Fish aims to provide a sustainable alternative that can reduce the demand for wild-caught and farmed salmon, support the recovery of natural salmon stocks and mitigate the environmental impacts of traditional aquaculture practices – such as water pollution, disease spread and disruption of marine ecosystems. Deniz Ficicioglu, CEO at BettaF!sh, said: “By leveraging the natural benefits of seaweed, we offer a fish alternative that is not only delicious but also significantly contributes to the protection of our oceans and personal health”. Sal-Nom will initially debut in glass jars, available in the chilled section at selected European supermarkets, with a canned format to follow later in the summer. #BettaFish #Germany

This secures £20m funding, recalls wrap product amid E. coli outbreak

Meat alternatives company This has announced the closing of its Series C equity funding round at £20 million. The round was completed by European growth equity sustainability investment platform Planet First Partners, through a combination of primary and secondary equity financing. This will use the capital to accelerate growth in its UK home market through launches of new product ranges that ‘cater to evolving consumer health preferences,’ while boosting profitability on its core product range. Mark Cuddigan, the company’s recently appointed new CEO, will lead a new strategy for the business that aims to support its continued gain of market share. Cuddigan will leverage his sector knowledge from his previous experience as CEO of Ella’s Kitchen. He commented: “We are excited to welcome Planet First Partners into the This family. Our partnership will be key as we continue to lead a revolution through our plant-based food to protect animals and the environment, growing brand love to become market leaders in the UK.” Planet First Partners, which supports businesses that directly contribute to the climate transition, said the latest investment into This complements its previous investments across themes such as green energy and industrial sustainability. The company is spearheaded by executive chairman Frédéric de Mévius, who founded Verlinvest prior to establishing Planet First Partners in 2020. Verlinvest has supported food and beverage brands such as Oatly and Vita Coco. Planet First Partners will take two seats on the board of This. Since 2019, This has raised £35 million from institutional and crowdfunding investors. It has also launched several new innovations in chilled and frozen, including This Isn’t Lamb Kebabs and This Isn’t Chicken Shawarma. The company expanded its food-to-go range last year with the launch of This Isn't Chicken Korean-Style Noodle Salad, This Isn't Chicken & Bacon Pasta Salad, and This Isn't Chicken & Bacon Wrap. This week, the company has issued a voluntary recall of all This Isn’t Chicken & Bacon wrap products with a use-by date on or before 18 June in relation to a nationwide E. coli outbreak. While no E. coli has been found in the product, This said the measure is being taken as a precaution. This has recently streamlined its operations, consolidating its production from 17 sites down to three as part of efforts to improve gross margins. Top image: © This #This #UK

Steakholder Foods signs MoU with Israeli fish brand Sherry Herring

Steakholder Foods has signed an MoU to enter into a strategic partnership with gourmet fish delicacies brand Sherry Herring. Under the partnership, Sherry Herring will unveil a line of vegan fish salads developed with Steakholder’s SHFish premix blends. The collaboration marks another step forward in advancing Steakholder Foods’ commercialisation strategy, leveraging Sherry Herring’s regional expertise and brand recognition to expand Steakholder Foods’ geographic footprint and customer base, bolstering Steakholder Foods’ growing product portfolio. Through the integration of SHFISH premix blends, Steakholder Foods and Sherry Herring aim to offer plant-based alternatives that mimic the taste, texture and nutritional profile of traditional fish salads, while providing a more sustainable option. Steakholder Foods' technology combined with Sherry Herring's reputation in the seafood industry creates a powerful synergy that is poised to disrupt the market and drive growth for both partners. Capitalising on Sherry Herring’s established distribution network spanning delis and restaurants, this new vegan fish salad line will roll out to Sherry Herring’s current channels as well as new locations. Steakholder Foods entered the US market with its SHMeat and SHFish blends in April this year. The blends consist of dried extracts ready for mixing to create 3D-printed fish and steak alternatives. The company uses 3D technology to mimic the texture of fish, with its Drop Location in Space printed used for fish and seafood production to create delicate textures that ‘closely resemble’ those found in real seafood. Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods, said: “Our collaboration with Sherry Herring marks an exciting step forward in our mission to develop and monetise sustainable, innovative food solutions. By combining our proprietary SHFISH premix blends with Sherry Herring’s renowned culinary expertise and brand reputation, we will introduce a new line of delicious plant-based offerings. Through this partnership, we open up access to new market opportunities and broaden our consumer reach, reflecting the strong financial potential for sustainable, high-quality food solutions.” #SteakholderFoods #SherryHerring

Every partners with Grupo Palacios to incorporate precision-fermented egg into Spanish omelettes

Precision-fermented egg developer The Every Company has announced a new partnership with Spanish omelette producer Grupo Empresarial Palacios Alimentación (Grupo Palacios). Palacios will incorporate Every Egg – an animal-free, vegan-friendly egg ingredient made via Every’s precision fermentation process – into its flagship Spanish omelettes, and into the research and development of new products. Palacios began as a local butcher shop in in Albelda de Iregua, La Rioja, Spain. The company has since evolved into a major multinational business and diversified its offering to provide a range of food products, including fresh tortillas, refrigerated pizzas, frozen pastries – and a range of entirely plant-based products. The partnership with Every, announced today and officially formalised through a commercial agreement, aims to bring high-quality ingredients and innovation to traditional dishes and create new global culinary experiences. According to a press statement published by Every today (17 June), Palacios said it was ‘genuinely amazed’ by the animal-free egg’s taste and culinary versatility, praising its ability to ‘seamlessly blend’ into a wide range of dishes while maintaining the authentic flavour and texture of a high-quality hen egg. This latest partnership news follows another collaboration announcement from Every last week, revealing it would be teaming up with Landish Foods to bring a new line of protein-boosted beverage powders to US consumers under the new brand name ‘Fermy’. #Every #Spain #US

Beam Be Amazing adds Dole Whip flavours to vegan protein powder and pre-workout line

Supplement maker Beam Be Amazing has introduced two new products featuring the well-known Dole Whip flavours, as the company looks to capitalise on consumer demand for innovative, functional products. Beam Dole Whip Strawberry Vegan Protein Powder and Dole Whip Pineapple Pre-Workout Powder will offer health-conscious consumers a way to enjoy the nostalgic Dole Whip taste. Dole Whip Strawberry Vegan Protein Powder contains 20g of protein per serving, along with zero sugar, added prebiotic fibre and 130 calories. It is also gluten- and soy-free. Dole Whip Pineapple Pre-Workout Powder, meanwhile, is fortified with three trademarked ingredients and is naturally flavoured and coloured. The new Dole Whip-inspired supplements come as the global dietary supplements market is projected to reach $194 billion by 2026, driven by growing consumer interest in products that support overall health and fitness, data from Euromonitor International shows. This is not the first time Dole and Beam Be Amazing have collaborated. In February 2024, the duo launched 'Beam x Dole Super Greens,' featuring orange, peach and mango flavours infused with 35 fruits and vegetables per serving, along with prebiotic fibre, digestive enzymes, antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals. In March 2024, Beam unveiled a new patent-pending beverage, called Greens On The Go. Each RTD can blends ten organic fruits and vegetables including cucumber juice, celery juice, broccoli, kale, spinach, orange, banana, papaya, shiitake mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke. #BeamBeAmazing #Dole #Supplements #Proteinpowder

Opinion: Plant power meets sugar confectionery

Quentin Schotte, convenience and snacking manager for Cargill Food Solutions Europe, explores how plant-based confectionery producers can enhance their sweet treats without the use of gelatin and other animal-derived ingredients. Consumer preferences are evolving, and the trend towards health conscious and more sustainable food choices continues to rise. Even traditionally indulgent sector, like sugar confectionery, are now looking at how they can reduce their sugar content and enhance their vegan or plant-based offerings. When consumers learn about a gummy’s plant-based origins, positive perception grows. Recent proprietary research conducted by Cargill shows that over 60% of UK consumers, 70% of Germans and 85% of Spaniards are interested in plant-based gummies, and associate plant-based with healthier ingredients. Key drivers for these consumers include a belief that plant-based products are more sustainable and better for you than regular gummies, which is further strengthened by more positive perceptions of certain plant-based sweeteners and texturizers over others. Embracing this shift presents an opportunity for customers to launch new brands or product lines, thereby driving growth in a challenging market where consumers are increasingly budget-conscious due to escalating food costs. As a result, we are already seeing that ‘vegan’ and ‘plant based’ are top claims among new product launches across sugar confectionery categories. Data from Innova, tracking new launches in the market, shows that ‘vegan’ claims have one of the highest growth rates, and that ‘plant-based’ is in the top five claims for new product launches across most sugar confectionery sub-categories. Finding the sweet spot However, today’s plant-based consumers won’t accept sweet treats that don’t deliver organoleptically. Sugar confectionery products are inherently indulgent, and must offer the right taste, sweetness and texture to compete with traditional counterparts. Market success can only be achieved by finding the perfect balance of these aspects. The use of plant-based texturizers can require new formulations and production methods. Delivering to these technical and sensory needs requires real formulation know-how. There are also multiple plant-based solutions available on the market for sweeteners, texturizers and more – each with their own ingredient properties. This can add an additional layer of complexity to the process. The challenge is further compounded by the fact that there are different opinions on what makes for the right gummy or other sweet treat in the first place. Consumers in different countries have highly divergent perspectives when it comes to key aspects, such as texture. There are also clear differences between someone who prefers premium products, someone who cares about health and sustainability, and those that are purely motivated by cost. For example, consumer research has shown that Spanish consumers clearly prefer a plant-based solution that offers a more chewable, non-sticky texture and a sweet and fruity flavour. By contrast, in Northern Europe, gelatin or plant-based alternatives with a springier, firm or slippery texture will appeal most to consumers. We’re also seeing cross-sectional differences in country – for example, premium product seekers prefer a more chewable, non-sticky texture which corresponds well with plant-based solutions such as pectin. By age, we’re seeing the younger generation lean towards harder, more springy textures, which links to carrageenan, but also gelatin. Testing texturizers To demonstrate the full range of possibilities we applied this research to create prototypes incorporating the most frequently used plant-based texturizers (e.g. pectin, starch and carrageenan) and maximised their properties to clearly differentiate between their properties and sensory profiles. This testing has been incredibly helpful to develop tailored solutions to help food manufacturers get even closer to mirroring both the taste and texture of traditional gummy confectionery with plant-based ingredients. Drawing insight from sensory research and market data can enrich the process of product development, so that plant-based confectionery can resonate with the diverse tastes and preferences of consumers. By understanding the intricate interplay of texture and flavour dynamics, producers can be empowered to help create treats that captivate the senses while aiming to meet the demands of a health-conscious market.

McDonald’s trials vegan ice cream in UK

Fast food chain McDonald’s is trialling a new vegan ice cream dessert in selected restaurants across the northwest UK, ahead of a potential national launch next year. Available in chocolate and strawberry flavours, the new Vegan Scoop line has been accredited as vegan by the Vegetarian Society. Its ingredients include rice, glucose syrup, dextrose and coconut oil, alongside emulsifiers, thickeners and flavourings. Each pot of the frozen dessert contains less than 100 kcal, providing a lighter option than the chain’s dairy-based classic McFlurry desserts. In addition to the new ice creams, McDonald’s UK is introducing McFreezy, a vegan-accredited frozen ice dessert made with fruit juice and puree, available in either orange or mango and pineapple flavour. While the Vegan Scoops have been accredited as vegan and do not contain milk as an ingredient, McDonald’s has cautioned that they may be unsuitable for consumers with milk allergies due to potential traces through the company’s manufacturing process. The new desserts are the latest plant-based innovation to be unveiled by McDonald’s UK following the national launch of its McPlant burger in 2022. Vegan Scoop is currently available via a selected trial run in 52 restaurants in the north west, while McFreezy will be available for the summer season until 3 September, in selected restaurants in the north west of England and Republic of Ireland. #McDonalds #UK Top image: © McDonald's

Every and Landish team up on high-protein beverage mixes

The Every Company has teamed up with Landish Foods, a US-based nutritional wellness brand, to launch a line of ready-to-mix, high-protein beverage powders. Establishing a new brand named Fermy under the companies’ joint venture, two new products will be introduced: Protein Coffee Enhancer and Protein Matcha Latte. Both products contain Every’s egg white protein, made in an entirely animal-free precision fermentation process and delivering 8g of protein per serving. The approach yields nature-equivalent egg proteins that enable food manufacturers to boost a wide range of products with a clean-tasting protein, allowing the nutritional profile of consumers’ favourite vegan-friendly products to be improved without impacting texture or flavour. Fermy products, which also feature ingredients such as MCT and lion’s mane mushroom, aim to cater to the growing demand for accessible, clean and sustainable protein with additional cognitive benefits. Daniel Novak, CEO at Landish Foods, explained that while the company has always been committed to sourcing pure ingredients with minimal environmental footprint, plant proteins can face texture and taste challenges when used in beverages like coffee and matcha. He added: “Our new line of Fermy products supports our customers’ health-first lifestyles by providing a functional, protein-dense beverage that’s superior in flavour and texture, while also being sustainably produced”. Lance Lively, VP of growth at Every, said: “Our collaboration with Landish is a game-changer for protein lovers nationwide. Fermy’s ready-to-mix powders seamlessly integrate into coffee and other beverages, making it easier than ever for busy consumers to meet their protein goals without disrupting their morning routines.” #Every #Landish #US

Balchem to launch cold water-soluble oat-based creamer

Ingredients specialist Balchem is set to launch a new cold water-soluble oat-based creamer at the IFT First 2024 event in Chicago next month. VitalBlend Oat 2540 will be unveiled for the very first time at the show, taking place from 14-17 July. Described by the company as a ‘first-of-its-kind’ creamer, it is designed to offer a smooth texture and creamy mouthfeel, suitable for a variety of applications. IFT First attendees will be invited to sample the new creamer in Frappuccino concepts, as well as a range of Balchem’s existing beverage system solutions that aim to balance ‘superior’ sensory profiles with added nutritional benefits. Ria Dake, senior business director at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health, said: “People are leading increasingly busy lives while also taking a more proactive approach to their health, driving demand for convenient and nutritious products. But creating foods and beverages that tick all the boxes is easier said than done.” “With our expertise and cutting-edge technology, we support our customers every step of the way – from ideation through commercialisation. As a complete ingredient system supplier, we’re able to meet specific development needs with maximum flexibility, collaborating with our clients to craft tailored solutions while ensuring a reliable supply chain.” #Balchem #US