Fats & oils

Animal-free dairy: New Culture attracts new funding; Change Foods eyes up Abu Dhabi for new plant: 'There is a massive commercial manufacturing capacity bottleneck in the industry'

04-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

Two US-based precision fermentation startups making real dairy ingredients using microbes instead of cows have announced significant developments as they gear up to launch next year in the emerging ‘animal-free dairy’ category.

‘A golden color, slow melting curve and high smoke point…’New plant-based oil on the block from pongamia trees to hit market by mid-2023 as Terviva teams up with Ciranda

25-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Terviva – a California-based firm commercializing ingredients from low-input, high-yielding pongamia trees – has teamed up with food ingredient supplier Ciranda to launch the first commercial supplies of ‘Ponova’ oil by mid-2023.

Plant-based cheese by numbers: Small declines in dollars and units overall, but big variations within category

24-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

SPINS data shared with FoodNavigator-USA ahead of our Futureproofing the Food System virtual summit (Nov 15-17) shows a mixed picture for US retail sales of plant-based cheese, with overall dollar sales down -2.3% to $218.94m and unit sales down -3.6%...

What’s the future of meat? Join Beyond Meat, Air Protein, Meati Foods, Orbillion Bio and the GFI at Futureproofing the Food System

21-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative behind reducing our reliance on animal agriculture seems fairly compelling: The planet can’t sustain it. But with less engaged consumers dipping in and then out of the meat alternatives category as budgets tighten, and a subsegment...

‘A quantum leap in taste and experience of alternative protein products…’ Nourish Ingredients raises $28.6m to commercialize designer animal-free fats in 2023

19-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Nourish Ingredients – one of a new breed of startups deploying synthetic biology to program microbes to produce more animal-like fats - has raised $28.6m in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures and supported by Main Sequence Ventures and Hostplus...

More hikes imminent: EU’s deforestation stance set to cause food price rises – policy experts

11-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

The EU’s recent approval of its controversial deforestation regulation is expected to drive up the cost of palm oil and other affected commodities, and thus food and beverage prices, amid ongoing inflationary pressures that have already affected a majority...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From food as medicine to sustainable packaging – trendspotting at Expo East

10-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Natural Products Expo East may not be as big as its West Coast counterpart, but the 18,500 registered attendees and more than 1,200 exhibitors who convened in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual conference were just as enthusiastic and the...

SlimFast unveils new packaging, ads, intermittent fasting line, to ‘position the brand for a return to growth in 2023’

05-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

As the brand name suggests, none too subtly, SlimFast is a brand you tend to think of when you want to lose weight, fast. But in a food culture where ‘wellness’ is in, ‘dieting’ is out, and even the word ‘slimming’ can make you sound like an ‘80s throwback,...

'The global emulsifier market is at capacity...' Kerry develops acacia-based alternative to sunflower lecithin

29-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Kerry has introduced Puremul, an acacia-based emulsifying ingredient that serves as an alternative to sunflower lecithin and mono- and diglycerides, responding to ongoing global sunflower supply challenges and manufacturers' need for a viable replacement.

What is ‘healthy’? FDA proposes new definition as added sugar, not fat, becomes nutritional bogeyman

28-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The FDA has issued a proposed rule updating the criteria for the ‘healthy’ nutrient content claim on food labels that for the first time restricts the amount of added sugar firms can include in products bearing the claim.

Dewey's Bakery takes its thin crispy cookies nationwide tapping into permissible indulgence trend

23-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After years of a slow build, Dewey's Bakery is entering national retail accounts where it can reach consumers in search of permissibly indulgent snacks with its line of thin crispy cookies that deliver on taste without breaking the caloric bank.

SPECIAL REPORT: Bioengineered food labeling: ‘They kind of shot in the middle and missed every constituency’

23-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Advocates arguing for greater transparency about the use of GMOs in food scored a minor victory this month after a district court told USDA to re-work the digital disclosure portions of the bioengineered food labeling law, which came into effect in January....

NEWS IN BRIEF

Bunge sells oilseed processing plant in Russia

19-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Bunge has agreed to sell its oilseed processing business in Russia to Karen Vanetsyan, the controlling shareholder of Exoil Group.

Study finds link between ultra-processed foods and mental health

29-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A study exploring the connection between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and reported adverse mental health symptoms found that participants who had a diet high in UPF were more likely to report instances of 'mentally unhealthy' and...

Impossible Foods tweaks formulation, slashes saturated fat: ‘The category has done a lousy job of explaining itself,' says CEO

26-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

While weakening retail sales and grim quarterly earnings from some publicly listed players have prompted intense debate about the future of meat alternatives, the “crisis of confidence” this has prompted has overshadowed the fact that amid all this noise,...

Aleph Farms CEO: ‘It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat’

22-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

“It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat,” says the CEO of Israeli cell-cultured (a.k.a. ‘cultivated’) meat co Aleph Farms. “The addressable market is larger for cultivated meat than for plant-based because the products...

Food as medicine continues to gain traction and inspire innovation post-pandemic

18-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The acute health threat of COVID-19 may be ebbing for most Americans, but the desire it instilled in many to bolster their physical and mental wellbeing continues to push consumers to seek food as medicine, according to industry insiders.

Prices for key food commodities remain high even as overall wholesale costs dip

12-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

In another sign that inflation may be peaking, wholesale prices fell month-over-month for the first time in July since April 2020, but commodities remain significantly higher than last year, suggesting it may be well into next year before food manufacturers...

IFT FIRST

Plant-based pain points: Solutions for cleaner labels, improved moisture retention and a better bite

11-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers become more familiar with plant-based alternatives to animal products they are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate their options and less willing to compromise on nutrition, taste, texture and variety – pushing industry to find...

Paragon Pure unveils OléPBM vegan fat targeting plant-based meat applications

09-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh off closing a $3.9m seed funding round* led by Unovis Asset Management, Paragon Pure is debuting its OléPBM alternative fat technology made from rice bran oil, which it claims outperforms palm and coconut oils in plant-based meat products.

New CEO at Motif FoodWorks after recent round of layoffs

04-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Boston-based food tech firm Motif FoodWorks has promoted its CTO Dr Michael Leonard to the role of CEO, effective immediately, as current CEO Jonathan McIntyre moves to an advisory role in the company.

Trendspotting at IFT First 2022: From upcycled foods to plant-based meat and dairy innovation

27-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The IFT First 2022 show floor was abundant with companies touting their upcycled ingredients and other exhibitors highlighting plant-based meat and dairy innovation. Take a look at some of the trends highlighted at the show this year.

‘Cooking oil made by fermentation…’ Zero Acre Farms unveils 'cultured oil' boasting high smoke point and ‘clean, neutral taste’

26-Jul-2022 By Elaine Watson

Bay area startup Zero Acre Farms - which is deploying microbial fermentation to produce oils and fats it claims can outperform rivals in the nutrition and sustainability stakes – has launched direct to consumer with a ‘cultured’ cooking oil boasting a...

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.

IFT First

Spoonshot: ‘The need for seafood alternatives has become absolutely vital’

26-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Two incompatible trends – increasing interest in seafood and climate change – are opening the door for the alternative seafood market, but for this emerging segment to reach its full potential, stakeholders must better align their go-to ingredients with...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: ‘We’ve gone past the optional phase’ -- sustainability is mandatory

18-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As noted in the opening session of the IFT FIRST conference in Chicago last week, the food that brought us together during the pandemic and which fuels us everyday is in a crisis as climate change intensifies – pushing companies to weave sustainability...

IFT FIRST: Mintel highlights need for fat innovation in plant-based foods

15-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While still a growing $7.4bn industry, plant-based foods have some significant hurdles to overcome around formulation especially in the area of fat content, according to Mintel.

High-protein edible crop variety developed that ‘thrives’ on fallow land

14-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

In Switzerland, a seed variety has been developed that appears to do it all: the edible Jatropha curcas seed produces vegetable oil and protein, captures CO2 from the atmosphere, and thrives on previously unproductive fallow land.

Why Unilever is introducing ‘mini’ coconut trees to safeguard supply

14-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Unilever has introduced a project that it hopes will improve livelihoods and safety in the Indonesian coconut sector, while also securing future supplies of this versatile palm fruit. The European consumer goods giant is helping to introduce a specially...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Sundial Foods leverages edible films, layers & novel processing to create more realistic plant-based meat

11-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While homogenous plant-based patties, nuggets and sausages abound, few currently available meat alternatives recreate the multi-layered experience of biting though skin to release a juicy burst of flavor that is reinforced by a marbling of fat or the...

Layoffs at Motif FoodWorks: ‘We’re pivoting our focus to key priorities that we know will return maximum ROI’

06-Jul-2022 By Elaine Watson

Boston-based foodtech firm Motif FoodWorks – which has raised $345m since spinning off from synthetic biology firm Ginkgo BioWorks in February 2019 – has just engaged in a round of layoffs, FoodNavigator-USA understands.

Nestlé develops ‘healthier’ cheese with research partner NIZO: ‘The fat-reduced cheese is a near-equivalent to full-fat Edam’

29-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

Designed for frozen pizza, the fat-reduced Edam has ‘all the flavour, melting behaviour and shreddability’ of the full-fat version.

‘Eclipse’s ice cream is in a league of its own…’ Sozo Ventures leads $40m series B round at plant-based dairy co Eclipse Foods

28-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

While the meat alternatives category is suffering from some growing pains, investors’ enthusiasm for dairy alternatives continues unabated, with plant-based dairy specialist Eclipse Foods this week announcing a $40m series B round* led by Sozo Ventures,...

Is the party over for meat alternatives? It’s just getting started, says ADM

17-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of frozen meat alternatives were up a solid +10.1% to $76m in May 2022 vs May 2021, with volumes fairly flat at -0.8%; but sales of refrigerated meat alternatives continued their precipitous slide last month, with dollar sales slumping...

Kemin enters hemp-CBD space with Luxiva distillates range

15-Jun-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Iowa-based Kemin is expanding its portfolio to introduce a range of USDA-certified organic, traceable, U.S.-grown hemp CBD distillates for use in health and wellness products.

Animal proteins... made by plants? 'Molecular farming’ co Moolec Science to go public via SPAC

15-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

Moolec Science – which has developed a ‘molecular farming’ platform to produce plants that express animal proteins – is going public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC)* in a deal expected to close later this year.

‘The key problem is logistics, not food production’: Ukraine shares agricultural challenges amid 'Russian aggression'

14-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

Ukraine is producing enough crops, but Russia’s Black Sea blockade is severely limiting how much it can export, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture. Is there a workaround?

Study finds higher DHA cuts Alzheimer’s risk in half in elderly cohort

10-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

A new study has found that higher levels of DHA can lower the overall risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which the authors say could potentially help save billions of dollars in health care costs.

Andreessen Horowitz leads $22m series A at SCiFi Foods: ‘The first [cultivated meat co] we felt truly has the potential to both scale quickly and drastically reduce cost’

08-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

San Leandro CA-based Artemys Foods – which claims it has “a pretty clear shot at being the first company to bring cultivated beef to the market in the US” - has rebranded as SCiFi Foods and raised $22m in a series A round* led by VC firm Andreessen Horowitz....

AAK acquires aquafaba-fueled plant-based 'butter' brand ForA: Butter: 'It can act as a 1:1 replacement for dairy butter'

07-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

AAK Foodservice has acquired ForA:Butter, a plant-based butter using aquafaba – the viscous liquid left over from cooking chickpeas – as an emulsifier to create what it claims is “the only plant-based butter with the performance skilled bakers expect."

Soylent projects sales of $100m in 2022: ‘We're growing by consumption increases versus a discounting and distribution game’

06-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

Soylent is projecting sales of $100m this year on a run rate basis driven by solid double-digit growth and margins holding steady, ensuring it remains cash-flow positive without having to raise prices, despite the challenging inflationary environment,...

ENOUGH and MeaTech3D collaborate the next generation of meat alternatives... ‘Hybrid products with cultured meat’

19-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Plant-based meat analogues are still striving to deliver a genuine ‘meaty’ taste, texture and mouthfeel. Could combining plant proteins with cultured animal fats offer a solution? Food tech innovators ENOUGH and MeaTech3D have launched a collaboration...

Plant-based meat gamechanger? Rebellyous Foods tackles two key hurdles facing the industry: cost, and quality-at-scale

16-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

While even the analysts downgrading Beyond Meat’s stock in the wake of grim Q1 figures believe meat alternatives are “not a fad” (to quote Brian Holland at Cowen), the brand’s slowing sales and elevated costs have prompted some soul-searching about why...

Cacao-free ‘alt choc’ mimics the real thing, with 80% fewer CO2 emissions

11-May-2022 By Flora Southey

UK start-up WNWN Food Labs is launching what it claims to be the ‘world’s first’ cacao-free chocolate. Made from two ‘hero ingredients’ – barley and carob – we ask co-founders Arhum Pak and Dr Johnny Drain what makes their product better than the real...

Synthetic biology and the future of food. In conversation with ‘biology by design’ co Ginkgo Bioworks

09-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

When Ginkgo Bioworks’ head of codebase Dr Patrick Boyle was working on his doctoral research between 2006-12, he was “basically ordering DNA one gene at a time,” he recalls. “I think I ordered less than six total genes for my entire PhD.” Today, the Boston-based...

Smallfood targets alt seafood market with ‘wholefood’ marine organism combining high quality protein, omega-3 EPA+DHA, and seafood flavor

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Halifax-based Smallfood is targeting the alternative seafood market with a novel marine-based whole food ingredient high in protein “with an amino acid profile similar to beef” and meaningful levels of the coveted long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and...

Indonesia bans palm oil exports, should food makers be worried?

28-Apr-2022 By Flora Southey

A shortage of palm oil in Indonesia’s domestic market has prompted a ban on exports. Will food and beverage makers be impacted?

Keto in focus, part six: ‘The second coming’ of keto – low-sugar, high-protein launches bet big on the diet

28-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Undeterred by a drop in Internet searches in North America for ‘keto’ and ‘ketogenic’ that might suggest declining interest in the high-fat, moderate-protein and ultra-low-carb diet, many packaged food manufacturers appear to be doubling down on the claim...

Keto in focus, part five: Nestlé’s Boosted Brew offers uncompromised functional coffee experience

28-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

For many avid followers of the keto diet, compromise – be it in convenience, taste or simply going without – is an unwanted and unavoidable tradeoff for their health goals; but it doesn't have to be, especially first thing in the morning, according...

‘Proudly genetically modified…’ Moolec ‘molecular farming’ co gears up to launch meat proteins from GM crops

25-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Moolec Science – which has developed a ‘molecular farming’ platform to produce plants that express animal proteins – is developing genetically engineered peas and beans containing bovine and porcine proteins that it claims can improve the taste, texture,...