Proteins

EAT-Lancet diet: Increased intake of animal source foods recommended by researchers to fill micronutrient gap

31-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research suggests the planetary health diet does not provide enough vitamins and minerals – including iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12 – to nourish the global population due to its low amount of animal source foods.

Extracellular accelerates cultivated meat business, secures $1.2 million in funding

29-Mar-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Extracellular, a UK-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in the cultivated meat space, secured $1.2 million, including $700K in non-dilutive funding according to the company. CEO and founder, Will Milligan spoke with Food Navigator-USA...

Future Food Tech

From fundraising to consumer engagement: Cultivated meat must clear more than regulatory challenges to get to market

27-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even as cellular meat companies continue to clear regulatory, technical and scientific hurdles, the timeline for when their products will launch remains a moving target as emerging challenges – ranging from the banal to black swan events – threaten to...

Meat consumption holds steady as consumers alter amount, type to combat inflation

24-Mar-2023 By Lauren Nardella

Consumers are reacting to higher meat prices by shifting how much and what type they buy, but the share of households purchasing meat or poultry from retailers was virtually unchanged in 2022, according to a new report.

‘Taking the animals out of the equation is a great bonus on top of keeping a solid supply chain’: Molecular farmer doubles down its unique ‘potato-to-protein’ plans

23-Mar-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Molecular farming start-up PoLoPo’s fundraise backs its belief that there is significant demand for ‘animal-free’ egg protein from industry and end consumers, FoodNavigator hears.

Plant-based meat has more to offer: Stakeholders share strategies for success

23-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

It is too soon to give up on the plant-based meat segment, which has seen sales and household penetration slip in the past year, but which is evolving to meet demand for products that are healthier, tastier and more convenient, argued industry stakeholders...

‘We consistently see high demand’: FrieslandCampina quadruples lactoferrin production with new factory

23-Mar-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The Dutch dairy co-op has significantly bolstered its production capacity for lactoferrin with the unveiling of a dedicated manufacturing plant in Veghel, the Netherlands.

Insect-based Hey Planet expands into US, aims to change perception of eating bugs

21-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

Insect-based food company Hey Planet is taking its mission of eating bugs to improve health and the sustainability of the planet to a wider audience with a move into the US market, brand co-founder Jessica Buhl-Nielsen told FoodNavigator-USA.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Precision Fermentation Alliance launches to promote food-tech, drive acceptance, inspire innovation

20-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Precision fermentation is emerging as one of the buzziest technologies in food, and even though it has been used safely for decades without raising eyebrows, new uses and broader awareness are prompting consumer questions that if left unanswered could...

Natural Products Expo West

Inflation slows, doesn’t stop natural & organic sales growth

13-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Rising inflation is taking a toll on natural and organic sales in the US, the growth of which slowed dramatically in 2022 and will likely continue to drop in the coming year before rebounding slightly in 2024, according to data presented at Natural Products...

Danone’s Pepticate hypoallergenic infant formula finally makes US debut

13-Mar-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The product, made by Danone’s specialized nutrition arm Nutricia, was meant to be available from September 2022 according to initial plans.

Expo West Trendspotting: From beverages bursting with boba to munchable mochi and plant-based beyond meat and dairy

13-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Emerging and maturing trends revealed at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week ranged from dips delivering delightful dinners, mochi moving into multiple day parts, plant-based expanding beyond analogues, and beverages brimming with better-for-you...

Softening consumer views of food-tech open door for precision fermentation, new food production methods

10-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

The long-held and loudly voiced disapproval by some of science and technology in food production in favor of “idealized nostalgic narratives” of natural food is beginning to soften – opening the door for broader adoption of food-tech, including precision...

Mosa Meat, Nutreco replace pharma-grade ingredients in cell feed with food-grade alternatives

07-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

Mosa Meat and one of its investors, Nutreco, have replaced 99.2% of the pharma-grade ingredients in basal media with food-grade alternatives.

USDA proposes tighter definition for ‘Made in the USA’ claims on meat, poultry and eggs

06-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Industry stakeholders are lauding an effort by the US Department of Agriculture to close a loophole that currently allows meatpackers and egg producers to label their products as “Made in the USA” even if they were imported, but they also caution the...

Register today for FoodNavigator-USA’s webinar Plant-Based Meat: Beyond The Honeymoon Period

02-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

As dollar and unit sales of frozen and refrigerated plant-based meat at retail continue to slide and grocers cut back on their selections of refrigerated meat alternatives, many stakeholders are wondering if the honeymoon period for the category has ended,...

Aloha, Terviva team to launch plant-based protein bar featuring much-anticipated, ‘ultra-sustainable’ Ponova oil

01-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ahead of schedule and in partnership with like-minded plant-based protein brand Aloha, California-based Terviva’s much-anticipated, “ultra-sustainable” Ponova oil is debuting in its first commercially available food – a limited edition bar that celebrates...

Bioreactors for meat: Ever After Foods ‘overcomes scaling challenge’ for cultivated meat players

01-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

Plurinuva has rebranded as Ever After Foods to launch its patented bioreactor platform for cultivated meat production. The new tech can increase productivity by more than 700%, CEO Eyal Rosenthal tells FoodNavigator.

Aleph Farms seeks to be ‘first halal-certified’ cultivated meat firm as it touts Singapore and Israel steak launch

01-Mar-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Aleph Farms aims to become the world’s first halal-certified cultivated meat producer, as it ramps up production capabilities for the commercial launch of its cultivated steak in Asia this year, while also laying eyes on global expansion.

Remilk pauses plans for ‘world’s largest’ precision fermentation plant, focuses on growth

28-Feb-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The Israeli startup has put on hold the construction of what it described as the world’s largest precision fermentation plant as the company opts to ramp up production at an existing facility.

Happy Viking superfood by Venus Williams packs plant-protein power

23-Feb-2023 By Asia Sherman

The story behind the creation of the Happy Viking superfood nutrition company starts with tennis champion Venus Williams.

Converting food waste to protein… first-time research reveals the benefits and burdens

23-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Transforming food waste using sustainable technologies could produce enough protein to tackle the global food crisis and more, says fresh research.

Starco Brands acquires Soylent as the plant-based brand tees up marketing, innovation acceleration

22-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

Starco Brand’s acquisition of the meal replacement company Soylent announced late Tuesday creates a “1+1=3” situation that can accelerate marketing and innovation to take the cult-favorite plant-base brand to the next growth stage, Soylent CEO Demir Vangelov...

Upcycling food waste to grow ‘highly nutritious’ mycelium protein

21-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Israeli food tech start-up Mush Foods claims it is propelling the “meat-plus” movement to the mainstream of foodservice and food retail.

Dutch ingredient supplier celebrates ‘giant leap’ as food industry’s first representative in space

20-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Rotterdam-based Fooditive is boldly going where no food company has gone before to try and solve current food system challenges and drive system transformation.

Animal and plant-based meat sales fall as consumer concerns about inflation mount

20-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers pulled back on animal-based meat purchases in January after a slight uptick in sales and volume in December, likely related to holiday celebrations at home which for many Americans center around fresh meat, according to data from IRI crunched...

Beyond the ‘obsession’: Are alternative proteins truly the best path to a sustainable food supply?

20-Feb-2023 By Pearly Neo

Creating a sustainable food supply to meet population demands will require more than just a focus on growing the alternative proteins sector despite its current hype, according to industry experts.

Consumers’ ‘taste experience’ falls short for plant-based meats, but there’s room for improvement

17-Feb-2023 By Lauren Nardella

Consumers are demanding that the taste of plant-based meat match or exceed the taste of animal meat, setting a high bar for plant-based meat manufacturers to reach - but those who succeed may have the best chance of capturing the valuable flexitarian...

Dissecting cultivated meat regulation part 2: What’s working in the US and Singapore, and what’s not?

16-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Both the US and Singapore have seen cultivated meat products pass through their regulatory processes, yet the two governments approach novel foods in different ways. Which challenges and opportunities exist within these regulatory frameworks, and what...

'These products will only take a significant portion of the global market when they can compete with conventional meat on taste, price, and convenience': alt protein sector looks for solutions amid mixed investment figures

16-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Alt protein advocates are calling for governments to ‘step up’ to build a ‘more sustainable food system’ after data showed that global investment in sustainable proteins decelerated last year and sales of meat alternatives dipped in some countries.

Egg prices continue to climb at slower pace alongside those for other food consumed at home, propping up food inflation, CPI reveals

14-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Overall US food prices accelerated in January over December after steadily slowing month-over-month between September and December, but the opposite is true for food consumed at home, which cooled in January – continuing a trend that began in December,...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What does plant-based protein need to cross the trough of despair?

13-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Alongside falling sales, volume and units, plant-based meat has slid into the trough of despair, also known as valley of disillusionment or sorrow, and while it is unclear if the category has hit bottom yet, many stakeholders already are looking for a...

Tofurky acquired by Morinaga Nutritional Foods in ‘an expected move’ for plant-based pioneer

11-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

Following in the footsteps of its competitors Field Roast and Lightlife, Tofurky announced its acquisition, along with its sister brand Moocho, by US-based tofu manufacturer Morinaga Nutritional Foods. This deal was “an expected move” for the third largest...

Kellogg saves plant-based business from auction block: “We are the best parent for MorningStar Farms’

10-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Kellogg will keep its iconic plant-based MorningStar Farms brand as part of its global snacking company rather than spin it off as a standalone business or sell it – backtracking on an idea floated by the CPG last summer when it revealed plans to split...

Hooray Foods’ plant-based bacon bucks declines in overall meat alternatives

09-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Against the grim backdrop of tumbling sales, units and volume for fresh and frozen alternative proteins, plant-based bacon is emerging as a bright spot – with sales inching up, thanks in part to innovative production techniques, like those championed...

Dissecting cultivated meat regulation part 1: What’s working in Europe and Israel, and what’s not?

08-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Achieving pre-market authorisation to put cultivated meat on people’s plates is no easy feat. With different geographies handling the regulatory process in their own unique ways, we dissect how it works in the EU and Israel, and ask how these systems...

The researchers brewing lipids to transform waste into food

07-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers say they are using ancient technology to turn agricultural waste into fats. They say the approach could help the sustainable protein industry recreate the flavours of meat and has the potential to replace palm oil or other tropical oils.

Tyson’s iconic chicken segment’s margins tighten in face of ‘unpredictable and sizeable’ market swings

07-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Tyson Foods remains optimistic about rebuilding the competitiveness of its chicken business, which includes its iconic eponymous brand, despite what the CEO called a “hit in the mouth” in the first quarter from weaker-than-expected demand for poultry...

Behind the 'world’s first 100% cultivated pork steak'

03-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

UK scientists have made headlines after claiming to make the world’s first 100% cultivated pork steak.

The EVERY Company investor Anne Hathaway's star power raises consumer awareness, acceptance of ‘animal-free’ protein, precision-fermentation

02-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Actress Anne Hathaway’s investment in food-tech startup The Every Co., announced yesterday, brings more than capital – it also brings star power that the company’s CEO says he hopes will raise consumer awareness – and acceptance – of animal-free proteins...

SimpliiGood, Haifa tie-up will be 'transformative' for sustainable spirulina

01-Feb-2023 By Katy Askew

SimpliiGood by AlgaeCore Technologies is teaming up with international plant nutrition giant Haifa Group to optimize the Israeli food tech innovator’s spirulina supply chain. The partnership shows ‘the maturity and potential of the entire sector’, according...

Euromonitor cracks the lid on canned seafood TikTok craze

30-Jan-2023 By Ryan Daily

What’s old is new … or so the saying goes. And for canned seafood products, they might be the newest/oldest thing on the block, with sales increasing 9.7% to $2.7 billion in 2022, as Euromonitor International senior research analyst Miri Eliyahu recently...

ByHeart to triple its production of infant formula, reinforce supply chain with facility acquisitions

30-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

With this month’s acquisitions of an additional domestic manufacturing facility and an FDA-registered packaging and blending facility, infant formula company ByHeart successfully consolidated its supply chain and significantly boosted its production capacity...

Alt protein brand Meati Foods spreads its roots, opens ‘Mega Ranch’

26-Jan-2023 By Ryan Daily

With the opening of a new facility, dubbed the “Mega Ranch,” fungi-based startup Meati seeks to place its mushroom-root-based, sliced meat product in “tens of thousands of stores” in 2023, company co-founder and CEO, Tyler Huggins, told FoodNavigator-USA

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging demand for positive nutrition must balance functional benefits, taste, sustainability and convenience

23-Jan-2023 By Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging demand for positive nutrition must balance functional benefits, taste, sustainability and convenience

Born out of the pandemic when product availability was unpredictable or limited and when a premium was placed on immunity-boosting, consumers in 2023 increasingly are seeking positive nutrition – both for themselves but also for the planet and workers...

News In Brief

FDA asks experts to review seafood safety for children through health equity lens

23-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Recognizing the cultural significance of seafood varies among different groups of Americans, FDA has asked an expert panel to consider health equity and environmental justice issues in their review of children’s exposure to toxins from seafood.

Cultivated meat in focus at Tufts cellular ag innovation day: From bioreactor bottlenecks to a ‘global battle cry’ for government funding

20-Jan-2023 By Elaine Watson

It’s becoming increasingly clear that early projections about the speed with which cultivated meat might gain market share now seem pretty optimistic. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and significant progress is being made to build the ecosystem needed...

‘Test and learn…’ General Mills expands access to Bold Cultr animal-free dairy cream cheese

20-Jan-2023 By Elaine Watson

Bold Cultr from General Mills – an ‘animal-free’ dairy cream cheese featuring whey protein made by microbes, not cows – is rolling out to more stores in the Minneapolis area later this month and will be available nationwide direct to consumer from early...

AI-powered startup The Live Green Co – a tech ‘enabler’ for broader food industry - unveils precision fermentation division

16-Jan-2023 By Elaine Watson

The Live Green Co – a startup deploying an artificial intelligence platform called 'Charaka' to mine databases of plants in search of replacements for animal-based ingredients, synthetic, or highly-processed ingredients from BHA to methylcellulose...

Egg prices surge even as inflation slows across the board, including for groceries

13-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

While economists and investors celebrate a slowdown in overall inflation in the US, including for food at home, the price of some grocery staples continues to rise – most notably that for eggs, which increased a staggering 11.1% in December over November,...