The global supplier Bell Flavors & Fragrances showcased its latest flavor innovations at the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) annual event, IFT FIRST, highlighting how its SPARK trend design platform identifies upcoming preferences.
A solid data foundation is crucial to leveraging AI to address alternative-protein market challenges, including raw material shortages and developing on-trend products faster, CEO of AI-based recipe company Proxy Foods Panos Kostopoulos shared at the...
The American Egg Board revealed the winners of its annual Product Development Competition, as the organization shared how farmers are responding to supply chain challenges brought on by avian flu at IFT FIRST in Chicago last week.
While most Americans are willing to swap meat for plant-based products and have done so at least once – only a quarter have done so repeatedly, according to industry research – begging the question: Why are more consumers not coming back?
Smoked fish producer Acme adds tuna and snack kits to its portfolio – expanding beyond its presence as a “specialist on salmon,” Teresa Low, CMO, Acme, told FoodNavigator-USA during the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City last month
Quorn is the latest to delve into the controversial ‘hybrid meat’ category, which gives consumers products that are neither fully meat nor fully meat free. But why now?
The protein transition is often viewed as the path to a sustainable food system. How can circularity complement it in reducing emissions and land use in food?
Regulatory approval for cultivated meat products is rigorous but possible – as seen with GOOD Meat and UPSIDE Foods – and FDA is streamlining the regulatory pathway for cultivated meat and encourages companies seeking approval to engage with it “early...
The Startup Pavilion at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual Food Improved by Research Science and Technology (IFT FIRST) conference in Chicago this month will feature 100 food and tech businesses ranging from pre-seed to growth stage featuring...
Netherlands-based foodtech company revyve debuts at IFT FIRST an egg-white replacement made from upcycled brewer’s yeast for use in plant-based meat that it says delivers similar texture and binding properties as conventional poultry eggs without additional...
Despite a shared commitment to domestic aquaculture, non-profit North Star Caviar carves a unique niche with its focus on sustainable paddlefish caviar, contrasting with Marky's sturgeon farm’s dedication to producing the US's only beluga and...
Combining plant and animal proteins into hybrid and blended products can diversify diets which “may have a positive environmental impact on our food ecosystem,” Dina Fernandez, global science & tech director, alternative proteins, ADM, told FoodNavigator-USA.
For the cultured meat industry to deliver on its promise of feeding a growing population in a way that is healthy for people and the planet, it needs stable cell lines with desirable characteristics for commercial production, which is where the startup...
With aquaculture now accounting for more of the world’s fish than wild caught, it is no longer a niche production method. How does it really stack up on sustainability?
Innovative startup Hydrosome Labs is leveraging ultra-fine bubbles to overcome significant roadblocks to the development of alternative proteins via precision fermentation, including capacity constraints, by dramatically increasing yield from the same...
50/50 Foods' Both Burgers with a 50/50 beef and veggie blend target flexitarians who love meat but want more plants, while also addressing water scarcity caused by traditional agriculture, according to CEO Drew Arentowicz at the Future Food Tech...
Consumers seeking clean labels historically have given a pass to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, even though they have long lists of unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce ingredients, but that may be changing as the category’s health halo dims...
While cultivated seafood has made significant progress over the last six years, experts at the Future Food Tech conference last week emphasized the importance of mitigating supply chain barriers by identifying key markets for better nutritional access...
Alt-protein startups have unlocked the potential to create a range of novel meat products — from cell-cultivated mammoth meatballs to tiger meat — with the help of biotech processes. However, companies should think carefully when developing products too...
An end may be in sight for the capital crunch that has slowed innovation, growth and M&A activity in the food and beverage space in recent years, according to one investment insider, but she warns the timeline is longer for closing deals and the bar...
The US beef market remains resilient in Q2 with high prices and consumer demand, as global production is expected to decline in the coming quarters and the industry struggles to implement environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting changes, Lance...
Canadian-based vegan seafood brand Seed to Surf is debuting its tinned fish product at more than 150 US Whole Foods Markets after completing the retailer’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP), and is teeing innovation in the soup category, company...
USDA is working through a backlog of much-needed updates to labels for meat and poultry, and anticipates publishing this year or early next several proposed rules, including for uncured and cultivated products, according to an agency official.
Land-based premium trout producer Riverence Provision touts its responsible farming practices to stand out among the competition in grocery stores, where it launched a selection of frozen fish and dips after pandemic-related challenges disrupted its food...
Biomanufacturing technology provider Prolific Machines raised $55 million in Series B1 funding, which will go to support the commercialization of its light-based biotech platform, company Co-founder and CEO Deniz Kent told FoodNavigator-USA.
The fishing industry has come under increasing criticism for its unsustainable practices. So how is the industry addressing this issue and is it enough?
The alternative-protein market might have an opportunity to kickstart market growth with innovative products that cater to more meal occasions, including breakfast, and by meeting the demands of flexitarian consumers, Fazeela Abdul Rashid, partner at...
Kraft Heinz will continue to innovate and actively promote its Oscar Mayer brand, which has a “role to play in the scale of the company,” CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera told investors last week when asked about rumors that the company could divest the iconic...
Colour plays a key role in how consumers see products. Should plant-based companies use red to evoke flavour, or green to evoke sustainability, with their offerings?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) landed approval to launch its long-awaited Human Foods Program, which unifies its food safety and policy oversight into one organization, marking the agency's most significant restructuring in recent history.
Today's niche diets, social media blips and internet search spikes could be tomorrow's must-have functional ingredients, breakout snacks or new kitchen staples -- the trick is spotting them early and knowing whether they represent long-term...
Nearly two-thirds of Americans are willing to swap meat for plant-based alternatives, and more than half have tried an alternative protein – but of those that have tried, nearly a quarter have not done so a second time, according to research cited by...
Cultivate meat bans and production restrictions proposed and passed at the state level are “a reflection [of states’] political climate rather than specifically about the industry or its potential,” Daphna Heffetz, co-founder and CEO, Wanda Fish told...
Four startups pitching next month at Future Food Tech Alternative Proteins Summit in Chicago, along with entrepreneurs from many more emerging businesses showcasing in the event’s Startup Pavilion, are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing plant-based,...
With more than 40 meat snack brands exhibiting during the Sweets & Snacks Expo, the protein-packed and portable food category is surging in popularity due to its alignment with consumers seeking convenient, satiating snacks to replace meals on-the-go.
Recent survey data from Purdue University that found one-third of Americans are unwilling to try cultivated chicken or cow prepared in a restaurant underscores the extent of the category’s "consumer acceptance problem,” despite efforts by industry...
More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and...
This week, food tech venture capital (VC) firm PeakBridge closed its Growth Fund II after raising $187m – surpassing its target — and invested in meat, dairy, and cocoa alternatives as part of its second fund, Nadav Berger, the company’s founder and managing...
Plant-based comfort food brand Blackbird Foods launched a crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine to grow its business, including a bigger push into school lunch programs, company CEO Emanuel Storch told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview....
Sales of plant-based products dipped slightly in 2023 from the prior year as prices rose to offset inflation at a faster rate than their animal counterparts in some – but not all – categories, according to new data from the Plant Based Foods Association....
Given the complexity of alternative-protein manufacturing, many biotech companies are exploring how to reduce costs with AI technologies, process improvements and novel uses for waste streams from other industries, Lever VC shared in a recent report.
The FoodNavigator-USA team is heading to Chicago next month to Future Food-Tech’s Alternative Proteins summit, where we will help lead discussions around overcoming obstacles facing plant-based and cultivated meat and seafood and help identify areas of...
Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats merge to accelerate the development of sustainable seafood solutions to “provide consumers with mercury-free, nutritious and culturally relevant seafood alternatives, thereby contributing to the regeneration of marine ecosystems,”...
Finalizing FDA’s massive reorganization to create a unified Human Foods Program under one leader is the “number one” priority ahead of the November presidential election, which could impact the agency’s focus if a new administration wins office, agency...
Choppy!, an alternative meat brand that combines textured plant protein with animal byproducts like collagen, beef tallow and bone broth, provides consumers with "the sensory experience of meat" in its hybrid product with the long-term goal...
With its vertically integrated supply chain, family-owned North Coast Seafoods connects directly with its fishing partners around the world while providing transparent communications around seafood sourcing to consumers, as Christian L'Heureux,...
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After a challenging few years in which falling sales and units dragged plant-based protein into the trough of disillusionment, stakeholders are finding ways up the other side of the Gartner Hype Cycle by leveraging emerging technologies, novel ingredients...
Alt-protein companies scaling their fermentation processes beyond the lab face numerous challenges that require them to think through production processes, raw ingredients, and the design of a manufacturing facility to create a commercially viable product....
