ADM will soon begin processing ultra-high protein (UHP) soybeans from farm tech company Benson Hill with the first commercialized products expected to hit the market in early 2023.
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...
Plant-based yogurt brand, Lavva, has been acquired by Brooklyn-based venture firm Next in Natural and has appointed a new CEO, Jeff Lichtenstein, to help the brand keep up with consumer demand and produce additional innovation.
A lawsuit* recently filed by former co-packer Don Lee Farms accusing Beyond Meat of “grossly” overstating the protein in its products is motivated by “personal vendetta" and should be seen as a “transparent attempt to gain leverage” on the eve of...
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.
Sustainability “is probably on slide two or three of every customer presentation now,” notes Ingredion, but how can consumers cut through the PR noise to make meaningful comparisons between brands? Checkout our final gallery of trends at IFT FIRST exploring...
Beyond Meat – which has just posted another grim set of quarterly figures driving its share price down to new lows – is gearing up for a showdown with former co-packer Don Lee Farms at a court in Los Angeles with a trial date scheduled for September 26.
Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown faced another grilling from analysts on the firm’s Q2 earnings call Thursday after posting a $97.1m net loss on net sales of $147m, lowering guidance for the full year from $560-$620m to $470m-$520m, and cutting 4% of its global...
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.
Revol Greens, the largest greenhouse lettuce grower in North America, is growing from 30 to nearly 50 acres of indoor farming space with the opening of a new facility in Texas and plans to double operations at its three other existing facilities to eventually...
Despite being a nutrient powerhouse with more fiber and protein per serving than quinoa and nearly twice the amount of iron as a 3-ounce sirloin steak, sorghum hasn’t quite crossed into mainstream territory with most consumers. But that could soon change,...
Oatly posted a $72m net loss on net revenues up 21.8% to $178m in the second quarter of 2022, slightly under analysts’ expectations, with gross profit margins of 15.8%, a figure CEO Toni Petersson insisted would rise over time as the Malmö-based oatmilk...
Despite the difficult economic reset underway in the capital markets and lingering supply chain challenges, rising inflation and the growing threat of a recession, investors are still interested in the food and beverage space, according to one investment...
Fungi-fueled startup firm MyForest Foods (formerly Atlast Food Co) has started commissioning ‘Swersey Silos,’ a new production facility in Green Island, New York, which will start churning out meaningful quantities of mycelium-based meat by the end of...
Recent applications work has demonstrated that Merit Functional Foods’ Peazazz pea protein isolate – in combination with an enzyme called transglutaminase - can replace methylcellulose, a binding and gelling ingredient widely used in meat alternatives...
As consumer interest in ‘plant-based’ products has grown in recent years, so too have products proudly proclaiming their status as such – but what does the term actually mean, and how influential is it really?
Dollar sales of refrigerated liquid plant-based creams and creamers were up +25.8% year-on-year to $527.4m in measured US retail channels* in the year to July 10, 2022, while unit sales were up +16.1%, led by strong growth in blends and ‘other’ (which...
When it comes to plant-based milks for kids, the options are few and far between, say Alex and Lauren Abelin, founders of Kiki Milk, which is made with organic oats, hemp seeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, coconut, and other “whole food ingredients.”
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.
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...
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.
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...
US retail sales of plant-based milk rose +6.4% to $2.299bn in measured channels* in the year to June 12, 2022, driven by double-digit growth in oat milk and pea milk, according to new data shared with FoodNavigator-USA from SPINS.
Canada-based Merit Functional Foods says it has overcome one of the biggest hurdles facing plant-based protein in ready-to-drink protein beverages: sediment and grittiness.
So-called ‘alternative proteins’ – from upcycled barley and canola protein to animal-free whey made in fermentation tanks using genetically engineered microbes – were a hot topic at IFT First in Chicago. But with US retail sales of some meat alternatives...
Boulder-based Meati Foods – which is seeking to differentiate itself in the increasingly crowded meat-alternative space with a fungi-based platform capable of producing ‘steaks’ and other whole cuts – has raised $150m in a Series C round led by Revolution...
Kroger-owned meal kit company Home Chef is expanding its southeast footprint with a new dedicated 181,000-square-foot production facility in Georgia to support its growing customer base.
Fiber may be best known for improving regularity and most commonly associated with older consumers, but the multifunctional ingredient is getting a makeover thanks to a slew of new products touting its other benefits and targeting shoppers across generations...
“The NASA food system used on the International Space Station is more than adequate,” delegates at IFT First were told in a packed education session last Tuesday. “But a mission to Mars won't allow the resupplying of food and the crew won't...
Baby and toddler food brand Yumi is making its retail debut at Target stores nationwide with a new line of products addressing a market void for nutritious toddler-focused snacks.
In the battle against food waste, most industry players are only addressing part of the problem, claims Aidan Mouat, CEO and co-founder of Chicago-based Hazel Technologies, who says through the company's proprietary shelf-life extension technology,...
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.
As Belgian startup Paleo ups the ante in the meat alternatives space with a suite of meaty-tasting heme proteins from multiple animal species it aims to commercialize in 2023, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with CEO Hermes Sanctorum to talk mammoth myoglobin,...
San Leandro based SCi-Fi Foods – which believes it has “a pretty clear shot at being the first company to bring cultivated beef to the market in the US” – claims to have scored an industry first by developing bovine cell lines that can grow in single-cell...
Benson Hill is seeing surging demand for its non-GMO ultra-high protein soy flour, which is now in full-scale commercialization mode thanks to a new industrial facility and partnerships with major food manufacturers including Kellogg.
After being demonized as high-carb and maligned with foggy grain-brains and gluten sensitivities, pasta consumption, which had been flat and declining for years pre-COVID, bounced back during the pandemic with unprecedented growth as consumers looked...
PepsiCo has made progress in a number of areas of its business around regenerative agriculture and nutrition targets under its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) plan, the company's ESG program launched last year.
As consumers’ love affair with oat milk continues to drive high double-digit, year-over-year sales food scientists are exploring how they can further enhance the beverage’s most beloved attributes, including its health benefits, sustainability and shelf...
Backed by a $100m investment from Anheuser-Busch InBev, upcycling startup EverGrain is entering into large scale production of its barley protein with a new 130,000-square-foot facility in St Louis capable of churning out 7,000 tons of protein isolate...
The next generation of brands, ingredient suppliers and processors are placing sustainability at the center of how they do business and making it easier for their partners to do the same as illustrated by the companies showcasing in the Startup Pavilion...
Animal-free dairy startup Remilk has teamed up with Israeli Coca-Cola bottler CBC Group - which also owns leading dairy processor Tara Dairy - to develop a line of drinks, cheeses, and yogurts featuring 'animal-free' dairy proteins for the Israeli...
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.
Two years after launching at the height of the pandemic, Mavericks Cookies has established a strong foothold in the under-served better-for-you kids snacking category with new distribution at 1,250 Target stores and a streamlined portfolio focused exclusively...
Conagra Brands has opened a new 245,000-square-foot 'state-of-the-art' vegetable and rice processing facility to support its growing frozen foods business and national Birds Eye brand.
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,...
Blue Stripes has recently unleashed a broad line of cacao-based products made from underutilized and wasted parts of the cacao fruit to Whole Foods stores nationwide and will be launching its star product -- cacao water -- next month, which founder Oded...
Plant-based ingredient supplier Roquette is launching two new gluten-free rice proteins to tap into new market opportunities in the areas of special diet foods, sports nutrition, and snacks.
With a recent $300m capital injection, indoor farming company Little Leaf Farms is emerging as a front-runner of the US CEA (controlled environment agriculture)-grown leafy greens retail market with profitable unit economics and doubled production capacity,...
Startup Lus Oasis is joining the race to develop and scale whole cut plant-based meat – the holy grail of the alternative protein segment – with the creation of Alchemeat, which uses a patented high-moisture extrusion process to recreate the “firm and...
From new takes on ranch to elevated ketchup and mustard products, Whole Foods Market's Trends Council revealed which condiments will be appearing on more picnic and barbecue plates this summer.
