Barcelona-based start-up Cubiq Foods has developed a mechanical process it claims can convert liquid oils from sunflower to olive oil into solid or semi-solid structured fats that can improve juiciness and reduce saturated fat levels in plant-based burgers,...
Mycelium (the filament-like roots of mushrooms) can create edible 3D structures enabling plant-based brands to tap into a major segment of the meat category – whole cuts – that has historically been closed off, says Atlast Food Co, a new company dedicated...
Kroger has teamed up with the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) to trial dedicated three-foot plant-based meat sets within its conventional meat department in 60 stores in Denver and parts of Indiana and Illinois.
Virginia-based Nutriati has commercialized what it claims is the world’s first textured chickpea protein, providing plant-based meat formulators with a Non-GMO protein source that rivals soy, wheat, and peas in the functionality and nutrition stakes,...
The next generation of plant-based burgers looks, cooks, tastes, and smells eerily like the real thing. But how do you deliver an authentically ‘meaty’ taste without animals, and which flavors (beef, chicken, pork, tuna?) are the hardest to emulate?
Getting consumers to try trendy plant-based meat alternatives is a relatively low hurdle compared to encouraging long-term adoption of these products, which requires more convincing on the part of brands, says Nielsen, noting that the sector is "ripe...
Citrus fiber – a byproduct of the juicing process – has properties that make it an appealing alternative to methyl cellulose (in combination with agar, native starch, and psyllium) as a binder in plant-based meat products for brands looking for a more...
The new wave of ‘fresh’ plant-based meats from brands such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods might be grabbing all the headlines, but there is still a “massive opportunity” in the freezer aisle for quick and convenient plant-based products from pizza...
Pea-protein fueled nuggets under the new Raised & Rooted brand will roll out to 4,000 stores by the end of September, with blended burgers combining pea protein isolate and Angus beef to follow, Tyson Foods CEO and president Noel White told analysts...
New consumer research from Health Focus International shows that perceived health benefits and taste preferences are more significant purchase drivers for plant-based foods and beverages than sustainability or animal welfare concerns, echoing recent research...
Insect protein remains frustratingly niche, and cell-cultured meat – while groundbreaking - could be a tough sell. But plant-based meat is something mainstream consumers can understand and embrace, provided products truly deliver on taste and price, argues...
Impossible Foods is gearing up for the September launch of its plant-based burgers into retail after receiving the green light from the FDA to use its star ingredient – soy leghemoglobin – as a color additive. It also announced a co-manufacturing deal...
Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown says he is feeling “very good about our strategy” as some deep-pocketed competitors from Nestlé and Tyson to Impossible Foods enter the retail market with new plant-based meat products, telling analysts on Monday’s Q2 earnings...
Plant-based burger orders are on the rise at quick-service restaurants (QSR), up 10% (228 million orders) for the year ending in May 2019 compared to same period last year, reports The NPD Group.
While ending factory farming and reducing GHG emissions are top priorities for start-ups such as Impossible Foods, most shoppers are primarily motivated by ‘benefits for me’ – be it taste and discovery, or health and wellness, when it comes to plant-based...
A law (Act 501) coming into force in Arkansas on July 24 puts plant-based brands between a rock and a hard place by restricting the use of 'meaty' terms to products derived from slaughtered animals, alleges a new lawsuit filed by Turtle Island...
US retail sales of plant-based meat were up 9.6% to $801.1m in the 52 weeks to April 21, 2019, significantly outpacing growth in conventional meat sales (+2%), although the pace of growth has decelerated from the previous year, when plant-based meat sales...
Hopes of a settlement in a high-profile lawsuit over Missouri’s controversial new law banning ‘meaty’ terms on plant-based and cell-cultured meat are fading, after talks have reached an impasse and the parties are set to move forward with the litigation.
As 86% of Americans are expected to be celebrating the Fourth of July this year, a recent survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that consumers will spend approximately $6.78bn on food items for the holiday with a new emphasis on plant-based...
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and member company Upton’s Naturals have filed a lawsuit in Mississippi challenging a new labeling law that could make using ‘meaty’ terms to describe plant-based and cell-cultured meat subject to criminal penalties....
Consumer interest in grass-fed meat/dairy and plant-based foods, stems from the same desire to find more humane and sustainable alternatives to factory farming, says Maple Hill Creamery CEO Tim Joseph, who was surprised to see Impossible Foods single...
Poultry giant Perdue is dipping its toes into the plant-based trend with a new line of dinosaur-shaped nuggets, rice tenders and panko patties blended with cauliflower, chickpeas and plant proteins hitting the market in September.
As ingredient choices made by ‘next-generation’ plant-based meat brands attract more scrutiny, with some making a virtue of using peas over soy, and others promoting their use of non-GMO soybeans, Impossible Foods has defended its use of GM soy on sustainability...
Nestlé’s new ‘cook from raw’ plant-based Awesome Burger (launching in the fall under the Sweet Earth brand in retail and foodservice) has similar levels of sodium and saturated fat to the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger, but has significantly...
Seattle Food Tech – a start-up seeking to carve a distinct niche in the burgeoning plant-based meat market by targeting schools, hospitals, universities, and the military with plant-based chicken nuggets, patties and tenders – has changed its name to...
Revenues at plant-based meat brand Beyond Meat tripled in Q1 2019 vs Q1 2018, surging 215% to $40.2m, slightly ahead of guidance provided in its IPO filings, primarily driven by growth of the ‘cook from raw’ Beyond Burger in foodservice and retail channels....
California based start-up Before the Butcher – which launched its plant-based burgers, grounds and chunks in the foodservice sector last year - is looking to make a big splash in retail in 2019 as it gears up to launch in three of the nation’s biggest...
Bills to prevent plant-based and/or cell-cultured products from being labeled as ‘meat’ or ‘beef’ have been introduced in 25 US states, and have already passed in states including Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, North...
Ingredient supplier Puris’ Texturized Pea Protein can help manufacturers meet the rising consumer demand for plant-based meat that rivals the mouthfeel and taste of animal-based options, but without compromising clean-label and non-GMO or organic standards.
The bulk of the plant-based eating trend is being driven by consumers who are trying to do their part to help the environment by cutting down their meat intake, as opposed to completely eliminating meat products by following a vegetarian or vegan diet,...
The bulk of Impossible Foods’ $300m series E funding round will go into aggressively scaling up production of its plant-based burgers to meet 'unprecedented' demand, but the company is also working on a suite of other meat products, and has...
Lightlife Foods, a plant-based protein brand owned by Maple Leaf Foods, is rolling out its new burger and ground plant-based meat products in the meat aisle at thousands of retail locations throughout North America including a national Whole Foods launch...
Will plant-based meat go mainstream? It’s early days, but there were some positive signs this morning as Burger King confirmed that trials of the Impossible Burger in St Louis went so well that the chain aims to roll out the plant-based burger nationwide...
Beyond Meat's plant-based Beyond Burgers will be available in the meat case at more than 3,000 retail outlets in Canada including Loblaw, Sobeys, Metro, and Whole Foods Market by the end of May.
In another move signaling the mainstream potential of next generation plant-based meat brands, fast-food taco chain Del Taco will roll out tacos featuring Beyond Meat's pea-protein-based crumbles to all 580 locations starting April 25, following...
Maple Leaf Foods -- parent company of Lightlife and Field Roast brands -- and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods, has announced a $310m plan to build the largest (230,000-square-feet) plant-based protein facility in North America, claims president...
In a move signaling the mainstream potential of next generation plant-based meat brands, Burger King is testing the waters with a limited edition trial of the Impossible Burger in 60 locations in and around St Louis to gauge consumer interest.
Plant-based meat start-up Impossible Foods has issued a voluntary recall of a single lot number of its product after a restaurant in California discovered a “food-safe, sealed, one-inch plastic object in a case of Impossible Burger bulk product.”
While most new plant-based brands debut in the natural channel, the trend is becoming so red hot that Alpha Foods – which has just raised $7m in a round co-led by New Crop Capital and AccelFoods – started by knocking on Walmart’s door… and found it open,...
Since launching exclusively at the Whole Foods Market Pearl Street store in Boulder, Colorado, in late 2017, Beyond Meat's Beyond Sausage has expanded its distribution to over 4,000 grocery stores, restaurants, and sports stadiums across the US....
Triton Algae Innovations - a San Diego-based firm building a production platform for food proteins from algae - says it can produce heme (the red, meaty-tasting star ingredient in the Impossible Burger) without using genetic engineering, generating significant...
'People will start to see plants as filling and delicious, providing protein and satiety...'
High-profile launches notwithstanding (the Impossible Slider is now at White Castle and the Beyond Burger is at TGI Fridays) 45 out of the top 100 restaurant chains in the US still don’t offer a plant-based entrée, according to the Good Food Institute’s...
The latest iteration of the plant-based Impossible Burger matches conventional beef burgers when it comes to ‘likeability’ in blind taste tests, says Impossible Foods, which has replaced textured wheat protein with soy protein concentrate, and made other...
The Beyond Famous Star burger – a 100% plant-based burger supplied by Beyond Meat – will be available in 1,000+ Carl's Jr. locations this month starting at $6.29.
Seattle Food Tech – a start-up seeking to carve a distinct niche in the burgeoning plant-based meat market by targeting schools, hospitals, universities, and the military with plant-based chicken nuggets – has raised $1m and hired a VP of business development.
The notion that plant-based or cell-cultured meat will only ever capture a minority share of the conventional meat market is based on a false premise, says Impossible Foods, which is developing plant-based products seeking to precisely mimic the flavor,...
As long as protein products are safe and shoppers are not being misled, it’s not the role of lawmakers to write new labeling laws favoring one production method over another, says the CEO of plant-based meat brand Tofurky, which is challenging a Missouri...
Better Meat Co to debut plant-based proteins that ‘blend seamlessly into ground meat products’
Sacramento-based start-up The Better Meat Co is targeting institutional food sellers with plant-based proteins that “blend seamlessly into ground meat products” at inclusion rates of up to 30%, to deliver healthier, tastier, and more sustainable sausages,...