|
|
Image by Upside Foods
|
|
✅ A recent virtual event organised by the AgFood Future Center of Excellence and the Agriculture Food Partnership saw a meeting between China and US regulatory experts to discuss the next steps for cultivated meat.
TAKEAWAY: China says it will focus on safety assessments of cultivated meat this year. “In addition, 2023 plans include setting up expert working groups to ensure innovation, industry development, and food safety move forward together,” said Yan Song, director of Division III Risk Assessment at CFSA.
|
|
|
“This in-depth sharing between the U.S. and China will have far-reaching significance for governments and industries interested in seeing the adoption of food innovation that will help shape food innovation and the future of food
in the U.S., China and the world.”
Ryan Xue, Chairman, Agfood Future
|
|
|
|
|
Image by WTH Foods
|
|
🛒 PRODUCT INNOVATION & LAUNCHES 🛒
|
|
✅ Philippines-based plant-based meat manufacturer WTH Foods has launched Umani, a new range of frozen plant-based products made with wheat, soy, and microalgae, drawing on Filipino culture.
TAKEAWAY: WTH has been working with universities, government agencies, and R&D teams to develop new products and expand its reach. It’s eyeing expansion to Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East over the next few years.
|
|
✅ Spanish plant-based meat brand Hello Plant Foods first announced its vegan foie gras last month, having tested 800 recipes over the course of a year before its launch, and now can’t keep it in stock.
TAKEAWAY: Hello Plant Foods is capitalising on a market gap; only Nestlé’s limited edition vegan foie gras has widespread European placement, but demand is high.
|
|
✅ Lotteria Co. Ltd., the South Korean quick-service restaurant chain with more than 1,300 locations, has added a new version of its Ria Miracle plant-based burger to the menu.
TAKEAWAY: Lotteria received pushback when it launched its first Ria iteration; the burger buns contained milk and eggs and the sauce had beef extract in it. The chain reformulated to meet the growing demand for plant-based options.
|
|
✅ Burger King UK has launched a new Bacon King range with two vegan options for Veganuary: The Vegan Royale Bakon King and The Plant-Based Bakon King (Single or Double).
TAKEAWAY: The new burgers feature vegan bacon from Natalie Portman-backed brand La Vie and dairy-free cheese from Greek company Violife.
|
|
✅ California-based Climax Foods is using biotech and plants to create ‘moonshot’ cheese — a sustainable dairy alternative designed to help fight the climate crisis.
TAKEAWAY: The company has announced plans to launch its artisanal cheese, that it says tastes and performs like conventional cheese, in three US markets: New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
|
|
✅ Israeli startup Vgarden, Ltd. has launched clean-label vegan tuna in tins and pouches, which it says has the same appearance, texture, and flavour as conventional tuna.
TAKEAWAY: The company says it dived into vegan tuna as a growing number of consumers are becoming more concerned about seafood and overfishing, especially wild tuna populations.
|
|
|
|
Image by Impossible Foods
|
|
📈 CONSUMER TRENDS & NEWS HIGHLIGHTS 📈
|
|
✅ Impossible Foods says it saw more than 50% dollar retail sales growth last year, even amid declining category sales, and is now adding Sherene Jagla to the team to fill the role of Chief Demand Officer.
TAKEAWAY: Jagla, who brings more than two decades of experience to the position including serving as SVP and General Manager at Newell Brands, as well leading sales for Kellogg’s and Kimberly-Clark, was named one of the Top Women in Grocery by Progressive Grocer.
|
|
✅ New data from leading food service distributor Sodexo shows 10% of all meals sold through its nearly 500 UK and Ireland sites in 2022 were vegan or vegetarian.
TAKEAWAY: Leading the growth were clients in the health care industries, selling an average of 17% vegan or vegetarian meals. Clients in the East Midlands saw the biggest proportion of plant-based meals at 21%.
|
|
|
|
Image courtesy of Facebook
|
|
⚡ QUICK BITES ⚡
-
The Israel Innovation Authority announced a RFP (request for proposal) to establish new infrastructure for precision fermentation, as part of its national operational plan to “maintain and expand the strength of its developmental ecosystem in the field of alternative proteins”.
-
MycoTechnology announced that its fermented mycelium ingredients, FermentIQ™ MLL and PTP, have been granted Novel Food status by the European Commission.
-
Multiple semi-finalists have regretfully withdrawn from the prestigious XPRIZE ‘Feed the Next Billion’ competition following a rule change enacted mid-way through the process, according to news broken by Elaine Watson at FoodNavigator USA.
-
Data from ResearchandMarkets.com shows that the global Plant-based Meat Market is expected to reach $15 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 15% during the period 2022-2028.
-
Moolec Science, which uses genetically modified plants to produce animal proteins, has begun trading on the Nasdaq, after its merger with LightJump Acquisition Corporation.
-
Hong Kong’s OmniFoods, maker of OmniPork and OmniSeafood, is rolling out its 100% plant-based pork and seafood proteins to more than 500 restaurant outlets across 30 restaurant banners in the UK this Veganuary.
-
Subway in Thailand is launching three new menu items made with First Pride™ plant-based meat ingredients.
-
Violife announces is launching its first dairy-free sour cream into 883 Walmart stores.
-
Swiss plant-based meat brand Planted’s chicken has landed on menus onboard Swiss National Rail trains.
-
Costco is set to sell Beyond Meat’s seared steak tips at select locations.
-
A recent taste test of the Impossible burger conducted among 300 Middletown Public Schools students revealed that 85% enjoyed them so much that they’d like to see them offered daily.
-
The Queen Inn has become the first vegan steakhouse in Wales, after seeing great success during Veganuary 2022 and deciding to make a permanent change.
-
Recent studies on the packaging colour and naming conventions used for sustainable food products show a pervasive ‘halo effect’ of the colour green.
|
|
|
Green Queen's Sonalie Figueiras had a great chat with
Bloomberg News reporter Coco Liu about cultivated meat, and a part of their conversation made it into Liu's piece on the industry. We appreciate the nuance she is bringing to the topic, amidst a slew of very one-sided articles across
mainstream media this past December.
❓ Can vegetarians eat cultivated meat?
💡 Technically, cultivated meat is not vegan or even vegetarian: It’s made from growing cells taken from real animals. But people become vegetarians for different reasons, ranging from concerns over animal rights to fears about the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock. Many vegetarians avoid meat in an effort to keep from exhausting environmental resources. On some of these fronts, cell-based meat might be a viable alternative. “If you believe that taking anything from an animal, including a cell, is exploitative, then you won’t be [eating cultivated meat],” says Sonalie Figueiras, founder of sustainability website Green Queen Media. “But if your focus is more on reducing the overall impact of [animal] suffering, then you would probably eat it.”
Read the rest of the article here.
|
|
|
The KindEarth.Tech (KET) Foundation, Shiok Meats and SciGlo are bringing back the Alternative Protein & Foodtech Show in March 2023, with a host of keynotes, insider roundtables, opportunities to pitch and speed network, and much more.
There are various sponsorship opportunities available now that feature a wide variety of exposure. Get more information here.
|
|
- 🌟 Want to invest in alt protein? Here's your chance! Hooray Foods' plant-based bacon sizzles, tastes, and looks like pork bacon, and its presence is growing fast. Find out more here.
- 🗣️ The Vegan Travel Association has announced the 3rd Annual Vegan Travel Summit, taking place January 22nd-28th. Admission is free, get more details here.
- 🔈 Don't miss the 2023 Plant Futures Symposium, “Paving Plant-Based Pathways: Empowering the Next Generation of Food System Leaders”, taking place January 28th & 29th. Marion Nestle is giving the keynote address, so get your ticket here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The world's food systems are undergoing a revolution- we've got close to 8 billion people to feed and alternative protein may just be the answer. From cellular agriculture to plant-based food tech to precision fermentation, we need to reform our global food production. The Green Queen Alt Protein Weekly newsletter is here to highlight the latest news, trends and insights for all members of the future food ecosystem.
Today's edition was brought to you by Nicola and Brinc, a venture capital and accelerator firm that empowers game changers to help solve some of the world's biggest challenges. |
|
|
|
|
