vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

The family-owned Berief Food GmbH is a pioneer for plant-based products on the German market, with over 35 years of experience in the production of plant-based foods. Just recently, the company added two new oat drink variants to its range. We spoke to Bernd Eßer, Managing Director of Berief Food GmbH as well as board member of BALPro (Verband für Alternative Proteinquellen), the  German Association for Alternative Protein Sources, about the company’s 2021 in review and thoughts looking ahead to 2022. What were the highlights of 2021? We in Berief Food were able to follow our successful path of recent years again in 2021. For this, we thank all our staff and partners that make this possible on a daily basis. Berief is also growing in 2021. With 370 employees Berief reached a new maximum and the company still has many interesting positions to fill, now and in the future. In 2021 Berief further developed the site in Beckum and prepared it for the needs of the next few years. Here the central focus is on digitalisation of the processes. This path will also be consistently followed in the next few years. With the first Organic demeter ghurt products, a new milestone has been reached with the Berief brand. The brand itself is continuing to expand unabated in the Drinks and Tofu categories, in some cases significantly faster in sales and turnover than the market. And the subject of sustainability can enliven Berief Food GmbH more and more and has ...

Future Food Tech invites startups to submit solutions that improve the texture and functionality of plant-based cheese or natural ingredients for use in foods that support immunity, energy and sleep. Applications are now open until January 31 at this link. Oliver Katz, Conference Producer at Future Food-Tech says “We’re delighted to be working with Danone North America and Givaudan to launch these Innovation Challenges to highlight and scale solutions to some of the most fundamental challenges facing food producers. “The Innovation Challenges provide start-ups with the opportunity to collaborate with corporate leaders and access top-level support, expertise and facilities to scale their solutions. We can’t wait to hear from a diverse range of ambitious start-ups on how they plan to address these two major challenges.” DANONE NORTH AMERICA CHALLENGE: Technologies to Improve the Texture and Melting Properties of Plant-Based Cheese Danone North America is growing its plant-based cheese category, and one of the main challenges is delivering the texture and melting properties associated with traditional dairy. Its innovation and R&D team is looking for technologies that deliver more functionality to cheese alternatives, replicating its stretch and melting properties. Danone North America is interested in shredded or sliced cheeses such as mozzarella or cheddar, rather than artisan cheeses. It is seeking technologies that are both ready to be applied in the short term, like plant-based extrusion, as well as microbial fermentation and cell-culturing that’ll likely be implemented in the medium to longer-term. Applicants should, at a minimum, have proof of principle ...

According to a new survey, one in eight employees would support the idea of a meat-free office. With Veganuary less than a month away, companies are being encouraged to make plant-based food and drink more accessible to their staff. The report highlights the need for companies to cater for vegan diets or risk losing the next generations of Gen Z talent.  The survey, conducted by RAMONA’S, asked employees in the UK about their eating habits during work hours, revealing that some 12% of UK companies have stopped offering healthy food choices, despite rising interest in veganism, especially amongst younger generations. Over a quarter (26%) of under-35s would like their company to provide improved vegan options at work, with the survey further revealing that an average of two employees in every UK small business is regularly skipping lunch due to lack of options. What employees want from their companies in 2022 One in eight employees would support their company in becoming ‘meat-free’. For employees under 25 years of age, this figure rises to one in four. UK companies are not being inclusive enough for those with alternative dietary choices — 40% of employees want their company to provide more vegetarian or vegan food options.  A quarter of employees want businesses to encourage people to eat away from their desks. A further 25% want their companies to support taking full lunch breaks to place greater importance on healthy eating in the workplace. Two in five employees would like their company to offer ...

With 2021 drawing to a close and 2022 full of promise, vegconomist is checking in with some of the biggest names in the plant-based world to find out their thoughts on the last year and their plans for the next. First up, we had the pleasure to talk with David Yeung, founder of Green Monday Holdings and OmniFoods, who has enjoyed yet another year of growth and expansion. The maker of OmniPork has just announced a partnership with a number of new restaurant outlets and local nonprofits to help raise awareness for food insecurity during Veganuary, including Rethink Food, Spotless Burgers, Plantega in New York City, and Support + Feed, a non-profit founded by Maggie Baird – mother of artists Billie Eilish and Finneas. What were the highlights of 2021? We had a few highlights this past year including the launch of OmniSeafood; our entry into the US through Whole Foods Markets, Sprouts Farmers Market and a number of restaurants; launch into the UK at Sainsbury’s as well as into Australia through Woolworths; the new openings of Green Common in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore; and last but not least an array of strategic partnerships with McDonald’s, Starbucks, IKEA, 7-Eleven, Café de Coral and many other brands across multiple regions.    “With 73% of global seafood consumption happening in Asia, overfishing is causing utter devastation” Which milestones can your company reflect upon throughout the last year? While all milestones are worth reflecting upon as they couldn’t possibly happen without a ...

Here we take a look at some significant news — including a unique plant milk launch and a Series A of $5 million — taking place this week in India, where the alt-meat market is now worth $171 million with a CAGR of 8.5% expected through to 2025. A new report by Kerry finds there is huge potential in the market for plant-based foods in India; since a third of Indians are vegetarian and 70% of the remaining two-thirds regularly consume plant proteins, the country is an ideal market for alt-meat products. Research shows that 41% of the population currently consume six or more types of plant protein, while 63% say they would be very likely to purchase plant-based meat on a regular basis. Alt Food’s unique plant milk arrives on market As demand rises, launches of plant-based foods in India have skyrocketed. Brand new Indian startup alt foods this week launched a unique milk alternative made from sprouted sorghum, sprouted finger millets, amaranth, and oats. The milk is available in Original and Chocolate flavours. Earlier this year, alt foods became the first alt-dairy startup in Asia to make it onto the ProVeg Incubator accelerator program. The brand plans to launch more flavours in early 2022. “With exponential interest in plant-based diets, which is increasingly becoming evidence-driven, we are witnessing a huge shift in consumption where people have started to reject animal sources of food for plant-based sources instead,” said Co-founder Sweta Khandelwal. It has been somewhat challenging for alt-milk ...

South Korean company CellMEAT‘s new product, a cell culture medium without foetal bovine serum, will help reduce the production costs of cultured meat and circumvent ethical concerns within the cultured meat industry. CellMEAT recently announced a pre-series A funding round of $4.5 million.  CellMEAT was selected as a participant in the Tech Incubator programme for startups in 2019. Recognised for its technical developments that could lead to more sustainable cultured meat production, it was nominated to participate in a collaborative research project investigating muscle stem cells for this area in 2021. Now the company has developed an FBS-free cell culture medium that could revolutionise production. Cell culture medium without fetal bovine serum The newly available cell culture medium without fetal bovine serum is the result of research and development efforts following its successful Pre-Series A funding round earlier this year. There were plans to use the investment to explore potential cost reduction initiatives. Cell-based protein enhancement was also mentioned. The new medium was developed by recombining the content of amino acids, vitamins, carbonates and inorganic salts based on the nutritional preferences of individual cell lines. “The development of CSF-A1, a serum-free cell culture medium exclusively for CellMEAT’s cultured meat, is very encouraging. The importance of our serum-free cell culture method exclusively for cultured meat is different from simply using it to maintain cell viability. Our research shows that CellMEAT grows cells faster (about 250 per cent) when compared to current commercially available serum-free culture medium or traditional cell culture medium ...

Sustainable social commerce platform abillion raises $10 million to fuel product development and the creation of a new peer-to-peer marketplace. Singapore-based sustainability platform abillion has raised $10 million in its Series A funding round. Investors included Mamoru Taniya, the Chairman of SDG Impact Japan, and Timo Recker, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Next Gen Foods. “abillion has been an integral part of our go-to-market strategy, helping us gain traction with restaurant partners and consumers. We look forward to continuing our partnership with abillion as we enter into new markets such as the US,” said Recker. The total amount of funding abillion has raised now stands at $17 million, following a $3 million Pre-Series A round last year. The platform says it will use the funding to expand its product development and engineering and design capabilities. There are also plans to build a peer-to-peer marketplace within the app, allowing users to become sustainability entrepreneurs. “A significant milestone” In an interview with vegconomist earlier this year, abillion founder Vikas Garg revealed that 65% of the platform’s users are omnivores or flexitarians. This is significant because abillion’s goal is to help users change their habits, rather than catering to those who already lead a sustainable, plant-based lifestyle. But according to Garg, there is still much more to do. “We have a long road ahead in achieving our target of one billion people committed to plant-based living and a more sustainable planet. Completing our Series A is a significant milestone and we’re excited to ...

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Plant Based Protein Supplements Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Raw Material (Soy, Hemp), By Product, By Distribution Channel, By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 – 2028” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The global plant based protein supplements market size is expected to reach USD 10.32 billion by 2028 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 8.6% from 2020 to 2028. Growing demand for personalized nutrition, inclination towards a vegan diet, and rising interest in plant-based nutrition are key factors fueling market growth. The soy protein raw material segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020. Pea protein is expected to witness considerable growth over the forecast period. The growth is attributed to increasing customer inclination towards gluten-free ingredients in the supplements, coupled with the presence of necessary amino acids in pea. The ongoing snackification trend combined with the preference for a high protein diet is anticipated to boost demand for protein bars during the forecast period. A large number of players including Quest Nutrition and Glanbia plc are offering protein bars in a variety of flavors through various mass retail channels, which, in turn, is propelling the market growth. The sports nutrition application segment dominated the market in 2020 owing to the growing demand for these supplements to improve performance and stamina and promote weight management and lean muscle growth. An increasing number of gym and fitness enthusiasts across countries globally is further expected to fuel the market ...

Brandplant – the plant-based Benelux distributor – has expanded its portfolio with the addition of UK vegan brand HiP Chocolate. Created by James Cadbury, the great-great-great-grandson of John Cadbury, HiP produces oat-based milk chocolate from a slave-free supply chain. Netherlands-based Brandplant is continuing to expand its distribution portfolio, adding HiP to its current range of brands which includes VFC, Vantastic Foods, PLAYin CHOC, and two of its own brands, Pianta and Upside.   Brandplant also recently received investment from UK’s Veg Capital and Sweden’s Kale United, to accelerate the availability of vegan products in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Veganism and plant-based diets are on the rise in the countries, with the city of Amsterdam even laying out plans to encourage its citizens to be 50% plant-based by 2030.  HiP, which stands for Happiness in Plants, currently has four oat-based milk chocolate flavours: Smooth & Creamy, Cookies NO Cream, Salted Caramel and Salty Pretzel, all featuring 100% plastic-free packaging.     ...

Sustainable fashion manufacturer Veshin has launched a pineapple leather range featuring products such as pillows, handbags, placemats, and wallets. The range is called the Piñatex Performance Collection and is produced in collaboration with sustainable textiles brand Ananas Anam. All products are vegan, durable, as soft as conventional leather, and free of all the chemicals on the Cradle2Cradle list of banned substances. They are also manufactured using closed-loop production, with residual leaf biomass used as a natural fertilizer and biofuel. Plant-based leather alternatives are widely used to make products such as handbags, but Veshin says it has identified home decor as the next big market for these materials. “The fashion and home decor industries have to change” Veshin was founded in June, as an antidote to the unsustainability and poor treatment of workers that are notorious in the fast fashion industry. The manufacturer uses materials such as hemp, organic cotton, Tencel, regenerated nylon, recycled polyester, and cork to make ethical fashion and homeware items. “Ultimately, the fashion and home decor industries have to change. This new innovation serves as a great example of how these industries can make changes without compromising on quality,” said Veshin Factory Founder Joey Pringle. “Pineapple pillows are here to stay! I’m looking forward to seeing these products make waves across the world alongside Ananas Asam – we’re proud to support them.” ...