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Planterra Foods opens larger factory to increase production of its plant-based meats Planterra Foods yesterday announced the opening of a brand new manufacturing facility in Denver, Colorado. Planterra, which is owned by global meat processor JBS, launched its first plant-based meat brand, OZO, in 2020. OZO offers a full range of Non-GMO, pea protein-based burgers, sausages, and meatballs, as well as upcoming chicken cutlets and shreds, to be released in early 2022.  The new 189,000 sq. ft. plant will greatly expand Planterra’s production capacity, allowing the brand to reach new customers and retailers, and provide valuable employment opportunities to the local community. Between corporate operations and manufacturing positions, it will create about 200 new jobs.  As a subsidiary of JBS, the world’s largest meat company, Planterra represents but one aspect of JBS’ animal-free meat aspirations. The corporate giant also recently heavily invested in cultivated meat production, acquiring Spanish startup BioTech Foods, and allocated $100 million for a cultivated meat research center in Brazil. It has stated it intends to bring cultivated protein to the European market by 2024. For its part, Planterra says its mission is to bring “reliable, affordable” access to plant-based food t0 everyone in the world, and the Denver factory represents a confident new step toward that goal.  Darren Macken, CEO of Planterra Foods commented: “This is a huge milestone for Planterra Foods, and a dream come true to be manufacturing our OZO™ products here in our hometown of Denver. We knew Colorado was the perfect place ...

British high-street bakery chain Greggs has announced it will be giving away free Vegan Festive Bakes throughout the month of December. A total of 50,000 Festive Bakes — both vegan and non-vegan — will be given away to customers who download the free Greggs app. This giveaway is in addition to the existing offer of a free hot drink for each download. Drinks from the festive menu, including Mint Mocha, Mint Hot Chocolate, and Salted Caramel Latte, are included. Greggs’ Vegan Festive Bakes are a new launch, containing Quorn mycoprotein pieces, sage and onion stuffing balls, vegan bacon crumb, and sage and cranberry sauce. The filling is wrapped in the chain’s signature puff pastry. Once customers have downloaded the Greggs app, they will receive other offers, including a new stamp each time they shop. After they have collected nine stamps, customers’ tenth purchases will be free. Users will also receive a free sweet product on their birthday, as well as the option to use Click and Collect to avoid queues. Vegan options at Greggs For almost eight decades, Greggs offered mostly meat-based options, but things began to change in 2019 when the company launched its vegan sausage roll. The product was a huge success, leading Greggs’ sales to top £1 billion and shares to jump 13%. Following this success, the chain launched more vegan products, including a vegan steak bake, a sausage breakfast roll, and a ham and cheeze baguette. Greggs’ new Vegan Festive Bakes are the latest meat-free option ...

Vegan charity Viva! has launched a crowdfunding campaign to broadcast its first vegan ad on UK television. Funds raised by the campaign will be used to show the impactful advert on Channel 4 and its associated networks in February 2022.  “Most people in the UK despise cruelty to animals, yet simply don’t make the connection between animal cruelty and what is on their plate”     Viva!’s TV message encourages the public to make the connection between animals they love and the animals they eat, with viewers invited to consider the morality of eating said animals. A raise of £40,000 through Crowdfunding, match-funded from a generous donor, in addition to a further grant from Channel 4 will enable the TV advert to reach a potential 16 million viewers.  Click here to display content from YouTube.Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube   Viva! has run successful Crowdfunding campaigns in the past; running the UK’s first vegan cinema advert, as well as raising £30,000 to create the multi-award-winning documentary HOGWOOD: A modern horror story. It also released its ‘End Factory Farming’ film last year, and during the pandemic helped to provide meals for 2,000 people in need and bring attention to the risks associated with animal products.  “Most people in the UK despise cruelty to animals, yet simply don’t make the connection between animal cruelty and what is on their plate. If we can encourage people to think about what they consume, at a time when delicious vegan ...

Green Monday to raise $100 million in funding, believed to be working with Bank of America. As reported by Bloomberg, sources have indicated that plant-based platform Green Monday is seeking to raise a further $100 million in funding. The news comes after the Hong Kong-based company raised a record $70 million last year, led by leading global investment firm TPG and British conglomerate Swire. For the planned raise, Green Monday is reported to be working with Bank of America Corp, but details such as the size and timing of the raise have yet to be confirmed. Representatives from Green Monday and Bank of America have declined to comment. Green Monday in 2021 Earlier this year, Green Monday was named one of China’s 20 most influential startups by Fortune, less than two weeks before it launched a new range of vegan ice creams in Hong Kong. Within the past year, the company has also partnered with 7-Eleven to offer meatless options in over 700 Chinese locations. In January, Green Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with professional services network Ernst & Young, asking employees to eat a plant-based diet one day a week. The MOU is an attempt to reduce E&Y’s carbon emissions, as the company aims to become carbon neutral. “We are delighted to be partnering with global leading institutions and investors who share our vision and are aligned in solving some of the planet’s most imminent challenges like climate change, public health and food crises, not only here ...

Plant-based drug tests currently under development by researchers in Russia may make it possible to drastically cut down on animal testing in medicine. The new nanomedicine testing system is based on plant leaves and their vasculature.  “We want to attract the attention of the scientific community to the problem of irrational usage of laboratory animals” Starting with a spinach leaf, researchers at the SCAMT Institute at ITMO University in St. Petersburg, Russia, developed a model based on the leaf’s vasculature with all cell components removed apart from the cell walls. This cellulose model is then similar in size and shape to the arterioles and capillaries of the human brain, with the plant tissue more durable and stable than that of animals.  Both traditional and nanopharmaceutical treatments will be testable with this plant-based model, and has already been used to simulate and cure thrombosis. Human cells will be used in the cellulose scaffold to make the system even more realistic in future tests. Animal testing in cosmetics is being progressively banned in many countries, but testing for pharmaceuticals is still prevalent, despite often being unnecessary.  “We want to attract the attention of the scientific community to the problem of irrational usage of laboratory animals. Currently, you only have to test a new substance on cell cultures before proceeding with animal trials. I think this is wrong—we need another stage in between these two which would identify flaws and provide room for improvement in drugs, thus saving the lives of many animals. ...

TurtleTree hires cellular bioprocessing expert as Chief Scientific Officer to help strategically execute the company’s innovation plans. Biotech company TurtleTree Labs has hired Dr. Aletta Schnitzler, formerly the R&D Director of Merck KGaA’s Cultured Meat division, as its Chief Scientific Officer. She is described as a “world-class expert in cellular bioprocessing”. Dr. Schnitzler has a PhD in Immunology and Neuroscience from the Boston University School of Medicine. After receiving her PhD, she made breakthroughs such as developing a xeno-free cell culture medium for mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) expansion. She then chose to transition from biopharmaceuticals to cellular agriculture. “Developing life-saving medicines through therapeutic cell manufacturing technologies was immensely gratifying. With cellular agriculture, the aim to better human health with nutritious and diverse alternative protein sources creates the potential to make a broader impact. Being at TurtleTree grants me a vital opportunity to improve our food system and benefit society on a global scale,” Dr. Schnitzler said. TurtleTree has gone from strength to strength in 2021 — just last month, it raised $30 million to scale up the production of cell-based human milk ingredients. This followed on from the opening of the company’s new R&D facility in Sacramento in October. Over the summer, TurtleTree announced it was preparing for the commercial launch of its first product, a cell-based version of the milk protein lactoferrin. The company also announced a strategic partnership with industrial biomanufacturing specialist Solar Biotech, to help TurtleTree scale up the manufacture of its cell-based ingredients. The next steps ...

Meati has appointed former Pillsbury and General Mills exec Scott Tassani to grow the company into a market leader by 2025 Meati announced it has selected Scott Tassani, a CPG industry veteran, to lead the mushroom-based meat company, beginning December 6. Tassani joins the Boulder, Colorado startup, which makes whole cuts of animal-free meat from mushroom roots, as it prepares its first product launch in early 2022. Tassani brings 30 years of experience in the food industry, where he successfully served at The Pillsbury Company and General Mills, including roles as General Mills’ President and Chief Customer Officer. As the new head of Meati, Tassani aims to help it become a market-share leader for animal-free meat over the next three years. “Our goal is to rapidly scale to drive accessibility across the U.S., with plans to achieve a category-leading $1 billion in sales by 2025,” said Tassani. “I am incredibly energized to join the Meati team as we launch the outstanding portfolio of animal-free meat products. Meati products are far superior to any alternative proteins available, making it possible to deliver a superior consumer experience while driving significant sustainability impact, and partner with our customers to profitably lead industry growth.” Tassani will be joining Meati’s powerful team of business advisors and investors, which includes Walter Robb, former CEO of Whole Foods Market; John Foraker, Co-Founder and CEO of Once Upon a Farm; and Rose Marcario, former CEO of Patagonia.  Tyler Huggins, Co-Founder and CEO of Meati Foods commented: “Scott brings ...

Heura Christmas Sandwich pop-up will take place 9-14th December, at 58 Charing Cross Road, London – in an initiative to give away 5,000 sandwiches featuring plant-based turkey and other festive flavours The Heura Christmas Sandwich pop-up will see Europe’s fastest-growing plant-based meat producer – with a growth of 460% in the last year alone – hand out over 5,000 plant-based Christmas sandwiches. Speaking to vegconomist today, the brand, based in Spain but expanding into several markets and making huge gains in the UK, said “We’re working with Made In Hackney, both to help staffing, allow customers to donate, and for every 100 sandwiches we are giving 1kg of product.”   The #HeuraChristmasSandwich brings together festive flavours resembling a traditional Christmas dinner: Rosemary & thyme Heura ‘turkey’ seared in extra virgin olive oil and layered with tangy cranberry infused vegan mayo, herby Parmentier potatoes mixed with Heura ‘sausage’,  topped with crispy onions, shredded red cabbage and a rich mushroom gravy. Bernat Añaños, co-founder of Heura, said: “At Heura, we believe in celebrating family and food traditions, and what better way to protect the things we love most than updating them to be better for the planet, people and animals. So, for this holiday season, we created the Heura Christmas Sandwich pop-up to offer Londoners a more sustainable choice to enjoy one of the most beloved holiday dishes. London is the global stage and we’re going to make a huge sunshine yellow splash!” ...

On December 9-10, Plant Based World Expo North America — the world’s only 100% plant-based trade show —  will return to the Javits Center New York, with twice as many exhibitors than in 2019, featuring product innovations and networking opportunities with some of the biggest names in the plant-based industry. We spoke with Benjamin Davis, VP of Content, who enthuses: “Our world-class lineup of speakers will give you a better understanding of the ever-expanding plant-based industry and knowledge that you can start putting into action right away.” What is the mission and vision of PBW? Plant Based World’s mission is to facilitate the growth of the plant-based industry. PBW connects and empowers businesses within the global supply network to successfully develop, source and distribute plant-based products. PBW is the only 100% plant-based trade event for foodservice and retail professionals, distributors, investors, and manufacturers. We currently have two events: Plant Based World Conference and Expo in New York in December and our yearly London event, which took place in October 2021.  What can attendees expect to find at 2021’s event in New York? Thousands of ground-breaking plant-based products that will blow your mind! In fact, the expo floor is twice the size it was in 2019, with more than 200 exhibitors. In addition to the expo floor and 20 educational sessions, attendees will get to network with a ‘who’s who’ audience of investors, brand developers and other business professionals and experience real-world case studies. We’re expecting about 3,000 attendees this year. ...

Perfect Day discusses the impact of bringing the world’s first non-animal whey protein to US, Hong Kong and Singapore markets. Perfect Day, the trend-setting startup that has raised $750 million to create real dairy without cows, recently launched the world’s first animal-free whey protein powder. Partnering with health and wellness brand Natreve, the two companies have introduced Mooless, a whey protein powder identical to animal-based whey that is produced through precision fermentation of microbes.  “We’re looking forward to continuing to extend our impact as we enter new categories and new markets in the months ahead.” Seeking to enter the multi-billion dollar powdered protein market, Perfect Day’s whey matches animal-based whey in taste, BCAA content, and grams of protein per serving, but is completely lactose-free and produces 97% fewer greenhouse emissions.  Mooless comes in four flavors – Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Fudge, Strawberry Shortcake, and Cookies and Cream – and is set to launch on Natreve’s website in early 2022. Perfect Day’s consumer-facing subsidiary brand, The Urgent Company, is also selling the whey protein as V-Whey under its own brand, The California Performance Co. V-Whey is also available directly to consumers in Hong Kong and Singapore, making it Perfect Day’s first globally scaled ingredient.  We spoke to Ravi Jhala, Perfect Day’s Global Head of Commercial, about the importance of the latest product launch and what lies ahead for the trailblazing startup.    What does this innovation signify for the powdered protein market? The protein powder category is continuing to grow, set to ...