vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Geltor announces a partnership with beauty and wellness entrepreneur and author Sally Olivia Kim for the launch of a line of vegan DTC biodesigned CPG products, as the demand for vegan beauty products continues to rise globally. The partnership follows a longstanding relationship between Geltor and the collagen expert, influencer, and founder-CEO of the Crushed Tonic brand, who joined the biodesign company as Entrepreneur-in-Residence in October. The author of The Collagen Glow states: “I had been searching high and low for a truly vegan collagen option – there are so many products out there that claim to be vegan, but animal protein inherently cannot be vegan, of course.” “So when I discovered Geltor’s technology in fermenting proteins to create this beautifully effective and sustainable real animal-free collagen, I knew that there was something incredibly special here.” Kim’s experience with collagen has led to partnerships with giants like Sephora, Anthropologie, KITH, Equinox, Equinox Hotels, Earthbar, Erewhon, and Jetblue in less than three years. An undisclosed amount is being deployed to support the incubation of the new enterprise. “There is no one better than Sally – who comes well-versed in the value that proteins like collagen are already bringing to industries like beauty and personal care and food and nutrition – to help tell Geltor’s story of how biodesign is changing the game,” said Geltor CEO and co-founder Alex Lorestani. “The collaboration is a natural fit and we can’t wait to unveil this first product we’re launching together.” ...

The popularity of dairy drinks has stimulated appetite for non-dairy beverages as consumers in Asia explore healthier, sustainable dairy alternatives, says Jie Ying Lee, Senior Strategic Marketing Manager for Radicle plant-based solutions, Kerry Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa Dairy and dairy alternative boom in Asia Kerry’s 2021 global consumer research shows that immune and digestive health, as well as bone and joint support are the top three reasons for buying healthy lifestyle products in this region. According to the research, consumers ranked both dairy and alternative dairy food and beverage products as excellent sources of digestive, immune, and joint health benefits—specifically, spoonable yogurt and dairy and dairy alternative drinks. In 2020, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) made up 50% of the global dairy beverages retail volume sales, according to a Euromonitor report, with Asia set to lead global dairy market sales, especially in new dairy beverage product launches. In tandem with consumers enjoying dairy comes rising interest in dairy alternatives, particularly among those who are lactose intolerant, a condition that affects 85% of the APMEA population. Couple that with more people adopting a flexitarian diet and exploring plant-based foods, it is no surprise that consumers in Asia are increasingly turning to lactose-free dairy beverages that can be easily introduced into their diets. Besides the perception of plant-based being better tolerated by the body, more than half of global consumers associate plant-based milk with being nutritious. Case in point: product launches with plant protein claims are up by ...

Juicy Marbles announces a $4.5M raise to bring its plant-based filet mignon to market. The funding marks the first investment made by new climate tech investor World Fund, who led the round after launching a €350m fund last week. World Fund has been initiated by the tree-planting search engine Ecosia, and is the brainchild of Ecosia’s founders, Christian Kroll and Tim Schumacher, and Ecosia’s head of investments, Danijel Visevic, who comments: “There has been a seismic shift in recent years towards plant-based alternatives, driven by a generation who want to make a real difference to the planet and their health. However, so often they’re met with poor substitutes, or they resist going fully plant-based because they’re not ready to give up on little luxuries, like whole cut meats. “The team at Juicy Marbles acutely understands this. Their realistic and considered approach, combined with their technology – and appetites! – has seen them finally crack a major piece of the plant-based puzzle,” he adds. Juicy Marbles Co-founders Tilen Travnik, Luka Sincek and Maj Hrovat, recent Y Combinator Cohorts, are working on the development of a line of raw, plant-based steaks, beginning with the filet mignon, which they describe as “by far the most tender piece of plant meat you can get. The marbling is lush and evenly distributed, ensuring a bold, rich flavor experience with deeply perturbing aromas. The crust develops quickly, letting the center stay velvety and supple.” “Price parity at launch” Travnik, also CEO of the company, states today: ...

Taiwanese silicone product manufacturer General Silicones has released its latest vegan product; Silicone Velvet Leather. The soft faux leather material is made for consumer electronics like headsets, AR/VR glasses, and gloves for a vegan-friendly experience in the metaverse.  Designed for consumer electronics that often get exposed to the wearer’s skin, General Silicones’ new VL301 Silicone Velvet leather is made primarily from natural silica, which does not break down into smaller particles as plastics do nor does it release toxic fumes. Electronic manufacturers currently rely on PU-based faux leather, which can create allergic reactions for some users during prolonged use. Silicone however is well-known for its non-allergenic properties and is preferred for baby products.  In addition, PU leather commonly used in consumer electronics can degrade with sweat and humidity while silicone is an inert material that neither reacts to oils nor cleaning products. Devices like headsets are often discarded due to damage to the device’s leather, rather than faulty electronics, therefore manufacturers can prevent the creation of unnecessary electronic waste by extending product life with silicone leather. All the vegan leathers of General Silicones are manufactured using silicone, the raw material extracted from silica – the main component of sand. The company claims the material is highly durable with a low carbon footprint, as well as recyclable, and harmless to humans. The alt leather sector is seeing rapid growth as manufacturers move away from animal products, with Volvo recently revealing plans to make all new cars leather-free and BMW opting for ...

A new project by Protein Industries Canada is set to advance and develop the use of fermentation processing technology in the west of the country. The project is a collaboration between The Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre (Food Centre), the University of Saskatchewan, the Global Agri-Food Advancement Partnership (GAAP) and Ag-West Bio. It aims to use fermentation processing to produce sustainable food products and increase the number of job opportunities in Canada. The initiative will be based at the Food Centre, and will feature a skills development and training program alongside the research. Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, said the project would “increase capacity to utilize fermentation technology, commercialize opportunities, and create higher-paying jobs”. Other projects In June of this year, Protein Industries Canada co-invested in a project that aimed to use some of Canada’s most widely grown crops to develop new plant-based foods and ingredients. Plant-based companies Merit Functional Foods, TWC Nutrition, Daiya Foods and Grand River Foods were also part of the partnership. Last year, Protein Industries Canada also invested in the development of high-protein pea varieties, and formed another partnership to develop new uses for pulse flours. “In order to advance our sector and reach $25 billion in sales by 2035, we need to both invest in collaborative R&D projects and build capacity within the ecosystem,” said Protein Industries Canada CEO Bill Greuel. “This project is a great example of how working collaboratively across the ecosystem can support the growth of the ...

Arturo Elizondo, CEO of The Every Company, and Elysabeth Alfano, host of The Plantbased Business Hour, discuss the disruption happening in the egg market and the desperate need for a shift to eggs without the chickens…in our lifetime! Did you know? It can take 2000 liters of water for 12 eggs. A hen will lay 24-42 a year in nature and 278 eggs a year in factory farms. Don’t let the cage-free, certified humane and free-roaming slogans fool you. It is an abysmal, reproductive slavery, painful life…nothing humane about it. Chickens can recognize up to 100 animal and human faces? Here is a short clip from their long-form interview with an accompanying transcript. Podcast here. Elysabeth: Arturo thanks for being with me.  How many companies that you’re dealing with right now realize or admit or compute the negative impacts that these industries have? Arturo Elizondo: I mean I think at the end of the day they all get that using animals is not ideal. I wouldn’t say maybe that the environmental or ethical dilemmas are the key drivers. I think ultimately companies want to make money and they want to exist. They don’t want to disappear and consumers are really changing, right? And I can’t underscore this enough, that the power of the consumer is incredible. In the last five years, one huge tailwind for us as a B to B business has been that almost every major company that’s headquartered in North America has publicly committed to going cage-free ...

Nepra Foods is a plant-based company from Colorado, making allergen-friendly alt-protein products and snacks from hemp. Following a successful IPO in Canada this September, the company has just entered the US securities market. Nepra’s IPO on the Canadian Securities Exchange was oversubscribed, raising $7.5 million at an offering price of $0.47 CAD. At the same time, the company was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Now, just two months later, the company has entered the OTC Pink Market in the US under the trading symbol NPRFF. The listing will give Nepra access to a broader range of investors and increase the convenience of trading within the US. About Nepra Foods Nepra produces a range of plant-based, allergen-free ingredients, used by large brands which are stocked at major supermarket chains like Walmart, Costco, Target, and Safeway. The company is also rolling out a range of consumer products, including high-protein ready meals, vegan cream cheese, and alt-meats. Most recently, Nepra has launched a proprietary ingredient that it describes as “game-changing” — textured hemp protein, or THP. Conventional TVP is usually made with soy, wheat, or pea proteins, but as these are common allergens, they are not accessible to everyone. Benefits of hemp Hemp, on the other hand, is allergen-free and has an excellent nutritional profile. It is high in protein and fibre, contains all the essential amino acids, and has an optimal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. It is also non-GMO and has a neutral flavour that makes it ideal ...

Canadian plant-based producer Wholly Veggie is debuting new products made from upcycled cauliflower. Developed with sustainable food tech innovator Outcast Foods, Wholly Veggie’s new Plant-based Mozzarella and Jalapeno Cheddar Sticks feature the brand’s patented upcycled cauliflower crust and will be rolling out in Sprouts Farmers Market across Canada. “Collaborations such as this one represent the future of the food industry” Founded to democratize access to healthy foods made from plants, Wholly Veggie teamed up with Outcast Foods to create the new products – the company taking misfit, unsellable, or cast-off produce and turning it into clean, sustainable, nutrient-dense food for wholesale, retail, and consumer use. These upcycling processes help divert food waste into value-added products.  Following the success of Wholly Veggie’s Cauliflower Wings, its new Mozzarella and Cheddar sticks are frozen products, featuring new to market plant-based cheeses that offer great stretch according to the company. Wholly Veggie recently increased its US presence through expansion into 1,200 Target locations, as well a national rollout with Whole Foods and now Sprouts. The brand is now distributed in over 5,000 stores across North America, with plans to double its retail footprint through continued US expansion in 2022.  Two great brands coming together to create impact “This is a terrific example of two great brands coming together to create impact while giving consumers the delicious, plant-based products they are seeking out,” commented Johnathan Bonnell, Co-Founder, Wholly Veggie. “We see this as just the beginning of integrating upcycled Outcast ingredients into products that we ...

Future Farm, the fast-growing Brazilian plant meat producer, reports that despite being available in the UK for less than a year, it has been awarded The Grocer’s Best Vegan & Plant Burger category for its 2030 Future Burger, beating well-known brands such as Richmond and Chicago Town. The 2030 Future Burger is made from soy, pea, and chickpea proteins, and is said to be able to emulate rare, medium, and well-done cooking points. Future Farm says it aims to convince customers to switch away from meat by making its products as similar to animal protein as possible. Future Farm has been increasingly successful worldwide over the past year, recently raising a huge $58 million in its Series C round. Following the round, the company announced it was planning to expand into alt-dairy. In October, Future Farm expanded into the US by launching at three online retailers — Vejii, GTFO It’s Vegan, and Hungry Harvest. A few months previously, the company had hired a former head of Red Bull as its US CEO to spearhead the expansion.  “This is the future of meat-free burgers,” said the judges at the New Product Awards, describing the 2030 Burger. “A fantastic delivery of a non-meat burger with a great texture and flavour. This product is offered in standout packaging which would help give it appeal on the supermarket shelf.” ...

Miyoko’s Creamery, the pioneering alt-dairy brand known for its popular butter, is officially launching The Vegan Butter Channel. From yesterday November 23rd, the YouTube channel will stream acclaimed chefs showcasing how Miyoko’s plant-based butter melts, browns, bakes and spreads exactly like traditional animal butter.  Timed to coincide with the start of the holiday baking and cooking season, the show follows a high-profile court victory for Miyoko‘s over its use of the words “butter” and “dairy” on its product packaging. In August, a California court ruled in Miyoko’s favor, handing her a landmark win and setting a major precedent for a plant-based company’s right to use dairy terminology that is familiar to consumers. Bolstered by the victory, Miyoko’s has since closed $52 million in Series C funding to accelerate innovation and distribution, and recently launched a first-to-market liquid vegan mozzarella. Its flagship product, however, remains its best-selling butter, and founder and CEO Miyoko Schinner hopes The Vegan Butter Channel will convince more consumers how delicious plant-based can be. The Vegan Butter Channel has three planned series: Making It Butter & Vegan – Featuring renowned chefs Roy Elam, John Liu, Nicole Rucker, Tara Punzone, Richard Chang and many more creating butter-centric vegan dishes. The Vegan Butter Academy  – A teaching series for home chefs on fundamental and expert techniques for cooking with butter. Phenomenally Vegan – A conversational show featuring Miyoko Schinner cooking with favorite guests.  The first episode kicks off with Nicole Rucker, head pastry chef and owner of Fat & ...