vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

The #1 almondmilk in the U.S. announces a new, rich and creamy variety to hit shelves January 2022 SACRAMENTO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Blue Diamond, the world’s leading almond marketer and processor, expands its selection of Almond Breeze products with the launch of Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk. Available beginning January 2022, Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk is a deliciously new almondmilk with the same creamy texture as whole dairy milk. Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk uses almond oil made from quality California grown Blue Diamond almonds to give the product an extra creamy texture. “We are the pioneers in almondmilk. At Blue Diamond, our team is always determined to innovate new and delicious products for those looking to add plant-based alternatives into their lifestyle,” said Maya Erwin, Vice President of Innovation and R&D at Blue Diamond. “The debut of Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk gives consumers the same texture and consistency they want from dairy milk, but with the almondmilk they know and love from Almond Breeze.” Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk’s use of almond oil for a creamier texture is a solve to a barrier that many consumers face. Many people find plant-based milks to be too thin compared to dairy and opt for alternative products in the plant-based milk category. “Many consumers looking for a creamy, non-dairy option may turn to plant milks like oat milk, but often find that the tradeoff is a grainy texture and starchy taste,” said Bonnie Taub-Dix, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist. “With fewer carbs than ...

Plant-based meal delivery service Plant Infusion announces it will now deliver its ready meals throughout the UK, just four months after its initial successful launch in Crawley, Horsham, and Brighton. Founded in July this year, Plant Infusion is a DTC family firm providing plant-based, Indian-fused ready meals. Customers can choose to build their meal plan from a diverse menu or select from signature offerings for 2 – 8 people. Plant Infusion’s General Manager, Sarah James, credits the startup’s rapid growth to its unique approach to vegan ready meals; the meals are preservative-free and delivered chilled – never frozen – in order to preserve taste and nutrients. Regarding the company’s approach to vegan meals, Sarah said: “Our dishes are inspired by recipes that are thousands of years old and are primarily based on soaked organic legumes/pulses. Our modern-day recipes infuse Indian flavours into Chinese, English and Italian cuisines. These dishes do not taste like meat and yet are incredibly tasty. We want our customers to eat healthy without compromising great flavour.” The meals have been developed by Head Chef Ushi Nayee, who has over 30 years’ experience of Indian and Indian Fused meals with influences from UK, India, South Africa, and Zambia. Ushi comments: “We cook our food with love and devotion to nourish not only the body but also the mind and the soul. In every bite of a Plant Infusion dish, we provide you with much more than just food.” For more information subscribe and follow https://pressat.co.uk/ ...

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Algae Protein Market by Type and Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2028” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. Spirulina a single cell organism and a type of blue green algae, which is a rich source of vitamin, protein, mineral, and carotenoids. Chlorella is a single-celled, green freshwater algae. Over 30 different species of chlorella have been found across the globe, however, Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella pyrenoidosa are the most commonly found species. These algae proteins are available in capsules, tablets, powders, and extract form. Algae are sources of high-value products such as proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, sterols, polyphenols, and pigments in addition to carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, polysaccharides, and minerals such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iodine. Spirulina, one of the major algae proteins have protein content in the range 51-71%. While, chlorella have a protein content of 50-60%. However, majorly adopted protein source such as peanuts, egg, soy, fish, and lentils have protein content in the range 5-35%. Spirulina and chlorella have significantly high protein content as compared to its counterparts thus making them viable options for protein supplements. Rise in awareness of heart diseases on account of unhealthy diet patterns and inactive lifestyle is expected to promote consumption of dietary supplements, resulting in growth of the algae protein market. Furthermore, changes in consumer preference toward healthy and nutritious products has forced manufactures to innovate and produce algae supplements, which propels growth of the algae protein market. COVID-19 has ...

Plant-based brand LikeMeat, a LIVEKINDLY Collective brand, is launching Like Chick’n Wings in the US. Consumers can find the product in the freezer aisle at Sprouts locations across the US starting November 22nd.  The new alt chicken offering provides a tender and juicy vegan alternative according to the brand, which crackles when it cooks and arrives just in time for football season. Featuring 11 grams of plant protein per serving, the vegan wings are non-GMO and are packaged with Buffalo sauce for easy preparation. LIVEKINDLY Collective acquired the LikeMeat brand in September 2020, with LikeMeat products hitting shelves in US stores soon after. LIVEKINDLY Collective has acquired several plant-based brands into its portfolio and recently added The Dutch Weed Burger and two flagship brands in China.  The Like Chick’n Wings come available in a 29oz Family Pack size with an SRP of $16.99. ...

Beyond Meat’s stock dropped 19% in premarket trading this Thursday after the company reported a loss in its third-quarter financial results. Higher costs ate into profits while revenue fell short of analysts’ estimates. “We believe we are steadily executing against our vision of being tomorrow’s global protein company” – Ethan Brown The alt meat giant also disappointed investors with its revenue outlook for the fourth quarter, with revenue down 13.9% compared with a year ago, owing to weaker grocery demand. The company has been investing significantly in new product development of late, including its alt chicken offering and a host of new potential markets. “Our third quarter results reflect variability as we saw a decline from record net revenues just a quarter ago. Despite current disruptions, we remain focused on rapidly advancing key building blocks of long-term growth. Whether scaling products and infrastructure for our strategic quick serve restaurant partners, bringing new product to retail markets, or investing in innovation, commercialization, and production capabilities here in the U.S., EU, and China, we believe we are steadily executing against our vision of being tomorrow’s global protein company,” commented Beyond Meat President and CEO Ethan Brown.    ...

Japanese biotech company Spiber has raised JPY 5 billion ($43.86 million) via a value securitisation structure arranged by Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. The raise follows on from a third-party allocation of new shares which was announced in September. Together, the two initiatives have raised a total of $565 million in funding. Spiber uses precision fermentation to produce polymers that can be used to make animal-free spider silk, wool, cashmere, leather, fur, and other materials. While many vegan fabrics are criticised for their reliance on plastics, Spiber’s products are free of crude oil and entirely biodegradable. Mass production In September, Spiber announced that some of the new funding would go towards opening a mass production facility in Iowa, USA. It will be the company’s second international facility, after it opened one in Thailand earlier this year. While the Thai factory can manufacture hundreds of tonnes of polymer in a year, the Iowa location will be able to produce thousands. Products made with Spiber’s materials are already on the market — for example, the company has partnered with sportswear brand Goldwin to launch a sweater containing vegan spider silk. But the next challenge will be to produce the materials on a wider scale. “One of the biggest turning points in our company’s history” “We are now standing at one of the biggest turning points in our company’s history,” Spiber’s Representative Director Kazuhide Sekiyama told The Worldfolio. “Up until now, we have primarily focused on making progress with R&D initiatives and emphasising ...

Creating plant-based meats that are crafted by a team of world-renowned chefs with a focus on health, Hungry Planet has been riding the alt protein wave of late and has enjoyed rapid growth. The St. Louis-based startup recently closed an oversubscribed $25 million Series A funding round and is currently expanding production and accelerating growth across multiple channels, both domestically and internationally. Vegconomist had the opportunity to speak with Jody Boyman, Co-Founder and Chief Purpose Officer at Hungry Planet, to find out more about one of the most exciting startups in alt meat. How was Hungry Planet born and why did you pick this brand name? Hungry Planet began as a passion project. We wanted to do something meaningful to solve two of the world’s most pressing problems: the health of humankind and the health of our planet. About a decade ago, my sibling Todd and I decided to build a platform for positive change, one where people could eat their way to a healthier planet. From the beginning, we approached the opportunity differently. We’d already been eating plant-based for decades, but we knew that in order to transform our food system, we had to create delectable plant-based meats that would primarily appeal to dedicated meat-eaters and flexitarians. We set out on a mission to craft a wide range of proteins to feed our growing human family, prevent environmental destruction, avert global pandemics, and reduce animal suffering. Crucially, they had to be a simple switch for conventional meat, while also ...

After the successful opening of its first UK store in London, the colorful plant-based burger concept Flower Burger is opening a second location in Brighton. Flower Power boasts highly instagrammable rainbow burgers made of all-natural, vegan ingredients. The Italian plant-based brand opened its Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia location in Spring 2021, joining 20 international outlets, including Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles, Marseille, and Milan. Guests can enjoy a playful space filled with kaleidoscopic graphics at the new Brighton restaurant, based on North Street and opening this November.   Flower Burger has garnered fans across the world with its vibrant vegan burgers, using natural colours like turmeric, spirulina, cherry, and black carrot to create its made-in-house buns, complete with burger patties of seitan and lentils, as well as plant-based sides and desserts. “We love that the Brightonians prioritise all the same values that we do, from inclusivity to sustainability. From day one, it has been our mission to create an inviting international brand that motivates customers to eat plant-based. We want people to relax and have fun in our restaurant, offering great-tasting and unique products that we produce ourselves,” commented Matteo Toto, Flower Burger Founder & CEO.   ...

World’s first targeted exposure to vegan companies with accelerating sales provided by Beyond Investing, the vegan investing pioneers, via its Swiss-listed Vegan World Index Certificate. Supermarket shelves in the current climate are bursting with plant-based food in every aisle. Fast food outlets, high street cafes, and chain restaurants are all consistently introducing vegan options. But how to direct your investments towards the animal-free economy?  Surely if all these companies are launching products and increasing sales, it must be possible to invest in them and profit from their growth? Whilst a few of these companies might be found in a conventional investment fund, they’ll sit next to meat and dairy producers, whose profits are under threat from changing consumer preferences. That’s why Beyond Investing, which made history in 2019 by launching the world’s first vegan-friendly and climate-conscious Exchange Traded Fund, brought to market the world’s first listed investment product that gives the opportunity to invest in and benefit purely from high growth, international plant-based businesses. The Vegan World Index Certificate tracks the Beyond Investing Vegan World Index. The product of two years of research of over 2,000 global small to midcap stocks this index admits only companies with 100% vegan products, making it the world’s first genuinely vegan thematic stock index. As Beyond Investing, Head of Ethical Screening, and ethical investment pioneer, Lee Coates OBE explains: “Our Vegan Climate Indexes include all eligible stocks after application of our animal-friendly and environmentally conscious screens. In contrast, to create the Vegan World Index, ...

Neat Burger, backed by Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, has slashed the price of its cheeseburger from £6.49 to £1.99 for World Vegan Month, celebrating by launching the cheeseburger into outer space. The chain says it wanted to send out the message that the rise of plant-based foods will be “meteoric”. Neat Burger says that hot air balloons and 100% recovered rigs were used to minimise the environmental impact of the stunt.  With the promotion, which runs until the end of the month, the burger underprices McDonald’s £3.49 McPlant burger. Neat Burger hopes the reduction will make plant-based living more affordable, accelerating the transition to a more sustainable food system. The cheeseburger consists of a pea protein patty topped with vegan cheese. It is served on a floured bun with ketchup, mustard, and pickles. $70 million total funding Last month, a funding round increased Neat Burger’s value to $70 million. Following the round, the company announced it was planning to triple in size, opening one restaurant per month through to the end of next year. The chain had already been making ambitious plans since March, after finding huge success by offering deliveries via Deliveroo. “Following our recent fundraise and announcement of our aggressive expansion plans, we wanted to celebrate our position as the game-changing global leader of the plant-based fast-food space by launching our new, highly accessible plant-based cheeseburger into space. We look forward to further accelerating the adoption of plant-based diets through more sites globally and more accessible menus,” ...