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Canada’s Wamame Foods – the plant-based food producer known for creating Waygu, the world’s first plant-based wagyu beef – forms part of an international collaboration to expand its product line. The $7.6 million project will use ground-breaking plant-based research to create a suite of high-quality meat alternatives with beef textures to be sold under the Waygu brand.  A subsidiary of Top Tier Foods, Wamame Foods will lead a consortium of companies including Protein Industries Canada, Merit Functional Foods, University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and Wismettac Asian Foods – one of the largest Japanese food distributors in North America.  Through honoring traditional Japanese cooking and fermentation techniques, Wamame will use the funding to focus on research and development in taste and texture, specifically in fat and how it is incorporated into whole muscle plant fibers. The new line of Waygu beef alternatives is expected in 2022. Waygu – the plant-based version of wagyu, a type of luxury Japanese beef – was trialed this year at Advanced Fresh Concepts, the largest sushi franchise in the US, and has even impressed Japanese master chefs. “As COP 26 climate conference continues, the world can see clearly that there is a massive need to re-think the environmental impact of our food systems. At Wamame we believe the answer lies in investing in alternatives that will exceed the quality of one of the most unsustainable options, industrialized beef. This project aims to build on the success of our widely acclaimed Waygu™ ...

Colorado-based Bond Pet Foods, a  company using precision fermentation to produce meat proteins for pet food applications, has announced a partnership with leading brand Hill’s Pet Nutrition. The two companies will collaborate to produce a more sustainable alternative to one of Hill’s most popular meat-based products. The fermented protein will be specially developed to cater to the dietary needs of cats and dogs. “A step forward on our sustainability journey” “As we think about how we can help pets flourish and create a better, more sustainable world, we are keenly interested in exploring additional ways to take a science-first approach to pet nutrition,” said Dave Baloga, Vice President of Science & Technology for Hill’s Pet Nutrition. “This alternative protein source marks a step forward on our sustainability journey to use science to help provide the best possible care for pets — for today and tomorrow.” Worldwide, dogs and cats consume a huge amount of meat, and the environmental impact is considerable. Bond has set out to change that by producing beef, chicken, fish, and other meat proteins via precision fermentation. This technology has long been used to make traditionally animal-derived ingredients such as the enzymes used in cheese production. Bond first announced it had developed a fermented pet food prototype in August of last year, telling vegconomist that “people, pets, farm animals and the planet all win” through the development of alt pet food. The following November, Bond’s innovation was recognised by the Colorado Office of Economic Development, which awarded ...

Dublin’s Nuritas, a biotechnology company that includes U2’s Bono and The Edge as early investors, has secured $45 million in Series B, bringing its total raise to $75 million. The company has developed a peptide for skin health discovered in peas, and a peptide discovered in fava beans that supports muscle health, both due for market launch in 2022. Nuritas states its mission is to “firstly manage and improve human health and secondly help make our food system more sustainable by replacing current unwanted ingredients and molecules with more natural and sustainable ones.” The company claims it has established the world’s largest peptide knowledge base using a proprietary AI and genomics platform called Nπϕ™ (Nuritas Peptide Finder), which has attracted high-profile partnerships including Nestle, Mars, Sumitomo Corporation and Pharmavite. Its bioactive peptides are unlocked from plants and natural food sources, with applications across functional foods, supplements, medical food, cosmetics and food technology. Nuritas also announces the growth of its Advisory Board to include Indra Nooyi, former CEO of Pepsico and board member at Amazon; Joerg Ohle of Bayer’s Global Consumer Health division; and Bruce German, professor and chemist of food science and technology at the University of California, Davis and the director of its Foods for Health Institute.   “It has been a landmark year, resulting in the expansion of our peptide portfolio, growing the commercial team and developing key global partnerships,” said Dr. Nora Khaldi, founder and CEO of Nuritas. “Our new investors bring a wealth of invaluable expertise, and ...

South Korean biotech company Advanced Protein Technologies (APTech), has secured a new funding round totaling €15 million for its development of Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs). The funding included backing from French ingredient giant Roquette’s investment arm.   A producer of new prebiotics, APTech is developing technology for the production of more HMOs found in higher concentrations than in human milk. Leading international food companies include HMOs in their infant formula and baby food owing to its various proven direct health benefits, with the HMO annual market potential currently forecast at $1.5bn for 2026.  The equity was raised from new and existing investors including Roquette Ventures and will be used to commercialize APTech’s HMOs which have recently been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Founded in 2015, Roquette Ventures is the investment arm of French plant-based ingredients specialist Roquette, which recently announced plans to open the largest pea protein plant in the world.  “This new investment from Roquette Ventures confirms the strong interest of our differentiated technology to enter the fast-growing HMOs market. With our recent authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration and the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, we are now able to sell our HMOs and will leverage Roquette Ventures’ support to provide the market with our products internationally,” commented Chul Soo Shin, CEO of APTech.    ...

Premium British confectioner Mr. Stanley’s, a division of the Gourmet Candy Company, is set to expand its range with the launch of its new Divine Vegan Fudge. Mr Stanley’s confectionery range contains over 50 products, available in over 20 countries worldwide. The British confectioner is best known as a purveyor of traditional British butter fudge. With its new Divine Vegan Fudge, the British premium confectionery manufacturer is launching an all-vegan product for the first time. According to Mr. Stanley’s, the Divine Vegan Fudge is handmade from an original recipe using traditional fudge methods, achieving the same crumbly texture as traditional butter fudge, with an added hint of sea salt. The Divine Vegan Fudge will be available online for £6.99 later this autumn. Commenting on its first vegan launch, the company says, “Now no one has to miss out on Mr. Stanley’s tantalizing treats”. ...

Mission-driven company Dr.Tusk, creators of a new plant-based line of hemp, caffeine and aloe-based body care products, is making it easier for consumers to create a direct impact on causes they care about through their purchasing choices. For the team behind Dr.Tusk, a brand created during the pandemic, it’s always been about the elephants. The New York based company aims to bring attention to various campaigns to help our elephants, highlighting that 1.5 million people have signed an online petition to release Happy, the indescribably unhappy elephant, currently confined in the Bronx Zoo. For every single product purchased, Dr.Tusk donates 5% to non-profit and organizations and elephant rehabilitation centers. These include Wildlife SOS, a rehabilitation center in India for abused and exploited captive elephants, and The Elephant Sanctuary, a 2,700-acre refuge in Tennessee preserving a healthy, natural way of life for its 27 formerly captive elephants. The brand is launching into Whole Foods its top-selling women’s exfoliating body bars, moisturizing lotions and soothing body washes in all-new scents, stating that the products are formulated in a 100% carbon-neutral lab began with the intention of making straightforward skincare and personal products with transparent ingredients sourced from local farmers.  To learn more about Dr.Tusk and how you can help the elephants, too, visit their website, Instagram and Facebook. ...

North Carolina-based brand Barvecue has launched wood-smoked plant-based carnitas, one of the first Hispanic-inspired alt-meat products to be widely available in US grocery stores. Mexican food has long been popular with vegans, since it makes extensive use of plant-based ingredients like beans, corn, and avocado. But to date, many companies have overlooked the possibility of making plant-based alternatives to traditionally meaty Mexican dishes. Barvecue has set out to change that, with the launch of carnitas that can be used in tacos, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and a range of other Mexican dishes. They will roll out at 380 stores — including Lowes Foods, Earth Fare, and Safeway — next month. Retail expansion Having previously been available online and for foodservice, Barvecue began its retail rollout in May by launching at all ten Central Market locations in Texas. It followed that up by expanding into 360 Sprouts Farmers Market locations in August. All Barvecue products, including the new carnitas, are made at the company’s Carolina Smokehouse — the largest plant-based smokehouse in the world. The 10,000 square foot facility opened in March of this year, after Barvecue successfully raised millions in funding in 2020. “For too long, great-tasting Hispanic-inspired plant-based meat options have been almost non-existent in US grocery stores and restaurants. Barvecue is excited to lead the way in the plant-based meat category as we bring this amazing product to market,” said Founder & CEO Lee Cooper. ...

World-leading vegan & vegetarian trademark V-Label just revealed the winners of this year’s International V-Label Awards at the Virtual Awards Ceremony held on November 4th. The international jury panel consisted of 15 leaders from the plant-based industry, vegan influencers, and representatives of NGOs.The newly announced winners of the competition are listed below. Meet the 11 winners of the International V-Label Awards Best Meat Alternative – GAIA, Belgium Launched in 2008, GAIA’s Faux Gras (see featured image) is a 100% animal-friendly alternative to foie gras. According to GAIA’s general manager Ann de Greef, sales are increasing year after year, with no less than 500,000 boxes of “classic” Faux Gras® de GAIA sold in 2018 alone. Best Dairy Alternative – Carrefour Sensation, France Carrefour’s Spécialité végétale au lait de coco goût fraise is part of the Carrefour Sensation brand, launched in 2021 with the aim of democratising vegan food by making it accessible for everyone. In an interview with vegconomist, Carrefour’s project manager Nicolas Dhers highlights Carrefour as a veggie pioneer in France, with a plant-based line that includes more than a hundred products in total. Best in Confectionery and Snacks – Chicza, Mexico; Spirulix, Austria; and Incom Leon, Slovenia Chicza is a 100% natural chicle-based gum sustainably collected from the sapodilla trees in the Maya Rainforest, produced by a consortium of cooperatives under a fair trade business model – Spirulix Crunchy Müsli from Austria, is an all-natural vegan Müsli that includes a range of important micronutrients – Incom Leone’s AL!VE STICK ...

Black Sheep Foods, a company that recently launched what it claims is the first-ever plant-based heritage lamb, has announced a collaboration with Equinom. Equinom, based in Israel, uses AI and plant breeding to produce improved seeds without the use of genetic modification. The partnership will see Black Sheep use Equinom’s Revolutionary 70% pea protein, described as “the most affordable, nutritious, and sustainable pea protein in the world”, in its plant-based lamb. Black Sheep initially launched the lamb last month at San Francisco-based Greek restaurant chain Souvla. The company isn’t the only one to recently announce a collaboration with Equinom — British brand Meatless Farm did the same in September, in a bid to increase the protein content of its products. A growing number of companies are turning to yellow pea protein as a more sustainable, allergen-friendly alternative to soy. Earlier this year, Equinom also announced partnerships with Europe’s largest milling company GoodMills and Mexican sesame seed processor Dipasa. In June, the company raised a huge $20 million which it said would help it “turn regular food into super food”. “Equinom is single-handedly disrupting the yellow pea market by delivering unique traits through its AI and seed breeding technology,” said Ismael Montanez, co-founder of Black Sheep Foods. “Entering the US market, it was important for us to tap into the massive potential of yellow pea protein and optimize the ingredient at every stage of production. Growing a product with specific traits for a specific market is the way of the future ...

Hooray Foods! Sri Artham, Founder and CEO of Hooray Foods talks plant-based bacon, prosciutto and making one’s impact on The Plantbased Business Hour. Specifically, they discuss: Why and how he started making bacon, Will there be more competition in bacon, The nutrition profile of Hooray Foods’ Bacon, Rise in consumption of pork and African Swine Flu, The intelligence and human characteristics of pigs, Hooray Foods biggest challenge, potential new products, and big raise. A clip and transcript from their long-form conversation is below.  The podcast is here.  Click here to display content from YouTube.Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Elysabeth: What would you like your legacy to be? And it can be about your endeavor with bacon or something else. Sri Artham: You know, there’s a podcaster I really love, John Green, who also wrote The Fault In Our Stars and some other movies and books. I think he talked about this giant ball of paint he visited somewhere in South Dakota or somewhere in that part of the country and he was saying that with this ball of paint anyone could come along and add a coat of paint to that ball and make their impact. I think now it’s the size of a single room, like probably as big as the room I’m in right now. And he said all any of us can really hope for, anyone is trying to change the world, is to add as thick a coat of paint as possible. No single person ...