vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

McDonald’s Austria is now serving its McPlant burger with a vegan patty throughout the country. Aimed at flexitarians rather than vegans, the McPlant in Austria is served with dairy cheese and egg-based mayonnaise and cooked on the same grill as meat.  Having already been tested sporadically in Canada, Sweden, and Denmark – with much positive feedback – the McPlant will be available at all McDonald’s locations in Austria while stocks last. The burger features a Beyond Meat patty that McDonald’s stresses is unique to its menus and differs from the famous Beyond Burger available in other outlets.  As its biggest global rival Burger King leads the way in plant-based fast-food innovation, McDonald’s is at risk of falling behind the competition. The global chain is currently developing its McPlant platform with a three-year partnership with Beyond Meat, though McDonald’s has yet to add a plant-based meat option to its menus in the US.  If consumers do not mind the possibility of cross-contamination the burger can be “veganized” with the omission of cheese and mayonnaise. However, most vegans would argue that McDonald’s is “deveganizing” a perfectly vegan burger with those additions in the first place, following the line of other fast-food giants like Pizza Hut who continue to exclude vegan consumers from their plant-based products.  ...

Among Beyond Meat’s recent filing of 109 trademark applications, including Beyond Eggs, Beyond Tun’ and Beyond Crab;  one trademark application stood out more than others. Filed on August 12, Beyond Milk’signals the alt meat giant’s imminent entry into the booming alt dairy sector. The epic list of trademark applications includes Beyond Fish, Beyond Ham, Beyond Lamb, Beyond Shrimp, Beyond Cheese, Beyond Pulled Chicken, Beyond Turkey and Beyond Steak. However, the most recent application filed is for “BEYOND MILK” which covers ” the categories of food products made of milk substitutes based on vegan substances; milk; milk products; milk based on or made of plants, nuts, seeds, oat, wheat or rice; milk products based on or made of plants, nuts, seeds, oat, wheat or rice; milk powders.” Alt milk on the rise while dairy declines But would it be a prudent move to enter alt dairy, a competitive and saturated market with so many established players? New research from Label Insight, a Nielsen IQ company, proves that alt milk is far from a fad and will continue to grow as cow milk sales continue to decrease. Analyzing how consumers are shopping for plant-based milk, the fresh research shows that: Milk alternative sales rose by 13.5% showing significant growth compared to cow milk sales which decreased by 1.2% Though consumers spent $10.88 billion on cow’s milk vs. $2.19 billion on milk alternatives, there was a 3.8% increase in alternative milk buying households, vs. a -2.3% decrease in cow’s milk buying households Oat ...

Food freshness innovation company Apeel Sciences has announced a Series E funding raise of $250 million. Backed by Oprah and Katy Perry amongst others, Apeel’s biotechnology adds an extra plant-derived peel to the outside of produce allowing it to double or even triple its shelf life.   “We can ensure people everywhere have a great experience with their fresh produce while increasing the sustainability of the global food system” Focused on reducing waste in the fresh food supply by creating longer-lasting produce, primarily in US, UK, and European markets, Apeel is recognized as a CNBC Disruptor 50 and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. The new funding brings the company’s total over $635 million, with a valuation over $2 billion dollars.  Founded in 2012 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Apeel Sciences will use the new funding to expand retail and supply partnerships, as well as advance the company’s data and insights initiatives to further reduce food waste. The company plans to operationalize at least 10 additional supply networks by the end of the year.  Climate Impact Following the recent alarming IPCC report on climate change, reduction of waste in the food supply chain is a critical issue, with food waste accounting for roughly 8 percent of global greenhouse gases. Apeel’s plant-based products will also be consumer-directed, as its research shows approximately 25 percent of produce purchased goes to waste in US American households and 19 percent in European households.  “The pandemic has completely shaken up food ...

VFC – the vegan fried chick*n company and activist brand launched by Veganuary’s Matthew Glover and chef Adam Lyons – has launched a range of sustainable merchandise created by vegan brand ETHCS. The range is produced under GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards), is Fair Wear certified, climate neutral and Soil Association Organic. It consists of:  Short-sleeve Tee, featuring a chicken farmer, with wings graffiti-stencilled onto bird Short-sleeve Tee, featuring a butcher, with a stem of wheat in place of his knife Short-sleeve Tee with the VFC logo on the front and “Cluck the System” on the back Long-sleeve Tee, with VFC’s unique graffiti symbols down one arm, and “Cluck The System” down the other Hoodie, with the VFC logo on the front, and wings graffiti-stencilled on the back Beanie, with the VFC logo VFC, which has been selling vegan fried chick*n Bites and Fillets since December, has already expanded to Spain and the Netherlands, is in discussions with distributors in another dozen countries, and is expecting to announce its first UK supermarket contract in the coming weeks. The UK brand’s social media channels have attracted a dedicated following through its witty take on activism, which is reflected in the clothing line in that it too is ethically produced, bold, and edgy in design. Says VFC chef and co-founder Adam Lyons: “We are on a mission to close down all factory farms, but you don’t have to make yourself miserable while you fight to change the world. If you like sitting ...

Because, Animals, the only pet food company growing cultured meat for dogs and cats, has successfully completed the world’s first cultured meat product for pets. This achievement marks the world’s first CPG product made with cultured meat as well as the first cookie for cats that includes mouse meat – the species-appropriate, ancestral diet of the cat. The company closed its oversubscribed seed round this May, led by Orkla, marking its first investment in pet food and the first move for its Orkla Alternative Proteins (OAP) unit, which was recently established with the intention of becoming one of the leading competitors in the field of alternative proteins in Europe by 2030. Harmless Hunt™ Mouse Cookies for Cats with Cultured Meat made from cultured mouse, is currently being debuted to the public at SuperZoo, one of the largest pet trade shows in the world, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The event goes on until tomorrow 19th August. The product, which passed a series of taste tests with even fussy-eater cats, includes cultured mouse blended with tempeh, miso, nutritional yeast and more. By using mouse cells, Harmless Hunt avoids the most prevalent food allergens in pets — beef and poultry. Since it is produced in a sterile, controlled environment, it is free of antibiotics and pathogens, and contains no slaughterhouse by-products or rendered ingredients. “The public launch of Harmless Hunt is a milestone for us, for the cultured and alt-protein industry, for pet food, and for animals raised and slaughtered to ...

As previously reported by vegconomist, the Australian Red Meat Advisory Council recently released its own-funded research on plant-based labelling, claiming a considerable amount of consumers are being misled by vegan products. The Big Meat lobby is now urging the Australian Senate to ban alt meat brands from using words like ‘chicken’ and ‘beef’ on their packaging and the case is currently under review.    “We believe that it is an insult to consumers’ intelligence” – Kjetil Hansen, Deliciou  However, plant-based brands in Australia have now received backing from the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission) and Food Standards in Australia, after the national bodies outlined why they believe the current state of labeling is not at all misleading consumers.  A submission from the ACCC explained how it had found no evidence whatsoever of misleading claims by plant-based products, and that alt meats were: “Unlikely to mislead an ordinary consumer.”  The backing has been welcomed from plant-based leaders in Australia, like popular plant-based brand Deliciou – of Shark Tank fame. Kjetil Hansen, Founder and CEO of Deliciou, told vegconomist that: “We hope this senate inquiry sees logic into this issue beyond the cries of the meat industry lobbyists. As a company working with Australian farmers to produce plant-based meat alternatives, we believe that it is an insult to consumers’ intelligence to suggest they are unable to tell the difference despite clear labelling on the products.” Devastating Consequences  Using its own funded research to back its claims, the Big Meat lobby is seemingly ...

Don’t know what Air Protein is? Dr. Lisa Dyson joins Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss just that and how protein made from CO2 could help to swiftly shift the global food supply system. Specifically, they discuss What is Air Protein and Air Protein Flour? What is the Closed Caron Cycle?  It sounds so darn efficient, why haven’t we seen this more in the mainstream? Does Air Protein make meat or the flour from which others will make microbial meat? What is the taste/texture of same? What is the role for Air Protein beyond space and how does it compare to cellular and fermented proteins which have many of the same benefits of reduced land, water, hormones, antibiotics, etc.? What are the risks of microbes, specifically hydrogentrophs, if any? What is the time frame for Air Protein to be mainstream? What is the profile of an Air Protein investor?  Those interested in science and space or those interested in a shifting food supply system? Here is a highlight clip from the long-form conversation and a transcript of same below. Podcast is here. Click here to display content from YouTube.Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Elysabeth: There is a lot going on in the food innovation space with microbes as they offer the benefits of not needing a lot of land, water, hormones, antibiotics; many of the downfalls of factory farming. Then there’s also cultivated meat, of course, which is not a fermented process but again saving on ...

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#greeneating–Sam Dennigan, Founder and CEO of Strong Roots, one of the world’s fastest-growing plant-based food brands, is a featured guest this week on the Impact Podcast with John Shegerian. The show is hosted by Shegerian, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of ERI, the nation’s leading fully integrated IT and electronics asset disposition provider and cybersecurity-focused hardware destruction company. With Strong Roots, Dennigan is bringing healthy and delicious plant-based options to the frozen aisle. He spent 10 years at his family’s Ireland-based fresh produce business, a decade that helped him develop the roots and connections he needed to branch out on his own. In 2015, Dennigan launched Strong Roots with a line of sweet potato fries, and today the company has a roster of 15 products, all vegan, that are sold at retail outlets in Britain, Ireland and, most recently, the U.S. Strong Roots brought its products to the U.S. in the midst of the pandemic last year and today they are available at about 9,000 stores operated by retailers including Walmart and Whole Foods Market. “It was rewarding to have Sam on the show to share his story and how he launched Strong Roots, a company that is disrupting the frozen food aisle in grocery stores worldwide, driving people to explore more plant-based options,” said Shegerian. “Sam is actively opening people’s minds to a healthier and more environmentally friendly way to eat with a collection of foods that are delicious, healthy and totally made from plants.” Every week, Impact ...

Life3 Biotech (Life3) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Faculty of Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) to integrate electrospinning technology into food technology. This is the world’s first attempt to integrate electrospinning into food products designed to mimic the realistic bite of fish fillets and jerky with plant proteins. To date, electrospinning has been used as a technique to produce thin fibrils with a high aspect ratio in protective masks, which is critical in the current COVID-19 situation. This partnership will pave the way for new research to investigate the feasibility of producing food-grade plant proteins using the same technology. The goal is to create nano-sized protein strands that can better mimic the texture and bite of meat and improve the nutritional value of food. Rising demand for alternative meats As the world becomes increasingly concerned about its environmental footprint, there is a growing consensus that viable alternative methods must be found to meet the rising demand for meat. For this reason, many people have turned to plant-based meat alternatives because they are far more sustainable than conventional meat. Research has shown that plant-based foods emit fewer greenhouse gases than meat and dairy products, regardless of how they are produced. Despite the rise of the plant-based protein industry, many consumers still find it difficult to make the switch. As a team of researchers from the Dutch research institute TNO points out, one of the challenges with alternative protein sources such as plant storage protein, green ...

Last year, chef Hitoshi Sugiura announced he was leading the 1000 Vegan Project, which aimed to serve vegan meals at 1000 locations across Japan. Now, the project has achieved its goal. Sugiura is a chef for LEOC, a catering company supplying meals to over 2,300 organisations across Japan. These include employee cafeterias in offices, as well as factories, schools, sports facilities, and hospitals. He was inspired to begin the project due to a lack of awareness about plant-based diets in Japan. A report last year found that things are slowly changing in the country, but there is still a long way to go. “Due to the influence of the media, I feel that awareness of veganism has increased in Japan, but it is limited to some cities, and it’s still behind nationwide,” Sugiura told vegconomist in an interview last year. “We hope that this initiative will lead to an increase in vegan awareness throughout the country.” Sugiura began by preparing vegan meals at 276 nursing homes and giving residents a leaflet about the benefits of plant-based diets. By mid-May of this year, he had visited over 1,000 locations, serving a total of 109,382 plant-based dishes. According to Sugiura, the meals were very well-received. “The purpose of this project is educating and shifting people’s way of thinking towards global warming through everyday food,” he said. “My goals are providing the knowledge of plant-based food as well as giving advice on eating habits. By achieving these goals, I am hoping that social ...