vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Miyoko’s Creamery yesterday announced an incredible $52M in Series C to further disrupt the dairy market, as it has been since 2014. We spoke with industry pioneer Miyoko Schinner about product re-development, expansion into Europe, some exciting new developments, and how a blind test for an airline found her butter superior to dairy (of course). Following this landmark raise, Miyoko’s future distribution expansion will focus on conventional grocery, club and food service, and the funds will be used to launch a liquid mozzarella for pizza that bakes into a stretchy cheese, reformulate the Medium Cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses, and advance R&D as well as double the team. A vegan cottage cheese will also be showcased at this Expo West next month. “game-changing products that can help change the dairy landscape from animals to plants” Congratulations Miyoko on such an impressive Series C raise. Can you summarise in a sentence or two what these fresh funds will signify for the future of Miyoko’s Creamery? What changes will we see, if any? I am hoping we will be able to expand our marketing initiatives to create strong awareness among the public not only about our brand but our mission. In addition, we would like to build our innovation team to continue developing game-changing products that can help change the dairy landscape from animals to plants. Can you tell us about the upcoming pourable mozzarella, “Liquid”, and your intentions for it – do you envisage Liquid as a way to transform commercial ...

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Plant-based Milk Market – Asia Pacific Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2021-2031” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. This study on the plant-based milk market provides a detailed assessment of key market dynamics, including drivers, trends, opportunities & restraints, and detailed information about the plant-based milk market structure. Key indicators of market growth, which include year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth of the market, value chain, supply chain analysis, and compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) are elaborated in the study in a comprehensive manner. This information is intended to help readers understand the quantitative growth prospects of the plant-based milk market during the forecast period. The study is intended to offer a holistic market overview to stakeholders in the plant-based milk market, including manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, cultivators, brands and investors, and to help them develop winning growth strategies. Stakeholders in the plant-based milk market, which include investors, industry experts, researchers, and journalists, and business researchers can leverage the information and data presented in the publisher’s study. The study also includes statistics and facts related to the macro as well as microeconomic factors that are impacting expansion of the market. It also offers actionable insights into the future trends in the plant-based milk market. Furthermore, small businesses and new entrants in the plant-based milk market can make use of the information presented in this study, based on which, they can make appropriate business decisions in order to gain momentum in the market. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary ...

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Textured Vegetable Protein Market by Product Type, Form, and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2027” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The global textured vegetable protein market was valued at $987.9 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $2,139.6 million by 2027, registering a CAGR of 9.2% from 2021 to 2027. Textured vegetable protein is a type of plant-based protein derived from pea, soyabean, wheat, and others. It offers similar texture and taste like meat; therefore, there is an increase in adoption for textured vegetable protein as a meat substitute. Moreover, different types of textured vegetable protein such as textured soy protein, textured wheat protein, textured pea protein, and others are available in the market. Textured vegetable protein majorly textured soy protein is easily accessible to the consumers around the world through various distribution channels including supermarkets, hypermarkets, grocery stores, online stores, and others. This in turn drives the growth of the market in terms of value sales. There is an increase in number of health-conscious consumers who prefer vegetable sources for proteins as nutritional and functional food. This drives the growth of the textured vegetable protein market. However, the easy availability of its substitutes in the market is likely to restrict the growth of the market during the forecast period. Nevertheless, product innovation and rise in demand for organic protein rich food are the factors expected to bring new opportunities for the textured vegetable protein market during the forecast period in terms ...

Plant-based burger company Actual Veggies has raised $2.3 million in its latest funding round, with high profile investors including the venture arm of rapper Post Malone’s management team Electric Feel Ventures. Other backers include ​​English footballer and Inter Miami MLS player Kieran Gibbs, as well as Big Idea Ventures and Rose Street Capital. The New York City-based company, only launched in March of last year, has now secured a total of $2.8 million when combined with its previous funding round from Big Idea Ventures and angel contributions. The firm said it will use the new capital to expand its product assortment, invest in new equipment to streamline production and boost brand awareness through increased marketing efforts. The company currently offers four different SKUs and is already working to expand offerings, including seasonal, limited-edition products, and more. Unlike other plant-based burger brands that try to imitate meat, Actual Veggies creates its patties with whole ingredients for consumers who are looking for less processed products and “letting the natural flavors and nutritional value of real, actual vegetables and legumes speak for themselves.” Its range of quarter-pound burgers, which are all vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and Kosher, feature ingredients like beets, carrots, broccoli and black beans, with each one named accordingly with the colour of the vegetable used. “Since we launched the company, it’s been an incredible whirlwind and despite the challenges of 2020, we made it a reality,” said Hailey Swartz, Co-Founder, and Co-CEO of Actual Veggies. “The growth we have seen ...

Homegrown food technology startup Hoow Foods, which recently announced a $3 million Pre-Series A round, has launched a new subsidiary. Hegg Foods will focus on developing novel sustainable food products that meet growing consumer demand for healthier plant-based alternatives. Hegg Foods is powered by RE-GENESYS, Hoow Foods’ proprietary Food & Ingredient Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that uses ingredient informatics to develop food products at record speed. To meet the country’s call for food resilience, the company also aims to contribute to Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal – to produce 30% of the country’s nutritional needs locally. By tapping into the alternative protein market, Hegg Foods aims to feed the growing local and regional population in a healthy yet sustainable way and connect the two important needs of the food industry. Hegg Foods is launching its eponymous HEGG brand, initially offering a new healthy plant-based “egg” product. The plant-based product not only reduces the carbon footprint and land use for egg production, it is also free of hazardous ingredients such as growth hormones and antibiotics. In addition, HEGG is significantly lower in fat and free of cholesterol compared to a real egg. Dr. Sherman Ho, Chief Technology Officer of Hoow Foods, explains, “We are constantly trying to challenge our RE-GENESYS platform to develop novel products, and we have succeeded in developing HEGG in a short period of time. Leveraging RE-GENESYS along with our internal expertise has made HEGG a simple and easy-to-use product. “At Hegg Foods, we have strong ambitions to ...

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#goodfood–Christie Lagally, Co-Founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, a food production technology company working to make plant-based meat price-competitive with traditional chicken products, 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. Lagally is a mechanical engineer and holder of multiple patents in manufacturing technology. She spent much of her career in the aerospace industry working on commercial airplanes and spacecraft in testing, design, and manufacturing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Previously, Lagally served as a Senior Scientist for the Good Food Institute uncovering the technical barriers in the development of plant-based meat and clean meat (i.e. cultured meat). Rebellyous’ nuggets, patties, and tenders cook just like breaded chicken products and arrive ready to heat and eat, making them an easy center-of-plate plant-based solution. “It was inspiring to have Christie on the show to share her unique career story and how she launched Rebellyous, a company that is completely disrupting the vegan food industry and driving more people, businesses and venues to explore plant-based options,” said Shegerian. “Christie is a true visionary in the meat alternative space. She is actively changing people’s perception of plant-based protein with a signature vegan chicken substitute that is delicious, healthy and totally made from plants.” “It was wonderful talking to John Shegerian on the Impact Podcast about our mission here at ...

In the case against small UK producer Glebe Farm lodged by Oatly for an alleged trademark infringement, the judge has today thrown out all of the charges and ruled that there were no trademark violations. Glebe Farm stated on social media: “Big news!! In a complete victory, the judge has today dismissed all claims of trademark infringement levelled at our PureOaty oat milk by the multinational company Oatly. ⁠⁠In our view ‘corporate might does not make right!’ and you only need to look at the two packs side by side to appreciate how different these brands are, and how unnecessary this expensive legal action was.⁠ So we were determined to stand up against the challenge and are delighted with the result! We want to thank everyone who have [sic] been supporting us throughout. Many people have described this as a true David and Goliath battle and it is great to see that smaller independent companies CAN fight back and win.⁠” Oatly’s response is as follows: “Hey everyone interested in the Trademark Infringement Case between Oatly and Glebe Farm. The court case ended on June 10 and the verdict is now in… The court ruled in favour of Glebe Farm, the judge recognized Oatly’s strong brand and uniqueness but felt the similarities weren’t enough to rule in our favour. We’ve collected the main documents [as below] of the case for you to read as it was presented to the court. The reason is because we believe in transparency and we want ...

Next Gen, a fresh young brand founded by Timo Recker of Germany’s LikeMeat and Andre Menezes of Country Foods Singapore, this February announced a seed round of $10M which was reportedly the largest ever seed round in the plant-based sector, for its vegan chicken brand TiNDLE. “We are in the business of creating new food experiences” Last month, the seed round was extended for a total raise of $20M as it prepared to launch into the USA, and truly create the next generation of plant meats for a new generation of consumers. We spoke with Menezes, formerly COO and newly instated as CEO, about the young brand’s lofty ambitions for worldwide domination and what makes TiNDLE unique amongst an increasingly busy plant-based chicken space. Can you tell us your elevator pitch? We believe that you shouldn’t have to suffer to do good for the planet and that a great tasting ‘meat’ experience doesn’t need to involve animals, so we set out to make saving our planet a pleasure, not a pain. Since we know how to make delicious food without using animals, we created TINDLE™️, a mind-blowing, mouth-watering chicken experience made only from plants that satisfies even the most discerning chicken lover. We are in the business of creating new food experiences; ones that allow chefs to express their creativity in ways traditional meats don’t allow and deliver moments to savour. Simply put, we’re hoping to help save our world one delicious bite at a time. You recently extended your ...

NOMO has entered the children’s confectionery market with new monster inspired choc lollies, appealing for the first time to children with allergies and intolerances. Since launching in 2019, NOMO has become officially the number one vegan and free-from chocolate brand in the UK worth £9m in RSV with the greatest market share (24.4%). In the UK it is estimated that the prevalence of food allergies is 7.1% in breastfed infants, with 1 in 40 developing peanut allergies and 1 in 20 developing an egg allergy. The most common allergies that affect children are dairy, peanuts/tree nuts and eggs. With this in mind, NOMO has created a vegan and free-from chocolate product that children with allergies to dairy, gluten, egg or nuts can enjoy, following their belief that no-one, no matter their allergy, intolerance or dietary requirements should miss out on great tasting, quality chocolate. Jacqueline Tyrrell, Brand Manager of NOMO said: ‘NOMO has established itself as the UK’s number one adult vegan and free from chocolate brand and we are so excited to be able to cater for younger customers with our NOMO kids’ products. Roughly 5% of children in the UK suffer from a food allergy or intolerance and this often impacts the whole household. For caregivers, this means it can be difficult to find treats that are suitable for the whole family without someone feeling left out. NOMO is as delicious as mainstream chocolate and has the added benefit of being free from dairy, gluten, egg and nuts, which makes ...

This week, vegan farmer Joost van Strien will complete the very first certified vegan onion harvest at his arable farm in the Netherlands. The harvest marks the start of No Shit Food, a new sustainable standard that works exclusively with vegetable fertilizers. At his arable farm Zonnegoed in Ens, the Flevopolder region, Joost is among the first few farmers whose work is both organic and entirely plant-based. His No Shit Food Movement was launched this Monday, 2nd of August, with the goal of making vegan veg a new standard in sustainable food. The new vegan farmers Consumers can already buy certified vegan vegetables in In Germany, Switzerland and Greece, under the BioCyclicVegan label. But ask for vegan vegetables in the Netherlands, and all you will find are raised eyebrows. Still, the benefits of growing without animal manure are considerable. Only a handful of farms work with these methods, of which Zonnegoed is the first carrying the BioCyclicVegan label. Pleased with the results they get from vegan farming, they are eager to do something about its relative obscurity. Enter the No Shit Food Movement. New standard in sustainable cultivation No Shit is organic, but not dependent on animal manure. By decoupling arable farming from both fertilizer and livestock farming, you make considerable progress when it comes to environmental impact: with No Shit cultivation is climate neutral, water use goes down, and it battles over-fertilization, salinization & desertification. Plant-based cultivation is also interesting from a food security perspective. 80% of the available ...