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Beyond Meat has finalized the lease for a “state-of-the-art” innovation hub in Shanghai, marking its first dedicated R&D facility outside of the US, as the plant meat giant expands its focus in the APAC region. The facility is expected to open in the first half of 2022. In September 2020, Beyond Meat first announced the agreement with Jiaxing Economic & Technological Development Zone (JXEDZ) to bring the production of plant-based meat to the Chinese market, and in April 2021 unveiled the Shanghai production plant, becoming the only multinational company in alt mear production to establish its own production facility in China. Beyond Meat, products are widely available in Starbucks China, and in May of this year, the company announced that spicy “beef” wraps made with Beyond Beef would roll out into over 2,600 KFC restaurants throughout the country. Beyond Pork, its first product created specifically for the Chinese market, was made available through a Chinese e-commerce site in July of this year. The company states that the new facility will be a “hub for innovation with a world-class team of scientists and researchers focused on developing high-quality plant-based meat products” and that such products will be created to cater to APAC consumers. The center will include ” cutting-edge” lab facilities, a pilot lab and a test kitchen where chefs and culinary experts will experiment with the new products. “The best-in-class R&D team we are building in Shanghai represents the next leg in our journey to become a global protein company,” ...

The APAC Alternative Protein Ecosystem Database and been launched by the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC). Aiming to facilitate collaboration with recommended stakeholders and partners in the alt protein space, the database is a comprehensive resource for startups and established enterprises.  “The APAC Alternative Protein Ecosystem Database is a critical new resource that can help enable startups to swiftly scale up” This first-of-its-kind database currently provides details across multiple categories of the plant-based B2B ecosystem in Singapore. As the project progresses, further alt protein sectors will be added – cultivated meat, for example – as well as additional countries in the region.  Alt Protein One-Stop Shop At present, the database contains useful information about local ingredient sourcing, pilot production facilities, co-manufacturers, consultants, and many other services that are otherwise not readily accessible in the public domain. As it grows, the database will be a “one-stop shop” for accelerating and scaling up alternative protein startups.  “The APAC Alternative Protein Ecosystem Database is a critical new resource that can help enable startups to swiftly scale up by leveraging the best resources and partners available in Singapore and the greater APAC region,” stated John Cheng, Founder of Innovate 360 and Chairperson of Feed 9 Billion. The APAC Alternative Protein Ecosystem Database, made in collaboration with GFI APAC, Enterprise Singapore, and Innovate 360, can be found here. “For the first time, everything an innovator would need to know about local ingredient sourcing, technology, production facilities, co-manufacturers, and more, is available at their ...

British free-from snack brand Crave has launched two new products — Pickled Onion Monster Feet and Smokey Flavoured Streakers. Both snacks are made with maize and are free of gluten, corn, milk, eggs, and lactose, as well as being suitable for vegans. According to Crave, they taste as good as or better than their mainstream equivalents. Crave joins other UK companies such as confectionery brand Hancock’s in launching new snacks in time for Veganuary. The salty snacks are now available via TheVeganKind’s online supermarket. The growth of vegan snacks The market for vegan snacks is growing fast and is expected to be worth $73 billion by 2028. To cater to rising demand, many companies are launching plant-based versions of traditionally non-vegan snacks, such as Outstanding Foods’ pigless pork rinds and bacon seasonings. But this is the first time Crave has entered the savoury snacks market — the brand’s other products consist of two luxury chocolate bars, Rocky Road and Kitchen Sink. “We wanted to develop a range of snacks which revolutionise the free-from range. Instead of bland and boring we set out to create some snacks which are tongue-in-cheek, fun, and full of flavour,” said Crave founder Rob Brice. ...

The Vegetarian Butcher launches in Singapore, with its products now stocked at retail outlets such as FairPrice Group and RedMart. After successfully breaking into Singapore’s foodservice market, Unilever-owned alt-meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher has announced its retail launch in the country. Four of the brand’s products — Mince Charming, Chickened-Out Chunks, Little Peckers, and Big Winners — can now be purchased by Singaporean consumers. To begin with, the products will be available via FairPrice Group, Cold Storage Singapore, and RedMart, as well as Amazon. The company is increasingly targeting the Asian market, having launched in China earlier this year. “The leader in plant-based meat” Last year, The Vegetarian Butcher grew by a huge 70%, just a few months after telling vegconomist that it had successfully transitioned from a local brand to a global one. This growth has partly been fuelled by a partnership with Burger King — The Vegetarian Butcher’s patties are now used in the Plant Based Whopper in a growing list of countries worldwide. This October, the two companies collaborated to open an all-vegan popup in Madrid. “Our ambition is be the leader in plant-based meat, and to step up our global impact by making The Vegetarian Butcher the biggest butcher in the world,” said Hugo Verkuil, CEO of the company. “We have our eyes on many more markets and are excited about the new range of innovative products we have in the pipeline.” ...

Finnish food corporation Fazer has agreed to acquire Sweden-based oat milk company Trensums Food AB. Fazer will take over from the company’s current owner, Profura AB. The acquisition will help Fazer achieve its goal of becoming a leading player in the Northern European plant-based market. Trensums is one of the continent’s leading oat milk producers and will significantly increase Fazer’s share of the market, as well as granting access to new markets. Following approval from the Swedish Competition Authority, Trensums will become part of Fazer’s Lifestyle Foods Business Area, which has an emphasis on plant-based foods and particularly oat-based dairy alternatives. Investing in the future of food Fazer has been targeting the plant-based market for several years. In 2019, the company invested €40 million in a new production facility dedicated to plant-based foods, in response to growing consumer demand. Fazer has also invested in other plant-based companies, such as Finnish alt-protein startup Solar Foods. “I am very pleased that Fazer, the Nordic food experience company with a long history, will be the new owner of Trensums Food AB. In Fazer we see a strong owner, who is good at oats and wants to invest in plant-based products. This creates good opportunities for Trensum’s continued development,” said Mikael Thörnkvist, CEO of Trensums’ current owner Profura AB. ...

Abbot’s Butcher, a leader in clean-label plant-based beef, chicken, and chorizo, announced the brand has become the first Whole30 Certified plant-based meat.  Whole30 is a popular health program that promotes eliminating certain foods – including dairy, added sugar, and grains – thought to contribute to inflammation and other chronic health issues. The Whole30 Approved label recognizes products that meet the organization’s strict standards for minimally-processed, nutritious foods made without synthetic chemicals.  Containing only pea protein, olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices, Abbot Butcher’s Ground “Beef” and Pork “Chorizo” became the first animal-free meat products to fully satisfy all of the program’s requirements.  Founded in Southern California in 2017, Abbot’s Butcher aims to lead the “next generation” of plant-based meats – products crafted from simple and whole food ingredients without the artificial flavors, gums and preservatives commonly found in meat alternatives. Abbot’s Butcher gained success in farmer’s markets before expanding to over 800 retail and foodservice locations nationwide, including Sprouts Farmer’s Markets. In October, Abbot’s Butcher successfully closed a Series A funding round that included celebrity investors Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson. The company said those funds would help accelerate foodservice expansion, retail distribution and new product development.  Delicious for everyone The coveted Whole30 Approval will only further bolster the company’s mission to make plant-based meats sophisticated products of premium quality and nutrition.   “We’re thrilled to have Abbot’s Butcher as a part of our Whole30 family, and to offer their products as our first plant-based meats,” said Melissa Urban, co-founder and CEO ...

Harvest Road, an Australian agricultural food company and part of the Tattarang group — one of Australia’s largest private investment groups — has a focus on beef and seafood. The Western Australian company now takes a minority stake in alt protein producer ProForm Foods. ProForm Foods is known to consumers through its MEET brand products in major supermarkets. The company says it uses at least 70% Australian ingredients in the manufacture of its products. ProForm Food has invested more than $20 million in developing the taste and texture of its products to create products that replicate the experience of eating animal meat. Harvest Road CEO Paul Slaughter states: “Sustainable food production that meets the growing global demand for protein is a challenge we all face. We recognise the opportunity to invest in Australian innovators who are leading the way in developing high quality, plant-based protein sources,” Slaughter said. ProForm Foods CEO Matthew Dunn said the partnership with a leading Australian agri-food investor is a key driver for the business. “We are thrilled to be working with Harvest Road, an organisation driven by a vision to create sustainable businesses that deliver more positive environmental outcomes, improve food safety in Australia and support local production,” comments Dunn. For more on ProForm’s products, visit www.proformfoods.com.au. ...

Ready Burger is to offer what could be the first-ever 99p plant burger for Veganuary 2022, after already launching what the founders say is the world’s cheapest plant burger, at £1.99 (around $2.65), in a mission to bring inexpensive plant-based fast-food to the UK high street.  “We won’t be stopping here though, we’ll be bringing more world firsts with exciting new menu items in 2022” Ready Burger was founded by Max Miller and Adam Clark, who opened the first location in London’s Crouch End in May this year and the second on Finchley Road in October. This July the company announced the close of a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign, raising £2 million in an oversubscribed campaign, smashing the target £1.5M crowdfunder in hours. Currently, Ready Burger operates the two locations as above, with a further two branches in the pipeline, where customers can order the signature Ready Burger, the Big Ready – similar to the Big Mac, chicken burgers, cheeseburgers, and chicken nugget style fillets. Max Miller, CEO and Co-founder of Ready Burger says: “We’ll never compromise on flavour, convenience or price. We’ve worked hard to deliver a menu of flavour filled classics that people can’t tell apart from meat-based counterparts, but price has been the biggest barrier to plant-based eating until now. So, we wanted to offer the world’s first 99p plant burger in Veganuary 2022 to make it even more accessible for everyone to try a vegan diet.   “We won’t be stopping here though, we’ll be bringing more world firsts ...

Oggs partners with Bella Italia for Veganuary, launching two new eggless plant-based dishes. British egg alternatives brand Oggs has announced a collaboration with Italian-inspired restaurant chain Bella Italia. From January 3rd, customers across the UK will be able to order plant-based carbonara followed by a vegan dessert. The new options have been launched to cater to the growing number of people participating in Veganuary. In an interview with vegconomist this week, the campaign’s Chief Executive Ria Rehberg said Veganuary had “played a significant role in making veganism more mainstream”. Scrambled Oggs The carbonara is made from Scrambled Oggs, which combines the company’s aquafaba (chickpea water) with tofu and seasonings. Vegan pancetta — a type of Italian bacon — completes the dish. The dessert is OGGS’ Melt-In-The-Middle Chocolate Puddings, which are also made with aquafaba and are already available at some retail stores. Award-winning egg alternatives The female-led company has received several awards, including World’s Best Egg Alternative at the World Plant-Based Taste Awards and an Innovation Award at food-to-go show lunch. Oggs initially launched as a vegan cake brand, offering a range of desserts at UK supermarkets. In May of last year, the company launched its aquafaba as an egg replacer for foodservice, followed by a retail launch at supermarkets in August. “It’s so exciting we’re launching our newest innovations into foodservice, starting with this incredible collaboration with Bella Italia,” Hannah Carter, Founder of OGGS, told The Vegan Kind. “The Carb-OGG-nara dish showcases the versatility of Scrambled OGGS as more ...

PBW came back bigger and stronger than before with more than 3,100 attendees and more than 240 exhibitors and sponsors showcasing plant-based product innovations. NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–After a two and half year hiatus, Plant Based World Expo North America (PBW) returned triumphantly to the Javits Center in New York on December 9 and 10. Attendees at the 100% plant-based B2B industry event were treated to best-in-class plant-based products, remarkable product innovations, informative and inspiring speakers, and exclusive networking opportunities. The exhibit space grew by more than 65% and the B2B audience more than doubled from the 2019 event. “The turnout and response to PBW 2021 was better than we expected,” said Chris Nemchek, General Manager. “You could feel the energy and excitement on the expo floor as exhibitors, buyers, manufacturers, investors, and distributors networked, made deals, and discovered how far the plant-based industry has come since our 2019 show and where we are headed.” Trends on display included: Plant-based chicken everything including nuggets, southern fried bites, patties, shreds, and more from VFC, Gardein, CHKN Not Chicken, Future Farm, Beyond Chicken, Plant-It, and Tindle. Plant-based cultured butters from Naturli’, Beurremont, and Wild Creamery. Women-owned businesses including Plant Perks, Nomad Dumplings, Miyoko’s Creamery, No Bones Beach Club, and Wonderlab’s Doozy Pots. Global cuisine from Thai Union, Brotalia, Century Pacific Foods, Naturise Singapore PTE. LTD, More Foods Innotech Co., Ltd., and OmniFoods. Whether they were sampling creamy plant-based butter and cheese and mouth-watering plant-based pork filled dumplings, or listening to expert speakers, celebrity ...