Why biotech is becoming essential to the future of food – and how AI is accelerating the journey
Annick Verween, head of Biotope by VIB, explores how precision fermentation, alternative protein and gene editing can build a more resilient food system, and why AI-assisted biological design is making once-unviable solutions realistic today.
Business news
Plant-based pantry
Maple Leaf Foods consolidates US plant-based production into Indianapolis facility
Maple Leaf Foods has announced it will close two production facilities in Seattle, Washington and Turners Falls, Massachusetts, as part of a move to consolidate its US plant-based protein production into a single site in Indiana.
Cross-sector coalition calls for Dutch government to start plant-based food fund
A cross-sector coalition of 60 organisations across the Netherlands’ agri-food system is calling on the government to develop an Action Plan for More Plant-Based Food alongside a government fund of €65 million.
Major CPG players launch The PaperFlex Consortium to drive paper-based flexible packaging innovation
A new initiative – The PaperFlex Consortium – has launched today, comprising six global consumer goods companies, aiming to accelerate the development of responsibly designed paper-based alternatives to flexible plastic packaging.
Hain Celestial to sell international business to Aurelius in $323m deal
Hain Celestial, owner of plant-based brands Linda McCartney Foods, Natumi and Joya, has entered into an agreement to sell its international business to global private equity firm Aurelius, aiming to create a more ‘focused’ North American business.
Manufacturing & technology
Multimedia
Elian receives €40m investment from COFIDES to fuel plant protein production in Barcelona
Barcelona-based agri-business company Elian has welcomed the Spanish Development Financing Company COFIDES into its share capital with an investment of €40 million.
Strong and sustainable: Driving plant-based packaging innovation
With such stringent requirements to meet around ensuring food-grade packaging materials are fit for purpose, The Plant Base spoke to the experts about the path toward a planet-friendly packaging future.
Major CPG players launch The PaperFlex Consortium to drive paper-based flexible packaging innovation
A new initiative – The PaperFlex Consortium – has launched today, comprising six global consumer goods companies, aiming to accelerate the development of responsibly designed paper-based alternatives to flexible plastic packaging.
Partner content
Updates and developments from FoodBev's partners from across the globe. Read more»
.png)
Why biotech is becoming essential to the future of food – and how AI is accelerating the journey
Annick Verween, head of Biotope by VIB, explores how precision fermentation, alternative protein and gene editing can build a more resilient food system, and why AI-assisted biological design is making once-unviable solutions realistic today.
The Plant Base exclusive
Green leaves, global scale: The research case for leaf protein biorefineries
A new peer-reviewed study models leaf protein concentrate biorefineries as viable global food infrastructure. Ross Milne, CEO of Leaft Foods, and Juan García Martínez, research manager at Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters, examine the findings.
The Plant Base exclusive
Plant-based dairy: Functionality and flexitarians drive innovation in 2026
As the alt-dairy industry works to bolster its resilience in the face of challenges such as labelling legislation and sensory hurdles, The Plant Base takes a deep dive into the current state of the market.
The Plant Base exclusive
From technical proof to buyer confidence: How food-tech start-ups need to communicate commercial readiness
In a challenging commercial environment, Edera Labs' Chiara Molena highlights how today's food-tech start-ups must look beyond technical validation in order to demonstrate commercial maturity and see success.
The Plant Base exclusive
Beyond the claims: Understanding biological response to plant-based sports performance ingredients
Simona Mrakic-Sposta, of the Italian National Research Council, discusses how insights from her recent study on beetroot-derived nitrate supplements could pave the way for more evidence-based formulation of plant-based sports nutrition products.
