Singapore-based beverage manufacturer Yeo Hiap Seng has introduced a limited-edition Pandan Chiffon Soy Milk, tapping into café-inspired flavour trends and seasonal demand ahead of the Eid al-Fitr (Raya) period. The new product draws inspiration from the classic Southeast Asian dessert, pandan chiffon cake, reimagining its flavour profile into a ready-to-drink soy beverage format. Positioned as an accessible indulgence, the launch reflects growing consumer interest in hybrid products that blend traditional flavours with modern, convenience-led consumption. Yeo’s Pandan Chiffon Soy Milk combines freshly extracted whole soybeans with real pandan extract and coconut water, delivering a flavour profile that mirrors the light, aromatic qualities of pandan desserts, complemented by a subtle toasted coconut finish. The product is designed to offer a “lighter indulgence,” with a formulation that is lower in fat and less sweet compared to typical flavoured beverages, while maintaining a rich and smooth texture. Available in both 1L family-size packs and 250ml single-serve formats, the beverage targets multiple consumption occasions, from at-home sharing during festive gatherings to on-the-go consumption during the Ramadan period, including Sahur and Iftar. The launch aligns with the Raya festive season, a key consumption period across Southeast Asia, where demand for shareable and culturally resonant food and beverage products typically rises. Alex Chen, head of marketing and business development at Yeo’s Singapore, said: "Raya is a season filled with tradition, togetherness and familiar flavours, With Pandan Chiffon Soy Milk, we wanted to reimagine a beloved local dessert in a smooth soy milk format that feels indulgent, shareable, and perfect for the festive period." The limited-edition beverage is being rolled out across major supermarkets, convenience stores, and e-commerce platforms in Singapore for a limited period.

Novonesis is working with Technical University of Denmark (DTU)’s Bright Biofoundry, aiming to accelerate the development of sustainable protein by converting waste carbon dioxide into nutritious food ingredients at an industrial scale. The partnership operates under the umbrella of The Acetate Consortium, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2023 with backing from the Gates Foundation and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The consortium brings together industry and academic players, including energy tech group Topsoe, to tackle one of the food sector’s most pressing sustainability challenges – reducing reliance on land- and resource-intensive agriculture – by transforming captured CO₂ into viable protein sources. At the core of the collaboration is a technical hurdle that has limited progress in carbon-based food production: enabling microbes to efficiently consume acetate derived from captured CO₂. Conventional fermentation processes rely on glucose from agricultural crops, while most microorganisms struggle to metabolise acetic acid from captured carbon effectively. Bright researchers will work alongside Novonesis to address this limitation by engineering yeast strains capable of thriving on acetate. Using advanced evolutionary engineering techniques, the team will focus on improving microbial tolerance to acetate, increasing consumption rates, enhancing protein yields and reducing fermentation time and cost, key factors for commercial viability. Adam Feist, who is leading the project at Bright, said, “This is where evolution becomes a design tool. We are evolving microbes to perform in ways that make industrial sense, not just proving they can survive on low-carbon inputs.” The work will be conducted through Bright's automated, high-throughput biofoundry platform, enabling rapid strain optimisation at a scale significantly faster than traditional lab methods. The collaboration reflects a growing convergence between industrial biotechnology and food innovation, as companies seek scalable alternatives to conventional protein production. Novonesis brings decades of expertise in microbial strain development, while DTU contributes cutting-edge capabilities in microbial evolution and systems biology. “We’re very excited that Bright will join forces with us to help turn captured CO₂ into a nutritious protein source,” said Claus Crone Fuglsang, chief scientific officer at Novonesis. “Together, we aim to develop microorganisms that grow faster, tolerate acetate more effectively and deliver higher protein yields.” According to Jochen Förster, director of the Bright Biofoundry, the partnership highlights the importance of aligned expertise in tackling complex sustainability challenges. “This collaboration shows what it takes to make an impact, bringing together complementary capabilities and a willingness to work through complexity.” As food manufacturers face mounting pressure to decarbonise supply chains and diversify protein sources, CO₂-derived ingredients represent a potentially transformative solution. By decoupling protein production from arable land, technologies like acetate-based fermentation could help stabilise supply, reduce environmental impact and support global food security.

This month, our 'start-up spotlight' is on Happy Plant Protein. The Finnish food-tech company's patented technology produces tailor-made plant protein ingredients for use across a wide range of food and beverage applications. We speak to the company's CEO and co-founder, Jari Karlsson, to find out more. What led to Happy Plant Protein’s establishment and what is the company’s long-term goal? The invention itself was the main motivator. It was discovered that there was an even easier, more responsible and more cost-effective way to produce plant-based proteins. This was especially true when compared to the current isolate/wet separation technology. At that stage, we did not know that the protein quality of the end product would be so good. The very mild taste, better structure and nutritional content clearly differentiated the technology from air separation, such as in current concentrates. The company's long-term goal is for this technology to become the industry standard for producing plant protein. In your view, what are the most critical challenges currently facing the alternative protein industry and how do you aim to address them? The bottom line is that we are running out of food, and all the technologies currently under development are needed. Since most new technologies are regulated, we must also be able to develop new methods for the present. The success of many alternative technologies is also slowed down by high investments, which also increase production costs. In our case, what makes us stand out from the rest is our simple, single-stage process, the use of existing extrusion equipment, and the use of a simple raw material, flour. How does Happy Plant Protein’s technology to turn local crops into valuable protein ingredients work? The process is very simple. We use basic legume or grain flour. It is fed into a dry extruder, and at the other end comes out as ready-made textured protein, equivalent to TVP products already on the market. If we consider the entire processing process, first we need beans, which are shelled and ground into flour. This is then fed into the extruder, where separation and texturing take place. This stage produces both protein and carbohydrate fractions. Next, they are separated from each other using an optical separator and packed into bags. The short separation process is energy efficient, uses no water and produces no waste. The original nutritional values are also retained in the end product. The protein fraction has a protein content of between 55 and 70%. The fraction also contains healthy dietary fibre. What kinds of regional crops is Happy Plant Protein utilising in the production of its solutions? In general, all legumes work well. Peas, fava beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans. In addition, mixtures made from these can be used to influence the content, colour and properties of the final product as desired. How do you ensure sustainability within your approach? The process does not require chemicals, energy and water consumption is minimal, and everything that goes in comes out. There is only a small amount of waste when starting and stopping the machine. Additionally, if we also keep in mind that this enables regional production, all logistical distances are shortened. How does the company differentiate itself and provide a unique solution that stands apart from other innovators within the alt-protein category? This technology competes with other plant-based protein processing technologies. The technology can be implemented immediately and production can begin right away, with no regulatory restrictions. We have a partner in Latvia who has drawn up plans for the construction of a new Happy Plant Protein factory. The construction costs for the factory are approximately €6 million. An isolate factory is also currently being built in Latvia, with construction costs of around €150 million. This means that the capital required is also significantly lower. Above all, however, is the taste of the protein. We have received feedback from everyone who has tested the protein that the taste is very good. Taste is important for the industry, as it simplifies the development of new products. How do you approach collaboration with other businesses in the plant-based food industry? We approach this by utilising either the customer's own raw materials or their factory. The fact that inexpensive raw materials (flour) can be processed into products that are 7–10 times more valuable, or that current technology (such as air classification) no longer meets customer quality requirements, gives us a way to approach customers. We work together on a development project to achieve the desired end product quality and offer the technology to the customer on a license basis. The customer starts their own production and runs a successful business using our technology. What is Happy Plant Protein’s biggest achievement to date? We are working on a development project with a couple of major ingredient companies. We have partners close to primary production who are planning to build a new production line, and we have food companies that are enthusiastic about the taste and properties of the protein. So we are very close to commercialisation. So far, we have also ensured that the technology works on an industrial scale in collaboration with European equipment manufacturers. Has the company encountered any notable challenges on its journey? How have they been navigated? A year and a half ago, we started with the process itself and ensuring its maturity. Now we are working on the properties of protein and carbohydrate fractions and their utilisation in different products and applications. We are moving forward step by step, and are receiving valuable feedback from customers on what the industry and the market require. Things don't happen overnight, so I think the only challenge we've faced is time. We've progressed according to our plan. For aspiring start-ups in the plant-based food and beverage industry, what valuable advice or insights would you share to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities in this dynamic sector? Things take time. If you are creating something new, it will take time to implement it with your customers. Be prepared for that. And remember to focus on your own work. We have received many contacts that are really interesting, but unfortunately, there is not always enough time for everything!

Non-profit food research initiative Nectar has unveiled its Taste of the Industry 2026 report, built on what is claimed to be the most comprehensive public sensory analysis of dairy alternatives to date. The organisation aims to accelerate the transition of the $1.2 trillion global dairy industry toward less carbon-intensive plant-based alternatives, with the dairy industry among agriculture’s largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Its latest report on alt-dairy follows its 2025 report that focused on meat alternatives . Like the alt-meat study, it is based on an extensive dataset on the sensory performance of alternative proteins, with Nectar having utilised over 30,000 consumer sensory evaluations to build its alt-protein research so far. The global dairy-free market is forecasted to reach $66.9 billion by 2030, but has historically been held back by taste and texture constraints as manufacturers struggle to replicate the familiar, tangy and creamy flavours of dairy products like cheese and yogurt. However, significant strides in enhancing taste and texture have been made in recent years – though Nectar’s report found that there is still a huge opportunity for improvement. For the new study, Nectar evaluated 98 commercialised dairy-free products across then categories, with 2,183 omnivore and flexitarian consumers in San Francisco and New York, US. The product selection spanned the US market, from established brands with nationwide distribution to emerging food-tech companies working with novel ingredients. Blind consumer panels and conventional dairy benchmarking were used to assess how dairy-free products perform in familiar applications – such as barista drinks in coffee, and mozzarella alternatives on pizza.   Milk alternatives and creamers lead in taste parity The report found that multiple categories – milk alternatives, particularly barista-style, and creamers – are leading the way in competing with conventional dairy on taste. Califia Farms’ Oat Barista Blend product attained taste parity with the dairy Horizon Whole Milk in a hot latte. This was the only product to have achieved taste parity, defined as an at least 50% likelihood that Califia would be preferred on a future test against the dairy benchmark. Three other products – Ripple Barista Blend, Dream Oatmilk Barista, and Oatly Sweet & Creamy Oatmilk Creamer – neared parity, with the dairy benchmark failing to achieve statisticaly significant preference.   R&D needed to close taste gap The average dairy-free product was rated ‘like very much’ or ‘like’ by just 33% of participants, compared to 63% for the dairy benchmark, highlighting that taste improvements are still needed to unlock the category’s full potential. Ice cream, cream cheese and mozzarella were the furthest behind, highlighting opportunity for improvement, with gaps in liking of 1.3 points to 2.1 points compared to the dairy benchmark products. Flavour and texture are highlighted as key focus areas for improvement. Mozzarella and cheddar had the highest gaps in purchase intent (25% vs 67% for mozzarella, 40% vs 71% for cheddar), indicating the need for overall sensory improvements. This includes qualities such as stretching and melting capabilities, as well as decreasing stickiness and ‘gumminess’ to drive consumer adoption. Milk alternatives, the best-tasting category, had 15 times higher market share than cheese alternatives, the worst-tasting category. Categories that were rated at least 1.3 points worse than the dairy product have captured less than 2% of the market – these include cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and ice cream. The biggest opportunities to improve flavour were in areas such as increasing richness, creaminess, sweetness and expected colours (such as whiteness in alt-milks), while decreasing undesirable aftertastes and artificial/chemical flavours. In cheese, increasing sharpness is also a notable focus.   Opportunities to increase purchase intent Interestingly, despite increased scrutiny over ‘clean labels’ across the broader food and beverage industry, ingredients and macronutrients were found to have a ‘limited’ impact on purchase intent and product performance. Higher protein increases purchase intent but reduces overall product performance, Nectar’s research found. Protein ingredients overall, except for pea, were reported by at least 20% of consumers as having an impact on their purchase intent (versus 16% for oils on average). However, 48% of consumers said they ‘strongly agree’ that health factors into their decision making, suggesting an opportunity to drive growth through health-centric marketing. These consumers were also significantly more likely to purchase dairy-free products than the general population. Nectar’s report also found that dairy-free products benefit from making consumers feel ‘more refreshed and responsible,’ with these emotions associated with moderate increases in purchase intent. Nostalgia, indulgence, satiation and joy were more frequently associated with traditional dairy-based products. Dairy-free brands could therefore focus on attempting to replicate these positive emotions in order to drive adoption, with suspicion and disappointment more commonly experienced with dairy-free products and showing a large negative impact on purchase intent. Price was also a significant factor. Introducing a 25% price premium prices out almost half (43%) of consumers compared to price parity, the report found, highlighting an opportunity to reduce perceived price gaps with smaller pack sizes or messaging focused on absolute dollar discounts – consumers tend to focus on absolute dollars instead of percentages, Nectar stated.   The state of alt-dairy Generally, Nectar found that the purchase intent for dairy-free products is positive and outperforms plant-based meat. 67% of consumers said they ‘would buy’ or ‘definitely would buy,’ scoring 0.4 points higher on purchase intent compared to meat alternatives. Dairy products are still ahead, with 66% stating that they ‘definitely would buy’ or ‘would buy’ (compared to 49% for dairy-free). Creamer, milk and barista milk categories show that dairy-free could meet or even exceed dairy purchase intent – dairy-free creamer scored a purchase intent of 5.6 points vs 5.5 points for dairy creamer, and average purchase intent for dairy-free milk was equal to dairy. Caroline Cotto, director of Nectar, said: “The path to mainstream adoption for dairy alternatives runs through taste”. Though she noted “remarkable progress from category leaders,” she said that there is still “significant work ahead for the dairy-free industry”. “Our goal is to provide the objective sensory data that drives R&D innovation and ultimately expands consumer adoption of sustainable alternatives to dairy,” she concluded.

A study from researchers in the US is exploring the potential of rice proteins in the development of hypoallergenic and sustainable cheese alternative products. Mahfuzur Rahman, an assistant professor in the Department of Food Science for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, led the University of Arkansas study. He explained that the protein sources in rice are considered byproducts of white rice processing, adding value and potential domestic demand for one of the state’s leading crops. In the study carried out by the Experiment Station (the research arm of the University’s agriculture division), a variety of proteins extracted from a single rice cultivar were shown to provide the necessary qualities for plant-based cheesemaking, including firm texture and meltability. Unlocked opportunity for rice byproducts Arkansas leads the US’ rice production, harvesting a record 1.43 million acres in 2024 that accounted for nearly 50% of the nation’s total rice production. During rice milling, the dehulling process removes the husk, yielding brown rice. Further milling of brown rice produces white rice, along with rice bran and broken kernels as byproducts. Rahman said that using these rice milling byproducts for protein extraction present a "significant opportunity to expand the US-based rice protein market while promoting a sustainable circular economy”. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the US produced an estimated 14.3 million tons of rice bran and around 24.8 million tons of broken kernels annually in 2024, offering a potential yield of around 3.3 million tons of rice protein for the plant-based market. Nutritional analysis Brown rice contains about 15% protein, 15% fibre and 50% carbohydrates. Broken kernels, which can be used in beer brewing as well as pet food, contain around 7% protein, 75% carbohydrates and 1% fibre. After chemically extracting protein from each rice section, the researchers made three different plant-based cheeses using a standard recipe with organic coconut oil and corn starch. They also analysed the protein composition from each rice source. Rice proteins are composed of four major subunits: albumin, globulin, glutelin and prolamin, with glutelin being the largest fraction. Analysis showed that rice bran contained the highest amount of albumin, while glutelin was higher in brown rice and kernel protein. The rice-based cheeses made from the rice byproducts contained about 12% protein – a significantly higher portion than many plant-based cheese alternatives currently available on the market, Rahman pointed out. Functional properties With sufficient foaming and emulsion capacities, Rahman also noted that the rice-sourced protein could replace the functions that eggs and oil provide in food chemistry. While the study involved using hexane to extract the rice proteins, Rahman said he has been working on developing an ultrasound-based, non-chemical method of protein extraction to improve nutritional value. He is also working on extracting gluten from wheat flour using electrically charged plates. Food scientist and grain processing engineer Mahfuzur Rahman, leader of the study According to the researchers, their study – published in the journal Future Foods – found that broken-kernel protein offered a softer texture with higher oil separation and melting properties, high glutelin content, moderate solubility, and emulsifying and foaming properties. Brown rice protein was higher in essential amino acids and released more free amino acids during simulated digestion. It also demonstrated the highest solubility, emulsifying activity and emulsion stability. Despite its lower solubility, rice bran protein showed significantly higher surface hydrophobicity. Its water-holding and foaming capabilities enhanced texture and minimised oil separation in cheese alternative prototypes. Rahman said future studies on rice protein in alternative cheesemaking may focus on refining the cheese compositions and assessing sensory characteristics, customer acceptance and shelf-life stability. “Current research is in progress to tackle these issues, facilitating the transition from laboratory development to practical use,” he added.

Marine Biologics has announced the launch of SeaTex, a patent-pending, high-performance seaweed powder designed for protein stabilisation. The solution is described as a nutritional design tool that can suspend and stabilise nutritious ingredients – such as fibres, minerals and bioactives – across various food and beverage applications. It can also bind and structure lipids and fats. Offering a neutral taste and ‘extremely low’ application rate, SeaTex is designed to replace multi-ingredient stabilisation and buffering stacks with a single, clean label solution that can be reproduced consistently and at scale. According to California-based Marine Biologics, the vegan-friendly solution can tolerate a wide range of pH and temperature requirements. It is sourced from GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe), ocean-harvested brown seaweed, and contains zero additives, synthetic ingredients or carrageenans. This enables manufacturers to formulate without gums, buffers and bulking agents as consumers seek simpler, ‘cleaner’ ingredients. Patrick Griffin, CEO of Marine Biologics, said: “Seaweed has long offered the promise of an abundant and renewable alternative ingredient, but a narrow understanding of its chemical composition and outdated production methods have led to highly refined ingredients that consumers are no longer interested in seeing on their ingredient labels”. He added: “With our breakthrough processing capabilities, we provide product developers and brand teams with new tools to meet consumer demands for cleaner labels”. The company used MacroLink, an AI engine purpose-built for ingredient design, to address common constraints surrounding time-consuming R&D cycles in functional ingredient development. Marine Biologics said this allowed it to take ingredient discovery ‘from years to months,’ unlocking new potential in the $121 billion market for clean functional ingredients. Marine Biologics’ initial focus is on producing seaweed-derived functional ingredients, but is exploring other areas of innovation beyond SeaTex, such as natural egg replacements, baking texturants, bioactives and next-gen biopolymers for sustainable packaging. SeaTex makes its official debut at the Future of Food Tech event in San Francisco, US, from 19–20 March 2026.

Ingredients provider Amyris has completed construction of a new production line at its flagship precision fermentation facility in Barra Bonita, Brazil. The expansion adds a fourth production line to the site, complementing three existing large-scale fermentation lines. The new installation features a 2x80-cubic-metre configuration, designed to accelerate scale-up and improve flexibility in producing high-value speciality molecules used across industries, including food and beverage, flavour and fragrance, and health. Chief executive officer Kathy Fortmann described the investment as a key step in meeting growing customer demand for sustainable and customisable ingredients. She noted that the additional capacity will enable the company to support more partners while maintaining performance, quality and sustainability standards expected by global brands. The Barra Bonita facility plays a central role in Amyris’s strategy to deliver renewable alternatives to traditionally petrochemical- or agriculturally derived ingredients. The new line is equipped with advanced automation, process controls and data-driven monitoring systems, aimed at improving efficiency, reliability and production precision. According to chief operations officer Adam Blaziak, the enhanced automation capabilities allow the company to produce molecules with greater consistency and control, an increasingly important factor for food and beverage manufacturers seeking scalable, clean label and sustainable ingredient solutions. For the food and beverage industry, the expansion comes amid heightened demand for resilient supply chains and environmentally responsible sourcing. Precision fermentation is gaining traction as a viable route to produce flavours, sweeteners, lipids and other functional ingredients with reduced environmental impact compared to conventional methods. With the new line now operational, Amyris said it is better positioned to support customers at various stages of product development and commercialisation, from early innovation through to full-scale production. Founded in 2003, Amyris has built its business around renewable biological chemistry, using fermentation to create speciality ingredients designed to improve product performance while reducing reliance on finite resources. The latest capacity expansion signals continued momentum in scaling biomanufacturing solutions for mainstream food and beverage applications.

Sirio Europe has announced the launch of LifeChews – a patented, plant-based, chewable ‘jelly tablet’ format suitable for delivering a wide range of active ingredients. According to Sirio, the new nutraceutical format is clinically proven to improve bioavailability, as well as delivering ‘excellent’ dispersibility across a variety of oil-soluble actives while enabling high nutrient payloads. Research from ITC shows that 43% of consumers want greater efficacy from their supplement purchases, while up to 45% cited pleasant taste as a key format driver. While traditional formulation challenges like poor dispersibility, oxidation and unwanted aftertastes have limited development of lipid-based nutrient formulations in chewable formats, Sirio aims to address this and meet growing demand for convenient and tasty options. LifeChews’ jelly tablet format is suited to ingredients such as omega-3 oils, fat-soluble vitamins, coenzyme Q10, and carotenoids such as lutein and astaxanthin. The company has developed four concepts using the format, with the range addressing key consumer health priorities including brain health, heart health, immunity and longevity. Sirio said its patented technology ensures uniform dispersion of 5 μm oil droplets, comparable to lipid particle sizes found in human milk, for optimised absorption. In studies, LifeChews was shown to achieve a 161% higher blood plasma DHA concentration versus a control, the company stated, representing a 198% improvement bioavailability. Additionally, digestion studies confirmed even distribution of DHA during simulated gastric and intestinal conditions, highlighting stability and efficiency. Sara Lesina, general manager at Sirio Europe, said: “LifeChews are a gamechanger in how consumers experience supplements”. “By bringing together clinical validation and a high payload capacity, LifeChews give our partner brands a powerful new way to stand out in key trending categories and deliver real added value to consumers.”

Flora Food Group has agreed to sell its Latin American operations to Alicorp, a major player in food and beverages across South America. The proposed transaction is expected to close later in 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. It includes Flora’s brand portfolio and commercial operations across seven Latin American markets, excluding Mexico and Brazil. It also includes Flora’s manufacturing facility located in Cali, Colombia. The deal will see Flora Food Group – headquartered in the Netherlands, and a major player in plant-based spreads, alongside other food and nutrition products – sell 100% of its shares of its businesses in Guatemala, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile to Alicorp. Flora’s Latin America portfolio includes margarine brands such as La Danesa, a renowned brand in several regional markets, as well as Dorina and Bonella, which are well-known in the Ecuadorian market. Alicorp, headquartered in Peru and part of Grupo Romero, has an established presence in Latin America, offering a range of brands across food and other categories. Its portfolio includes major brands such as AlaCena, Don Vittorio and Nicolini. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Every has entered the consumer market for the first time through a partnership with direct-to-consumer pantry brand Healthier Comforts, which has launched a retail-ready Animal-Free Egg White Protein Powder made with Every’s flagship ingredient, OvoPro. The product marks the first time Every’s egg white protein, previously supplied only in bulk to food and beverage manufacturers, has been packaged for direct consumer use. The powder is available in an 8-oz resealable bag via the Healthier Comforts website and on Amazon and is designed for at-home cooking and baking. The partnership originated at the IFT First in Chicago, where Healthier Comforts founder Aaron Vander Heyden identified an opportunity to address a longstanding gap in the vegan baking market. Vegan consumers have traditionally lacked a fully functional egg white replacement capable of performing in demanding culinary applications such as meringues, macarons and angel food cake. Vander Heyden said: “When we came across Every and their ingredients at IFT First in Chicago, we immediately realised that there was a huge opportunity to meet an unmet need for vegan consumers. The introduction of this product has even exceeded our expectations.” “We are thrilled to partner with Healthier Comforts as the first-to-market with animal-free egg white protein in a pantry-friendly format,” said Corinn Williams. “Healthier Comforts had the vision to make OvoPro accessible to home cooks, and the consumer response reflects just how significant this gap has been for the vegan community.” While the new retail powder targets home bakers, Every continues to focus primarily on supplying ingredients to food and beverage manufacturers. The company’s precision-fermented proteins are already used across a range of commercial applications, including baked goods, beverages and other functional formulations. Products containing Every ingredients are currently sold through major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Amazon, as well as in regional bakery products. In 2026, the company says its focus will be on increasing production capacity and helping manufacturers address supply chain pressures, meet cage-free commitments and stabilise ingredient costs. Every, headquartered in San Francisco, develops egg proteins using precision fermentation rather than animal agriculture. Its ingredient portfolio includes OvoPro, a functional ovalbumin designed to replicate egg white performance, and OvoBoost, a highly soluble neutral-flavour protein designed for beverages and fortified foods. The collaboration with Healthier Comforts signals growing interest in bringing precision-fermented ingredients directly into consumer-facing formats as the alternative protein sector continues to evolve.

Biotechnology company Novella Innovative Technology has appointed nutraceutical industry veteran Antonio Martinez Descalzo as chief executive officer, as the company moves from research and development toward commercial production of plant-cell-derived ingredients.  Antonio Martinez Descalzo. Martinez brings more than two decades of leadership experience across the life sciences, nutrition and health-and-wellness sectors. He previously held senior roles at agribusiness and ingredients company ADM, including vice president of innovation and business development director for its health and wellness division, where he helped expand branded ingredients across global markets. He has also contributed to industry policy and development through the board of the International Probiotics Association. The appointment comes as Novella prepares for a key operational phase. Chairman and co-founder Kobi Avidan said: “2026 marks a pivotal operational year for Novella. Having successfully completed pilot production, we are moving into full industrial manufacturing, responding to the global demand for precise, consistent and high-potency botanical ingredients”. At the centre of Novella’s strategy is AuraCell, the company’s proprietary precision-cultivation platform that grows bioactive compounds directly from plant cells in controlled environments. The process eliminates the need to cultivate whole plants while producing standardised phytonutrients with consistent potency and minimal resource use. Martinez said the technology introduces what the company calls a new nutraceutical category: 'Precision Botanicals'. “We’re introducing the new category of precision botanicals into the nutraceutical space,” Martinez said. “This approach enables fully standardised botanical ingredients produced at consistent volumes while supporting sustainability and supply chain resilience.” The technology also aims to reduce volatility in botanical ingredient supply chains, which are increasingly affected by climate variability and agricultural constraints. Novella’s first ingredient, Novella Strawberry, is a whole-cell strawberry-derived ingredient containing naturally occurring compounds such as antioxidant phenolic acids. The product is currently available for industrial validation and sampling. Commercial rollout is expected in 2027, with the company initially targeting the North American nutraceutical market, which it estimates at around $60 billion. To support scale-up, Novella has partnered with Chemo Biosynthesis, the industrial division of Insud Pharma Group, which will manufacture the ingredient at its pharmaceutical-grade facilities in Italy. Chemo operates as a contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) specialising in pharmaceutical production. Under the agreement, Chemo will integrate Novella’s proprietary plant-cell cultivation technology into its manufacturing processes to enable large-scale production measured in tons. “Beyond the advantages of having a lean production model that does not require capital-intensive facility build-outs, this approach enables the production of natural ingredients at volume with pharmaceutical-grade precision,” Martinez said. Novella is also strengthening its production pipeline through partnerships with CDMOs including the UK’s Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and Extracellular, both focused on process development and scale-up for biotechnology products. In January 2026, the company received grant support from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to advance downstream processing for plant-cell culture. The project is being conducted in collaboration with Extracellular and aims to improve both the economic viability and environmental sustainability of production. “These combined efforts will create a robust ecosystem that supports Novella’s goal of transforming the nutraceutical supply chain as we transition from start-up to full-production company,” Adivan said.

Danish ingredient manufacturer Ferm Food has acquired a former manufacturing facility from Orkla in Skovlund, Denmark. The move aims to significantly increase production of fermented plant-based ingredients for the global food industry. The acquisition, which takes effect on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, will provide the company with additional production infrastructure to scale up its fermentation technology amid rising international demand. The newly acquired site will produce fermented ingredients derived from a range of plant-based raw materials, including legumes, rapeseed press cake, kernels, oats, buckwheat and wheat, targeting manufacturers looking for more natural functional ingredients in food formulations. Once fully operational, the site is expected to support an annual capacity of up to 20,000 tonnes of fermented ingredients, depending on product mix, supplementing Ferm Food’s existing production capacity in Vejen, Denmark. Jens Legarth, Ferm Foods CEO, said: “We have outgrown our current facilities. With the Skovlund site, we can supply many more food manufacturers in Denmark and abroad. Global interest has developed faster than we expected, and that is why we are scaling up now.” The new facility will support Ferm Food’s strategy to supply functional fermented ingredients to a wider range of manufacturers across Europe and other export markets. Ferm Food develops ingredients designed to help manufacturers improve functionality in food formulations while maintaining simpler ingredient lists. The ingredients are produced using solid-state fermentation with selected lactic acid bacteria, a process that breaks down unwanted compounds in raw materials while generating bioactive compounds that support functionality. Ferm Food operates under the parent company Fermentationexperts, which has developed and patented the fermentation technology used by the business. The group operates production facilities in the US, Malaysia, Denmark and Ukraine, focused on producing plant protein and fermentation-based ingredients at industrial scale.