Alongside the industry heavyweights famed for pioneering the plant-based category, smaller businesses with big ambitions are also championing the future of sustainable, animal-free food. In this month’s Start-up spotlight, we speak to Elo Life Systems, a US-based company that aims to meet growing consumer demand for healthier natural ingredients through providing a natural, zero-calorie sweetener created through molecular farming methods. Todd Rands, the company’s CEO, tells us more. Elo’s mission is to unlock nature’s abilities to make consumers’ favorite foods more delicious, healthy and planet friendly. From unique plant-based sweeteners to saving crops like the banana from extinction, we focus on ingredients that empower consumers to feel good about the food they eat every day. How can your molecular farming approach provide benefits for our global food system? Molecular farming allows us to completely reimagine our food system, from what we grow, to how and where we grow it. It enables more local, planet-friendly sourcing of ingredients, while expanding our access to the diversity in nature, effectively reducing the environmental impact of food production. Via molecular farming, Elo produces sought-after ingredients that are difficult to harvest from natural sources and cannot be synthesised through artificial or other techniques. This provides better quality nutrition that is affordable and accessible to everyone. We use easy-to-grow crops as biofactories for these ingredients, enabling local, commercial-scale production while reducing their cost and environmental footprint. How is Elo Life Systems innovating in this space? Elo’s innovation starts with a deep understanding of the natural pathways that produce the most desirable ingredients for our food system. Utilizing advanced data analytics and computational biology, we find the best combinations of natural genes and enzymes to produce our ingredients, construct and optimise the pathways in plants, and then grow the resulting crops to produce our ingredients at commercial scale. We are harnessing nature to sustainably power the ultimate biofactory. What are the benefits of Elo’s natural sweetener for the plant-based food industry? Elo’s plant-based sweetener is 300 times sweeter than sugar, with zero calories, and a taste profile that is very similar to sugar. Our sweetener empowers food and beverage companies to reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners while improving nutrition in thousands of everyday food and beverage products people enjoy. And because it is plant based, it helps the industry meet the growing consumer demand for healthier and more natural ingredients in their foods. At the same time, our molecular farming platform enables more local, planet-friendly production, effectively reducing the environmental impact of food production. How are machine learning and data analytics technologies shaping the company’s approach? Machine learning and analytics greatly speed the process and the insights we’re able to uncover. We use sophisticated data analytics and algorithms to find the patterns in nature. This enables us to design and optimise the complex metabolic pathways that produce our ingredients, like Elo’s sweetener, in nature. And by constructing those pathways in crops, Elo can affordably scale commercial production. Molecular farming is completely changing the environmental footprint of food production. From what we grow, to how and where we grow it, molecular farming – where plants utilise sunlight, water, and CO2 to create energy – enables us to produce more while using substantially fewer resources. How does this work? For ingredients that are highly desired but rare in nature, we cannot simply strip natural sources of plants from delicate native ecosystems, nor can we continue to deforest land to create more space to grow additional crops. Using crops as biofactories via molecular farming enables us to produce those desirable ingredients in existing crops rather than destroying natural sources or taking up more land. Produce more, use less. Our sweetener is a great example. It is inspired by monk fruit, which has been used in China for hundreds of years and is increasingly popular in the west. It is prized by consumers and food and beverage companies alike for its sweet taste and no calories. But monk fruit can only be grown in remote valleys of China, and requires extensive labour to grow, harvest and process in Chinese factories before being shipped all the way around the world for use in our foods. A totally unsustainable and expensive production model. Through molecular farming, we reduce monk fruit’s cost and carbon footprint through local production. We use our biofactories to produce monk fruit sweetener in other easier to grow crops. And we’re able to produce the sweetener as a co-product in existing crop systems. This ensures we don’t require additional land and other resources to produce our sweetener. What has been the biggest challenge faced by the company so far? There’s been great reception to our sweetener, as everyone is seeking to reduce excess sugar in their diets. The biggest challenge thus far arises from the complexity of the food and beverage markets. There are literally hundreds of thousands of applications in products and brands which each need time to formulate, evaluate, market test and prepare for commercial launch with Elo’s new sweetener. For Elo, that has led us to seek partners that share our vision for innovation… that are daring to dream big and throw out the old conventional approaches to producing food. We’ve found a few such partners, where we can combine their commercial capabilities with Elo’s technological, biological and agricultural expertise. Finding true synergies with such partners is key to our success. Where is the company in its commercialisation journey? We’re moving from the lab to the field, where we will build our production scale in the coming year. And we are continuing to secure partners that are ready to work with Elo to reduce sugar and other artificial ingredients in their foods and beverages. We expect to have the initial regulatory (GRAS) status with FDA that is needed to commercialise our sweetener by 2025. We often focus on the technical product achievements when listing our biggest accomplishments, and there have been plenty. We are doing something that is incredibly complex, something that no one else has done before. Producing sweeteners by building natural multi-step enzymatic pathways that all need to work in synchrony inside of a plant is not easy. But seeing that work come to life with a product that everyone is excited to taste is incredibly rewarding. But our biggest achievement at Elo, by far, is the team and culture we’ve built. A group with unparalleled intellectual horsepower, driven to take on the toughest challenges, motivated by Elo’s mission to improve human health through food, and unified by our values – that is the ultimate secret of our success. What’s next for Elo Life Systems? The next two years will be incredibly eventful at Elo, as we scale up production of our first product using molecular farming – Elo’s all-natural zero-calorie sweetener. We will also be working with CPG and ingredient companies to incorporate and evaluate Elo’s sweetener in new foods and beverages. And we have our eye on the horizon as we explore other new ingredients to produce via molecular farming, including novel proteins, natural preservatives and high-value flavors and bio-actives. The future is incredibly bright, as molecular farming enables us to deliver more accessible and affordable nutrition, while improving the health of our planet. #EloLifeSystems #StartupSpotlight #US

Jumbo Supermarkets has announced that it will match the prices of its own-brand meat substitutes to the comparable animal-based variant. The European supermarket chain, which has stores in the Netherlands and Belgium, said that the initiative is in line with its ambition to encourage a more plant-based diet. The company wants 60% of the proteins it sells to be plant-based by 2030 at the latest. Jumbo’s own-brand meat substitute range consists of dozens of products including vegetarian chicken pieces, vegan minced meat and various types of burgers. The supermarket chain said that it recognises that price is a barrier for consumers to choose meat substitutes, and is lowering the prices of its meat alternatives range, which until this week was more expensive than traditional animal-based counterparts, to make choosing plant-based and vegetarian easier. Products that already had an equal or lower price than the comparable meat product will not change in price. Anrico Maat, retail director of Jumbo, said: “In addition to affordability, taste is often a determining factor. That is why we continuously work on improving and expanding the plant-based range. Recently, research by ProVeg found that a number of our plant-based private label products are positively assessed for their nutritional values.” Several other European supermarkets have also made similar moves in recent months, recognising the need to make plant-based alternatives more affordable for consumers. European chain Billa dropped the prices of its own-brand plant-based Vegavita range earlier this month following the opening of a new 100% plant-based store in Austria, making more than 50 Vegavita products the same price or cheaper than the non-vegan alternatives. Lidl in Germany was also celebrated for matching the price of its Vemondo range to its animal-based counterparts as well as placing them in the immediate vicinity of meat variants, aiming to make it easier for consumers to find alternatives to their favourite meat products. #Europe #JumboSupermarkets #plantbasedmeat #supermarkets

The Coconut Collab has launched a new coconut-based barista-style milk claimed to look, taste and behave just like its dairy counterparts. The new product, M!lk, is initially available exclusively through Ocado and aims to ‘set a new standard’ for plant-based milk. According to The Coconut Collab, the product froths well, does not split when warmed and will not alter the taste profile of tea, making it well-suited to hot drinks, smoothies, cereals and more. The company said it uses ethically-farmed coconuts which are naturally low in sugar and full of minerals, electrolytes and healthy fats. It operates with a zero waste approach, using 100% of the coconuts sourced to create its yogurts, creams, desserts and milks within its supply chain. James Aerdieck, founder of The Coconut Collab, said: “We know that one in three Brits are drinking plant-based milk, however we also know that almost every variant currently available on supermarket shelves influences the taste profile of the end product – whether this is a cup of tea or a bowl of cereal”. He added that M!lk offers customers an “unrivalled and uncompromising” plant-based milk alternative, with taste at the heart of the company’s proposition. #plantbasedmilk #UK #TheCoconutCollaborative #coconutmilk #milkalternatives

Dairy alternative company Daiya Foods has announced that Hajime Fujita has been appointed to the role of chief executive officer. Fujita will replace Michael Watt, who had been in the role since 2019. Fujita is a former director at Daiya and will lead all global operations throughout North America and the brand’s continued international expansion. He brings over 17 years of global experience in business and financial planning throughout the US and the Asia-Pacific region. Fujita joins from Daiya’s parent company, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, where he was VP of business planning. Daiya has been producing plant-based dairy alternatives since 2008, well-known for its cheese formats including blocks, shreds, slices, sticks, cream cheese style spreads and sauces. It has since expanded into other ‘cheese-forward’ foods like pizza, mac and cheese and frozen cheesecake. Having played a key role in Otsuka’s acquisition of Daiya in 2017, Fujita joined Daiya himself and served as director of financial planning and analysis from 2018 to 2021. Following this, he assumed a seat on Daiya’s board as part of the VP role at Otsuka. Among his key achievements at Daiya are playing a lead role in the development of the company’s manufacturing facility and office in Burnaby, British Columbia, said to be the largest stand-alone plant-based food facility in North America. Commenting on his new role, Fujita said: “There is enormous potential in the Daiya brand to push the highly competitive plant-based category to new heights, particularly through product innovation and bold marketing”. He added: “I’m thrilled to be rejoining Daiya at such a dynamic period in the wider cultural conversation around plant-based eating and I look forward to working with our fantastic team in writing the next chapter of our amazing brand story”. Alongside Fujita’s appointment, the Daiya board of directors made two further changes to the leadership team. Chief marketing officer, Melanie Domer, will assume a new role as chief commercial officer, overseeing marketing and sales. John Kelly, VP of consumer marketing assumes the role of chief marketing officer. Domer commented: “By bringing sales and marketing together, Daiya will be even better positioned to reach and engage with consumers all along the shopper journey, bringing more people to plant-based eating, and driving growth of our categories”. Daiya’s foods are available in more than 25,000 grocery stores in the US and Canada, as well as through e-commerce partnerships. Its products can be found internationally in Asia, Europe and Latin America. #DaiyaFoods #plantbasedcheese #plantbaseddairy #US

VFC has launched its first range of ‘naked’ uncoated vegan chicken breasts and mince, both rolling out now in Morrisons stores across the UK. The expansion of VFC’s range follows the two milestone acquisitions made by the company this year: Meatless Farm and, most recently, Clive’s Purely Plants. With the launch of the two new frozen products, VFC stretches beyond its core range of southern-fried crispy coated vegan chicken. VFC said this will open the brand to a broader consumer base and multiple usage occasions. VFC Chick*n Breasts aim to replicate the shape, texture and taste of real chicken breasts, made from 100% natural ingredients. Meanwhile, the VFC Chick*n Mince offers a ‘market-first’ innovation, VFC said, containing 31g of protein and 7.8g of fibre per 100g. It is gluten-free and claimed to contain 65% less saturated fat than conventional chicken mince. Alison Reilly, head of marketing for VFC, commented: “We recognise that health is a key driver for consumers in this category. Expanding our product portfolio into uncoated products not only allows us to appeal to incremental meal occasions in the week, but also aligns with our mission of sparing chicken’s lives by featuring our products in more mealtimes.” VFC co-founder, Adam Lyons, described the mince as a “game-changer in the world of plant-based cuisine”. He added: “We’re proud to offer a product that matches the taste and texture of conventional chicken mince, whilst providing exceptional nutritional value. We believe that our customers will be delighted with the taste, versatility and health benefits of this innovative addition to our product range.” #frozenfoods #plantbasedchicken #UK #VFC

Sugar manufacturer Nordzucker is entering a new business segment with an investment of more than €100 million into the production of plant-based proteins. Headquartered in Germany, Nordzucker has announced that it will put a new plant into operation for this new business segment at its site in Groß Munzel, Lower Saxony, by mid-2026. The expansion is expected to create around 60 additional jobs and reflects the “increasingly important role in the future” that plant-based nutrition is set to play, said Nordzucker’s CEO Lars Gorissen. He commented: “We are supplementing our portfolio with a product that fits in well with our core competences and are thus consistently pursuing our growth strategy”. The company will produce and sell pea proteins to be used as a source of protein and texturizer in plant-based food. It will rely particularly on the yellow pea from regional cultivation, which Gorissen said fulfills all the requirements for economical and sustainable production with its ability to be grown in many regions and fit well into the crop rotations of farms. Nordzucker can produce peas all year round due to their shelf life. They will be marketed as a concentrate and dry texturate for further processing in the food and animal feed industry. The company’s chief financial officer, Alexander Bott, said double-digit growth rates are expected per year in the pea protein concentrates and texturates segment, so the company is “setting a fast pace in terms of implementation”. Construction of the new production facilities is scheduled to begin in autumn 2024. The plant will benefit from Nordzucker’s existing infrastructure and transport links, enabling good access to raw materials from many arable farming regions and to sales markets. The supervisory board of Nordzucker has supported the entry into the new business segment and expansion of production capacity at the Groß Munzel site. #Germany #Nordzucker #peaprotein #plantprotein

Global food and agribusiness company Bunge has introduced Beleaf PlantBetter, a new plant-based butter alternative claimed to be on par with dairy butter. Bunge’s Beleaf range of plant-based lipids for meat and dairy alternatives was created to meet demand for plant-based alternatives and deliver the same sensory experience as traditional meat and dairy products. The company said its new butter alternative can address complexities faced by food manufacturers and bakers seeking plant-based alternatives that match the versatile functionality of traditional dairy butter and can easily be integrated into the current production process. According to Bunge, Beleaf PlantBetter captures ‘the distinctive aroma and texture’ as well as the same melting characteristics of traditional butter. It is a blend of coconut, cocoa butter, rapeseed and lecithins. While initially designed for bakery applications, Bunge said it has future plans to extend to other dairy and confectionery applications. The product can address challenges such as achieving the precise aeration, volume and taste required for products such as croissants and cakes. Aaron Buettner, president of food solutions at Bunge, said: “Beleaf PlantBetter is a game-changing innovation developed by Bunge that brings together the sustainability attributes of plant-based with the uncompromising sensory and performance of dairy butter—all while delivering a lower cost-in-use compared to butter”. #Bunge #plantbasedbutter

Agronomics has announced that its portfolio company Solar Foods has raised €8 million in a Series B financing round. The round was led by the Finland-based investment organiser Springvest Ovi. Existing investors participated alongside Springvest via a private placement anticipated to close within two weeks. The private placement includes existing investors Happiness Capital, Lifeline Ventures, VTT Ventures and Fazer. Funding will be used to support the continued ramping up of production of Solar Foods’ single-cell protein, Solein. Solar Foods produces Solein using carbon dioxide and electricity. It is a microbial protein-rich powder containing all essential amino acids, produced by feeding microbes with gases including carbon dioxide, hydrogen and oxygen, together with small amounts of nutrients. The bioprocess resembles winemaking, with carbon dioxide and hydrogen replacing sugar as the source of carbon and energy. Since Agronomics’ first investment in Solar Foods, the company has increased its productivity of Solein by over ten times, achieved regulatory approval for Solein in Singapore and submitted a dossier to the European Food Safety Authority for approval in the EU. Agronomics is a venture capital firm that focuses on cellular agriculture, with a portfolio of over 20 holdings at the pre-seed to Series C stage. It seeks to secure minority stakes in companies owning technologies that offer new ways of producing food and materials with a focus on products historically derived from animals. #Agronomics #cellbasedtechnology #Finland #SolarFoods

The Italian Chamber of Deputies has this week passed a law banning the use of meat-related names, such as ‘salami’ or ‘steak’ for plant-based products. The new ban also prohibits the production and marketing of cell-based meat. In a statement, the Good Food Institute (GFI) said that the bill, which introduces fines between €10,000 and €60,000 for each violation, will “cut the country off from innovation and block sustainable development”. It warns that the move will reduce investment, push Italian researchers abroad and hinder the fight against climate change while other European countries are investing in the cell-based and plant-based sectors. The move to ban meat-related terms on the labelling of plant-based products will directly affect Italian companies that make plant-based meat. Industry research indicates Italy as the third-largest European market for plant-based products, with sales surging 21% to exceed €600 million between 2020 and 2022. Francesca Gallelli, public affairs consultant at the GFI Europe, commented: “Eliminating the possibility of using familiar terms to facilitate product recognition undermines transparency, generating confusion for consumers where none currently exists, as demonstrated by surveys”. A survey of Italian consumers revealed that 75% believe that it is necessary to reduce the consumption of conventional meat. Furthermore, 55% are interested in buying cell-based meat. The Italian Alliance for Complementary Proteins, which brings together industry companies, researchers and non-profit associations, said: “This bill tells Italians what they can and cannot eat, stifles innovation, and likely violates EU law”. “Once famous for pioneering world-changing innovations like radio, microchips, batteries, performance automobiles and ground-breaking fashion – Italian politicians are now choosing to go backwards while the rest of the world moves forward.” In the UK, the government has earmarked £12 million for alternative proteins, while the Danish government recently presented a national plan to support the development and uptake of plant-based meat. In Catalonia, the federal government recently invested €7 million in a research centre that will help companies scale up the production of plant-based meat and fermentation. #cellbased #GoodFoodInstitute #Italy #labelling

This week, Plant Based Word Expo Europe returned to the UK, hosted at a new venue space for the very first time – from its previous location at London Olympia, it moved to the larger Excel Centre in East London, taking place from 15-16 November. As always, the event allowed professionals spanning foodservice, retail and distribution to meet and network, encouraging collaboration and new business opportunities for plant-based brands and suppliers. The 100% plant-based event brought together companies from the ingredients and technology space with innovative start-ups and those looking to bring something fresh to one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving sectors within the food and beverage industry. Throughout the exhibition, The Plant Base team spoke to many companies for whom there was a clear passion and optimistic buzz about the sector’s development, both over the past few years and in the years to come. While talk of the sector’s ‘decline’ has hit the headlines this year, the clear message that we took on board was one of hope and positivity: that plant-based is not going anywhere, and while the sharp growth experienced pre-pandemic has not maintained the same unprecedented rates, this natural easing of acceleration was to be expected and is not bad news for the category, which had seen extremely high growth projections. In fact, there are still vast opportunities on the horizon. As technology advances, opening more doors for improving plant-based products, the industry can equip itself with the necessary tools to navigate challenges such as upgrading taste and texture, accelerating time to market and bringing down cost. Innovations on display from ingredients specialists highlighted just how much this technological advancement can give manufacturers in the space a welcome boost when trying to bring creative new offerings to market. The importance of efficiency within this process was a key takeaway. One such company showcasing how it can support businesses in this area was Givaudan. The Swiss flavours and fragrance specialist proudly showcased its innovative new AromaSniff technology, currently being trialled with clients in the co-creation of new flavour formulations. Givaudan’s team demonstrated how the technology could be used to make subtle alterations to the aroma of a desired strawberry flavour – for example, tweaking its properties to give it more of a sweet, cooked ‘jammy’ strawberry scent, or infusing the aroma of fresh strawberry with the subtle addition of other berries like raspberry. The handheld tech then generates this specific, customised aroma that the user can immediately smell as it is emitted from the device. Givaudan offered an example of how this can be used for flavour creation by providing several variations on a strawberry sauce, created using AromaSniff, that attendees could enjoy on a plant-based soft serve ice cream that was also demonstrated at the event to showcase its innovation in dairy alternative development. Igor Parshin, global marketing manager, Plant Attitude & Beyond Experience at Givaudan, told The Plant Base: “AromaSniff is a co-creation tool that is really helping to create moments together with customers, something that is almost immediately ready to go to market, because you can reduce the potential risk of doing something wrong – something not quite right in the flavour profile, flavour is always important”. “AromaSniff helps you to easily navigate the hundreds of flavour profiles that we have, something that used to take weeks can be done in a matter of minutes, and that is a huge game changer because all industries are currently pressured and the risk of failing with your innovation is as high as ever. You need to make sure that every choice you make is good, and we are helping to do that.” Beyond Givaudan, there was plenty more innovation in ice cream at the event – Upfield was also dishing out its own plant-based soft serve, and Italian gelato specialist Valsoia presented its Triple Pistachio Mini Sticks, launched earlier this year and created with a creamy cashew-based pistachio gelato coated in indulgent vegan chocolate. The delicious innovation was a hit with attendees at the conference, demonstrating the vast improvements made in plant-based ice cream in recent years. It also took home a Plant-based Taste Award – FoodBev Media’s very own recognition of the highest-quality, best-tasting plant-based products launched this year, the results of which were announced in a special ceremony on the first day of the expo. The Plant Base spoke with Andrea Panzani, Valsoia’s CEO, during the event, who told us that the company attributes its successful gelato to a combination of high-quality, clean label ingredients, expertise and Italian origin. “Our track record comes from expertise, ability to produce gelato … gelato in Italy is iconic,” Panzani said. “In Italy we have 75% of the market share [for plant-based gelato]. We are the iconic country and producer of gelato, and this is important because the expertise is in our DNA. Joining food ingredients, clean label and expertise is a win – this is the secret mix.” Other award-winning companies to be celebrated by our Plant-based Taste Awards included plant-based cheese producer Honestly Tasty, taking home the prize for best cheese thanks to its tasty garlic and herb-flavoured product; confectionery winner Dandies for its maple-flavoured marshmallows; and alt-meat manufacturer Umiami for its whole-cut chicken-style fillet. Dan Bunt, FoodBev Media’s marketing manager, commented: “This year’s Plant Based World Expo Europe offered international plant-based companies the opportunity to showcase with more expertise, a larger audience and more incredible tasting products! The Plant-based Taste Awards provided the event the extra dimension as companies can now showcase their products to potential buyers and suppliers as the best-tasting products the industry has to offer.” Innovation in cheese was an area seen to have matured vastly at the event, with some impressive offerings on display. As well as Honestly Tasty, innovations from the likes of Dreamfarm and Purezza were garnering praise at the event. Vegan pizza chain company Purezza, which was also shortlisted for an award in the cheese category for its Stracciazza, presented itself alongside artisan cheese producer La Fauxmagerie for the first time since the companies announced their merger earlier this week. And Dreamfarm, which raised €5 million in funding earlier this month to expand production and R&D, showcased its authentically textured plant-based burrata and mozzarella products – claimed to be the world’s first plant-based cheese alternative with government-certified liquid status and a Nutriscore A rating. In plant-based meat, there were an array of hyper-realistic products demonstrating just how many different flavours and textures can be achieved, imitating a wider range of meat formats than ever before. Highlights included Redefine Meat’s juicy, authentic steak, La Vie’s new plant-based ham (showcased with the brand’s ham slicer, showing attendees as the product was cut up on the spot!), Mock’s succulent roast lamb alternative served up in mini Yorkshire puddings, and Hempeat’s juicy hemp-based patties brought some ingredient innovation to the dynamic alt-meat space. With conference sessions sharing insights from how brands can achieve success in foodservice – which has been widely recognised as a huge opportunity for plant-based this year – through to clean label ingredient development, collaborating with the cell-based sector and drivers for demand in the alternative meat market, there was something on the agenda for everyone to enjoy, from retailers to restaurants, brands and manufacturers alike. As the event closed up for another year, The Plant Base team felt positive about what’s to come for the exciting and resilient plant-based market: watch this space, and see you next year for Plant Based World 2024! #PlantBasedWorldEurope #PlantBasedWorldExpo #PlantBasedTasteAwards #UK

Oatside, an oat milk brand based in Singapore, has announced the launch of a new oat milk-based dairy-free ice cream range. The range, now available in a number of major retailers, has launched with three flavours: chocolate, peanut butter cookie dough and coffee with mini chocolate chips. Oatside said its latest creation is “poised to redefine the plant-based experience with its creamy texture and irresistible flavours”. All three varieties use Oatside’s oat milk as its base ingredient and are 100% plant-based and lactose-free. Oatside’s oat milk is extracted in-house from roasted Australian oats using the company’s enzyme treatment process, which gives it a creamy, malty and milky profile. Benedict Lim, Oatside’s founder and CEO, said: “Plant-based non-dairy ice creams pose a technical challenge and tend to be icy versus their dairy counterparts, but we’ve managed to achieve a rich, creamy non-dairy ice cream using our classic Oatside oat milk as the base ingredient”. #dairyfreeicecream #oats #Oatside #Singapore

Almond producer Veracruz Almonds has announced it will launch its Mediterranean almonds to vegan cheese suppliers across Europe. Veracruz produces a range of almond varieties including Belona, Soleta, Avijor and Guara from its almond groves in Portugal. Through offering its almonds to the vegan cheese market, the company said it will give consumers a new, exciting option that offers a different flavour profile to the vast majority of American-grown almonds. Almonds are rich in healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, making them well-suited for the production of nutritious vegan cheese alternatives, Veracruz said. The company champions ‘smart farming,’ utilising a tech-led approach with blockchain traceability, artificial intelligence and machine learning to monitor the route of almonds from field to fork. Veracruz leverages an advanced water irrigation system and Aqua4d technology to ensure ‘the highest precision water distribution,’ reducing water use in the orchards by 20% and achieving zero water waste. With its tech-led approach, Veracruz aims to support vegan cheese manufacturers in meeting their own sustainability commitments. David Carvalho, founder and CEO of Veracruz Almonds, said that as the vegan cheese market grows at pace, it is vital to meet demand for new and exciting products. “This is where our Mediterranean almonds come. Offering significant health benefits, and a unique flavour profile, Veracruz Almonds make the perfect base for a delicious vegan cheese,” he commented. “As an established exporter already, we can back up our first-class product and sustainable production process with excellent supply contracts. As we enter the plant-based market, we look forward to partnering with like-minded manufacturers who want to deliver something truly unique to consumers across Europe.” #almonds #plantbasedcheese #Portugal #VeracruzAlmonds