A new international vegan business directory, Vegan Business Networking, has launched aiming to boost connections within the vegan business world. Established by siblings Sam Roblett and Jane Elliott and free to access, the directory currently hosts over 880 members worldwide and offers more than 150 categories, covering all aspects of veganism. This includes food and beverage, encompassing specific subcategories such as catering and fast food. Roblett and Elliot envision the directory as a tool for global collaboration and growth within the vegan community. They encourage businesses and individuals to join the network to connect, collaborate and contribute to the advancement of veganism worldwide. Roblett established the Vegan Business Networking’s Facebook and LinkedIn groups, which now have over 6,500 members. Her motivation started with attending a networking event without vegan options, which encouraged her to create spaces for fellow vegan business owners. After the groups gained traction, Roblett brought her sister on board to collaborate on the vegan business directory project. With existing directories often requiring fees or being restricted to certain regions or industries, Elliott collaborated with her son’s company, Bespoke Software, to develop a directory accessible to everyone. Companies can join for free and register their business for inclusion within the directory, which aims to deliver a range of benefits for vegan organisations. These include amplified reach among a dedicated international target audience, the opportunity to forge connections with likeminded business owners and industry figures, and increased visibility to conscious consumers as well as potential media opportunities. While the directory is UK-founded, it is open to vegan businesses across the world. Roblett told The Plant Base: “With more than 880 listings so far from various industries across the globe, our directory is an essential tool for vegan business owners in the food and beverage sector and other related fields”. “Our directory goes beyond only listings, offering a plethora of supplementary materials and insightful articles, as well as a carefully chosen selection of documentaries, movies and advocacy tools about veganism. Our online groups on LinkedIn and Facebook also serve as a networking platform, connecting businesses with potential partners, suppliers and collaborators harnessing growth and innovation within the vegan industry.” #plantbased #Veganbusinessdirectory

Popcorn Kitchen has partnered with plant-based snack company Superfoodio to launch a peanut butter button popcorn kit in the UK. The new product features Superfoodio’s vegan peanut butter buttons as a topping on Popcorn Kitchen’s mushroom popcorn. The peanut butter buttons are made with peanuts, coconut blossom sugar, ethically sourced single-origin cocoa butter and salt. Popcorn Kitchen’s founder, Louise Monk, said: “As a business owner dealing in immersive snacking and gifting occasions, I’m always on the lookout for intriguing new ingredients with added wow. Like us, Superfoodio is a bustling family business with a bold vision to showcase fine snacking in an innovative, real ingredient light.” She added: “…Our prodigiously podgy mushroom popcorn provides the perfect crunchy setting for incredible flavours, and with melted Superfoodio buttons, it’s fair to say that we’ve struck gold.’ Popcorn Kitchen is set to unveil its new product at the Farm Shop & Deli show, which will held at the Birmingham NEC from 29 April – 1 May 2024. #PopcornKitchen #Superfoodio #UK

Beverage brand Aplós has introduced a line of functional RTD alcohol-free cocktails, infused with natural botanicals and adaptogens. Aplós Cocktails aims to deliver the ‘sophistication and functional effects’ of classic cocktails without the negative effects of alcohol, instead containing blends of natural, functional ingredients. Crafted with the brand’s signature non-alcoholic functional spirits, Arise and Calme, the cocktails are launching in two flavours: Ume Spritz and Chili Margarita. They are non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free, containing no added sugar and only 30 kcal per can. Ume Spritz is made with ume plum, oroblanco grapefruit, white tea, sea buckthorn and Aplós’ alcohol-free Calme spirit. Calme is infused with broad-spectrum hemp for a ‘calming, uplifting’ effect. Chili Margarita blends mandarin, Persian lime, orange habanero, sea salt and Aplós’ Arise. The Arise spirit is infused with a blend of adaptogens formulated to elevate mood, stimulate brain function and boost energy, including suntheanine, moringa, l-choline bitartrate, ginseng and vitamins B3 and B12. Emily Onkley and David Fudge, the brand’s co-founders, commented: “80% of our customers have told us they’ve meaningfully reduced their alcohol intake, and are constantly looking for new, functional cocktails. We set out to create the best non-alcoholic cocktails on the market, and we believe we’ve done it.” They added: “Our industry continues to grow rapidly with millions of people seeking alcohol alternatives and our mission is to create complex flavour profiles that rival the artisanal cocktail experience without the hangover and negative health effects”. The cocktails are sold in packages of four 8.5 fl oz cans for a suggested retail price of $24. Aplós beverages are available directly to consumers online, including at select cocktail bars worldwide and retail stores across the US. #alcoholfreespirits #RTD #US #cannedcocktails #cocktails #Aplós #lowandno

Precision-fermented dairy company Perfect Day has been sued by its Italian contract manufacturer Olon for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and fraudulent concealment, as reported by Ag Funder News. Olon is claiming $112 million in unpaid bills and a further $22 million in damages, according to a case filed at the New York Supreme Court. When approached by The Cell Base, Perfect Day declined to comment on the lawsuit. The complaint accuses Perfect Day of stringing Olon along while it ‘secretly planned’ to switch production of beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) to cheaper fermentation facilities in India – the company already has a manufacturing business in the country, which it acquired in 2022. For the last six years, Olon has been producing animal-free whey beta-lactoglobulin – the precision-fermented whey protein commercialised by Perfect Day. Perfect Day signed a contract under which Olon pumped over $86 million into “expanding and tailoring its manufacturing capabilities to Perfect Day’s unique specifications,” which would have enabled it to “earn substantial revenues by producing the vast quantities of beta-lactoglobulin needed to meet Perfect Day’s anticipated global supply chain needs”. Olon said that, in 2022, Perfect Day had “explicitly stated that the India plants would not be used to replace Olon’s facilities,” hence the manufacturer continued to invest in the collaboration. It was expecting “at least five years of continuous manufacturing activity and revenues going forward”. Olon claims that the parties’ relationship came to a halt in August last year when Perfect Day stopped paying its bills. Olon said that in September, it was shocked to learn that Perfect Day planned to move all manufacturing to plants it had recently purchased in India. According to Olon, it is owed $112 million in unpaid manufacturing fees, unreimbursed CapEx, raw materials costs and other costs, with an estimated additional $32 million in damages resulting from Perfect Day’s alleged fraud, which it argues curtailed Olon’s ability to develop alternate revenue streams with other clients. #PerfectDay #animalfreeproteins #altdairy #precisionfermentation #Olon #plantbaseddairy

Swedish start-up Ironic Biotech has successfully closed a pre-seed funding round of €1 million, led by Nordic Foodtech VC. Ironic Biotech has discovered a new generation of plant-derived proteins that contain iron, which it says are ‘highly bioavailable with no side effects’. The proteins – which are produced through precision fermentation – can be used as ingredients in food or food supplements. Ironic Biotech will use the funding to further its R&D work, expand its patent portfolio and optimise the production process. The start-up has announced that it is readily looking for partners in the food and food supplement industry to work with. Nélida Leiva Eriksson, CEO and founder of Ironic Biotech, said: “We want to help 2 billion people to prevent and recover from iron deficiency and anaemia. The lack of iron is partly responsible for the performance gap between males and females, as women naturally lose iron regularly. The situation is widely unaddressed – a sad story that applies to many female health issues, iron deficiency not being an exception.” According to Ironic Biotech reported that around 25% of the world’s population suffer from iron deficiency, which can lead to severe exhaustion, fatigue, heart palpitations, learning disabilities and anaemia. Many consumers bolster their iron intake with iron supplements, which the start-up stated can cause various side effects, from digestive problems to nausea and even organ damage. Louise Heiberg, investment director at Nordic Foodtech VC, commented: “New ingredients like this enable the food industry to tackle a global health problem with new products. Worries about iron uptake are also a significant barrier to reducing the use of red meat in the Western diet. Putting a fundamental innovation like this to work takes effort, talent, and a bit of time. As an early investor, we work tightly with the team to build a solid foundation for success.” Unlike current supplements, Ironic Biotech’s patented compounds have none of the side effects that most iron supplements can cause. The compounds are tasteless, and due to their stable form, can be stored at room temperature for long periods. The absorption rates are comparable to the iron in meat – this differs from traditional iron supplements where more than 90% of the iron goes through our digestive tract, as our bodies are unable to absorb it. Ironic Biotech’s plant-derived proteins can help companies looking for ways to make their products fit predominantly plant-based diets. #IronicBiotech #biotechnology #precisionfermentation #Sweden #alternativeproteins #plantproteins

SternLife will present three new concepts for vegan oat-based products at the World of Private Label exhibition in Amsterdam next month. The German functional food specialist will showcase concepts for an oat shake, oat bar and apple-cinnamon porridge at the event, taking place from 28-29 May. All three recipes have a high protein content, aiming to meet the growing demand for healthy, plant-based and primarily regional products. According to SternLife, demand for products made with local oats is growing rapidly, particularly in Western Europe. The grain is being increasingly favoured by product developers making plant-based products, including alternatives to milk and meat, with oat milk and puffed oats gaining traction alongside classic formats like oat flakes and oatmeal. SternLife’s apple-cinnamon oat bowl concept features oat flour, protein and bran, and is rich in fibre such as beta-glucans. These ingredients can help to maintain normal cholesterol levels. It also contains chia, included to deliver optimal satiety. The oat shake is made with wholemeal flour, protein and bran, containing three different oat ingredients and available in two flavours: banoffee, and golden milk – an Ayurverdic-inspired spice mix. Finally, the vegan protein bar oat cookie contains 22% protein from oats, pea and soy. According to SternLife, it is rich in fibre and free from added sugar. It features a crunchy topping made from puffed oats in combination with a vegan milk chocolate coating. Hans-Christian Seidel, business development manager at SternLife, said: “New product developments with oats as a key ingredient are on the rise. This is because the grain is a real all-round talent: healthy, natural, regional and highly versatile, as demonstrated by our new product range.” He added: “From shakes to porridge and bars, come and discover innovative, cutting-edge products that are designed to tap into the growth potential of oat and optimise the use of health claims. Tailored for respective brands and target groups, our customers benefit from expert advice and support at every step of the journey: from concept to recipe development and production.” #oats #SternLife #proteinbars #highprotein #Oatmilk #Germany

Retailer REWE Group opened its first fully plant-based supermarket in Berlin, Germany on 7 April 2024. The ‘REWE voll pflanzlich’ (REWE fully plant-based) supermarket, located at Warschauer Brücke in Berlin’s Friedrichshain district, offers more than 2,700 vegan products across its 212-square-metre sales space. REWE’s own store brands, REWE Bio + Vegan, REWE Bio, REWE Beste Wahl and Vives are prominently represented across the store, offering a portfolio of products that includes oat milk, smoked tofu and falafels. Well-known brands such as Rügenwalder, Oatly and Alpro can be found in the store – which will stock products from around 300 brands – as well as newer brands. These include Not Guilty, an organic vegan sweets brand, and Greenforce, a plant-based meat specialist offering Leberkäse and meatball alternatives. A wide selection of over 50 items from plant-based cheese brand Bedda and healthy snack company Bettr are available at the store, as well as more than 120 products from Koro, which offers a wide range of plant-based food products. Exclusively available at the store is BioVegan’s range, which includes baking mixes, pasta toppings and dresses. Other food brands listed include organic crisp brand Heimatgut, cereal brand Wholey and ready-to-eat snack bowl brand Goodbank. In the realm of beverages, Berlin-based spirits distiller Mampe is making its REWE debut at the new store. A snack bar offers fresh creams, fruits and sandwiches prepared by employees daily, while Eat Happy offers fresh plant-based sushi alongside the salad bar. Also available is a self-service ice cream machine, where customers can enjoy plant-based soft serve ice cream. Peter Maly, CEO of REWE Group, said that the supermarket showcases the “vast and varied” selection of vegan products now available. He added: “Our plant-based supermarket has twice as many products as the usual REWE product range. First and foremost, we hope to learn lessons that we can apply in our traditional supermarkets. Here at Warschauer Brücke in Berlin-Friedrichshain, we have the opportunity to pave the way for even more new products and brands on supermarket shelves.” The store has been designed in partnership with creative agency CMF, displaying eye-catching colours of bright yellow, green and warm rust-red, with colourful triangles stretching from the ceiling to the floor. Stefan Hörning, CEO of REWE Ost, said: “Lively, striking, natural – these are the keywords that have driven us forwards. We have special products, including lots of fresh produce. You can try out new things with us – and a lot of the product range is organic. Here, new companies with fresh ideas have the chance to get one of the coveted places on the supermarket shelf.” The product range in standard REWE stores includes up to 1,400 vegan items, experiencing significant growth in recent years – particularly in the categories of milk alternatives and fresh convenience products. REWE’s new plant-based store opening follows GfK research commissioned by the retailer last Autumn, showing that more than half of the respondents had already bought vegan alternatives. 27% said they replace animal products with vegan alternatives multiple times per week. #REWE #retailers #Europe #plantbasedsupermarket #retail #Germany

UK-based tempeh brand Tiba Tempeh has introduced a brand-new tempeh mince product, launching on Ocado in May 2024. The NPD brings tempeh to consumers in a unique new mince format, containing 100% plant-based, natural and organic ingredients. It is high in protein and fibre as well as being gluten-free. Alongside the new mince addition, Tiba is launching its Original Tempeh Block and Sweet Chilli Marinated Tempeh Pieces in over 400 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK from May. Additionally, a new pack design will roll out across the brand’s entire range, aiming to stand out to consumers more on-shelf with a refreshed, vibrant design. Ross Longton, co-founder at Tiba Tempeh, said: “Our new pack design, tempeh mince and Sainsbury’s listing will continue to push tempeh into the mainstream and support our mission to create a better world by inspiring people to eat more deliciously different, naturally healthy and sustainable plant-based food”. Tiba Tempeh was founded in 2019, specialising in products made from tempeh – a plant-based protein made from fermented soybeans that is firmer and more protein-dense than tofu (22g per 100g serving). Its range includes sweet chilli, curry spiced and soy marinade pieces that can provide a meat-free solution for dishes such as stir-fries, curries, salads and wraps. #plantbasedmince #meatalternatives #TibaTempeh #UK #tempeh

Superbrewed Food has announced that it has sold its Minnesota, US facility and is seeking a larger site to address growing sales of its postbiotic protein. The biomass fermentation start-up has revealed that it has now booked sales into 2027 for the novel ingredient. Made from microflora native to the human microbiome, Superbrewed’s products aim to deliver superior nutritional and functional benefits compared to plant- and animal-based proteins, as well as other microbial ingredients. At the beginning of the year, the company secured a critical patent covering the composition and use in foods of bacteria biomass ingredients. Following this, it formalised a manufacturing partnership with Döhler, which will produce the initial commercial volumes of the ingredient for the US market this year. In March, Superbrewed also received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) green light for the use of its protein in a wide range of food applications. This scale of production will exceed the capacity of its existing site in Little Falls and its current manufacturing partnership, supporting the company’s plans to retrofit an existing bioprocessing site in the US for dedicated, fit-for-purpose production. Julie Post-Smith, chief of commercial at Superbrewed Food, commented: “These purchase orders represent use in only a few food categories in the US. Meanwhile, we are developing a funnel of customers across many additional food applications in expanding geographies like Europe, where regulatory consideration is quickly advancing.” Superbrewed’s CEO, Bryan Tracy, said that the company is pleased with the reception of the postbiotic protein by customers with global reach, adding that evaluating further site options could support larger and faster production capacity. #biomassingredients #fermentation #US #biomassfermentation #postbiotics #SuperbrewedFoods #alternativeproteins

Cargill has announced a new commercial partnership with cocoa-free chocolate start-up Voyage Foods, aiming to meet global demand for sustainable confectionery. Voyage, based in California, US, uses plant-based ingredients to develop sustainable and dairy-free alternatives to popular products that face ‘uncertain futures’ due to their sourcing challenges – including chocolate. Alongside its alternatives to cocoa-based products, it also provides nut-free spreads made without common nut or dairy allergens, such as peanut and hazelnut, formulated to taste like their traditional counterparts thanks to the company’s proprietary technology. As part of the new partnership, Cargill will be the exclusive B2B distributor for Voyage Foods, expanding its traditional chocolate portfolio to include cocoa-free alternatives for the first time. These alternatives will be used in recipe formulation for categories such as bakery, ice cream and confectionery. Cargill said this will complement and diversify its portfolio to provide a broader range of solutions that are vegan, label-friendly and produced with no nut or dairy allergens. Inge Demeyere, managing director of bakery, ice cream and chocolate confectionery at Cargill, said: “Alternatives to cocoa-based products are a great accompaniment to the traditional chocolate solutions that Cargill offers its customers”. “This partnership is just one of the many ways that we are future-proofing our portfolio and meeting consumer demands and market regulations when it comes to even more sustainable options.” Adam Maxwell, CEO and founder of Voyage Foods, commented: “Voyage Foods has always been focused on solving human and environmental health challenges through food. The best way to accomplish this is by supplying the world’s food brands and manufacturers with our impactful ingredients.” He added: “Partnering with Cargill, a leader in the food industry for over 100 years, is the perfect way to scale these solutions globally to offer food manufacturers the ability to integrate cocoa-free confectionery and spreads, produced with no nut or dairy allergens used in the recipe formulation, into their portfolios”. The range will be available in Europe and will follow shortly in other regions globally. #cocoafreechocolate #US #VoyageFoods #confectionery #Cargill #dairyfreechocolate #plantbasedchocolate

Middleton Foods, a UK-based manufacturer of pre-mixes for the foodservice sector, has launched a new plant-based muffin mix. The simple-to-use pre-mix ensures high quality and consistency that caterers can rely on to create muffins or sponges. Middleton Foods’ new Chocolate Vegan Muffin and Sponge Mix is made in the UK with premium ingredients – simply add water, mix and bake for ‘perfect muffins and sponge every time’. The pre-mix is suitable for use in all catering establishments and is available in 3.5kg bags. Each bag contains enough mix to make seven, eight-inch sponges; or 57 muffins. The mix can be combined with inclusions such as fruit and nuts or chocolate chips. #bakingmixes #foodservice #MiddletonFoods #UK

In April’s edition of Start-up spotlight, we speak to Nourish Ingredients, an Australian biotech company harnessing the power of precision fermentation to develop animal-free fats that can be used to enhance plant-based meat alternative products. Its founder and chief technical officer, Anna El Tahchy, tells us more. Nourish Ingredients is a deep-tech company creating potent, high-performance animal-type lipids that transform the plant-based food experience. We combine our expertise with global companies to create sustainable and delicious products for existing and emerging markets. We unveiled our core product, Tastilux, in 2023: a world-first animal-free fat, derived from nature and scaled through precision fermentation, which is designed to provide global food and ingredient makers with an ingredient that cooks, smells and tastes just like traditional meat for consumers. Our motivation lies in protecting the food supply for the future. As the global population grows, animal agriculture is not going to be efficient enough to meet demand; we need a transition to a more plant-based diet. We want to make sure that when consumers make this transition, it is by choice because the food tastes good. How does the fermentation process work? What feedstocks are used, and is the process entirely free from animal inputs? Looking specifically at the Tastilux product, we produce animal-type lipids through precision fermentation of single-cell fungi that are rich in long-chain omega-6 phospholipids. These lipids have been identified as key contributors to authentic meat taste development, and our process is entirely free from animal inputs. What are some of the benefits of the resulting fat ingredient for vegan food products? On a molecular level, the lipids Nourish Ingredients is creating are almost identical to traditional animal fats but derived from a non-animal source. By creating the same potent molecules as those found in traditional meat or dairy, our lipids behave in the same way during the cooking process and result in an authentic, animalic experience. Focusing on these potent fats means we can achieve high performance at a very low inclusion rate, allowing our partners to reduce their reliance on methods like hydrogenation or chemical additives and flavours, in favour of a more natural ingredient list. What kind of plant-based (and wider food and beverage) industry trends/consumer demands can Nourish respond to with its solution? Despite the rapid growth of plant-based alternatives, consumer preferences globally still favour the indulgent qualities of traditional meat and dairy products. Nourish Ingredients’ lipids are a mechanism to deliver on the authentic experience consumers are looking for while contributing to more sustainable food production. Our ingredients have applications in everything from plant-based meat alternatives, to the casein needed to create cheese and high-value fat replacements. We see Nourish Ingredients becoming a commonplace ingredient across the entire food and beverage industry. What has been the company’s biggest achievement so far? In 2023, we unveiled our core product – Tastilux – at SXSW Sydney. To reveal the ingredient, Nourish Ingredients conceptualised a zero-waste ‘chicken wing’ handcrafted by head of culinary innovation Ernesto Vecilla, from textured vegetable protein (TVP) with a 0.5% inclusion of Tastilux. The presence of Tastilux delivered the wing’s authentic, meaty flavour and performance, and was a tangible demonstration of how it can be used by plant-based protein manufacturers to make products tastier. We had an incredibly positive response through a series of tastings with key stakeholders, including media, investors and celebrity chefs. It is yet to officially launch in the market, however we expect to in 2025. Have there been any particular challenges? If so, how have they been navigated? While we had the vision, and knew how we wanted our ingredients to spearhead the future of food consumption and engineering, the main challenge encountered has been the lack of an enabling ecosystem, as is often the case with emerging innovative technologies. This included access to food-grade fermentation facilities, and securing local specialist and synthetic biology talent in a competitive market. While the plant-based food sector is growing globally, access to manufacturing scale has been a challenge in Australia. This is due to the lack of infrastructure, and shortage of specialised local talent. To overcome this, we began collaborating globally to access talent from all over the world. This has led to a team rich in diversity, bringing together different backgrounds and ways of thinking, to drive innovation and creativity. I also actively manage sponsorship for masters, PhDs and postdoctoral fellows, to help upskill and build the talent pipeline required in the sector here in Australia. We have built our own critical internal capabilities, to enable faster development of our products and ongoing innovation, and established alliances with leading universities globally who are world-class in the fields of synthetic biology and precision fermentation. Partnerships like this build on the continued internal expansion of Nourish Ingredients’ R&D capabilities, further strengthening our IP position, and fast-tracking our product development. Where is the company currently on its journey? How is Nourish working with industry partners to improve their products? We are currently in the scale-up phase and have a pipeline of exciting product milestones and partnerships to be announced in 2024. We are also actively engaged in the regulatory processes essential for our products, and our goal is to introduce Tastilux to the market in 2025. What’s next for the business? Any exciting plans on the horizon? Our goal is to elevate products for consumers so they want to include plant-based proteins in their diet, rather than waiting for consumers to come to us. Alongside Tastilux, we are developing an exciting dairy offering that will allow us to explore avenues of hybridisation rather than pure substitutes or alternatives. Long-term, we do not have the inputs required to produce dairy at the scale needed. This will mean pure dairy can be reserved for premium products like formula, while Nourish Ingredients can provide the ingredients necessary to create authentic dairy by-products like cheese or chocolate. And finally, for aspiring start-ups in the plant-based F&B sector, what valuable advice or insights would you share to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities in this dynamic industry? In the start-up stage, for us it was crucial to assemble a team with deep expertise in relevant fields be that bioengineering, food science, culinary innovation or commercial experience. Getting the right foundation will equip you to innovate well and build a product that is fit for market. #animalfreefats #altfats #precisionfermentation #alternativefats #foodtech #StartupSpotlight #Australia #NourishIngredients