Cargill and Enough are expanding their partnership to further develop nutritious and sustainable alternative meat and dairy solutions. Cargill has signed a commercial agreement to use and market Enough’s Abunda protein and has also invested in the company’s Series C growth funding round. Abunda is grown by feeding fungi with sugars from sustainably sourced grain that is fermented to create the mycoprotein, a complete food ingredient that contains essential amino acids and is high in fibre. Abunda is produced through a zero-waste fermentation process, with Cargill’s glucose syrup as a main source. Enough and Cargill already have a relationship – Enough’s 160,000 square foot production facility, built in 2022, is co-located alongside a Cargill facility in Sas van Gent, the Netherlands. Through the existing relationship, Cargill provides Enough with glucose syrup and utilities. With the extended strategic partnership, Cargill will leverage its portfolio of plant-based proteins, texturizers and fats, as well as its formulations and applications capabilities to co-create nutritious alt-protein foods containing Abunda mycoprotein. Enough will continue to benefit from Cargill’s global footprint and feedstock technology expertise to support it in scaling up in Europe and beyond. Belgin Kose, managing director of Cargill Meat and Dairy Alternatives, said: “Cargill is strengthening its partnership with Enough because the world needs more protein that is grown more sustainably to keep pace with global population growth. Mycoprotein is an emerging ingredient with a disruptive role to play due to its many benefits including a meat-like texture, protein profile, scalability and sustainability.” Jim Laird, Enough’s CEO, added: “Expanding our partnership with Cargill is an exciting step to accelerate the great strides we’ve already made through the co-location of our Sas van Gent facility. The alternative protein market is a multi-billion-dollar opportunity, and efficiency will come from collaboration with partners such as Cargill to leverage existing demand and supply chain to gain scale.” #Dairyalternatives #meatalternatives #fungi #mycoprotein #Enough #Cargill #alternativeproteins

Precision fermentation dairy company TurtleTree has had its animal-free lactoferrin (LF+) certified as vegan by Vegan Action. According to TurtleTree, Vegan Action is the most recognised vegan certification provider in the US. This milestone establishes TurtleTree as the “first precision fermentation dairy company globally” to obtain vegan certification, and the “first-ever” to receive the ‘Certified Vegan’ logo, since its launch 24 years ago. TurtleTree has secured vegan certification for its bioidentical dairy protein, LF+, which confirms the company’s strict adherence to the highest ethical standards. In turn, TurtleTree aims to set a precedent that can help create a standardised definition of veganism in the context of precision fermentation. TurtleTree’s certification by Vegan Action adhered to rigorous criteria, guaranteeing the exclusion of animal products, byproducts and animal testing. LF+ is now the only vegan lactoferrin on the market. Fengru Lin, CEO and co-founder of TurtleTree, said: “With this certification, we are putting words into action and allowing that action to be validated by a third party. We want to build a food system that is sustainable and enables animals to live happier and healthier lives. As conscious consumers increasingly prioritise ethical choices, we aim to provide food and beverage brands with the unwavering confidence that our products align seamlessly with those evolving values.” Krissi Vandenberg, director of Vegan Action, commented: “We were thrilled to get TurtleTree’s product ‘Vegan Certified’ because of the clear benchmark this sets for the rest of the industry. TurtleTree’s dedication to ethical practices and transparency is commendable and will undoubtedly inspire other precision fermentation companies. This certification demonstrates the tangible steps companies can take to validate and communicate their values to customers, underlining a collective commitment to ethical standards.” The Certified Vegan logo from Vegan Action is now on TurtleTree’s LF+ packaging. You might also like to read: Start-up Spotlight: TurtleTree TurtleTree obtains first-ever self-GRAS status for animal-free lactoferrin #animalfreeproteins #precisionfermentation #TurtleTree #cellbased #alternativedairy #animalfreedairy

In this month’s edition of The Plant Base’s Start-up spotlight, we speak to Thierry Labrecque, president at Woop4, a Canadian producer of plant-based and allergen-free sauces and seafood alternatives, including tropical ‘piranha’ and mahi-mahi. The Woop4 journey began ten years ago when I founded MamaYo, a company specialising in the production of vegan mayonnaise free from common allergens. Recognising the growing demand for allergen-free products, I quickly identified a lack of suitable options on the market. This is how the concept of Woop4 was born, aiming to bring everyone together at the same table by offering an alternative for those with food allergies or specific dietary restrictions such as vegans or pregnant women. The real inspiration behind Woop4 was to fill the void felt by people seeking an alternative to fish. It was crucial to create a simple solution using ingredients familiar to everyone. This required five years of dedicated work and in-depth research to achieve a final product that best replicates the appearance and texture of fish while catering to the specific needs of those with allergies or particular dietary preferences. Why did you choose to focus on seafood in particular? We chose to focus on the seafood industry to address overfishing and provide an environmentally friendly alternative. This is also because there were already several options to replace chicken and beef, but there are still very few alternatives to fish, other than those based on carrots or canned imitations of white tuna. Our goal was to create an eco-friendly option that would contribute to the fight against overfishing, while allowing everyone to enjoy the exceptional gastronomic experience of sushi, poke and tartar with fresh ingredients inspired by the sea. What are the environmental and health benefits of choosing Woop4’s vegan seafood over the traditional animal-based versions? In the current context, where fish and seafood consumption represents 20% of animal proteins for 3.3 billion people, and overconsumption is constantly increasing, it becomes imperative to explore sustainable alternatives. Currently, our delicious plant-based fish substitutes are among the few options available. Replacing just one out of every two fish meals with this plant-based alternative could play a significant role in the fight against overfishing. Environmental challenges related to fishing, such as overfishing, bycatch and illegal fishing, underscore the need for sustainable solutions like Woop4 products, which provide an ecological option for preserving our oceans. Furthermore, our products exclude harmful preservatives like titanium dioxide and go beyond merely imitating the appearance of real fish by providing substantial nutritional benefits, including high levels of omega-3, and offer five grams of protein per serving. Our products stand out with their simpler and healthier ingredient list, free of harmful preservatives such as titanium dioxide often found in competing alternatives. Our distinctiveness is also reflected in our exclusive range of flavours, particularly with our Tropical Piranha, whose vibrant yellow flesh was created not only for enjoyment but also because we felt it added beauty to the plate. We are also one of the few to offer an imitation of white fish with our Mahi-Mahi, which we believe adds an exceptional aesthetic touch to sushi platters. We differentiate ourselves significantly with our brand image, which is funky and colourful, creating a joyful universe that mirrors the pleasure at the core of our company. We embrace a casual and lighthearted approach. Furthermore, our message goes beyond simply offering a plant-based alternative; it’s really for everyone. Our goal was to create a fish suitable for all, making our company accessible to a wide audience. Were there any key challenges in the development of your tropical seafood alternatives? The biggest challenge was finding the perfect formula to achieve a texture and appearance as close to a real fish as possible. There was no existing equipment to create the beautiful white lines that were similar to the fat lines of a real fish. Consequently, we had to develop specific machines that would allow us to achieve this desired visual aspect. What has been the company’s biggest achievement to date? Our greatest achievement so far is witnessing how rapidly Woop4 is growing. The industry is showing genuine enthusiasm for our products, and it’s thrilling! It’s gratifying to see that the invested efforts are truly worthwhile when we observe all these exciting possibilities unfolding before us. We plan to explore the European market, as there seems to be a demand to be met and we feel the interest, as we are asked about the upcoming availability of our products in European countries. We certainly have the ambition to export to Europe in the future and we are ready to take on this challenge. #alternativeseafood #Woop4 #Canada #StartupSpotlight #allergenfree #Plantbasedseafood

Stockeld Dreamery, a Swedish plant-based dairy company, has developed a new fermented vegan cheese slice product, ‘Melt’. The new cheddar-style slices are created using the start-up’s fermented legume milk, made using the protein from peas. They have been launched as part of what the brand refers to as the “third wave” of plant-based cheese: a cohort of naturally fermented offerings, crafted using traditional dairy fermentation methods and utilising more affordable and accessible functional ingredients such as legumes and oats. Stockeld described Melt as having an authentic-tasting cheddar flavour and a smooth natural finish, with good handling abilities for use in foodservice thanks to a robust nature and ability to be flipped without breaking. They contain no dairy, soy or nuts and offer two grams of protein per serving. The product is currently only available in partnership with a few select restaurants, with Stockeld working to offer national distribution in the next three to six months and a retail launch planned for the summer. #fermentation #StockeldDreamery #Sweden #alternativedairy #plantbasedcheese #plantbaseddairy #foodservice

Plant-based seafood company Revo Foods has revealed that a lawsuit regarding the labelling of its vegan salmon product has been dismissed. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, Revo faced legal action taken by the Vienna City Council. The allegation was that the food-tech start-up’s smoked salmon could “mislead” consumers with its name, despite being labelled as vegan on the packaging. The salmon alternative is made from pea protein and states “Vegan” and “100% plant-based with pea protein” on front-of-pack. While many similar cases have emerged in other product categories, such as oat milk – a recent example being Oatly’s four-year legal battle to use the word ‘milk’ in a slogan, after Dairy UK claimed it violated European Court regulations – fish alternatives have remained largely unchallenged so far. Several European countries including Italy and Poland have put forward the introduction of restrictions around using meat-related terms, such as ‘sausage,’ for the marketing of plant-based food within the last year. Many businesses in the plant-based space are challenging regulations and calling for them to be adapted, arguing that vegan alternative products are behind held back from competing in a fair market. Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods said that in the company’s view, a “clear one-sidedness or distortion of competition” is recognisable. The start-up argues that while product labelling of plant-based foods is strictly regulated, the rules for other categories appear less so – for example, ‘hamburgers’ do not contain ham and ‘hot dogs’ do not contain dog meat. He commented: “Meat and fish farms are heavily subsidised by the public sector, for example through lower tax rates or by agricultural subsidies. However, meat is by far the biggest climate driver in food production”. “Our packaging declares that only 100% plant-based ingredients are used and clearly labels the products as vegan without animal-based ingredients. In our view, any accusation of deception is unjustified. Many consumers are specifically looking for these types of products, and it is important to give guidance of the product taste with descriptive names.” #labelling #alternativeseafood #Austria #RevoFoods #alternativeproteins #Plantbasedseafood

Dairy alternative brand Califia Farms has launched Califia Farms Complete, a plant-based milk that is nutritionally comparable to dairy. The plant-based milk is made from a blend of pea, chickpea and fava bean protein. It contains nine essential nutrients, eight grams of protein, all nine essential amino acids and half the sugar of dairy milk. One 8oz serving contains the same amount or more of these nine essential nutrients as an equivalent serving size of dairy milk: protein, calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and riboflavin. Califia Farms stated that while plant-based milks are popular thanks to taste and a relatively lower fat, sugar and calorie profile than dairy milk, its new product serves the 60% of consumers who are concerned about missing out on important nutrients when drinking a plant-based beverage according to Mintel data. It is available in a 40oz, refrigerated format and is free from the nine major allergens as determined by the FDA: milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, soybeans or sesame. The product is also non-GMO Project Verified. Suzanne Ginestro, chief marketing officer of Califia Farms, commented: “The launch of Califia Farms Complete is a stand-out addition to our product portfolio and signals a shift in the way we think about plant-based milks”. She added: “This product is not only irresistibly delicious and creamy, but it also delivers an undeniably impressive number of vitamins and minerals that rival that of dairy milk”. Five additional new items are also joining the Califia Farms Complete in the brand’s dairy-free beverage line-up. Matcha Almond Latte is made with real matcha green tea powder and Califia’s almond milk. The Organic Oat and Coconut Barista Blends are designed to steam and froth perfectly, while Pure Black Sweetened Ice Coffee base has been brewed to blend with Califia’s plant-based milk and creamers. Also available exclusively for a limited time is the Chocolate Strawberry Almond Creamer, offering strawberry and chocolate flavours in a sweet alternative to traditional dairy creamers. The new products are available now at selected retailers across the US including Target, Walmart and Kroger. #plantbasednutrition #CalifiaFarms #US #plantbasedmilk #dairyfree #alternativedairy #milkalternatives

New Culture’s casein protein made without any animal inputs has been determined safe for consumption. The dairy start-up has self-affirmed that its animal-free casein is ‘Generally Reconized as Safe’ (GRAS) following a recent review by an independent panel of qualified scientific and toxicology experts. The company’s self-GRAS determination means its casein can be sold, used and consumed in US like any other food ingredient. New Culture says it received GRAS status as its casein matches the identity and macro-nutritional profile of the cow casein it replaces, and as its manufacturing process is reproducible, industry-standard and food safe. In June last year, New Culture announced that it had successfully created mozzarella cheese using its casein protein. The mozzarella is slated to rollout in summer this year at Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, US, before launching onto retail shelves. In August 2023, New Culture revealed that it had scaled up its fermentation process to manufacturing volumes far larger than previous deployment volumes, enabling the production of 25,000 pizzas worth of cheese per run, a significant step forward in its plans to supply animal-free mozzarella to pizzerias across America. Casein enables milk to be transformed into cheese, yogurt, whipped cream and other dairy products. New Culture’s animal-free casein offers the same taste, texture and functionality as conventional dairy. However, products made with New Culture casein are also free from lactose, cholesterol, trace hormones and antibiotics, as well as significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and land and water use. Inja Radman, New Culture’s co-founder and CSO, said: “Having secured another “world’s first” for our animal-free casein is a testament to the hard-working and innovative team we have at New Culture. Achieving GRAS status proves that animal inputs aren’t needed to produce casein protein and marks an essential step on our path toward commercialisation.” New Culture says it intends to notify FDA of its self-GRAS determination in the near future. The start-up also said that it is continuing to scale its manufacturing capacity in preparation for the first sale of its cheese later this year. #animalfreeproteins #precisionfermentation #US #NewCulture #dairyproteins #alternativedairy #casein #plantbasedcheese

Danone has inaugurated its newly transformed production facility in Villecomtal-sur-Arros, southwestern France, which has been converted to a plant-based beverage production site. The dairy giant said the transformation reflects its focus on anticipating consumer needs. The site will become a new reference point in Europe for the production of oat-based drinks for the Alpro brand. In a statement, Danone said that the transformation took nearly two years and called for a capital investment of several million euros. It is now home to Danone France’s only oat-flour-to-oat-juice production facility. The Villecomtal-sur-Arros plant features two production lines, one operating at high speed. Beverage output is expected to reach over 300,000 litres a day for distribution in France and 26 other European markets. 90% of total production is designated for export. To support the transformation of the site, all its employees received specialised training in plant processing techniques. Course content drew on Danone’s existing expertise, as the company already operates a facility dedicated to the production of plant-based products in Issenheim, eastern France. 49 staff members at Villecomtal-sur-Arros were trained by their counterparts at Issenheim to manage the start-up of the new production lines. The site has been converted in line with the company’s ‘Renew Danone’ strategy, which aims to adapt and round out product ranges to grow and maintain a competitive edge in step with consumer demand for healthy, diversified products. With the inauguration of Villecomtal-sur-Arros, Danone now has two French and four European sites dedicated to plant-based beverages, with the well-known Alpro brand a key driver. Alpro caters to 3.6 million regular consumers in France, where Danone sells more than 20 million litres of Alpro plant-based beverages, and over 300 million across Europe. Benjamin Chevallier, country manager for plant-based at Danone France, said: “Our Alpro brand is committed to dietary diversity, and we are working hard to meet demand”. He added: “Going forward, we aim to raise awareness among France’s 67-million strong population. And to do that, we will be stepping up production of both our oat-based ranges, rich in plant proteins, and our on-the-go formats.” #Alpro #plantbasedmilk #Danone #France #plantbaseddairy #milkalternatives

Coldpress has expanded its range of nutritious beverages with a new mandarin juice, boosted with added vitamins B, D and E. According to Coldpress founder Andrew Gibb, declining US and Brazilian crops, mounting Red Sea tensions and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns have led to an increase in orange juice prices. This, in turn, has led the company to explore the possibilities provided by other, more accessible fruits. Gibb expanded: “Mandarins are a fantastic, low-calorie winter fruit, packed with vitamins and minerals. Alongside vitamin C, which ably supports one’s daily immune system function, mandarins contain two antioxidant phytochemicals (beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin) that your body turns to vitamin A, which supports good vision, a healthy immune system and positive growth development.” Gibb also commented that the distinct sweetness of mandarins supports Coldpress’ ‘beyond breakfast’ appeal, with mandarin juice being ideal for an all-day drink, cocktails and mocktails. This versatility is fuelled by a growing appetite for healthier living offerings. Coldpress mandarin orange juice will debut across UK retailers from March. #functionalbeverages #juices #vitamindrinks #UK #ColdPress

Coperion has developed a new MegaTex S7 cooling die for manufacturing plant-based HMMA (High Moisture Meat Analogue) meat alternatives. Mounted at the discharge of the ZSK Food Extruder, the texturizing unit gives the plant protein mass a dense, fibrous structure that closely resembles animal flesh. The new innovation offers a discharge for HMMA production that allows for variable width and strength as well as various textures for meat substitutes. Coperion has equipped the technology with features designed to simplify handling and make both recipe and configuration changes possible with a few quick adjustments. HMMA is a plant-based intermediate product that is primarily used for ready-to-eat meals such as vegan chicken nuggets or ground meat. It contains 50-70% water and 30-50% plant proteins, with less than 10% fat content. In the HMMA manufacturing process, protein-rich raw materials are mixed with water and worked into a homogenous mass in a food extruder. This mass can then be pressed through the MegaTex cooling die, where the meat-like texture is formed and a solid strand is discharged for further processing. Characteristics of HMMA quality are the product’s texture and strength as well as the length and strength of the fibres. Coperion developed this new texturizing unit to fulfill these quality requirements more precisely and to provide more flexibility to smaller companies, research organisations and start-ups. The MegaTex S7 achieves throughputs of 5 to 50 kg/h and can currently be combined with the ZSK Food Extruder sizes 18, 27 and 34. Additional sizes of the Coperion MegaTex S7 cooling die for significantly higher throughputs will follow. The cooling die features a modular design, consisting of individual segments which can be combined as needed depending on the raw materials’ requirements and desired product structure. It comes with interchangeable inlays that give the machine operator the flexibility to vary the strand width between 35-70mm, and the length between 10-15mm. With a specially designed opening mechanism, the cooling die provides optimal access along its entire length. Moreover, product samples can be extracted at any time in any segment of the cooling die. The MegaTex also features a hygienic design which reduces machine downtime for cleaning to a minimum, increasing the efficiency of the entire production line. At the end of the die, there is a cutter to facilitate quick sampling of HMMA at the discharge. The cooling die is mounted on rollers, making it mobile and allowing for greater flexibility. Markus Schmudde, head of R&D, compounding and extrusion at Coperion, said: “The market for plant-based meat substitutes is growing exponentially and it’s very important to us to propel this development forward with innovative technologies”. He added: “With this new MegaTex cooling die, we’re pursuing our goal of redesigning the HMMA manufacturing process with greater variability. Moreover, maximised accessibility will markedly reduce cleaning time and increase the overall profitability of HMMA production. After comprehensive tests at our Food Test Lab using various raw materials, we can confirm with high certainty that we have fully achieved these goals.” #technology #plantbasedmeat #manufacturing #Coperion #highmoistureextrusion

A new study has found that plant-based meat and dairy products are now cheaper than their conventional animal-derived counterparts in nearly all Dutch supermarkets. The study was carried out by research body Questionmark, on behalf of food awareness organisation ProVeg Netherlands. Questionmark compared the prices of shopping baskets filled with the 12 most common product types, including vegetarian meatballs, plant-based cheese and plant-based yogurt. The cheapest plant-based version was always compared with the cheapest animal-based counterparts of the same products in seven supermarkets: Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Jumbo, Lidl, Plus and Ekoplaza. According to the research, the price advantage for plant-based foods can be up to €9.66 at Ekoplaza, a 20% saving. At Jumbo and Lidl, plant-based shopping baskets were cheaper by €3.89 and €3.11 respectively. Only at one supermarket (Dirk) would the consumer pay more (€0.18) for a basket filled with plant-based products. Studies commissioned by ProVeg in Belgium and Germany in 2023 have shown similar promising evidence of price parity. However, at the time of these studies, ProVeg said that the convergence did not lead to consumers saving money overall on all accounts. In Germany, in October 2023, a plant-based shopping basket was still on average 25% more expensive than one containing animal-derived products – down from 53% in 2022. Elsewhere, in Belgium, research carried out in March 2023 found that plant-based shopping baskets were found to be cheaper in three retailers (Aldi, Lidl and Colruyt) with savings between €1.21-2.30. But in another (Carrefour) the plant-based basket was €5.93 more expensive, with Delhaize also slightly more expensive (€0.32). The new study highlighted that although consumers paid less overall for plant-based groceries, there are still large price differences between product categories. In the meat substitute category, the plant-based alternative is often cheaper, while plant-based cottage cheese and yogurt are always more expensive than the traditional dairy versions. For 500g of plant-based cottage cheese, the consumer pays between €0.75 and €1.50 extra, and for 500g of plant-based yogurt, the consumer must pay between €0.60-€1.45 more than for the conventional dairy product. An interim report from ProVeg and Questionmark showed that in mid-2022, plant-based meat, burgers and chicken pieces suddenly became cheaper than their animal counterparts due to inflation. Supermarkets are also consciously taking steps to eliminate or reduce the price differences between animal and plant-based products. Jumbo established a policy in November 2023 that private label meat substitutes will be offered at the same or lower price as the animal alternative. Several retailers have followed suit with similar steps, including Lidl in Germany and Austria. ProVeg said that these measures are reflected in the research results, adding that it encourages supermarkets in the Netherlands and abroad to follow these good examples. “We also ask supermarkets not only to focus on meat substitutes in their policy, but also to look at the pricing of alternatives to dairy,” said Pablo Moleman, director of ProVeg Netherlands. “It is difficult to explain that a carton of soy yogurt is almost twice as expensive as cow’s yogurt, while soy milk and cow’s milk are the same price.” The Dutch supermarkets included in the study have also set goals to change the ratio of animal and plant-based proteins on their shelves. Aldi, Dirk and Ekoplaza are aiming for a 50/50 ratio by 2030. Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Lidl and Plus are aiming for 60% plant-based and 40% animal-based. #ProVeg #research #price #theNetherlands #retail

Plant-based recipe kit start-up Grubby has partnered with Redefine Meat in an exclusive recipe showcase, launching for Valentine’s Day. Redefine Meat’s whole-cut beef flank will be available to consumers in Grubby’s Valentine’s Steak recipe, a premium Valentine’s option on the Grubby menu from 9 February until 22 March. A second Chimichurri steak dish will then be released across March and April. Grubby said that the new collaboration will bring exciting new textures and flavours to its dishes in a partnership that strategically aligns “perfectly” for both brands as part of their commitment to more ethical and sustainable plant-based food practices. Martin Holden-White, founder of Grubby, said: “We only work with the best when it comes to our collaboration partners and Redefine Meat is top of its game when it comes to replicating the taste, texture and flavour of meat – we are thrilled to be showcasing their plant-based Beef Flank exclusively with our customers.” Simon Owen, head of Redefine Meat UK, said: “Until now, the Redefine Beef Flank has only been available to the consumer in top UK restaurants. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve seen increasing demand for the Flank in a home-cooking environment. We’re proud to partner with Grubby to deliver on this demand, making the Redefine Flank available to the home-cook for the very first time.” You might also like: The Plant Base’s Veganuary Sessions: Making plant-based easy with Shicken and Grubby VFC and Grubby forge partnership to elevate vegan food offerings Redefine Meat appoints Simon Owen as new head of UK #mealkits #RedefineMeat #meatalternatives #valentinesday #UK #recipekits #plantbasedbeef #Grubby