German biotech company Infinite Roots, formerly known as Mushlabs, has announced the completion of its Series B funding round, securing a total of $58 million. The company says that the funding round represents “the largest investment” in mycelium technologies in Europe to date, emphasising the growing importance of mycelium in the global food system. The round was led by Dr. Hans Riegel Holding, one of the two holding companies of confectionery group Haribo, with support from the EIC Fund. It included participation from REWE Group and Betagro Ventures. Also joining the round were other existing investors, such as Clay Capital, FoodLabs, Redalpine, Simon Capital and Happiness Capital. Mycelium fermentation technology holds a significant position in the sector of plant-based and cell-based meat. The company said that its products “create a third category in food classification, as mushroom-based products are neither plant nor animal”. According to Infinite Roots, the new funding will see the business enter “a new era” of commercial growth, planning to expand production capacities and invest in global launch activities. In the long term, Infinite Roots aims to play a key role in reshaping the global food system through the versatile applications of mycelium. Mazen Rizk, founder and CEO of Infinite Roots, said: “Rethinking food production and consumption has never been more pressing, and requires our collective efforts. We are thrilled to join forces with industry champions to establish the next generation of tasty, healthy and sustainable foods. We are in a unique position to define a new era of mushroom mycelium-based products. With Infinite Roots’ technology and products, we aspire to lead the monumental shift to a more sustainable and healthy food system.” Reinhard Schneider, managing director for Dr. Hans Riegel Holding, commented: “Infinite Roots’ mycelium technology has the potential to contribute massively to a sustainable food supply. We at Dr. Hans Riegel Holding invest in future-defining technologies”. Svetoslava Georgieva, chair of the EIC fund board, added: “We are looking forward to the exciting road ahead with the Infinite Roots team. It is high time for consumers to be able to reconcile their appetite for good food and their willingness to act for the planet and for their health.” #Mushlabs #mycelium #fungi #InfiniteRoots #plantbasedmeat #alternativeproteins #Germany

V2Food has acquired fellow Australian plant-based food company Soulara, a provider of plant-powered ready meals. In a statement announcing the acquisition, V2Food said the deal is expected to propel its business into new avenues of growth. It will expand V2Food’s product portfolio and broaden its distribution reach beyond supermarkets and foodservice, delivering directly to consumers’ homes via its proprietary e-commerce channel. Soulara’s fresh plant-based products will support V2Food’s mission to “revolutionise” plant-based eating by meeting the evolving preferences of Australian consumers. The acquisition will complement V2Food’s plant-based meat offerings, which include burgers, sausages and alternatives to crumbled chicken and mince, with Soulara’s vegetable-led products. Tim York, CEO of V2Food, said: “We know consumers want to eat more plant-based products in their diets but some of the barriers to making this change are concerns around taste and how to cook them. By adding Soulara to our portfolio we can further demonstrate how easy and delicious meat reduction can be.” V2Food has also expanded its portfolio to include Macros: a fitness-focused, ready-made healthy meals brand delivered directly to consumers. Both Soulara and Macros will be integrated into V2Food under a new entity called Flexitarian Meal Solutions. In addition to its direct-to-consumer presence online, the products can be purchased in-store at retailers such as selected Coles, IGA and Woolworths. Sean Bone, general manager of commercial at Soulara, commented: “We know consumers have diverse needs when it comes to adopting a plant-based diet. As Australia’s favourite plant-based ready-made meal service, Soulara has carved a niche for itself with its focus on delivering meals designed by our team of chefs and dieticians to ensure best in class taste, nutrition and value.” He added: “V2Food’s expertise in plant protein is the ideal complement to Soulara’s vegetable-forward approach, as we strive together to provide a well-rounded menu for consumers seeking a plant-based lifestyle”. Enjoyed this article? You might like our Veganuary Sessions podcast episode on plant-based ready meals and recipe kits, exploring how the industry can make plant-based easier for consumers. #plantbasednutrition #v2food #Australia #directtoconsumer #readymeals #Soulara

Finnish food company Fazer has introduced a limited-edition snack bar in Singapore, containing Solar Foods’ novel Solein protein ingredient. Founded in Finland in 2017, Solar Foods produces its protein ingredient using carbon dioxide and electricity. Its mission is to liberate global protein production from the constraints of traditional agriculture. Solein is produced out of a microbe sourced from Finnish nature. The microbe is grown to a protein powder in a bioprocess powered by electricity and carbon dioxide. The process requires only a fraction of the water and arable land that production of meat or plant protein uses, creating food “virtually out of thin air”. Solar Foods received a novel food regulatory approval for Solein in Singapore in September 2022, clearing its sale and use in food products in the city state. Now, Fazer’s ‘Taste the Future’ bar – launched in selected Cocoa Tree stores across Singapore – represents a milestone for Solein as it marks the first time consumers can try the ingredient within a snack product. The bar is a vegan-friendly, palm oil-free snack bar made from 70% dark chocolate, hazelnut, dried strawberries and crunchy oat puffs. The recipe includes 2% Solein, which provides a source of iron, fibre and B vitamins. Solein can also offer different functionalities, for example as a structure-forming ingredient in food products. The limited-edition snack bars were produced in Vantaa, Finland, by Fazer. The Solein used comes from Solar Foods’ pilot factory, capable of producing small quantities of the novel protein. Solar Foods’ first commercial-scale production facility will begin operations this year, set to scale the company’s annual production volume up to 160 tonnes. Assuming a single meal would use 20 grams of protein, this translates to eight million meals. Co-founder and CEO of Solar Foods, Pasi Vainikka, said: “With this introduction in Singapore, we are getting valuable customer feedback on Solein’s viability in a new product category and getting a sense of the consumer acceptance of future ingredients”. He added: “Our shared aim extends beyond this pivotal moment, targeting a wider-scale European launch in 2025-2026 with a whole range of products”. #Solein #SolarFoods #NovelIngredients #proteinbars #Singapore #Fazer #proteinsnacks #alternativeproteins #snackbars

Vbites’ founder Heather Mills has bought the company’s assets back out of administration in a deal worth £1 million. Established in 1993, Vbites is a producer of plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy and seafood products. The company operated from its two UK manufacturing sites in Peterlee, County Durham and Corby, Northamptonshire. After 30 years of trading, the company was revealed to have entered administration in December last year, as reported by The Plant Base. Mills cited “corporate greed” and “galvanised and well-funded marketing of misinformation by the meat and dairy industries” as some of the drivers leading to the business’ collapse. James Clark and Howard Smith, of restructuring and insolvency specialist Interpath Advisory, were appointed on 11 December to explore Vbites’ options and seek a buyer. A document published by Interpath Advisory has now disclosed that a deal was struck on 17 January for Mills’ company, Vegan Solo Consulting, to purchase Vbites’ assets for £1 million. The purchase covers the company’s intellectual property, stock, facilities and machinery. In a statement published on her LinkedIn page yesterday, Mills said that she was “devastated” when Vbites was “forced unnecessarily” into administration with three days notice. She wrote: “It was agreed between both shareholders that we would always give each other three months notice, knowing the figures six months ahead set for the company, so I was doubly shocked that it went straight into administration, even though I gave viable solutions”. Mills continued: “I was also not happy being told that many of my loyal and hard-working staff were losing their jobs. I was cut out of everything.” However, the entrepreneur said that she “strongly believed” Vbites’ next-generation technology and work had a “huge role to play” in assisting the food market’s transition to become healthier and more sustainable. For this reason, Mills said she has chosen to resurrect the company “at great personal expense,” taking control of the operations personally and moving back to the northeast. “We have already developed a version 2.0 of plant-based food, soon to launch, that we believe will be a market mover and will help all of those people attempting to make a flexitarian or plant-based/vegan transition achieve their goals more easily, both with variety and deliciousness,” she concluded. #VBites #plantbasedmeat #UK #HeatherMills #plantbaseddairy #acquisitions

Wholesale food supplier Brakes has introduced a new Sysco Simply Plant Based range this month in celebration of Veganuary. The Sysco Simply Plant Based range will initially launch with five plant-based centre-of-plate products, aiming to provide delicious alternatives to traditional meat meals. These include four savoury tart variants – vegetable tagine, grilled vegetable and harissa chickpea, grilled vegetable and sundried tomato and sweet potato and red onion marmalade – as well as a chestnut and seed roast. Over the coming 18 months, Sysco Simply Plant Based will grow to offer more than 50 products as it expands to include cakes and desserts, vegan sausage rolls and other meat alternatives. The launch forms part of Brakes’ Veganuary campaign, which has seen the development of a Veganuary 2024 section on the company’s website, showcasing available support packages for foodservice businesses who want to capitalise on Veganuary. Mandy Van Hagen, marketing food manager at Brakes, commented: “Veganuary is a great time to showcase plant-based menus and appeal to a wide audience of not only non-meat eaters, but also those looking for a healthy start to the year”. She added: “Our new Sysco Simply Plant plant-based products can elevate menus, provide choices and meet the demand for diverse and sustainable food options”. #Brakes #Sysco #UK #wholesale #foodservice

Rügenwalder Mühle, a German producer of meat and plant-based meat alternative products, is discontinuing its traditional Ham Spicker product in line with its increasing focus on its plant-based range. The family-owned company was established in 1834 as a traditional meat and sausage producer. It has since evolved to focus on the plant-based market, introducing its vegan offerings from 2014. Its meat-free range now outnumbers its meat products, offering a selection of almost 50 vegan and vegetarian innovations in addition to 23 classic meat and sausage products. In line with this development, the company has now announced that it has discontinued its classic ham product in order to give its vegan and vegetarian products more space. Fans of the Ham Spicker can try the company’s vegan versions of the product, Rügenwalder Mühle said, which is available in mortadella, grilled vegetable, chive and colourful pepper varieties. Michael Hähnel, CEO of Rügenwalder Mühle, said: “This shift in the range is not an effect that we are only seeing now in the current Veganuary, but rather a long-term development”. He added: “For years, the proportion of our range has been shifting towards plant-based products. We want to actively pursue this course. Last year alone we successfully launched almost 20 new products onto the market. That’s why we don’t shy away from discontinuing a successful classic like the Ham Spicker in order to create even more space for plant-based products in our facilities.” By discontinuing the Ham Spicker, production capacity will be freed up which will be used for the Vegan Puff Cut – an alternative to thinly sliced chicken – in the future, the company confirmed. Rügenwalder Mühle said that as one of its newest products, the Vegan Puff Cut is “already in great demand and popular among consumers”. #Germany #meatalternatives #plantbasedmeat #RügenwalderMühle

As new plant-based options spring to supermarket shelves in celebration of Veganuary, manufacturers must consider the drivers and trends behind vegan diets to ensure they are optimising offerings in line with consumer desires. Danielle Mailey, technical sales manager at Foodology by Univar Solutions, explores the key considerations. Plant proteins are very appealing for several reasons: health, environment, and animal welfare to name a few. However, taste and flavour concerns associated with plant protein formulations continue to hinder mass-market consumer acceptance. Since plant-based is widely associated with natural and clean, the demand for clean labelling in meat analogues is rising. The global market for plant-based nutrition has surged extraordinarily in recent years. Consumers increasingly prioritise the functionality, freshness and authenticity of their food choices. This shift in dietary preferences has also led to a flourishing market for plant-based alternatives, with a particular focus on addressing sensory characteristics to provide a positive consumer experience. The dairy alternatives market is expected to be worth $43.6 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 10.1% from 2023 to 2028. The milk alternative category dominates the market and drives this growth. We are seeing the emergence of new ingredient sources for the future of plant-based milk, ranging from potatoes and peas to an array of tree nuts, providing unique flavours and textures to plant-based products. However, innovation isn’t limited to the milk aisle, and other alternative dairy categories, including cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter are showing signs of significant growth. Manufacturers are investing in research and development to replicate the sensory characteristics of traditional meat and dairy products further. This includes advancements in food science and technology to enhance taste, flavour and texture. For example, using plant-based ingredients in combination with fermentation techniques has led to the development of plant-based dairy alternatives with improved sensory attributes. Plant-based nutrition provides an amazing canvas for innovation. Technological advances have created serious innovation opportunities for the entire food and beverage industry. Consumers are challenging the industry on a very high level of innovation. The nutritional profile, sustainability and supreme sensory characteristics of products all play a more significant role in the next generation of plant-based foods. This includes enzymes that are particularly important in achieving sensorial attributes that consumers actively seek. Several factors need to be considered when selecting the ideal protein source, and it depends on the application (such as gelling, stability, water holding capacity, solubility, texture and flavour). Textured plant protein is popular in the alternative meat space and can provide characteristics like juiciness and firmness. The plant protein isolates find use in various applications, such as dairy alternatives and ready-to-drink (RTD) and ready-to-mix (RTM) beverages where solubility and stability are required. There is a huge stride towards more clean label options, improving nutritional properties, and a memorable sensorial experience to be competitive with traditional dairy. As an alternative to dairy, consumers are increasingly seeking plant-based beverages, shakes and desserts that are high in protein, minimally processed, natural and also taste good. Products with multiple benefits are poised to be most successful. As demand for plant-based grows, there is also increased attention on over-processing and clean labels. There is a constant debate among consumers about whether these plant-based alternatives are better for them. Price used to be one of the most common reasons for consumers not buying into plant-based nutrition, and manufacturers are actively looking at reducing the price tag on these products to make them a viable option for everyone. The interest in plant-based products goes hand-in-hand with environmental concerns. The disparity in the resource mass balance when comparing animal protein and plant protein is well documented, and plant-based alternatives can have a positive impact on resource use. In addition to their known health and sustainability benefits, plant-based foods are addressing changing tastes worldwide as more cuisines and food innovations make their way into the mainstream. Because of this, rapid innovation is needed to satisfy new diets, trends and concerns. Brands must continue to cater to the plant-powered buyer and create high-quality substitutes for meat and dairy products to keep pace with vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian consumer demands. Exploring plant-based and clean label formulations is the perfect way to celebrate Veganuary and the new year. #Univar #FoodologybyUnivarSolutions #plantbasedmeat #opinion #plantbaseddairy #nutrition #cleanlabel #UnivarSolutions

Aldi has announced the expansion of its Plant Menu portfolio, debuting a range of new additions to what is now the retailer’s “biggest ever” vegan offering. Included in the brand-new for 2024 additions are Corn Dogs, inspired by the classic American fast-food staple. No Chicken Pieces, meanwhile, provide a selection of plant-based chicken wings and tenders, inspired by traditional fried chicken fast food offerings. In the sweet snacks and desserts category, Aldi has debuted the Cornetto-inspired Strawberries & Cream and Hazelnut & Praline Vegan Ice Cream Cones. Available in a four-pack, they feature a crispy wafer stuffed with dairy-free ice cream and covered with vegan-friendly chocolate. For those craving Eastern flavours, the brand-new Vegetable Fritters have been launched into the savoury plant-based offering, available in two varieties: vegetable tempura fritters with a black rice vinegar dip, or spicy sweetcorn fritters with a sweet chilli dip. Dinner and lunch options include the Veggie Bites and No Salmon Slices, as well as ready meal options that include a Mushroom Bolognese and Coronation Chickpea Curry. In its biggest-ever vegan cheese range, the new Vegan Continental Cheese Selection is available with a choice of Grated Mozzarella, a French-Style Round Camembert, Greek Salad Style Cheese or Grated Hard Cheese. Alongside its new offering, Aldi is also bringing back its Vegan Breakfast Pastries, available in croissant and pain-au-chocolat varieties. The expanded Plant Menu range is now available in stores across the UK. #plantbasedmeat #UK #Aldi #plantbasedcheese #plantbaseddairy #retail

A new study led by Ocean Conservancy and University of Toronto found that microplastic particles were present in 88% of food samples tested, drawn from 16 protein types including plant-based meat. The samples tested included traditional meat sources including seafood, pork, beef and chicken, as well as tofu and three different plant-based meat alternatives. In the study, microplastics were found across all 16 of the protein types tested, suggesting that humans are likely eating microplastics no matter the source of protein they choose to consume. Furthermore, there were no statistical differences in microplastic concentrations between land- and ocean-sourced proteins. While scientists have long documented the presence of microplastics in the digestive tracts of commercial fish and shellfish, there has been little research into whether the particles are entering the filets of the fish – the parts actually eaten by consumers. Little research has also been conducted into their presence in terrestrial protein sources such as beef and chicken. The study’s co-author Britta Baechler, a marine biologist and associate director of plastics science at Ocean Conservancy, said that the research serves as a “startling reminder of how prolific plastic pollution has become,” adding: “Humans live on land and yet seafood samples are just as likely to be contaminated with plastics as are terrestrial derived proteins”. The research, published in the journal Environmental Pollution, found that food processing is a likely source of microplastic contamination. Highly-processed protein products tested – including fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tofu and plant-based burgers – contained significantly more microplastics per gram than minimally processed products. However, no statistical difference was found between high-processed products and fresh-caught products, suggesting that food processing is not the only source of microplastic contamination and opening avenues for further research. Primary co-author Madeleine Milne, who conducted the research while at the Rochman Lab at the University of Toronto in 2022, commented: “It’s tempting to want to draw conclusions like ‘eat less of this and more of that’ to avoid microplastics in your diet; but right now we still know very little about the microplastic burdens in commonly consumed foods”. She added: “Our study adds to this knowledge but also demonstrates the need for further research to better understand the bigger picture, including where these microplastics are coming from and the potential human health risks”. Notably, across all samples, nearly half (44%) of the identified microplastics were fibres, which is consistent with other studies suggesting that fibres are the most prevalent form of microplastic in the environment. Around a third (30%) were plastic fragments. Using survey data from a separate study by Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto (to be published in Frontiers in Marine Science) the authors estimate that an American adult will consume, on average, 11,500 microplastics per year. Annual exposure could be as high as 3.8 million microplastics per year if calculated using the highest levels of microplastics found in each individual protein type and the average reported protein consumption rates. #UniversityofToronto #plantbasedmeat #foodprocessing #alternativeproteins #OceanConservancy #Plantbasedseafood #plasticpollution #microplastics

In this instalment of The Plant Base’s ‘Start-up spotlight,’ we speak to Weslee Glenn, head of innovation at Ayana Bio, a US-based plant cell technology company and producer of sustainable bioactives for consumer products. Ayana Bio was established in September 2021, launching out of Ginkgo Bioworks’ creation studio, the Ferment Consortium, in response to four intersecting problems: the global nutrition gap, agricultural limitations, the climate crisis and ingredient quality. All of these factors have negatively impacted people’s access to proper nutrition and have created supply chain constraints that will only get worse over time. We need new production methods to help take the strain off agriculture in an increasingly hot planet and hungry population. Agriculture isn’t the most efficient way to meet our botanical needs, leading to shortcuts on sustainability, purity, safety and hygiene. Not all calories are created equal – without a more reliable, sustainable agricultural supply chain, we can’t produce enough nutritional plants to make a real impact and feed the world’s growing population. This is where Ayana Bio steps in – with its plant cell cultivation technology, Ayana Bio can provide an efficient and effective way to produce the full spectrum of quality plant bioactives that we want and need across a range of consumer products. What factors led Ayana Bio to focus on leveraging plant cell culture in the realm of food and nutrition? Ingredient standardisation, reliability, climate volatility, limited natural resources, and other challenges facing the agriculture-based natural product industry are what led Ayana Bio to focus on leveraging plant cell culture in the food and nutrition space. Because some of the most potent bioactives can only be produced through agriculture or foraging, new forms of production like plant cell cultivation are needed to tap into plant bioactives at scale. This is where Ayana Bio’s plant cell cultivation technology comes in, allowing consumers to enjoy benefits from blueberries, chocolate, saffron and other useful ingredients at a volume to derive an impact. What unique benefits do Ayana Bio’s plant cell culture-based products offer and how do you envision their impact on the future of sustainable food consumption? Plant cell cultivation produces a consistent supply of botanicals without the supply chain challenges. Ayana Bio’s plant cell cultivation technology methods don’t require the land, irrigation, herbicides or pesticides required by agriculture, or create wasted biomass to extract bioactives. The end result is products that are more consistent, affordable, and less taxing of our natural resources. Sustainably producing bioactives using plant cell cultivation rather than agriculture can also be a solution to the nutrition crisis plaguing consumer packaged goods (CPGs) by creating plant biomass with the same nutrient profile as soil-grown plants, giving CPG companies access to the same nutrients for their products without straining the agricultural system. Additionally, consumers want plant-based products to actually contain healthy plants. The advantage of plant cell cultivation is that we can utilise our BioConserve or BioDirect plant cell cultivation platforms that provide non-GMO routes to produce natural bioactives. This a big departure from precision fermentation and synthetic ingredients that may be “nature identical,” whereas we can directly create natural ingredients as found in nature through plant cell cultivation. What are the essential technologies and capabilities that make up Ayana Bio’s services? Ayana Bio uses proprietary plant cell cultivation technology – a means to create plant materials without growing plants in the ground – to produce a full spectrum of bioactives that are representative of what is found in nature. The plant cell cultivation process starts by identifying the best plant cell lines – just like traditional plant breeding. These plant cells are propagated from real plants (similar to stem cells) and assessed throughout the cell cultivation process for important characteristics like bioactive potency, stability and purity. We further identify the ideal plant cell line for standardised quality and then provide the nutrients that the plant cells need to grow and multiply. This process is similar to brewing beer, but instead of growing yeast or bacteria, we grow plants directly from their cells. Given the significance of sustainability and ethics in the cellular agriculture sector, how does Ayana Bio approach and integrate these considerations into its operations? Producing high-quality ingredients through sustainable and ethical means is a guiding principle for all of us at Ayana Bio. Plant cell cultivation allows us to make botanical products while also being good stewards of our planet, making us optimistic about the future. Has Ayana Bio encountered any challenges on its journey so far? How did the company navigate and overcome these obstacles? My professor used to say, “All the easy problems in science have been solved already,” and I couldn’t agree more. But what an exciting time for the field! Plant cell cultivation is part of a much longer story dating back to about 1902. The technique found steady use around the 1950s, mostly in academic labs. The field has seen its share of challenges since then – one major example being lengthy development timelines resulting from low sample throughput. We sidestep this challenge by taking a horizontal approach where we collaborate with our partner, Ginkgo Bioworks, to generate interoperative multi-omics (i.e., epigenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics) datasets in parallel across many culture conditions. These high throughput analyses accelerate development timelines. Collaboration with the scientific community can be crucial in advancing innovative technologies. Can you shed light on Ayana Bio’s engagement with researchers and scientists? Collaboration is the engine of innovation. But you can’t study what you can’t access. And many molecules from plants are inaccessible. Ayana Bio is solving this problem with plant cell cultivation. We already have a healthy list of partners and collaborators spanning industry and academia. I anticipate that our extramural program will burgeon as we launch more products and provide reliable access to some difficult-to-reach molecules. What exciting plans does Ayana Bio have in the pipeline, and what can we expect to see from the company in the coming months or years? Looking ahead to 2024, we are excited to introduce more high-value botanical ingredients to our Plant Cell Advantage ingredient portfolio, which currently consists of Echinacea-p PCA, Lemon Balm PCA, Dog Rose PCA, Hedge Nettle PCA, and Sage PCA. We are also undergoing discussions with potential CPG partners and look forward to announcing partnerships and seeing our ingredients in their products in the future. Beyond that, we are planning to advance the awareness surrounding plant cell cultivation. The technology is an emerging category that still requires extensive industry education before we can see consumers picking plant cell-derived products off grocery store shelves. For example, we recently conducted our first consumer survey surrounding attitudes toward ultra-processed foods. The results affirmed that the majority of US consumers are open-minded about incorporating healthier, processed food options into their diets if these options exist, which is where plant cell cultivation can step in. #plantcellcultivation #US #StartupSpotlight #AyanaBio #cellbased #naturalingredients

Alternative dairy food-tech company Armored Fresh has expanded its dairy-free cheese line-up with the launch of Oat Milk Pepper Jack Slices. The new slices combine oat milk with jalapeños to create a plant-based alternative to traditional pepper jack cheese. Offering a mild nuttiness and slight umami flavour, Armored Fresh claims its latest offering provides an “identical” taste and texture to its animal-based counterpart. Additionally, thanks to the company’s patented technologies, the slices are described as having a melting property that is “on par” with that of dairy-based cheese. Integral to the company’s mission to improve worldwide health in an accessible manner, the product has been developed to be free from gluten and dairy as well as non-GMO. It aims to provide a healthy alternative for those with diet restrictions or food allergies. The product is also free from artificial flavours and preservatives. Rudy Yoo, CEO at Armored Fresh, said: “In order to start making an impact on the planet at a greater scale, consumers need to have better options that aren’t simply alternatives to dairy-based foods, but that they truly crave because they’re so delicious they can’t tell the difference”. He added: “From day one we have focused on taste and other senses like smell and mouthfeel to create outstanding zero-dairy cheeses that rival traditional dairy. Our new Oat Milk Pepper Jack slices are one of our most exciting launches yet, and we can’t wait for people to put them to the taste test”. The new pepper jack slices join Armored Fresh’s Oat Milk American Slices, launched last year. Other products in the company’s cheese portfolio include almond milk-based slices, cubed and shredded products and spreads. They are available at select retailers across the US including Kroger, Fresh Thyme Market, Town and Country Foods and Fred Mayer, as well as foodservice partners. #dairyfreecheese #US #Oatmilk #alternativedairy #plantbasedcheese #ArmoredFresh

Israel-based food-tech start-up Imagindairy has acquired a new facility and is operating its own industrial-scale precision fermentation production lines. Imagindairy says it is the “first” company in the industry to achieve this milestone, fully owning and operating its own industrial-scale production lines dedicated solely to animal-free milk proteins. The facility, located in the Middle East, enables Imagindairy to produce its animal-free dairy proteins at more than 100,000 litres of fermentation capacity, with planned capacity expansion to triple this volume in the next one to two years. Eyal Afergan, Imagindairy’s co-founder and CEO, said: “Having just entered the landscape three years ago, this achievement is a big step forward for us. We’ve overcome industry-wide hurdles that have previously been holding precision fermentation dairy back, including the production capacity bottleneck and ensuring that unit economics make sense across the supply chain.” He continued: “This will enable our customers to put animal-free dairy products on-shelf at cost parity to traditional dairy, without compromising on quality. It’s a substantial breakthrough and important step that will allow us to support mass-market adoption, transition to an industrial company, and speed up the development of other milk proteins.” This signifies that the ingredient is safe to be used in F&B products, providing a regulatory ‘green light’ for food and beverage manufacturers to partner with Imagindairy. Imagindairy can now offer the most efficient manufacturing and end-to-end capabilities, extending through in-market product availability. Products made using Imagindairy’s animal-free dairy protein are expected to be launched in the US in the coming year. #Imagindairy #animalfreeproteins #precisionfermentation #Israel #alternativedairy