Bega Group has launched its debut plant-based product – a cheddar cheese-style alternative that comes in sliced and shredded formats. Said to be ‘smooth and creamy,’ the new dairy-free offering is made in the Australian town of Strathmerton and cut in the Bega Valley. “The launch of Bega’s plant-based cheese is an important evolution to ensure that Bega Group is positioned to take advantage of the growing plant-based segment,” said Matt Gray, general manager marketing at Bega Foods. “We have credentials in cheesemaking, and we’re excited to leverage this knowledge and expertise to create a great-tasting dairy-free range under the Bega brand.” Bega Plant Based Cheddar Cheese Style is available now at Coles and will be rolling out to independent stores from July. #Australia #BegaCheese

Nestlé is axing its Wunda and Garden Gourmet retail offering in the UK and Ireland, as it looks to focus investment on its “core” portfolio. Wunda, a pea-based vegan milk, made its debut in 2021, the same year the Garden Gourmet alt-meat range was reintroduced to UK supermarkets after an initial attempt to crack the market ended in the brand being withdrawn. Garden Gourmet is also available to caterers and foodservice and will remain part of the Nestlé Professional UK&I offering under the newly announced plans to pull it from retail. Alongside the plant-based duo, Mezeast, a Middle Eastern-inspired sauce, seasoning and meal kit brand, is also being withdrawn. “As part of our strategy to address the growing demand for emerging cuisines and plant-based diets, we launched Mezeast, Wunda and Garden Gourmet,” said a Nestlé UK&I spokesperson. “However, the learnings over the last 20 months confirmed that the scaling of new brands in retail requires significant and sustained investment. “We have therefore taken the decision to remove Wunda, Garden Gourmet and Mezeast from retail as we believe it is right at this time to focus our investment and resources on our strong core portfolio, rather than the significant investment required in new brands.” The spokesperson added: “We believe that a more plant-based diet is the future, and one of our strategic priorities is to expand our vegetarian and flexitarian choices. We are assessing alternative ways to address these strategic priorities, either organically through our established portfolio of brands or via acquisitions.” Mezeast, Wunda and Garden Gourmet will start disappearing from UK shelves during the second quarter. #Nestlé #GardenGourmet #Wunda #Mezeast #UK #Ireland

Canadian plant-based meat maker No Meat Factory has acquired a production facility in Stanwood, Washington. No Meat Factory will invest up to $20 million in renovations and improvements at the plant, formerly home to Twin City Foods, which ceased operations at the site in 2018. The facility, No Meat Factory’s first in the US, will produce a diverse array of products, including veggie burgers and nuggets, alt-seafood and extruded meat alternatives such as sausages. “We are excited to expand our operations with the acquisition of the Stanwood, Washington, production facility,” said Leon Bell, No Meat Factory’s founder and chief operating officer. “In Stanwood, No Meat Factory will realise additional manufacturing capacity for convenience products and provide additional manufacturing capabilities for plant-based deli and sausage alternatives, allowing us to better service the US market through our existing brand owner partners, as well as increase our offering to foodservice and private label clients.” The project is being supported by a $200,000 state grant to Economic Alliance Snohomish County, that will support site engineering and development costs. “The establishment of No Meat Factory in Stanwood represents a significant investment in our local economy and is a testament to our region’s skilled workforce,” said Gerry Clark, Economic Alliance Snohomish County CEO and president. “We are proud to support this venture and to see the return of over 100 food processing jobs to our community.” The plant is expected to begin operations towards the end of the year and will eventually employ up to 150 workers. #NoMeatFactory #US

A year on from the announcement of their joint venture, Kraft Heinz and NotCo have unveiled their second plant-based innovation: NotMayo. The Kraft Heinz Not Company, which introduced its first product – dairy-free cheese slices – in November, is initially rolling out the new alt-mayonnaise in select US regions. The product is said to have a savoury and creamy taste that is similar to that of traditional mayo. The suggested retail price of $5.99 aims to bring value to consumers, as The Kraft Heinz Not Company looks to “democratise” plant-based foods. NotMayo will initially be available across the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast, with plans in place for a further rollout across the US and into Canada later this year. #KraftHeinz #NotCo #TheKraftHeinzNotCompany #US

Functional mushroom beer brand Fungtn has unveiled a 0.5% ABV dark lager containing 500mg of shiitake extract with adaptogenic compounds. The vegan non-alcoholic brew combines organic shiitake mushrooms with malt, barley and hops to offer “a balanced blend of richer stout-like flavours, with a lightness on the tongue”. Like the rest of the brand’s range, Fungtn’s “hangover-free” Shiitake Dark Lager aims to enable consumers to reconcile social drinking with health and wellness goals. In addition to providing a rich umami flavour, Fungtn says that shiitake mushrooms are associated with a host of health benefits, including helping to lower blood pressure and reducing the absorption of cholesterol. Shiitake Dark Lager is available from the brand’s website with an RRP of £33.60 for a pack of 12 cans. #functionalmushrooms #Fungtn #Nonalcoholicbeer #UK

Shiru has launched its first ingredient, OleoPro, which was developed using the company’s AI-powered discovery platform. OleoPro is a plant protein-based fat ingredient designed to enhance the technical performance of meat alternatives. The novel solution combines proteins and unsaturated plant-based oil and is said to provide a sustainable alternative to commonly used, “environmentally taxing” structured fats. “At Shiru, we think consumers shouldn’t have to compromise on taste or texture to make sustainable, nutritious food choices, and we know novel ingredients are crucial to unlocking the next generation of plant-based foods,” said Jasmin Hume, Shiru’s founder and CEO. “Oils commonly used in plant-based meats today, like palm and coconut, are disastrous for the environment and aren’t great from a health perspective either.” According to Shiru, its debut ingredient browns when cooked and delivers a juicy, fatty mouthfeel in alt-meat applications. It also enables a 90% reduction in saturated fat when compared with common alternatives. Shiru’s AI-enabled technology platform, Flourish, can identify proteins in plants with strong performance across specific, desirable functional parameters. In order to create OleoPro, these “highly functional” proteins were combined with oils through a novel process to produce an ingredient that looks and behaves like animal fat. #Shiru #US

Elmhurst 1925 is introducing a sour cream alternative as it looks to evolve from a dairy-free beverage brand into a plant-based food company. Made with an oat milk and hemp protein base, the latest addition to Elmhurst’s portfolio is said to be rich and tangy and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for its dairy counterpart. The product – which comes in a squeezable pouch – is free from sodium and made using simple ingredients. Alongside its first food innovation, Elmhurst is also releasing a new barista milk flavour. Maple Walnut Barista Edition is creamier than everyday plant milks and can be steamed, foamed or used to sweeten hot and iced coffee. Meanwhile, Elmhurst’s Vanilla Lavender Botanical Blend OatNog is a limited-edition offering made from wholegrain oats, cashews and lavender extract. The seasonal product allows consumers to ‘upgrade’ coffee, cocktails and baked goods. #Elmhurst1925 #US

Food tech unicorn NotCo has announced the appointment of Fernando Machado as its new chief marketing officer. A veteran of Unilever, where he began his career as an intern and worked for 18 years, Machado will assume the post at NotCo in April. The appointment – which fills the opening created by Flavia Buchmann’s departure – follows a two-year stint for Machado as CMO of gaming company Activision Blizzard. Prior to that, he spent seven years as chief marketeer at Burger King owner, Restaurant Brands International. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s most beloved brands and am incredibly excited to now apply my creativity and decades of experience to the NotCo team,” said Machado. “I’ve been a huge fan of the brand and its unique tech since it launched in the US a few years ago. The products are incredible, but I also believe wholeheartedly in what NotCo is working to achieve in the world. The culture of dreaming big and enacting real change that [CEO] Matias and the other leaders have built is admirable, and I’m truly looking forward to further propelling NotCo’s growth through cutting-edge and creative marketing.” NotCo – which raised $70 million in Series D1 funding last year – uses “first-of-its-kind” proprietary artificial intelligence technology, named Giuseppe, to develop plant-based foods. Giuseppe’s algorithms analyse thousands of plants in its database to come up with combinations that replicate the taste, feel and functional properties of animal-derived products. “Our mission from the beginning has been to create a more sustainable world and transform the food industry by creating truly delicious plant-based foods,” said co-founder and CEO, Matias Muchnick. “Fernando’s pedigree speaks for itself, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our leadership team. We’re confident that his ingenuity and passion for our mission will help accelerate our journey.” #Appointments #NotCo

Plant-based chicken maker, Daring Foods, is entering a new category with the introduction of a range of frozen entrées. The upcoming launch marks an expansion beyond the brand’s signature ‘plant chicken pieces’ offering, which was recently bolstered with a new teriyaki flavour. The range of prepared entrées includes: Daring plant chicken teriyaki bowls, fajita bowls, penne primavera pasta bowls and autumn harvest bowls. Meanwhile, Daring is also introducing buffalo plant chicken wings this May. #Daring #US

UK meat alternatives maker This has raised £15 million from institutional and crowdfunding investors, as it eyes expansion into overseas markets. The brand was created by Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman, serial entrepreneurs who were previously behind gourmet meat burger delivery concept Chosen Bun, before selling the business in 2016. Shovel, who is now vegan, has said in interviews that the duo wanted their next venture to be something sustainable and explored a number of areas, including electric cars, before alighting on plant-based meat. This – which recorded revenue of around £2 million in February – is targeting rapid growth and launched a slew of NPD in 2022. In January of this year, the company introduced a “hyper-realistic” vegan streaky bacon, which uses the brand’s patented Fat 2.0 ingredient to mimic the appearance and cooking behaviour of animal meat. This’s latest funding round included £10 million from venture capital firms – with BGF, Lever VC and Five Seasons Ventures all among the backers – as well as the proceeds from a raise on crowdfunding platform Seedrs. “We’ve managed to buck the miserable fundraising trend at the moment and close a fantastic funding round for the brand,” said Shovel. “Our investors’ confidence has predominantly come from our punchy growth and really strong R&D pipeline. We’ve also got lots of data to show that we’re championing the recruitment of meat eaters into the plant-based category, who haven’t shopped in it before. We’re all really excited to go from plucky SME to industry-leading powerhouse.” The brand plans to use the investment to consolidate its supply chain, fund advertising campaigns and bolster its R&D capabilities, and says that it has its sights set on “going international” this year. #This #UK

Plant-based ‘gut-happy snacking’ brand, Boundless, has expanded its portfolio with the addition of two new chip flavours, Smoky Bacon and Sour Cream & Onion. Boundless products are vegan, gluten-free and made with natural ingredients, packed full of gut-friendly fibre and nutrients. The two new chip varieties join the brand’s existing flavours: Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar and Chipotle & Lime. Cathy Moseley, founder of Boundless, said: “If you have a gut, you need to look after it! We take 100% natural ingredients and through activation make them even better, creating great-tasting snacks that will keep you and your gut happy. Along with the new listings, we want to meet even more consumer snacking needs and have done just that with our extended range of formats and more accessible flavours.” Moseley launched Boundless in 2017 with the goal of revolutionising the plant-based functional snacking industry. The brand is also launching its existing nut and seed mixes into smaller ‘grab-and-go’ packs which are available in flavours including Sweet Chilli and Orange & Maple Syrup. The new chips are available in select retailers nationwide for an RRP of £2 per 80g bag. #Boundless #guthealth #UK

A study conducted by the University of Warwick has found that swapping meat for plant-based alternatives lowers low-density lipoprotein (known as ‘bad’) cholesterol. Plant-based diets based on unprocessed foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, are known to help mitigate important risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, it was previously unestablished whether those heavy in meat alternatives would have the same benefits. The University of Warwick study reviewed previous research from controlled clinical trials to compare diets with a significant alt-meat component to diets containing animal meat. It included products made from soy, wheat, peanut and pea protein, as well as mycoprotein-based alternatives. The findings, which have been published in quarterly journal Dietetics, included that substituting meat in the diet with plant-based alternatives is likely to benefit cholesterol levels and could possibly reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and CVD. Lead author Joshua Gibbs, a PhD student at Warwick Medical School, said: “We reviewed 12 studies involving 459 participants, in which the effects of meat alternative consumption on cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and body weight were studied in controlled clinical trials”. “Meta-analysis of these studies showed that meat alternative consumption lowers total cholesterol, LDL [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Meat alternative consumption reduced total cholesterol by half a point (0.5 mmol/L) and LDL cholesterol by 0.39 mmol/L when compared with omnivorous diets.” Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to the buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries, which restrict blood flow and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to Gibbs. He continued: “An LDL cholesterol reduction of the scale caused by meat alternative consumption would reduce the risk of developing heart disease by about 25% over a two-year period”. “This is a significant finding as it highlights that people can obtain some of the benefits of healthy plant-based diets whilst making minimal dietary change i.e., swapping animal meat with meat alternatives.” However, consumers interested in making the switch should avoid regularly consuming products that are high in saturated fat and salt, Gibbs noted, “as these ingredients may undermine the cardiovascular health benefits observed in our study”. #meatalternatives #mycoprotein #UniversityofWarwick