Oatly has won a four-year legal battle against dairy trade association Dairy UK, over the right to use the marketing slogan ‘Post Milk Generation’. The Swedish oat milk giant registered the slogan in 2019 to be used across a range of its products including its oat milks, crème fraiche alternatives and yogurts, as well as on T-shirts. However, the trademark was contested by Dairy UK, which claimed that Oatly’s use of the word ‘milk’ violated 2013 European Court regulations restricting the use of dairy-related terms in the marketing of non-dairy products. Dairy UK, which includes major dairy industry companies such as Arla and Lactalis among its members, argued that the term ‘milk’ must be reserved for marketing products made of “the normal mammary secretion”. The trademark, originally granted by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) was declared invalid earlier this year following a lengthy dispute – but the British High Court of Justice has now ruled that the trademark can be restored, on the basis that the use of the term ‘milk’ within the slogan is not used to describe the product itself and therefore is not at risk of confusing or deceiving consumers. Court documents released following the hearing detail how the High Court judge Richard Smith ruled to allow Oatly’s appeal against the IPO’s decision, stating that the mark was not being used to “define, designate, describe or name any food, foodstuff or food product”. Oatly’s successful argument highlighted that the use of ‘milk’ in the slogan alludes to the attitudes of the potential consumer, rather than alluding to the characteristics of the goods themselves – the slogan intends to say that the goods are for those who have “moved on from conventional milk” and are for “consumers of a post-milk generation.” Bryan Carroll, general manager, Oatly UK & Ireland, told The Plant Base: “We’re pleased the appeal to the Intellectual Property Office was approved, and that the Post Milk Generation is alive and well. Our mission is to make it easier for people to live healthier lives without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources and we will continue to challenge rulings and legislation such as this to seek a more level playing field for plant-based products.” The win from Oatly follows a series of developments in plant-based labelling restrictions this year, including the tabling of bans on meat- and dairy-related terms in Italy, Poland and France. #DairyUK #labelling #Oatly #plantbasedmilk

From bans on meat-related terms to debate around ditching the ‘vegan’ label, we take a look at some of the labelling conundrums currently faced by manufacturers in the plant-based space. When it comes to encouraging more consumers to try plant-based, manufacturers in the food and beverage industry know that it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts. Developing a stand-out product in taste and texture is just one piece of the puzzle when successfully bringing plant-based offerings to market. For products to catch the consumer’s eye in retail, smart branding and carefully-chosen language on-pack can make all the difference with regards to a product’s success in attracting the desired demographic. Often, the desire is to attract consumers from the ‘omnivore’ and ‘flexitarian’ categories, enticing them toward increasing the portion of plant-based within their diets. ‘Plant-based’ vs ‘Vegan’ Communicating that a product is free from dairy and other animal-derived ingredients is important, but debate persists around how is best to do so, and brands will have different approaches depending on the consumers they are aiming to reach. Certifications such as the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark scheme allow brands to associate themselves with an internationally-recognised standard verifying that their product is made entirely without the use of animal ingredients. This helps to provide the reassurance consumers need when avoiding these ingredients entirely, such as in the case of vegans or consumers with allergies. Many will be looking out for products with these certifications when shopping. However, for the non-vegan consumer, several research studies this year have suggested that labelling a product ‘vegan’ can make buying it less appealing. A study undertaken by the University of California underwent a national food choice experiment to determine how people responded to the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ compared with the use of terms that placed more emphasis on the benefits of the product – such as ‘healthy and sustainable’. In the study, participants chose between a food gift basket without meat and dairy and another with meat and dairy. The experiment found that only 20% of participants chose the food basket without meat and dairy when it was labelled ‘vegan’ and just 27% when it was labelled ‘plant-based’. When it was labelled ‘healthy,’ the number of participants to choose the meat- and dairy-free food basket shot up to 42%, with 43% choosing it when it was labelled ‘sustainable’ and 44% choosing it when labelled ‘healthy and sustainable’. The research team said that the labelling effect was ‘especially pronounced’ among individuals who identified as red meat-eaters and held across socio-demographic groups. Julienne Bruno, a producer of dairy-free cheese alternatives, also conducted research earlier this year which found that 39% of UK adults wanted more planet-friendly food but were put off by labels – two in five (37%) said they disliked the term ‘plant-based’ and just under a third (32%) for ‘vegan’. Julienne Bruno’s research came within the same month as another study published by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which found that meat eaters were significantly less likely to choose vegetarian and vegan options when they were labelled as such. So, could the answer to attracting more consumers to the category be to leave the vegan and plant-based labelling at a minimum? Julienne Bruno thinks so, particularly as its research found that even 37% of those who identify as vegan disliked the term ‘plant-based’. Founder Axel Katalan called for a “shift in how we talk about and label food,” adding that shoppers want food to be “original, taste good and offer quality produce regardless of whether it’s vegan, and this could be key to getting more shoppers to eat more sustainably”. While it is obviously essential to include ingredient information on-pack, if you are aiming to reach more consumers from outside the vegan category, displaying a more neutral approach with your branding and on-pack labelling – similar to that of Julienne Bruno, which doesn’t use the terms ‘vegan’ or ‘plant-based’ to label its products – could be a smart messaging tactic to prevent plant-based products from being seen as something out of the norm. Meat and dairy terms: A meaty issue Restrictions that prevent plant-based companies from using meat-related and dairy-related terms to market their products have continued to persist this year, bringing headaches for many companies who may face the task of undergoing an entire rebrand due to bans on terms such as ‘mylk’ or ‘not mylk’ – often used in on-pack labelling for plant-based alternatives. In the UK, the vegan sector launched a petition against Trading Standards’ potential introduction of such restrictions, with organisations such as Viva! and the Plant Based Food Alliance campaigning against the changes which they argued could prevent a level playing field between categories and add unnecessary cost to businesses that are already struggling with rising prices. In November, the Italian Chamber of Deputies passed a law banning the use of meat-related names such as ‘salami’ or ‘steak’ on plant-based products in Italy. The ban also prohibited the sale and production of cell-based meat in the country. The new ban will directly affect Italian plant-based food producers that currently create plant-based meat products and will no longer be permitted to use such language, requiring a total branding overhaul for some. Violations against the bill will see brands faced with hefty fines (between €10,000 and €60,000 for each violation). Non-profit think tank The Good Food Institute said the move will “cut the country off from innovation and block sustainable development”. Following Italy’s ban, the latest European country to table restrictions is Poland. A draft decree from the Polish Ministry of Agriculture highlights terms including “sausage,” “smoked meat” and “ham” to be censored for use on vegan products. The French government also drafted a similar decree earlier in the year. Commenting on the plans in Poland, Jasmijn de Boo, CEO of ProVeg International, said: “This is a very disappointing development because studies have shown that consumers are simply not confused by the use of ‘meaty’ names for plant-based foods”. “Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 already provides an effective framework to protect consumers against misleading, inaccurate, or unclear information communicated to them. A disparate approach can confuse consumer perception and fragment and distort the Single Market, potentially harming the Polish market in light of consumer demand for products containing plant proteins.” De Boo added that governments and industry should be working together to “actively promote climate-friendly food,” including “going all-out” to promote plant-based and making funding available for research. Clean up The descriptive terms used to label plant-based food aren’t the only labelling concern manufacturers in the space are contending with – the ingredients label itself is currently a hot topic for the industry, with rising consumer concerns around ultra-processed foods (UPFs) said to have contributed toward a drop in plant-based meat sales. While several factors can be attributed to the plant-based meat sales decrease – including the general state of the economy, with many consumers likely choosing cheaper sources of plant protein such as chickpeas and lentils amid rising prices – several key players in the space have spoken out about misinformation targeting the category, leading consumers to believe that plant-based meats are inherently unhealthy due to their ‘ultra-processed’ state. The Center for Consumer Freedom – a US non-profit organisation that has advocated for the meat and tobacco industries – has launched several ad campaigns over the past few years slamming “synthetic, fake” plant-based meats for being “highly processed” and “full of ingredients you can’t easily pronounce”. Alt-meat producers such as Beyond Meat and Impossible have been forced to defend the health credentials of their products following such statements. Beyond Meat launched a multi-phased campaign, ‘There’s Goodness Here,’ aiming to show consumers how its products are made, from documenting the sourcing of plant protein ingredients from farmer partners through to showing how the products are developed at Beyond’s facilities in North America, placing emphasis on their health benefits such as having zero cholesterol or added antibiotics and hormones. Beyond and Impossible also both had their products – Beyond Steak and Impossible Beef Lite respectively – certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check Food Certification Program. Other companies within the space are taking the opportunity to innovate on ingredients that can fulfil the demand for ‘clean label’ plant-based meat products. Novozymes, for example, has introduced a bio-based solution named ‘Vertera ProBite,’ based on the enzyme MTGase (microbial transglutaminase E.C. 2.3.2.13). Because the enzyme becomes inactive after the food processing stage, any of its presence within the final product does not require labelling, enabling simple and clean labels and natural alternatives to unwanted texturizers that may be off-putting for consumers concerned by additive ingredients. Plant-based meat brands, particularly newer and smaller start-ups entering the market, are increasingly focusing on clean label with the awareness that this is now a crucial consideration for health-conscious shoppers. Companies such as Umiami and Meati Foods are bringing plant-based meat products to market with proud ‘clean label’ declarations, emphasising short and simple ingredients lists that place ‘natural’ at their core. What’s next? As we enter a new year, 2024 will no doubt bring interesting developments on these issues. Further innovation on clean label solutions, particularly within the ingredients industry, will benefit the plant-based sector as it works to shed the ‘synthetic’ image and ensure products are seen as more natural. Furthermore, with the potential for more bans on meat- and dairy-related terms set to come into effect, we may see a number of rebrands and packaging refreshes. Many already use wording such as ‘oat-based drink’ rather than ‘milk’ or ‘m*lk’ and we could be set to see a rise in such wording choices, as well as new ways to describe meat alternatives such as sausages and plant-based ‘ham’. Labelling obstacles will continue to present themselves in the coming years, but the plant-based food and beverage industry is filled with passionate individuals, dedicated to furthering a future of sustainable food production, who will surely find smart solutions to ensure the industry remains resilient and focused on its message. #branding #cleanlabel #labelling #vegan

Lindt has partnered with vegan chocolate brand ChoViva to launch a limited-edition chocolate bar for Veganuary. ChoViva is the brainchild of foodtech start-up Planet A Foods, which developed its cocoa-free chocolate by fermenting oats and sunflower seeds. Named Soft & Creamy Hazelnut, the bar features a creamy ChoViva hazelnut and oat crème filling with hazelnut and oat cookie pieces, coated in Lindt’s classic Hello Vegan chocolate. The new creation is the result of a collaboration between Planet A Foods and Lindt & Sprüngli. Sara Marquart, co-founder and CTO of Planet A Foods, said: “Lindt represents the highest chocolate craftsmanship and best taste, and it feels incredible to create such a great product with such a significant company”. Planet A Foods claims ChoViva produces 90% less CO2 emissions per kilo manufactured than regular chocolate. The Lindt Hello Vegan Soft & Creamy Hazelnut bar will launch for a limited time in January. #ChoViva #Lindt #LindtampSprüngli #UK

Plant-based food brand Fry’s Family Foods has launched a brand-new vegan chicken nugget product to celebrate the release of the film Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. The company teamed up with Chicken Run creator Aardman Animations for the launch of the product, which will be available at Tesco, Iceland, The Food Warehouse and selected Spar stores across the UK from 26 December. Fry’s new nuggets are 100% vegan, made from a mix of non-GM soy, wheat and pea protein and coated in breadcrumbs. Nicola Yates, head of marketing at Fry’s and parent company Livekindly Collective in the UK, commented: “This is an exciting new nugget from Fry’s with a superior fill and a super crispy crumb”. “Our previous Traditional Chicken style nuggets were a firm favourite in the Fry’s range for many years, and as plant-based eating grew in popularity they became a staple in many households – but with new ingredients now available and new manufacturing methods, our new nugget has brought the recipe right up to date with a whiter appearance to the fill and our crispest crumb ever.” The new nuggets will be available in 320g packs (RSP £3.00). #FrysFamilyFoods #plantbasedchicken #UK

CV Sciences, a consumer wellness company specialising in hemp extracts and other natural ingredients, has acquired plant-based food company Cultured Foods. Cultured Foods produces a range of vegan products, currently sold in 15 European countries, with its base of operations in Warsaw, Poland. CV Sciences has purchased the business for a total consideration of up to $535,000. According to CV Sciences, which is headquartered in San Diego, California, the acquisition will create opportunities for the importation of these speciality foods to the US as well as establishing a European base of operations for the sale and distribution of CV Sciences’ +PlusCBD products. The company said it will also enable it to transition to a ‘more diverse’ global health and wellness company. The acquisition was structured as an equity purchase, where CV Sciences will operate Cultured Foods as its wholly-owned subsidiary. Cultured Foods’ founder, Barbara McWhorter, will continue as general manager of the European manufacturing and distribution business following the closing of the transaction. Joseph Dowling, CEO of CV Sciences, commented: “The global vegan food market is expected to grow five times by 2030, with millennials and flexitarians as the driving force behind soaring vegan food sales”. Dowling added that the acquisition synergies will allow the company to leverage key assets including B2B expertise to drive long-term growth and shareholder value. “Our immediate plan is to leverage our B2B distribution network and bring convenient and sustainable plant-based foods into the US natural product channel while working with Cultured Foods to grow their business in the European market,” he said. #CulturedFoods #CVSciences #Europe #US

From innovations in production to consumer preferences: What you will hear at the Innovations in Plant-Based Food And Beverage Summit. The Innovations in Plant-Based Food And Beverage Summit is an event covering the most significant trends in the plant-based food and beverage industry, bringing together experts from companies such as Nestlé, Mackenzie Stuart, Pilgrims Food Masters, and many others. The summit will take place on 21-22 February 2024 in Berlin, Germany. The summit will address the following topics: Innovations in plant-based ingredients, sustainable manufacturing practices, market trends and consumer insights, culinary innovation and taste development and regulatory and labelling updates. Its goal is to create a space for the exchange of professional experiences, forecasts and insights into the further development of the industry from leaders and experts in the field of plant-based nutrition. This includes not only production but also sustainable packaging, product eco-friendliness, consumer preference trends and legislative aspects of industry regulation. The relevance of the summit is justified by statistics: According to Euromonitor, in 2023, the market size increased from 90 to 101 million dollars in Western Europe. Consumers are increasingly choosing plant-based diets for various reasons, and manufacturers are responding proactively. The industry is continuously evolving, so the summit will discuss the latest technologies in production and ways to implement them in business to maintain competitiveness in the market. Participation in the summit will be beneficial for product manufacturers, technology suppliers, developers of environmentally friendly packaging, farmers and raw material suppliers. The speakers at the summit are market leaders and industry activists ready to share real experiences and forecasts regarding the future of plant-based products. Business Conference Facilitation (BCF) is a professional organiser of high-level B2B events. They produce, conduct and coordinate conferences, summits and forums in major business industries of the emerging global market. To learn more about the summit, you can visit our website.

The EU has announced that it will invest €50 million in 2024 to help start-ups scale up the production of alternative proteins using technologies such as precision fermentation. The investment will be made as part of the European Innovation Council (EIC)’s Work Programme 2024, under the EU’s flagship Horizon Europe programme. It aims to “improve the sustainability, efficiency and resilience of the European supply chain” through providing support to small businesses in the alternative protein space. Precision fermentation is a method of fermentation whereby microorganisms, such as yeast, are used to produce real animal proteins – such as whey and casein – without the use of animals. These proteins are often responsible for delivering the taste and texture of foods like cheese, meat and eggs, helping companies to create animal-free alternatives that are able to mimic the familiar qualities of their traditional counterparts. Meat, eggs, dairy and seafood made using precision fermentation can significantly reduce carbon emissions and are also free from antibiotics. Companies in Europe using precision fermentation to develop animal-free proteins include Paleo, a Belgium-based company developing animal-free, species-specific myoglobin proteins for meat alternative applications. Paleo has this week announced that it is expanding into the plant-based pet food market. Elsewhere, Onego Bio, based in Finland, is using the technology to create animal-free egg proteins and was shortlisted in FoodBev Media’s inaugural World Cell-based Innovation Awards this year. The funding, under the EIC’s Accelerator Challenge, aims to support the development of “viable alternatives that complement agriculture,” producing foods that are rich in protein and other nutrients. The work programme highlights that these foods can be produced using existing agricultural sidestreams, with benefits including reduced pressure on natural resources such as land and water. Acacia Smith, senior policy manager at non-profit think tank the Good Food Institute Europe, said: “It’s excellent that the EIC has recognised precision fermentation’s game-changing potential to feed Europe’s growing population, improve public health and reduce our reliance on imports”. She added: “It’s also very welcome that this funding aims to develop new ways of scaling up production – tackling Europe’s lack of infrastructure – and to look at other critical areas such as consumer acceptance, regulatory approval and supporting the entry of these foods into the European market.” #animalfreeproteins #EU #precisionfermentation

Alongside the industry heavyweights famed for pioneering the plant-based category, smaller businesses with big ambitions are also championing the future of sustainable, animal-free food. In this month’s Start-up spotlight, we speak with Johnny Drain, CTO and co-founder of WNWN Food Labs. WNWN produces plant-based and cocoa-free chocolate products, with an ambition to drive the chocolate industry toward a more sustainable and ethical future. Read on to find out more. I was a fermentation wizard consulting for fine-dining restaurants around the world and creating sustainable products, often from by-products, for consumer brands. [Co-founder] Ahrum was an investment banker who was itching to start a food company. About three years ago, a mutual friend of ours put her on to my work and she approached me on Instagram. We clicked when we first chatted and the company was incorporated a few months later. In the early stages of the company we discussed many foods that are produced unsustainably and unethically, and flavour profiles that need to be future-proofed. We dug into how we might best drive positive change in the production monopolies that perpetuate unfair wages and poor working conditions. However, we decided to begin with chocolate. I had been sitting on the idea of cocoa-free chocolate for a few years already, and had produced a primitive prototype that made me confident it was possible to reproduce the 500-odd flavour compounds found in chocolate that result from the fermentation and roasting of cacao beans. I knew those compounds don’t come from cacao alone; many other plants can deliver them too. Since then, we’ve moved quickly and we were the first in the world to sell cocoa-free choc. What are the key issues within the cocoa industry that WNWN is aiming to raise awareness of? While many foods we know and love have problematic supply chains — coffee, tea and vanilla do too — mass-market cocoa production is particularly egregious. Only a handful of multinationals control the majority of the industry, so ‘Big Choc’ (which is akin to Big Pharma or Big Ag) has the power to entrench cocoa farmers in poverty with stagnant wages, soaring cost of living, and rising cost of production. The industry is held up by slave labour and child labour, deforestation and extraordinarily high carbon emissions — more than chicken, cheese and lamb. In fact, chocolate is rather a climate double whammy: massive carbon emissions in its production, and the destruction of carbon-absorbing forests to grow it. We’ve chosen to work with ingredients that are abundant, sustainable, and widely-grown — and hence are resilient to food system shocks and climate shocks. Our hero ingredients are barley and carob, even though we tease out radically different flavours from them compared to most people who buy them. We developed some innovative fermentation processes inspired by natural cacao fermentation. This yields a highly sustainable, flavour-identical chocolate substitute. Our choc looks, smells, snaps, melts, bakes and tastes just like real chocolate, but contains no cacao. It can be used in bars, confections, ice cream, beverages, baked goods, any application where chocolate—milk to dark, from couverture to cocoa powder — is currently used. We have created a range of dark choc and a vegan ‘milk’ choc. The latter’s creaminess derives from a blend of oats and tiger nuts, another interesting and sustainable ingredient with a very lower water footprint compared to almonds, soybeans or even oats, which are already quite low. What has WNWN’s biggest achievement been so far? As a mission-driven company, Ahrum and I frequently speak out about what’s wrong with Big Choc and what needs to change. Paradoxically the companies we’re alienating are the very ones we most need to partner with — we simply cannot change this industry without their help. And what we’ve found is that we’re not being shut out; quite the opposite. We’re being welcomed to the table, and we’re seen as potential collaborators instead of adversaries by some of the biggest candy and snack companies in the world. We raised our second funding round in a tricky environment. Geopolitical uncertainty, global financial instability and supply-chain issues from both the Ukraine conflict and Covid contributed to a sort of rebalancing of valuations and also of investors’ appetites. There’s more scrutiny on startups to prove their product and their potential. We navigated the round and pulled together an extremely strong consortium of investors that believe in us and in our mission. Having said that, starting the company during the lockdowns was almost equally challenging. It was many months before Ahrum (living in Portugal) and I (opening a restaurant in Paraguay for much of the lockdown) even met each other face-to-face. By then we already had a product prototype and pre-seed funding. To get to that stage when we’d never been in the same room together was marvellous yet absurd in its own way. What’s next for WNWN Food Labs? Any exciting plans in the pipeline? We just recently announced wholesale packs in larger sizes for the food and beverage trade, so now restaurants, bakeries, confectioneries and others in foodservice can begin to use our choc in earnest. While we can’t sell to consumers globally, we can wholesale globally, and that means it shouldn’t be long before people outside the UK can lay hands on our choc. People, I should say, as well as pets: since our choc contains no theobromine, nor caffeine, it’s safe for pets, and it would be fantastic to see a cocoa-free chocolate treat for dogs. A big one. From the beginning, our mindset has been to scale fast and achieve price parity with comparable chocolate (on supermarket shelves and as B2B ingredients), because we want to drive meaningful change now, not five or ten years from now like a lot of our colleagues in food-tech. In our first year we increased our production capacity eightfold. Now we’re selling wholesale, ahead of schedule. By creating a mass market-priced alternative, we change the status quo. We can reduce the industry’s environmental harm and relieve economic pressure on cocoa farmers who are forced to accept less than a living wage. That helps strengthen cooperatives of smallholder farmers, and helps undo habitat destruction caused by expanding plantations. We can help meet the rising demand for chocolate without correspondingly high damages. Once there are well-priced products available, the consumer wins too, which is important in light of the EU ban on cocoa and chocolate linked to deforestation. We’re called “win-win” for a reason. We want the planet to win, we want farmers to win, and yes, we want chocolate companies to win too, by helping them operate more sustainably and ethically. #WNWN #chocolate #startups #StartupSpotlight #confectionery #WNWNFoodLabs

A new plant-based food company, Woop4, has launched a line of vegan seafood products into the Canadian market including tropical piranha and mahi-mahi alternatives. The company said its 100% plant-based and allergen-free products are ideal for vegans as well as pregnant women and those with food allergies. Additionally, it is launching alternatives to soy, peanut and sesame mayonnaise, designed to imitate these flavours without the use of the allergens. Its products offer omega-3 and a good source of vegetable protein among their nutritional benefits. #Woop4 #mayonnaise #Canada #plantbasedsauces #Plantbasedseafood

India-based superfood company Nourish You has acquired the vegan food brand One Good, known for its range of plant-based dairy alternatives. One Good is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and was founded under the name Goodmylk. Its portfolio includes plant-based alternatives to milk, cheese, chocolate, curd, ghee and butter. The One Good team, including CEO and co-founder Abhay Rangan, CFO and co-founder Radhika Datt, and COO Dhivakar Sathyamurthy, will join the leadership team at Nourish You. Beginning with 50 acres of farmland and having now expanded to 5000 acres across Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh, Nourish You retails its homegrown superfood products in India, specialising in quinoa, chia and millet. Its products are available across over 2,500 retail stores. The company expanded into alternative dairy with the launch of Millet Mlk in early 2023. One Good aims to offer vegan milk at a lesser cost compared to cow’s milk in select pockets of the country, with a mission of enabling access to high-quality plant-based nutrition for all. Krishna Reddy, co-founder of Nourish You, said: “From introducing India to the power of superfoods and now acquiring One Good, Nourish You evolves from being a superfood brand to a plant-based brand, embracing a more inclusive vision”. “One Good’s journey is revolutionary. It was born with a vision of creating the next big dairy company, devoid of animals. Moreover, it is led by a team of fervent vegans dedicated to both innovation and animal protection.” Reddy added: “The acquisition integrates Nourish You’s commitment to animal welfare with our existing values of nourishing consumers, farmers, and the planet. It also reinforces our commitment to make healthy, flavourful plant-based foods, affordable and accessible.” Abhay Rangan, CEO and co-founder of One Good, commented: “Our journey towards creating One Good was ignited by a passion for animal rights and a dedication to accessible and affordable plant-based alternatives for all. We are excited about being a part of Nourish You’s incredible platform and leveraging their scale and operational excellence to build India’s biggest plant-based dairy company.” #superfoods #OneGood #NourishYou #India #plantbaseddairy

Nature’s Fynd, a producer of fungi-based meat and dairy alternatives, has launched what it claims is the world’s first dairy-free, fungi-based yogurt. Launched at Whole Foods stores across the US, the new yogurt is made using Fy, Nature’s Fynd’s proprietary nutritional fungi protein ingredient, as a base. It hits the shelves in single-serve 5.3 ounce containers, available in strawberry, peach and vanilla flavours. According to the company, its yogurt has a thick and creamy consistency without the grittiness often found in high-protein and plant-based yogurts. Fy Yogurt contains 8g of protein, 4g of fibre and is made with live and active cultures. The peach and strawberry yogurts contain 8g of total sugar while the vanilla has 9g. All flavours contain no artificial flavours or preservatives, as well as being nut-, soy- and gluten-free. Thomas Jonas, CEO and co-founder at Nature’s Fynd, said: “In a crowded market of dairy-free yogurts that often sacrifice nutrition for taste or vice-versa, we have created the world’s first fungi-based yogurt – it is delicious, nutrition-forward and earth-friendly”. Chicago-based Nature’s Fynd grows Fy protein from fungi with origins in Yellowstone National Park, through the company’s fermentation process. It is then crafted to create products for the brand’s dairy-free food portfolio, which also includes cream cheese alternatives and meatless breakfast patties. #NaturesFynd #US #plantbasedyogurts #fungi #alternativeproteins

Farmless, a Dutch fermentation start-up, has raised €4.8 million in a funding round co-led by World Fund and Vorwerk Ventures, with participation from Revent. The company brews ‘planet-friendly’ functional proteins with a complete amino acid profile, using a feedstock made from carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen and renewable energy. Its fermentation platform allows for local protein production independent from climate and agricultural land. Using the funds raised from the seed round, Farmless plans to build a pilot protein brewery in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, develop its fermentation platform and continue the process of regulatory approval. According to Farmless, it can brew proteins with up to 5000 times less land than beef and significantly reduce demand for animal products as well as encouraging reforestation, reversing biodiversity loss and reducing gigatons of carbon. The company’s mission is to free protein production from animals and agricultural land by building a fermentation platform with the potential to create an entirely new food repertoire. Its team of scientists has already created an initial product that can be used to create successors to meat, dairy and eggs. Farmless has designed its platform to outperform animal-based proteins on economics, aiming to provide an affordable, simple and efficient solution from the ground up. Adnan Oner, Farmless’ founder and CEO, said: “In today’s unpredictable world, where climate change threatens crop yields, our fermentation platform offers an antifragile solution for food security. This allows any country to take control of their protein production, without the need for fertile land.” “If we unlock the protein-producing powers of the microbial kingdoms we can create a future worth getting excited about. We can have an abundant, cruelty-free food supply and rewild the world, restore forests, all while drawing down gigatonnes of CO2 from the air.” Oner added that investor interest in the funding round had been “overwhelming,” and that the company has found investors that share its “sense of urgency in creating dramatically better ways of producing proteins on a planetary scale”. Nadine Geiser, principal at World Fund, said that moving away from sugar as a feedstock for fermentation represents a “significant opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions of fermentation-based food production”. She added: “At World Fund, we only invest in startups with the greatest climate performance potential – and there is a significant need to reduce emissions in the farming, agriculture and land use category (FALU)”. “The FALU category is responsible for around 22% of emissions globally, but receives just 12% of venture funding for climate, so it’s critical we back more startups like Farmless, which has the potential to drastically reduce land use from agriculture, and to improve biodiversity globally.” #alternativeproteins #Farmless #fermentation #theNetherlands