The Every Company has debuted its Every Egg – claimed to be the world’s first liquid egg made without the hen – at an exclusive event in New York City. The Every Egg was created using yeast fermentation and was the result of nine years of product development by the company. According to Every, it matches the culinary versatility of traditional eggs and can be used as a 1:1 drop-in across hundreds of applications. It delivers eight grams of protein per serving and has zero cholesterol, saturated fat or artificial flavours. The precision fermentation-made product contains egg protein that is identical to its traditional, animal-based counterpart, developed in an entirely animal-free process. The company said it hopes to pave the way for a future where consumers can enjoy eggs without the process variability, disease risk and high environmental impact of animal agriculture. Every’s co-founder and CEO, Arturo Elizondo, said: “By decoupling the egg from the chicken, Every Egg is going to change the way we think about one of the most ubiquitous foods on the planet. For nine years, my dream has been to build a food system humanity can be proud of.” The innovation was unveiled in a product collaboration with chef Daniel Humm, served up to culinary innovators, chefs and creators at Humm’s 3-star Michelin retsuarant, Eleven Madison Park. Humm commented: “Eggs are a universal staple in every kitchen, and this is the first time we’ve crafted an event menu around a novel food product. When we prepared an omelet using Every Egg, the taste and versatility was all but indistinguishable from hen eggs. We are excited about the potential of Every Egg to transform the food landscape.” #plantbasedegg #precisionfermentation #US #TheEveryCompany #animalfreeprotein

Plant-based food business VBites has entered administration, the company’s founder Heather Mills has announced. Mills founded VBites in 1993 as a manufacturer and wholesaler of plant-based meat, fish and cheese products. The company operated from its two UK manufacturing sites in Peterlee, County Durham and Corby, Northamptonshire. In a statement, Mills said that while she had offered “every solution I feasibly could to keep [VBites] going,” the business ultimately suffered following demands that she stepped away from day-to-day management to secure essential investment. Mills cited several challenges leading to the collapse, including “corporate greed” within the market and the “galvanised and well-funded marketing of misinformation currently being undertaken by the meat and dairy industries”. Price rises in the global materials and utilities markets and the current state of the manufacturing economy in Britain following Brexit were also noted as key difficulties leading to VBites’ appointment of administrators. James Clark and Howard Smith, of restructuring and insolvency specialist Interpath Advisory, were appointed joint administrators on 11 December. While the company’s directors sought to explore their options, a funding agreement was not reached, Interpath revealed, leaving no other choice for the business. The joint administrators will continue to trade the site in Peterlee while they seek a buyer. 29 members of staff at the site have been retained to assist with trading, and an additional 29 employees at the site in Corby to assist with the fulfilment of outstanding orders. 24 employees across the business have been made redundant. “The plight of VBites is not an isolated case and I think it’s important to take stock and highlight the various factors that are contributing to the struggles of companies like ours in the current market,” Mills wrote in her statement. “The plant-based industry needs to take a lead from the dairy industry in unifying its voice but as a force for good and promotion of the facts – as opposed to a litany of lies and misinformation. We also need to work harder to demonstrate the long-term profitability of plant-based farming and manufacturing to the meat and dairy industries.” She pointed to the similar struggles of other companies in the plant-based market such as Meatless Farm and Plant & Bean, the latter of which Mills bought out of administration earlier this year, adding that numerous plant-based businesses have faced issues such as unexpected investor pull-out and factory closures. “It is unsurprising and inevitable that where profits are to be made, amorphous corporate entities will follow and unfortunately their practices too often undermine the entrepreneurial spirit, flexibility and agility of movement that saw plant-based entrepreneurs have so much success,” Mills said. “There is too often a tendency to treat their investments as short-term experiments and opportunistic flights of fancy, embalm them in restrictive governance and then either walk away or enforce a takeover when the market hits a bump.” Joint administrator and managing director at Interpath Advisory, Clark, said their immediate priority is to provide support and assistance to employees impacted by redundancy, as well as seeking a buyer for the business and its assets. Mills expressed hope that the industry can “turn things around as a unified force,” with “well-intended capital, strategic vision and belief in a brighter future” required to achieve meaningful growth for the market. She added a final note of thanks to VBites’ staff: “Thank you for the years of unwavering effort, thank you for the belief and I hope that you can take some solace from knowing that you have had a huge positive impact on the world through the work that you have done over the last 30 years.” #VBites #plantbasedmeat #UK #HeatherMills #plantbasedcheese

Impossible Foods is giving consumers in New York an exclusive preview of its new innovation, Impossible Beef Hot Dogs, on Saturday 16 December. The plant-based meat company will be serving up its latest development in a limited pop-up, available for one day only this weekend in Manhattan, New York City. It marks the first taste of the new product, which promises a ‘fresh but familiar take on the classic American hot dog’. It is set to launch in restaurants and grocery stores next year. According to Impossible, its new hot dog offers a similar cooking and sensory experience to traditional animal beef hot dog, but outperforms the animal-derived version on several nutritional key metrics. The product is claimed to contain 50% less total and saturated fat than a leading brand of animal beef hot dog serviced in restaurants, in addition to featuring 12g of protein and zero cholesterol. It also contains no added or synthetic nitrates or nitrites, instead only using those naturally occurring in cultured celery powder. Peter McGuinness, CEO and president of Impossible Foods, said: “Hot dogs are an undeniably classic part of American culture and not to mention, they’re a burger’s best friend. It’s long been a priority to add them to our product portfolio”. He added: “Our adaptation replicates that quintessential hot dog taste, while offering consumers a nutrient-dense product that’s better for the planet. We want people to see that there’s really no compromise when you choose Impossible products.” Impossible Hot Dogs mark the seventh new product to be released by the brand in the last 12 months. Other recent launches include the Impossible Indulgent Burger and leaner Beef Lite in the beef category, while Spicy Chicken Nuggets and Patties have been introduced to the company’s chicken alternative portfolio. #ImpossibleFoods #plantbasedbeef #plantbasedsausage #US

Scientists in Japan have conducted new research into improving the texture and taste of plant-based meat analogues using protein-glutaminase. The researchers, from Japan’s Amano Enzyme Innovation Center in Kakamigahara, set out to improve the liquid-holding capacities of burger patties made from textured vegetable proteins (TVP). Their work was published in the scientific journal Plos One. According to the team, the lack of juiciness in plant-based meat imitation products is caused by their inability to retain unsaturated oils in a liquid state at room temperature. While solid fats such as coconut oil are often added by plant-based meat manufacturers to add the juiciness provided by animal fat in traditional meat products, the researchers pointed out that these have high saturated fatty acid content. The World Health Organization recommends that saturated fats should not constitute more than 10% of the total fat content in the diet. With consumer health concerns and demand for ‘clean label’ alternatives increasing, food processing using enzymes – which are not considered additives in the case that they are denatured or inactivated by the final food product – is attracting more attention in the plant-based space. Protein-glutaminase is an enzyme that can be used to improve the functionality of meat alternative products based on plant proteins such as soy, pea and wheat. The research team in Japan said that the enzyme may be ‘the only enzyme capable’ of modifying TVPs without the risk of developing peptide-derived bitter tastes or TVP collapse, due to the difficulty in controlling the activity of most protein-modifying enzymes. Soy protein isolate and soy-based TVP were tested during the experiment, treated with the protein-glutaminase for three hours at 50°C and then boiled for five minutes to end the reaction. The dry proteins were also evaluated for their liquid-holding capacities, dissolved in water and canola oil and left to sit for 30 minutes. Their emulsifying and foaming properties were also evaluated. Plant-based burgers were prepared using the protein-glutaminase treated TVPs and a binder (methylcellulose), followed by the addition of water, canola oil, pea protein isolates and potato starch. The researchers found that after grilling, the plant-based patties composed of the protein-glutaminase-treated TVPs showed significantly higher liquid-holding capacities than control patties made without, suggesting that the enzyme could produce increased juiciness in plant-based burgers. An additional benefit was also discovered – after the treated TVP underwent a wash process, it was found that the treatment easily reduced various ‘beany’ off-flavour compounds by 58-85%. The results of an in vitro protein digestion test also showed higher amounts of free amino nitrogen released from the treated patties, indicating that they were easier to degrade with digestive enzymes and absorb nutrients. Because protein-glutaminase is inactive after the grilling process, it is not an additive by regulation and therefore does not need to be listed as an ingredient. The team said its findings could pave the way for food manufacturers to develop clean-label plant-based meat analogues that are “more attractive to consumers”. #AmanoEnzymeInnovationCenter #enzymes #Japan #plantbasedmeat

Dairy-free cheese company Daiya has announced that its reformulated cheese range is now hitting the shelves in the US and Canada. The reformulations stem from the company’s multi-million-dollar investment in fermentation technology. Featuring the new Daiya Oat Cream blend, the proprietary cultured ingredient is now the key component across Daiya’s shreds, slices, blocks and sticks. According to Daiya, its new recipe promises consumers an ‘incredible dairy-like melt’ and ‘deliciously balanced’ cheese flavour. While many brands in the category continue to incorporate oil-based ingredients and GMO techniques, Daiya said it is utilising natural, age-old fermentation methods to create a non-GMO dairy-free cheese with characteristics that mimic traditional dairy products. The latest innovation aims to address challenges faced across the plant-based cheese category, primarily consumer demand for dairy parity and inconsistency across taste and texture of products currently available. Daiya’s reformulated cheese range is made with glyphosate-free and certified gluten-free oats. Consumers can expect to see the new products on shelves now, complete with a packaging refresh to reflect Daiya’s new visual identity, aiming to speak to the growing market of ‘flexible’ plant-based eaters. Melanie Domer, chief commercial officer at Daiya, said: “We expect this advancement to not only rejuvenate consumer confidence in the category, but revitalise the category’s market potential, finally offering retailers a product that truly bridges the gap between consumer expectations and dairy-free offerings”. #Canada #Daiya #plantbasedcheese #US

A consortium of partners in Canada is developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to address issues faced by the country’s lentil growers. With support from Protein Industries Canada, partners Ukko Agro, Hawk’s Agro and Three Farmers will work together to build an in-field platform to predict and control anthracnose and Ascochyta blight – diseases of concern in lentil crops. By utilising AI, the partners aim to help farmers and agronomists make improved crop management decisions to lower input costs, improve disease management and preserve yield potential. These measures can help secure Canada’s supply chain for ingredient processors and food manufacturers. Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, said that the technology has potential to be expanded to other plant protein crops in the future. He commented: “Consistency of crop and ingredient quality is a key element of strengthening Canada’s domestic food supply chain. Collaboration across the ecosystem is the best way to establish and maintain this consistency in a sustainable manner.” The partners will utilise and build on Ukko Agro’s ForeSite platform to develop and commercialise their AI technology. Once available to farmers, agronomists and retailers, the technology is expected to help improve the sector’s sustainability, increase yields and strengthen the ingredient supply chain. A total of CAD 2.6 million (approx. $1.9 million) has been committed to the project, with Protein Industries Canada investing CAD 1.2 million and the partners together investing the remainder. Protein Industries Canada’s AI stream is funded as part of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, through which the Canadian government is investing in efforts to drive AI adoption across the country’s economy and society. Throughout its first tranche of funding, Protein Industries Canada and its partners invested more than CAD 460 million (approx. $339 million) into growing Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector through 55 technology and capacity-building projects. The organisation’s AI stream is expected to complement these projects by helping companies across the ecosystem incorporate AI and machine learning into their work, optimising processes and making them more sustainable while improving the functionality, taste and nutrition profiles of Canada’s plant-based ingredients. #Canada #agriculture #AI #plantprotein #ProteinIndustriesCanada

Strong Roots has added a new product, Crispy Crinkle Fries, into its frozen chips and potato range in the UK. The crinkle-cut fries will roll out across Sainsbury’s stores from this month, followed by Amazon (RRP £3.75). They are made using just two ingredients, potatoes and sunflower oil. The chips are gluten-free, vegan and low in salt and saturated fat. The NPD follows the success of the Strong Roots Crispy Skinny Fries, which the brand reported is now its second-largest and fastest-growing SKU. Strong Roots displays its climate footprint on front-of-pack, showing all emissions generated from soil to shelf. The carbon footprint of the Crinkle Fries NPD is 1.1kg CO2e/kg. Sam Dennigan, founder of Strong Roots, said: “We know consumers are always on the lookout for convenient and healthy plant-based options and our goal is to make eating them as easy and delicious as possible”. “Our new Crispy Crinkle Fries are a natural next step for our successful chip and potato portfolio, which continues to grow, and we’re very grateful to have the support of Sainsbury’s to launch them.” #chips #frozenfood #StrongRoots #UK

Pfeifer & Langen has acquired a majority stake in Rügenwalder Mühle, a family-owned German producer of meat and plant-based alternative products. Based in Cologne, Pfeifer & Langen is well-known for its sugar manufacturing business. The company owns the snack food company Intersnack Group, owner of brands including McCoys, KP Snacks and Tyrrell’s, as well as The Nature’s Richness Group, subsidiaries of which include plant-based brands Vbites and endori. Rügenwalder Mühle was founded in 1834, establishing itself as a traditional meat and sausage producer. The company evolved to focus on the plant-based market in 2014 and now includes around 30 vegetarian and vegan alternatives in addition to 25 classic meat offerings. No job cuts are planned as a result of the investment, Rügenwalder Mühle confirmed in a statement announcing the acquisition. The transaction – of which the sum was not disclosed – will see Rügenwalder Mühle linked to The Nature’s Richness Group, which aims to bring together various activites ‘from field to fork’ to further develop the plant-based nutrition market. Christian Rauffus, deputy chairman of the supervisory board of Rügenwalder Mühle, commented: “In less than ten years, we have brought vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives out of the niche and into the mainstream of society. With this investment, we want to take advantage of the opportunity to further develop this portfolio, especially beyond the German market.” Uwe Schöneberg, managing partner of Pfeifer & Langen, said that by joining forces, the companies’ mutual strengths can be complemented in areas such as procurement of raw materials, production of innovative products and market cultivation. Schöneberg added: “Our consistent thinking and actions allow us to further develop the still young category of plant-based meat alternatives. The needs and expectations of customers, a still early market stage, the challenges of future nutrition and, last but not least, the protection of our climate, demand this from us.” The transaction is subject to the approval of the responsible competition authorities. #Germany #PfeiferampLangen #RügenwalderMühle

Chamberlain Coffee has announced the launch of its new line of RTD oat milk lattes, following the initial launch of its RTD lattes in April this year. The brand said its new sweeter, oat milk-based canned lattes were developed in direct response to customer feedback, with oat milk emerging as the top milk choice among its audience. The new line is available in salted caramel and mocha flavours, both naturally sweetened with cane sugar and date syrup. Founder and creative director Emma Chamberlain commented: “Coffee preferences are deeply personal. Our original RTD recipe was less sweet and made with almond and coconut milk which was based on my daily latte.” She added: “We are inspired by everyone’s unique taste and want to continue to create delicious options for as many people as possible”. Chamberlain Coffee’s RTD Oatmilk Lattes are launching exclusively with Walmart, rolling out on shelves across the US and online this month. #ChamberlainCoffee #Oatmilk #RTDcoffee #US

New retail data from the US, UK and Germany has highlighted a sustained decline in both conventional meat sales volumes and per capita meat consumption. The decline is attributed to a combination of long-term consumer shifts toward plant-based foods as well as macroeconomic pressures that continue to drive up the price of animal protein. New figures released by the UK government show that per capita meat consumption in the country has dropped by 14% between 2012 and 2022, reaching its lowest level in over a decade. Similary, German government statistics show per capita meat consumption has now reached its lowest level since the country began tracking such statistics in 1989, with the German Agriculture Ministry attributing this drop to a consumer shift towards plant-based proteins. In the US, data from retail sales aggregator IRI Worldwide showed that 2023 has marked the second consecutive year of diminishing meat purchase volumes. As of October, overall meat sales by volume have declined 4% year-over-year and by 6% over the past two years. These decreases cut across nearly all meat categories and include a 10% year-over-year drop in pork sales volumes, a 10% year-over-year drop in seafood sales volumes and a 13% year-over- drop in turkey sales volumes. While plant-based meat sales have also seen similar declines due to the macroeconomic environment, data shared in the Good Food Institute’s plant-based meat outlook for 2023 (sourced from Euromonitor, Nielsen and SPINS) shows that numerous categories in the plant-based food space have seen double-digit year-over-year sales growth in the US and Europe in 2022, with further growth expected to be seen in 2023 year-end figures. Nick Cooney, managing partner at venture capital firm Lever VC, said that the continued decline in meat consumption in three of the world’s six largest economies is a “long-term industry disruption” creating significant opportunities for plant-based. Cooney added: “These long-term trends, reflected in per capita meat consumption in countries like Germany and the UK reaching decades-long lows and dropping for the second year in a row in the US, are starting to spread to an increasing number of countries”. “The plant-based food brands in Lever VC’s global portfolio have together grown sales by over 50% year-over-year in 2023, reflecting the ongoing opportunity for companies in these and other alternative and upgraded protein categories that provide great-tasting products at prices that work for consumers.” #US #meat #UK #alternativeproteins #Germany #LeverVC

Food-tech company Clean Food Group has partnered with UK bakery brand Roberts Bakery, aiming to address unsustainable production of fats and oils. The partnership will enable Clean Food Group to use Roberts Bakery’s surplus bread as a feedstock for its proprietary non-GMO yeast strain in the production of its precision fermentation-derived palm oil. In a statement announcing the partnership, cellular agriculture company Agronomics – which includes Clean Food Group in its portfolio of companies – highlighted that studies show nearly one million tonnes of bread are lost from the supply chain each year. Clean Food Group will convert the discarded bread into valuable oils and fats through the new partnership, showcasing the potential of circular economy principles within the food industry. The partnership will begin with an initial trial phase, with an ambition to create a circular ecosystem with Roberts Bakery providing its bread waste to produce oils that can be used as an ingredient in bread and biscuits when combined with glucose syrup. Clean Food Group co-founder, Chris Chuck, commented: “We’re seeing some great results from our early trials, irrespective of what the bread is, our yeast can use not just the whole carbohydrate fraction but the protein and microelements present as well. This all-in-one feed, gives us a real advantage over using more complex media, in both performance and sustainability.” This week, Clean Food Group has also announced that it has been awarded funding from the UK government’s Novel Low-Emission Food Production Systems: Industrial Research Grant. The two-year project will see the company collaborate with researchers at the University of Bath to scale its bio-tech solutions and proprietary technology platform. #CleanFoodGroup #RobertsBakery #UK

Health and wellness brand Vuum Technologies has launched a new line of carbonated plant protein drinks. Made from plants, Vuum comes in three flavours: White Peach Citrus Ginger, Strawberry Tangerine and Berries. The range, which is powered by natural caffeine, helps support muscle repair, lean muscle mass growth and optimal performance, providing satiety and sustained energy throughout the day. With no jitters or crashes, the drink also ensures consistent energy for enhanced mental clarity. Packed with 10g of plant-based protein and 135mg of natural caffeine from guarana seed and green tea extracts, Vuum is enriched with theanine, amino acids, vitamins C, B12 and D, as well as essential minerals like zinc and magnesium. The drink is designed to enhance performance, endurance and recovery and is sweetened with stevia, ensuring a gut-friendly experience. Vuum is free of any artificial ingredients, featuring only natural colours and botanically derived flavours to enhance the overall quality and taste. Matt Forsey, co-founder of Vuum, said: “Vuum is a testament to the intersection of taste, health and performance. We weren’t satisfied with the ready-to-drink options in the energy or protein spaces, so we set out to create our better-tasting, clean combination of the two.” “Our products are designed to empower anyone on their journey towards holistic well-being. We are proud to offer consumers a breakthrough new functional beverage that reimagines the concept of protein consumption and introduces a refreshing alternative to traditional protein beverages.” Valentino Sinacola, co-founder of Vuum, added: “After three years of relentless research, formulation, and testing, we’re so excited to officially launch Vuum. Vuum is a commitment to making the extraordinary achievable. We’re all about pushing boundaries and redefining what’s possible.” Vuum’s carbonated plant protein drinks are currently available to purchase nationwide at the brand’s website for $4.49, with retail and partnerships to be announced soon. #US #Vuum