Tupu, a Berlin-based AgTech company, has successfully raised $3.2 million in a seed funding round to support its goal of revolutionising food production through its decentralised mushroom farming system. The round was co-led by FoodLabs and Zubi Capital, alongside Clear Current Capital, FoodHack, IT-Farm, Coast Cap and prominent business angels in the food and tech industry. Tupu combines its patent-pending modular farming system with bioscience, robotics and AI to grow a diverse range of organic gourmet mushrooms directly in cities. It aims to offer consumers sustainable, farm-fresh products at a competitive price. The start-up’s first farm was launched in November last year and supplies more than three tons a month to a range of customers from local wholesalers to Michelin-starred chefs. With the fresh capital, Tupu aims to further scale its production capacity and supply large players in the food service and retail sectors. The team is also working on increasing space efficiency and advancing its automation technology. Tupu was co-founded in 2021 by Eldad Arnon and Daniel Lock, both of whom brought experience from the controlled environment farming industry (at Infarm and Kalera respectively). Their goal is to ‘unlock the untapped potential hidden in the mushroom kingdom’. Mushrooms can be grown anywhere, indoors and year-round, making them immune to supply chain disruptions while offering numerous nutritional benefits. They are efficient in water consumption and land usage, but their current journey from fark to fork is unsustainable – mushrooms are transported across distances of up to 7000km, which often results in compromised taste, a shorter shelf life, fewer nutrients and a larger carbon footprint. There is a growing demand among consumers for organic, sustainable and local products, with mushrooms being used as a key ingredient for many plant-based products including meat alternatives. In foodservice, Tupu supplies its mushrooms to renowned chefs to craft new vegan dishes – for example, Sebastian Frank, head chef and owner of two-starred Michelin restaurant Horváth, uses Tupu’s King Oyster mushroom for his vegan foie gras. Co-founder and COO Lock said: “While the vertical farming sector has been challenging recently, in particular for leafy greens and other energy-intensive crops, urban farming will play a key role in our future food system”. He added: “Unlike plants, mushrooms have always been cultivated indoors, yet in an inefficient manner, and we’re leapfrogging the current state of the industry with our technology by 50 years. Mushrooms offer immense potential across various sectors – food is just the beginning.” #Urbanfarming #verticalfarming #Mushrooms #Tupu #Germany

Upfield-owned Elmlea is launching a new limited-edition plant-based alternative to brandy cream ahead of the festive season. According to Upfield – which manufactures a range of plant-based offerings within its brand portfolio – Elmlea Br+ndy performs just like a dairy cream and can be poured or whipped to complement consumers’ desserts. It has been formulated to cater to a wide range of dietary requirements and is free from soy, oat, gluten and lactose as well as being 100% plant-based and dairy-free. The product is also free from alcohol while delivering the ‘indulgence’ and flavour notes of traditional brandy cream. Ian Hepburn, marketing director UK at Upfield, said: “This versatile, festive plant-based alternative to cream will make a fantastic addition to any Christmas dinner table, perfect for pouring and whipping in equal measure”. “We’re confident that shoppers will love the taste, and we’re delighted to be offering shoppers delicious, dairy-free choices.” Elmlea Br+ndy will be available from all major retailers across the UK from 13 November 2023. #Elmlea #festive #UK #Upfield

Solugen, a climate technology company, and ADM have unveiled a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the production of plant-based organic acids. The companies plan to achieve this by constructing a manufacturing facility in Marshall, Minnesota, adjacent to ADM’s existing corn complex. The new facility, encompassing 500,000 square feet, will mark a significant step in the scaling of Solugen’s unique chemienzymatic process. It will leverage ADM’s supply of dextrose to expand the production of lower-carbon organic acids, and it will also explore the development of novel molecules to replace conventional fossil fuel-based materials. The collaboration aims to commercialise these biomaterials across diverse sectors, including energy, water treatment, agriculture, construction materials, cleaning products, personal care, and more. Gaurab Chakrabarti, co-founder and CEO of Solugen, commented: “The strategic partnership with ADM will allow Solugen to bring our chemienzymatic process to a commercial scale and meet existing customer demand for our high-performance, cost-competitive, sustainable products. As one of the few scaled-up and de-risked biomanufacturing assets in the country, Solugen’s Bioforge platform is helping bolster domestic capabilities and supply chains that are critical in ensuring the US reaches its ambitious climate targets.” Solugen’s Bioforge is a platform that employs a combination of computationally engineered enzymes and metal catalysts to convert plant-derived substances into materials traditionally derived from fossil fuels. This process stands out due to its high efficiency and scalability, resulting in a substantial reduction in carbon emissions compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Chris Cuddy, president of ADM’s Carbohydrate Solutions business, added: “Sustainability is one of the enduring global trends powering ADM’s growth and underpinning the strategic evolution of our Carbohydrate Solutions business”. He continued: “ADM is one of the largest dextrose producers in the world, and this strategic partnership will allow us to further diversify our product stream as we continue to support plant-based solutions spanning sustainable packaging, pharma, plant health, construction, fermentation, and home and personal care”. “The initial phase of the project will significantly increase Solugen’s manufacturing capacity, which is critical for commercialising our existing line of molecules and kicks off plans for a multi-phase large-scale US Bioforge buildout,” said Sean Hunt, co-founder and CTO of Solugen. “The increase in capacity will also free up our Houston operation for research and development efforts into additional molecules and market applications.” Marshall, Minnesota, has an abundant supply of corn and advanced corn-to-dextrose conversion technology, providing an ideal location to support the scale of Solugen’s products. Construction of the new facility is set to begin offsite this year, with on-site construction commencing in early 2024. The initial phase, scheduled to commence operation in the first half of 2025, is expected to create a minimum of 40 permanent jobs and an additional 100 temporary construction jobs during the commissioning phase. #US #ADM #dextrose #corn #Solugen

Nestlé has announced the launch of a new range of plant-based alternatives to white fish products. The new products are certified vegan and include alternatives to breaded fish fillets, nuggets and fingers. Nestlé said they stand out for their ‘strong’ nutritional credentials, as well as their taste and texture, designed to closely match white fish. In Europe, under its Garden Gourmet brand, Nestlé is launching marine-style crispy fillet and marine-style crispy nugget products made from wheat and pea protein. Nestlé said the fillet and nuggets are high in protein and low in saturated fat, with a Nutri-score A in countries that use the front-of-pack nutritional labelling system. They will launch both online and in-store, in countries across Europe including Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The company has also already launched soy- and wheat-based crispy fish-free fingers for retail and out-of-home under the Harvest Gourmet brand in Malaysia and Singapore. Torsten Pohl, global head of R&D for Nestlé’s food category, said: “These new fish alternatives are the result of our deep expertise in plant-based proteins and our strong commitment to continue delivering exciting innovations that meet consumers expectations”. Pohl added: “During consumer testing, our products received high praise for the great taste and texture that is close to white fish. They also come with strong nutritional credentials, making them competitive in the marketplace.” #Nestlé #GardenGourmet #HarvestGourmet #Europe #Asia #Plantbasedseafood

US food processing distributor Nelson-Jameson has partnered with Vaess and Lallemand Specialty Cultures (LSC) to deliver targeted strategies for companies producing plant-based and hybrid products. The distributor said the two new partnerships aim to meet the demand for increased diversity in existing customers’ portfolios. Vaess, based in the Netherlands, is a developer of food ingredients aiming to add value to food across a range of industry categories. The food-tech company began with a focus on meat and sausages and has since diversified into plant-based products including vegan cheese, meat alternatives and vegetable-led concepts. Coen van Oorschot, director at Vaess, said that the collaboration is part of the company’s mission to create a responsible food chain for future generations. “As we continue to explore ways to meet changing consumer preferences, it is becoming increasingly important to consider the benefits of plant-based alternatives,” he said. “By offering plant-based options, we can cater to a wider audience and ensure inclusivity so that there is something for everyone.” Lallemand is a Canadian company founded in the 19th century, specialising in the development, production and marketing of yeast, bacteria, fungi and their derivatives. Specifically, LSC has over 100 years of experience in dairy culture fermentation. It also provides meat and plant-based solutions, helping to enhance appearance, colour, flavour, texture and food safety. Julia Plateau-Gonthier, LSC’s category manager for dairy, meat and plant-based cultures, commented: “Based on the many ingredient sources, plant-based foods offer a wide range of possibilities for consumers”. She added: “Our know-how in microbiology and fermentation as well as our long-standing experience selecting the best cultures for dairy and meat applications is a strong asset for the development of plant-based cultures”. Nelson-Jameson has expanded from its roots in dairy production supplies to offer a broad range of processing products and services. The company’s senior VP of strategy and business development, Peter Kempe, said that partnering with Vaess and LSC will help customers to meet plant-based product development goals and explore additional options to complement their dairy business. #US #Vaess #NelsonJameson #Canada #theNetherlands #Lallemand

Organic children’s food brand Little Spoon has added two new plant-based meals to its Plates category for toddlers and children. The meals are designed to provide essential nutrients such as protein and iron to children that follow a meat and dairy free diet. Little Spoon describes its Plates range as being packed with flavour, providing balanced nutrition with hidden vegetables and ‘superfoods’ in every bite. First of the new additions is the brand’s Mini Spinach Bites with rotini in creamy marinara sauce and broccoli. The pasta is tossed in a creamy coconut-based tomato sauce and paired with plant-powered bites made with spinach and chickpeas, served with a side of broccoli. Ancient Grain Cauli Fingers and Green Poppers with butternut squash includes ancient grain and cauliflower finger food and buckwheat, lentil, broccoli and green pea-based ‘tots’. #kids #LittleSpoon #organic

Fermentation specialists Cauldron and Boston Bioprocess have launched a new partnership, aiming to help fermentation-based companies scale from lab to manufacturing. The two companies will work together to create ‘economically viable paths’ to industrial-scale production for companies that would benefit from Cauldron’s continuous fermentation technology. Cauldron is a precision fermentation manufacturer specialising in food, feed and fibre. The company said its ‘hyper-fermentation’ manufacturing technology unlocks precision fermentation for commodity application by achieving significantly lower cost of goods sold with less capex investment. The Australian startup raised $10.5 million earlier this year to support expansion of its facilities in New South Wales, and its broader goal to expand with a national production network of precision fermentation plants. Boston Bioprocess offers a platform for bringing microbes to industrial scale, providing services including strain evaluation, process development and scale-up solutions to companies in the bio-ingredient and biologics space. The company partnered with animal-free fat developer Nourish Ingredients this month to help scale its fungi-based fat solution, suitable for use in plant-based meat products. Boston Bioprocess CEO, Michael Tai, said the partnership with Caudlron aims to find the best possible combination of technology and assets for each client. “Transitioning to industrial-scale production is about finding the best partner for a client’s particular strain and particular product,” Tai said. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all process, which means that we need to work hard to form a network of talented and reliable CMOs, all of whom can be the best fit for some portion of our client base.” Tai added that working with Cauldron allows it to “minimise the pain” of tech transfer and shorten time-to-market for clients. #fermentation #precisionfermentation #NourishIngredients #Cauldron #BostonBioprocess

WNWN Food Labs, a company that develops cocoa-free chocolate, is releasing three new products inspired by classic UK favourite bars. The UK food-tech start-up creates its plant-based cocoa-free chocolate using a proprietary fermentation process, transforming widely available natural ingredients – such as cereals and legumes – into a product that it claims “melts, snaps and bakes just like conventional chocolate”. The company aims to raise awareness of environmental and ethical issues associated with the production of traditional cocoa chocolate, such as unfair labour practices, deforestation and habitat destruction. The release is WNWN’s largest product drop to date and comprises a trio of products inspired by some of the UK’s most popular brands. Vegan M•lk Choc is a classic vegan milk chocolate-style format, Choc Nut includes a smooth hazelnut paste layered through WNWN’s cocoa-free choc, while Choc Orange contains flavours of orange and grapefruit. All bars are dairy-free, palm oil-free and caffeine-free, sold in compostable packaging and recyclable cardboard sleeves. Commenting on the new bars, Ahrum Pak, WNWN’s CEO, said that the products have a “far smaller environmental impact” than traditional chocolate and do not rely on unfair labour practices, but are “every bit as delicious”. She added: “With these products we’re showing the world how our cocoa-free chocolate can power the future of sustainable snacking.” Each 48g bar will be sold for £5 and a bundle of each bar for £15, beginning 1 November. #dairyfreechocolate #UK #WNWN

Veganz has acquired the brands and production site of fellow German plant-based company Happy Cheeze, a producer of vegan cheese alternatives. Veganz, based in Berlin, was founded in 2011 as a fully vegan supermarket chain. It now has an extensive line of its own products spanning multiple categories including bakery, meat and seafood alternatives and plant-based cheese. Yesterday, the company announced it would acquire significant parts of the insolvent Happy Cheeze company, including its 1,000 m2 production site in Cuxhaven, Germany. Happy Cheeze produces plant-based cheese alternatives under the brand name Dr Mannah’s, with a product portfolio of 13 products including cashew-based alternatives to camembert, parmesan, and cheese spreads. Its products are sold online, in organic specialty stores and international food retailers. Through the deal, Veganz is expanding product range, distribution channels and production capacities in the area of plant-based cheese alternatives. The Plant Base has approached the companies for comment. #Germany #HappyCheeze #plantbasedcheese #Veganz

Confectionery brand Fruit-tella has announced that it is transitioning its chewy sweets range to a fully vegan recipe. The switch to vegan will be implemented across the full range of chews including the Strawberry Mix Chews, Fruit-tella Duo Stix and Fruit-tella Berries & Cherries. All of the chews will still contain real fruit juice and be made with all-natural colourings and flavours. Rather than using animal-derived gelatin, commonly used in the production of confectionery and other food products, Fruit-tella’s new recipe sees the brand use plant-based gelling agents alongside other natural, vegan-friendly ingredients. Lauren Potter, senior brand manager at Fruit-tella, said: “Fruit-tella has been synonymous with the highest quality sweets since 1931. We are delighted that those who favour a plant-based diet can now join in the fruity fun too.” She added: “We have worked hard to perfect a vegan recipe that replicates the taste and texture of our beloved chews, and we are certain that the new formulation will be a surefire hit with existing consumers and new shoppers alike”. The new vegan-friendly recipe is rolling out to all stores throughout November. #confectionery #Fruittella #UK

A new study from the University of Minnesota has identified additional health benefits of prioritising plant-based sources of fibre. The new study, published in the journal Nutrients, highlights how researchers found that each plant source of insoluble fibre contains unique bioactives – compounds that have been linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes – offering potential health benefits beyond those of the fibre itself. Joanne Slavin, co-author of the paper and a professor at the university’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, explained that awareness is increasing around the need for fibre and how it impacts gut health, an area of wellness becoming “increasingly important as scientific research continues to reveal its impact on overall health and wellbeing”. “Fibre is the marker of health that is included in our dietary guidelines and found on product labels, but our research indicates that we need to ensure the other valuable components of fibre-containing plant sources — the bioactives — are also recognised as providing valuable benefits for human health”. A variety of plant foods including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains contain insoluble dietary fibre, and the study found that each source contains unique bioactives that support health in different ways. Desirable bioactives like quercetin, resveratrol, catechins, anthocyanins, lutein, lycopene and beta-carotene were found in a variety of plant foods that also contain insoluble dietary fibre. The paper said that plant sources with bioactives and insoluble dietary fibre could be used to fortify processed foods to increase their nutritional value. It also highlighted that production byproducts such as peel, hulls, pulp or pomace are generally high in fibre and bioactives and therefore offer unique nutritional value from sustainable sources. Consumer research found that utilising this fortification at a low level did not decrease consumer acceptability of the food product. Jan-Willem Van Klinken, co-author of the study and senior VP of medical, scientific and regulatory affairs for Brightseed, said: “If we can offer widely accessible fibre-fortified products that have been developed to enhance rather than negate bioactive content, we can provide consumers with increased nutritional value”. The study’s authors said their research further illuminates the need for industry, academia and government to collaborate on championing broad awareness and education of bioactives in food and health systems. Further research is required to identify extraction and processing methods that preserve and optimise bioactive compounds. #bioactivecompounds #fibre #UniversityofMinnesota #US

Mycelium specialist MycoTechnology has announced the launch of its US-based Fermentation as a Service (FaaS) platform. The initiative aims to provide start-ups and innovative enterprises with the opportunity to secure fermentation capacity during a critical industry shortage. Through FaaS, companies can access essential fermentation tools and expertise, enabling them to scale up their fermentation operations from volumes as low as 300 litres to 90,000 litres. This aims to empower companies to overcome challenges related to product quality, yield and cost management as they approach commercial production. MycoTechnology’s CTO, Ranjan Patnaik, said that while fermentation is a “critical process that underpins the production of a wide array of bioproducts,” scaling up can be difficult and competition for capacity is resulting in bottlenecks, delays and escalating costs. He added: “These factors are creating major barriers to entry into the sector. But by opening up our facility to others, we aim to foster breakthroughs and accelerate the pace of innovation”. The company’s FaaS platform accommodates a diverse range of bioproducts, including proteins, enzymes and probiotics. It operates under “rigorous” regulatory standards, MycoTechnology affirmed, adhering to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 21 CFR Part 117 guidelines and has been GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative)-certified by the BRCGS. MycoTechnology said its FaaS initiative not only aligns with growing efforts to enhance the US bioindustrial landscape, but paves the way for other companies facing capacity constraints. Based in Aurora, Colorado, MycoTechnology was founded in 2013 and creates products from mushroom mycelia. Its product portfolio includes ClearIQ, a line of mushroom-derived flavour modulation tools that can enhance nutrient density, and FermentIQ protein, a line of protein products produced through a proprietary fermentation process. #fermentation #MycoTechnology #US