A French court has suspended a decree that would ban the use of meat names like ‘steak’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based protein foods from October. Published in June, the decree established that as of 1 October, “it will not be possible to use sector-specific terminology traditionally associated with meat and fish to designate products that do not belong to the animal world and which, in essence, are not comparable”. Were it implemented, it would make France the first country in the European Union to impose such a restriction on meat alternatives. Protéines France lobbied for the pause on the ban, arguing that companies would not have enough time to make the required changes to their branding and marketing. According to ProVeg International, the French Conseil d’État, the country’s highest court, expressed doubt about the legality of the decree and deemed it unjustified in terms of providing consumer information. “We are delighted to hear that the French Conseil d’État has decided to suspend the decree prohibiting names for plant-based products,” said Jasmijn de Boo, vice president of ProVeg International. “Plant-based foods are part of the solution to tackling the climate crisis and any regulation should actively support their sale and marketing not hamper it,” she added. #France #labelling

MyForest Foods has announced the opening of a new vertical mycelium farm, which it says is the largest facility of its kind in the world. The milestone will allow the company to scale up production of MyBacon, its whole-cut bacon alternative. The farm, known as Swersey Silos, uses AirMycelium technology developed by Ecovative, the company that spun out MyForest Foods. Swersey Silos has the capacity to produce nearly 3 million pounds of mycelium annually. The facility is part of 120,000 square feet of new infrastructure, which also includes a production site in Saratoga Springs, New York, expected to open this autumn. “The incredible progress we’ve made on Swersey Silos in just one year since breaking ground is a testament to the engineering and technological expertise on our team,” said Peter Mueller, chief technology officer at Ecovative. “We look forward to using that talent to help make MyForest Foods successful as well. MyForest Foods is now in a position to reach full market scale. It’s a tremendous milestone for one of our closest partners, and for AirMycelium technology.” MyForest Foods says that it expects to serve MyBacon to more than 1 million consumers by 2024. #mycelium #MyForestFoods #US

The plant-based industry is continuously working to produce more authentic meat and dairy alternatives, or to improve the general taste, texture and appearance of plant protein foods. These efforts are being facilitated by ingredient innovators, which are developing new functional solutions or prototype vegan foods. The Plant Base rounds up five of the latest developments. Roquette launches rice protein ingredients Roquette has expanded its Nutralys range with the introduction of two rice protein ingredients. According to Roquette, rice protein offers an “appealing” light cream colour and a fine particle size that contributes to creating a smooth and soft texture. The new Nutralys ingredients include a rice protein isolate and a rice protein concentrate. They are non-GMO and gluten-free, and can be used in combination with other plant proteins, such as pea. Jeremy Burks, senior vice president of plant proteins at Roquette, said: “In the US or in Europe, consumers are asking for better plant-based protein that tastes great while being nutritious and safe”. “Building on our more than 40 years of expertise in plant proteins, today we offer a new rice protein to stay at the forefront of this shift and to keep building the plant-based cuisine of the future.” Bluegrass Ingredients adds vegan-friendly option to cheese concentrates portfolio The new offering is said to be clean label and certified kosher, and is made with just nine ingredients, including water, coconut oil, salt and yeast extract. “From Italian dishes to queso dips, we’ve seen concentrates become a go-to ingredient for R&D professionals looking to add more intense cheese flavours without adding more cheese, which can be expensive and impact a product’s health profile,” said Peter Losee, vice president of marketing at Bluegrass Ingredients. “We’re working to stay on the cutting edge of the emerging concentrates market, including by offering a vegan cheez formulation.” Mycorena develops mycoprotein butter prototype Mycorena has unveiled a mycoprotein butter prototype, following six months of research and development work. The prototype, which marks a move by the start-up into high-fat dairy alternatives, is made from a new fungi-structured fat ingredient. According to Mycorena, the milestone has been made possible by the development of a unique patent-pending fungi processing method. Mycorena expects that the new process will make it possible to create a range of vegan alternatives to high-fat dairy products, with few ingredients required. “This is something our team has been trying to figure out for more than a year, with little success until recently,” said chief innovation officer, Paulo Teixeira. “Usually, mycoprotein is considered a non-functional protein ingredient that needs other ingredients to create interesting food structures. We have just shown here that this is not true, you just need to work it the right way.” NextFerm Technologies commercialises yeast-based protein ingredient The vegan, non-GMO ingredient is said to have a similar nutritional value to animal-derived protein and a neutral flavour, with no aftertaste. NextFerm CEO, Boaz Noy, said: “The alternative protein market is the main growth engine of the global food industry, and we expect high demand for ProteVin as a proprietary vegan protein source for a variety of alternative food products, with a rich amino acid composition similar to animal-based protein…and [a] neutral flavour”. ProteVin is designed for a range of applications in the alternative protein sector, including milk and dairy substitutes and meat alternatives, and is also aimed at the infant, adult and sports nutrition markets. ChickP creates prototype plant-based barista milk ChickP has developed a prototype of a chickpea-based milk alternative designed for use in coffee. The company says that the plant-based creamer demonstrates the versatility of its pure protein ingredient, which is said to have a neutral flavour and offer “excellent foaming capabilities due to its high solubility and smooth texture”. “Our ChickP protein ticks all the boxes,” said the company’s CEO, Liat Lachish Levy. “It’s packed with highly nutritious complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. But more than that, it has a rich texture, and provides smooth, stable full foaming with a white colour, perfect for showcasing the most artful barista’s skills.” #dairyfreecheese #plantbasedbutter #ChickPProtein #Mycorena #Roquette #plantprotein #milkalternatives

Givaudan, Bühler and Cargill are partnering with Food Tech Hub LATAM and the Food Technology Institute (ITAL) in Brazil to establish a tropical food innovation centre that serves Latin America. Located in Campinas, Brazil, the Tropical Food Innovation Lab will be located at ITAL, occupying a refurbished 1,300-square-metre area. The facility will encourage innovation in the food and beverage sector, including the use of wet and dry extrusion systems for plant-based proteins, as well as beverage processing units, which will add extra capabilities to the existing facilities. Once completed, the hub will feature application labs and a demo kitchen, where professionals can work together to create sustainable new products. Eduard Fontcuberta, regional innovation head at Givaudan, said: “The Tropical Food Innovation Lab brings a diverse and complementary group of strategic partners working together investigating market shifts, cross-fertilising ideas and nourishing concepts to deliver superior sustainable solutions to food and beverage customers.” Damien Chapelier, head of Bühler South America, added: “This new innovation lab is a great achievement for Bühler, and we believe it will leverage significantly the food industry development in South America, especially in Brazil…Only within a collaborative and innovative environment it is possible to support our customers to be successful in a dynamic market through the development of new products.” The Tropical Food Innovation Lab is planned to open in the first quarter of 2023. #Bühler #InstituteofFoodTechnology #LatinAmerica #Givaudan #Cargill #FoodTechHubLatam

CanDo-owned snack bar brand, Keto Krisp, has expanded its plant-based range with the launch of a new flavour – Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt. The new flavour is a crispy take on a traditional combination of rich dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds. The bar offers 11g of protein, 8g of fibre, 4g of net carbs and 2g of sugar. Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is also gluten-free and keto-friendly. “Satisfying your chocolate craving doesn’t have to be synonymous with ‘cheat days’ or ‘guilty pleasures’,” said Adam Bremen, founder of CanDo. “It was important for us to maintain the sweet, decadent taste [consumers] crave from dark chocolate with a nutty crunch from protein-packed almonds, but with just 2g of sugar.” Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is available in select US retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Costco, Sprouts, Wegmans, Publix and HEB. #CanDo #KetoKrisp #US

UK meat alternative business, This, has unveiled its first branded food-to-go range into WHSmith, which comprises three sandwiches and two snacking pots. The sandwiches use the brand’s plant-based chicken, and are available in three flavours: This Isn’t Chicken & Sweetcorn, This Isn’t Chicken & Stuffing and This Isn’t Coronation Chicken. Meanwhile, the snack pots include: This Isn’t Chicken Tikka Pieces, which comes with a mango chutney dip, and This Isn’t Pork Cocktail Sausages with tomato ketchup. Andy Shovel, co-founder of This, said: ‘’Working with WHSmith to deliver this range has been epic. Travel retail has picked up enormously and it’s another opportunity to show people how good plant-based food can be.’’ The new range will be available at WHSmith, with an RRP between £2.50 and £4.00. #sandwiches #snackpots #This #UK

In 2020, the Drinks Industry Sustainability index scored the strategies and practices followed by the beverage industry 4.8 out of10, stating the beverage industry was ‘’considerably behind’’. Meanwhile, a 2021 survey conducted by Statista found that 20% of Gen-Z and 20% of Millennial participants agree that sustainability is an important consideration when buying food and beverage products in the US. Sustainability is no longer a buzzword, or a badge to flaunt one’s environmental credentials – it is an absolute necessity. And the beverage industry is no exception. Here, FoodBev Media takes a closer look at the innovative ways in which beverage manufacturers and brands are reducing their environmental footprint. Logistics and packaging Nowadays, consumers have no qualms holding brands accountable for their social and sustainable impact, with many moving towards greener practices that cut carbon emissions. Transportation (distribution and logistics) is a major contributor to these. In fact, heavy goods vehicles are responsible for approximately 25% of CO2 emissions in the EU. I’m addition, the type of packaging used to haul goods around during transportation can impact the sustainability of a product/company. Buen Vato, for example, recently announced the launch of the “world’s first” tequila in a cardboard bottle, made from 94% recycled material, which will be lighter to transport and will reduce CO2 emissions. The beverage industry is a huge contributor to the plastic waste problem, with only one in five plastic water bottles being recycled through the proper streams. Back in May, UK ethical brand Honest launched the “world’s first” recycled reusable bottle. The Honest Bottle made from 100% recycled single-use bottles (rPET), while the cap is made entirely from recycled milk bottles (rHDPE). Brands are also switching to other recyclable options. For example, Danone-owned Evian announced the launch of its “first-ever” sparkling water in recyclable aluminium cans. Sustainable Ingredients Ingredients that are sourced locally not only promote sustainability but are also fresher and healthier. The farm-to-fork initiative, which first gained traction in the 2000s, aims to get as many manufacturers as possible to source produce from their local community instead of abroad. Sourcing from local farmers and suppliers cuts the amount of CO2 generated by transportation as well as importation/exportation costs. Companies are also increasing the nutritional profile of their products by using natural, clean label ingredients. Natural ingredients provide essential vitamins and minerals. Givaudan recently partnered with Manus Bio to launch a natural, clean-label citrus flavor, called BioNootkatone, which can be used in a wide range of beverages. BioNootKatone uses a non-GMO sugar source and the company has described it as the most effective and sustainable natural nootkatone available on the market. Plant-based products The plant-based food and beverage market is expected to reach $162 billion by 2030, up from $29.4 billion in 2020, according to a Bloomberg report. Consumers are embracing plant-based eating and drinking, due to its health, ethical and environmental credentials. According to The American Journal, plant-based diets are more sustainable as they use fewer natural resources and are less taxing on the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods. Some key innovations include oat milk with added protein by Ripple Foods and Choc-o-lot with added fibre by Vita Coco. Both of these healthy drinks offer a boost of nutrition and are low in sugar. Additionally, the ingredients in these products are GMO-free and environmentally friendly. Have you recently launched or are in the process of launching a new product or service that boasts sustainability credentials? The World Beverage Innovation Awards 2022 has the dedicated category ‘Best CSR/ Sustainability initiative’ to celebrate your contribution to a greener future! #WorldBeverageInnovationAwards #WorldBeverageInnovationAwards2022 #sustainability #beverage #socialresponsibility

GNT Group has expanded its selection of Exberry organic food colourings with a new line of powder products for dry applications. The range is created from edible fruit, vegetables and plants, using traditional physical processing methods. Colours include yellow, red, pink, purple and blue shades, which have been specifically developed to deliver “optimal performance” in dry applications such as instant beverages, seasonings and cake mixes. Maartje Hendrickx, market development manager at GNT, said: “With health and environmental concerns becoming increasingly important to shoppers, global demand for organic food and drink is on the rise”. She added: “Exberry Organics are clean-label colour concentrates that enable brands to create products that are both organic and visually appealing. With the launch of our new powders, it’s now possible to use Exberry Organics to achieve vibrant shades in almost any food and beverage application.” #Exberry #GNTGroup #naturalcolours #organic

Plant-based protein manufacturer, Tmrw Foods, has raised CAD 2m during its latest financing round. The capital will support the company’s rapid growth across North America. The company will launch eight products with Sprouts Farmers Market in August this year, increasing its distribution in the US. Investors included the Telus Pollinator Fund for Good, Philip Donne (former CEO of Kellogg’s Canada) and further investment from existing stakeholders. Dean Blignaut, co-founder and CEO of Tmrw, said: “We feel tremendously fortunate to be able to surround ourselves with values aligned, impact driven investors that fuel our ability to execute on our mission”. He continued: “Tmrw believes the key to plant-based success is to relentlessly pursue the creation of plant proteins that are more flavourful, more nutritious and more accessible than those in existence today. Everything we do is with that goal in mind. It’s only through meeting the fundamental needs and expectations of the masses that we will create a solution that leads to a more sustainable food system.” #NorthAmerica #plantprotein #TmrwFoods #US

The Collective is adding to its plant-based dairy portfolio with the launch of new dairy-free kids ‘suckies’ yogurt pouches. The plant-based children’s offerings are made from the brand’s creamy oat and coconut yogurt alternative blended with real fruit. These will be available in two flavours including strawberry and peach and apricot. The pouches contain live cultures and calcium for strong bones and Vitamins D and B12 for immune support. The releases are free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives, as well as soy and nuts. Sarah Smart, CEO of The Collective UK, said: “Our ‘suckies’ range has always proven to be incredibly popular among kids and we saw a particularly huge increase in sales during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, again spurred by a rise in families trying to opt for the most nutritional snacks that crucially still deliver on taste”. “With so few dairy-free options available for children, we are delighted to be launching this new range that will address this gap in the market, ensuring that delicious and healthy snacks are available to all” Smart continued. The new dairy-free ‘suckies’ range is set to launch across UK retailers nationwide in September. #TheCollective #UK

France will ban the use of meat names like ‘steak’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based protein foods from October, according to a newly published decree. The move makes France the first EU country to impose such a restriction on meat alternatives. French meat industry association Interbev welcomed the law, which was initially adopted in 2020 but is only this year being implemented. A spokesperson, cited by Reuters, said: “This provision is a first step on French territory, a pioneer in the protection of its names, which should be extended at European level”. According to Interbev, the word ‘burger’ will still be allowed as it does not specifically refer to meat. Published last week, the official decree states: “It will not be possible to use sector-specific terminology traditionally associated with meat and fish to designate products that do not belong to the animal world and which, in essence, are not comparable”. The regulation only applies to products made in France. As such, farm lobby Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d’Exploitants Agricoles (FNSEA) has criticised the decree for leaving the door open to imports. Terms like ‘milk,’ ‘butter’ and ‘cheese’ are already banned by the European Union on products that are not of animal origin. Last year, draft legislation that would have imposed further restrictions on the terminology used by the plant-based dairy sector in Europe was dropped by EU bodies. #France #labelling #meatalternatives

US plant-based beverage, Califia Farms, has announced the launch of new dairy-free creamers developed specifically for iced coffees. Iced Café Mixers, which contain 3g of sugar per serving, feature a “creamy” blend of oat and almond milk. The creamers are available in two flavours: vanilla sweet crème and caramel crème. Califia Farms’ chief marketing officer, Suzanne Ginestro, said: “Califia is excited to be the first to respond in a major way to this massive youth-led shift towards cold coffee. Gen Z and millennials drink iced coffee throughout the day and all year round, and we saw an opportunity to develop a groundbreaking product to better meet their needs. These Iced Café Mixers allow them to enjoy their iced coffee to the very last drop with absolutely no compromise on flavour, creaminess or whitening.” She added: “Consumers want to recreate the café experience at home and are looking to retail products, like our Iced Café Mixers, to achieve that. This at-home coffee consumption behaviour coupled with the generational shift towards cold coffee has made these products an instant hit with retailers. They recognise this innovation as a major step forward for the coffee category.” Califia’s Iced Café Mixers will be available in 24.5oz refrigerated bottles across Target and Kroger stores for an SRP of $4.89. #CalifiaFarms #Creamers #icedcoffee