Asian plant-based food company, Growthwell Foods, has announced the appointment of Manuel Bossi as its new group CEO and the acquisition of a majority stake in ChickP. Bossi succeeds Justin Chou, who will remain on the board. Having previously held roles at The Hershey Company, Ferrero, Mondelēz and Nestlé, Bossi joined Singapore-based Growthwell in October 2021 and has been serving as deputy CEO. “Manuel is a seasoned business leader with a rich breadth of commercial and operational experience across cultures and geographies, with a strong track record of driving sustainable growth across categories and markets,” said Growthwell Foods board director, Shivendu Nadkarni. “We are confident that Manuel will lead the company and team into the next stage of growth and successfully expand our market and category footprint.” Growthwell Foods has also announced it now owns a majority stake in ChickP, following its latest investment in the Israeli chickpea protein start-up. The company is preparing to accelerate its growth across Asia-Pacific and to enter new markets in 2022. “Geographical expansion is a key strategic pillar of our growth, and we have our eyes set on various markets in Asia and Europe. We are also preparing to drive growth via entry into adjacent plant-based categories with our patented high-protein chickpea technology,” said Bossi. #Appointments #ChickPProtein #GrowthwellFoods #Singapore

The Tofoo Co has joined forces with Flying Goose to introduce a new extra-firm tofu block: Tofoo Sriracha. Said to offer a spicy and tangy flavour, the chilli-infused block is marinated in Flying Goose’s original sriracha sauce. By collaborating with the Thai hot sauce brand, Tofoo is aiming to encourage consumers to try tofu for the first time. Tofoo co-founder, David Knibbs, said: “We are really excited about bringing these two great brands together in one delicious experience”. Knibbs continued: “The new launch marks just one of several NPD launches planned for 2022, together with a £2 million investment into operations to further improve process and efficiencies, setting the stage for further growth”. “The brand saw its most successful period of sales to date in Veganuary 2022 and is estimating turnover for this year to break through the £20 million barrier.” With an RRP of £2.70, Sriracha Tofoo arrives in Waitrose this month and Tesco in May. The launch of the marinated block follows the introduction of a teriyaki flavour in 2020. #FlyingGoose #TheTofooCo #UK

Ingredion EMEA has announced the launch of Novation Lumina 8300 and 8600 functional native rice starches. The starches are designed to improve colour and flavour, including in white products. Ingredion says that its starches aim to meet sensory requirements in white or light-coloured applications with delicate flavours. Novation Lumina 8300/8600 enables improved consumer preference and allows for clean label and natural applications. Daniel Haley, global platform leader, Clean & simple ingredients at Ingredion, said: “After significantly expanding our Thai facility in June 2020, we harnessed our capabilities in manufacturing, Idea Labs Innovation Centres and Atlas proprietary consumer insights to identify ingredients and technologies that would address unmet customer needs. This resulted in the launch of the first-ever multi-functional rice flours and now the introduction of these functional native rice starches.” The new starches have a “smooth and creamy” texture, combined with hypoallergenic properties, high digestibility and lower viscosity development. #EMEA #ingredients #Ingredion #ricestarch

Plant-based snack brand, Source of the Earth, has launched a range of lentil crisps that are vegan, gluten-free and contain 96 calories per packet and no added sugar. The line-up comes in three flavours: Coconut Curry, which features a spicy seasoning of curry powder, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cumin and a twist of salt and ground black pepper; Smoked Paprika & Chilli which contains smoked paprika, tomato, garlic and chilli; and Sour Cream & Chive, made with parsley, garlic and chive. The crisps have been approved by the Vegan Society and the packets are cetified by A Plastic Planet. Based in the UK, Source of the Earth’s latest offering is now available in Asda stores, Whole Foods, Selfridges and Daylesford. #crisps #healthysnacking #UK #plantbased #snacking #SourceoftheEarth

Tofurky has secured a legal victory in Louisiana, after challenging a state law that prohibited the use of terms like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ to label plant-based meat products. The US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana ruled that the law represents an unconstitutional restriction of free speech, granting a motion for summary judgement that halts its enforcement. Under the law, meat alternatives were forbidden from using common naming conventions such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ on their labels, even when accompanied by modifiers like ‘vegan,’ ‘veggie’ or ‘plant-based’. Producers faced fines of up to $500 per day for every product marketed using these terms. Tofurky, which offers a range of meat alternatives and tempeh products, was represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Good Food Institute (GFI). The lawsuit was filed in October 2020, shortly after the law came into effect. It argued that the statute contravened the First Amendment by improperly censoring truthful commercial speech, and noted there was no evidence that consumers were being misled by the naming conventions previously in place. Jaime Athos, president and CEO of Tofurky and dairy-free sister brand, Moocho, contends that: “The law was an obvious attempt to give unfair advantage to animal agriculture interests by stifling the growth of plant-based food sales”. GFI lead regulatory counsel, Laura Braden, added: “The Court reached the right decision in finding that Louisiana’s law unconstitutionally restricts speech”. She continued: “Consumers are not confusing veggie burgers for beef burgers when labels clearly indicate the products are plant-based, meatless, vegetarian or vegan, and it insults their intelligence to suggest otherwise”. “Laws like this are regrettable and should be struck down given what’s at stake: a more sustainable food system that works for everyone—farmers, food companies, consumers and entire communities.” Last year, EU bodies rejected Amendment 171 (AM171), the draft legislation which would have imposed new restrictions on the terminology used by the plant-based dairy sector. #Tofurky #US

UK beverage brand Rude Health has launched its new Barista Coconut alternative milk to add to its range of gluten-free, plant-based milks. The barista range consists of the new launch, Barista Coconut, as well as Barista Oat, Barista Almond and Barista Soya. The improved line now has “improved taste, creaminess, functionality and a lower RRP”. Bertel Haugen, head of innovation at Rude Health, commented: “A quarter of Brits now have a high-quality at-home coffee machine and our new barista range allows shoppers to replicate their out-of-home coffee experience at home. Not only have we improved functionality, creaminess and taste, we’ve also adopted our usual no-compromise approach to ingredient quality and sourcing. All four new drinks are made with only natural ingredients, nothing artificial and we’ve used sustainably sourced ingredients including non-GMO European soya beans and Mediterranean almonds.” The range, including newly released Barista Coconut, will be available in one-litre cartons for an RRP of £2 from May in Waitrose, Ocado and Amazon. #alternativemilks #RudeHealth #UK

MycoTechnology has raised $85 million in a Series E funding round, bringing its total fundraising to date to more than $200 million. Colorado-based MycoTechnology creates functional food ingredients from the root-like fungus structure, mycelium. The company uses a proprietary fermentation process to create novel ingredients addressing areas such as sugar reduction, sustainable protein and nutrient density. Its ingredient portfolio includes FermentIQ protein, a line of plant-based protein products, and ClearIQ, a range of flavour modulation tools that facilitate sugar and salt reduction. The Series E round was led by a group affiliated with Oman Investment Authority (OIA). In addition, the round included Rage Capital, Siddhi Capital, S2G Ventures, Tyson Ventures, Continental Grain Company, Bunge Ventures and Maple Leaf Foods, among others. Aiming to achieve ‘global scale,’ MycoTechnology says it is now positioned to bring its product portfolio to more consumers. The company plans to focus on expanding in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Alan Hahn, CEO and co-founder of MycoTechnology, said: “This fundraise is a validation of the potential of our breakthrough proposition and next-generation ingredients. It will be a catalyst to accelerate our growth further and faster. “The investment will power the imagination of our incredible team, driving our plans to add more new-to-the-world ingredients from the fungal kingdom.” #MycoTechnology #US

The Flavourists, a new plant-based meal kit brand backed by Samworth Brothers, is launching in the UK. The brand is debuting with two ranges: Sizzle Kits, which come in Creamy Makhani Style Curry and Yellow Thai Style Curry variants; and Sizzle & Stir, which includes Sticky Teriyaki and Herby Green Pesto offerings. Ready in under 15 minutes, each meal serves two. The Flavourists meal kits will be available through Waitrose from 6 April, Booths from 19 May and Ocado from 30 May. “Our plan was always to create a plant-based brand, but when we started to dive into the figures and consumer conversations within this sector, it was so clear that it wasn’t just vegans asking for great-tasting plant-based dishes, it was everyone,” said Halley. “Consumers are looking for inspiration and experimentation. The growing need for new, aromatic flavours is what has inspired many of our dishes, specifically our Yellow Thai Curry, Makhani Curry and Herby Green Pesto. Stir-frying, crunchy textures and sun-dried ingredients are also in demand, so we’ve brought these to life in our dishes and garnishes where possible too.” #mealkits #SamworthBrothers #TheFlavourists #UK

Atlas Bar has expanded its protein bars portfolio with the addition of three new plant-based bars in the US. The new plant-based protein bars flavours include: coconut almond, dark chocolate sea salt and peanut butter dark chocolate. The bars are made with real food ingredients, are keto-friendly and contain no added sugar. Formulated with a 300-mg dose of ashwagandha, each 45g pack contains 15g of protein and less than 1g of sugar. According to Atlas Bar, the brand is the first and only protein bar to support physical and mental wellness. Atlas Bar’s founder, James Oliver, said: “Our goal at Atlas Bar is to help people become the best version of themselves through mind- and- body nutrition. With our plant-based bars, we can now provide options for all of our customers, helping everyone make a positive choice for their health and the planet.” Atlas protein bars are available for purchase at retailers nationwide, including Sprouts, Stop & Shop and Lifetime Fitness. #AtlasBar #plantbased #proteinbars #US

ADM has developed a proprietary white colour solution, called PearlEdge. The PearlEdge line is made using natural ingredients, such as corn starch, and delivers a vibrant, stable and uniform white colouring for a range of food and beverage applications. “Our team has been diligently working to perfect our new line of white colour solutions, assuring its groundbreaking quality and performance,” said Hélène Moeller, VP of global product marketing at ADM. “This rollout meets the evolving needs of customers and consumers, as brands look for titanium dioxide (TiO2) replacements that not only provide a bright white shade but also meet clean-label targets.” ADM says its PearlEdge line aims to meet formulation challenges where “other plant-based white colourants fall short”. The solution is said to perform well in powdered drink mixes and beverages; bakery icings and fillings; sugar-free offerings; soups, sauces and dressings; dairy and dairy alternatives; and meat alternatives. Moeller added: “We’re particularly excited about the possibilities with our PearlEdge Silk and Satin patent-pending technology. With superior stability and performance as well as a white colour of similar intensity as TiO2, PearlEdge Silk and Satin are game-changers for smooth white appearances in applications like panned confections and compressed tablets.” In November 2021, Cargill also released its Bright White colour solution for the chocolate sector. More news from this company? ADM opens first innovation centre in Latin America ADM acquires flavour distributor Comhan Seven emerging trends shaping the alternative protein market #ADM #colourings #naturalcolours #white

Benecol has introduced a range of plant-based oat yogurts and health shots that are enriched with plant stanols – said to help lower cholesterol. The range consists of yogurts and shots, both made with Finish oats. Flavours include strawberry, raspberry & blueberry, mango, blueberry and plain. The range is also gluten-free. Plant stanols have gained popularity in recent years, praised for their ability to lower cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Sneahmoyee Banerjee, brand manager at Benecol, said: “We’re hugely excited to announce the launch of our new Benecol Oat range, it will increase our consumer offer and bring innovative healthy solutions to the cholesterol-lowering category. The new Oat range provides younger, more discerning consumers with a product that is proven to help lower cholesterol, without compromising on great taste. The new oat range will be available in the UK across Sainsbury’s, Asda, Ocado and Waitrose retailers. Oat shots: 100g, RRP £3.95 Oat Yog♥rt pots: 350g, RRP £2.50 #drinkableyogurt #Raisio #oat #yogurt #Benecol #healthshot #plantbased

Beyond Meat and PepsiCo‘s joint venture, Planet Partnership, has released its debut product made with plant-based protein – meatless jerky. Beyond Meat Jerky is available in three variants: Original, Hot & Spicy and Teriyaki. The ‘beef’ jerky is marinated and slow-roasted and contains plant-based ingredients such as peas and mung beans, as well as 10g of protein, no cholesterol, GMOs, soy or gluten. Founded in 2021, Planet Partnership plans to produce snacks and beverages, expanding its technology and growth within the plant-based protein market. Dan Moisan, CEO of Planet Partnership, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the first product from Planet Partnership, our joint venture with Beyond Meat and PepsiCo. The nationwide launch of Beyond Meat Jerky will make plant-based meat accessible to millions of households. It tastes great, it’s a good source of protein and it’s convenient to eat whether you’re on the go, at the office or out on adventures.” The brand’s first shelf-stable launch will be available in three different sized packs, with pending availability across grocery stores, gas stations, club stores and pharmacies. #BeyondMeat #PepsiCo #PlanetPartnership #plantbasedprotein