US food producer Zoup! Good, Really Good has added a new vegan option to its line of shelf-stable soups. Like the rest of Zoup!’s range, Black Bean Chili is sold in a recyclable glass jar. The plant-based offering features black beans, tomatoes, carrots, onion and celery, alongside garlic and spices. Free from artificial ingredients and preservatives, the soup is kettle cooked in small batches. It is available to retailers now, alongside three other new, non-vegan variants. The brand was born out of the success of the Zoup! fast-casual restaurant chain. Commenting on the new launches, Eric Ersher, founder and CEO of Zoup! Specialty Products, said: “With a history of serving soup face-to-face to our customers for over two decades, we know firsthand what makes soup taste delicious and understand the true satisfaction this comfort food can provide”. “That’s why we crafted our new soups to bring big flavour and clean, quality ingredients to modern recipes, all while providing the convenience consumers want.” #US #ZoupGoodReallyGood

Bega Cheese has reached an agreement with Vitasoy International over the price of its 49% stake in their joint venture, Vitasoy Australia Products. Australian food producer Bega became a partner in the JV as part of its acquisition of Lion Dairy & Drinks in 2021 and owns the minority interest through its subsidiary, National Foods. Under the terms of the original deal, Vitasoy International had the right to buy out Bega’s holding in the business. In November, the company lodged its intention with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to exercise this call option through its subsidiary Vita International. However, Bega described Vita’s offer of AUD 27.5 million (then $18.5 million approx.) as “substantially less than” the fair value of its shareholding. The terms of their agreement dictated that the purchase price would either be agreed by the parties or decided by an independent expert. After resorting to the latter option, a new “fair value” has been determined at AUD 51 million ($36 million approx.). In an ASX announcement, Bega said that it “recognises the growing market importance of plant-based beverages and products and will assess its options to continue involvement in this sector”. #BegaCheese #VitasoyAustralia #VitasoyInternational #Australia #VitaInternational

H!P Chocolate has announced the launch of new plant-based sharing pouches, aimed at increasing choice for dairy-free chocolate consumers. The range – which comes in home-recyclable packaging – will be available via the brand’s website initially, before rolling out to Selfridges and Whole Foods Market. The new offerings include Creamy & Smooth Chocolate Buttons and Caramel Crunch Peanuts, which feature peanuts in a caramel oat milk chocolate shell. H!P, which stands for ‘happiness in plants,’ is also introducing Peanut Butter Truffle Bites – bite-sized oat milk chocolate truffles with a creamy peanut butter filling. #HPChocolate #UK

Plant-based cheese brand, Sheese, is set to launch a brand new flavour of its Melting Sheesy Bakes. Its new Jalapeno and Chilli flavour will join the returning Spring Onion and Garlic flavour. The Melting Sheesy Bakes come in a sealed ceramic ramekin in a cardboard sleeve, suitable for oven or microwave use and great for dipping or toppings. They are also 100% plant-based. Sheese’s bakes will be priced at £3.75 for a 150g bake and will be available at Morrisons stores in the UK next month. #plantbasedcheese #Sheese

Impossible Foods is planning to lay off around 20% of its workforce, according to a report by Bloomberg. The article – which cites a person familiar with the matter – claims that the plant-based meat giant also offered voluntary separation packages to employees at the end of last year. Impossible Foods did not respond to a request for comment. The California-based meat alternatives maker recently said that 2022 was “a year of record sales” for the company, reporting growth of more than 50% in dollar terms at US retail stores. However, weaker-than-expected financial performances from some of the sector’s other heavy hitters, combined with sluggish category sales in the US, have prompted some commentators to suggest that imitation meat is losing momentum. Plant-based behemoth Beyond Meat announced job cuts last year, as it looked to reduce expenses amid what it described as “ongoing softness” in the category. Bloomberg cites data from IRI finding a 15% fall by volume in supermarket sales of refrigerated meat alternatives for the 52 weeks ended 1 January. Impossible already made a round of job cuts last autumn, reducing its workforce by about 6%. The company’s current headcount reportedly stands at around 700 workers, and the latest plans could affect more than 100 employees. #ImpossibleFoods #US

Middleton Foods has introduced a new soy- and wheat-free vegan burger mix for foodservice. The new vegan burger mix comes in 2kg tubs. Containing no E numbers, the pre-mix is made using vegetables, including carrot, pumpkin and beetroot. When combined with oil and water, the new offering can easily be mixed and shaped into patties by any member of the kitchen team, without the requirement for a specific skill set. The 2kg tubs contain enough for 46 burgers, at an estimated cost of 50p per patty, enabling a “fantastic profit margin” for catering establishments ranging from cafés and casual dining outlets to care homes. In addition to burgers, the mix can be used to make sausage rolls, Scotch eggs and other traditionally meat-based menu items. It is gluten-free and certified by Coeliac UK. #MiddletonFoods #UK

Canada’s Modern Plant-Based Foods has announced that its portfolio company, Modern Meat, has received a government grant for its new vegan seafood line. The Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) funding will go towards research and development costs for the plant-based seafood project. Modern Meat has been ‘in the R&D phase’ with a co-packer in Saskatchewan for several months to ensure the facility is able to meet the quality and other requirements for its products. After completing initial testing on prototypes, the company aims to move forward with production runs in the near future. Modern Meat has developed a proprietary vegan ‘seafood’ recipe, which is currently being made into a crab cake format, and is aiming to meet anticipated demand from restaurants and retailers with the new production capabilities. “Achieving government grants is not a simple process, and we have had to consult with industry contacts in order to successfully obtain these funds,” said Avtar Dhaliwal, CEO of Modern Plant-Based Foods. “This will alleviate the majority of overhead costs for the initial project, and the company intends to continue using all resources possible to maintain efficiency to move forward with our growth plans, including the continual application for additional grants for future projects.” #Canada #ModernPlantBasedFoods #Plantbasedseafood

Moon Magic has officially launched its line of no-added-sugar vegan milk chocolate bars. Free from gluten and keto-friendly, each chocolate bar contains only 117 calories and 2g of sugar from the oat milk in the recipe. Moon Magic launches with six flavours: classic milk chocolate; Cosmic Crunch, with crisp puffed rice; Java Rock, a crunchy coffee-flavoured offering; Caramel in Retrograde; Tropic of Coconut, featuring shredded coconut and quinoa; and ‘cherry-forward’ Cherry’s Comet. “The entire goal of this product line and brand is to change what has been ‘too good to be true’ in the past into a reality,” said Shawn Brown, founder of Moon Magic. “Feeling guilty for consuming ‘treats’ is what I have set out to change – without sacrificing on taste, texture and experience – and while never wavering from ingredient quality and quantity goals. “The entire concept is for consumers to ‘have it all’ when it comes to chocolate confections. We aim to revolutionise the chocolate confections industry, worldwide.” The line is available for purchase via Moon Magic’s website and on amazon.ca and Amazon.com. #MoonMagic #veganchocolate

A research collaboration between Mycorena and Revo Foods that aims to enable the creation of more realistic seafood alternatives has received €1.5 million in EU funding. The partnership, which is exploring the potential to use mycoprotein in 3D-printed plant-based seafood products, was first announced in October. The collaborating partners have now received €1.5 million from Vinnova, Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft and Eurostars. The EU-funded grant is allocated towards developing mycoprotein optimised for 3D printing – or additive manufacturing. One of the advantages of the protein is its fibrous structure which mimics the texture of fish. However, this is a barrier when it comes to 3D printing, as the technology is often only able to print paste or mixtures with the right fluidity. The project aims to develop new technologies and processes to produce mycoprotein suitable for additive manufacturing. Mycorena says that it has already developed a process of treating the protein to tailor the structural properties and reduce the risk of fibre entanglement during the extrusion step. #3Dprinting #Mycorena #RevoFoods

Alland & Robert has introduced a plant-based texturizing agent that can be used to replace gelatine and other gelling agents in vegan confectionery products. Syndeo Gelling is composed of acacia gum and plant-based hydrocolloids, which, when combined, strike a balance between the properties of gelatine and pectin, enabling soft textures and the elasticity associated with the former ingredient. Alland & Robert says that Syndeo Gelling offers thickening, stabilising, bulking and binding properties, while being odourless, colourless and neutral-tasting. The company adds that “being of plant origin, it improves…[a confectionery item’s] image…and has a lower environmental footprint than products of animal origin”. In addition to confectionery applications, such as jelly sweets and marshmallows, the texturizing agent can be used in other products that typically contain gelatine, such as mousses. #AllandampRobert #confectionery

New plant-based brand Boldly has announced the upcoming launch of its line of vegan seafood. With konjac as a core ingredient, the range will be released in the US this summer through restaurant and foodservice partnerships. According to Boldly, it will offer a variety of seafood alternatives, including vegan calamari, shrimp, sashimi, crab stick and fillet products. The brand says that it is “on a mission” to accelerate the proliferation of plant-based substitutes in foodservice. Boldly was founded by Allen Zelden, who is also co-founder of PlantForm, which offers private label manufacturing services. #Boldly #Plantbasedseafood #US

Mycelium meat alternatives maker, Meati Foods, has opened its new ‘Mega Ranch’ in Thornton, Colorado. The vertically integrated facility brings together the growing, harvesting, processing and packaging of Meati products under one roof. The brand offers a range of meat alternatives, including cutlets and ‘steak,’ made using mycelium – the mass of branching filaments (hyphae) through which fungi absorb nutrients. Meati claims that in just a few days, using only a teaspoon of spores, it is able to produce whole food protein in a quantity equivalent to that represented by hundreds of cows. “Our belief that nature already has the answer to many of today’s challenges allowed us to unlock a new food with Meati at a time when consumers are demanding something different and better,” said CEO and co-founder, Tyler Huggins. “Meati delivers an unparalleled food with its taste, texture, nutrition and purity, and we’re thrilled to open this first phase of the resource-efficient ‘Mega Ranch’ facility to help even more consumers add it to their diets.” The new site is expected to reach an annual production capacity of tens of millions of pounds of Meati by late 2023. The Mega Ranch was in part financed by Meati’s oversubscribed Series C round, which was led by venture capital fund Revolution Growth. “The next few years will see a seismic shift in how we eat, and Meati’s state-of-the-art, scalable production capabilities coupled with its focus on meeting consumer needs for clean, whole-food protein position the brand to lead,” said Fazeela Abdul Rashid, partner at Revolution Growth and member of the Meati board. “Tyler and the team have a vision for a new food category with pure ingredients and taste that doesn’t compromise. We are excited to continue working with them to reach the next level and bring Meati to more consumers across the US.” #MeatiFoods #US