US plant-based cheese producer, Good Planet Foods, has expanded its product line-up with two new plant-based cheese wheels. The new offerings include: Real Smoked Cheddar and Real Smoked Gouda. The plant-based cheese wheels are crafted with allergen-free ingredients and will be available at retailers nationwide for an SRP of $5.99. “We are committed to expanding the plant-based cheese segment by pushing the envelope, and offering consumers new ways to enjoy allergen-free, dairy-free cheese,” said Good Planet Foods co-CEO, Bart Adlam. “With our new Smoked Wheels, we are doing just that. These naturally smoked offerings will bring the joy of cheese to consumers who are vegan, flexitarian or just trying to make a small step towards a healthier diet and planet.” Good Planet Foods’ products are non-GMO and keto-certified, as well as vegan, dairy-, gluten-, soy- and lactose-free. #GoodPlanetFoods #plantbasedcheese #US

Nutritious snack company Eat the Change has unveiled its “first-to-market” vegetable snack for kids, made from organic carrots and fruit juice. The snack range, named Cosmic Carrot Chews, is available in three varieties: Sour Cherry Berry Blast Off, Orange Mango Moonbeam and Apple Cinnamon Asteroid. The chews are made from four ingredients – with the primary elements consisting of organic carrots and fruit juice. The snacks are nutrient-dense, high in fibre, contain 60 calories and are a source of Vitamin A. They are also certified vegan, organic and kosher. Spike Mendelsohn, Eat the Change chef, commented: “The carrot chews are a result of being creative in the kitchen with innovation to avoid waste. I was doing R&D for a carrot chip product and was sent the wrong type of carrots. Instead of letting the food go to waste, I marinated and dehydrated them anyway which yielded a chewy texture versus a chip. When I brought the carrot chews home for my son to taste, he loved them. That’s when I knew we were onto something great.” Cosmic Carrot Chews have an SRP of $4.49 per package and the product is available across the US in stores such as Whole Foods Mid-Atlantic, MOM’s Organic Market, Erewhon, Hy-Vee and online on the brand’s website. #EattheChange #kidssnacks #US

Finnish dairy manufacturer Valio has signed an agreement to acquire Gold&Green Foods from Paulig. Gold&Green, which is known for its Pulled Oats products, has been a part of Paulig since 2016. The acquisition aims to further strengthen Valio’s position in the global plant protein market. The agreement includes Valio’s acquisition of the Gold&Green brand, intellectual property, and its research and development (R&D) team. However, it does not include other Gold&Green operations and its production site in Järvenpää, Finland. Tuomas Salusjärvi, EVP growth businesses and R&D at Valio, said: “Gold&Green has been a pioneer in the field of plant-based food and new product development, and Valio has successfully developed its Oddlygood plant-based product portfolio. Now, the Gold&Green R&D team joins us in reaching our strategic goal – to further strengthen our position in the growing global plant protein market. Together, we will develop the innovations in Gold&Green’s pipeline and continue the story of the brand.” Paulig’s CEO, Rolf Ladau, added: “We believe that plant-based diets are a growing trend and will continue to contribute to this growth through our Tex Mex, spices and snacks product categories. Over the years, we have invested in the international growth of Gold&Green and its products are currently available in 17 countries. However, we have not been able to scale the business in a profitable way. This agreement with Valio secures the continuity of the unique and innovative Gold&Green brand and enables the realisation of its full potential in the future”. Until a potential phase-out agreement has been reached, Paulig will continue operating Gold&Green Foods and selling its products under license from Valio in all markets. #GoldampGreenFoods #Paulig #Valio

The White Rabbit has unveiled a new range of plant-based and gluten-free ready meals, inspired by recipes from a Northern Italian restaurant. The new range features three brand new oven-ready meals – The Lasagne Al Forno, The Macaroni Gratin and The Tagliatelle Bolognese – alongside dough balls. The Lasagne Al Forno is a rich lentil and chickpea ragù, set between layers of gluten-free lasagne and finished with a plant-based bechamel sauce while The Macaroni Gratin features a creamy vegan cheese sauce, finished with a golden gluten-free crumb. Lastly, The Tagliatelle Bolognese is made from lentils and chickpeas, “perfect with an extra sprinkling of vegan parmesan and fresh basil”. White Rabbit’s side of doughballs are crafted using pizza sourdough and come with a separate plant-based garlic and herb dip. The range is available from Sainsbury’s nationwide. The White Rabbit ready meals are on sale for an RRP of £5.00 for 350g while The White Rabbit Dough Balls with Garlic & Herb Dip are available for an RRP of £3.75 for 180g. #readymeals #TheWhiteRabbitPizzaCo #UK

JBS USA’s Planterra Foods subsidiary is expanding its Ozo range with the introduction of a plant-based bacon product. The new Ozo offering aims to satisfy consumers’ desire to “wake up to the smell, sizzle and taste of bacon,” but with zero cholesterol and less fat. The product will be available in three flavours: cracked black pepper, applewood smoke and spicy jalapeño. Planterra Foods also recently launched plant-based chicken cutlets and shreds. “What makes our Ozo plant-based chicken and bacon unlike anything else on the market is the multi-sensorial experience comparable to that of their meat-based counterparts,” said Darcey Macken, Planterra Foods CEO. “The goal with all of our Ozo products is to bring inspiration to food lovers everywhere with extraordinary plant-based foods that deliver a ‘True Bite’ eating experience. True Bite is our promise to delight the senses, from first sight to last bite.” #US #Ozo #PlanterraFoods #JBSUSA #JBS

Barry Callebaut-owned brand Callebaut has launched a new plant-based range of chocolate, designed specifically for chefs and artisans to create “the next generations of chocolate gourmets”. Callebaut NXT is a 100% plant-based dark and milky tasting chocolates that are guaranteed to be free of any trace of dairy, without compromising on taste and indulgence. The chocolates are also nut- and allergen-free, rich in fibre and contain no artificial additives, flavourings or colourants. According to Barry Callebaut, the range is made with an extract from the chufa plant and is considered to be better for the environment, as growing milk from chufa has lower carbon emissions compared to cow’s milk. Xuan-Lai Huynh, global brand leader of Callebaut, said: “It took Callebaut experts and research and development (R&D) teams three years to bring this unique innovation to life. What makes it even more special is that the whole concept is being fuelled not only by our R&D team but even more by passionate chefs and artisans.” She continued: “Creating vegan, plant-based and dairy-free recipes stirs up all the know-how chefs have been applying for generations. For many, it’s like starting over. NXT will help ambitious chefs to re-invent the traditional pastry and chocolate recipes and elevate dairy-free, vegan, plant-based chocolate delights from a ‘niche’ segment to a global movement.” #BarryCallebaut #chocolate #dairyfree #plantbased

Givaudan has launched PrimeLock+, a patent-pending encapsulation system that mimics the membrane of animal fat cells, enabling manufacturers to deliver juicier plant-based meat products. According to Givaudan, maintaining juiciness in meat alternatives can be challenging “as a high proportion of oils are often released during cooking,” resulting in a drier mouthfeel. The company’s new integrated solution protects flavour and encapsulates and locks in fat in plant-based meat substitutes, releasing it gradually during cooking and consumption. The vegan-friendly solution is said to allow an up to 75% reduction in fat, while enhancing the eating experience. Visual appeal is improved “with a marbled, fat-like appearance,” while PrimeLock+ also helps boost stability during a product’s shelf life by separating flavours from proteins. Sylvain Jouet, global product manager for meat substitutes at Givaudan, said: “Givaudan is committed to helping its customers create delicious plant-based products that consumers enjoy. To do this, we have built wide-ranging expertise and a growing suite of integrated solutions and technologies in the alternative protein space. “In 2019, we asked ourselves how we could improve the eating experience of plant-based burgers; today, after extensive research and development, we are excited to launch PrimeLock+, a unique solution that delivers multiple benefits.” #Givaudan #meatalternatives

Producer of better-for-you breakfast products, Mikey’s, has released new plant-based breakfast pockets in collaboration with Just Egg. The new launches are available in two variants – Breakfast Scramble and Tex-Mex Breakfast – and are certified gluten-free and contain no dairy and soy. Breakfast Scramble is filled with scrambled Just Egg alongside plant-based cheese and vegetables. Tex-Mex Breakfast features scrambled Just Egg with black beans, vegetables and taco seasoning. Just Egg, developed by Eat Just, has around the same amount of protein as an authentic egg but with zero cholesterol and less saturated fat. Michael Tierney, founder and CEO of Mikey’s, said: “We continue to see opportunities to stay true to our core values while expanding into more plant-based offerings. We are equally excited about another great brand partnership for Mikey’s, this time with Just Egg. Their plant-based eggs are a delicious addition to our convenient handheld breakfast offerings. It’s my hope that our new plant-based breakfast products will be as much of a staple to your morning routine as they have become for me and the Mikey’s team.” The new products have an RSP of $6.99 and will be available in the US at Giant Food Stores as well as select grocery stores and on the Mikey’s website in April. #Just #JustEgg #Mikeys #US

Plant-based confectionery brand LoveRaw has introduced vegan ‘milk’ and white choc peanut butters varieties in the UK. The new offerings are free from palm oil, dairy and artificial ingredients. The cups feature smooth, “creamy” peanut butter covered in the brand’s vegan chocolate. Manav Thapar, Co-Founder at LoveRaw, comments: “We’ve got an epic 2022 line up of new products, which we have already kickstarted with the launch of our brand-new m:lk choc bars in January and our m:lk and white choc peanut butter cups this month”. The new offerings are available from retailers including The Vegan Kind, and Co-op, as well as online via Amazon and the brand’s website. #Loveraw #UK

US food tech company Yali Bio has raised $3.9 million in a seed round, to advance its efforts to develop “designer fats” for plant-based meat and dairy products. Founded in 2021, Yali Bio is developing proprietary technology that will enable it to create a range of plant-based fats tailored to different applications. Using precision fermentation and plant-based ingredients, the company will be able to design fats that emulate those derived from animals, for use in meat and dairy alternatives. Led by Essential Capital, the seed financing will be used to expand Yali Bio’s operations and accelerate its research and development efforts. Other investors included Third Kind Venture Capital, S2G Ventures and CRCM Ventures. Using synthetic biology, deep learning and genomics tools, Yali Bio aims to produce cultured fats that are more sustainable than the oils currently used in plant-based products, and which overcome technical issues – for example around flavour and melting point. “Yali Bio is one of the first companies tackling the issue of plant-based fats through precision fermentation,” said Edward Shenderovich, managing partner at Essential Capital. “We believe there is a substantial market opportunity for better functioning fats with a smaller environmental footprint and we are thrilled to be working with Yali Bio to bring their solutions to bear.” According to Yali Bio, well-marbled meat consists of 20-25% fats, “so fats that taste good, cook well and are sustainable are essential for progressing the plant-based sector”. Chuck Templeton, managing partner at S2G Ventures, said: “High-quality fats are currently a major weak point when developing plant-based analogues for animal proteins”. “We are excited to invest into Yali Bio to improve this crucial component of plant-based products with the goal of enhancing the consumer experience, while reducing the impacts of conventional animal husbandry.” #US #meatalternatives #YaliBio #culturedfat #plantbaseddairy

Kraft Heinz and Chilean food tech start-up TheNotCompany, known as NotCo, have announced a joint venture that will develop new plant-based products using artificial intelligence. The Kraft Heinz Not Company will be headquartered in Chicago, with research and development facilities in San Francisco. The joint venture will operate under the control of Kraft Heinz and bring together the packaged food giant’s scale and well-known brand portfolio, and NotCo’s patented technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. The companies believe that the partnership will enable them to develop products at a speed and scale “yet to be seen in the industry” and to accelerate the adoption of plant-based foods. “The joint venture with TheNotCompany is a critical step in the transformation of our product portfolio and a tremendous addition to our brand design-to-value capabilities,” said Miguel Patricio, CEO of Kraft Heinz. “It helps deliver on our vision to offer more clean, green and delicious products for consumers. We believe the technology that NotCo brings is revolutionising the creation of delicious plant-based foods with simpler ingredients.” Matias Muchnick, co-founder and CEO of NotCo, said: “When we started NotCo, it was our goal to make our technology a catalyser for a more sustainable food system not only for us, but for other brands and manufacturers who share the same ambition”. “Today is an exciting milestone for the plant-based industry and shows the power of technology’s role in driving mainstream adoption. We’re thrilled to partner with Kraft Heinz and their iconic brands and work hand-in-hand on building a more sustainable food system.” NotCo’s current North America head Lucho Lopez-May will lead The Kraft Heinz Not Company as CEO. #Artificialintelligence #NotCo #US #KraftHeinz #TheKraftHeinzNotCompany

MGP Ingredients has announced that it will build a new extrusion plant in Kansas to produce its ProTerra line of texturised proteins. The $16.7 million plant will be located next to the company’s facility in Atchison, and is expected to produce up to 10 million pounds of ProTerra each year once it begins operations. The new plant will help MGP meet growing demand for its ProTerra product line, which includes pea and wheat protein ingredients for applications such as plant-based meat alternatives. The company – which currently uses co-packers to produce its texturised proteins – also expects the investment to give it more control over the manufacturing process. “Building this new extrusion plant gives MGP the capacity and flexibility required to continue to meet the growing demand for our ProTerra line of texturised proteins,” said Michael Buttshaw, MGP’s vice president of ingredient solutions sales and R&D. “By transitioning the manufacturing process in-house, we reduce lead times related to co-packer scheduling issues, increase flexibility related to R&D projects and enhance our ability to effectively commercialise new products.” Construction of the facility will begin this summer and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. #meatalternatives #MGPIngredients #plantprotein