Swedish fungi protein company Mycorena has partnered with climate impact platform CarbonCloud to assess the footprint of its products. Mycorena began monitoring its emissions using CarbonCloud’s SaaS platform last year at its pilot production facility. The assessment enables the company to better understand its climate performance. The plant-based protein company – which produces its fungi-based protein, Promyc, through fermentation – has been identifying areas in which it can improve its footprint using the results. Ramkumar Nair, founder and CEO of Mycorena, said: “The core of our technology and products relies on our ambition to create an impact on how food is produced today. With this new collaborative effort with CarbonCloud, we can now detail the climate impact of our production process, keeping even the smaller steps in focus. And in the larger picture, it can showcase how Promyc, our mycoprotein, can make a difference compared to all other traditional and market-available food protein ingredients.” #CarbonCloud #climatefootprint #Mycorena #Sweden

‘Better-for-you’ confectionery company Prodigy Snacks has announced the launch of a plant-based salted caramel chocolate egg. The new vegan offering is said to contain less than half the sugar of a typical filled egg and is free from palm oil and refined sugar. Made with natural ingredients, the chocolate egg is high in fibre to support gut health. Prodigy founder, Sameer Vaswani, said: “We’re really excited to be launching our first egg as part of our growing natural confectionery range, and are grateful to have the support of Holland & Barrett to do so. Our mission is to inspire the evolution of chocolate. We want to change the world of chocolate for the better – better for our health and better for the planet. “As well as keeping our product range as natural as possible, plant-based and avoiding the nasties such as palm oil, we are particularly passionate to show that amazing-tasting chocolate can also be significantly lower in sugar, bring prebiotic benefits through fibre and reduce the blight of long-term plastic pollution.” The egg is “plastic negative,” as the brand removes ten ocean-bound plastic wrappers from the environment for every egg sold. The new product will be rolling out to more than 800 Holland & Barrett stores from the end of February and will also be available from the Prodigy website. #lowsugar #ProdigySnacks #UK

Danone North America has expanded its Silk portfolio with the introduction of new almond and oat milk creamers in the US. Offering 4g of protein per four-tablespoon serving, Silk Enhanced Almond Creamers come in two flavours: vanilla latte and salted caramel, which also contains vitamin A. Silk Enhanced Creamers are free from gluten, as well as artificial colours and flavours, and are available at Walmart. “More consumers are looking to the ‘better-for-you’ category for both great taste and convenience in food and beverage options,” said Amanda Simerman, senior director of plant-based and organic creamers at Danone. “New Silk Enhanced Almond Creamers are a delicious and easy way to add enhanced benefits to your morning brew.” Meanwhile, the company is also introducing Silk Sweet Oat Latte Creamer. The new offering joins flavours such as oatmeal cookie and vanilla as part of the Silk oat milk creamer portfolio, and is available at grocery stores across the US. #Danone #DanoneNorthAmerica #Silk #US

US alternative meat company Prime Roots has launched a new line of koji deli meats and charcuterie, designed to mimic products found at the deli counter. The new offerings include umami-rich hams, cracked black pepper turkey, pâtés, foie gras, pepperoni and salami. Prime Roots’ ‘meats’ are made with koji, the fungi also used to produce miso and soy sauce – a mycelium that naturally grows in long fibres that slightly mimics animal muscle. Koji meats are naturally umami-rich, GMO-free and have a simple ingredient list. The company hopes to “branch out to a wider audience and reach meat-eaters directly” as its “ultimate goal is to challenge the idea of what makes a meat ‘alternative'”. The brand’s plan is to encourage simple swaps by offering koji meats as an alternative alongside animal meats in restaurants, deli cases and sandwich shops across the US. #alternativemeat #koji #PrimeRoots #US

Plant-based nutrition brand Kos has raised $12 million in Series A funding, as it looks to expand its team and distribution. Based in California, Kos offers protein and other plant-based nutrition powders, as well as functional capsules. The Series A funding was led by Clayton Christopher, who founded the investment firm Cavu Ventures as well as brands including Waterloo Sparkling Water, and Brian Goldberg, founder and managing director of Redbud Brands. Springdale Ventures also supported Kos’s latest funding push, after leading an early-stage investment in the brand in 2020. Kos will use the new funds to expand distribution, boost customer awareness, accelerate product innovation and build its team. “We are beyond excited to continue our journey with Clayton Christopher and Brian Goldberg’s involvement,” said Allan Stevens, Kos co-founder and co-CEO. “They are incredibly skilled brand operators who have built multiple iconic brands throughout their careers.” Christopher said: “We’ve been fans of the Kos brand since it first launched and have watched it develop into something quite special in a very short period”. He continued: “Over time as an investor, you see certain patterns repeat that are clues to a brand’s long-term success, and Kos has exhibited many of them. We’re excited to be involved and to support the Kos team in their next chapter of growth.” #Kos #US

Princes has expanded its extensive portfolio into the plant-based sector, with new “affordable” canned vegan ready meals. The range comes in four variants: Lentil & Mushroom Bolognese, Mexican Mixed Bean Chilli, Vegetable Green Thai Curry and Chunky Mixed Veg Curry. The ready meals are Vegan Society approved and are 392g per can, ideal “for two to share with a side of rice, pasta or even quinoa”. Dean Towey, commercial director for food at Princes, said: “This new range of vegan canned ready meals answers demand from shoppers who love canned food and want even more variety. Princes plant-based ready meals aim to show that eating vegan food doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming or difficult. We hope these new products will help even more people incorporate delicious vegan meals into their repertoire.” Princes vegan ready meals are available in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, B&M and Co-op for £1.00 per can. #Princes #readymeals #UK

Ebro Foods has launched a new organic rice drink under its Tilda rice brand, aiming to tap into the plant-based alternative milk sector. The new release is made from water, 16% organic rice, rice oil and salt. Tilda rice milk is naturally lactose-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and contains no added sugars or artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. “With over 50 incredible years of expertise in bringing you the finest quality rice, we have now launched a rice MLK plant-based drink that has a naturally sweet taste for your taste buds,” claimed Tilda. The product is available now from Waitrose for an RRP of £2.20 per 1-litre carton. #EbroFoods #ricemilk #Tilda #UK

Canadian plant-based food and ingredients company, Global Food and Ingredients, has acquired Your Fitness Dish. Operating under the brand YoFiit, Your Fitness Dish is a plant-based milk and snack food company. Its YoFiit portfolio includes a high-protein plant-based milk made with chickpeas, pea protein and flax oil, as well as a range of high-protein, low-sugar snack bars and granola products made from plants. “We are very pleased to accelerate our plans to expand into the high-growth plant-based milk and snack food segments through this acquisition,” said David Hanna, Global Food and Ingredients’ CEO. “YoFiit has developed a loyal and engaged customer group in Canada due to the unique health proposition of its product offering, and we look forward to implementing a US market launch in the next few months.” According to GFI, YoFiit is also engaged in a research and development project to expand its range with yogurt and egg alternatives, as well as additional plant-based milk products. A government grant of CAD 1.2 million (approx. $942,389) has been secured for the project. YoFiit’s founder, Marie Amazan, added: “YoFiit has major expansion plans into the US market and across Canada, while also developing new plant-based products that will fill the nutrition and taste gaps in the marketplace. We are excited to join GFI to accelerate these plans and use GFI’s platform to connect our plant-based ingredients needs right to the farm level.” Amazan will continue as the company’s president, and she will manage the brand’s products and business development within the GFI group. #GlobalFoodandIngredients #YoFiit #YourFitnessDish

Next Gen Foods has raised $100 million in a funding round which it claims marks “the largest Series A to date for a plant-based meat company”. The Series A round included new investors, such as Southeast Asian venture capital firm, Alpha JWC, and Paul McCartney’s MPL Ventures. Next Gen Foods’ latest funding push was also backed by existing investors, including Temasek and Bits x Bites. The new funding will support Next Gen Foods’ aim to swiftly expand its global footprint this year. The company’s vegan chicken product, Tindle, launched in the US this week through a raft of restaurant partnerships, and the start-up plans to further increase distribution – both within the country and internationally. Andre Menezes, CEO and co-founder of Next Gen Foods, said: “The US has long been a target market for us, and thanks to our line-up of fantastic investors who have participated in this funding round, this is only the beginning of our journey in delivering delicious and sustainable foods to reverse our climate crisis”. Tindle – which is made of nine simple ingredients – is also available in restaurants in Singapore, other Asian markets, the Middle East and Amsterdam. The raise will help Next Gen Foods to boost the R&D and product innovation capabilities at its new research hub, which is set to open in Singapore later this year. “Within a year, we’ve gone from launch to more than 200 restaurants on three continents. We will continue this relentless momentum in 2022 thanks to strong demand from chefs, distributors and consumers, who love Tindle for its great taste and tiny environmental footprint,” said Rohit Bhattacharya, chief financial officer at Next Gen Foods. “We are grateful to have mission-aligned and long-term global investors supporting us during such a critical phase for the company – bringing their expertise and visionary leadership.” Founded by veterans of the meat industry, Next Gen Foods uses Lipi – its proprietary emulsion of plant-based ingredients – to help recreate the aroma and other qualities that typically come from chicken fat. #Temasek #US #BitsxBites #meatalternatives #Tindle #NextGen

Meadow Foods-owned brand Plant & Co has released a new plant-based dairy alternative yogurt range, named Yoat. The new range has been developed using the company’s signature oat and coconut base and will be available in several flavours including natural, strawberry, raspberry and peach. Yoat will initially launch in 85g pots, primarily aimed at children, and a larger single-serve 110g size. Jack Hancock, managing director of Meadow Foods’ plant-based business, commented: “We’ve used our experience and expertise to develop a fantastic yogurt alternative that is of the highest quality and doesn’t compromise on taste or texture. Yoat will be perfect for the foodservice and food manufacturing sectors as the consumer demand for dairy-free yogurt grows. We look forward to marketing this great launch with both new and existing customers throughout early 2022.” The yogurts will be available from early February through a variety of foodservice operators and will also be stocked in a number of outlets including hospitals, schools and hotels. #MeadowFoods #PlantampCo #Yoat

Frozen baked goods company Griddle has introduced new frozen vegan toaster waffles, adding to its portfolio of easy baking products. The waffles are available in three variations – original, blueberry and chocolate chip. The products are HFSS compliant and contain 40% less sugar than the average waffle. They’re made using 100% natural ingredients and also contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Ella Harland, co-founder of Griddle, said: “In the US, the market for toaster waffles is worth over $2.6bn, yet here in the UK there is a limited range of highly processed, ambient products which are poor quality and have a short shelf life. We believe that with the help of our retailer partners, we can bring something truly innovative to this market. The launch is also a key next step towards achieving our overall aim – to become the household frozen bakery brand.” The releases are available for an RRP of £2.50 per 200g pack of six waffles. Morrisons will stock two products from the three strong range (original and chocolate chip) while Ocado will stock all three from 14 March. #frozenwaffles #Griddle #UK

US food tech company Benson Hill has announced the launch of TruVail, a new line of domestically sourced soy protein ingredients. The first products to be introduced under the TruVail brand include texturised proteins and high-protein soy flour, which Benson Hill says offers a less processed equivalent to soy protein concentrate (SPC). TruVail ingredients are derived from Benson Hill’s proprietary ‘ultra-high protein’ soybeans, “reducing the need for additional processing steps typically required to concentrate protein levels”. The company claims that the non-GMO ingredients can require up to 70% less water and up to 50% less CO2e to produce compared with commodity SPC. The TruVail ingredients can be used for applications within the rapidly growing plant-based market, including meat and dairy alternatives, as well as in snacks, baked goods and meat products. “The nutrient density advantage of TruVail ingredients offers food manufacturers a seamless solution for multiple product development needs,” said Kurt Long, VP, proteins, Benson Hill. “The application of TruVail ingredients as a less processed replacement for SPC delivers cost and environmental advantages while avoiding SPC supply constraints facing the rapidly expanding plant-based protein market.” Benson Hill recently acquired a soy processing facility in Creston, Iowa, providing it with the manufacturing capabilities to bring its new ingredient portfolio to market. #BensonHill #meatalternatives #US