UK snack company Brave has introduced three new variations to its existing roasted chickpea range: Cookies & Cream, BBQ and Salt & Vinegar. Cookies & Cream consists of chickpeas coated in vegan white and dark chocolate while BBQ and Salt & Vinegar are coated in related seasonings. The range is high in protein and fibre, vegan and contains more protein than nuts and fewer calories than popcorn. Brave claims the roasted chickpeas also contains less sugar than similar products, with Cookies & Cream containing 50% less sugar than a chocolate bar (per 100g) and 40% less sugar than chocolate coated nuts. Amber Fraser, co-founder of Brave, said: “We’re really excited about this launch. We’re adding two household classic flavours that really work when applied to chickpeas, and Cookies and Cream – which is as ridiculously indulgent as it sounds. Best of all, they still maintain the strict nutritional profile we set for all our products.” The new flavours are available for an RRP of £11.99 per case of 12x35g in ‘On The Go’ size bags (30g for Cookies & Cream). The range is available in foodservice and independent stores with further rollout expected in January. #Brave #snacks #UK

Plant-based meat producer Future Farm has secured £42 million in Series C funding, as it looks to enter new product categories and advance its technology. Since launching in Brazil in 2019, Future Farm has rolled out its products internationally and the brand is currently available in 24 countries. Future Farm’s portfolio includes plant-based burgers, sausages, meatballs, mince, ‘chick’n’ and ‘tvna’, and the company says its next move will be into the plant-based drinks and dairy categories. The Series C investment – which was co-led by Rage Capital – will support Future Farm’s plans for rapid growth across Europe and the US. The brand will also use the funds to advance its True Texture Technology, bringing its products closer in look, feel and flavour to their animal-origin counterparts. Future Farm currently creates its plant-based products using 3D extrusion, enzymes and biotechnology. In addition, the funding will support progress towards Future Farm’s goal of 100% sustainable and plant-based packaging. “This investment ignites a new chapter in Future Farm; we are creating a robust 4.0 plant-based platform with meat, milk and dairy,” said Marcos Leta, Future Farm’s founding partner and CEO. He adds: “12 innovations are now being developed to make slaughterhouses and dairy products even more obsolete.” #Brazil #FutureFarm #meatalternatives #plantbasedmilk

Danone-owned company Alpro has announced a £41 million investment in its production facility in Kettering, UK. The latest investment includes a new £17 million high-speed production site along with a trigeneration unit and water treatment plant that aims to reduce energy consumption, CO2 emissions and water usage across the company’s operations. Alpro will use the investment to ramp up production capacity for its plant-based products, enhance its sustainability credentials and create new jobs in the local area. The high-speed production facility looks to increase production capacity to 300 million litres of soya, oat, rice and coconut drinks per year. Further plans to increase capacity to 400 million litres are expected as early as 2022. Sue Garfitt, general manager for Alpro, said: “As the plant-based category leader, we’ve been blazing a trail in sustainable production for more than 40 years, and there’s no question that this significant investment in our UK site is the latest example of that”. She continued: “The changes we are installing will not only accelerate the volume of products we are producing in the UK, for UK shoppers – but will also allow us to keep ahead of the curve and continue being the brand to fuel the category growth and whet the nation’s appetite for delicious and healthy plant-based products, and of course, doing this whilst operating in a planet-friendly way.” Alpro’s Kettering site is part of the company’s new five-year health and sustainability action plan, which includes pledges such as limiting water use, reducing environmental impact and providing consumers with greater transparency. #Alpro #Danone #plantbased #UK

Toluna recently presented at the UK Food & Drink Trends Conference, providing insights to help brands adapt to consumer expectations and drive future success. The top trends in the food and beverage (F&B) space fall under one overarching trend: the overwhelming support consumers show for brands aligning with their own values. The 16th wave of our Consumer Barometer – which has regularly tracked consumer sentiment since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic – shows that: 79% of consumers will go out of their way to engage with brands that align with their values 47% have stopped supporting brands that do not align with their values 85% believe brands should be accountable to customers Today’s companies are expected to clearly communicate what they stand for in order to form meaningful consumer connections. And with nearly half of consumers keeping their F&B supplies well-stocked in case of shortages (46%), attracting and retaining customers should remain at top of mind for brands in this industry. Let’s take a look at the latest F&B-specific trends and what they mean for brands. A third of consumers will go plant-based in the next year If you have noticed more plant-based items in the market and on menus, there is sound reasoning behind it. Two in ten consumers say they exclude meat from their diet. In addition to those adopting plant-based diets, two-thirds report purchasing plant-based products. To make informed decisions around new product development and ensure they reach their target audience, it is important that brands know how – and why – consumers decide on which items to purchase (or leave on the shelf). Here is what they say: Taste is the biggest factor (46%), followed by price (39%) and unprocessed, as-natural-as-possible options (27%). With regard to cost specifically, 44% of consumers say plant-based products are too expensive 38% buy plant-based products because they are better for your health, and 31% buy them because they are made from natural ingredients 38% buy plant-based products because they are better for the environment, and 31% for ethical reasons Healthy, locally sourced products and ingredients are in Whether one plans to go plant-based or not, today’s consumer is more aware of the ingredients in F&B products, including where they are sourced. With a steady uptick in consumers looking to shop locally, neighbourhood shops are in luck. In fact, two in five consumers report buying more locally, and 33% say they will continue to. Similarly, one in four consumers report buying from independent stores, and 23% will continue to do so. Overall, a staggering 62% of consumers say they prefer to buy food products that are produced locally or in their home country. For non-local brands that still want to catch the attention of their target audience, making impactful health claims or highlighting healthy ingredients are ways to cater to their current needs. 58% of consumers are more interested in the ingredients of food products, and 41% report trying to eat healthier meals. Consumers are more open-minded with at-home cooking and trying new brands Due to restaurant closures and quarantines, 41% of consumers have experimented with cooking new meals at home and 38% say they will continue to do so. 16% also report having purchased new food preparation products. With the rise in home cooking, it is important that brands evaluate the state of consumer loyalty – are they shopping for the same brands or thinking outside the box? On a global level, 19% of consumers are trying different food and drink brands and products. This escalates to 27% among Americans, who are displaying even more adventurousness than their global counterparts. This open-mindedness presents a significant opportunity for lesser-known brands to reach new consumers and provides motivation for well-established brands to secure loyalty from consumers worldwide. Consumers are also enjoying takeout and dining out In addition to supporting their favourite local restaurants in person, which 50% of consumers say they will do in the next month or two, 28% have ordered for delivery from those spots during the pandemic. Why? One in five customers are worried about restaurants closing and staff losing their jobs if they do not show support 32% missed the social aspect of dining out Just 13% of respondents report feeling worried about returning to local restaurants, underscoring the general sense of readiness and enthusiasm behind going out to eat. F&B brands that keep these trends in mind will be better equipped to make informed decisions about new product developments and what will resonate most with consumers in today’s market. To learn more about how to aid new product development, download Toluna’s latest eBook guide here. #health #research #brand #locallysourced #consumertrends #plantbased #Toluna

Food tech company Nature’s Fynd has announced plans to build a new facility in Chicago that will expand the company’s production capacity for its fungi-based foods. Nature’s Fynd already has a 35,000-square-foot facility in Chicago’s South Side and the new Marina Crossings site will expand the company’s production footprint and add a new R&D and innovation centre. Nature’s Fynd grows its nutritional fungi protein – called Fy – from a microbe with origins in geothermal springs, using fermentation technology that it claims uses just a fraction of the land, water and energy required by traditional agriculture. The vegan protein is said to contain all 20 amino acids. The company recently launched its Meatless Breakfast Patties and Dairy-Free Cream Cheese in retail. “Following our successful retail launch in California, we are excited to expand our distribution to Chicago and other cities over the coming months,” said CEO, Thomas Jonas. “Bolstering our production capacity in Chicago is the next major milestone as we bring our Fy-based foods that are better for people and better for our planet to more stores.” Nature’s Fynd currently employs 152 people across its Chicago headquarters and Montana R&D centre and says it expects to create more than 200 new jobs in Chicago by the end of 2023. “One of Chicago’s newest unicorns, Nature’s Fynd, is reinventing the future of food on the South Side of our city by reclaiming the old Stockyards as an up-and-coming world leader in new protein,” said Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot. “In addition, this incredible company is bringing high-tech and environmentally sustainable jobs to the South Side, which will give our residents an exciting opportunity to enter a rapidly growing and good-paying career field.” Nature’s Fynd recently raised $350 million in Series C funding to accelerate its commercialisation and global expansion. #meatalternatives #NaturesFynd #plantbased #US

Plant-based chicken brand Daring has raised $65 million in a Series C fundraising round led by Founders Fund. The round was joined by existing investor D1 Capital Group and also included Naomi Osaka, Cameron Newton, Steve Aoki and Chase Coleman. Headquartered in California, Daring says that its chicken alternative products are made with non-GMO ingredients and contain 10-14g of protein per serving. The brand’s range includes Original, Lemon & Herb, Cajun and Original Breaded Pieces. Since being founded in 2018, Daring has raised more than $120 million in funding. The Series C round follows a $8 million Series A funding round in 2020 and Series B funding announced earlier this year. The brand has also announced that it is expanding into 3,000 Walmart locations, doubling its distribution to 6,000 stores across the US. #Daring #US

The Coca‑Cola Company has partnered with Changchun Meihe Science & Technology and UPM to introduce its first 100% plant-based plastic beverage bottle, excluding the cap and label. The companies have used a new technology developed by plant-based plastics firm Virent to create PlantBottle, which is made from plant-based paraxylene (bPX) using sugar from corn. To begin, a limited number of around 900 prototype bottles have been manufactured. Coca-Cola’s chief technical and innovation officer, Nancy Quan, said: “We have been working with technology partners for many years to develop the right technologies to create a bottle with 100% plant-based content – aiming for the lowest possible carbon footprint – and it’s exciting that we have reached a point where these technologies exist and can be scaled by participants in the value chain”. The newly-released prototype bottle arrives 12 years after Coca-Cola first introduced its PlantBottle as the first recyclable PET plastic bottle made with approximately 30% monoethylene glycol (MEG) from sugarcanes and 70% terephthalic acid (PTA) derived from oil-based sources. Coca-Cola’s global packaging and sustainability R&D director, Dana Breed, stated: “The inherent challenge with going through bioethanol is that you are competing with fuel. We needed a next-generation MEG solution that addressed this challenge, but also one that could use second-generation feedstock like forestry waste or agricultural byproducts.” She continued: “Our goal for plant-based PET is to use surplus agricultural products to minimise carbon footprint, so the combination of technologies brought by the partners for commercialisation is an ideal fit with this strategy”. #PET #PlantBottle #TheCocaColaCompany

Lindt & Sprüngli have announced the release of its new plant-based recipe chocolate bars in the UK for Veganuary 2022. The new chocolate bars will be made from a blend of premium cocoa, gluten-free oat drink and almond paste. The two variations include Lindt Classic Recipe Vegan Smooth and Lindt Classic Recipe Vegan Hazelnut, with additional crunchy hazelnut pieces. Lindt’s vegan bars will be gluten-free and suitable for coeliacs. The plant-based additions will be available for an RRP of £3.00 per 100g bar. They will be available from selected retailers such as Sainsbury’s, Amazon, Lindt chocolate stores and online from the Lindt website from January of next year. #chocolate #Lindt #LindtampSprüngli #UK

In the past, plant-based meat and sausage alternatives were only available in specific certified organic shops. Today, you can find them in any supermarket. Vegetarian and vegan alternatives now achieve a steady turnover, and products are continuously optimised and reformulated. Various raw materials like soy, pea and wheat are used for innovative, meat-free products to complement the wide choice of meat alternatives – from sausages and cold cuts to nuggets and burgers. These days most people care about their nutrition. They read the ingredient list and compare nutritional profiles of food products. So why not add healthy dietary fibres to a vegetarian or vegan meat alternative in order to add more value to the product? Fibre enrichment boosts the nutritional profile and contributes to making the product healthier and more attractive, even to non-vegetarians. The so-called flexitarian – who sometimes eats meat, but more often tries to avoid it – is also looking for meat alternatives. However, flexitarian consumers are seeking the same culinary pleasure they get from eating real meat. The challenge here is to satisfy the flexitarian diet with products that are as similar as possible to real meat products. Therefore, some elements should mimic real meat (such as bite, flavour and colour). German manufacturer of natural fibres from sustainable raw materials, CFF, offers tailor-made Sanacel® dietary fibre solutions for natural fortification. Sanacel® acts in different ways to improve the consistency and processability of meatless products. The fibres help to imitate the meat structure and lead to a better bite Improving properties of vegan nuggets Simple applications for plant-based Sanacel® fibre blends are vegan chicken products. CFF’s technologists tested several proteins from soy or pea, as well as chickpea flour. Soy protein is one of the rare plant-based proteins that correspond to a wholefood diet because of the beneficial amino acid profile. The high content of essential amino acids (35-40%) makes it more comparable to a chicken egg. However, the tests found differences in colour before and after frying, proving that colour is influenced by the protein and not by the fibres. Several tests showed that the perfect time to add Sanacel® fibre was at the end of the cutting process in the bowl chopper. The late addition allows the fibres to bind with excess oil or water and prevent the product to become dry in the raw condition. The fibres also have the capacity to absorb the water that escapes during frying, thus ensuring a juicy mouthfeel. For easy handling, the fibres can be mixed with dry ingredients. Water and oil can be added afterwards. This compound must be chopped and shaped into a homogenous mass and the final grit size is reached. The cutter process influences how fine or coarse the product becomes. In our case, chickpea flour achieved the best result for chicken nuggets. Furthermore, dietary fibres influenced juiciness in the final product. Due to the functional characteristics of Sanacel®, it is possible to increase the water content and thus obtain a juicier product. The cutter process influences how fine or coarse the product should become. The left image shows a vegan chicken patty; the right shows a vegan chicken nugget, both made with Sanacel® Healthy nutrition and the issue of animal welfare are becoming more present and play an increasingly important role in consumers’ food choices. Many meat consumers are therefore considering vegetarian and vegan meat alternatives. Now is a good time to join the meat alternatives trend. Sanacel® fibre concentrates offer the possibility to continuously improve these products on a natural basis. Colour, texture and bite can be adjusted so that vegan meat alternatives rival their meaty counterparts. About CFF For 40 years, CFF has been motivated by the remarkable and diverse application of cellulose fibres. In the past and today, it is the engine for the development and manufacturing of functional fibre product Sanacel®, which is created from natural and biodegradable raw materials. CFF’s products are eco-friendly and remain in the natural cycle – from nature, back to nature. #meatalternatives #plantbasedmeat #Flexitarian #vegan #CFF

UK pulses and grains brand, Merchant Gourmet, has added a new pouch to its plant-based portfolio: Spiced Grains & Chestnuts with Wild Rice & Cranberries. The limited-edition offering can be enjoyed on its own or used to make plant-based variations on seasonal dishes, such as stuffing balls, winter wellingtons and stews. The ready-to-eat pouch combines pearl barley, wild rice, chestnuts and cranberries with a blend of festive herbs and spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon, rosemary and thyme. A source of fibre, Spiced Chestnuts & Grains contains no preservatives or artificial colours and is said to be low in fat. “We’re really excited to be adding Spiced Grains & Chestnuts to our range, providing shoppers with a new and exciting product that is specially designed to complement festive dishes,” said Richard Peake, managing director at Merchant Gourmet. “[Chestnut]…is a staple for many throughout the festive season and we believe the new pouch will be popular amongst those looking for plant-based alternatives this Christmas.” With an RRP of £2.00 per 250g, the pouch is rolling out to Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Ocado. Earlier this year, Merchant Gourmet announced the launch of a new range of easy vegan jars. #MerchantGourmet #plantbased #UK

Swedish meat alternative brand Oumph! has unveiled a new limited-edition plant-based burger that it claims resembles ‘human meat’. The burger will temporarily join the company’s extensive range of plant-based meat alternative products which include meatballs, spare ribs, sausages and, recently launched in the UK and Sweden, döner kebab. The new burger is made from soya, mushrooms and wheat protein as well as plant-based fats and a spice mix. Anders ‘Ankan’ Linden, Oumph! co-founder, corporate chef and head of innovation, said: “We developed this burger in no time, as soon as we knew what taste and texture we were after. This is our ultimate and weird way of showing that it’s possible to create any type of food by using just plants.” The special edition Halloween burger will be available from 10pm on Saturday 30 October exclusively at Nytorget, Södermalm, Stockholm. #Halloween #meatalternatives #Oumph #Sweden

Shiru, a biotech start-up that is using machine learning and precision fermentation to build a portfolio of sustainable plant-based ingredients, has closed a $17 million Series A round. Based in California, Shiru uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify ingredients from the plant world that can be used as alternatives to eggs, meat, dairy and gelatine. The company then isolates the plants’ DNA and puts it into yeast to produce those ingredients using precision fermentation. Shiru aims to develop ingredients that meet or exceed animal-derived alternatives on taste, texture, other functional attributes and cost at scale, while requiring a small fraction of the land, energy and water. The company is planning to develop many different types of functional ingredients, with an initial focus on proteins. The Series A round was led by S2G Ventures and joined by returning investors, including Lux Capital, CPT Capital and Y Combinator, as well as several new investors. Shiru will use the funds to continue building its team and also plans to move into new headquarters in Alameda, California, in the first half of 2022 and to start scaling up manufacturing. “The global food industry is well aware of the voracious demand among consumers for sustainable food, as well as the sector’s immense power to help solve our climate crisis,” said Shiru CEO and founder, Jasmin Hume. “Shiru’s goal is to make it simple and cost-effective for every food company, from multinational conglomerates to innovative start-ups, to do the right thing for people and the planet.” Chuck Templeton, a new Shiru board member and managing director of S2G Ventures, added: “The global food sector is on the cusp of an innovation explosion. Shiru is at the vanguard of a new generation of start-ups that will transform the agriculture sector, paving the way for a liveable planet and increased quality of life for all of us.” Shiru plans to deliver its first ingredients to food companies next year. #precisionfermentation #US #S2GVentures #Shiru #plantbased