US sweet potato snack brand Spudsy has announced the launch of a new range of gluten- and grain-free Sweet Potato Fries. Made with Spudsy’s signature sweet potato flour, the new line is vegan and features three flavours: Hot Fry, Vegan Ranch Fry and Cheese Fry. California-based Spudsy uses sweet potatoes that traditionally end up in landfill due to minor imperfections in shape, size or colour to make its snacks. The brand claims to be on track to ‘save’ 1 million such sweet potatoes by the end of the year. “It was really important to the Spudsy team that our newest product was something equally as delicious as our classic puffs,” said Ashley Boeckle, CEO of Spudsy. “We know that these new fries were the perfect addition to fulfil our vision of creating another flavourful, healthy snack while continuing to encourage our brand fans to #savethespud.” Spudsy’s new Sweet Potato Fries will be available to purchase at select Kroger stores and online via the brand’s website and Amazon. Last year, Spudsy was named winner of PepsiCo’s second annual North America Greenhouse programme, which aims to support emerging entrepreneurs and brands in the food and beverage industry. #Spudsy #upcycling #US

Plant-based food brand Wicked Kitchen has secured $14 million in a Series A funding round, as it prepares to launch its product line in the US. The round was co-led by plant-based foods venture fund Unovis Asset Management and Thailand-based NRF-owned Nove Foods. Co-founded by American brothers Derek and Chad Sarno, Wicked Kitchen first launched its range of vegan products in 2018 in collaboration with UK retailer Tesco. After experiencing success in the UK, the company aims to bring the Wicked Kitchen product line to the US market amid the growing plant-based movement. Derek and Chad Sarno are also the co-founders of Gathered Foods, makers of the Good Catch plant-based seafood brand. “This funding supports the next giant leap in growth and adoption of the Wicked Kitchen product line – a journey that will span the globe,” said Wicked Foods CEO, Pete Speranza. He added: “As was demonstrated by Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, the breadth of offerings Wicked Kitchen brings to market allows motivated regional retail partners to commit to multi cross-category adoption. What Wicked brings into the US will be unlike anything else that has come before it in the plant-based space.” The company’s plant-based offerings include convenient breakfast, lunch and dinner options such as porridge, meal kits, noodle pots, ready meals, meat alternatives, sauces and marinades. Chris Kerr, founding partner of Unovis, said: “The fastest adoption of plant-based foods is always driven by great culinary experience. Wicked Kitchen has an unparalleled range of exceptional products, a revered brand, and two founding chefs willing to stir the pot. Unovis is here to support this effort from every angle.” Wicked Kitchen plans to make further announcements in the coming week regarding the brand’s US launch. #US #readytoeat #mealkits #WickedKitchen #UK #plantbased

Oat milk chocolate brand Happi Free From is moving into the drinks aisle with the introduction of a new range of flavoured oat beverages. The new plant-based Happi Oat Drinks will launch with two flavours – chocolate and strawberry – both of which are free from gluten and enriched with vitamins A, B6, B9, B12, C and D. The drinks will be available in 1-litre cartons and are made using oats milled and processed in the UK. There are no added sugars in the strawberry flavour and no refined sugars in the chocolate variant, according to Happi. Gavin Cox, founder of Happi Free From, said: “We are incredibly excited to be launching our delicious new oat drinks range. There’s still a huge gap in the market for high-quality, flavoured oat drinks and ours are here to fill it. “We will be targeting plant-based milkshake fans with our delicious, all-natural and allergen-friendly Happi Oat Drink and hope to attract vegans, flexitarians and families with this new range.” With an MRSP of £2.39, Happi Oat Drinks will roll out to 459 Holland & Barrett stores across the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands starting next month. The new drinks will also be available to purchase via the brand’s website. Georgina Stoddart, assistant category buyer at Holland & Barrett, said: “The flavours married with the fun and vibrant packaging will appeal to our plant-based customers, as well as dipping into the children’s market and encouraging more customers to experience fantastic plant-based products.” Happi recently expanded its portfolio of oat milk chocolate with the launch of two white chocolate varieties across the UK. #Dairyalternatives #Happi #theNetherlands #UK #Ireland

High-tech yeast company Angel Yeast has officially opened the doors of its new purpose-built facility, dedicated to yeast and biotechnology research and development. Based in Yichang, China, the company unveiled the centre back in June. This week’s opening now marks a major milestone for Angel Yeast’s scientific capabilities and advancement in the biotechnology sector. The complex spans 36,000sqm and can accommodate up to 1,500 people. The complex contains nine centres, focusing on: yeast and enzyme, industrial and brewing microbiology, protein nutrition and food flavouring, baking and Chinese dim sum, agricultural biotechnology, environmental protection, industrial innovation, nutrition and health, and testing. The project first got underway in October 2019, and more than 196 million yuan ($30 million) has been invested in the facility to date. Angel Yeast said it expects to allocate more than $60 million toward scientific research, enabling the company to become a global leader in yeast technology research. “We are thrilled to open our new R&D complex after more than a year of planning and construction. We believe this project will further accelerate the advancement of Angel Yeast’s innovation system in major industries, including yeast and yeast derivatives, healthy ingredients and raw materials, nutrition and healthcare, and non-yeast related biotechnologies,” said Xiong Tao, chairman of Angel Yeast. “By enhancing our independent innovation capabilities and strengthening our international cooperation, we have cemented Angel Yeast’s position as a leader and pioneer in the development of the industry,” he added. Researchers will focus on a number of key areas, including: plant-based alternatives, food flavour enhancements, gut health and probiotics, clean nutritional sources for fermentation, immune health and sports nutrition, alternatives to antibiotics, and yeast production and sustainable development. The company has already partnered with the likes of Novozymes to improve the application of enzymes in pasta and with Chr. Hansen to develop probiotic formulations. #yeast #China #AngelYeast #enzymes #Researchanddevelopment

Vegan brand Follow Your Heart has launched dairy-free Greek Style Crumbles in the UK, available in Tesco stores nationwide from 12 July. Created in the brand’s Los Angeles solar-powered, zero-waste facility (known as Earth Island), the crumble format is aimed at plant-based and flexitarian consumers looking for a traditional feta alternative. John O’Connor, new business development at Follow Your Heart said: “We are so excited to launch the first dairy-free Greek Crumbles in the UK and it’s a great testament to our strong innovation team in the US focusing on plant-based cheese. We are passionate about showing UK shoppers how delicious and easy plant-based eating can be.” “In contrast to some other brands with long ingredients lists including unrecognisable components, Follow Your Heart focuses on keeping things clean and minimal to create inherently better-for-you products for shoppers,” he added. Greek Style Crumbles features just ten ingredients, is coconut-oil based, allergen-free and non-GMO. It is also free of dairy, soy, casein, gluten, lactose and preservatives. RRP £3.50 for 170g. #dairyfreecheese #Fetacheese #FollowYourHeart #US

Plant-based meat producer Next Gen Foods has announced a $20 million extension of its seed round, which takes the round’s total to $30 million. Headquartered in Singapore, Next Gen is a food tech start-up developing and commercialising new plant-based food products. The company launched just last year after raising $2.2 million in seed funding. The new funds will primarily be used to launch Tindle – the first brand created by Next Gen – in the US. Tindle plant-based chicken is already sold in more than 70 restaurants in Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. New investors in Next Gen include: GGV Capital, agriculture and food tech venture fund Bits x Bites, Yeo Hiap Seng, athletes including footballer Dele Alli, and Blitzscaling co-author Chris Yeh. Existing investors include Temasek and Asia-based venture capital fund K3 Ventures. As part of its entry into the US market, Next Gen plans to hire more than 50 employees across research and development (R&D), sales, supply chain, finance and marketing. “The United States is the world’s biggest market for plant-based foods. We are already putting our foundations in place to be in-market within the next 12 months as we accelerate our goal of becoming the world’s number one plant-based chicken,” said Andre Menezes, who co-founded Next Gen with LikeMeat founder, Timo Recker. The company will also use the extended funding for continued expansion in the APAC region and the Middle East, as well as for developing its technology, establishing an R&D centre in Singapore and product diversification. Jenny Lee, a managing partner at GGV Capital, said: “The team’s focus on product quality, brand recall and distribution provides a strong foundation for the future growth of the company. “Our partnership with the NextGen team is underpinned by our commitment to team up with founders who show real passion and flair in solving the fundamental challenges of our time – food sustainability is one of them.” Jean Madden, Next Gen CMO, added: “Following our March 2021 Tindle launch, we have expanded to three key markets, and we expect to be in more than five by end-2021, a mark that some leading brands do not cross after years of existence. “We are scaling at this incredibly fast pace with our asset-lite business model, distribution network, talent and collaborations with great chefs and hot restaurants.” #Temasek #US #BitsxBites #meatalternatives #Tindle #Singapore #NextGen

Private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners has acquired Californian cold-pressed, organic beverage brand Suja Life from Goldman Sachs Asset Management and co-investors. The deal – which was made for an undisclosed sum – comes after a record-breaking year for Suja Life in both revenue and profit and its new ownership will reportedly enable the brand’s next phase of growth. Shortly after launching in 2012, Suja claims it became the nation’s leading organic, cold-pressed juice brand. Made using high pressure processing, the brand’s portfolio includes cold pressed juices, functional shots and sparkling juices, which are available at major grocery and natural food stores nationwide. “I’m excited to see Suja achieve so much success after the almost ten-year journey of this amazing brand and I could not be more excited for the next chapter,” said James Brennan, Suja co-founder. He added: “Suja has experienced two phases of rapid growth, the initial years after the brand was founded and then again since 2018. The Suja team has delivered fantastic results in recent years.” Nicole Agnew, managing director in Goldman Sachs Asset Management, added: “Suja’s success has led them to become a household brand, and we’re thrilled to have been part of the journey.” Suja says it chose Paine Schwartz as its new partner due to its shared purpose in offering consumers better-for-you plant-based options. “We are incredibly excited to partner with the Suja team at this inflection point in the company’s growth trajectory,” said Kevin Schwartz, CEO of Paine Schwartz Partners. “Suja sits at the centre of our company’s investment ethos – products that deliver great-tasting, functional ingredients that are as healthy for you as they are delicious. We look forward to supporting the company in this next phase of growth, investing behind new products and expanding distribution to bring Suja to even more consumers everywhere.” In 2019, Paine Schwartz closed a sustainable food chain fund at $1.43 billion, marking its largest fund to date. #functionalbeverages #Suja #US #PaineSchwartz #juice #organic #GoldmanSachsAssetManagement #Coldpressedjuice

Speciality protein company Geltor has unveiled a new vegan collagen ingredient, claiming that the new PrimaColl solution represents a ‘first-of-its-kind’ animal-free collagen for food and beverage applications. Produced through Geltor’s proprietary fermentation process in collaboration with Lonza Specialty Ingredients, the vegan collagen will be available in 2021, as commercial scaling of the ingredient has already begun this summer. Collagen is commonly produced from sources such as the cartilage, bones and marrow of animals including pigs and cows, and a vegan collagen source for use as an ingredient in food and beverage applications had proved elusive. According to Geltor, the ingredient is an exact match to the bioactive amino acid core of the ‘less abundant’ Type 21 collagen. Like most collagens, the natural production of Type 21 decreases into adulthood, with collagen supplements such as drinks and snack bars gaining interest from consumers. Geltor claims that this collagen type was selected in the biodesign of PrimaColl due to its important role in interacting with other collagens, which can help stimulate additional collagen production at the cellular level. Geltor CEO and co-founder Alex Lorestani, said: “Collagen’s popularity is accelerating year-over-year, in spite of its constraints as an ingredient derived from animals. “With PrimaColl, our customers finally have a unique and unprecedented opportunity to access new markets with a bona fide collagen that is truly animal-free.” Last year, Geltor raised $91.3 million in Series B financing, with the company claiming that it would use the financing to fuel the expansion of its ingredients-as-a-service platform. #collagen #Geltor #ingredients #vegancollagen

Yoplait’s Petits Filous brand has entered into the plant-based category with the introduction of its first dairy-free range across the UK. Made with almonds, the plant-based yogurts are available in the brand’s bestselling raspberry flavour. The launch comes as Petits Filous looks to meet the growing demand of families seeking dairy-free options for their kids. “In recent years we’ve seen an increase in families seeking dairy free alternatives, either due to intolerances or simply as a lifestyle choice,” said Joanna Goodman, head of marketing of yogurt, northern Europe at General Mills. “With limited healthy snacking options available in this space, we wanted to ensure that children who don’t eat dairy can still enjoy the benefits of our yogurts. Dairy Free is packed with calcium and vitamin D and offers the same great taste you would expect from Petits Filous.” The new dairy-free Petits Filous yogurts are currently available to purchase from Tesco stores, and will be rolled out in Morrisons and Sainsbury’s in September. Petits Filous Dairy Free will come in packs of four and will retail for £2.35. Last month, the brand expanded its Mess Free drinkable yogurt portfolio with a no-added-sugar option. #GeneralMills #Yoplait #PetitsFilous #yogurt #UK #dairyfree

UK vegan bakery brand Oggs is expanding its portfolio with the introduction of a new range of baked snack bars. The new offerings aim to meet the increasing demand for plant-based convenience snacks and provide an ‘ethical and sustainable’ option in the food-to-go aisle. The plant-based range includes Brownie, Flapjack, Millionaire and Tiffin bars. The new baked offerings are made with Oggs’ aquafaba egg alternative, which the brand last year launched in UK supermarkets. “Consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever about what they’re buying, eating and using. It is the Oggs mission to make sustainable, plant-based products that taste just as good if not better than their egg-based equivalents and to make them accessible to all,” said Oggs founder, Hannah Carter. “For consumers who want to grab something on the go, the new Oggs snack bars are both delicious and convenient.” With an RRP of £1.65, Oggs’ snack bars will launch into WHSmith travel stores this September. #Oggs #plantbased #UK

Bel has announced the launch of its plant-based cheese alternative brand Nurishh to the UK market with three new products. The initial line includes a vegan alternative to Camembert, a mozzarella style block and a grated cheddar & mozzarella style blend – which are currently available in Asda stores and are being rolled out to other retailers nationwide. The Nurishh plant-based Camembert alternative witnessed a successful soft launch back in December in Sainsbury’s as part of the festive period. Bel Brands launched the Nurishh brand in the US earlier this year in six varieties including three slices and three shred formats. Chloe Feminier, plant-based commercial manager at Nurishh, said: “A versatile selection designed to cater to all occasions – with taste highlighted as a key barrier to buying vegan products, and insights showing consumers seeking inspiration for plant-based recipes – the new additions to the Nurishh range bolster the offering, with varied formats ensuring a delicious plant-based option for every occasion and recipe.” The three plant-based cheese options retail between £2.50 and £3.50. #Nurishh #Vegancheese #UK #dairyfree #plantbasedcheese #BelUK

Private equity firm KPS Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Tate & Lyle’s Primary Products business in the Americas for $1.3 billion. The deal will see the creation of two standalone businesses – Tate & Lyle and NewCo. Under the terms of the agreement, Tate & Lyle and KPS will each own 50% of the newly-formed company (NewCo), with KPS having board and operational control. The new company will comprise of Tate & Lyle’s Primary Products business in North America and Latin America and shareholdings in its two joint ventures – Almidones Mexicanos and DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio-Products. The deal values the standalone unit at $1.7 billion. The Primary Products business manufactures nutritive sweeteners, industrial starches, acidulants and other corn-derived products for a variety of applications including carbonated beverages, confectionery products, packaging products and animal feed. Founded in 1906 as A.E. Staley Manufacturing, the unit has approximately 1,700 employees across six manufacturing facilities in the US and Brazil. The sweetener division’s European operations are not included as part of NewCo and will remain with Tate & Lyle. Tate & Lyle first announced its intentions to sell the stake back in April, revealing that talks were underway with potential buyers. Following the split, Tate & Lyle plans to reposition itself as a food and beverage solutions business focused on faster growing speciality markets. “With the pandemic accelerating the trend towards healthier food, now is the right time to focus our business on capturing this growth,” said Nick Hampton, CEO of Tate & Lyle. He added: “Today’s announcement represents the next phase in the evolution of Tate & Lyle. Our one strong company will become two stronger businesses, both in a position to pursue new and exciting growth opportunities in their respective markets.” Meanwhile, NewCo will focus on becoming a leading manufacturer of plant-based products for the food and industrial markets. Michael Psaros, KPS co-founder and co-managing partner, said: “We will invest in research and development in close cooperation with customers to introduce new products and product categories, in order to capitalise on long-term trends such as the transition to a more plant-based diet by consumers worldwide.” The deal marks KPS’ fifth investment in 2021 – including its acquisition of Crown Holdings’ EMEA food packaging unit – bringing its total investment activity this year to a combined value of over $6 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. #TateampLyle #sweeteners #starches #KPSCapitalPartners #NewCo