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

ADM’s protein outlook is a deeper dive into one of the seven top consumer trends identified by the company for 2022. Leticia Goncalves, ADM’s president of global foods, said: “In the last 12 months, the number of plant-based meat, cheese and dairy products available to consumers has more than doubled”. She continued: Innovation-driven by future-forward brands like Air Protein, Future Meat Technologies, Nature’s Fynd, in partnership with larger industry players…are transforming the way we will feed a growing global population sustainably. Products aimed at meeting the heightened demand for health-forward solutions that can deliver on evolving consumer taste and texture expectations will continue to come to market over the next decade.” The findings, based on research conducted by ADM’s proprietary Outside Voice consumer insights platform, reveal what’s next for alternative proteins, which are expected to rise to $125 billion by 2030. 1. Novel protein sources, from cell-based to fungi and air Soon enough, consumers will be eating burgers produced from elements found in the air, or from a slice of cheese made from fungi with origins in a national park. Brands are exploring a wide range of innovative protein sources to supplement the industry’s continued focus on pea and soy. Cell-based solutions made from cultivated animal cells are on their way to becoming increasingly mainstream as industry leaders, such as Future Meat Technologies, are developing more efficient processes for manufacturing meat products at scale. Beyond cell-based options, a number of new and existing players in the space are exploring novel protein sources coming from air particles, volcanic ash, seaweed, insects and more. 2. Fermentation as-a-service There has been growing interest in microbial fermentation as a novel method for developing alternative protein products. Global players that have expansive fermentation capabilities are exploring new ways to serve food, beverage and health and wellness brands that are seeking support with downstream processing, lab services and consulting, among other components essential to food-grade fermentation. 3. Next-generation, plant-based, whole-muscle solutions Whole-muscle plant-based solutions, such as chicken breast alternatives, are becoming increasingly available to consumers in markets all over the world. These solutions will continue to evolve as brands seek out novel ways to reproduce the texturisation of animal-based whole-muscle cuts, from T-bone steaks to shellfish. 4. Innovation and transparency from seed to fork As concerns about climate change continue to grow, consumers are increasingly demanding greater sustainability in existing food systems, leading many to seek out brands and products that can provide the plant-based solutions they crave in a way that’s environmentally and ethically sound. Seed-to-fork initiatives, as an example, leverage cutting-edge technology to improve seed breeding, and lessen the cost, time and environmental impact associated with creating consumer-ready protein sources. 5. Moving toward price parity of cultivated meat products Companies like Future Meat Technologies are helping power a move toward more price parity of cell-based solutions with more traditional alternatives. In December, the company announced that it is now producing cultivated chicken breast for just $7.70 per pound, down from approximately $18 per pound six months prior. These types of products will be more accessible to consumers in the near future. 6. Kid-friendly product formats Plant-based chicken nuggets are just the beginning. New products featuring kid-friendly flavours, colours and formats – such as dinosaur-shaped nuggets – are becoming a focus for brands looking to appeal to flexitarian parents and kids across varying life stages and ages, from yogurt to pizza and mac and cheese. ADM’s Outside VoiceSM research indicates that the largest cohort of flexitarian consumers are parents who are looking for mealtime solutions that delight and nourish all family members. ©LikeMeat 7. Plant-based versions of traditional, authentic cuisines From plant-based shawarma to schnitzel and shrimp dumplings, brands are exploring solutions that can provide the regional specificity and appeal that today’s consumers desire. Through new products featuring an assortment of globalised flavours, textures and product formats, brands are aiming to deliver an array of tasty, satiating comfort food analogues. #ADM #proteinalternatives #trends

Labeling and functional materials company Avery Dennison has launched a new certified range of vegan labels, which contain no animal-derived components. The range includes six paper facestocks, three adhesives and two liners which can be mixed and matched according to consumer needs. Each item within the collection was produced without any animal testing or the use of GMOs of animal origin. The line has received approval from Eve Vegan, an independent organisation created by Vegan France. Luuk Zonneveld, product manager at Avery Dennison, said: “Veganism goes beyond diet. It’s a philosophy and way of life centered on avoiding animal exploitation for food, clothing and everything else you can think of. Naturally, this extends into the world of packaging and we’re excited to help brand owners take their dedication to being cruelty-free to the next level with these innovative labels developed by our R&D team.” The vegan labels are suitable for the beauty, wine and spirits and food and beverage sectors. #AveryDennison #EveVegan #VeganFrance #veganlabels

Upfield has taken a minority stake in Alternative Foods London, which operates via its egg alternatives and vegan bakery brand, Oggs. Launched in 2019, Alternative Foods offers a range of products through its Oggs brand, including: baked goods; aquafaba (chickpea water which can be used to replace egg in recipes); and an egg substitute that can be scrambled. The new partnership will see the companies work together to accelerate the growth of Oggs’ plant-based egg products with the help of Upfield’s distribution network and foodservice channel, Upfield Professional. The partnership will also utilise Upfield’s Food Science Centre for research and development within the liquid egg alternatives and plant-based protein categories. “This partnership takes us into a new category of plant-based protein, enables us to offer even more options, and we expect strong, sustainable growth,” said David Haines, group CEO for Upfield. “We have been aware of the innovative technology that Oggs has been perfecting and we’re excited to become part of that and help drive the plant-based egg category forward through the combination of our global footprint and growing foodservice sector.” Hannah Carter, founder and CEO of Alternative Foods, added: “With Upfield as a partner, we can scale up distribution and awareness of our Oggs egg alternative range, aquafaba and Scrambled Oggs, and create positive change faster than we can achieve on our own.” #Oggs #plantbasedegg #UK #Upfield

KaTech Ingredient Solutions has invested to boost the capabilities of its pilot plant in Lübeck, Germany, as it strengthens its focus on plant-based product development. The company, which was acquired by Ingredion last year, has introduced new equipment that can be used in the development of meat and fish alternatives. The new machinery allows KaTech to replicate industrial processes and develop textural ingredient solutions for plant-based substitutes. Alexander Maeße, head of technical at KaTech, said: “So far, the equipment in our technical centre has been extensively used to provide our customers with the right product developments. However, with an ever-increasing demand for plant-based product development…it was time to invest. “We are pleased that this investment will enable us to support our customers even better in the production of plant-based textural ingredient solutions for their individual alternative meat and fish products at a high quality that they can bring quickly and effectively to market.” #Germany #Ingredion #KaTech