US food technology company Benson Hill has announced its acquisition of ZFS Creston, a food-grade white flake and soy flour manufacturer, for approximately $102 million. The deal enables Benson to convert its proprietary soybeans into soy protein ingredients, with applications including plant-based meat, meat extension, bakery, cereal, snacks and fermentation. The acquisition will also allow Benson to deliver a portfolio of non-GMO ingredients that are less processed, sustainable, traceable and domestically sourced. Creston is well equipped to produce soy meal and oil, as well as “food-grade” soy white flake, flour and grits, which can be used as ingredients or as a raw material for developing concentrates, isolates and textured protein products. “The acquisition of ZFS Creston, combined with our proprietary ultra-high protein soybean varieties, positions Benson Hill to deliver a portfolio of improved ingredients as an innovative unlock to bottlenecks in the rapidly growing but capacity-constrained plant-based movement,” said Matt Crisp, CEO of Benson Hill. He added: “This acquisition advances our integrated business model as a more efficient route to market with a smaller footprint that better aligns with consumer preferences, enabling us to harness the genetic potential of plants and help scale the growth of plant-based markets”. “The ZFS Creston team has done a terrific job optimising the facility and working with customers, suppliers and the Creston, Iowa community to create a successful, value-added food ingredient business,” said Eric Meeuwsen, ZFS Creston co-president and COO. He continued: “We are grateful for the hard work of everyone at ZFS Creston. We are confident Benson Hill will provide excellent opportunities for employees, local farmers and the community through the commercialisation of their innovative, higher nutrition, soy-based food ingredients.” #BensonHill #soy #ZFSCreston #US #protein #soyprotein

Plant-based dairy company Marvelous Foods has closed a $1.2 million funding round from investors including Lever VC. Based in Beijing, Marvelous Foods serves the Chinese market. The company’s first product, Yeyo coconut yogurt, is targeted specifically at millennial women in the country’s first tier cities. “There is enormous potential for plant-based dairy for everyone in China, and we are focusing on one target audience of opinion leaders in order to spearhead the adoption of this new category, and that is millennial women in China,” said Marvelous Foods founder and CEO, Christiana Zhu. Marvelous Foods plans to use the new funds to expand its product portfolio and distribution. Investors in the round include Lever VC, Satori Capital, HBG and New Climate Ventures. The company’s distribution footprint currently includes more than 90 outlets, and spans the foodservice, retail and e-commerce channels. “There is a long history of traditional plant-based drinks like soy milk in China, but a lack of plant-based 2.0 dairy alternatives,” said co-founder and COO, Athena Zhu. “Oatly has made a big impact on the plant-based milk category, but plant-based yogurt, ice cream and similar categories are still pretty much untouched. Yogurt in China is a $17 billion market, which presents a huge opportunity for high-quality plant-based products and brands to convert and capture.” Nick Cooney, managing partner of Lever VC, added: “Given…[Marvelous Foods’] focus and understanding of the target consumer, we’re confident in their vision and capability to deliver tasty, healthy and innovative products that will have a real impact on the uptake of plant-based foods in China”. #China #LeverVC #MarvelousFoods #plantbaseddairy

The White Rabbit Pizza Co, known for its range of vegan pizzas, is launching a plant-based and gluten-free calzone in the UK. According to the company, the Chick’n & Pesto Calzone is the first vegan calzone in the market. The product is filled with creamy MozzaRisella, vine-ripened Sicilian chopped tomatoes, basil pesto and chick’n strips. White Rabbit’s co-founder, Nick Croft-Simon, said: “At White Rabbit, we want to make a plant-based diet more inclusive via authentic, delicious taste credentials and we also want to make the switch easy”. He continued: “Growth in plant-based has increased dramatically over the Covid-19 pandemic, with one in four of us reducing the amount of animal products we consume. The most compelling way to introduce this new audience into plant-based is to take away all compromises with ‘food for tonight’ that tastes incredible in a quick and convenient format.” The Chick’n & Pesto Calzone is available across Sainsbury’s stores for an RRP of £5 per 290g box. #calzone #plantbased #TheWhiteRabbitPizzaCo #UK

UK plant-based dips company Holy Moly has expanded its portfolio with the addition of two new “creamy” vegan dips. Holy Moly Tzatziki and Smoky Garlic Aioli dips are made with a blend of plant-based mayo and yogurt, containing no artificial ingredients. According to the company, the dips are promised “creamy indulgence without any compromise on taste”. The two new products join Holy Moly’s current line-up of smoky red pepper and tomato salsa, tomato and mango salsa and original guacamole. Holy Moly’s co-founder, Tom Walker, said: “Our principles around wholesome, quality ingredients and delicious homemade taste give us a genuine point of difference in dips for consumers across the board”. He continued: “We are becoming increasingly discerning about taste and what goes into our food – whether you are vegan, or not there is a trend towards simple ingredients with authentic foodie credentials and the Holy Moly range taps into that insight”. Holy Moly Tzatziki and Smoky Garlic Aioli dips are available at Waitrose for an RRP of £2.50 for 170g pack. In 2020, Holy Moly entered into the ready-to-drink category with the launch of a range of cold-pressed Nutshakes across the UK. #dips #HolyMoly #plantbased #UK

Danish Crown has launched a new plant-based range under its Den Grønne Slagter brand, consisting of ready meals and meal components. The range includes eight plant-based products, which includes veggie fars, veggie bites, BBQ burger, nuggets, schnitzel and veggie deller along with Indian-inspired dishes, Tandoori and Byriani. The products are made without soy and with either Nordic or organic vegetables as the main ingredient. Mette Schacht Færch, head of marketing and innovation at Danish Crown Nordics, commented: “We have worked intensively with these products to develop the right taste, texture and preparation, and this work showed that preparation is key to obtaining a good experience from the products. Briefly said, several of the plant-based products must be fried at lower temperatures than meat, and this is one of the things we will now emphasise to consumers buying one of our products.” The new product range from Den Grønne Slagter is available in select Danish food retail chains and from the end of January also widely available in Danish supermarket coolers. #DanishCrown #DenGrønneSlagter #Denmark

Greek yogurt maker Chobani has expanded its portfolio with the introduction of a new plant-based coffee creamer range. The company – which already offers dairy- and oat-based coffee creamers – says that the new line blends plant-based ingredients to create a ‘rich, creamy and dairy-like product’. Chobani’s new plant-based creamer range features four varieties: Sweet & Creamy, French Vanilla, Chocolate Hazelnut and Caramel Macchiato. “As coffee drinkers continue to elevate their at-home experience and ask for better options, we’re expanding our creamer offering to include four new plant-based creamers full of the flavours they love,” said Chobani president and chief operating officer, Peter McGuinness. “With this expansion, we offer better options with something for everyone – creamers made from oat, farm-fresh dairy or plant-based ingredients.” Chobani’s new plant-based creamers are free from artificial flavours, sweeteners and preservatives, and are available in the US. Chobani has also announced the launch of a new limited-availability dairy coffee creamer flavour, Sizzlin’ Brown Sugar, which was picked by consumers through a contest and vote. #Chobani #coffeecreamers #US

Danone North America has expanded its Silk portfolio with new Silk Extra Creamy Almond milk, joining the brand’s extensive alt-dairy range. The new plant-based release is made with a blend of three different kinds of almonds for a silky-smooth taste and apparently has 50% more calcium than reduced-fat milk, zero grams of cholesterol and is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin E. The milk is available in Unsweet and Original variations and will join the company’s range of almond products, which includes beverages, coffee creamers and yoghurt alternatives. Derek Neeley, vice president of marketing for Silk, said: “We’re thrilled to introduce Silk Extra Creamy Almond milk to Silk’s almond portfolio, just in time for the new year. Almond is a great way to start your plant-based journey and our new Extra Creamy almond milk, along with our almond-based coffee creamers and yogurt alternatives, offers options to incorporate plant-based products throughout the day.” The new launch is available for an RRP of $3.49 per carton in the US. #DanoneNorthAmerica #Silk #US

Unilever-owned Ben & Jerry’s has announced it is adding two new vegan and gluten-free flavours to its line of non-dairy desserts. Mocha- and caramel-flavoured Non-Dairy Boom Chocolatta is made with almond milk, and features fudge flakes, gluten-free chocolate cookies and a gluten-free chocolate cookie core. Meanwhile, Non-Dairy Bananas Foster features a banana and cinnamon base with almond toffee pieces and a salted caramel core. The two new offerings bring the brand’s non-dairy options to a total of 18 in the US – which Ben & Jerry’s says represents almost 40% of its entire flavour line-up. “We know that people who choose non-dairy frozen desserts love variety,” said Dena Wimette, head of innovation for Ben & Jerry’s. “They want to avoid dairy and still have amazing taste. These two new non-dairy flavours will satisfy their cravings for something different and delicious.” Boom Chocolatta and Bananas Foster will be available in US retail for an SRP of $4.49-5.79. One year ago, Ben & Jerry’s introduced a new Topped ice cream line in the US, featuring seven flavours covered with a chocolate ganache. #BenampJerrys #Unilever #US

International Taste Solutions (I.T.S) has developed new flavour enhancers that “replicate the indulgent characteristics of traditional bakery products” in plant-based alternatives. The Vegan Boost range offers an all-in-one solution that can be used to accentuate buttery and creamy flavours in a range of dairy- and egg-free cake and patisserie products. The natural flavour solutions come in liquid and powder formats. Meanwhile, a higher strength range, Vegan Boost Extra, is available if more intense flavours are required. Vegan Boost can also help to mask off-notes from ingredients used to replace dairy and egg in plant-based bakery products. “Consumer demand for plant-based products is rising, but until now the bakery sector has been a little behind the curve,” said Carl Smith, head of innovations at I.T.S. “Our bakery customers know we are easy to work with and they asked us for help in enhancing the flavour of their vegan cakes and bakery ranges. “We set about creating a straightforward alternative to the options currently available from the larger flavour houses. Vegan Boost offers no-nonsense flavours, and it provides an easy-to-use solution that is proven to work.” #ITS #plantbasedbakery

Gathered Foods has unveiled the latest addition to its Good Catch range: Plant-Based Salmon Burgers. The new fishless alternative to salmon – which Gathered Foods says is the most consumed fish in the US – contains 16g of plant protein per serving. The burgers are said to replicate the delicate texture and ‘mild-yet-rich’ flavour of salmon, with a hint of citrus to round out the flavour profile. The new offering is easy to prepare and “without the unwanted fishy smell once cooked”. “Culinary innovation is at the forefront of everything we create at Good Catch and this new salmon will be an absolute game-changer in the market that boasts incredible flavour and texture,” said Chad Sarno, co-founder and chief culinary officer at Gathered Foods. “We are excited to see consumer response to our Plant-Based Salmon Burgers, which provide a convenient meal solution without the harm.” The burgers are available online via the brand’s website. Gathered Foods also plans to roll out the new offering in retail. Last year, Gathered Foods added a new breaded line, featuring plant-based fish sticks, fillets and crab cakes, to its Good Catch portfolio. #GatheredFoods #GoodCatch #Plantbasedseafood #US

Bel Group has expanded its Babybel portfolio with the introduction of a vegan variant. Offering a ‘smooth and creamy’ texture, Babybel Plant-Based is made using a blend of coconut oil and starch. The latest addition to the Babybel snacking cheese range is free from artificial colours and preservatives, and a source of calcium and vitamin B12. Ollie Richmond, brand manager at Babybel, said: “We’ve seen overwhelming demand for the development of a vegan-friendly Babybel over the years, and with the plant-based market continuing to grow substantially, the new launch is perfectly timed to meet this consumer appetite”. Babybel Plant-Based is sold in a fully recyclable paper outer bag. Each portioned snack is individually wrapped in a green variant of the brand’s signature wax shell. With an MRSP of £2 per pack of five, Babybel Plant-Based is available in Sainsbury’s. #Babybel #BelGroup #UK

Mondelēz International has launched a new plant-based variation of its Philadelphia cheese in the UK. Philadelphia Plant Based features a blend of oats and almonds, which Mondelēz says “creates the creaminess of Philadelphia without the dairy”. The soft cheese alternative – which is said to have been two years in the making – comes in recyclable packaging and is available exclusively through Tesco. Louise Stigant, UK managing director of Mondelēz International, said: “We’ve worked hard to make sure new Philadelphia Plant Based really delivers the same great taste and creaminess that people love and expect from Philadelphia, and we’re delighted that there’s now a Philadelphia product for everyone”. #MondelezInternational #Philadelphia #UK