Impossible Foods has announced a new partnership with Equii, a US-based start-up that uses fermentation to enhance foods with natural yeast protein. The start-up, based in California, aims to enable a range of nutrition-boosted food solutions using its yeast protein solution – a complete, vegan-friendly protein containing all nine essential amino acids and offering a neutral flavour. It has developed a flour that re-balances the macros from high-carb to high-protein, able to add 20-30% complete protein in a serving of everyday foods such as breads, pasta and baking mixes. Impossible, also headquartered in California and a producer of plant-based meat alternative products, is now joining forces with Equii to expand its innovation portfolio into the bakery segment. In a statement on LinkedIn sharing the news, Impossible’s CEO, Peter McGuinness, wrote: “Teaming up with Equii will allow us to deliver even more protein in a way that’s complementary to our existing plant-based proteins, starting with select grain-based breads and pastas”. The move comes as the US’ new Dietary Guidelines categorise proteins among the highest priorities for American consumers, with a significant emphasis on minimally processed whole foods and animal-sourced foods. McGuinness continued: “Protein shouldn’t stop at the patty and now it doesn’t have to. Imagine having a burger where you can get meaningful protein from both the patty and the bun, bringing even more nutritional value – it’s not impossible.” Impossible’s entry into the baked goods category marks a milestone for the company as its first foray outside of plant-based meat alternatives. The company was recently involved in a four-year trademark legal case against Spanish bakery Impossible Bakers , centring around the use of the word ‘Impossible’ in the bakery’s branding and logo. Though the action was dismissed, with the court concluding that consumers would easily be able to distinguish between the two brands in an average shopping environment, the case and subsequent news of the Equii partnership raises the question of whether Impossible Foods’ expansion into bakery could have been under consideration for some time prior to the announcement. Top image: © Equii

Cauldron Foods has launched Cauldron Express, a new four-strong tofu range aimed at delivering ‘big flavour with zero fuss’. Now available at Tesco stores across the UK, the range is claimed to be the ‘fastest tofu on the market,’ cooking in just five minutes and pre-seasoned for convenience. Included as part of the new line are two Marinated Tofu Pieces products in Asian-inspired flavours. Positioned as an ideal addition to stir fries, wraps and salads, the pre-prepared pieces come in Teriyaki (also available in Waitrose) or Ginger & Garlic variety (a revamp of Cauldron’s existing Marinated pieces range). Also available are two Grillable Tofu products: tofu that is ‘built for the heat,’ in an extra-firm and pre-marinated format suitable for grilling, griddling or barbecuing. According to the brand, the robust, high-protein blocks are ‘packed with flavour’ without crumbling under pressure. They are available in Oregano & Thyme or Smoky BBQ varieties. Lucy Grogut, marketing director at Cauldron Foods, said: “Despite being the fastest growing sector , worth £57.5 million, our consumer research identified that tofu is still commonly seen to be tricky to cook and prepare, often resulting in a bland flavourless finish and kitchen frustrations”. She added: “We’ve used our signature plant alchemy to create bold, delicious products that remove the perceived ‘faff’ of tofu prep. Giving consumers, and retailers, something genuinely new, exciting and distinctive in a competitive category.” The Pieces are priced at £2.75 per 160g, while the Grillable products are £2.30 per 180g block.

A new UK start-up, Messyface, is launching its range of better-for-you spreads this month, aiming to bring a modern uplift to the nation’s jams and preserves aisles. The brand offers a fresh take on Tahin Pekmez, a traditional Turkish sweet spread made from slow-cooked grape molasses and nutty, sesame-based tahini. This sweet spread can provide an alternative to both jam and peanut butter, ideal for enjoying on bread among other breakfast and baking applications. According to the brand, the product offers an indulgent caramel-like texture, with tasters saying they ‘can’t believe’ it’s made from just grapes and sesame seeds. In addition to being vegan and gluten-free, the spreads tap into two of the most prominent current food trends: fibre-rich products, and naturally sweetened options that are free from refined sugars amid the shift away from ultra-processed foods. The product launches in three varieties: original, made with just grape molasses and tahini; hazelnut, made with the addition of roasted hazelnuts; and hazelnut cacao, adding 100% cacao powder to the hazelnut variety. Alex Epstein, founder of Messyface, first discovered Tahin Pekmez in a small Turkish deli in the Netherlands. Since, he has been determined to bring the seed and fruit fusion to a broader audience through the development of his brand. “I loved the simple transparency of the recipe, the fact this was a fibre-rich product with authentic World cuisine heritage that offered natural fruit sweetness without resorting to any refined sugars, palm oil or synthetic stabilisers, sweeteners and thickeners,” he commented. “Ottolenghi has made significant strides in recent times championing tahini appreciation with the UK. My vision was to spread the ‘tahini joy’ by championing it within a more mainstream medium that could be utilised on bread, in porridge, within smoothies or across any number of home baked offerings”.

British plant-based food and beverage brand Bol has expanded its range of nutritionally complete meal shakes with two new flavour varieties, banana and strawberry. The Bol Power Shakes line was newly reformulated last year, and has now seen an extension in time for Veganuary. The brand noted rapid growth in the functional foods category, with RTD nutritionally complete beverages increasingly used as breakfast and meal replacement options by busy consumers. Bol’s new fruit-led variants are now available this month, exclusively via the brand’s website ahead of wider availability on Amazon. The banana Power Shakes are made with real banana, dates and almond butter, while the strawberry recipe combines strawberries, oats and vanilla. They build on the success of the range’s blueberry SKU , launched in Tesco in November. Banana and strawberry remain two of the most familiar and best-performing flavours in the UK, with strawberry a leading flavour in functional beverages and banana demonstrating high repeat rates in the category. The shakes deliver over 25g of plant-based protein, 9g of fibre, and 25 vitamins and minerals, as well as being naturally low-sugar and free from artificial sweeteners, preservatives, gums and emulsifiers. Bol said it aims to differentiate itself within the nutrition shakes category by using whole food ingredients rather than powdered formulations and additives. Toni Ehrnreich, head of brand and marketing at Bol, said: “Our shoppers have been asking for more fruit-first flavours, with breakfast being a key consumption occasion. These launches allow us to bring more familiar flavour cues into the Power Shakes range while staying true to our whole food approach.”

US-based alternative seafood start-up Aqua Cultured Foods has announced it is ceasing operations following five years in business. The company was established in Chicago in 2020 by co-founders Brittany Chibe and Anne Palermo. Its focus was on developing realistic, innovative seafood alternative products, including scallops and tuna, using a proprietary biomass fermentation process and entirely plant-based ingredients. Despite raising $10 million since its inception and celebrating several milestones in recent years, including securing Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) approval in the US , the company announced its closure last week, citing funding challenges. The news follows the closure of several other meat and seafood alternative start-ups over the past year, including French alt-seafood maker Olala Foods and US-based vegan chicken producer Sundial Foods . It reflects the challenging economic environment for start-ups in the alternative protein space currently, with businesses facing headwinds due to factors like slowing private investment, high costs associated with production and scale-up, regulatory challenges and struggles to maintain a competitive position in a crowded market. In a statement shared on LinkedIn, co-founder Chibe wrote: “To everyone who supported Aqua along the way, every single investor, team member, advisor, customer, partner and cheerleader – thank you. This journey tested me, shaped me and taught me what I'm capable of. I'm incredibly proud of what we built together.”

British snack brand Popcorn Kitchen has expanded its portfolio with a new savoury line, Crunch Corn, available now in three flavours. Made from Peruvian Choclo giant corn, the snacks aim to deliver a ‘satisfying crunch’ and innovative, premium alternative to the smaller, commonly used sweet corn kernels in savoury corn snack products. The HFSS-compliant treats are rich in fibre and debut in three flavour varieties, Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar and Spicy Chilli, available in 100g sharing bags and 30g snack bags. The team said these Mediterranean-inspired snacks provide an alternative to increasingly expensive premium nuts and seeds. Popcorn Kitchen’s founder, Louise Monk, said she was inspired to create the new range following a trip to the Seville Food Fair in Spain, in 2023. Here, she was introduced to seasoned, roasted giant corn kernels as a snack, and decided on Choclo giant corn as the perfect foundation for her own bold flavoured range. “We cooked up Crunch Corn because we wanted to create a more complete savoury treat for those underwhelmed by potato crisps and frustrated by spiralling costs of allergy-risking nuts and seeds,” Monk said. “As corn obsessives already well-versed in popcorn happiness, we felt now was the perfect moment to share new crunchy joy”.

M2 Ingredients, a vertically integrated functional mushroom grower based in California, US, is set to open its brand-new M2 Center of Innovation next month – an advanced R&D lab designed to accelerate functional mushroom product development. The purpose-built facility will bring together experienced functional mushroom R&D teams to support brands developing next-generation functional foods, beverages and supplements across formats including RTDs, ready-to-mix powders, gummies, shots, bars and more. It complements M2's existing 155,000-square-foot mushroom cultivation facility, located in Vista, California, opened in early 2025. The site operates around the clock to grow ten premium mushroom species, including turkey tail, lion's mane, cordyceps and reishi (pictured below). The centre’s full vertical integration with M2’s cultivation, processing and scientific research teams will enable the company to more easily address common formulation challenges surrounding functional mushroom product development. These include solubility, suspension, flavour pairing and sensory performance, to be addressed at the ingredient level. Jay Schmalz, R&D innovation manager at M2 Ingredients, will lead the centre with support from M2’s team of food scientists, formulation experts and researchers. The facility will formally open on 2 February 2026, available for active collaboration with food, beverage and supplement brand partners, with the goal of helping them more quickly and efficiently from product concept to market-ready innovation.  Jeff Rogers, CEO of M2 Ingredients, described the site’s inauguration as a “major step forward” for M2 and the broader functional mushroom industry. “Brands have historically had to choose between ingredient suppliers and true innovation partners,” he commented. “The M2 Center of Innovation eliminates trade-off by combining deep scientific rigour with real-world formulation and application expertise. This will be a powerful asset for our partner brands and a catalyst for faster, more confident innovation.” Chief science officer Julie Daoust said the centre was shaped by her own experience leading R&D and innovation teams on the consumer brand side earlier in her career. “This is the partner I always wished I had when I was responsible for bringing new products to market,” she explained. “The M2 Center of Innovation allows brands to innovate without having to build a full internal R&D infrastructure, while still delivering products that truly work.”

Plant-based meat alternatives brand La Vie has introduced what it claims is a category-first innovation in the UK: Vegan Salami Sticks, rolling out this month for Veganuary. The French brand, which specialises in developing plant-based alternatives to pork using a patented fat technology, launched the salami stick product in Waitrose and Ocado nationwide on 2 January 2026. This latest launch builds on La Vie’s existing bacon and ham alternative portfolio, expanding the brand’s presence in everyday snacking occasions. Available in two varieties, Classic and Spicy, the sticks are described as ‘juicy, meaty and full of flavour’. They are made from wheat, vegetable proteins, natural spices and fruit flavourings, formulated with a simple ingredients list and without artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and nitrates. The sticks are high in protein (34g per 100g) and offer a source of fibre. They also contain around 20% less saturated fat and 30% less salt than leading pork-based salami snack sticks, La Vie said, while delivering significantly fewer calories. Each 75g pouch contains six sticks, designed to offer a convenient, on-the-go protein hit for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and meat lovers alike. According to La Vie, the product portfolio generates 88% less CO2, uses 82% less water and requires 74% less land than conventional pork, responding to demand for more environmentally sustainable protein choices. Romain Jolivet, chief marketing officer at La Vie, said: “At La Vie, we’ve always believed that people don’t change what they eat because they’re told to, but because they want to. Changing a habit is far easier when the alternative feels just as indulgent, just as social and far more enjoyable.” He added: “With our Vegan Salami Sticks, we’re proving that when you truly win on taste, texture and health, the switch away from pork becomes effortless”.

Beyond Meat has appointed Tony Kalajian to the role of chief accounting officer and principal accounting officer, effective from 12 January 2026. Once Kalajian begins in the role, the alt-meat producer’s current chief financial officer, treasurer and interim principal accounting officer, Lubi Kutua, will no longer continue as interim principal accounting officer. Kutua will continue his duties as CFO and treasurer. Prior to joining Beyond Meat, Kalajian served as consulting chief financial officer at medical care company Quantem Healthcare from January 2024 to December 2025. His previous experience includes financial leadership roles at a number of health and biotechnology organisations, including interim CFO at immuno-oncology company Calidi Biotherapeutics and chief accounting officer at molecular diagnostics group Oncocyte. The appointment comes following a turbulent few years for Beyond, which has made a name for itself as one of the leading global players in the plant-based meat market since its establishment in 2009. The company, well-known for its range of hyper-realistic substitutes for beef, pork and chicken, has been implementing ongoing measures aimed at optimising its operations for cost efficiency over the last couple of years. In Beyond’s most recent financial results statement, CEO Ethan Brown said that while category headwinds and an accompanying softer top-line continued to weigh on the company’s current performance, it closed 2025 with “important transformation spadework underway, and genuine optimism and excitement” for the future.

Wagamama has launched two bold new dishes for Veganuary – Udonara and Tacomama – inspired by insight showing rising demand for global flavours. The UK foodservice chain, which specialises in pan-Asian cuisine, said it aims to ‘push the boundaries’ with its new offerings, inspired by popular dishes from Italy and Mexico. Both dishes are available nationwide from 5 January 2026, while stocks last. Available as a main dish, Udonara reimagines the classic Italian carbonara dish with a Japanese twist. The trend started in Japanese noodle bars and has generated buzz on TikTok in recent years, inspiring Wagamama to develop its own version. The Udonara features thick udon noodles coated in a rich and creamy sauce, topped with a crispy vegan bacon alternative, king oyster mushrooms and fresh coriander cress. On the side dishes menu, Wagamama has launched the Mexican-inspired Tacomama, built around a crispy open gyoza wrapper in place of a traditional taco shell. The ‘taco’ is topped with teriyaki mushrooms, Korean-style sweet potato mash, mixed leaves, vegan mayonnaise and pomegranate. Steve Mangleshot, global executive chef at Wagamama, said: “We wanted to take our fusion journey further, exploring bold flavours that surprise our guests and meet their evolving tastes. That’s why we’ve been developing these dishes over the last eight to ten months. They offer a playful and unexpected twist that’s perfect for all of our guests looking for something new and exciting this January.” These fusion offerings are the latest in a series of limited-time Veganuary specials developed by Wagamam in recent years, with previous options including the Lion’s Mane ‘Steak’ Bulgogi and Firecracker Chick’n Ramen .

Bactolife, a start-up based in Copenhagen, Denmark, has raised over €30 million in Series B funding to accelerate the commercialisation of its precision-fermented Binding Proteins innovation. The company describes its solution as a ‘revolutionary category of functional proteins’ that neutralises undesired metabolites and enhances gut resilience. This latest funding round was led by Cross Border Impact Ventures and EIFO (Danish Export and Investment Fund), alongside continued support from existing investors Novo Holdings and Athos. It will enable Bactolife to commercialise its ingredient for the food, feed and dietary supplement market, and execute its human study programme, aimed at transforming human and animal health for proactive health management. Supported by the investment, the start-up plans to launch its first Binding Protein products under the ingredient brand Helm in 2026, initially in the US. Bactolife plans to extend into Asia and Europe in the years that follow, aiming to make the technology accessible to women and children in low- and middle-income countries. Binding Proteins are milk-inspired proteins that can help to maintain balance in the gastrointestinal system. They are inspired by camelid immunoglobins, which are produced naturally by the Camelidae family of mammals (including camels, llamas and alpacas). Bactolife uses precision fermentation – a biotech method in which microorganisms are trained to produce certain targeted ingredients like animal-derived proteins, without the animal’s involvement – to produce and upscale the solution. Sebastian Søderberg, CEO of Bactolife, said: “This funding will enable us to clinically validate, scale and commercialise our Binding Proteins, taking Bactolife’s solutions to a broad audience. We are excited to welcome new investors to the Bactolife family and are deeply grateful to our existing investors, whose continued support reflects their confidence in our mission.” The company now plans to scale its manufacturing and supply operations to meet global demand with the support of investors, with a strong focus on functional food and beverages and nutritional supplements, alongside feed additives. Donna Parr, managing director at lead investor Cross Border Impact Ventures, commented: “Bactolife’s Binding Proteins have the potential to strengthen gut resilience for mothers and children in low- and middle-income countries by providing a scalable, food-grade solution that can be integrated into everyday nutrition”. She added: “This investment reflects our conviction that evidence-based technologies can reach massive high-growth markets, inclusive of people who need them most, and we look forward to partnering with Bactolife to accelerate clinical validation, scale manufacturing, and expand equitable access globally”.

Symplicty, a chef-founded plant-based brand with an established presence in foodservice, has entered UK retail with a new range exclusively in Waitrose. Now rolling out to 196 Waitrose stores, the three-strong range features three fermented vegetetable products: burgers, sausages and a plant-based ‘Nduja alternative. The products are all developed using the same approach used in restaurant kitchens. Established by chef Neil Rankin, with co-founders Alan and Mark Wogan, Symplicity aims to bring fermented vegetables into everyday cooking. It uses slow, natural lacto-fermentation – a traditional, time-honoured method – to build complexity and savoury depth of flavour from whole vegetables without relying on heavy processing. The new retail range, like the brand’s foodservice portfolio, reflects growing consumer preference for simpler, less processed foods. Each product is designed to be versatile and convenient. The burgers cook in under ten minutes, the sausages offer a pre-seasoned herby and savoury flavour, and the rich vegetable ‘Ndjuja comes in a spreadable format, enabling easy use across applications like pasta, pizza, cooking sauces and marinades. The range is high in gut-friendly ‘plant points,’ low in calories and saturated fat, and offers a good source of protein and fibre. Low-waste production means fermentation liquid is reused to create a vegetable stock, supporting the brand’s work toward near-zero waste. Rankin, chef, co-founder and creative director of Symplicity, commented: “Fermentation is how chefs can naturally build flavour. We use time, technique and vegetables to create ingredients with depth, without shortcuts. Bringing this approach from restaurant kitchens into home cooking felt like a natural next step.” The move into retail comes as Symplicity reports almost 20% year-on-year UK sales growth. The company first launched in restaurants in 2021, beginning at Indian restaurant Dishoom, and now supplies over 1,000 UK restaurants and caterers from independents to Michelin-starred chefs.