With a growing preference from consumers for sustainable and healthier foods, there’s never been a larger range of plant-based products available in the food and beverage market before. Ahead of our 2021 World Plant-Based Awards, FoodBev takes a look at some of our other plant-based winners from this year. Best plant-based beverage at the World Food Innovation Awards 2021 The outer layers of the coffee berry get separated and sun-dried, reducing the byproducts from coffee farming by upcycling the husk. To enhance the fruity cascara base, it has been infused with natural botanical flavours, which results in a refreshing, lightly sparkling, adult drink from Nestle. “Nestle has created a completely new and different beverage that empowers coffee producers with a new revenue stream.” a Eat The Change – Mushroom Jerky Best plant-based food product at the World Food Innovation Awards 2021 Eat The Change mushroom jerky is a savoury snack that’s marinated, and wood smoked. This plant-based, gluten-and-soy-free jerky comes in five organic varieties, all 150 calories or less. The jerky aims to address food waste by upcycling imperfect produce and smoking to extend shelf life from just weeks to 12 months. “A refreshing take on sustainability (avoiding the six biggest crops and upcycling food ‘waste’) in a category – jerky – traditionally exclusive to meat.” a Oumph! Best brand/business at the World Food Innovation Awards 2021 Swedish food manufacturer Oumph! create delicious and sustainable plant-based alternatives to meat. Since its launch in 2015, Oumph! has become a favourite with popular products such as: Oumph! Kebab Spiced, Oumph! Balls, Oumph! Smoky Bits and Oumph! Sticky Smokehouse. It has a unique meat-like texture, made from responsibly sourced soya and has a low climate impact and is better for the planet. “This brand holds the maximum potential to expand the product line, offering a unique and very interesting portfolio.” a Happy Cheeze GmbH – Camembert Alternative based on Cauliflower Best dairy alternative at the World Dairy Innovation Awards 2021 The camembert alternative made from vegetables has a mild cheesy taste, complemented by its creamy texture. The taste is developed naturally through the fermentation process and their products have a notably small carbon footprint. “A great combination, leveraging the trend of cauliflower.” a Patch Organics – Pumpkin Seed Milk Best plant-based drink at the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2021 Patch Organics pumpkin seed milk is decadently creamy and is plant-based nutrient rich with 5.75g of protein per serving. They also use 3x less water than oatmilk and 6x less GHG emissions than almond milk. “Combines key nutrients with sustainability benefits, while helping advance plant protein innovation.” a Brownes Dairy – Australia’s First fully Renewable Carton! Best environmentally friendly packaging at the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2021 The Tetra plant-based board packaging is a fully renewable beverage carton, replacing the fossil fuel-derived plastic film, which is found in the inner lining of standard cartons. The plant-based cartons use a film made from a renewable resource of sugar cane. They have made this sustainable packaging the norm across their portfolio accounting for over 25 million cartons each year. “The fact that this product was made from plant-based materials caught my attention, but what won me over is that the material itself is sustainable and FSC certified.” a Best technology innovation at the World Beverage Innovation Awards 2021 NotMilk is made using Giuseppe, a patented AI technology that is constantly learning, using proprietary databases of 300,000+ plants, and matching them at their molecular level to create a final product that tastes, feels and functions the same as animal-based foods. “They have created a plant-based milk that actually tastes, feels and functions like cow’s milk.” a About The World Plant-Based Awards The World Plant-Based Awards are a celebration of innovation and excellence across the ever-growing plant-based industry. Now in their 2nd year, these awards are a fantastic way to enhance the promotion of your brand, to ensure it gains global recognition. Being successfully shortlisted provides a hallmark of success that will prevail long after the awards ceremony and can highlight the contribution your company’s products and team are making to rise in the plant-based revolution. Have you launched a plant-based product worthy of recognition and want to celebrate its excellence or innovation, then entries are now open for World Plant-Based Awards. About FoodBev Media Established in 2000, FoodBev Media is the food and beverage industry’s leading media and communication business. With a portfolio of international magazines, the website www.foodbev.com and the industry’s largest social media network, FoodBev Media ensures you are continuously kept up to date with the latest trends and innovations. Since 2003, FoodBev Media has gained a reputation for organising successful international awards schemes in the food, beverage and dairy industries. #Winners #WorldPlantBasedAwards2021 #PlantBasedWorldExpo #WorldPlantBasedAwards #awards #plantbased

Clean and organic snacks brand Tosi has announced the release of two new flavours to add to its superbites grab-and-go bar range. The two new flavour variations include Almond Dark Chocolate Sea Salt and Peanut Butter & Jelly. The bars are high in protein (5g-20g), fibre and include ingredients such as almonds, cashews, flax seeds, white sesame seeds, and chia seeds. They’re also vegan, non-GMO, low in sugar and free of gluten, soy, dairy and grains. Stefanie Hults, Tosi co-founder, said: “Since our inception in 2012, we’ve been on a mission to make nutritious snacks to fuel your day that also deliver our signature crunch by using real, whole foods”. She continued: “As a family of chocolate lovers and kids at heart, we wanted to expand our crowd-favourite SuperBites line with beloved flavour profiles that are approachable and invite new shoppers to our brand. These flavours are fun and delicious, and we can’t wait for Tosi lovers and newcomers alike to give them a try.” Tosi superbites come in 1oz and 2.4oz sizes and are available in the US on their website and Amazon, and in-store at select supermarkets such as Whole Foods, and Costco. The new flavours are available on the Tosi website now and will be available on Amazon from October. #snacks #Tosi #US

Canned fish producer Karavela has unveiled a plant-based seafood line under the new brand Fish Peas. The canned range is said to be the product of over a year of market research, investments of around €2.5 million and experimentation with more than 100 different recipes. The Fish Peas line – which includes salads, spreads and flakes – is made using yellow pea protein, and comes in response to growing global demand for foods that support a sustainable lifestyle. Karavela claims that yellow pea is one of the most sustainable plant proteins, based on carbon footprint estimations in cultivation, processing, drying and waste management. “Currently, there is a lack of understanding about how plant-based seafood products should taste,” said Andris Bite, CEO of Karavela. “We are planning to change that, combining our extensive experience as a canned fish producer with sustainable innovation in the realm of plant-based ingredients. “With the launch of our vegan products, we plan to become trendsetters in the plant-based fish product market, leading the way for other brands that want to create new vegan products and tastes.” #Karavela #Plantbasedseafood

FoodBev Media’s The Plant Base magazine will host a panel discussion titled ‘Understanding the Rise of Flexitarianism’ on Saturday 16 October, as part of the Plant Based World Europe conference line-up. The panel will examine the rise of the flexitarian diet, considering the ethical and environmental benefits of plant-based foods and how brands can communicate these messages with their customers. Speakers include: Claire Roper, head of foodservice and marketing at Quorn Professional; Jordi Barri, CEO of Flax & Kale; and Michelle Adelman, co-founder and CEO of Infinite Foods. Plant Based World Expo will take place in the UK at London’s Business Design Centre between 15-16 October 2021, and is Europe’s first ever dedicated plant-based event. An exclusive programme featuring cutting-edge educational content, including The Plant Base’s ‘Understanding the Rise of Flexitarianism’ panel, will be available to attendees and participants of the expo. The seminar programme has been designed to explore the benefits of embracing plant-based eating across a variety of industries, including public sector catering, hospitality and foodservice. The conference will run alongside the exhibition, which hosts some of the biggest and brightest brands from around the world – many of whom are exhibiting their products for the first time at Plant Based World. Visitors will be offered the opportunity to discover and sample a range of innovative plant-based products from companies such as Quorn, This, OmniFoods, Finnebrogue, Naked, and more. * * * Register to attend the show here: https://www.plantbasedworldeurope.com/register.asp For conference passes, contact: lisa@jdevents.com Find out more about The Plant Base magazine here #awards #PlantBasedWorldExpo #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards2021

French dairy company Savencia Fromage & Dairy has announced its acquisition of Hope Foods, a US producer of hummus and other plant-based dips. The transaction includes the Hope Foods plant in Louisville, Colorado, where the company manufactures its hummus and nut dips. The Hope brand offers sweet and savoury cashew and almond dips, as well as hummus and guacamole, and both parties are said to be confident that it can extend into additional categories. “Our core business remains cheese and dairy products, but we want to develop new offers in the plant-based category with taste differentiation and premium brands,” said Jean-Paul Torris, CEO of Savencia Fromage & Dairy. “Hope is a strategic fit for us to drive growth in premium natural food products. Hope enlarges our brand’s portfolio in the USA into fast-growing, ‘better-for-you’ products and provides an excellent opportunity to expand consumer options for great-tasting, plant-based products.” Robbie Rech, one of the founders of Hope, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering this great brand with a company like Savencia, known throughout the world for some of the best-tasting products on the market. We believe this partnership represents a terrific opportunity to realise Hope’s potential for leadership within the plant-based products space.” The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. #HopeFoods #plantbased #SavenciaFromageampDairy #US

US confectionery company Cocomels has expanded its plant-based chocolate toffee bites line with a new dark chocolate addition. The new dark chocolate-covered toffee bites are made with coconut milk and are dairy-free, gluten-free, plant-based and free from any GMOs. Each bite is covered in 60% dark chocolate and has 1g of sugar. They’re also free from corn syrup, cholesterol and artificial ingredients. JJ Rademaekers, founder of Cocomels, commented on the launch: “Cocomels is known for our deliciously snackable chewy caramels made with coconut milk, but now we’ve created dark chocolate-covered toffee bites to give consumers more of what they love in a new, irresistibly crunchy format”. He continued: “As always, our benchmark when developing new items is making sure the eating experience is even better than dairy-full confections, and we feel that we nailed it – in fact, these may be our tastiest creation yet! We are proud to be at the forefront of addressing consumer needs and will continue to deliver deliciously dairy-free, gluten-free, lower sugar options in the candy category.” The new bites will be available in 3.25oz shareable packs with an RRP of $4.99 per bag. They will be available this Autumn online via Amazon and the Cocomels website followed by a release in select US supermarkets early next year. #chocolate #US #MadhavaFoodsLtd #dairyfree #Cocomels

US biodesign company Kingdom Supercultures has announced it has raised $25 million in a Series A funding round led by Shine Capital. Other participants included Valor, Tao, Lux and SALT, alongside existing investors. Kingdom Supercultures assembles natural microbes into new combinations and uses these formulations to create plant-based yogurts and cheeses, low-alcohol wines and beers, and natural preservatives. Natural microbes can be used to clean up ingredient labels, deliver consumer products with new functionalities, and improve the taste and texture of plant-based foods. Kendall Dabaghi, CEO of Kingdom Supercultures, commented: “The last few years have seen tremendous growth in demand for consumer goods that are healthier and more sustainable. This funding will allow us to meet the need for novel, natural ingredients by continuing to build out our world-class team and advancing our Superculture R&D.” This round follows a $3.5 million seed round with participation from Sequoia, Y-Combinator and Lakehouse Ventures last year. #KingdomSupercultures #microbes #plantbased #ShineCapital

Nestlé has announced that it is expanding its plant-based food portfolio with the introduction of vegan egg and shrimp alternatives. The ‘versatile’ Garden Gourmet vEGGie egg substitute contains soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The new vegan offering can be scrambled or used in a frittata or pancakes, as well as in baking. Meanwhile, Garden Gourmet Vrimp can be used in salads, poke bowls, stir-fried dishes and pasta recipes, or as a topping for pizzas. The product is made from a combination of seaweed, peas and konjac root, which is emerging as a popular ingredient in plant-based seafood, and can be found in other recent launches such as Clo-Clo Vegan Foods’ plant-based shrimp entrée bowls. Nestlé’s vegan shrimp alternative is said to offer “the authentic texture and flavour of succulent shrimps” and is a source of fibre. The Swiss food giant announced its first foray into the plant-based seafood category last year, unveiling Garden Gourmet Vuna, which is now available in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Nestlé chief technology officer, Stefan Palzer, said: “Our new plant-based shrimp and egg alternatives have an authentic texture and flavour, as well as a favourable nutritional profile, which makes them a good replacement for animal-based shrimp and eggs in a wide range of dishes”. “Our longstanding expertise in plant, protein and nutritional sciences enabled our teams to develop these great innovations in under a year. As we speak our R&D teams are already preparing the next wave of plant-based launches.” The Vrimp and vEGGie products will be introduced as a ‘test-and-learn’ in select stores in Switzerland and Germany. #Nestlé #plantbasedegg #Plantbasedseafood

Natural Balance Foods has expanded its Trek power range with a new chocolate orange flavour which will join the existing flavour variations. Each bar features 15g of protein and is 100% plant-based and gluten-free. The bars are coated in a natural alternative to chocolate, contain natural ingredients including vegan protein, oats, fruits and nuts, and contain no artificial sweeteners. The new flavour will join the existing variants: Peanut Butter Crunch and Millionaire Shortbread. The Trek ‘Choc Orange Power Bar’ is available in retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and BP with an RRP of £1.75. #NaturalBalanceFoods #Trek #UK

Mondelēz International has announced its plans to launch a new vegan Cadbury chocolate bar in the UK, named the Cadbury Plant Bar. The bar will be available in two flavours: smooth chocolate and smooth chocolate with salted caramel pieces. Cadbury has replaced the milk with an almond paste which “provides a similar taste and texture to milk ingredients while offering a hint of nuttiness”. The plant-based bar apparently retains the creamy taste of the regular milk chocolate bar. The Cadbury Plant Bar range will be packaged in 100% plant-based and recycled packaging. This will be made from ISCC certified bio-sourced plastics from renewable sources. Louise Stigant, UK managing director at Mondelēz International, said: “With 500,000 participants in this year’s Veganuary – double the number of participants from the year before, the increasing public appetite for varied snacking options and plant-based alternatives has never been more apparent.” She continued: “At Mondelēz, evolving consumer demands have long informed our ambition to provide a wide range of products that work for everyone and the new Cadbury Plant Bar range is the latest stop on this journey”. The bars will be available in Sainbury’s nationwide from November with further rollout in other retailers expected in January next year. The 90g bars will RRP for £2.50. This latest plant-based chocolate release comes after Mars unveiled vegan versions of Bounty and Topic chocolate bars in January and Happi Free From released its new oat milk white chocolate range in May. #Cadburys #MondelezInternational #UK #veganchocolate

UK vegan and free-from brand Moo Free has announced two brand-new additions to its portfolio to expand its festive range. The new products include ‘Olivia the Bear’ and ‘White Choccy Snowball’. Olivia the Bear, a dairy-free white chocolate bear, is the counterpart to the milk chocolate ‘Oscar the Bear’. The dairy-free White Choccy Snowball contains vegan marshmallows and honeycomb. Both products are gluten-free and soya-free. Andrea Jessop, CEO of Moo Free, commented: “Sales of our Christmas range have enjoyed double-digit growth each year, alongside the success of our all-year-round range. We are appealing to the increasing number of people following a range of diets from gluten-free to vegan. Our 2021 Christmas range is the largest yet with something for everyone, so we would urge retailers to stock up early.” Moo Free will be bringing back its regular festive range this Christmas. The range includes a choice of vegan advent calendars, a selection box, chocolate bars and festive figures. The new products are available in UK leading supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons. You can also purchase them online on the Moo Free website. #dairyfreechocolate #festive #MooFree #UK

GoodMills Innovation has announced the introduction of new texturates made from wheat, soy and pea for fish and meat substitutes. The new Vitatex ingredients are said to be authentically fibrous and can therefore be used to make plant-based alternatives that closely replicate their animal-based counterparts. The texturates – which can be used in products such as vegan fish fingers, plant-based tuna, and meatless patties and nuggets – offer a high protein content and high water-binding capacity. The Vitatex range is available in different sizes or granulations. To produce fish or meat alternatives, the texturates are rehydrated and processed with other ingredients, and GoodMills Innovation says products made with Vitatex are ideally suited for the frozen food sector. #GoodmillsInnovation #meatalternatives #Plantbasedseafood