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

Beyond Meat has announced the launch of its new plant-based chicken tenders product at nearly 400 US restaurants nationwide. Beyond Chicken Tenders are made from a plant-based blend of faba beans and peas and offer 14g of protein per serving. The new product comes more than two years after Beyond Meat discontinued its frozen plant-based chicken strip, which it first launched in 2012. The company has also previously teamed up with KFC to trial fried plant-based chicken in the US. Beyond Meat claims that its new meat-free alternative also contains 40% less saturated fat than the leading foodservice chicken tender; as well as no GMOs, antibiotics or cholesterol. According to Beyond Meat, its latest plant-based innovation “does not sacrifice any of the taste and texture of traditional chicken tenders: a crispy, golden outside immediately followed by a flavourful, juicy inside”. “We’re innovating the poultry market with the new Beyond Chicken Tenders – the result of our tireless pursuit for excellence and growth at Beyond Meat,” said Dariush Ajami, Beyond Meat’s chief innovation officer. “As with all our products, Beyond Chicken Tenders offer delicious taste and an exceptional culinary experience, along with strong nutritional benefits. Innovation is at the heart of Beyond Meat, and Beyond Chicken Tenders are the latest example of our mission to create ground-breaking, tasty options that are better for people and for our planet.” Beyond Chicken Tenders are now available for consumers to try in nearly 400 restaurants across the country including Dog Haus, Blissful Burgers, Duke’s on 7, Toppers Pizza and Plow Burger. After its initial launch in foodservice, the company hopes to make its plant-based chicken product more widely available to consumers. #US #meatalternatives #BeyondMeat #plantbasedmeat #foodservice

Plant-based food and beverages producer, Buddha Brands, has raised $3 million in a funding round to accelerate its expansion in the US. Based in Quebec, Canada, Buddha Brands offers a range of snack bars and coconut water beverages. In 2020, the brand expanded into the US market with the introduction of its Hungry Buddha Keto Bars and now supplies more than 1,500 independent retailers and grocery stores nationwide. The company’s latest funding round was backed by investment corporations BDC Capital and Investissement Quebec. The new funds will help Buddha Brands to accelerate its US expansion through sales and marketing initiatives, and will support its research and development efforts. “My co-founders and I started Buddha Brands with all of our savings and have been purposely self-funded from the start, so we are thrilled to have this support from BDC Capital and Investissement Quebec,” said Chris Magnone, CEO and co-founder at Buddha Brands. “Our goal from the beginning was to get our business to a specific stage before taking outside capital in order to push ourselves to be strategic, thoughtful and impactful with the funds we had. “This investment comes at the perfect moment for us, giving us the opportunity to further increase our velocity and distribution, support the retailers who have supported us, invest in our team and generate more market awareness of our low-sugar, clean-ingredient, plant-powered foods that not only taste good, but make you feel good.” Mathieu Rinaldi, director, growth and transition capital at BDC Capital, said: “We are very enthusiastic to support Buddha Brands through the next stage of their growth and are confident in the leadership team’s ability to continue to disrupt the growing better-for-you food and beverage industry with their innovative products.” Buddha Brands’ Hungry Buddha Keto Bars are free from gluten and made without sugar alcohols, palm oil and other major allergens such as dairy, soy or peanuts. The line is produced in a dedicated peanut-free facility. Magnone added: “We purposely entered the allergy-friendly segment, as we felt those consumers didn’t have many options available…[Hungry Buddha Keto Bars are] made with MCT oil, sunflower seed, pea protein and monk fruit, making them a conscious and purposeful snack.” #BuddhaBrands #Canada #Keto #US

NuttZo is adding a new keto-friendly multi-nut and -seed butter to its portfolio, Chocolate Keto Seven Nut and Seed Butter. According to NuttZo, its latest product offers a “crunchy, rich chocolate blend with hints of rich pecan and nutty coconut”. Containing just 4g of net carbohydrates per serving, the new NuttZo offering is suitable for paleo, vegan and kosher diets, and can be enjoyed on toast or fruit, as well as in baking recipes and smoothies. NuttZo says that Chocolate Keto is a source of protein, fibre and healthy fats, and contains just 1g of sugar per serving, while also being free from palm oil, gluten, soy and GMOs. “When we first launched our Original Keto butter, we were blown away by how it took off, quickly becoming our best-selling SKU,” said Danielle Dietz-LiVolsi, founder and CEO of NuttZo. “The keto diet has proven itself a pillar in today’s food landscape and is forecast to continue to grow steadily, especially in the snack space. I’m confident NuttZo will be a key player as we continue to provide better-tasting, better-for-you swaps.” The new offering is available in 12oz jars at Safeway for an MSRP of $10.99, as well as online via the brand’s website, Thrive and Amazon. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to NuttZo’s sister non-profit Project Left Behind, which supports orphaned and underprivileged children. NuttZo recently made its first foray into the savoury spreads and cooking ingredients category with a five seed tahini-style butter. #nutbutters #NuttZo #US

Meati Foods, a producer of mycelium-based meat alternatives, has closed a $50 million Series B funding round to accelerate its production scale-up. Based in Colorado, US, Meati produces high-protein and high-fibre whole-cut meat alternatives using mycelium – the muscular root structure of fungi – as the main ingredient. The company has developed a proprietary process to cultivate its ‘unique’ strain of fast-growing mycelium and form the naturally fibrous texture into whole-cut products, without the use of chemicals. The company’s latest funding round was co-led by new investor Bond and longstanding Meati backer Acre Venture Partners, with participation from Prelude Ventures, Congruent Ventures and Tao Capital. Meati has an expanding cohort of investor-advisers active in the movement to create more sustainable food systems, many of which provided either new or upsized investments in this latest round. Names include John Foraker, Once Upon a Farm CEO and former CEO of Annie’s Organic, and Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman, co-founders of Sweetgreen. The new funds will allow Meati to more than double the size of its team and accelerate its efforts to scale production capacity and launch its products at a national scale next year. The capital builds on the $18 million in debt financing that Meati announced earlier this year to support the establishment of a new production site. Covering nearly 80,000 square feet, the planned facility is expected to have the capacity to produce millions of pounds of Meati by 2022. “Meati’s growing momentum and unprecedented product is attracting a diverse and talented group of people and partners focused on solving one of the food system’s toughest challenges: feeding everyone nutritious protein without compromising taste, nutrition and human, animal or environmental welfare,” said Meati Foods co-founder and CEO, Tyler Huggins. “We are thrilled to continue welcoming world-class visionaries and investors who are taking Meati’s mission to the next level.” Acre Venture Partners co-founder and managing partner, Lucas Mann, added: “The pace of progress at Meati, in terms of both product and business development, has exceeded our expectations. “We are not aware of any other product on the market that can match the nutrition, texture and price versatility of Meati. Meati is creating a new category of food.” The Series B announcement comes eight months after Meati Foods revealed that it had raised $28 million in a Series A funding round to scale up production. #meatalternatives #MeatiFoods #US