Rude Health has launched a new premium barista milk alternative range, debuting in two varieties – pistachio and hazelnut – this month (October 2025). The line is claimed to offer two first-to-market innovations for the UK alt-milk category – the pistachio variety positions itself as the only pistachio barista drink in the country that is made with real pistachios, while the hazelnut is claimed to be the only one made with real hazelnuts. Each of the premium drinks is crafted by blending real nuts with oats and a pinch of salt to create a ‘luxurious, nutty and decadently creamy’ offering, Rude Health said. They aim to stand apart from other nut drinks in the category, which often rely on flavourings, oils and additives to create a nutty taste and texture instead of using real nuts. Sam Maguire, Rude Health’s UK country lead, said the new drinks contain no flavourings, oils, gums or added sugar, aligning with growing demand for cleaner label products in the plant-based beverage – and broader F&B – category. “We’re seeing big shifts in demand for taste, transparency and premium options,” Maguire commented. “Our new range delivers on this, stepping up to match premiumisation in the coffee aisle.” The launch follows alt-dairy company Oddlygood Group’s acquisition of Rude Health last year , and is backed by insights from the company’s recent Plant-based Glass Ceiling Report. The research highlights strong potential for category growth, with flavour innovation and quality perceptions emerging as key drivers. Maguire added: “By pairing Rude Health’s deep understanding of UK consumers with the scale and innovation power of the Oddlygood Group, we can bring products to market that help push the boundaries of the category – offering a premium clean-deck Barista range that’s free from oils, gums and syrups, yet still delivers a truly luxurious experience.” The Plant-based Glass Ceiling Report found that interest in flavoured options is particularly high, with 66% of low users and 58% of lapsed users ken to explore new varieties such as trending pistachio. Natural ingredients are also front of mind, with more than a quarter of low users (27%) actively seeking them. By combining flavour-led innovation with a focus on clean, premium ingredients, Rude Health aims to re-engage lapsed and low users while also providing exciting new options for its existing customers. While the plant-based drinks market has dropped 0.8% value in the last year, Rude Health reported 22% year-on-year growth. This reflects the growing demand for clean label, natural formulations within the category, with Rude Health’s innovation centering around simple ingredients and additive-free products. Nina Gilsvik, global CMO at Oddlygood Group, said: “The festive season is one of the biggest moments of the year for consumers to explore new tastes and treat themselves, which makes it the perfect time to launch our new premium barista range. We see good headroom for growth in everyday indulgence and the festive season gives us a unique opportunity.” The new premium barista products will be available at Waitrose stores across the UK from 12 October, with an RRP of £3.95 per 1L carton.

Italian food-tech company Foreverland, a producer of cocoa-free chocolate alternatives, has expanded its production capacity with the opening of its first manufacturing plant in Puglia, Italy. The facility will have the capacity to produce over 500 tonnes of Choruba, the start-up’s flagship chocolate alternative ingredient, each year. Choruba is a cocoa-free ingredient made from resilient Mediterranean crops, such as carob, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. It aims to replicate chocolate’s indulgent flavour and mouthfeel but with a significantly lighter environmental footprint. Through this, Foreverland said it can address both consumer expectations for indulgence and the urgent sustainability challenges facing the cocoa sector – which is being impacted by climate pressures, price volatility and supply shortages – helping manufacturers to reduce reliance on cocoa. The new plant marks a key milestone in Foreverland’s growth strategy. It will provide the company with the capability to run industrial trials with larger clients, secure small and medium-sized business customers, and deliver a steady and scalable supply of cocoa-free chocolate alternatives. The site includes a dedicated pilot fermentation room, enabling the team to test and refine processing steps flexibly, while protecting know-how and validating unit economics. Alongside the new plant, Foreverland has announced a new retail product partnership, the company’s fourth to date. It will team up with Italian protein snack brand Small Giants to launch Choruba Protein Bites – a peanut butter and chocolate-flavoured snack innovation, featuring Small Giants’ yeast-based protein and coated in the Choruba chocolate alternative. The snacks are vegan-friendly, and are priced at €3.29 for a three-pack or €1.99 for a single bar. They are available online and in-store across the Gulliver supermarket chain. Massimo Sabatini, co-founder and CEO of Foreverland, said: “The new plant allows us to work hand in hand with manufacturers, speed up recipe development and bring sustainable chocolate alternatives into everyday products across Europe – all while ensuring we can meet demand at accessible price points”. He added: “Our partnership with Small Giants is a strong example of this next phase, showing how sustainable chocolate alternatives are ready for the mainstream”. Edoardo Imparato, CEO of Small Giants, commented: “Retailers and consumers are looking for real alternatives in categories like chocolate, where sustainability challenges are growing. Through our collaboration with Foreverland, we’re bringing products made with innovative ingredients to market shelves… It’s a concrete step towards making sustainable indulgence the new normal in European supermarkets.” Foreverland, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Milan and Puglia, said it is currently in discussions to expand into France and the Nordics, building on its existing presence in Italy and Germany.

Alt-dairy start-up Climax Foods has rebranded to Bettani Farms; has appointed former Califia Farms CFO, Sandeep Patel, as CEO and chairman; and has raised $6.5 million in Series A funding. Bettani, based in California, US, has developed a protein-rich, non-GMO ingredient platform that is also free from dairy, soy and nuts, for use in plant-based cheese products. Its proprietary protein ingredient, Caseed, is made from regenerative seed crops and mimics the functionality and mouthfeel of dairy casein while remaining 100% plant-based and free from common allergens. According to Bettani, the ingredient’s creamy texture, neutral flavour profile and white colour make it ideally suited for developing a range of protein-rich, dairy-free alternative to popular cheeses like mozzarella, feta, goat’s cheese, cream cheese, brie and blue. It can offer 12-20g of protein per 100g of cheese. Additionally, the start-up said its natural, farm-sourced ingredient can provide a more cost competitive alternative to fermentation-based casein equivalents. The funding round was led by S2G Investments, a multi-stage investment firm focused on scaling solutions across food and agriculture, energy and oceans. It also saw participation from new and existing investors including At One Ventures, Gratitude Railroad, Manta Ray Ventures and Toba Capital. New CEO Patel joins Bettani from Califia Farms, with other previous experience including a role as president and CFO of PopSockets. Sandeep Patel He also brings extensive industry experience across packaged food, agriculture, consumer products and sustainable technologies from his time as a managing director at Goldman Sachs and Barclays, where he advised food industry leaders, entrepreneurs and investors. Under his leadership, Bettani will focus on commercialising Caseed and Caseed-powered cheeses in partnership with frozen food makers, foodservice operators and existing dairy-free cheese brands seeking to improve their formulations. Patel commented: “Bettani is poised to do for pizza what oat milk has done for coffee. Just as oat won coffee over the last five years with its superior taste, mouthfeel, performance and allergen profile, our Caseed-powered cheeses deliver the melt, stretch, texture and flavour consumers crave in pizza and other hot foods – without the allergens and high carbon footprint of dairy.” Sanjeev Krishnan, managing partner at S2G, said: “As Bettani starts this new chapter, we believe it’s clear the company has the strong leadership and vision needed to make protein-rich, dairy-free cheeses commonplace”. “We’re proud to continue to support Bettani and the commercialisation of its technology at a critical time when demand for protein-rich, allergen-free and more sustainable food products is increasing.”

The Compleat Food Group’s Vadasz brand has expanded its range with a trio of live cultured, naturally fermented dips, claimed to be a first-to-market innovation in the UK. The brand’s entry into the dips market follows consumer research showing that 83% of existing pickles and kimchi shoppers would purchase Vadasz-branded dips if available. The range includes Kimchi Houmous, Super Beet Kimchi Dip, and Garlic & Dill Pickle Dip. It has been developed to meet growing demand for healthier and flavourful snacking options. Each dip is plant-based, made with 100% natural ingredients and contains naturally fermented or live cultured and cold brined vegetables as the base. The range aligns with increasing interest in functional, clean label and gut-friendly products. Kimchi Houmous combines chickpeas and seasoned vegetables with Vadasz’s kimchi to create a ‘rich, creamy and perfectly balanced’ dip that offers an umami take on the classic houmous format. It also provides a source of protein, fibre and healthy fats. Super Beet Kimchi Dip blends naturally fermented beetroot, red cabbage, carrot and apple with high-protein, fibre-rich cannellini beans. Vadasz describes the dip as ‘earthy and creamy,’ well-suited for pairing with wholegrain or seed crackers, or as a side with cheese boards. Finally, Garlic & Dill Dip is inspired by Vadasz's well-loved pickles. It combines sauerkraut, pickles and cannellini beans for a tangy and savoury flavour profile. The dip is topped with garlic and dill pickled cucumber, providing the nutritional benefits of cold-brined vegetables. Yvonne Adam, chief marketing officer at The Compleat Food Group, said: “Dips remain a high-volume, high-frequency category, but many products are still dominated by added sugar, preservatives and artificial ingredients”. “With this launch, we’re bringing the Vadasz magic of gut-friendly ingredients and bold flavour to a new part of the chiller with a UK-first. These dips will appeal not only to our core pickle and kimchi shoppers, but also to consumers looking for better-for-you snacking that doesn’t compromise on taste.” The dips are the latest addition to Vadasz range following the launch of its Smacked Cucumbers  and Kimchi Shot  products earlier this year. The new dip line is available from Sainsbury’s and Ocado now, with an RRP of £3.50 per 200g dip.

Lallemand Specialty Cultures has inaugurated a new application research and development laboratory in Rennes, France, relocating its operations from La Ferté-sous-Jouarre to a newly built 400 square-metre facility. The business unit, founded in 2012 and focused on food cultures for dairy, meat and plant-based products, said the move strengthens its capacity for innovation and collaboration with partners. The new site includes 200 square metres of laboratories for the formulation and testing of microorganism-based solutions and for evaluating their performance in conditions similar to industrial production. The facility also houses offices and meeting spaces to support knowledge-sharing. As part of the relocation, Lallemand has transferred its strain collection of more than 2,000 bacteria, yeasts and molds – initiated over a century ago – to Rennes. This collection supports the development of new solutions in areas such as bioprotection, shelf-life extension, and sensory improvement. Current research priorities include bioprotection for dairy and cured meat products, as well as fermentation technologies aimed at enhancing taste and texture in plant-based alternatives. The Rennes laboratory will also continue to work closely with Lallemand’s Blagnac site, which focuses on fermentation processes. Lauriane Fillous, president of Lallemand Specialty Cultures business unit, said: “This laboratory is intended as a meeting point between science and application, between our internal teams and external partners, and between development and the concrete needs of the market". Pablo Alvarez Martin, Lallemand Specialty Cultures' R&D director, added: “This relocation project is fully aligned with our ambition to advance R&D in an environment that encourages exchange and collaboration”.

The Eat-Lancet Commission has today (3 October 2025) released its new Report on Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Food Systems, outlining a roadmap toward a healthier and more sustainable planet. It builds on Eat-Lancet’s earlier 2019 report, which presented the Planetary Health Diet as a dietary framework designed to encourage healthy diets that ensure nutritional adequacy while also reducing environmental impact. The Commission’s new report provides an update, stating that the global context has ‘shifted dramatically’ since the 2019 publication due to factors like the Covid-19 pandemic and soaring food prices amid increasing geopolitical instability. According to the Commission – which comprises a team of experts in nutrition, climate, economics, health, social sciences and agriculture, from more than 35 countries across six continents – shifting global diets could prevent approximately 15 million premature deaths each year. Food systems transformation Transformation of food systems will be vital, the report emphasises, stating that food systems are the largest contributor to the transgression of five planetary boundaries, contributing around 30% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. The planetary boundaries framework defines nine key system processes that regulate life on Earth, with six of these boundaries already being passed: climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, and novel entities (pesticides, antimicrobials and microplastics). Food system change will be essential to achieving improved health and social development outcomes, the Commission said. The report found that fewer than 1% of the world’s population is currently in the ‘safe and just space,’ where people’s rights and food needs are met within planetary boundaries. According to the report, 32% of food systems workers currently earn below a living wage. Meanwhile, the wealthiest 30% of people drive more than 70% of food-related environmental impacts, and despite global calorie sufficiency, more than 1 billion people remain undernourished. Even with a complete global transition away from fossil fuels, the analysis warns that food systems could push temperatures beyond 1.5°C. Johan Rockström, co-chair of the Eat-Lancet Commission and director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said the report sets out the “clearest guidance yet for feeding a growing population” without breaching the planetary boundaries. He commented: “It also exposes the stark winners and losers in today’s food systems, where entrenched power dynamics drive deep inequities. By uniting the latest science on health and climate, it shows that what we put on our plates can save millions of lives, cut billions of tonnes of emissions, halt the loss of biodiversity and create a fairer food system.” The Commission states that investment in the range of $200-500 billion will be required to drive global food systems change. However, it highlights analysis suggesting that reshaping systems could deliver $5 trillion annually through better health, restored ecosystems and climate resilience. It calls for urgent policy action, dietary consumption transformation and a realignment of global financial incentives to achieve these goals. As part of the Commission’s work, 13 independent modelling groups assessed the potential impacts of food systems change on five of the planetary boundaries: climate, land, freshwater, nutrients pollution and novel entities. The analysis integrates diverse datasets, including diet and health outcomes, into a unified framework designed to create a ‘safe and just’ future for 9.6 billion people globally by 2050. This includes areas such as healthier diet adoption, reduced food loss and waste, and improved production practices to reduce environmental pressure. Dietary changes Across all regions, the analysis shows that diets consistently lack sufficient fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains. It also finds that diets in many regions contain excess meat, dairy, animal fats, sugar and highly processed foods. The 2025 Commission report continues to emphasise a plant-rich diet, with optional, moderate amounts of animal-sourced foods and limited added sugars, saturated fats and salt. The dietary targets aim to provide a global reference point that can guide food system policy while encouraging healthier diets. It recommends a significant decrease in meat consumption – 0-200g maximum (or one serving) of red meat per week, 0-400g for poultry, and 0-700g of fish. A report from the Food Foundation stated that UK adults consume around 93g of meat each day on average, while almost a third of the meat UK consumers eat is processed. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Agricultural Outlook for 2025-2034 projects a 6% increase in global per capita consumption of animal-sourced foods by 2034. Walter C Willett, Commission co-chair and professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said: “The Commission’s findings reinforce that the Planetary Health Diet is good for both people and the planet. By increasing the production and consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, we can improve health outcomes everywhere while respecting cultural and regional traditions.” Recommendations Willett added that diets are “just one part of the picture,” highlighting eight solutions the Commission sets out in its report as a “practical roadmap to unlock transformation at scale”. These recommendations are: Protect and promote traditional healthy diets Create accessible and affordable food environments that increase demand for healthy diets Implement sustainable production practices that store carbon, create habitat and improve water quality and availability Halt agricultural conversion of intact ecosystems Reduce food loss and waste Secure decent working conditions across the food system Ensure meaningful voice and representation for food systems workers Recognise and protect marginalised groups The report emphasises the need for a fairer distribution of resources, benefits and costs to build the social foundations that enable people’s right to food, decent work and a healthy environment. Each potential solution highlighted is supported by actions identified by the Commission as critical for transforming food systems, such as integrating traditional, healthy foods into dietary guidelines; supporting local seed systems; using food loss and waste; and improving agroecological practices to conserve ecosystems. It also calls for subsidising reforms that make healthy and nutritious foods more accessible, and for regulatory and advocacy mechanisms that support decent work and meaningful representation for food systems workers. Plant-based food awareness organisation ProVeg International welcomed the Commission’s focus on plant-rich diets, but CEO Jasmijn de Boo warned that implantation of the Planetary Health Diet will require policymakers, business and society to work collaboratively. A study supported by ProVeg, published last week in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society journal, evaluated food-based dietary guidelines from 100 countries, and found that most countries are still primarily promoting the consumption of animal-sourced foods. “Whilst we warmly welcome the latest update to the Planetary Health Diet, it is clear there is still much work to be done to ensure countries incorporate the recommendations of this diet into their national dietary guidelines together with an effective implementation strategy,” said de Boo.

Swedish food-tech start-up Saveggy has introduced an additive-free, edible plant-based coating for fresh produce, designed to provide an alternative to plastic packaging. The solution is made from two simple ingredients: rapeseed oil and oat oil. Saveggy believes that scaling the solution could help to significantly reduce plastic use in packaging while contributing to reducing food waste across fresh produce. Founded in 2020 by Vahid Sohrabpour and Arash Fayyazi, Saveggy was born out of frustration over food waste and plastic pollution. Its technology has been developed in close collaboration with Lund University and stakeholders across the value chain. According to Saveggy’s own research, more than 3,000 tonnes of plastic are used for cucumbers each year across the EU. Its technology aims to address this plastic overuse, supporting the EU’s 2030 targets and aligning with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.  Saveggy is also partnering with Aarhus University and is supported by EIT Food, an organisation backed by the EU’s European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The company is launching a one-month pilot for cucumbers in Sweden together with retailer ICA and vegetable grower Odlarna. The test marks a key milestone in the start-up’s journey, transitioning from R&D to commercial scale. With the first industrial machine in place at Odlarna’s facility, and capacity ramping up, Saveggy is preparing for broader launches across Sweden and Europe. Though initially focusing on cucumbers, the solution can also be applied to a wide range of fruits and vegetables, with product development ongoing. Arash Fayyazi, co-founder of Saveggy, said: “Cucumbers highlight the challenge: food waste on one side, plastic-wrapped shelves on the other. Our goal is to reduce food waste and plastic pollution together – with respect for nature, people and the resources that make our food possible.”

Harbinder Maan, associate director of trade marketing and stewardship at Almond Board of California, highlights the benefits of formulating with almonds across different nutrition categories as demand rises for healthy and versatile ingredients. The global plant-based market represented a $28.6 billion opportunity as of 2024, with North America and Europe commanding nearly 85% of retail sales. This creates unprecedented demand for ingredients that can deliver both performance and consumer acceptance. In this competitive landscape, almonds are consistently delivering as the strategic cornerstone ingredient driving innovation across the rapidly expanding market.   Naturally nutritious As the plant-based sector continues to grow in popularity, almonds stand out as an essential ingredient offering endless opportunities for breakthrough product development. With over 14 different forms available, almonds deliver the perfect trifecta for innovators: natural versatility, nutrient density and uncompromising performance that maintains both flavour integrity and desired texture profiles. Their well-rounded nutrient composition makes almonds ideal for precision wellness applications, directly addressing the growing consumer demands for functional food and beverages. A single ounce (28g) of almonds provides 6g of protein, 4g of fibre, 13g of unsaturated fat (only 1g of saturated fat) and 15 essential nutrients, including 7.27mg of vitamin E (50% DV).   The taste opportunity Beyond their nutritional benefits, almonds’ neutral flavour profile acts as a blank canvas for plant-based innovations. This unique characteristic enables seamless innovation across a wide array of applications – from sweet to savoury flavour profiles and diverse textures ranging from satisfyingly crunchy to luxuriously smooth – making almonds the ultimate ingredient for future generations of plant-based innovation. This innovation potential directly addresses the consumer demand for textures and flavours in formulation. Innova Market Insights reports that 44% of consumers want to see improved flavour in plant-based products, alongside a demand for diversification of plant-based categories, with the largest being milk and meat alternatives. Almond-based formulations demonstrate how these dual challenges can be systematically solved.   Tackling formulation challenges In beverage applications, for example, almond milk showcases exceptional processing adaptability that directly tackles the sensory limitations many plant-based alternatives can experience. Unlike other plant-based options, its neutral taste provides a perfect slate for desired flavours, facilitating the development of high-quality beverages. Almond milk’s texture can also be enhanced for creaminess by increasing almond solids or incorporating emulsifiers. Advances like ultra-high-pressure homogenisation even enable the creation of rich foams for beverages like coffee. Almonds’ fat composition also contributes to smooth textures and a distinct nutty flavour that pairs well with coffee and sweet drinks.     Functional benefits Beyond addressing sensory challenges, almonds deliver functional health support in areas such as gut health and weight management that’s driving category growth. According to Innova Market Insights, digestive and gut health-related claims are the leading drivers for functional food and beverage purchases. In fact, gut and digestive health is within the top five most desirable functions from food and beverage for multiple age groups, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. This consumer demand is increasingly supported by robust research evidence that strengthens product dependability and capabilities. Emerging research from Oregon State University demonstrates that daily almond consumption significantly improved markers of both gut and cardiovascular health in adults with metabolic syndrome. Almonds offer multiple avenues for functional enhancement across product categories. Natural fibre content supports microbiome diversity research while contributing to satiety positioning – addressing both gut health and weight management trends simultaneously.   Versatile applications Formulating products like snack bars or functional beverages with almonds naturally boosts their nutritional value. Incorporating almond protein powder, also known as defatted almond flour, offers a unique solution to sensory challenges. As a versatile alternative to dairy-based proteins like whey or casein, it can be added to protein powder blends, smoothies, bars and spreads. Its clean taste and extra-fine texture reduce the need for masking agents, allowing other ingredients to shine.  The comprehensive ingredient portfolio that almonds provide – spanning protein powder, flour, whole forms, sliced formats and butter applications – offers formulators exceptional flexibility for system optimisation. Each format delivers clean sensory characteristics and inherent binding properties that minimise formulation complexity, reducing reliance on masking agents or synthetic additives that can complicate ingredient statements. This multifunctional capability supports both nutritional enhancement objectives and innovative product development across diverse categories – from high-protein beverages and shelf-stable bars to premium gluten-free baked goods – positioning almonds as a strategic platform ingredient for advancing plant-based innovation while meeting clean label requirements.

Mars Wrigley’s Galaxy chocolate brand has announced several new additions to its dairy-free portfolio in the UK ahead of the festive season. A new Gift For You range, designed with gifting in mind, is launching in two flavour varieties: Orange, and Caramelised Biscuit. Each bar is crafted with hazelnut paste to deliver Galaxy’s signature smooth texture without the use of milk. The Gift For You bars are launching in Tesco from 13 October 2025, and in Morrisons from 1 November, at an RSP of £1.50. Also launching is the Galaxy Dairy Free Selection Box, containing two 40g Salted Caramel bars, filled with a liquid caramel centre; and two 40g Honeycomb bars, containing crunchy vegan honeycomb pieces. The Selection Box is launching in Tesco stores nationwide from 16 October at an RSP of £5.50.

Oobli has received a 'no questions' letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), confirming that its brazzein-54 sweet protein is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use in food and beverages. Brazzein-54, a protein naturally found in the oubli fruit, becomes the third sweet protein on Oobli’s platform to achieve FDA GRAS status, following brazzein-53 and monellin. Jason Ryder, Oobli's founder and CTO, said: "Oobli is changing the future of sweetness through the use of sweet proteins as a replacement for traditional cane sugar and other alternative sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, stevia and erythritol". "The oubli fruit sweet protein is one of several sweet proteins that is derived from fruits primarily found in West Africa and other equatorial environments. Sweet proteins are a class of proteins that deliver a sugar-like sweetness but don't affect blood sugar, insulin or the gut microbiome." The company said it is the first to receive FDA clearance for use of the oubli fruit sweet protein. Ali Wing, CEO of Oobli, added: "The 'no questions' letter from the FDA is further testament to the strong potential that sweet proteins have to disrupt our global dependence on sugar and alternative sweeteners". "The oubli fruit sweet protein can be safely used in a wide range of foods with support from the scientific community and the FDA. It can replace 70% or more of sugar in products such as sodas, teas, baked goods and more, making the opportunities to reduce our sugar consumption virtually endless."

Eggs have long held a non-negotiable position in food manufacturing. They bind, leaven, emulsify and enrich, offering a rare, combined complexity that makes them difficult to replace. Today, however, the need to find viable alternatives is huge, due to soaring egg prices, avian influenza outbreaks, and shifting consumer values around sustainability and animal welfare. Against this backdrop, egg replacement solutions are moving from niche alternatives to mainstream necessities, with the market for egg-free and plant-based substitutes in bakery and confectionery growing steadily at around 6% per year. For producers, the challenge lies not only in cost control but also in ensuring technical performance and sensory quality that can match, or even exceed, traditional egg-based formulations. To support manufacturers in navigating this complex scenario, CSM Ingredients launched in April 2025 Egg ’n Easy Plus, the latest advancement in its Egg ’n Easy range for egg reduction in bakery. Most recently, it also added to its Magic Glaze range of premium egg-free glazing solutions the new Magic Glaze Instant, an instant solution to be reconstituted with warm water. Meeting industry pressures with advanced egg reduction Egg ’n Easy range is a plant-based, customizable powder formulation designed to give industrial bakers maximum flexibility in managing egg reduction to meet production and customer needs. The range is based on the combination of building blocks: wheat flour to enhance viscosity and help contain oil; wheat protein to support and maintain crumb structure and vegetable fibers for enhanced freshness, aeration and stability. In the Egg ’n Easy Plus version also enzymes are added, to provide an even finer crumb structure. The newest addition to the range, Egg ‘n Easy Plus, enables up to 100% replacement of whole eggs in brioche recipes, where eggs can account for 5-15% of the formulation, and up to 50% replacement in cakes and muffins. From a technical perspective, the formulation safeguards dough consistency, machinability and sensory attributes, while allowing manufacturers to reduce egg-related costs by as much as 55%. Extending the Magic Glaze range To further enable egg reduction efforts, Magic Glaze provides an egg-free, water-based glazing alternative that guarantees the golden shine and attractive finish consumers expect. Key benefits include: Hygiene and safety :  Eliminates bacteriological contamination risk. Operational efficiency :  Ready-to-use, sprayable without clogging. Cost stability :  Unaffected by egg price volatility. Cleaner label :  No preservatives, colours, flavours or hydrogenated fats. Vegan suitability :  catering to the growing plant-based sector. Applications across the sector span a wide range of bakery and pastry products, from croissants and puff pastry to sandwich buns and focaccia. The Magic Glaze range is continuously evolving, with several additions including Magic Glaze Instant, a powdered format designed for maximum operational flexibility. The new concept, developed for simple and quick reconstitution with warm water, will provide manufacturers with precise dosage control, reduced storage needs and predictable cost management, as well as maintaining performance consistency and supporting cleaner label positioning. The range also includes Magic Glaze Freeze-Thaw Stable – developed for frozen bakery products, which maintains stability throughout long storage and distribution cycles – and Magic Glaze Post-Bake – designed specifically for application on hot bread buns and similar goods, offering excellent stability even after freezing. Driving sustainable innovation The launch of Egg ’n Easy Plus and the expansion of the Magic Glaze range highlight CSM Ingredients group’s broad vision, as surmised by Christian Sobolta, CEO of CSM Ingredients: “Our mission is to develop solutions that not only solve technical and economic pressures but also anticipate the evolving demands of the food industry". "Egg ’n Easy and Magic Glaze are great examples of how innovation can deliver value across the supply chain, and they are great examples, for us, of how planet health, animal welfare and cost-efficiency can and should easily intersect.”

Swiss start-up Planted has expanded its portfolio of clean label meat alternatives with Crispy, a range of plant-based alternatives to ‘comfort food’ breaded meat classics. While nuggets, schnitzels and burgers are timeless comfort food favourites, traditional varieties often feature long ingredients lists, low-quality animal meat and unnecessary additives, Planted said. The company aims to fill a gap in the market for healthier alternatives with its new Crispy range. Each of the products in the range combines a crispy, golden-brown coating with a juicy, meat-like texture. Just like Planted’s other products, they are made using no artificial flavours or additives, boasting a short and simple ingredients label. This launch sees Planted work with mycoprotein for the first time. Planted said its mycoprotein ingredient is a high-quality fungi-based protein obtained from mycelium, the filamentous network that connects mushrooms. The mycelium is cultivated in a gentle fermentation process with water, oxygen and plant nutrients, with no genetic engineering. The result is a fibrous, meat-like mass that is rich in protein and contains all essential amino acids. Its high fibre content supports digestion and satiety, while the mycoprotein ingredient is also described as ‘heart-friendly’ due to containing little saturated fat and no cholesterol. Pascal Bieri, co-founder of Planted, said: “Breaded products are one of the strongest categories in the convenience segment. With our new Crispy range, we are showing that enjoyment and healthy, innovative ingredients can go hand in hand: classics such as schnitzel, burgers and nuggets taste super crispy and delicious in the Planted version – only clean, sustainable and much healthier.” The schnitzel, burger and nuggets are now available at Rewe and Edeka stores in Switzerland and Germany, with more listings to follow in the coming weeks.