UK vegan pizza company One Planet Pizza is launching a new frozen plant-based Tex Mex pizza into Morrisons stores nationwide, available from October. Like the brand’s existing range, the new variant combines a wood-fired sourdough base with rich tomato sauce and a plant-based cheese made from white beans. It is topped with marinated vegetables and jalapeños. According to One Planet, its new offering contains roughly 35% less fat than traditional cow’s milk-based ‘Tex Mex’ pizzas, due to its high-protein cheese alternative. One Planet Pizza was founded by father and son Mike and Joe Hill, aiming to ‘revolutionise’ the frozen pizza category and get more people excited about plant-based food. The brand, established in 2016, is now listed in Morrisons, Asda, Booths, and across six markets. Joe Hill, co-founder of One Planet Pizza, commented: “We can’t wait to spice up Morrisons' freezers with our outrageously tasty Tex Mex. Our mission has always been to make vegan pizzas so good that even meat eaters want a slice! We’re pretty proud that our strong sales, reviews and brand growth suggest we are doing exactly that.” #OnePlanetPizza #UK

Seaweed-based packaging company Notpla has successfully completed a £20m Series A+ funding round to fuel innovation and accelerate its expansion into the North American market. The funding round was led by UB Forest Industry Green Growth and saw participation from existing and new investors, including Temasek Trust’s Catalytic Capital for Climate & Health, Horizon Ventures and Astanor, the Schmidt Family Foundation, Radicle Impact, EIT Food’s AgriFoodInvest, and more. In addition to scaling up manufacturing facilities and broadening the product range, the funds will also be used to establish a foothold in new regions, with a particular focus on the US. Its materials are currently used in ten European markets. Based in London, UK, Notpla launched in 2014 and has since replaced over 16 million single-use plastic items across Europe. Its innovations include seaweed-lined takeaway food containers and the ‘Ooho’ – an edible liquid packaging solution for beverages and condiments. The company expects to increase this volume to over 100 million units annually within the next two years, fuelled by consumer demand for environmentally friendly switch-outs. Notpla’s solutions, which are home compostable and plastic-free, have now been adopted by major corporations in Europe including Compass Group, Decathlon and Just Eat Takeaway. Last year, the Dutch government concluded that Notpla’s food packaging coating was the only application currently on the market in the Netherlands to meet its definition of ‘plastic-free’ under the Single Use Plastic Directive. The materials used are natural polymers derived from seaweed and are not chemically modified. Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, co-founder and co-CEO of Notpla, said: “We are thrilled to have secured this level of investment in such a competitive environment. This round not only validates our approach but also positions us to capitalise on the growing demand for truly plastic-free packaging solutions in global markets, especially as we look towards expansion into the US.” #Notpla #UK #packaging

Givaudan’s food innovation platform, Mista, has announced that biomass fermentation will be the theme of its 2024 Growth Hack. The annual programme brings together experts from across the global food system to develop integrated solutions that can deliver more nutritious, affordable and sustainable foods. This year’s cohort of 14 early-stage food companies selected to participate has been revealed. Each has been selected due to their efforts in building unique technologies to leverage the benefits of a wide range of organisms, approaches and carbon feedstocks – such as sugar, agricultural side streams and CO2. Céline Schiff-Deb, chief science officer for Mista, said: “The food system needs new solutions to feed the 8.5 billion people that will populate the Earth in 2030. Fermentation biomass is an approach that grows microbial cells – think microalgae, fungi, yeast or bacteria – that are packed with healthy nutrients, including proteins, fibres, vitamins and minerals. These cells are fed simple nutrients and multiply in the controlled environment of a fermenter.” She added: “By leveraging this millennia-old technology, we can produce vast amounts of nutritious, affordable and sustainable ingredients that can improve the nutritional and sensory performance of foods, beverages and snacks.” The selected start-ups are as follows: Arborea , Portugal and UK California Cultured , US Calysta , US and UK Equii , US Ingrediome , Israel MOA Foodtech , Spain Nutrition from Water , New Zealand Revyve , The Netherlands Sempera Organics , US Solar Foods , Finland Solmeyea , Greece Superbrewed Food , US The Better Meat Co , US The Protein Brewery , The Netherlands Each start-up will put forward a food or beverage prototype highlighting the benefits of their ingredients, developed by a technical team that will include a mix of experts from several large corporate Mista members – including AAK, Buhler, CJ CheilJedang, Danone, Givaudan, Ingredion, JPG Resources and SIG. The teams will work to combine their individual companies’ expertise and solutions into a collaborative approach designed to ‘disrupt conventional development processes’. They will meet virtually to refine ideas and approaches in the coming months, before meeting physically in early November to finalise the projects at either the Mista Innovation Centre in San Francisco, US, or Givaudan’s Zurich Innovation Centre in Kemptthal, Switzerland. This effort will then culminate in a two-day event in San Francisco on 19-20 November, which will include a technical symposium featuring discussions with global experts, followed by the presentation of the findings from each of the 14 discovery teams on day two. Scott May, founder and head of Mista, commented: “Mista's cross-value chain ecosystem is curated to connect innovators and opportunities, delivering new potential to evolve people, teams and companies. The Mista Growth Hack demonstrates how we collaborate to bring the largest players in the food system together with an amazing array of early-stage companies, bringing new ingredients and technologies to life.” Top image: © Solar Foods #Mista #Givaudan #fermentation

To enhance transparency regarding the environmental impact of the food supply chain, Green Boy, a global supplier of plant-based food ingredients, has published a comprehensive overview  of its company's CO2e emissions. “A recent article in the New York Times mentions that some analysts cannot determine whether plant-based meat and dairy alternatives have a lower impact on the environment than their animal-based counterparts, because plant-based food brands do not share their CO2e emission data transparently,” said Green Boy's co-founder and owner, Peter van Dijken. However, to calculate the total emissions of a finished food product, consumer packaged goods brands need to have access to the emissions data of each ingredient they are using. Van Dijken continued: “As an ingredient supplier we want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to access the environmental footprint of the plant-based ingredients they purchase from us.” The company has mapped its environmental impact according to the GHG protocol. How CO2e emissions are calculated The GHG protocol is a way of measuring a company’s entire CO2e emissions. This framework splits a company’s operations into three different scopes of direct and indirect emissions. For Green Boy, this includes its company cars (Scope 1), electricity and heating usage (Scope 2), business travel (Scope 3a), transport and storage of plant-based food ingredients (Scope 3b), and the production of the ingredients (Scope 3c). Green Boy is a carbon neutral company thanks to its collaboration with projects like Running Tides that helps offset all its direct and indirect internal emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3a). In 2023, the company was able to offset a total of 100mt CO2e. To get to a total emissions number, the company created Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) for its plant-based food ingredients that make up 85% of its volume. This allows Green Boy to share ingredient specific emissions data with its customers (large food brands), who can then simply use this data in their sustainability reporting. Towards a greener solution The ingredient-specific data will also facilitate Green Boy's collaboration with its producers, transporters and warehousing partners on environmental initiatives. To reduce emissions within the food industry as a whole, numerous processes in the supply chain will need to be developed and adapted. The first step towards positive change is for every partner of the supply chain to be aware of their emissions. “But next to awareness, we need to create a call to action, so the next step would be to find collaborative solutions that work for everyone involved up and down the supply chain,” commented Green Boy’s sustainability analyst, Owen Smit, who has been conducting the data analysis in collaboration with sustainability consultants Narrate.   Green Boy's co-founder and owner, Frederik Otten, highlighted: “Ultimately, sharing emission numbers transparently will not only give the end consumer an idea of what the impact of their plant-based food is but also allow for the industry to set benchmarks and more thoroughly track and encourage progress towards lower emissions throughout the supply chain". "By publishing this report and openly sharing our numbers we hope to encourage collaboration on transparency within the food industry. We want to play our part in the reformation towards a global market that is losing appetite for pollutive dairy, meat and fish consumption, and is more focused on food with a plant-based origin.” What do the numbers reveal? So far, Green Boy's impact report reveals promising news: plant-based proteins have a notably smaller environmental footprint compared to animal-based proteins. For those eager to delve into the specifics of the CO2e emissions difference, you can find the full report here . #GreenBoy

Plant-Ex, a producer of natural plant-based ingredient solutions, has secured a £9m minority investment from equity investor BGF to drive its international expansion. The company is headquartered in Bristol, UK, and is looking to expand internationally with a particular focus on the US market. The funding from BGF will help to support ‘significant’ growth for the business, Plant-Ex said in a statement announcing the investment. Founded in 2010, Plant-Ex supplies food manufacturers across the globe with natural food colours, extracts and flavours, through its own facilities and network of distribution partners. In the last month, Plant-Ex has expanded with a new factory in Bristol providing double the capacity of its previous site. Following the launch of Plant-Ex Ingredients in Chicago earlier this year, the company wants to focus further on the US. It also has sites in Poland and Turkey. Alongside the BGF investment, Plant-Ex has appointed Susan Barratt as non-executive chair of the company’s leadership board, through BFG’s Talent Network. Giles Drewett, founder and CEO of Plant-Ex, said: “Having founded this organisation 14 years ago, it’s been an eventful journey that started in Bristol and has now taken our products to over 50 countries, all over the world. It’s a huge privilege to be working in partnership with BGF, and to welcome Susan to our board.” He added: “Plant-Ex has an exceptional portfolio of products, with some world-beating expertise in product development and manufacturing. Having the funds in place, combined with strategic support from BGF and Susan, means that the next major developments can be planned and executed to deliver against the high standards expected by our international customer base.” #PlantEx #UK

Lionel Kambeitz, CEO, co-founder and executive chairman of plant-based regenerative ingredient company Above Food, delves into the crucial consideration of supply chain transparency across both the plant-based and wider F&B industry. Consumers have never had more access to information about how what they eat impacts their health and the planet. Yet, a walk down the grocery store aisle often leaves them with more questions than answers: Where does this food come from? How was it processed? What journey did its ingredients take to arrive on these shelves? According to research by McKinsey, less than one-third of consumers surveyed find the range of products on grocery shelves 'great,' and most are confused about what is truly healthy and sustainable. Food safety in the spotlight Foodborne illness outbreaks put an acute spotlight on the need for robust food safety protocols, but the demand for transparency goes well beyond this. Consumers today are increasingly demanding to know where their food comes from, how it is produced, and what measures ensure its safety. This shift is more than a trend; it is a powerful movement towards greater accountability and sustainability in food production. As consumers become more empowered, they are calling for brands to adopt more transparent practices, creating a ripple effect throughout the industry. Despite this, many of the legacy food supply chains that dominate the industry remain opaque and fragmented. Delivering transparent and trustworthy food systems at scale requires a complete reimagining of outdated models. By leveraging technology, brands can achieve deep transparency in their supply chains. Lot coding, for example, can enable companies to trace every ingredient back to its origin, making it possible to automate recalls in case of contamination. This can significantly reduce the response time to these events, minimising potential health risks, costs and legal issues while enhancing consumer trust. The business case for transparency Beyond enabling rapid response to, and mitigation of, food safety risks, transparency in the value chain can also strengthen brand loyalty by shifting away from the commoditisation of food ingredients through product differentiation. Commodities, by definition, are interchangeable with other goods of the same type regardless of the producer, allowing them to be traded solely based on price. This system places little value on an ingredient’s origin story and incentivises producers to cut costs as the key lever to boost profits. Because of this, food production becomes a black box, and consumers are left in the dark about the origins and journey of their food. With more than half of consumers willing to pay a premium for food that supports their health and wellness goals, this lack of transparency represents a significant lost opportunity. Increased transparency provides an opportunity for value-added differentiation. For instance, if producers can grow better grains with greater nutrient density using sustainable and safe practices, and consumers are willing to pay for this, transparency adds significant value. Transparency is crucial not only for consumer brands, but also in the production of the ingredients that go into all of our food products. Collaboration with growers, suppliers and customers ensures the entire supply chain operates in harmony with the principles of transparency and sustainability, from the initial seed to the final product on the consumer’s plate. For businesses, transparency is not just a moral imperative but a strategic advantage. It allows companies to build stronger relationships with consumers, foster loyalty and command premium prices for their products. As the demand for transparency continues to grow, businesses that prioritise openness and honesty will be better positioned to succeed in the market. Re-establishing our connection to the food we eat Open communication about sourcing, production and distribution builds trust with consumers. This trust is essential for businesses to thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Companies that embrace transparency can differentiate themselves and attract increasingly discerning consumers who value honesty and integrity in the brands they support. Moreover, transparency can lead to innovation within the food industry. By openly sharing information about their practices, companies can collaborate more effectively, driving improvements in sustainability, efficiency and quality. The future of food The future of food depends on creating transparent, sustainable and resilient supply chains. The industry must rise to the challenge of greater accountability to build a food system that is better for consumers and the planet. By embracing transparency, businesses can contribute to a more trustworthy, safe and sustainable food supply chain, ensuring that consumers have access to the information they need to make informed choices about their food to enhance their health and the wellbeing of the planet, both today and in the future. Transparency is a key ingredient in the future of the food supply chain. By adopting transparent practices, businesses can meet the growing demands of empowered consumers and build stronger relationships throughout the value chain. The journey from seed to fork should be one of openness and honesty, paving the way for a brighter future in food production and consumption.

Danone UK and Ireland’s Alpro brand has added a new caramel-flavoured barista beverage to its portfolio. The launch responds to research which found that barista plant-based beverages are currently in double-digit growth, and that caramel is the preferred choice of UK consumers. As a non-HFSS product, the beverage also aligns with Danone UK and Ireland’s health commitments. Tom Kerr, head of category management for plant-based at Danone, said that the product “combines great taste with added benefits from calcium, vitamin D2 and B2” to provide consumers with a healthy option when making their coffee. Alpro Barista Caramel is over 18 months in the making and aims to offer a ‘balanced and indulgent’ taste to complement a variety of coffee types. Made with oat and soya, it is designed to be extremely versatile, ideal for both foaming and whitening coffee. Kerr commented: “We know a lot of people are consistently seeking out flavours when it comes to their coffee drinking habits, with research showing that around 66% of consumers have an interest in purchasing the caramel concept. Ensuring we’re addressing consumer flavour preferences is vital as we evolve our portfolio.” The NPD is available in a 750ml carton, priced at £1.75, via Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s stores. #Alpro #UK #milkalternatives #barista

Oterra has unveiled its latest innovation – the I-Colors Bold line – which introduces six vibrant new variants designed to meet the growing demand for intense, natural colourisation in F&B applications. The new range features a vivid red derived from sweet potato, offering a competitive alternative to synthetic colours commonly used in the industry. This development comes as manufacturers increasingly seek natural solutions that do not compromise on visual impact. Luc Ganivet, chief innovation officer at Oterra, said: “The reduced particle size creates more intense colour because there is a larger surface area to reflect light. And because of a better dispersion of the powder, the colour is distributed more uniformly.” The I-Colors Bold line consists of ten ultrafine milled powders that enable manufacturers to achieve deeper and richer shades while using lower dosages. This not only enhances product aesthetics but also addresses cost concerns by reducing the amount of colourant needed. The versatility of these colours makes them suitable for a wide range of applications, including powder-based beverages, snack seasonings, bakery toppings, and fat-based fillings for cakes and biscuits. Notably, the colours can be added directly to products without requiring intermediate processing steps, streamlining production processes for manufacturers. e Lotte Jeppesen, global industry marketing manager at Oterra, added: “Consumers want impactful colours, but they also want natural ingredients. That combination can be a challenge for some manufacturers. With its exceptional colour intensity and instant visual impact, I-Colors Bold allows manufacturers to meet market demands for both performance and natural ingredients." Key features of the I-Colors Bold line include: Intense colouration:  Achieve more vibrant colours with lower dosages, particularly beneficial for snacks and fat fillings. Instant visual impact:  Enhanced colour distribution in powder-based products, improving overall product appeal. Ideal alternative:  Natural replacement for synthetic lakes, which are effective in achieving challenging shades like intense reds. #Oterra #colours #naturalcolours #colourants

Upfield has announced that it has changed its name to Flora Food Group as part of a large-scale company transformation. According to Flora Food Group, its new name reflects its ‘evolved purpose’ of delivering the next generation of ‘delicious, natural and nutritious food that is more affordable and sustainable than its dairy equivalents’. In recent years, the company has focused on providing products that address population growth, demand for dairy-free solutions, animal welfare concerns and environmental regulations, across the growing categories of butter and spreads, creams, liquids and cheese. David Haines, group CEO of Flora Food Group, commented: “The new name better reflects who we are, with Flora being one of our longest-standing and most popular brands loved by millions of families and professionals around the world”. He added: “This name also evokes the company's rich heritage and broad portfolio. It conveys our great passion to make delicious, natural and nutritious food, helping to nourish hundreds of millions of families every day”. Flora Food Group is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and reported net sales of €3.3 billion in 2023. Alongside its Flora brand, which returned to being fully vegan-friendly in 2023 following the removal of buttermilk from its Buttery product , its other plant-based brands include Violife and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter. The name change will take effect immediately at the Dutch corporate level, with a phased approach across Flora Food Group’s global markets in the months ahead. #FloraFoodGroup #Upfield #TheNetherlands

Steakholder Foods has opened its first full-scale Demonstration Center. The new facility features live demonstrations of the company's 3D printers – the MX200 and HD144 – showcasing real-time production of plant-based meat and seafood alternatives. Designed to promote customer engagement, the demo centre is built to the standards of a food production facility, providing clients and partners with a unique opportunity to experience the start-up's entire production process firsthand. From the preparation of materials through to production and packaging, visitors can witness every step of the process. They can also participate in tasting sessions, enabling Steakholder Foods to present the quality and versatility of its products. Through the new centre, Steakholder Foods aims to enhance client engagement and showcase its full capabilities in creating customised, high-quality plant-based foods using advanced 3D printing technologies. The centre demonstrates the creation of two of Steakholder Foods’ products: MX200 Printer: Utilises Fused Paste Layering (FPL) technology to replicate the intricate textures of traditional meat by combining plant-based proteins and fats. It offers customisation for various meat alternatives. HD144 Printer: Employs Drop Location in Space (DLS) technology, allowing precise placement of plant-based ingredients to create authentic seafood textures, from tender fish to flaky fillets. Customers can observe these printers in action, engage in tasting sessions and explore how Steakholder Foods' solutions can be tailored to meet their specific needs. Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods, said: “We believe that our Demo Center will be a cornerstone of interaction with potential clients and partners. It’s not just about seeing the technology in action – it’s about experiencing the future of food production in real-time. This centre will play a critical role in promoting our capabilities and building stronger relationships within the industry.” The company believes this hands-on approach will significantly enhance understanding and interest in its innovative food technologies. The centre has already hosted its first international visitors and also plans to conduct virtual tours. #SteakholderFoods #Israel #plantbased #3Dprinted

Saputo Dairy UK’s Cathedral City cheese brand has expanded its plant-based range with the launch of a new ‘Plant Based Smokey Block’ SKU. The product launch follows IRI research that showed smoky is the leading flavour within the plant-based market. Cathedral City launched a smoked version of the plant-based cheddar’s traditional dairy counterpart in 2023. According to the brand, it crafted the NPD using water infused with a natural woodchip smoke to create a dairy-free smoked cheddar flavour. It launched exclusively in Tesco at the beginning of this week (16 September 2024), and is claimed to be the only plant-based cheese alternative in UK supermarkets that delivers its flavour through natural methods, rather than artificial flavourings. In a statement, Saputo said the new plant-based product is ‘uniquely creamy but intensely smoky,’ offering consumers a ‘close-to-dairy cheese texture.’ Christopher Owens, head of marketing for plant-based at Saputo Dairy UK, said: “Building on the success of Cathedral City Plant-Based, we are taking the range into new and exciting territories, offering consumers more of the flavours they love in dairy-free formats. For Cathedral City, it is an opportunity to further cement the mass appeal of our brand, providing on-trend flavours in both dairy and dairy-free options.” #SaputoDairy #CathedralCity #UK #plantbased

The ‘world’s first and only’ alt-seafood association, Future Ocean Foods (FOF), has welcomed 17 new members to its global organisation.   The association aims to promote food security, human health, environmental sustainability and ocean conservation. Its member companies work across the cultivated, fermented and plant-based food sectors.   As the association approaches its first anniversary (November 2024) , the membership base has increased to 53 companies, reaching 17 countries around the world.  Marissa Bronfman, founder and executive director of FOF, said: “I am incredibly proud of the passionate, collaborative community we have built, and I am thrilled to welcome these 17 new innovative companies to our group. It’s an honour to work alongside so many brilliant, pioneering people working tirelessly to feed the planet and save our oceans.”  “Despite a difficult economic climate, I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of alternative seafood.”  New members in the plant-based space: Beleaf (US) ,  specialises in plant-based meat substitutes  Happy Ocean Foods (Germany) , develops plant-based seafood alternatives  Liven Protein (Canada) , produces sustainable, animal-free protein for plant-based foods and drinks  Mimic Seafood (Spain) , creates plant-based seafood like Tunato , a tomato-based tuna substitute  Monkeys By The Sea (Netherlands) , makes plant-based seafood using ingredients like seaweed and purified ocean water  Nutrition From Water (Portugal) , creates microalgae-based whey from fermented microscopic organisms  Oceanium (UK) , develops functional seaweed ingredients  Ocean Hugger Foods (US) , offers plant-based seafood alternatives from sustainable sources like fruits and vegetables  Olala! Foods (France) , produces sustainable, healthy plant-based seafood alternatives  Profillet (Canada) , uses microalgae to create plant-based seafood alternatives  (Top to bottom, L-R: © Happy Ocean Foods, Beleaf, Olala!, Ocean Hugger Foods) Brittany Chibe, co-founder and CEO of Aqua Cultured Foods, a founding member of FOF, concluded: “FOF has been instrumental in fostering inclusion and building camaraderie within the alternative protein industry. By creating an environment where companies can openly share knowledge and innovate together, FOF is helping to accelerate the growth and impact of sustainable seafood solutions.”  #FutureOceanFoods #altseafood