Meati Foods has expanded its meat alternative portfolio with the launch of a new product, Meati Carne Asada. Meati Carne Asada is said to be Meati’s fourth product in its mushroom-root whole-cut lineup, as well as the first marinated offering from the brand, pre-seasoned with cumin, paprika and other spices. With a similar texture to its Meati Classic Steak, Carne Asada offers a nutrient-dense whole food and a good source of fibre, amino acids and micronutrients such as iron and zinc. Meati Carne Asada will be available for purchase via Meati’s website. #MeatiFoods #mushroomroot

WNWN Food Labs, a producer of cocoa-free chocolate, has begun the development of an expanded facility in Hackney Wick, London. The new space will house R&D, manufacturing, a test kitchen and office area, and will increase WNWN’s production space “eightfold”. Following the expansion, WNWN (pronounced ‘win-win’) hopes to begin producing in volume to supply a more ethical alternative to commoditised chocolate to CPG food companies. The business also plans to grow its headcount and expects to double its staff by the end of the year. WNWN CTO, Johnny Drain, said: “With this expansion, we’ll be in gear to begin supplying small to midsize brands, including Michelin-star restaurants, bakers and foodservice distributors”. Drain added: “Our direct-to-consumer product drops have sold out instantly, so this new space also allows us to perform more testing and development for future launches”. WNWN applies traditional fermentation techniques to widely available plant-based ingredients in a proprietary process, in order to create cocoa-free chocolate that tastes, melts, snaps and bakes just like its conventional counterpart. The company’s alt-chocolate is vegan, caffeine-free, gluten-free, palm oil-free and lower in sugar than comparable products. #UK #WNWN

Press Healthfoods has added two new soup varieties to its range of mineral, vitamin and fibre-rich soups, Nourish and Energise. Nourish contains sweet potato, red lentils and spinach, with 17 grams of protein per serving. Energise consists of butternut squash, mixed beans and red lentils and provides 14 grams of plant-based protein. Press Healthfoods’ founder, Ed Foy, said: “At Press, we believe protein is the most important pillar in a balanced diet, which is why we developed our soups to ensure you get a great protein boost, whilst enjoying a natural plant-based soup that is high in fibre and supports immunity throughout the colder months.” Press recently partnered with CleanHub and is now plastic neutral. For every kilogram of plastic the brand produces, it commits to taking the same amount from the environment before it enters the ocean. The soups come in 100% recyclable packaging and delivery boxes are made from 100% recycled card. The soups are available on the brand’s website for an RRP of £4.95. #PressHealthfoods #soup #UK

Premier Foods-owned Paxo has expanded its offering with the launch of meat-free meal makers to help consumers create nutritious, meatless versions of popular meals. The mixes currently available are a burger mix and a meatball mix, with a sausage mix due to hit retailers in the coming months. The vegan mixes are high in plant-based proteins and can be used to make dishes in 20 minutes. “We are expanding our range – using our expertise in dry mixes – to offer retailers a selection of products that span many growing meal occasions. As a brand that is an expert in store cupboard mixes, Paxo is very well placed to deliver in this space as it offers the familiarity and credibility that shoppers seek. Paxo broadens the appeal of meat-free meals and will attract new customers to the category,” said Helen Touchais, brand director at Premier Foods. The mixes are available in Asda and Sainsbury’s stores nationwide for an RRP of £2.25. #Meatfreemealmaker #Paxo #PremierFoods #UK

IFF has announced the launch of a new plant-based protein ingredient that enables meat alternative manufacturers to make “whole-muscle” pieces or chunks. Based on soy, Supro Tex is said to provide a very similar texture to chunky pieces of whole-muscle animal protein and aims to expand innovation opportunities in the plant-based meat space. The extruded protein solution does not require major capital investment for manufacturers to begin production. As a dry product, it eliminates the need for a cold supply chain, reducing shipping costs. “What makes Supro Tex stand out in the plant-based space is for the first time, meat alternative manufacturers can make tender, plant-based protein whole-muscle pieces or chunks without the need for major capital investments or a refrigerated supply chain,” said Michel Mellema, global innovation director of IFF’s Re-imagine Protein programme. “This is the latest from IFF’s Re-imagine Protein programme, where we accelerate the development of breakthrough ingredients and technologies to meet the needs of our customers and consumers.” With a neutral flavour and colour, the new 80% protein ingredient can be used to mimic differently textured meats by adjusting hydration levels and customising flavour. “In a patent-pending process, soy protein is combined with other texturants to improve the firmness of the protein pieces after hydration,” said Ulrik Madsen, culinary designer at IFF. “Due to their unique composition, Supro Tex chunks retain their texture throughout manufacturing – without breaking apart when in a tumbler or simmering – as compared to typical low-moisture extruded products.” #IFF #meatalternatives #plantbasedmeatwholecuts

US confectionery company Cocomels has expanded its portfolio with the launch of new oatmilk chocolate-covered snacks. The new line will launch with two SKUs: oatmilk chocolate-covered caramel bites and oatmilk chocolate-covered toffee bark. It is dairy-, gluten- and GMO-free, as well as vegan-friendly and free from corn syrup, palm oil, cholesterol and artificial ingredients. JJ Rademaekers, founder of Cocomels, said: “Our initial goal was to develop an option for milk chocolate lovers. We have fantastic dark chocolate-covered Cocomels but wanted to expand our line to appeal to all chocolate lovers looking for dairy-free options. “In development, we found oatmilk chocolate provides a sweet and creamy taste that’s most similar to milk chocolate – more so than other alternative options we explored. And with oat milk as a milk alternative rising in popularity over the past few years, introducing an oatmilk chocolate-covered line seemed timely and on-trend.” Cocomels’ oatmilk chocolate-covered caramel bites and toffee bark will be sold exclusively at Sprouts stores from January 2023. #Cocomels

Harvest Snaps, a Calbee America flagship brand, has launched new Selects Baked Navy Bean Snacks, a line of plant-based chips featuring farm-picked navy beans as the first ingredient. The snacks come in three different flavours – Loaded Taco featuring zesty spices, cheddar cheese and sour cream, White Cheddar Jalapeno with creamy white cheddar and Honey Dijon, a combination of honey and mustard. Sandra Payer, head of marketing at Calbee America, commented: “We couldn’t be more excited to take our veggie-first philosophy into the salty snack aisle with Harvest Snaps’ Selects Baked Navy Bean Snacks. We’ve upped the taste ante in this new line-up while still packing in the protein, so consumers get the best of both worlds – a super tasty chip they can feel good about enjoying.” Harvest Snaps’ Selects Baked Navy Bean Snacks are now available for US retailers for an SRP of $4.99. #HarvestSnaps #plantbasedchips #US

Eat & Beyond’s portfolio company Beyond Moo has launched an oat-based yogurt drink designed for kids, in flavours cherry and vanilla. The new offering, made from 100% Canadian oats, is dairy and gluten-free, low in sugar and provides probiotics, calcium, and vitamins in an on-the-go format. “The drinkable format means that it’s easy to toss into kids’ lunchboxes or take on the go,” said Yulia Weber, Founder of Beyond Moo. “Single-serve and on-the-go formats are both convenient and versatile and represent a gap in the current plant-based product offerings on the market”. The plant-based yogurt drinks are nut-free, soy-free, preservative-free and made without artificial flavours. They are available in supermarkets across Canada. #BeyondMoo #EatampBeyond #Oatbaseddairy #Yogurtbeverage

Forming part of UK supermarket Asda’s largest Christmas offering to date, the new plant-based range boasts 97 items. One new item is breaded vegan brie with a sweet chilli dip, creamy bites coated in golden paprika and a herb crumb. Asda has also launched a plant-based turkey crown with umami stock, the soya-based turkey alternative is topped with a flavoured crumb to give a crispy skin-like texture and finished with a savoury umami butter. In the dessert section, Asda has introduced vegan chocolate baubles, which, when broken with a spoon, reveal a vegan chocolate mousse, cookie crumb and caramel sauce. Many of Asda’s vegan Christmas range will be available to buy online and in-store from 24 November, with further items released over the course of the month. #Asda #Christmas #UK

Dr Praeger’s Sensible Foods has expanded its Perfect frozen food line with the launch of three new chick’n products. The varieties include: Perfect Chick’n Tenders, Perfect General Tso’s Chick’n and Perfect Nashville Hot Chick’n. The range is vegan, non-GMO project verified and offers up to 17g of plant protein. “We are excited to expand our chick’n offerings with three new products we know our consumers will love,” said Ken Krasnow, EVP and chief marketing officer of Dr Praeger’s Sensible Foods. “These new SKUs provide the perfect combination of great taste, health and variety that Dr Praeger’s is known for.” The new line of Perfect Chick’n products is available at retailers nationwide, including Publix, Shoprite, Giant Company, Key Foods, Meijer, Wegmans, Foodtown and more. #DrPraegersSensibleFoods #US

Nomo has unveiled two additions to its Christmas line-up – the Chocolate Orange Reindeer and the Cookie Dough box. Both products are vegan and free from dairy, gluten, egg and nuts. The new additions will sit alongside Nomo’s Christmas collection consisting of four other products – Cookie Dough Reindeer, Classic Advent Calendar, Premium Advent Calendar and Caramel Drops Box. Jacqueline Tyrrell, Nomo brand manager said: “Our aim is to inject the fun into Christmas by providing a range of delicious mainstream products that all consumers will love, no matter if they are vegan or have a food allergy or intolerance”. “We are delighted to launch our Choc Orange Reindeer and Cookie Dough Box which we know Nomo fans will love”. All products are now available online and will be available in most major retailers across the UK. #Nomo #UK

Good Planet Foods has released a new limited-edition flavour – white cheddar and cranberry – in wedges and wheels formats. The white cheddar and cranberry wedges come in six individually wrapped snackable wedges. While the white cheddar and cranberry cheese wheels are naturally cold-smoked with applewood chips, creating a nutty flavour profile that pairs well with fruit and nuts. Good Planet Foods co-CEO Bart Adlam said: “Consumers are looking for new ways to enjoy plant-based foods, and these festive, seasonal flavours provide this. Good Planet Foods will continue to create unique offerings that bring the joy of cheese to all.” The new flavour will be available at retailers nationwide, with the white cheddar and cranberry wedges retailing for an SRP of $5.99 and the white cheddar and cranberry wheels retailing for an SRP of $6.99. #GoodPlanetFoods #US