Plant-based company, Heura, has announced two new entries into its plant-based chicken portfolio. Heura’s Chick’n Fillet is a homemade-style breaded delight with a crunchy and extra juicy bite. The Heura Long Burger is a crunchy plant-based chicken burger packed with flavour and a hint of black pepper, ideal for a meal on-the-go. “With the goal to accelerate the protein transition, we use innovation to create the most delicious plant-based versions of foods that people are already familiar with and love,” said co-founder and CEO of Heura Foods, Marc Coloma. Coloma added: “Our research shows that the breaded segment represents almost 20% of the category, so introducing two new breaded skus to our portfolio of chicken is a great way to make sure people can withhold their favourite culinary traditions in ways that are better for their health, the planet and animals, whether sitting around the table for a family dinner or on-the-go at lunch”. #Heura #plantbasedchicken #UK

UK plant-based chocolate brand, Kyoot, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of three new flavoured chocolate bars. The variants include: Raspberry Pink Pepper, Roasted Hazelnuts and Cashew Coffee. Made from sustainably harvested cacao, the 70% dark chocolate bars are organic, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and refined-sugar free with no artificial additives or preservatives. Kyoot founder Noor Freiha said: “We’ve created delicious flavours and textures with the happiness of our body and planet in mind: there is something adventurous and exciting in each crunch, pop and crackle. We want Kyoot to be a can’t-live-without-it chocolate bar.” Kyoot is available to buy across UK’s concept stores and gourmet grocers for an RRP of £3.99 per 85g bar. #chocolate #Kyoot #UK

Plant-based food company Wicked Kitchen has raised $20 million in additional funding to help increase its global awareness initiatives and expand retail distribution. New investors include actor and vegan advocate, Woody Harrelson; Ahimsa VC, a fund that invests in start-ups building a sustainable, humane and healthy world; and Thai food producer NRPT. “What I love about this brand is that the products are actually created by chefs that always put flavour first, making it so easy to go plant-based,” said Harrelson. The company is experiencing a high growth phase; it has more than tripled its year-over-year sales growth of animal-free products. Earlier this month, the company acquired plant-based seafood brand, Good Catch, and since launching into the US market last year the products are currently stocked in over 6,500 retail stores across the US. CEO of Wicked Kitchen, Pete Speranza, said: “It is validating to have support from additional investors who believe in our mission and in the future of plant-based foods. This latest round of funding will help us go faster to expand our offerings in the US and abroad and it puts us in a well-poised position as we continue to lead plant-based innovations with flavour-forward products that appeal to vegans and omnivores alike.” Wicked Kitchen produces frozen and shelf-stable, chef-driven plant-based foods including instant noodles, pizzas, meal kits, sauces and ice creams. #investment #plantbasedfoods #sustainable #WickedKitchen

The Protein Ball has rolled out its new Festive Mince Joy to join the protein and vitamin balls range. The new Festive Mince Pie limited edition features flavours of cinnamon spice, dates and crunchy almonds. “Consumer demand for healthy options at Christmas is growing steadily, with many people now thinking about their food choices all-year-round. Our new Festive Mince Pie flavour delivers on this,” said Matt Hunt, founder of The Protein Ball. Hunt added: “Whether people are attending office parties, enjoying celebrations with family and friends, Christmas shopping or coming back from the gym, this limited edition protein + vitamin ball is the perfect snack for keeping them fuelled and ready to go this season, without compromising on nutrition.” The new Festive Mince Pie protein and vitamin balls are high in protein, vegan and gluten-free, with no-added sugar. The Protein Ball’s new Festive Mince Pie limited edition flavour is available to retailers nationwide this month in 45g bags selling at an RRP of £1.99. #TheProteinBallCo #veganprotein

Roquette has announced its acquisition of the remaining stake in plant-based excipient manufacturer, Crest Cellulose, in a move to expand its pharmaceutical capabilities. Following its purchase of a majority share in the company in 2018, this latest move allows Roquette to continue strengthening its presence in India, where Crest Cellulose is based. The deal will also help to reinforce Roquette’s network of pharmaceutical innovation centres and application development facilities. “At Roquette, we believe true innovation can only be achieved in an environment where ingredient safety is completely assured,” commented Paul Smaltz, vice president of Roquette Pharma Solutions. Smaltz added: “There’s no room for compromise or shortcuts when tackling the world’s greatest health challenges. The team at Crest Cellulose share our conviction that quality is king, always striving to optimise processes and redefine what’s possible in drug delivery. As a global leader in health and nutrition, we’re excited to harness our newly expanded capabilities to support our network of customers and partners in India, Asia and the rest of the world.” #CrestCellulose #India #Roquette

Pilgrim’s-owned Richmond has launched limited-edition plant-based sage and onion sausages to its meat-free range ahead of the festive season. Giving the taste and texture of Richmond’s classic’ meat-free sausages a festive twist, the new flavour will be available until March 2023. This launch supports Richmond’s commitment to developing and expanding the meat-free category, offering more choice to consumers and helping retailers attract more meat-free shoppers. The brand’s plant-based range has grown this year – in April, the brand announced four new meat-free products, including Richmond meat-free back bacon and Richmond meat-free deli slices. Marketing controller at Pilgrim’s Food Masters, Chris Doe, said: “As the evenings draw in earlier, sage and onion is the perfect flavour combination for those hearty family-favourite winter meals – from roast dinners to bangers and mash. This new flavour is just as tasty as our original sausages – guaranteed to fly off shelves as the weather turns cooler.” #meatfree #Richmond #UK

Next Gen Foods has established its US headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, as well as a research and development centre in the same location. The company, which creates plant-based chicken products under its Tindle brand, will set up an R&D and innovation centre in partnership with US food business incubator, The Hatchery Chicago. Next Gen Foods says its Tindle product delivers the taste, texture and aroma of chicken and can be moulded and designed to fit any cuisine. The new centre will enable new product development and expand Tindle’sreach in new US sales channels, including retail and foodservice. The centre will be home to early-stage exploration of plant-based products from Next Gen Foods, leveraging insights from both consumers and operators to support the expansion of Tindle’s full product line Behind the R&D facility is a team of food scientists, product innovation experts and culinarians, overseeing operations of the joint lab and test kitchen space inside The Hatchery. CEO and co-founder of Next Gen Foods, Andre Menezes, said: “We established Next Gen Foods with the mission to make saving the planet easy, enjoyable and delicious. Geographically and strategically establishing a base in the centre of the food world in Chicago will allow us to further develop our partnerships in the F&B community and strengthen consumer adoption of plant-based meats through ongoing research and development.” #NextGen #Researchanddevelopment #Tindle

Food-tech start-up Zero Egg has announced that it will soon release its new product, Zero Egg Scoopable Scramble – a new ready-to-eat frozen plant-based scrambled egg. Zero Egg has developed a frozen scrambled egg that replicates the same taste and texture as an ordinary egg. Liron Nimrodi, Zero Egg’s CEO and co-founder said: “Our customers are seeking plant-based egg solutions that are easy for them to use, highly nutritious and delicious. We’ve been engaged with them since day one, listening to them, and hearing the hardships they’re facing, including unprecedented labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, and inflated costs.” Scott Lamphere, corporate chef at Zero Egg’s added: “Our new frozen ready-to-use Scoopable Scramble is a must-have for industrial food manufacturers and foodservice operators everywhere. Whether you’re looking to manufacture an easy plant-based scrambled egg, a vegan breakfast burrito, or a frozen breakfast bowl, it is the perfect solution.” Zero Egg Scoopable Scramble will be available to food service operators and food manufacturers in the US. #plantbasedegg #ZeroEgg

Spanish start-up Innomy has raised Є1.3 million in a pre-Series A funding round for developing mycelium-based meats. The round was led by international investors, including Corporación Cervino, Rockstart, Zubi Capital, Eatable Adventures and the National Center for Technology and Food Safety (CNTA). Protein alternatives such as mycelium are said to be more sustainable and healthier than traditional meat production. Juan Pablo de Giacomi, CEO and founder of Innomy, said: “We were born as a platform to channel many years of research in the field of the properties of edible mushrooms. Our mission is to respond to consumers that demand good food products for their health but also for the planet’s wellbeing. We want to reach new markets and bring our product to thousands of people.” Giacomi and biotechnologist Pablo Sánchez Rey founded the company alongside mycologist and technology partner, Francisco Kuhar The team has spent time researching the properties of mushroom-based proteins and their benefits. José Luis Cabañero, CEO and founder of Eatable Adventures. commented: “We are very proud to be part of this new milestone that consolidates the leadership of the Spanish foodtech ecosystem. In the last few months, we have managed to raise Funding rounds of an average of 1.8M for three of the start-ups that have been selected in our acceleration program. We continue to bet on disruptive technologies that impact the way food is produced and consumed, ensuring food safety for all/” Innomy is one of three foodtech Spanish start-ups to announce its first funding round after completing the acceleration programme, Spain Foodtech, developed by Eatable Adventures, in collaboration with ICEX Spain Export and Investment and the CNTA and the Rockstart AgriFood programme. “At Rockstart, purpose-driven and determined founders are central to our investment selection. In the case of Innomy, the founding team is composed of specialists in mycelium and have all shown commercial insight and humble curiosity during the mentor sessions throughout our accelerator programme. We are delighted to make our second investment in the company,” added Mark Durno, managing partner of Rockstart. #Innomy #Meatalternative

UK meat snacks brand, The Curators, has entered into the plant-based category with the launch of a new line of high protein veggie puffs. The range is available in three flavours: cheese, salt & vinegar and sriracha. The veggie puffs are made from peas and contain 10g of protein per pack. The brand said that the new plant-based snack contains significantly fewer carbs and fat than a standard packet of crisps. The Curators co-founder Max Rees said: “In a world of carb-heavy savoury snacks that deliver little functional benefit, we are proud to have developed a clever plant-based product for everyday crisp lovers with over five times the amount of protein as comparable ‘better for you’ snacks…” He continued: “…it feels like a great time to bring some genuine innovation to the crisps fixture as we seek to lead the development of a fast-emerging functional snacks category and provide consumers with a tasty savoury alternative to protein bars”. “We have seen a growing emergence of ‘better-for-you’ and protein-led products in the UK across multiple categories, but believe we are in a unique place to bring this positioning to savoury snacks and add strong incremental value to the grab-and-go offering.” #TheCurators #UK

Nestlé has expanded its plant-based portfolio by launching three vegan meat substitutes in its Garden Gourmet range. The new products are chicken-style chargrilled bites, chicken-style pieces and chicken-style breaded mini fillets. They have been developed by chefs and nutritionists and are high in fibre and protein. “We are constantly striving to provide our fans with delicious vegan and vegetarian alternatives and these products are great for food lovers looking for more meat-free poultry options and those who want to include more vegan and vegetarian food at lunchtime,” said Laura Mack, senior brand manager at Garden Gourmet. #GardenGourmet #Nestlé #plantbasedchicken

DSM has extended its enzyme portfolio with the launch of DelvoPlant Go, enabling producers to simplify the production of oat-based dairy alternatives. The new enzyme solution simplifies the production of oat-based products by enabling manufacturers to perform the liquefaction and saccharification process – breaking down the oat starches into glucose and maltose – in one step. This enables a shorter and more efficient process, which DSM says will reduce hydrolysis time by up to 30%. Less energy and water is required than with existing processes, supporting oat-based product manufacturers in achieving their sustainability goals, while increasing capacity and reducing costs. Ben Rutten, global business manager of milk and plant-based dairy alternatives at DSM, said: “Now is the right time for producers to simplify their production processes to keep pace with this fast-moving market. The category isn’t immune to the current difficulties around volatile energy prices and the constant pressure to deliver the nutritious and sustainably produced products consumers love. “This is why we set out to not only save producers time, but also enable energy and water savings. Producers can enjoy it all without compromising on taste, texture, health or sustainability.” #DSM #Oatmilk #plantbaseddairy