British ice cream brand Jude’s has collaborated with peppermint company Summerdown to create a new vegan offering: Plant Based Mint Chocolate. The latest addition to the Jude’s portfolio features mint ice cream with a velvety chocolate swirl and rich dark chocolate pieces. The plant-based product is made with English Black Mitcham peppermint that has been grown, harvested and distilled on Summerdown’s family farm. Jude’s managing director, Chow Mezger, said: “It was an absolute joy to have the expertise of the peppermint people at Summerdown as we created this wonderfully balanced mint chocolate ice cream. Plant Based Mint Chocolate is unbelievably creamy, and I love the way the smooth ice cream, chocolate ripple and crunchy chocolate chips work together.” The ice cream will be available from Ocado from 31 August for an RRP of £4.80. #Judes #plantbaseddairy #Summerdown #UK

As the plant-based dairy sector continues to gain ground, yogurt alternatives are expanding their appeal. Propelled by health and ethical concerns, companies are introducing a wide range of tasty dairy-free yogurts made using ingredients such as soy, almonds, oat, pea and coconut. The Plant Base examines this growing market. According to market research company, Imarc Services, the global vegan yogurt market reached a value of $1.94 billion in 2020, and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 17.7% between 2021 and 2026. In the US, dollar sales of plant-based yogurt in retail grew 61% between 2018 and 2020, according to SPINS data supplied by the Good Food Institute. Flexitarian diets are driving wider audiences to plant-based meat and dairy, with vegan yogurts being no exception. YouGov commented that: “Brands have a great opportunity to increase their market share among flexitarians: under a third (30%) use a meat or dairy substitute at least weekly”. Health-conscious consumers are looking for different ways to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need from their food. And plant-based products can incorporate health benefits, such as antioxidant properties, digestive and immune health support, and much more. Gut health Propelled by consumer lifestyle trends, many businesses in the plant-based space are striving to make their products as clean and healthy as possible. The Coconut Collab, for example, is creating vegan products that support a healthy digestive and immune system. Earlier this year, the brand launched what it claimed was the UK’s first plant-based yogurt range dedicated to promoting better gut health – featuring billions of live and active bacteria, as well as prebiotic fibre. The yogs are also fortified with calcium, and vitamins D, B6 and B12. James Averdieck, founder of The Coconut Collab, explained that this is an important combination for adults and children with food intolerances or other dietary requirements. “Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes, while vitamins D, B6 and B12 contribute to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin B12 is a vital nutrient that is not as easily available through a plant-based diet, so it is important that diets which exclude all animal products…ensure that they obtain their recommended daily intake from fortified sources or supplements.” He added: “We are particularly aware of the recent boom amongst the dairy ‘active health’ market and see a clear untapped opportunity to mirror this within plant-based yogs. How people understand ‘gut health’ is beginning to become much more than just ‘good bacteria and digestion,’ and has seen a shift in focus towards how diet can complement your whole lifestyle.” High-protein Many consumers nowadays are looking for plant-based yogurts that provide high protein content. A 2021 US survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found that while consumers place a premium on naturalness regardless of whether a yogurt is dairy- or plant-based, when it comes to the latter, protein is also a top priority for many. After “natural,” the second highest proportion of respondents (9%) ranked “high protein content” as the claim that was most important to them. Many plant-based yogurt brands are launching new offerings in response to this demand. For example, Danone released a line of protein-packed, Greek-style yogurt alternatives under its Silk brand last year, that contains 10g of plant-based protein, and live and active cultures. Meanwhile, Siggi’s plant-based coconut blend recipe is said to contain three times the protein and 35% less sugar than “the leading yogurt alternatives”. Shapes and formats Due to the rising consumption of plant-based yogurts, companies are now introducing products in many different shapes and formats, helping to attract not only adults but also younger consumers. For instance, Forager Project recently launched a cashew milk yogurt line packaged in squeezable pouches that can be enjoyed on the go. Children often opt for easy-to-drink products, and The Collective is another company servicing this need with its latest release. It recently announced that it was expanding its plant-based portfolio with the launch of new dairy-free children’s ‘suckies’ yogurt pouches. A proliferation of exciting products and formats is helping fuel consumers’ appetite for vegan yogurts. Companies have their work cut out to meet shoppers’ expectations on nutrition, alongside taste and texture, but tapping into the prevailing market trends could steer brands towards sweet success in this category. #blog #Dairyalternatives #plantbasedyogurts

Plant-based beverage giant Oatly has recorded a 21.8% rise in second-quarter revenue, but cut its outlook for full-year sales. For the quarter ended 30 June, the oat milk maker reported sales of $178 million, which included a foreign currency “headwind” of $11.7 million. On a constant currency basis, revenue grew 29.7% year-over-year. Oatly has been ramping up production capacity during the past 12 months, with countries including China and the US seeing significant investments, and the company says that the revenue increase was primarily driven by additional supply from its facilities. Sold volume for Q2 amounted to 121 million litres, compared with 95 million litres last year, an increase of 27.4%. Meanwhile, the company posted a six-month net loss of $159.4 million, compared with a $91.4 million loss in the year-ago period. EBITDA losses widened to $144 million from $68.2 million in the previous year. Toni Petersson, Oatly’s CEO, said: “We delivered strong second-quarter financial results with sales growth of 22%, or 30% in constant currency, despite several headwinds including Covid-19 lockdowns in China. Profitability metrics improved compared to the first quarter of 2022 and we expect this trend to continue in the second half of the year.” Oatly has updated its outlook for the full year “based on the challenging operating environment today with the war in Ukraine, Covid-19, and inflationary and supply chain pressures,” Petersson said. He continued: “In EMEA [Europe, the Middle East and Africa], oat milk clearly continues to take market share and our leading brand position and velocity remain strong. However, we believe the macroeconomic uncertainty has impacted the speed at which we are able to expand our distribution footprint in foodservice and new markets, and the pace at which we have been able to convert new consumers from dairy to plant-based milk is taking longer than we had hoped for.” Meanwhile, in Asia, where Covid-19-related restrictions and concerns over lockdowns persist, the recovery in the foodservice channel has been slower than the company expected. Oatly says that it now expects full-year revenue growth in the region of 24% to 29%, compared with its previous forecast of 37-43% growth. #financialresults #milkalternatives #Oatly

UK pastry brand Higgidy is expanding its plant-based portfolio with the introduction of two new snacking products. Bang Bang Cauliflower Dinky Vegan Rolls and Spinach & Red Pepper Mini Vegan Muffins are both said to be “packed with vibrant veggies” and can be served straight from the pack. The rolls feature chipotle and lime cauliflower, sweet potato, red pepper and a smoky date sauce, wrapped in puff pastry and topped with a paprika and golden linseed sprinkle. Meanwhile, the muffin recipe includes red peppers, spinach, basil, butternut squash purée and pine nuts. Higgidy says that both products are made following the brand’s “veg-centric” approach, “meaning no meat or dairy substitutes, just carefully crafted recipes that hero veggies and top-notch ingredients”. The company is aiming to appeal to vegans, vegetarians and those wanting to cut down on meat with its latest launch. Both the new products will arrive in supermarkets on 14 September at an RRP of £3.20. #Higgidy #UK

Confectionery brand Panda Liquorice is adding a new vegan chocolate-coated liquorice product to its portfolio. The new offering features soft liquorice bites covered in vegan-friendly, Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolate. Finnish brand Panda makes its liquorice with just four ingredients using traditional cooking methods. Lisa Gawthorne, director at Bravura Foods, which distributes the brand in the UK, said: “It’s an exciting first for Panda innovating in a chocolate liquorice product. The new product is made with rice milk making it suitable for the vegan market, and it’s a real novelty as a lot of chocolate-coated products aren’t necessarily vegan friendly.” Priced at £2.99 per 110g, the liquorice will be available from health food retailers in September. #BravuraFoods #PandaLiquorice #UK

A French court has suspended a decree that would ban the use of meat names like ‘steak’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based protein foods from October. Published in June, the decree established that as of 1 October, “it will not be possible to use sector-specific terminology traditionally associated with meat and fish to designate products that do not belong to the animal world and which, in essence, are not comparable”. Were it implemented, it would make France the first country in the European Union to impose such a restriction on meat alternatives. Protéines France lobbied for the pause on the ban, arguing that companies would not have enough time to make the required changes to their branding and marketing. According to ProVeg International, the French Conseil d’État, the country’s highest court, expressed doubt about the legality of the decree and deemed it unjustified in terms of providing consumer information. “We are delighted to hear that the French Conseil d’État has decided to suspend the decree prohibiting names for plant-based products,” said Jasmijn de Boo, vice president of ProVeg International. “Plant-based foods are part of the solution to tackling the climate crisis and any regulation should actively support their sale and marketing not hamper it,” she added. #France #labelling

MyForest Foods has announced the opening of a new vertical mycelium farm, which it says is the largest facility of its kind in the world. The milestone will allow the company to scale up production of MyBacon, its whole-cut bacon alternative. The farm, known as Swersey Silos, uses AirMycelium technology developed by Ecovative, the company that spun out MyForest Foods. Swersey Silos has the capacity to produce nearly 3 million pounds of mycelium annually. The facility is part of 120,000 square feet of new infrastructure, which also includes a production site in Saratoga Springs, New York, expected to open this autumn. “The incredible progress we’ve made on Swersey Silos in just one year since breaking ground is a testament to the engineering and technological expertise on our team,” said Peter Mueller, chief technology officer at Ecovative. “We look forward to using that talent to help make MyForest Foods successful as well. MyForest Foods is now in a position to reach full market scale. It’s a tremendous milestone for one of our closest partners, and for AirMycelium technology.” MyForest Foods says that it expects to serve MyBacon to more than 1 million consumers by 2024. #mycelium #MyForestFoods #US

The plant-based industry is continuously working to produce more authentic meat and dairy alternatives, or to improve the general taste, texture and appearance of plant protein foods. These efforts are being facilitated by ingredient innovators, which are developing new functional solutions or prototype vegan foods. The Plant Base rounds up five of the latest developments. Roquette launches rice protein ingredients Roquette has expanded its Nutralys range with the introduction of two rice protein ingredients. According to Roquette, rice protein offers an “appealing” light cream colour and a fine particle size that contributes to creating a smooth and soft texture. The new Nutralys ingredients include a rice protein isolate and a rice protein concentrate. They are non-GMO and gluten-free, and can be used in combination with other plant proteins, such as pea. Jeremy Burks, senior vice president of plant proteins at Roquette, said: “In the US or in Europe, consumers are asking for better plant-based protein that tastes great while being nutritious and safe”. “Building on our more than 40 years of expertise in plant proteins, today we offer a new rice protein to stay at the forefront of this shift and to keep building the plant-based cuisine of the future.” Bluegrass Ingredients adds vegan-friendly option to cheese concentrates portfolio The new offering is said to be clean label and certified kosher, and is made with just nine ingredients, including water, coconut oil, salt and yeast extract. “From Italian dishes to queso dips, we’ve seen concentrates become a go-to ingredient for R&D professionals looking to add more intense cheese flavours without adding more cheese, which can be expensive and impact a product’s health profile,” said Peter Losee, vice president of marketing at Bluegrass Ingredients. “We’re working to stay on the cutting edge of the emerging concentrates market, including by offering a vegan cheez formulation.” Mycorena develops mycoprotein butter prototype Mycorena has unveiled a mycoprotein butter prototype, following six months of research and development work. The prototype, which marks a move by the start-up into high-fat dairy alternatives, is made from a new fungi-structured fat ingredient. According to Mycorena, the milestone has been made possible by the development of a unique patent-pending fungi processing method. Mycorena expects that the new process will make it possible to create a range of vegan alternatives to high-fat dairy products, with few ingredients required. “This is something our team has been trying to figure out for more than a year, with little success until recently,” said chief innovation officer, Paulo Teixeira. “Usually, mycoprotein is considered a non-functional protein ingredient that needs other ingredients to create interesting food structures. We have just shown here that this is not true, you just need to work it the right way.” NextFerm Technologies commercialises yeast-based protein ingredient The vegan, non-GMO ingredient is said to have a similar nutritional value to animal-derived protein and a neutral flavour, with no aftertaste. NextFerm CEO, Boaz Noy, said: “The alternative protein market is the main growth engine of the global food industry, and we expect high demand for ProteVin as a proprietary vegan protein source for a variety of alternative food products, with a rich amino acid composition similar to animal-based protein…and [a] neutral flavour”. ProteVin is designed for a range of applications in the alternative protein sector, including milk and dairy substitutes and meat alternatives, and is also aimed at the infant, adult and sports nutrition markets. ChickP creates prototype plant-based barista milk ChickP has developed a prototype of a chickpea-based milk alternative designed for use in coffee. The company says that the plant-based creamer demonstrates the versatility of its pure protein ingredient, which is said to have a neutral flavour and offer “excellent foaming capabilities due to its high solubility and smooth texture”. “Our ChickP protein ticks all the boxes,” said the company’s CEO, Liat Lachish Levy. “It’s packed with highly nutritious complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. But more than that, it has a rich texture, and provides smooth, stable full foaming with a white colour, perfect for showcasing the most artful barista’s skills.” #dairyfreecheese #plantbasedbutter #ChickPProtein #Mycorena #Roquette #plantprotein #milkalternatives

Givaudan, Bühler and Cargill are partnering with Food Tech Hub LATAM and the Food Technology Institute (ITAL) in Brazil to establish a tropical food innovation centre that serves Latin America. Located in Campinas, Brazil, the Tropical Food Innovation Lab will be located at ITAL, occupying a refurbished 1,300-square-metre area. The facility will encourage innovation in the food and beverage sector, including the use of wet and dry extrusion systems for plant-based proteins, as well as beverage processing units, which will add extra capabilities to the existing facilities. Once completed, the hub will feature application labs and a demo kitchen, where professionals can work together to create sustainable new products. Eduard Fontcuberta, regional innovation head at Givaudan, said: “The Tropical Food Innovation Lab brings a diverse and complementary group of strategic partners working together investigating market shifts, cross-fertilising ideas and nourishing concepts to deliver superior sustainable solutions to food and beverage customers.” Damien Chapelier, head of Bühler South America, added: “This new innovation lab is a great achievement for Bühler, and we believe it will leverage significantly the food industry development in South America, especially in Brazil…Only within a collaborative and innovative environment it is possible to support our customers to be successful in a dynamic market through the development of new products.” The Tropical Food Innovation Lab is planned to open in the first quarter of 2023. #Bühler #InstituteofFoodTechnology #LatinAmerica #Givaudan #Cargill #FoodTechHubLatam

CanDo-owned snack bar brand, Keto Krisp, has expanded its plant-based range with the launch of a new flavour – Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt. The new flavour is a crispy take on a traditional combination of rich dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds. The bar offers 11g of protein, 8g of fibre, 4g of net carbs and 2g of sugar. Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is also gluten-free and keto-friendly. “Satisfying your chocolate craving doesn’t have to be synonymous with ‘cheat days’ or ‘guilty pleasures’,” said Adam Bremen, founder of CanDo. “It was important for us to maintain the sweet, decadent taste [consumers] crave from dark chocolate with a nutty crunch from protein-packed almonds, but with just 2g of sugar.” Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is available in select US retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Costco, Sprouts, Wegmans, Publix and HEB. #CanDo #KetoKrisp #US

UK meat alternative business, This, has unveiled its first branded food-to-go range into WHSmith, which comprises three sandwiches and two snacking pots. The sandwiches use the brand’s plant-based chicken, and are available in three flavours: This Isn’t Chicken & Sweetcorn, This Isn’t Chicken & Stuffing and This Isn’t Coronation Chicken. Meanwhile, the snack pots include: This Isn’t Chicken Tikka Pieces, which comes with a mango chutney dip, and This Isn’t Pork Cocktail Sausages with tomato ketchup. Andy Shovel, co-founder of This, said: ‘’Working with WHSmith to deliver this range has been epic. Travel retail has picked up enormously and it’s another opportunity to show people how good plant-based food can be.’’ The new range will be available at WHSmith, with an RRP between £2.50 and £4.00. #sandwiches #snackpots #This #UK

In 2020, the Drinks Industry Sustainability index scored the strategies and practices followed by the beverage industry 4.8 out of10, stating the beverage industry was ‘’considerably behind’’. Meanwhile, a 2021 survey conducted by Statista found that 20% of Gen-Z and 20% of Millennial participants agree that sustainability is an important consideration when buying food and beverage products in the US. Sustainability is no longer a buzzword, or a badge to flaunt one’s environmental credentials – it is an absolute necessity. And the beverage industry is no exception. Here, FoodBev Media takes a closer look at the innovative ways in which beverage manufacturers and brands are reducing their environmental footprint. Logistics and packaging Nowadays, consumers have no qualms holding brands accountable for their social and sustainable impact, with many moving towards greener practices that cut carbon emissions. Transportation (distribution and logistics) is a major contributor to these. In fact, heavy goods vehicles are responsible for approximately 25% of CO2 emissions in the EU. I’m addition, the type of packaging used to haul goods around during transportation can impact the sustainability of a product/company. Buen Vato, for example, recently announced the launch of the “world’s first” tequila in a cardboard bottle, made from 94% recycled material, which will be lighter to transport and will reduce CO2 emissions. The beverage industry is a huge contributor to the plastic waste problem, with only one in five plastic water bottles being recycled through the proper streams. Back in May, UK ethical brand Honest launched the “world’s first” recycled reusable bottle. The Honest Bottle made from 100% recycled single-use bottles (rPET), while the cap is made entirely from recycled milk bottles (rHDPE). Brands are also switching to other recyclable options. For example, Danone-owned Evian announced the launch of its “first-ever” sparkling water in recyclable aluminium cans. Sustainable Ingredients Ingredients that are sourced locally not only promote sustainability but are also fresher and healthier. The farm-to-fork initiative, which first gained traction in the 2000s, aims to get as many manufacturers as possible to source produce from their local community instead of abroad. Sourcing from local farmers and suppliers cuts the amount of CO2 generated by transportation as well as importation/exportation costs. Companies are also increasing the nutritional profile of their products by using natural, clean label ingredients. Natural ingredients provide essential vitamins and minerals. Givaudan recently partnered with Manus Bio to launch a natural, clean-label citrus flavor, called BioNootkatone, which can be used in a wide range of beverages. BioNootKatone uses a non-GMO sugar source and the company has described it as the most effective and sustainable natural nootkatone available on the market. Plant-based products The plant-based food and beverage market is expected to reach $162 billion by 2030, up from $29.4 billion in 2020, according to a Bloomberg report. Consumers are embracing plant-based eating and drinking, due to its health, ethical and environmental credentials. According to The American Journal, plant-based diets are more sustainable as they use fewer natural resources and are less taxing on the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods. Some key innovations include oat milk with added protein by Ripple Foods and Choc-o-lot with added fibre by Vita Coco. Both of these healthy drinks offer a boost of nutrition and are low in sugar. Additionally, the ingredients in these products are GMO-free and environmentally friendly. Have you recently launched or are in the process of launching a new product or service that boasts sustainability credentials? The World Beverage Innovation Awards 2022 has the dedicated category ‘Best CSR/ Sustainability initiative’ to celebrate your contribution to a greener future! #WorldBeverageInnovationAwards #WorldBeverageInnovationAwards2022 #sustainability #beverage #socialresponsibility