Planetarians has raised $6 million in a seed II round to support the commercial production of its plant-based meat. Based in California, Planetarians upcycles byproducts to make its two-ingredient vegan whole cuts. The brand uses spent yeast from fermentation facilities and native plant proteins, such as soy flakes, left over from vegetable oil extraction. Led by venture capital firm Mindrock, the round also included Traction Fund, Techstars, SOSV and AB InBev’s corporate venture arm, ZX Ventures. Planetarians currently operates a pilot plant in Hayward, California, and will use the new funds to open a full-scale production facility to fulfil its first commercial agreements with foodservice customers. According to Planetarians, analysts at economic and social science research think tank, Iamecon, found the carbon footprint of its products to be 50x smaller than that of animal meat and 9x smaller than that of other plant-based meats. Co-founder Aleh Manchuliantsau said: “It took seven years of R&D to work through the long list of ingredients that are possible for plant-based proteins before we realised that one readily available fermented protein, spent yeast from breweries, could combine with soy flakes and other native plant proteins to deliver a meaty taste and texture at a low cost compared to the alternatives”. Max Barnthouse, co-founder and chef, added: “We are deeply grateful for the support of Mindrock, AB InBev and the rest of our investors. Like many other hard-working entrepreneurs and scientists, we have been trying to discover an alternative protein that hits all the marks. I think we have finally found it. I cannot wait to see Planetarians’ technology deployed across every brewery in the world.” #ABInBev #Planetarians #US

Mezeast, Wunda and Garden Gourmet will start disappearing from UK shelves during the second quarter.

The agreements mark a significant step toward scaling up production, with the company targeting industrial-scale Factory 02, expected to be fully operational by 2030, is set to produce up to 12,800 tonnes of Solein

This week, as part of The Plant Base's weekly Veganuary content specials, we round up some of the month's

acceleration in consumer demand in the region we are already increasing capacity with construction starting

ADM has announced plans to invest around $300 million to expand the production of soy protein concentrate at its facility in Decatur, Illinois. The project marks the latest move by the business to expand its alternative protein production capacity. Last year, the company acquired soy ingredients producer Sojaprotein, and ADM says that between the two investments, it will increase capacity by more than 30%. The expansion at Decatur is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, and will not only increase soy protein concentrate capacity but also nearly double extrusion capacity at the site. In addition, the company says that it will further strengthen its alternative protein capabilities by opening a new Protein Innovation Center, also in Decatur. The facility will be part of ADM’s existing Decatur-based innovation complex, and will bring together labs, test kitchens and pilot-scale production capabilities to “power new innovation”. “The global trends of food security and sustainability are driving structural changes in the food industry, including strong growth in alternative proteins, and we’re investing to ensure ADM remains a leader in this vast and exciting space,” said Leticia Gonçalves, ADM’s president of global foods. “The array of opportunity areas for alternative proteins in foods and nutrition solutions is continuing to grow at 10% CAGR, with alternative meat and dairy sales alone expected to grow by 14% a year and reach $125 billion in 2030. “Our sales in this space have been growing at rates much faster than the industry’s, and our work to expand our leadership position with new innovation and capacity is an important driver of future growth for our nutrition business.” #ADM #plantprotein #US

The Tofoo Co has joined forces with Flying Goose to introduce a new extra-firm tofu block: Tofoo Sriracha. Said to offer a spicy and tangy flavour, the chilli-infused block is marinated in Flying Goose’s original sriracha sauce. By collaborating with the Thai hot sauce brand, Tofoo is aiming to encourage consumers to try tofu for the first time. Tofoo co-founder, David Knibbs, said: “We are really excited about bringing these two great brands together in one delicious experience”. Knibbs continued: “The new launch marks just one of several NPD launches planned for 2022, together with a £2 million investment into operations to further improve process and efficiencies, setting the stage for further growth”. “The brand saw its most successful period of sales to date in Veganuary 2022 and is estimating turnover for this year to break through the £20 million barrier.” With an RRP of £2.70, Sriracha Tofoo arrives in Waitrose this month and Tesco in May. The launch of the marinated block follows the introduction of a teriyaki flavour in 2020. #FlyingGoose #TheTofooCo #UK

from the lactoferrin supply chain, TurtleTree has the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up TurtleTree’s co-founder and CEO, Fengru Lin, said: “Bovine Lactoferrin is just the start. Read The Plant Base’s ‘Start-up Spotlight’ interview with TurtleTree’s founder, Fenrgu Lin, here.

Singapore-based food tech company Sophie’s BioNutrients has partnered with Ingredion to develop a microalgae-based cheese. Sophie’s BioNutrients collaborated with the Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centre in Singapore to co-create the vegan-friendly cheese, which is made from its dairy-free microalgae milk. The cheese alternative is said to have an umami and tangy taste profile – mimicking a natural Cheddar cheese – and comes in semi-hard and spreadable varieties. Sophie’s BioNutrients produces a neutral-hued flour from single-cell microalgae that are grown within bioreactors. The firm’s microalgae protein flour has been used to make products including plant-based meat and milk. The company says that a 1oz serving of its new semi-hard microalgae cheese provides double the daily allowance of vitamin B12. It also has a low carbon footprint. “Microalgae is one of the most nutrient-rich and ductile resources on the planet,” said Eugene Wang, co-founder and CEO of Sophie’s BioNutrients. “Today we have shown another facet of the unlimited possibilities this superfood can offer – a dairy- and lactose-free alternative to cheese that, thanks to microalgae, offers a higher protein content than most available dairy-free alternatives. “We are incredibly excited for this development in allergen-free foods and the prospect of more inclusive dining.” #Ingredion #Singapore #SophiesBionutrients

The two new products join Holy Moly’s current line-up of smoky red pepper and tomato salsa, tomato and

a total of 18 in the US – which Ben & Jerry’s says represents almost 40% of its entire flavour line-up

measurable benefits with minimal formulation ‘noise,’ something we’ve built into our approach from the start The demand has opened up opportunities for plant-based beverages that combine hydration with added functionality Konjac root also promotes fullness – the natural fibre expands in the stomach and can absorb up to 50 The brand also unveiled a new functional powdered beverage stick line, Smart Sticks, this summer – tailored