Dutch plant-based cheese start-up Willicroft has raised €2 million in a seed investment round. Willicroft uses traditional techniques and plant-based ingredients, such as beans and pulses, to produce its dairy-free cheeses. Paulig’s venture arm PINC and Rockstart led the company’s seed round, which also received participation from Döhler and Feast Ventures. Willicroft will use the funds to expand into new markets, such as the Nordics, the UK and Germany. “With this new raise locked in we’ll be bringing our delicious, beautifully branded range of plant-based cheese to three new markets: the UK, Germany and the Nordics, bringing in senior talent and continuing on our quest to become the world’s first net positive plant-based cheese company,” said Brad Vanstone, co-founder and CEO of Willicroft. “Our new investor group can help open up a number of new markets whilst also fast-tracking our products’ continued evolution.” Mark Durno, managing partner agrifood at Rockstart, said: “Willicroft is taking plant-based dairy alternatives to the next level. Alongside making delicious products, they are helping farmers to transition to sustainable production by enabling a local supply chain without the need for monocropping or highly processed ingredients. “They have spent the last years understanding their consumers and their footprint, and the next phase will be to put those learnings to scale.” #Willicroft #Paulig #theNetherlands #Rockstart #plantbasedcheese

Conagra Brands is expanding its Gardein‘s Ultimate Plant-Based portfolio with the addition of seven new food products. The new variants include: Chick’n Wings, available in Buffalo and BBQ style; Chick’n Spicy Fillets; Saus’ge Links in both bratwurst and spicy Italian varieties; and Breakfast Saus’ge in original and spicy patties. “Eating plant-based should never mean settling for a limited menu,” said Jill Dexter, VP and general manager at Conagra Brands. “Gardein is committed to adding delicious new food to our line-up, and we’re really excited for consumers to try out these offerings.” Gardein’s Ultimate Plant-Based portfolio includes plant-based alternatives to beef, chicken, pork, turkey and seafood. The new Gardein’s Ultimate Plant-Based additions will be available at grocery stores, mass retailers and through e-commerce from next month. #ConagraBrands #Gardein #US

An exciting day for FoodBev as we launch not one but two award schemes, the World Beverage Innovation Awards & the World Plant-Based Awards The World Plant-Based Awards 2022, in association with Plant Based World Expo, are now live and open for entries! Following the success of FoodBev’s World Plant-Based Awards in 2021, we are excited to launch the third edition of this upcoming event, which pays homage to the most innovative companies in this fast-paced industry. A live ceremony will be held during this year’s Plant Based World Expo in New York, US, on Thursday 8 September, to recognise and celebrate excellence across every sector of the burgeoning global plant-based sector. Last year, the judging panel considered over 110 entries from all corners of the globe, the winners and finalists were announced during a special ceremony hosted at and in association with Plant Based World Expo. Louis Porcelli, Social Media and Campaigns Executive at FoodBev Media said: “The World Plant-Based Awards scheme is quickly becoming an industry leading celebration of innovation within the ever-growing plant-based sector. “This September, we are looking forward to hosting our second live World Plant-Based Awards in New York, at Plant Based World Expo. I am excited to showcase the raft of innovative plant-based products that are driving the sector forward.” There are 16 categories in total to enter, ranging from plant-based products and packaging, through to sustainability and brand recognition. Smaller challenger brands and start-ups, and more established brands are all invited to enter your plant-based innovations. Entrants that submit their entries before June 17th will also be entitled to our early bird discount, saving £55 on your regular entry price. With our small business rate options available the awards are now more accessible than ever before Have you launched an innovative new plant-based product or service? Find out more #WorldPlantBasedAwards #Food #awards #innovation #beverage #plantbased #WorldPlantBasedAwards2022

Ingredion has launched a range of pea and faba bean concentrates, called Vitessence Prista. Vitessence Prista helps product manufacturers improve the taste and nutritional profile of non-soy-based products. Ingredion said that the range does not give a plant flavour, bitter taste or uncontrolled microbial levels, which are often in dry-milled products. Ingredion’s proprietary process allows expanding the reach of solutions into dairy alternative yogurt, cheese, drinks, ice cream, nutrition mixes, vegan sauce and dressings, bakery, snacks, pasta, batters and breading applications. Vitessence Prista can also achieve “higher quantities of plant protein in their solutions without impacting the flavour,” said the company. Esra Akmanli, business development manager platforms at Ingredion, Europe, said: “Consumers are more likely to try brands with claims of ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’ ingredients, such as ‘protein’, ‘plant-based’ and ‘gluten-free’. With Vitessence Prista, formulators can develop products that boast a delightful balance with an improved taste profile, lighter colour, low microbial count and superior functionality to meet consumer needs for products that truly delight. “ #Ingredion #peaandfabaconcentrates

The plant-based industry is becoming increasingly competitive, with more and more companies entering into legal accusations over patents and proprietary technologies. Isabel Fernández, Heura Foods director of science and technology, gives her perspective on the current situation and future consequences for the industry. These are very exciting times to be in the food industry and especially at the forefront of the plant-based movement. Plant-based foods are becoming mainstream and with that comes much higher expectations to deliver on cost, nutrition and sensory experience. We are seeing more and more companies quickly flooding the market with products that are apparently different (shapes/formats/protein sources) but essentially the same, ie. foods designed using the same structuring principles and technologies and hence limited by the same constraints. This model has an expiration date and is already leading the market to its saturation point. I believe innovation-driven growth is the only way out of it and the future scenario for the plant-based industry. In order to get there, two fundamental changes need to happen within the industry: 1. We should start asking the big questions and spending resources on tackling the major challenges around sustainability and ultra-processing/clean label, and 2. We should engage in pre-competitive fundamental research programmes and openly discuss and collaborate towards solving the most basic issues we share. Fast progress can only happen via error-correction mechanisms. This is the main operating principle of science. The reason why scientific progress, despite its greater complexity, is often faster than technological progress is that science is openly discussed and examined. Researchers examine each other’s results critically, errors are quickly corrected and the work is judged for its significance and originality. This ensures that only rigorous studies yielding important and novel findings are passed on. When it comes to technological advancement, this path becomes full of obstacles as industries are not openly discussing results and when they do – once patents are published – results are often presented in a rather confusing way precisely to avoid competition. The patent system is still our best option to incentivise innovation in the private sector while ensuring technological progress. The question is: how do we use it effectively, meaning how do we make sure that we collectively advance towards improving our technologies with regards to environmental impact and health in an increasingly competitive playfield? What we need are disruptive technologies rooted in exponential progress instead of ie. how to make something different I think part of the answer lies in the novelty and relevance of our scientific research. I’d like to see more collective, cutting-edge research to ensure we generate ideas and develop technologies from an already advanced scientific understanding. This would lift up the quality and impact of our innovations, technological solutions and patents. The fight for competitive advantage in the industry would remain, as it should be, but we would be playing in the first league and truly contributing to solving the global challenges. That’s not happening at the moment, the competitive industrial battles we fight are based on small incremental progress ie. how to make something slightly better. What we need are disruptive technologies rooted in exponential progress instead of ie. how to make something different. Within that context, the question would become how to ensure and facilitate cumulative innovations (whether complementary or sequential) within our current patent system. Major discoveries and breakthrough innovations create a wide range of opportunities not only in terms of applications and benefits but also in downstream (follow-up) innovations. These are cumulative innovations. Our patent system is imperfect in the sense that it makes it possible for the pioneer inventor to block downstream innovations. If we are to maximise the impact of disruptive innovations in the future, the patent system should be upgraded and legislators should find an optimal balance between the incentives for the pioneers and the follow-up inventors. #Heura #opinion #plantbasedtechnology

The Coconut Collaborative has launched the “UK’s first” plant-based yogurt range targeted at better gut health. The Cultured Coconut Yog range is said to be “fermented in a traditional way”, with each pot containing multiple strains of live gut-friendly cultures. The range includes a 350g pot of plain yogurt and a four-pack of 100g strawberry yogurt pots. Free from dairy, soy and gluten, the yogurts are packed with billions of live and active bacteria, as well as prebiotic fibre, calcium and vitamins D, B6 and B12. The Cultured Coconut Yog range is available at Sainsbury’s stores nationwide. Last year, The Coconut Collab launched a new crème fraîche alternative in the UK. #TheCoconutCollaborative #UK #yogurt

Vemag Maschinenbau in Verden/Aller, Germany, is presenting various solutions for producing plant-based alternatives at IFFA in Frankfurt this year. Visitors to the trade fair can find out more about the production of plant-based alternatives in Hall 8, Stand B04. Vemag has extensive experience in this area because it has long since ceased to be a trend and has become reality – the reasons for turning to plant-based alternatives are many and varied. For a healthier diet, to do something good for the climate and the environment, or simply for reasons of animal welfare, consumers today are increasingly giving up meat. In order to make the purchase decision as easy as possible for consumers, the shape and appearance of alternatives play a decisive role. In addition to applications such as burger patties, plant-based mince or sausages, Vemag Maschinenbau also offers room for creative ideas, new shapes and individual solutions. The mechanical engineering company has been established in the field of plant-based production processes for many years and can draw on highly specialised, technological know-how. In addition to high-performance vacuum filling machines, numerous attachment devices and forming machines are available (eg. for the production of patties and balls (filled or unfilled)), length portioning devices for sausage production, as well as solutions for depositing and inserting in trays and thermoformers. Hanging machines for sausages and cup filling systems complete the portfolio. For first-class plant-based burger patties, the Vemag FM250 forming machine comes into play. It produces patties by means of forming nozzles and an integrated flattening belt and ensures an appealing shape as if homemade. Plant-based mince Plant-based mince can be portioned precisely and exceptionally accurately in terms of weight with minimum give-away using the Vemag portioner MMP223 and fed to the trays using a combination with the SL305 loading line. Meatballs When it comes to alternatives for meatballs, the BC237 and BC236 Ball Control solutions are unbeatable professionals. The servo-driven counter-rotating hole plates produce perfectly shaped balls in a wide range of variants. The balls can be filled by means of coextrusion, thus setting new accents in the range. An optional flattening belt forms multi-lane patties from the products, which can then be breaded, cooked or frozen. Individual shapes With the Vemag filling and forming machines and the numerous other attachments, not only classics such as sausages, burger patties and balls can be produced – all imaginable shapes can be realised. In addition to the standard portfolio, the area for customised solutions offers room for creative ideas, new shapes and individual solutions for various applications from alternative protein sources. Further information under shows.vemag.de. The Company Vemag Maschinenbau, with its headquarters in Verden/Aller, Germany, is one of the leading machine manufacturers for filling, portioning, dividing, shaping and depositing pastes, doughs and mixes. Its portfolio ranges from small-scale solutions to highly industrialised applications and modular production lines. Gentle, economic handling of raw materials and efficient flexibility in meeting individual customer requirements are two of the company’s significant success factors. The concept is to establish a modular system comprising standard fillers and tailored attachments that can be flexibly adapted to specific user requirements. This allows efficient solutions covering production capacity for all users—from artisan producers to large companies—as well as applications ranging from the filling or portioning process, shaping and grinding applications, the splitting of dough and mixes, through to innovative Portion-to-Pack solutions. Vemag employs approximately 800 employees, is active worldwide and has an export quota of approximately 85 percent. #Germany #partnercontent #plantbasedmeat #Vemag

The flatbreads include a Jerk Chicken Style Folded Flatbread and a Madras Chicken Style Folded Flatbread and are ready-to-eat and microwaveable. The expansion of Squeaky Bean’s kebab range will introduce its Turkish Kofta Style Kebab which “perfectly replicates the popular Byzantine street food” and is high in protein and ideal for snacking. Sarah Augustine, brand manager at Squeaky Bean, commented: “Squeaky Bean has built up a loyal fanbase with big flavours that our consumers really crave. Instantly tasty, our ready-to-eat meat alternatives are perfect for lunchtimes in epic sandwiches, wraps and pittas. Most importantly they hit the spot for those essential snacking fridge to face moments.” She continued: “So, it made complete sense for us to take the hard work away and create a finished product that is delicious straight out of the pack and only takes a quick ping in the microwave, whether you’re at home or in the office”. The flatbread duo and kofta kebab are available in Tesco in 150g packs for an RRP of £2.00 and 160g packs for an RRP of £3.00, respectively. #SqueakyBean #UK

Algaecore Technologies’ SimpliiGood brand has teamed up with IFF on the development of a commercial smoked salmon analogue made entirely from fresh spirulina. The plant-based alternative is said to have the appearance, texture and flavour of salmon, without the pollutants that living fish are often exposed to. Currently transitioning from lab to commercial scale, the clean label product is expected to hit the market by the end of 2023. Spirulina is a rich source of whole protein, as well as antioxidants, chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals. The analogue’s orange “salmon-like” hue has been created through identifying and isolating a native beta-carotene pigment naturally present in the algae. #AlgaecoreTechnologies #IFF #Plantbasedseafood #SimpliiGood

The Vegana Pizza features a sourdough base, crafted in “traditional Neapolitan style”, covered with a tomato and caramelised balsamic onion sauce and hand-topped with IGP Tropea red onions, grilled mushrooms and broccolini. The pizza also consists of a creamy chickpea sauce topping, with rosemary, sea salt and olive oil. The vegan full-size pizza will RRP for £4.75 and can also be purchased Pizzetta-style, which offers two smaller-sized portions per pack, for an RRP of £4.75. #CrostaampMollica #UK

Plant-based meat company Heura has launched a sustainable technology platform that aims to reduce food waste, extract more nutrients from plants and avoid chemical processing. Called Good Rebel Tech, the new platform exploits intrinsic plant properties to unlock healthier food options using simple, low-energy processes. The technology enables Heura to “valorise micronutrients naturally present in the starting materials” and “enhance bioavailability when required, as opposed to including them as additive ingredients”. The process reduces the number of physical processes needed during manufacturing and cuts all chemical processing. Isabel Fernández, science and technology director at Heura, said: “Instead of focusing on extracting and isolating proteins from legume seeds, we are researching ways to leverage the functionality of whole plants in their naturally occurring structures”. She continued: “By leveraging discoveries in cellular plant physiology, colloids and biopolymer science combined with computational fluid dynamics and engineering techniques, we’ve been able to create a technological platform that rewrites current plant-based food processing rules and leads to new sustainable manufacturing ecosystems.” Good Rebel Tech will be filing its first patents throughout this year, with aims to cover the production of nutritional plant-based products. Heura has quadrupled the size of its research and development team and plans to launch up to ten new products in 2022. #Heura #meatalternatives #Spain

Whole roasted bean snack brand, Three Farmers Foods, has closed a CAD 6.2 million investment round. The round was led by District Ventures Capital, which invested CAD 3 million, and saw participation from existing investors including Export Development Canada, Golden Opportunities Fund and PIC Investment Group. The Canadian snack brand says it uses locally sourced pulses from the Canadian prairies to create better-for-you, plant-based products that are high in protein and fibre, gluten-free, nut- and peanut-free and vegan. The brand uses a proprietary dry roasting technique to develop snacks that have a lower level of fat “compared to competing brands”. Arlene Dickinson, general partner of District Ventures Capital, said: “Canada continues to demonstrate its enormous agricultural and health expertise and resources. Investments in vertically integrated companies like Three Farmers are what will create generational opportunity for our country. As leading producers for lentil and green pea production in the world, Canada is missing out by not participating in the commercialisation of these resources into products – a gap Three Farmers is able to help fill.” The company’s five product lines are currently sold in retailers across Noth America, including stores such as Loblaws, Sobeys, Whole Foods and Walmart. “We are very excited to welcome District Ventures as a partner in Three Farmers Foods. Armed with the resources required to build our brand and distribution across Canada and the USA and expand our manufacturing in Saskatchewan, we will be able to continue to push towards our goal of making whole bean snacking a staple in all households across North America,” said Three Farmers CEO Natasha Vandenhurk. She continued: “Now, more than ever, consumers are relying on brands like us to provide them with healthy, wholesome foods that truly deliver on the promise of nutrition while still satisfying the need for big crunch and flavour”. The investment will support Three Farmers’ continued growth in Canada, and provide sales and business development support for the company’s US expansion plans. #ThreeFarmersFoods #NorthAmerica #Canada #beansnacks #snacking