Pilgrim’s Food Masters‘ Fridge Raiders has unveiled its newest snack offering – Meat-Free Tasty Bites – designed for consumers looking for plant-based options. The new meat-free launch is available in two variants: Slow Roasted and Katsu. The plant-based snack is made with the fava bean and mimics the brand’s Chicken Bites. Chris Doe, marketing manager for Fridge Raiders and Richmond, commented: “The growth of the meat-free category is not slowing down, so we’re excited to offer our customers a delicious meat-free snacking option in a category that we know currently under-delivers on taste”. He continued: “We know that consumers are on the hunt for a meat-free snack that delivers on taste, texture and quality whilst also being a healthy and fulfilling option. At Fridge Raiders, we love a challenge and we’ve put everything we’ve learned from our much-loved Chicken Bites into creating the perfect plant-based alternative. Our Meat-Free Tasty Bites tick all the boxes for beating hunger cravings and packing a punch with flavour.” Fridge Raiders Meat-Free Tasty Bites will be available in 65g bags for an RRP of £1.30 and 45g grab bags for an RRP of £1.00. The variants are available in Sainsbury’s with further rollout expected in May across grocery and convenience channels. #FridgeRaiders #PilgrimsFoodMasters #UK

Starbucks and Nestlé have collaborated to introduce new dairy-free coffee enhancers to their range of Starbucks Coffee Enhancers. The two new flavours – Caramel Macchiato and Hazelnut Latte – are the first non-dairy flavours in the lineup and are made with a blend of almond and oat. Caramel Macchiato consists of a blend of almond and oat with layers of caramel and hints of vanilla flavour while Hazelnut Latte combines the blend of oat and almond with the flavour of hazelnuts for a “nutty, tasty treat”. Eryn Pasut, marketing director of beverages at Nestlé Canada, said: “Last year, Starbucks Coffee at Home introduced Canada to its core range of coffee enhancers. The overwhelming success led to numerous inquiries on our social channels requesting a dairy-free alternative and we are now excited to deliver this product to consumers.” She continued: “The two new non-dairy additions to the Starbucks Coffee Enhancers lineup provide the opportunity for more Canadians to become a barista in their own kitchen with the comfort in knowing that they can choose a product to complement their diet and lifestyle”. The additions are available now and can be found in the refrigerated aisle of major grocery stores across Canada for an MSRP of $7.99 per 828ml. #Canada #Nestlé #Starbucks

Functional ingredient manufacturer Beneo has announced a €50 million investment in a new pulse processing plant in Offstein, Germany. The site will initially focus on producing protein concentrate, starch-rich flour and hulls from faba bean, fully utilising the crop. The former two ingredients will be used for protein enrichment and texture improvement in meat and dairy alternatives, and gluten-free bakery products and cereals. Meanwhile, the hulls and some of the flour will be used in animal feed. Construction work has already begun on the plant and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, creating up to 25 jobs. According to Beneo, the faba beans will be sourced locally from farmers that are certified by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative. The company says that it will process the raw ingredients in intermediate production facilities until the new plant is fully operational, meaning that the first batches of its faba bean ingredients will be available from the start of June this year. Christoph Boettger, member of the executive board at Beneo, said: “The recent investment by Beneo into a new pulse production site is only the starting point”. “We strongly believe in plant-based ingredients and therefore see the new plant as an important first step in enlarging our protein offering moving forwards. This will enable us to produce a wider variety of sustainable plant-based protein ingredients over the coming years.” Beneo says that it will have the option of processing other pulses at the plant in the future. #Beneo #Germany #plantbasedprotein

Organic, plant-based dairy brand, Forager Project, has announced the launch of a cashew milk yogurt line for children. The new range features three flavours – ‘berry berry,’ strawberry and mango – all of which are low in sugar and free from gluten and soy. Marking Forager Project’s first products aimed at children, the vegan yogurts come in squeezable pouches that can be enjoyed on the go. “We hear from our fans about how much they love our spoonable and drinkable dairy-free yogurts, so it only made sense to make a kid-approved version,” said Stephen Williamson, Forager Project co-founder and CEO. “In speaking with parents, ‘organic’ is one of the most important attributes they look for when shopping for their kids’ food. We are excited to provide parents with an option we know their kids will love, and expand our product offerings to make Forager Project a brand the whole family can enjoy.” The new range contains probiotics, calcium and vitamins D, A and B12. With an SRP of $1.99 per pouch, the children’s line will be available at Whole Foods Market stores across the US beginning in May, as well as at a number of other grocers. #Dairyalternatives #ForagerProject #US

Plant-based food brand Squeaky Bean is releasing new ready-to-eat Spicy Pepperoni Style Slices to add to its portfolio of meat-free alternatives. The Spicy Pepperoni Style Slices are 100% vegan, high in protein and are made from wheat and pea protein, chilli flakes and smoked paprika – designed to replicate the “flavours and texture of pepperoni”. The pepperoni release will join Squeaky Bean’s other new offerings: Spanish Chorizo, Doner Spiced Beef Style Kebab and Squeaky Bean Shawarma Chicken Style Kebab. Sarah Augustine, brand manager at Squeaky Bean, said: “Our fans speak and Squeaky Bean delivers! They told us they’d love to try a Squeaky version of a pepperoni pizza topping! We think it’s so good, it’ll probably be gone by the time the pizza oven pings.” Squeaky Bean Spicy Pepperoni Style Slices will be available in 90g packs for an RRP of £2.50 and will roll into Sainsbury’s stores nationwide from 27 April, alongside the brand’s other new releases. #meatalternatives #SqueakyBean #UK

Nestlé-owned Gerber has announced the launch of a new line of carbon-neutral, plant-protein baby food, called Plant-tastic. Plant-tastic features a selection of organic pouches, snacks and meals made using plant-based and nutrient-dense ingredients. Each Plant-tastic recipe is made with beans, such as chickpeas, black beans, navy beans and lentils. Gerber’s president and CEO, Tarun Malkani, said: “We hear from parents they want more plant-based protein options that align with their food and climate values. Gerber Plant-tastic offers stage-based nutrition across milestones starting with organic toddler pouches, snacks and meals. We are proud the full range of Plant-tastic products is certified carbon neutral, furthering our commitment to climate forward nutrition.” The range is available at retailers nationwide across the US. #babyfood #Gerber #Planttastic #US

Plant-based meat company Nowadays has closed a $7 million seed round, as it looks to expand its portfolio and distribution. Based in California, the company offers plant-based chicken nuggets and is looking to introduce new products. Nowadays says that its technology combines simple ingredients “without any questionable additives” to create whole cuts of plant-based meat, which can then be processed using existing manufacturing finishing lines for animal meat. Nowadays’ seed round was led by Stray Dog Capital, and also received support from meat processing and packaging business, Standard Meat Company. Other participants in the round included existing backers VegInvest Trust, Tenacious Ventures, Cornucopian Capital and Good Protein Fund, as well as new investors. The funds will support the commercialisation of additional products, including a plant-based chicken cutlet, and help the brand expand its distribution in foodservice and launch into retail. Standard Meat CEO and co-president, Ben Rosenthal, said: “At Standard Meat, we are constantly looking ahead to the future, bringing innovation to every aspect of our business”. “Today, that means investing in and supporting Nowadays and their plant-based meats that will deliver the nutritional benefits flexitarians are craving. “We know that consumers want a variety of quality protein choices, and we are looking forward to lending our operational expertise and culinary credibility as Nowadays scales manufacturing and launches new products.” #Nowadays #plantbasedmeat #US

Plant-based snack brand Outstanding Foods has launched flavoured dairy-free cheese ball snacks which are high in protein and nutrients. The new releases are available in four variants: Chedda, Bacon Chedda, Jalapeno Chedda and Garlic Parmesan. Outstanding Cheese Balls are free from soy, gluten and trans-fat while also containing four grams of protein and 20 vitamins and minerals per serving. Bill Glaser, CEO and co-founder of Outstanding Foods, commented: “We are thrilled to introduce our Outstanding Cheese Balls as the first dairy-free cheese balls on the market. Cheese balls are a nostalgic snack most of us grew up on, but for so many who avoid dairy for a variety of reasons, our Outstanding Cheese Balls will bring back those smile-filled memories with the great taste everyone loves and the nutrition we all need.” The dairy-free snacks come in full-size 3oz size bags retailing for $4.39 and snack-sized 1.25oz bags retailing for $2.49. They are available on Outstandingcheeseballs.com with further rollout into US retailers nationwide within the next few months. #dairyfreesnacks #OutstandingFoods #US

Mikuna Foods has closed a $5.6 million seed round, as it looks to scale its production capacity and expand its distribution footprint. Founded by Ecuadorian Ricky Echanique, Mikuna claims to be the first company to introduce protein from chocho – a lupin species found in the Andes Mountains – to the US market. Athletes such as professional skateboarder Leticia Bufoni, professional surfer Mick Fanning, and professional snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg were among the backers of Mikuna’s seed round. The brand will use the funds to support retail and foodservice expansion, as well as product innovation beyond protein supplements, and to scale up its production capacity. Vuori Clothing founder and CEO, Joe Kudla, who has also invested in Mikuna, said: “The plant-based protein market is truly ripe for disruption, and Mikuna is leading the charge by introducing a clean, naturally regenerative, nutritionally packed plant protein with versatility that will allow for rapid market and product expansion”. Mikuna has also announced the appointments of Tara Kriese and Gary Doherty as CEO and CFO, respectively. Kriese commented: “Mikuna has identified an exceptionally promising white space in the growing plant-based protein market, and I’m excited to join the company at such a pivotal time of growth and innovation. Chocho is the future of plant-based proteins, and as we look ahead to the brand’s product and innovation pipeline, Mikuna is poised to lead the plant-based industry back to its clean, whole food roots.” Mikuna currently offers Chocho Superfood Protein, which comes in three flavours, each of which is vegan, gluten-free, keto, paleo and non-GMO. #Ecuador #MikunaFoods #plantprotein #US

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

Bel Brands UK has expanded its Nurishh portfolio with the launch of two new dairy-free cheese alternatives to add to its range. The two new launches include Plant-Based Garlic & Herbs Spread and Gran Vegiano. Gran Vegiano comes in a pre-grated format and is dairy-free, lactose-free and only uses natural colours and flavourings. The plant-based alternative to parmesan is also rich in calcium and Vitamin B12. Plant-Based Garlic & Herbs Spread contains sunflower seeds and bamboo fibre and offers a source of calcium, Vitamin B12, fibre and protein for consumers. Justine de Monès, senior brand manager at Nurishh, said: “Not only will the expansive range help our retailer partners meet growing consumer demand but it’s also a core part of our ambition to diversify with a greater focus on healthy snacking, keeping dairy at the heart of Bel UK as we also develop complementary fruit and plant-based options”. Nurishh Gran Vegiano will be available for an RSP of £3.50 per 150g and will be launching in ASDA from April and Co-op from May. Nurishh Plant-Based Garlic & Herbs Spread will be available for an RSP of £2 per 130g and will be launching in Waitrose from May. #BelBrandsUK #Nurishh #UK

French food tech start-up Umiami has raised $30 million in a Series A financing round led by Astanor Ventures. Other investors included Redalpine, French Partners, Verso Capital, Newfund and Kima Ventures. The plant-based meat producer has developed a plant protein texturizing process – ‘umisation’ – that provides “fibrous consistency from plant matrixes” and enables “control of fibres’ size, direction and thickness”. The process reportedly allows for the production of plant-based protein with an authentic texture, a better nutritional profile and a cleaner label. Tristan Maurel, co-founder and CEO of Umiami, said: “Human health, the environment, but also respect for animals, are at the heart of new purchasing behaviours, but today there are no plant-based alternatives for consumers’ favourite meats such as breasts and whole cuts, that make meat so appealing. We wanted to recreate that particular experience.” The company plans to use the investment to open a dedicated factory by 2023 and expand its team. Umiami is also industrialising the production of its plant-based chicken breast and will open an industrial R&D centre near Paris next month. #France #plantprotein #plantbasedmeat #Umiami