Spelt specialist Sharpham Park has expanded its portfolio with the introduction of two new organic milk alternatives. The new Spelt Barista and Naked Oats & Spelt are made with organic spelt from the Sharpham Park Farm & Mill in Somerset, UK. Described as “creamy, refreshing and light,” the new barista drink was developed in partnership with coffee professionals and baristas, and has an RRP of £2.50 for 1 litre. Meanwhile, the Naked Oats & Spelt drink can be enjoyed on its own, with cereal, or in smoothies and baking. The beverage features Sharpham-grown oats and spelt, and has an RRP of £1.95 per litre carton. According to Sharpham Park, naked oats contain up to 20% natural protein compared to 12% in traditional oats, and are high in beta-glucan, antioxidants and lysine. Sharpham Park founder, Roger Saul, said: “We are thrilled to be launching our new organic spelt drinks to the market and expanding our existing food product range. Consumers are increasingly turning to spelt for health and taste benefits with demand soaring in recent years. “We remain committed to producing the finest British spelt products using regenerative organic practices from our Somerset-based farm and look forward to introducing this special grain to a wider audience across the UK – we’re confident they’re going to be well received.” Sharpham Park says that the environmental impact of farming its spelt is one third that of cow’s milk, while spelt also uses 42% less water than other grains. The new offerings are available through Ocado from this month, as well as via Abel & Cole, Good Club, Planet Organic and the company’s website. #milkalternatives #SharphamPark #spelt #UK

Leaf-derived protein producer, Leaft Foods, has announced that it has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round. Founded in 2019, the New Zealand company has developed a way of extracting RuBisCo (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase) from leaves. Every plant uses RuBisCo as part of its photosynthesis process, “making it the most plentiful protein on earth,” according to Leaft Foods. The company’s Series A round was backed by Khosla Ventures, professional basketball player Steven Adams, New Zealand indigenous investor Ngāi Tahu and sovereign health provider ACC. Leaft Foods will use the new funds to support R&D, accelerate its growth, and create a global value chain starting with the US. “Nature’s biggest animals – elephants, buffalo and cattle – are all herbivores who have evolved to digest protein in leaves, especially with the latter two having multiple stomachs,” said Leaft co-founder, John Penno. “But while it’s trapped inside a plant cell, it’s hard for humans to eat enough leaves for a sufficient serving of protein, let alone digest all of that plant matter. Our technology forges a new way to tap plant protein that is tasty, nutritious, scalable and accessible for everyone. It’s truly transformational.” The protein produced by Leaft is said to have a similar amino acid profile to beef and offers the “same” digestibility as animal protein. “At Khosla, we are all about investing in technologies that are bold and impactful,” said Alice Brooks of Khosla Ventures. “We are excited to be an early investor in Leaft and to work together with the team as they bring in a new era of agriculture and a shift in the way sustainable food is produced at scale.” #LeaftFoods #NewZealand #plantbasedprotein

Pilgrim’s Food Masters has expanded its Richmond portfolio with the introduction of four new meat-free products. The company has just launched meat-free back bacon in Tesco – with a further rollout planned for September – expanding its plant-based bacon offering beyond streaky rashers. Pilgrim’s Food Masters is also adding a BBQ sauce flavour to its meatless sausage range. The limited-edition product is available from retailers including Asda, Morrisons and Tesco. Marking Richmond’s first foray into the “lunchtime occasion,” the brand has introduced a range of ‘deli’ slices, featuring No-Ham and No-Chicken variants. The slices are said to recreate the sensory experience of meat, “with a textured protein replicating its natural chew,” and can be enjoyed in sandwiches, salads and wraps, as well as on pizzas. Already available in Waitrose, the new offerings will also be rolling out to Sainsbury’s later this month. Meanwhile, the new Richmond No-Chicken Pieces, along with the No-Chicken slices, represent the brand’s debut in the meat-free chicken category. Available in both frozen and chilled variants, the new offering comes in a chargrilled flavour. The pieces are rolling out to a number of UK retailers. “We’ve been blown away by the success of our Meat-Free portfolio but we’re not slowing down now. We are eager to keep up momentum within the category and continue innovating to offer consumers even more choice in their plant-based repertoire,” said Chris Doe, marketing manager for Richmond. “We’ve already proven that we can launch great-tasting plant-based alternatives that respond to what consumers want but we’ve also seen that the Richmond brand is uniquely positioned to engage new shoppers, encouraging them to try plant-based products they wouldn’t normally put in their basket.” #PilgrimsFoodMasters #Richmond #UK

US frozen treat brand GoodPop has launched gluten- and dairy-free oat milk dessert sandwiches in a chocolate vanilla flavour. GoodPop says that its new plant-based dessert sandwiches mark the brand’s first foray into stickless frozen treats. Made with non-GMO ingredients, the “cleaned-up classic” contains 110 calories and only 8g of sugar. The sandwiches are also kosher, and free from refined sugars and sugar alcohol sweeteners. “We love reinventing classic nostalgic favourites with better-for-you ingredients, which means they have a much shorter, better-for-you ingredient list and are allergen-friendly, but without sacrificing taste,” said Daniel Goetz, CEO and founder of GoodPop. “We decided to enter new territory because we saw an opportunity in the market to recreate the cult classic ice cream sandwiches like the ones we grew up with in the 80s and 90s, but with cleaner ingredients that are more delicious and better for people and the planet.” With an SRP of $4.99-5.99 per box of four, the new offering is available at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, HEB, Gelson’s and Raley’s, as well as online via the GoodPop shop. #GoodPop #plantbaseddairy #US

Global consumption of all plant-based foods is growing, including an emerging class of products designed to look and taste like popularly consumed meats. Although proteins that are derived from animals remain a leading food choice, many consumers are actively purchasing meat-free alternatives to limit their intake from these sources. That increase in consumption – among millennials and others – wouldn’t be happening if today’s plant-based meat offerings weren’t far better tasting and appealing than their predecessors. A willingness to try More consumers are looking for nutrition and health benefits from the foods they eat and are increasingly willing to try new foods to get what they want. In 2021, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) conducted its annual online survey of 1,014 Americans aged 18 to 80. Results showed that one in five is actively seeking health benefits from foods to help with things like weight loss or weight management, energy levels and digestive health. They are also ready to explore new foods in pursuit of those goals. The survey found that 24% were more likely to now eat “much more” or “somewhat more” proteins from plant sources, while another 19% responded they were likely to increase their consumption of more plant-based meat alternatives. Ain’t nothing like the real thing To bring more people to the table, food scientists have been busy perfecting recipes that mirror the qualities of meats in common formats. Flavour and texture are extremely important to get right. Consumers, noted research firm FMCG Gurus, do not want to feel as if they are sacrificing taste in order to lead a healthier lifestyle. This desire for meat substitutes to replicate real meat products is also highlighted by consumers’ colour preferences for the products. FMCG Gurus research shows that 73% of global consumers find brown colouring the most appealing for meat substitutes. This shows that it is not only vegans purchasing these products but meat-eaters looking for new, healthier alternatives. Colour plays a pivotal role in food choice, influencing taste thresholds, sweetness perception, food preference and acceptability. But colour often takes a back seat to taste and texture and product developers need to realise that the colour and appearance of a plant-based product must make that vital first impression. Why? Because we eat with our eyes. Before we taste, smell or touch food, we see it. And if what we see doesn’t resemble what we expect to taste, cognitive and sensory dissonance ensues. Plant-based colours demand plant-based ingredients Plant proteins, fibres and other building blocks for plant-based meats come from a variety of sources. The industry is currently producing foods out of a variety of all-natural, clean-label plant sources, including: Cell-based cultures Chickpea protein Mycoprotein Pea protein Seaweed protein Soy protein Lack of natural colour ingredients narrowing industry options Attaining colour isn’t easy. For one thing, the iron-transporting protein haemoglobin that gives “real” meat its red colour isn’t present in plants. From a technical manufacturing standpoint, food engineers and formulators have only a few primary choices to colour plant-based alternatives naturally: Lycopene Iron oxide Betalains (such as red beet) Anthocyanins (such as black carrot) Carmine (not suitable for vegan products) Viable vegan colour ingredients are hard to find Colouring plant-based foods is challenging because viable ingredients that are able to clear challenging processing hurdles are limited. Industrial-scale processing of these foods includes partly novel processes that require technical sophistication and experience establishing and stabilising colour based on source and product conditions, eg. pH range, high pressure, shearing and interactions with the product matrix. These challenging conditions create many limitations for most of the above-mentioned colours. Off-the-hook colours, straight off the vine Fortunately for developers, a range of lycopene-based colours can be derived from sustainably sourced tomatoes. To help the industry and food engineers understand how well lycopene colours perform in commercial applications, Lycored’s research team put lycopene colour ingredients to a series of real-world tests to find out. The results: In ham slices and sausages, lycopene colourants provided stellar performances relative to stability and authentic hues throughout both process and shelf life. When using the Hunter colour L. a. b scale and comparative ∆E values, where ∆E >4 indicates a visible difference, all lycopene-based colours performed well below this threshold in real-time and accelerated shelf-life tests in ham slices. Lycopene-based colours in sausages maintained authentic hues before and after cooking. A better ingredient choice for colouring plant-based meats Plant-based meat alternatives are vying for the top of the vegetarian product food chain, but they won’t get there unless ingredients are clean, able to withstand intensive processing and assure colours will stay true from factory to consumer. Lycored’s study data confirms lycopene-based colour ingredients have the process and colour stability the industry needs to ensure consumer appeal to their products. #colours #LycoRed #plantbasedcolours

Jaback Group has announced the launch of almond-based frozen dessert pints under its new dairy-free brand, Klimon, at select Walmart stores across the US. The pints are plant-based and gluten-free, and use a proprietary almond-based blend to “capture the decadent texture and creaminess of traditional ice cream, without the dairy”. The flavours now available at Walmart include: Morning Brew, which features coffee-flavoured frozen dessert, almonds and a fudge swirl; Caramel Brûlée, combining salted caramel-flavoured frozen dessert with chocolate cookie crumbs and a caramelised sugar swirl; Cherry Bomb, which pairs cherry-flavoured frozen dessert with Bordeaux cherry chunks and a cherry swirl. The line-up is completed by: Mint Condition, which features mint-flavoured frozen dessert, mini chocolate chips and a fudge swirl; and Sunrise Bang, an orange-flavoured frozen dessert with a cream-flavoured swirl. “We are so proud to be partnering with Walmart for the launch of our brand, and to continue to leave our mark on the plant-based food revolution,” said Alex Cotraviwat, CEO and founder of Jaback Group. #JabackGroup #Klimon #plantbased #US

Plant-based food producer SunOpta has unveiled its new 65,000-square-foot global headquarters and innovation centre in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. SunOpta says that its new home was designed to “accelerate the speed of innovation, foster collaboration and model the company’s sustainability heritage”. The site, which features a pilot plant and a dramatically expanded research and development centre, will allow the company to increase its offerings across all categories. Last year, SunOpta invested in its Allentown, Pennsylvania, plant in a move to expand its plant-based manufacturing capacity, and the company aims to double sales of its plant-based products by 2025. The producer also acquired dairy-free milk brands Dream and WestSoy from Hain Celestial in 2021. “Our growth ambitions required this move. We’ve grown our plant-based business by more than $100 million over the last two years through a focus on innovation and new customer development and we expect this pace of growth to continue,” said Joe Ennen, CEO of SunOpta. “This new facility, with a full-scale pilot plant and a huge expansion of the research and development space, will allow us to aggressively develop new products and new customers.” #plantbasedmilk #SunOpta #US

Asian plant-based food company, Growthwell Foods, has announced the appointment of Manuel Bossi as its new group CEO and the acquisition of a majority stake in ChickP. Bossi succeeds Justin Chou, who will remain on the board. Having previously held roles at The Hershey Company, Ferrero, Mondelēz and Nestlé, Bossi joined Singapore-based Growthwell in October 2021 and has been serving as deputy CEO. “Manuel is a seasoned business leader with a rich breadth of commercial and operational experience across cultures and geographies, with a strong track record of driving sustainable growth across categories and markets,” said Growthwell Foods board director, Shivendu Nadkarni. “We are confident that Manuel will lead the company and team into the next stage of growth and successfully expand our market and category footprint.” Growthwell Foods has also announced it now owns a majority stake in ChickP, following its latest investment in the Israeli chickpea protein start-up. The company is preparing to accelerate its growth across Asia-Pacific and to enter new markets in 2022. “Geographical expansion is a key strategic pillar of our growth, and we have our eyes set on various markets in Asia and Europe. We are also preparing to drive growth via entry into adjacent plant-based categories with our patented high-protein chickpea technology,” said Bossi. #Appointments #ChickPProtein #GrowthwellFoods #Singapore

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

Ingredion EMEA has announced the launch of Novation Lumina 8300 and 8600 functional native rice starches. The starches are designed to improve colour and flavour, including in white products. Ingredion says that its starches aim to meet sensory requirements in white or light-coloured applications with delicate flavours. Novation Lumina 8300/8600 enables improved consumer preference and allows for clean label and natural applications. Daniel Haley, global platform leader, Clean & simple ingredients at Ingredion, said: “After significantly expanding our Thai facility in June 2020, we harnessed our capabilities in manufacturing, Idea Labs Innovation Centres and Atlas proprietary consumer insights to identify ingredients and technologies that would address unmet customer needs. This resulted in the launch of the first-ever multi-functional rice flours and now the introduction of these functional native rice starches.” The new starches have a “smooth and creamy” texture, combined with hypoallergenic properties, high digestibility and lower viscosity development. #EMEA #ingredients #Ingredion #ricestarch

Plant-based snack brand, Source of the Earth, has launched a range of lentil crisps that are vegan, gluten-free and contain 96 calories per packet and no added sugar. The line-up comes in three flavours: Coconut Curry, which features a spicy seasoning of curry powder, turmeric, fenugreek seed, cumin and a twist of salt and ground black pepper; Smoked Paprika & Chilli which contains smoked paprika, tomato, garlic and chilli; and Sour Cream & Chive, made with parsley, garlic and chive. The crisps have been approved by the Vegan Society and the packets are cetified by A Plastic Planet. Based in the UK, Source of the Earth’s latest offering is now available in Asda stores, Whole Foods, Selfridges and Daylesford. #crisps #healthysnacking #UK #plantbased #snacking #SourceoftheEarth

Tofurky has secured a legal victory in Louisiana, after challenging a state law that prohibited the use of terms like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ to label plant-based meat products. The US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana ruled that the law represents an unconstitutional restriction of free speech, granting a motion for summary judgement that halts its enforcement. Under the law, meat alternatives were forbidden from using common naming conventions such as ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ on their labels, even when accompanied by modifiers like ‘vegan,’ ‘veggie’ or ‘plant-based’. Producers faced fines of up to $500 per day for every product marketed using these terms. Tofurky, which offers a range of meat alternatives and tempeh products, was represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Good Food Institute (GFI). The lawsuit was filed in October 2020, shortly after the law came into effect. It argued that the statute contravened the First Amendment by improperly censoring truthful commercial speech, and noted there was no evidence that consumers were being misled by the naming conventions previously in place. Jaime Athos, president and CEO of Tofurky and dairy-free sister brand, Moocho, contends that: “The law was an obvious attempt to give unfair advantage to animal agriculture interests by stifling the growth of plant-based food sales”. GFI lead regulatory counsel, Laura Braden, added: “The Court reached the right decision in finding that Louisiana’s law unconstitutionally restricts speech”. She continued: “Consumers are not confusing veggie burgers for beef burgers when labels clearly indicate the products are plant-based, meatless, vegetarian or vegan, and it insults their intelligence to suggest otherwise”. “Laws like this are regrettable and should be struck down given what’s at stake: a more sustainable food system that works for everyone—farmers, food companies, consumers and entire communities.” Last year, EU bodies rejected Amendment 171 (AM171), the draft legislation which would have imposed new restrictions on the terminology used by the plant-based dairy sector. #Tofurky #US