Givaudan has launched PrimeLock+, a patent-pending encapsulation system that mimics the membrane of animal fat cells, enabling manufacturers to deliver juicier plant-based meat products. According to Givaudan, maintaining juiciness in meat alternatives can be challenging “as a high proportion of oils are often released during cooking,” resulting in a drier mouthfeel. The company’s new integrated solution protects flavour and encapsulates and locks in fat in plant-based meat substitutes, releasing it gradually during cooking and consumption. The vegan-friendly solution is said to allow an up to 75% reduction in fat, while enhancing the eating experience. Visual appeal is improved “with a marbled, fat-like appearance,” while PrimeLock+ also helps boost stability during a product’s shelf life by separating flavours from proteins. Sylvain Jouet, global product manager for meat substitutes at Givaudan, said: “Givaudan is committed to helping its customers create delicious plant-based products that consumers enjoy. To do this, we have built wide-ranging expertise and a growing suite of integrated solutions and technologies in the alternative protein space. “In 2019, we asked ourselves how we could improve the eating experience of plant-based burgers; today, after extensive research and development, we are excited to launch PrimeLock+, a unique solution that delivers multiple benefits.” #Givaudan #meatalternatives

Producer of better-for-you breakfast products, Mikey’s, has released new plant-based breakfast pockets in collaboration with Just Egg. The new launches are available in two variants – Breakfast Scramble and Tex-Mex Breakfast – and are certified gluten-free and contain no dairy and soy. Breakfast Scramble is filled with scrambled Just Egg alongside plant-based cheese and vegetables. Tex-Mex Breakfast features scrambled Just Egg with black beans, vegetables and taco seasoning. Just Egg, developed by Eat Just, has around the same amount of protein as an authentic egg but with zero cholesterol and less saturated fat. Michael Tierney, founder and CEO of Mikey’s, said: “We continue to see opportunities to stay true to our core values while expanding into more plant-based offerings. We are equally excited about another great brand partnership for Mikey’s, this time with Just Egg. Their plant-based eggs are a delicious addition to our convenient handheld breakfast offerings. It’s my hope that our new plant-based breakfast products will be as much of a staple to your morning routine as they have become for me and the Mikey’s team.” The new products have an RSP of $6.99 and will be available in the US at Giant Food Stores as well as select grocery stores and on the Mikey’s website in April. #Just #JustEgg #Mikeys #US

Plant-based confectionery brand LoveRaw has introduced vegan ‘milk’ and white choc peanut butters varieties in the UK. The new offerings are free from palm oil, dairy and artificial ingredients. The cups feature smooth, “creamy” peanut butter covered in the brand’s vegan chocolate. Manav Thapar, Co-Founder at LoveRaw, comments: “We’ve got an epic 2022 line up of new products, which we have already kickstarted with the launch of our brand-new m:lk choc bars in January and our m:lk and white choc peanut butter cups this month”. The new offerings are available from retailers including The Vegan Kind, and Co-op, as well as online via Amazon and the brand’s website. #Loveraw #UK

US food tech company Yali Bio has raised $3.9 million in a seed round, to advance its efforts to develop “designer fats” for plant-based meat and dairy products. Founded in 2021, Yali Bio is developing proprietary technology that will enable it to create a range of plant-based fats tailored to different applications. Using precision fermentation and plant-based ingredients, the company will be able to design fats that emulate those derived from animals, for use in meat and dairy alternatives. Led by Essential Capital, the seed financing will be used to expand Yali Bio’s operations and accelerate its research and development efforts. Other investors included Third Kind Venture Capital, S2G Ventures and CRCM Ventures. Using synthetic biology, deep learning and genomics tools, Yali Bio aims to produce cultured fats that are more sustainable than the oils currently used in plant-based products, and which overcome technical issues – for example around flavour and melting point. “Yali Bio is one of the first companies tackling the issue of plant-based fats through precision fermentation,” said Edward Shenderovich, managing partner at Essential Capital. “We believe there is a substantial market opportunity for better functioning fats with a smaller environmental footprint and we are thrilled to be working with Yali Bio to bring their solutions to bear.” According to Yali Bio, well-marbled meat consists of 20-25% fats, “so fats that taste good, cook well and are sustainable are essential for progressing the plant-based sector”. Chuck Templeton, managing partner at S2G Ventures, said: “High-quality fats are currently a major weak point when developing plant-based analogues for animal proteins”. “We are excited to invest into Yali Bio to improve this crucial component of plant-based products with the goal of enhancing the consumer experience, while reducing the impacts of conventional animal husbandry.” #US #meatalternatives #YaliBio #culturedfat #plantbaseddairy

Kraft Heinz and Chilean food tech start-up TheNotCompany, known as NotCo, have announced a joint venture that will develop new plant-based products using artificial intelligence. The Kraft Heinz Not Company will be headquartered in Chicago, with research and development facilities in San Francisco. The joint venture will operate under the control of Kraft Heinz and bring together the packaged food giant’s scale and well-known brand portfolio, and NotCo’s patented technology and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. The companies believe that the partnership will enable them to develop products at a speed and scale “yet to be seen in the industry” and to accelerate the adoption of plant-based foods. “The joint venture with TheNotCompany is a critical step in the transformation of our product portfolio and a tremendous addition to our brand design-to-value capabilities,” said Miguel Patricio, CEO of Kraft Heinz. “It helps deliver on our vision to offer more clean, green and delicious products for consumers. We believe the technology that NotCo brings is revolutionising the creation of delicious plant-based foods with simpler ingredients.” Matias Muchnick, co-founder and CEO of NotCo, said: “When we started NotCo, it was our goal to make our technology a catalyser for a more sustainable food system not only for us, but for other brands and manufacturers who share the same ambition”. “Today is an exciting milestone for the plant-based industry and shows the power of technology’s role in driving mainstream adoption. We’re thrilled to partner with Kraft Heinz and their iconic brands and work hand-in-hand on building a more sustainable food system.” NotCo’s current North America head Lucho Lopez-May will lead The Kraft Heinz Not Company as CEO. #Artificialintelligence #NotCo #US #KraftHeinz #TheKraftHeinzNotCompany

MGP Ingredients has announced that it will build a new extrusion plant in Kansas to produce its ProTerra line of texturised proteins. The $16.7 million plant will be located next to the company’s facility in Atchison, and is expected to produce up to 10 million pounds of ProTerra each year once it begins operations. The new plant will help MGP meet growing demand for its ProTerra product line, which includes pea and wheat protein ingredients for applications such as plant-based meat alternatives. The company – which currently uses co-packers to produce its texturised proteins – also expects the investment to give it more control over the manufacturing process. “Building this new extrusion plant gives MGP the capacity and flexibility required to continue to meet the growing demand for our ProTerra line of texturised proteins,” said Michael Buttshaw, MGP’s vice president of ingredient solutions sales and R&D. “By transitioning the manufacturing process in-house, we reduce lead times related to co-packer scheduling issues, increase flexibility related to R&D projects and enhance our ability to effectively commercialise new products.” Construction of the facility will begin this summer and is expected to be completed by the end of next year. #meatalternatives #MGPIngredients #plantprotein

Swedish fungi protein company Mycorena has partnered with climate impact platform CarbonCloud to assess the footprint of its products. Mycorena began monitoring its emissions using CarbonCloud’s SaaS platform last year at its pilot production facility. The assessment enables the company to better understand its climate performance. The plant-based protein company – which produces its fungi-based protein, Promyc, through fermentation – has been identifying areas in which it can improve its footprint using the results. Ramkumar Nair, founder and CEO of Mycorena, said: “The core of our technology and products relies on our ambition to create an impact on how food is produced today. With this new collaborative effort with CarbonCloud, we can now detail the climate impact of our production process, keeping even the smaller steps in focus. And in the larger picture, it can showcase how Promyc, our mycoprotein, can make a difference compared to all other traditional and market-available food protein ingredients.” #CarbonCloud #climatefootprint #Mycorena #Sweden

‘Better-for-you’ confectionery company Prodigy Snacks has announced the launch of a plant-based salted caramel chocolate egg. The new vegan offering is said to contain less than half the sugar of a typical filled egg and is free from palm oil and refined sugar. Made with natural ingredients, the chocolate egg is high in fibre to support gut health. Prodigy founder, Sameer Vaswani, said: “We’re really excited to be launching our first egg as part of our growing natural confectionery range, and are grateful to have the support of Holland & Barrett to do so. Our mission is to inspire the evolution of chocolate. We want to change the world of chocolate for the better – better for our health and better for the planet. “As well as keeping our product range as natural as possible, plant-based and avoiding the nasties such as palm oil, we are particularly passionate to show that amazing-tasting chocolate can also be significantly lower in sugar, bring prebiotic benefits through fibre and reduce the blight of long-term plastic pollution.” The egg is “plastic negative,” as the brand removes ten ocean-bound plastic wrappers from the environment for every egg sold. The new product will be rolling out to more than 800 Holland & Barrett stores from the end of February and will also be available from the Prodigy website. #lowsugar #ProdigySnacks #UK

Danone North America has expanded its Silk portfolio with the introduction of new almond and oat milk creamers in the US. Offering 4g of protein per four-tablespoon serving, Silk Enhanced Almond Creamers come in two flavours: vanilla latte and salted caramel, which also contains vitamin A. Silk Enhanced Creamers are free from gluten, as well as artificial colours and flavours, and are available at Walmart. “More consumers are looking to the ‘better-for-you’ category for both great taste and convenience in food and beverage options,” said Amanda Simerman, senior director of plant-based and organic creamers at Danone. “New Silk Enhanced Almond Creamers are a delicious and easy way to add enhanced benefits to your morning brew.” Meanwhile, the company is also introducing Silk Sweet Oat Latte Creamer. The new offering joins flavours such as oatmeal cookie and vanilla as part of the Silk oat milk creamer portfolio, and is available at grocery stores across the US. #Danone #DanoneNorthAmerica #Silk #US

US alternative meat company Prime Roots has launched a new line of koji deli meats and charcuterie, designed to mimic products found at the deli counter. The new offerings include umami-rich hams, cracked black pepper turkey, pâtés, foie gras, pepperoni and salami. Prime Roots’ ‘meats’ are made with koji, the fungi also used to produce miso and soy sauce – a mycelium that naturally grows in long fibres that slightly mimics animal muscle. Koji meats are naturally umami-rich, GMO-free and have a simple ingredient list. The company hopes to “branch out to a wider audience and reach meat-eaters directly” as its “ultimate goal is to challenge the idea of what makes a meat ‘alternative'”. The brand’s plan is to encourage simple swaps by offering koji meats as an alternative alongside animal meats in restaurants, deli cases and sandwich shops across the US. #alternativemeat #koji #PrimeRoots #US

Plant-based nutrition brand Kos has raised $12 million in Series A funding, as it looks to expand its team and distribution. Based in California, Kos offers protein and other plant-based nutrition powders, as well as functional capsules. The Series A funding was led by Clayton Christopher, who founded the investment firm Cavu Ventures as well as brands including Waterloo Sparkling Water, and Brian Goldberg, founder and managing director of Redbud Brands. Springdale Ventures also supported Kos’s latest funding push, after leading an early-stage investment in the brand in 2020. Kos will use the new funds to expand distribution, boost customer awareness, accelerate product innovation and build its team. “We are beyond excited to continue our journey with Clayton Christopher and Brian Goldberg’s involvement,” said Allan Stevens, Kos co-founder and co-CEO. “They are incredibly skilled brand operators who have built multiple iconic brands throughout their careers.” Christopher said: “We’ve been fans of the Kos brand since it first launched and have watched it develop into something quite special in a very short period”. He continued: “Over time as an investor, you see certain patterns repeat that are clues to a brand’s long-term success, and Kos has exhibited many of them. We’re excited to be involved and to support the Kos team in their next chapter of growth.” #Kos #US

Princes has expanded its extensive portfolio into the plant-based sector, with new “affordable” canned vegan ready meals. The range comes in four variants: Lentil & Mushroom Bolognese, Mexican Mixed Bean Chilli, Vegetable Green Thai Curry and Chunky Mixed Veg Curry. The ready meals are Vegan Society approved and are 392g per can, ideal “for two to share with a side of rice, pasta or even quinoa”. Dean Towey, commercial director for food at Princes, said: “This new range of vegan canned ready meals answers demand from shoppers who love canned food and want even more variety. Princes plant-based ready meals aim to show that eating vegan food doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming or difficult. We hope these new products will help even more people incorporate delicious vegan meals into their repertoire.” Princes vegan ready meals are available in Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, B&M and Co-op for £1.00 per can. #Princes #readymeals #UK