French dairy company Savencia Fromage & Dairy has announced its acquisition of Hope Foods, a US producer of hummus and other plant-based dips. The transaction includes the Hope Foods plant in Louisville, Colorado, where the company manufactures its hummus and nut dips. The Hope brand offers sweet and savoury cashew and almond dips, as well as hummus and guacamole, and both parties are said to be confident that it can extend into additional categories. “Our core business remains cheese and dairy products, but we want to develop new offers in the plant-based category with taste differentiation and premium brands,” said Jean-Paul Torris, CEO of Savencia Fromage & Dairy. “Hope is a strategic fit for us to drive growth in premium natural food products. Hope enlarges our brand’s portfolio in the USA into fast-growing, ‘better-for-you’ products and provides an excellent opportunity to expand consumer options for great-tasting, plant-based products.” Robbie Rech, one of the founders of Hope, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering this great brand with a company like Savencia, known throughout the world for some of the best-tasting products on the market. We believe this partnership represents a terrific opportunity to realise Hope’s potential for leadership within the plant-based products space.” The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. #HopeFoods #plantbased #SavenciaFromageampDairy #US

US confectionery company Cocomels has expanded its plant-based chocolate toffee bites line with a new dark chocolate addition. The new dark chocolate-covered toffee bites are made with coconut milk and are dairy-free, gluten-free, plant-based and free from any GMOs. Each bite is covered in 60% dark chocolate and has 1g of sugar. They’re also free from corn syrup, cholesterol and artificial ingredients. JJ Rademaekers, founder of Cocomels, commented on the launch: “Cocomels is known for our deliciously snackable chewy caramels made with coconut milk, but now we’ve created dark chocolate-covered toffee bites to give consumers more of what they love in a new, irresistibly crunchy format”. He continued: “As always, our benchmark when developing new items is making sure the eating experience is even better than dairy-full confections, and we feel that we nailed it – in fact, these may be our tastiest creation yet! We are proud to be at the forefront of addressing consumer needs and will continue to deliver deliciously dairy-free, gluten-free, lower sugar options in the candy category.” The new bites will be available in 3.25oz shareable packs with an RRP of $4.99 per bag. They will be available this Autumn online via Amazon and the Cocomels website followed by a release in select US supermarkets early next year. #chocolate #US #MadhavaFoodsLtd #dairyfree #Cocomels

US biodesign company Kingdom Supercultures has announced it has raised $25 million in a Series A funding round led by Shine Capital. Other participants included Valor, Tao, Lux and SALT, alongside existing investors. Kingdom Supercultures assembles natural microbes into new combinations and uses these formulations to create plant-based yogurts and cheeses, low-alcohol wines and beers, and natural preservatives. Natural microbes can be used to clean up ingredient labels, deliver consumer products with new functionalities, and improve the taste and texture of plant-based foods. Kendall Dabaghi, CEO of Kingdom Supercultures, commented: “The last few years have seen tremendous growth in demand for consumer goods that are healthier and more sustainable. This funding will allow us to meet the need for novel, natural ingredients by continuing to build out our world-class team and advancing our Superculture R&D.” This round follows a $3.5 million seed round with participation from Sequoia, Y-Combinator and Lakehouse Ventures last year. #KingdomSupercultures #microbes #plantbased #ShineCapital

Nestlé has announced that it is expanding its plant-based food portfolio with the introduction of vegan egg and shrimp alternatives. The ‘versatile’ Garden Gourmet vEGGie egg substitute contains soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The new vegan offering can be scrambled or used in a frittata or pancakes, as well as in baking. Meanwhile, Garden Gourmet Vrimp can be used in salads, poke bowls, stir-fried dishes and pasta recipes, or as a topping for pizzas. The product is made from a combination of seaweed, peas and konjac root, which is emerging as a popular ingredient in plant-based seafood, and can be found in other recent launches such as Clo-Clo Vegan Foods’ plant-based shrimp entrée bowls. Nestlé’s vegan shrimp alternative is said to offer “the authentic texture and flavour of succulent shrimps” and is a source of fibre. The Swiss food giant announced its first foray into the plant-based seafood category last year, unveiling Garden Gourmet Vuna, which is now available in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Nestlé chief technology officer, Stefan Palzer, said: “Our new plant-based shrimp and egg alternatives have an authentic texture and flavour, as well as a favourable nutritional profile, which makes them a good replacement for animal-based shrimp and eggs in a wide range of dishes”. “Our longstanding expertise in plant, protein and nutritional sciences enabled our teams to develop these great innovations in under a year. As we speak our R&D teams are already preparing the next wave of plant-based launches.” The Vrimp and vEGGie products will be introduced as a ‘test-and-learn’ in select stores in Switzerland and Germany. #Nestlé #plantbasedegg #Plantbasedseafood

Natural Balance Foods has expanded its Trek power range with a new chocolate orange flavour which will join the existing flavour variations. Each bar features 15g of protein and is 100% plant-based and gluten-free. The bars are coated in a natural alternative to chocolate, contain natural ingredients including vegan protein, oats, fruits and nuts, and contain no artificial sweeteners. The new flavour will join the existing variants: Peanut Butter Crunch and Millionaire Shortbread. The Trek ‘Choc Orange Power Bar’ is available in retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and BP with an RRP of £1.75. #NaturalBalanceFoods #Trek #UK

Mondelēz International has announced its plans to launch a new vegan Cadbury chocolate bar in the UK, named the Cadbury Plant Bar. The bar will be available in two flavours: smooth chocolate and smooth chocolate with salted caramel pieces. Cadbury has replaced the milk with an almond paste which “provides a similar taste and texture to milk ingredients while offering a hint of nuttiness”. The plant-based bar apparently retains the creamy taste of the regular milk chocolate bar. The Cadbury Plant Bar range will be packaged in 100% plant-based and recycled packaging. This will be made from ISCC certified bio-sourced plastics from renewable sources. Louise Stigant, UK managing director at Mondelēz International, said: “With 500,000 participants in this year’s Veganuary – double the number of participants from the year before, the increasing public appetite for varied snacking options and plant-based alternatives has never been more apparent.” She continued: “At Mondelēz, evolving consumer demands have long informed our ambition to provide a wide range of products that work for everyone and the new Cadbury Plant Bar range is the latest stop on this journey”. The bars will be available in Sainbury’s nationwide from November with further rollout in other retailers expected in January next year. The 90g bars will RRP for £2.50. This latest plant-based chocolate release comes after Mars unveiled vegan versions of Bounty and Topic chocolate bars in January and Happi Free From released its new oat milk white chocolate range in May. #Cadburys #MondelezInternational #UK #veganchocolate

UK vegan and free-from brand Moo Free has announced two brand-new additions to its portfolio to expand its festive range. The new products include ‘Olivia the Bear’ and ‘White Choccy Snowball’. Olivia the Bear, a dairy-free white chocolate bear, is the counterpart to the milk chocolate ‘Oscar the Bear’. The dairy-free White Choccy Snowball contains vegan marshmallows and honeycomb. Both products are gluten-free and soya-free. Andrea Jessop, CEO of Moo Free, commented: “Sales of our Christmas range have enjoyed double-digit growth each year, alongside the success of our all-year-round range. We are appealing to the increasing number of people following a range of diets from gluten-free to vegan. Our 2021 Christmas range is the largest yet with something for everyone, so we would urge retailers to stock up early.” Moo Free will be bringing back its regular festive range this Christmas. The range includes a choice of vegan advent calendars, a selection box, chocolate bars and festive figures. The new products are available in UK leading supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons. You can also purchase them online on the Moo Free website. #dairyfreechocolate #festive #MooFree #UK

GoodMills Innovation has announced the introduction of new texturates made from wheat, soy and pea for fish and meat substitutes. The new Vitatex ingredients are said to be authentically fibrous and can therefore be used to make plant-based alternatives that closely replicate their animal-based counterparts. The texturates – which can be used in products such as vegan fish fingers, plant-based tuna, and meatless patties and nuggets – offer a high protein content and high water-binding capacity. The Vitatex range is available in different sizes or granulations. To produce fish or meat alternatives, the texturates are rehydrated and processed with other ingredients, and GoodMills Innovation says products made with Vitatex are ideally suited for the frozen food sector. #GoodmillsInnovation #meatalternatives #Plantbasedseafood

Banza, a maker of chickpea-based foods, has launched two new pizza offerings that include plant-based ingredients from Beyond Meat and Danone-owned Follow Your Heart. Banza Supreme is a vegetarian option made with smoky San Marzano tomato sauce, a three cheese blend of mozzarella, provolone and white cheddar, red onions, fire-roasted green and red peppers and plant-based Beyond Meat Sausage Italian Crumbles. Meanwhile, Banza Plant-Based Cheese is a vegan pie layered with San Marzano tomato sauce, infused with caramelised onion and roasted garlic and topped with plant-based mozzarella from Follow Your Heart. According to the company, the new pizzas offer the same nutritional benefits as Banza’s original pizza varieties, with more protein and fibre and fewer net carbs and sodium than other pizza crusts. Banza’s CEO and co-founder, Brian Rudolph, said: “Chickpeas, and more broadly beans, are one of the best foods for human health and the environment. Since launching our crust, we’ve hoped to create a vegan cheese pizza.” Rudolph continued: “While we aren’t comfortable using meat, we’re filling the void using a plant-based option. We created these two new varieties to give people another way to enjoy their favourite foods, all while eating more chickpeas.” Banza’s Supreme and Plant-Based Cheese pizzas are available nationwide at retailers and e-commerce platforms, including Kroger and Amazon. #FollowYourHeart #US #Banza #BeyondMeat #Danone #pizza

SternVitamin, a subsidiary of Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, has developed new micronutrient premixes for the fortification of plant-based products. The company’s new SternVitalityV premix was designed for a coffee oat drink and features vitamins and minerals that are said to reduce tiredness and fatigue. Meanwhile, SternDefenceV was developed for a fruity oat drink and contains vitamins, minerals and botanicals, including sea buckthorn, vitamins B2, C, D and E, and trace elements selenium and zinc. “Customer interest in micronutrient premixes for plant-based products is growing,” said SternVitamin product manager, Christina Mesch. “So together with our sister company, Planteneers, we have developed further concepts for plant-based drinks that address the current health trend.” #Planteneers #SternVitamin

Squeaky Bean has launched new additions to its plant-based slices range. The new variations include roast chicken, honey roast ham and Applewood smoked ham. The new flavours are made from wheat and pea vegetable protein and are fortified with vitamin B12, iron and zinc. They also contain over 20g/100g of protein. The ready-to-eat lunchtime sandwich slices have a ‘delicate’ texture and are coated with seasonings to mimic real meat slices. Sarah Augustine, Squeaky Bean brand manager, said: “We have only just scratched the surface of what’s possible for vegan Squeaky Bean options at lunch and we’re very excited about this launch and pumped to give everyone another tasty, easy switch.” She continued: “This will be an area of real innovation as the sector growth accelerates and Squeaky Bean will continue to be at the forefront with a game-changing product pipeline”. The 120g packs are available in Sainsbury’s from 29 September with an RRP of £3. Roll-out with other retailers is expected to follow. #plantbased #SqueakyBean #UK #vegan

Plant-based oils and fats supplier AAK has announced its acquisition of speciality lecithin compound business, BIC Ingredients, for an undisclosed sum. BIC Ingredients, a subsidiary of BIC International Holding, sources raw materials from numerous regions around the world to produce lecithin – an unrefined emulsifier composed of plant-based oils such as soy, sunflower and rapeseed. Alec van Veldhoven, commercial director at AAK, said: “BIC Ingredients is a natural fit with our business. BIC’s existing lecithin customers will now be able to benefit from AAK’s unique customer co-development approach, which is driven by customer needs, built on collaboration, and geared for better success rates and lasting value. By expanding our portfolio further, we will be able to create even better solutions in close collaboration with our customers globally.” Harro de Groot, CEO of BIC International Holding, commented: “I am pleased for our customers that BIC’s lecithin business will now be integrated into AAK’s co-development approach, focusing on finding solutions for the customers we serve, alongside our current high standards of quality assurance”. He continued: “My team and myself will remain involved in the business and will continue to support AAK’s natural emulsifiers team over the next three years. This transaction will further enable BIC International Holding to increase its focus on plant-based protein through our entity BIC Protein.” The acquisition is said to give customers “the opportunity to source speciality lecithin ingredients alongside oils and fats from one trusted supplier”. AAK will incorporate BIC Ingredients’ portfolio into its current speciality lecithin offering, which is sold under the Akolec brand. #BICInternationalHolding #BICIngredients #AAK #oilsandfats #lecithin