SunOpta has announced an investment in its Allentown, Pennsylvania plant in the US, as it looks to expand its plant-based manufacturing capacity. In addition, the company has announced the closure of its frozen fruit processing plant in Santa Maria, California, effective immediately. SunOpta says that the rejigging of its manufacturing capabilities is part of a supply chain optimisation strategy to support its growth plans. Last year, the company announced the sale of its global ingredients business, saying that a portion of the proceeds would be used for capital investment into its plant-based foods and beverages segment. “I’m pleased to announce the further expansion of our plant-based foods and beverages production capacity,” said Joe Ennen, CEO of SunOpta. “This project, in our Allentown, Pennsylvania plant, follows the completion of three large projects in the fourth quarter of 2020 to accelerate the growth of our plant-based business. We expect this new capacity to come online in the fourth quarter of 2021.” Commenting on the closure of the Santa Maria plant, Ennen said: “This closure will reduce the cost basis in our frozen fruit business, while leaving ongoing relationships with growers intact and ensuring adequate capacity to service demand for years to come. “The highly successful automation and productivity efforts made over the last two seasons have created the ability for us to operate the same size business, with fewer assets.” Ennen added: “…given the plant closure, we are using this as a catalyst to evaluate marginally profitable or unprofitable customers and SKUs, which may lead to some customer and SKU rationalisation.” SunOpta is a food and beverage company offering co-manufacturing, private label, ingredient and foodservice solutions, as well as a number of consumer brands. Last year, the company launched a new range of organic fruit bars, in a move to expand into the ‘multi-billion-dollar’ snack bar segment. #plantbased #SunOpta #US

With news that the Plant Based World Europe Conference & Expo will be postponed to June 2021, due to the evolving situation with Covid-19, we want to assure you that the World Plant-Based Taste Awards 2021 will still be taking place. The awards will still be held at the PBW Europe Conference & Expo, at the Business Design Centre in London, on the news dates: 24-25 June 2021. Our awards team are committed to ensuring our entrants the best opportunity to showcase taste in the pant-based industry and celebrate their successes with a live tasting event and awards ceremony. With that in mind, the deadline for entries into the World Plant-Based Taste Awards will be extended to the new date of Friday 7 May 2021, which means there is still plenty of time to get your entries in. As one of the first of its kind in this sector, these awards are a fantastic way for you to enhance the promotion of your plant-based brand and to ensure it gains global recognition. New ceremony date: 24-25 June 2021 New deadline date: 7 May 2021 If you have any questions or queries regarding the awards and the postponement please do not hesitate to get in touch with our awards team: awards@foodbev.com Our awards team are working from home and can be reached via LiveChat or email to answer any questions. #plantbased #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards2021

Eat Just has teamed up with Cuisine Solutions – a manufacturer of sous vide foods – for the launch of plant-based Just Egg Sous Vide bites in US retailers. The launch forms part of an exclusive agreement between the two companies, whereby Cuisine Solutions will develop and produce Eat Just’s plant-based sous vide egg worldwide. French for ‘under vacuum’, sous vide is a cooking method in which food is vacuum-sealed and slow-cooked in water at precise temperatures. The Just Egg Sous Vide bites come in four flavours inspired by regional cuisines and whole plants: America (roasted potato, dill, chives, red bell pepper and black pepper); India (curry, broccoli, cauliflower, coconut milk and lemongrass); Japan (portobello mushrooms, yams, togarashi, soy and tamari); and Mexico (roasted poblanos, chipotle chilli powder, black beans, corn and lime). Depending on the flavour, the bites contain between 9-13g of protein per serving. Made using mung bean protein, they are also free of cholesterol, non-GMO, dairy-free and contain no artificial flavours. Just Egg’s bites join its vegan egg portfolio that includes a pourable liquid and pre-baked folded format. Earlier this month, the company introduced its plant-based egg patty alternative to the menu of Chinese fast-food chain, Dicos. “The Cuisine Solutions team is the best in the world at what they do. We partnered with them because of their unparalleled expertise and leadership in the sous vide industry and their commitment to make our food system even better. We’re excited for consumers to taste what we’ve been working on,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just. Felipe Hasselmann, president and CEO of Cuisine Solutions, added: “Josh’s vision for the future of plant-based food is extremely inspirational and also very much aligned with Cuisine Solutions’ vision – both organisations seek to impact and revolutionise the food industry on a daily basis, which is what makes this such a natural partnership. “We are extremely excited to start supplying customers with the best sous vide egg bites in the market made with the best plant-based eggs.” Just Egg Sous Vide bites will roll out in March in the freezer section at select grocery stores. #CuisineSolutions #eggalternative #US #Just #plantbased #EatJust

Until recently, plant-based burgers rarely stemmed beyond vegetable or bean-based offerings. However, with the growing number of people enjoying a vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian diet, innovation in the plant-based burger sector has skyrocketed. According to Innova Market Insights, the average annual growth in global food and beverage launches with vegan and plant-based claims grew 21% and 58% respectively between 2015-2019. A staple of any vegan BBQ, FoodBev Media takes a look at how the plant-based burger market has evolved over the years. 2015 – 2017 2015 marks the year when vegan products started to become mainstream. With many big industry names, such as Califia Farms receiving substantial investments, and others such as Guinness adopting vegan-friendly products and manufacturing processes. However, the plant-based burger aisle remained sparse5, with a minimal amount of releases – one being Fry’s Family Food’s falafel burger – taking the foreground. 2016 saw further strides with meat alternative brand Beyond Meat introducing a new meat-free range that included plant-based burgers. In 2017, Beyond Meat secured $55 million in an investment round and even received investment from Leonardo DiCaprio. Another industry leader, Impossible Foods, also received substantial funding of $75 million in 2017, aimed specifically at creating meatless burgers. With such investments and backing from celebrities, innovation in the meat alternative market became a new trend, particularly due to growing global demand for protein in meat form. 2018 As we moved into 2018, Beyond Meat continued to expand by rolling out its Beyond Burger in 50 new countries. Since their launch in 2016, Beyond Meat had sold over 13 million of their protein-packed patties in nearly 15,000 restaurants and grocery stores by 2018. 2018 also saw various other big names launching new plant-based burger products. For instance, Kellogg’s plant-based brand MorningStar, Vivera and Sainsbury’s all launching plant-based burger products within this year. This year also saw the release of Don Lee Farms’ organic plant-based raw burger. When cooked, this burger ‘bleeds’ organic beet juice and sizzles on a grill like a conventional burger, paving the way for similar products in the coming years. 2019 In 2019, a plethora of new plant-based burger products were brought to the table. This year saw a rise in global meat brands offering burger alternatives, for example, Marfig’s Revolution burger and Smithfield Foods’ plant-based burger. This, along with Beyond Meat’s release of a new “meatier” burger, signifies a key industry shift towards plant-based burgers, particularly those catering to a flexitarian audience. Many consumers chose to cut down on the amount of meat they ate, rather than give it up completely. As a result, many consumers felt comfortable purchasing plant-based products from meat companies as part of a flexitarian lifestyle, opening up the plant-based burger market to experiment with textures, flavours and tastes that mimic its meaty counterpart. Plant-based burgers stepped even further into the mainstream in 2019 with well-known fast-food chains trialling their own meat alternatives. McDonald’s partnered with Beyond Meat to trial a new plant-based burger called the P.L.T in Canada and Burger King released a plant-based Impossible Whopper burger in the US for a limited period of time. In 2019, Bunge Loders Croklaan developed new fats for meat-free burgers and DuPont launched new solutions for plant-based meat alternatives. These large scale ingredients companies, which were providing solutions for plant-based meat, would be sure to lend a convenient hand in bringing alternative products to the fore in the coming years. Other releases in 2019 included Nestlé’s ‘PB triple play’, a plant-based bacon cheeseburger, Kellogg’s MorningStar ‘Incogmeato’ burger and Impossible Food’s meat-free burger without gluten. 2020 New releases were plentiful in 2020 with the release of Conagra Brands’ Gardein Ultimate Plant-Based Burger, Sysco’s plant-based burger patty and Tofurky branching out to beef alternatives with their plant-based beef-style burger. The market also saw a lot of experimentation with flavours, for instance, with Nestlé-owned Sweet Earth Foods releasing a plant-based burger infused with vegan bacon bits, showing big brands innovating burger alternatives further in order to stand out in a market that is now more saturated. As the impacts Covid-19 were felt across the globe, many took to home-cooking and ordering meal kits. While meal kits were on the rise prior to the pandemic due to their convenience, national lockdowns and restrictions elevated their success to burgeoning heights. For example, in July 2020, meal kit firm Home Chef collaborated with Impossible Foods to offer customers a range of plant-based meal options including their Impossible Burger. According to Grandview Research, the meal kit delivery service market is estimated to reach nearly $20 billion by 2027. 2020 was an important year for plant-based burgers in Europe as the European Parliament voted to reject the ban on products using names typically associated with meat products. The ‘veggie burger ban’ would have restricted the use of terms such as ‘sausage’, ‘burger’ and ‘steak’ on labels for plant-based alternative products and could have seen them renamed as ‘veggie discs’ or ‘veggie tubes’. 2021 and beyond We are currently only at the beginning of 2021 but have already witnessed some new plant-based burger releasest. Kerry Foods added two new vegan products to its Naked Glory line-up, which included No-Beef Strips and Chick’n Burgers. These additions signal the plant-based burger market moving beyond beef burger alternatives towards a variety of offerings. Notably, 2021 will see the debut of McDonald’s line of plant-based meat options called McPlant, including a plant-based patty. According to Reuters, this will put the plant-based meat movement at the forefront in America. This year, the Veganuary campaign saw a record-breaking number of sign-ups. Many more consumers are now experimenting with or adopting a flexitarian diet and this surge in plant-based product launches has provided both variety and convenience. Ultimately, this has heightened demand for plant-based meat products that look and feel familiar. Plant-based burgers are becoming mainstream and we have seen recent trends towards burgers that look, cook and even sizzle and bleed just like real meat. Innovation is rife in the plant-based industry and the World Plant-Based Taste Awards 2021 are a fantastic way to showcase how great your innovations taste. Think you’ve got what it takes to win? Enter now! #plantbased #plantbasedburger #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards #WorldPlantBasedTasteAwards2021

Kate Farms – maker of plant-based formulas used in the treatment of chronic illnesses – has secured investment from Main Street Advisors, taking the total amount raised in its Series B round to $60 million. Main Street Advisors joins Goldman Sachs and Kaiser Permanente Ventures – which invested in Kate Farms’ Series B $51 million funding round last November – bringing the final amount raised to $60 million. Following on from its first announcement, Kate Farms says the capital will help fuel its growth, while driving ‘overall innovation’ and expansion of the business. Main Street Advisors invested in the company through its investment fund MSA Enterprises, which targets growth companies in the consumer, entertainment, media and sports sectors. The firm has previously invested in Beyond Meat. “We have deep experience investing in health and wellness companies with compelling growth opportunities ahead of them,” said Main Street Advisors founder and CEO Paul Wachter. He added: “Kate Farms medical formulas and nutrition shakes address the urgent state of healthcare in this country due in large part to poor nutrition, and the impact the company can have on both individual health and ultimately decreasing the cost of healthcare overall makes this an excellent investment.” Kate Farms has worked with a number of organisations during the coronavirus pandemic, including Support+Feed, Meals on Wheels and several hospitals to donate meals to at-risk populations, from senior citizens to frontline healthcare workers to the homeless. “We know first-hand that our clinically proven shakes can help improve people’s health by providing daily nutrition to those with medical conditions—severe or mild—to recover and maintain their health,” said Kate Farms chairman and CEO Brett Matthews. In 2020, Kate Farms launched three new products and formulas including a speciality formula for children, a product to help people who suffer from weight loss due to chemotherapy and a meal replacement shake. Keep up to date with the plant-based industry by subscribing to FoodBev’s latest title, The Plant Base, launching March 2021. #formula #KateFarms #plantbased #US

Chickpea snack brand Hippeas has secured $50 million from global investment fund The Craftory. Hippeas launched in 2016 with a line of organic chickpea puffs and has since expanded its portfolio to include chickpea-based tortilla chips. Both lines are USDA organic, certified gluten-free and vegan. The brand’s products are available in the US and UK in retailers such as Kroger, Target, Whole Foods and Waitrose. With the capital, Hippeas intends to boost innovation, expand production and increase distribution. The financing consisted of direct investment, as well as secondary purchases of shares from existing Hippeas shareholders including Cavu Venture Partners. “Hippeas has grown from a disruptive start-up to a true challenger brand in very competitive snack categories with innovative products, delicious flavours and nutritional offerings that consumers want – the brand has the potential to become a household name with its loyal millennial fanbase,” said Livio Bisterzo, Hippeas founder and CEO. “The pandemic has been very difficult for many brands; Hippeas has been fortunate to have seen strong growth and we are delighted to have partnered with The Craftory as we head into 2021,” he continued. In addition to the funding, Greg Buscher has been appointed CFO of Hippeas, while César Melo – a former president of global chocolate at Mondelēz – has joined the company’s board of directors. The US start-up will join The Craftory’s portfolio that also includes NotCo, a plant-based food-tech firm. Elio Leoni Sceti, co-founder and chief crafter at The Craftory, said: “Hippeas offers zero compromise of flavour and texture, no need to change consumer habits nor expectations, while also being healthier and more sustainable than the more traditional alternatives – that’s a great proposition and a proven recipe for success. We look forward to amplifying this bold CPG challenger as they positively disrupt the status quo.” Keep up to date with the plant-based industry by subscribing to FoodBev’s latest title, The Plant Base, launching March 2021. #US #chickpeas #Hippeas #TheCraftory #snacks

PepsiCo and Beyond Meat have teamed up to establish The PLANeT Partnership, a joint venture to introduce new plant-based protein offerings. The partnership will enable the two companies to develop, produce and market snack and beverage products made from plant-based protein. Through the venture, Beyond Meat will leverage its leading technology in plant-based protein development. Meanwhile, PepsiCo will deploy its marketing and commercial capabilities to create and scale new product offerings. “Plant-based proteins represent an exciting growth opportunity for us, a new frontier in our efforts to build a more sustainable food system and be a positive force for people and the planet, while meeting consumer demand for an expanded portfolio of more nutritious products,” said Ram Krishnan, PepsiCo global chief commercial officer. “Beyond Meat is a cutting-edge innovator in this rapidly growing category, and we look forward to combining their unparalleled expertise with our world-class capabilities in brand-building, consumer insights and distribution to deliver exciting new options,” he continued. “We are thrilled to formally join forces with PepsiCo in The PLANeT Partnership, a joint venture that unites the tremendous depth and breadth of their distribution and marketing capabilities with our leading innovation in plant-based protein. We look forward to together unlocking new categories and product lines that will inspire positive choices for both people and planet,” said Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat founder and CEO. “PepsiCo represents the ideal partner for us in this exciting endeavour, one of global reach and importance.” Operations will be managed through the newly created entity, The PLANeT Partnership. Financial terms for the joint venture have not yet been disclosed. #PepsiCo #plantbasedprotein #jointventure #BeyondMeat #ThePLANeTPartnership

Fooditive and Frutco have teamed up to construct a new facility that will yield sweeteners from banana waste and bring the sustainable product to market. The companies have formed a new partnership to bring the Fooditive banana sweetener line to Europe, as they look to improve health and remove carbon emissions from the supply chain. Under the terms of the agreement, Frutco will use the Fooditive production methods for bananas and will industrially manufacture and sell the plant-based sweeteners. Through its exclusive partnership, the companies claim they are investing in a sustainable use of resources in the food industry, using affordable technologies and supporting its customers in minimising their CO2 footprint. To further strengthen its commitment to fight against food waste, Fooditive and Frutco are constructing a new multi waste- and residues-based biodiesel plant to process banana and other tropical fruits side streams into fruit extracts and sweeteners. The plant will use Fooditive’s technology that enables the processing of all types of fruits and vegetables side stream, including by-products from food processing and non-food crops grown on marginal land. “This project will be the leading future for better world, a world in which we use all types of plant-based side streams that can make and improve people life providing food ingredients that are healthy and sustainable,” said Moayad Abushokhedim, CEO of Fooditive. Claudia Lauener Hofer, COO of Frutco, said: “Years ago, we made it our mission to be 100% sustainable by 2030, making the world a better place bit by bit and doing our part. With Fooditive by our side, we are now expanding our product range and creating a new sweet world, but one that is resource efficient and healthier. “We are confident that this project will allow us to achieve another milestone in continuing to conserve resources, protect the environment and strengthen the health of many people.” The project will commence in January 2021 and the fermentation plant is expected to open in mid-2022. #sweeteners #Frutco #foodwaste #sustainability #Fooditive

Nature’s Bakery has introduced Baked-Ins to the US market, the brand’s first organic baked snack bar that is made with real fruits and vegetables. The launch comes over a month after Kind announced it had entered an agreement to acquire the snack bar brand, while Kind North America was in the process of being bought by Mars. Baked-Ins are made with whole grains oats, as well as hidden fruit and vegetables including sweet potato, kale, carrot and apple. The line comes in two varieties that are inspired by home-baked favourites: banana chocolate chip and chocolate oat. Both flavours offer 3g of fibre and 9g of whole grains, as the brand aims to bring healthier and organic snack options to families. Like its other varieties, Baked-Ins are plant-based, nut-free, soy-free and contain no artificial colours or preservatives. The better-for-you snack bar marks the newest addition to Nature’s Bakery’s portfolio of fig bars, brownie bars and other soft-baked options. It also comes after Kellogg’s expanded its W.K Kellogg by Kids range with new ‘healthy’ snacks bars made with real fruit and vegetables. “There’s something about classic baked goods that provides us with a sense of comfort. When developing Baked-Ins, we wanted to make sure we packed in nature’s greatest ingredients in every bite without compromising the familiar tastes we crave,” said Vilma Livas chief marketing officer at Nature’s Bakery. “It’s a win for parents everywhere. The magic is that you can’t even taste the secret goodness and that’s what makes these snacks seriously good.” Baked-Ins are available now at national retailers including Target, Kroger and Publix. #KIND #NaturesBakery #US #snackbars #healthysnacks

US beef producer Jensen Meat is opening a new processing plant, as it looks to accommodate co-packing opportunities for plant-based beef alternatives. Scheduled for completion by April 2021, the new facility will include capabilities such as blending, cooking, dry mixing and emulsifying for foodservice and retail products. According to Jensen, the plant will allow it to pursue new partnerships, providing opportunities to test new processes and increase national production of plant-based products. The Southern California-based beef processor also says that the new processing plant will create jobs when complete. “With sixty years’ experience, Jensen Meat has perfected how to process and pack quality ground beef,” said Abel Olivera, CEO of Jensen Meat. “We now want to leverage our world-class knowledge to create a cost-effective process for producing plant-based products.” Olivera continued: “We can create, process and pack plant-based products in ways that are cost effective and innovative. “We want to help bright minds out there that have the same goal of creating healthy, low-cost foods from alternative sources of protein, which also play a part in reducing world hunger.” #JensenMeat #meatalternatives #US

Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods has received a majority investment from Vestar Capital Partners to support the growth of its plant-based frozen food portfolio. Founded in 1994, Dr. Praeger’s manufactures ‘better-for-you’ plant-based frozen and refrigerated foods. Its range includes vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and soy free options such as meat alternative burgers, sausages, appetisers and sides, which are sold in US retailers nationwide. The US company will use the capital to launch further product innovations in the plant-based frozen and refrigerated foods category. Following the investment, Dr Praeger’s CEO Larry Praegar and president Adam Somberg will continue in their current roles and remain significant investors in the company. “When our fathers co-founded the company 25 years ago, they were truly innovators. In today’s competitive market, our partnership with Vestar will help provide the financial backing, industry relationships and category expertise to continue to build on our momentum,” said Praegar. Somberg added: “We are fortunate to have some of the most loyal customers in the industry, but with more consumers eating in and looking for better food choices, the timing couldn’t be better to team with Vestar to explore ways to expand the brand.” Dr. Praeger’s marks Vestar’s most recent investment and joins its portfolio of brands such as Simple Mills – a natural organic cracker, cookie and baking mix brand – Roland Foods, an importer and supplier of speciality foods and Nonni’s, a manufacturer of premium artisanal cookies and baked goods. “The US better-for-you market has never been stronger, and we are excited to partner with a company that has been at the forefront of this trend and knows the market intimately,” said Winston Song, managing director and co-head of consumer at Vestar Capital Partners. As part of the investment, Jeffrey Ansell, a senior advisor to Vestar will join the Dr. Praeger’s board as chairman. Ansell has previously served as chairman and CEO of Sun Products, CEO of Pinnacle Foods and spent 25 years in leadership positions at Procter & Gamble. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. #DrPraegersSensibleFoods #plantbased #US #VestarCapitalPartners

British plant-based producer Nush Foods is introducing a range of nut milk chocolate pots, marking its entry into the dessert category. Initially available in a chocolate orange flavour, the new almond milk Choc Pots are said to be rich in protein and are fortified with live vegan cultures. Containing fewer than 200 calories per pot, the new offering is sweetened with apple and made with orange oil and Belgian cocoa powder. With an RRP of £3.00 per two-pack, the pots are free from dairy, lactose, gluten, soya, preservatives, additives and refined sugar. Nush has also announced that it has secured a deal to supply 244 Waitrose stores with the chive cheese alternative that it launched last year. “Innovating and launching into new categories, as well as making our products accessible to as many consumers as possible through increased distribution, is central to Nush’s growth plans,” said Bethany Eaton, co-founder of Nush. “Our Choc Pots are the first nut milk dessert pot in the UK and fill a gap in the market for delicious, protein-rich plant-based desserts. “Like our Ch*ese, they are made with our almond m*lk, which contains 30% pure almonds, and is made by our team in our factory in Erith.” Keep up to date with the plant-based industry by subscribing to FoodBev’s latest title, The Plant Base, launching March 2021. #almondmilk #Nush #plantbased #UK