Bolthouse Farms is swapping traditional ingredients for carrots in its newest line of plant-powered products, Wunderoots. With the intention of creating a new way to enjoy carrots, the Wunderoots range features the vegetable in the form of fettuccine, rice and ‘hot dogs’. Bolthouse Farms’ Wunderoots carrot dogs can be grilled and offer an alternative to both traditional meat-based and newer plant-based hot dogs. Made with whole carrots, the product is infused with herbs and spices to create three flavours: classic American-style, chorizo-style and sweet Italian-style. Meanwhile, carrot fettuccine kits pair fresh carrot fettuccine ribbons with sauces such as marinara, spicy Thai basil and red coconut curry, to create a lower carb and veggie-rich alternative to a bowl of pasta. Again, targeting those consumers looking to swap out their tradition carbs, the company’s riced carrot kits come in sauces like sesame stir fry, green chile and yellow coconut curry. The kits can be served as a side dish or as a base of a meal with the addition of protein, and can be prepared using the microwave or stove. “At Bolthouse Farms, we are driven by our passion to create a new way for people to eat and live healthier lifestyles. Our vision of Plants Powering People starts with a focus on healthier and more accessible plant-based eating,” said Bolthouse Farms CEO Jeff Dunn. He added: “The new Bolthouse Farms Wunderoots carrot ‘swaps’ demonstrate our continued commitment to innovation and creating a plant-powered platform for healthier, more functional products that meet the fast-changing needs of today’s consumer.” The company’s launch of carrot-based swaps comes after the acquisition of the carrot operations of Rousseau Farming Company, with the aim to position Bolthouse Farms for innovation in the ‘carrot space’. It also follows its recent introduction of plant-based protein keto beverages and refrigerated dressings. The entire Wunderoots line is being debuted at the current PMA Fresh Summit and will be available in US supermarkets in spring 2021. #BolthouseFarms #carrots #plantbasedfoods #US

Bolthouse Farms is swapping traditional ingredients for carrots in its newest line of plant-powered products, Wunderoots. With the intention of creating a new way to enjoy carrots, the Wunderoots range features the vegetable in the form of fettuccine, rice and 'hot dogs'. Bolthouse Farms’ Wunderoots carrot dogs can be grilled and offer an alternative to both traditional meat-based and newer plant-based hot dogs. Made with whole carrots, the product is infused with herbs and spices to create three flavours: classic American-style, chorizo-style and sweet Italian-style. Meanwhile, carrot fettuccine kits pair fresh carrot fettuccine ribbons with sauces such as marinara, spicy Thai basil and red coconut curry, to create a lower carb and veggie-rich alternative to a bowl of pasta. Again, targeting those consumers looking to swap out their tradition carbs, the company's riced carrot kits come in sauces like sesame stir fry, green chile and yellow coconut curry. The kits can be served as a side dish or as a base of a meal with the addition of protein, and can be prepared using the microwave or stove. "At Bolthouse Farms, we are driven by our passion to create a new way for people to eat and live healthier lifestyles. Our vision of Plants Powering People starts with a focus on healthier and more accessible plant-based eating," said Bolthouse Farms CEO Jeff Dunn. He added: "The new Bolthouse Farms Wunderoots carrot 'swaps' demonstrate our continued commitment to innovation and creating a plant-powered platform for healthier, more functional products that meet the fast-changing needs of today's consumer." The company’s launch of carrot-based swaps comes after the acquisition of the carrot operations of Rousseau Farming Company, with the aim to position Bolthouse Farms for innovation in the ‘carrot space’. It also follows its recent introduction of plant-based protein keto beverages and refrigerated dressings. The entire Wunderoots line is being debuted at the current PMA Fresh Summit and will be available in US supermarkets in spring 2021.

US retailer Kroger is adding 50 new products to its own-label Simple Truth Plant Based collection, in response to the growing demand for plant-based products. Among the 50 new products are dairy-free cheeses, oat milk ice cream, almond milk yogurts and Emerge Chick’n patties and grinds. All new products in the range will be available exclusively from Kroger stores. The Simple Truth plant-based range was introduced in September 2019 with 20 products, including oat milk, sausage alternatives, and plant-based deli slices. Kroger claims that the addition of the new products will increase Simple Truth’s plant-based portfolio to 75 foods and beverages by the end of 2020. According to Kroger, the release of the new products comes as an increasing number of consumers are adopting flexitarian or fully plant-based eating habits, prioritising healthier food choices and reducing their intake of traditional meat and dairy products. The creation and launch of the first chicken-alternative in the collection, Simple Truth Emerge Chick’n, reportedly follows increased demand for the Simple Truth Emerge burger patties and grinds that were launched by the retailer earlier this year. Stuart Aitken, Kroger’s chief merchant, said: “We’re excited to introduce the latest additions to our Simple Truth Plant Based collection to provide an expanded selection of affordable, delicious and quality products for our customers who live a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyle. “We look forward to continuing to drive the growth of the plant-based category through our Simple Truth brand, which exceeded $2.5 billion in sales last year, and we anticipate increased interest in our plant-based selection in 2021 and beyond.” Brad Studer, Kroger’s senior director of Our Brands, added: “We believe that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable and delicious food, no matter who you are, how you shop or what you like to eat, and we will continue to innovate and inspire our selection of products to deliver on that very promise for our customers.” #Kroger #US #SimpleTruth #plantbased #retail

US retailer Kroger is adding 50 new products to its own-label Simple Truth Plant Based collection, in response to the growing demand for plant-based products. Among the 50 new products are dairy-free cheeses, oat milk ice cream, almond milk yogurts and Emerge Chick'n patties and grinds. All new products in the range will be available exclusively from Kroger stores. The Simple Truth plant-based range was introduced in September 2019 with 20 products, including oat milk, sausage alternatives, and plant-based deli slices. Kroger claims that the addition of the new products will increase Simple Truth's plant-based portfolio to 75 foods and beverages by the end of 2020. According to Kroger, the release of the new products comes as an increasing number of consumers are adopting flexitarian or fully plant-based eating habits, prioritising healthier food choices and reducing their intake of traditional meat and dairy products. The creation and launch of the first chicken-alternative in the collection, Simple Truth Emerge Chick'n, reportedly follows increased demand for the Simple Truth Emerge burger patties and grinds that were launched by the retailer earlier this year. Stuart Aitken, Kroger's chief merchant, said: "We're excited to introduce the latest additions to our Simple Truth Plant Based collection to provide an expanded selection of affordable, delicious and quality products for our customers who live a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyle. "We look forward to continuing to drive the growth of the plant-based category through our Simple Truth brand, which exceeded $2.5 billion in sales last year, and we anticipate increased interest in our plant-based selection in 2021 and beyond." Brad Studer, Kroger's senior director of Our Brands, added: "We believe that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable and delicious food, no matter who you are, how you shop or what you like to eat, and we will continue to innovate and inspire our selection of products to deliver on that very promise for our customers."

Food-tech start-up Hooray Foods has announced that its plant-based bacon product will launch in seven US regions from 1 November 2020. Hooray Foods’ meat-free bacon is made using a blend of coconut oil, rice flour, tapioca starch, liquid smoke, umami seasoning, maple syrup, salt and beet juice concentrate. The company claims that the meat-free bacon replicates the cooking experience, taste and texture of conventional bacon. The meat-free bacon also does not feature soy, gluten or dairy, and will be available from Whole Foods stores in seven US regions, which were not announced by the company. Founded in 2019, San-Francisco based Hooray Foods claims that one of its core objectives is to boost the consumption of sustainable alternatives to meat, both in environmental and animal welfare terms. The start-up was backed in a seed funding round by private equity firm Stray Dog Capital, and claimed that it would use this funding to increase production capacity and invest in R&D, in preparation for a wider launch. Hooray Foods founder Sri Artham, said: “People who love bacon, love Hooray. I came at it from a totally different direction and developed it with a novel way to encapsulate fat in a substrate. “I wanted to do something that would have a positive environmental impact. While I’m not a chef, or a food scientist, I have been in the food industry for many years, so working to make an environmental difference seemed like a good place to start. “If you want to impact climate change, there’s almost no better way to do so than by changing what you eat.” #HoorayFoods #plantbasedmeat #US

Plant-based food firm The Livekindly Co. (also known as the Livekindly Collective) has raised $135 million in a new funding round led by Blue Horizon Corporation. The Livekindly Co. is a collective of plant-based food brands and predominantly focuses on the meat alternatives market. The company was launched earlier this year following a $200 million funding round, and owns and operates brands including The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat and Oumph. Along with Blue Horizon’s financing, this latest funding round also featured investments from an unnamed Asian syndicate led by Trustbridge Partners; global investment organization EQT; Griffith Foods; and other existing shareholders According to a statement from The Livekindly Co., the majority of funding will be used to increase capacity and accelerate the 2021 nationwide US launch of portfolio brands The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat, and Oumph; and will help the company to develop new products including plant-based chicken and egg alternatives. Kees Kruythoff, CEO and chairman of the Livekindly Co., said: “We see significant investor interest increasing around our movement. Through our plant-based food platform, we’re committed to ethically and environmentally-friendly practices in everything we do. “We are also uniquely positioned to scale rapidly and transform the current global food system.” David Knopf, chief financial officer of The Livekindly Co., added: “Global consumer demand for plant-based meat alternatives is growing rapidly, creating a meaningful opportunity for investors, and our focus on chicken alternatives addresses a massive global need. “Our plans to accelerate business growth not only meets the demand of consumers for healthier and more environmentally friendly products, but also creates an attractive investment opportunity behind a purpose-driven business model.” Earlier this year, The Livekindly Co. acquired meat alternative brand Oumph from Swedish firm Food For Progress for an undisclosed figure. Oumph produces and markets a wide range of plant-based meat alternative products, which are principally made from soy and are available in several European countries. #LivekindlyCollective #plantbased #US

Food-tech start-up Hooray Foods has announced that its plant-based bacon product will launch in seven US regions from 1 November 2020. Hooray Foods' meat-free bacon is made using a blend of coconut oil, rice flour, tapioca starch, liquid smoke, umami seasoning, maple syrup, salt and beet juice concentrate. The company claims that the meat-free bacon replicates the cooking experience, taste and texture of conventional bacon. The meat-free bacon also does not feature soy, gluten or dairy, and will be available from Whole Foods stores in seven US regions, which were not announced by the company. Founded in 2019, San-Francisco based Hooray Foods claims that one of its core objectives is to boost the consumption of sustainable alternatives to meat, both in environmental and animal welfare terms. The start-up was backed in a seed funding round by private equity firm Stray Dog Capital, and claimed that it would use this funding to increase production capacity and invest in R&D, in preparation for a wider launch. Hooray Foods founder Sri Artham, said: "People who love bacon, love Hooray. I came at it from a totally different direction and developed it with a novel way to encapsulate fat in a substrate. “I wanted to do something that would have a positive environmental impact. While I’m not a chef, or a food scientist, I have been in the food industry for many years, so working to make an environmental difference seemed like a good place to start. “If you want to impact climate change, there’s almost no better way to do so than by changing what you eat.”

Plant-based food firm The Livekindly Co. (also known as the Livekindly Collective) has raised $135 million in a new funding round led by Blue Horizon Corporation. The Livekindly Co. is a collective of plant-based food brands and predominantly focuses on the meat alternatives market. The company was launched earlier this year following a $200 million funding round, and owns and operates brands including The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat and Oumph. Along with Blue Horizon's financing, this latest funding round also featured investments from an unnamed Asian syndicate led by Trustbridge Partners; global investment organization EQT; Griffith Foods; and other existing shareholders According to a statement from The Livekindly Co., the majority of funding will be used to increase capacity and accelerate the 2021 nationwide US launch of portfolio brands The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat, and Oumph; and will help the company to develop new products including plant-based chicken and egg alternatives. Kees Kruythoff, CEO and chairman of the Livekindly Co., said: “We see significant investor interest increasing around our movement. Through our plant-based food platform, we’re committed to ethically and environmentally-friendly practices in everything we do. "We are also uniquely positioned to scale rapidly and transform the current global food system.” David Knopf, chief financial officer of The Livekindly Co., added: “Global consumer demand for plant-based meat alternatives is growing rapidly, creating a meaningful opportunity for investors, and our focus on chicken alternatives addresses a massive global need. “Our plans to accelerate business growth not only meets the demand of consumers for healthier and more environmentally friendly products, but also creates an attractive investment opportunity behind a purpose-driven business model.” Earlier this year, The Livekindly Co. acquired meat alternative brand Oumph from Swedish firm Food For Progress for an undisclosed figure. Oumph produces and markets a wide range of plant-based meat alternative products, which are principally made from soy and are available in several European countries.

Itsu has expanded its frozen dumplings range with the introduction of a new teriyaki chick’n vegan gyoza product in the UK. Featuring plant-based meat alongside sweet teriyaki, kale, carrot and spring onion, Itsu’s latest offering is said to be the product of a year of dedicated recipe development. Whether steamed, simmered or fried, the Asian-inspired offering can be prepared from frozen in just four minutes. High in protein, the new dumplings are said to have a meat-like texture, providing a ‘nutritious substitute’ for those looking to reduce their meat intake. “As a brand we have always tried to provide our customers with a huge range of vegan options,” said Julian Metcalfe, CEO and founder of Itsu. “With a rise in sales for our plant-based products, it seemed the perfect opportunity to launch the UK’s very first ‘vegan meat’ gyoza …though, this is a product not just made for vegans, or vegetarians, it’s made for everyone – we’re incredibly proud of the final recipe, and can’t wait for people to try it.” Itsu’s teriyaki chick’n vegan gyoza are rolling out, with an RRP of £3.75 per 12-dumpling pack, to Ocado and select Waitrose stores this month, followed by Tesco in November. Earlier this year, Itsu launched a range of brilliant’broth ramen bases to provide consumers with a Japanese-style soup base for ‘easy bowl suppers’. #Itsu #meatalternatives #UK

Itsu has expanded its frozen dumplings range with the introduction of a new teriyaki chick’n vegan gyoza product in the UK. Featuring plant-based meat alongside sweet teriyaki, kale, carrot and spring onion, Itsu’s latest offering is said to be the product of a year of dedicated recipe development. Whether steamed, simmered or fried, the Asian-inspired offering can be prepared from frozen in just four minutes. High in protein, the new dumplings are said to have a meat-like texture, providing a ‘nutritious substitute’ for those looking to reduce their meat intake. “As a brand we have always tried to provide our customers with a huge range of vegan options,” said Julian Metcalfe, CEO and founder of Itsu. “With a rise in sales for our plant-based products, it seemed the perfect opportunity to launch the UK’s very first ‘vegan meat’ gyoza …though, this is a product not just made for vegans, or vegetarians, it’s made for everyone - we’re incredibly proud of the final recipe, and can’t wait for people to try it.” Itsu's teriyaki chick’n vegan gyoza are rolling out, with an RRP of £3.75 per 12-dumpling pack, to Ocado and select Waitrose stores this month, followed by Tesco in November. Earlier this year, Itsu launched a range of brilliant’broth ramen bases to provide consumers with a Japanese-style soup base for ‘easy bowl suppers’.

The Bel Group has announced its ambition to provide a plant-based offering for each one of its core brands, as well as the launch of a new international brand fully dedicated to plant-based products in the next coming months. The news comes after Bel agreed to acquire a majority stake in French plant-based start-up All in Foods that produces the Nature & Moi brand, which is in line with its previously-announced strategy ‘For All. For Good’. Last year, Bel announced its commitment to expand its activities beyond cheese products and develop hybrid products that integrate dairy and plant-based raw materials. In accelerating its transformation strategy, Bel has announced numerous innovation products in different markets with major launches in the plant-based category. From the end of this month, Bel will sell a plant-based version of Boursin on the American market through Amazon Fresh. Meanwhile, the company is also developing a plant-based Mini Babybel project that will be launched next year in the US. As part of its action towards meeting its 100% recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging target by 2025, Bel has been involved in partnerships with TerraCycle to create national packaging recycling programmes. To date, 84% of the company’s packaging is already biodegradable or recyclable. Bel’s executive vice-president, Cécile Béliot, said: “For the past year, we have been accelerating the Group’s transformation, with the conviction that a responsible and profitable growth is possible: an enlightened ‘capitalism’ that is moving from a logic of balance of power to a logic of value sharing, beyond any major stakes. This is what guides all the Group’s actions today.” #Babybel #thelaughingcow #Boursin #BelGroup #plantbaseddairy

The Bel Group has announced its ambition to provide a plant-based offering for each one of its core brands, as well as the launch of a new international brand fully dedicated to plant-based products in the next coming months. The news comes after Bel agreed to acquire a majority stake in French plant-based start-up All in Foods that produces the Nature & Moi brand, which is in line with its previously-announced strategy ‘For All. For Good’. Last year, Bel announced its commitment to expand its activities beyond cheese products and develop hybrid products that integrate dairy and plant-based raw materials. In accelerating its transformation strategy, Bel has announced numerous innovation products in different markets with major launches in the plant-based category. From the end of this month, Bel will sell a plant-based version of Boursin on the American market through Amazon Fresh. Meanwhile, the company is also developing a plant-based Mini Babybel project that will be launched next year in the US. As part of its action towards meeting its 100% recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging target by 2025, Bel has been involved in partnerships with TerraCycle to create national packaging recycling programmes. To date, 84% of the company’s packaging is already biodegradable or recyclable. Bel’s executive vice-president, Cécile Béliot, said: “For the past year, we have been accelerating the Group's transformation, with the conviction that a responsible and profitable growth is possible: an enlightened ‘capitalism’ that is moving from a logic of balance of power to a logic of value sharing, beyond any major stakes. This is what guides all the Group's actions today."