December highlights from the plant-based and alternative-protein sector: Swiss court sides with Planted on meaty labelling

As we head into the new year, companies like This and Domino’s have launched new plant-based products for Veganuary. Plus, there is positive news on plant-based labelling, with Swiss court siding with Planted in its use of meaty terminology on its packaging. 

TRENDS & PROJECTIONS

• A study by Kroger and the Plant Based Foods Institute found that consumers who purchased plant-based products in 2020 spent less on animal-based products in 2021. 
• A survey conducted on behalf of MycoTechnology found that 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for the potential health benefits of products with fermented protein.
• A life-cycle assessment of SCiFi Foods’ cultivated-beef burger shows it to be more sustainable than a conventional beef patty. 
• Research by ingredients provider Ofi found that 67% of European consumers view plant-based dairy as complementary to animal-based dairy. 
• A new report from ProVeg International found that over a third of UK consumers would probably or definitely try hybrid products based on blends of plant-based ingredients and cultivated meat. 

RETAIL FOODS

• UK supermarket chain Waitrose reported that searches for the term ‘vegan Christmas food’ increased by 188% from the previous year.
• French startup Onami Foods is launching its plant-based fish-and-chips alternatives into Carrefour stores in Paris.
• UK plant-based meat brand This has launched its new This Isn’t Streaky Bacon in around 3,000 supermarkets for Veganuary. 
• New online brand Plantaway has launched in Mumbai via its online direct-to-consumers store, and aims to be a ‘one-stop shop for everything plant-based’. 

FOODSERVICE CHAINS/CATERERS 

• International pizza-chain, Domino’s has launched a plant-based jackfruit pizza in Germany for Veganuary. 
• Ikea’s parent company, the Ingka Group, is working towards a sustainable food-hall concept called Saluhall, which includes menus that are 80% plant-based. 
• Burger King UK has formed an exclusive partnership with plant-based-meat company La Vie, adding their plant-based bacon as a permanent menu option.
• Germany’s plant-based NIC Veg Burger has opened a new location in Karlsruhe, as part of its expansion plans. 
• Indian alt-meat brand Shaka Harry has become the first plant-based-meat brand to open a foodservice outlet at Bengaluru Airport.

FOOD MANUFACTURERS

• Canadian protein brand Maple Leaf Foods is partnering with The Better Meat Co. to develop mycelium products using Better Meat’s Rhiza protein.
• Plant-based dairy giant Upfield has joined forces with Caribbean distributor Vemco to bring its plant-based Violife products to Trinidad and Tobago.
• Nestlé’s Garden Gourmet brand has now launched its plant-based foie-gras alternative in European markets. 
• Bel Brands USA has partnered with dairy-free tech company Perfect Day to launch an animal–free cream-cheese spread. 

INGREDIENTS SUPPLIERS/NEW TECHNOLOGIES

• A group of Dutch businesses and academics has launched a five-year research project, in part to evaluate the use of protein-based biopolymers in cultivated-meat production. 
• Scientists at the University of Copenhagen will research whether termite mushrooms can become a sustainable human food source. 
• Finnish food innovator Foodiq has developed a fermented-fava-bean protein ingredient that could be used to improve existing formulations of plant-based products. 
• Scientists in China and Singapore have developed a sustainable plant-based ink that can be used for 3D printing in the production of cultivated meat. 
• Berlin-based Veganz Group has secured a license from Vitiprints LLC for a patented printing process to produce milk alternatives such as soya, oat, and almond. 

ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR

• German plant-based cheese brand Simply V has announced it will launch in the UK in March 2023, after making an appearance at the Plant-based World Expo Europe in 2022. 
• Pet-food brand Tender & True has produced a line of upcycled plant-based dog treats.
• Law firm Mills & Reeves, together with infant-formula companies, Aptamil and Sprout Organic, were interviewed about the potential for plant-based ingredients in baby formula. 

STARTUP & FINANCIAL

• Israeli food-tech company Equinom has raised $35M in a funding round, with plans to accelerate its plant-based protein ingredients in the B2B market.
• Santiago-based food-tech company NotCo has raised $70m with plans to build a B2B platform that will enable other companies to utilise its AI technology platform ‘Giuseppe’.
• The ProVeg Incubator publicly streamed its Demo Day for the first time, featuring pitches from 13 innovative startups. 
• Israel’s Modern Agriculture Foundation has invited startups to apply for its second cohort of Better Plate, an accelerator programme for alternative proteins. 
• UK plant-based dog-food brand The Pack has raised £835,000, which will help it to release its oven-baked dry food in 2023.

STAKEHOLDER INTERVENTIONS

• ProVeg Czechia has formed an export alliance alongside the government agency CzechTrade to support plant-based food producers. 
• UK government funding bodies, Biotechnical and Biological Sciences Research Council and  Innovate UK have joined forces to support the development and research of novel foods and sustainable proteins. 
• The EU’s research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, has dedicated €25 million in funding for three projects working on cultivated and fermented proteins.
• New York City has launched a lifestyle medicine-training scheme for healthcare professionals featuring modules dedicated to plant-based eating as both a preventative and treatment-based tool.
• The Zurich Administrative Court has declared in a ruling that the Swiss plant-based brand Planted’s use of conventional ‘meaty’ terms is not deceptive.  

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