February Highlights from the plant-based and cultured-food sector: Innovation is everywhere!

The plant-based and cultured-food sector is continuing to expand in the wake of the pandemic. From seawood-scaffolded meat to 3-D printing and novel uses of fermentation, innovation is everywhere in the sector. Read on to find out more about the latest exciting developments.

TRENDS & PROJECTIONS

• Israeli food-tech company SuperMeat recently conducted a “first-ever” public blind tasting of their cultured chicken.
• More than a quarter of Dutch consumers hope that the future of meat will be animal-free, according to a new survey commissioned by ProVeg Netherlands.
• A new report from global food processor Archer Daniels Midland highlights the top seven emerging trends in alternative protein.
• Pilgrim’s, the owner of UK sausage giant Richmond, predicts 74% growth in its plant-based products over the next four years.
• According to the Good Food Institute, the price of plant-based meat is projected to fall below that of conventional meat in 2023.

RETAIL FOODS

• Aldi UK’s plant-based sales increased by 500% in January compared to the previous year, a sure sign that Veganuary is continuing to accelerate.
• Carrefour France is now selling plant-based meat at its traditional butcher counters.
• UK retailer the Vegan Kind has rolled out major plans for 2022.
• Plant-based tuna alternative Tuno is now available at Co-op stores in the UK.

FOODSERVICE CHAINS/CATERERS

• British Airways is set to introduce a range of plant-based meals in its first-class and business-class lounges.
• As part of a Vegan Fridays initiative, public schools in New York City will be serving plant-based meals to nearly a million students every week.
• IKEA is courting new tech hires by offering them a job interview over a plate of 3D-printed vegan meatballs.

FOOD MANUFACTURERS

• Swedish alt-dairy brand Dug has launched its potato milk in UK supermarkets.
• Germany’s Plant B has launched a lupin-based liquid-egg product.
• Singaporean company Oatside – branded as the first “full-stack” oat-milk brand from Asia – has debuted its plant-based milk alternative with a range that includes Barista Blend, Chocolate, and Chocolate Hazelnut.
• Nestlé Australia is shifting towards a more sustainable approach by using 100% renewable energy and focusing on its plant-based portfolio.
• Upfield has entered into a strategic partnership with UK-based egg-alternative producer and vegan bakery Oggs.

INGREDIENTS SUPPLIERS/NEW TECHNOLOGIES

• A new study from pea-protein supplier Roquette shows the potential of pea isolate as a high-quality protein.
• Ingredion has invested in InnovoPro, which is developing a suite of highly functional chickpea ingredients.

ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR

• Irish plant-based brand Strong Roots is on a mission to redefine the frozen-food category.
• Chicago startup Aqua Cultured Foods is using microbial fermentation to create fish-free calamari.

STARTUP & FINANCIAL

• Brain Biotech and ProVeg Incubator alumnus Formo have joined forces to scale production of Formo’s animal-free milk protein.
• Bosque Foods (also an Incubator alumnus) has unveiled it’s next-generation mycelium-based meat alternative.
• Mumbai-based startup Blue Tribe Foods has welcomed Bollywood celebrity Anushka Sharma and her husband cricket star Virat Kohli on board as investors and brand ambassadors.
• Seawith has completed a $5.43m funding round for its cultured steak, which uses seaweed-scaffolding.
• Tomorrow Foods has received funding from Blue Horizon to drive the Protein transformation in South America.

STAKEHOLDER INTERVENTIONS

• A new joint report from business-technology outfit CIIE.Co and the Good Food Institute claims that cultured meat could radically transform India’s food system.
• John Hopkins University has launched the school’s first academic course devoted to alternative protein education.
• The European Alliance for Plant-based Foods (EAPF) is bringing together like-minded organisations in the plant-based value chain to spearhead the transformation towards a sustainable plant-based food system.
• In the US, the Afro-Vegan Society celebrated black history month in February with an online vegan-education programme titled ‘Veguary’

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