GFI Alt Protein Pulse

Catch up on our latest blogs and resources, upcoming events, and the top alternative protein stories from the past month.

From GFI

Report: U.S. foodservice market insights for the plant-based meat category

Our corporate engagement team just published an all-new U.S. plant-based meat foodservice sales and consumer insights. The data show that plant-based protein sales are rebounding in U.S. foodservice after a decline during the height of the pandemic. Dig in.

Introducing the 2023 Alt Protein Project cohort: Expanding our global footprint

We are thrilled to welcome 24 new student groups to The Alt Protein Project (APP). Established in 2020, GFI's APP started as a nascent community connected across five universities. Today, the program has grown to include 53 active groups in universities around the world, each dedicated to transforming their campuses into hubs for alternative protein innovation. Meet the new cohort.

Upcoming events and opportunities

The Good Food Conference

Today (Aug 31) is the last day to save on regular registration for GFC 2023! Attend in-person or virtually on Sept 18-20 and be part of a global community of changemakers from across sectors working to create a brighter food future. Save your spot.

Plant-Based World Expo

Join GFI at the only 100 percent plant-based expo for retail and foodservice. GFI associate director of industry intelligence and initiatives Emma Ignaszewski will be speaking on a panel titled “The Next Generation of Plant-Based Protein” on Thursday, September 7 at 2pm ET. Register.

Ask GFI: Alt Protein Careers

Are you interested in working in alternative protein? Join SciTech academic coordinator Asia Sheehab to learn more about pursuing an academic or industry career in this rapidly growing field. Sign up.

Accessing Loans and Loan Guarantees through the Department of Energy

Curious how to access critical funding to scale your alternative protein company?Join Congresswoman Julia Brownley, representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, and GFI senior vice president of corporate engagement for an informative webinar on Sept 13 at 2:15pm ET. Attend.

Alternative protein headlines

Governments have put $1 billion toward making better meat alternatives. A lot more is needed.

Public funding for alternative proteins increased significantly, with governments worldwide more than doubling their investments in 2022 alone. As a result, all-time public support for the alternative protein ecosystem has likely surpassed $1 billion, according to GFI's State of Global Policy report. Despite this significant progress, public support has yet to approach the annual level needed to realize alternative proteins’ benefits to the economy, climate, and global food system. Learn more.

U.K. receives first application to sell cultivated meat marking 10-year anniversary

Following similar news in Switzerland, the U.K. received its first-ever application to sell cultivated meat, creating a huge opportunity to boost food security and slash emissions. GFI Europe hailed the news as a “huge opportunity” for the UK to enhance food security and create green jobs while calling on the government to remain focused on novel food regulatory reforms that could see the approval process expedited. Read more.

This Florida steak house is the first in the U.S. to serve plant-based steak

Chunk Foods ' plant-based steak has landed on the menu at a Florida steak house! While the steak is already available at a few other restaurants, serving it at a traditional steak house taps into a “previously unattainable market,” notes Amos Golan, Chunk founder and CEO. Chunk Foods' whole-cut plant-based steak mimics the taste, texture, and juiciness of conventional meat down to the direction and thickness of the fibers created via the company’s patented fermentation process. Check it out.

New Culture targets cost parity for animal-free mozzarella in three years: “We’ve achieved technical metrics unheard of for animal-free casein”

New Culture is making mozzarella cheese designed to tackle the trifecta of factors—accessibility, taste, and price —necessary for alternative proteins to compete with their animal-based counterparts. Their secret ingredient? Fermentation-derived casein protein used to make mozzarella that melts, stretches, and bubbles like conventional dairy cheese. Read the full story.

Global Spotlight: GFI Europe

Meet 7 scientists who used GFI research grants to help transform the future of food. Could you be next?

European scientists have long been at the forefront of sustainable protein research. Today, many across the continent are working on groundbreaking science to transform our food system into one that is better for people, the planet,? and animals.?

With this year’s GFI Research Grant Program in full swing, The Good Food Institute Europe checked back in with previous grantees across the region to learn more about their current projects and see how their grant helped their research, raised their profile, and enabled them to build their own businesses. Read more about this burgeoning research ecosystem happening across Europe.??

This vital scientific progress is occurring against a backdrop of industry challenges across Europe including Italy’s proposed ban on cultivated meat and France’s efforts to ban “meaty” terms. Read more about how GFI Europe is facing these headwinds while building a vibrant alternative protein ecosystem.?

Work at GFI

Corporate Engagement: Market Research or Senior Market Research Manager - United States (Remote)

General Interest: General interest application - United States

You can view all job opportunities at GFI here. For more information on the application process, we encourage you to attend one of our bi-weekly hiring information sessions.

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The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals. Click here to support our work.