Our top stories from 21-28 February
The Future of Protein Production
Connecting organizations to successfully commercialize sustainable protein at scale
Welcome to another week of intriguing developments in the world of alternative proteins. And as has been the case pretty much every week so far in 2024, there’s a plethora of fascinating stories to bring you!
Now, although it was widely reported in the past week, we have had confirmation from the horse’s mouth that the planned construction of a facility for producing cultivated meat at scale in Illinois, USA, will now not go ahead. Is this the end of cultivated meat or just prudence in uncertain economic times? It depends what publications you read, we guess…
Acknowledging the challenges in scaling, an Israeli company developing cultured beef has announced a new partnership to produce cultivated meat at Thailand’s first production plant for cell ag applications. The company’s CEO suggested a “prudent, capital-efficient scale-up” lets them “navigate infrastructure investments thoughtfully, enabling sustainable penetration into key regions”.
Again, depending on your source, the news that one of the leaders in plant-based meat has unveiled a fourth iteration of its ‘beef’ product is being reported by some as a last-ditch attempt to salvage sales and share. More likely it is simply a pioneer improving its formula – high-quality protein, good fats, fiber and key nutrients in what the company suggests is its meatiest product yet. Some of the ludicrous headlines we’ve seen are ‘beyond’ comprehension!
Elsewhere, precision fermentation has been in the news, following the announcement that a major F&B brand will be using the whey protein of a specialist in the field to create an ice cream product that is lactose-free, cholesterol-free, and a whole lot better for the environment. And if you didn’t know what precision fermentation was, a new definition has been released by the Precision Fermentation Alliance and Food Fermentation Europe.
And with just under eight weeks until The Future of Protein Production Chicago, we’re getting to know the +75 speakers who will be on the agenda. First in the spotlight this week are Zoe Yu Tung Law, CEO & Co-founder of New Wave Biotech and Janet Helm, Founder of Food at the Helm Consultancy. Get your tickets for the conference here…
We’ll be landing in your inboxes again next Wednesday! Until then, have a wonderful weekend and a great start to your week…
??Beyond Meat unveils its Beyond IV platform, the fourth generation of the Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef
Beyond Meat has announced the fourth generation of its core beef platform, Beyond IV, resulting in the unveiling of the company’s new Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef exclusively at retail. “Beyond IV represents a transformative step forward in delivering plant-based nutrition to the consumer in the form of meat," commented Ethan Brown , Beyond Meat Founder & CEO. "The development of the new products occurred within an ecosystem of leading medical and nutrition experts, and were designed to meet the standards of national health organizations to create a product that delivers the taste, satisfaction, and utility of 80/20 beef – yet is demonstrably healthier"
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???Upside Foods prioritizes expansion of Emeryville facility over construction of Illinois 'Rubicon' plant
UPSIDE Foods recently announced a significant adjustment to its expansion strategy. Amid a challenging funding environment, the company has opted to refocus its resources and efforts, choosing to enhance and double the investment in its existing Emeryville, California, facility, rather than proceeding with the immediate development of a new plant in Glenview, Illinois, which had been informally referred to as 'Rubicon'. Uma Valeti, MD , CEO of Upside Foods, underscored the significance of these adjustments within the company's broader strategic framework. By focusing on enhancing the existing infrastructure in Emeryville, Upside Foods is not only aiming to fortify its position as a pioneer in the cultivated meat sector but is also laying the groundwork for future expansion, including the eventual establishment of a full-scale commercial facility
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Aleph Farms partners with BBGI and Fermbox Bio to increase production capabilities in Southeast Asia
Hot on the heels of its regulatory approval in Israel for its beef product, a world first, Aleph Farms has announced a new partnership with BBGI Public Company Limited , a manufacturer and distributor of bio-based products, and Fermbox Bio , a synthetic biology research and manufacturing company. Together, they are setting out to produce cultivated meat at Thailand’s first production plant for cellular agriculture applications. “A prudent, capital-efficient scale-up lets us navigate infrastructure investments thoughtfully, enabling sustainable penetration into key regions,” commented Didier Toubia , CEO & Co-Founder of Aleph Farms
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Zurich-based food tech, Food Brewer, closes seed round with over CHF 5 million to continue developing cocoa and coffee alternatives
Swiss food-tech startup, Food Brewer , has announced it has closed a seed round, raising more than CHF 5 million (US$5.6 million) from US and Swiss investors, including from Zürcher Kantonalbank and chocolate manufacturer Max Felchlin AG . The startup will use the fresh capital to further develop its cell lines, expand its production facility and for business development. "With our cocoa cell line, we are already in a position to produce on a kilogram scale," commented Mathilde Dupin , CFO, Food Brewer. “We are currently in transition from the research phase to the actual food production phase”
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New report lays out roadmap to biomanufacturing ‘moment’ — predicts explosion to US$200 billion market over next decade
Synonym , a biomanufacturing infrastructure company, is unlocking the market forces to enable a quickly-maturing multi-hundred billion dollar sector – which will “allow biomanufacturing [to] finally fulfil its promise of achieving commercial scale.” So says a new report by leading global consulting firm 波士顿谘询公司 (coauthored by Synonym), entitled Breaking the Cost Barrier on Biomanufacturing. “Synthetic biology promises, to paraphrase the old slogan, better living – better stuff – through biology,” commented Joshua Lachter , Synonym Co-founder. “Synonym imagines a world where these products are ubiquitous in our daily lives, and this report examines how that potential can translate to the realities of industrial production"
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University of Exeter study finds swapping meat for Quorn products could play a key role in cholesterol management and improving heart health
Regularly substituting meat for Quorn Foods could help to lower bad cholesterol at a rate comparable to what might be expected from more wholesale dietary changes, such as following a Mediterranean or vegan diet, according to the findings of a new study by scientists at the University of Exeter . “The potential cholesterol-lowering effects of Quorn’s mycoprotein were first identified nearly four decades ago and, since then, numerous studies have helped us to understand more about the extent of its cholesterol management capabilities, with its high-fiber content thought to play a key role in this," said Sam Blunt , Quorn’s Director of Sustainability & Corporate Affairs
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Having spoken with experts wielding the scissors to cut through the complexity of regulations, Louise Davis learns how companies bringing novel foods to market can best navigate the challenging compliance landscape. In this article we have exclusive interviews with Andrew Janis from Vow , Hannah Lester from ATOVA Regulatory Consulting, SLU , Ida Aabrandt S?ndergaard from Solar Foods , Catherine Elton from Qkine , Alan Iván Ramos from Libre Foods and Ed Steele from Hoxton Farms
Click here to read all six interviews!
Innovation Insight: How in-line sensors take small measurements for big steps in future protein production
Here, we explore the significance of sensor integration in the fermentation process by highlighting Hamilton Company ’s contributions to process monitoring and control, process optimization, and process scaling
Click here to read this article
The Future of Protein Production Chicago is the meeting place for accelerating the commercialization of proteins in the Americas. The conference and exhibition will showcase more than 20 exhibitors and 75 speakers, and bring together over 400 people, and takes place at McCormick Place on 24/25 April 2024.
Register now to take advantage of the Early Bird discount. Tickets are limited, so secure your spot now at the best price. Click here to grab yours now!
Listen to the latest episode now! New episodes are released every month.
In the latest episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Sue Garfitt, CEO of The Protein Brewery . With her extensive experience in the food industry, Sue takes us on a fascinating journey through the innovative strides behind their pioneering product, Fermotein, produced via fungal biomass fermentation. We explore the challenges of scaling production, the ever-evolving global regulations, and gain invaluable insights into how The Protein Brewery is carving out its unique stance in the competitive alternative protein market.
Click here to listen to this and all of our podcasts!
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See you next week!
??? Regarding the updates on alternative proteins, it's exciting to see the industry evolving. The developments in cultivated meat technology are truly fascinating, especially with the recent news about the cultivated meat facility in Illinois. It's interesting to see how companies are navigating scaling challenges, such as the Israeli company's partnership in Thailand. The advancements and improvements in plant-based meat products are also intriguing. I'm curious to see how the industry will continue to innovate and provide high-quality protein options. Precision fermentation's impact on creating lactose-free, cholesterol-free products is impressive, and I'm glad to see the focus on environmental sustainability. #foodtech #alternativeproteins #cultivatedmeat #plantbasedfood #fermentation HiProSUN, https://HiProSUN.com ??With our innovative Verfahren in the field of waste material utilisation from sunflower processing, we are opening the door to a revolutionary further development of the value chain and the associated circular economy.
Thrilled to see such a vibrant discussion on the pursuit of happiness and its impact on our longevity! As Dalai Lama wisely shared, Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.- ?? Let’s keep creating joy through meaningful actions. ??? Keep shining!