May Highlights from the plant based sector: Cultured caviar, plant-based ice cream, Michelin-starred restaurants, and more

31 May 2021

The plant-based and alt-food sectors are exploding. From cultured caviar to plant-based ice cream to plant-based Michelin-starred restaurants, we’re moving ever closer to a more sustainable approach to food production and consumption. And in some very encouraging news, Amendment 171, known as the plant-based dairy censorship amendment, was rejected by the EU. Read on to find out more about these and other exciting developments.

TRENDS & PROJECTIONS

Generation Z are spending more on food than on any other product category and favor value-led brands that care about social and environmental issues, according to American financial firm Piper Sandler.
The use of the ‘plant-based’ label is under-exploited by food brands, particularly in relation to flexitarians, according to a new report from Euromonitor.
The regulatory process for cultured meat in Europe is far too rigid and slow, according to industry players canvassed by FoodNavigator.
2020 was a record year for plant-based, cultured-meat, and sustainable protein companies, according to the Good Food Institute.
Government buy-in will be crucial if the cultured-meat sector is to hit production-cost parity by 2030, suggests a new report from the Good Food Institute.
How do consumers feel about cultured meat and precision fermentation? In this FoodNavigator piece, three startups talk about their research into consumer acceptance.
Consumer survey reveals patterns of greater openness to cultured protein in regular diets, according to new research from Aleph Farms.

RETAIL FOODS

Coop Switzerland has expanded its in-house plant-based range and now offers over 1,200 vegan products.
Tesco has joined forces with Beyond Meat to expand its popular New Wicked Kitchen range.
Lidl Germany has expanded its plant-based Vemondo range, with over 450 carbon-neutral products now available on its shelves.

FOODSERVICE CHAINS/CATERERS

Burger King will open its first meat-free outlet in Cologne, Germany, this summer.
In New York City, the 3-Michelin-star restaurant Eleven Madison Park is going completely plant-based.
Starbucks’ new summer menu includes a vegan cake and a plant-based brownie frappuccino.
The Vegetarian Butcher has rolled out six new plant-based meat-alternative products for foodservice businesses in China, after the brand landed in the country for the first time in December.

FOOD MANUFACTURERS

Beyond Meat has released its new, healthy plant-based burgers with 35% less fat and fewer calories.
Coca-Cola has launched its Simply Oat product, as oat milk shows triple-digit sales growth.
According to people familiar with the company, Beyond Meat will debut its meat-free chicken later this year.
Tyson is expanding its Raised & Rooted brand to consolidate its footprint in an increasingly competitive plant-based sector.
Dutch cheese giant Westland Cheese has joined forces with alternative-dairy startup Those Vegan Cowboys to launch a plant-based dairy line.
Nestle has announced a new pea-based milk brand to compete with Oatly and Alpro.
Ben & Jerry’s now has 19 plant-based flavors and is the world’s biggest producer of premium dairy-free ice cream.
Seasogood had launched the first plant-based canned tuna in the Netherlands.

INGREDIENTS SUPPLIERS/NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Soy is still king in the plant-based space, with a new report from MyNutriWeb hailing its health and sustainability benefits.
UK potato-supplier Branston is working on a project to convert unwanted potatoes into ‘clean-label functional protein’ for use in meat analogs.
The European Commission’s Smart Protein project is looking at four underutilized crops – quinoa, legumes, fava beans, and lentils – which are tipped as ideal for cultivation on European soil and for new product development in the plant-based sector.
Equinom has teamed up with sesame-seed processor and exporter Dipasa to roll out a protein-rich sesame variety as an alternative to conventional bases for plant-based products.

ONES TO WATCH OUT FOR

At ProVeg’s New Food Conference, Eat Just predicted that it will become the “most consumed egg in the world”.
British company Exmoor Caviar is developing the world’s first lab-grown ‘compassionate’ caviar so that more people can experience the delicacy’s unique taste and nutritional benefits.
How does a cheese, yogurt, or ice-cream brand expand into the plant-based space? FoodNavigator shares insights from three companies that have done exactly that.
Vegconomist spoke to Simon Fried from MeaTech, an Israeli developer of 3D-printed cultured meat, about the future of the sector.

STARTUP & FINANCIAL

FoodNavigator looks at the ways in which alt-egg companies are developing clean-ingredient formulations that deliver on functionality, taste, and nutrition.
Cultured-chicken brand Future Meat has slashed its production costs, speeding up its goal of reaching price parity with conventional poultry within the next eight years.
Memphis Meats, the first company founded to create meat through animal cells, has changed its name to Upside Foods, as it pivots towards a greater focus on consumers.
DX Ventures has invested in Bluu Biosciences in order to bring cell-based fish into kitchens and restaurants across Europe.
MeaTech has revealed plans for a pilot plant in order to begin scaled-up cultured chicken-fat production.
German startup Innocent Meat is developing a plug-and-play technology that allows conventional meat processors to produce cultivated pork.

STAKEHOLDER INTERVENTIONS

The alt-milk sector is celebrating the EU dropping Amendment 171, known as the plant-based dairy censorship amendment. ProVeg successfully led the movement to oppose the amendment.
This FoodNavigator article explores the feasibility of the cultured-meat sector getting traditional farmers on board.
A coalition of more than 60 key players and stakeholders in the alternative-protein space are calling on the US federal government to make investing in the science and technology of alt-proteins a national priority in the 2022 budget.
A new research collaboration between Chinese agritech firm Pinduoduo and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research will focus on the impact of novel plant-based meats on human health.