Better Bioeconomy Weekly - May 1st 2023 🌏
Better Bioeconomy Weekly - May 1st 2023 🌏
Why bother fishing when you can just hit print and have a freshly made fish fillet?
WORD BUFFET 📖
🐟 Steakholder Foods and Umami Meats Join Forces to 3D Bio-Print the World’s First Cultivated Grouper Fish Fillet
The 3D fish printing represents a successful milestone in the partnership between Umami Meats and Steakholder Foods towards commercializing the 3D printer that allows the mimicking of the flaky texture of cooked fish.
The printed grouper fish has a great taste and texture, is ready to cook after printing, and is environmentally friendly. Steakholder Foods anticipates expanding collaborations to a greater variety of species with additional partners.
Umami Meats and Steakholder Foods intend to bring their cultivated fish product to the market in the coming months.
Read article - Asia Food Journal
🍳 Float Foods Launched Asia’s First 100% Plant-Based Poached Egg and Egg Yolk, OnlyEg
Developed with proprietary technology, OnlyEg offers legume-based poached egg and yolk substitutes that are suitable for vegans, vegetarians, those with egg allergies, and health-conscious consumers.
OnlyEg offers an innovative solution to the food industry by providing a ready-to-heat, plant-based poached egg and yolk substitute that can be used in various dishes, including hollandaise sauce, carbonara pasta, and crème brulee.
OnlyEg expanded in Q4 2022 with new distribution deals, including a launch with Day Day Cook, the largest meal kit subscription service in Hong Kong. The brand will debut in Malaysia, Dubai, and Australia from June 2023.
Read article - Asia Food Journal
🍦 Coolhaus Is Expanding to Hong Kong With 5 Flavours That Use Perfect Day’s Animal-Free Dairy
Coolhaus offers its pints at >300 Wellcome grocery stores and its single-serve cups at 630 7-Eleven locations, and while the products are cholesterol and lactose-free, they are not suitable for individuals with dairy allergies.
Coolhaus was acquired by Perfect Day's consumer products arm The Urgent Company in 2021.
Perfect Day uses precision fermentation to create dairy proteins identical to cow's milk by programming microorganisms, with a technology that requires less resources and emits fewer GHG than traditional dairy production.
Read article - Green Queen
🥥 Jungle Kitchen Introduced a 6-Product Vegan Food Range With Indigenous Ingredients and Cooking Techniques From Southeast and South Asia
The range includes a superfood mince made from ten vegetables, roots, and herbs, a jackfruit curry, banana blossoms in brine, and a hot sauce and relish made from local peppers and vegetables.
The company focuses on local ingredients and small producers, with a fully verified and sustainable supply chain.
They also aim to build a crowdsourced compendium of Asian flora, rating and ranking the quality and sustainability of particular areas or farms.
Read article - Green Queen
🇯🇵 Japanese Plant-Based Food Company 2foods Is Set to Make Its US Debut
Having raised more than $4 million in Series A funding last year, Japanese plant-based food company 2foods is expanding to the US market with its Ever Series, which includes Ever Egg and Ever Chicken Nuggets.
2foods is in negotiations with various restaurant groups, hotels, and grocery stores across the US and plans to showcase its products at the Vegan Women Summit in New York in May.
The company also offers traditional Japanese dishes, plant-based cheeseburgers, and desserts, and has an extensive range of products available in Tokyo.
Read article - Green Queen
🇪🇸 Heura Launched a Patent-Pending Technology That Boosts Nutritional Values of Plant-Based Products
The new thermomechanical tech shapes and modifies plant proteins using heat and mechanical energy, creating plant-based products with more quality protein, low fat, and a familiar "clean" ingredient list.
Heura aims to become Europe's net-positive food tech champion, and the company saw a 260% increase in sales across borders last year following its €20 million ($22.3 M) in bridge funding.
The proprietary technology is part of the Good Rebel Tech (GRT) platform, which is focused on creating macro and micro-nutrient-dense foods in a sustainable manner that goes beyond what's been technologically possible to date.
Read article - Green Queen
🇮🇱 Remilk Became the First Company to Receive Precision Fermentation Dairy Approval in Israel
This follows Remilk's regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Authority and a "no questions letter" from the US FDA earlier this year.
The company has already raised more than $130 million and has signed deals with leading players in the global food industry.
It is only the second precision fermentation company to receive a "no questions" letter from the US FDA.
Read article - Green Queen
🇺🇸 Alternative Protein Industry Leaders Assembled in Washington, DC to Advocate for Increased Government Funding and Updated Regulation
The all-star lineup included alternative protein companies and organizations: Eat Just, Finless Foods, Impossible Foods, Next Gen Foods, Oatly, Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), and The Good Food Institute (GFI).
Industry leaders recommended that the US government invest in the future of food through research, development, and consumer education.
They also recommended creating a market and regulatory ecosystem that allows for innovation and maintains US competitiveness, and prioritizing good jobs and workforce development throughout the supply chain.
Read article - vegconomist
💰 Better Bite Ventures Has Invested in 4 Startups in the Asia Pacific Region Under Its Early-Stage First Bite Initiative
The APAC region is the world’s fastest-growing protein market, and Better Bite Ventures believes that innovative startups are key to making the region’s food system more sustainable and resilient.
The four startups are:
Cultivaer: developing novel bioreactor-free technology for fermentation-derived alt proteins.
EatKinda: making plant-based ice cream featuring ‘imperfect’ cauliflower that would otherwise go to waste.
Klevermeat: India's first cultivated seafood start-up.
Allium Bio: co-culturing strains of microalgae and mycelium to create ingredients that improve the taste and performance of plant-based products.Better Bite Ventures has invested in 20 early-stage alt protein companies across Asia Pacific, portfolio companies include Change Foods, Vow, Umami Meats, Next Gen Foods (TiNDLE) and Miruku.
Read the article - AgFunder
🌱 Chunk Foods Raised $15 Million in Seed Funding to Expand Its Fermentation-Based Platform and Launch Its Plant-Based Meat Products in the US
The Israeli startup ferments soy flour with food-grade microorganisms using a proprietary solid-state fermentation process that is highly tunable and cheaper than other methods such as high-moisture extrusion or submerged fermentation.
The funding will be used to expand the team and complete the construction of a plant in Israel that can manufacture millions of steaks annually by the summer.
Chunk Foods' steak is being served at high-end vegan restaurants in New York City. The labeling will vary according to the market, but the ingredients list in the US may say something like "cultured soy."
Read article - AgFunder
🥛 Danone Ventures into Animal-Free Dairy Space with Minority Stake in Imagindairy
Danone's venture arm, Danone Manifesto Ventures, has taken a minority stake in Imagindairy, an Israeli start-up using precision fermentation to make animal-free dairy proteins.
Imagindairy utilizes its proprietary AI model to create high-yielding microorganisms for protein production, aiming for cost-effectiveness. They plan to scale up through contract manufacturing before building their own facility.
The partnership will be Danone's first foray into animal-free dairy, but they are already invested in the plant-based dairy space through brands such as Alpro, Silk and So Delicious.
Read article - AgFunder
SOCIAL FEAST 📱
🐮 The US Beef Cattle Supply Has Hit Its Lowest Level Since 1962. Why?
Drought is the biggest factor, as it has increased animal feed costs and affected crops like hay and alfalfa which provide the majority of a cow's diet.
Consumer trends are shifting away from beef, with consumers finding it increasingly difficult to afford due to record-high prices and a growing preference for meat alternatives.
The ageing population of cattle ranchers is also contributing to the industry's decline, with younger ranchers unwilling to enter the field and big conglomerates squeezing out profits.
Read Jennifer Stojkovic’s post
🇮🇳 India's Meat Consumption: Low Per Capita, High Growth, and Global Implications
The most populous country in the world, India, has a per capita meat consumption of 3.8 kg/year, which is extremely low compared to other countries (eg: 124 kg/year of USA). However, the growth of meat consumption in India is one of the highest in the world.
Globally, countries are making efforts to reduce meat intake for environmental reasons. If India's population shifts significantly towards meat consumption, it will have associated challenges.
To reduce the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, it is necessary to take India into account and diversify its protein consumption mix by including plant proteins and alternatives meaningfully.
🚫 The Climate Crisis May Force Humans to Reduce Meat Consumption
(Unfortunately, because of Substack’s beef with Twitter, I can no longer embed tweets in newsletters. So screenshot + link to the tweet will have to do.)
Steve speculates that the effects of climate change may force humans to reduce their meat consumption to sustainable levels, rather than relying on meat taxes or physical restraint.
Over 50% of the Colorado River is used for animal feed, and when Lake Mead runs dry, it will be impossible to grow crops for animals which may lead to less meat availability and higher prices, eventually leading to reduced meat consumption.
Will alternative foods become popular enough to encourage people to change their behaviour or will climate change force them to change?
Read full thread by Steve Molino
EAR FOOD 🎵
🥩 Uma Valeti on the Business of Cultivated Meat and the 4 T’s That Set Upside Foods Apart in the Cultivated Meat Space
In this podcast episode, Uma Valeti, MD, Co-Founder of Upside Foods, unveils the process behind cultivated meat, which is genetically identical to conventional meat but produced without harming animals.
The discussion extends to the potential implications for the $2 trillion meat industry, as well as the company's unique technology that can enhance the health profiles of various types of meat. Listen in to discover the 4 T's that set Upside apart from other players in the cultivated meat market: taste, team, technology and track record
📈 Ian Monroe on How to Invest for Climate+Positive Results
In the podcast episode, Ian Monroe, President and CIO of Etho Capital, discusses impact investing to achieve climate positivity and reduce emissions.
He talks about the Climate+Positive Initiative, its key players, and how to invest for climate-positive results. Additionally, he touches on the timeline for achieving a climate-positive impact.
VISUAL DELIGHT 🎥
🌱 2022 State of the Industry: Plant-Based Meat, Seafood, Eggs, and Dairy
The webinar hosted by GFI provides an overview of the current state of the plant-based industry, covering sales, investments, technical progress, regulatory updates, public funding, and industry forecasts for plant-based meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy.
Want to dig deeper into the information discussed in the webinar? Check out GFI's State of the Industry Report
🔬 2022 State of the Industry: Fermentation
The GFI webinar focuses on the fermentation industry for alternative proteins, covering topics such as the commercial landscape, investments, science and technology progress, regulation and public funding, and industry forecasts.
Want to dig deeper into the information discussed in the webinar? Check out GFI's State of the Industry Report
Thanks for reading. Have an awesome week! 🙌🏾
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