NewsBite Podcast (May 9 - 13): Kerry invests US$36M in South African food facility

This week, Swedish business Melt&Marble – a specialist in precision fermentation to produce customized fats for plant-based foods – unveiled its non-animal fat with the properties of beef fat. In other highlights, Motif FoodWorks and NemaLife partnered to advance plant-based food technology using in vivo... Read More

This week, cell-based solutions provider Matrix F.T. announced plans to scale a new wet lab for designing custom scaffolding systems in cultured meat. CellMEAT, a cell-based shrimp manufacturer plans to bring its flagship Dokdo shrimp to markets in Korea, the US and Singapore by 2024. Meanwhile, IFF and... Read More

This week, Nestlé revealed in third-quarter results that it has raised prices for its products by 5.2% to counterbalance the surge in global costs driven by inflation, climate change and conflict. Chr. Hansen unveiled a new culture range for plant-based meat alternatives, while the Dutch government invested... Read More

Aleph Farms is pioneering cell-based collagen, a new animal welfare report slams the inaction of food business lagging on targets, while Swiss-Ghanaian start-up Koa’s blockchain platform tackles cocoa supply chain scandals and farmer poverty. Additionally, Ajinomoto enters the cell-based meat race with... Read More

This week, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition flagged that devastated supply chains in Ukraine and Russia are constraining wheat, corn, sunflower oil and barley exports. A host of major corporations such as McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Unilever, KFC and Danone are left facing... Read More

This week, Yali Bio raised US$3.9 million in seed funding to scale its precision fermentation technology used in cultivating “designer fats” for plant-based meat alternatives, bringing total funding to US$5 million. Symrise developed a system called ProtiScan, which analyzes and characterizes diverse protein... Read More

This week, UK industry saw trade volumes suppressed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pressure of Brexit and border delays. ADM released its overview highlighting the latest trends in alternative protein, while Synergy Flavours leveraged “pairing charts” to inspire a new spritzers range keeping... Read More

This week’s NewsBite episode highlights key business acquisitions and financing moves within the F&B arena, as well as sugar reduction innovation, moves in natural beverages, new ingredients in cocoa and the latest trends in the confectionery space.

This week, China-based yeast biotech company Angel Yeast scored the Non-GMO Project verification for 22 yeast extract and inactive dried yeast flavoring solutions. A new report flagged that coffee cultivation is at major risk from climate change, while cashews and avocados face similar threats. Also,... Read More

This week, Biosciences data company Brightseed and olam food ingredients harnessed AI to explore which black pepper and garlic varieties deliver the highest levels of bioactives. Cargill targeted Europe’s growing flexitarian appetite with a new range of vegan chocolate and couverture chocolates, while... Read More

In F&B developments this week, the European Flavour Association (EFFA) hosted a Virtual Flavor Day to explore how taste and c can set the tone for Europe and drive more sustainable choices. In the alt-protein arena, food-tech start-up Kingdom Supercultures made moves to scale next-gen “supercultures” for... Read More

This week, Kerry launched an acacia gum-derived ingredient that overcomes sensory issues in white bread. Meanwhile, Roquette unveiled the world’s largest pea protein factory and Redefine Meat premiered the world’s first whole cuts of 3D-printed steak in new culinary concepts.

This week, advancements in responsible meat production were made. Meanwhile, China’s cell-based meat revolution is on the cusp of becoming the next big tech boom and the European Vegetarian Union called upon the European Commission to harmonize vegetarian and vegan food labeling rules.

In F&B developments this week, ADM’s second annual list of global consumer trends. Flavor house Givaudan launched an ashwagandha extract for mood-elevating F&B products in response to the social media buzz around the “rising star of Ayurveda.” In the UK, the British agri-food sector welcomed the nation’s... Read More

This week, pea protein suppliers are tackling soaring prices amid the “worst drought in over a century.” Meanwhile, advancements in cultivated meat and sustainable cocoa farming were also spotlighted.

In F&B developments this week, Hollywood A-lister Leonardo DiCaprio invested an undisclosed sum in cultivated meat start-ups Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms to help “usher in a new age of meat production.” Eight start-ups, from Japan to Estonia to Israel, joined the ProVeg Incubator in a cohort with a narrowed... Read More

Catch up on the key industry stories from the past week. This week’s NewsBite episode includes highlights from the cell-based meat and seafood space as industry titans join forces to create a super hub. Alternative proteins are also highlighted, as are all the latest acquisitions, investments and ingredient... Read More