Future Food Quick Bites: Beyond IV, Oat Milk Paste & Beanless Espresso

In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Beyond Meat’s new product rollout, a new precision-fermented dairy fat, and vegan cheesecake at Starbucks.

New products and launches

After announcing the revamp in February, Beyond Meat has finally rolled out the fourth iteration of its beef and burger, which have replaced the existing range nationwide in the US.

Australian precision fermentation player Nourish Ingredients, which makes the Tastilux fat for plant-based meat, has entered the alt-dairy space too with Creamilux, showcasing the lipid’s ability to create products with the same mouthfeel, taste and emulsification as conventional dairy at Future Food Tech in San Francisco.

Italian vegan cheesemaker Dreamfarm is continuing its expansion, with its almond mozzarella and cream cheese now available at Delhaize locations in Belgium, and the former at Edeka in Berlin. The mozzarella will roll out at Albert Heijn in the Netherlands next month, as well as an undisclosed “big chain” in mid-May (which will see the launch of a new product too).

More from the plant-based dairy space: UK startup MYOM has introduced a shelf-stable oat milk paste, with each 65g pouch making 500ml of milk.

Also in the UK, Dutch startup The Vegetarian Butcher has launched a Cod Almighty vegan seafood product at Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Ocado.

Seattle-based Atomo Coffee, meanwhile, has struck a deal with specialty coffee chain Bluestone Lane, which will carry the former’s beanless espresso across its 58 stores in the US.

Vegan food ingredients supplier Green Boy has unveiled a new division dedicated to pet food, offering manufacturers plant-based starches, sweeteners, proteins and fibres, derived from a range of pulses, grains, cereals and vegetables.

German meat processor Berger-Schinken and upcycled food producer Kern Tec have collaborated to roll out a co-branded plant-based cheese sausage SKU, made from pea protein and the latter’s Berg-Gaudi cheese made from upcycled fruit pits.

Under its private V-Love label, Swiss supermarket Migros has teamed up with Circular Food Solutions to introduce plant-based mince, burgers and marinated chunks made by upcycling brewers’ spent grain.

In Malaysia, local mycoprotein producer Ultimeat launched its protein product as part of a six-course dinner featuring the ingredient at Nimbus Restaurant in Petaling Jaya. The collaboration is running weekly until May 15.

In neighbouring Indonesia, plant-based leader Green Rebel has partnered with Starbucks to launch two vegan products as part of the coffee chain’s Earth Month menu. These entail a vegan fish sandwich and blueberry cheesecake parfait.

And in more Starbucks news, the company’s Hong Kong branches now feature a vegan pulled pork wrap using South Korean food tech startup Unlimeat‘s plant-based pork.

Finance and policy developments

In the US, plant-based functional ice cream brand Sacred Serves is shutting down, its founder Kailey Donewald announced on social media.

Swedish mycoprotein startup Mycorena has secured funding from the European Space Agency’s Discovery Programme for its potential to tackle the challenges of producing high-quality, nutritious food on long-distance space missions.

Fellow mycelium innovator MycoTechnology says it is getting closer to regulatory approval and commercialisation for its honey-truffle-derived sweet protein, which it says can replace sugar and other sweeteners currently on the market.

Another development in the fungi world comes from German mycoprotein startup Nosh Biofoods, which says it is producing meat analogues that cost the same as beef, and is on track to reach price parity with poultry by 2025.

Danish Crown, the country’s largest pork producer, has admitted to misleading consumers by making unsubstantiated claims over its meat’s climate benefits, which it claimed was “more climate-friendly than you think”.

Finally, New York mayor Eric Adams has announced the Plant-Powered Carbon Challenge, a cross-sector partnership to reduce the state’s food-related carbon emissions.

Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.