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 Alpro’s collaboration with Peter Crouch, a new alternative protein jobs platform, and a host of university-related news.

New products and launches

In the UK, Alpro has partnered with Peter Crouch to kickstart its new Alpro Plant Protein Morning Trials campaign. The former England footballer tests celeb fitness routines, including waking up at 2:30 AM, multiple gym sessions, and plunging into ice baths to promote the recently extended Plant Protein range.

Also in the UK, there’s a new musical about the meat industry. Mad Cow will be coming to Canterbury’s new fully vegan Garlinge Theater next month.

Swiss meat analogues maker Planted has rolled out its fermentation-derived steak in Switzerland at Coop and in Germany at Rewe stores.

Belgian startup Bolder Foods is continuing to showcase its biomass-fermented cheese prototypes, with investors and entrepreneurs getting a taste of its product at an event hosted by ingredients leader Givaudan.

San Francisco-based startup Impact Food has announced its sushi-grade plant-based salmon, with wholesale pre-orders running now. The product premiered at Oisixs Ra Daichi’s annual World Oceans Day event in sashimi and nigiri formats in Japan.

That’s not all for vegan salmon this week – German alt-seafood producer BettaF!sh has also entered the space with SAL-NOM, a hot smoked salmon analogue made from seaweed. It retails for €3.29 per 130g jar, and will be launched as a tinned SKU too in the summer.

As part of its roster of new mini-campaigns, Veganuary ran its Choose Fish-Free Week from June 3-8, shedding light on alternative seafood brands and recipes. A BBQ Month and Choose Dairy-Free Week will be next.

Israeli 3D-printed meat producer Redefine Meat has rolled out its New Meat range of lamb kofta mix, pulled beef, pulled pork, burgers, beef mince and bratwurst in German retail via e-tailer Velivery.

Hybrid meat maker Mush Foods has partnered with French specialty meat purveyor Dufour Gourmet to introduce a charcuterie range made from its 50Cut mycelium meat. Offerings include a bratwurst, breakfast sausage, Italian-style sausage, and chicken sausage.

Californian food tech company MeliBio‘s vegan honey, which retails in some parts of Europe under the Better Foodie brand name, is now available in Switzerland and Liechtenstein through a distribution deal with Swiss wholesaler Honeydew.

Fellow Californian startup Upside Foods served its cultivated chicken at Industry Only LA, as part of buffalo chicken bao buns and cold sesame noodles.

In the US, catering giant Sodexo and the University of Cincinnati have introduced 513 Culinary Group, an immersive campus dining venture to spotlight inclusivity and local ingredients. The partnership entails new menu options with more plant-based foods and special care given to allergens.

If you’re in New York, the Fordham Plaza is hosting the Bronx Vegan Bazaar every third Saturday from noon to 6 PM starting this weekend on June 15.

The Roots drummer Questlove partnered with Stella Artois to host the Questlove’s Cheesesteak Diner pop-up, which features Impossible Foods’ beef. It was the first event of the beer brand’s Let’s Do Dinner: Summer Series, which brings together food, lifestyle and entertainment platforms.

Speaking of which, Impossible Foods‘ new beef hot dog has made its way into Safeway stores in California and Jewel-Osco locations in Chicago – and it’s gone straight into the meat aisle.

And Singaporean beanless coffee startup Prefer has moved into the frozen world with a gelato launched in partnership with local dessert parlour Aphrodite Waffles and Gelato. The ice cream uses Prefer’s bean-free coffee concentrate.

Finance and company updates

Accelerator programme ProVeg Incubator has announced its latest cohort of alternative protein startups, featuring Atlantic Fish Co, Optimised Foods, Friends & Family Pet Food Company (all US), AIProtein (Egypt/US), and Fisheroo (Singapore). The initiative has also been extended from 12 weeks to 20.

Danish startup EvodiaBio has raised €7M to produce natural aromas for the food industry using precision fermentation. Its tech can improve the taste of non-alcoholic beer by producing yeast-derived ingredients that recreate the taste of hops.

Fellow fermentation company The Better Meat Co has slashed the production costs of its mycoprotein, which is now on par with commodity beef when manufactured at scale.

Germany’s Veganz Group – which makes plant-based dairy, meat and snack products – has confirmed the drawdown of a grant from the State of Brandenburg’s investment bank to construct a new facility in Ludwigsfelde.

Fellow German company Tälist has introduced AltProtein.Jobs, an AI-led ‘matchmaking’ platform to connect employers with prospective candidates in the future food sector. Its algorithm has made 2,000 matches with a 9+ score, 9,400 with 8+, and 25,000 with a 7+ rating.

The US Department of Defense has released a call for alternative protein funding proposals under BioMade, the public-private biomanufacturing consortium, with projects receiving between $500,000 to $2M. One of its key focus areas is on fermentation-derived and cultivated proteins for military rations. It has already spawned an outraged response from a cattle association.

Research and policy developments

Researchers at the United Arab Emirates University and the National University of Singapore have teamed up to explore novel plant protein sources that can be incorporated into meat analogues for better taste, texture and nutritional attributes.

In the US, Western Oregon University has signed the Humane Society of the United States‘ Forward Food Pledge, committing to transition its campus dining menus to 50% plant-based meals by 2027.

In more university news, the UK’s Nottingham Trent University has launched a master’s degree in smart agriculture, which will explore how AI, vertical farming and precision agriculture can enhance food security and reduce energy costs. Students will develop ‘recipes’ to produce food crops much more rapidly than currently possible outdoors.

Finally, plant-based food company Strong Roots conducted a 1,000-person survey in the US, the UK and Ireland to find that 52% of consumers are more likely to purchase products with carbon footprints on their packaging, and 82% want to be informed about businesses that contribute to climate change.

Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

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A group of healthcare organisations are asking the UK government to withdraw a campaign that they say spreads misinformation about the benefits of eating meat and dairy.

As restaurants, retailers and consumers prepared for Veganuary last December, a livestock farming group was working on its own campaign in response.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) – which is funded by farmers and food suppliers – launched a drive to promote beef, lamb and dairy consumption in the UK, which included three TV commercials as well as magazine and online ads.

A meat industry backlash to a campaign promoting alternatives to its products isn’t anything new – but what set this one apart was that it was backed by the UK government. AHDB falls under the wing of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The Let’s Eat Balanced campaign launched in January was part of its annual efforts targeting people attempting to reduce their meat and dairy intake.

The messaging contained nuggets proclaiming that British meat and dairy are “amongst the most sustainable in the world” and that it was helping consumers “adopt a sustainable, healthy and nutritiously balanced diet”. On its website, one line reads: “Did you know that beef, pork, lamb and dairy are natural sources of vitamin B12, an essential vitamin not naturally present in a vegan diet?”

But now, doctors’ associations from across the UK are hitting back at these claims, warning that these are “disingenuous” and “at odds with established scientific evidence on healthy and sustainable diets”.

In an open letter penned by Dr Matthew Lee, sustainability lead at Doctors Association UK, and Dr Shireen Kassam, co-founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, the group is asking the UK government to retract the campaign. The effort is endorsed by organisations like the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, the BDA Renal Nutrition Specialist Group, and Green at Barts Health, among others.

“We call on the AHDB to wholeheartedly embrace this difficult, but necessary step, by retracting the campaign to promote increased consumption of meat and dairy using misleading and un-evidenced marketing,” the letter states.

Suggestive ‘health benefits’ ignore meat reduction guidance

To the AHDB’s point, the letter acknowledges that meat is a source of protein, zinc, iron and vitamin B12, but adds that these can also be obtained by a well-planned plant-based diet. Similarly, dairy is a source of calcium, but this is a mineral in the soil and can also be obtained from beans, green vegetables, and fortified dairy analogues and tofu.

Illustrating this point, the medical experts point out how vitamin B12 is made by microorganisms and that cows are supplemented with cobalt to support sufficient production by gut bacteria. “Many farm animals are also supplemented directly with vitamin B12. Given that fortification of either animal or human food is required for B12 intake, direct fortification of human food or supplementation would be a more efficient use of resources,” it reads.

On the contrary, it points to the cancer risk presented by processed and red meats, which have been classified as class one and two carcinogens, respectively, by the World Health Organization. Moreover, it cites studies that have shown strong links between red meat and type 2 diabetes. Plant-based diets, however, are “not only nutritionally adequate”, but also present better health outcomes, the doctors argue.

“Encouraging a higher consumption of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds whilst limiting or avoiding animal-sourced foods reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers. Replacing animal protein with plant sources of protein is associated with significant improvement in health outcomes, including reduced risk of premature death,” the letter reads.

“Yet the Let’s Eat Balanced campaign has links to suggestive ‘health benefits’ whilst ignoring the guidance to limit meat intake, particularly red and processed meat.”

Meat is not sustainable

The AHDB’s campaign had stated that “sustainability isn’t just about carbon”, and there are “many other things to consider”. It mentioned data showing that transport and energy emissions are higher than livestock in the UK, while the animal agriculture industry accounts for 7% of national GHG emissions.

However, the livestock group left out methane in all of its communications, which is a shorter-lived gas, but 80 times more potent than carbon. The same government report it cited for carbon emissions revealed that agriculture accounted for 48% of the UK’s methane emissions – and while that figure has fallen by 16% from a 1990 baseline, it has largely been at the same level since 2009.

The AHDB is also a supporter of GWP* (global warming potential star), a new metric to measure methane emissions proposed by meat and dairy producers and certain governments. The idea is to replace the current GWP100 system to measure the warming potential of total GHG emissions over a 100-year period with a focus on changes in the rate of emissions between two points in time (usually over a decadal timescale). Critics argue that this is nothing more than a greenwashing tool to allow the industry to understate its impact and avoid climate action

The UK has been heavily hit by climate-change-induced extreme weather, with the recent record amounts of rain leaving the agricultural industry “on the brink”, according to the AHDB itself. It has left many farmers considering quitting the profession altogether, with their confidence at a 14-year low.

Currently, 85% of farmland in the UK is used for animal agriculture, but these foods only provide 48% of the country’s protein and 32% of its calories. “The latest UK-specific research makes it clear that a diet containing animal products is significantly more harmful to the environment than one that does not, with plant-based diets having approximately 25% of the environmental impact of a diet with a high meat intake,” the doctors write.

“In the UK, 70% of our total food-related emissions come from red meat and dairy production. Methane emissions from cows alone will prevent us from limiting global warming to safe levels. Excess consumption of red meat and dairy is leading to 42,000 deaths in the UK annually.”

The financial drawbacks of animal agriculture

The letter highlights a modelling study that shows a ‘plant-based by default’ approach could save the UK’s economically strained and labour-stretched National Health Service (NHS) £74M annually, with significant household savings too if patients are supported in making dietary shifts.

Similar research by the Office of Health Economics estimated that if England were to adopt a completely plant-based diet, the NHS would see a net benefit of up to £18.8B a year. “No other intervention can deliver such significant health benefits alongside cost savings and environmental benefits,” the letter reads.

“As health professionals, we recognise the importance of farmers and the key role they play in the production of healthy and nutritious food whilst being stewards of our land. The countryside will always require farmers, and they need support from their governing bodies to adapt their industry in a way that allows for the restoration of nature and acceleration of carbon sequestration, whilst continuing to provide locally produced plant-based foods,” it continues.

“We encourage AHDB and Defra to engage with healthcare professionals in developing policies and campaigns to support the future of the farming industry that encourages the increased consumption of locally grown fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses, alongside a significant reduction in production and consumption of meat and dairy produce.”

In response, an AHDB representative told the Independent: “Let’s Eat Balanced is a fully evidence-based campaign communicating the nutritional and sustainability benefits of British red meat and dairy in a manner that aligns with the government’s dietary guidelines, as outlined in the Eatwell Guide… Anyone advocating a totally global plant-based diet as a panacea to climate change ignores the fact the realities are far more complex. Solutions lie in a balance of sustainable plant and sustainable meat and sustainable fish production along with a balanced plate approach to diets and portion sizes.”

But the AHDB’s campaign doesn’t make room for much plant-based eating at all – it isn’t encouraging a balance, it is pushing people to eat more meat. As for “sustainable meat”, this really isn’t a thing. Analysis by Our World in Data shows that buying imported beef from Central America in the UK versus buying locally barely makes a difference. What farmers really need to do is reduce meat and dairy production by a third if the UK is to meet its climate goals, according to the WWF.

The UK has been criticised for not centring climate change in its election campaigns this year, but if it is to reach its net zero goal by 2050, a food system transformation is necessary. “This would be invaluable to the health of the environment, the UK public, and to safeguard all our futures,” the letter concludes.

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German national rail company Deutsche Bahn has partnered with Planet A Foods to offer cocoa-free chocolate shortbreads during the Euro 2024 football championship and beyond.

As fans travel to Euro 2024 stadiums across Germany, those taking Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains will now be treated to free chocolate shortbreads, but with a twist. The cookies will feature cocoa-free chocolate from ChoViva, the sub-brand of German food tech startup Planet A Foods.

First-class passengers aboard DB’s Intercity Express (ICE) and Intercity (IC) trains will be offered the heart-shaped shortbreads as part of a multi-year collaboration between the two companies, but starts with a Euro 2024-centric version.

Germany is hosting UEFA’s inter-Europe football championship this summer (June 14 to July 14), and, to mark the occasion, the shortbread will be called Lieblingsfan (favourite fan) for the duration of the tournament. The initiative is designed to raise awareness among millions of football fans about chocolate’s impact on deforestation and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

“Deutsche Bahn is the perfect match for us as a partner. We both pursue the same mission: to save several million tons of CO2 per year,” says Planet A Foods CEO Maximilian Marquart, who co-founded the brand with his sister Sara in 2021. “One by offering sustainable mobility solutions, and one by producing sustainable food ingredients that are decoupled from limited resources. It only makes sense that together we can achieve even more.”

Climate-friendly chocolate goes beyond Euro 2024

The collaboration is a summer version of the Lieblingsgast (favourite guest), a small chocolate handed to DB passengers, which is made from fairly traded cocoa and wrapped in FSC-certified recyclable paper. Part of the rail operator’s climate commitments, the initiative has been ongoing since March 2023.

“The goal is to show appreciation, with sustainability being a central focus for both DB and us,” says Maximilian, whose startup participated in a bidding process to win the DB contract. He cites the brand’s taste and sustainability credentials as the reasons why it was selected.

It means the ChoViva chocolate alternative – made from a base of fermented oats and sunflower seeds – will be part of DB’s lineup on the long-distance trains over the next two summers.

“The cookie is a specific development for the German Railway together with one of our partners,” says Sara, the company’s CTO. “We chose a cookie instead of a chocolate bar as they are distributed over the summer months. The idea was to avoid any problems that might occur with melting and distribution.”

So what’s the difference between the Euro and post-Euro versions? “The cookie itself stays the same,” she says. “What changes is that after the European Football Championship is over, we’ll switch to the Lieblingsgast version again with a new branding in terms of packaging design.”

Maximilian adds that ChoViva is already working on a second iteration of the cookie to further its planet-friendliness. He remains tight-lipped on the details, but says the team is “working on improving different areas even further”.

DB’s track record of climate-friendly food

This is far from the only planet-friendly food offering at DB. The railway company has partnered with multiple companies over the years to cater to consumers’ growing demand for more sustainable catering options.

In fact, since March 2022, more than half of the food offered at its onboard eateries has been meatless, featuring vegan meat analogues, vegetarian snacks and seasonal produce. A few months before that, DB introduced Oatly’s barista oat milk for coffee orders.

Over the last few months, it teamed up with two local vegan seafood brands. The first entailed a chilli-cheese-style baguette with BettaF!sh’s tuna, and the other a noodle stir-fry with Happy Ocean Foods’ soy-based shrimp. The latter was introduced during Veganuary, and featured prominently at the beginning of the menu, which extolled the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Cocoa’s climate impact is a problem

But, while meat is the most destructive food for the planet – releasing twice as many greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere than plant-based foods – chocolate itself has a sizeable footprint. Dark chocolate, for example, is the second most polluting food, second only to beef. Intensive deforestation plays a big part here, and the countereffects of climate change mean a third of all cocoa trees could die out by 2050.

By using traditional fermentation and roasting methods – but eschewing the cocoa bean – ChoViva (formerly NoCoa/QOA) manages to bring down carbon emissions by 90% per kg of chocolate. This has been recognised by CPG behemoths like Lindt, Kölln, Rewe, and Griesson de Beukelaer, which have released various products using the cocoa-free chocolate.

However, ChoViva’s chocolate for the DB cookies does still use palm oil, though this is RSPO-certified, which suggests it’s sourced from certified production units and is produced according to strict ecological and social criteria. In an interview with Green Queen last year, Maximilian explained that palm oil can become essential for some of its collaborations. “If we [use it], we support sustainable palm oil cultivation and work with partners who do the same,” he explained.

“For some special applications, we couldn’t yet get rid of palm oil due to technical reasons. We try to limit those applications,” added Sara. She had revealed that the company was working on its own alternatives to palm oil and other cocoa fats.

Asked about progress on this front, she now says: “We put a lot of effort and budget into our cocoa fat alternative. We’re progressing according to our time plan right now, in terms of development.”

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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 Starbucks’ upcoming Oatly collaboration, a vegan certification for hospitality operators, and Bezos Earth Fund’s alternative protein centre.

New products and launches

For its summer menu, Starbucks is reportedly launching a vegan cinnamon crumble Frappuccino with Oatly‘s vanilla Oat Whip, which will be available for a free swap – a welcome policy change from the coffee chain. It will also offer a non-dairy vanilla sweet cream cold brew, and free plant-based cold foam substitutes for all core drinks.

Speaking of which, Oatly has now launched its 1.5-litre barista milk in the UK, which was teased in its latest earnings call to investors.

Also in the UK, The Coconut Collaborative has unveiled what it says is the country’s first vegan yoghurt and granola topper.

British vegan pet food maker Hownd has gained a listing for three hypoallergenic functional treat ranges – Keep Calm for stress relief, Got an Itch? for healthy skin and coat, and Yup You Stink! for bad breath – at Pets at Home, which will be available in stores nationwide in September.

Fellow UK startup Sun Bear Biofuture has joined the expanding roster of companies offering sustainable alternatives to palm oil. Its deforestation-free innovation is derived from fermentation and makes use of agricultural sidestreams as feedstocks.

Meanwhile, plant-based giant Beyond Meat has rolled out a new SKU in the UK. The spicy jalapeño burger is available at 280 Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores each, with a frozen version coming to 200 locations each in September.

In the US, Tomorrow Farms‘ animal-free milk Bored Cow, which uses Perfect Day‘s precision-fermented whey protein, has expanded into 2,000 new stores nationwide, with additional 11oz packaging for the original flavour plus four-packs now available in Albertsons, Safeway, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, Central Market, and Shaws, among others.

Consultancy network Vegan Hospitality has launched a global certification programme for tourism and hospitality companies, offering companies expert strategy consulting, online staff training, promotional support, and free auditing.

In Germany, plant-based producer Planteneers has introduced a lineup of vegan desserts, comprising tiramisu, cheesecake, fermented oat dessert, pudding, and soft ice cream. They’re positioned as “healthy but indulgent” alternatives to their dairy counterparts.

German airline caterer LSG Group has teamed up with Unilever-owned plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher to offer vegan meals for onboard dining.

More news from the skies: Spanish meat analogues maker Heura and vegan cheese giant Violife have partnered with Vueling Airlines to launch a plant-based burger on the carrier’s summer menu, which is priced at €8.50.

There’s a new plant-based butchery in Prague. Located in the Czech capital’s Letná district, Bezmasna features meatloafs, cold cuts, deli salads, as well as chlebíček (Czech sandwiches).

Singaporean startup Jiro-Meat is aiming to commercialise its upcycled plant-based meat made from okara – the fibrous pulp leftover from soy milk and tofu production – in the next six months.

And in India, Nestlé has rolled out a limited-edition edible plant-based fork for its Maggi cup noodles. The two-piece fork is made from wheat flour and salt.

Finance and company updates

The Bezos Earth Fund has opened its first Center for Sustainable Protein at North Carolina State University, supported by a $30M fund. The facility aims to advance alternative protein production and commercialisation, and has onboarded Believer Meats (which is due to open its own cultivated meat facility in the state later this year) as a partner.

Germany’s Planteneers has also opened a Customer Center of Excellence in Aurora, Illinois as part of its North American expansion. The facility will let customers collaborate on product development and create ingredient solutions via a plant-based meat laboratory (it will soon have one for alt-dairy too).

Indian vegan seafood player SeaSpire has rebranded to PROT, as it diversifies into other plant protein sources. Its alt-seafood lineup is being relaunched as a ‘Gill-t Free’ range ahead of World Ocean Day (June 8), supported by Veganuary India‘s Fish-Free Week campaign.

Danish plant protein powder Nutrumami has closed a €450,000 seed funding round to expand its team and prepare for market launch.

Policy and research developments

A 9,272-person survey by YouGov shows that if cultivated meat was on par with conventional meat, only half would continue eating the latter (nearly a quarter remain unsure of what they’ll do). It’s an improvement from the 40% who would otherwise ‘definitely not’ eat cultivated meat. Meanwhile, Americans remain very split over bans on these products.

In the UK, Calderdale Council in West Yorkshire – which adopted a climate change emergency policy in 2020 – wants to make its menus fully plant-based, with a preference for seasonal, non-processed foods.

A joint venture between the Artevelde University of Applied Sciences and the City of Ghent has seen a food waste monitor installed in several restaurants, which will use the smart scale to better measure how much food is being thrown away.

Finally, advocacy group Eat Differently has rolled out a parody ad campaign called Hate Vegans? in Los Angeles. It aims to highlight the reasons people care about plant-based diets and their impact on the planet – ‘injuries’ sustained from preachy vegans could turn into settlements with the help of fictional attorney Seymour Loudermilk.

Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.

The post Future Food Quick Bites: Non-Dairy Starbucks, Vegan Flights & A Bezos Protein Centre appeared first on Green Queen.

Israeli startup Kokomodo has emerged from stealth with a $750,000 investment to produce cocoa and chocolate products via cellular agriculture.

As the future of chocolate becomes increasingly uncertain, Kokomodo is the latest startup innovating to protect cocoa from climate change, and climate change from cocoa.

Armed with a $750,000 investment from The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and the Israeli Innovation Authority, the Rehovot-based player has come out of stealth to produce cell-based cocoa for the food and beverage, supplements and cosmetics industries.

Kokomodo derives its climate-resilient product from the cells of premium cocoa beans grown in Central and South America. Having successfully completed lab-scale production, it will use the capital to expand to pilot scale and utilise its bioprocessing systems to get closer to price parity with conventional chocolate, according to co-founder and CEO Tal Govrin.

“We are moving to produce biomass in a scalable bioreactor to further increase production volume and optimise it,” she tells Green Queen. “In 18 to 24 months, we plan to produce hundreds of litres in bioreactors, working toward reaching commercial scale.”

Speaking about the funding round, she added: “We will also focus on client engagement and widening our range of products, as well as regulations and IP submissions to extend our go-to-market.”

Why Kokomodo is making cell-based chocolate

Kokomodo is the result of a joint venture between The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and Tel Aviv-based Plantae Bioscience, whose technology has been developed behind closed doors for the last two years. “Kokomodo is promoting a variety of causes such as preservation of cacao, fair trade and shorter supply chains, to name only a few,” said Amir Zaidman, chief business officer of The Kitchen FoodTech Hub.

As an industry, cocoa is getting decimated by climate change, with scientists saying a third of cocoa trees could die out by 2050. Extreme weather events have ruined harvests and led to a shortage of cocoa, pushing prices up to all-time highs this year. In April, a tonne of cocoa was priced at over $12,000 – for context, it was under $2,500 in January 2023. Farmers in Ivory Coast, the largest cocoa producer, are truly feeling the heat, where more than 85% of the forest has been lost since 1960.

Meanwhile, producing cocoa products themselves has a highly detrimental impact on the planet. Only beef pollutes the atmosphere more than dark chocolate, and cocoa beans have one of the highest carbon opportunity costs (the amount of carbon lost from native vegetation and soils to produce food).

“Kokomodo was born from a profound passion for preserving the supply of cocoa,” says Govrin. “Our cellular agriculture technology ensures a steady flow of premium, health-boosting cocoa, aligning consumer enjoyment with global responsibility.”

Current trends point to price parity potential

The startup chose to source from Latin America as the region is known for its premium cocoa beans. “We aimed to obtain different varieties and genotypes to explore and take advantage of the potential of natural variance. We also obtain different cell lines originating from different parts of the cacao seedling while creating a cacao cell library and analytical capabilities to seek out the best cacao cells to produce,” explains Govrin.

“These carefully chosen cells are then cultivated using state-of-the-art cellular agriculture technology, nurturing them into a thriving cell culture. As the biomass grows, the production process moves to advanced bioreactors, where the cacao is harvested and processed according to the specific requirements of each application.”

She adds that Kokomodo’s “technologically systematic” approach ensures that its cocoa retains the quality and authenticity of the beans. “Through the company’s technology process, Kokomodo ensures cocoa that matches traditional chocolate flavours and textures, offering the genuine taste and characteristics of real cocoa (aroma, flavours, and sweetness), while capturing the nutraceutical values and health benefits of cacao.”

One of the biggest hurdles for any cellular agriculture company – but particularly one aiming to disrupt an already volatile market – is cost. While cocoa prices have been skyrocketing, matching it on price is still a tall order for cell-based producers.

But Govrin believes cell-cultured cocoa can be price-competitive due to two trends. “On one hand, the scalability of cell culture cacao production is expected to increase, leading to lower prices as the technology matures,” she says. “Simultaneously, traditional cocoa farming faces mounting economic and environmental pressures, which could drive up the prices of conventionally grown cocoa.”

She adds: “As the rising prices, costs and supply challenges of traditional cocoa cultivation intensify due to climate change impacts, disease, and overreliance on a few producer countries like Ghana and Ivory Coast, cell-cultured cocoa will provide a more sustainable and resilient solution for the industry.”

Choosing a non-agricultural solution over cocoa-free chocolate

Govrin suggests that Kokomodo is targeting premium brands that prioritise sustainable and ethical cocoa products, while actively exploring innovative technologies for cocoa cultivation. Its first product is a “high-value cocoa powder” that can be integrated into various products, followed by cocoa butter.

The idea is to use its cell-based cocoa products across different CPG categories, including chocolate, beverages, spreads, and protein bars. Its potential customers can get access to “custom-fit cocoa for diverse market demands”, the CEO says.

But, before any of that, the company will need to pass regulatory barriers in the countries it wants to commercialise in. Govrin indicates that a US launch may be more suitable, given that the self-affirmed GRAS process there is much simpler and quicker than the EU’s novel food regulations. “We are currently working with regulation advisors who can provide the required support to build our regulation strategy and application. Submission will take place once the growth process in bioreactors is established,” she reveals.

Kokomodo is among just a handful of companies working on cell-based chocolate, alongside fellow Israeli startup Celleste Bio, US producer California Cultured, and Finnish giant Fazer. More companies – such as Voyage Foods, Planet A Foods, Win-Win and Foreverland – are instead making cocoa-free alternatives to chocolate, using plants and fermentation to create chocolate-like products.

What does Govrin think about this approach? “We master the very essence of cacao as we select and cultivate cacao cells from a variety of real premium beans. It is the real thing. Not ‘like’ cocoa, nor is it a ‘substitute’,” she says, reiterating the nutraceutical values of cocoa to illustrate how Kokomodo’s innovation differs from “chocolate substitutes that contain a high level of refined sugar and vegetable fat”.

“Kokomodo uses science and technology to develop real cocoa in a way that is most impactful to human health and makes it readily available for use in consumer products. Cellular agriculture technology is a game changer in being able to bring cocoa to the market all year round,” she adds.

“With climate change threatening cocoa, a non-agricultural solution to produce it could ensure its survival for future generations, as we don’t want to give up on this powerful plant.”

The post With $750,000 in Funding, Kokomodo Emerges as Latest Cell-Based Chocolate Player appeared first on Green Queen.

German biotech startup Insempra has closed a $20M Series A funding round to expand the production of its yeast-fermented lipids for food and cosmetics.

Led by EQT Ventures, the Series A round builds on Insempra’s 2021 seed funding to bring its total raised to over $35M. Other participants included returning investors BlueYard Capital, Possible Ventures, Taavet Sten and Acequia Capital, and new investors such as Henkel dx Ventures, Bayern Kapital and Alante Capital.

The German startup plans to use the capital to scale up its technology, scouting, development and manufacturing capabilities, with the goal of turning oil yeast into lipids on an industrial scale using precision fermentation.

“New technology platforms such as Insempra’s have the potential to dramatically change the manufacturing processes of multiple multibillion-dollar industries, developing customised ingredients to fit market needs,” said Ted Persson partner at EQT Ventures.

Bio-based alternatives to petrochemicals

Founded in 2020 by Andreas Heyl and Jens Klein, Insempra leverages new technologies to make bio-based alternatives to problematic ingredients and products for multiple applications and industries. Many companies currently rely on oils and materials sourced from petrochemicals, which have a harmful effect on the planet and deplete our already limited natural resources.

With heavy environmental impacts, growing consumer demand and a rise in regulatory restrictions, the ingredient world is changing, and sectors like beauty, personal care, food, nutrition and fashion are under pressure to switch to sustainable alternatives. Insemora suggests its advanced tech platform results in superior natural ingredients produced on an industrial scale to help manufacturers make the shift.

The company is growing lipids for food and cosmetic applications, while also developing technology to offer a bio-based alternative to everyday materials like polymers and textiles. It is also producing fibres for the fashion industry via Salina, its London-based spinoff with Imperial College, and plans to create new natural molecules for use in functional ingredient applications like antioxidants, preservatives, flavours and fragrances.

“Insempra has both the team and the technology to drive a revolution in industrial manufacturing and gain rapid market traction for its products,” said Persson.

Using oil yeasts to produce lipids

Lipids are compounds that come in the form of fats and oils that are ever-present in beauty, fashion and food product formulations. But currently, they mostly come from petrochemicals. “Lipids typically are either extracted from nature – you harvest the plant – or you can produce them petrochemical,” Klein, who is Insempra’s CEO, told TechCrunch.

Some startups are coming up with new processes to produce lipids from organic, bio-based materials. “We use so-called oil yeast,” said Klein. “And these oil yeasts are put under certain conditions in our steel vessels under certain metabolic situations. Then they produce lipid oils, which we can extract later on, and which we can sell into the cosmetics and into the food industry.”

There are a host of companies producing lipids from sustainable ingredients. In the food industry itself, Australia’s Nourish Ingredients and California’s Yali Bio also use precision fermentation to produce fats and lipids, while Germany’s Planet A Foods (maker of cocoa-free chocolate ChoViva) is focusing on plant-based lipids. Swiss startup Cultivated Biosciences, meanwhile, similarly leverages yeast fermentation to produce lipids as part of its alternative dairy fat.

But Klein – a former CEO of a vegan silk polymer company – believes Insempra’s chief competitors are specialty ingredient companies, particularly the petrochemical industry. “I don’t know any other company with an approach like ours,” he said.

Last year, the company announced the successful testing of second-generation feedstocks to commercially manufacture fermentation-based products alongside plant-based materials specialist Fibers365. And, in March, it was part of a consortium of companies that won €2.1M in a Eurostars grant.

“Working in collaboration with nature, we will continue to expand our capacity to develop intrinsically sustainable materials that are superior in quality and will reduce our dependence on chemical industrialisation processes,” said Klein.

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First announced in November, Tesco has rolled out its newest private-label ready meal range – it’s all about the vegetables.

The meat-free category in the UK fell hard last year, as consumer concerns about ultra-processed foods (even if they’re ill-perceived), cost of living, fibre intake, and overall nutrition amped up. But that doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the vegan category, as was evidenced by a recent hike in sales of plant-based products at the country’s biggest retailer.

Tesco, which witnessed a minor dip in vegan purchases in 2023, saw sales accelerate at the beginning of the year, propelled by whole cuts and whole foods, dubbing this period as phase two of the “biggest food trend this century”.

“We are seeing flexitarians now wanting to take more control over what they eat, whilst continuing to reduce their meat intake,” Tesco’s plant-based food buyer, Cate May, said in March. “Awareness is also starting to increase around the health benefits of making some simple swaps in their diet, for example, to reduce saturated fat whilst maintaining strong levels of protein by increasing the amount of plants and plant-based foods in their diets and then supplementing with more fresh veg.”

And that’s exactly what Tesco is capitalising on with its newest private label, Root & Soul. An extension of its plant-forward strategy, the brand is all about championing whole foods. Starting with a 12-strong line of ready meals, the retailer is keeping things interesting with innovative ways to spotlight vegetables, whether it’s an Indian stir-fry, a winey stew, a fresh salad, or even a galette.

The clue is in the name

The Root & Soul brand has been anticipated ever since news of Tesco filing a trademark application for the range broke in November. The application covered a bunch of different plant-based products, including milk alternatives, seitan, tempeh, and fresh produce.

While that may be an indicator of what’s to come next, its first step is through the ready meal world, which dials up the focus on whole foods (the root) and nutrition (the soul). “We know that customers want an easier way to incorporate vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains into their diets, and our new range does just that,” Alex O’Halloran, senior brand manager for plant-based and vegetarian at Tesco, wrote on social media.

The packaging for the range highlights the ingredients through the names – the brand is (for the most part) forgoing traditional dish names on the labels, and simply listing the vegetables, grains and pulses as the dishes themselves. Think courgette and cavolo nero with white-wine-braised lentils, flame-seared peppers with smoked paprika potatoes and chickpeas, Tenderstem broccoli and mangetout with an aromatic black bean dressing (plus rice), roasted butternut squash with a cannellini bean and white wine stew. The names may be a mouthful, but it’s all very intentional.

There’s a strong emphasis on salads too, which make up around half the Root & Soul lineup. These include a roasted harissa beetroot and chickpea layered salad (with a red pepper dip), roasted broccoli and whole-grain rice salad (with a gochujang sauce), chilli-roasted sweet potato and quinoa salad (with a lemon za’atar dressing), chargrilled courgette and bulgur wheat salad (with harissa hummus), and roasted butternut squash salad (with chermoula yoghurt).

Showcasing its focus on flavour diversity, Tesco has also introduced a butternut squash, ricotta and spinach galette with hot honey (another booming trend), a tomato, courgette and goat’s cheese galette, and a roasted cauliflower and saag chana masala ready meal.

All dishes are vegetarian, with some – like the broccoli-mangetout rice dish and several of the salads – also being vegan-friendly.

“After tirelessly crafting each dish, we’re eager for shoppers to experience the delicious flavours, quality and convenience Root & Soul provides,” Tesco head of product direction Cassie Edwards told Grocery Gazette, noting that it’s a testament to consumers’ ever-changing tastes and preferences.

“Our diverse selection of plant-led dishes, designed with flexitarians in mind, expands our plant-forward offering, and we can’t wait for consumers to enjoy this great tasting collection as much as we have loved creating it.”

Will the health focus offset the premium prices for customers?

The Root & Soul meals are available in select large Tesco stores now, and can be bought online starting Thursday. O’Halloran noted that these were “designed for all the family to enjoy, whether that’s a healthy on-the-go lunch, easy midweek meal, or tasty side to a weekend dinner”.

By focusing on vegetables and whole foods, the retailer is listening to what its customers want. In December, it commissioned a survey of 2,000 Brits to find that 46% are eating more vegetables than they were five years ago. For 47%, introducing more vegetables to their plates was a deliberate decision, with the main reasons being health (82%), environmental impact (25%), and cost savings (22%).

Even Sunday roasts – or equivalent family meals – have seen an uptick, with 48% of respondents saying their roast dinners involve more vegetables now. For 60%, this meant three or more different types of vegetables.

A separate 1,000-person survey in October revealed that 62% of Brits feel plant-based meats cost much more than their conventional counterparts, with a fifth citing price as the biggest reason for reducing their intake of these products. Whole foods like vegetables will always be cheaper than meat analogues, so a focus on produce would appeal to budget-conscious consumers.

It must be noted, though, that Tesco’s Root & Soul range is priced at the premium end, costing between £4.25 for single servings and £7.50 for the galettes. In contrast, its eponymous own-label ready meals max out at £3.25, and go as low as £1.30. So it’ll be interesting to see whether shoppers are ready to shell out more for these health- and veg-forward options.

That said, it is the same price as the Finest Signature Vegetables ready meal range it launched a year ago, which seems to now have been discontinued. Root & Soul appears to have replaced this lineup – for example, the Tenderstem-mangetout and flame-seared pepper dishes are rehashed versions of the Chilli & Black Bean Vegetable Trio and Flame-Seared Peppers with Garlic & Paprika SKUs from the former range.

Either way, health is very much a big deal for Tesco, which plans to increase sales of healthy products to 65% of its total by 2025 (by the end of 2023, it got to 60%). “Everyone knows they need to eat more vegetables, and, while there’s a place for ‘meat mimics’, Root & Soul is all about delicious vegetable centrepieces,” Tesco executive chef Jamie Robinson told the Guardian last month.

“They’re all great on their own as a meal or, if you’re cooking for more people, as a side. There’s a butternut squash, caramelised onion and pecorino one that is delicious with a Sunday lunch. We absolutely want to drive the agenda on making veg super tasty.”

And it’s not the only British company doing so – this Veganuary, most new items at UK restaurant chains were whole-food-based, instead of relying on meat analogues. Meanwhile, discount supermarket Aldi is soon introducing Veggie Menu, a spinoff of its private-label Plant Menu brand.

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Walmart has launched Bettergoods, a private-label brand that focuses on trend-forward, chef-inspired foods traversing better-for-you and free-from products that don’t cost the earth.

High culinary quality, chef-inspired, free-from and plant-based are the cornerstones of Walmart’s new Bettergoods brand. It’s the largest private-label food launch in 20 years by America’s largest retailer, as well as its fastest ever.

While the branding and product offerings have a premium feel to them, the idea – as is the case with all own-label brands – is to keep things wallet-friendly. It’s why, for example, the range’s salted caramel oat milk ice cream is priced at $3.62, compared to $4.48 for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy oatmeal cream pie. In fact, over 70% of the products in the lineup are under $5, while the total ranges from $2 to $15.

“Bettergoods is more than just a new private brand. It’s a commitment to our customers that they can enjoy unique culinary flavours at the incredible value Walmart delivers,” said Scott Morris, senior VP of private brands and food at Walmart.

“Today’s customers expect more from the private brands they purchase – they want affordable, quality products to elevate their overall food experience. The launch of Bettergoods delivers on that customer need in a meaningful way,” he added.

The three pillars of Bettergoods products

Bettergoods differs from other private labels in that it doesn’t exclusively offer direct alternatives to national brands at lower prices – many of its products are unique to Walmart, which adds to the brand’s consumer appeal. It uses “trend-forward” ingredients and flavours to curate culinary concepts that it feels would attract shoppers most, and promises them at low prices.

There’s also a Satisfaction Guarantee attached to it – under this policy, the retailer accepts returns for any unopened products in their original packaging, and offers a full refund.

The Bettergoods line comprises over 300 products across Walmart’s aisles and freezers, spanning dairy, snacks, beverages, pasta, soups, coffee, chocolate and more. These fall into three distinct pillars. The first is centred around culinary experiences, where products highlight innovative recipes and elevated ingredients, like specialty salts and seasonings. Think a $3 Hot Honey Seasoning, $4 Creamy Corn Jalapeno Chowder, and a premium Bronze Cut Pasta for just under $2.

The second category is all about plant-based, featuring distinct green packaging and a suite of non-dairy products like the aforementioned oat milk ice creams (a seven-stong range), boxed mac and cheese, and vegan cheese that it claims melts and gives you the satisfaction of a cheese pull, all under $4. For the US’s leading grocer to put plant-based in such sharp focus is a big deal, and will go a long way in helping it reach its net-zero goal for 2040.

The final pillar is called Made Without, which is Walmart’s version of free-from. This caters to coeliacs and people with gluten intolerances, as well as health-skewed individuals looking for cleaner-label foods with no artificial flavours, colours or added sugars. These include offerings like a four-ingredient Sweet Cream Dairy Creamer, and gluten- and antibiotic-free chicken nuggets. With Walmart witnessing a “slight pullback” in spending on traditional groceries due to the advent of Ozempic, doubling down on better-for-you foods is a no-brainer.

Private labels finding success with shoppers

Bettergood’s breadth of products is something you might find in a Target store – that’s intentional, as Walmart’s VP of creative and design, David Hartman, told Fast Company. “We wanted to make it easy for our customers to find better food alternatives,” he said. “The bright, vibrant, colour-on-colour palette for the core assortment makes our brand easy to find, and is used to express the vibrancy of the food and the joy of eating.”

These products are geared towards younger, affluent demographics looking for vegan and speciality foods. “As an industry we’re seeing younger customers be more brand agnostic, prioritizing quality and value and driving increased interest in private brands,” Morris told Axios.

With the cost of living straining consumer wallets, food options that don’t break the bank but continue to deliver on taste and satisfaction have become increasingly important. That has given rise to the popularity of private labels, which gained in market share in US retail last year, at the expense of name brands. In fact, own-label sales reached a record high in 2023, surpassing $236B in sales.

And it’s not just the US where these supermarket brands have found success. In the UK, Veganuary was flooded with private-label plant-based launches this year, after these ranges grew at twice the speed of branded products in 2023. And in Slovakia, a peer-reviewed study has shown that 80% of consumers find the quality levels of vegan and vegetarian private-label products to be good or appropriate.

Walmart’s Bettergoods range – select products from which are available now, with a full rollout expected in the coming months – will hope to ride the own-label wave in the US, competing with the likes of Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value, Kroger’s Simple Truth, and Target’s Good & Gather, among others.

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By David Fechner, research fellow, social marketing, Griffith University; Bettina Grün, associate professor, Institute for Statistics and Mathematics, Vienna University of Economics and Business; Sara Dolnicar, research professor in Tourism, School of Business, University of Queensland

Imagine having dinner at a restaurant. The menu offers plant-based meat alternatives made mostly from vegetables, mushrooms, legumes and wheat that mimic meat in taste, texture and smell. Despite being given that choice, you decide to order a traditional meat or vegetable dish. That’s a common decision.

The Australian plant-based meat industry has grown significantly in recent years and has been projected to become a A$3 billion industry by 2030. Yet most consumers still hesitate to order a plant-based meat dish in restaurants.

In our new study, we asked 647 Australians why they don’t order plant-based meat dishes when dining out.

It turns out not everyone shares the same reasons. We found six types of diner who avoided these dishes.

Type 1: environmentally conscious, plant-based meat eater

The environmentally conscious plant-based meat eater doesn’t have any issues with meat alternatives. In fact, they enjoy experimenting with plant-based meat products at home. They have their favourite brands but also dislike certain products.

To avoid eating a product they don’t like, they prefer ordering traditional vegetable dishes when dining out. They are more concerned about protecting the planet than their own health.

Type 2: health-conscious, plant-based meat supporter

Type 2 is similar to type 1, except type 2 diners care about being fit and healthy. They prefer to “just eat the vegetables they use to make the fake meat”, as one study participant told us, because they think meat alternatives contain too much sodium, soy, fat, sugar and genetically modified ingredients.

Type 3: curious plant-based meat avoider

The curious plant-based meat avoider typically orders a meat dish and occasionally a vegetable option. They sit on the fence when it comes to plant-based meat.

While they are curious to try it, they aren’t familiar with it and don’t want to risk disappointment. As a type 3 diner told us: “If I were offered a sample, I would be more inclined to try it but […] the risk of it being disappointing doesn’t justify the cost.”

Type 4: sceptical plant-based meat avoider

Like the curious plant-based meat avoider, type 4 diners order more meat than vegetable dishes. They believe meat alternatives are unhealthy because “reading the back of plant-based meat packages will typically reveal a plethora of chemicals”. They don’t trust the technology used to create plant-based meat.

They also do not support the idea of mimicking meat with plants and giving these products names similar to animal meat such as burger or steak.

Type 5: indifferent meat lover

The indifferent meat lover doesn’t have any issues with plant-based meat. Yet they wouldn’t consider ordering a plant-based meat dish. Eating meat is an integral part of their restaurant experience and they “wouldn’t know how you’d mimic meat sliding off a bone”.

Although most of their family and friends also order meat dishes, they have no problem with restaurants offering meat alternatives if they are clearly labelled and don’t limit meat options. They believe eating meat is natural, summed up by one who said: “There is a nutritional requirement for animal meat inherent in humans.”

Type 6: critical meat lover

The critical meat lover dislikes everything about plant-based meat. They don’t understand why anyone would replace meat with a plant-based alternative, nor why it is important.

“Several times I have eaten this garbage […] and thoroughly regretted it.”

Why does this matter?

As David Attenborough says: “We must change our diet. The planet can’t support billions of meat-eaters.”

Occasionally ordering a plant-based meal instead of a meat dish can greatly reduce the environmental footprint of the global food system. Animal agriculture accounts for 56% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions but produces only 18% of calories and 37% of protein.

Plant-based alternatives to chicken, pork and beef emit, on average, 43%, 63% and 93% less greenhouse gas emissions.

This means a family of four ordering plant-based meat burgers instead of beef patties saves carbon emissions equal to driving from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.

5 ways restaurants can promote plant-based meat dishes

Restaurants are the perfect tasting ground to introduce diners (especially curious and sceptical plant-based meat avoiders) to meat alternatives. Here are five simple things restaurants can do to promote plant-based meat dishes:

1. hand out free samples to reduce the fear of disappointment
2. serve plant-based meat by default to break meat-ordering habits, as a Brisbane pub has done
3. describe plant-based meat with indulgent words and avoid using unappealing language, such as the word vegan
4. provide health information to overcome the belief that meat alternatives are unhealthier than meat, which is often not true
5. integrate plant-based meat dishes into the full menu rather than listing them in a separate vegetarian section.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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People in the UK are less likely to be aware or worried about ultra-processed foods than their EU counterparts, and also consume more of these products, according to a pan-European survey.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are everywhere right now – in grocery stores, in health studies, and in everyday conversations. There’s so much being written about them, it’s frankly overwhelming. Some are deriding these foods for being unhealthy, others say it’s not that simple. One thing you can say for certain is that we eat a lot of these foods, and people are more concerned about these than they were a couple of years ago.

In February, European research hub the EIT Food Consumer Observatory published results from a survey of nearly 10,000 consumers from 17 countries, which highlighted a lack of awareness around what constitutes a UPF, and the somewhat ill-perceived connection between UPFs and health – despite them taking up a majority of consumers’ diets.

In the UK, for example, UPFs make up 57% of an average person’s diet, and up to 80% when it comes to children or people with lower incomes. The country has the highest obesity rates among all major western European nations, but its population seem to be less aware or worried about UPFs, according to UK-specific data from the EIT Food survey obtained by the Grocer.

While 55% of Europeans consume UPFs at least once a week, this number rises to 68% for Brits. Moreover, 12% of consumers in the UK eat UPFs daily, versus 8% in the EU. Meanwhile, 61% of Brits think they are bad for their health, compared to 65% of Europeans.

Brits trust regulators, but labels create confusion

More UK consumers find UPFs cheaper (54% vs 49%) and more convenient (56% vs 41%) than whole foods, and only 48% of them go out of their way to buy unprocessed foods that require preparation (in contrast with 56% of Europeans). According to the British Nutrition Foundation, only a third of Brits who had heard about UPFs planned to cut their UPF intake in 2023.

This could be explained by their greater trust in health and regulatory bodies than their European counterparts. The EIT Food survey suggested that 43% of Brits think these departments have the necessary rules in place, but only 35% think so in the EU.

Likewise, 37% of Brits believe some UPFs can still be healthy, versus 31% in the overall survey. That is also the consensus of many food and nutrition experts, who have noted that the Nova classification that UPFs are built upon merely conveys the amount of processing a food has gone through, and this shouldn’t be correlated with nutrition itself.

“Breads and cereals often contain higher amounts of fibre, which, according to the Nova system, wouldn’t technically classify as UPFs,” food systems consultant Marlana Malerich told Green Queen last month. “It’s crucial to recognise the limitations of the Nova system, which does not account for nutritional content, leading to potential misclassification.”

Then there’s also the issue with packaging labels. To Malerich’s point, products that are designated as UPFs can still rank high on the Nutri-Score scale, or the traffic light system adopted in the UK. This breeds confusion, since the packaging tells you it’s healthy, but the UPF association makes it seem not so.

It’s probably why Brits are less likely to consider foods as UPFs, or even correctly identify how processed some foods are compared to their EU counterparts. For instance, fewer UK consumers think crisps are ultra-processed (31% vs 44% for Europeans), a trend that continues for soy milk (15% vs 22%), energy drinks (55% vs 61%), and raw, chopped chicken (7% vs 12%).

The vegan-UPF association

There is a large misconception around the health credentials of plant-based dairy and meat analogues, most of which fall under the UPF category but have nutritional benefits on par or better than animal-derived foods. The EIT Food survey showed that 54% of the respondents avoid plant-based meat products since they are UPFs, particularly those who don’t follow meat-free diets. In the UK, this drops to 49%.

Alarmingly, only 27% of Europeans think meat alternatives are better for the climate, and 57% feel they have a worse impact – despite meat accounting for twice as many emissions as plant-based foods. There is slightly greater awareness about the impact of animal agriculture in the UK, where 32% find them more environmentally friendly, and 53% think they are worse.

That, however, is still a very high percentage. And similar themes persist for the health aspect too, with Brits more likely to consider plant-based analogues better for their health (29%) than the total respondents (26%). But 54% of Brits and 58% of the overall respondents find them unhealthier than animal products. These attitudes are why many companies have shifted their marketing focus to promote the health benefits of vegan food, but these are likely impeded by government-backed campaigns like the one promoting meat and dairy in the UK.

Manufacturers are taking note of these changing attitudes by developing cleaner-label formulations, but these often cost a lot more than their processed alternatives. This was also a recommendation made by the EIT Food report, which suggested companies look into shorter, less “artificial-sounding” ingredient lists. Plant-based meat makers know that their link with UPFs is hindering them, and they too should explore additive-free labels without any transformation of ingredients (like protein isolates).

The study added that national food guidelines also must clarify whether plant-based alternatives are UPFs, and whether that matters for overall health. “Giving consumers clearer labelling, guidance and education could help them to better understand and engage with this issue, but it’s also important that concerns over processed food are considered in the wider context of people’s diets and wellbeing,” said Klaus Grunert, director of the EIT Food Consumer Observatory.

He added: “It’s also crucial that we continue to bolster our understanding and agreement of how we classify, evaluate and label foods, so that our advice to consumers is informed by the latest science.”

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