Irish University Bags $3.5M in Govt Funding to Turn Grass Into Protein
Munster Technological University (MTU) secured $3.5 million from Ireland’s Department of Agriculture to launch the Grass4Value project, a biorefinery initiative that converts grass and legumes into high‑value protein. The effort partners with University College Dublin, the University of Galway and Teagasc, and leverages new pilot facilities in Kerry, Cork and Tipperary. Researchers will develop protein concentrates for animal feed and human food, while integrating precision fermentation and anaerobic digestion to create circular energy streams. The funding is part of a broader $40.9 million national push into agrifood bioeconomy research.
Germany Announces Cultivated Meat Innovation Hub & Calls for EU Novel Food Sandboxes
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space unveiled a biotechnology roadmap that creates a national innovation hub for cultivated meat and precision‑fermented foods, slated to open in 2027. The plan targets price‑parity milestones by 2028, including cell densities over...
Plant-Based Seafood Startup Oshi Nets $3M in Funding After Fourfold Growth in Sales
Oshi, a plant‑based seafood startup known for 3D‑printed vegan salmon, secured $3 million from a leading Latin American seafood company and launched a WeFunder crowdfunding round. The financing supports a new production facility, distribution hub, and the rollout of a whitefish...
Barry Callebaut Brings Planet A Foods’s Cocoa-Free Chocolate to US
German startup Planet A Foods has partnered with chocolate giant Barry Callebaut to launch its cocoa‑free chocolate ingredient, ChoViva, in the United States. Barry Callebaut will serve as the exclusive distributor to U.S. food manufacturers, debuting the product at the...
Ya Ya Foods Owner Gets State Funding to Build $56M Plant-Based Milk Facility in Michigan
The Michigan Strategic Fund approved a $960,000 performance‑based grant and a five‑year tax exemption to support Fenton Food and Beverage, a new venture by Ya Ya Foods founder Yahya Abbas, in building a $56.2 million plant‑based milk factory. The facility, slated...
Endless Food Co’s Bean-Free Chocolate Bags Major Distribution Deal in Denmark
Denmark’s foodservice distributor Dagrofa Foodservice has signed a nationwide distribution agreement with Copenhagen‑based startup Endless Food Co to supply its bean‑free chocolate alternative, THIC, to professional kitchens across the country. THIC is made from upcycled ingredients such as brewer’s spent...
This Food Tech Company Uses Yeast Fermentation to Cut Sugar in Fruit Juice by 30%
Austria Juice has launched a line of fruit juices that contain 30% less sugar, achieved through a patent‑pending yeast fermentation process. The reduced‑sugar juices qualify for the new "low‑sugar fruit juice" category under the EU Breakfast Directives, which take effect...
South Korea’s Intake Unveils New Brand for Precision-Fermented Yeast Ingredients
South Korean food‑tech startup Intake has introduced Takein, a new B2B brand that markets its precision‑fermented yeast protein and fibre ingredients to food manufacturers. The brand leverages a grape‑derived, non‑GMO yeast strain that delivers 1.5 times more protein than conventional...
Brami Secures $33M to Expand High-Protein, High-Fibre Lupini Bean Pasta
U.S. pasta startup Brami closed a $33 million Series B round led by VMG Partners to scale its high‑protein, high‑fiber lupini bean pasta line. The company plans to add new shapes, deepen its Italy‑based supply chain, and roll the product out across...
Cultimate Foods: Cultivated Meat Maker Files for Bankruptcy, Remains Hopeful About Future
Berlin‑based cultivated‑fat startup Cultimate Foods filed for bankruptcy and launched a structured financial reorganisation to stabilise its operations. The company, which raised €2.3 million (about $2.5 million) in a 2024 seed round, remains focused on commercialising its CultiSense fat‑flavour technology. Cultimate says...
South Korea’s Soyft Biome Bags Funding to Upcycle Tempeh Waste Into Plant-Based Dairy
South Korean food‑tech startup Soyft Biome secured a new financing round from MYSC’s Extramile Lycon Fund to scale its plant‑based product line derived from tempeh fermentation waste. The capital will bolster its Ja:yu low‑sugar condensed milks, KetoYou tempeh items, and...
Canada’s The Better Butchers to Go Public with Reverse Takeover of Health Logic
Vancouver‑based plant‑based meat maker The Better Butchers has signed a letter of intent to complete a reverse takeover of Health Logic Interactive, a dormant TSX Venture‑listed health‑tech firm, to secure a listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange. The three‑way amalgamation...
Heura Turns Profitable & Unveils White-Label Strategy for Plant-Based Meat
Heura, the Spanish plant‑based meat leader, posted its first positive EBITDA in Q1 2026 after raising €108 million (≈$119 million) to date, including a €40 million (≈$44 million) Series B two years ago. The profit breakthrough stems from its proprietary Good Rebel Tech, a thermomechanical...
Bond Pet Foods Gets US FDA Nod for Yeast-Brewed Lamb Protein Created with Hill’s Pet Nutrition
Bond Pet Foods and Hill’s Pet Nutrition have secured a Letter of No Objection from the U.S. FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, clearing the way to sell a yeast‑brewed lamb protein in dog food. The ingredient, produced via precision fermentation,...
Moolec Science Advances GLA-Rich Safflower Oil for Use in Pet Food, Nutrition & Green Energy
Molecular farming pioneer Moolec Science announced the completion of phase one industrialisation of its GLASO1 platform, a GLA‑rich safflower oil, after a record 2025 campaign that delivered high‑purity oil with about 45% gamma‑linolenic acid. The product secured USDA APHIS approval,...
Danone to Lay Off 114 Employees After Shutting Plant-Based Dairy Factory
Danone announced the closure of its 25‑year‑old plant‑based dairy factory in Bridgeton, New Jersey, eliminating 114 jobs. The shutdown follows a slowdown in the company’s Silk and So Delicious brands, which have lagged behind stronger performance in Europe. Production will...
LanzaTech & DTU to Open Biofoundry to Turn Carbon Emissions Into High-Value Products
U.S. synthetic‑biology firm LanzaTech has signed a two‑year agreement with Denmark’s Technical University (DTU) Bright hub to launch an AI‑powered C1 biofoundry. The facility will use engineered microbes to convert methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide from industrial waste streams...
German Dairy Major Müller Scoops Up Legacy Plant-Based Milk Player Berief Food
German dairy giant Theo Müller Group has agreed to acquire plant‑based milk and tofu producer Berief Food for a reported €113 million (about $124 million) in annual turnover. The family‑owned business, which posted €12 million (≈$13 million) EBITDA last year, will continue operating as...
Tasty Awards: Violife on Solving the ‘Tension Between Taste & Nutrition’ with Plant-Based Dairy
Violife captured the most honors at the 2026 Tasty Awards, with four of its plant‑based products rated as good or better than their dairy counterparts. The brand credits its success to a simple coconut‑oil ingredient list, transparent labeling, and an...
Naturbeads Gets €4.1M EU Funding to Replace Microplastics with Cellulose Materials
UK‑based Naturbeads has been awarded a €4.1 million ($4.8 million) EU grant to build a new cellulose‑based microbead factory in Puglia, Italy. The startup converts plant‑derived cellulose into spherical beads that mimic the performance of plastic microbeads across cosmetics, paints, detergents, coatings...
Exclusive: Eden Brew Gets US GRAS Clearance for Animal-Free Casein & Eyes Supplements Industry
Australian precision‑fermentation startup Eden Brew has secured US GRAS clearance for its recombinant beta‑casein, positioning the animal‑free protein for dairy‑like applications. The company is now prioritising the health‑supplements market, leveraging its micelle technology to deliver fortified nutrients such as iron...
Japan’s Organoid Farm Scales Up Cultivated Meat Production & Teases New Facility
Japan’s Organoid Farm, a JGC Holdings subsidiary, completed a 200‑litre bioreactor demonstration that produced scaffold‑free cultivated beef using a patented bovine cell line capable of continuous division. The scaffold‑free suspension culture simplifies processing and cuts raw‑material and cleaning costs, providing...
Maple Leaf Foods Revives Yves Veggie Cuisine’s Plant Proteins in Canada
Maple Leaf Foods has acquired the Yves Veggie Cuisine trademark from Hain Celestial and will relaunch the legacy plant‑based brand in Canada by July 1, 2026. The comeback includes six SKUs—ground meat, deli ham and turkey slices, among others—produced in Maple...
US Army Issues Call to Manufacture Plant-Based Meat for Military Meals in Combat Zones
The U.S. Army has issued a Sources Sought notice inviting industry and academic partners to develop precision‑fermentation and other biomanufacturing methods for plant‑based proteins that can be produced in combat zones. The effort supports the upcoming 2027 rollout of fully...
Climate-Smart & Cocoa-Free: Mars Makes Moves to Decarbonise Chocolate Portfolio
Mars is testing a cocoa‑free chocolate trail mix under its Balisto brand in Germany, using Planet A Foods' ChoViva ingredient. The bean‑free product, sold at REWE until October, offers a high‑protein snack and demonstrates a 1:1 chocolate replacement. Simultaneously, Mars...
Just One Extra Fava Bean A Day Could Save Europeans €42M in Healthcare Costs
A Protein Project report outlines a roadmap for a European legume renaissance, focusing on fava beans. Doubling fava bean production could slash healthcare spending by €42 million (about $46 million) a year, cut fertilizer and pesticide use, and lower greenhouse‑gas emissions by...
Fudi Protein Bags Funding to Make Egg & Dairy Alternatives From Rubisco
U.S. food‑tech startup Fudi Protein has closed an early‑stage round led by Green Boy Group to commercialise alfalfa‑derived Rubisco protein. The ingredient, harvested from the leaves of alfalfa, delivers 80% protein purity, a near‑complete amino‑acid profile and up to 94%...
Pinnacle Food Group Eyes Open-Source Precision Fermentation Hub in Hong Kong
Canadian biotech firm Pinnacle Food Group has signed a non‑binding MoU with the Open Yeast Collection and Bioboost Synbio Consulting to explore an Open Yeast Platform hub in Hong Kong‑Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park. The hub would combine an open‑access...
Yeastup Secures Distribution Deal for Dietary Fibre Ingredient Made From Beer Waste
Swiss food‑tech startup Yeastup has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with DKSH to sell its UpFiber Beta‑Glucan, a dietary fibre derived from spent brewer’s yeast, across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. DKSH will handle business development, marketing, logistics and technical support,...
South African Startup Scales Up Growth Factor for Low-Cost Cultivated Meat
South Africa’s biotech startup Immobazyme, in partnership with the government‑run CSIR, has successfully scaled production of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF‑2) using a 50‑litre bioreactor. The protein, a costly growth factor essential for cultivated‑meat cell culture, was produced at commercial‑grade...
China Convenes Future Food Leaders at the 2026 Global Forum on Cultured Meat
China’s Nanjing Agricultural University and startup Joes Future Food hosted the 2026 Global Forum on Cultured Meat, gathering researchers, industry pioneers, and regulators. The forum tackled technology innovation, safety standards, and cost barriers while outlining a roadmap for scaling cultivated...
Kite Hill’s New Vegan Cream Cheese Has Double the Protein of Dairy
Kite Hill launched a vegan cream cheese that delivers 4 g of protein per two‑tablespoon serving, twice the protein of traditional dairy cream cheese. The almond‑milk‑based product, fortified with soy protein, is now available at Whole Foods nationwide. It taps into...
Opalia Lands $2.3M in Funding to Scale Up & Seek Regulatory Approval for Cell-Based Milk
Opalia, a Montreal cell‑based dairy startup, closed a C$3.2 million ($2.3 million) first funding round and aims to raise a total of C$5 million ($3.67 million) by July. The capital will fund a larger modular bioreactor, a pre‑commercial pilot with Dutch dairy giant Hoogwegt,...
57% of UK Coffee Shops Open to Making Oat Milk the Default Option, If Demand & Costs Align
A recent survey by Animal Justice Project found that 57% of UK coffee shops would consider making oat milk the default milk if consumer demand materialises and wholesale prices fall. The Canteen in Bristol is piloting this approach with oat‑milk...
India’s Newest Entrant to the Plant Protein Category Is Dubbed Its ‘Lightest’ Powder Yet
Indian wellness brand Immunosciences has unveiled Pure Plant Protein, a clean‑label vegan powder it touts as the country’s lightest and most digestible plant‑based supplement. The product delivers 24 g of complete protein per 30 g scoop, fortified with a DigeZyme multi‑enzyme complex,...
Exclusive: One of China’s Top Hotels to Turn Half Its Menu Plant-Based by 2029
eLong Hotel Technology, one of China’s top ten hotel groups, announced it will make half of its menu plant‑based by 2029, up from roughly 40% today. The company runs over 3,000 properties in more than 300 cities and serves 35 million...
Exclusive: Australian Plant Proteins Enters Retail with ‘Nothing Else’ to Meet Clean-Label Demand
Australian Plant Proteins, rescued from insolvency, has launched the direct‑to‑consumer brand Nothing Else, offering single‑ingredient fava bean and yellow pea protein isolates produced in‑house with a solvent‑free process. Each 30 g scoop delivers 25‑26 g of complete plant protein and retails for...
India’s Praj Industries Opens AI-Enabled Precision Fermentation Lab, Signs Government MoU
Indian biotech firm Praj Industries has opened an AI‑enabled Advanced Precision Fermentation Lab at its Pune R&D centre, Praj Matrix. The facility focuses on large‑scale precision fermentation to boost efficiency, cut carbon emissions and reduce scale‑up risk for pharma, food,...
RFK Jr Says Cultivated Meat Will ‘Have to Get Through A Lot of Scepticism’ From FDA
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voiced amplified concern that cultivated‑meat products will face rigorous FDA scrutiny, warning they must overcome significant safety scepticism. The comment came during a Senate Appropriations hearing, where he echoed long‑standing criticism of lab‑grown proteins. 2025 marked...
Amyris, Wacker to Develop Precision-Fermented Ingredients for Personal Care
U.S. biotech Amyris and German specialty‑chemicals group Wacker have announced a joint effort to develop precision‑fermented, bio‑based ingredients for the personal‑care market. The collaboration follows Amyris’s recent capacity boost in Brazil, where it installed two 80 m³ fermentation lines to accelerate...
Ajinomoto Creates New Tech to Replace One of Cultivated Meat’s Most Expensive Components
Japanese food conglomerate Ajinomoto has engineered a plant‑derived hinokitiol compound to replace transferrin, the most expensive ingredient in cultivated‑meat culture media. Transferrin accounts for roughly 95% of media costs, so the new iron‑binding molecule could slash production expenses dramatically. Hinokitiol...
AuX Labs Nabs $4M to Commercialise Cheese Made From Animal-Free Milk Protein
Toronto‑based AuX Labs secured $4 million in a round led by NYA Ventures and Nàdarra Ventures to commercialise its precision‑fermented recombinant casein. The funding will accelerate a brewing‑capacity‑leveraged platform that produces animal‑free, melt‑and‑stretch cheese at price points viable for pizzerias and...
Plant ‘N’ Beef: Germany’s Rewe Group Re-Enters Blended Meat Space with New Burger
Germany’s second‑largest supermarket chain, Rewe Group, has re‑entered the blended‑meat market with its new Plant ‘n’ Beef burger, a 70% beef‑30% fava‑bean hybrid. The two‑pack retails for €2.99 (about $3.30), roughly half the price of Rewe’s own‑brand all‑beef burger at...
Cosaic Bags $6M to Replace Industrial Additives with One-Size-Fits-All Yeast Ingredient
Swiss food‑tech startup Cosaic secured a $6 million seed‑extension round led by DSM‑Firmenich Ventures to scale its yeast‑derived emulsifier, Cosaic Neo, and push regulatory approvals in the U.S. and Europe. The funding brings total capital to $12.5 million and will fund scale‑up...
Korean Govt Backs University Project to Develop Precision Fermentation Toolkit
South Korea’s science ministry has awarded Kookmin University a core‑research grant in the 2026 Basic Research Program to develop a genetic toolkit for the food‑grade yeast Candida utilis. The toolkit will enable precision‑fermentation processes that produce proteins, amino acids, vitamins...
Singapore Food Agency Publishes List of Approved Novel Foods
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) released a comprehensive list of 14 novel foods approved for sale through October 2025, reinforcing its role as a regulatory pioneer in sustainable protein. The list features four cultivated‑meat products—including Eat Just’s serum‑free chicken, Vow’s cultured quail,...
Planetary Nets $28M to Scale Full-Stack Fermentation Platform for Sustainable Proteins
Swiss biotech startup Planetary secured CHF16 million ($20.4 million) in Series A financing and an additional CHF6 million ($7.6 million) credit facility, bringing total capital to roughly $41 million. The funds will expand its BioBlocks full‑stack fermentation platform, scale a global licensing business, and diversify its...
Pinnacle Food Group Develops Breakthrough Process for Recombinant Breast Milk Protein at Hong Kong Lab
Canadian biotech Pinnacle Food Group announced a methanol‑free precision‑fermentation process that produces recombinant human lactoferrin using a patented Pichia yeast strain at its Hong Kong lab. The new method eliminates toxic methanol, reducing capital and operating expenses while delivering a...
French Plant-Based Meat Leader La Vie Enters Tofu Category After Green-Tinted Rebrand
French plant‑based meat leader La Vie has launched a three‑product tofu range—smoked block, teriyaki cubes and ultra‑crispy nuggets—each delivering 13‑17 g protein per 100 g and made with preservative‑free French soybeans. The rollout follows a green‑tinted rebrand that lifted natural‑product perception by...
Walmart Sued for $5M Over ‘Conspicuous Labelling’ of Additives in Bettergoods Plant-Based Milk Line
Walmart’s private‑label Bettergoods line faces a class‑action lawsuit alleging that its “plant‑based” milks contain inorganic and animal‑derived additives, misleading consumers. The complaint cites calcium carbonate, dipotassium phosphate and vitamin A palmitate as examples that do not originate from plants. Plaintiff...