Tooru to Acquire Plant-Based Milk Machine Startup Mylky for $16.2M
UK wellness investor Tooru is acquiring Belgian at‑home plant‑based milk machine maker Mylky for $16.2 million. The deal is funded with cash, a $4 million loan note, $4 million in newly issued Tooru shares and additional debt. Mylky reported $8.8 million revenue and $2.9 million EBITDA in 2025, with Q1 2026 already exceeding budget. Tooru plans to leverage Mylky’s 70,000‑strong European customer base to launch in the UK and create co‑branded products with its existing vegan brands.
Beyond Meat Debuts Protein Drinks in NYC Retail with Big Geyser Partnership
Beyond Meat has launched its Beyond Immerse sparkling protein drinks in New York retail through a distribution agreement with Big Geyser, granting access to more than 26,000 outlets across the metro area. The line, previously sold only online, offers 10‑20...
Bond Pet Foods Bags Investment From Symrise for Precision-Fermented Proteins
U.S. startup Bond Pet Foods secured an equity investment from German flavour giant Symrise to fast‑track precision‑fermented animal proteins for pet nutrition. The partnership combines Bond’s micro‑bial fermentation platform with Symrise’s application expertise, aiming to commercialise chicken, turkey and beef‑like...
Is Cultivated Meat Better for the Planet? This New Study Confirms Climate Impact
A new peer‑reviewed life‑cycle assessment by Czech startup Bene Meat Technologies and the Czech Technical University shows cultivated meat can emit as little as 3.3 kg CO₂e per kilogram, with a baseline of 5.3 kg CO₂e/kg—far lower than conventional beef (≈98.6 kg) and...
Happy Plant Protein to Build $7M Facility in Latvia to Deploy Extrustion Tech at Industrial Scale
Finnish food‑tech startup Happy Plant Protein is investing €6 million ($7 million) to build Europe’s first dry‑extrusion plant in Latvia. The greenfield facility will process locally sourced legumes and cereals into up to 5,000 tonnes of high‑value textured vegetable protein each year, with...
Checkerspot Unveils Microalgae-Based Alternative to Intensively Farmed Oils in Personal Care
California biotech startup Checkerspot has introduced Algolein, a precision‑fermentation derived microalgae oil for personal‑care formulations, in partnership with French cosmetics specialist La Fabrique Végétale. The flagship ingredient, Algolein TG C18/80, delivers over 80% oleic acid, high oxidative stability and a...
Bluu Reaches Industrial Production of Cultivated Fish Cells for Personal Care & Seafood
German startup Bluu has achieved industrial‑scale cultivation of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout cells in 1,000‑litre bioreactors, and has demonstrated harvests in 10,000‑litre reactors through a partnership with Dutch firm Cultivate at Scale. The joint platform aims to supply marine‑derived...
EU Asked to Include Microbial Proteins & Fermentation in Upcoming Biotech Act
Climate advocacy group WePlanet is urging the European Union to explicitly include advanced fermentation—single‑cell proteins, mycelium and precision‑fermentation products—in the upcoming Biotech Act II, slated for Q3 2026. The brief argues that Europe’s food system is overly dependent on imported soy and...
Molecular Farming Pioneer Moolec Science Produces Iron-Rich Beef Protein in Pea Seeds
Moolec Science, a Nasdaq‑listed molecular‑farming pioneer, announced the stable expression of bovine myoglobin—a heme‑rich, iron‑dense protein—in genetically engineered pea seeds, branded as PEEA1. The breakthrough, achieved after a 28‑month research partnership with a leading U.S. university, marks the first time...
UK’s Fastest-Growing Plant-Based Dairy Brand Enters the Protein Powder World
Carlsberg Britvic‑owned Plenish, the UK’s fastest‑growing plant‑based dairy brand, has launched Clean Protein, a line of two pea‑protein powders delivering 20 g of protein per serving with seven simple ingredients. The products arrive as UK protein sales climbed nearly 10% and...
RFK Jr Asks Hospitals to Prioritise Non-UPF Proteins, Including Plant-Based Options
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., via a CMS memo, warned hospitals that continued Medicare and Medicaid funding hinges on aligning food purchases with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The directive emphasizes eliminating ultra‑processed foods and prioritizing minimally processed...
Blended Proteins 4% Cheaper Than Meat As Supermarkets Drive Category in Netherlands
Netherlands leads blended protein market, with supermarkets launching 115 private‑label products that combine animal meat with plant ingredients. The hybrid offerings are on average 4.4% cheaper than conventional meat and dairy, translating to roughly $1.38 per kilogram, and often deliver...
Äio’s Yeast-Derived Fat Enters the Cosmetics Market with Tilk’s Skin-Boosting Serum
Estonian deep‑tech startup Äio has launched RedOil, a yeast‑derived, upcycled fat, in Tilk’s new Skin Booster Bio‑Fermented Serum priced at $84. The ingredient, produced via precision fermentation of wood, dairy and food‑industry sidestreams, uses 97% less land and 90% less...
Swapping Processed Meat with Plant-Based Alternatives Boosts Health, Show Two Studies
Two UK studies from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that replacing processed meat with plant‑based analogues increases dietary fibre by 4‑6% and reduces saturated fat by about 6‑7%. Despite being classified as ultra‑processed, the evaluated plant‑based...
Impossible Foods Partners with Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks & Rangers
Impossible Foods has signed a multi‑year deal to become the official plant‑based burger partner of Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. The agreement includes a dedicated concession stand, the Impossible Grille, serving a menu...
Japan’s Kanematsu Taps 2nd Nature’s AI Tech to Upcycle Ag Waste Into Functional Foods
Japanese trading house Kanematsu Corporation has partnered with U.S. startup 2nd Nature to apply artificial intelligence to its agricultural sidestreams, aiming to extract high‑value functional ingredients. 2nd Nature’s AgWaste Portal scans molecular data to uncover hidden proteins, fibers, peptides and...
UK Startup Fermtech Gets $3.3M to Make Climate-Friendly Cocoa Alternative From Waste & Fungi
UK food‑tech startup Fermtech announced a $3.3 million funding round to commercialise its Koji Cocoa ingredient, a cocoa‑shell‑derived powder created through solid‑state fermentation with the koji fungus. The capital, led by Elbow Beach, will fund scaling production in the UK and...
Clean Food Group Unveils Eco Cosmetics Oil Made From Yeasts Fed on Surplus Bread
UK biotech startup Clean Food Group has launched CleanOil 25, a yeast‑derived oil produced from surplus bread that aims to replace palm and other tropical oils in cosmetics. The ingredient delivers premium skin‑friendly textures, matches performance expectations, and cuts greenhouse‑gas...
Meat-Free Restaurant Chain Clover Food Lab Seeks New Buyer to Avoid Closure
Clover Food Lab, a Boston‑based fast‑casual vegan chain, filed a WARN notice that could affect 182 employees unless a buyer is secured by the end of May. The company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2024 after shedding 20...
California Certified: America’s Largest State Proposes Non-UPF Label for Food Producers & Supermarkets
California lawmakers are advancing AB 2244, a bill that would create a voluntary “California Certified” seal for foods that meet the state’s definition of non‑ultra‑processed. The label, modeled on the USDA organic mark, would be overseen by the California Department of...
Novonesis & DTU to Convert Carbon Into Protein As Part of Bill Gates-Backed Project
Novonesis has teamed up with the Technical University of Denmark’s Bright hub to engineer microbes that convert waste carbon dioxide into protein using acetate as feedstock. The collaboration is part of the Gates‑ and Novo Nordisk‑backed Acetate Consortium, which has...
Japan’s Umami United & Tokyo Denki University to Recreate Egg Proteins with Plants
Japanese vegan egg startup Umami United has teamed up with Tokyo Denki University to scientifically recreate egg protein functionality using plant-based ingredients. The partnership focuses on developing manufacturing processes that replicate foaming, gelling and emulsifying properties essential to baked goods...
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Expand US Plant-Based Biomanufacturing with Tax Incentives
Congresswomen Nikki Budzinski (D‑IL) and Michelle Fischbach (R‑MN) introduced the Biobased Materials Investment and Production Act, a bipartisan bill that would grant a 30% investment tax credit for building or retrofitting plant‑based biomanufacturing facilities and a production credit of 10 cents...
Starbucks Brings Protein Drinks to Europe, Including Lattes with Alpro Soy Milk
Starbucks has partnered with Danone’s Alpro to roll out protein‑boosted lattes across Central Europe, using a high‑protein soy milk that delivers 5 g protein per 100 ml. The new sugar‑free vanilla and matcha lattes provide 8‑22 g of protein per serving and can...
World’s Largest Food Companies Call on EU to Include Novel Foods in Regulatory Sandboxes
The EU’s Biotech Act created regulatory sandboxes for food‑tech but left novel foods—such as cultivated meat and precision‑fermented proteins—out. Eight leading food and biotech groups, including FoodDrinkEurope’s members like Nestlé and Danone, issued a joint statement demanding that novel foods...
JBS, the World’s Largest Meat Company, Opens $37M ‘Superprotein’ Centre in Brazil
JBS has opened a $37 million, 4,000‑square‑meter biotech centre in Florianópolis, Brazil, branded JBS Biotech, to develop "superproteins" – microbial, cultivated and plant‑based functional proteins for supplements and precision nutrition. The facility houses 20 specialised labs that span the entire research‑to‑production...
Nestlé & UN University Launch Global Academy to Advance Sustainable Food Systems
Nestlé has partnered with the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health to launch the World Food Academy for Sustainable Food Systems, a free, multi‑partner platform aimed at youth in the Global South. The academy expands on Nestlé’s...
Beyond Meat Bets on ‘Less Controversial’ Products to Recover From All-Time Sales Low in 2025
Beyond Meat, now rebranded as Beyond The Plant Protein Company, reported a record‑low 2025 revenue of $275.5 million, a 15.6% decline year‑over‑year. Gross profit collapsed by 82% and operating losses more than doubled to $332.7 million, including $38.9 million in trademark damages. A...
3 Future Food Projects Get $4.7M Dutch Govt Funding for Cultivated Meat & Fermentation
The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has granted $4.7 million to three consortia to accelerate cultivated meat and precision‑fermentation technologies. The Up‑Cell project at TU Delft will engineer scalable animal cell lines, while Maastricht‑led MeatUp focuses on whole‑cut meat alternatives using seaweed‑based...
Swiss Court Bans Use of ‘Milk’ on Plant-Based Alternatives, Rejecting Danone’s Appeal
Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court rejected Danone’s appeal, confirming that the word “milk” cannot appear on plant‑based product labels, even in altered forms such as “This Is Not M*lk.” The 4‑1 decision aligns with a recent UK ruling against Oatly and...
Jury Asks Impossible Foods to Pay Influencer $3.25M in Trademark Lawsuit
A Northern California jury found Impossible Foods willfully infringed two trademarks owned by influencer Joel Runyon’s company, Impossible HQ, ordering the plant‑based meat maker to pay $3.25 million in damages—$1.5 million compensatory and $1.75 million punitive. The verdict follows a five‑year legal battle...
After Cultivated Meat, Mississippi Becomes First US State to Ban Cell-Cultured Dairy
Mississippi enacted the nation’s first ban on cultivated dairy products, effective July 1, with violations punishable by fines up to $10,000 and possible license suspension. Governor Tate Reeves allowed the bill to become law without signing it. The legislation targets cell‑based...
Vegan Discovery Platform Abillion Shuts Down Amid Funding Struggles & AI Threat
Abillion, the vegan discovery platform with over a million downloads and two million active users, announced it will shut down by the end of March after failing to secure additional funding. The startup raised more than $17 million, including a $10 million...
Exclusive: Bettani Farms CEO on Its Acquisitions & Plans to Stretch the Vegan Cheese Category
Bettani Farms, the former Climax Foods, raised $6.5 million and acquired Hungry Planet, Numu and Stockeld Dreamery to create a unified vegan cheese platform. Leveraging its AI‑powered Caseed ingredient, the company unveiled a high‑stretch mozzarella that mimics dairy performance, achieving a...
Enifer Seeks FDA Approval for Mycoprotein Powder to Unlock Large-Scale Partnerships
Finnish food‑tech startup Enifer has submitted a formal GRAS notification to the U.S. FDA for its Pekilo mycoprotein powder, moving beyond its earlier self‑affirmed status. The filing aims to secure a “no‑questions” letter that would clear regulatory hurdles for large‑scale...
Alternative Proteins ‘A Major Opportunity’, Says UK Food Security Minister
UK food security minister Dame Angela Eagle announced that alternative proteins are a major opportunity in the forthcoming Good Food Cycle strategy and that the government will accelerate novel food approvals. The announcement follows the Food Standards Agency’s recent moves...
South Korea’s Samyang Foods Opens Plant-Based R&D Hub in Europe
South Korean instant‑noodle maker Samyang Foods has inaugurated a dedicated plant‑based research hub near Wageningen, Netherlands, a global agrifood tech cluster. The facility, initially staffed by seven researchers and slated to grow to fifteen, will explore plant proteins, functional foods,...
Mewery Hits Cultivated Pork Yield Milestone Amid $8M Funding Drive
Czech startup Mewery announced a cultivated pork yield of 300 g per litre, one of the highest densities reported in the cell‑based meat sector. The breakthrough, driven by its microalgae‑co‑cultivation platform, promises lower media use and improved unit economics. Mewery is...
This AI-Led Seaweed Powder Can Replace Multiple Additives for Clean-Label Proteins
Marine Biologics, a California startup, launched SeaTex, an AI‑engineered seaweed powder that can replace multiple stabilisers, gums and buffers in protein‑rich foods and beverages. Using its proprietary MacroLink platform, the company reduced ingredient discovery time from years to months, delivering...
German Retailer Rewe Group Invests in Fibre-Based Sugar Reduction Startup Neoh
German retailer Rewe Group has invested several million euros in Austrian startup Neoh, the developer of Zero+, a plant‑fiber‑based sugar replacer. Zero+ delivers the same sweetness as table sugar while reducing calories by 60% and minimizing blood‑glucose and insulin spikes,...
South Dakota Becomes Eighth US State to Ban Cultivated Meat with 5-Year Moratorium
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden signed a bill imposing a five‑year moratorium on the sale, manufacture, and distribution of cultivated meat, effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. The measure makes the state the eighth in the nation to...
EU Climate Advisers: Eat Less Meat, Redirect Subsidies & Tax Farm Emissions
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change released a 360‑page report urging the EU to overhaul its agricultural policy to meet climate targets. It recommends phasing out CAP subsidies that favor livestock, introducing a greenhouse‑gas pricing system for farms,...
Melt&Marble Cleared to Sell Animal-Free ‘Designer Fats’ for Food & Personal Care
Swedish precision‑fermentation startup Melt&Marble has obtained regulatory clearance to commercialise its animal‑free “designer fats.” The MeltyMarble fat received US Generally Recognized as Safe status, while its Marble7 lipid earned an INCI name for worldwide personal‑care use. Backed by an $8.5 million...
Danish Startup Takes Over Orkla Factory to Scale Up Lacto-Fermented Plant-Based Ingredients
Danish food‑tech startup Ferm Food has taken over Orkla’s former Skovlund manufacturing site to scale its lacto‑fermented plant‑based ingredients. The facility, slated for handover on April 1, can reach nearly 20,000 tonnes of output, producing fermented oats, rye, fava beans and rapeseed...
New Proteins, Biomanufacturing & Green Energy: China Charts Path to 2030 in 15th Five-Year Plan
China’s draft 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑30) places new protein sources, biomanufacturing and green energy at the core of its climate and food‑security strategy. The plan calls for expanding grain output to 725 million tonnes, advancing AI‑driven seed innovation and commercialising gene‑edited...
Spanish Plant-Based Startup Novameat Takes Beef Alternative to Blended Meat Category
Novameat, the Spanish plant‑based meat startup, is launching its pulled vegan beef as a blended‑meat ingredient for traditional meat processors. The company’s MicroForce technology produces a fibrous, additive‑free protein that can be mixed directly into mince, burgers and meatballs without...
Nestlé, the World’s Largest Food Company, Adopts Climate-Friendly Cocoa-Free Chocolate
Nestlé has introduced the Snack Vibes line under its Choco Crossies brand, featuring cocoa‑free chocolate made from Planet A Foods’ ChoViva ingredient. The range, aimed at Gen Z in Germany, will launch next month in classic, hazelnut and salted popcorn...
Bill Gates Awards $7M Grant to Belgian Startup Using AI to Develop Climate-Resilient Crops
Belgian agtech startup Rainbow Crops received a $7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to scale its AI‑powered Trait Foundry platform. The technology combines multiplex genome editing, precision breeding and high‑throughput phenotyping to develop climate‑resilient varieties of corn,...
Mezcla Raises the Plant-Based Protein Bar with $9.5M in Series B Funding
New York‑based Mezcla closed a $9.5 million Series B round led by Bluestein Ventures to accelerate product development and broaden distribution. The funding brings total capital to $16.5 million and follows a 128 % compound annual growth rate since 2022. Mezcla’s plant‑based bars, built...