Plant-Based Mince Now 29% Cheaper Than Beef at Tesco as Meat Prices Climb
A Good Food Institute Europe analysis shows plant‑based mince at Tesco is now 29% cheaper than beef, lamb and pork mince, with meatballs 41% cheaper than their animal counterparts. The price gap widened during Q1 2026 as conventional meat prices surged—lean beef mince up nearly 23%—driven by drought‑impacted feed supplies and Middle‑East fuel and fertiliser disruptions. While most plant‑based options beat meat on price, beef burgers remain 9% cheaper than their vegan equivalents. GFI Europe calls for government support of plant‑based foods in future food strategy.
NoPalm Ingredients Shortlisted for World’s Largest Environmental Food Prize
Dutch fermentation startup NoPalm Ingredients has become one of four global finalists for the 2026 Curt Bergfors Food Planet Prize, the world’s largest environmental award in food and agriculture with a $1.5 million top prize. The company produces yeast‑derived fats that...
THAIFEX-Anuga Asia 2026 Spotlights Plant-Based and Precision Fermentation
THAIFEX‑Anuga Asia returns to Bangkok from 26‑30 May 2026, expanding to 12 halls and over 140,000 sq m, the largest edition yet. The show spotlights alternative proteins through a new Flavour and Taste Contest and the Future Food Experience+ conference, which covers...
Canada’s Plant-Based Industry to Gather in Ontario for Third Annual PBFC Conference
Plant‑Based Foods of Canada (PBFC) will host its third annual conference on May 5, 2026 in Kleinburg, Ontario. The one‑day event expands attendance beyond members, inviting manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, researchers and investors. Former Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness will open with a keynote...
California Startup Fermeate Closes $2M Seed Round for Light-Based Fermentation Control Technology
California startup Fermeate closed a $2 million seed round led by Newfund Capital, with participation from SOSV and Ajinomoto Group Ventures. The company’s optogenetics platform embeds light‑sensitive proteins in microbes, allowing real‑time gene activation or repression via an external light‑delivery device...
Finnish Firm Happy Plant Protein to Deploy Extrusion Tech in Europe’s First Crop-Based Protein Facility in Latvia
Finnish firm Happy Plant Protein is licensing its single‑stage dry extrusion technology to a new plant in Latvia, the first European facility that converts locally grown crops directly into textured vegetable protein at industrial scale. Backed by Agrofirma Lobe SIA...
Hybrid Meat Could Outpace Pure Plant-Based on Climate Impact, Industry Expert Argues
Dr. Briony Sayers of ingredient distributor ACI Group argues that hybrid meat—products that blend up to 30% plant protein with animal meat—can deliver greater climate benefits than fully plant‑based alternatives because they require no change in consumer shopping habits. By...
Tiba Tempeh Brings Whole-Bean Snack Bites to UK Chilled Aisles
UK plant‑based brand Tiba Tempeh is debuting Protein Bites, a chilled, single‑portion snack made from whole‑bean tempeh. The bites deliver 20 g of protein per 100 g, high fibre and natural ingredients, and come in 60 g (£1.50 ≈ $1.9) and 45 g (£1.30 ≈ $1.6) packs. The...
Most US Food Service Giants Still Failing on Plant-Based Protein, Annual Scorecard Finds
Humane World for Animals released its 2026 Food Service Industry Protein Sustainability Scorecard, grading the largest U.S. food‑service managers on plant‑forward menus, animal‑protein reductions, and fiber‑rich options. Five firms—Guckenheimer, Elior North America, Metz Culinary Management, HHS LLC, and Fresh Ideas—earned...
SponsoredHandtmann Showcases Modular Production Solutions for Vegan, Vegetarian and Alternative Protein Products at Interpack
At interpack 2026, Handtmann showcased a full suite of modular production lines tailored for vegan, vegetarian and alternative‑protein foods. The exhibit featured the FS 525 forming system for portioning and tray placement, the DS 560 P multi‑lane dosing unit, and...
Crespel & Deiters Brings Pea Protein Extrudate to Plant-Based Formulation Market
Crespel & Deiters, a German ingredient specialist, has launched Lory Tex Granules, a pea‑protein extrudate aimed at plant‑based meat, fish, hybrid and convenience products. The granules deliver more than 65% protein and 5.6 g of fiber per 100 g, while offering a...
Julienne Bruno Returns to Ocado and Foodservice Under Harvey & Brockless Ownership
Julienne Bruno, the UK plant‑based cheese label, is relaunching its Collection 01 range on Ocado and through Harvey & Brockless’s foodservice network after being acquired by The Compleat Food Group in November 2025. Three 150‑gram SKUs – Crematta, Superstraccia and Burrella –...
25+ Civil Society Groups Call on European Supermarkets to Rebalance Plant and Animal Food Sales
A coalition of more than 25 health, environmental and consumer groups from 12 European nations is launching the “Plant‑Rich Europe” declaration, urging major supermarkets to shift their product mix toward plant‑rich diets. The groups cite the Eat‑Lancet Planetary Health Diet...
Burcon NutraScience Eyes Capacity Expansion as Ingredient Demand Outpaces Q1 Output
Burcon NutraScience, a Vancouver‑based plant‑protein ingredient developer, is evaluating capacity expansion after daily production surged 40% above its Q1 2026 average and its customer base grew to more than 20 active buyers across beverage, nutrition and plant‑based food categories. The...
The Coconut Collab Adds Dairy-Free Natural Kefir to Its Gut Health Range
London‑based The Coconut Collab has introduced a dairy‑free Natural Kefir, expanding its gut‑health lineup. The 500 ml drink, priced at £3.45 (about $4.31), is now available at Sainsbury’s and Ocado, with more retailers slated for May‑June. Made by fermenting coconut water...
Vegancuts Turns 15 Under New Ownership with $100,000 Giveaway
Vegancuts, the U.S. vegan subscription service founded in 2011, marks its 15‑year anniversary with a sweepstakes offering a Rivian R2 electric SUV or a $100,000 cash prize. The promotion runs through June 4, 2026, granting one entry per dollar spent on...
Clean Food Group Raises £4.5M to Bring “World’s Largest” Yeast-Oil Facility to Full Capacity
Clean Food Group (CFG) raised £4.5 million (≈$5.6 million) in a round led by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian, plus a £700,000 (≈$875,000) Innovate UK grant, to finish scaling its 1‑million‑litre fermentation site in Knowsley, Liverpool. The plant, billed as the world’s...
Fable Brings Its Whole-Food Shiitake Mushroom Range to Waitrose Nationwide
London‑based Fable, a mushroom brand serving over 1,500 restaurants across the UK, Europe, Australia and North America, is launching its Tender Pulled Shiitake range in Waitrose stores nationwide on 6 May. The product is priced at £3.99 (about $5.10) and...
UK’s GRUBBY Doubles Down on Frozen Ready Meals with Seven New Plant-Based Dishes
UK plant‑based kit brand GRUBBY has doubled its frozen ready‑meal portfolio, adding seven new dishes to bring the total to 16. The new meals, sold exclusively on its website, each provide about 25 g of protein, 10 g of fibre and 9.25...
German Vaccine Scientists Are Now Applying Their Expertise to Scaling Cultivated Meat
The Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg has partnered with cultivated‑meat startup Innocent Meat on a two‑year ZELPI project to transfer vaccine‑scale perfusion techniques to food biotech. The collaboration will test Innocent Meat’s cell lines...
Standing Ovation Secures $34.2M to Bring Fermentation-Derived Casein to US Market
Paris‑based Standing Ovation closed a $34.2 million Series B, including $28.5 million equity co‑led by Bpifrance Ecotechnologies 2 and Crédit Mutuel Innovation, plus $5.7 million non‑dilutive funding. The round adds Danone Ventures and builds on a prior €16 million (~$17 million) Series A, giving the company strong dairy‑sector...
World Animal Protection Report Finds 20 of 25 US Restaurant Chains Failing on Plant-Based Offerings
World Animal Protection’s Moving the Menu 2026 report graded 25 of the largest U.S. restaurant chains on plant‑based offerings, finding that 20 received failing scores and only five earned a C or higher. The assessment, covering burgers, chicken, sandwiches, coffee...
Rival Foods Partners with THIS for Plant-Based Steak Launch in UK
Rival Foods has teamed with UK plant‑based brand THIS to launch a new plant‑based steak in Britain’s major supermarkets. The steak is built from fibers created with Rival’s patented Shear Cell technology, delivering a texture that mimics real beef. At...
ProVeg China Taps World No.1 Food Science Institution for NeoProtein Research Hub
ProVeg China and Jiangnan University have signed an MOU to launch a NeoProtein Innovation Center of Excellence in Wuxi. The university, ranked number one worldwide in Food Science and Engineering, will lead research across four pillars: scientific innovation, industry‑academia technology...
EVU Outlines Path for Protein Diversification in 2028–2034 CAP Proposals
The European Vegetarian Union (EVU) released an analysis of the European Commission’s 2028‑2034 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposals, highlighting opportunities to boost agricultural diversification and plant‑based protein crops. The paper flags eight promising measures and six areas of concern, recommending...
Investment Climate Podcast: Del Afonso of Harmony Baby Nutrition Shares How to Get Funded in 2026
Harmony Baby Nutrition’s founder Del Afonso outlined how the startup leveraged geo‑arbitrage to stretch its runway, establishing formulation labs in Brazil and analytical labs in Hong Kong while keeping headquarters in the U.S. The company secured a $6 million non‑dilutive grant...
Ingredion Launches New Pea Protein Solution
Ingredion has introduced VITESSENCE® Pea 100 HD, a pea‑protein ingredient engineered for cold‑pressed nutrition bars. The formulation tackles common texture problems by keeping bars soft over shelf life while eliminating gritty and chalky sensations. Sensory tests show a clean break...
Landmark Vote Positions Helsinki as a Plant-Based Policy Frontrunner
Helsinki City Council approved a landmark initiative to cut the city’s meat and dairy procurement by 50 % by 2030, replacing them with plant‑based meals in schools, daycares, hospitals and other municipal venues. The motion passed 57‑23 with broad cross‑party support...
Beyond Meat Expands New Line of Protein Drinks with Four Additional Flavors
Beyond Meat announced four new flavors for its Beyond Immerse sparkling protein drink—Cherry Berry, Strawberry Lemonade, Piña Colada, and Cucumber Grapefruit. The beverages, available in 10‑gram and 20‑gram protein versions, also deliver 7 grams of fiber, antioxidants and electrolytes. Launches are limited‑time and...
New Research Project at TU Berlin Develops Standardization for Plant Protein Functionality
A three‑year research initiative led by Prof. Dr. Stephan Drusch at TU Berlin, in partnership with the University of Hohenheim, is developing standardized methods to quantify the techno‑functional properties of plant proteins such as solubility, emulsification, gelation and foaming. The...
Happy Plant Protein Outlines New Value Creation Strategy for Mills and Agricultural Co-Ops
Happy Plant Protein, a Finnish food‑tech firm, introduced a dry‑extrusion process that converts locally sourced pea, faba bean, oat and soy flours into textured vegetable protein (TVP). The technology lets regional mills and agricultural co‑ops upgrade low‑margin flour into high‑value...