Green Queen Media

🚀💡 Biotech innovation just got a major boost! The USDA, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and FDA have teamed up to launch an online tool for navigating the regulatory path. This is great news for startups in cultivated meat, precision fermentation, and molecular farming, helping them bring their products to market faster and safer. 🌱 Visit our website to discover more food innovation: https://lnkd.in/eqEx5DT #GreenQueen #sustainability #foodsystems #futurefood #altprotein #innovation #foodtech

🚨⏳ Cultivated meat showdown in Florida. After a two-hour hearing, the judge in UPSIDE Foods’ lawsuit against Florida’s cultivated meat ban is expected to deliver a ruling by November. Will Upside Foods make it to Art Basel with their chicken? Only time will tell... 🌱 Visit our website to discover more food innovation: https://lnkd.in/eqEx5DT #GreenQueen #sustainability #foodsystems #futurefood #altprotein #innovation #foodtech

🐄💨 BIG MEAT RIVALS BIG OIL’S METHANE OUTPUT – GOVERNMENTS NEED TO STEP IN At COP26 three years ago, leaders from around the world came together to adopt the Global Methane Pledge. Now featuring the signatures of 158 countries, the target is to reduce emissions by 30% by the end of the decade. But the pledge only focuses on drastic methane reductions from the fossil fuel sector, not the agriculture industry, which is the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions. Within this, meat and dairy production is the biggest culprit, responsible for 31% of the output. As things stand, the road to 1.5°C is virtually a dead-end. If you ask some climate scientists, even limiting post-industrial temperature rises to 2°C is wishful thinking. Without addressing the food system, there’s no way we’re meeting our climate goals. That is because the methane emissions from 29 major livestock producers rival those of the fossil fuel industry’s 100 biggest emitters, according to a new report by Greenpeace Nordic. The analysis, which comes a month ahead of COP29, suggests that if we don’t take action to curb this impact, meat and dairy alone could lead to a temperature rise of 0.32°C by 2050. But if we cut our production and consumption of animal products in line with the Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Diet, we could prevent 0.12°C of warming in that period. The report found that the methane emissions of the five largest meat and dairy companies – JBS, Marfrig Global Foods, Minerva, Cargill and Dairy Farmers of America – are higher than those of the combined emissions of ExxonMobil, Shell, TotalEnergies, Chevron and bp. “Governments have to step up to the plate and drive the investments and rules that will get us on this hopeful pathway,” says Shefali Sharma, calling on policymakers to “support farmers and workers in a just transition” and give the world “a fighting chance to limit global heating while saving millions of lives and livelihoods”. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ew2ZrAsB #GreenQueen #climateaction #emissions #sustainability #climatechange

🍔🌱 PLANT-BASED GIANTS TEAM UP FOR FIRST INDUSTRY CAMPAIGN Do not ingest plant-based food… if you enjoy the taste of average to mediocre food. That is the call to action of a new, first-of-its-kind ad campaign backed by some of the leading companies in the US vegan sector. The marketing drive is coordinated by the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), and aims to highlight the benefits of plant-based eating in a quirky, deliberately contradictory way. Devised with marketing agency AKQA Bloom, the first activation is called ‘Plant-Based May Cause’, featuring a 60-second spot with a 10,000-word leaflet that was present all over Climate Week NYC last month. The fast-paced, playful narration challenges the misconceptions and underlines the benefits – some obvious, some ‘unexpected’ – linked to a vegan diet. It’s the first time leading brands in the industry have joined forces for a commercial campaign at this scale, with partners including The Kraft Heinz Not Company, Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, TiNDLE Foods, Bel Brands USA Foodservice, Daiya Foods Inc, Prime Roots, Mellody®, Stockeld Dreamery, Armored Fresh, milkadamia, and more. “For years, the Big Meat and Dairy industries have been planting misinformation, so we’ve chosen to plant joy and deliciousness instead,” said AKQA Bloom co-founder and executive creative director Jean Zamprogno. “A better future for us and our planet begins with a shift in consumer behaviour, and no industry is better than ours to lead the way.” The campaign ad comprises footage from a branded food truck the PBFA organised with chef Nina Curtis and the 15 companies at Climate Week NYC, where New Yorkers were offered free samples of plant-based dishes. UK-based Vegan Food Group’s Matthew Glover (who is also the co-founder of Veganuary ) and Indy Kaur, founder of vegan consultancy firm Plant Futures, are spearheading this initiative. “We are looking to level up with this, consolidate funding and create a campaign which can fairly compete and give consumers a reason to choose to eat plants and not animals,” Glover told Green Queen in February. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eY3A3R9H #GreenQueen #altprotein #cultivatedmeat #foodtech #futurefoods #foodsystems #sustainability 

🇯🇵🌿🍔 NEXT RESTAURANT: WAYBACK BURGERS ASIA OPENS ALL-VEGAN CHAIN IN JAPAN Fast-casual chain Wayback Burgers is going all-in on Asia’s hunger for plant proteins, establishing an all-vegan restaurant concept championing plant-based meat in Japan. Wayback Burgers Asia, the Japanese master franchisee of the US hamburger chain, has opened Next Restaurant in Tokyo, which it describes as a first-of-its-kind concept in the city designed to overcome the ever-changing barriers of the foodservice sector. The chain operates mainly as a takeaway and delivery site, with only limited seating for dine-in options. The restaurant operates a shared kitchen to prepare dishes from different restaurants, with visitors able to choose items from multiple menus at the same time. At Next Restaurant, customers can order from a range of vegan bento boxes, with options like foie gras kalbi, short ribs, pork and ginger, and a beef bowl. The eatery also keeps to its parent company’s hamburger legacy, with menu items like short rib or pork-ginger rice hamburgers, as well as a minced meat cutlet. Moreover, Next Restaurant offers gluten-free pasta and doria (a type of rice gratin) tossed in tomato, bolognese or carbonara sauce, alongside entire menus for cheesesteaks and pizza (with flavours like tuna mayo, bulgogi, curry, and Margherita). Wayback Burgers Asia has further created a vegan and gluten-free smoothie brand called Niseko & Smoothie, which uses fresh produce from farms in the town of Niseko, Hokkaido. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/em8yH3TF #GreenQueen #altprotein #plantbasedmeat #sustainability #foodsystems #nutrition #vegan

🇦🇺🌱🥩 VEGAN MEAT LINKED TO BETTER PROTEIN DIGESTION AND SATIETY THAN BEEF A vegan mince product can have the same protein quality and digestibility as conventional ground beef, but is more filling and better for gut health, two new studies have found. Sydney-based vegan startup v2food collaborated with the Australian national science agency, CSIRO, to compare the health benefits of its soy protein beef with its animal-derived counterpart. The studies entailed detailed analysis of the composition and nutritional attributes of v2food’s mince, and examined the effects of reformulating the product to enhance these health gains even further. “With health being the top reason Australians choose plant-based meat, this research highlights how v2food mince can support a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr Lisa Ronquest-Ross, chief science officer of the company. A recent survey showed that 54% of ‘meat reducers’ in Australia were cutting back on animal proteins for health reasons, a sentiment echoed by 58% of flexitarians – making it by far the most popular dietary driver. “These plant-based protein products are complementary to our existing protein sources such as red meat and fish,” said Crispin Howitt, lead of CSIRO’s Future Protein vertical. “It’s important that these products are developed so that they are as healthy as possible and with nutritional claims backed by evidence. We need new protein options to sustain the world’s growing population into the future.” More information in the full article: https://lnkd.in/eG8_h46y #GreenQueen #altprotein #futurefood #plantbasedmeat #sustainability #foodsecurity

💰💡 CULTIVATED MEAT COULD ADD 90K JOBS & €85B TO EU ECONOMY IF LAWMAKERS ACT In late July, French startup GOURMEY announced it had officially filed an application to sell cultivated meat in the EU. It was a seminal moment – not merely because a company made a regulatory filing, but because it was the first to do so under the EU’s novel food regulations. Among the strictest in the world, the complexity of a 27-member block combined with a long-drawn process drove companies away from the region – instead, they focused their efforts on countries where such frameworks have progressed, like Singapore, the US, Israel and the UK, a former EU member. But there have been movements. The EU recently updated its novel food framework to account for the advancements in the food tech sector, providing more detailed guidance to companies hoping to file applications, especially on scientific requirements. Now, a new report shows why it is wise for the EU to do so. By helping develop a robust ecosystem, cultivated meat could deliver €20-85B in annual economic contributions, making up around 0.4% of its GDP. Nearly a third of this would come directly from the cultivated meat sector, while the rest would be sourced from suppliers and induced spending and economy. By 2050, the cultivated meat market could be worth a combined €15-80B in new domestic and export markets across the value chain by 2050, while generating up to €40B in trade opportunities, largely driven by the EU’s leadership in specialised cell culture inputs. Moreover, the sector would lead to 25,000 to 90,000 new highly skilled jobs directly from production, with estimates suggesting that for every job created in cultivated meat, another job would be created elsewhere. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eqqEbS2K #GreenQueen #altprotein #cultivatedmeat #futurefoods #foodsystems #sustainability 

🌱🥛 UNLOCKING CHINA’S APPETITE FOR PLANT-BASED MILK People in China are eating more protein than Americans now, but a majority of this comes from plant-based foods. Despite that, the country – already the leading producer of pork, fish and eggs – is now the third-largest producer of milk. The country is home to two of the top 10 dairy companies in the world, Yili Group and Manegniu, and has an industry worth CN¥680B ($95B). However, despite milk production rising by 36% since 2018 and surpassing the 2025 target three years ahead of time, per capita consumption of milk fell from 14.4kg in 2021 to 12.4kg in 2022. The alternative dairy industry, meanwhile, is a burgeoning sector, with a host of brands vying for market share by putting taste and nutrition at the forefront. According to Chinese company database Qichacha (企查查), there are over 5,000 enterprises related to plant-based milk registered in China today (though some of these contain casein or milk powder, but are still classed as dairy alternatives). These include traditional brands like Coconut Palm and Yangyuan, young startups like Oat Plant and Oakidoki, and global giants like Danone, Vitasoy International and Oatly. It’s a market set to reach CN¥300B ($42B) next year. “This undoubtedly attracts numerous new players, yet it remains to be seen how many of these 5,000 enterprises will successfully launch products,” says Wan Lin, marketing and research lead at Toronto-based Dao Foods International, a China-focused impact investor whose alt-dairy brands include WowFoods, PlantNow!, and True Plant China’s annual per capita consumption of dairy (excluding butter) reached 34kg in 2021, compared to 231kg for the US. “This amount translates to approximately 90ml per day, which is less than one-third of the 300ml daily intake recommended by the Chinese Dietary Guidelines 2022,” explains Lin. “In contrast, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) recommend a daily intake of 710ml.” Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eaB6vJDP #GreenQueen #altprotein #foodtech #futurefoods #foodsystems #sustainability 

🇬🇧 The Big Story: The UK Government's 'Sandbox' for Cultivated Meat - that and more inside Green Queen Media's #FutureFoodWeekly ✅ UK Government Pumps £1.6M, Opens New Regulatory Office in Milestone Move for Cultivated Meat 🐾 Formula One Champion Lewis Hamilton Invests in ‘Vet-Formulated’ Vegan Pet Food Startup Bramble 🍫 DöhlerGroup Backs Fava Bean Chocolate Maker NuKoKo As Climate Change Eats Up Cocoa Crops 🇰🇷 Umami Bioworks Inks Deal to Introduce Cultivated Seafood in South Korea 🍗 Nuggs Maker SIMULATE Bought By Ahimsa Companies After Period of Uncertainty for the ‘Tesla of Chicken’ 🍝 ‘LA VIE™ est Belle’: French Vegan Meat Maker Doubles Funding Pot with €25M Investment, Rolls Out Meatballs 🇫🇷 McDonald's France Finally Goes Vegan, Offering Veggie McPlant Nuggets With Beyond Meat Chicken ⚖️ The Veggie Burger Debate: EU Court Blocks France’s Attempt to Ban Meaty Names On Plant-Based Food Labels 🍣 Austrian Vegan Seafood Startup Revo Foods Opens ‘World’s Largest’ 3D-Printed Food Factory 🌱 Impossible Foods Targets Convenience with New Pre-Seasoned & Family-Friendly Products 💄 THG LABS to Use Clean Food Group's Palm Oil Alternative Made From Waste Bread for Beauty & Personal Care Products 🧀 Heura Foods Goes Beyond Meat with Healthier Plant-Based Cheese & Pasta to Take On UPF Label 🔈 Nestlé, Tesco, Sainsbury's Join Call to Make Food Waste Reporting Mandatory 🌎 People Are More Concerned About Climate Change Than Two Years Ago – How Can Brands Help? 👸🏻 Vegan Dairy Queen Miyoko Schinner Is Teaching A Homemade Plant-Based Cheese Masterclass Read the full version here: https://lnkd.in/e2BuPKPj #GreenQueen #altprotein #futurefoods #cultivatedmeat #innovation #sustainability #climatechange -------- Want to see more posts like this? Hit the 🔔 button on our profile so you don't miss any updates. Or subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest in alt protein and sustainability: https://lnkd.in/eG25dcNw

💰🍈🥩 JACK & ANNIE’S RAISES $5M TO TACKLE AMERICA'S FIBRE PROBLEM WITH JACKFRUIT MEAT In a nod to consumers’ growing appetite for fibre-packed food options, The Jackfruit Company, which sells jackfruit-based meat analogues, has secured an additional $5M in an extension to its Series B round. The startup had previously raised $23M in its Series B in 2021, when it debuted its consumer brand jack & annie's. Already the most well-funded jackfruit protein company – which makes ‘meal starter’ ingredients and finished products like burgers and sausages – the latest investment takes its total raised to $33M. The round was led by existing investors InvestEco Capital, CREADEV - Creating for People , and Grosvenor Food & AgTech, who returned for another bite. “We are expanding our sales force to accelerate our growth across segments,” founder and CEO Annie Ryu told Green Queen. “We are continuing to invest in product development and optimiation, for retail, foodservice, and industrial ingredients.” The Jackfruit Company, founded in 2011, was set up as a way to help farmers in India find a market for the fruit. But it soon began developing its own meat alternatives, the idea being that the company could offer a product that’s naturally meaty and thus has shorter and cleaner ingredient lists. Armed with the fresh funding, The Jackfruit Company will now look to strengthen its foothold as one of the long-standing plant-based meat brands on the market. But the raise also comes amid an investment slump in plant-based food (which fell by 24% last year, a slide that has continued in 2024). The jackfruit market is set to reach $450B by the end of the decade, where The Jackfruit Company is joined by fellow innovators KARANA Foods (Singapore), Jack & Bry (UK), Upton's Naturals (US), and PrimeJack®️ & FiberFoods (Uganda), among others. More information in the full article: https://lnkd.in/eerBqgie #GreenQueen #altprotein #futurefood #sustainability #plantbasedmeat #nutrition