© schankz -stock.adobe.com Researchers at the University of Trento continue to work on “Feather to Meat,” a project launched last year to cultivate chicken using cells from feathers. The research, led by professors Luciano Conti, Stefano Biressi, and researcher Nike Schiavo, is concluding its first phase successfully developing the “first batch of cellular material ready to be used for reproduction” from lab to larger-scale production in bioreactors.  According to the announcement, this expansion will enable the team to conduct the first production tests for the real mark ..read more

Seb Alex. Image: Middle East Vegan Society International vegan and vegetarian trademark V-Label has announced a partnership with the Middle East Vegan Society (MEVS) to promote the transparent labeling of vegan and vegetarian products in the region. The two organizations will work together to increase the adoption of V-Label certification among Middle Eastern producers and retailers. The collaboration will be active in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. V-Label provides certification for both food and non-food items that meet its stringent criteria. Through the collab ..read more

Will investors embrace food systems transformation? On this episode of The Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano, Mahesh Roy, Investor Strategies Programme Director of the Institutional Group on Climate Change, discusses the IIGCC perspective on investing in food systems transformation to combat Climate Change and partake in the potential growth of the sector. Specifically, they discuss What is the IIGCC? Why do you believe that the global food systems shift is going to happen quickly? Why is the food sector the only sector that can be net zero by 2030? Why has IIGCC expanded ..read more

© Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz has announced that its German canteens are working to become aligned with the Planetary Health Diet, and will serve predominantly plant-based food by the end of 2025. Developed by scientists, the Planetary Health Diet takes into account the well-being of people and the planet and advocates for the consumption of mostly unprocessed plant foods. After rolling out at Mercedes-Benz’s 22 self-operated canteens across seven locations, the concept will then be introduced in the company’s 45 shops by 2027. Animal products will remain available, but will be significantly ..read more

Tuna pizza ©Yanten Vegan Food In the Spanish city of Vigo, home to Europe’s largest fishing port and described as “the most important port for the commercialization of fish for human consumption on the continent, and a central point for trading in fish at European and world level”, Gabriel López Pose founded the startup Yantén Vegan Food. Using the tagline “The future of the sea,” Yantén’s products are said to mimic the taste and texture of seafood offering sustainable food products at competitive prices. “We want to reduce the stress on the world’s oceans through overfishing. Acco ..read more

Rachel Dreskin ©PBFA The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) is a pivotal organization in the plant-based food industry, founded with the mission to promote the expansion and acceptance of plant-based foods. Established in the United States, PBFA advocates for its members, which include plant-based food companies and affiliate organizations. Its primary goals are to improve conditions for plant-based food companies by working on policy initiatives, promoting plant-based products, and addressing regulatory issues that could impact the industry. PBFA also focuses on engagement with retailers ..read more

CUVO FOODS, image courtesy of The Vegan Agency A pan-European survey, called Changing Appetite: Comprehensive research on the uptake of plant-based foods published by ProVeg under the EU Smart Protein project, sheds more light on the current state of plant-based consumption and helps the food industry and other stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of consumers in Spain. The survey, carried out in Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the UK, Denmark, Poland, Romania, and the Netherlands, involved 7,500 respondents and was conducted by the food awareness organisation ProVeg Internati ..read more

Pierre Mignon (L), Hugo Valentin, and Nicolas Irlinger © Edonia Edonia, a French startup unlocking the potential of microalgae to create protein ingredients for plant-based foods, has raised €2 million in a pre-seed financing round led by France’s leading impact seed fund, Asterion Ventures, with participation from Bpifrance. With the new capital, the Paris-based startup will expand its technical and business teams and transition to the scale-up phase. In addition, it will gear up to launch its first product: a texturized ingredient for plant-based meat that is said to offer a meat ..read more

© Crème de la Crème Global fresh produce supplier Greenyard has announced the acquisition of Crème de la Crème, a Belgian food tech company producing plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts. Crème de la Crème has 25 years of experience in the sector and has developed hundreds of plant-based ice creams, including for major companies such as Alpro and Carrefour. The products are sold as far afield as the Middle East and East Asia. Last year, Greenyard acquired Italian plant-based ice cream producer Gigi, which has developed a unique method of replacing cream with plant fibres. Through the ac ..read more

Image courtesy of ProVeg International A new PETA study entitled Rethinking Agriculture, authored by Prof Jan Wirsam of the Berlin University of Applied Sciences, showcases the transformative potential of animal-free agriculture. It argues that adopting vegan organic farming could revolutionize our agricultural systems. The research highlights an impressive potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 84%, reducing them to 6.1 million tonnes annually. Moreover, the need for agricultural land could dramatically decrease from 14 million hectares to just 5 million hectares by eliminating ..read more