Industry & News

MOA Foodtech has teamed up with Spanish cereal innovation centre Espiga I+D in a 'Bakery Innovation Alliance' to validate its MOA Q5 egg replacer on pilot and semi-industrial equipment, including lines with lamination and rounding. Q5 is a single-ingredient biomass-fermentation product made from starch-rich industrial by-products, declared as 'yeast' on the label, non-GMO and not requiring Novel Food authorization. It has been validated in bakery, pastry and pasta, and manufacturers can access samples and support to cut egg and the E-471 emulsifier.

UK food-tech MicroLub, a University of Leeds spinout, closed a £7.5M ($10M) round led by Northern Gritstone to scale its microgel technology, which coats protein scaffolds with polysaccharides so they release water on chewing and mimic the creamy mouthfeel of fat. The company says the approach cuts fat and calories in foods like cheese, yogurt and baked goods by up to 75% while cutting molecular friction 20-fold versus water and 10-fold versus rival fat replacers.

Japanese retailer Aeon is launching three new snacks — a pistachio bar, caramelized almond balls, and cranberry-feuilletine bites — coated in Fuji Oil's cocoa-free Anoza M, a blend of pea protein, carob and chocolate-grade fats, across roughly 3,500 Aeon, Aeon Style and MaxValu stores. The pea component supplies richness and smoothness while carob delivers a cocoa-like aroma, complementing Aeon's existing sunflower-based ChoViva line from Planet A Foods.

Finnish precision-fermentation startup Onego Bio will supply Brooklyn's Zen Waffles with Bioalbumen, a recombinant ovalbumin grown in Trichoderma reesei that matches chicken egg white's amino acid sequence and scores a perfect 1.0 PDCAAS. The shelf-stable powder is claimed to provide structure for a tender interior and support browning for a crisp exterior in the waffles.

London startup Feisty, founded by ex-Louis Vuitton designer Vy Cutting and scientist Hong Huynh, raised £500,000 ($677,000) led by BTomorrow Ventures after three and a half years of formulation work. Using hydrolyzed pea and rice protein with filtered fat and carbs and smaller particle sizes, each 330ml carbonated can delivers 10g complete protein at 62-67 kcal with no added sugar or major allergens.

Superbrewed Food has launched Thryvia, a postbiotic made from heat-killed Clostridium tyrobutyricum biomass that works at doses as low as 200mg per serving, formulated for capsules, powders, gummies, bars, foods and beverages. Because the bacteria are non-viable, the ingredient is shelf-stable at room temperature and can survive UHT processing — conditions that would kill a live probiotic.

dsm-firmenich is taking its Protopia single-cell protein — made from an optimized torula yeast strain — to a 120,000-liter fermentation run in 2026, with a new Eastern European facility targeting 2,000-10,000 tons a year by 2027. The strain runs on almost any feedstock (ethanol, methanol, acetate, sugar or molasses), yields around 70% protein content, and hits a PDCAAS digestibility score of 0.94-0.96, comparable to animal protein.

Offbeast, formerly Mooji Meats, has engineered a whole-cut blended beef product that's half conventional meat and half plant-based binder, using a fiber-alignment process adapted from its earlier 3D-printing work. In blind trials, 16 of 20 tasters rated the 23g-protein-per-100g product as indistinguishable from conventional meat, and the company says the process can lift beef margins 200-400% for processors.

As whey prices have surged 108% in two years amid a cheese-driven supply crunch, NNB Nutrition and Axiom Foods have launched PeptiClear, a line of hydrolysed, neutral-tasting plant proteins with the solubility and transparency needed for clear beverages. The line includes DL-185, a leucine dipeptide the companies say boosts muscle protein synthesis about 60% more effectively than standalone leucine.

Vancouver's Cultivated Food Labs (a Gathered Foods venture) uses yeast fermentation and enzymatic treatment to convert faba bean hulls into a cocoa alternative that can replace up to half of conventional or Dutch-processed cocoa without a sensory drop-off. The company says its unit economics hold even if cocoa prices swing 10x, and it's moving from TRL 6.5 toward a commercial-scale production trial later in 2026.

South Korea's CJ CheilJedang unveiled two new soy milks — almond and faro flavors — under its Altive brand, each carrying just 1g of sugar per 190ml pack while relying on the natural sweetness of soybeans and grains. The launch comes alongside a reformulation of Altive's protein shakes, now delivering 21g of plant protein per 250ml bottle with improved flavor, as the brand refreshes its packaging to chase younger consumers in Korea's growing non-dairy milk market.

C16 Biosciences has launched a precision-fermented cocoa butter equivalent under its Palmless brand, grown from naturally occurring microorganisms via aerobic fermentation and built on the same Torula Oil platform the company already sells as a palm-oil substitute in beauty products. CEO Shara Ticku says the ingredient is designed to shield chocolate makers from the variable performance, supply shocks and volatile pricing that plague conventional cocoa butter.

All G's LFX apo-lactoferrin is a bovine-equivalent lactoferrin made via precision fermentation with under 5% iron saturation achieved during fermentation rather than costly downstream processing. In its apo state the protein binds free iron and starves harmful bacteria, and All G — producing at 60,000-litre scale with partners Armor Protéines, Döhler and Savencia — is targeting supplements, infant formula and sports nutrition, categories long constrained by dairy-derived lactoferrin's ~$650/kg price.

New Culture has been granted US Patent No. 12,635,703 for its animal-free mozzarella, which combines precision-fermented alpha-s1 casein with plant oils, salts, sugars and minerals to hit specific stretch and texture thresholds. The company is targeting foodservice first, especially the $9 billion US pizzeria mozzarella segment, betting seven years of casein optimization work will let it eventually undercut conventional dairy on cost.

MALK Organics and Coconut Cult have made their limited-edition Vanilla MALK Shake a permanent fixture at Whole Foods Market nationwide, blending Coconut Cult's fermented coconut yogurt with MALK's organic coconut milk. The product packs 16 live probiotic strains and hundreds of billions of CFU, with no gums, fillers, or artificial ingredients.

Nestlé's new PCT filing describes a completely clear, neutral-pH beverage carrying over 1% whey protein isolate that stays invisible in water or tea, then self-gels into a soft layer the instant it meets something acidic like coffee or juice — solving whey's decades-old "gritty, sour" image problem.

That's It Nutrition patented a two-stage dehydration process — finishing with a microwave drying step — that turns apples, sweet potatoes, and carrots into a shelf-stable, crunchy, grain-free cereal, with seasoning driven deep into the fruit tissue rather than dusted on top.

Mars, Incorporated has filed a patent for a vegan ice cream formulated with urad beans (black gram lentils), whose proteins and carbohydrates form stable structures that slow melting and improve texture and mouthfeel. The company says the formulation keeps its shape for up to two hours at room temperature, aimed primarily at improving cold-chain and retail-display stability rather than a specific product launch.

Givaudan patented an encapsulation method using only food-grade proteins and sugars (no synthetic polymers) to protect fragile natural oil-soluble colors — like paprika, annatto, and turmeric — from light, heat, and oxidation-driven off-flavors in snacks.

Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG and Savanna Ingredients GmbH jointly patented "Chocolate Comprising Allulose," a low-calorie, sugar-reduced chocolate composition aimed at keeping traditional taste and mouthfeel while cutting sugar content.

Nanomik, founded by Buse Berber Örçen and Arda Örçen, uses a patented microencapsulation process (Turkish patent TR201905122T4) to stabilize plant- and microorganism-derived natural molecules so they perform as effectively as chemical preservatives — offered as a 'Microencapsulation as a Service' model to food, agriculture and construction customers. The company closed a €1M pre-Series A bridge round led by Arya VC, with field trials already run in 8 countries.

Jiangnan University's patented process uses decalcified milk protein concentrate to raise yogurt's protein content while avoiding the acidic-whey byproduct and nutrient loss that plague conventional high-protein yogurt methods.

French startup Edonia has closed a €15M Series A led by SWEN Blue Ocean 2, Asterion Ventures and EIT Food, with non-dilutive support from Bpifrance and bank financing. Its product, Edo, is a spirulina-based protein grain made by cooking spirulina in oil at a controlled temperature (the patented 'Edonization' process, developed with AgroParisTech). It delivers 27 g protein per 100 g and a ground-meat-like texture with no added flavors or texturizers. About 20 customer contracts worth roughly €30M in pre-orders back the round, and a dedicated production line is planned at an existing shared site in France.

Arla Foods will invest €35M in skyr production at Upahl, Germany, and €28.3M in cottage cheese at Falkenberg, Sweden. Upahl is due to finish in the second half of 2028, and Falkenberg will be upgraded gradually through 2028. Arla cites 33% skyr volume growth in Europe and 25% overall cottage cheese growth, with Denmark and the UK each up 37% and the Netherlands up 38%.

The Biotech Open Platform at Michelin's Cataroux Innovation Park in Clermont-Ferrand, France, is now open to third-party projects. Its investment grew from the €16M announced in June 2024 to €20M. It offers a complete fermentation line of up to 15 m³ plus semi-industrial purification, and works with yeasts, bacteria, microalgae and fungi to develop proteins, enzymes and food ingredients.

Voyage Foods has exited its 1,400+ US retail doors to focus entirely on supplying CPG manufacturers and foodservice with its chickpea-and-rice-hull bean-free coffee and its NextCoa cocoa-free chocolate, made from upcycled wine-industry grape seeds and sunflower kernel flour. The company has raised $94M total, including a $25M USDA loan for its 300,000 sq ft Ohio plant, and already supplies Cargill, which has distributed NextCoa since 2024.

Medici Brands, the owner of high-protein snack brand David Protein, closed a $250 million Series B led by Greenoaks and Valor Equity Partners at a $2.25 billion valuation. Built on a patented alt-fat ingredient called EPG, the two-year-old brand is projecting roughly $300 million in 2026 revenue across 35,000 retail doors including Walmart, Target and Costco, and has already spun the same formulation into candy (HallPass) and chips (Rowdy).

Bauer Group, one of Germany's largest dairy manufacturers, has opened a dedicated plant-based innovation and production center in Wasserburg am Inn, ending five years of sourcing plant-based concentrate externally since launching its range in 2021. The GEA-engineered line mixes and grinds soybeans, separates solids, and thermally inactivates the base before regular production ramps up in August 2026.

Millow's solid-state fermentation process grows mycelium directly on Swedish oats to create a whole-cut meat alternative with 27g of complete protein per 100g, using just 3-4 liters of water per kilogram — a 98% smaller footprint than Swedish beef. The startup, which holds a European patent on its low-water fermentation method, will use the funding to launch in Nordic foodservice kitchens.

Swiss startup Planted is scaling a solid-state fermentation platform — combined with extrusion — that structures soy, rice and rapeseed oil into whole-cut products like steaks, steak bites, cold cuts and pastrami rather than just ground/minced formats. The company is now producing 20-25 tons a day combined across its facilities and is targeting production costs of about $2 per kilogram of finished product.

Mumbai-based Inaara NeoFoods closed a $2.2 million seed round from a group of angel investors and consultants to accelerate its AI-powered 'farm to formulation' platform, which controls every step from raw agricultural inputs to finished plant proteins, fibers, lipids and starches. The closed-loop system aims to turn Indian pulses and chickpeas into functional, high-quality ingredients for food manufacturers.

Plantible Foods secured $35 million in combined debt and equity — including a $25 million USDA-backed loan and $10 million in equity from RA Capital and existing investors — to expand its Eldorado, Texas facility and push annual RuBisCO protein output past 1,000 metric tons by early 2027. A new production strain has already lifted yields by more than 40%, and CEO Tony Martens says customer demand is already outpacing planned capacity.

Lucknow-based Arboreal Bioinnovations closed a ₹23 crore (~$24.2M) Series A led by EAAA Alternatives and Omnivore, with Rainmatter by Zerodha also participating. The startup, which supplies functional ingredients — including its Bioprot/Evo yeast and plant proteins, Pyure low-calorie sweeteners and Cococo cacao ingredients — to over 1,100 manufacturers, will use the capital to expand manufacturing capacity and R&D.

Nestlé filed for a computational optimization method that calculates the exact ratio of different plant proteins needed to hit a perfect PDCAAS score of 1 — algorithmically solving the "limiting amino acid" problem that has long made plant-based diets nutritionally incomplete.

Parma-based Dreamfarm more than doubled its 2025 revenue to roughly €2 million selling almond- and cashew-based dairy-free cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta, stracciatella, cream cheese), all carrying Nutri-Score A. Built on €5 million raised in 2023, the company is now sold across Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France, and plans to launch plant-based mini mozzarella balls (ciliegine) and expand foodservice distribution in 2026 without needing fresh funding.

Suntory Holdings patented a targeted fermentation process that boosts "ethyl tiglate" — a fruity/floral aroma compound nearly absent in conventional green coffee beans — from undetectable levels up to 23 ppm, engineering flavor at the bean level rather than through roasting or blending.

A joint patent from Jimei University and Jiangsu University describes a machine-learning system that models and autonomously adjusts industrial fermentation in real time — tackling the "black box" problem where pH, oxygen, and bacterial growth are so tightly coupled that fermentation has stayed more art than science.

FrieslandCampina patented a process using Lyras UV-C sterilization technology to produce serum protein concentrate for infant formula, cutting energy use versus thermal pasteurization while better preserving heat-sensitive bioactives like immunoglobulins and lactoferrin.

Starbucks was granted a patent for an RFID-tag-based smart display system that tracks drink orders in real time through prep and handoff, aimed at cutting mix-ups and wait times chain-wide — a concrete signal of where in-store food-service automation is heading.

Dutch startup Greencovery closed a €1M round (with up to €3M more committed) from ROM InWest, Brightlands Venture Partners and a private investor to move its cocoa side-stream separation technology into commercial production at its Zaandam site. The mild, water- and energy-light process recovers a fiber ingredient, a soluble fiber and an extract from cocoa processing waste, and the company is targeting an initial 1,000-tonne capacity with a strategic manufacturing partner.

Angry Camel AB patented a milling pre-treatment that finally makes chickpeas compatible with supercritical-CO2 extraction — a solvent-free process already used for soy and rapeseed — opening a path to chickpea protein as a sustainable, allergen-friendly substitute for egg white and lecithin.

AlterBioTech patented a solid-state yeast fermentation method that converts unsold bread and pastries into two saleable products — a nutrient-rich animal feed additive and a carotenoid-rich antioxidant extract for cosmetics — turning a waste-disposal cost into a circular revenue stream.

Elopak's newly published patent details a multilayer PVOH-based barrier coating for paperboard cartons that preserves the moisture/gas protection milk and juice need while replacing hard-to-recycle layers — reinforcing cartons already claimed to cut plastic use ~85% versus plastic bottles.

Freshr Sustainable Technologies patented a naturally-derived, non-migrating antimicrobial microgel — the core of its FreshrPack™ line — designed to extend shelf life for fresh fish, meat, and poultry while remaining fully compostable, tackling food waste and plastic waste together.

Germany's DWI–Leibniz-Institut für Interaktive Materialien patented a fiber-spinning method — closer to textile yarn production than 3D bioprinting — that could finally let cultivated meat replicate the aligned muscle fiber and marbling of a real steak, not just ground-meat texture.

17-year-old Ayşe Umay Bahçıvan used leonardite — a lignite-derived soil conditioner known for its water-retention and moisture-absorption properties — to bring a 70-year-fallow, water-source-free plateau in Kahramanmaraş back into cultivation, growing 500 Malatya apricot trees to a 4-ton yield without irrigation. The project was turned into an academic paper with university research support and won first place nationally in Turkey's High School Students Climate Change Project Competition.

The ECOFERM consortium (NIZO, Biotechnology Fermentation Factory, DAB.bio, Vivici, dsm-firmenich and Van Hall Larenstein) is testing whether encouraging microbes to clump together can keep them inside the bioreactor while product is drawn off. The work uses beta-lactoglobulin, the main whey protein, as the model product and runs on DAB.bio's FAST reactor, funded by the Dutch TKI Agri & Food programme. Budget and duration have not been disclosed.

Nanyang Technological University researchers grew oyster mushroom mycelium on okara, the soybean-pulp by-product, by solid-state fermentation. Protein rose to 27.7–30.2% by dry weight, glucose rose 2.8 to 6.4 times and umami compounds rose several-fold. Sourness fell, but some samples turned more bitter and dry. The work was published in Food Chemistry: X.

True Nexus and Pasqal are using neutral-atom quantum processors combined with AI to decode the molecular mechanisms that govern how proteins gel and structure during food processing, working backward from desired texture to the exact molecular features and processing conditions needed. The approach has already flagged nearly 800 plant protein candidates with emulsifying potential, aiming to replace trial-and-error formulation with predictive design.

A team led by Melanie Oey at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience grew microalgae on the leftover nutrients from cultivated meat cell culture, then recycled the harvested algae back into the system to replace expensive growth factors and amino acids. Published in Food Research International in September 2026, the study is described as the first feasibility demonstration of a circular cell-culture system, with estimated growth-media cost reductions of 60-90%.

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) fed rats varying doses of xanthan gum and found colon inflammation, elevated IL-1β and TNF-α, a shift toward inflammation-linked microbiota, and reduced intestinal barrier integrity. Nutritionist Alessandra Rischiteli, commenting on the findings, distinguished occasional use from the daily, ingredient-level exposure now common across gummies, ice creams, sauces, soups, and smoothies.

A single amino-acid substitution developed by researchers at the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Washington lets brazzein — a plant protein up to 2,000x sweeter than sugar — survive baking and sterilization above 110°C instead of breaking down at 80°C, opening the door to sugar-free baked goods and sterilized drinks.

Researchers at VIB and KU Leuven patented a food-grade combination of piperine (black pepper's spicy compound) and nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) that mimics alcohol's "body" and mouthfeel in NA beer — addressing the exact sensory gap consumer panels rate lowest.

LSU researchers patented an acid-hydrolysis process that transforms house-cricket (Acheta domesticus) powder into a dark, umami-rich, soy-sauce-like condiment in hours — a way to get a sustainability-friendly protein source into Western diets without asking anyone to eat a whole insect.

UGA researchers developed and patented a pressure-sensitive adhesive made from biodegradable polyester that matches the tack and peel strength of petroleum-based adhesives used on food labels and packaging — but fully breaks down in a home compost bin.

George Mason University patented magnetically-controlled microbots built from spent coffee grounds — an abundant waste product — capable of removing industrial dyes, microplastics, and oil-spill contaminants from water without the energy and infrastructure conventional treatment requires.

A team led by Prof. Dr. Mecit Halil Öztop at METU's (ODTÜ) Food Engineering Department was accepted into the EU-backed APRISE project, focused on developing and researching alternative proteins from plants and industrial by-products — including chickpea- and lentil-derived proteins with naturally boosted protein content for long-shelf-life, high-protein foods. The project was one of only 13 accepted out of 117 applications submitted to the European Commission, and the sole Turkish project selected, with partner institutions across Germany, Sweden, Malta, Greece, Italy, Poland, the UK, North Macedonia, Spain and Denmark.

In a strategic paper titled 'EFSA needs for scientific excellence and regulatory readiness', the European Food Safety Authority names cultivated meat and precision fermentation as areas where it needs to build its own specialist expertise. Current novel food guidance sets out only high-level scientific requirements without specifying every data element, a gap linked to authorizations that average more than three years against the 17 months the regulation stipulates. GFI Europe welcomed the move and called for regulatory sandboxes.

England's updated school food standards, published September 15, 2026, require primary schools to serve beans, lentils or chickpeas at least once a week alongside main meals (once every two weeks for secondary schools during a one-year transition), reclassify baked beans as a protein rather than a vegetable, and add fortified pea milk and qualifying plant-based yogurt to the list of permitted options alongside unsweetened oat and soy milk. The standards also cap processed meat at once weekly, limit cheese-as-main-ingredient to twice weekly, and ban deep-fried food outright.

Singapore's Food Agency has approved Aleph Farms' Thin-Cut Steak, which combines non-modified, non-immortalised Black Angus cattle cells with a soy-and-wheat plant-protein matrix under the Aleph Cuts brand. The Israeli company is targeting operational production in the first half of 2027, with restaurant launches planned in Singapore and Israel.

Jiangsu University patented an "infinite color-mixing 3D printing" method that prints pH-sensitive anthocyanin pigments (from red cabbage, purple sweet potato, hibiscus) directly into freshness labels — replacing estimated "best before" dates with a real-time visual readout of actual spoilage gases.

Corbion (via Purac Biochem BV) patented an antimicrobial polymer sheet for fresh-meat packaging that kills contaminating bacteria at the packaging surface instead of leaching chemicals into the food — extending shelf life for minimally-processed foods where traditional preservatives aren't an option.

Cargill's patent-pending high-temperature vacuum-stripping process removes 50-70% of phthalate contaminants — plastic-derived chemicals linked to health risks — from vegetable oils during refining, without degrading oil quality, directly addressing tightening global regulatory scrutiny of the compounds.

Paris DeepTech startup Spore.Bio (built on Pasteur Institute research, backed by a €22M Series A) patented a microfluidic device paired with machine-learning analytics that detects bacterial contamination on-site in real time, versus the 5-20 days traditional lab testing requires — aimed squarely at the rising cost of food-safety recalls.

Solenis Technologies patented the use of monochloramine as a sterilizer/pasteurizer biocide that controls bacteria, mold, and biofilm across a wider pH/temperature range than chlorine-based biocides — while causing less equipment corrosion and working at concentrations as low as 1-10 ppm.