Category: Plant-based Foods

UK plant-based food players form alliance to act as a voice for growing plant-based food and drink sector

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UK – The plant-based food and drinks sector in the UK will from now on start speaking in one voice following the formation of the Plant-based Food Alliance UK by some of the leading players in the industry.  Backed by Alpro, Oatly, ProVeg UK, Upfield, and The Vegan Society, the Alliance is on a mission to make the UK a global leader in plant-based food and drink.  The Alliance, which is expecting to expand rapidly, will be developing a UK plant-based food charter to outline how businesses and government can work…

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Distell introduces vegan variant for cream liqueur brand Amarula

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SOUTH AFRICA – South African cream liqueur brand Amarula has launched a vegan variant to serve the growing proportion of consumers that are adopting plant-based diets. The Amarula Vegan is the first, and only, vegan cream liqueur to use real marula spirit and is free from artificial colourants and flavourings, nuts and gluten. By introducing this new coconut-based option, Amarula has ensured that everyone, whether vegan or non-vegan, can enjoy the distinctive taste of the rare African marula fruit, paired with gentle notes of coconut, caramel and vanilla. The latest…

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Allplants raises US$52m series B funds to boost capacity amid surging demand for plant based foods

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UK –  Allplants, a direct-to-consumer plant-based meals firm, has secured a  £38m (US$52.41m) Series B funding round led by Draper Esprit to fuel its expansion and recruitment plans.   Founded in 2016, Allplants makes hand-made plant-based meals in the company’s own kitchen – Europe’s biggest plant-based kitchen running on 100% renewable energy – and delivers them across the entirety of Great Britain.  According to Food Manufacture, the company’s recent funding round is the biggest ever Series B funding raised by a plant-based food company in Europe.   The London-based company says it will use the latest investment to increase its plant-based…

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Oatly expands presence in Asia with launch of new oat milk facility in Singapore

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SINGAPORE – Swedish alternative dairy company Oatly has partnered with Asian food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng Limited (Yeo’s) to open a new oat milk facility in Singapore.  The facility, which started operations in July, is located at Yeo’s Senoko Way site in Singapore and is Oatly’s first production venture outside Europe and North America.   The site will produce Oatly’s oat milk for the Asian market and will support the brand’s growth in the region.   “Despite ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we are thrilled that the production facility opened in July. Oatly is grateful…

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McDonald’s China to train 75,000 restaurant workers in newly opened Hamburger University

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CHINA –  American multinational fast-food restaurant McDonald’s has said it expects to train and develop more than 75,000 restaurant workers in China at newly Hamburger University over the next five years.    The Hamburger University is housed in McDonald’s China new eight-story, sustainability-focused headquarters in Shanghai.  According to the fast-food chain,  the new headquarters was built with a focus on energy-saving and environmental responsibility, as well as promotion of cross-functional collaboration and flexible working.    The building has no fixed seating arrangements for employees. Instead, the building offers employees greater flexibility by providing desks,…

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Health of the planet overtakes personal health priorities in Innova’s Top 10 Trends for 2022

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NETHERLANDS – Consumers now rank planetary health as their number one concern, overtaking personal health, which has been the top priority in Innova Market Insights’ Top Ten Trends in recent years.   According to Innova, “Shared Planet” topping the Top Ten Trends for 2022 reflects a reality where today’s consumers are more ethically and environmentally conscious.  “One of the biggest shifts we are seeing is that the health of the planet is now the top concern of consumers,” says Innova’s global insights director, Lu Ann Williams.   “Personal health has been the big concern…

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Puris opens new pea protein facility to meat surging demand for plant-based proteins

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US — Puris has opened a new facility in Dawson, Minneapolis that more than doubles the company’s production capacity for pea protein.   According to a statement from the company, the facility will support continued growth for Puris Proteins, a joint venture between Puris and Cargill, and will enable the companies to supply roughly half of North America’s pea protein.  Cargill has invested more than US$100 million in the venture to support the construction of the 200,000-square-foot facility as well as the addition of substantial capacity at Puris’ Turtle Lake, Wis., production facility.  “This…

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Ornua acquires US cheese company Whitehall Specialties, French Dairy Savencia diversifies into plant-based foods

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USA – Irish dairy cooperative, Ornua, is set to expand its position in the US dairy ingredients space following the completion of a deal to acquire US cheese ingredients business, Whitehall Specialties Inc (WSI) from private equity firm, Mason Wells.    Headquartered in Wisconsin, WSI provides functional cheese solutions to its food manufacturing and food service customers.    The acquisition complements Ornua’s US Ingredients division, Ornua Ingredients North America (OINA), and is central to Ornua’s long-term growth strategy in the US cheese ingredients market.    According to OINA, the acquisition increases its current position in the US cheese ingredients market, expanding its production footprint across…

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AmBev steps closer to 2025 sustainability goal with launch of first carbon neutral brewery in Brazil

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BRAZIL – AmBev, Brazil’s largest brewing company and part of global brewer AB InBev, has unveiled its first brewing and malting facility in Brazil.  Located in the South region of Brazil, the brewery and malting site achieved the carbon-neutral status after reducing 90% of their CO emissions and offsetting the remaining 10%.  The maker of Brahma, Bohemia, Stella Artois beer brands also plans to unveil another four carbon-neutral breweries before the end of 2021.   “This important step supports our efforts to achieve our ambitious 2025 Sustainability Goals, which aim to drive progress across our full, integrated supply chain,” says Rodrigo Figueiredo,…

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Nestlé expands plant-based portfolio with launch of alternatives to eggs and shrimps

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SWITZERLAND – Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, has launched plant-based alternatives to egg and shrimp, further expanding its plant-based food portfolio.  The company said that the new product launches are testimony to its commitment to “offering people a variety of plant-based food and beverages that complement their daily diets, and that are good for them and good for the planet.”  Launched under Garden Gourmet vEGGie, the egg alternative is vegan, contains soy protein and omega-3 fatty acids, and achieves a Nutri-Score A in Europe.   “It is versatile for…

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