GLOBAL – From a more conventional plant-based snack to a whole-cut hybrid steak with a blue hue, the plant-based category continues to see new product innovations and launches. 

Novameat releases images of a blue steak 

Spanish food startup Novameat has created what it claims the world’s first meat alternative to encapsulate all five kingdom classifications.  

Using its patented forming technology, the company produced a whole-cut hybrid steak with a blue hue. 

The blue hue comes from spirulina, a blue-green algae frequently added to smoothies and protein bowls for its high protein and antioxidant content.  

Animal cells, plant-based derivatives, fungi, algae, and spirulina have been combined for what is yet to be confirmed as a potential publicity driver. 

Pret A Manger U.S. adds a meatless meatball wrap to its menu 

International sandwich shop franchise chain Pret-A-Manger is expanding its menu offerings to include a meatless meatball wrap.  

The sandwich produced through a partnership with Meatless Farm is sold as a hot option and represents Pret U.S’s first foray into plant-based catering.   

The meatballs have been exclusively formulated for Pret, with garlic and herb infusions and have been developed with traditional ‘Nonna’ meatballs in mind. 

Coated in marinara sauce, rolled in a seven-grain wrap and served with onions, peppers and crispy onions on top, the wrap has been designed to be a fast-paced lunch option. 

Powder-to-meat food mixes arrive in UK 

German vegan food tech startup GREENFORCE has launched its range of powder-to-meat food mixes in the UK. 

Following the launch, U.K. consumers will be able to purchase burgers, sausage, meatballs, and mince powder bases.  

The wider rollout comes after success in Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. 

PepsiCo, Beyond Meat JV to launch plant-based snack 

Beyond Meat and PepsiCo’s joint venture is planning to launch a plant-based jerky as its first product. 

The companies announced the creation of the Planet Partnership last January, saying that it would focus on creating, producing and marketing new plant-based snacks and drinks. 

The venture will bring together Beyond Meat’s product innovations with PepsiCo’s distribution and marketing, the companies said at the time. 

Plant-based food sector ‘needs £20bn of investment by 2030 

Even with the launches, studies show that Plant-based food manufacturers will need £20bn ( US$26.99bn) of investment by 2030 to keep pace with consumer demand. 

According to the report by the Good Food Institute, the projections are based on an assumption that consumer demand for plant-based continues to grow as predicted. 

It argues the industry will need to build at least 800 large-scale factories with capacity to process an average of 30,000 tonnes of food a year to cater for expected year-on-year growth of 18% driven by plant-based food trends.  

That would enable it to reach 6% penetration of the global meat market by the end of the decade.  

GFI claims the sector would need to process ten times the projected global supply of pea protein and three times the projected global supply of soy protein concentrate — important plant-based meat ingredients.  

It stresses there would be sufficient crops – the potential supply challenge would be increasing processing volumes. 

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