Bite-sized dairy: Award-winning Belgian candy butter eyes global stage
Belgian butter firm Plaquette has big ambitions for its bite-sized ‘candy’ butters.
Plaquette’s ‘candy’ butters are named as such due to being packed in bite-sized portions as though these were candies, but these could be either sweet or savoury flavours such as the firm’s unique seaweed, chimichurri or truffle butters.
“We won the Gulfood award for the candy butters for two major reasons: The innovative packaging format that allows consumers to finish an entire portion with no wastage; and the sustainability factors behind its creation,” Plaquette Founder Lionel Plaquette told us at the Gulfood 2026 show in Dubai.
Egg-based collagen: The next beauty-from-within superstar?
Singapore firm Vicky en France is upcycling discarded eggshell membranes into collagen products, targeting the growing beauty-from-within and healthy ageing market.
While eggshell membrane collagen remains less familiar than marine or bovine sources, the Singapore-based firm says it could offer a more sustainable alternative for beauty and wellness formulations.
“To date, Vicky en France has successfully upcycled 35kg of pure French eggshell membrane. To put that into perspective, it represents the diversion of over 350,000 eggs and more than 2 tons of calcium-rich shell waste from landfills,” Founder Vicky Choi told FoodNavigator.
Silkworm protein firm taps health and familiarity for regional growth
Japan’s Morus Inc is betting on demand for functional products and cultural familiarity with silkworms to drive expansion in Asia.
The firm’s strategy aligns with the “food-as-medicine” concept, leveraging silkworms’ nutritional properties to target metabolic health concerns.
Morus produces silkworm-derived protein powders for muscle maintenance and daily nutrition, SilkMatcha – a matcha blend with silkworm powder in individual sachets – and capsules targeting blood sugar management.
Alc-free growth: Free AF ramps up US plans with Whole Foods, Kroger launch
New Zealand alcohol-free cocktail brand has set its sights on driving rapid retail expansion in the US, tapping its proprietary botanical tech to offer innovative drinks to the market.
Free AF first launched in the United States with the Walmart and Target hypermarket chains back in 2024, and its entry into Whole Foods and Kroger marks increased access to upper-middle class consumers.
“This move adds over 1,400 stores to our US network with presence in over 500 Whole Foods stores and over 900 Kroger stores nationwide, taking our total American distribution to over 4,000 stores so far,” Free AF Founder Lisa King said.
Alt protein strategies: ‘Identity priming’ and hybrid meat
The concepts of shared identity messaging and hybrid meat show potential to increase alt protein uptake.
Brands and policymakers can boost alternative protein adoption by tapping into consumers’ psychological need to belong, alongside improving taste experience.
Recent data highlights “common identity priming” – a psychological technique that activates shared identities to encourage behaviour change – and hybrid meat as key levers to drive alternative protein adoption.
