Asian food giants Thai Union and CJ Cheiljedang have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Aleph Farms – the cultivated meat company growing steaks directly from animal cells.
The plant-based industry in India is set for a further blow after it was confirmed the Food Safety and Standards Authority India’s (FSSAI) recent order for online platforms to delist all plant-based products using dairy terms will apply to products being...
Food tech company ENOUGH broke ground on what it says will be the ‘world’s largest’ fermented protein facility today (16 September). When fully operational the site will have the capacity to produce 50,000 tonnes of mycoprotein ingredient ABUNDA per annum.
Australian mushroom-based meat firm Fable Food is making plans for widespread international expansion as well as intensive new product development using the fresh funding obtained from its latest seed round.
The funding from that strategic investor is part of an initial unpriced round to support Entoprotech’s R&D and business development plans in the next 12 months and will be part of a $30m Series A round planned towards Q4 2022.
South Korean plant-based firm The PlantEat has highlighted the pursuit of weight loss, especially amongst the younger generation in the country, as a major driver behind the growth of the local plant-based sector.
New Zealand brand Fix & Fogg says rising demand from Australian and APAC consumers for more variety in nut butters is leading them to innovate beyond its traditional peanut products.
Singapore-based multinational conglomerate Tolaram has revealed plans to diversify its focus and enter the Asian food market starting with the alternative protein sector, after several decades of dominating the African noodle industry.
Singapore-based WhatIF Foods recently launched its first Bambara groundnut (BamNut) milk into the market, and is confident that its R&D has produced products capable of standing out whether in terms of creamy mouthfeel or dairy-like functionality.
Nestle has revealed that its newly-upgraded R&D centre in Singapore will place heavy focus on areas such as food upcycling and plant-based innovation, while also announcing the launch of a new ASEAN-specific R&D Accelerator.
The battle over plant-based labelling in Australia is heating up with representatives from both the plant-based sector and the traditional meat sector coming up with their own research to prove their points.
Singapore-based Future Ready Food Safety Hub, known as FRESH, will focus on novel foods, aquaculture and agriculture to support the nation’s food security goals and meet the needs of consumers.
Diets with novel plant-based products tend to fall below the daily requirements for calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B12, while often exceeding saturated fat, sodium and sugar levels, according to a new study.
If the cultivated meat industry were to set the ambitious target of supplying 10% of the global meat market, how much product would be required? How many factories, containing how many bioreactors, would need to be built? And where?
Novel food product development is rapidly outpacing regulation and consumer understanding, with experts calling for better communication and policy advances to ensure innovation leads to commercialisation.
The Australian government’s public inquiry into plant-based product labelling has drawn heated debate over the use of terms and livestock images linked to traditional animal meat.
Plant-based and meat hybrid products, healthy snacking in Asia, China's first plant-based yoghurt brand and more feature in this edition of Healthier Choices.
South Korean food technology firm Seawith is planning to launched a lab-grown steak in two years and aims to bring prices down to as low as US$3 per kg by 2030.
Pressures brought on by the ongoing climate crisis are predicted to drive the price parity and race towards product launches for high-tech dairy alternatives using cell-based technology and precision fermentation, according to a panel of experts.
Better Meat Co is eyeing Asia as a major market to bring in a whole new category of hybrid, blended meat and plant-based products, citing superior health benefits and price parity as driving factors.
Product localisation, health, taste and affordability have been identified to be amongst the top drivers behind rapid innovation and sector growth for the plant-based industry in Asia, but sustainability must also not be forgotten as its importance continues...
The rapidly growing number of food firms emerging in the cultivated products space in China, along with imminent product launches, is expected to speed-up the regulatory process in the country, according to the national working group.
Australia-based plant-based firm Fable Foods says a relentless focuses on greater premiumisation and minimal processing for its shiitake mushroom-based products are enabling it to maintain price parity with conventional meat items.
China’s first plant-based coconut yoghurt brand Yeyo has highlighted the importance of novelty, premiumisation and brand building in capturing the holy grail of middle-class consumers in the country after successfully launching its first flagship store...
Singapore-based Angie’s Tempeh is exploring the idea of developing Asian foods such as dim sum with tempeh along with expanding into the ready-to-eat space, as part of its plan to tap into mainstream retail channels after receiving a major funding boost.
Australia-based Deliciou has its eye on China and other Asian markets with its market-first shelf-stable plant-based meat products after successful launches in both Australia’s Coles and Woolworths and US’ Whole Foods supermarkets.
In the first ever edition of Alt Protein Watch, we look at news about OmniFoods' latest seafood launch, cell-based IP protection, China's YouKuai and more.
Cultivated product firms with pioneering technology, a wide geographical focus and a strategy involving both short- and long-term revenue gains hold an advantage in terms of securing investments, according to ex-Beyond and Impossible Foods VC fund MD.
China looks likely to be the world’s largest consumer market of cultivated meat due its population size and government support, but a long, arduous journey lies ahead before this becomes a reality, according to an industry expert.
Asia’s first pea milk firm Snappea seeks to make the most of its first-mover advantage by emphasising the natural flavour of peas in its products as opposed to simulating dairy, believing that this sets it apart from other milk alternatives in the market.
The cultivated meat sector in APAC is calling for the establishment of a non-biased entity to lay down proper industry governance and IP protection to provide a safe, secure environment for firms to share knowledge and collaborate towards scale-up.
Hong Kong-based plant-based meat – and now seafood – firm Omnimeat has just launched a product range with a focus on versatility to fit in with local Asian and other cuisine options, in addition to its first ambient product.
The algal protein sector in India shows massive potential but still needs to overcome several challenges including regulatory barriers and attracting investments before it can come into its own as a sustainable source of alternative protein to meet local...
Israeli cultured meat firm Future Meat Technologies has its eye on Asia as a major market for its products with China and India as key targets, after notching-up two successes in significantly lowering production costs this year.
South Korea’s first food upcycling firm RE:Harvest has developed a flour alternative from beer and sikhye byproducts which has a direct claim on carbon emissions, calling this a ‘perfect fit’ for F&B firms looking for options to hit the government’s...
Thai plant-based firm Let’s Plant Meat has just launched in its first export market Singapore with the ‘most affordable’ products on the market and a focus on multicultural versatility, according to its CEO.
Governments and food industry players across the Asia Pacific region are providing increasing support to the insect-based food industry as an alternative protein source from South Korea to Australia, all touting health as sustainability as the sector’s...
China’s agriculture and grocery retail platform Pinduoduo and the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) have signed a research project agreement to study the impact of plant-based meats on human health in the Singapore population.
The plant-based dairy industry in the Asia Pacific region has traditionally seen products such as soy milk and almond milk lead the pack, but recently firms have been utilising many more unique plant-based sources to produce dairy alternatives, or creating...
TurtleTree, a biotech company using mammalian cells to produce cell-based milk, is now eyeing how its tech can be transferred to the functional foods space.
Hong Kong’s cultivated meat biotechnology firm Avant is aiming to produce its first cell-based fish maw and fillet products for consumption by late 2022, and wants products to be commonplace in supermarkets by 2025.
New Zealand hemp-based meat firm Sustainable Foods has revealed plans to scale up exports over the next five years with Asia Pacific countries its main targets, following a complete rebranding for its products and launching its hemp-based chick*n into...
New Zealand-based Leaft Foods has highlighted leaf-based protein as an ideal new plant-based protein source for F&B product manufacturing on the back of taste and solubility advantages, as it gears up to advance its R&D and commercial plans with...
Singapore-based Sophie’s Bionutrients intends to create a brand new category of products based on its microalgae fermentation technology, including yoghurt and cheese, after successfully creating the world’s first pure microalgae-based milk alternative.
United States-based cell-cultured seafood firm BlueNalu is on the hunt for the optimal launchpad in Asia to launch its cell-cultured seafood products, and is currently analysing markets in terms of regulations to potential to consumer demand.
Asia’s insect food firms are hoping a new report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Office confirming the viability of insect protein and calling for production to be modernised to ensure safety could be a major stepping stone on the sector’s path to...
Singapore’s thriving food eco-system in addition to its ambitious food security goals were key factors behind Givaudan and Buhler’s decision to open a joint Protein Innovation Centre in help businesses and researchers develop plant-based foods.
Singapore-based start-up Altimate Nutrition is on track to launch its debut bar made from cricket protein this year and become the first company to produce insect foods and supplements in the country.
ADM is doubling down its focus on plant-based expertise with a new specialist lab within its Singapore innovation centre, which first opened three years ago.
Government buy-in will be crucial for cultured meat firms looking to hit cost parity for their products by 2030, with experts claiming that it will be an uphill battle go head-to-head with traditional meat products in terms of price by the end of this...
