The Week In Food Tech: TiNDLE Gets Its Very Own Football Star, The Raging Pig Co. Takes On Vegan Bacon

Just a few short years ago, it was unusual to get more than a handful of stories each week about meat analogues, dairy alternatives, and other alt foods. Nowadays, the opposite is true. In fact, there are so many developments in the alt-protein and food tech space we decided to create a weekly column that gathers all the various bits of news out there into one single place for easy reading. 

This week, plant-based meat-maker TiNDLE partners with a football star, Sweden’s Raging Pig Co. announces a new take on plant-based bacon, Latvia welcomes its first plant-based seafood range and Germany’s largest dairy coop develops its own vegan cheeses. 

UK/Singapore: Football star Dele Alli joins TiNDLE as impact investor

Professional footballer Dele Alli of the Tottenham Hotspur team has teamed up with Singapore alt-protein company Next Gen Foods’ TiNDLE. Dele will assist the brand, which is already in the US, with bringing TiNDLE to the UK in 2022.

Sweden: Raging Pig Co. announces plant-based bacon

Raging Pig Co. has graduated from making plant-based bacon bits and seasoning and is now developing the actual bacon for consumers made entirely of plant-based ingredients. Details on when it might launch and where are forthcoming.

US: There’s a vegan pizza truck roaming NYC

For New Yorkers, there are still a couple of days left to sample a new vegan cheese pizza courtesy of the aforementioned Miyoko’s. The company currently has a food truck roaming the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan and serving up free vegan pizzas featuring its new plant-based mozzarella. The truck will be in operation through this weekend. 

Singapore: Yeo and Oatly open oat-milk factory

Plant-based beverage manufacturers Yeo Hiap Seng Limited and Oatly have opened their new oat-milk factory in Singapore. The facility, first announced earlier this year, is Oatly’s first outside of Europe or North America and will produce oat milk for consumers in Asia. 

Canada: Bryan Adams partners with bettermoo(d)

The rock musician has linked up with the Vancouver-based alt-dairy startup to promote both the bettermoo(d) brand and the values of plant-based eating. Adams himself has championed the vegan diet for years.

US: Taco Bell’s vegan beef heads to more stores in Detroit

QSR giant Taco Bell is expanding the availability of its plant-based beef from one location in California to nearly 100 stores in Detroit, Michigan. The beef, made with chickpea and pea protein, will be part of Taco Bell’s popular menu items including the Burrito Supreme, Crunchwrap Supreme, and Nachos BellGrande.

Germany: Country’s largest dairy cooperative announces vegan cheeses

DMK Group, the largest dairy cooperative in Germany, announced at food and beverage tradeshow ANUGA that it will launch a line of vegan cheeses in the spring of 2022. One of DMK’s brands, MILRAM Food Service, is also working on plant-based desserts, such as those made from oats and rice.

US: Vegan brand Follow Your Heart has added three new vegan cheeses to its product lineup.

The company, now owned by Danone, says its Bleu Cheese Crumbles, shredded cheddar, and shredded mozzarella products are now available at a variety of retailers across the US. Availability of the cheeses varies by region.

Brazil: Bungalow launches the country’s first dark kitchen for plant-based sushi

Bungalow Plant-Based Sushi Restaurant has opened São Paulo, Brazil’s first-ever dark kitchen for plant-based sushi. Customers order virtually and get the food delivered to their location. Bungalow says it wants to expand this operation to all of the major cities in the country.

Israel: Redefine Meat makes new hires from Nestlé, Unilever

Alt-protein company Redefine Meat has made two major hires recently. Edwin Bark, formerly of Nestlé, joins the company as senior vice president and general manager, EMEA. Meanwhile, Unilever’s Adrian Sagman joins the company as director of global sales and business development. 

Latvia: Karavela unveils a new range of plant-based seafood

Riga-based fish-canning company Karavela recently announced a new brand and product line of seafood analogues called Fish Peas. The products are made from yellow peas and include salads, spreads, and flakes. The products have not yet launched in the consumer market, as Karavela says it is in the midst of finding the right strategic partners. 

Australia: KM Foods unleashes vegan chocolate

Plant-based foods company KM Foods recently launched its “Just creamy” line of vegan chocolates. It joins existing flavors Just White, Just Caramel, and Cherry Delight. All flavors are available at IGA stores across Australia. 

Lead image courtesy of TiNDLE.