Future Food Quick Bites: Maison Landemaine x La Vie, NASA Goes Solar (Foods) & A Clean Meat Terminal

In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Chile’s vegan ads with Joaquin Phoenix, Maison Landemaine’s La Vie sandwiches, and Helaina’s animal-free lactoferrin study.

New products and launches

A new vegan brand is on the market. Spain’s Beanstalk Foods has entered the European market with a range of meat analogues like hamburgers, meatballs, pastrami, breaded calamari, as well as ambient salami and chorizo snacks. It will start with Spain and the UK, and has a sister company in New York for a US launch.

South Korean vegan cheese brand Armored Fresh has expanded its distribution footprint with KeHe Distributors, with its products now available nationwide for retailers in the US.

Israeli vegan meal kit producer Anina Culinary Art, whose products feature upcycled vegetables in dehydrated discs, has now launched nationwide in the US with its new online store.

German chocolate giant Ritter Sport is adding a new Vegan Double Crunch flavour to its Travel Retail Edition Vegan Tower in January. The range will be showcased at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes (September 30 to October 3).

Parisian bakery chain Maison Landemaine has introduced two sandwiches using La Vie‘s plant-based meats: a vegetarian croque monsieur with ham and a vegan club sandwich with bacon.

Speaking of bacon, the UK’s Squeaky Bean has introduced ready-to-eat Crispy Bacon Style Strips, described as a first-to-market vegan alternative.

In Chile, Fundación Veg has launched a new campaign in Santiago Metro to promote plant-based eating during the Fiestas Patrias (September 18-19), with an animal-welfare-centric painting of actor Joaquin Phoenix by local artist Fab Ciraolo.

New York-based Pythag Tech, a software provider focused on cultivated meat, has unveiled The Clean Meat Terminal, a market intelligence platform for investors, companies, consultants and researchers with news, regulatory information, a company database, and more.

In Hong Kong, The White Owl Group has opened a new joint location for its plant-forward Maya Bakery and The Cakery at the IFC Mall in the city’s Central district.

KFC China partnered with famed Shanghai vegan eatery Spring Breeze Songyuelou to introduce plant-based steamed buns on its breakfast menu.

And in India, cricketer Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma (who are married) have appeared in a new ad campaign for plant-based meat brand Blue Tribe.

Research and policy developments

The Good Food Institute has released a report on investment in the alternative protein space, advising companies on where to target fundraising efforts amid a global squeeze in food tech financing.

New York-based precision fermentation player Helaina has released a pre-print, non-peer-reviewed study, which found that its animal-free lactoferrin had a lower immunogenic response than the bovine version.

In the UK’s Slough Borough Council, a trial to collect food waste using dedicated caddies from residents in five areas has saved the council more than £3,000.

During China’s National Nutrition Week 2024, the Chinese Nutrition Society promoted soy and legume consumption, with one event focusing on soy milk’s nutrition and releasing a white paper around guidelines and recommended intakes.

Events and awards

The Good Food Institute has unveiled the latest cohort of its student-focused Alt Protein Project, with 21 new chapters part of its fifth year.

Manufacturers, startups, investors, suppliers and scientists will gather at ProVeg International‘s New Food Conference in Berlin on September 3, where they’ll examine the current state of plant-based foods and best supply chain practices, as consumers reach a “societal tipping point”.

Finally, Finnish startup Solar Foods, which makes Solein protein from air, has won the international Phase 3 category in NASA‘s Deep Space Food Challenge.

Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.