Future Food Quick Bites: Oatly Jiggers, Flavoured Barista Milks & A Factory Farming Vote

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 flavoured barista milks, Oatly’s new Jiggers, and Quorn’s summer revamp.

New products and launches

Florida-based Niúke Foods has rolled out an extensive range of alt-milks and vegan spreads. These include quinoa, peanut and peanut-cacao milk, and eight flavours of chickpea mayos (from beets and carrots to sriracha and merquen). They can be found on the company’s e-commerce site, and are available for foodservice too.

In another US plant-based dairy launch, Muscle Milk has introduced its first line of plant protein shakes in chocolate and vanilla flavours. While it is packed with 25-30g of protein from peas and brown rice, the company says it may not be vegan as one of its flavouring agents is processed with bone char.

Swiss retailer Coop has partnered with Austrian upcycled food producer Kern Tec to launch an apricot kernel milk, which is now available at Coop stores nationwide.

Also in Switzerland, Oatly has partnered with national rail company SBB to launch the 20ml Jigger product it teased during its Q4 earnings call, which will be available at all onboard dining carriages for no extra charge. The product will roll out in the UK with foodservice distributors Brakes and Bidfood.

Oatly further announced a deal with Virgin Voyages to serve its Barista Edition oat milk at the onboard Grounds Club cafés across its fleet.

In the UK, Finnish brand Oddlygood has launched its gluten-free barista oat milks in three flavours – original, vanilla and salted caramel – alongside lemon and berry desserts. The products are available at Asda now (the original barista flavour will be rolled out in June).

South Korean vegan cheese brand Armored Fresh introduced its shredded oat milk mozzarella at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, following its market entry in the US.

Harvard spinoff Mooji Meats‘ plant-based ribeye steaks are being trialled at Boston restaurants, including La Voile, Prima and Veggie Galaxy, with a wider rollout expected later this year.

UK meat-free market leader Quorn has announced a product revamp for the summer, with reformulated cocktail sausages and picnic eggs, and a revamped deli mini fillets line with two new flavours – all in refreshed packaging.

Colarado-based vegan supplements brand Pet Releaf has unveiled a line of wellness products: a postbiotic for dogs and cats and a fish-free omega-3. They are the company’s first non-hemp supplements, and are designed to be used alongside CBD-infused products.

Energy bar company Jambar has released a vegan Tropical Trio flavour, featuring bananas, pineapples, coconuts, gluten-free ancient grains, and walnut butter. It’s packed with 10g of protein per bar.

And in the US, the Kraft Heinz Not Company has unveiled a squeezable bottle for its NotMayo, alongside a marketing campaign targeting mayo haters.

Finance and company news

Israel’s Imagindairy – which recently earned GRAS status from the FDA for its precision-fermented whey protein in the US – has partnered with US cell programming expert Ginkgo Bioworks to develop an optimum microbe for cost-effective production of non-whey dairy proteins. The collaboration is part-funded by the joint Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation.

Swedish cultivated meat company Re:meat, meanwhile, has collaborated with solutions provider Alfa Laval to build an innovation hub for commercial-scale cultivated meat production.

Washington-based Proxy Foods, an AI tech provider for food businesses, has raised $2.3M for its recipe formulation AI solution, which enables manufacturers to solve complex flavour and nutritional challenges through recipe optimisation and new formulations.

Hong Kong-based cultivated seafood company Avant Meats is planning a fundraising round and a 30-fold capacity expansion after receiving positive response from consumers at a recent tasting event.

US vegan chicken startup Daring is witnessing a change at the top, with founder Ross McKay stepping down as CEO and moving into a chairman emeritus role.

In New Zealand, fellow plant-based chicken company Sunfed Meats has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird Ventures. Its products no longer seem to be available on Australian retail shelves, but a source confirmed to Green Queen that they’re still sold in New Zealand.

Policy, education and awards

In Northern California, the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters announced that a citizen-led petition to ban factory farms will now be up for vote, after volunteers submitted 37,000 signatures (about double what was needed). The vote is likely to be held in November, with potential implications for around two dozen concentrated animal feeding operations.

Alternative protein think tank the Good Food Institute Europe has collaborated with the University of Leeds on a new PhD focused on the social and ecological impacts of a large-scale transition to alternative proteins in the UK and Europe. It’s financed by the UK’s largest public funding agency, the Economic and Social Research Council.

Fellow alt-protein advocacy group ProVeg International has launched the 2024 edition of its Kickstarting for Good incubator programme to support new organisations and impact initiatives with a focus on AI, policy change, food waste, and farming transition, among other themes.

In response to campaigning by the Open Wing Alliance, hotel operators Hilton, Louvre Hotels Group, and Meliá Hotels International have made significant strides in their cage-free commitments, including agreeing to disclose their percentages of cage-free eggs and laying out a phaseout plan.

London-based podcast PLANT CEO has partnered with Los Angeles-based streaming channel UnchainedTV, which will host the former’s podcast episodes in full on its website.

Finally, UK plant-based meat brand Fry’s Family Foods‘ collaboration with animation house Aardman and Netflix to launch vegan nuggets for the Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget movie has received the Best Marketing Campaign honour at the World Food Innovation Awards.

Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.