Perfect Day and Unilever launch new Breyers lactose-free chocolate ice cream

Welcome to another week of intriguing developments in the world of alternative proteins. And as has been the case pretty much every week so far in 2024, there’s a plethora of fascinating stories to bring you!

Now, although it was widely reported in the past week, we have had confirmation from the horse’s mouth that the planned construction of a facility for producing cultivated meat at scale in Illinois, USA, will now not go ahead. Is this the end of cultivated meat or just prudence in uncertain economic times? It depends what publications you read, we guess…

Acknowledging the challenges in scaling, an Israeli company developing cultured beef has announced a new partnership to produce cultivated meat at Thailand’s first production plant for cell ag applications. The company’s CEO suggested a “prudent, capital-efficient scale-up” lets them “navigate infrastructure investments thoughtfully, enabling sustainable penetration into key regions”.

Again, depending on your source, the news that one of the leaders in plant-based meat has unveiled a fourth iteration of its ‘beef’ product is being reported by some as a last-ditch attempt to salvage sales and share. More likely it is simply a pioneer improving its formula – high-quality protein, good fats, fiber and key nutrients in what the company suggests is its meatiest product yet. Some of the ludicrous headlines we’ve seen are ‘beyond’ comprehension!

Elsewhere, precision fermentation has been in the news, following the announcement that a major F&B brand will be using the whey protein of a specialist in the field to create an ice cream product that is lactose-free, cholesterol-free, and a whole lot better for the environment. And if you didn’t know what precision fermentation was, a new definition has been released by the Precision Fermentation Alliance and Food Fermentation Europe.

And with 8.5 weeks until The Future of Protein Production Chicago, we’re getting to know the +75 speakers who will be on the agenda. First in the spotlight is Adam Yee, CTO of SOBO. Get your tickets for the conference here…

We’ll be landing in your inboxes again in seven days’ time! Until then, have a wonderful week…

🍔Beyond Meat unveils its Beyond IV platform, the fourth generation of the Beyond Burger and Beyond Beef

🎙️Future of Protein Production Chicago Speaker Interview: Adam Yee, CTO, SOBO

🐔 Upside Foods prioritizes expansion of Emeryville facility over construction of Illinois 'Rubicon' plant

🏭 Aleph Farms partners with BBGI and Fermbox Bio to increase production capabilities in Southeast Asia