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News from
the frontier
March 2022
Dear friends,
This month we saw a major milestone passed, with Australian cultivated meat start-up Vow becoming the first to put forward an application to Food Standards Australia New Zealand for its cultivated quail product. We also saw Australian plant-based meat start-up Fable Food Co and New Zealand precision fermentation start-up Daisy Lab both raise funds for their expansion. In Food Frontier news, we are excited to share that tickets are now on sale for the the AltProteins 23 conference in Melbourne.
Read on for more in alternative proteins below.
Food Frontier updates
Following last year’s sold out and heavily waitlisted event, early bird tickets are now on sale for Food Frontier’s AltProteins 23 conference, Wednesday, 4 October 2023 in Melbourne. To avoid disappointment, secure your ticket now.
Food Frontier data and insights were quoted in multiple media articles in the past month, commenting on the Vow application to FSANZ, recent developments from v2food and the current status of pulse protein fractionation in Australia.
Developments down under
In an Australian first, cultivated meat company Vow has applied to FSANZ for regulatory approval for its first commercial product, cultivated quail.
Mushroom-based meat alternative company Fable Food Co has raised $12.3M as it looks to expand across North America and the UK.
Daisy Lab has successfully closed its seed round, raising NZ $1.5M and adding Leon Clement, a veteran of the NZ dairy industry, as Board Chair.
- The CEO and co-founder of NZ molecular farming start-up Miruku was interviewed on the Tenacious Ventures podcast, explaining the science behind the company's aims to grow dairy proteins in safflower crops.
v2food hosted a media and tasting event at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo, showcasing new menu items which will be launched through the Isetan Shinjuku department store.
The MEET Co’s partnership with HelloFresh meal kits has continued, with new MEET products added to the platform.
- Burger King Japan has launched a new burger, featuring two burger patties from Australia's v2food in place of bread buns.
Global developments
Nine microbial fermentation companies across the globe, including Australian-US company Change Foods, have joined forces to create a new trade association, the Precision Fermentation Alliance.
Israeli animal-free dairy start-up Remilk has received regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency, allowing it to begin selling its precision fermentation milk proteins in the country.
Dutch plant-based meat manufacturer Ojah, owned by ingredients giant Kerry Group, is expanding its high-moisture extrusion production facilities to meet increased demand for its products.
Spanish plant-based meat start-up, Heura, says it increased its international sales by more than 260 percent in 2022.
Plant-based pioneer and the third largest plant-based meat retail brand in the US, Tofurky has been sold to tofu manufacturer Morinaga for an undisclosed sum.
Singapore’s Next Gen Foods, makers of plant-based meat brand TiNDLE have acquired plant-based dairy company Mwah!
Subway UK launched a plant-based teriyaki steak sandwich, featuring plant-based meat from the Vegetarian Butcher, priced exactly the same as the conventional meat option.
Government submissions
The Australian Government is reviewing its science priorities to better align with Australia’s current ambitions and challenges. Food Frontier is contributing to the review of Australia's National Science and Research Priorities and National Science Statement.
Food Frontier encourages those working in the alternative proteins ecosystem in Australia to submit their own views to this consultation, to ensure the national science and research priorities, which have not been updated since 2015, adequately address the opportunities and challenges experienced by those in the sector.
Who's hiring?
The employment opportunities continue to grow in the alternative proteins sector across Australia and New Zealand - check out the roles from:
Please share with your networks in case you know anyone suitable for these roles.
Why alternative proteins?
A new report co-authored by CSIRO has warned of a 'looming global health crisis’, with the agency warning of a ‘post-antibiotic world’ in 2050, without significant coordination in efforts against the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR occurs when microorganisms develop resistance to drugs that destroy them, leading to the emergence of “superbugs” in human and animal populations that are resistant to all available treatments and can cause life-threatening infections.
CSIRO points to high-risk settings such as hospitals and farms as AMR 'hot-spots', with recent estimates that 73% of antibiotics sold globally are for animal agriculture; and offers recommendations on how Australia can continue to restrict and monitor antimicrobial use in animal populations.
Without preventative action the report estimates that by 2050, AMR could cause more than 10 million deaths per year and cost the global economy US$100 trillion.
We thank you for your continued support and welcome your ideas, questions and feedback.
Want to discover more of the latest on alternative proteins? Visit our News page and follow us on LinkedIn
– The Food Frontier Team
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