No images? Click here
December 2023
Step into the last news update of 2023! Wishing you a festive season brimming with wonderful alternative proteins to spice up your celebrations!
Food Frontier updates
This year South Korea, Denmark, Germany, and Canada all introduced programs to encourage plant-based meats and COP28 is also taking notice. With collective responsibility and accountability, we can provide the impetus for governments to do more and act faster.
Before cultivated meat has even hit Australian or New Zealand shelves, other alternative protein innovations are being developed—discover some of the up-and-comers.
To entice consumers to try plant-based meat and become repeat buyers, manufacturers must offer variety, product innovation, and conscious consumer marketing.
Experts describe what a future focus on sustainability should look like, including the potential for compostable packaging.
Delve into the latest episode of Mintel's podcast, where Food Frontier Executive Director, Simon Eassom, talks about the concept of peak veganism.
Food Frontier Board Member Kat Dunn presented at the WA Food Science and Technology Conference, sharing the benefits of alternative proteins and how to continue the conversation in the classroom.
Research spotlight
The major prospective cohort study with 266,666 participants from 7 European countries analysed the relationship between consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and occurrence of multimorbidity (having more than one type of chronic disease). One of the first studies of this kind, rather than analysing only total UPF consumption, the researchers categorised UPFs into nine smaller subgroups.
The study found that while consumption of UPF subgroups consisting of animal-based products and artificially and sugar sweetened beverages was associated with a higher occurrence of multimorbidity, consumption of plant-based alternatives, breads and cereals, and sweets and deserts showed no association - suggesting that a more nuanced analysis of the categories of UPFs being consumed is crucial to understanding their impact on health.
Developments down under
The federal government's flagship funding programs, the National Reconstruction Fund and Industry Growth Program, are now open to start-ups and SMEs looking to undertake commercialisation and growth projects in areas such as agriculture, food value addition and advanced manufacturing.
Eighth Day Foods broadens horizons
Eighth Day Foods has expanded its scope beyond lupins by applying its fermentation technology to red lentils, faba beans, mung beans, and navy beans, the latter of which is being used to create plant-based fish.
Harvest B’s plant-based protein products are now available directly to consumers through the Woolworths-owned online platform HealthyLife.
Cellular Agriculture Australia aims to standardise terminology within the industry through its new language guide, which outlines voluntary key terms, definitions and communication principles for industry professionals to use.
Flip Grater of plant-based company Grater Goods is giving choice to the vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians of New Zealand this Christmas with her plant-based turkey. Five years ago, Grater Goods handmade 200 to order, this year they'll make 10,000.
Global developments
Singaporean biotech company TurtleTree has gained self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognised as safe) status in the US for its precision-fermented lactoferrin.
The German government has allocated €38M towards a sustainable protein transition, including a stronger focus on protein crops for human nutrition, increased funding for alternative proteins and support for farmers in the transition process.
36 alternative seafood start-ups from 14 countries have formed Future Ocean Foods. The new trade association will knowledge-share, educate key stakeholders, and in the future, plan a global alternative seafood event.
Want to discover more of the latest on alternative proteins? Visit our website here.
Follow us
