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April 10, 2021

Food Tech News: Oat Milk Gin and a Traveling Grocery Store

Welcome to the weekend and the spring season! If you happen to find yourself caught in a spring shower while admiring wildflowers, this is the perfect time to scurry home catch up on some Food Tech News. This week we have stories on the first oat milk gin, a traveling grocery landing in Chicago, and Shelf Engine’s technology being implemented in an independent grocery store.

The first oat milk infused gin launches in Finland

Finland-based Arctic Blue Beverages produces an award-winning gin and the company launched a new product this week – a vegan oat milk infused gin. The inspiration came from one of the board members, who is a former CEO of a Finnish oat producer. The new product is called Arctic Blue Oat and is a mixture of organic, gluten-free oat milk and gin. The company’s website describes the flavor of its newest gin as “…the flavour of an oaty blueberry pie, smothered in vanilla sauce and topped off with a generous sprinkling of cardamom.” Arctic Blue Oat will be available in Finland within the next few months, and then shortly after be distributed to other countries throughout the year.

Pop Up Grocer travels to Chicago

Pop Up Grocer is a traveling grocery that offers hundreds of unique food, pet, body care, and home items, and moves to a different major city every 30 days. After popping up in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin, Pop Up Grocer’s next location is Chicago. The grocery concept emphasizes selling products that are plant-based, health-conscious, and unique, and Pop Up makes an effort to buy from brands that are women and BIPOC owned. Additionally, the temporary grocery store will offer brands that currently just sell online, like Loca and Magic Spoon. The Pop Up Grocer will be in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago from April 30 through May 30 before moving to the next city.

Kimberton Whole Foods employs Shelf Engine to reduce food waste

Kimberton Whole Foods, an independent grocery chain in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, has reduced food waste and increased sales of fresh foods through the use of Shelf Engine, an artificial intelligence (AI) software that helps grocers order inventory more accurately. After implementing Shelf Engine’s technology, Kimberton Whole Foods said it has increased fresh food sales by 42 percent to 70 percent. The technology has also enabled the grocery store to reduce out-of-stock items and shrink. Shelf Engine’s technology helps ensure grocery stores have enough product on hand, but not so much that it would spoil. Kimberton Whole Foods is using Shelf Engine in all six of its stores, and plans to apply the technology to more categories in the future.

April 6, 2021

Netherlands-Based Schouten Launches Plant-Based Beef and Chicken

Despite the fact that the Netherlands is smaller than the US state of West Virgina, there are 60 companies and research centers focused specifically on plant-based proteins throughout the country. And one of the first plant-based companies in the Netherlands, Schouten, announced this week the launch of two new high-protein plant-based chicken and beef products.

Schouten has been producing meat alternatives using plant-based ingredients since 1990. The company has a vast portfolio of plant-based meat alternatives, including sausages, schnitzels, burgers, mincemeat, strips, and nuggets. All of the products are suitable for vegetarians, and some are suitable for vegans.

The company’s new plant-based beef and chicken pieces are vegan and are low in both cholesterol and sodium. The chicken alternative contains 18.3 grams of protein per 100 grams and is made from a combination of wheat and pea protein. The beef alternative contains 22.7 grams of protein per 100 grams and is made from soy, wheat, and pea protein.

In addition to being a rich country for agriculture and food companies, the Netherlands is considered a leading country in the plant-based space. The demand for vegan alternatives has steadily increased over the past few years in the country, and in 2018, a government advisory board in the Netherlands recommended that citizens reduce meat intake to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions.

Another large player in the Netherlands’ plant-based space is Vivera, which produces more traditional cuts of plant-based like burgers and chicken tenders, but also boasts unique products like garlic kiev. SoFine Foods started making tofu in the Netherlands in the 1960’s, and now the company’s portfolio includes plant-based fish, cheese, and meat alternatives. All of Vegafit’s products are vegan, and the company produces nuggets, schnitzel, burgers, steak, and fish sticks.

Schouten’s new products will be available for retailers worldwide and companies in the food processing industry. The company does not offer its plant-based products direct to consumer, but works globally with retailers, brand manufactures, and fast food chains.

April 3, 2021

Food Tech News: Google AI Cake, Chipotle’s Bitcoin Giveaway and Robot Food Delivery

Welcome to the first Food Tech News round-up of April! This week we have news on a cake created by Google artificial intelligence, Kiwibot hitting the streets of Santa Monica, Ember’s new travel charger, and Chipotle’s bitcoin giveaway.

Google artificial intelligence created a cake recipe in partnership with Mars Wrigley

Google Cloud engineers created a machine learning model that uses hundreds of existing baked good recipes to develop a completely new recipe. The result was a “Cakie” (a cake and cookie hybrid) and the components of what makes a cake and cookie were generated with artificial intelligence. For the partnership with Mars Wrigley UK, Maltesers (chocolate-covered malt balls) were incorporated into the recipe to create the first-ever “Maltesers AI Cake.” Google trends revealed that “sweet and salty” was a top search trend, and the cake recipe used a buttercream frosting infused with Marmite. Earlier this year, the same machine learning model was used to create two totally new baked good recipes, the “Cakie” and “Breakie”.

Kiwibot and MealMe partner for food delivery in Santa Monica

MealMe, an app that compares prices and times of food delivery services, and Kiwibot, a teleoperated robot service that delivers food, have partnered to deliver food in Santa Monica. On April 1st, the companies began delivery for Blue Plate Taco and Red O Restaurant on Ocean Ave. Kiwibot’s robots provide contactless food delivery, and so far 100k deliveries have been completed in Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Jose, Denver, Taipei, and Medellin,

Ember launches car charger to keep beverages warm on the road

Ember, the creator of the self-heating coffee mug, has created a car charger to keep Ember Travel Mugs warm all day. The Ember Travel Mug is capable of keeping a beverage warm for three hours, but now it can be plugged directly into a car charger for an all-day charge. The car charger costs $49.95 on Ember’s website.

Chipotle hosted a giveaway of free burritos and bitcoin

For National Burrito Day, Chipotle partnered with the founder of Coil, Stefan Thomas, to giveaway $100,000 worth of Bitcoin and $100,000 in burritos. To win, contestants had 10 chances to guess a six-digit code. The giveaway only lasted for nine hours on April 1st on BurritosOrBitcoin.com. Update: I tried, and did not win.

April 2, 2021

ReGrained Launches New Cookie Dough with Doughp and Partners with Future Food Funds in Japan

ReGrained, an ingredient company that upcycles spent brewery grain, and Doughp, an e-commerce site for gourmet cookie dough, partnered to create a new cookie dough flavor that incorporates Regrained SuperGrain flour. The new flavor launched April 1 on DoughP’s website.

The cookie dough collaboration is called “Beast Mode Brownie”. With the addition of ReGrained Supergrain +, the protein content is double the amount of Doughp’s regular doughs, and the fiber content is six times higher. Dan Kurzrock, the cofounder of ReGrained, said that the company envisions many collaborations like this in the future. “A lot of people perceive us as a consumer goods company because we’ve launched a few products and packaged goods, championing upcycled foods, but really we’re an ingredient company powered by food technology,” Kurzrock told me by phone this week.

Additionally, ReGrained announced its partnership with and investment from Future Foods Fund in Japan at the beginning of March. The investment was not disclosed, but it will be used to create collaborations with food companies in Japan to launch new products in this market.

ReGrained uses spent grain from craft breweries, with mixture of about 95% barley, with some wheat and rye (one six-pack of beer uses about one pound of grain, so there is plenty of spent grain to go around throughout the country). The company has a patent on the way it upcycles spent grain, and its final product is a flour called ReGrained SuperGrained+. The flour has the same protein as almond flour, is prebiotic, and contains three times more fiber than whole wheat flour.

Kurzrock is the officer on the board of the Upcycled Food Association, which includes around 150 companies that use upcycled food for food or beauty products. Within this association, a few other companies use spent grain from breweries to create new food products. Rise also makes high protein and high fiber flour, as well as baking mixes, granola, and brownies. The Upcycled Grain Project makes a variety of bars and crackers. Leashless Labs uses beer grains to make dog treats.

ReGrained’s current products include several different flavors of snack puffs, which can be purchased on its website for $3.99 a bag. The cookie dough collaboration will be available for at least the rest of this quarter, and a two-pack of 16oz containers costs $39.

March 30, 2021

New Wave Foods Debuts Plant-Based Shrimp in US Foodservice Companies

Tyson-backed New Wave Foods announced today that it is launching its plant-based shrimp alternative in foodservice companies and restaurants throughout the U.S. The company signed a non-exclusive agreement with the largest foodservice redistributor in the U.S., Dot Foods, to make its product commercially available.

New Wave Shrimp is made from a combination of mung bean, seaweed, and other plant-based ingredients. The plant-based shrimp can be used just like regular shrimp – it can be grilled, baked, sautéed, fried, and seared. Besides being vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO, the shrimp alternative is also suitable for those who have a shellfish allergy.

Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in the U.S., and the population of wild shrimp continues to decline due to environmental pollution and overfishing. Additionally, shrimp fishing produces a lot of bycatch, which can reduce the population of wild fish and turtles. Farmed shrimp is an alternative to wild-caught shrimp, however, it can contain high amounts of unwanted antibiotics, be farmed by slave labor, and emit a high amount of carbon dioxide.

Other companies besides New Wave Foods are focused on providing a sustainable and plant-based option to wild and farmed shrimp. The Plant Based Seafood Co. has three varieties of plant-based shrimp, coconut-crusted, breaded, and regular, made from a base of konjac powder. Sophie’s Kitchen produces a variety of plant-based seafood products and its shrimp alternative is made from rice flakes, potato-starch, and konjac.

New Wave Shrimp is the first product from the company, and we may start seeing the product on restaurant menus by mid-2021. In 2022, New Wave Foods plans on expanding its product line to include lobster, scallops, and crabs.

March 27, 2021

Food Tech News: Vegan Chicken Nugget Vest and Edible Food Packaging

Happy Spring! No matter the weather or season, you can depend on The Spoon for keeping you up to date on news in the food tech space. In this week’s round-up we have news on a chicken nugget vest, edible food packaging, a new food delivery service, and Starbucks ‘ carbon neutral coffee bean goals.

LikeMeat releases “nugget pocket” for keeping vegan chicken nuggets warm

Germany-based LikeMeat makes plant-based meat alternatives like nuggets, patties, bratwurst, and schnitzel made from soy protein, and the company just announced the launch of a very specific clothing accessory – the “nugget pocket”. The piece fits like a vest, and has a large insulated pocket for keeping LikeMeat’s vegan chicken nuggets warm, as well as a pocket for hot sauce bottles and a napkin dispenser. It is made from organic cotton, upcycled delivery bags, and tencel, and can keep nuggets warm for an hour and a half. The vest is not available for purchase at the moment but can be won through a giveaway on LikeMeat’s Instagram. Additionally, LikeMeat launched four of its plant-based chicken products in Sprouts nationwide throughout the US earlier this month.

Scientists from Russia and India developed edible film for food packaging

A group of scientists from Russia and India announced this week that they have developed an edible transparent film that can be used for food packaging of fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, and baked goods. The film is made from seaweed biopolymer sodium alginate, and can almost fully dissolve in water within a 24 hour period. The scientists cross-linked alginate molecules with a natural antioxidant ferulic acid, which makes the film more rigid and also helps preserve food longer. Although this product is new, it can be produced on an industrial scale with no need for special equipment.

Chekout, a new food delivery service, launches in New York City area

Chekout is a new delivery service recently launched in the New York City area that charges a flat delivery rate of $2.50 and a maximum 10% service fee to customers. The company aims to benefit restaurants and does not charge them to use the service while also offering free online exposure and marketing. Some food delivery services can cut into a restaurant’s profit with high service fees, which can even cause menu item prices to become inflated, and Chekout prides itself in avoiding this. So far, about 100 restaurants have signed up to use the service in the Manhattan area. The app can now be downloaded from the Apple app store, and Chekout has plans to expand its service throughout the US.

March 25, 2021

Eat the Change Launches Jerky Made From Upcycled Mushrooms

Mushrooms naturally have a meaty texture and savory flavor, which makes them perfect as an ingredient for plant-based meat alternatives, so it’s no surprise that companies in the alt-protein space are using them to create everything from bacon to steak. One company, Eat the Change, recently joined the list of players with the launch its plant-based jerky made from mushrooms.

Eat the Change was founded by Seth Goldman, founder of Honest Tea and chair of the board at Beyond Meat, and Spike Mendelson, a celebrity chef and restauranteur. To celebrate the launch of the company’s mushroom jerky, I was invited to a virtual tasting, where I got to sample the five flavors of jerky: hickory smokehouse, habanero bbq, maple mustard, sea salt + cracked black pepper, and teriyaki ginger. (Maple mustard is my favorite!) Besides being eaten straight out of the bag, the jerky can also be used in sandwiches, noodle dishes, and other recipes.

Organic crimini and portobello mushrooms are the base of the jerky, and the company uses imperfect mushrooms cosmetically unfit for retail that would otherwise get thrown away. The mushrooms are marinated, and then instead of using liquid smoke flavoring, the company actually smokes the mushrooms over hickory branches. The jerky naturally has high amounts of several B vitamins, and one bag contains 4 grams of protein.

Although plant-based burgers get a lot of attention, there is room for expansion in the plant-based jerky space. Several other companies are also using mushrooms as the key ingredient for their plant-based jerky. Moku Foods uses king oyster mushrooms, while Pan’s Mushroom Jerky uses shiitake. Akua uses both seaweed and mushrooms to create its plant-based jerky.

Eat the Change mushroom jerky is currently available in 300 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Erewhon, MOM’s Organic Market, Fresh Market, and Stop & Shop. It is also available for purchase on the company’s website, and the retail price is around $5.99 for a 2 oz bag.

March 20, 2021

Food Tech News: Electrolyte Beer and Food Waste Jet Fuel

Welcome to the weekend, and your weekly Food Tech News round-up. If you indulged in too many Irish stouts this past Wednesday for St. Patrick’s Day, you might want to try some electrolyte-infused beer over the weekend. In addition to health-conscious beer, we also have news on food waste being considered for jet fuel and a plant-based egg company in Singapore.

Breweries are infusing beer with electrolytes and healthy ingredients

Do you like your beer with a twist of lime? Or how about with an infusion of electrolytes? A few breweries in the U.S are offering low-ABV beers infused with electrolytes and other nutritious ingredients. Zelus Beer Company (Massachusetts) was founded by a triathlete, and the brewery produces low-alcohol beer made with calcium, potassium, and different salts. Harpoon Brewery (Massachusetts) makes a beer with Mediterannean sea salt, chia seeds, and buckwheat. Mispillion River Brewing (Delaware) has a Berliner Weisse on tap that is infused with berries and a variety of undisclosed electrolytes. These beers are geared towards those who follow an active and healthy lifestyle but still want to enjoy a beer without feeling the negative side effects of alcohol. We’re not sure if they will actually rehydrate lost electrolytes, but an ice-cold beer after a hard workout is delicious regardless.

Commercial aviation industry considers using food waste for fuel

Taking a trip by plane adds a lot to your carbon footprint, especially if that trip is international. To combat the unsustainable nature of traveling by plane, the commercial aviation industry is looking into alternative options for jet fuel. One that has been presented in a study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the use of volatile fatty acids derived from “wet waste.” Food waste, animal manure, and wastewater are the components of wet waste, and researchers extracted volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from this mix. This possible alternative can reduce food waste going to the landfill, carbon dioxide emissions, and soot released into the air by 34 percent.

Plant-based egg start-up Float Foods receives Temasek grant

Float Foods is a Singapore-based start-up that has developed a whole plant-based egg product, and this week the company received a grant from the Temasek Foundation. The amount of the grant was undisclosed, and it came from Temasek’s Ecosperity Innovations Grant, which aims to assist start-ups with an emphasis on sustainability in Singapore. The company’s proprietary product is made from legumes and called OnlyEg. Float Foods says it is the first to create a whole plant-based egg product in Asia; other plant-based eggs typically come in a powder or liquid form. Float Foods aims to bring its product on shelves in Singapore in 2022.

March 13, 2021

Food Tech News: New Mushroom Oat Milk, Eco Bricks and Koji Ravioli

Califia Farms adds “mushroom milk” to product portfolio

Califia Farms makes non-dairy milk, creamer, yogurt drinks, cold brew coffee, and the company announced a new milk product this week. The new product is a barista-style oat milk that is blended with Cordyceps and Lion’s Mane mushroom powders. Apparently, the mushrooms do not affect the naturally sweet flavor of oat milk, but just add the supposed health benefits of these mushrooms. One 32 oz carton retails for $5.99, and can be found on the company’s website and Whole Foods.

Photo form Mondelez Philippines’ website

Mondelez and Plastic Flamingo are creating eco-bricks from plastic packaging

Multinational food and beverage company Mondelez has partnered with Plastic Flamingo, a group that aims to keep plastic out of the ocean, in the Philippines to turn plastic packaging waste into functional bricks. Mondelez Philippines invested an undisclosed amount into this project, and plans to upcycle at least 40 metric tons of plastic packaging waste. The bricks will be used to create temporary housing in cases of natural disasters.

Prime Roots launches new koji-based ravioli products

Prime Roots produces a variety of plant-based meat alternatives and meals made from koji, a type of fungi. The company announced this week that is due to launch new ravioli products that are filled with a variety of plant-based meat and seafood alternatives. The ravioli will come in five varieties, including plant-based lobster, chicken and black truffle, bacon and butternut squash, chicken pesto and sun-dried tomato, and Italian sausage. The new products will launch on March 20th, which is National Ravioli Day, and will be available for purchase on the company’s website.

March 6, 2021

Food Tech News: New Asian e-Grocer, Oatly’s pre-IPO Starbucks Rollout

Umamicart, a new Asian e-commerce grocer, launches in NY metro area

This past week, the new Asian e-grocer Umamicart launched in the NY metro area, and its next-day grocery delivery service is now available in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The platform offers Asian pantry staples, meats, seafood, tofu, fruits, vegetables, snacks, and drinks, with around 500 different grocery items currently listed. Umamicart also sells kits for making different meals like sushi, dumplings, hot-pots, and Mapo tofu. The platform requires a $30 minimum purchase, and orders less than $49.99 will be charged a $6.99 delivery fee.

Wix Restaurants Acquires SpeedETab to help enhance online restaurant presence

Wix Restaurants (a subsidiary of Wix) is a website builder for restaurants, and this week the company announced its acquisition of SpeedETab, a tool that allows restaurants to integrate online ordering into existing platforms. The addition of SpeedETab will allow restaurants signed up with Wix Restaurants to streamline orders from multiple channels, manage offline and online orders, and integrate various restaurant POS systems.

Oatly rolls out in Starbucks nationwide before IPO

Oatly, producers of oat-based vegan dairy products, announced this week that it had reached a deal with Starbucks to serve its oat milk in all Starbucks throughout the U.S. Starbucks will feature Oatly’s non-dairy oat milk in several new drinks, including the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and Honey Oatmilk Latte. Oatly milk will be available on Starbucks ‘ menu year-round, as it is now part of the core menu. Oatly uses a proprietary process to create its oat milk that incorporates certain enzymes to break down finely milled oats, which results in a naturally sweet and creamy non-dairy milk. The company filed for its initial public offering last week, the details of which will be shared with the public in the next few weeks.

Photo from SIMPLIFY The Brewer’s Kickstarter campaign

SIMPLIFY the Brewer launches on Kickstarter

A first glance, the new coffee brewing equipment called SIMPLIFY the Brewer from Bathtub Coffee looks like a transparent pour-over. However, this brewer was meticulously designed by a former professional barista, Ryo John Ito. Other pour-over brewers depend on the coffee “bloom” (splashing a small amount of hot water over grounds to allow the degassing of carbon dioxide) for a good cup of coffee, and the pour-over brewing method often takes three to four minutes to complete. SIMPLIFY the Brewer’s design includes a larger opening for coffee to flow through and minimal contact between the brewer and paper filter. As a result, a strong cup of coffee is brewed in one to two minutes, which is convenient for busy coffee shops. The Kickstarter campaign for the coffee brewer is live, and pledging ¥2,720 (about $26 USD), guarantees a SIMPLIFY the Brewer shipped to you in May 2021.

February 27, 2021

Food Tech News: H&M’s Castor Bean Oil Fabric, Self-Heating Coffee Cans

Welcome to this week’s Food Tech News round-up! With March just around the corner, we’re nearly at the “anniversary” of U.S. business shutting down due to the pandemic. We’re not sure if this is the kind of anniversary worth celebrating or crying over, but whatever mood you’re in, we have some news from the world food tech to make your day better.

This week we have news on H&M’s castor bean oil and cactus fiber fabrics, self-heating coffee cans, a plant-based innovation competition, and new vegan hot dogs from Meatless Farm.

H&M is making castor bean oil-based nylon fabric and leather from prickly pear fibers

Swedish multinational clothing company H&M has launched a sustainability concept called Innovation Stories, and recently debuted the first clothing line, Science Stories. In this new line, a castor bean oil-based yarn made by Fulgar will be used to create a fabric much like nylon, which is typically made from a group of plastics called polyamide. Additionally, H&M will be using Desserto’s vegan cactus leather for several clothing items. Pieces made from these fabrics will include women’s pants, shirts, and tracksuits, and will be available in select stores and on H&M’s website starting March 8.

High Brew Coffee now produces self-heating coffee cans

High Brew Coffee produces a variety of canned cold brew, espresso, and latte drinks, and the company’s latest innovation is a self-heating can of black coffee. BevNet reviewed the product this week and found that the temperature of the coffee reached around 120 degrees (which is moderately warm for a cup of coffee). The can is manufactured by HeatGen, and the coffee drinker simply needs to twist the bottom of the can and shake it a few times to activate the solid-state chemical reaction that warms the coffee. The self-heating can is available for High Brew’s 10.3 Oz Black & Bold flavor and costs $20 for a 4-pack.

ProVeg Asia to host plant-based innovation contest

ProVeg International is a non-profit that advocates for sustainable food system change, and this week it announced the Plant-based Food Innovation Challenge. The challenge is looking for students who have innovative ideas for plant-based foods and is open to students enrolled at universities in the ASEAN region. The event is supported by companies in the plant-based space like Oatly, Beyond Meat, HaoFoods, and Nestle. ProVeg is currently accepting applications for proposals from now and until March 13, 2021. Competition finalists receive up to $1,500, mentorship, and internship opportunities.

Meatless Farm to launch plant-based hot dogs during summer

Meatless Farm, a British-based producer of plant-based meat alternatives, announced this week that it will be launching vegan hot dogs during the summer of 2021. The hot dogs will be made from base ingredients of coconut fat and pea protein, and free of both gluten and soy. After launching this upcoming summer, the hot dogs will be available in retailers and foodservice operators throughout the U.S.

February 23, 2021

ChickP Expanding to US, Begins Commercial Production of Chickpea Isolate Protein

ChickP, an Israeli-based chickpea protein start-up, announced today that it will be expanding to the US to explore partnerships and that it has started commercial production of its chickpea isolate protein. The company has signed a joint market development agreement with Socius Ingredients, a company that uses food ingredients for different applications, for its US expansion.

ChickP produces a fully plant-based and non-GMO chickpea isolate that contains 90% protein content. Because chickpeas have a neutral flavor, the chickpea isolate is versatile and can be used in protein powders, pastries, snack foods, desserts, creamers, and beverages. Towards the end of 2020, the company announced the launch of an additional product, a chickpea starch called Chickpea Native Starch, for a variety of food and beverage applications.

Currently, ChickP’s facilities are producing 20 metric tons of chickpea isolate every day, and 5,000 metric tons a year. In today’s press announcement, the company said it “is actively seeking new opportunities in the plant-based alternatives industry, especially in the thriving US market,” and that ChickP has already accepted production commitments from several new customers.

Chickpeas are used as the key ingredient in many plant-based foods, in everything from pasta to meat alternatives. In the US, Peggs is making a plant-based powdered egg product using chickpea powder as one of the main ingredients. Another Israeli-based start-up, InnovoPro, raised $15 million last year for its B2B chickpea protein powder. HIPPEAS, which is based in the US, raised $50 million last month for its chickpea puffs and chips.

ChickP didn’t disclose which companies it will be supplying, but it was did say it is already working on several specialized projects for plant-based innovation in North America.

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