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Food Tech News: Eco-Friendly Restaurant App, Beyond Meat Chicken, and Microdrink Cubes

Before you head outside and bask in glorious sunshine and cherry blossoms, we invite you to catch up on some Food Tech News. This week, we have stories on an app that rates restaurants based on sustainability, Kalera’s first harvest, micro drink cubes, and Beyond Meat’s alternative chicken launch. Enjoy!

Eco-friendly restaurant app Jybe to soon launch in New York

JYBE is an app that helps users connect to eco-friendly restaurants, and this week it shared in an email with The Spoon that it will be launching in New York City in mid-May. Many restaurants provide single-use plastic cutlery and styrofoam packaging for take-out food, but JYBE highlights the restaurants using more environmentally friendly options, like paper, bamboo, glass, and reusable materials. JYBE also offers free resources for restaurants looking to make the transition to more environmentally friendly packaging. The app is currently available in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Denver, Boulder, Seattle, and Austin.

Kalera celebrates first harvest at Atlanta, Georgia location

Kalera is a vertical farm company, and this week announced its first harvest at its location in Atlanta, Georgia. The 77 thousand square feet facility is its largest facility and the largest vertical farm operation in the Southeastern U.S. The vertical farm grows lettuce and microgreens, with the capacity to produce over 10 million heads of lettuce per year. In addition to the location in Georgia, Kalera operates two locations in Orlando and is building new facilities in Hawaii, Minnesota, Seattle, Columbus, Denver, and Houston.

Microdrink cubes launch in the U.S.

UK-based waterdrop crafts small flavored beverage cubes that can be dropped into water, and the product will now be sold in the U.S. The tiny sugar-free cubes consist of unique fruit- and plant-based extracts like elderflower, cactus fruit, artichoke, starfruit, and thyme. The company aims to encourage people to drink more water while simultaneously reducing single-use plastic bottles typically used for cold beverages and water. Due to the fact that the cubes are small and compact, this reduces both plastic bottles and the energy it takes to ship liquid-filled bottles throughout the world.

Beyond Meat to refocus on chicken products

Beyond Meat is known for its alternative beef and pork products like burger patties, breakfast patties, and sausages, but now it will be focusing on the development of alternative chicken products. The company produced plant-based chicken strips in 2012, but pulled the product after its alternative beef and pork products gained more popularity. The plant-based chicken product will likely be available this summer. In 2019, Beyond Meat partnered with KFC to pilot plant-based fried chicken in an Atlanta, Georgia location, and the product sold out in five hours.

Food Tech News: Carbon-Negative Cutlery at Target, Upcycled Food Label Launches

Welcome to your weekly Food Tech News round-up! Many companies in the food tech space made efforts to honor Earth Day, so this week all of our news is relevant to sustainability. We have stories on AirCarbon cutlery launching in Target, a new upcycled food certification, BlueNalu’s essay contest, and Perfect Day’s new advisory council.

Restore AirCarbon Cutlery launches in Target nationwide

Newlight Technologies‘ brand Restore produces carbon-negative cutlery from its proprietary material called AirCarbon. At the beginning of this week, the cutlery launched in Target locations nationwide. The cutlery is carbon-negative because its created from biodegradable plastic made from absorbed greenhouse gases. The straws and cutlery are dishwasher safe and, if disposed of, will decompose in a landfill. A 24-piece pack of wrapped straws costs $2.99 and a three-piece cutlery pack with a natural fiber carrying case costs $4.99. The products are available on Target’s website and in stores.

Upcycled food label officially debuts

Vegan, organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free food labels exist, and now a label exists for products comprised of upcycled food ingredients. The Upcycled Food Association officially launched the “Upcycled Certified” label this week. The certification can be used to signify if food, beverages, pet food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, or household cleaners contain upcycled food ingredients. The organization defines upcycled food as essentially any food using ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption and ended up in a food waste destination. The organization’s goal with the newly debuted certification is to empower consumers to make climate friendly purchases through upcycled food products.

BlueNalu announces scholarship winners

BlueNalu, producers of cell-based seafood, held a contest called the Eat Blue Essay Contest in collaboration with the Research Chefs Association (RCA). The point of the contest was to prompt discussion around sustainable seafood and ocean conservation goals set forth by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Culinary students of RCA from around the world were encouraged to submit essays. This week the three finalists were announced, and the essays can be read on the Eat Blue website. BlueNalu is awarding the finalists with scholarships to support educational expenses.

Perfect Day forms advisory board

Berkley, California-based Perfect Day, pioneers in fermented animal-free dairy, announced this week that it has formed a Sustainability & Health Advisory Council. The advisory board includes former Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, cardiologist Dariush Mozaffarian, Leonardo Di Caprio, and several other leaders in the food, agriculture, and nutrition space. The council members will help guide Perfect Day on decisions regarding health and the environment. Perfect Day recently commissioned a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of its non-animal whey protein, and the report found that it generates at least 85 percent and up to 97 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional production methods.

Food Tech News: Compostable Milk Packaging, Vegan Fast Food Goes Public

Happy weekend, and welcome to the Food Tech News round-up this week. This week we have news on JOI’s new compostable packaging, Sunbasket’s single-serving prepared meals, and a vegan fast-food company that’s gone public.

If you haven’t heard, The Spoon is on Clubhouse! “Food Tech Live” is the name of the room, and every Friday The Spoon team discusses news in food tech.

JOI launches zero waste oat milk

JOI produces nut paste concentrates that can be blended at home to make fresh plant-based milk, and the company just released a new product, an oat powder concentrate in fully compostable packaging. The powder contains only one ingredient, oats, and the 12 oz container produces a gallon of oat milk when blended with water. Once used, the packaging can be composted at home or at a commercial composting center. Many other plant-based milk packagings cannot be recycled, nor composted, According to the company, this is the first fully compostable plant-based milk product on the market.

Sunbasket launches single-serving prepared meals

Sunbasket, a subscription-based meal delivery service, just released single portion sizes of its Fresh & Ready prepared meals. The Fresh & Ready meals do not require any prep like the company’s meal kits, and can be heated up in a microwave or oven within a few minutes. The prepared meals are delivered fresh, not frozen, and start at $8.99. Starting April 25th, the single portion meals will be available for purchase on the company’s website. Throughout 2021, 65+ new meals will be released.

The first vegan fast-food company to go public

Globally Locally, a vegan fast-food chain based in Canada, began publicly trading TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol GBLY yesterday, April 16th. Rather than IPO, the company entered an agreement with Black Lion Capital Corp to consolidate as Globally Local‎ Technologies Inc. Globally Locally manufactures and distributes its own plant-based protein and dairy alternatives, and can therefore offer prices comparable to other fast-food chains at its restaurants. Menu items include traditional fast-food fare made vegan, including burgers, wings, fries, shakes, and breakfast sandwiches. The eight restaurant locations primarily operate as smart kitchens offering pick-up and delivery. Within the next 12 months, the company aims to open at least 20 locations across North America. A few other vegan companies trade on the Canadian stock exchange, including The Very Good Food Company, Eat Beyond, and Modern Meat.

Third Aurora to Bring Augmented Reality to Beer Labels

I’m not ashamed to admit that sometimes I solely pick out a can of beer based on the label artwork. Sometimes there isn’t enough information listed on the can to make an educated decision, so I let bright and colorful artwork catch my eye. Third Aurora, a tech company focused on augmented reality (AR) and machine learning, is gearing up to launch its platform for augmented reality beer labels so beer cans do provide more information. The platform is in the form of a mobile app called Beerscans, which will be made available for users in the upcoming months.

Matt Hallberg, one of the cofounders of Third Aurora, said that many breweries have interesting stories and are doing things behind the scenes, like focusing on sustainability, but the consumer isn’t able to get the essence of the brewery from just one can. A beer can only has space for a few brief sentences and consumers typically have to go on the brewery’s website to learn more.

Augmented Reality Packaging - Beverage Packaging Demonstration - Third Aurora

The Beerscans mobile app uses the phone’s camera, augmented reality and computer vision to scan a beer can, and the app recognizes the circumference of the can and the label. An augmented reality label then pops up and hovers over the can. The augmented reality label will share the story behind the brewery and beer, tasting notes of the beer, and other information that a brewery may want to share. Breweries interested in being a part of the Beerscans app must sign up through the Beerscans website and upload desired information through the website’s portal.

Previously, Third Aurora launched Winerytale, an app that is the same concept as Beerscans, except for wine bottles. Living Labels is another company that has partnered with a handful of wineries to provide AR labels including the popular 19 Crimes winery. Drink AR launched in 2020, and provides AR labels for wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

Third Aurora aims on launching Beerscans in about three months, and it will be available for free on both iOS and Android. Third Aurora is in the process of signing up breweries and wants to have at least 100 breweries signed up prior to the launch.

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.

Photo from Pop Up Grocer’s Instagram

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.

Photo from Raul Gonzalez on Unsplash

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.

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.

Photo from Chipotle

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.

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.

Photo from Roniz Daluse via Unsplash

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.

Photo by Jon Tyson via Unsplash

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.

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.

Photo from Unsplash

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.

Photo from Float Foods’ Instagram

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.

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.

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.

Photo from Wix Restaurant’s website

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.

Photo from Oatly’s website

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.

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.

Photo from High Brew’s website

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.

Photo from Unsplash

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.

Food Tech News: Food Waste Protein Powder and Nike Coffee Sneakers

It’s that time of week! Food Tech News is here, and stories on protein powder made from food waste, a cell-based protein ingredient for skin care, and Nike’s new coffee sneakers.

Nutrapharma is making protein powder from food waste

Nutrapharma, a UK-based pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and agri-tech lab, shared this week that they are creating a protein powder made from food waste. The company is using excess fruits and vegetables and produce scraps and turning them into a protein-rich powder that can be added to a variety of different supplements. It was undisclosed if the company is using any particular types of fruit or vegetables, but it did share that some of the first samples of the protein powder are higher in protein than whey protein. Because the powder is made from dried and milled fruit and vegetables, it will also contain nutrients like a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Photo from Zellulin’s website

Avant Meat enters skincare industry

Avant Meats, which produces cell-based fish maw and sea cucumber alternatives, announced this week that it has entered the skincare industry with a new anti-aging ingredient product. The company is using its cell-based biotechnology to create marine protein peptides, which are typically found in supplements, face creams, and other beauty products. The product is called Zellulin, and will be used as an ingredient for anti-aging skin care products. Like Avant’s other cell-based products, the cell-based protein-peptide does not require any animals to be slaughtered or harmed. The company shared that they will be able to commercialize the cell-based marine protein-peptide product faster than its cell-based seafood products because it does not require pre-market approval.

Photo from The Drop Date website

Nike’s coffee themed shoes

Maybe this isn’t directly tied into the world of food tech, but it’s still neat. Nike unveiled a new line of shoes called the “Coffee Pack” on the website called The Drop Date this week. There are three styles, including the Daybreak, the Air Max 97, and the Air Force 1 Low. Each shoe showcases the different colors of coffee beverages, like the dark brown of black coffee and the creamy tan color of a latte. A cat sitting in a coffee mug is printed on the insole, while the heel and tongue of the shoe read “Roasted by Nike”. The shoes are currently only available in Asia, but will launch in the US at some point as well.