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Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

food tech news

Podcast: Food Tech News Wrapup – Wonder Buys Blue Apron, Elon Breaks Ground on Drive-In

We’re back after a couple weeks off to wrap up some of the top stories of the week. 

Mike and Allen talk about these stories:

You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also listen by clicking play below.

Our Food AI Summit is in just three and a half weeks. Use discount code PODCAST to get 25% off of tickets!

Podcast: The Anti-Tech Grocery Store & Food Tech News of the Week

The Spoon Podcast is back after a summer hiatus with a food tech news wrap-up discussing some of the most interesting stories of the week!

In this episode, Spoon contributor Allen Weiner and I talk about:

You can listen to the full episode by clicking below or by finding The Spoon Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! And while you’re at it, do us a favor and leave us a review!

As mentioned in the show, the Spoon is once again leading the charge for food tech at CES, the world’s biggest tech show. If you are interested in showcasing your future food or food tech innovation, head over to The Spoon’s CES page for more info.

Also, on October 25th, we’ll be bringing leaders at the intersection of food and AI together for a day of conversation. Please use the discount code PODCAST for 15% off tickets to the Food AI Summit.

Podcast: Electrolux’s Kitchen of the Future & Other Food Tech News of the Week

Can the design of your kitchen change how and what you eat? Electrolux thinks so.

In this week’s episode of the Spoon podcast’s food tech news wrapup, we discuss Electrolux’s new kitchen concept called GRO. Other stories discussed on the show include:

As always, you can click below to listen or subscribe to The Spoon on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Spoon Podcast: ‘Peach Tree’ Dishes & Restaurants in the Metaverse

It’s been a while, but we’re cranking up the podcast machine to bring you a weekly food tech news wrap-up.

In this week’s show, cohost Ashley Daigneault and I talk about:

You can listen to the podcast by clicking play below or finding it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Where to See Food Tech on the Show Floor @ CES 2022: Day 1

While CES 2022 will be smaller this year as the show returns to in-person after hosting an all-virtual show in 2021, we’re excited to see food tech as an official category on the show floor. The Spoon team will be in the Sands Expo in Booth 53752 talking to leaders from startups to funders and execs across agtech, robotics, future food and kitchen tech.

We’ll have videos and reports as the show goes on. To start, here’s a quick list of booths where you’ll see food tech and smart kitchen innovations and the companies behind them:

  • Bear Robotics — Booth #53755 — Bear Robotics is utilizing AI and autonomous robot technology, deploying bots to take care of everything from drink and food serving to bussing. Bear Robotics works with top chefs and restaurants, providing front of house labor support.
  • MycoTechnology — Booth #53753 — MycoTechnology harnesses the metabolic engine of mushrooms, known as mycelium, using natural fermentation to create novel ingredients that solve the food industry’s biggest challenges. (Stay tuned for a story on their consumer facing brand launching at CES.)
  • Yo-Kai Express — Booth #53758 — Yo-Kai debuted as a robotic ramen vending machine and announced a 2021 expansion into other autonomous food and cooking devices at the Smart Kitchen Summit Japan.
  • Edamam — Booth #53860 — Edamam structures and organizes food and nutrition data and sells it as a subscription to businesses in the food, health, and wellness sectors. They have worked with food and retail giants include Nestle, Amazon, and The Food Network and according to the company have close to 100,000 developers using Edamam’s APIs.
  • Northfork — Booth #53959 — Northfork is a Swedish-based startup that enables shoppable recipes online, bridging the world of digital recipes and food retail.
  • Apex / “OrderHQ” Smart Food Locker — Booth #53958 — Apex Order Pickup Solutions is the creator of the OrderHQ smart food locker, a secure, contactless solution for food pickup and delivery services. The lockers combine front and back of house technology, including hot and cold storage as well as integration with fully automated order fulfilment.
  • Uvera — Booth #54058 — Uvera is a Saudi cleantech startup that wants to reduce food waste with a device that claims to increase the shelf-life of fresh food up to “97% on average within only 30 seconds of using the device, without any chemicals.”
  • Yangyoo / Armored Fresh — Booth #53761 — Yangyoo is a Korea-based food tech company launching Korea’s first vegan cheese alternative first developed by its US subsidiary, Armored Fresh. The future food brand uses a similar fermenting process that produces natural cheese on plant-based protein milk.
  • Endless West — Booth #54061 — Endless West is a beverage technology startup founded by biotechnologists using science to create a blend of wines and spirits; its first product – Glyph – is the first molecular-made whiskey, created without aging or barreling.

(Shared) Booth #51830

  • Picnic — Robotic pizza machine designed for back of house operations in restaurants; they first launched onto the scene at CES 2020 and started filling orders in the middle of 2021.
  • iUNU — iUNU (you knew) is a Seattle agtech firm creating an AI-based platform for greenhouses and vertical farms that assists indoor growers with yields, farming waste and overall operations.
  • Minnow was the winner of the 2020 Smart Kitchen Summit Startup Showcase for their contactless food delivery solution called the Minnow Pickup Pod. An IoT-enabled locker for businesses and multifamily properties, Minnow streamlines food delivery on site.

We’ll add more companies to the list as we cover news and discover additional companies! Follow us at @TheSpoonTech on Twitter and LinkedIn as well as hashtags #CES2022 and #CESFoodTech for social updates.

Food Tech News: Subway Station Greens and Moolec’s Joint Venture

Moolec and Grupo Insud launched a joint venture

Moolec, a food tech company that develops animals proteins through plants, and Grupo Insud, an ingredient manufacturer for the pharmaceutical industry, shared this week that they will partner together for research. The two companies will focus on developing solutions for the alternative protein industry, using fungi, yeast, and microorganisms to create animal-free ingredients. Their goal is to develop products with upgraded nutritional value, improved organoleptic properties, while still maintaining affordability for the ingredients.

A protein bar that might help with hangovers

We were recently sent an email regarding a new protein bar that is supposed to do more than keep you full and taste good. A company called SoBar produces protein bars that they claim help you reduce alcohol absorption when consumed prior to drinking. The company produces three flavors – Carmel Macchiato, White Chocolate Almond, and Honey Peanut, all of which are gluten-free and 130-calories.

Reducing the negative effects of alcohol is always a plus, but SoBar seems to be banking off the common knowledge that eating basically any food helps slow down the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream. However, SoBar’s parent company, Zeno Functional Foods, holds a patent for something called Alco-HOLD. One of the main ingredients of Alco-HOLD is protein, and this is the component of SoBars that is intended to reduce the effects of alcohol.

Coca-Cola and Lime partner to encourage recycling

This week Coca-Cola and Lime, an electric bike and scooter company, announced that they have partnered to encourage their customers to recycle plastic bottles. Cola-Cola transitioned its 13.2 oz bottles to 100% recycled plastic material (rPET) earlier this year, and aims to promote this through the partnership. Anyone who purchases the rPET sip-size bottles can sign up on CokePlayToWin.com/endlesslyrefreshing and pledge that they will indeed toss spent bottles in the right bin. Those who sign the pledge will receive a promo code via email for a free, 10-minute scooter or bike ride through Lime.

Subway station vegetables in Seoul

Hydroponic greenhouses can be placed in unlikely places, like in the middle of a bustling city or in an abandoned building. This week, Gastro Obscura posted about another improbable place to find fresh vegetables: Sangdo Station on Line 7 of the Seoul Metro. Appropriately called Metro Farm, it is owned and maintained by Farm8, a South Korean agricultural company. Metro Farm supplies fresh greens and sprouts to Farm8’s next-door organic cafe for salads.

Food Tech News: Scented Water, Kabocha Squash Milk, and Robot Delivery at Ohio State

Welcome to the weekend, and the Food Tech News round-up!

Air Up uses scent to trick people into drinking more water

UK-based Air Up has developed a bottle that flavors water through scent, and tricks the brain with retronasal smelling technology. The top of the bottle has space to insert a scented pod, which is made from aromas extracted from fruits, plants, and spices. Once the bottle is filled with still or sparkling water, and the desired pod has been selected, the user sips from the silicon straw attachment on top. While drinking the water, air from the pod rises up, and the olfactory center perceives it as taste, rather than just smell.

The scented pods come in flavors like berry, kola, coffee, and cucumber, with a single pod lasting for about 5 liters of water. Air Up products are currently available in Germany, Austria, Swiss, France, Belgium, the UK, and the Netherlands, and the company has plans to continue expanding throughout Europe and to the U.S.

Eat Just to launch alternative egg product in South Africa

Alternative protein company Eat Just and Infinite Foods, a market platform for plant-based food brands, announced this week they have partnered to launch JUST Egg products in South Africa. The JUST Egg Folded, made predominantly from mung beans, will be sold in a box of four in the frozen aisle. Wellness Warehouse, a grocery and wellness product retailer, will carry the product across South Africa, as well as in restaurants in Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. Additionally, the alternative egg will be available on Infinite Foods’ website. According to the press release, this will be the first plant-based egg available in South Africa.

Grubhub and Yandex will offer robot delivery on the Ohio State University campus

Grubhub, a food delivery platform, and Yandex, a robot delivery service, have announced that they will be operating together on the Ohio State University. There will be 50 Yandex robots on campus that are able to deliver between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. A robot is able to move throughout the campus going three to five miles an hour, navigate through crosswalks, and deliver in all weather. The campus is home to 60,000 students who can order delivery from any on-campus dining establishment to any residence hall on campus, and to the Bricker Hall and Thompson Library. This is the first college campus that the Yandex robots will be operating on.

Kabochamilk launches for consumers in Asia

We can buy milk made from chia seeds, barley, oats, pistachios, and now, kabocha squash. Shane Newman, a kabocha squash farmer in Hawkes Bay, Zealand, and Sachie Nomura, a celebrity chef and the creator of avocadomilk, have collaborated to produce Kabochamilk. The company received $95,000 from the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to launch. The Kabocha Milk Company has created a shelf-stable formula that is intended for consumers in Japan, Korea, and China, where kabocha squash is a dietary staple. The alternative milk is currently available in two high-end chains, Tsurya and Harashin, in Japan.

Food Tech News: Future Food Tour in Dubai and Beer-Infused Spices

Welcome to this week’s Food Tech News round-up! For this round, we’ve gathered news from CHEQ, a multi-sensory futuristic food tour, and new spices that make your food taste like beer.

If you didn’t sign up already, The Spoon’s virtual Restaurant Tech Summit will be next week on August 17, starting at 8:00 am PT. Tickets are still available on the event page.

Future Food Tour at Expo 2020 Dubai

The “Novacene” is a new era hypothesized by scientist James Lovelock where humans have made large-scale changes to our environment and robots and artificial intelligence rule the world. “The Future of Food: Epochal Banquet” has taken inspiration from this idea for its planned food exhibit at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The culinary tour is two hours long and it will specifically focus on how humans using artificial intelligence can find solutions for food waste, feed a growing population, and improve nutrition content. The immersive experience will be orchestrated by Bombas & Parr, a multi-sensory experience design studio in the UK. Based in the year 2320, the tour will feature food history from caveman to spaceman, replications of extinct foods, and 1,000 different flavors. The dining portion will include three courses paired with drinks. Edible concoctions that will be served include flavor-changing desserts, glow-in-the-dark food, rare ingredients, unique plants, and delicacies created from the technique that NASA uses to collect comet dust.

CHEQ and Miami Marlins announce a multi-year partnership

CHEQ, a restaurant tech platform, announced in a press release sent to The Spoon that it has partnered with the baseball team Miami Marlins. The mobile payment app developed by CHEQ will be implemented at the Marlin’s home stadium, LoanDepot Park. The app will allow fans at the ballpark to order food and drinks from concession stands on their mobile devices from their seats. After this 2021 season, fans will have the ability to order from their seats and then have the food delivered to certain areas of the ballpark.

Infuse your food with beer flavor through Spiceologies’s blends

A chef-operated spice company call Spiceology shared with The Spoon in an email this week that it had launched a new line of beer-infused spices to encapsulate the unique flavors that different beers can contribute to the cooking process. The company has partnered with Derek Wolf and New Belgium Brewing to develop two beer spice products lines. The Derek Wolf line includes flavors like Imperial Coffee Stout, Honey Mustard IPA, and Hickory Peach Porter. The New Belgium line incorporates some of the brewery’s popular beers like the Voodoo Ranger Hazy IPA in the Citrus Ginger seasoning, while the Sweet & Sour uses the Sour IPA. A “six-pack” of the Derek Wolf blends cost $69.99 while a “four-pack” of the New Belgium blends cost $52.

Food Tech News: The Science of Chewing, Food Personality Platform, and Cell-Based Rainbow Trout

Welcome to the first Food Tech News round-up of August! To kick off this month, we have pieces on Bluu Biosciences, a new platform called Foodqu!rk, Motif partnering with dental experts, and Good Catch’s new distribution partner.

Bluu Biosciences ramps up the production of various cell-based fish species

Berlin-based Bluu Biosciences produces cell-based seafood, and this week the company announced that it would be increasing production of three popular fish species: Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, and carp. According to the article on Food Ingredients First, the company is currently working on optimizing its cell lines for ideal nutrition, fat content, and Omega 3s. Bluu Biosciences aims to offer its cell-based seafood at a price comparable to conventional seafood, with a future product range that will likely include fish balls, sticks, and fillets.

Foodqu!rk launches “food personality” platform

With so many people living with dietary restrictions or having specific food preferences, a new platform called Foodqu!rk has been launched to help people identify what their food personality is. To sign up, users take a quiz about their eating habits, food preferences, and relationship to certain foods. The quiz result is generated through an algorithm that determines your FQ, or what Foodqu!rk calls your food personality. There are five categories that define your food personality: Naturalist, Striver, Creator, Enthusiast, and Guardian. After signing up and taking the quiz, users can access the platform to share quiz results, swap recipes, recommend restaurants, and connect with other community members. The platform is currently accepting users for early access on fooqu!rk.com.

Motif partners with dental scientists to understand the science of chewing

Plant-based meat and dairy products typically have a different mouthfeel than their traditional counterparts and can be challenging to create both realistic and appealing textures for alternatives. Motif Foodworks is a biotechnology company that develops alternative ingredients with the intention of mimicking properties of dairy, eggs, and meat. To understand the importance of texture in different foods, Motif is partnering with King’s College London and Imperial College London to study the mechanics of eating. The study will specifically focus on how chewing impacts the sensory perception of food. Mechanical engineers, oral biology, and dental experts will be working together with the company for this food science research.

Gathered Foods partners with Dot Foods to expand distribution

Gathered Foods, the parent company of alternative seafood brand Good Catch, announced Dot Foods as its new distribution partner. Dot Foods is the largest food distributor in North America, with 12 distribution centers and access to all 50 U.S. states. The partnership will enable Good Catch to expand its products to new businesses and food service accounts throughout the country. Good Catch products that will be available through Dot Foods include plant-based fish burgers, tuna flakes, breaded crab cakes, breaded fish fillets, as well as other appetizers and entrées.

Food Tech News: Food Waste Sneakers, Cell-Ag Children’s Book, and Bon Appétit’s New App

If you had a busy week and missed out on news in the food tech space, we’ve got you covered. In this round-up, we gathered some news on Bon Appétit’s recently launched app, HelloFresh’s new online marketplace, MoEa’s sneakers made from food waste, and a children’s book on cellular agriculture.

Bon Appétit launches ordering app for people with dietary restrictions

The Bon Appétit Management Company launched an app this week called Curated, which was developed by chefs and registered dieticians. The app was created to make ordering food from restaurant menus easier for those who have dietary restrictions and needs. Through the ordering system, diners can select from 12 different diets, including plant-based, low-carb, gluten-free, as well as dishes free from major allergens. Once a dietary preference is selected, Curated shows dishes and ingredients that are available and can accommodate. Diners can then customize their meal with ingredients, sides, and sauces that fit into their preferences. The app can be used at Bon Appétit cafes and dining service locations, and it is available for free through the Café BonApp mobile app on iOS and Android phones.

HelloFresh now offers an online marketplace

Meal kit company HelloFresh has now added HelloFresh Market to its online platform. The new market offer will offer a wide range of add-ons for customers’ weekly orders. The new options include snacks, fresh produce, desserts, sides, spices, breakfast items, and pantry essentials. HelloFresh offers predominately dinner meal kits, but the introduction of the market will provide customers with options for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and desserts. The offerings on HelloFresh Market will be rolling out to customers in the U.S. over the upcoming months.

MoEa is using food waste to make vegan leather sneakers

Companies have developed technology to make leather from mushrooms and prickly pear fiber, and now a company called MoEa is using food waste to craft alternative leather. Specifically, the company sources leftover grape pulp from the Italian wine industry, cactus leaves, non-edible corn, pineapple leaves, and apples that would otherwise be wasted. Customers can pick out what type of leather they want for the shoe, and each type of leather is offered in two colors. The company currently has a Kickstarter campaign for the shoes, and backers who pledge €86 or about $108 USD will receive a pair of shoes in September 2021.

A new book on cell-ag for children

Called “Where Do Hot Dogs Come From?“, authors Alex Shirazi and Anita Broellochs explain how cellular agriculture works through a story of a family barbeque. Geared towards children aged 3 to 7, the purpose of the book is to teach children about the sustainability of cell-based meat and inspire the next generation of scientists working on alternative protein options. There is currently a Kickstarter campaign for the book, and backers who pledge $25 or more will receive a copy of the book in October 2021.

Food Tech News: Online Food Bank, Upcycled Cacao Fruit Bites, and $10M for Gluten-Free Snack Brand

If you feel like you’ve fallen behind in the fast-paced world of food tech, you’ve come to the right place. In this week’s Food Tech News roundup, we have stories on Feeding America’s new online platform, Costco’s partnership with Uber, a snack brand’s $10 million funding round, and one of the first companies to receive the Upcycled Food Certification.

Food bank launches online grocery ordering for those facing food insecurity

Feeding America is one of the largest food banks in the country, and this week the non-profit began offering online ordering. Called Order Ahead, food is ordered through a Feeding America network food bank or partner food on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. The order can then be picked up at schools, libraries, or a drive-thru distribution center. Certain markets will also be offering home delivery. Those requiring food assistance unfortunately might feel embarrassed or stigmatized, so offering an online platform allows for the option of being more discreet.

CaPao is one of the first companies to receive the Upcycled Food Certification

CaPao has created a snack product that is made from upcycled cacao fruit. The brand was developed in Mondelēz International’s SnackFuture innovation and venture hub, and this week announced that it is one of the first companies to receive the recently launch Upcycled Food Certification. After cacao beans have been extracted from the cacao pod, there is about 70 percent of the pod remaining goes to waste, and this remaining fruit is used in the snack product. CaPao sources this potential food waste from Cabosse Naturals, a food and beverage company that uses cacao pods to make various ingredients. Using the upcycled cacao fruit, CaPao produces three flavors of snack bites: mango cashew coconut, golden berry apricot chia, and cherry almond cocoa. The products are available for purchase on the company’s website and retailers in Southern California.

Photo by Henry & Co. on Unsplash

Costco partners with Uber to trial same-day delivery

Costco is currently trialing same-day grocery delivery with Uber at 25 Texas locations in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. Uber has announced that its drivers will be able to deliver groceries in minutes to a few hours. To use the service trial in Texas, customers must order at least $35 worth of Costco groceries and products. Costo currently also works with Instacart to offer same-day delivery.

Gluten-free snack maker raises $10 million

Quinn produces various gluten-free snacks, and this week the company secured $10 million in its Series B funding round. NewRoad Capital Partners led the round, and Echo Capital, Boulder Food Group, and Sunil Thakor also participated. The capital will be used for product innovation, company growth, and be put towards Quinn’s mission of supporting regenerative agriculture. Quinn uses gluten-free ingredients like sorghum, cassava, and corn for its pretzels sticks and chips, stuffed pretzels, and flavored popcorn. The company provides a map of where its ingredients are sourced and a list of farmers (who are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact) it buys from to provide transparency to consumers. Quinn’s products are available for purchase in approximately 10,000 retailers nationwide.

Food Tech News: Lab Grown Chocolate, Lupin Bean Eggs, Cultured Sushi Tasting Room

The summer days are going by fast, but it feels like the rate at which news is breaking in the food tech space is even faster. In this week’s Food Tech News roundup, we have pieces on chocolate being grown in a lab, a tasting room opening in San Franciso for cultured sushi, a new Canadian egg alternative, and a Russian plant-based company’s recent funding round.

Lab-grown chocolate in Switzerland

We live in a chocolate-crazed world, but unfortunately growing cacao for the production of chocolate can cause deforestation and make use of child labor. Some chocolate companies choose to source their cocoa beans from farmers and suppliers that use ethical practices, but this is not always the case. Scientists at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland may have found another option: growing chocolate in a lab. One of the food scientists had the idea to extract cell cultures from cocoa beans to attempt to produce a compound found in chocolate called polyphenols (important for the sensory effects in chocolate). Cocoa beans are cut into quarters and then incubated in a culture medium. After about three weeks a callus grows over the surface of the bean, which can be continuously be replicated. The new material is added to shaking flasks and mixed with suspension culture, and then multiplied in a bioreactor. The cultured cells can then be used to make chocolate.

The scientist said that there is currently no plan for commercial production of lab-grown chocolate. The process is considerably more expensive than conventional chocolate, and they will be continuing to study and compare the production processes of conventional and lab-grown chocolate.

Photo from Wildtype’s Instagram page

Wildtype set to open a cultured sushi tasting room

Wildtype, a cell-ag company focused on seafood, shared that it will be opening a tasting room for cultured sushi in San Francisco. The tasting room will serve as an opportunity to educate consumers on the benefits of cell-based agriculture and provide transparency on this process. Wildtype is focused on creating cultured sushi-grade salmon, and it sources living cells from Pacific salmon. Its pilot plant will soon be capable of producing 50,000 pounds of seafood per year, with a maximum capacity of 200,000 pounds. The tasting room is expected to open in fall 2021.

Nabati launches a plant-based egg product made from lupin beans

Nabati is a Canadian-based plant-based brand, and this week it announced it is filing patents for its plant-based egg product currently being developed. The new egg product will be in liquid form, like Just Egg, and this is the first Canadian-made egg alternative product. Nabati is filing patents for the product in Canada, the United States, and Australia, with the intention to also eventually file in Europe, and China. The egg, called Nabati Plant Eggz, contains no cholesterol, 90 calories per serving, and six grams of protein. Lupin beans and pea protein are the main ingredients used, and the product is both soy and gluten-free. The new egg alternative is expected to be available for purchase sometime later this year.

Russian plant-based brand raises $1.5 million in Series A round

Welldone is a plant-based meat alternative company in Moscow, Russia, and this week it raised $1.5 million in its Series A round. The round was led by Phystech Ventures and Lever VC, and this new capital will be used to increase production and distribution, as well as bring Welldone’s products to new markets. Welldone currently produces alternative cutlets, burger patties, and minced meat made from a base of soy, coconut oil, and cellulose. Plant-based alternatives in Russia can be pricey, and Welldone has set the goal of reaching price parity with meat.