Alt-protein companies that heavily relied on venture capital (VC) funding are now taking a more holistic approach, including leveraging more non-dilutive financing options, to build their business in 2024, a panel of investors shared during a recent webinar hosted by The Good Food Institute.
Subscription meal company, Thistle, held off on investing in its brand identity since it launched a decade ago to prioritize ingredient procurement and recipe development for its weekly plant-based menus that “don’t sacrifice on taste,” Ashwin Cheriyan, co-founder, told FoodNavigator-USA.
An experimental study on consumer perceptions found that European shoppers have little appetite for animal-free dairy alternatives, though positive associations with the products’ perceived environmental benefits can enable manufacturers and retailers to address some of the challenges.
Despite common public understanding that the word ‘vegan’ means free from animal products, there is no legally binding definition for the term in the UK and EU. This means that products labelled ‘vegan’ can contain trace amounts of eggs or dairy. Furthermore, many products that may appear obviously vegan, such as fruit, can contain trace amounts of animal-derived products.
An experimental study on consumer perceptions found that European shoppers have little appetite for animal-free dairy alternatives, though positive associations with the products’ perceived environmental benefits can enable manufacturers and retailers to address some of the challenges.