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NotCo granted US patent for AI technology, rolls out to new US retailers: ‘The momentum is just unbelievable’ By Elaine Watson Santiago-based food tech company NotCo has been granted a first-of-its kind US patent for its AI technology, which it claims gives it a clear edge in the race to reverse engineer animal foods and put them back together - molecule by molecule - with plants, creating next-generation meat and dairy alternatives.
Billed as the ‘Impossible Foods/Beyond Meat of Latin America’ (its plant-based RebelWhopper is sold at Burger King and Papa John’s in Chile with more countries to follow soon),
A dream deferred: Bean sales soar as shoppers seek nutrient-dense, plant-based & diet-friendly foods Five years after the United Nations celebrated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses to raise awareness of legumes’ nutritional value and sustainability, SPINS data shows sales of dried beans are skyrocketing as consumers look for more nutrient-dense and budget-friendly products in the wake of the ongoing pandemic.
Sales of shelf stable vegetables, tomatoes, grains, canned beans and peanut butter also are on the rise and outperforming total product sales as the pandemic shifts consumer priorities to products that will sustain them between less frequent shopping trips, Kathryn Peters, executive vice president of business development at SPINS told attendees this week during New Hope Network’s Spark Change virtual Natural Products Expo.
Earth Island (Follow Your Heart) co-founder and CEO Bob Goldberg has always had an independent streak, telling reporters over the years he’s happy dancing to his own tune despite periodic overtures from big CPG suitors. Last month, however, he inked a deal to sell the company he co-founded in the 1970’s to Danone. So what changed?
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To be completely transparent about it,
I’ve always been in the ‘stay independent’ camp” said Goldberg, a pioneer in the plant-based foods arena who was waxing lyrical about vegan mayo and cheese decades before many investors, big CPG companies, or mainstream consumers, started paying much attention.
Investing in the Future of Food: Manna Tree investors seek emerging brands focused on human health As the ongoing pandemic accelerates consumer interest in the role of nutrition in wellness and underscores the supply chain’s fragility, the investors at Manna Tree Partners are looking for at least three growth stage companies that are revolutionizing the production, delivery and consumption of food to support human health.
With $235 million in assets under its management as of last month and six investments already in its portfolio to date, Manna Tree’s managing director Pam Shepherd shares in this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Investing in the Future of Food where she see the most potential to improve human health and create a more transparent, stable supply chain.
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Danone North America CEO on plant-based trends, why soymilk is back in growth, and the Follow Your Heart deal By Elaine Watson
Shane Grant: Our plant-based business in North America grew by 17% [in 2020] (Picture credit: Danone North America) US retail sales of soymilk - which have declined precipitously over the past decade – have started to grow again, says Danone North America, which is spearheading the turnaround with its Silk brand, the leading player in the soymilk segment.
According to SPINS data, US retail sales of soymilk declined 0.9% to $201.4m in the year to Jan, 24, 2021, a startling drop from a decade or so ago, when they topped $1bn. To put this into perspective, almondmilk sales were up 16.9% to $1.59bn over the same 52-week period, while sales of relative newcomer oatmilk surged 219.3% to $264.1m, catapulting it into the #2 spot in the plant-based milk category behind almondmil