NEW TECH FOODS

Irina Gerry, former chief marketing officer at Change Foods and chair of the Precision Fermentation Alliance, has passed away aged 44.

Oxford University spinout Wild Bio has secured $60 million in Series A funding to advance its AI-powered precision breeding platform.

Copenhagen restaurant Noma has announced a partnership with bio-solutions company Novonesis to explore how biology can be used to create new flavours, ingredients and sustainable food products.

PepsiCo has initiated a long-term partnership with Soil Capital to promote regenerative agriculture practices among farmers in its European supply chain, specifically targeting rapeseed oil production in the UK, France and Belgium.

A new report from EIT Food’s Consumer Observatory has found that while European consumers recognise biotechnology’s potential to address major food system challenges, concerns persist over fairness, safety and its impact on traditional farming.

EIT Food has awarded a total of €600,000 in Tech Validation Funding to 18 start-ups across Europe, supporting early-stage AgriFoodTech innovators in validating their technologies and preparing for market entry.

Danish food-tech start-up Matr Foods has completed a €40 million fundraise to scale up the production of its organic, fermented plant-based meat alternatives.

French biotech firm Standing Ovation has partnered with the Bel Group to achieve the first industrial-scale production of caseins derived from dairy serums through precision fermentation.