NEW TECH FOODS

2025 has been an exciting year for food innovation. From lab-grown meat and fermentation-based proteins to regenerative farming projects and changes in how meat is regulated, there’s been a lot happening behind the scenes of what we eat.

Here’s our round-up of the top 10 stories that shaped the new tech foods landscape this year – showing how science, sustainability and creativity are changing the way our food is made.

Regulatory changes in Canada clear cloned beef and pork for sale without labelling

Upcoming regulatory changes in Canada will allow meat from cloned animals to enter the Canadian food system without pre-market safety review or mandatory labelling.

According to documents from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), planned revisions to the country’s Novel Foods framework will remove cloned animals from the definition of “novel foods.” As a result, meat derived from cloned animals could be sold in Canada without undergoing a safety assessment or being identified on packaging.

The move stems from a policy review launched in 2023. Health Canada, working with the CFIA and Agriculture and Agri Food Canada, concluded that meat, milk and other foods from cloned cattle and swine are equivalent to conventionally raised meat and safe for consumption.

However, foods from cloned goats and sheep will still be treated as novel and must undergo full pre-market reviews.

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FrieslandCampina, Lidl and ReGeNL launch pilot for regenerative agriculture in the Netherlands

FrieslandCampina has initiated a three-year pilot project involving 30 dairy farms across the Netherlands, with financial backing from Lidl and support from the National Growth Fund Programme ReGeNL.

This collaboration aims to establish a framework for regenerative agriculture focused on enhancing soil health, biodiversity and creating a sustainable income model for dairy farmers.

The primary goal of the pilot is to develop an open-access standard for regenerative agriculture, focusing on measurable impacts on both ecological and economic fronts. The project will explore various regenerative practices, including herb-rich grasslands and rotational grazing, to assess their contributions to soil restoration and sustainable food production.

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Mini lab to grow precision-fermented proteins in space launches into orbit

A miniature laboratory containing yeast microbes, designed to produce proteins and other food ingredients in space, has been launched into Earth orbit in April.

The project aimed to assess whether yeasts can produce food as well as pharmaceuticals, fuel and bioplastics in the microgravity of space.

It involved collaboration between researchers at UK universities Imperial College London and Cranfield University, alongside space-tech companies Frontier Space and Atmos Space Cargo.

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BioCraft gets greenlight to sell cell-cultured ingredients in EU

BioCraft, a biotech company specialising in animal cell-cultured ingredients for the pet food market, has received approval from Austrian authorities to use Category 3 Animal Byproducts within the EU, enabling it to supply ingredients to EU pet food producers.

Its first cultured cell-based ingredient is made from mouse cells, a traditional prey for both cats and dogs. BioCraft creates an unstructured ingredient from these cultures that requires no additional downstream processing, offering a nutritional profile and consistency similar to the meat slurry commonly used by pet food producers.

There is currently no pre-market approval process in the EU for animal feed ingredients, alternative, novel or otherwise. Companies wishing to sell animal-based ingredients to pet food manufacturers must meet legal requirements to ensure that the feed ingredients are safe and become a registered user of animal byproducts in the EU.

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Millow commissions new fermentation facility to produce ‘beef-like’ protein from mycelium and oats

Swedish food-tech start-up Millow has commissioned its first large-scale dry-state fermentation factory, supported by the European Innovation Council, to produce its clean label protein made from oats and mycelium.

The company, headquartered in Gothenburg, received an initial €2.5 million grant from the European Innovation Council to build the facility, part of a €17.5 million blended finance package.

The 2,500-square-metre site – formerly a Lego production hall – aims to accelerate Millow’s innovation into industrial scale production. Once fully outfitted later this year, each production line at the factory will deliver up to 500kg of protein per day. The building also houses an advanced fermentation and food laboratory, supporting Millow’s research in mycelium science.

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Multus launches food-grade basal media for cultivated meat production

Multus Biotechnology, a producer of growth media solutions for the cultivated meat sector, has announced the launch of its new food-grade basal media, named DMEM/F12-FG.

This innovative product aims to address the unique challenges faced by the cultivated meat industry by providing a scalable and regulatory-compliant solution for cell growth.

The development of DMEM/F12-FG was achieved through collaborations with several global food and feed ingredient companies, which have helped to streamline the supply chain and ensure the formulation is suitable for large-scale production.

This initiative reflects a growing trend within the cellular agriculture sector to leverage partnerships for enhanced supply chain resilience and operational efficiency.

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Cellular Agriculture achieves milestone with world’s longest hollow fibre bioreactor runs

Cellular Agriculture has completed multiple runs of what it claims is the world’s longest hollow fibre bioreactor for any cell culture application, a breakthrough the company says underscores its platform’s robustness and scalability.

The UK-based company said the achievement highlights a different approach to scale than conventional systems, which often rely on increasing vessel size. Instead, Cellular Agriculture’s strategy centres on compact, modular bioreactors designed to deliver high performance within a smaller footprint.

According to the company, this modularity enables deployment in both centralised, large-scale facilities and decentralised local production sites. This flexibility, it said, allows producers to expand capacity based on demand without being constrained by existing infrastructure, making scalability “more accessible, flexible and efficient”.

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Research study unlocks new functional F&B potential through Xampla’s microencapsulation technology

A new peer-reviewed study has shown how bio-based materials start-up Xampla’s novel plant protein microcapsules protect fat-soluble active ingredients through simulated digestion, through to the intestinal phase.

The study, titled ‘Digestibility and enteric release achieved with microencapsulates made from emulsion-templated plant proteins,' has been published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Sustainable Food Technology.

Scientists deployed vitamin D2 as a test cargo in spray-dried plant protein encapsulates to demonstrate how fat-soluble ingredients in microscopically sized particles can be added to convenience foods and beverages.

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FoodYoung Labs acquires bee-free honey pioneer MeliBio

In May, Swiss food innovation company FoodYoung Labs acquired California-based MeliBio, the start-up behind what is claimed to be the world’s first plant-based honey, Mellody.

The strategic asset acquisition included MeliBio’s brand, first-generation technology and intellectual property, as FoodYoung Labs aimed to strengthen its position in sustainable and science-driven food innovation.

MeliBio launched Mellody using proprietary plant-based technology as an alternative to conventional honey, removing the need for honeybee involvement and addressing sustainability concerns in the apiculture industry.

The product gained early recognition through its debut at Eleven Madison Park, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, and has since expanded into mainstream retail, including Aldi.

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Cell AgriTech to open Singapore pilot plant for cultivated meat production

Earlier this year, Cell AgriTech said its new pilot plant in Singapore would be operational by August 2025, a target that is now four months past.

The facility was designed to support start-ups and cultivated meat companies through a contract manufacturing model that eliminates upfront capital and operational expenditure.

The site was intended to serve as both a production hub and a testing ground for cellular-agriculture technologies. Through monthly plans starting at SGD 10,000 (approx. $7.82), clients were to receive access to dedicated bioreactors, real-time remote monitoring, an on-site training space and office facilities.

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