NEW TECH FOODS

PepsiCo has partnered with Griffith Foods and Milhão to launch a direct farmer incentive pilot programme promoting regenerative agriculture in Brazil’s Cerrado region, one of the world’s most biodiverse savannas and a key agricultural production area. The Cerrado produces around 60% of Brazil’s soybeans and significant volumes of corn, but the region faces increasing environmental pressure from deforestation, soil degradation and climate change. PepsiCo identifies the area as one of its highest-impact sourcing regions. The new programme will test a hybrid 'Payment for Practice and Payment for Outcomes' model, compensating farmers both for adopting regenerative methods – such as composting, biological inputs and reducing chemical fertiliser use – and for achieving measurable environmental improvements. Farmers will receive upfront payments to help cover the cost of sustainable inputs and performance-based bonuses for lowering agrochemical use over the growing season. According to PepsiCo, the initiative aims to remove one of the main barriers to adoption of regenerative farming: the financial risk farmers face when shifting away from conventional practices. “By providing direct economic incentives, we’re helping facilitate outcomes such as improved soil health, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and climate resilience,” said Thais Souza, sustainability lead at PepsiCo Brazil. The pilot will initially cover 7,000 acres, with plans to scale up to 30,000 acres – PepsiCo’s full corn sourcing volume in the region – within three years. The project is co-funded by PepsiCo and Griffith Foods, with additional contributions from Milhão, and represents a total investment expected to reach $1 million by the third year. Nicholas Costa, regional sustainability director at Griffith Foods Central and South America, said the collaboration reflects the company’s broader climate commitments: "This collaboration shows how science, innovation and shared purpose can turn ambition into a positive impact and help nourish both people and the planet". "By sharing costs and aligning on sustainability ambitions, PepsiCo, Griffith Foods and Milhão are demonstrating how competitors can work together pre-competitively with the aim of helping drive systemic change." JP Cavalcanti, senior director and market supply officer at PepsiCo Brazil Foods, added: “This is more than a pilot, it's a blueprint for efforts to transform agriculture in one of the world's most critical regions". The initiative aligns with PepsiCo’s Climate Resilience Platform, an open-access tool that supports agricultural stakeholders in mitigating climate impacts through region-specific, high-impact practices aimed at strengthening long-term supply and farming community resilience.

University College London (UCL) biochemical engineering student Ayaan Shah has presented research on edible hydrogel scaffolds for cultivated meat at the European Laidlaw Foundation Conference held at Durham University. Over the summer, Shah worked with Ben Dages and Petra Hanga at UCL Biochemical Engineering on designing and optimising edible scaffolds intended to give cultivated meat realistic structure. The team explored alginate–pectin hydrogel fibres crosslinked with calcium chloride (CaCl₂), using a Büchi cell encapsulator to fine-tune flow and nozzle parameters for controlling fibre morphology and alignment – key to guiding myoblast growth. The aim of the research was to develop food-safe, scalable scaffolds that could help improve the texture and structural integrity of cell-based meat. Shah presented the project across three days of poster sessions at the Laidlaw Foundation event, where his work was shortlisted for a Highly Commended Poster Award by the Taylor & Francis Group. Reflecting on the experience, Shah described the project as “one of the most fascinating (and occasionally chaotic) projects I’ve worked on so far,” adding that it offered “a real glimpse into the potential of cellular agriculture – a field that blends innovation, sustainability and ethics in a way few others can.” The Laidlaw Foundation programme supports undergraduate researchers across Europe through mentorship, leadership development and funding. Shah also credited the Foundation, UCL’s Laidlaw 2025 cohort, and mentors Hanga and Dages for fostering a “supportive and inspiring environment” throughout the research.

Almost four in ten UK consumers (38%) say they would support the development of chocolate made using precision fermentation – a process that uses engineered yeasts or microbes to produce cocoa fats, proteins and flavour compounds – according to new research commissioned by science marketing consultancy Diffusion. The study surveyed 2,005 UK adults aged 16 and above during summer 2025. It was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Diffusion. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society, the British Polling Council, and follows ESOMAR principles. The survey found that while 24% currently oppose the concept, the remainder were either supportive or undecided, suggesting growing openness to alternative production methods as concerns mount over cocoa supply sustainability. Rising costs drive interest in alternatives Developers of precision-fermented cocoa say the technology could help insulate chocolate production from volatile supply chains and environmental pressures. Global cocoa harvests have been hit by climate change, pests, and extreme weather, pushing up prices across the confectionery market. A 110g bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk that cost around £1.40 two years ago now sells for roughly £1.84 – a rise of about 30%. Some branded Easter eggs increased by as much as 50% in 2025 compared with last year, often while shrinking in size. The study says that precision fermentation operates much like brewing beer. Scientists introduce DNA instructions into yeast strains, teaching them to produce specific cocoa compounds during fermentation. Once the process is complete, the resulting fats or proteins are filtered and purified for use in chocolate and other applications. Although not yet approved for sale in the UK, companies across the globe are advancing this approach. Singapore-based Prefer is training microbes to generate chocolate-like flavour compounds, while France’s Terra Oleo is engineering yeast to produce fats that mimic cocoa butter. Support highest among younger consumers The survey found support strongest among younger adults and men. Nearly half of men (46%) back the concept, compared with 31% of women, while enthusiasm peaks at 55% among 25-34-year-olds. By contrast, fewer than three in ten respondents aged over 55 were in favour. Still, around four in ten people said they were neutral or undecided – highlighting limited public familiarity with precision fermentation and its potential role in food production. Ivana Farthing, science communication lead and UK managing director at Diffusion, said the findings show the need to keep an open mind about new food technologies as environmental and economic pressures mount. “Our love of chocolate is not waning, but the way we produce it may have to change," Farthing said. "We are already seeing declines to cocoa harvests that alongside exploding demand are driving up prices, and those trends are only going in one direction." "Precision fermentation has the potential to manufacture the key fats and flavours in our favourite confectionary without being at the mercy of climate change or requiring the increasing destruction of tropical forests to farm cocoa. If we want chocolate not to cost the earth, in all senses, we need to stay open minded about new technology."

Scottish food innovation company Kingdom Five has launched K5 Radical Protein, a new solid-state fermentation platform that grows whole-food mycoprotein using the edible filamentous fungus Neurospora. The K5 Radical process produces naturally structured, high-protein, high-fibre foods with an authentic meat-like texture and flavour, without the heavy processing or added binders typically used in many meat alternatives. Described as a 'grown not processed' innovation, the company’s approach enables the direct cultivation of mycoprotein into various formats such as sausages, fillets, nuggets and seafood-style products. The platform is designed to provide food manufacturers with a sustainable, scalable solution that responds to growing consumer demand for nutritious and minimally processed meat-free foods. “With K5 Radical, we can literally grow a meat-free sausage,” said Patrick Hickey, CEO and founder of Kingdom Five. “This technology lets us grow real food with texture and taste built in – which is not manufactured, but cultivated naturally.”

French cultivated food companies Gourmey and Vital Meat have merged to create Parima, a new entity focused on developing cell-based animal products including duck and chicken. The merger brings together Gourmey’s cultivated duck platform and Vital Meat’s poultry cell-line technology, which stems from nearly 25 years of avian cell research at Groupe Grimaud. Together, the companies aim to scale production of animal protein directly from cells for use in food and nutrition. Parima will integrate Gourmey’s industrial operations – where production costs for cultivated duck have been verified below €7 per kilogram – with Vital Meat’s 2,000-litre bioreactor facility and research infrastructure in Nantes. The company inherits Gourmey’s regulatory leadership, including nine ongoing filings under the EU’s Novel Food framework and in other global markets, covering both duck and chicken. Parima holds more than 15 patent families and around 70 patent applications, giving it one of the larger intellectual property portfolios in Europe’s cultivated food sector. Gourmey will continue as Parima's culinary and innovation arm, while the new group focuses on scaling production and expanding into additional species and market segments. Nicolas Morin-Forest, CEO of Parima, said: “This is the right moment for consolidation and scale. We’ve proven economic viability and are now expanding across species. By uniting two pioneering teams, we’re strengthening Europe’s ability to lead the global shift toward efficient and sustainable animal production through innovation, complementing existing methods and building more resilient value chains.” Etienne Duthoit, founder of Vital Meat, commented: “Joining forces enables us to reach the critical mass needed to serve global, multi-channel markets, from premium foodservice to large-scale B2B ingredients. By bringing together world-class teams in cell line development, bioprocessing and food science, we are accelerating our path to profitability and unlocking powerful drivers of innovation and growth." Frédéric Grimaud, CEO of Groupe Grimaud, added: “Vital Meat’s technology, built on our decades of expertise in animal genetics and bioproduction, is strengthened through its integration into Parima. This partnership brings together the technical depth and production economics to make cultivated poultry commercially viable.”

Nutriearth has opened its first commercial manufacturing facility in Carvin, France, for the production of natural vitamin D3 made from edible insects. The site was developed following a €7.45 million fundraising round and brings together 'R&D, quality and production operations' under pharmaceutical-grade standards. It features cleanroom operations and separate production lines for Nutriearth’s oil and powder product formats. The facility produces vitamin D3 from Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) using a patented process that mimics the body’s natural vitamin D synthesis. The company’s Nutra-oil is approved for use in supplements and functional foods in North America, while its N-utra flour was authorised by the European Commission in February 2025 for use in food applications such as bakery, pasta and snacks. According to Nutriearth, the Carvin site will provide a local, sustainable supply of vitamin D3, reducing Europe’s reliance on imports from China and India, which account for most of the global market. The facility has capacity to supply the vitamin D3 needs of around 50 million people and will serve customers in human nutrition, nutraceuticals, pet food and animal feed. Nutriearth’s vitamin D3 is absorbed up to three times better than lanolin-derived versions and twice as well as lichen-based alternatives, according to company data. A life cycle assessment found the process generates 76.8% lower greenhouse gas emissions and has an eightfold lower overall environmental impact compared to conventional vitamin D3. The project was supported by investors and partners including Demeter Investment Managers, Captech Santé, Rev3 Capital, Nord Capital, Nord France Amorçage and Bpifrance.

Roquette, a player in plant-based ingredients, has launched Amysta L 123, a thermally soluble pea starch that promises to reshape the landscape of clean label products. This innovative ingredient is the first in Roquette's new Amysta range, designed specifically to meet the growing consumer demand for transparency and simplicity in food labelling. The introduction of Amysta L 123 comes at a time when scrutiny over ingredient transparency and traceability is intensifying. According to recent data, nearly one-third of new food and beverage products globally are marketed as clean label, with over 75% of consumers indicating that brand transparency significantly influences their purchasing decisions. Roquette's latest offering aims to address these market trends by providing manufacturers with an ingredient that not only simplifies ingredient lists but also enhances consumer trust. Developed through a patented, enzyme- and chemical-free process, Amysta L 123 delivers exceptional texturising performance while maintaining label-friendliness. Unlike traditional native starches, which often face solubility challenges, this new pea starch boasts low viscosity, smooth mouthfeel and excellent dispersibility, making it suitable for a variety of applications, including ready-to-mix beverages, soups, sauces and condiments. Damien-Pierre Lesot, head of Roquette’s innovation and product marketing for food and nutrition, said: “Amysta L 123 marks the beginning of a new journey in label-friendly starch innovation. By combining a trusted ingredient source with a patented, chemical-free process, we enable our partners to create foods that align with consumer expectations for simplicity, transparency and functionality.” Roquette's introduction of Amysta L 123 not only reflects its commitment to innovation but also its dedication to partnering with food manufacturers to overcome formulation challenges. The starch's natural flowability allows for easy handling and precise dosing in powdered formulations, enhancing process efficiency and product consistency. Furthermore, in the EU, it can be labelled as 'soluble pea starch,' while in the US, it is simply 'pea starch,' aligning with consumer preferences for clear and familiar ingredient labels.

Japanese food manufacturer Ajinomoto has expanded its Solein-powered product line with the launch of a new ready-to-drink coffee under its sustainable brand Atlr.72. The new product, Atlr.72 GRe:en Drop Coffee, is a dairy-free iced latte that blends traditional coffee with 'beanless' coffee made from rice and chickpeas. The drink uses Solein, a protein ingredient developed by Finnish foodtech company Solar Foods, to provide a creamy texture without dairy. According to Ajinomoto, the blend – composed of 70% coffee and 30% beanless coffee – reduces carbon emissions by around 25% compared with conventional coffee production. GRe:en Drop Coffee is available for a limited preview in Singapore Solar Foods’ chief sales officer Juan Benitez Garcia said the collaboration with Ajinomoto, which began in 2023, highlights Solein’s versatility across product categories. "The Atlr.72 products showcase Solein’s versatility from replacing dairy or egg yolk to being a nutritious protein ingredient. Solein brings superior nutritional values, taste and functionality, with minimal environmental impact." The launch follows earlier Solein-based products under the Atlr.72 brand, including Flowering Mooncakes and Ice Cream Sandwiches introduced in 2024, and Flowering Ice Cream , which debuted earlier this year. Ajinomoto plans to expand the range beyond desserts and beverages into everyday meals.

Symrise has announced a strategic equity investment in Cellibre, a US-based biotechnology company focused on sustainable biomanufacturing. Founded in 2017, Cellibre engineers microorganisms to produce cultured natural products and specialuty chemicals used across pharmaceuticals, beauty and functional health sectors. The partnership aims to accelerate Symrise’s innovation in fermentation-derived ingredients for use in taste solutions, cosmetics and other applications. Through the investment, Symrise will gain preferred access to Cellibre’s proprietary fermentation platform, designed to enable scalable and consistent production of high-value ingredients across the food, beverage, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries. The collaboration is expected to strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce reliance on seasonal or agricultural sourcing. Imke Meyer, project lead for biotechnology at Symrise, said: "This investment accelerates our biotechnology roadmap and strengthens our ability to deliver sustainable, high-quality solutions to our customers. Together with Cellibre, we will combine scientific expertise with application know-how and market reach to unlock new growth opportunities." Ben Chiarelli, CEO of Cellibre, said: "Since 2017, we have been led by the belief that biology is the future of manufacturing and we are committed to creating more resilient supply chains, delivering products that are lower cost and higher quality while limiting the impact on natural ecosystems". "This partnership represents another external validation of our approach, technology and team, and will leverage the Symrise team’s global market access and deep expertise in flavours, fragrances and cosmetics – creating powerful synergies for both companies."

French food-tech company Nutropy has raised €7 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round to advance the industrialisation of its animal-free dairy proteins, produced through precision fermentation. The round was co-led by Big Pi Ventures and Zero Carbon Capital, with participation from existing backer Big Idea Ventures and several new investors, including Beta Lab, Wyngate, Desai Ventures, PVS Investments and Novax, the growth investment arm of Sweden’s Axel Johnson group. Public financial support was also provided through European and French programmes, notably Bpifrance. Based in Genopole, France’s leading biocluster, Nutropy develops caseins identical to those found in cow’s milk, enabling manufacturers to produce cheese and dairy products without animal inputs. Its 'plug-and-play' powdered dairy ingredients, including a cheeseable milk formulation, aim to help food producers reduce environmental impact while maintaining taste, texture and nutrition. The precision-fermented dairy protein market is expected to play an increasing role in addressing supply-chain constraints and rising global demand. The conventional dairy industry, valued at over €900 billion, faces growing sustainability pressures and a projected $75 billion milk production shortfall by 2030. The company plans to use the new capital to scale up casein production, expand its product portfolio, and target markets across Europe, North America and Asia. Nathalie Rolland, Nutropy’s CEO, said: “Our ambition is clear: to offer plug and play solutions to support the food industry's transition to a more sustainable system, while meeting consumers' taste and nutritional requirements”. Sarah Jones, principal at Zero Carbon Capital, commented: "Cheese has a carbon footprint second only to beef and lamb. And for too long animal-free cheese has meant compromising on taste. Nutropy ends that. The company produces caseins by fermentation and functionalises them to produce animal-free cheeses as good as the originals. We are excited to back the team that will bring you your favourite cheese without the carbon emissions." Guy Krief, partner at Big Pi Ventures, added: "Nutropy is unlocking the next generation of sustainable dairy by combining cutting-edge precision fermentation with deep food science expertise. Its technology addresses both climate imperatives and consumer demand for authentic, animal-free cheese. We’re proud to support Nathalie, Maya, and the Nutropy team as they scale a transformative solution for the global dairy industry."

Upcycled Plant Power, a UK food-tech company creating sustainable protein products from previously wasted broccoli crops, has received £3.5 million in a recent investment round. Upcycled Plant Power (UPP) provides hypoallergenic, plant-based protein and fibre ingredients for food manufacturers seeking to decarbonise their products. Applications for the ingredients range from plant-based meat alternatives to soups and sauces, baked goods, and pet food. By pairing automated broccoli harvesting with the upcycling of 70% of the plant typically discarded, UPP transforms a high-waste crop into a dual-revenue system that can cut Scope 3 emissions and support UK food security and nutrition goals. Participants in the investment round include climate-focused investment firm Elbow Beach, which contributed £1.5 million. The start-up also received £500,000 in government grants supporting UPP through to first revenues. The funding will support the scaling of UPP’s self-powered robotic harvesting system, Harvesta, which identifies market-ready broccoli heads in real time. It will also support launches of UPP’s Prota (protein) and Fiba (fibre) ingredients to the UK market. UPP’s 2025 Harvesta mode, trialled successfully in Lincolnshire and Scotland, can harvest three rows simultaneously at up to 5 km per hour. This aims to transform the harvest economics of a crop that is typically picked manually, while accelerating the supply of side-stream material UPP uses in its patent-filed food ingredient production process. Mark Evans, CEO of UPP, said: “UPP is redefining how we produce plant protein, using under-utilised parts from the crops we already grow, without requiring additional land, water or emissions”. “Our technology turns what was once waste into a cost-effective, nutritious, hypoallergenic food ingredient, directly supporting farmers, manufacturers and the planet.”

The Bezos Earth Fund is investing $30 million in projects focused on using AI to protect the planet, including more than $2 million on projects to support sustainable protein development. The broader $30 million investment – made as part of the Fund’s AI for Climate and Nature Grand Challenge – aims to enable the scale of real-world AI solutions that tackle environmental issues such as biodiversity loss, climate change and food insecurity. Food System Innovations (FSI), a US-based philanthropic platform investing in a sustainable future for food, is among 15 global teams selected to receive grants. The award will support a collaboration between FSI, its non-profit sensory programme Nectar, and computer scientists at Stanford University in California. The team is developing algorithms that predict sensory attributes and optimise ingredient formulations for sustainable proteins. Using a combination of Nectar’s sensory data and molecular flavour databases, the team will build an AI model that connects molecular structure, flavour, texture and consumer preference. This aims to accelerate sustainable protein product development and market penetration. Anna Thomas, the project’s technical lead and co-principal investigator, said: “Our early research shows that large language models can help revise formulations based on sensory feedback. With this grant, we can deliver actionable insights that improve taste and speed the protein transition.” The AI Grand Challenge is a $100 million initiative, first launched in 2024. This new round builds on the success of Phase I, announced in May, which funded early-stage concepts demonstrating AI’s potential to accelerate environmental progress. Other food-focused Phase II awardees announced include Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands, for a project to apply neural networks to speed up cultivated meat production; and University of Leeds, in the UK, where researchers are building an AI platform to convert food waste into microbial protein. Over the next few years, the awardees will test, refine and evaluate the impact of their approaches, sharing insights and results as their projects progress. Amen Ra Mashariki, director of AI at the Bezos Earth Fund, said: “At the Bezos Earth Fund, we’re focused on making AI work for the environment – not the other way around”. “These projects show how AI, when developed responsibly and guided by science, can strengthen environmental action, support communities and ensure its overall impact on the planet is net positive.”