🇬🇧 UK FSA Bags £1.6M To Fast-Track Cultivated Meat Approval

The UK government has awarded £1.6 million to the Food Standards Agency to create a ‘sandbox’ to fast-track cultivated meat approval.

• The concept is to “support innovation through safety” by speeding up the timeline and lowering the costs related to regulatory clearance.

• The cultivated meat sandbox, a first for Europe, would provide pre-application support to startups, expand the safety and nutritional knowledge of novel foods, and reduce approval timelines, all while maintaining safety standards.

• In a parallel effort, the government has also created a Regulatory Innovation Office to reduce the burden of red tape and accelerate public access to new technologies.

• The FSA is also pressing ahead with plans to set up a system of international cooperation, which would see the UK greenlight cultivated meat products that have been approved by other countries.

• This landmark move could help the UK on its path to being a global leader in the future of food - learn more here.

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📈 Must-Read Headlines

🐶 Lewis Hamilton made a second investment in plant-based pet food startup Bramble to raise awareness about vegan diets’ impact on dog health.
💡Each of Bramble’s products exceeds the complete and balanced diet standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.

🍫UK startup Nukoko secured investment from German food manufacturing specialist Döhler to scale up its bean-to-bar cocoa-free chocolate, ahead of a planned market launch in 2025.
💡Nukoko uses fermentation processes to transform fava beans, of which the UK harvests 740 tonnes annually, into cocoa-free chocolate.

🧫Singaporean cultivated seafood company Umami Bioworks is partnering with biotech firm KCell Biosciences and bioprocess solutions provider WSG to set up a production line and path to market entry in South Korea.
💡The consortium, which will ensure an efficient and scalable solution for cultivated seafood, will also serve as a model for future partnerships across Asia.

💰Vegan chicken startup Simulate, famous for its plant-based Nuggs, has been acquired by Ahimsa Companies to get the business back on track after a period of uncertainty.
💡Having already raised $57 million, Simulate chose to find a buyer rather than try and secure more money in an increasingly difficult funding environment for plant-based meat companies.

🇫🇷 Hot Topic - Ooh la la, La France

🥓 Parisian plant-based meat startup La Vie raised €25 million following sales that have grown by 192% in the last 12 months, and announced the launch of its vegan meatballs, which will be available in major retailers across France at the end of the month.

🌱 McDonald’s France is launching vegan nuggets made from Beyond Meat, marking its first plant-based option, and will sell them at the same price as conventional chicken.

🏷️ The European Court of Justice has rejected France’s proposed ‘veggie burger’ labelling ban, allowing plant-based food producers to continue using meat-like terms on their packaging. Here’s what happens next.

🧫 Everything Else In Future Food

🏭 Revo Foods has opened what it says is the world’s largest factory dedicated to 3D-printed food, capable of producing up to 60 tonnes of product a month, and will roll out an updated whole-cut mycelium salmon fillet as the facility’s first product.

🍔 Plant-based meat leader Impossible Foods has rolled out three new products to appeal to families looking for convenient vegan options, including Disney-themed nuggets and pre-seasoned beef mince.

🧖‍♀️ British cosmetics manufacturer THG Labs has partnered with Clean Food Group to develop beauty and personal care products with eco-friendly oils made from food waste.

🍝 Spanish plant-based pioneer Heura is expanding its technology to offer nutrient-dense cold cuts, cheese, and pasta, in a bid to move past the ultra-processed food label. Want to know more about UPFs? Here’s our complete FAQ guide.

📊 A group of food businesses, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Aldi, M&S, Nestlé, Innocent Drinks, Yoplait, Princes, and Yo! Sushi, have called for it to be mandatory for food producers in the UK to disclose how much goes to waste.

📈A new survey from Bain & Co shows that consumer concern about the climate crisis has escalated since 2022, but half of the world finds sustainable living expensive. Here’s how brands can help.

🧀 Miyoko Schinner, a pioneer of the plant-based dairy space, is set to teach a homemade plant-based cheese masterclass via online learning platform Meet The Vegans.

🌱🍔  Future Food Quick Bites 

In our weekly column, Future Food Quick Bites, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a coconut-based infant formula, Marriott Hotels’s food waste driven, and a US government tool for regulatory help.

📆 Scene & Heard

Don’t miss Plant Based World Expo next month!

🇬🇧 Keep your knowledge on everything plant-based fresh at Plant Based World Expo, the must-attend 100% plant-based trade event. Designed with retail and foodservice professionals in mind, it includes three theatres of educational content, as well as a world-class exhibition featuring plant-based products and solutions from around the world. Taking place under one roof for two days at ExCeL London on 13-14th November 2024. Attend for free by registering today!

🇨🇭 If you are a startup or a scaleup with proven solutions or technologies in the areas of Sustainable Food & Feed Solutions, Sustainable Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Sustainable Packaging & Materials, AgTech, and Side streams valorization, then the MassChallenge Switzerland Sustainable Food Solutions Challenge 2025 is the challenge for YOU! Apply here.

🏆 If your company has what it takes to be recognised among the industry's finest, now is the time to take action! Don't miss your chance to secure a spot on the official Forward Fooding 2024 FoodTech 500 list. Submit your application today.

Green Queen Deep Dive Content Series: 

• Blended Meats Are Here 

• Meat Misinformation Deep Dive

• Ozempic & the GLP-1 Revolution

• Policy Matters: Regulating Future Food Innovation

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