Morning Folks,

I'm in Copenhagen for Bridge2Food Europe, and I'm loving it*. Gorgeous weather (17-20 C, no humidity!), days that don’t end (it gets dark at 11 pm), cycling (definitely the best and most affordable way to get around the city), friendly people (not to mention so tall!) and fabulous food (the sweetest strawberries and tomatoes I have tasted in years, and this was during a conference coffee break!).

The conference is excellent, with high-quality programming. Yesterday, I spent the day at the Novonesis innovation center outside of the city with 250 people for the technical workshop part of the conference. We got an inside look at what some of Europe’s leading Big Food R&D teams are concocting (think ADM, Lesaffre, Roquette, CJ Bio, etc): lots of clean-label fermentation-based umami ingredients and off-taste-masking additives- all aimed at making plant-based products better.

But never mind that- let me tell you about the staff canteen where we got to have lunch. For only 4 euros a day, Novonesis employees get to enjoy a freshly made lunch buffet that feels like a corporate cafeteria Noma offshoot. Platters brimming with rainbow colored farm produce and trays of wholesome grains and beans, all artfully and freshly prepared. All delicious. The food future of my dreams is this canteen lunch executed at scale.

Today was Day 1 of the actual conference itself, where around 600 food industry insiders came together (mostly from across Europe). I gave a keynote on the global politicization of food (subtitle: a plant-based meat post-mortem), which was a little nerve-wracking because it was quite controversial, but it seems it was well received (I was especially delighted when an audience member called it a 'symphony’ for her ears!). I found that many folks in the audience were really open and willing to reckon with some of the bigger issues in the space, many of which I have addressed in these introductory notes. Topics I touched upon: the plant-based meat backlash, the UPF paradox, where nudge theory went wrong, how we lost the narrative, the industry’s media deficit, the price paradox and much more. A few people have asked for my notes, so I may publish the entire talk online; let’s see.

I also joined a panel on ‘Information Integrity and the Science of Consumer Trust’ with behavioral scientist Dr. Sophie Attwood, Amy Williams of GFI Europe, and Marlana Malerich of Rooted Research Collective, during which we discussed the rise of misinformation and disinformation and its consequences for the plant-based meat space. I spoke about the fragmentation and digitalization of media over the past two decades and how this has transformed how consumers get food information and who they trust (not necessarily for the good).

The day ended with a startup pitch competition, and would you believe it…the AI startup won! Congrats to Differential Bio, which uses AI to optimize fermentation processes.

It’s been a packed few days: I’ve had fascinating conversations, listened to some fantastic speakers, tasted many future food solutions…I have so many thoughts, but I am also jetlagged and beyond exhausted, so I will share my takeaways from the event next week!

-Sonalie

*On the surface, Copenhagen seems like it would not have much in common with my hometown of Hong Kong, but there are two ways in which I found it to be very similar: 1) It's got excellent public transport. The airport train to the city center is only 13 minutes. 2)It feels very safe, especially as a solo female traveler.

 ✅ Must-Read Headlines

🍠 A team at Appalachian State University has received a $1.82 million grant to develop plant-based milk and dairy products from surplus sweet potatoes grown in North Carolina.
💡The product is currently in the proof-of-concept stage and aims to be market-ready within two years. 

🌿 US startup Ayana Bio and Israeli fermentation specialist Brevel have received $1.25 million from a binational fund to scale plant cell culture tech using illuminated fermentation to produce bioactive ingredients.
💡The project is designed to address one of the most pressing challenges facing the food and wellness industries: the instability of traditional botanical supply chains.

🍃 Japanese dairy major Lacto Japan made a strategic investment in New Zealand-based Rubisco protein startup Leaft Foods.
💡The investment builds on the companies’ ongoing collaboration to supply Leaft Foods’ sustainable protein to some of Japan’s largest food manufacturers and to generate revenues worth tens of millions of dollars within five years.

🥳 Popular meatless restaurant chain Clover Food Lab has reopened five locations following an 11th-hour deal with an investor, days after it closed its doors.
💡Public outcry about the closure led to the deal with an investor who was “motivated by the strength of the brand and the differentiation of our locally sourced menu”.

👨🏻‍🌾 RespectFarms officially inaugurated the world’s first cultivated meat farm, which is built on an existing dairy farm operation and features an experience centre.
💡The scale-out model championed by this project introduces advanced agritech to farms, supporting innovation, income diversification, and locally rooted food production.

👩🏻‍🔬 New Tech & Research

☕️ Working with the Ivory Coast’s Centre National de Recherche Agronomique, Swiss food giant Nestlé has developed six new robusta coffee varieties that are resistant to climate change and can nearly double yields.
💡Its research shows that planting a mix of these robusta crops can amplify yields by up to 86%, using the same inputs as the commonly used variety of the species.

🫏 Nestlé has also filed a patent application for producing precision-fermented donkey beta-lactoglobulin protein to cater to infants and adults with cow’s milk allergies.
💡Nestlé noted that donkey milk BLG has “no or very limited” potential to induce allergic reactions, and that its recombinant version is also lactose-free, opening it up to a significant market worldwide.

🧁 British ingredient giant Tate & Lyle has expanded its plant cell culture partnership with BioHarvest Sciences to include multiple plant-based sweetener molecules.
💡As health-conscious consumers continue to cut their sugar intake, especially when using GLP-1 medications, alternatives offer a major opportunity.

🌱 New on the (Plant-Based) Shelves

🍗 Austria’s Revo Foods has introduced a mycelium chicken fillet made from its 3D-printing tech in three European markets. Here’s why it’s not an alternative.

🥣 Swedish startup Livoo unveiled Eco-Oatup, a new protein- and fibre-rich ingredient derived from the pulp left over from oat milk production.

🍜 Danone-owned plant-based nutrition brand Huel debuted a line of instant ramen that delivers 25g of protein and solves the texture problems of its Hot and Savoury range.

🍄‍🟫 UK plant-based brand This relaunched its This is Super Superfood line of whole-food proteins with a new name and packaging design centred on mushrooms.

🚀 Everything Else In Future Food

☕️ Italian coffee giant Lavazza has brought Tablì, its 100% coffee tabs that ditch plastic, wrappings and coatings altogether, to the US market.

📈 Sales of plant-based meat and dairy in Europe were up by 3.3% in 2025, according to new research by the Good Food Institute. This is what drove the increase.

🌱 A new report published by the Plant Based Foods Association and Plant Based Foods Institute shows that three in five homes in the US bought plant-based food in 2025. Here’s how they spent their money.

📉 Cultivated meat startup Aleph Farms has reduced some roles from its Israel operations as part of its outsourcing-based production model, calling it the “right move” in the current landscape.

🌱🍔  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 Slutty Vegan’s new locations, Subway’s plant-based pork, and India’s vegan labelling mandate.

📆 Scene & Heard

🚀 Is Your Product the Future of Pet Nutrition?

🐶 Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare, in collaboration with AAK, Bühler, Givaudan, and Ingredion, have launched the 3rd edition of the Next Generation Pet Food Program. This year’s program will place a stronger focus on the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting APAC’s growing importance as a hub for sustainable food innovation, ingredient development, and pet nutrition. Applications close soon; find out more here.

🇬🇧 Future Food-Tech connects 500+ leaders from global food brands, forward-thinking ingredient providers, pioneering start-ups, and visionary investor funds. Join senior decision-makers in London on September 24th-25th to learn about breakthrough technologies, sector shaping strategies, and tackle the challenges in creating foods that are nutritious, accessible, and climate-smart. Sign up here.

🇸🇪 This year, The Drop is happening in Malmö, Sweden on 15th-16th September. It’s focused on four themes: infrastructure, labour, nature, and geopolitics. Learn more here.