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      <p>
        Eat Just, a California-based FoodTech startup developing plant-based alternatives, has issued a voluntary recall for JUST Egg Chopped Egg and Vegetable Spring Green product in five states (Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana, California, and Texas) following a potential health risk caused by listeria bacterium.
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      <p>
        The FDA has stated the recalled batches have tested negative for listeria so far. However, some shared ingredients have tested positive for the bacteria, which poses a serious risk for pregnant women and people over the age of 65 with weak immunity. Consumers have been asked to return or dispose of the mentioned products.
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Plant-based Dairy & Egg

Eat Just issues recall for JUST Egg in five states

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 <p>Plant-based dairy startup, Nobell Foods, has undergone a rebranding, now known as Alpine Bio. This change aligns with their goal of progressing biotechnical abilities and creating pioneering dairy-free products. Nobell Foods will now function as a division of Alpine Bio, focusing on the growth and creation of plant-based casein and additional ingredients.</p>
 <p>Alpine Bio recently secured their 10th US patent, which covers dairy food compositions made from plant-expressed recombinant casein proteins. This novel technique attempts to mimic conventional dairy products using plant systems, with an eye towards enhancing production efficiency and affordability. The company has also announced their plan to launch their animal-free mozzarella cheese by 2025.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Nobell Foods’ proprietary method allows it to recreate the genetic code of casein in soybean seeds and grow plants with the same dairy casein. This plant-derived casein is used to produce plant-based cheeses with similar stretch, melt, and mouthfeel as real cheese. The company plans to initially supply foodservice companies, focusing on pizza chains and retail channels.</p>

Nobell Foods rebrands as Alpine Bio; acquires 10th US patent

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 <p>Pleese Cheese, a vegan pizza cheese developer, has collaborated with Performance Food Group (PFG), a top US food distributor, to extend the reach of its vegan cheese across the country.</p>
 <p>Pleese Cheese plans to utilize PFG's wide distribution network, encompassing 150 hubs and 300,000 restaurants, thus touching a broader range of pizzerias and food service businesses.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> In <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/12225"> August 2022 </a> , Pleese Cheese partnered with online retailer Webstaurant Store for its first online retail launch. This new partnership will significantly boost its sales network, which, at present, includes 80+ retail and food service establishments.</p>

Pleese Cheese partners with Performance Food Group for national expansion

<div>
 <p>Finally Foods, an Israeli AgTech startup using AI for plant-based protein production, has received pre-seed funding from The Kitchen FoodTech Hub and the Israeli Innovation Authority.</p>
 <p>The gained funds will enhance the production of casein proteins for animal-free cheese utilizing an AI-driven plant molecular farming platform.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>Established in 2024, Finally Foods employs plant molecular technology developed by Evogene to transform potatoes into bioreactors for growing sustainable proteins. The firm's primary focus is on casein production for animal-free cheese, while sustainable milk and meat substitutes are planned for future development.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Potatoes, which may seem like an unlikely ingredient for animal-free protein production, have garnered interest recently in the sustainable proteins space, both in terms of an ingredient and a bioreactor for plant molecular farming. Animal-free dairy startup <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/1021629"> Veg of Lund </a> uses potatoes to develop dairy-free milk, while <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/2754595"> PoLoPo </a> uses metabolic engineering to convert potato plants into protein-producing micro-biofactories.</p>

Finally Foods secures pre-seed funding to enhance animal-free cheese production

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 <p>The Dutch startup Time-Travelling Milkman (TTM), which focuses on plant-based dairy fats, has garnered a funding of EUR 850,000 or approximately USD 920,274. This funding round was led by Alianza Team, and also included substantial contributions from Oost NL, Oterap, and SHIFT Invest.</p>
 <p>TTM plans on utilizing the acquired funds to considerably enhance the production capacity of its offerings, and to ensure the successful market launch of its product, Oleocream. Derived from sunflower seeds, this dairy cream substitute has the potential to replace commonly used substances such as palm and coconut oil in the manufacturing of plant-based dairy items.</p>
 <p>Having started in 2020, TTM applies a unique patented technique to create oleosomes, which are tiny fat globules, from sunflower seeds sourced in Europe. The enterprise’s flagship product, Oleocream, is marketed to be equivalent to conventional dairy cream, while also serving to augment the texture and creaminess of various plant-based dairy items.</p>
 
</div>

Time-Travelling Milkman raises EUR 850,000 in funding to scale production

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 <p>Finnish plant-based egg producer Onego Bio has successfully raised USD 40 million in its Series A funding round. The lead investor in this round is NordicNinja, with significant participation also coming from Tesi, EIT Food, Agronomics, Maki.vc, and Holdix and Turret, among others. In addition to the funds raised, Onego Bio has received USD 10 million in non-dilutive funding from Business Finland.</p>
 <p>The influx of new funding will be channelled into bolstering Onego Bio’s commercialization attempts in North America. This includes plans to scale production capacity and increase the size of its US commercial team. Furthermore, Onego Bio will also be partnering with co-manufacturers to accelerate its market entry process.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Onego Bio uses a combination of precision fermentation and cellular agriculture to develop Bioalbumen (animal-free egg protein). The company is on track to commercialize Bioalbumen in the US with self-affirmed GRAS status and a "no objections letter" from the FDA expected soon.</p>

Onego Bio raises USD 40 million in Series A funding to boost manufacturing and commercialization

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 <p>An Israeli agrifood startup, PoLoPo, has introduced SuperAA, a groundbreaking molecular farming platform that generates animal proteins within potato plants.</p>
 <p>The SuperAA platform, already operational at greenhouse scale, transforms potato plants into protein-making micro-biofactories through metabolic engineering. Its inaugural products will be ovalbumin and patanin, proteins advantageous in multiple Food Tech applications like concocting plant-based eggs and dairy alternatives.</p>
 <p>PoLoPo selected potatoes for this system due to their adaptability to various climates, low cultivation costs, rapid maturity, high yield, and long storage life. These traits facilitate easily scalable, economical, and eco-friendly operations.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Last year, PoLoPo raised USD 2.3 million in funding, including <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/17186"> USD 1.75 million </a> from a pre-seed round. The funds supported PoLoPo’s technology platform and expedited R&amp;D work, enabling prototypes within 18 months, including protein-rich potato tubers and ovalbumin functional samples.</p>

PoLoPo unveils molecular farming platform for protein production in potatoes

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 <p>The Swedish plant-based dairy company, Oatly, has teamed up with TOUS les JOURS, a widely-known bakery café chain. The partnership aims to supply oat milk in over 100 TOUS les JOURS locations throughout the US.</p>
 <p>Being part of the bakery's scheme to provide more plant-based alternatives, the move is expected to enhance variety and boost sustainability. As a symbol of the beginning of the partnership, TOUS les JOURS has launched two new beverages, Shakerato and Shaken Tea Latter, both of which are prepared with Oatly oat milk.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Over the last six months, Oatly has developed multiple foodservice partnerships in the US, expanding the availability of its products. In <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/24115"> November 2023 </a> , Oatly partnered with Insomnia Cookies to offer its oat milk at all 250+ outlets, followed by <a href="https:<br>
//vegconomist.com/company-news/oatly-expands-us-reach-nationwide-coffee-bean-tea-leaf/"> the rollout </a> of Oatly products at 180+ Coffee Bean and Tea Lead locations nationwide. Further, in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25808"> January 2024 </a> , it partnered with Carvel, a renowned ice cream chain, to introduce oat milk-based desserts in 300 Carvel stores across 18 states.</p>

Oatly partners with TOUS les JOURS to introduce oat milk-based beverages at 100+ outlets

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 <p>Imagindairy, an Israeli Food Tech company, has formed a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, a company specializing in cell programming and biosecurity, to develop and produce dairy proteins that do not require the use of animals or whey products. There is an economic focus for their production plan.</p>
 <p>This partnership will take place over multiple years and is partially sponsored by a shared grant from the Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. The collaboration will use Ginkgo’s protein expression services and Imagindairy's development skills at scaling up production processes. The aim is to develop optimized organisms that can cost-effectively produce non-whey dairy proteins.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Recently, Imagindairy <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25649"> acquired </a> industrial-scale production lines that can process over 100,000 liters of precision-fermented dairy proteins, with plans to triple this capacity over the next two years. This increased capacity will likely help to reduce production costs by providing economies of scale.</p>

Imagindairy partners with Ginkgo Bioworks to produce cost-effective, animal-free, non-whey dairy proteins

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 <p>Swiss supermarket Coop has collaborated with Kern Tec, a Dutch alternative dairy startup, and Emmi Group, a Swiss dairy manufacturer, to create a dairy-free milk alternative using apricot kernels. The idea behind this venture is to decrease both food waste and carbon emissions in the area by repurposing apricot kernels, usually a byproduct of fruit processing. The newly introduced milk alternative, branded as the Kernel Apricot Drink under Coop’s Karma, is advertised as free from gluten, lactose, and added sugars.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> In <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22138"> September 2023 </a> , Kern Tec raised EUR 12 million (~USD 12.7 million) in Series A funding for scaling up production and commercializing Kern Tec’s alternative dairy products. Following this, in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23805"> November 2023 </a> , it partnered with German dairy company Bauer to create the ZUM GLÜCK!, an alternative dairy range that includes milk, yogurt, and pudding products.</p>

Coop partners with Kern Tec and Emmi Group to develop dairy-free milk from apricot kernels

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 <p>Neggst, a German company that produces plant-based eggs, has announced the creation of two new products: Poached Neggst and Neggst Sunny Side Up. These innovative solutions are not yet on sale but are expected to be released in the market shortly.</p>
 <p>The Poached Neggst has a runny yolk and is perfect for breakfast meals and salads. The Neggst Sunny Side Up offers an alternative to traditional fried eggs, ideal for use in a variety of dishes such as avocado toast, English breakfasts, and burgers.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Neggst’s flagship alternative egg product is one of the few whole-egg alternatives in the sector featuring an outer shell similar to traditional eggs. <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/1995685"> Yo! Egg </a> , another company developing whole-egg alternatives, claims to be the first to develop plant-based fried and poached egg alternatives.</p>

All Updates