Eat well Company

Vancouver-Based Eat Well To Acquire Majority Stake at Amara Organic Foods

Eat Well Group to Acquire Majority Stake in Plant-Based Baby Food Company, Amara

Eat Well Investment Group Inc. announces its agreement to definitive terms to acquire a preferred equity position in PataFoods, Inc. dba Amara Organic Foods (“Amara”), a fast-growing North American plant-based baby food brand, with an option to acquire an additional 29% of the shares of Amara at a USD$100,000,000 valuation. Pursuant to the agreement signed October 27, 2021, closing is expected to occur on or about November 2, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Eat well Group
Marc Aneed

Amara represents an integral component of Eat Well Group's strategic business plan, bolstering the Company's complete vertical integration strategy by focusing on top-tier and proven CPG products that consumers love. Amara's focus on improving infant nutrition through innovative organic products will help establish Eat Well Group as a leader in plant-based CPG products and offerings. Consumer decisions continue to drive disruption in the legacy dairy industry, and Jessica Sturzenegger and her team at Amara are at the forefront. Amara's leadership team are among the very best of purpose-driven pioneers who bring together plant-based innovation, brand passion, and operating drive,” stated, Marc Aneed, President, Eat Well Group. “Amara has proven an impressive ability to scale through retail distribution and eCommerce excellence, and the funding and industry expertise provided by the Eat Well Group will help accelerate Amara's growth as we head into calendar 2022.”

Amara's focus on improving infant nutrition through innovative organic products will help establish Eat Well Group as a leader in plant-based CPG products and offerings

About Amara

Eat Well GroupAmara is a food technology company that uses science and proprietary IP that locks in taste and texture to make healthy, organic, non-GMO, plant-based, convenient baby and children’s food possible for modern-day families. From baby food to toddler food and beyond, Amara is driven by the belief that setting kids on the right path from a young age will help them live better, feel better and think better for the rest of their lives.

Amara first disrupted the baby food market in 2017, supporting the demand from parents for fresh, nutrient-rich, low-sugar baby food that was minimally processed and shelf-stable. Amara's baby food is one of the most unique product lines that can deliver the benefits of fresh, with the convenience and scale of shelf-stable. The baby blend line is designed to mix with breast milk, formula, or water for a gentle transition to starting solids.

Amara's new snack line continues to deliver on the promise of fresh tastes and texture with no added sugar or long ingredient lists. Like their major snack line, the 100% organic whole fruit and vegetable blend baby meals use the natural properties available in the fruits and vegetables, without additives and concentrated sugars.

Amara is sold throughout major North American retailers, including Whole Foods, Costco, Amazon, and Walmart Canada.

Source: Business News Wire

organic snack food market

Organic Snack Food Global Market to be $20.53 billion by 2025

Organic Snack Food Industry Makes Healthier Snack Launches To Meet Consumer Wants, says Business Research Company, releases Organic Snack Food Global Market Report 2021

organic snack food market
Organic Snack Food Global Market Report 2021 - COVID-19 Growth And Change

Many food manufacturing companies had stalled their operations during the pandemic. Post pandemic as the world walked towards unlock, the companies began to resume operations and began to adapt to the new normal, which includes moving towards reduction of artificial colours and healthier ingredients and adapting healthier processes. More and more companies are launching healthy and clean snacks with nutrition as a focus.

According to the latest ‘The Business Research Company’s Organic Snack Food Global Market Report 2021 - COVID-19 Growth And Change’. The global organic snack food market size is expected to grow from $10.81 billion in 2020 to $12.41 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8%. The market is expected to reach $20.53 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 13%.

In the US at least 11 companies including Chipotle, Kraft, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Subway removed the usage of artificial colours and flavours in 2018 itself. Further government regulations removed six of the ingredients from FDA’s approved list, which included ethyl acrylate, benzophenone, myrcene, pulegone, eugenyl methyl ether, and pyridine. These factors are expected to influence the boost of the organic snack food market during the forecast period (2019 to 2023).

The growth in the spending capacity of the end-users coupled with the growing health consciousness among the people and rising consumption of organic foods to avoid harmful side effects of conventional snacks is yet another reason for the trend. The latter are also being avoided as they increase calorie content, obesity, and have less nutritional benefits.

The increasing spending capacity of people, especially in developing countries including India and China is also contributing to higher demand for organic snack food manufacturing over the forecast period

The increasing spending capacity of people, especially in developing countries including India and China is also contributing to higher demand for organic snack food manufacturing over the forecast period. According to Trading Economics, consumer spending in India increased to 17962.90 INR Billion in the third quarter of 2020 from 14611.64 INR Billion in the second quarter of 2020. Therefore, increasing consumer spending is predicted to generate higher demand for organic snack food in the coming years.

TBRC’s global organic snack food market report is segmented by product type into fruit snacks & dried fruit snacks, puffs & chips, energy bar, meat snacks, others, by sales channel into hypermarkets and supermarkets, online retailers, food and drink specialists stores, convenience stores, by age group into millennial, generation x, baby boomers

Major players covered in the global organic snack food industry are Sprout, My Super Foods, Clif Bar & Company, Annies Homegrown Inc, NurturMe, Navitas Organics, YummyEarth, Inc., Utz Quality Food, LLC, Eat Real, Creative Snacks Co., Hain Celestial, AMCON, Amy's Kitchen, Clif Bar and Company.

.Source: EIN News

Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine

Looking East towards Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine

The monks and nuns from Buddhist monasteries pray to Lord Buddha, and follow the path of abstinence, simplicity and sustenance – the guiding philosophy of the new wave of eaters

As the world is looking more and more towards plant based food, vegetarianism and veganism; the need to rediscover and reinvent recipes is getting to be as much more necessary. The balance of ingredients, retaining the nutritious elements in the dish and above all using local flavours and ingredients grown naturally, a sustainable method in addition to the food being familiar to the palate, are key to this quest. One of the ways to do this is look towards eastern cultures where vegetarianism is a big part of life. Many of these culinary traditions are about seasonal produce, and packing in nutrition and goodness based on ancient knowledge of health through food we eat.

One such very important culinary tradition is found in the Buddhist monasteries across the world. The monks and nuns from these monasteries pray to Lord Buddha, and follow the path of abstinence, simplicity and sustenance – the guiding philosophy of the new wave. And many Buddhist monks, especially those following the Mahayana and Theravada traditions, follow vegetarianism and even Veganism to a certain extent. Interestingly, the food traditions while being simple are distinct in their influences, and they use locally available ingredients, seasonal produce. Climate is another major factor influencing the food habits.

Buddhist Vegetarian CuisineChef Pablo Narajo Agular was in India for a food show on NatGeo ‘Gourmet Goes Tribal’ in the year 2019. One can still watch it on the OTT platform Disney Hotstar, India. He goes on a trip to North East India discovering the tribes and their unique dishes. One of the episodes shows him visiting the largest living Buddhist monastery in the world – Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. A region that has mixed food influences with Tibet on one side, Burma, and Myanmar on the other. Lamas from the monastery cooked for the Columbian-Brazilian chef. Thenthuk – pulled noodle soup / broth made using wheat dough, onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, mustard leaves seasoned with salt – an extremely simple yet robust preparation was served to him. Thenthuk and the Thukpa are widely popular in Tibet, Myanmar, Bhutan and parts of Ladakh as well. Pablo also gets to taste a unique tea made using Yak cheese and milk and a pinch of salt. The monks here are vegetarian and use local vegetables and ingredients in their food which is extremely simple in preparation, hot and ideally enriched to suit the climate and geography. One has seen recipes of Thunkpa in other parts of India that use spinach instead of mustard. It still is rich and flavourful. Other than the broth the lamas eat roti, rice, dal etc., which evidently come from the Indian influence.

Buddhist Vegetarian cuisineWhen speaking of Buddhist monastery kitchens and the dishes, one cannot help but mention nun Jeong Kwan from Chunjinam Hermitage, South Korea, who became the face of Buddhist Temple Cuisine. She was seen in the popular Netflix show ‘Chef’s Table’ and she also began to teach at the hermitage and the university in Seoul. She caught the attention of Master Chefs from across the world. In more recent times she was also featured in ‘Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse.

Kwan is a vegan. She uses locally popular and easily available ingredients, aged, and fermented to suit her recipes and most of the vegetables that grow locally in the hermitage. Mushrooms, preserved daikon, five-berry syrup, persimmon vinegar, shoyu, soybean paste, chilli paste…For her cooking food comes from understanding ‘what we take from nature’.  It is way to communicate with oneself and others, she says.

Japanese Buddhist monks on the other hand commonly practice ‘Shojin Ryori’. The cooking philosophy is almost similar to Satwik food in India. Simplicity and harmony are two guiding factors of this cooking method, Each ‘Shojin Ryori’ meal is arrived at by balancing five colours and five different flavours. Meat and fish are definitely not used; in addition the recipes are strict devoid of pungent flavours like garlic and onion. Wastage too is consciously avoided in this cooking method. In turn fresh locally available vegetables, sea weed in addition to soy products are heavily utilised. They believe seasonal produce have more health benefits during the seasons they grow. Vegetable Tempura, Kenchin soup, Gomadofu with wasabi, pickled vegetables, Kabocha soup are some of the dishes the Buddhists of Japan cook. Shojin Ryori meal is available at the temples and some new age restaurants in Japan too are serving the food for its diners.

Trivia: As per Zen tradition, meals are served in three bowls. The largest is used to serve rice/ noodles/ congee based dish, the medium sized one is used to serve protein in the form of stew or soup, and the smallest one is for vegetable dish or salad.

Books:

Here are mentioned a few books one can follow for Buddhist recipes

The Buddhist Chef – 100 Feel Good Vegan Recipes

By Jean-Philippe Cyr

 

Finding Yourself in the Kitchen: Kitchen Meditations and Inspired Recipes from a Mindful Cook

By Dana Velden

 

Vegetable Kingdom

By Bryant Terry

 

Just Enough: Vegan Recipes and Stories from Japan’s Buddhist Temples

By Gesshin Claire Greenwood

 

In Buddha’s Kitchen: Cooking, Beieng Cooked and Other Adventures in a Meditation Center

By

By Kimberley Snow

 

Wok Wisely: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking – A Monastery’s approach to food and spiritual well-being

By

Dharma Realm Cookbook Team, Buddhist Text Translation Society, Bhikshuni Jin Rou

 

Wookwan's Korean Temple Food: The Road to the Taste of Enlightenment

By

Wookwan

 

Shojin Cooking: The Buddhist Vegetarian Cook Book

By

Keizo Kobayashi

 

 

 

Vegan breadsticks

Minnesota Based CLO CLO Launches Vegan Breadsticks

CLO-CLO® Vegan Foods based in Minnesota, US, launches new frozen vegan breadsticks in cauliflower & sweet potato variations

Based in Edina, Minnesota, CLO-CLO® Vegan Foods is a fast-growing vegan food innovator. The Company spreads across five core platforms: pizza’s, entrées, snacks, meat & seafood and patent-pending vegan cheese.

Vegan BreadsticksCLO  CLO’s newest portfolio addition is available in three delicious flavors: cauliflower, cauliflower with garlic & oil and a sweet potato with sugar & cinnamon. “Breadsticks are a staple in American restaurants, and now it’s even easier to bring a healthy solution into the home with CLO-CLO’s veggie dipping sticks. The perfect way to add more veggies to an appetizer, kids’ lunch or family meal,” said Chef Robert, Executive Chef, CLO-CLO Vegan Foods, LLC.

All three breadsticks are made without the top 9 allergens’ (dairy, egg, soy, shellfish, fish, peanuts, gluten, sesame, & tree nuts) with zero cholesterol & zero trans-fat per serving.

CAULIFLOWER BREADSTICKS

Cauliflower is magically transformed into satisfying breadsticks. The perfect fresh baked taste recipe for any discerning vegan lover of fine foods. The cauliflower breadsticks are plant based, certified Gluten free and free from the top food allergens with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives for all to enjoy.

CAULIFLOWER BREADSTICKS WITH GARLIC & OLIVE OIL

Cauliflower is miraculously transformed into satisfying breadsticks with the perfect amount of garlic & oil to satisfy your vegan palette. The perfect fresh baked taste recipe for any discerning vegan lover of fine foods. The cauliflower breadsticks are plant based, certified Gluten free and free from the top food allergens with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives for all to enjoy.

SWEET POTATO BREADSTICKS WITH SUGAR & CINNAMON

Sweet Potato is remarkably transformed into satisfying breadsticks with a dash of sugar & cinnamon to elevate the flavor to new heights of deliciousness. The perfect fresh baked taste recipe for any discerning vegan lover of fine foods. The sweet potato breadsticks are plant based, certified Gluten free and free from the top food allergens with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives for all to enjoy.

The new frozen vegan breadsticks are available now in the frozen aisles at select Sprouts Farmers Market Stores.

Each pack includes six breadsticks which bake in the oven in minutes.

Source: Business Wire

Plant Based World Expo Europe – The Buzz Continues

It’s almost a week since the Plant Based World Expo was successfully held at Design Centre, Islington – the first exhibition of fish, meat and dairy alternatives in Europe. And, the buzz continues

Europe’s alternate meat market dominates the world with 40 percent of the market share. While several startups driven by technology are upping their game with newer products, major food brands like Burger King, Mc Donald’s and KFC are showing their allegiance by introducing vegan/plant-based substitutes to their menu. The trend has been acknowledged recently by Europe’s largest pork producer Danish Crown. CEO of the company Jais Valeur admitted that they were wrong in underestimating the plant based meat trend.  The company announced its decision to reduce the carbon footprint by increasing their plant-based meat production.

In addition to vegans and vegetarians the trend is also leading to an increase in the number of practicing flexitarians. According to a recent survey Europe has 4 flexitarians for every 10. This upward trend was visible at the recently held Plant Based World Expo Europe in London.

plant based world expo europe
Seabloom Tuna

Highlights of Plant Based World Expo Europe  -

The top names in the alternate meat space from Europe and with sizeable market in the continent were all there.

plant based world expo europeClive’s Purely Plants, VFC, LoveSeitan, Better Nature, Mighty, Crack’d, Fable Food Co, Flax & Kale, Future Farm, FazendaFuturo, Heura Foods, Meatless Farm, Jack & Bry, LAVIE, Miami Burger Company, THIS, VBites Group, Omni Foods, Beyond Meat, Vegums, Biff’s, Dopsu Food, Les Nouveaux, Affineurs had stalls at this physical exhibition space, and they shared their experiences on their professional social media network.

Bernat Ananos of Heura Foods said the expo takes us ‘’one step closer to have the impact we want to see in the planet.’ “The food system is obsolete and we all need to push into the same direction as there is nothing more important than the animals, planet and our health.”

Plant Based World Expo EuropeAkanksha Ghai, Co Founder B Veg, intergrated plant based meat facility from India shares her experience of meeting people with similar vision at the London Expo – “We are so grateful and pleased that our appearance at the Plant Based World Expo Europe in London was very well received!

The leanings we have taken away are going to help us reach greater heights. We really appreciate the feedback of all the people who tasted our products and we look forward to reconnecting in the future.”

For an industry that is estimated to be a 45 billion dollar worth by 2040, there are surely the venture capitalists invested in the growth of alternate meat. Interestingly among them are the vegan/ vegetarian and environment advocates who focus on promoting meatless industry.

Plant based world expo europe
Matthew Glover

Matthew Glover, Managing Director Veg Capital, a business activist shared, “It was a great show and we took some very strong leads. Congratulations to the organisers for a well organised event and delivering an enthusiastic audience.” Veg Capital provides early-stage capital to companies striving to replace the use of animals in the food system

Judith Camacat from Paris-based venture capital fund Five Seasons Ventures wrote an article mentioning few of the impressive brands from the expo. She does mention ‘THIS’ for their marketing and plant based meat that is closest to the real meat; ‘La Vie’ and their bacon slices so that won the best bacon prize of the Conference; Umiami and their plant-based whole cuts made through unique technology to create fibrous texture; Seabloom Foods’ tuna-free flakes very close to the real thing when used in sandwich. And Crack’d scrambled eggs and Willicroft Farm. Five Seasons invested in a plant-based snacking company producing healthier chocolates the Nu Company.

plant based world expo europeFood Strategy Associates shared their inputs after attending the event. According to them one of the significant challenges highlighted was price. ‘The plant based industry will not reach its full potential until the category can get closer to parity with traditional meat.’ The other important issues that were raised at the Expo, according to one of the leading  strategy consultants for food and drinks industry, were the focus on larger and better retail shelf spaces, on producing cleaner labels and lesser processing and above all innovation. They mention on their website – “…while there are undoubtedly big hurdles to overcome, what’s clear is that momentum to narrow the gap to meat/dairy is building and is coming not just from the brands but from retailers, investors, public sector and, most importantly, consumers.”

A series of reports including the one by Ernst & Young address few of the concerns - The report estimated that the cost of alternative proteins, such as plant-based meat, will reach price parity with conventional meat by the mid-2020s, and even undercut meat prices by 2030.

The challenges are there, and there is so much to develop and achieve. However the pace at which various food technology companies and brands are moving ahead with research indicate that these issues will be addressed in addition to catering to the demands of the newly emerging and growing market across the world.

Meanwhile the plant based industry is already looking forward to yet another event aimed at yet another huge market – Plant Based World Expo United States in December.

All plants Funding

Journey of ‘Allplants’ – From Rented Kitchen to One Million Meals

UK-based food start-up ‘Allplants’ has made a major announcement. The company that has been passionately working towards creating plant-based recipes and awareness towards leading a healthy and sustainable life; has raised a record breaking 38 Million Pounds Series B funding.

allplants funding

The inspiring story of ‘Allplants’ goes back to 2016 much before conscious eating as a philosophy caught the imagination of people. Founded by Jonathan Petrides and his brother Alex Petrides ‘Allplants’ was an answer to the former’s search for vegan food. Thye began by cooking for friends and family and gradually moved towards supper clubs before launching the company. Today, ‘Allplants’kitchen has served around one million meals. Over the short period, the plant-powered food company has pioneered a revolution by creating innovative dishes and delivering them straight to homes across UK.

Speaking about the major funding on the official website, founder Jonathan Petrides gives a glimpse of the journey. “The ‘allplants’ family has come a long way in a short time. Back in 2016, three of us cooked the first meals in a rented kitchen space in East London, and shipped them to a handful of ‘trial customers’ (mostly friends and family!) across the country. Since then, we’ve grown to 170 teammates, and it’s only because of them that I have the privilege of writing this announcement.  Our team’s positivity, resourcefulness, sense of humour and shared love to strive for the truly spectacular have made this journey worth every late night, failed experiment, and immovable obstacles we’ve learned and grown from along the way.”

Over the years Jonathan has realised that plant-based food is not just for vegans, even non vegans and vegetarians and non-vegetarians prefer to eat the food because it is healthy. One of the reasons he prefers to call his customers plant-curious.

He shares, “We started with the belief that someone had to make it exciting and easy for people to enjoy plant-based meals. All our dishes are freshly prepared in our plant-based kitchens, frozen and then delivered straight to people’s homes on a subscription basis to consume when they wish, which also helps reduce food waste. Initially we thought we were going to be the preserve of vegans, but in our first year over 60 per cent of our subscribers were non-vegan and non-vegetarian people keen for an easy and convenient way to eat healthier food which was kinder to the planet.”

Jonathan says the funding will be used to inspire more plant-curious eaters, hiring more talent and towards creating more innovative dishes. Being a plant-based food consumer, the co-founder is tuned into the  needs of his plant-curious customers – who are on a rise with more and more people shifting to the healthier way of living.

 

 

 

 

 

vegan butter

Canadian ‘Future of Cheese’ launches vegan butters

Amongst the top countries in the world adapting meat-free and plant based foods is Canada. In the latest news update we learn Organic Garage Ltd. one of Canada’s leading independent organic grocers and a developer of plant-based foods, announced that its plant-based food company, Future of Cheese Inc. (“Future of Cheese” or the “Company”), has launched its initial line of butters across selected retailers in Ontario including all Organic Garage stores.

future of Butter

The plant-based butters have been developed after a series of testing and perfecting the formulation, food trials in order to please customers but also chefs and amateur cooks alike, The aim of the plant-based butters has been to make it taste good, and have the ability to sauté, bake with or be used in dishes and sauces.

The company calls this line of Normandy inspired, all natural plant-based  butters, a sustainable and healthy substitute.

“This initial launch marks a significant milestone for the Company,” stated Craig Harding, Co-Founder and Culinary Director of Future of Cheese. “We are extremely excited to introduce our plant-based butters to the market, and confident that retail consumers and food service customers alike will be blown away by how this product tastes and performs in the kitchen , comparable to the best of conventional dairy-based butters.”

According to a Fior Markets report, the global vegan butter market is expected to grow to USD $1.77 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 4.65% during the forecast period 2019-2026. The report cites increased awareness of health benefits and increased concern for animal welfare and the environment as some of the factors driving demand for the vegan butter market.

Future of Cheese Inc is a Canadian plant-based cheese innovator and manufacturer led by one of the world's best and recognized cheese makers, along with one of Canada's top chefs, and supported by a team of science minds and sustainability experts. Utilizing unique aging and manufacturing processes, a well-established distribution network and high-profile marketing channels, the Company is set to disrupt the rapidly growing plant-based dairy alternatives market, paving the way for the future of plant-based dairy alternatives!

Source: Business Wire

IFNISFICCI

Plant Based Showcase at India Food & Nutrition Summit 2021

Thinking Forks Consulting in collaboration with FICCI is organising the virtual B2B event ‘India Food & Nutrition Summit 2021’ (IFNIS2021) from October 27 to 28, 2021. The event that has also partnered with the Ministry of Food Processing aims to showcase new age disruptive products, ingredient and process technologies and technological advances in the food and nutrition ecosystem that are striving towards healthier India.

IFNIS-FICCIWith India moving towards nutritious, chemical free food there are many existing food and nutrition companies and start-ups trying to make a difference with their innovative product profile. While this isn’t an exclusive plant-based event , the exhibitors at IFNIS2021 include start-ups and companies making ready to eat snacks, ready to cook food brands using healthy and natural ingredients, the new age dairy-free milk, manufacturers of ingredients used in vegan and plant-based food, technology providers, and even academic institutions.

A few of the exhibitors include Happytizers, a kids food & nutrition company – the company makes traditional and popular snacks in way that packs in health and goodness The products are available through retail outlets in five cities and on Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket etc.,

Symega Food Ingredients is in the business of developing and manufacturing ingredients used in cuisines from across the world. The company has recently developed a range of plant-based foods to provide for cleaner alternatives to conventional meat and dairy. The alternative  ingredient profile includes plant based meat developed from pea and lentil proteins, cheese and eggs from lentils and nut cream, milk from oats and rice. The plant based facility is at Kochi.

Piperleaf India is a vegan food company based out of Gurgaon. The company specialises in making introducing plant based chocolate and dairy alternatives and animal protein alternatives. The company calls itself ethically vegan and aims to educate people on benefits of eating plant-based food.

A few other plant-based food companies who will be seen at the summit include Wolsum Foods (Slurrp Farm) and Vahdam Teas.

The event is being held on Oct 27 & Oct 28. Visit www.ifnis.in for more details.

Delegates can register to participate

https://bit.ly/2Z7hgvG

 

 

very Good Butcher

The Very Good Food Company Launching Pilot Program in China

The enhanced distribution will allow VERY GOOD to enter a new market, widen its consumer base, and continue making its carefully crafted plant-based meats accessible to all.

A day after commencing trading at NASDAQ, the Very Good Food Company announced its plans for a pilot program in China for the beginning of 2022. VERY GOOD will offer its carefully crafted plant-based meats under its flagship brand: The Very Good Butchers.

“We’ve seen an increase in consumer demand for plant-based foods in China and we’re thrilled to be introducing our plant-based meat alternatives on a different continent” - Mitchell Scott, co-founder, CEO

“We’ve seen an increase in consumer demand for plant-based foods in China and we’re thrilled to be introducing our plant-based meat alternatives on a different continent,” said Mitchell Scott, co-founder and CEO of The Very Good Food Company. “We’re guided by making plant-based eating accessible and approachable for all, and this is a significant milestone for us as we look to increase distribution to a brand-new geographic region and reach a new consumer base. This move is the perfect next step for us as we’re continuing to grow and become a global brand, accessing new markets and raising the plant-based meats bar all around the world – from North America, to Europe, and now Asia.”

VERY GOOD is working with partners in China to assess the importation of its products and supply chain logistics to execute a successful plan. The Company is executing on its larger growth strategy and the new pilot launch in China is only the beginning.

True Elements

True Elements becomes first Indian brand to be certified ‘Clean Label’

'Pune based health and wellness food company 'True Elements' becomes India's 1st food brand to be globally recognised as 'Clean Label' and '100 percent Whole Grain' certified

Sreejith Moolayil, Co-founder & COO shares, “We are True Elements  are proud that our commitment to quality promised in validated by scientific testing. While we strive to continuously improve with these international validations, our consumers can be sure that our products are clean and good for them.”

Co-founded by Puru Gupta and Sreejith Moolayil, True Elements is India’s Nashta (breakfast and Snacks) brand which is built on the philosophy, ‘Food that Does Not Lie to you’.

True Element works on the principal of creating 100 percent true 100% taste 0% jargon, 0percent jargon, 0 percent preservatives and 0 percent added sugar. The brand offers breakfast cereals, granola, flakes, seed mixes, on-the-go snacks, ready-to-cook, ready-to-eat food.

True Elements becomes India's 1st food brand to be globally recognised as 'Clean Label' and '100 percent Whole Grain' certified.

The new certification makes True Elements the only Indian brand to be certified by the US-based non-profit organisation ‘Clean Label Project’ & ‘Whole Grains Council’. The organisations are known for raising global standards in food nutrition, food safety and driving consumer transparency. The certification is awarded only after fact-based reviews. Clean Label tests rigorously for over 130 toxins and harmful contaminants including heavy metals, antibiotics, BPA/BPS 9plasticizers) and pesticide residues.

Source: NewsVoir

Satvic Foods collaborates with YODA Rehabilitation Centre for Animals

Satvic Foods is home maker Jamana Mahajan’s dream come true as her home-made masalas prepared using organic, pure ingredients, neatly packed in glass jars are catching the imagination of customers from across India. The company collaborated with animal help group Yoda, and all the profits during the Navratri sale will be forwarded to the organisation. “I started Satvic Foods with the main aim to benefit others. I love animals and this is my way of helping them through this initiative," Jamana shares.

homemade masalas

Indian kitchens are like mini medicine cabinets. From common cold to indigestion, from fighting throat infection to building immunity – the masala box is like a magic box, which is reached out to at the first sign of trouble. It is like hereditarily acquired first aid skill and trining in using homemade masalas for wellness.

Jamana Mahajan is based out of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. It is the tradition of using kitchen remedies inherited from her mother that she carries on when her family has minor health troubles. And, during the peak of Covid 19 pandemic she like several other Indians ensured the family consumed what is believed to be the one potion that keeps the disease away – Kadha – a decoction made using spices supposed to be good for immunity. She has had the advantage of Rajasthani and Gujarati influences on her cuisine thanks to her mixed roots. This coupled with love for cooking always meant great food from her kitchen. When did this skill confined to home translate into entrepreneurship? Read on to find out.

It was not easy. Jamana had a daughter, who suffered with cerebral palsy, and most of her time was spent taking care of her and home. Her daughter breathed her last at just eight years of age and what followed was a whole lot of pain and sorrow. It took a long time for her to come out of it. Only when she finally learnt to deal with it, did she begun to think of her long forgotten dream of starting a business.

homemade masalasMeanwhile her son fell ill, and doctors weren’t able to restore his condition. Her home remedies and kadas did their trick and her son Viraj regained his strength and health. This was when the mother-son duo knew they had a business idea on their hands - to make homemade masalas to be  used for health, nutrition and flavour.

After clearing FSSAI registration and getting her products tested at NABL, Jamana finally launched her products – home-made masalas prepared using organic, pure ingredients, neatly packed in glass jars in September. “The response has been quite heartening,” shares Jamana. Satvic Foods Is a young business; one day the orders are more, the other day almost zero, but she is confident and says it is just amazing that customers from Lucknow to Tamil Nadu use her masalas.

Kadak Chai Masala, Sambar Masala, Rajwadi Garam Masala, Golden Milk Masala are some of her products. By testing and a whole lot of trials she has launched yet another popular item – Coffee Spice Mix. Satvic Foods’ protein balls are one of the popular items on the menu, and more are in the pipeline.

 

 

cultured meat

Cell-Cultured Meat Sector Poised for a Big Boom

The prestigious investor network ‘The FAIRR Initiative’s findings on the investor trends in alternative meat sector are not far removed from several other reports that were released through 2021.

FAIRR’s assessment involved 25 major companies including Unilever, Nestlé, Tesco, and Sainsbury, and their reaction to the growth in alternative protein industry. And, according to the report $3.1 billion was invested in plant-based, fermentation-based, and cultured meat technologies, which is more than 300 percent compared to 2019.

Cultured meat

Startups in this space with good technology backing are successfully gaining funding and the existing ones are going for further rounds in anticipation of market expansion and acceleration in terms of demand.

The Biotechnology powered startups are not alone in this race. Several top food brands are leaning towards expanding their portfolio to include alternative proteins. The consumer shift is attributed to growing environmental awareness, animal welfare, and health concerns. And, keeping pace with increasing demand is the research and development in the area.

Significant indication towards this trend was triggered by an upscale restaurant in Singapore that became the first in the world to sell cultured meat in 2020 – cell-cultured chicken nuggets from San Francisco based Eat Just, to be more precise; And, Singapore, the first country to give regulatory approval to lab-grown meat. And then there are companies developing technologies to grow plant-based meat and continued research is making sure there is improvement in taste, texture and cost-effectiveness. Price challenge is one of the important factors dictating the market in developing countries.

cuktured meatThere are countries like India where cultured meat using animal cell is still taking baby steps. In the sub-continent, even though there are companies like ‘Imagine Meat’ producing plant-based alternatives and startups aiming at creating plant-based egg protein etc., there is a need to create alternate meat products as per the food habits in terms of texture and taste. In India research institutes like the Hyderabad-based CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology) and NCRM (National Research Centre on Meat) have partnered to produce ‘Ahimsa Meat’ – slaughter free meat produced in the lab. Comparatively the trend emerging out of compassion towards animals, environmental awareness and sustainable goals is on a rise across the globe; in the US, Europe, and even majorly meat consuming countries like South Africa where cell-based meat start up Mzansi Meat is working towards creating products that can be used in the African traditional dishes, and Russia, where the first plant based meat company ‘Welldone’ is gaining an edge, and funding too.

The cell-cultured meat sector is poised for a big boom triggered by food security concerns as well. At the rate, the world population is growing neither the agricultural produce nor the animals and poultry will be enough. The looming food scarcity scare is real.

Global consultancy AT Kearney’s researchers in their report (released in 2021) on ‘How will cultured meat and meat alternatives disrupt the agricultural and food industry?’ made interesting predictions. They forecasted that 60 per cent of the meat consumed in 2040 will not come from dead animals, of which 35 percent will be cell-cultured and 25 per cent will be vegan alternatives. While the debate between meatless options from animal cell versus plant-based is a topic for another day; technology is surely going to play a major role in steering the world towards cell-cultured meat and in developing better alternatives in days to come.

 

 

 

veganism in India

Where Is Veganism Heading in India?

The new FSSAI draft regulation on vegan food by which soon vegan food in India will be separately labelled, just like the green and red dot for vegetarian and non-vegetarian, also gives an inclusive definition to the term. Food that does not include any ingredients, additives or processing aids of animal origin including milk and milk products, fish, poultry, meat, egg, honey, honey products, materials of insect origin like silk, dyes and bone char used in sugar bleaching.

veganism

This once approved will be a significant step forward especially since there are still countries that have not included ingredients like bone char. This also gains significance at a time when finally Indian Vegans are seeing a surge in their numbers.

Across the world veganism is gaining acceptance. And, pandemic has given a shot in the arm. While India is ahead in number of vegetarians by virtue of its social structure, veganism has been slow to catch up.  Using dairy is so much a part of culture that the almost one third of vegetarian population does not think twice before including dairy products into their diet.

This is unlike the west where vegetarianism is catching up not just for health but out of ethical consciousness. Post pandemic, however, there has been a definite shift.

Global organisation Veganuary that advocates plant-based diet has released 2021 survey results on top ten countries that have maximum vegan signups early this year. Interestingly, as per the results, India has grabbed the third spot and is the only Asian country on the list. The results also indicate that the trend will continue through the year as more and more people are staying away from meat and dairy out of health concerns. The many alternative dairy options like almond milk, soy, coconut or oat milk filling up the retail counters too is giving an indication of the changing trend. Several Indian startups are attracting investments to produce vegan alternatives and top food brands are expanding their portfolio to include vegan options.

India does look poised to become a major market for plant based alternative proteins. Even though startups are increasingly looking towards alternative solutions to dairy, alternative plant protein too is vying for the space. Startups like Imagine Meats, Plantmade, Evo Foods, Oziva etc are setting example by attracting investments and developing diversified product profile to meet the demand.