Italian food-tech KelpEat has introduced a new high-protein seaweed snack, made with Solar Foods’ microbial Solein protein. The seaweed cracker products are crafted with EU-farmed dried kelp alongside the Solein protein, enabling a protein content of over 35% with a complete amino acid profile. According to the two companies, the Solein and kelp naturally complement each other in terms of taste and nutition. The snack also contains vitamins B12 and B9, minerals and antioxidants, such as calcium and magnesium. Solein is cultivated using air and electricity as its primary resources, through Finnish food-tech company Solar Foods’ proprietary fermentation process. The ingredient contains 75% protein content, dietary fibre, fats and minerals, and is also non-GMO, vegan and free from dairy, gluten and soya. Seaweed specialist KelpEat presented the new product at the Pitti Taste food fair in Florence, Italy, from 8-10 February 2025. It now plans to introduce the product to consumers in the US market, a primary global market for high-protein products. Luca Cerruti, CEO of KelpEat, said: “Using Solein enables us to create a truly disruptive innovation – one that delivers complete nutrition, environmental responsibility and a bold step towards food sovereignty”. He added: “Combined with Solein, whose production is independent of land use, weather or climate conditions, the crackers represent a radical sustainability statement, ushering in a new era of climate-positive foods and setting a new benchmark for sustainable food solutions”. Solein has received novel food approval in Singapore and self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status in the US. The company expects to receive EU Novel Food approval in 2026. Juan Manuel Benítez-García, chief commercial officer at Solar Foods, commented: “The product introduced by KelpEat is a perfect example of how Solein can perform exceptionally well in real-world applications in high-protein products and in the healthy snacking segment”. “Solein fits seamlessly into existing consumer product categories, adding protein and other nutrients while minimising the environmental impact without losing the tastes people are accustomed to.” He added that Solein “excels” in the health and performance segment, as well as nutrient-dense products specifically designed for consumers with dietary needs related to health issues like diabetes or weight management.

Molecular farming start-up PoLoPo has made a significant leap in agricultural biotechnology by transitioning Discover more about PoLoPo's work in our 'Start-up Spotlight' with CTO Raya Liberman-Aloni. The start-up has also submitted for USDA regulatory approval , which is expected shortly, potentially

South Korean cell-based meat start-up Simple Planet has raised $6 million in a pre-Series A funding round to speed up R&D of its cultured meat powder. The start-up says the ingredients are versatile, helping absorb and improve the flavour and nutritional The start-up aims to launch its high-protein cell-based meat powder both within South Korea and internationally , and has previously mentioned its intention to start branches in the US and Canada to speed-up its entry

She continued: “What the market currently needs are reliable pilot plants that are quick to set up and Our single-use separators enable start-ups in particular to work under sterile conditions, which helps Göhmann, product manager pharma/chemicals/new food, business unit separators at GEA, commented: “For start-ups

Israel-based molecular farming firm PoLoPo has announced that it will begin supplying patatin, the native protein found in potatoes, to commercial clients following regulatory approval. PoLoPo uses proprietary metabolic engineering techniques to turn potato plants into micro-biofactories that manufacture target proteins. Its platform is capable of producing egg protein (ovalbumin) in potatoes, but also increases the potato’s naturally occurring protein – PoLoPo expects to produce large volumes of functional patatin affordably. Patatin is a versatile, allergen-friendly, high-quality protein, with a PDCAAS value of 0.99. It contains all essential amino acids and can be used in plant-based meat and dairy products for its emulsifying, gelling and texturizing qualities, as well as in baked goods and protein drinks. PoLoPo’s CEO, Maya Sapir-Mir, said: “We are keeping our eyes on the prize, which is bringing molecular-farmed egg protein to market, but conversations with clients revealed an additional demand for patatin in large quantities at a fair price. Because patatin is the potato’s native protein, we expect it will be a relatively easy regulatory process and a fast time-to-market.” The majority of potato proteins on the market are non-functional, as manufacturers destroy the proteins while extracting potato starch. Non-functional potato protein is commonly directed to animal feed. Currently, prices of functional patatin are high, costing more than $100 per kg. While it is not cost-effective to extract and dry the protein with existing food processing infrastructure, as PoLoPo’s transgenic potato plants produce such high levels of patatin, this process becomes significantly more cost-effective and returns better yields of protein. PoLoPo’s plants produce proteins and store them in their tubers. Tubers are harvested when they reach sufficient size, and then their proteins are extracted and dried into a powder that integrates ‘seamlessly’ into current food processing lines and formulations. While derived from genetically engineered plants, the resulting protein powder contains no genetic material and is considered non-GMO. PoLoPo expects its proteins to soon be available to the food industry for testing and is seeking growing partners in the US. #PoLoPo #potato #protein #Israel #US

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BSF will support Ivy Farm's ongoing funding round to scale up technology for larger production-sized managing director of BSF Enterprise and CEO of 3DBT, commented: “Today’s announcement represents the start

Leprino Foods, a US-based mozzarella cheese manufacturer, and Fooditive Group, pioneers in plant-based ingredients and fermentation, have partnered to commercialise Fooditive’s non-animal casein protein. Under the agreement, Leprino Foods gains exclusive global rights to produce and distribute Fooditive’s non-animal casein for cheese applications, with non-exclusive rights for other food uses. Fooditive’s non-animal casein mimics the functionalities and taste of animal-derived casein, offering a sustainable alternative suitable for various food applications. Moayad Abushokhedim, CEO of Fooditive, commented:​“We are beyond excited to partner with Leprino Foods in bringing our revolutionary non-animal casein to the global market. This collaboration not only underscores our commitment to sustainability and showcases the incredible potential of our precision fermentation technology but also our commitment to partnerships." "By offering high-quality, environmentally friendly proteins, we are paving the way for a more sustainable future and delivering innovative, plant-based alternatives that meet the evolving demands of consumers. Together with Leprino Foods, we are set to transform the food industry and make a lasting impact on the planet.”   Mike Durkin, president of Leprino Foods, added: “This agreement with Fooditive highlights our ability to innovate and adapt swiftly to emerging trends and technologies. By incorporating precision fermentation alongside our conventional dairy production, we will explore how this non-animal casein derived from fermentation will add to our product portfolio." "This innovation not only can enhance our range but also holds the promise of reducing the environmental footprint across the supply chain, all while maintaining the highest standards of product functionality, quality, taste and texture." #LeprinoFoods #Fooditive #US

platforms that not only enhance process efficiency but also mitigate some of the major critical scale-up

UCL), the project will deliver ‘CULT-GRO’, a technology that enables cell-based meat production scale-up The project hopes to address the bottlenecks in scaling up the production of cell-based meat through Partnerships are critical for solving the big challenges in scaling up cultivated meat. solution that helps our customers increase yields whilst driving down costs, which in turn will speed up

Four alternative protein centres in the UK have come together under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to drive innovation and tackle common challenges for the sector. The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein (BCSP), Microbial Food Hub, Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA), and the National Alternative Protein Centre (NAPIC) announced the signing of the MoU on 21 January 2025 during a panel discussion held at the Scientific Kick-Off Event for the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. This latest agreement formalises a collaboration to advance innovation in sustainable, nutritious and accessible alternative proteins. It brings together experts in cellular agriculture, microbial protein innovation and plant-based protein development to accelerate the sector, aiming to tackle challenges such as cost reduction, scalability and consumer acceptance by aligning priorities and sharing resources. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, group leader at Imperial College London and director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and Microbial Food Hub at the university, said that the problem the centres aim to solve is “too big and too important that we can only attempt to address it by working together,” emphasising the importance of cross-centre collaboration. Marianne Ellis, director of University of Bath-led CARMA, added: “Having four centres working together to collectively cover research, innovation and technology transfer across the entire alternative protein value chain puts the UK in an enviable position globally”. “It’s not just about resources and capacity; all of us that are involved in running the centres are driven to achieve a just transition to sustainable food systems in which alternative proteins will be key. The MoU formalises our intent to collaboratively harness our resources and expertise and maximise impact for achieving the just transition.” #UK

The panel was made up of speakers from both food-tech companies and traditional agricultural businesses “Once we have scaled up, collaborations and partnerships like this will be pivotal as we look to introduce