Biospringer by Lesaffre, a fermentation and yeast ingredients specialist, has today (29 October 2026) announced its acquisition of ModuMax, a portfolio of taste modulation solutions developed by DSM-Firmenich. The move aims to strengthen Biospringer’s capabilities in helping food and beverage manufacturers to improve taste performance in new or reformulated F&B products. The acquisition adds a multi-mechanism taste modulator to the company’s range of solutions, capable of reducing bitterness, masking off-notes, strengthening mouthfeel and improving flavour delivery in applications such as high-protein beverages, plant-based milk alternatives, reduced-sugar drinks and low-fat dairy alternatives. This will allow Biospringer to provide integrated taste design platforms that build richness and roundness. The taste modulation solution is designed to neutralise bitterness, reduce astringency and boost creaminess. ModuMax will be integrated into Biospringer’s Go To Market organisation, global R&D and application network. Carmen Arruda, global general director at Biospringer by Lesaffre, said: “ModuMax is a powerful complement to our current portfolio”. “By combining the depth, umami and kokumi of yeast extract with ModuMax’s advanced modulation capabilities, we can help customers push the boundaries of nutritional reformulation without compromising taste.” Esther de Graaf-Groenendijk, food business line director at Biospringer, said that taste remains “the biggest barrier to consumer acceptance in better-for-you products”. “With ModuMax, Biospringer now offers complete toolkits in the industry to help brands deliver healthier products that taste exceptional.”

Princes has expanded its canned ready meal portfolio with four new Asian-inspired curries, introducing Thai, Japanese and Korean flavours to the category. The new products comprise Thai Red Chicken Curry, Thai Green Chicken Curry, Chicken Katsu Curry and Korean Sweet Chilli Chicken Curry. All four are high in protein, with the nutritional information highlighted on the front of pack and no red traffic-light ratings. The launch aims to address consumer demand for greater flavour innovation in canned ready meals, as interest in global cuisines continues to grow. According to Princes, 80% of canned ready meal buyers want to see more modern cuisines in the category, while curry represents a £15.6 million segment that continues to outperform the wider market. The company reported that curry volumes grew by 2.6% and value increased by 2.1%, despite an overall decline in the canned ready meal category. Jeremy Gibson, marketing director at Princes Group, said: “We know consumers are increasingly seeking exciting, global flavours that are both convenient and tasty. Our brand new flavours will bring some of the nation’s favourite Asian-inspired dishes to the canned ready meal category, providing shoppers with affordable, quick meal solutions.” He added that the new products were intended to appeal to existing Princes customers and shoppers looking to explore new cuisines at accessible price points. Thai Green Chicken Curry, Chicken Katsu Curry and Korean Sweet Chilli Chicken Curry are available at Sainsbury’s, with Korean Sweet Chilli Chicken Curry also stocked by Iceland. All four varieties are scheduled to launch at Tesco from 26 October 2026, expanding their availability across major UK retailers. Princes said the additions build on its position in the canned ready meal curry category, combining convenience, protein content and flavour variety to support further category growth.

Protein is no longer the domain of shakes and supplement aisles. Consumers are now actively choosing meals around protein and macro goals, and they're willing to pay for convenience that delivers nutritionally. James Laithwaite, co-founder and COO of FuelHub, explores what this shift means for the ready meal category and the next stage of the protein market. Protein has made one of the more significant category crossovers of the past decade. What was once largely associated with gym-goers, shakes and powders is now actively influencing how people think about breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the businesses paying closest attention are already repositioning accordingly. The direction of travel is clear. Consumers are increasingly approaching protein through the meal itself, treating it as a consideration when deciding what to eat rather than something to add afterwards. There is still a place for shakes, powders and specialist products, particularly around exercise and immediate convenience, but they're no longer the primary lens through which consumers think about their nutritional goals. People want the food in front of them to do more of the work. This is one of the most consequential developments in the category right now. It's showing up in what people order, what they're willing to pay and how they talk about their food choices. The protein conversation has moved out of the supplement aisle and into everyday eating. This is part of a broader shift towards greater awareness of what a meal actually provides. Protein is the obvious starting point because it's relatively easy to understand and quantify, but consumers are also becoming more conscious of calories, carbohydrates, fats and overall nutritional balance. The question is how to create food that makes nutritional sense as a complete eating occasion. How consumer expectations are changing There is an important distinction between adding protein to a product and delivering it through food, and it's one consumers are becoming increasingly attuned to. People are thinking about protein not as something to supplement a meal but as something a meal should already provide. That doesn't mean consumers have rejected processed or fortified products outright. Convenience remains one of the most powerful drivers of food choice, and there will always be occasions where a bar, drink or shake makes sense. What it does suggest is that the protein opportunity is becoming broader and, in some ways, more demanding. Consumers want the speed and simplicity of a prepared meal while still expecting it to resemble food they'd choose to eat on any other day. This is where the ready meal category has a genuinely interesting role to play. A meal can deliver protein alongside vegetables, carbohydrates and fats, while also providing the taste, texture and familiarity consumers expect from everyday food. The strongest propositions are unlikely to be the ones that simply maximise the gram count on the front of pack. They'll be the products that make protein one part of a more complete nutritional story. Convenience is being redefined Convenience food has traditionally been built around a single promise: it saves time. That remains important, but the definition of what counts as genuinely convenient is shifting. Consumers are increasingly looking for products that save time without creating a compromise elsewhere in their diet. For the everyday high performer managing work, training and family commitments, a meal that can be prepared quickly and provides a useful amount of protein carries a different kind of value from one that is simply quick. It removes several decisions at once: what to eat, how much to eat, whether the meal contains enough protein and whether it fits into broader nutritional goals for the day. That reduction in friction is, in itself, part of the product. This is one reason we've seen such a strong connection between meal preparation and macro awareness. Consumers who track their nutrition are often not looking for another product to fit into their routine. They're looking for food that makes the routine easier to sustain. For brands, that places greater pressure on product development, because protein can't be treated as an isolated formulation exercise. Increasing it affects taste, texture, satiety, cost and the overall balance of a meal. What the next stage of the protein market looks like The protein category will continue to expand, but the next stage is likely to look different from the one we've just been through. Significant innovation around putting protein into products that traditionally wouldn't have contained it has made protein more visible and accessible, but it has also made the market considerably more crowded. As protein becomes a more established part of everyday food, consumers will have less reason to choose a product simply because it leads with a "high protein" claim. The baseline expectation is shifting and food is increasingly expected to deliver nutritional value as well as convenience - a single front-of-pack number is not enough to differentiate. The brief for manufacturers is becoming more demanding as a result. Products need to taste good, work as a complete meal, deliver a nutritional profile consumers can understand and justify their price in a market where value remains a genuine consideration. The boundaries between traditional food, sports nutrition and convenience are already blurring. The appearance of meal-prep products in nutrition-focused retail environments is one clear indication of that convergence. Recent developments, including our partnership with Holland & Barrett, signal retailers are looking beyond the supplement aisle to meet consumers' broader nutritional expectations. For the ready meal sector, that represents a significant and still-developing opportunity. The protein boom has changed what consumers expect from their food. The industry's next task is to build meals that are actually worthy of those expectations.

Pop-Tarts has partnered with Liquid Death to launch a limited-edition orange-flavoured toaster pastry inspired by the beverage brand’s Squeezed to Death Orange soda-flavoured sparkling water. Available at participating retailers in the US from November 2026, Pop-Tarts Liquid Death Squeezed to Death Frosted Orange combines citrus-flavoured jam with a golden-orange crust, frosting and orange sprinkles. The product features a flaky, buttery pastry with sugar cookie notes, alongside a bright orange filling designed to deliver a sweet, citrus-forward flavour. The launch marks the second collaboration between the two brands. Earlier this year, they partnered to create Liquid Death’s Pop-Tarts Carnage iced tea, inspired by Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry. Kim Holowiak, director of growth and marketing at Pop-Tarts, said: "Limited-time collaborations, like this one with Liquid Death, offer a new way to experience both brands. Squeezed to Death Frosted Orange is bright, citrusy and unmistakably Pop-Tarts, with just enough Liquid Death attitude to make having a bad morning feel like a very good idea." Pop-Tarts Liquid Death Squeezed to Death Frosted Orange will be available in 12-count boxes with a suggested retail price of $4.69 and 16-count boxes priced at $4.97.

Döhler is expanding its global colour production network with investments in Turkey and Mexico, increasing manufacturing capacity and introducing new processing technologies to support food and beverage customers. The investments aim to strengthen the ingredient supplier’s ability to deliver natural colour solutions while improving regional production capabilities, supply-chain flexibility and scalability. At its Karaman production site in Turkey, Döhler is increasing capacity for black carrot and beetroot colours, alongside expanding its liquid colour capabilities. New resin columns and an evaporator will also increase capacity for anthocyanin- and betanin-based colour solutions. The site is introducing additional technologies for powder applications, including a new spray dryer to increase colour powder production and a jet mill to expand micronisation capacity. The latter will support applications requiring fine particle sizes and consistent dispersion. Further additions include a roasting unit for natural brown colourants and a ball mill to support the production of colour suspensions. The investment programme has been implemented in phases throughout 2026, with completion targeted for the end of the year. Alongside the expansion in Turkey, Döhler is progressing the development of its production site in the State of Mexico. The first phase of the facility, located in the Arco 57 Industrial Park in San Francisco Soyaniquilpan de Juárez, opened in July 2026. The site serves as a regional hub for science, technology and the production of natural ingredients and integrated solutions. The next phase includes plans for dedicated natural colour production facilities, strengthening the company’s manufacturing capabilities across Mexico, Latin America and North America. According to Döhler, bringing production and technical expertise closer to customers will help improve response and delivery times, streamline logistics and support the development of solutions tailored to regional requirements. Local raw-material sourcing and regional supply-chain development will also contribute to these capabilities. Jakob Schjoerring-Thyssen, global head of business unit colours at Döhler, said: “Colour plays an essential role in the sensory experience of food and beverages, but our customers need more than a broad portfolio. They need solutions that can be developed efficiently, produced reliably and scaled across markets.” He added that the investments would bring additional capacity, technology and production expertise closer to customers, creating a stronger platform for future colour innovation. Together, the expansions will support a broader range of colour formats, including liquid and powder solutions, suspensions and micronised colours, helping food and beverage manufacturers move from product development to industrial-scale production. Döhler supplies natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions to the global food, beverage, life science and nutrition industries. The company operates more than 50 production sites, 75 offices and application centres, serving customers in over 160 countries.

European bakery products manufacturer Baker & Baker has acquired Scottish-based free-from specialist Lazy Day Foods, expanding its presence in the free-from baked goods market and creating opportunities for international growth. The acquisition will enable Baker & Baker to leverage its existing customer network and European footprint to expand Lazy Day Foods’ product offering and introduce its customer-facing brand to international markets. Founded in 2006, Lazy Day Foods manufactures gluten-free, milk-free, egg-free and nut-free bakery products from a purpose-built factory in Harthill, North Lanarkshire. The business supplies branded and private label products to major UK retailers, as well as customers in the foodservice sector. Its portfolio comprises approximately 75 permanent and seasonal product lines, including cakes, biscuits and traybakes. The company employs around 190 people at its 26,500 sq fy, BRCGS AA+ accredited facility. Following the acquisition, Baker & Baker’s UK manufacturing footprint will increase to five sites, including its first in Scotland, while its total workforce will grow to 2,650 employees. The Lazy Day Foods brand will be retained and actively marketed through Baker & Baker’s existing UK and international customer base. The deal builds on Baker & Baker’s existing expertise in gluten-free bakery products, supported by its Ashington site and marks its expansion into the wider free-from category. Matthew Acheson, CEO of Baker & Baker, said: “We believe that our scale and broad customer relationships will accelerate the growth of Lazy Day Foods, while Lazy Day Foods’ deep experience and expertise will further enhance our capabilities and category offering.” Acheson added that Baker & Baker was committed to maintaining operations and the employee base at the Harthill site, with plans to support the business’s future development. Lazy Day Foods shareholders David Kilshaw, chairman and joint managing directors Emer Bustard and Dr Sally Beattie said Baker & Baker’s scale and international reach would help bring the brand to more free-from consumers. The shareholders added that the Lazy Day brand and the Harthill facility would remain central to Baker & Baker’s category growth plans. The acquisition is Baker & Baker’s second since becoming a standalone bakery products business, following its purchase of a Pastel de Nata production facility in Peniche, Portugal, in 2022. The company supplies bakery products across retail, foodservice and artisan channels, with capabilities spanning doughnuts, muffins, brownies, cookies, cakes, speciality breads and viennoiserie.

Momo Kombucha has teamed up with South London brewery Orbit Beers to launch a limited-edition Organic Hops Kombucha. Available from 29 October, Momo X Orbit Organic Hops Kombucha combines fermented kombucha with organic Hallertau Blanc and Nelson Sauvin hops. The hops bring tropical fruit and gooseberry notes to the drink, balanced by the tart flavour of fully fermented kombucha. The collaboration is designed to highlight the complementary flavour profiles of hops and kombucha, with citrus, herbal and earthy notes adding complexity to the drink. The limited-edition kombucha is Soil Association certified organic and will be sold in 330ml glass bottles at an RRP of £4.50. It will be available through the Orbit Beers website and taproom, as well as the Momo Kombucha website. The collaboration builds on a previous Momo and Orbit partnership. The companies first brewed a collaborative batch in January 2021, which went on to receive a Great Taste Award. Robert Middleton, founder of Orbit Beers, said the latest launch provides an alcohol-free alternative while drawing on the brewery's expertise in traditional European beer-making. The new product follows a series of collaborative launches from Momo, including partnerships with fashion brand GANNI, produce supplier Natoora, Caravan Coffee Roasters and Tate Modern. Momo said collaborative blends have become an integral part of its brewing calendar, with seasonal and experimental flavours forming part of its product development strategy. The company produces its kombucha using traditional fermentation methods, with organic loose-leaf sencha and Assam teas forming the base of its current range. Momo's core range includes Ginger-Lemon, Turmeric, Elderflower and Raspberry-Hibiscus kombucha, with the latter positioned as an alcohol alternative. Founded in 2018 by husband-and-wife team Josh and Lisa Puddle, Momo Kombucha operates from its brewery in Brixton, South London. The business became the highest-scoring B Corp kombucha company in Europe in 2022 and is certified organic by the Soil Association.

Leprino Nutrition has completed a $35 million expansion at its Lubbock, Texas, facility, quadrupling its production capacity for microparticulated whey protein. The expansion, which adds to the site's existing sweet whey operations, will focus on consolidating externally sourced whey solids. Lubbock will join Leprino Nutrition's Fort Morgan, Colorado facility as one of two sites dedicated to microparticulated production. The investment comes as demand for protein-fortified food and beverage products continues to increase, with manufacturers seeking to raise protein content while maintaining taste, texture and product stability. Angela Queneau, senior director of research and development at Leprino Nutrition, said: “Microparticulation is one of the most technically demanding and commercially promising formats in specialty protein today. With our investment in Lubbock, customers can benefit from advanced dairy science coupled with supply confidence to formulate ambitious, high-protein products.” The expansion will support production of MP PRO C80, Leprino Nutrition's microparticulated whey protein concentrate. The ingredient is designed to provide a creamy, fat-like mouthfeel and texture while enabling manufacturers to increase protein levels without creating excessive thickness or chalkiness. According to Leprino Nutrition, MP PRO C80 uses a patent-protected process to produce uniformly sized protein particles similar to milk fat globules. This is intended to create a creamy texture and low viscosity at high protein concentrations. The ingredient can be used across a range of applications, including puddings, desserts, baked goods, snacks, dips, dressings, sauces and ice cream. Leprino Nutrition said MP PRO C80 also offers stability during high-heat processing, along with low-to-no foaming for formulations requiring high protein density and a smooth taste. The company said the expanded Lubbock facility will enable it to supply microparticulated whey protein at greater scale, while improving supply reliability for manufacturers developing high-protein products. “Demand for protein-fortified food and beverage products continues to grow as consumers pursue dietary and nutrition goals across all categories,” said Leprino Nutrition. “As brands push protein levels higher, many run into formulation challenges that impact taste, texture, and stability, which can undermine a great consumer experience.” Leprino Nutrition is the speciality ingredient division of Leprino Foods Company. The business supplies dairy-based ingredients including whey protein, lactose, micellar casein and sweet whey to food and beverage manufacturers in more than 70 countries. The company said the Lubbock investment strengthens its position in specialty proteins by combining increased manufacturing capacity with its dairy processing expertise.

It’s easy to get caught up in the news and activities of the industry’s global giants, but what about the smaller firms pushing boundaries with bold ideas? In this instalment of 'Start-up of the month' – which celebrates small and earlier-stage companies and their innovations – we speak to Ido Margalit, co-founder and CEO of Agrinetica: a US company applying its advanced CRISPR 2.0 tools to peanuts, creating next-generation varieties that reduce allergenicity, extend shelf-life, boost climate resilience and protect yields. Ido Margalit What led to Agrinetica’s establishment and what is the company’s long-term mission? Agrinetica was established around a simple idea: peanuts are an important, nutritious and affordable crop, but there are several major problems limiting their value to consumers, food companies and growers. Allergy is the most obvious one, but there are also issues such as aflatoxin contamination, crop losses, climate sensitivity and opportunities to improve nutritional quality. Our long-term mission is therefore broader than creating a single hypoallergenic peanut. We want to use precise gene editing to build a new generation of peanuts that are safer, healthier, more sustainable and more valuable throughout the food supply chain, from the consumer all the way to the growers. Ultimately, we see Agrinetica as a peanut innovation company, using genetics to solve problems that conventional breeding has struggled to address. Can you offer our readers some detail about CRISPR technology and how it works? How does your CRISPR 2.0 platform address previous limitations of the tech? CRISPR is essentially a very precise way of making changes to a plant’s own DNA, without inserting any foreign genetics. Rather than introducing a foreign gene, we identify a particular gene responsible for a trait and make a targeted change to it, thus enabling the expression of said trait. The resulting gene-edited plant therefore contains no foreign DNA. The challenge is that first-generation CRISPR systems for gene editing were not originally designed for plants. These first-generation CRISPR systems are relatively large molecules, difficult to deliver into plant cells, expensive to deploy and dependent on complicated tissue-culture processes. Agrinetica benefits from [parent company] BetterSeeds' second-generation compact CRISPR technologies. These gene editors are significantly smaller and are being combined with advanced nuclease delivery approaches designed specifically for plants. The objective is to make gene editing more efficient, easier to deploy across all crops and considerably more economical. That is particularly important if gene editing is going to become a practical commercial tool, rather than remain primarily a research technology as it is today. Why did you choose to focus on peanuts specifically? Peanuts are a particularly compelling crop because they sit at the intersection of health, food safety, nutrition and agriculture. They are one of the world's most widely consumed plant protein sources, yet peanut allergy remains one of the most serious food-allergy concerns. Meanwhile, the crop faces challenges including aflatoxin contamination, drought and heat stress, harvest losses and opportunities to improve its nutritional profile. That combination, together with the fact that conventional breeding has been too slow and not able to generate the necessary solutions, means gene editing can create value at multiple points across the same crop – from the farmer all the way to the consumer. We also saw an opportunity to build a differentiated business around a portfolio of valuable traits, rather than developing a single trait and stopping there. Was allergenicity the initial, core focus for the company when it was founded? No. While reduced allergenicity was a cornerstone of Agrinetica from the outset, our vision was always broader: to improve peanuts across the entire value chain by addressing the needs of growers, food manufacturers and CPG companies, and ultimately consumers. Allergenicity was an obvious and important challenge to tackle, but the [additional challenges faced by peanuts, mentioned above, are also significant]. We therefore built Agrinetica around a portfolio approach: using gene editing to improve multiple commercially important traits. The goal was never to create a single improved peanut. It was to develop a new generation of peanuts that creates value from the field, through food production, all the way to the consumer. So hypoallergenicity remains a flagship program, but the company today is much broader than a single- trait business. How can your technology deliver food safety benefits to manufacturers, brands, foodservice operators and consumers with regards to allergenicity? Our approach is to address food safety risks at the source – in the peanut itself – rather than relying only on managing those risks further down the supply chain. On allergenicity, we are doing two things. We are significantly reducing the overall allergen load, while specifically targeting the major peanut allergens associated with the most severe, potentially life-threatening reactions. The objective is therefore not simply to create a peanut that is 'less allergenic,' but to fundamentally change its allergenic profile by removing or substantially reducing the proteins that pose the greatest risk. For consumers, the long-term potential is to reduce the risk associated with accidental exposure and ultimately enable peanuts and peanut-based products to return to environments where they are often restricted today, such as schools, airlines, hospitals, hotels and institutional foodservice. There is also a very important benefit for manufacturers, brands and foodservice operators. Conventional peanuts create significant concerns around cross-contact, allergen residues on shared production lines, cleaning, segregation and, in some cases, the need for dedicated production environments. Reducing the overall allergen burden, and particularly the allergens associated with the most severe reactions, could potentially reduce those risks and make peanuts easier to manufacture, handle and incorporate into products. We are also addressing aflatoxin, another major food-safety issue in peanuts. Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring toxin associated with serious health risks, including cancer. Peanut lots must meet strict safety specifications before entering the food chain, and excessive aflatoxin contamination results in lots being rejected, reprocessed or diverted to lower-value uses. This is not a marginal problem – on average, roughly 10% of US edible peanut lots fail aflatoxin specifications each year, and the situation can become much worse under unfavourable growing conditions, such as in 2019 when the disqualification rate reached 30% of peanut lots in the southeastern United States. By reducing the peanut’s susceptibility to aflatoxin contamination, our aim is to address that risk before the crop even reaches the food manufacturer. For growers and processors, that could mean fewer rejected lots and less waste; for manufacturers and brands, it could mean more consistent raw-material quality, greater supply reliability and lower food-safety risk. Which of the other traits you’re working on do you foresee as offering the most commercial impact for the food and beverage industry? We see hypoallergenicity as the leading category for the peanut-based industry, because peanut allergy is such a significant issue for both consumers and the food industry. It affects where peanuts can be sold and served, how manufacturers manage production, and how consumers perceive risk. If we can materially reduce that risk, the commercial implications are substantial. The next most important trait is aflatoxin reduction. Aflatoxin is a major food-safety issue for both manufacturers and consumers, and contaminated peanut lots can be rejected, reprocessed or diverted to lower-value uses. Reducing that risk at the crop level could provide a significant benefit in terms of food safety, supply reliability, waste reduction and cost. Beyond those two, drought and other climate-stress tolerance are extremely important, particularly from the grower’s perspective. Peanuts are increasingly exposed to heat, drought and other climate pressures, and if peanuts are to remain a major crop in the US, improving resilience will be essential. These traits may be less visible to the end consumer, but they are critical to maintaining reliable production and long-term supply. So from our perspective, hypoallergenicity is the leading commercial category for the peanut industry, followed by aflatoxin reduction, with climate resilience also becoming increasingly important for the future of peanut production. You’ve launched a commercial partnership with Nurtured Nuts Company. Could you tell us a bit more about this partnership and how you’re working collaboratively? Do you have plans to partner with any other food and beverage brands/companies? Nurtured Nuts is our downstream commercial partner and gives us something that is extremely important for an agricultural biotechnology company: a direct route from genetics to a consumer product. Agrinetica is focused on developing and producing the improved peanut genetics, while Nurtured Nuts is focused on transforming those peanuts into branded consumer products, beginning with peanut butter. They are already working on formulation, manufacturing processes, segregation, quality control and third-party testing in preparation for commercialisation. That allows both companies to concentrate on what they do best while working very closely across the entire value chain. And yes, we absolutely intend to work with additional food manufacturers and brands. Our strategy is not to limit these peanuts to one consumer brand. Ultimately, we want our traits and ingredients to be available across multiple food categories and commercial partners. What have you observed about consumer understanding and acceptance of gene-edited crops in the food and beverage industry? There is still some confusion between gene editing and traditional GMO technology, but that distinction is becoming much clearer. Modern gene editing can make precise changes to a plant’s own DNA without introducing foreign DNA, and once a consumer understands that, the discussion tends to shift from the technology itself to the benefit it creates. The regulatory direction is also a strong signal. In the US, gene-edited crops are treated differently from traditional GMOs, and the EU – historically the most restrictive market toward GMOs – has just now adopted a new framework that also distinguishes gene-edited plants from conventional GMOs and enables commercialisation of such products with no labelling requirements. We believe this regulatory shift reflects not only advances in science, but also a broader change in public and market perception. Ultimately, we believe acceptance will be driven by benefit, transparency and trust. If consumers see clear value – such as lower allergy risk, reduced aflatoxin risk or improved climate resilience – gene editing becomes a tool for solving real problems rather than an issue in itself. What has been the company’s biggest achievement to date? For us, the biggest achievement is that we have moved beyond proving that gene editing works in peanuts and have developed a genuine commercial pipeline. We have already received a USDA non-GMO regulatory determination for our gene-edited hypoallergenic and improved fatty acid composition peanuts, progressed the material into field-scale seed production in the United States, and expanded the platform to additional commercially important traits including yield, drought resilience and aflatoxin reduction. We are also moving the allergy program toward clinical validation and commercialisation. That progression, from an idea in the laboratory to genetics being multiplied for real commercial products, is probably the milestone we are most proud of. If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring start-ups in the food and beverage industry to help them navigate the sector’s challenges and opportunities, what would it be? Start with the problem, not with the technology. It is very easy for technology companies to become fascinated by what they can build. The more important question is whether you are solving a problem that somebody genuinely cares about – and eventually will pay to solve. In food and agriculture, you also have to understand the entire value chain. A great technology is not enough. The farmer, processor, manufacturer, retailer and consumer may each need a reason to adopt it. Our experience with Agrinetica has reinforced that the strongest innovations are those where the technology creates measurable value at several points along that chain.

Seven Sundays is expanding its cereal range with the launch of limited-edition Snowball Cookie Puffs, a seasonal cereal inspired by freshly baked cookies. Launching on 1 November, the new cereal features powdery, poppable puffs coated with a sweet vanilla-maple flavour. Snowball Cookie Puffs follows the success of Seven Sundays’ PB Puffs, the brand’s first puffed cereal, which launched at Target earlier this year. The new cereal is made with nine ingredients: pea protein, maple syrup, gluten-free oats, upcycled non-GMO corn, tapioca, coconut oil, potato starch, vanilla extract and sea salt. It provides 8g of plant protein per serving and is naturally gluten-free. The cereal contains no refined sugar or artificial additives. Seven Sundays said the seasonal launch is designed to bring a festive flavour to the breakfast category while maintaining the brand’s focus on simple ingredients and plant-based nutrition. Snowball Cookie Puffs will be available from 1 November at Whole Foods Market, Fresh Thyme, Central Market, Thrive Market, the Seven Sundays website and select local retailers.

Meala FoodTech is set to enter full-scale commercial production of its texturising pea protein, with the company aiming to produce enough ingredient to replace 1,400 tonnes of eggs in food formulations in 2027. The Israeli food tech company has more than tripled manufacturing capacity across production sites in France and Germany, responding to growing demand from food manufacturers. According to Meala, the capacity expansion will enable the company to replace the equivalent of approximately 82,000 eggs per day next year. The pea-based ingredient is designed to replicate the multifunctional performance of eggs and hydrocolloids across a range of food applications, including bakery and meat alternatives. Meala said its solution can deliver cost savings of 30–40% across bakery applications, while helping manufacturers reduce their reliance on eggs and address supply chain volatility. Hadar Ekhoiz-Razmovich, CEO and co-founder of Meala FoodTech, said: “Texture is central to the eating experience – it creates the bite, juiciness, and mouthfeel that make a food memorable and worth sharing. Manufacturers seek ingredients that deliver this experience alongside reliable performance, competitive costs, and a stable supply chain.” Meala's pea protein is already being incorporated into branded products available on retail shelves, with the company working with dozens of food manufacturers across multiple categories. The company said its ingredients can be used to replace eggs or conventional texture additives such as hydrocolloids, while supporting shorter ingredient lists and increasing protein content without changing sensory attributes. The ingredient is marketed commercially through industry partners, including DSM-Firmenich, which markets Vertis PB Pea for savoury applications, and Lasenor Emul, which markets LASENOR VP-100 as an egg replacement for bakery products. On-pack, the ingredient can be listed simply as “pea protein”, according to Meala. The company has also reported the successful launch of plant-based meat alternatives incorporating its protein, which are now commercially available across Europe. Meala said the ingredient can help manufacturers manage formulation costs at a time when food producers are facing continued pressure around ingredient pricing and supply chain reliability. In an assessed sponge cake formulation, the company reported a potential formulation cost reduction of more than 40% compared with an egg-based reference. The ingredient could also reduce the need for refrigerated logistics associated with liquid eggs, potentially simplifying storage, transportation and inventory management. From a sustainability perspective, a life cycle assessment conducted by Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences found that Meala's pea-based protein has a 63% lower carbon footprint and a 96% lower water footprint per kilogram of protein compared with egg powder. The company said the ingredient can also help manufacturers diversify sourcing strategies by relying on plant-based raw materials. Dr Tali Feldman Sivan, co-founder and CBO of Meala, said: “In meat alternatives, our texturising protein provides binding and structure while replacing conventional texture additives. In bakery applications, it typically accounts for just a few percentages of the formulation, replacing egg functionality and enabling meaningful cost-in-use savings.” Meala will showcase its pea-based texturising protein at Fi Europe in Frankfurt from 17–19 November, where visitors will be able to sample egg-free baked products containing the ingredient.

In its first ever exhibition at Fi Europe, Bioiberica will demonstrate how its science-backed, biologically-derived branded ingredients unlock opportunities that empower the health evolution and help consumers live better, for longer. At booth #51C69, attendees can explore functional food concepts featuring Collavant n2 (40 mg/day) native (undenatured) type II collagen for joint health, as well as hyaluronic acid matrix ingredients, Dermial (60 mg/day) for skin health and Mobilee (80 mg/day) for muscle and joint support, and DAOgest (4.2 mg/day) diamine oxidase (DAO) enzyme targeting histamine intolerance. Bioiberica will use its debut at Fi Europe to shine a spotlight on Collavant n2. This next-generation branded ingredient works through an immune-mediated mechanism of action (oral tolerance) to regulate the body’s response to endogenous type II collagen and support healthy joints at the low dose of just 40 mg/day‑, opening up new possibilities for convenient, consumer‑friendly formats. On stand, event attendees can speak to the team about Puleva Vita Calcio Colágeno – a first‑of‑its‑kind milk drink enriched with Collavant n2 which was launched by Lactalis Spain last year. This real-world functional product will be on display alongside other exciting functional food concepts, including gummies, protein bars, carbonated juice and bone broth featuring Collavant n2, as well as Dermial beverages and gummies. Bioiberica’s application specialists will be on hand to share best practices for crafting delicious, functional products that allow consumers to build wellness into everyday eating and drinking occasions. Underpinning every concept is Bioiberica’s portfolio of biological-origin branded ingredients for mobility, skin and beauty, and digestive health, plus five decades of scientific expertise and an unwavering commitment to circular production. For those looking for fresh inspiration and tailored advice on how to stay ahead in the functional food space, booth #51C69 should be an essential stop on their show itinerary. For more information visit our website.