But what about meat made from thin air? It seems way too futuristic to be true, but it’s real.

Inspired by old NASA research, which focused on innovative ways to feed astronauts on long space missions, California-based food tech startup Air Protein uses carbon capture to literally turn air into protein.

Put (relatively) simply, the brand uses microbes to recycle purified food-grade CO2 and combines it with water and energy to create protein. After that, in a process similar to beer fermentation, the protein is turned into a flour-like substance.

Oils, nutrients, and flavorings are added to turn that powder into the end product: Air Meat. The totally vegan product resembles either steak, chicken, fish, or pork.

Why we need Air Meat

According to founder Lisa Dyson, Air Protein is driven by an impact-focused mission to transform the food system.

Conventional meat products are the product of animal agriculture. The outdated and destructive industry not only slaughters billions of animals, but also contributes around 14.5 percent of global greenhouse emissions and destroys rainforests. (According to a study by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 80 percent of the Amazon has been cut down by ranchers.)

Some may be confused by the idea of using air to make products that taste like meat. But Dyson says it is an essential concept to explore. It doesn’t require anywhere near as many natural resources but gives those who enjoy meat products a credible, realistic-tasting alternative, she says.

Dyson told Dezeen: “We have a mission at Air Protein to accelerate the world’s transition to climate and rainforest-friendly meat. That mission requires us to make products that meat-eaters love.”

“We are focused on delivering taste, texture, and nutritional outcomes that will make the environmentally-friendly choice the easy choice.”

This article was originally published on April 20, 2022. It was corrected on April 27 to state that Air Protein uses food-grade CO2.

The post This Food Tech Start-Up Is Making Vegan Meat Out Of Thin Air, Literally appeared first on Plant Based News.

The problem with climate misinformation

Last September, Meta (then known as Facebook) announced new plans to counteract misinformation about the climate crisis on its platforms Facebook and Instagram. This included things like investing in misinformation prevention-focused organizations and producing video content spotlighting young climate activists.

But many still criticized Meta for simply not doing enough. And last November, two studies—one by the Center for Countering Digital Hate and one by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue—found that misleading information was still rife on Facebook.

They discovered that fewer than 10 percent of misinformation-centered posts were flagged as such. The posts referred to the climate crisis using words like “scam” and “hysteria.”

Climate denial posts are dangerous. The climate crisis is a very real and present threat, after all.

Human-caused greenhouse gas emissions—driven by animal agriculture, fashion, and the transportation industries, to name a few of the biggest culprits—are rising to dangerous levels. But time is still on our side.

According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we can halve emissions by 2030. But only if industries take climate action now.

The spread of false information on social media undermines the severity of the situation.

Michael Khoo is the head of Friends of the Earth’s anti-disinformation unit. He told the Guardian that, by removing climate misinformation, Pinterest is demonstrating “great leadership.”

He added: “We encourage others to take note of Pinterest’s efforts to reduce climate change disinformation.”

The post Pinterest Becomes First Social Media Platform To Ban Climate Misinformation appeared first on Plant Based News.

In the February issue of the Journal of Applied Phycology, researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore described how they produced oil from microalgae and discovered positive health benefits in comparison to palm oil. 

Oil derived from microalgae – photosynthesizing microorganisms that live in salt- or fresh-water – contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids (which reduce cholesterol) and fewer saturated fatty acids than palm oil.

Microalgae is also environmentally sustainable: it is ubiquitous underwater, naturally regenerative, and harvesting it has little impact on the natural environment. Palm oil extraction, in contrast, is a notoriously large contributor to deforestation, threatening countless animal habitats, notably orangutans, pygmy elephants, and Sumatran rhinos.

William Chen DSc, director of NTU’s Food Science and Technology Program, said: “Developing these plant-based oils from algae is yet another triumph for NTU Singapore as we look to find successful ways to tackle problems in the agri-food-tech chain, especially those that have an adverse impact on the environment. 

“Uncovering this as a potential human food source is an opportunity to lessen the impact the food supply chain has on our planet,” Chen said.

Rising palm oil production

At present, palm oil is an ingredient in around half of all consumer products – both edible and inedible – with farmers producing 77 million tonnes of palm oil in 2018 alone. This number is expected to rise to 107.6 million tonnes by 2024, despite recent global recognition of palm oil’s detrimental impacts.

In 2012, the UK government committed to ensuring that 100 percent of palm oil used in the UK would come from sustainable sources. By 2019, the UK reached 70 percent of total palm oil imports being sustainable.

NTU is at the fore of food innovation. June 2021 saw the launch of its new undergraduate course dedicated to meat alternatives, created in partnership with the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific – the first course of its kind in Southeast Asia. 

The post Could Microalgae Oil Replace Palm Oil? Researchers Think So appeared first on Plant Based News.

After Veganuary 2022, and as spring is now in the air, aspiring vegans everywhere will be looking for ways to stay on track with their new lifestyle.

Vegans need to master plant-based alternatives to animal-based foods, tasty recipes, eating out, and how to get the right nutrients. Then there’s vegan clothing, cleaning products, and skincare to consider.

Thankfully there are many apps to provide support for these things including, HappyCow, Forks Over Knives, 21 Day Vegan Kickstart, and VNutrition.

But what about finding a vegan soulmate?

Dating might not be top of the app download list for newly fledged vegans or vegetarians, but as their values and passion for plant-based living grows, so too might their preference for a partner with similar interests. 

With more than 500,000 vegans in the UK and 1.2 million vegetarians, it’s no wonder regular dating apps are starting to offer vegan and vegetarian preferences. However, the majority of people on these apps don’t follow a plant-based lifestyle. For some vegans and veggies this is a deal breaker for intimate relationships. 

This is where Vegpal comes in.

Animal rights activists launch dating app

Dahlia and Sravan, two Boston-based animal rights activists, created the mobile app Vegpal to provide a dating platform exclusively for vegans and vegetarians. Disenchanted with their experiences dating outside the plant-based community, they recognized the need for a space for vegans to meet, connect, and date others that share their values and lifestyle.

The app was designed with the vegan community in mind. Infused with the colors of the vegan flag, Vegpal offers a simple yet beautiful user interface, designed to create a relaxing experience for members.

Vegans and vegetarians in the dating scene

Eating together is a huge part of building any relationship as dating often entails dinners, coffee dates and lunches. A survey by Zava Med of Europeans and Americans found that over 70 percent of singles choose a restaurant for a first date, while another popular choice is a coffee shop or cafe. Relationship building goes hand in hand with eating and drinking but for vegans and vegetarians this could get in the way.

This is what Vegpal founder Dahlia found. She was put off meeting up with omnivores through dating apps. Dahlia said, “I was fed up swiping past pictures of fishing expeditions and sitting opposite people eating carcasses.”

A SpeedDater survey found that 27 percent of vegans and vegetarians have had a partner’s food habits contribute to the end of a relationship. For most vegans and vegetarians, it’s not just a diet, it’s a philosophy.

It makes sense that a lifestyle-specific dating app could help people find a soulmate with similar values.

Having shared interests matters

One of the key things that makes the dating experience fun is talking about shared interests. 

Stimulating these conversations is an integral part of the Vegpal experience. Like Facebook, where users can share a statement or link on their profile page, Vegpal users can post something of interest to them. It could be the latest vegan podcast they heard, a book, YouTube video, or pictures of a marathon they ran.

The idea behind Vegpal’s unique “My Feed” function was to allow members to express their personalities and interests and create more interesting conversations.

Dahlia explained how they managed to combine social media with a dating profile to help people strike up meaningful conversations. “There’s only so much you can tell about someone from their profile stats and it doesn’t always make for rich conversation.”

Security and safety when dating online 

Safety was at the forefront of developing Vegpal. After downloading the app, users complete a mini-application process. This helps the app’s team rule out scammers, trolls, and carnivores. It ensures members always feel secure and helps them avoid time wasters. 

A 2020 Pew Research Centre Study found that many women are experiencing some form of harassment on dating sites and apps. Fifty-seven percent said they’d received sexually explicit messages or images they hadn’t asked for. 

Quality over quantity

Creating quality connections for members, rather than quantity, is a priority for Vegpal. Unlike most dating apps, Vegpal limits daily swipes in order to create a space where each “like” is thoughtful. Dahlia said, “it’s not about endless scrolling and endless faces, it’s about quality conversations and connections.” 

Vegpal strives to be an ethical player in the dating market, moving away from the concept of online dating as a pseudo-marketplace where people shop for potential partners the same way they shop for a new phone or tv.

Inclusivity

A really important element of any community is to foster inclusivity and Vegpal takes extra care to ensure its app embraces everyone in the plant-based world. 

One of the values of its founders was to ensure LGBTQIA+ representation. They did this by consulting with people in these communities while building the app to get a sense of how best to include everyone and make them feel seen. 

Vegpal incorporates categories for gender that enable people to express their identity while having the best opportunity to get matched. 

Meeting vegan friends, not just soul mates 

The ethos behind Vegpal is to create meaningful connections and this is reflected in the latest feature to be launched very soon. 

Plant Based News has received insider information that plans are afoot for Vegpal to launch a “friendship” function. The aim is to offer members a way to build non-romantic connections with like-minded others locally and globally.

For anyone planning to venture into the dating scene, Vegpal could be the answer to meeting like-minded others and growing a vegan friendship group.

Vegpal is free to join. To find out more visit the Vegpal website or download the app on Google Play or Apple’s App Store.

The post New Vegan Dating App Set To Make Waves This Spring appeared first on Plant Based News.

The company, founded by two long-term vegans, has just relaunched a brand new site and is eyeing further expansion.

Vegvisits vs. Airbnb

The platform invites hosts around the globe to list rooms to entire homes, in a bid to make traveling easier for vegans and the ‘veg-curious’ alike.

It came after founders Linsey and Nicholas Minnella had difficulties finding food and ‘felt uncomfortable’ staying in hotels abroad.

‘We were desperate for that feeling of peace of mind’, Linsey told PBN. Moreover, it wasn’t until the pair stayed at an Airbnb with a vegan host that they had the idea to create Vegvisits.

Since launching in 2016, the platform is available in over 80 countries. But following travel restrictions, Linsey says it ‘took a huge hit’.

However, now they’re ready to take the site to more countries and inform the ‘entire’ vegan and vegetarian community.

How Vegvisits works

The accommodation platform has so far accumulated over 1,000 listings.

And of those listings, hosts have to keep their homes meat and seafood free ‘at all times’ during a guest’s stay.

This is not only to avoid guests witnessing ‘the sights and smells of animal flesh’, but also to ‘bring a sense of peace amongst the unknown’, Linsey explains.

It also provides an opportunity for ‘valuable’ local advice from fellow vegans.

While the platform was originally free since upgrading guests are charged between six and 12 percent of the reservation cost. Hosts are charged three to four percent.

You can find out more about Vegvisits here

This article was updated on 28/09/2021 to update cost details

The post How This Company Is Rivalling Airbnb With Travel Platform For Vegans appeared first on Plant Based News.

The proposal is part of the company’s recent partnership with Doha Venture Capital (DVC) and Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA). 

The new facility

At first, Eat Just will use the facility to produce its GOOD Meat products. 

GOOD Meat uses cellular agriculture to create slaughter-free chicken. As well as animal welfare benefits, the process is more sustainable than animal farming. (To learn more about cultured meat, see here.)

Later on, Eat Just’s new facility will also include a protein processing facility for its plant-based egg division JUST Egg.

The facility will be located in the Umm Alhoul Free Zone, one of the two free zones overseen and regulated by QFZA. It also provides direct access to Hamad Port, Qatar’s primary seaport. 

Cultured meat in restaurants

According to a press release, QFZA and the Ministry of Public Health have suggested that they will grant regulatory approval for GOOD Meat’s cultivated chicken ‘very soon’. The organizations have already formally granted an export license for the product.

GOOD Meat is exploring which restaurants in Qatar might be suitable for launching the slaughter-free meat.

“Our team is grateful to take the next step in our global expansion in the Qatar Free Zones. Their commitment to accelerating our work in building a more sustainable food system was apparent from day one of our dialogue – and we’re expecting to look back decades from now on this partnership with them as key to how we made that vision a reality,” Josh Tetrick, Co-Founder and CEO of Eat Just, said in a statement.

Last year, GOOD Meat became the first in the world to receive regulatory approval for cultured meat. Following this, the company launched at restaurants and on food delivery services in Singapore. 

The post Eat Just To Build First Cultured Meat Facility In The Middle East appeared first on Plant Based News.

But, concerned about sustainability, Dunsford found himself being pulled in a different direction. 

The same year, he co-founded a cultured meat company called Cellular Agriculture Ltd. The start-up was the first of its kind in the UK.

What is cultured meat?

Cultured meat – also called cell-based or clean meat – is created using in vitro cultivation of animal cells. The final product is the same as meat on a cellular level, but can be produced without killing animals. 

Animal welfare isn’t the only thing drawing consumers to cell-based meat; the product has a lighter impact on the planet too. Raising animals for food, especially beef, is linked to rises in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and pollution. 

Cell-based meat can sidestep these concerns. Cellular agriculturists can also tweak the nutritional profile of cultured meat to be healthier. For example, by lowering the amount of fat it contains. 

Food tech companies are producing cell-based lobster, beef, chicken, dairy, and pork, to name a few. Some companies are working on cell-based pet food, too.

Feeding the world with cell-based meat

Dunsford, who is also the CEO of the start-up, recently spoke to ProVeg about his transition from traditional meat to cell-based meat. 

In 2015, the entrepreneur attended a symposium hosted by Professor Mark Post, who presented the world’s first cell-based hamburger two years prior. “[I] found it revelatory that there was a technology that could provide the specific part of the animal that the consumer wanted to consume,” Dunsford said to ProVeg.

Dunsford believes the technology can help sustainably feed the world’s ever-growing population. 

“The ultimate aim is to build industrial factories that produce food that isn’t detrimental to the planet in its production methods and which reduces food poverty. With a forecast population of 10bn by 2050, we need to feed all those additional people in order for us to have the best opportunity possible to tackle the challenges that face humankind,” he said.

‘Evolution of the agricultural sector’

The farm-to-cell shift might raise eyebrows for some, considering Dunsford’s family has an agricultural history stretching back more than 300 years. 

“I view cultured meat as an evolution of the agricultural sector rather than a dissolution of it,” he said. “Ultimately, we are feeding the cell rather than the cow, with an end result that is comparable to traditional meat, chemically, nutritionally, and taste-wise, but is produced in a much more efficient manner.”

Dunsford maintains that farmers can play a key role in the cellular agriculture industry. “We already work with a range of farmers and specialists in the agricultural industry,” he said. These include animal welfare experts, animal health specialists, horticultural researchers, veterinarians and geneticists. Even abattoir workers are involved.

“It makes perfect sense to work with those who understand the product we’re working to emulate in order to deliver a product that is as close to meat as possible,” Dunsford explained.

Regeneration

He also noted that a decline in traditional meat means that the land can be used for other purposes. 

“It allows us to consider holistic approaches to regenerative methods of farming that have high natural value,” the CEO said. “The challenge that we face is to produce nutrient-dense foods while limiting the impact on the planet and securing our soils so that future generations can feed themselves.”

“Farmers are hugely innovative, hard-working business people who are extremely experienced in working with tight regulations,” Dunsford said. 

“With new opportunities, I’m confident that the cellular-agriculture sector won’t be quite such a lonely place for me as a farmer in the future.”

Read more about cultured meat here.

The post Farmers Have A Role In The Cell-Based Meat Industry, Here’s Why appeared first on Plant Based News.

The research

Piplsay asked 31,340 Americans and 9,166 Britons about their stance on cell-based meat. Nineteen percent of Americans and 18 percent of Brits said they are eager to give it a go. 

Other research predicts these figures are even higher. A 2018 study found that 66 percent of Americans would try cultured meat.

What is cultured meat?

Cultured meat is produced by in vitro cultivation of animal cells. Scientists can collect cell samples from animals without harming them. For instance, Californian food start-up Eat Just waited for a chicken, named Ian, to naturally drop a feather to collect his cells. 

The cells are placed into a growth medium, which fools the cells into thinking they are still a part of the animal’s body. This results in the cells multiplying to eventually become a larger piece of meat.

The final product looks and tastes just like traditional meat, because on a cellular level, it is identical. However, scientists are also able to control specific features of the meat. For instance, how much fat it contains.

Recent advancements in cultured meat

A Dutch scientist named Mark Post presented the world’s first cell-based beef burger at a press conference in 2013. The burger cost around $280,000. 

A spokesperson from Mosa Meat – a food tech company co-founded by Post – explained why.

“The burger was this expensive in 2013 because back then it was novel science and we were producing at a very small scale. Once production is scaled up, we project the cost of producing a hamburger will be around 9 euros,” she told Reuters.

She added that cultured meat could eventually be cheaper than its traditional counterpart.

Mosa Meats isn’t the only company driving the cultured meat movement. Cellular aquaculture company Wildtype says it is ‘reinventing seafood’ with its slaughter-free salmon. Shiok Meats, based in Singapore, produces cell-based shrimp, crab, and lobster. 

Israeli food tech Aleph Farms makes beef steaks, Hong Kong’s Avant Meats grows sustainable fish, and Memphis Meats develops cell-based chicken, meatballs, and duck.

The technology doesn’t stop there. Israeli start-up Remilk produces dairy products without using cows. And Because Animals, based in Delaware, was the first brand to grow cell-based meat pet food.

Tyson Foods – the world’s second largest processor of chicken, beef, and pork – has invested in cell-based meat start-up Future Meat Technologies as well as Memphis Meats. Tyson Foods’ then-Executive Vice President Justin Whitmore explained why at a 2018 panel event.

“We don’t want to be disrupted,” he said. “We want to be part of the disruption.”

Read more about cultured meat here.

The post 20% Of US And UK Consumers Are ‘Eager’ To Try Cultured Meat appeared first on Plant Based News.

Label Insight published the information. According to its website, the company is the ‘most trusted product data source’ in the consumer packaged goods industry. It’s used by more than 30,000 brands, including Google and Walmart, as well as the FDA and USDA.

Label Insight found that vegan-curious Amazon shoppers mostly looked up terms like ‘vegan meat’, ‘vegan burgers’, ‘vegan chicken’, and ‘vegan fish’. Amazon searches for bean burgers jumped up 45 percent in that month, too.

Label Insight made a similar discovery last year in its report Activating Attributes: How Brands Can Avoid Missing Millions.

Looking at data from a range of online retailers, the company found that ‘vegan’ was the second most-searched for attribute in the snack category. It was also the seventh most-searched for attribute across all categories.

Related articles…

Vegan food on the rise

It’s a trend reported by many businesses in the vegan food scene. In the US retail sector, plant-based food sales increased by 27 percent in 2020, surpassing $7 billion.

One vegan meat brand, The Very Good Food Company, announced its orders had risen by 1686 percent last year compared to the same period in 2019. Its product sales also jumped by 582 percent.

UK-based vegan brand Squeaky Bean announced its sales had gone up 222 percent in January, compared to January 2020.

Simon Day, Head of Marketing at Winterbotham Darby Squeaky Bean, commented: “It has been heartening to see the growth of the plant-based category as a whole.

“The most encouraging sign for the future is that the food on offer continues to get more delicious, more varied, and more relevant to people’s lives.

“Our focus is on continuing that momentum through 2021 and beyond!” 

The post Amazon Shoppers Searched For Vegan Meat 44,000 Times Last Month, New Data Shows appeared first on Plant Based News.

Here’s why.

Jim Mellon

According to Mellon’s predictions, the food industry is set to see some big changes over the next decade.

The 64-year-old has helped create and support huge biotechnology companies, some of which aim to extend human life longevity.

He’s also the largest shareholder in Agronomics, an investment company focussed on expanding ‘modern foods’ – aka cell-cultured meat.

Additionally, his book Moo’s Law provides an ‘investor’s guide to the new agrarian revolution’.

Related articles…

Billionaire predictions

First, the dairy industry as we know it – where cows produce milk – ‘will be gone’, he says. This is because alternative plant milks, such as almond and soy, will take over.

Or, they will be made using precision fermentation, a technology using microbial hosts as cell factories, in order to create an identical protein. One of the leaders in the dairy fermentation industry is Change Foods, a brand aiming to create ‘mind-blowing animal-free foods’ that are better for the planet.

Secondly, Mellon predicts the meat industry will collapse. Half of it will consist of plant-based foods, or foods made using cellular agriculture, he claims.

‘We already have the products. All we need is the scale, the money, and the will’, he says.

The views were shared in a TikTok video on Dubai Future Foundation. But the mogul has also been speaking out with a host of media outlets.

Meat and dairy end

Cellular technology is largely considered as providing an answer to ending factory farming and destructive animal agriculture for good.

It’s expanded as the wider plant-based movement has witnessed staggering growth in recent years. Renowned companies leading the change include Oatly, with its soaring shares on its IPO debut: at an estimated £1 billion.

Moreover, supermarkets, stores, and schemes are all contributing to hiking customer demand.

And changing perspectives on the environment are leading people to rethink their food choices like never before.

Additionally, vast investments are becoming more frequent into vegan giants – allowing more funds to be funneled into product development.

The cell-based and industry is especially booming, and it’s expected to reach full price parity by 2035. This is in line with wider predictions that 11 percent of traditionally animal-based products will be spawn from alternative protein technology.

Even food giants such as Nestlé are expanding into it.

Cellular agriculture

Additionally, it’s not just cellular meat and dairy that are on the rise. Cell-based seafood brands are ramping up production across borders as well.

It’s followed a host of celebrities advocating for marine health since the debut of the hit Netflix documentary, Seaspiracy.

Dubbed the ‘start of a global shift’, it’s become evident that increasing people are concerned about overfishing and ocean health.

And this is Jim Mellon’s third prediction: that half the world’s fish will be produced in factories by 2040.

Controversy

Despite this, many vegans remain conflicted about it. As the meat is made from animal cells, some disagree because they feel it is unethical.

Others are concerned it ‘messes around with nature’.

Either way, cell-cultured meat is here to stay.

And, if billionaire businessman Jim Mellon is correct, it will mark the start of a transformed agricultural system.

The post Why Billionaire Jim Mellon Is Predicting The End Of Meat, Dairy And Fish In 10 Years appeared first on Plant Based News.