One week in a post #22: A New Nutella, Keto Snacks, Cell-Cultured Breast Milk, and Premium PB…
One week in a post #22: A New Nutella, Keto Snacks, Cell-Cultured Breast Milk, and Premium PB alternatives.
Now that climate beneficial eating is becoming more popular, and a number of individuals and organizations are getting into the space, I feel called to share with a broader audience what I encounter every single day through my work at Future Food and Food for Climate League. Weekly, I share startups I read about, products I tasted, founders I met (and a bit of personal life!). Every single concept I mention will be tracked on a public database we’re populating. The overarching goal is to increase the general interest in this topic, acknowledging that the challenge is too big not to work cooperatively.
This initiative is possible thanks to our amazing Future Food Ecosystem, where our team is working head-down every single day to research, design, create, and commercialize new food solutions to help our planet.
My word of the week
Glasgow / NOUN: Glasgow is a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland's western Lowlands.Food, Climate and Innovation: three highlights of the week
1/ Cell-Cultured Breast Milk
The World Health Organization reported that only 41% of infants under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed. Why is breastfeeding so important? Besides the natural human connection breastfeeding creates between a mother and child, breast milk is uniquely suited to the human infant’s nutritional needs and is a live substance with unparalleled immunological and anti-inflammatory properties that protect against a host of illnesses and diseases for both mothers and children.
However, not all mothers are able to breastfeed creating the need for infant formula. While formula has been the go-to alternative to breastmilk, Biomilq, based in North Carolina, has recently announced their venture to develop lab-grown breastmilk through the use of mammary biotechnology. On October 20th, they closed their Series A funding round with a total of $21 million backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the sustainable VC firm founded by Bill Gates, and Danish life science investor Novo Holdings. According to the company, they are currently focused on working with health professionals, regulators, and families while finalizing production with the goal of bringing cultured breastmilk to market as soon as they’re satisfied their product meets quality standards.
While exciting, it will be interesting to see how they are able to accurately mimic the different stages of the nutritional profiles of milk from the initial colostrum, high in protein and protective properties, all the way to mature milk, lower in protein and higher in fat and carbohydrates.
And pricing will also be an important variable to consider for those with economical challenges. I’m super curious to see what happens!
2/ Climate-friendly Cake
The Urgent Company has collaborated with Perfect Day, a food technology startup based in Berkeley, California, that has developed a process of creating dairy proteins, to launch a Climate Hero Super Cake Mix under the brand Brave Robot, the fastest growing brand in the plant-based ice cream category. The shelf-stable yellow cake mix is packaged in a compostable bag, each 17.5oz bag making two 8-inch round cakes, and only requires the addition oil + water.
While sustainably packaged and only made up of plant-based ingredients, the Perfect Day non-animal whey protein substitute is next-gen sustainable: A recent Life Cycle Assessment of Perfect Day’s protein production found that if just 5% of dairy products were made with Perfect Day protein, the equivalent of the greenhouse gas emissions from 140K roundtrip flights between SFO and JFK would be saved. With only cake and ice-cream released, it will be interesting to see what further products they look to develop in the future and the increased positive environmental impact they have.
If you’d like to try out the new cake mix, check it out here.
3/ Keto Innovation
While it may seem plant-based innovation is the priority for brands, the demand for keto products, products that are low/no sugar and have fewer carbohydrates, is very high: According to Grand View Research, the global ketogenic diet market size was valued at USD 9.57 billion in 2019. From pastries to pizza crusts, both new and old brands are looking to meet the demand with new products or new formulations to fit the dietary restrictions.
A young brand that launched in 2017 in Europe, Nick’s, the Swedish brand known in the U.S. for its better-for-you ice cream, is launching into a new sector with its line of Swedish-Style Keto Snack Bars, which are now for sale on the company’s U.S. website. In addition they already sell a line of ice cream products containing a proprietary blend of sweeteners and ingredients, but with a portion of the calories and no added sugar.
But that’s not it. The well-known vegan cookie brand, Lenny&Larry’s announced the launch of their plant-based keto cookie: The new cookie variation contains 9 grams of plant-based protein per 1.6-oz cookie, up from 8 grams previously, as well as 3 grams of net carbohydrates and 1 gram of sugar. Even vegan brands are “dipping their toes” into this trend.
On the other hand, a major keto trend is the creation of keto-friendly flour alternatives to be utilized as a base for baked products. Cappello’s incorporates almond flour into frozen pizzas that are keto certified, Olam Food Ingredients offers gluten-free flour sourced from almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts and macadamias, and the new keto-friendly Ardent Mills’ net-carb flour blend is substituted in their bread, pizza crust, tortillas, crackers and muffins.
Even traditional brands such as Reddi Whip are looking to meet the demand with the launch of their zero-sugar line of whipped cream: the whipped topping is formulated with cream, has no carbs or sugar and is 15 calories per serving.
Ah, and have you tried Keho snacks? Savory keto snacks brought to us by the super founder, Tekla Back.
Climate Friendly products of the week
Abbots Butcher
Abbot’s Butcher produces premium plant-based alternatives to ground beef, chorizo and chopped chicken.
Sourcing / According to Abbot’s Butcher, their products are crafted from premium quality ingredients, sourced from ethical producers.
Quality / Abbot’s Butcher products are not overly processed like many vegan meat substitutes: Their products are created with pea protein, vegetables, herbs, spices, extra virgin olive oil and vinegars.
TBH
TBH (to be honest) has created a palm-oil free, plant-based hazelnut spread without palm oil.
Nutrition / TBH’s ingredients are vegan, and each serving contains 6g of protein, 14g of net carbs, and 50% less sugar than the category leader
Sustainability / Besides being plant-based, responsibly sourcing cocoa, and not utilizing any palm-oil in the product, they also use 100% recycled materials for its packaging.
Founder / Shout-out to Elena!
Saint James Iced Tea
Saint James is a second-generation family-owned and sustainably packaged beverage brand.
Sustainability / Saint James Tea uses Tetra Paks created with low carbon materials and made of 70% paper from responsibly managed forests. The packaging also eliminates exposure to air and light, which gives the preservative-free tea a shelf life of up to 24 months, while keeping the product fresh for as long as possible.
Sector / There is not so much innovation in the bottle-tea space. So it’s great to see this team trying to push the boundaries!
The Future Food Institute believes climate change is at the end of your fork. By harnessing the power of our global ecosystem of partners, innovators, researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs, FFI aims to sustainably improve life on Earth through the transformation of global food systems. Learn more at www.futurefoodinsitute.org, or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Or attend a program through the FutureFood.Academy!
Can I help you with the work you’re doing? Please reach out to me here!
👉👉 Thank you Natalie Brandenburg for the priceless help putting this article together!
One week in a post #22: A New Nutella, Keto Snacks, Cell-Cultured Breast Milk, and Premium PB… was originally published in FUTURE FOOD on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.