A new oatmilk pudding brand, Noops, has launched in the US following a $2 million pre-seed investment round. Noops produces an organic vegan oat-based dessert, which is said to be rich in protein and to contain only ‘clean, natural’ ingredients. Made without added sugar, the brand’s plant-based offering reportedly contains 5-7g of fibre per 4.75oz serving and is free from gluten and common allergens such as peanuts, coconut, and sesame. It is initially available in Cocoa, French Toast, Sticky Bun and Mocha flavours. Noops recently closed a $2 million pre-seed financing round, led by venture capital firm 25madison, with New Crop Capital and Siddhi Capital also investing. The company says that the capital raised will be spent on further commercialising and expanding into retail and foodservice, pursuing product innovation, and investing in marketing and operations. Noops was established by Gregory Struck, who previously co-founded Hungryroot, a direct-to-consumer grocery service for ‘healthy’ food brands. Commenting on the launch of Noops, Struck said: “Our mission is to make nutritious, planet-friendly, plant-based real food with more taste and more flavour than less nutritious alternatives. “We’re inspired and motivated by those looking to make a change in the way they feed themselves and their loved ones without compromising on food satisfaction and enjoyment.” Noops’ oatmilk puddings are available to pre-order, shipping week commencing 27 July, via the company’s website. The brand’s offering is also rolling out to retailers, including select natural specialty stores, throughout the end of this month. #Noops #US

A new oatmilk pudding brand, Noops, has launched in the US following a $2 million pre-seed investment round. Noops produces an organic vegan oat-based dessert, which is said to be rich in protein and to contain only ‘clean, natural’ ingredients. Made without added sugar, the brand’s plant-based offering reportedly contains 5-7g of fibre per 4.75oz serving and is free from gluten and common allergens such as peanuts, coconut, and sesame. It is initially available in Cocoa, French Toast, Sticky Bun and Mocha flavours. Noops recently closed a $2 million pre-seed financing round, led by venture capital firm 25madison, with New Crop Capital and Siddhi Capital also investing. The company says that the capital raised will be spent on further commercialising and expanding into retail and foodservice, pursuing product innovation, and investing in marketing and operations. Noops was established by Gregory Struck, who previously co-founded Hungryroot, a direct-to-consumer grocery service for ‘healthy’ food brands. Commenting on the launch of Noops, Struck said: “Our mission is to make nutritious, planet-friendly, plant-based real food with more taste and more flavour than less nutritious alternatives. “We’re inspired and motivated by those looking to make a change in the way they feed themselves and their loved ones without compromising on food satisfaction and enjoyment.” Noops’ oatmilk puddings are available to pre-order, shipping week commencing 27 July, via the company’s website. The brand’s offering is also rolling out to retailers, including select natural specialty stores, throughout the end of this month.

US holding company HumanCo has acquired a majority stake in organic dairy-free ice cream producer Coconut Bliss for an undisclosed sum. Together, the companies aim to grow the Oregon-based plant-based dessert producer into a globally recognised brand. Founded by Jason H. Karp, co-founder of vegan chocolate maker Hu, HumanCo is committed to building brands focused on healthier living, transparency and sustainability. “HumanCo invests in and builds companies that make the best tasting and cleanest version of a consumer product, and that’s why we’re thrilled to join forces with Coconut Bliss,” said Karp, founder and CEO of HumanCo. Established in 2005, Coconut Bliss offers a portfolio of dairy-free ice cream pints, bars and sandwiches in a variety of flavours. Its non-GMO products are USDA Certified Organic with its ingredients sourced from independent farmers and fair-trade co-ops. Following the transaction, Coconut Bliss aims to innovate more products, expand distribution and increase its marketing investment. Karp continued: “We love ice cream, but most of the plant-based options don’t taste like delicious ice cream or are filled with weird, questionable ingredients. Coconut Bliss does things the right way – they make the most delicious, environmentally conscious, plant-based ice cream that meets both the HumanCo ingredient and taste standards. “We are excited to welcome Coconut Bliss into the HumanCo family and looking forward to helping them in this next chapter of growth.” Kim Gibson Clark, CEO of Coconut Bliss, added: “I am thrilled to join forces with HumanCo and amplify the importance of organic and intentionally sourced foods. “Coconut Bliss has always been dedicated to real ingredients, minimal processing, organic farming practices, fair trade, and socially just labour practices with all of our products and suppliers. HumanCo strengthens these commitments by providing shared resources to help our company operate on a larger scale.” #US #Hu #CoconutBliss #HumanCo #dairyfreeicecream

US holding company HumanCo has acquired a majority stake in organic dairy-free ice cream producer Coconut Bliss for an undisclosed sum. Together, the companies aim to grow the Oregon-based plant-based dessert producer into a globally recognised brand. Founded by Jason H. Karp, co-founder of vegan chocolate maker Hu, HumanCo is committed to building brands focused on healthier living, transparency and sustainability. “HumanCo invests in and builds companies that make the best tasting and cleanest version of a consumer product, and that’s why we’re thrilled to join forces with Coconut Bliss,” said Karp, founder and CEO of HumanCo. Established in 2005, Coconut Bliss offers a portfolio of dairy-free ice cream pints, bars and sandwiches in a variety of flavours. Its non-GMO products are USDA Certified Organic with its ingredients sourced from independent farmers and fair-trade co-ops. Following the transaction, Coconut Bliss aims to innovate more products, expand distribution and increase its marketing investment. Karp continued: “We love ice cream, but most of the plant-based options don’t taste like delicious ice cream or are filled with weird, questionable ingredients. Coconut Bliss does things the right way - they make the most delicious, environmentally conscious, plant-based ice cream that meets both the HumanCo ingredient and taste standards. “We are excited to welcome Coconut Bliss into the HumanCo family and looking forward to helping them in this next chapter of growth.” Kim Gibson Clark, CEO of Coconut Bliss, added: “I am thrilled to join forces with HumanCo and amplify the importance of organic and intentionally sourced foods. “Coconut Bliss has always been dedicated to real ingredients, minimal processing, organic farming practices, fair trade, and socially just labour practices with all of our products and suppliers. HumanCo strengthens these commitments by providing shared resources to help our company operate on a larger scale."

US meal kit firm Home Chef has collaborated with meat alternative company Impossible Foods to offer customers a range of plant-based meal options. As a result of the collaboration, Kroger subsidiary Home Chef will offer several recipes each week where customers can choose to exchange traditional meat products for Impossible Foods’ Impossible Burger. The Impossible Burger, Impossible Foods’ flagship meat alternative product, will be provided in a 12-ounce package of ground ‘meat’. According to a statement from the company, Impossible Burger cooks, tastes, and sizzles in the same way as traditional ground beef, and thus can be easily substituted in any recipe that calls for ground beef from cows. The exchange option will be available as part of Home Chef’s “Customise It” feature, which allows customers to tailor and adapt recipes to their own tastes or dietary requirements. The meal kit firm claims that this collaboration will allow it to keep up with the rising demand for plant-based meat alternatives options from consumers in the US. Pat Vihtelic, Home Chef’s CEO and founder, said: “Variety and innovation have always been key parts of Home Chef. “With the launch of Impossible, we are providing our customers more ways to enjoy our weekly recipes and be on the forefront of the trend towards eating more plant-based foods.” Dan Greene, SVP of US sales at Impossible Foods, added: “At Impossible Foods, we’ve long intended to make the Impossible Burger available anywhere that food is sold, including through meal kits. “We’re thrilled to share that the Impossible Burger is now on the Home Chef menu, so that cooks everywhere can conveniently try out new recipes with our delicious meat made from plants.” #US #mealkits #meatalternatives #ImpossibleFoods #HomeChef

Royal DSM has revealed its complete portfolio of integrated solutions for creating plant-based meat alternatives. The range – designed to enhance taste, texture and nutritional value of meat alternatives such as burgers, sausages and nuggets – features a collection of yeast extracts, process flavours, hydrocolloids and nutritional ingredients. The offering includes: High nucleotide yeast extracts, such as Maxarome Select, which help to mask the ‘beany’ off-flavours associated with plant-based proteins and create a rich umami taste; Multirome, which increases juiciness and creates a succulent, fatty mouthfeel and experience; the concentrated Maxavor flavour range to provide the desired meaty taste direction; and Gellaneer gellan gum, which enhances water-binding capacity for improved juiciness, while also building an authentic meaty texture and bite. The team at DSM aims to create a full portfolio that equips food producers with the tools needed to give consumers an authentic and nourishing meat alternative experience. Gilbert Verschelling, Director of Business Development & Innovation at DSM, said: “Delivering plant-based products that meet today’s evolving consumer demands is no easy task for food manufacturers. At DSM, we are uniquely positioned to help producers create truly enjoyable meat-alternative products that will tick all boxes for consumers.” He continued: “Our complete integrated portfolio of solutions for plant-based meat alternatives complements DSM’s wider plant-based offering, including its range of recently launched solutions for dairy alternatives”. #meatalternatives #plantbasedmeat #ingredients #plantbased #DSM

US meal kit firm Home Chef has collaborated with meat alternative company Impossible Foods to offer customers a range of plant-based meal options. As a result of the collaboration, Kroger subsidiary Home Chef will offer several recipes each week where customers can choose to exchange traditional meat products for Impossible Foods' Impossible Burger. The Impossible Burger, Impossible Foods' flagship meat alternative product, will be provided in a 12-ounce package of ground 'meat'. According to a statement from the company, Impossible Burger cooks, tastes, and sizzles in the same way as traditional ground beef, and thus can be easily substituted in any recipe that calls for ground beef from cows. The exchange option will be available as part of Home Chef's "Customise It" feature, which allows customers to tailor and adapt recipes to their own tastes or dietary requirements. The meal kit firm claims that this collaboration will allow it to keep up with the rising demand for plant-based meat alternatives options from consumers in the US. Pat Vihtelic, Home Chef's CEO and founder, said: "Variety and innovation have always been key parts of Home Chef. "With the launch of Impossible, we are providing our customers more ways to enjoy our weekly recipes and be on the forefront of the trend towards eating more plant-based foods." Dan Greene, SVP of US sales at Impossible Foods, added: "At Impossible Foods, we've long intended to make the Impossible Burger available anywhere that food is sold, including through meal kits. "We're thrilled to share that the Impossible Burger is now on the Home Chef menu, so that cooks everywhere can conveniently try out new recipes with our delicious meat made from plants."

Royal DSM has revealed its complete portfolio of integrated solutions for creating plant-based meat alternatives. The range – designed to enhance taste, texture and nutritional value of meat alternatives such as burgers, sausages and nuggets – features a collection of yeast extracts, process flavours, hydrocolloids and nutritional ingredients. The offering includes: High nucleotide yeast extracts, such as Maxarome Select, which help to mask the ‘beany’ off-flavours associated with plant-based proteins and create a rich umami taste; Multirome, which increases juiciness and creates a succulent, fatty mouthfeel and experience; the concentrated Maxavor flavour range to provide the desired meaty taste direction; and Gellaneer gellan gum, which enhances water-binding capacity for improved juiciness, while also building an authentic meaty texture and bite. The team at DSM aims to create a full portfolio that equips food producers with the tools needed to give consumers an authentic and nourishing meat alternative experience. Gilbert Verschelling, Director of Business Development & Innovation at DSM, said: “Delivering plant-based products that meet today’s evolving consumer demands is no easy task for food manufacturers. At DSM, we are uniquely positioned to help producers create truly enjoyable meat-alternative products that will tick all boxes for consumers." He continued: "Our complete integrated portfolio of solutions for plant-based meat alternatives complements DSM’s wider plant-based offering, including its range of recently launched solutions for dairy alternatives”.

Nestlé-owned Sweet Earth Foods has launched a new ‘first-of-its-kind’ plant-based burger infused with vegan bacon bits in the US. Sweet Earth’s Awesome Bacon Burger is based on the brand’s original non-GMO burger, which launched last year, and is made with textured pea protein. Described as smoky, the plant-based burger contains 26g of protein and is made with the addition of the brand’s plant-based Benevolent Bacon, which it claims contains 75% less fat than pork bacon. The new product will join Sweet Earth’s portfolio of plant-based meat options such as the recently launched pea protein-based sausages – the Green Chile Chedd’r and Chik’n Apple – and eight new frozen burritos and entrée bowls, which incorporate the brand’s plant-based Awesome Grounds or Mindful Chik’n. Buffalo Style Chik’n Burrito, made with Mindful Chik’n, carrots, celery and buffalo hot sauce. “We are so excited to announce the release of the Awesome Bacon Burger as the first-ever vegan bacon burger, proving eating plant-based can be just as delicious as it is nutritious,” said vice president of Sweet Earth Foods, Jessica Vasisht. She added: “The combination of the Awesome Burger and our award-winning Benevolent Bacon brings together two of our fan-favourite products into one delicious option that is perfect for summer grilling.” Sweet Earth’s Awesome Bacon Burger will be launching in stores this week across the US. #Nestlé #US #meatalternatives #SweetEarth #vegan

Nestlé-owned Sweet Earth Foods has launched a new ‘first-of-its-kind’ plant-based burger infused with vegan bacon bits in the US. Sweet Earth’s Awesome Bacon Burger is based on the brand’s original non-GMO burger, which launched last year, and is made with textured pea protein. Described as smoky, the plant-based burger contains 26g of protein and is made with the addition of the brand’s plant-based Benevolent Bacon, which it claims contains 75% less fat than pork bacon. The new product will join Sweet Earth’s portfolio of plant-based meat options such as the recently launched pea protein-based sausages – the Green Chile Chedd’r and Chik’n Apple – and eight new frozen burritos and entrée bowls, which incorporate the brand's plant-based Awesome Grounds or Mindful Chik'n. "We are so excited to announce the release of the Awesome Bacon Burger as the first-ever vegan bacon burger, proving eating plant-based can be just as delicious as it is nutritious," said vice president of Sweet Earth Foods, Jessica Vasisht. She added: "The combination of the Awesome Burger and our award-winning Benevolent Bacon brings together two of our fan-favourite products into one delicious option that is perfect for summer grilling." Sweet Earth’s Awesome Bacon Burger will be launching in stores this week across the US.

US-based vegan cheese brand Grounded Foods has raised $1.74 million in a seed funding round, led by Beyond Meat backer Stray Dog Capital. Grounded has created a range of ‘premium’ plant-based cheeses using fermented cauliflower and hemp seeds, that are free from nuts, soy, gluten and GMOs, as well as dairy. The company’s offering is said to be low cost, nutrient dense, with environmental benefits, and aims to make the vegan cheese category more accessible to consumers. Grounded is the latest addition to Stray Dog’s plant-based portfolio, which also includes names such as Beyond Meat, Meatless Farm, Miyoko’s Creamery, Hooray Foods and Good Planet Foods. Headquartered in Kansas, Stray Dog describes itself as a ‘mission-driven’ venture capital firm, specialising in early-stage companies that contribute towards creating a healthier, more humane and sustainable food system. Other investors in Grounded Foods’ latest financing round include Rocana Ventures, Veg Invest Trust and members of the GlassWall Syndicate. “There’s an enormous shift happening all over the world right now, as we reexamine our eating habits and uncover deep inefficiencies in the food supply chain,” said Grounded co-founder, Veronica Fil. “As a business founder, I want to be part of the solution. That’s why we’re delighted to partner with Stray Dog Capital, and an incredible mix of forward-thinking investors, and join them in their mission to build a more ethical and sustainable food system.” Johnny Ream, principal from Stray Dog Capital, added: “We are always looking for extraordinary players in the plant-based cheese category, and Grounded’s product and team exceeded our expectations in taste, creativity and strategy.” #GroundedFoods #StrayDogCapital #US

US-based vegan cheese brand Grounded Foods has raised $1.74 million in a seed funding round, led by Beyond Meat backer Stray Dog Capital. Grounded has created a range of ‘premium’ plant-based cheeses using fermented cauliflower and hemp seeds, that are free from nuts, soy, gluten and GMOs, as well as dairy. The company’s offering is said to be low cost, nutrient dense, with environmental benefits, and aims to make the vegan cheese category more accessible to consumers. Grounded is the latest addition to Stray Dog’s plant-based portfolio, which also includes names such as Beyond Meat, Meatless Farm, Miyoko's Creamery, Hooray Foods and Good Planet Foods. Headquartered in Kansas, Stray Dog describes itself as a ‘mission-driven’ venture capital firm, specialising in early-stage companies that contribute towards creating a healthier, more humane and sustainable food system. Other investors in Grounded Foods’ latest financing round include Rocana Ventures, Veg Invest Trust and members of the GlassWall Syndicate. “There's an enormous shift happening all over the world right now, as we reexamine our eating habits and uncover deep inefficiencies in the food supply chain,” said Grounded co-founder, Veronica Fil. “As a business founder, I want to be part of the solution. That's why we're delighted to partner with Stray Dog Capital, and an incredible mix of forward-thinking investors, and join them in their mission to build a more ethical and sustainable food system.” Johnny Ream, principal from Stray Dog Capital, added: “We are always looking for extraordinary players in the plant-based cheese category, and Grounded’s product and team exceeded our expectations in taste, creativity and strategy.”