German plant breeding company KWS has begun selling a pea protein isolate made from a yellow pea variety it selected for food use。
Why it matters: A seed breeder moving into ingredients shows how upstream variety selection can shape pea protein taste and supply traceability.
Ivy Farm Technologies has secured its first regulatory approval。
Why it matters: Ivy Farm's first regulatory clearance shows pet food as an early commercial route for cultivated meat while human approvals stall.
NECTAR, India Animal Fund and GFI India ran a blind taste test in which 700 meat eaters in Bengaluru and Mumbai rated 26 plant-based meat and egg products across eight categories against animal-based benchmarks. About 60% of participants liked the products and 85% expressed purchase intent, with overall liking scores of 4.3 to 6.0 on a 7-point scale; a plant-based chicken patty and a chicken tikka showed no meaningful difference from their meat equivalents, while eggs, chicken chunks and mutton keema had the most room for improvement. Conventional meat still scored higher on perceived tastiness and protein, and 53% of participants named total protein content the most important label attribute.
Why it matters: Blind taste test of 26 plant-based products in India shows two chicken items reaching meat parity while most categories lag.
Meatly has relocated to Grapht Works, Imperial College London's pilot and advanced manufacturing site in North Acton.
Why it matters: Meatly's move into Imperial College London's pilot facility comes with a disclosed 2027 production timeline and a London capacity plan.
Formo said it received a no-questions letter from the US Food and Drug Administration for its animal-free casein made through precision fermentation. The Berlin-based company said the ingredient is intended for dairy alternatives and that it plans to scale production with partners in Europe.
Why it matters: A precision fermentation company clearing a US regulatory step for animal-free casein, with European scale-up next.
Beyond Meat launched the Phytosphere portfolio on September 9, 2026, grouping plant protein powders.
Why it matters: Beyond Meat is expanding from a single plant-based meat line to a plant nutrition portfolio spanning protein powders, snacks, beverages and main dishes, reflecting alternative protein companies' attempts to shift toward nutrition platforms.
MicroHarvest confirmed Drees & Sommer completed the technical and economic feasibility study for its planned protein plant at Industriepark Leuna in Saxony-Anhalt。
Why it matters: A biomass fermentation scale-up locking in its first industrial plant, with capacity, investment and 2028 timeline disclosed.
On June 17, Solar Foods received €77.78 million in funding from Business Finland, comprising a €39.6 million grant and a €38.1 million R&D loan, to build and commission Factory 02 in Selkäharju, Lappeenranta, Finland.
Why it matters: Business Finland's grant and loan cover the construction and commissioning of Factory 02, a key step in Solar Foods' October 2025 financing plan.
Ambrosia Collective has introduced a Planta-branded ready-to-mix protein powder made with Solar Foods' Solein for test marketing in the United States。
Why it matters: Solein's first US consumer product shows how fast a novel protein can move from ingredient to shelf.
Solar Foods signed a development agreement with Nordic energy company Fortum to handle design and pre-engineering for hydrogen production。
Why it matters: Fortum will design hydrogen, heating and power infrastructure for Solar Foods' Factory 02, a 40-fold Solein scale-up.
Solar Foods has joined the EU-funded BalticSeaH2 hydrogen valley project and received €350,000 in funding to expand Solein production capacity at Factory 01 while demonstrating the industrial use of hydrogen in protein production.
Why it matters: Solar Foods receives €350,000 to expand Solein production capacity within the BalticSeaH2 hydrogen valley project and demonstrate hydrogen's industrial use in food production.
Solar Foods said the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent covering the production process of Solein。
Why it matters: US patent adds exclusivity in Solar Foods' key market as it scales Solein toward Factory 02.
Solar Foods Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder Juha-Pekka Pitkänen argues that gas fermentation。
Why it matters: Solar Foods' CSO lays out why gas fermentation capacity, not new brands, is the path to feeding billions.
VEGDOG has launched VEGCAT, the first hypoallergenic cat snack made with MicroHarvest's microbial protein produced by natural fermentation。
Why it matters: A first cat snack using microbial fermentation protein shows the ingredient moving from dog treats into a new category.
THE PACK and MicroHarvest launched Gut Bites, an oven-baked dog treat containing MicroHarvest's microbial protein。
Why it matters: A finished consumer product using microbial protein reaches UK shelves, extending the ingredient's pet food footprint beyond Germany.
