Latest news in the food and nutraceutical industry
Innovation and R&D
Five-month-old Indonesian startup raises $10.5M
30 Jun 2020
After five months in business, the Indonesian e-commerce startup Ula has raised $10.5 million in a round led by Sequoia India and Lightspeed India. Additional participation was offered by SMDV, Quona Capital, Saison Capital and Alter Global.
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Bühler Group partners with Big Idea Ventures to accelerate plant-based meat alternatives
24 Jun 2020
The 160-year-old Swiss equipment manufacturer Bühler Group has inked a new partnership deal with the alternative protein accelerator and venture capital firm Big Idea Ventures to invest in the firm’s mission to create sustainable, plant-based alternati...
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Impossible Burger launches a direct to consumer platform
13 Jun 2020
Impossible Foods is now available with the click of a button from its new e-commerce platform launched this month. This direct-to-consumer option allows consumers to purchase four different bulk burger package options that will be delivered within 48 h...
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Apeel Sciences on track to save 20 million pieces of fruit from food waste
9 Jun 2020
At the end of May, Apeel Sciences raised $250 million dollars in new financing, bringing the startup’s total funding to more than $1 billion. This infusion of funds will be put toward the company’s mission of food waste prevention, an area in which it ...
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Malaysian firm develops package-less packaging
26 May 2020
A group of Malaysian Ph.D. students won the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Save our Seas global engineering challenge with their new bagless approach to food packaging called the PICAS block. The competition is hosted in partnership wi...
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U.S. online grocery sales surge 37% in April
21 May 2020
April was another record-breaking month for online grocery sales with shoppers surpassing March’s record-breaking $4 billion in sales to spend $5.3 billion for grocery delivery and pickup. This is a 37% increase over March, according to data from Brick...
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Hong Kong compostable food packaging startup lands $6 million funding round
18 May 2020
Hong Kong startup Ecoinno received US$6 million in Series A funding from the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund to help stand up its manufacturing facilities as well as increase its overall production of its biodegradable packaging. This is the startup’s secon...
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Female scholarships make a splash this spring
15 May 2020
Historically, females are underrepresented in the Consumer Packaged Goods and aquaculture industries - two areas where investment and growth is gaining steady momentum. To remedy that gap in representation, several companies are working to provide fema...
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Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy protein earns Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status
13 May 2020
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “no objections” letter for the animal-free dairy company Perfect Day’s β-lactoglobulin protein. The letter certifies that the protein has attained Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status.
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Chicken protein now comes bottled for convenience
5 May 2020
Singaporean workout enthusiast, Brian Chia, brought BE ALPHA meat-based protein smoothies to Singapore where he has found commercial success. He is now looking to expand his meal replacement beverage to the U.S. and other countries.
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Plastics manufacturers transforms muffin containers into PPE
30 Apr 2020
In response to the ongoing shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States, FMCG plastic packaging manufacturer Novolex has retrofitted its production lines at four North American facilities to produce isolation gowns and face shie...
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Scientists discover enzyme, breaks down 90% of PET polymers in hours
21 Apr 2020
PET plastic can now be broken down into food-grade materials within 10 hours due to a discovery by scientists at industrial chemical firm Carbios. This discovery will transition into industrial-scale trials in 2021 with the help of Carbios’ partnership...
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