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Impossible Foods raises another $200m; products under development include milk and steaks

By Elaine Watson 

14-Aug-2020 - Last updated on 14-Aug-2020 at 19:39 GMT

 

RELATED TAGS: plant-based meat, plant-based, Impossible Foods

Impossible Foods has raised $200m in a Series G funding round led by new investor Coatue, with participation from existing investors including Mirae Asset Global Investments and Temasek as well as new investor XN. The move brings its total funding since 2011 to about $1.5bn.

The money will be used to expand its R&D programs; accelerate its manufacturing scaleup; increase its retail presence and its availability in key international markets; and accelerate commercialization and development of “next-generation, plant-based products​” including Impossible Pork, milk, steak and other foods, said CFO David Lee in a press release​​.

“2020 has been a year of explosive growth for us, but this is just the beginning. We plan to create plant-based upgrades for every major category of animal-derived food products. This investment will allow us to continue to develop and commercialize the technology that will enable that transformation.”​

New products: ‘Plant-based upgrades for every major category of animal-derived food products…’

Impossible Foods – which has a stated goal to “produce a full range of meats and dairy products for every cultural region in the world” ​​– recently launched the Impossible Sausage, but is also working on other products, chief communications officer Rachel Konrad told FoodNavigator-USA in March.

“We started with beef, because unquestionably beef is #1 from an environmental perspective, followed by pork, which is the most ubiquitous animal meat in the world. But Pat Brown is also really concerned about how we’re strip mining the oceans, which is utterly unsustainable, so we’ve done a lot of prototyping around fish.”​​

As for dairy, she said: “Our goal is to collapse the livestock industry and that means going after every piece of consumer value that comes out of a cow.”​​

'When we launch Impossible Milk From Plants, it will truly rival milk from cows'

The company has not said whether its approach to the dairy category will be plant-based (using nuts, seeds, legumes etc) or whether it plans to produce 'real' dairy proteins via microbial fermentation (along the lines of what Perfect Day ​​​​is doing) given its experience with yeast fermentation to produce the star ingredient in its burgers: heme.

Published patents don’t provide too many clues as to what the company is working on today, although a patent​​​ published in April 2015 describes methods of producing non-dairy milks and cheeses using a variety of plant-based sources from nuts and seeds to legumes.https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2020/08/14/Impossible-Foods-raises-another-200m-products-under-development-include-milk-and-steaks?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14-Aug-2020

Speaking to us this morning, Konrad added: "The current generation of plant-based milks are delicious... but you wouldn't confuse the current generation of plant-based milks with milk from cows. When we launch Impossible Milk From Plants, it will truly rival milk from cows."​

Jaw-dropping sums

Impossible Foods has raised a jaw-dropping amount of money for a food startup (the latest round values the startup at a cool $4bn, according to PrimeUnicorn Index), albeit one supported by a lot of IP, acknowledged president Dennis Woodside in an interview with FoodNavigator-USA last year.

However, the addressable market is huge, he argued: "Think about the market opportunity. Our investors are smart and they are thinking long term, and there are very few companies that can say with a straight face, 'Every person on the planet is a potential customer.​

“A lot of tech companies with very big valuations can't say that. The market potential, if we are successful, is absolutely vast​​.”

The plant-based Impossible Burger is now available at 2,100 Walmart stores in 50 states, says Impossible Foods, which has been aggressively ramping up its retail presence this year, with distribution expanding from just 150 stores in January 2020 to more than 8,000 today including Trader Joe's, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, Gelson’s, H-E-B, Kroger, Safeway, Stop & Shop, and Wegmans.

 

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The Unsung Meal Maker: Lentils Can Improve Cost, Environment and Nutrition of Food Products

10-Aug-2020

 

As the demand for nutritious, environmentally-responsible food products continues to grow, so too does the interest in more plant-heavy diets. According to insight from Datassential, nearly one-third of Americans identify as flexitarian, and a majority of consumers—regardless of dietary preference— are interested in increasing the grains, nuts, and legumes in their diets.1 ​

Developing a plant-based product that is nutritious, cost-effective, versatile and tasty can be a tall order. How can food manufacturers meet these changing consumer demands? The answer may lie in a protein-packed ingredient that has been used for centuries: lentils. A new study​ funded by Lentils.org​ and Pulse Canada,​ explores just how lentils can make a difference in manufacturing costs, environmental impact and nutrition.

All About Lentils​

Lentils are a type of pulse crop, along with beans, field peas, chickpeas, and faba beans. The term “pulse” is used to describe the dry, edible seeds of legumes. Lentils come in a variety of shapes and sizes, though the most commonly grown varieties in North America are red and green lentils. Lentils are relatively inexpensive, nutrient-dense, and can be stored for up to a year without refrigeration, making them a staple in dishes across the globe. From Indian dal to pumpkin muffins, lentils are ingredient champions and extremely versatile—not only can they help improve the nutrition of food products, but they can help improve the cost and environmental impact as well.

Lentils are high in protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates and low in fat and calories. They are also great sources of essential minerals and nutrients, including potassium, folate, iron, and manganese. On their own, lentils are plant protein superstars—but when added to meat-based recipes like meatballs and burgers, lentils pack an extremely powerful punch. The Lentils.org and Pulse Canada study found that substituting just one-third of a lean beef patty with cooked lentils results in a blended burger that is more nutritious.2​ The research found that the blended burger had an added 3 grams of fiber, 12% fewer calories, 32% less saturated and total fats and 32% less cholesterol per 4oz serving.

Incorporating lentils into food products can also help their environmental impact. The same study found that reformulating a lean beef patty with 33% cooked lentil puree reduced the burger’s carbon footprint, water footprint and land-use footprint by about 33%. About one in four Americans (27%) say they have rewarded food companies that take steps to reduce their impact on the environment by buying their products at least once in the last 12 months.3​ As food manufacturers trying to meet sustainability goals know, a 33% reduction in key environmental measures can make a significant impact.

Additionally, as a source of plant protein, lentils are particularly unique because they are carbon negative—meaning they actually remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than they emit during their production. 

Not only do lentils offer positive nutrition and environmental impacts, but they can help manufacturers and their bottom lines, too. At the time of the study, Lentils.org and Pulse Canada found that the cost per serving for a lean ground beef burger was 65 cents while the cost for the blended burger was 48 cents per serving—a 26% reduction in production costs.4​

Market Opportunities​

With 33% of Americans identifying as flexitarian, we’re already starting to change the way we think about food. The industry is swiftly adapting, already seeing a huge growth in the application of pulses. For context, in 2008, 1,500 new products with pulse ingredients were launched worldwide; in 2018, that number rose to more than 8,000.5​

Our diets aren’t black-and-white anymore, and the products we purchase don’t have to be either. Even small formulation changes can have a positive impact on manufacturing and the food industry as a whole. As the flexitarian market continues to grow, more consumers will look to brands that offer products with plant blends and plant-based ingredients. Lentil blends like the lentil-beef burger provide manufacturers an opportunity to develop a host of blended food products—ranging from patties to pasta sauce—that not only address this trend, but improve their products’ nutrition, environmental impact and cost, too.

REFERENCES https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/News/Promotional-Features/How-to-use-lentils?source=3&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14-Aug-2020

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Study: Plant-based meat alternatives improve cardiovascular risk factors compared with animal meat

By Mary Ellen Shoup 

13-Aug-2020 - Last updated on 13-Aug-2020 at 15:40 GMT

 

Photo Credit: Beyond Meat

RELATED TAGS: plant-based meat, Beyond meat

Adults who swapped out animal protein for plant-based protein saw lower levels of LDL cholesterol, moderate weight loss, and similar sodium intake and blood pressure levels (compared to animal protein consumption) after eight weeks, revealed a two-phase study conducted by researchers at Stanford Medicine and funded by Beyond Meat.

The SWAP-MEAT (The Study With Appetizing Plantfood—Meat Eating Alternatives Trial), published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition​​, was conducted as a single-site, randomized crossover trial with no washout period. 36 participants (67% women, 69% Caucasian) received plant and animal products, dietary counseling, lab assessments, microbiome assessments, and anthropometric measurements.

The study was funded by an unrestricted gift from Beyond Meat and used products from the company in comparing the health effects of animal meat with plant-based meat. Beyond Meat was not involved in designing or conducting the study and did not participate in data analysis.

Addressing the health backlash vs plant-based alternatives​

While plant-based protein has seen strong consumer adoption from people looking to minimize their meat intake (for health or environmental reasons), some brands in the space have come under fire over the use of ingredients such as coconut oil (high in saturated fat) and their 'highly processed' credentials.

"There's been this sort of backlash against these new meat alternatives,"​ said lead researcher, Christopher Gardner, PhD, professor of medicine at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.

"The question is, if you're adding sodium and coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, and using processed ingredients, is the product still actually healthy?"​

To find out, study participants were split into two groups with one cohort instructed to consume at least two servings a day of plant-based protein (i.e. a variety of Beyond Meat products) and the other group told to eat two servings per day of animal protein (primarily red meat and sometimes chicken) for eight weeks while keeping all other foods and beverages as similar as possible between the two phases. Then the two groups switched diets.

"Whereas the plant-meat and animal-meat products were provided, the remainder of the diet was self-selected, thus limiting the ability to control the intake of other foods and nutrients,​" acknowledged the authors. "Although this limited the rigor of dietary control, it increased the generalizability of the findings."​

Beyond Meat Burger vs. 100% Beef Burger Nutrition​

‘Not all highly processed foods are created equal’​

The effect consuming plant-based meat alternatives for eight weeks straight had on participants is statistically and clinically significant, said Gardner.

Researchers found that participants' levels of LDL cholesterol dropped, on average, 10 milligrams per deciliter after consuming plant-based products for eight weeks. In addition, participants lost an average of 2 lbs during the plant-based portion of the diet.

"The modest weight loss observed when participants substituted the plant-based meats in place of the red meats is an unexpected finding, since this was not a weight-loss study,"​ added lead author of the study, Anthony Crimarco, PhD.

"I think this indicates the importance of diet quality. Not all highly processed foods are created equal," ​noted Crimarco.

Another notable indicator of the health impact replacing animal with plant-based alternatives can have was participants levels of fasting serum TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide), a molecule linked to cardiovascular disease risk. One study​​ found that people with elevated TMAO had a 60% higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events such as a heart attack.

According to the study findings, TMAO levels were lower when study participants were eating plant-based meat.

“At this point we cannot be sure that TMAO is a causal risk factor or just an association," ​Gardner said, but noted that TMAO is an emerging risk factor health area to pay attention to in future related health studies.

Source​: A randomized crossover trial on the effect of plant-based compared with animal-based meat on trimethylamine-N-oxide and cardiovascular disease risk factors in generally healthy adults: Study With Appetizing Plantfood—Meat Eating Alternative Trial (SWAP-MEAT) ​​

Authors​: Anthony Crimarco, Sparkle Springfield Christina Petlura, Taylor Streaty, Kristen Cunanan, Justin Lee, Priya Fielding-Singh, Matthew M Carter, Madeline A Topf, Hannah C Wastyk, Erica D Sonnenburg, Justin L Sonnenburg, and Christopher D Gardner

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The Fiber Effect: Why Immune Health Matters & How the Food Industry is Innovating in the Era of COVID-19

29 JUL 2020Wednesday

Format: External webinar | Document type: Webinar

 

The pandemic has changed the way consumers think about and purchase foods. Their definition of healthy is evolving and immune health is gaining serious mindshare. We’ll take an in-depth look at what foods are gaining relevance, especially fiber-rich products, through the latest consumer trend data. And, with the link between immune health and prebiotic fiber evolving, we’ll share the most recent nutrition science on why these products are increasingly relevant now. We’ll also take a closer look at products that are bringing new fiber-rich foods to consumers through unexpected applications.

https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Product-innovations/The-Fiber-Effect-Why-Immune-Health-Matters-How-the-Food-Industry-is-Innovating-in-the-Era-of-COVID-19?source=3&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14-Aug-2020

 ON DEMAND WEBINAR

Preventive Health, Wellness and Nutrition: Self-care in Focus

Recorded on Thursday 23rd JULY 2020

 

WATCH NOW

• #FoodInnovationWebinar

Staying well has never been more important as Americans deal with unprecedented levels of anxiety and economic uncertainty. At the same time, budgets are tightening and consumers are looking for affordable foods and beverages that deliver the nutrition that they are looking for.

In this webinar, we explore how consumers are thinking about self-care. Is it about healthier eating, or are they ditching the diet and indulging more? Where are the growth opportunities in functional foods and beverages as we come out of this crisis? (From collagen, choline, and plant-based proteins, to vitamins and minerals, beta-glucans, resistant starch, pre- and probiotics, omega-3s, adaptogens, trending botanicals, and energizing ingredients such as green tea and guarana.)