Top Stories
Crespel & Deiters rebrands, consolidates divisions to pursue global growth. The sixth-generation German firm has consolidated its Loryma and Corrugating & Paper divisions under one brand, broadening its raw material portfolio beyond wheat to include pea and fava bean. (Protein Report)
Clean Food Group raises £5.2m to scale fermentation-derived oils facility. Clean Food Group has secured £5.2 million in funding, comprising a £4.5 million investment round led by Clean Growth Fund and New Agrarian alongside a £700,000 Innovate UK grant, to scale up its one-million-litre microbial fermentation facility in Liverpool. The company produces yeast-derived oils and fats from food waste as a substitute for palm and tropical oils, targeting food manufacturing, cosmetics, and pet nutrition. The Knowsley facility, described as the world's largest of its kind, is intended to move the company from pilot production to commercial-scale supply for multinational FMCG companies. (foodanddrinktechnology.com)
Biospringer leverages yeast fermentation to solve plant-based food sensory gaps. Biospringer by Lesaffre is deploying yeast-derived fermentation ingredients to address persistent taste, texture, and mouthfeel deficiencies in plant-based foods—challenges that nearly 46% of U.S. consumers cite as reasons for not repurchasing plant protein analogues. The company's modular portfolio targets off-note masking, umami and flavor rebuilding, and mouthfeel enhancement, enabling manufacturers to raise protein levels while maintaining sensory quality and clean-label positioning. Biospringer frames its ingredient systems not as corrective additives but as core formulation tools for designing higher-performance plant-based products. (foodingredientsfirst.com)
Parima secures Singapore approval for cell-cultured duck. Parima, the company formed from Gourmey's acquisition of Vital Meat, has received authorization from the Singapore Food Agency for its cell-cultured duck product. The approval is Parima's second in Singapore, following a green light for cell-cultured chicken in October 2025. The company now plans to pursue commercialization across high-end gastronomy and retail, while regulatory applications for cell-cultured foie gras and chicken remain pending in the EU, Switzerland, and the UK. (foodnavigator.com)
Plant Based Innovations acquires Alpenrose dairy operations in Oregon. Harry Davis & Company brokered the sale of Alpenrose's butter, sour cream, and ice cream mix operations in Clackamas, Oregon, to Plant Based Innovations, a manufacturer with facilities across the United States. The transaction preserves approximately 35 jobs and maintains production capacity supporting the regional dairy supply chain. Plant Based Innovations now operates facilities on the East Coast, West Coast, and Midwest, enabling nationwide distribution. (businesswire.com)
Enduro Genetics tech lifts Vivici's whey protein titers by 30%. Vivici, a joint venture of Fonterra and DSM-Firmenich producing beta-lactoglobulin via microbial fermentation, has integrated Enduro Genetics' Enduro Sense technology into its production strain, achieving a 30% increase in titers and yields within five months. The Danish startup's genetic plug-in works by linking cell survival to high production of the target protein, ensuring only productive cells proliferate in the bioreactor. The improvement required no changes to media, process setup, or feedstock volumes, and both companies say the technology maps to low-burden regulatory pathways under FDA GRAS and EFSA frameworks. (agfundernews.com)
LCA study backs BeneMeat's cell-cultured meat carbon footprint claims. A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment using real pilot production data found that BeneMeat Technologies' cell-cultured meat achieves a carbon footprint of 5.3 kilograms of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of product, which the company says is comparable to or lower than conventional meat at industrial scale. The study modeled a facility designed to produce 400–600 kilograms of cell-cultured meat per day. BeneMeat emphasized that the assessment was based on actual operating data rather than theoretical assumptions, strengthening its case that cell-cultured meat can be environmentally competitive when scaled up. (petfoodindustry.com)
Penn Vet secures state grants to study avian influenza and livestock health. Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine have been awarded several research grants from Pennsylvania's $2.2 million round of state agricultural research funding, accounting for a quarter of all projects funded. The grants support studies on avian influenza transmission in small poultry flocks and live bird markets, antimicrobial resistance transfer between minor livestock and their owners, chronic wasting disease detection in white-tailed deer, and AI-driven health prediction in dairy cattle. Two avian influenza projects share a combined grant of over $69,000, while additional awards range from roughly $35,000 to $40,000 each. (almanac.upenn.edu)
South Korea funds yeast engineering project to cut food import reliance. Kookmin University's Professor Park Yong-chul has secured government funding to develop genetic tools for the food-grade yeast Candida utilis, aiming to produce proteins, amino acids, and other food ingredients through microbial fermentation. The project, part of South Korea's 2026 Basic Research Program under the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, seeks to reduce the country's dependence on imported food resources by establishing domestic production capabilities using synthetic biology. (ajupress.com)