Top Stories
Cell-cultured meat faces diverging U.S. state and global regulatory paths. Five cell-cultured products have cleared the joint FDA–USDA review process and reached select U.S. restaurants, but a patchwork of state-level bans and labeling disputes is complicating the path to broader commercialization. States including Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska have enacted outright or temporary prohibitions, some of which face constitutional challenges now moving through federal appeals courts. Internationally, Singapore has approved multiple products while the UK has launched a regulatory sandbox, and Italy and Hungary have pursued national bans—underscoring the absence of any harmonized global standard. The Trump administration has shifted USDA's proposed labeling rule to its long-term agenda, leaving companies to seek interim label pre-approval from FSIS on a case-by-case basis. (food-safety.com)
AuX Labs raises $4M to scale microbial fermentation cheese platform. The Toronto-based food technology company will use the capital to ramp manufacturing, expand its team, and pursue foodservice and consumer partnerships focused on cheese applications where melt and stretch performance are critical. The round was led by NYA Ventures and Nàdarra Ventures, with participation from Verdex Capital and Builders VC, alongside continued backing from Congruent Ventures and Bluestein Ventures. AuX Labs produces dairy proteins through microbial fermentation and received self-affirmed GRAS status for its casein in April 2025, with pilot programs already underway ahead of a broader market launch. (globenewswire.com)
Planetary closes CHF 22 million round to scale mycoprotein platform. The Geneva-based fermentation company raised CHF 16 million in Series A equity and CHF 6 million in credit, bringing its total funding to roughly CHF 32 million. The round was led by Radikal Capital and Oetker Ventures, with participation from Royal Cosun and several other investors. Planetary plans to license its BioBlocks fermentation system to agro-industrial partners globally, targeting mycoprotein production costs below USD 1 per kilogram, while expanding its consumer and B2B product lines—including its MyVay Gourmet Filet, sold at price parity with conventional chicken across all Aldi Switzerland stores—into broader European markets for meat and dairy applications. (ggba.swiss)