The Protein Digest

UK research finds plant protein improves diets but inconsistent fortification limits potential. Two studies from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found meaningful dietary benefits from switching to plant protein alternatives, but warned that variable micronutrient fortification leaves consumers at risk of nutritional gaps. (foodmanufacture.co.uk)

Tooru agrees to acquire Dutch plant-based milk appliance maker Mylky for £12 million. The £12 million deal for Mylky BV, a Dutch e-commerce firm selling home appliances for plant-based milks, marks the first step in Tooru's buy-and-build strategy and is subject to due diligence and shareholder approval. (proactiveinvestors.co.uk)

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)

Swiss Food and Nutrition Valley selects eighteen startups for investor pitch event. The Swiss Food and Nutrition Valley's annual investor showcase will feature eighteen startups working across plant proteins, cell-cultured meat, microbial fermentation, and food sustainability technologies. (startupticker.ch)

THIS launches plant-based deli slices in UK retailers. THIS is rolling out two plant-based deli slice products across Morrisons, Waitrose, and Sainsbury's, targeting the UK's growing market for convenient, protein-rich meat analogues. (retailtimes.co.uk)

Minor Figures launches seed oil-free barista almond milk in Australia. Minor Figures has expanded beyond oat milk for the first time with a barista-grade almond milk made with Australian olive oil and locally sourced almonds, targeting the largest plant milk segment in Australian grocery. (beanscenemag.com.au)

Guardian Capital Partners enters food sector with Nügredient acquisition. The acquisition of Nügredient Solutions gives Guardian Capital Partners its first food and beverage platform, targeting growing demand for plant-based and clean-label ingredients in North America. (mychesco.com)

University of Helsinki develops oat-based ingredient to mask bitterness in plant foods. University of Helsinki researchers developed OatGuard, a natural oat-derived ingredient that masks bitterness in plant protein foods, and are preparing for commercialization with Business Finland funding through 2026. (helsinki.fi)

BRIGHT and Novonesis partner to turn waste CO₂ into food-grade protein. The collaboration uses adaptive laboratory evolution to optimize yeast strains for acetate-based microbial fermentation, aiming to make the process cost-competitive with conventional protein sources while dramatically cutting emissions and land use. (foodingredientsfirst.com)

Symrise takes equity stake in Bond Pet Foods to advance microbial fermentation for pet nutrition. The investment pairs Bond Pet Foods' microbial fermentation platform with Symrise's pet food expertise, targeting supply-chain resilience and sustainable ingredient sourcing for pet food manufacturers. (symrise.com)

Pinnacle Food Group develops methanol-free method for recombinant human lactoferrin production. Pinnacle Food Group has engineered a recombinant yeast strain to produce human lactoferrin without methanol, a toxic solvent traditionally required in Pichia fermentation, aiming to lower costs and safety risks for commercial biomanufacturing. (sg.finance.yahoo.com)

Solar Foods secures U.S. patent for Solein gas fermentation process. Solar Foods received a U.S. patent covering the gas fermentation organism and process behind its Solein ingredient, extending intellectual property protection to its largest target market after earlier grants in Europe, Canada, Australia, and China. (inderes.fi)

Clean Food Group raises £5.2m to scale fermentation-derived oils facility. Clean Food Group will use the capital to complete its Liverpool-based fermentation facility, which converts food waste into yeast-derived oils positioned as sustainable replacements for palm and tropical oils. (foodanddrinktechnology.com)

Biospringer leverages yeast fermentation to solve plant-based food sensory gaps. Biospringer by Lesaffre outlines how its yeast-derived fermentation ingredients tackle bitterness, off-notes, and thin mouthfeel in plant-based foods, aiming to close the sensory gap that is suppressing repeat purchases. (foodingredientsfirst.com)

Enduro Genetics tech lifts Vivici's whey protein titers by 30%. Enduro Genetics' cell productivity plug-in delivered a 30% improvement in titers and yields for Vivici's microbial fermentation of beta-lactoglobulin, achieved within five months and without changes to existing process infrastructure. (agfundernews.com)

South Korea funds yeast engineering project to cut food import reliance. Kookmin University will use synthetic biology to engineer Candida utilis for microbial fermentation, producing food-grade proteins and amino acids as part of a government-backed effort to bolster South Korea's domestic ingredient supply. (ajupress.com)

Parima secures Singapore approval for cell-cultured duck. Parima has secured its second regulatory clearance from the Singapore Food Agency, this time for a cell-cultured duck product, as it moves toward commercialization in both premium dining and retail channels. (foodnavigator.com)

LCA study backs BeneMeat's cell-cultured meat carbon footprint claims. A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment found BeneMeat Technologies' cell-cultured meat production achieves 5.3 kg CO2e per kilogram of product, which the company says matches or undercuts conventional meat at industrial scale. (petfoodindustry.com)

BLUU and Cultivate at Scale produce fish cells at 1,000-liter scale in Europe. BLUU and Cultivate at Scale have produced fish cells in 1,000-liter bioreactors in the Netherlands, establishing what they call Europe's first industrial platform for cell-cultured marine ingredients aimed initially at the personal care market. (Protein Report)

Vinpai grows revenue 12% but net losses widen sharply in 2025. The French algae- and plant-based ingredient maker posted €10.2 million in revenue but saw net losses nearly double to €4.9 million amid pricing pressure, even as its Middle East–Africa sales surged 31%. (businesswire.com)

Singapore approves meat and egg imports from three more EU states. Greece, Lithuania, and Latvia join 15 existing EU member states authorized to export such products to the city-state, which imports 90% of its food and has been accelerating trade agreements to bolster supply resilience. (straitstimes.com)

C-Lock pushes for a universal livestock methane measurement standard. The South Dakota-based company says its GreenFeed system, now deployed in nearly 1,000 units globally and cited in over 800 peer-reviewed papers, could serve as the basis for a standardized protocol to resolve inconsistencies plaguing livestock emissions research. (innovationnewsnetwork.com)

Louisiana lawmaker proposes federal buy-American mandate for seafood. The Buy American Seafood Act would direct nearly $400 million in annual federal seafood purchases exclusively to domestic producers, aiming to stem the collapse of Louisiana's shrimping industry, which has lost more than 90% of its fishermen since the 1980s. (shreveporttimes.com)

U.S. lawmakers target China's illegal fishing and forced labor in seafood supply chains. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing featured testimony that forced labor-tainted seafood from Chinese fishing fleets and processing facilities is reaching U.S. institutions, undermining domestic fisheries valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. (chrissmith.house.gov)

H5N1 avian flu found in Idaho dairy herds as researchers probe virus RNA in bull semen. Five herds tested positive, marking the first cattle cases since December 2025, while a new study found viral RNA but not live virus in semen from an asymptomatic bull on a California dairy farm. (cidrap.umn.edu)

Plant Based Innovations acquires Alpenrose dairy operations in Oregon. Plant Based Innovations acquired the Clackamas, Oregon, dairy facility from Alpenrose, retaining roughly 35 jobs and preserving butter, sour cream, and ice cream mix production capabilities. (businesswire.com)

Penn Vet secures state grants to study avian influenza and livestock health. Penn Vet received a quarter of Pennsylvania's latest agricultural research grants, funding studies on avian influenza, antimicrobial resistance, chronic wasting disease, and AI-based health monitoring in dairy cattle. (almanac.upenn.edu)

Global dairy margins tighten as oversupply drives sharp commodity price declines. Rising milk production across major exporting regions has driven fat market prices down 40 percent and whole milk powder down 30 percent, squeezing dairy farm profitability worldwide as the USDA revises its 2026 production forecast upward. (kscj.com)

U.S. consumers embrace meat's protein pitch as health experts urge caution. A Meat Institute and FMI survey shows rising consumer confidence in meat as a health food, but cardiologists and nutritionists warn that the protein craze is overshadowing the well-documented risks of red meat consumption. (nbcnews.com)