The Protein Digest

Cargill Ventures resumes dealmaking amid agrifoodtech valuation reset. The corporate venture unit has made two unannounced investments and expects deal activity to accelerate as agrifoodtech startups complete the valuation corrections that followed the 2021–22 funding boom. (agfundernews.com)

Industry consortium issues microbial safety guidance for plant-based dairy drinks. The Plant Protein Contaminants Consortium Project, involving Ripple Foods, FrieslandCampina, Tetra Pak, SPX Flow, and HP Hood, found significant variation in spore-forming bacteria across plant-based ingredients and recommends closer monitoring by suppliers. (dairybusinessmea.com)

Louis Dreyfus doubles Saskatchewan canola crush and adds pea protein line. The Dutch agri-food company's Yorkton facility can now crush two million tonnes of canola annually and process 75,000 tonnes of yellow peas into high-concentration plant protein ingredients, using technology that extracts up to 90 percent of protein content. (thestarphoenix.com)

GSTC mandates 30% plant-based menu threshold for certified hotels. The new food and beverage standard, criterion A10.8, requires at least 30% of main dishes to be plant-based or predominantly plant-based, affecting more than 2,000 certified hotels worldwide. (retailasia.com)

All G enters US market with low-iron lactoferrin via microbial fermentation. The Australian startup's LFX apo-lactoferrin, made via microbial fermentation at commercial scale, features less than 5% iron saturation and is now being produced at positive unit economics with plans for further expansion through partners including Döhler and Armor Protéines. (agfundernews.com)

Believer Meats IP auction deadline extended to August amid strong interest. The Israeli trustee cited strong interest from cell-cultured meat companies and investment funds in extending the deadline, while UPSIDE Foods has submitted a $50 million baseline bid for Believer Meats' separate North Carolina production facility. (agfundernews.com)

U.S. Forest Service quietly weakened wildlife protections for grazing on Santa Fe National Forest. Conservation groups discovered through litigation that the agency reissued biological opinions for grazing allotments bordering the Valles Caldera National Preserve, removing take limits for the Jemez Mountains salamander and other listed species while weakening monitoring and enforcement standards. (losalamosreporter.com)

Midwest Poultry Services recalls 1.6 million eggs over salmonella concerns. Proactive testing at two Texas farms prompted the voluntary withdrawal of nearly 1.6 million white shell and cage-free eggs sold under the Kroger, Simple Truth, and Country Morning brands across six states, though no illnesses have been reported. (fox9.com)

Ransomware attack shuts down Coca-Cola's Fairlife dairy operations across the U.S. The company disclosed in an SEC filing that its Fairlife subsidiary, valued at nearly $4 billion in retail sales, was forced to suspend U.S. production, with cybersecurity experts warning that food manufacturers are increasingly attractive ransomware targets. (inc.com)

Plantopia raises $9 million to produce dairy proteins via molecular farming. The Israeli food-tech company, backed by dairy giant Schreiber Foods and Siddhi Capital, will use the funds to launch a commercial manufacturing facility producing plant-derived casein identical to cow's milk protein. (calcalistech.com)