The Protein Digest

Planted doubles German capacity and eyes B2B fermentation model across Europe. The Swiss company plans to double output at its Memmingen facility while developing a B2B model to supply fermented plant-based muscle to local manufacturers and butchers across Europe, targeting a production cost of two dollars per kilogram. (agroempresario.com)

Review finds pulses boost gut health but calls for stronger human trials. A narrative review in Nutrients consolidates ten years of research showing that pulses can modulate the gut microbiome and improve certain cardiometabolic markers, though the authors stress that long-term human trials are still needed to confirm many of the proposed mechanisms. (news-medical.net)

Plantible Foods raises $35 million to scale duckweed protein production in Texas. The funding—a $25 million USDA-backed loan and $10 million in equity—will quintuple annual capacity at its Eldorado, Texas, facility to more than 1,000 metric tons of its duckweed-derived Rubi Protein ingredient. (foodbev.com)

University of Tübingen shows microbial protein and vitamin B9 production could be commercially viable at scale. A study published in PNAS found that a two-step bioreactor system using bacteria and baker's yeast to convert CO₂ and hydrogen into protein- and folic acid-enriched yeast could pay for itself in five years, producing enough to supply 5.6 million people with their daily vitamin B9 needs. (idw-online.de)

Ambrosia Collective partners with Padilla to launch Solein-based protein powder in U.S. Padilla will lead U.S. communications for Planta Powered by Solein, described as the first American food product formulated with Solar Foods' microbially fermented protein ingredient. (apnews.com)

Ginkgo Bioworks and Acies Bio team up on engineered fungal strains for enzyme production. The collaboration will leverage an engineered Aspergillus niger strain optimized for large-scale fermentation to produce proteins and enzymes across food, feed, and industrial applications, with Acies Bio handling process development and scale-up. (biofuelsdigest.com)

Pennsylvania senator introduces bill to ban cell-cultured meat. Senate Bill 1422, sponsored by Senator Camera Bartolotta, would ban the manufacture and sale of cell-cultured meat and poultry in the state, following similar measures in Florida and Alabama. (wtaj.com)

Millow raises €2M to scale mycelium-based ingredients in Nordic foodservice. The Swedish foodtech company will use the capital, led by angel investor Magnus Emilson, to expand production and build out its commercial team as it targets major Nordic foodservice operators with its patented mycelium-oat fermentation process. (tech.eu)

AI-driven spirulina cultivation cuts harvest time and boosts CO₂ absorption. Researchers at South Korea's UNIST and the University of Indonesia developed a multi-agent reinforcement learning system that shortened spirulina harvest time by 59 hours and raised CO₂ absorption by 78 percent in virtual trials across eight cities. (mk.co.kr)

Lawsuit challenges Trump grazing expansion across 24 million acres of federal land. The suit alleges the administration bypassed required consultation with federal wildlife agencies before opening millions of acres of public land—including designated critical habitat for wolves, grizzly bears, and other imperiled species—to fast-tracked livestock grazing. (biologicaldiversity.org)

Siberia's Tyumen region culls pigs amid suspected African swine fever outbreak. Authorities have begun forcibly seizing and incinerating domestic pigs across several villages in the Golyshmanovsky District, with local experts identifying African swine fever as the likely cause. Quarantine checkpoints have been set up to prevent pork products from leaving the area, and residents face a one-year ban on raising pigs. (themoscowtimes.com)

Puerto Rico meat processor indicted for dumping slaughterhouse waste into Caribbean Sea. Ganaderos Borges Inc. and four employees were charged with conspiring to pump untreated slaughterhouse waste—including animal blood, tissue, and feces—into a creek flowing to the Caribbean Sea, allegedly to avoid millions of dollars in disposal costs over a seven-year period. (justice.gov)

Screwworm fly resurgence in Mexico kills at least one person, threatens U.S. Researchers documented over 500 human infestations in Mexico since the parasite's reemergence, with at least one death directly attributed to the flesh-eating larvae. The fly has now reached Texas and New Mexico, prompting U.S. containment efforts including sterile male fly releases. (gizmodo.com)

Brittany Ferries to end live animal transport from Ireland. The company will cease all livestock cargo operations from Ireland by the end of next month following pressure from welfare groups, leaving Irish Ferries as the sole carrier on the route to France. (businessplus.ie)