The Protein Digest

VTT research shows rice bran and rapeseed press cake hold promise as food ingredients. Doctoral research at VTT examined how enzymatic treatment of phytic acid in rice bran and rapeseed press cake can improve their techno-functional properties, potentially enabling wider use of these underutilized food-industry side streams as ingredients for human consumption. (vttresearch.com)

UC Davis alumnus launches watermelon seed milk brand MILK-ish. The plant-based dairy product, made from watermelon seeds by UC Davis plant science graduate Guilherme Maia Silva, has reached 100 retail locations in California and aims for nationwide distribution. (ucdavis.edu)

NNB and Axiom Foods partner on hydrolysed plant protein line amid whey shortage. The new PeptiClear line of hydrolysed plant protein ingredients is designed to match whey's functionality across beverages, frozen desserts, and baked goods as supply constraints and rising costs squeeze smaller manufacturers out of the whey market. (foodbev.com)

Offbeast creates hybrid whole-cut meat from beef and plant ingredients. The German company, also known as Mooji Meats, uses a proprietary process to transform ground beef and plant ingredients into aligned, muscle-like fibres, producing beef tips, strips, and steaks that it says are indistinguishable from conventional whole cuts. (foodbev.com)

Louis Dreyfus Company opens major pea processing plant to tackle off-notes. The new Yorkton, Saskatchewan, facility—one of North America's largest—produces a proprietary pea protein isolate designed for a cleaner taste, targeting fast-growing segments such as ready-to-drink beverages and GLP-1 companion products. (foodnavigator.com)

European openness to food innovation rises to 31% but remains low. The EIT Food Consumer Observatory's 2026 Trust Report, surveying nearly 20,000 people across 18 countries, found that willingness to try specific technologies such as microbial-fermented dairy and cell-cultured meat actually declined even as general openness ticked upward. (eitfood.eu)

Ever After Foods acquires Fishway to broaden cell-cultured production platform. The deal brings Fishway's aquatic cell lines, animal-component-free media expertise, and Belgian scientific team into Ever After Foods' species-agnostic manufacturing platform, alongside $2 million in new strategic investment. (globenewswire.com)

Class action accuses Amazon of greenwashing seafood sustainability claims. Two consumers allege in a Washington federal court filing that the company's sustainability claims for seafood products—including references to MSC certification and responsible sourcing—are unsubstantiated or false, amounting to a greenwashing scheme. (topclassactions.com)

San Diego egg supplier linked to Salmonella outbreak traced to deli mayonnaise. County officials identified Happy Hens as the source of raw, unpasteurized eggs used in mayonnaise at Ramona Family Naturals Market, with 21 confirmed cases and seven hospitalizations reported so far. (nbcsandiego.com)

Michigan confirms rare H1N2 variant swine flu case linked to county fair. An Ionia County resident contracted the influenza A H1N2 variant after exhibiting livestock at the Kent County Youth Fair, with the CDC confirming the diagnosis on Friday. Health officials are contacting fair attendees while stressing that the public risk remains low. (wilx.com)

South Korea's dog meat trade faces final summer before 2027 ban. The final boknal summer dining season before a February 2027 nationwide ban saw dwindling demand at Moran Market, with most merchants already pivoting to black goat stew and other alternatives. (scmp.com)

Pacific Seafood faces $3.2 million fine amid Oregon water-pollution dispute. Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality issued three penalties in April, including its second-largest fine on record, citing years of delayed pollution controls at the processor's coastal plants. The dispute highlights broader tensions between environmental enforcement and an industry whose employment hit a 25-year low in 2024. (oregonlive.com)

FDA elevates egg recall to highest risk level over salmonella concerns. Midwest Poultry Services' recall of more than 19 million eggs, first issued in late July, now carries the FDA's most serious classification, covering products sold at Kroger and Brookshire Grocery stores across six states. (cbsnews.com)