The Protein Digest

Plant-based therapeutic food outperforms standard formula in malnutrition study. A preclinical study led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers found that a dairy-free formulation made from chickpeas, sorghum, corn, and soybeans outperformed a conventional peanut-and-milk product in supporting recovery from malnutrition, potentially lowering costs and reducing dependence on imported ingredients in sub-Saharan Africa. (medicalxpress.com)

Protein Industries Canada adds nine firms to supply chain program. The Strengthening the Canadian Supply Chain program has committed $1.3 million of a total $1.9 million investment to help the SMEs reformulate or develop food products using Canadian-grown inputs, with a fourth cohort now open for applications. (markets.businessinsider.com)

Nexture publishes first group sustainability report, targets decarbonization across food ingredients operations. The Milan-based food ingredients group's inaugural report establishes a baseline across its subsidiaries, highlighting 94% renewable electricity sourcing, an egg-reduction product with a 90% lower carbon footprint, and a commitment to fully sustainable palm oil by 2030. (Protein Report)

SQU study finds attitudes key to plant protein adoption in Oman. Research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Marine Sciences found that personal attitudes toward health and environmental benefits were the strongest predictor of young Omanis' willingness to try plant-based meat, outweighing social and cultural pressures in a country where meat holds deep traditional significance. (omanobserver.om)

GNT achieves independent verification of carbon footprint methodology for Exberry colors. TUV SUD confirmed that the company's cradle-to-gate calculations for its plant-based coloring ingredients align with ISO 14067, providing food and beverage brands with verified emissions data for sustainability reporting. (Protein Report)

Millennium Management takes 5% stake in Beyond Meat. The hedge fund purchased 873,374 shares at $11.92 each, bringing its total position to roughly 957,000 shares, though Beyond Meat's stock has since fallen about 31% amid continued financial weakness and mounting competitive pressures. (gurufocus.com)

Clemson releases five organic field pea varieties for Southeast farmers. The USDA-certified organic varieties, developed through Clemson's Pulse Quality and Nutritional Breeding Program, offer Southeast farmers a winter cash crop suited to plant protein ingredient and gluten-free food markets. (news.clemson.edu)

Abu Dhabi launches guideline for sensory evaluation of novel foods. The framework, developed jointly by ADQCC, ADAFSA, and ADIO, provides a structured pathway for companies to conduct tasting trials of cell-cultured foods, microbial fermentation products, and other novel food technologies before full UAE market approval. (mediaoffice.abudhabi)

UK regulators issue new guidance on cell-cultured food authorization and growth media safety. The third package from the FSA and FSS sandbox program addresses regulatory authorization pathways and toxicology assessments for growth media components, aligning with assimilated EU novel food regulations. (food-safety.com)

Indian students use fungal fermentation and AI to convert crop waste into protein. Kinva Bio, a startup by two Haryana-based students, uses fungal fermentation and an AI digital twin to convert sugarcane bagasse into protein, reaching the top 20 of Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow 2026 competition. (news.samsung.com)

FDA approves Lallemand's vitamin D2 yeast as food additive. The new regulation, 21 CFR §172.383, permits Lallemand's UV-treated inactive baker's yeast as a labeled vitamin D2 source across categories including breakfast cereals, plant-based dairy alternatives, baked goods, snacks, and fortified beverages. (nutritioninsight.com)

Edonia raises €15M to scale microalgae-based food ingredients. The France-based foodtech startup will use the capital to industrialize its patented spirulina-derived ingredient, Edo, and expand B2B foodservice sales in Europe, Japan, and the United States, backed by roughly €30 million in pre-orders. (tech.eu)

Court allows Clean Water Act lawsuit against Cooke Aquaculture to proceed. The lawsuit, filed in 2025, alleges that salmon farming operations across 13 Maine sites discharge fish waste and uneaten feed onto the seafloor, harming lobster habitat and bottom-feeding fish species. (perishablenews.com)

USDA confirms first avian influenza cases in Washington dairy herds. APHIS confirmed H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in two herds, the first livestock cases in the state since the outbreak began in 2024, though authorities maintain the pasteurized milk supply is safe. (aphis.usda.gov)

EU adopts uniform emissions rules for poultry and pig farms. The new framework, known as UCOL, replaces fragmented national approaches with common minimum standards for reducing ammonia, nitrogen, and phosphorus emissions, applying between 2030 and 2032 depending on farm size. (environment.ec.europa.eu)

North Dakota court upholds permit for planned 25,000-cow dairy. The ruling affirms the Department of Environmental Quality's animal feeding operation permit for the planned 25,000-cow Herberg Dairy in Traill County, one of two large facilities being built in the Red River Valley by Minnesota-based Riverview. (northdakotamonitor.com)

Conservationists sue U.S. agencies over illegal cattle grazing in Arizona critical habitat. The lawsuit alleges the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service allowed cattle onto grazing-prohibited allotments along the Upper Verde River, damaging critical habitat for endangered species including narrow-headed gartersnakes and western yellow-billed cuckoos. (courthousenews.com)

Study links conflict, trade, and culture to zoonotic disease risk in Ethiopian camel herding. A George Mason University–led study published in Social Science & Medicine found that displacement, raw milk consumption, and informal trade in eastern Ethiopia's camel-herding communities create conditions that could increase pathogen spillover between animals and humans. (publichealth.gmu.edu)

California water board imposes new nitrate limits on Central Valley dairies. The new regulatory framework targets nitrate contamination in groundwater by restricting manure nitrogen application to cropland, with compliance timelines of up to 35 years for existing operations in the region that accounts for the vast majority of California's dairy industry. (aginfo.net)

Czech inspectors find Salmonella in nearly one in four imported poultry samples. Enhanced surveillance by the State Veterinary Administration found Salmonella in 23 of 93 imported poultry meat samples, a contamination rate roughly three times that of domestic Czech production. (poultrymed.com)

Maine court allows Clean Water Act lawsuit against Cooke Aquaculture to proceed. A U.S. magistrate judge ruled that six claims alleging Clean Water Act violations by the New Brunswick–based salmon farming company may move forward, though Cooke Aquaculture denied all allegations and said it is in full regulatory compliance. (tj.news)

Study finds heavy metals and plasticizers in nearly all U.S. cat foods. The Clean Label Project's analysis of 100 top-selling products across 62 brands found lead in 99% of samples and the plasticizer DEHP in nearly half, with fish-based formulas faring significantly worse than poultry on mercury and cadmium. (clarin.com)