The Protein Digest

High-protein food patent filings reach 5,626 as reformulation work expands. Applications rose 80% over five years, led by Nestlé, Cargill, and Arla Foods, as manufacturers work to add concentrated protein to everyday foods without compromising texture or taste. (dairynews.today)

Steakholder Foods launches 3D-printed Perfecta line in U.S. Northeast. The Israel-based company is introducing five plant protein and fish analogues, from filet mignon to salmon patties, made by layering plant proteins and fats into whole-cut textures. (inc.com)

Carvel rolls out non-dairy frozen desserts chainwide with KLIMON. The permanent lineup spans soft serve, shakes, scooped desserts, and Flying Saucers sandwiches at more than 300 US stores, with nine flavors and more than 25 toppings. (qsrmagazine.com)

Crespel & Deiters takes stake in German soy supplier VEPRONA. The ingredient maker joins farmsaat and L. Stroetmann as an owner. The partners plan to develop functional, high-protein soy flours from single-variety European crops. (Protein Report)

Plant protein sales slide as makers pivot to snacks and hybrids. Retail sales and shelf space are shrinking, but ADM, Beyond Meat and Jensen Meat Co. are betting on hybrid formulations and meat snacks to meet consumer demand for protein-rich foods. (provisioneronline.com)

UK-based Mycofeast acquires New Zealand lactoferrin start-up Daisy Lab. The Auckland company makes lactoferrin through microbial fermentation and will keep its research in New Zealand, while large-scale production moves to Mycofeast's site in Europe. (rnz.co.nz)

Delaware court dismisses Onego Bio suit against Every over ovalbumin patent. The court found Every had never threatened to assert its patent and did not rule on validity or infringement, leaving no litigation between the two microbial fermentation companies. (foodbev.com)

FermBase and Differential Bio form strategic partnership on AI-driven microbial fermentation. The CREMER brand and the Munich startup plan to pair raw material supply with robotic experimentation and machine learning, building on a jointly developed trace element blend for yeast fermentation. (Protein Report)

Spain's Moa Foodtech uses AI to select microbes for upcycling food by-products. Named one of C&EN's start-ups to watch for 2026, the company draws on a library of about 300 microbial strains to ferment food industry waste streams into nutritious ingredients. (cen.acs.org)

Goldman Sachs names UPSIDE Foods CEO Uma Valeti a top entrepreneur. The cardiologist-turned-founder was recognized at the bank's annual Builders and Innovators Summit for building UPSIDE Foods, whose cell-cultured chicken filet was the first such product cleared by both U.S. regulators. (streetinsider.com)

FSANZ clears Gourmey's cell-cultured duck biomass as a food ingredient. The conditional approval covers biomass from Pekin duck cells intended for products such as foie gras and pâté, after a risk assessment found no safety concerns. (food-safety.com)

Ever After Foods and Roslin Technologies report 19-fold cultured meat productivity gain. Growing Roslin's porcine stem cells on an edible scaffold in Ever After Foods' packed-bed system raised both cell density and protein output per cell compared with a stirred-tank benchmark. (Protein Report)

Maryland seeks contempt ruling against dairy farm over Basin Run fish kill. State regulators traced the deaths of nearly 11,000 fish to manure runoff from Kilby Farm and allege that operator Hartland Holdings LLC violated an earlier court order to stop polluting the stream. (the-independent.com)

Russian researchers enrich yogurt with nutrient-loaded yeast and hemp protein. Experimental samples from SUSU showed about 10 times more probiotic bacteria than plain yogurt and antioxidant activity of up to 84%, compared with 62%. (susu.ru)

JBS launches ingredient business for food and beverage manufacturers. The new unit will supply protein ingredients in a global market estimated at $101 billion, though JBS has not disclosed investment, revenue targets, or a start date. (dairynews.today)

Issara Institute report calls for dedicated seafood social impact funds. Commissioned by the Certifications and Ratings Collaboration, the study argues that worker welfare needs purpose-built funding rather than adapted environmental programs. It recommends cost-sharing and levy-based models to ease the burden on suppliers. (globalseafood.org)

Seafood worker grievance systems remain underused amid widespread forced labor. Fishers often distrust confidentiality and fear retaliation, even as a U.S. Department of Labor study found 77 percent of surveyed distant water fishing workers met forced labor criteria. (globalseafood.org)

Federal court dismisses Trump administration suit over Michigan egg rules. A judge found the administration lacked standing to challenge the state's cage-free requirement, which it claimed overstepped federal authority and pushed up prices. (freep.com)

South Korea shuts most dog breeding farms before 2027 ban. About 87% of registered farms have closed roughly 30% ahead of schedule, leaving about 7,600 dogs at covered facilities as the government readies inspections and protection measures. (upi.com)