Kandice Vincent Ⓥ🌱’s Post

🍗Consumers continue to want protein, and with climate change affecting the global food supply, innovation is necessary! 🚀 This article explores how protein is entering a new phase of innovation by creating a diversified protein supply chain that includes plant-based and novel ingredients. Check out the article to learn more about protein alternatives, meat hybrid options, and current consumer trends. https://lnkd.in/g5bmR-za

THE FUTURE OF ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS The future of alternative proteins is promising as the world seeks sustainable food sources to address environmental and health concerns. Alternative proteins, derived from plants, insects, and cultured cells, offer viable solutions to the challenges posed by traditional meat production. Plant-based proteins, such as those made from soy, peas, and lentils, have gained popularity for their ability to mimic the taste and texture of meat. Companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods are leading the charge, continually improving their products to appeal to a broader audience. As technology advances, the cost of production is expected to decrease, making these options more accessible to consumers globally. Insect-based proteins are another emerging trend. Rich in essential nutrients and requiring fewer resources to produce, they offer an efficient alternative to conventional meat. While cultural acceptance remains a hurdle in some regions, the potential for insects as a protein source is significant, especially in areas where they are already part of the diet. Cultured or lab-grown meat represents a groundbreaking development in alternative proteins. By growing meat from animal cells without the need for slaughter, this technology promises to reduce the environmental impact of meat production. While currently expensive, ongoing research and investment are likely to make cultured meat a more feasible option in the future. Overall, alternative proteins hold the potential to revolutionize the food industry, offering sustainable, ethical, and nutritious options that could significantly reduce the global carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet. As consumer awareness and demand increase, the alternative protein sector is set to expand rapidly, paving the way for a more sustainable future. #snsinstitutions #snsdesignthinkers #designthinking

🌍 How are collaborative ecosystems shaping the future of food innovation? 🍽️ According to a recent article from the World Economic Forum, niche food innovations are turning into global standards through the power of collaboration. 🌱 From sustainable proteins to nutrient-rich crops, companies are coming together to drive change in the food system. This isn’t just a trend — it’s a movement aiming to tackle food security, climate change, and nutrition needs worldwide. 🚀 Ecosystems that connect food startups, multinational corporations, investors, and regulators are the driving force behind these changes. By working together, they accelerate the scale-up of innovations, reduce costs, and establish industry standards that pave the way for sustainable, healthy food options to reach global markets. 💡 The key to these ecosystems are partnerships with a shared vision. Whether it's tech for sustainable agriculture, diversified proteins like plant-based meat, or food waste reduction, collaborative ecosystems enable a faster route from concept to market. And it's not just startups benefiting – established food companies are also rethinking their product lines to meet consumer demand for health, sustainability, and ethical sourcing. Bonus: they better their environmental footprint. 🔄 This approach doesn’t just revolutionize food but helps align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on responsible production and consumption, zero hunger, and climate action. Learn more at the link in the comments. #FoodInnovation #SustainableFood #Collaboration #FoodSystemsTransformation

🌍 How are collaborative ecosystems shaping the future of food innovation? 🍽️ According to a recent article from the World Economic Forum, niche food innovations are turning into global standards through the power of collaboration. 🌱 From sustainable proteins to nutrient-rich crops, companies are coming together to drive change in the food system. This isn’t just a trend — it’s a movement aiming to tackle food security, climate change, and nutrition needs worldwide. 🚀 Ecosystems that connect food startups, multinational corporations, investors, and regulators are the driving force behind these changes. By working together, they accelerate the scale-up of innovations, reduce costs, and establish industry standards that pave the way for sustainable, healthy food options to reach global markets. 💡 The key to these ecosystems are partnerships with a shared vision. Whether it's tech for sustainable agriculture, diversified proteins like plant-based meat, or food waste reduction, collaborative ecosystems enable a faster route from concept to market. And it's not just startups benefiting – established food companies are also rethinking their product lines to meet consumer demand for health, sustainability, and ethical sourcing. Bonus: they better their environmental footprint. 🔄 This approach doesn’t just revolutionize food but helps align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on responsible production and consumption, zero hunger, and climate action. Learn more at the link in the comments. #FoodInnovation #SustainableFood #Collaboration #FoodSystemsTransformation

“Animal protein is a disassembly business. Alternative protein is an assembly business." 🫢 💡 Our Take: The alternative protein business is still largely a disassembly AND assembly business. Most plant based meat makers, for instance, use ingredients like TVP (texturized vegetable proteins) as their base that start as peas or soy beans which are then dried, milled into a flour, the protein is chemically isolated (disassembled), the isolated protein is re-dried, and milled again, then extruded for texture (assembled), ground and dried again all before it goes to a company who will further "assemble" it into a product…along with many other ingredients. Each of which has their own separate suppliers and pre-processing. We may be poking a beehive here, but change starts with education. And change is essential to the growth of the alternative protein industry. ❓”How are you minimizing the [environmental] impact of your food products?” 💡 Our Answer: By starting with simple, whole agricultural ingredients like mushrooms, hemp seed flour, and spices that are unprocessed or minimally processed (e.g. packaged fresh or simply dried and milled). And by using multiple “upcycled” ingredients. We also keep the number of ingredients as low as possible. 💡 Food for Thought: As an industry, we need to minimize the use of ultra processed ingredients as well as the number of ingredients in our products; without compromising on texture and flavor. By doing this we can greatly reduce environmental impact and make consumers happier at the same time. We will also have an easier time convincing the public that alternatives are in fact more sustainable and healthier for them than animal proteins. No one is saying it's an easy task, but it is certainly possible. After all, multiple startups including us are doing exactly that. #FoodForThought #AltProtein #AlternativeProtein #AlternativeProteins

💡 While alternative protein products certainly have strong climate advantages, they also come with a new set of challenges which we must be sure to address to achieve real change for food production. 📣 In a recent article published by Meatingplace Magazine, our Chief Investment Officer, Tom Mastrobuoni, emphasized the importance of sustainably managing every step of the supply chain involved in alternative protein production. This approach is vital to validate the industry’s sustainability goals. “Animal protein is a disassembly business. We take an animal, we break it down into its component parts. Alternative protein is an assembly business. We take a number of different varied ingredients, put it all together and create a product. All these different ingredients have to come from different places, and they’re brought together at a manufacturing facility. So there’s the environmental impact of five or six different suppliers to take into account.” ✅ How are you minimizing the impact of your sustainable food products? #alternativeproteins #futureoffood #bigideas #supplychain #sustainability Andrew D Ive Henrietta Hearth

CHOCOLATE🍫🍫🍫 The chocolate industry needs urgent innovation due to its environmental and ethical impact. Traditional cocoa farming causes deforestation and faces labour criticism, while cocoa prices rise. Innovative startups are rising to the challenge with alternatives like ChoVivia, THIC, and products from Voyage Foods, Nukoko, Cellest Bio, Foreverland, and Win-Win. These solutions often use fermentation and upcycled ingredients to create sustainable chocolate alternatives. Protecting intellectual property is crucial for these innovators to safeguard their advancements and secure funding. Learn more in my full article: https://lnkd.in/d3PvX-_K 👇 #SustainableChocolate #FoodTech #Innovation #IntellectualProperty

Healthier and more sustainable chocolate on the horizon! Swiss scientists and chocolatiers have innovated a recipe that substitutes sugar with waste plant matter. By utilizing the cocoa pod's pulp and husk, a sweet and fibrous gel has been crafted to potentially replace sugar in chocolate. Exciting developments like these pave the way for more environmentally friendly and healthier food options. Read more about this groundbreaking advancement in chocolate production here: [Link to the article] 🍫🌿 #SustainableFood #Innovation #ChocolateIndustry

♻️ Sustainability Milestones🏁 The sustainability of cereals value chain is becoming a critical issue in the global food system, especially in the context of feeding a growing worldwide population. As cereals form a significant part of the human diet, addressing their environmental impact is crucial. The production of cereals, such as wheat, rice, and maize, often involves practices that are not sustainable, leading to soil degradation, water scarcity, and increased carbon emissions. A major problem is the inefficiency of food systems and value chains, which results in significant food waste. Improving these systems could reduce waste and ensure that more of the cereals produced reach those in need. Additionally, the ethical considerations of cereal production, such as the use of palm oil and the carbon footprint of processing and packaging, cannot be ignored. Companies are increasingly being held accountable for their environmental impact, and consumers are demanding more eco-friendly and ethical options. This is where innovative startups like Seedsight come into play. Seedsight 's mission is to revolutionize the cereal industry by promoting sustainable agricultural practices, reducing waste in the supply chain, and enhancing the overall efficiency of food systems. By leveraging technology and data, Seedsight aims to create a more resilient and ethical food system that can sustainably feed the global population. Supporting such initiatives is not just about choosing more ethical cereal brands but also about backing the systemic changes needed to ensure food security for future generations. #sustainability #seedsight