Inside food & drink manufacturing
Laura Hellwig, managing director at Viva! – the UK’s vegan campaigning charity – looks at the latest data on the UK’s plant-based food sector and the evolving opportunities it presents brands.
New research shows swapping ‘processed’ meats with popular plant-based options can lead to meaningful dietary improvements. However, inconsistent micronutrient fortification remains a key challenge - and opportunity - for manufacturers.
The plant-based food category is now worth €16.3 billion across six European markets and open for further growth, data from Circana shows.
The global food and beverage company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Huel.
Protein expert and COO for Better Nature, Dr Ando Ahnan-Winarno - AKA ‘The Protein Doctor’ - explains why the industry needs a ‘better protein’ conversation.
Linda McCartney Foods has unveiled its new vegan Chicken Style Dippers in a bid to support inclusive school menus.
Legal expert Anousha Davies offers key takeaways from the Supreme Court’s decision in the Oatly v Dairy UK case for plant-based producers.
The oat drink company has lost an on-going legal battle against Dairy UK over the use of the word ‘milk’ in its marketing, which it says will only make things harder for plant-based brands.
The UK organic tofu brand backed by Comitis Capital is set to acquire German organic plant-based manufacturer, Topas GmbH.
One of the UK’s plant-based food heavyweights The Vegan Food Group (VFG) appears to be in turmoil as it suffers mass redundancies across its brands.
Quorn Foods makes two senior leadership appointments as it looks to accelerate international growth.
Food manufacturers, UK MPs and pop star Paul McCartney have raised concerns over proposals to ban words like ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ from plant-based foods in Europe.
In a report on the future of fermentation, Anthony Warner – AKA the Angry Chef – and Jacek Obuchowicz – the CEO of new cultures manufacturer Myconeos Limited – argue that traditional fermentation is the most profitable avenue for innovators in the near-term.
The EU has published a new bioeconomy strategy that aims to reduce fossil-based materials, create jobs and lead the global shift towards clean industries.
Dutch government publishes new Code of Practice for companies to host tasting events for fermentation-made foods, including animal-free cheese, eggs, and fats.
Plant-based recipe subscription service Grubby has teamed up with London restaurant chain Mildreds on a limited time meal range.
Meat-free brand Quorn Foods has created a new TV advert as part of its biggest campaign in over four years.
Quorn Foods owner Marlow Foods has reported a pre-tax loss of £28 million for 2024.
Plant-based food company THIS has launched two tofu SKUs made with chickpeas, instead of soy beans found in traditional tofu.
New research by Oddlygood Group has revealed that 53% of consumers who have stopped drinking plant-based drinks in the past 12 months would be likely to go back.
A policy paper proposing measures to increase the production and consumption of plant-rich diets has been backed by 48 organisations from across the food industry.
Jay&Joy has launched one of its plant-based cheese alternative products in the UK for the first time.
The EU will invest €2.2 million (£1.9 million) between September 2025 and August 2027 to accelerate the adoption of plant-based food.
Nearly half of parents of children aged three to 18 in the UK support an increase in the amount of plant-based options in schools, according to a new YouGov survey.
New plant-based protein brand – Like – is rolling into major UK retailers, with its targets set on young flexitarians.
Dutch firm Meatable has announced the acquisition of Uncommon Bio’s cultivated meat platform for an undisclosed fee.
Plant-based food brand Moving Mountains has secured a listing for its new ‘Superfood’ range with online grocery retailer Ocado.
Tempeh brand Better Nature has raised £1.1 million as it looks to accelerate the growth of its range around the world.
Quorn is removing all artificial ingredients from its core frozen range of vegetarian products.
The Science Museum has opened a new exhibition which highlights historic milestones that have shaped today’s food system.
Plant-based recipe kit service GRUBBY is launching a range of dishes developed to help customers hit the recommended 30 different plants-per-week target.
This is thought to be the first product in the butter and spreads category in the UK to include this claim.
Myco chairman and non-executive director John Shepherd and chief executive David Wood discuss mushroom-based meat alternatives and reducing food miles to metres as we take a look inside Myco’s Leeming Bar site.
Plant-based food sales declined in the UK but increased in France, Germany, Italy and Spain between 2022 and 2024, new analysis by the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe has revealed.
The co-founder and CEO at Happiee talks to Food Manufacture about pushing the boundaries in plant-based innovation.
Nomad Foods has expanded its partnership with BlueNalu to support the commercialisation of the latter’s cell-cultivated seafood products in the UK and across Europe.
Gosh! has expanded its ‘Street Food’ range with the addition of two new SKUs.
Vegan food brand Plants has unveiled its new ‘vibrant’ packaging rebrand.
Meat alternatives brand Quorn is rolling out two new products into supermarket deli counters from this month.
Tiba Tempeh has announced the launch of a new smoky tempeh SKU that is set to go on sale this month.
Christopher Owen, head of marketing for plant based at Saputo Dairy UK, explains why now is the time for the foodservice sector to prioritise the plant-based trend.
Oat drink manufacturer Alpro is making a multi-million-pound investment into its UK operations to source 100% of its oats from local farmers.
The UK Government has awarded the Food Standards Agency (FSA) £1.4 million to support a new innovation hub to expand its expertise in new technologies, with a focus on precision fermentation.
Unilever has agreed to sell meat alternatives brand The Vegetarian Butcher to Vivera for an undisclosed fee.
Oat milk brand Three Robins has ditched the last traces of added sugar from its chocolate milk alternative, Choccoriffic, following a recipe reformulation.
Cashew-based cheese brand ‘I Am Nut Ok’ has seen a 24% increase in year-on-year sales and 39% uplift in Veganuary sales. Food Manufacture speaks with its founders to find out the secret to their success.
Plant-based recipe kit firm GRUBBY has acquired the exclusive rights to the recipes and manufacturing methods for the entire Allplants product range.
Plenish has launched a new clean-label, fortified oat drink with added vitamins and minerals, the ‘first of its kind’ for sale in the UK.
European patents for alternative proteins have skyrocketed in the last 10 years, but work to make these products tasty and affordable is often overlooked, according to the Good Food Institute (GFI).
Gen Z is out to transform Europe’s food system, with five teams of young innovators taking home a share of €25k (£20.6k) in prize money at this year’s Menu for Change challenge.