Upstream Foods to Wind Down Operations Amid Funding Challenges
Upstream Foods, a Dutch startup focused on cultivating fish fat for plant-based seafood products, has announced it will wind down its operations. Kianti Figler, the company’s founder and CEO, shared the news on social media, stating that the decision was driven by the inability to secure the necessary funding to continue scaling the product. The company had been developing cultivated fish fat designed to mimic the flavor and texture of …
Solar Foods Signs Letter of Intent Regarding Commercialization of Up to 1,650 Tonnes Per Year of Its Air-Based Protein, Solein
Finland’s Solar Foods has signed a Letter of Intent with a leading international brand in health and performance nutrition, with the aim of commercializing between 500 and 1,650 tonnes per year of its air-based protein, Solein, over the period 2026-2030. The Letter of Intent describes the companies’ intentions to collaborate on the development of products in the Health & Performance category, and outlines the fundamental principles of the planned collaboration. …
Danish Scientists Achieve Phosphorylation of Animal-Free Casein, Paving the Way for Better Dairy Alternatives
While several companies and research teams have now developed animal-free caseins using precision fermentation, an important part of the process has previously been missing. To be used in products such as cheese alternatives, caseins need to undergo a process called phosphorylation, where phosphate groups are added to them. This allows the caseins to bind to calcium compounds, forming particles called micelles. Previous attempts to achieve the phosphorylation of animal-free caseins …
Austria Presents Petition to Ban Cultivated Meat at European Parliament
The Chambers of Agriculture of the Austrian states of Carinthia and Styria have presented a petition against cultivated meat at the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee. Called “Lab Meat? No, thank you!”, the petition has gained almost 70,000 signatures and was presented in person by Andreas Steinegger and Siegfried Huber, presidents of the agricultural chambers of Styria and Carinthia respectively. They claim that their intention is to protect farms and maintain …
Op Ed: Harsh Amin – How Cultivated Meat Can Bolster British Food Security and Tackle Price Rise
Harsh Amin, CEO of Ivy Farm Technologies, is a stem cell scientist with a PhD from UCL and postdoctoral experience at Imperial College London. With a strong background in biotech R&D and leadership roles from start-ups to Lonza Biologics, he blends scientific expertise with commercial insight to drive innovation in sustainable protein. In this opinion piece, Harsh discusses the growing pressures on the UK’s food industry, particularly the beef sector, …
Multus and Fishway Combine Expertise to Tackle Global Seafood Shortfall With Cultivated Fish
Fishway and Multus Biotechnology have entered into a strategic partnership to develop scalable, cost-effective cultivated fish. The collaboration brings together Fishway’s expertise in fish cell line development and Multus’ AI-driven platform for optimising growth media, with both companies aiming to accelerate the availability of cultivated seafood. Making cultivated fish viable The new partnership between the two companies is seen as a key step in addressing the challenges of scaling up …
European Parliament Report Acknowledges Strategic Importance of Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing
Yesterday, the European Parliament voted on a report on the future of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing sectors. The report acknowledges the importance of these sectors across various EU policy priorities, including sustainability, economic security, food security, and public health. It calls for targeted investments in strategic biotech applications, including food biotechnology, along with a policy framework to promote innovation, investment, and sustainable growth. According to the report, biotechnology and …
VAN HEES and BLUU Seafood Partner to Develop Hybrid Cultured Fish Products
VAN HEES, a German family-owned company with nearly 80 years of experience in the food industry, has entered into a strategic collaboration with BLUU Seafood, a leading European food biotech specializing in cultured fish. The partnership, which was initiated in May, combines VAN HEES’ expertise in functional ingredients and seasoning technology with BLUU Seafood’s innovations in cell-based fish production. VAN HEES has a long-standing reputation for developing flavorings, spice mixes, …
Study: Almost Half of Gen Z Brits Would Eat Cultivated Meat Products
New research conducted by Ipsos in the UK has revealed that 47% of Gen Z Brits (defined as those aged 16-29) would consume cultivated meat products. This figure is significantly higher than for other generations — just 21% of Baby Boomers, 22% of Gen X, and 38% of Millennials said they would be willing to eat cultivated meat. However, the survey also indicated a widespread lack of awareness on the …
UK to Provide Direct Support for Cell-Cultivated Food Companies Through New Pilot Service
The Food Standards Agency (FSA), in collaboration with Food Standards Scotland (FSS), has introduced a pilot support service aimed at assisting companies in the cell-cultivated food sector with the UK market authorisation process. This initiative responds to the increasing number of companies working to bring cell-cultivated products to market, which include foods like cell-grown chicken fillets and beef burgers. The service is designed to provide guidance to businesses throughout the …