US Vegan seafood maker Impact Food winds down as meat-eating culture persists

From greenqueen.com.hk

US vegan seafood start-up Impact Food, whose plant-based tuna featured on the menu of several poke chains, is ceasing operations after struggling to “change consumer behaviour”.

Plant-based seafood player Impact Food has reached the end of its voyage as consumer uptake of fish-free alternatives fails to accelerate.

The company, known for its sushi-grade, whole-cut vegan tuna and salmon, has partnered with several restaurant chains over the years and is the latest to fall victim to the faltering market for plant-based meat and seafood in the US.

“We learned so much along the way, including just how hard it is to change consumer behaviour,” co-founder and CEO Kelly Pan said in a LinkedIn post. “Technology and capital can accelerate innovation, but timing, economics, habits, and culture matter just as much.”

From a class project to restaurants across the US

Alternative Protein Sector M&A Activity
Infogram

Impact Food began as a class project during the pandemic in UC Berkeley’s Alt:Meat Lab, where Pan met her co-founders, Stephanie Claudino Daffara and Adrián Miranda.

The start-up was officially founded in 2022, using a mix of seaweed, pea protein, konjac and rapeseed oil to produce whole cuts of sushi-grade tuna and salmon with 4g of protein per 110g serving.

The products appeared in restaurants, universities, corporate dining programmes, hotels, and airline lounges across the US. The raw tuna, for instance, landed on the menu of all 29 Just Poké locations in Washington state, as well as bicoastal stores of fellow poke chain Poke Works.

Courtesy: Impact Food

Impact Food scaled up its technology from lab scale to pilot scale by building its own manufacturing plant in San Francisco and also expanded to Japan, where it completed pilot production and secured partnerships with leading food companies.

“What started as a class project during a global pandemic grew into something far beyond what we could have imagined,” said Pan.

“While the outcome is not what we had envisioned, I’m incredibly proud of what our team built and grateful that we had the opportunity to pursue a mission we care so deeply about: creating a more sustainable food system.”

Before it sails into the sunset, Impact Foods’s salmon can still be found at Lion West Portal in San Francisco. For her part, Pan signed off on a positive note: “We still deeply believe that plant-based food plays a critical role in creating a more sustainable future, and we made real progress toward it.”

A familiar tale for plant-based seafood

Courtesy: Impact Food

Impact Food’s fate isn’t unique in vegan seafood, which remains on the fringes of the alternative protein category. In the US, sales of fish-free alternatives fell by 3% to just $10M in 2025, accounting for less than 1% of the overall dollar revenue from plant-based meat and seafood.

That has forced the closure of several alternative seafood start-ups in recent years, including Hooked Foods, Aqua Cultured Foods, Olala!, Konscious Foods, Upstream Foods, and Vegan Finest Foods.

This is part of a larger trend of consolidation within the alternative protein space, in which more than 85 companies have been acquired, merged, gone bankrupt, or shut down in the last 24 months. A dip in funding, from $6.9B in 2021 to merely $881M last year, has contributed to this shift.

There were signs that Impact Food, which had raised over $2M from investors and grants, was already diversifying its portfolio in response to the market pressures – Pan suggested that the company was expanding into other product categories, including (as Beyond Meat has done) protein beverages.

This was also a move made by Happy Ocean Foods, a German start-up that last year ditched its vegan seafood line to supply clean-label, functional plant protein bases to foodservice operators.

Globally, nearly 90% of fish stocks are at or above their maximum sustainable yield or are overfished. One study suggests that we could be heading towards a complete collapse of ocean life by 2048, driven by factors including overfishing and microplastic pollution. Climate change is worsening things, pushing fish to the high seas where they’re likely to be overexploited, causing diseases, and driving up prices.

And while consumers recognise the threat, to Impact Foods’s point, their behaviours have largely remained unmoved. According to the Marine Stewardship Council, 88% of American seafood consumers are worried about the state of the world’s oceans – that would be encouraging, before you realise that this is down from 91% in 2024.

“In a world where it is ingrained in our culture to eat meat at the centre of every dish, this habit was the hard one to break,” noted Daffara, nodding to the meat renaissance in the US.

“I still believe a more plant-based future will come. But it will take more than better tech and all my friends’ hardworking start-ups. It will require affordability, convenience, distribution, culture change, policy, and hopefully, a little more care for the planet and all the living beings we share it with.”

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/impact-food-vegan-seafood-tuna-salmon-sushi-poke-plant-based-closure/ 

Point Breeze’s Chef Reeky Brings Plant-Based Philly Classics to Cheezy Vegan

From philadelphia.today

By Jensen Toussaint 

South Philadelphia native Tarik Ryant is rewriting the rules of Philly comfort food, one plant-based cheesesteak at a time, writes Wendy Daughenbaugh for 6abc. 

At his Point Breeze “Food Lab,” known as Cheezy Vegan, the chef better known as Chef Reeky is proving that vegan cooking and Philly grit aren’t mutually exclusive.

Located at 1216 S. 17th St., the shop specializes in hearty plant-based takes on neighbourhood staples.

This includes a Philly cheesesteak, an Italian hoagie, a buttermilk “chicken” sandwich, and the McReeky, a breakfast sandwich loaded with American cheese, crispy tofu, sausage, and a spicy English muffin.

Chef Reeky shows off his plant-based Philly line-up, including the vegan cheesesteak he says can go toe to toe with anybody's version of the classic sandwich

Ryant doesn’t hedge when it comes to his signature dish. 

He says his cheesesteak can go toe to toe with anybody’s version of the city’s most famous sandwich. 

However, convincing skeptics isn’t really the point. 

What matters most to him is that customers leave the counter feeling like they ate clean and got their money’s worth.

Ryant’s road to the kitchen wasn’t a straight line. 

After getting into trouble in the 1990s, he spent several years incarcerated at SCI Somerset, where he found an unexpected foothold: a culinary apprenticeship program. 

He carried that skill forward after his release, pursuing higher education and eventually earning a gubernatorial pardon.

Then came another turning point. 

After surviving a shooting, Ryant channeled the experience into Cloud Safe Kitchen, a mentorship program built to steer young people away from the mistakes that once defined his own path.

Now back in the neighborhood that raised him, Chef Reeky is building something rooted in more than just food: plants, perseverance and unmistakable Philly grit.

Read more about Chef Reeky’s journey and his mission with Cheezy Vegan at 6abc.

https://philadelphia.today/2026/08/point-breeze-chef-reeky-cheezy-vegan-philly-classics/

Sainsbury’s Launches Kid-Friendly Soy And Oat Milk

From plantbasednews.org

An increasing number of companies and supermarkets are producing everyday basics for families who are vegan or dairy-free 

Shoppers can now purchase kid-friendly soy and oat milk products at Sainsbury’s.

The British supermarket chain sells its own private-label plant-based milk drinks for children one year old and up, fortified with essential vitamins and nutrients.

Sainsbury’s 1+ Years Soya Drink and 1+ Years Oat Drink feature added calcium, iodine, and iron, as well as vitamins A, D, B2, and B12. The soy version is also low in sugar and contains around 6.5g of protein and 1.1g of fibre per 250ml serving.

The majority of British parents and guardians would like to see more healthy vegan food options for kids - Media Credit: Plant Based News

A 2022 report by The Vegan Society found that 66.9 percent of UK parents and guardians with children under 15 would like to see more healthy vegan food options for kids. Nearly 40 percent would like to see more vegan food products specifically aimed at children, and over 68 percent said the food industry could do more to develop kid-focused options.

In 2025, Alpro launched a new range of products specifically for kids, including plant-based milk and yogurts. At the time, the company said that its Alpro Kids range contains 30 percent less sugar than comparable products and is fortified with calcium, vitamin D2, and other essential nutrients, such as iodine and vitamin B12. 

In January of this year, the largest peer-reviewed study of its kind found that well-planned plant-based diets can aid children’s growth and support their heart health. In June, a separate study found that children and teenagers are more open to meat-free diets than adults, but can struggle to maintain them without familial support.

Roughly five percent of people in the UK are lactose intolerant, including kids.

Kids don’t eat enough plant-based foods

In July, a study found that kids and young people around the world are not eating enough nutritious, sustainable, plant-based foods. The authors noted that healthy foods such as beans, legumes, and other plants can help improve youth nutrition and contribute towards global Sustainable Development Goals like ending malnutrition.

According to Sainsbury’s, its oat and soy drinks for young kids can be part of a healthy, balanced diet from one year of age, but not as the main milk alternative for children under two. The products have an RRP of £1.70 per 1-litre carton.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/sainsburys-launches-kid-friendly-soy-milk/

Netherlands: Is this the game changer in vegan food that meat eaters will go wild for?

From favorflav.com

By Sharon van Lokhorst 

Roughly speaking, there are two types of vegans and vegetarians: people who have no desire whatsoever for a meaty meat substitute, and people who no longer eat meat but don’t (always) want to miss out on the meat experience. I have good news for the latter group: Future Farm’s ‘plant-based meat’ is now also available in the Netherlands. 

The Vegetarian Butcher and Beyond Meat have gained a formidable competitor: Future Farm wants to conquer the world with exact meat replicas in terms of texture and flavour, but made from plants. No animal suffering, less CO2 emissions: I’m hugely in favour. The plant-based products, including the flagship burger that conquered Brazil in a short time, are known for their good quality; the products are available at Marqt, among others.

More than 2 million burgers

The main ingredients in Future Farm’s meat substitutes are peas, soy, chickpeas and beetroot powder to mimic the colour of meat. For people who do enjoy meat and its characteristic texture and flavour, it’s an absolute must-try. I tried the minced meatballs—and they did not disappoint: this really is a meat experience from here to Brazil.

You pay €3.89 for two burgers

Deliciously juicy

The meaty texture, which is barely distinguishable from real meat, is particularly striking. This really is an excellent meat substitute, without compromising on flavour, texture or juiciness. Future Farm therefore focuses mainly on meat eaters and flexitarians, less so on vegans. The fact that the products are a hit in meat-loving Brazil (after the US, people here eat the most meat in the world) is evident from the fact that Future Farm sold more than 2 million (!) burgers there in its first eight months.

Transparency in the (meat) production chain

Founder Marcos Leta is now setting his sights on Europe: “The Netherlands is the first market we are entering in Europe, but it certainly won’t be the last. We firmly believe that Future Farm will become just as successful here as it is in South America. Especially now that corona has increased pressure for greater transparency in the (meat) production chain and the way meat-processing factories operate is under scrutiny. Demand for sustainable and flavourful alternatives will only increase. I expect that in twenty years we will consume almost no meat at all.”

https://favorflav.com/en/new/is-this-the-game-changer-in-vegan-food-that-meat-eaters-will-go-wild-for/

2 Vegan Sheet Pan Dinners That Practically Cook Themselves

From plantbasednews.org

Two trays and a whole lot of flavour 

If you’ve ever stared into the fridge after a long day and wished dinner could somehow make itself, Nisha Vora has a solution. The creator behind Rainbow Plant Life recently shared two vegan sheet pan dinners that require very little hands-on effort but still deliver the kind of flavour, texture, and presentation you would happily serve to company. For anyone who wants healthy food without juggling multiple pots and pans, these meals offer a compelling reminder that simple cooking does not have to mean boring cooking.

Vora is a Harvard graduate and former corporate lawyer who left the legal profession to pursue a plant-based lifestyle and career in food. Today, she is one of the most recognizable vegan recipe creators online, and her recipes are featured on New York Times Cooking. In this video, she not only demonstrates two of her favourite sheet pan meals but also shares a flexible formula that home cooks can use to create their own vegan sheet pan dinners. According to Vora, every successful sheet pan meal starts with a four-component formula: a protein, a vegetable, a sauce, and what she calls “something fun” to add contrast and excitement.

Crispy curried tofu and carrots with garam masala yogurt sauce

This Middle Eastern-inspired sheet pan meal includes roasted cauliflower, crispy chickpeas, and Medjool dates on a base of whipped tahini - Media Credit: YouTube / Rainbow Plant Life

The first dish combines crispy curried tofu, roasted carrots, red onions, and a creamy yogurt sauce flavoured with garam masala. Vora describes the result as a meal where “the carrots get tender and sweet, the tofu turns into these crunchy little nuggets, and the yogurt sauce ties it all together.”

For the protein, she uses extra-firm tofu. To help it crisp up in the oven, she slices a block lengthwise into four slabs before pressing it. Vora notes that tofu releases moisture more quickly when divided into smaller pieces. While she jokingly presses hers beneath a favourite cookbook, any heavy object can do the job. The goal is to remove as much moisture as possible because, as she explains, drier tofu develops a better texture in the oven.

While the tofu presses, she moves on to the vegetables. Rather than combining multiple vegetables with different cooking times, Vora prefers to focus on one primary vegetable. “I don’t want four or five different vegetables that have different cook times because that typically ends up in a sad, soggy mess,” she says.

Carrots are the star

For this recipe, carrots take centre stage. She keeps the skins on for texture, nutrition, and convenience. The carrots are sliced crosswise on a bias into roughly two-inch pieces. If the carrots are particularly thick, she recommends halving the wider sections lengthwise before slicing. Red onion wedges join the carrots on the tray, providing what Vora calls a complementary vegetable. As they roast, the onions become sweet and jammy while adding extra flavor with very little prep work.

The vegetables are tossed with olive oil, salt, and plenty of black pepper before being spread across a sheet pan. Vora emphasizes that everything should be arranged in a single layer. “If you overlap things, it’s just gonna steam, it’s not gonna roast,” she explains. Proper spacing allows ingredients to brown, caramelize, and develop texture.

Prepping the tofu for maximum crunch

YouTube / Rainbow Plant LifeThe curry-spiced tofu must be evenly spaced on the sheet pan so that it turns crisp and golden

Once the tofu is pressed, Vora crumbles it into small, irregular pieces roughly the size of large blueberries. These jagged edges become one of the dish’s biggest advantages. “All these little craggy edges you see are going to absorb the spices and oil super well and crisp up beautifully in the oven,” she says.

The tofu is gently coated with olive oil, salt, pepper, curry powder, and potato starch. According to Vora, the starch is crucial because it creates a crispy outer shell during roasting. After spreading the tofu across a parchment-lined tray, both sheet pans head into a 425-degree oven. The tofu roasts on the upper rack while the vegetables cook below. Everything gets one toss halfway through before returning to the oven for another 15 minutes.

While the trays roast, Vora prepares a simple sauce in a bowl. Coconut yogurt is mixed with grated garlic, fresh ginger, garam masala, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. She explains that the spice blend complements both the sweetness of the carrots and the curry-coated tofu. If the yogurt lacks richness, she suggests adding a drizzle of olive oil. If it tastes overly tart, a pinch of sugar can soften the acidity.

The final element of her formula is “something fun.” In this case, it is a sliced serrano pepper. While simple, Vora says the pepper provides “this really fun, sexy, spicy heat” that contrasts with the sweeter elements of the meal.

To serve, she layers the roasted vegetables and crispy tofu over white rice before spooning over the yogurt sauce. Fresh cilantro, sliced chili, and a squeeze of lemon finish the dish.

Roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, and dates with whipped tahini

The second of Vora’s vegan sheet pan dinners uses the same framework but creates a completely different flavour profile. Inspired by Middle Eastern ingredients, the dish combines roasted cauliflower, crispy chickpeas, sweet Medjool dates, and a creamy whipped tahini base.

“This one is roasted cauliflower and chickpeas with whipped tahini and sticky torn dates,” Vora says. “It’s got this Middle Eastern-inspired flavour profile.”

For protein, she turns to canned chickpeas. After draining and rinsing them, she pats them dry with a dish towel to encourage crisping. The chickpeas are tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper before being spread across a sheet pan.

The vegetable component starts with a large cauliflower. To avoid making a mess, Vora removes the tough central core from underneath before breaking the head into medium-sized florets. She recommends cutting through the stems whenever possible because flat surfaces brown more effectively on a sheet pan.

Six garlic cloves join the cauliflower. Rather than mincing them, she lightly crushes them with the flat side of a knife. Roasting transforms the cloves into soft, golden morsels with a mellow sweetness.

After coating the cauliflower and garlic in olive oil, salt, and pepper, Vora arranges everything on a second sheet pan. She advises placing florets flat-side down whenever possible and positioning larger pieces near the hotter outer edges of the tray.

Both pans roast at 425 degrees, with the chickpeas on the top rack and cauliflower below. This time, everything cooks undisturbed for 20 minutes before being checked.

Making the whipped tahini base

Meanwhile, Vora prepares the sauce. She whisks tahini together with lemon juice, grated garlic, Aleppo pepper, cumin, salt, and ice-cold water. The chilled water is particularly important. “The iced water helps the tahini whip up into something that’s fluffy and creamy at the same time,” she explains.

Instead of a pourable sauce, she aims for a thick spread that forms the base of the finished platter.

For the “something fun” element, Vora uses torn Medjool dates. The dates reinforce the Middle Eastern flavour profile while creating bursts of sweetness throughout the dish. As they roast, they become slightly caramelized and crisp around the edges.

After 20 minutes, the trays come out for a quick toss. The dates are added to the cauliflower tray before everything returns to the oven for another seven to 10 minutes. When finished, the cauliflower is browned and tender, the dates are lightly charred, and the chickpeas are golden and crisp.

To assemble, Vora spreads the whipped tahini across a serving platter before piling on the cauliflower, roasted garlic, dates, and chickpeas. Chopped parsley and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper complete the dish.

A formula for stress-free dinners

Beyond the recipes themselves, the real takeaway from Vora’s video is the formula. By combining a protein, a vegetable, a simple sauce, and one exciting finishing ingredient, she creates meals that feel far more elaborate than the effort required. The approach keeps prep manageable, minimizes clean-up, and makes vegan sheet pan dinners adaptable to whatever ingredients happen to be in the kitchen.

As Vora puts it, the method delivers “very minimal effort and fuss.” For busy home cooks who still want satisfying, flavour-packed meals, that’s a formula worth remembering.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/vegan-sheet-pan-dinners/

Pumpkin Seeds Are a Plant-Protein Powerhouse—Here Are 5 Reasons To Add Them to Your Diet

From health.com

AT A GLANCE

• Pumpkin are a great source of plant-based protein, offering around 8 grams per ounce.
• In addition to protein, pumpkin seeds are rich in healthy fats, fibre, zinc, and other nutrients that are beneficial for heart health and sleep.
• Pumpkin seeds can be part of vegetarian and vegan diets, and they’re safe for most people with allergies.

From pinto beans to peanuts, there are lots of great plant-based protein options. But if you’re looking to add more to your protein to your diet without relying on meat, you can’t go wrong with pumpkin seeds.

For one, these small seeds pack a serious protein punch, with over 8 grams per ounce. And they can be roasted as a snack, incorporated into baked goods, or mixed into your morning bowl of oatmeal, making pumpkin seeds a tasty and simple way to boost your protein intake.

But pumpkin seeds also have a unique nutritional makeup—so there are even more reasons why they’re a great plant-based protein choice.

Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, and they can also help with heart health and sleep.    banusevim / Getty Images

1. They’re Packed With Nutrients

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of protein, which helps build and repair your body’s tissues. But along with their high protein content, pumpkin seeds are rich in:

• Healthy fats
• Fibre
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Zinc

Together, these nutrients can support your bone, digestive, and heart health.

2. They’re Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly

It can be challenging to find healthful protein sources if you follow a plant-based diet. Pumpkin seeds provide all the essential amino acids your body needs, making them a complete protein option for vegetarians and vegans. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

You can easily incorporate pumpkin seeds into vegan and vegetarian recipes, such as smoothies, salads, or stir-fries.

3. They’re Hypoallergenic

Pumpkin seeds are considered hypoallergenic, meaning they are unlikely to cause allergic reactions in most people. This makes pumpkin seeds a suitable choice for people with allergies to other plant-based protein sources, like nuts and soy.

While pumpkin seed allergy is rare, it is possible. To stay safe, choose pumpkin seeds from trusted sources and check labels to avoid cross-contamination with common allergens.

4. They May Help With Sleep

Pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, an amino acid your body uses to make serotonin and melatonin. These hormones play a role in sleep: Serotonin helps regulate sleep processes in the brain, and melatonin regulates your sleep-wake cycle.

Pumpkin seeds are also rich in magnesium, a mineral that can support relaxation. Eating pumpkin seeds in the evening may help you fall asleep more easily and improve your sleep quality throughout the night.

5. They Support Heart Health

Pumpkin seeds provide nutrients that support your heart health. Magnesium regulates blood pressure, and zinc is an anti-inflammatory that improves blood flow throughout your body. The seeds are also full of healthy unsaturated fats, which can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

How To Add Pumpkin Seeds to Your Diet

Pumpkin seeds are versatile and can be easily added to snacks and meals:

• Roast them with salt or spices for a crunchy snack on the go.
• Sprinkle them over salads, yogurt, or oatmeal for extra texture and protein.
• Blend them into fruit or veggie smoothies for a protein boost.
• Mix them into homemade granola or trail mix for a nutritious treat.
• Add them to baked goods like muffins, breads, or cookies.
• Stir them into soups, stir-fries, or stews just before serving.

https://www.health.com/pumpkin-seeds-plant-protein-12066566