Future Food Quick Bites: Beyond Meat x Taco Bell, Crowdfunding Galore & Marigold Protein

From greenqueen.com.hk

By Anay Mridul

New products and launches

Fast-food giant Taco Bell has teased a new partnership with vegan giant Beyond Meat to create a new plant-based protein that will be tested within this year. The chain said it chose the latter due to its track record of attracting young consumers. They previously tested a meat-free carne asada steak quesadilla and tacos offered at price parity.

Courtesy: Beyond Meat

US vitamins brand Perelel has launched Daily Resilience Complex, a new daily supplement featuring TurtleTree‘s precision-fermented lactoferrin ingredient, LF+. It isn’t vegan, however, since the powder also contains bovine collagen.

In time for grilling season, whole-food brand Actual Veggies has rolled out a 10-pack of its vegan black bean burger at most Costco locations across the US.

Likewise, whole-cut plant-based meat pioneer Chunk Foods has gained a listing at Whole Foods Market across the Northeast for its steak filet, pulled steak and a new Moroccan Cubes SKU with 19g of protein.

Speaking of vegan steak, Dutch start-up Rival Foods‘s clean-label alternative has landed in its home country. The pulled beef is available in 2kg packs for foodservice operators on InstockMarket, and contains 31g of protein per 100g.

Courtesy: Jay&Joy

Weeks after securing $2.3M in fresh funding, French vegan cheesemaker Jay&Joy has expanded its footprint through a listing at 400 new points of sale at German organic retailer Denns BioMarkt.

Fellow French company La Vie‘s plant-based ham, sandwiches and snacks are now being stocked at 180 TotalEnergies service stations across the country.

In more good news for France’s plant-based shoppers, a new fully vegan grocery store, Herbivores, has opened on Lyon’s Rue Pasteur street.

Singaporean bean-free start-up Prefer has brought its coffee alternative to Japan, launching an iced black coffee using its PreferRoast ingredient in collaboration with Tokyu Land, a member of local conglomerate Tokyu Group.

And in the UK, Shicken Foods has launched plant-based kofta kebabs into Costco stores. They feature 21g of protein per serving and are high in fibre.

Company and finance updates

Swedish pea milk start-up Sproud has achieved its lowest-ever average carbon footprint, reducing its emissions by 11.45% to reach 0.301kg of CO2e per litre of product. Moreover, annual sales hit a new record, growing by 28% to reach 74.9 million kronor ($8.1M), with volumes up by 33%.

Courtesy: Sproud

Californian cultivated seafood start-up Finless Foods has opened a crowdfunding campaign on Republic, with a goal of securing $75,000. It has already entered the pre-market consultation process with the US Food and Drug Administration for its cultivated tuna, with approval expected in 2027.

Weeks after receiving $700,000 in seed funding, Danish mycelium meat maker Tempty Foods has kicked off a crowd investment round on Republic. It has already landed nearly all of its €355,000 ($415,000) target.

Courtesy: Tempty Foods

In more investment news, British eco material player Ponda has also launched a crowdfunding effort on Republic with the aim of raising €230,000 ($270,000) to build out its capacity and expand production of BioPuff, a bulrush-based alternative to goose down and polyester fibres.

Speaking of eco materials, Australia’s Uluu has moved into a new industrial facility in Henderson, Western Australia, which will allow it to scale up production of its seaweed-derived bioplastics. This follows a $10.5M investment round in November.

US industrial biotech start-up Fermeate has raised $2M in seed funding to advance its optogenetic control tech for precision-fermented products and accelerate price parity for them.

Belgian beanless coffee start-up Koppie has reached a major milestone in its scale-up efforts, producing 12 tonnes of its fermentation-derived alternative.

Climate advocacy group Madre Brava has closed its Thailand programme, according to its former director.

Policy, research and awards

Dutch start-up NoPalm Ingredients – which makes palm oil alternatives from food waste, yeast and fermentation – has been named as one of the four finalists of the 2026 Food Planet Prize.

Catering giant Sodexo has become the first employee restaurant chain in Poland to monitor the share of plant-based proteins on offer, with analysis using the Protein Tracker tool revealing that 30% of its 2024-25 protein portfolio was sourced from plants.

Two new studies by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine show that low-fat plant-based diets cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55-57% and cumulative energy demand by 44-55%.

Courtesy: ACS Food Science & Technology

A study led by scientists at the University of Georgia suggests that dried marigold flowers – 40% of which end up wasted – show potential as a sustainable plant protein source, exhibiting high levels of glutamic and aspartic acids, greater heat stability than peas and chickpeas, and excellent emulsifying capacity.

Researchers at the University of Warwick have published the results of their meta-analysis of clinical trials involving 541 participants, finding that plant-based eaters were associated with significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein – a widely used marker of systemic inflammation – than omnivores.

Courtesy: Veganuary

Finally, in Veganuary‘s 2026 participant survey, a third (32%) of those who weren’t vegan before said they planned to continue following a plant-based diet after the monthlong campaign, while 79% intended to halve their intake of animal products.

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/future-food-quick-bites-beyond-meat-taco-bell-crowdfunding-marigold-protein/

French Plant-Based Meat Leader La Vie Enters Tofu Category After Green-Tinted Rebrand

From greenqueen.com.hk

By Anay Mridul

Paris-based La Vie, one of Europe’s fastest-growing plant-based brands, has expanded beyond meat alternatives with a line of tofu products, days after refreshing its visual identity from pink to green.

The era of plant-based meat brands entering the whole-food category is still thriving, with France’s La Vie the latest to hop on the bandwagon.

The Parisian start-up, which first made its name with vegan bacon and wacky marketing, is now one of the leading plant-based meat companies in Europe, growing faster than most competitors.

To accelerate its progress even further, La Vie is leaning into the demand for less processed, cleaner-label protein options in Europe with the launch of three tofu products, days after it decided to add more green to its pink packaging and brand identity.

“At La Vie, we see tofu as a massive white space: a product with incredible potential, but that hasn’t yet been made desirable for mainstream consumers. Our role is to change that by bringing back what really drives food choices: taste, simplicity and pleasure,” co-founder and CEO Nicolas Schweitzer tells Green Queen.

“We believe it’s still the very beginning of the tofu market in Europe, especially in France. Today, tofu is largely misunderstood, with 95% of French people perceiving it as bland or boring. For us, that’s exactly where the opportunity lies,” he adds.

La Vie targets Europe’s clean-label demand

                                                                                                        Courtesy: La Vie

Staying true to its flavour-first approach, none of La Vie’s tofu products is unflavoured. À Cuisiner is a tofu block smoked over beechwood and seasoned with soy sauce, which the company hopes will change people’s minds about the ingredient. It contains 17g of protein per 100g and can be used in salads, bowls, pasta and more.

The smoked tofu also appears in the À Poèler product, comprising teriyaki-glazed cubes ideal for Asian dishes and featuring 15g of protein per 100g serving.

Finally, La Vie has launched “ultra-crispy” tofu nuggets coated with corn flakes to give French consumers a new take on a familiar format. These contain 13g of protein per 100g and can be prepared in the air fryer, with La Vie positioning them as a vegan base for “Hot Ones-style challenges”.

All the tofu products are preservative-free and made using French soybeans, and La Vie is marketing them as “100% natural” to tap into Europe’s demand for minimally processed foods. Polling shows that 65% of Europeans are concerned about the health impact of ultra-processed foods, with 54% avoiding plant-based meats because they’re ultra-processed.

Meanwhile, half of Europeans prefer a natural or clean-label approach to healthy eating, and two in three reconsider their purchases based on ingredient lists.

The company’s marketing studies have shown that its all-pink branding doesn’t make it “sufficiently identifiable” as a plant-based brand, and adding green to the mix boosts the ‘natural’ perception of its products by nearly 17% among its target consumers. This is what led it to refresh its visual identity.

La Vie says tofu remains a niche ingredient largely confined to France’s organic sector, and these products aren’t performing well in the country, despite booming in Europe. This is due to a perception of it as bland and difficult to prepare, and to a lack of a standout brand.

“Marketing efforts haven’t been thorough enough in this market. The tofu nuggets, for example, will allow people to discover this protein in a delicious form, suitable for snacking, appetisers, or quick meals,” says Romain Jolivet, La Vie’s marketing director.

La Vie looks to replicate 2025 success with 50% revenue growth

                                                                                                  Courtesy: La Vie

The tofu launches come weeks after the French government updated its dietary guidelines to recommend limiting meat and increasing plant-based protein consumption.

France has already invested €11.7M in 10 projects to expand domestic plant protein production, as part of the agriculture ministry’s National Strategy for Plant Proteins. It aligns with the 35% of French residents who rate legumes and pulses among the richest sources of protein and the two-thirds who eat foods like beans, grains, lentils and wheat weekly.

In fact, meat consumption has been steadily declining in France over the last two decades, and one survey revealed that 53% of its citizens have cut back on meat in the last three years alone. At the same time, sales of plant-based food grew by 9% in 2024 to reach €537M, making it the third-largest market for these products in Europe. Chilled meat alternatives recorded a 15.5% growth.

La Vie has played a major role here. “We reached €30M in revenue in 2025, with over 50% year-on-year growth,” reveals Schweitzer. “And we’re planning to sustain that momentum with another +50% growth this year.”

He confirms that the company is in discussions with several major foodservice players to roll out the tofu line: “What we’re seeing is a growing interest from partners who want to expand their plant-based offering beyond meat alternatives, and tofu is becoming a very relevant option for that.”

La Vie is the latest plant-based meat brand to diversify beyond meat mimics in Europe. Over the last year, This has launched its Super Superfood and chickpea tofu lines, Oh So Wholesome has rolled out Veg’chop, Juicy Marbles has introduced its Umami Burger, and Symplicity Foods has brought its fermented-vegetable-based meats to supermarkets.

“We’re seeing a natural evolution of the category. Meat alternatives helped introduce plant-based eating to a wide audience, but consumers are now looking for more diversity and simpler products,” says Schweitzer.

“Whole-food options like tofu open a new entry point: they’re versatile, easy to integrate into everyday cooking, and help break the ‘ultra-processed’ perception barrier. It’s not a shift away from meat alternatives, but an expansion of the plant-based ecosystem.”

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/la-vie-france-tofu-plant-based-meat-nuggets-rebrand/

This Vegan Easter Brioche Will Steal The Show At Your Brunch

From plantbasednews.org

Your guests may not believe you made it yourself 

If you really want to impress your Easter brunch guests this year, skip the usual pastries and bring out this stunning vegan Easter brioche instead. Golden, braided, and designed to double as a centrepiece, it looks every bit as indulgent as the classic, yet it’s completely plant-based. Even better, thanks to a clever technique conceived by its creator, Lionel Roudaut, it delivers that soft, fluffy, slightly stretchy crumb you expect from a traditional brioche, with a surprisingly simple method that doesn’t require a single egg.

Roudaut, known for his YouTube channel My Vegan Provence, is a passionate French cook and world traveller who reimagines regional dishes using plant-based ingredients. Drawing inspiration from Provence, Roudaut focuses on preserving tradition while making it accessible for vegan kitchens. In one recent video, he shares how to make a vegan Easter brioche inspired by a classic from Nice, complete with orange blossom, pearl sugar, and chocolate eggs.

A traditional brioche, reworked

             This golden, braided brioche is inspired by the classic Easter breads of Nice - Media Credit: YouTube / My Vegan Provence

Brioche is deeply rooted in French baking. It is known for its richness, which comes from large amounts of eggs and butter. That’s what gives it its soft crumb and slightly stretchy texture.

Roudaut keeps that tradition in mind but flips the ingredients. “I will replace the eggs in the recipe by [using] this ingredient, a potato,” he says. “A simple potato, and it works.”

Instead of relying on eggs for structure and softness, he uses cooked potatoes blended into the dough. The result is surprisingly close to the original. “The crumb is moist, it’s stringy, it just tastes like a real brioche,” he adds. “This is just incredible.”

The vegan Easter brioche still includes vegan butter for richness, but the potato does the heavy lifting when it comes to texture.

Building flavour from the start

The process begins with activating the yeast in plant-based milk, a standard step in enriched doughs. From there, Roudaut layers in flavour early, zesting lemon directly into the bowl and adding orange blossom water for a floral, slightly sweet aroma that defines this regional bake.

He then blends the cooked potato with the yeast mixture until smooth. This step is key. The potato must be fully creamy, with no graininess, so it integrates seamlessly into the dough.

Once flour, sugar, and salt are added, the dough starts to form. It is kneaded to develop elasticity, which is essential for trapping air and creating that light, airy texture associated with brioche.

The role of fat and structure

In traditional brioche, butter is gradually incorporated into the dough. The same principle applies here, but with vegan butter.

Roudaut notes that the dough initially resists the fat. “The dough is elastic and is going to resist the incorporation of fat,” he explains. But with continued mixing, the butter is absorbed, and the dough becomes smooth and pliable.

This stage is crucial for achieving the right structure. The dough should stretch easily and hold together, a sign that the gluten has developed properly.

After kneading, the dough is left to rise until it doubles in size. Roudaut then takes things further by chilling it overnight.

“The flavours and the texture of the dough are going to improve drastically with the night spent in the cold,” he says. “Yeast and bacteria are going to develop slowly and create wonderful aromas.”

This slow fermentation not only deepens flavour but also improves the final crumb, making the vegan Easter brioche more complex and bakery-like.

Shaping a symbolic Easter centrepiece

YouTube / My Vegan Provence                     Roudaut carefully braids three strands of dough, creating the classic crown shape that symbolizes the Trinity

The next day, the dough is divided and shaped into three strands. These are braided together, a traditional technique that carries symbolic meaning.

“The reason why you have three braids is to represent the Trinity,” Roudaut explains.

The braid is then formed into a crown, placed on a baking tray, and left to rise again. To help with this final rise, he adds a bowl of boiling water to the oven to create a warm, humid environment.

Before baking, the brioche is glazed with plant milk and sugar for shine, then topped with pearl sugar. Once baked, it turns golden brown and fragrant.

Finishing touches and serving

After cooling, the final decorative step brings everything together. Chocolate eggs are gently melted and fixed onto the surface, turning the brioche into a festive centrepiece.

The result is a vegan Easter brioche that looks traditional but is entirely plant-based. It is soft, aromatic, and slightly sweet, with that signature pull-apart texture.

For anyone navigating Easter with mixed dietary preferences, this recipe offers a way to keep tradition alive without compromise.

For more of Roudaut’s French and Provençal vegan recipes, visit My Vegan Provence YouTube channel.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/vegan-easter-brioche-steals-the-show/

‘I Spent 50 Hours In Paris Looking For Amazing Vegan Food’

From plantbasednews.org

Fifty hours, five arrondisments, and one flaky croissant later, Paris proved it can do vegan 

Paris is famous for butter, croissants, and cheese; not exactly a vegan’s dream. But Dénes Marton, known for his YouTube channel Daynesh, decided to challenge that stereotype. In a 50-hour trip to the French capital for a family wedding, he set out to find the best vegan food in Paris, a city still clinging to its dairy roots.

Armed with a checklist that featured a vegan croissant, a baguette, cheese, an éclair, and a traditional savoury French dish, Marton wandered through the city determined to prove that France’s plant-based scene is alive and growing.

Along the way, he discovered pastries, world-class vegan meals, and even a cheese counter that would impress any non-vegan Parisian.

Land & Monkeys: The vegan croissant test

Marton’s first stop was Land & Monkeys, the city’s most famous vegan bakery. “The goal while we’re here in Paris is to find one vegan baguette, one vegan croissant, a vegan cheese, a vegan éclair, and a traditional French savoury dish that’s vegan,” he says.

The croissant looked the part, golden, flaky, and delicate, but didn’t quite deliver on flavour. “Overall, the croissant was good. I’d give it a 7 out of 10,” he says, before sampling a pain au chocolat that failed to hit the mark.

Still hungry, he and his family ordered a vegan quiche Lorraine. The texture was “pretty good”, but the flavour, he admits, was “all right,” especially compared to what he would discover later. Still, the visit checked off two items on his list: the croissant and a classic savoury French dish.

Sushi, storms, and a slow start

Next, Marton visited a highly recommended vegan sushi spot, brEAThe Restaurant, one of many suggestions from his Instagram followers. The creative dishes surprised him, but the overall verdict was lukewarm. “We all thought this place was okay, but none of us thinks we would necessarily come back here or recommend it. I definitely wouldn’t.”

The first 24 hours left him unimpressed. Despite Paris’s growing vegan reputation, he found that “even though there were vegan restaurants, if I walked into a place at random, I struggled to find anything besides maybe the occasional attitude.”

That began to change when he stumbled upon Aujourd’hui Demain.

Aujourd’hui Demain: Vegan paradise in Paris

YouTube/DayneshThe vegan donner nachos were a good start to a great vegan meal, including Juicy Marbles steak and a vegan croque monsieur

Tucked away in the 11th arrondissement, a borough that holds three of the city’s most famous squares, was Aujourd’hui Demain. The business is both a restaurant and a concept store, and for Marton, it was the turning point of the trip. “We could not have picked a better spot,” he says.

The meal started with doner nachos loaded with soy chunks and creamy vegan cheese, then escalated quickly. “This meal was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life,” Marton says. The croque monsieur was “amazing,” the plant-based ham and cheese tasted disturbingly real, and the potatoes “were cooked to perfection.”

Even the mushroom dish, which he admits he “didn’t really understand,” impressed him with its “super cheesy” flavour. But the showstopper was the Juicy Marbles vegan steak. “That’s crazy. Yeah, that’s disturbingly close,” he says.

Dessert sealed the deal: a pretzel-crusted, salty-sweet creation so good they immediately ordered another. “Not even kidding. One of the best desserts I’ve ever had. Crunchy, salty, sweet, pretzly, creamy. Unbelievable.”

By the time they left, the restaurant was packed. “If you want to come here, make sure you reserve,” he warns. “We almost missed out on an amazing opportunity.”

Daynesh described his meal at the plant-based Parisian restaurant Aujourd'hui Demain as one of the best of his life - Media Credit: YouTube/DayneshCheese and baguettesThe vegan éclair proved impossible to track down, but Marton ended his 50-hour mission strong. At Aujourd’hui Demain’s market section, he found an impressive range of French vegan cheeses, including the beloved brand Jay & Joy. “Someone working there was kind enough to help us pick out some good ones,” he says.Back home, tasting the cheeses was the grand finale. “This was absolutely outstanding cheese on a completely different level,” Marton says. “That plus the meal at Aujourd’hui Demain gave me the kind of feeling that makes you think, damn, this is how good vegan food can be.”He discovered that most baguettes in Paris are naturally vegan, a small victory that rounded off his quest with a touch of irony.As Marton puts it, Paris may not yet be the easiest city for plant-based eaters, but “when it hits, it hits.” And after 50 hours of croissants, cheese, and unexpected finds, he proved that the French capital’s vegan future looks bright and delicious.Find more vegan travel content on Marton’s YouTube channel.https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/travel/i-spent-50-hours-in-paris-looking-for-amazing-vegan-food/