McDonalds Canada has decided to take the McVeggie nationwide signaling a cautious but meaningful re-entry into plant-based proteins for Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) giants. The global contrast with Kit Kat’s vegan withdrawal illustrates the uneven consumer uptake across categories. Fast-food chains are testing longevity, while confectionery multinationals show shorter patience cycles. In addition, the plant-based pattie is from BEYOND, which must help it's revenue.

Anuga 2025 dedicating Hall 1 to alternatives signals structural mainstreaming of plant-based and cultivated proteins. Exhibitors include Beyond Meat, Oatly, Omami (tofu), Tofutown, SunflowerFamily, Neggst (egg substitute), Jens Møller (algae caviar & shrimp), and Pacifico Biolabs (mycelium chicken). This cross-section spans multinational incumbents, niche innovators, and regional players, together creating gravitational pull for retailers and investors.

The signal isn’t “boom or bust”, it’s portfolio fitness. Headline numbers on the global market remain bullish to 2031, while the United States meat alternatives retail is pruning chilled sets and nudging shoppers toward frozen, value, and flavour-first formats. M&A (Loma Linda/Tuno), rebrands (Beyond→“Beyond”), and new chicken lines (JUST Meat) show operators chasing taste, price, and convenience over ideology. Expect more blended, cleaner-label, and channel-specific plays a

Indian meal-building accompaniments are moving from niche “world food” shelves into mainstream convenience. The combination of RTC breads, frozen appetisers, and chutneys creates a system play mirroring how Mexican food went from ethnic to everyday. The global value is already in the billions, but undercounted because the category sits across frozen, bakery, and condiments.

The THIS pastrami deli slice launch signals that deli cuts are now fair game in the plant-based wars. High protein, smoky taste, and familiar format make this a consumer-friendly gateway product. Layered with two veg-centric SKUs, THIS is testing breadth and resilience in a market wobbling between indulgence and “clean eating.”

Gruppo Tonazzo’s decision to shutter its meat division after 136 years marks one of the most symbolic shifts in Europe’s protein landscape. Kioene is no longer just a brand extension, it's the new company. Kioene Mini burgers act as a flagship product, embodying the move from traditional butchery to modern, plant-forward convenience.

Strauss Group and Imagindairy have made history with CowFree milk and cheese, delivering real dairy proteins without animals via precision fermentation. By leveraging microbial strains to produce whey protein identical to cow-based dairy, the products promise full taste and nutrition while cutting out lactose, cholesterol, and hormones. Israel’s regulatory approval marks a turning point for consumer access to animal-free dairy.

Leaft Foods’ Rubisco partnership with Lacto Japan is more than a trade deal, it signals how NZ’s protein identity is morphing. Traditional dairy exports once carried the economic weight, but diversification into sustainable, high-functionality proteins is now being validated by some of the toughest food markets in the world. Japan’s acceptance marks a real inflection point.

Jamie Oliver’s India Street Food Ultimate Veg content reflects a cultural loop: Western chefs re-framing India’s long-standing plant-heritage for global, digital audiences. This coincides with a surge in RTE/RTH Indian meals and plant-forward exports, signalling an alignment of tradition with convenience-driven global markets. Watch out for more on Veggie Filled Naan bread!!!

Waitrose has rolled out its 2025 Christmas range and doubled down on vegan centrepieces rivalling the turkey. The No.1 Mushroom, Malbec & Port Wellington layers chestnut, portobello and pulled shiitake mushrooms in a wine-rich sauce takes pride of place. So too their Cauliflower Cheese Galette Crown arrives looking very Christmasy, all rustic and hand-crimped from a Cornish bakery with 125 years of history. These are not token meat-free afterthoughts, they’re positioned as th

New Zealand's, The Pure Food Co is capitalising on a rising demand for ready-to-eat solutions tailored for ageing populations across ANZ. By partnering with EAT, it has extended its footprint from institutional care into private homes, reinforcing its position at the intersection of healthcare, nutrition, and convenience. Consumer testimonials highlight not just improved nutrition, but psychological comfort, safety, and reduced caregiver burden. With breakfast lines added ear

The Dutch based, CRAFT Consortium - Respect Farms -is building the world’s first cultivated meat farm, embedding bioreactors into working agricultural systems. This hybrid approach positions farmers as central actors in cellular agriculture, reducing environmental impacts while providing a pathway for rural resilience. For ANZ, the model is particularly relevant: farmers here already operate at export scale, but cultivated farms could allow them to monetise expertise, land, a

Cacao-free chocolate and beanless coffee are no longer fringe experiments. With cocoa futures breaking $10,000/tonne and weather stress pushing Arabica off its traditional lands, substitutes are moving into mainstream pipelines. Corporate validation (Mondelez backing Celleste), scale-up partnerships (Voyage + Cargill), and footprint advantages (Atomo, Pluri) point to early adoption in blends, coatings, and foodservice channels before full consumer-facing rollout.

The global ashwagandha market is moving beyond herbal tradition into hard science and mass consumer adoption. At USD 0.76B in 2025, with a projected USD 1B+ by 2030, growth is led by supplement innovation, functional foods, sports nutrition, and the crossover into beauty. North America retains leadership, but Asia-Pacific, powered by India and Sri Lanka's production base, is the fastest growing region.

Malaysia Airlines has added a fully plant-based satay made from Lion’s Mane mushroom to its Business Class and Business Suite offering. The product preserves the airline’s famous cucumber and onion marinade and side accompaniments, extending inclusivity without sacrificing tradition. This is a strong signal of how mainstream plant-based proteins are becoming in high-value travel markets.

The five-year, NZ$10.4m programme will demonstrate how microbes can turn forestry pulp and other local side-streams into export-grade proteins and functional ingredients. Beyond the science, it creates the shared infrastructure and regulatory precedent that startups like Daisy Lab (animal-free dairy proteins) and OPO Bio (cell media and cultured tissues) have been waiting for. Together, these signals point to a potential billion-dollar export category anchored in precision fe

Miditer is taking Sri Lanka’s food story beyond coconuts and dried fruit. At Fine Food Australia in Sydney (8–11 Sept), the brand will showcase new vegan FMCG lines alongside its heritage fruit and nutraceutical exports. This marks a bigger signal as Sri Lanka edges away from commodity-driven exports and into value-added, plant-based consumer goods that can sit comfortably on supermarket shelves from Sydney to San Francisco.

A curated cluster of plant-based startups ranging from desserts to brain drinks are exhibiting at or leveraging proximity to the Fine Food Australia Expo (8–11 Sept). These brands signal a quiet evolution in the alt-protein landscape, less “fake meat,” more lifestyle-aligned product verticals targeting everyday eaters.

Ai meets pet care as plant- and insect-based dog foods become precision-personalised. With household awareness of sustainability on the rise, Ai-powered pet food may be the sleeper category that drives consumer crossover into clean proteins, one bowl at a time.

Global market size for alt. plant-based meat is expected to cross USD $35B by 2034, with growth driven by ingredient optimisation, regional regulation shifts, and institutional buy-in. Retail slowdown masks deeper structural adaptation and new B2B opportunity layers. (Source Here)