Ben Dando

🌿🥩 SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: UK PLANT-BASED FIRM THIS EXPANDS MEAT ALTERNATIVE & WHOLE-FOOD LINES London-based THIS™, which made its name on quirky branding and its vegan chicken, unveiled a This is Super Superfood line in April, comprising a new product format that embraced whole foods and eschewed the meat-mimicking philosophy. The Super Superfood lineup wasn’t a replacement of its meat alternative lineup; rather, it’s an extension. “We still make the best plant-based meat alternatives, but now we’re giving consumers more options,” said CEO Mark Cuddigan. Staying true to that promise, the startup has now launched three new products across the meat alternative and whole-food categories, targeting both weekday lunches and party-ready charcuterie boards. The new meat alternative is the brand’s latest deli counter innovation. Following the May launch of its ready-to-eat deli chicken slices is This Isn’t Beef Pastrami, which has nearly 32g of protein per 100g, with 3g of fibre and 10g of fat (9g of which is saturated). It is described as having a smoky, rich flavour and tender texture, and is available at Morrisons, followed by Sainsbury’s later this month. This’s other new launches come under the Super Superfood line. The Super Veg Protein Bites are the range’s first frozen SKU, and comprise a base of peas and pea protein (each 11%) with spinach, potatoes, carrots, rapeseed oil and a seasoning mix dominated by lemon oil and basil. These are encased in a multigrain crumb, and contain 14g of protein and 3g of fibre per 100g (the saturated fat content is minuscule here). The Veg Protein Bites are in Tesco’s freezers at £3.50 per 240g pack. Finally, This has rolled out Super Superfood Breaded Pieces, featuring 49% rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, 12% fava bean protein, a mix of seeds, seasonings, and multigrain breaded coating. These can be added to curries, stir-fries and salads, and pack 14g of protein, 4g of fibre, and less than 1g of saturated fat per 100g, with an added omega-3 boost. They’re available in the chilled section at Sainsbury’s for £3 per 180g pack. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eGXTZkuw #GreenQueen #altprotein #futurefood #plantbased #foodsystems #sustainability

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Launching Adapt’s Mushroom Powders: What We Learned We didn’t plan to launch functional mushroom powders - but testing 10+ options when developing our drinks showed most on the market were extremely poor quality due to cheap extraction methods and tasted awful. Michael Vicary led the research and found that the key component was beta-glucan content - the active ingredient which is responsible for the health benefits. Most brands don’t publicise this, but we do. Finding the right suppliers took a global hunt. Packaging and manufacturing brought unexpected challenges (some feedback made us laugh!). We rewrote all the product copy, updated Shopify, and soft-launched at the raye the store - with fantastic feedback and selling out. Building a quality product means embracing challenges and listening closely to your community. 🍄

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THIS™ launch UK's first mainstream chickpea tofu 🌿   The plant-based food company have partnered with German food start up, Omami, to introduce UK shoppers to Chickpea Tofu with the category-first product release.   Naturally low in saturated fat, high in protein and made with more than 70% chickpeas, unlike traditional tofu made with soy beans, the product is available in two flavours: Lightly Seasoned and Chilli Spiced 🌶️   "We’re obsessed at THIS with making plant-based food that tastes delicious and delivers on nutrition too. Our new chickpea based tofu does exactly that" commented Mark Cuddigan, CEO at THIS.   Christina Hammerschmid, CEO at omami GmbH added "It’s a perfect match of two innovative companies that share the same vision – revolutionising the plant-based market by creating products that truly excite consumers with exceptional taste and nutrition."   Available from today in Sainsbury's and Ocado Retail (RRP £2.95), the NPD will also be rolling onto Tesco shelves from 6th October and Waitrose & Partners shelves from 15th October.   #this #omami #tesco #sainsburys #ocado #waitrose #npd #fmcg

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🌾 When your food system falters… what do we have to steady the fork? I’ve been in discussions with many concerned CEO recently about resilience, and what it really takes to keep societies thriving when systems wobble. By 2050, crop yields could fall up to 35%. Imagine, thats upto 35% less food on our plates. Well, in many cases, its impact is more severe for those most vulnerable. Not abstract science, but a reality for many. The future is bleak; Rice yields drop 18% in India and Bangladesh, Palm oil battered by drought and disease This isn’t climate theory, it’s supply chain stress, and it’s costing economies billions in GDP. 👉 Regenerative Agriculture (RegAg) isn’t just soil-nurturing and 'saving the plannet', it’s systemic resilience. Here’s the RegAg playbook: Diverse crops = fewer single points of failure Healthy soils = better water retention, stronger harvests Smart data + forecasting = proactive responses Built‑in buffer = fewer empty shelves and fractured supply lines And here’s the pivotal point: Regulation isn’t the foe, it’s the framework. It’s the scaffold we need to scale RegAg smartly and inclusively. This isn’t a side note, it’s food system architecture calling for redesign. 👉 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dCuEJ7XG. Huge shout out to my impressive colleagues Shalini Unnikrishnan Alejandro Navarro Hamid Maher Charlotte Bande #RegenerativeAgriculture #SupplyChainResilience #FoodSecurity #AgriTech #ClimateRisk #SustainableFarming #FutureOfFood #RiskAndResilience Shalini Unnikrishnan Alejandro Navarro Hamid Maher Charlotte Bande Elizabeth Hartman Katie Jackson Beth Ford Hugh Killen Kristjan Hebert Daron Joffe Mark Shepard Gene Baur Daniela Ibarra-Howell Alex Edquist Daniel Neale (FICRS) Trine Filtenborg de Nully Mikkel Pedersen Philip Lymbery Fred Kirschenmann Patrick Holden Danielle Nierenberg World Economic Forum UN Food Systems Coordination Hub Ellen MacArthur Foundation Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Regrow Ag Regenagri Savory Institute Good Agriculture EARA | European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture Sustainable Food Trust Danone Nestlé The Coca-Cola Company Carlsberg Group

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Exactly! In The Hunts Post, a publication in the UK, columnist Martin Cooper says the following: "For thousands of years, we have grown food using natural methods, using crop rotation, composting and companion planting. These weren't considered ‘alternative’ practices, they were simply farming, and it’s only in recent years that we started covering crops with synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and artificial fertilizers. Yet somehow chemical-intensive agriculture has become the norm, and traditional methods have to be specially certified and labeled. This just does not seem right." No, it is not right. At all. https://lnkd.in/ekMHPMxf

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