This week in industry news, PepsiCo partnered with an Indian company to advance its snacks business and Carlsberg Group partnered with Boston Consulting to create recommendations on regenerative agriculture. Meanwhile, German start-up Project Eaden raised €15 million (US$15.6 million) to scale plant-based meat substitutes.

Business highlights

PepsiCo collaborated with Indian FMCG company Tata Consumer Products to develop and sell packaged snacks with the aim of strengthening their combined presence in the country’s competitive snacks market. The move integrates PepsiCo’s Kurkure brand with Tata Consumer’s Ching’s Secret to focus on capitalizing on the growing demand for fusion flavors and innovative snack offerings. This comes at a time when the Indian snacks sector is projected to double in size, reaching ₹95,521.8 crore (US$110.5 billion) by 2032.

Danish brewer Carlsberg Group partnered with Boston Consulting Group and One Planet Business for Biodiversity to launch a report highlighting six recommendations to scale regenerative agriculture practices across the EU. These include creating an EU-wide, outcome-based definition of regenerative agriculture, standardizing data collection and reporting, practice-based payments for farmers, creating an Agri-Transition Fund, peer-to-peer farmer networks and digital resource hubs and linking private investments to environmental outcomes.

Berlin-based alt-meat start-up Project Eaden raised a €15 million (US$15.6 million) Series A round, aiming to scale manufacturing and support the launch of plant-based ham in German supermarkets in mid-2025. It will also use the funds to support R&D to develop additional products such as bacon, pork loins and beef steaks.The company uses fiber spinning and compounding technology to create “ultra-realistic” meat alternatives using wheat, pea and fava bean proteins.

The University of Nottingham in England partnered with plant-based food producer Jampa’s to develop sustainable plant-based proteins. The move includes recent funding from the UK-Canada “Innovate UK” initiative and involves three research groups from the university, Jampa’s and Canadian manufacturer Tartistes. The products developed will undergo rigorous taste tests with consumers to ensure they are optimized to the highest standards by experts at the university’s Sensory Science Centre.

Launches and innovation

The FEMSA Biotechnology Center at Mexican university Tecnologico de Monterrey developed nutraceutical corn to address the global food crisis and improve health. Although one of the most important crops globally with an estimated production of 1,240 million metric tons in the 2023/2024 season, corn has low nutritional content in its conventional form. The researchers employed traditional crossbreeding and enhancement techniques to develop corn with protein content exceeding 14%, compared to the 3-4% found in conventional corn, along with an increase in fatty acid content from 3% to 10%.

Oato launched its oat milk in Sainsbury’s stores across the UK, including Oato Fresh Barista Oat 1 Litre and Oato Fresh Barista Oat 1 Pint products. The company claims its oat milk is made fresh, while almost all other oat milk in the market undergoes ultra-high-temperature treatments. The products are formulated in the UK using 100% British oats, with a bottling site in Lancashire. 

European smart food brand yfood expanded its UK presence by rolling out its ready-to-drink meals in 600 stores, including Sainsbury’s (choco and vanilla flavors) and Morrisons (choco and berry flavors). The expansion follows increased revenues by 115% year on year (2023 vs.2024) by the Germany-founded brand. Its products are intended to be consumed at breakfast and lunch as a healthy meal alternative to consider alongside a varied, broader and balanced diet.

Events and showcases

Kemin Food Technologies announced it will showcase its range of clean label ingredient solutions for meat and poultry products during the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) to be held in Atlanta, US from January 28 to 30. These include its functional proteins Proteus and InnoBLQ for increased moisture retention, quality and yield in battered, breaded and fried foods; Fortium products for color retention; and Bactocease, a line of antimicrobial solutions to extend product shelf life. 

The UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) hosted the British Cheese Night in Las Vegas, US to connect exporters with existing and potential customers. Sixteen exporters showcased British cheese at the event. The US is the UK’s second biggest dairy export market, with AHDB analysis highlighting further opportunities over the next decade with increasing levels of cheese consumption.