This week in industry news, Arla Foods Ingredients launched a no-acid whey concept to tackle dairy waste, and Ardent Mills leveraged wheat to develop a cocoa replacer. Meanwhile, the US advanced its peanut business with Japan through a trade mission, and the EU backed a Spanish start-up with a €20 million (US$22.4 million) loan to advance plant-based foods.

Launches and innovations

Arla Foods Ingredients launched a “maximum yield, no acid whey” concept that showcases its Nutrilac HighYield range of milk proteins as an innovative, no-waste solution for dairy producers. The protein enables dairies to increase their final product volumes or maintain current volumes with up to 85% less milk and shorter processing times. It also omits the acid-whey separation or filtration steps, resulting in zero acid whey and 100% milk yield.

Flour-milling and ingredient firm Ardent Mills unveiled a wheat-based cocoa replacer in response to the ongoing supply and cost instability. The ingredient, Cocoa Replace, aims to replac 25% of cocoa powder in cakes, brownies, cookies, and muffins. The ingredient is claimed to replicate cocoa powder in sensory experience and acceptability, and is a single-ingredient product that requires minimal label change in wheat-based goods.

Business highlights

The American Peanut Council led a peanut industry trade mission to Japan to engage with US agriculture and trade officials, importers, and other key stakeholders in one of the industry’s most important export markets. Japan is the fifth-largest destination for US peanuts and peanut products. In 2024, the US peanut industry exported more than 16,000 metric tons to Japan, valued at US$31.4 million.

Bioenergy Life Science received two patents from the US Patent and Trademark Office for their new technology called RiboActiv, which it says can help product innovation for weight management, energy, metabolic health, and active lifestyle support. The ingredient can be incorporated into oral strips (melts), mints, time-release tablets, gummies, and functional foods and beverages.

Spanish start-up Heura Foods received €20 million (US$22.4 million) financing from the European Investment Bank to support the development and marketing of its plant-based, sustainable, and healthy food products, with a focus on plant-based meat. The loan will support Heura’s RD&I program to develop plant-based alternatives to meat, cheese, and products that incorporate a higher share of protein than those typically found on supermarket shelves.

Lidl US launched Butcher’s Specialty, its first-ever private-label meat line, with options like USDA Choice beef, organic beef, grass-fed beef, antibiotic-free chicken, all-natural pork, lamb, and veal. The move aims to meet consumer demands for high-quality, low-priced meat options, including seasoned steaks and juicy burgers. Lidl says the range is inspired by its shoppers’ preferences, popular recipes, and regional favorites.

Spice firm RAPS expanded its production capacity with a high-pressure liquid extraction plant in Kulmbach, Germany, in response to growing demand for high-quality, standardized spice extracts, particularly in the F&B and convenience industries. The technology allows the gentle extraction of natural ingredients from spices such as pepper, coriander, and allspice. The company has designed the plant in collaboration with Natex, an Austrian company, and expects to finish its construction by the end of next year.

Solar Foods signed a supply agreement with Italian food innovator KelpEat of up to €500,000 (US$560,000) to meet consumer demands for healthy snacking options with its Solein protein. The agreement includes a conditional commitment to purchase up to 27 metric tons of Solein from Q3 2025 to the end of Q2 2028, and is conditional on applicable regulatory approvals. The deal gives KelpEat exclusivity in seaweed-based products containing Solein if certain purchase volume conditions are met.

Thailand-based dairy-free start-up MUU received funding from A2D Ventures, Leave a Nest Japan, and a Japanese food conglomerate to expand its animal-free dairy products in Southeast Asia and beyond. The start-up uses precision fermentation to produce bioidentical milk proteins without using animals, and plans to use the funding to expand its production capabilities. The exact amount of the investment has not been disclosed.