Future Food Quick Bites: Beyond x Josh Hart, Banana Latte & Butchered Bangers
Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Beyond Meat’s ad campaign with Josh Hart, Califia Farms’s banana milk, and a Harvard study on UPFs and health.
New products and launches
As part of its partnership with NBA star Josh Hart, Beyond Meat has kicked off Best Friend Auditions, a new marketing campaign for its Beyond Immerse line of protein drinks. In the six-part digital series, Hart holds auditions for fans to become his best friend to share a can of the sparkling beverage.
Mycelium startup MyForest Foods, owned by Ecovative, has secured a listing at Wegmans for its MyBacon, which recorded a near-75% growth in the year ending June 14, 2026.
US plant-based discovery box platform Vegancuts has released a protein box with 600g of protein. It costs $119 for a monthlong supply, featuring products from Trubar, Lentiful, Agro Power Jerky, The GFB, Whoa Dough, Zee Zees, and Earth Chimp.
Chasing the banana coffee craze, US plant-based dairy company Califia Farms has introduced a limited-edition almond milk latte and creamer in a banana crème flavour.
Meanwhile, legacy US plant-based meat player Tofurky has expanded its UK presence with the launch of its ham and chicken deli slices and vegan chicken range at Ocado.
And Slovenian whole-cut plant-based meat startup Juicy Marbles has rolled out butcher-minced bangers in the UK, with each six-pack available for £4.09 at Ocado.
Company and finance updates
Beyond Meat has hired former Olam Food Ingredients exec Brijesh Krishnaswamy as its new COO. He will join on a full-time basis on September 1.
In the UK, Tiba Tempeh has been named the fastest-growing meat alternative brand, with year-on-year sales up by 144%, or £2.6M.
Shortly after receiving a £2.35M grant from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, British biomaterials startup Ponda has successfully reached its crowdfunding target ahead of time, netting over £1.4M from 190 investors.
French fermentation startup Green Spot Technologies, which upcycles commercial food waste into nutrient-dense, high-fibre powders, including cocoa alternatives, has opened a crowdfunding round on Keenest months after securing $6M from investors.
French agrifood firm Louis Dreyfus Company has opened its first dedicated pea protein facility for use in meat and dairy alternatives, sports nutrition, and other plant-based foods. The Yorkton, Saskatchewan site will be able to process 75,000 tonnes of yellow peas into protein isolate, fibre and starch annually.
US gas protein startup Calysta has hired former FrieslandCampina China exec Berend Jan Kingma as its new CEO, after its Chongqing facility (created via a joint venture with animal nutrition firm Adisseo) halted operations due to a lack of funding.
Ladybird, a vegan tapas restaurant in New York City’s East Village, has announced that it will shut its doors at the end of the year, after its parent company decided against renewing its lease.
Research, policy and awards
In Germany, sales of plant-based meat grew by 14.3% in the first five months of 2026, with volumes expanding by 12.1%, building on a successful year for the category in Europe’s largest vegan market.
UK plant-based company Symplicity Foods has won two stars at Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards for its fermented vegetable ‘nduja.
A new study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health shows that dietary quality matters more than food processing levels for long-term health, outlining that ultra-processed foods aren’t a direct indicator of ill health.
The Vegan Society has announced that it will refresh the design of its Vegan Trademark to align with the EU’s upcoming Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), which introduces new requirements for consumer-facing sustainability claims for businesses.
Check out last week’s Future Food Quick Bites.