Author

Anay Mridul 3136 posts 0 comments

Anay is Green Queen's resident news reporter. Originally from India, he worked as a vegan food writer and editor in London, and is now travelling and reporting from across Asia. He's passionate about coffee, plant-based milk, cooking, eating, veganism, food tech, writing about all that, profiling people, and the Oxford comma.

Alt Protein

How Deco Labs Uses Oil Industry Waste to Slash the Cost of Cultivated Meat

Anay Mridul Jun 17, 2026

Tufts University spinout Deco Labs has developed a plant-derived replacement for albumin, the most expensive component of culture media used in the production of cultivated meat. The most expensive parts of manufacturing cultivated meat…
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Alt Protein

French Plant-Based Meat Startup Swap Food Enters Liquidation, Faces Shutdown Without Buyer

Anay Mridul Jun 16, 2026

Parisian plant-based whole-cut meat maker Swap Food (formerly Umami) has entered liquidation and ceased activities in France, with a closure of its US operations imminent unless a buyer is found. A year after replacing its CEO amid…
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Fermentation-Based Alt Protein

The Every Company Boosts Animal-Free Egg Capacity with Huvepharma After 550% Hike in Orders

Anay Mridul Jun 16, 2026

US animal-free egg protein maker The Every Company has expanded its partnership with pharma manufacturer Huvepharma to scale up production fourfold amid skyrocketing demand. With its recombinant egg white protein already featuring in…
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Fermentation-Based Alt Protein

Vital Nutrients Brings Helaina’s Recombinant Human Lactoferrin to Kids’ Nutrition

Anay Mridul Jun 16, 2026

US supplements brand Vital Nutrients has launched a multivitamin gummy for kids featuring effera, a precision-fermented human lactoferrin protein by Helaina. Precision-fermented proteins are now targeting children's nutrition. US…
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Alt Dairy

Canadian Judge Approves Lawsuit Against Coffee Chains Over Non-Dairy Milk Surcharge

Anay Mridul Jun 15, 2026

A judge in Québec has authorised a class-action lawsuit against coffee chains over excessive plant-based milk levies, with Starbucks admitting it charged six times more than the cost. Starbucks, Tim Hortons and Foodtastic have been…
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Health

Yuka, Consumer Reports Ask FDA to Close GRAS ‘Loophole’ for Food Additives

Anay Mridul Jun 15, 2026

Product-scanning app Yuka and watchdog group Consumer Reports have petitioned the US FDA to better regulate food additives and scrap the self-affirmed GRAS pathway. As the war against food additives heats up, two consumer advocacy…
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Climate Change

‘Mismeasured’: UN Warns of ‘Critical Gap’ in Estimates of AI’s Climate Change Impact

Anay Mridul Jun 15, 2026

Most climate change estimates of AI focus on emissions from training large models, but they don't account for the impact of running them, according to a UN report. Barely any industry is growing at the breakneck pace of artificial…
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Research & Scientific Studies

The Meat Industry is Funding Researchers to Tell You It’s Good for You – That’s Concerning

Anay Mridul Jun 12, 2026

A new analysis finds that research linked to the livestock industry is 16 times more likely to report the benefits of meat consumption than independent studies, which the authors say is "concerning". Meat products have been linked to a…
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Cell-Based News

As El Niño Arrives, Malaysia Explores Cultivated Meat to Battle Climate Change & Food Insecurity

Anay Mridul Jun 12, 2026

The Malaysian government is studying cultivated meat and other alternative proteins to secure its food supply in the face of climate change and El Niño. With a "super" El Niño set to raise temperatures to extreme levels, countries need…
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Funding News

Finnish Govt Invests in €4.5M Project to Turn Grain Waste Into Fibre Ingredients

Anay Mridul Jun 12, 2026

The Finnish government has invested €1.8M in local food producer Raisio for a project to create functional fibre ingredients from grain byproducts, with the latter investing a further €2.7M. As Europe seeks to cut its food waste…
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Alt Dairy

No Whey: How Future Food Startups Are Plugging the Protein Shortage

Anay Mridul Jun 12, 2026

Whey is everywhere, but relentless demand puts it at risk of being nowhere. To address the shortage, manufacturers must turn to alternative protein sources. Food companies are scrambling to load protein into everything, and the ensuing…
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Funding News

NS/TX Industries Raises $10.5M to Build Automated Plant-Based Meat Production System

Anay Mridul Jun 11, 2026

Canadian startup NS/TX Industries has secured $10.5M in funding to construct an automated assembly line for its whole-cut plant-based meat and seafood products. A year after reorganising its business and broadening its focus from…
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Policy & Regulation

New York City Ups Spending on Plant-Based Food to Hit 2030 Emissions Goal Early

Anay Mridul Jun 11, 2026

The New York City government has increased its plant-based protein purchases by 130% and lowered meat and dairy volumes by 15% to reach its 2030 climate goals four years ahead of schedule. Proving its public-sector leadership in food…
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Alt Protein

Molinos Río de la Plata to Acquire NotCo’s Plant-Based Business in Argentina & Uruguay

Anay Mridul Jun 11, 2026

Molinos Río de la Plata, Argentina's largest branded food company, has agreed to purchase 100% of Chilean AI-led plant-based food firm NotCo's operations in Argentina and Uruguay. NotCo's transition from a CPG-focused plant-based…
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Alt Dairy

Oatly Reportedly Considering Sale of Embattled China Business

Anay Mridul Jun 11, 2026

Swedish oat milk giant Oatly is reportedly considering selling its business in China, where it has struggled for years. A potential deal could be completed this year. For several years now, Oatly has faced an uphill battle in China, a…
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Future Food Quick Bites

Future Food Quick Bites: Slutty Vegan, Protein Bars & Plant-Based Subway

Anay Mridul Jun 10, 2026

Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Slutty Vegan's new locations, Subway's plant-based pork, and India's vegan labelling mandate. New products and launches …
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Alt Dairy

These Researchers Are Turning Surplus Sweet Potatoes Into Plant-Based Dairy

Anay Mridul Jun 10, 2026

A team at Appalachian State University has received a $1.82M grant to develop plant-based milk and dairy products from surplus sweet potatoes grown in North Carolina. Potato milk has come and gone – is it time for the sweet potato now? …
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Coffee

Lavazza Debuts Plastic-Free Espresso Pods Made From Coffee & Nothing Else

Anay Mridul Jun 10, 2026

Italian coffee giant Lavazza has brought Tablì, its 100% coffee tabs that ditch plastic, wrappings and coatings altogether, to the US market. One of the world's largest coffee companies has introduced the "most ambitious product…
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Vegan Dining

Clover Food Lab Reopens Days After Shutdown, Thanks to Last-Gasp Investment Deal

Anay Mridul Jun 9, 2026

Popular meatless restaurant chain Clover Food Lab reopens five locations today following an 11th-hour deal with an investor, days after it closed its doors. A bankruptcy, a restructuring, a shutdown, and a rebirth – Clover Food Lab…
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Alt Protein

European Plant-Based Sales Grow By 3% As Price Gap with Meat & Dairy Narrows

Anay Mridul Jun 9, 2026

Sales of plant-based meat and dairy in Europe rose 3.3% in 2025, driven by affordable products that meet consumers' taste expectations. The plant-based market is firmly in ascendance in some of Europe's major markets, thanks in large…
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Fermentation-Based Alt Protein

Nestlé Taps Precision-Fermented Donkey Milk to Make Whey Protein Without Dairy Allergens

Anay Mridul Jun 9, 2026

Swiss food giant Nestlé has filed a patent application for producing precision-fermented donkey beta-lactoglobulin protein to cater to infants and adults with cow's milk allergies. Could donkey milk inspire the future of nutrition? …
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