Author

Anay Mridul 2989 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.

Vegan

Global Sustainable Tourism Council Now Requires Hotels to Make 30% of Meals Plant-Based

Anay Mridul Jul 24, 2026

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has released a new food and beverage standard that directs certified hotels and restaurants to make at least 30% of their menus plant-based. With hospitality and tourism seen as a key lever for…
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Funding News

Canada’s Phytokana Raises $18M to Build Commercial-Scale Fava Bean Protein Facility

Anay Mridul Jul 24, 2026

Canadian firm Phytokana Ingredients has secured C$25M ($17.8M) in equity funding to construct a dry fractionation facility for the production of plant-based proteins. Having already obtained hundreds of millions worth of offtake…
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Alt Protein

‘Not Your Average Chickpea’: NuCicer Unveils Higher-Protein Version of Beloved Bean

Anay Mridul Jul 24, 2026

Californian agtech startup NuCicer has introduced Nuchi, a new class of chickpeas with 50% more protein and 25% less fat than conventional varieties. The protein craze has birthed its newest tech-led innovation: ultra-high-protein…
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Future Foods

Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein Kicks Off Equity-Free Future Food Accelerator

Anay Mridul Jul 23, 2026

The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and Imperial College London have launched a future food accelerator to help startups reach commercial scale, connecting them with Danone, Mars, Cargill and Kerry. Bezos Earth Fund is extending…
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Future Foods

All G Debuts Cow-Free Lactoferrin in US, with Human-Identical Protein Launch Imminent

Anay Mridul Jul 23, 2026

Australian startup All G has launched its precision-fermented bovine lactoferrin in the US, just as it plans a second facility and expects to bring its human lactoferrin ingredient to market within six months. Months after securing…
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Alt Dairy

Oatly Raises 2026 Outlook Amid Pivot to ‘Full-On’ Beverage Company

Anay Mridul Jul 23, 2026

Oatly recorded a 15.2% hike in year-on-year sales during Q2 2026, boosting its yearly forecast as the oat milk leader moves to become a "full-on" beverage company. Swedish oat milk maker Oatly is building on its recent growth by…
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Green Business

Milklab Owner Noumi Lands $518M Buyout Deal by Arrovest to Resolve Debt Issues

Anay Mridul Jul 23, 2026

Australian dairy and plant-based food major Noumi, known for its Milklab brand, is going private after agreeing to sell all its shares for A$737M ($518M) to Arrovest, which is owned by the billionaire Perich family. After a year-long…
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Future Food Quick Bites

Future Food Quick Bites: Non-Dairy Milk Frother, Lactoferrin Powder & Vegan Crousty

Anay Mridul Jul 22, 2026

Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Lavazza's Alpro-endorsed milk frother, HappyVore's kebab collab, and the FDA's self-GRAS update. New products and…
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Funding News

Molecular Farming Startup Plantopia Bags $9M to Grow Dairy Proteins in Oats

Anay Mridul Jul 22, 2026

Israeli food tech startup Plantopia has secured $9M in funding to establish a molecular farming facility to produce casein proteins within sprouted oats. Plantopia, a molecular farming firm growing dairy proteins in oats, has raised $9M…
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Kids

Children Not Eating Enough Plant-Based Foods, Finds 30-Year Study

Anay Mridul Jul 22, 2026

A global study has revealed that young populations are consuming low amounts of plant-based food, pointing to a critical nutrition gap among children. Globally, children are eating lower amounts of plant-based foods than they should,…
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Alt Fats

Sustainable Fats from Microbes & Food Waste Can Rival the Cost of Existing Lipids

Anay Mridul Jul 22, 2026

A new analysis suggests that waste-fermented microbial lipid alternatives to fats like palm oil and animal fats can already compete with premium cocoa butter on cost. The alternative fat space has been heating up rapidly over the last…
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Alt Protein

One of India’s Largest Ready-to-Eat Brands Just Gave Its Breakfast Range A Plant Protein Boost

Anay Mridul Jul 21, 2026

Orkla has given a facelift to six popular breakfast products under its MTR Foods brand in India, which now feature 10g of plant-based protein to align with consumer health trends. Among the best ways to help people eat more protein is…
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Consumer Trends & Insights

62% of Americans Willing to Reduce Meat Consumption, With Beans Emerging as Popular Replacement

Anay Mridul Jul 21, 2026

Around three in five consumers in the US are open to the idea of eating less meat and replacing it with beans, citing concerns about inflation and personal health. A similar number of Americans consume both meat and beans, but a large…
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Food & Nutrition

Novel Fibre Ingredient That Boosts GLP-1 Release Gets EU Novel Food Approval

Anay Mridul Jul 21, 2026

The EU has added inulin-propionate ester, a fibre ingredient that can stimulate the body's natural GLP-1 response, to its list of approved novel foods, enabling companies to sell the additive in food products. As weight-loss medications…
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Chocolate

Italy’s Foreverland Unveils ‘Functional’ Cocoa-Free Chocolate with High Fibre & No Added Sugar

Anay Mridul Jul 21, 2026

Italian cocoa-free chocolate maker Foreverland has expanded its portfolio with a no-added-sugar, fibre-rich lineup to align with current consumer nutrition trends. Four months after investors pumped $7M into its cocoa-free solutions,…
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Policy & Regulation

India Spotlights Regulatory Reform in $691B Bioeconomy Plan, With Smart Proteins in Focus

Anay Mridul Jul 20, 2026

The Indian government has published a 10-year roadmap to boost the national bioeconomy sector, which includes building the alternative protein sector through manufacturing and regulatory progress. India's commitment to the bioeconomy…
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Funding News

EU Invests €5.7M in Project to Produce Microalgae Proteins from Marine Waste & CO2

Anay Mridul Jul 20, 2026

The EU has pumped €5.7M into Alganova, a new project that seeks to establish a biorefinery for the production of proteins and functional ingredients from microalgae fed on waste and carbon dioxide. Algae's potential to safeguard the…
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Funding News

Singapore Awards $4.1M to Three Projects Upcycling Food Waste Into High-Value Products

Anay Mridul Jul 20, 2026

Singapore's National Environment Agency has awarded S$5.3M ($4.1M) to three food waste upcycling projects as part of its Closing the Resource Loop initiative. To tackle its food waste problem and boost its self-sufficiency, the…
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UPFs

FDA Admits Defining Ultra-Processed Foods is ‘Challenging’, Says It Won’t Ban Them

Anay Mridul Jul 20, 2026

The Trump administration is finding it difficult to land on a standardised definition of ultra-processed food, according to the FDA's acting deputy chief, who reiterated that the agency doesn't plan to ban these products. Establishing a…
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Cell-Based News

Call it ‘Cultivated Meat’, Not ‘Lab-Grown’ – At Least in the Two Largest Alternative Protein Markets

Anay Mridul Jul 17, 2026

A new study suggests that consumers in the US and Germany are more accepting of cultivated meat when labelled with that term instead of 'lab-grown'. What do you call cultivated meat to deliver the maximum impact? Do you keep that…
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Alt Fats

Melt&Marble Launches Precision-Fermented ‘Designer Fat’ for Beauty & Personal Care

Anay Mridul Jul 17, 2026

Swedish precision fermentation startup Melt&Marble has debuted Marble7, its animal-free "designer fat" for the beauty and personal care sector. Months after securing clearance for the global sale of its precision-fermented fat,…
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