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.

Climate Change

Oatly Calls on Food Industry to Remove Barriers to Sustainable Consumer Choices

Anay Mridul Sep 16, 2026

Swedish oat milk giant Oatly is urging the food industry to address the biggest hurdles that prevent consumers from making more sustainable choices, outlining five clear areas of action. Oatly is bolstering its climate leadership with a…
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Future Food Quick Bites

Future Food Quick Bites: Indian Protein Toppers, Planted at Starbucks & Google x Mitti Labs

Anay Mridul Sep 16, 2026

Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers GoodDot Foods's plant protein toppers, Truly Indian's vegan naan range, and Mitti Labs's Google partnership. New products…
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Alt Protein

Beyond Meat Debuts Whole-Cut Mycelium Steak Filet at Erewhon

Anay Mridul Sep 16, 2026

The retail rollout of Beyond Meat's mycelium steak filet continues with a launch at Erewhon stores in Los Angeles, marking the plant protein giant's second listing at the upscale grocer. In a sign that Beyond Meat isn't abandoning its…
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Funding News

Loacker Teams Up with Endless Food Co to Support Bean-Free Chocolate Development

Anay Mridul Sep 16, 2026

Danish food tech startup Endless Food Co has teamed up with Italian confectionery giant Loacker Group to advance its bean-free chocolate, after becoming a recipient of its corporate VC fund. Loacker Group has signed a strategic…
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Alt Protein

Canada’s Yves Veggie Cuisine ‘Back By Popular Demand’ with Maple Leaf Foods Acquisition

Anay Mridul Sep 15, 2026

Canadian plant-based meat brand Yves Veggie Cuisine's products are back on retail shelves months after its trademark was purchased by Maple Leaf Foods. Yves Veggie Cuisine, one of the foremost players in the plant-based meat category,…
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Policy & Regulation

UK Makes Beans Compulsory & Adds Fortified Pea Milk to School Food Menus

Anay Mridul Sep 15, 2026

Schools in the UK must serve legumes at least once a week alongside main menu options, according to the updated school food standards, which have embraced fortified pea milk and plant-based yoghurt too. Beans have taken centre stage in…
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Funding News

Yoga Bar Founder, Better Bite Ventures Launch $260,000 Scheme for Next-Gen Food Startups in India

Anay Mridul Sep 15, 2026

VC firm Better Bite Ventures and Yoga Bar co-founder Suhasini Sampath have teamed up to launch First Bite India, a funding initiative to scale an emerging startup in the better-for-you, functional, or next-gen food categories. Suhasini…
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Chocolate

Japan’s Aeon Taps Fuji Oil to Expand Cocoa-Free Chocolate Line

Anay Mridul Sep 15, 2026

Japanese retailer Aeon is expanding its cocoa-free chocolate lineup with the launch of three products that use a carob- and pea-based alternative developed by Fuji Oil. After debuting its cocoa-free chocolate range across thousands of…
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Policy & Regulation

EU Research Strategy Ignores Funding for Alternative Protein Despite Scale-Up Goals

Anay Mridul Sep 14, 2026

The European Commission's strategy for food research and innovation acknowledges the importance of scaling up fermentation capacity but fails to commit the necessary funding. The latest manifestation of the EU's conflicting stance on…
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Policy & Regulation

Dutch Govt Urged to Develop National Plant-Based Strategy with €65M Annual Fund

Anay Mridul Sep 14, 2026

Dozens of organisations have called on the Dutch government to create a national action plan for plant-based food, alongside a €65M annual acceleration fund. To realise its aim of raising the share of plant protein consumption to at…
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Policy & Regulation

Novel Food Firms Pausing UK Plans As EU Trade Deal Fuels Regulatory Uncertainty

Anay Mridul Sep 14, 2026

The UK's Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU could jeopardise its biotech lead, with an open letter calling on Andy Burnham to ensure the deal preserves the country's novel food regulatory progress. Food tech…
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Chocolate

Voyage Foods Exits Retail to Boost Commercial Supply of Bean-Free Coffee, Chocolate & More

Anay Mridul Sep 14, 2026

US food tech startup Voyage Foods has withdrawn from retail to double down on B2B supply of sustainable ingredients such as beanless coffee and chocolate, with Cargill as a key partner. Nearly a year after completing its 284,000 sq ft…
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Alt Protein

Ulrick + Short’s Sunflower Seed Flour Boosts Protein, Fibre & Texture Profile of Plant-Based Foods

Anay Mridul Sep 11, 2026

British ingredient supplier Ulrick + Short has debuted a range of sunflower seed flours that can elevate the protein and fibre content and enhance the mouthfeel and emulsification of plant-based products. Ulrick + Short is betting on…
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Vegan

Symplicity Centres Fermented Vegetables in Plant-Based Roast As Brits Embrace Whole Foods

Anay Mridul Sep 11, 2026

UK plant-based brand Symplicity Foods, co-founded by chef Neil Rankin, has launched a plant-based roast with slow-fermented mushrooms and vegetables, leaning into the resurgence of whole-food options. Symplicity Foods is championing…
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Alt Protein

Indian State-Backed Hub Develops Six Plant-Based Protein Bars from Local Pulses

Anay Mridul Sep 11, 2026

The Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre has worked with Karnataka state's agriculture department to create six plant-based energy bars using protein from local pulse varieties. As Indians seek more high-protein, clean-label food options, a…
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Alt Fats

Äio, Tilk Launch Skin-Boosting Face Cream with Two Waste-Fermented Yeast Fats

Anay Mridul Sep 11, 2026

Estonia's Äio and Tilk are building on their collaboration with their second product, a skin-boosting face cream that uses two of the former's upcycled yeast-derived fat alternatives. Two Estonian startups have launched a face cream…
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Fermentation-Based Alt Protein

Onego Bio Brings Animal-Free Egg Protein to Breakfast Category with Zen Waffles

Anay Mridul Sep 10, 2026

Finnish precision fermentation startup Onego Bio has struck a deal to supply its animal-free egg white protein to New York-based Zen Waffles as it eyes the high-protein breakfast space. Onego Bio, a Finnish food tech startup known for…
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Alt Protein

Believe in Tempeh, Not Chicken: Better Nature Takes on KFC As Brits Seek New Protein Options

Anay Mridul Sep 10, 2026

UK startup Better Nature has kicked off a Believe in Tempeh marketing drive, spoofing a KFC campaign to appeal to Brits who are bored of chicken and want more options. Better Nature is taking on the Colonel. The London-based tempeh…
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Sugar

NFL Alumni Partners With Sweet Protein Maker Oobli to Promote Healthier Sugar Alternatives

Anay Mridul Sep 10, 2026

The National Football League Alumni Association has teamed up with US startup Oobli to drive wider adoption of sweet proteins as a healthier alternative to sugar. Ahead of the start of the 2026 season of the National Football League…
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Alt Protein

The Phytosphere: Why Beyond Meat Launched Plant-Based Protein Powders, Jerky & Veggie Burgers

Anay Mridul Sep 10, 2026

Beyond Meat has introduced a slate of plant-based products under the Phytosphere portfolio, including its first protein powders, a line of jerky, and veggie burgers. The company explains its thinking in an interview with Green Queen. …
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Future Food Quick Bites

Future Food Quick Bites: Horchata Creamer, Cultivated Pet Food & Blended Meat in NYC

Anay Mridul Sep 9, 2026

Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Califia Farms' holiday additions, Quorn's frozen mycoprotein bites, and New York City's blended meat call. New products…
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