Author

Anay Mridul 2876 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 Dairy

French Startup Cleared to Sell Animal-Free Whey Protein in the US

Anay Mridul Jan 9, 2025

Based in Lyon, Bon Vivant has obtained self-affirmed GRAS status for its precision-fermented whey protein in the US. French precision fermentation startup Bon Vivant has taken a major step towards commercialising its recombinant whey…
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Alt Dairy

French Animal-Free Casein Maker Strikes Deal with Ajinomoto to Scale Up Manufacturing

Anay Mridul Jan 9, 2025

French precision fermentation innovator Standing Ovation has partnered with Ajinomoto Foods Europe to produce its animal-free casein protein at industrial scale. As it gears up to begin sales of its cow-free dairy protein, Paris-based…
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Vegan Dining

What If We Ranked Universities Based on How Sustainable Their Food Is?

Anay Mridul Jan 9, 2025

More and more US universities are making it easier for students to go vegan, but many still lack concrete plant-based goals, according to a new protein sustainability scorecard. University scorecards have long been a handy tool for…
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Future Foods

Austria Govt Doubles Down on Plant Protein Focus with Meat-Free Culinary Training Scheme

Anay Mridul Jan 9, 2025

The Austrian government will launch a vegan and vegetarian culinary apprenticeship in July, months after championing plant-based foods in its dietary guidelines. After nearly 18 months of negotiations between key stakeholders, Austria…
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Health

High-Protein, High-Fibre: Tennis Star Sloane Stephens Hypes Up Daily Harvest’s GLP-1 Friendly Vegan Smoothies

Anay Mridul Jan 8, 2025

Vegan meal startup Daily Harvest has launched a line of smoothies that pack 20g of plant protein per serving – and it's tapped Sloane Stephens to help spread the message. Already the owner of a vegan body care brand and following a…
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Future Foods

Future Food Quick Bites: Veganuary Launches, Hospital Caps & A Ted Talk

Anay Mridul Jan 8, 2025

In our weekly column, we round up the latest news and developments in the alternative protein and sustainable food industry. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers a host of launches for Veganuary, several plant-based brand campaigns,…
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Alt Protein

Is Plant-Based Meat Healthy? You Bet It Is, According to All the Latest Research

Anay Mridul Jan 8, 2025

A Eurocentric review of health studies has shown that plant-based meat has multi-pronged health benefits, despite their association with ultra-processed foods. Poor diets are responsible for nearly a million deaths in Europe every year,…
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Health

Plant-Rich Diets Best for Microbiome Health, Shows Study by UK Gut Guru

Anay Mridul Jan 7, 2025

Tim Spector's health app Zoe analysed poop samples from over 21,000 people to find the best diet for the gut microbiome. With gut health and GLP-1 drugs top of mind for many consumers in 2025, food and drink manufacturers are working…
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Fermentation-Based Alt Protein

Meati Faces Another False Advertising Lawsuit Over ‘Mushroom Root’ Claim

Anay Mridul Jan 7, 2025

US startup Meati Foods is facing a second lawsuit in less than a year for marketing its mycelium meat products as made from 'mushroom root'. Just a week after it settled a false advertising lawsuit in California, mycelium meat producer…
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Alt Protein

What Does the FDA’s Labelling Guidance Mean for Plant-Based Meat?

Anay Mridul Jan 7, 2025

The FDA has updated its draft guidance for vegan meat, egg and dairy labelling, suggesting companies place an emphasis on the plant-based sources that make up the product. 'Chickpea meatballs' is a more favourable term than 'plant-based…
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Health

Americans Using GLP-1 Drugs Are Spending Less on Groceries & UPFs

Anay Mridul Jan 7, 2025

US households with at least one user of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are spending 6-9% less on groceries, with the sharpest declines seen in ultra-processed categories. For Ozempic users, chips, baked goods, calories, and grocery bills are…
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Vegan Dining

Sage, A Former Vegan Restaurant That Began Serving ‘Regenerative’ Meat, Closes Down After 14 Years

Anay Mridul Jan 6, 2025

Months after adding meat to its menu, California's formerly vegan restaurant Sage Regenerative Kitchen has shuttered its remaining locations. One of California's most prominent vegan eateries, Sage Plant Bistro & Brewery shifted…
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Alt Dairy

EU Invests €5M in Fermentation Project to Create Better-Tasting Vegan Cheeses & Kefir

Anay Mridul Jan 6, 2025

The EU is banking on fermentation to fuel the protein transition through better-tasting, more nutritious vegan cheese and kefir products. With vegan cheese the fastest-growing plant-based category in several European markets, the EU is…
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Coffee

Minus Coffee Targets Women’s Wellness with Beanless Instant Oat Milk Latte

Anay Mridul Jan 6, 2025

Californian food tech startup Minus Coffee has debuted a new beanless instant oat milk latte with calibrated caffeine, L-theanine and pea protein to support women's health. As the demand for functional drinks expands, women-led startup…
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Food & Nutrition

Plant-Based, High-Fibre Diet Could Halt Incurable Blood Cancer Progression

Anay Mridul Jan 6, 2025

A plant-based dietary invention rich in fibre may slow the spread of multiple myeloma, a rare, incurable blood cancer, in at-risk individuals. In yet another scientific nod to the health benefits of eating plants, a first-of-a-kind…
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Climate Change

New York Signs Law to Fine Big Oil Polluters $75B Via Climate Change Superfund

Anay Mridul Jan 3, 2025

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Climate Change Superfund Act to make fossil fuel polluters pay $3B a year for their environmental impacts. With Donald Trump, who loves fossil fuels and denies climate change, taking…
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Eco Packaging

Starbucks Japan Replaces Paper with Biodegradable Straws Made from Plant-Based Polymers

Anay Mridul Jan 3, 2025

Coffee giant Starbucks has introduced biodegradable straws made from plant-based materials in Japan to cut plastic use and waste. Five years after ditching plastic for paper, Starbucks Japan is bidding adieu to paper for bioplastics. …
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Zero Waste

Freezing Can Significantly Lower Food Waste & Combat Hunger, Shows US Study

Anay Mridul Jan 3, 2025

A new study shows that 30% more of wasted frozen food is discarded from the refrigerator, highlighting the waste-mitigating potential of freezing leftovers. Putting leftovers in the fridge can have a tremendous impact on saving food…
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Future Foods

After Coffee, This Singapore Startup Is Making A Green Alternative to Another Bean: Cocoa

Anay Mridul Jan 2, 2025

Singaporean food tech startup Prefer is adding cocoa-free chocolate to its beanless portfolio in an effort to fight the economic and planetary costs of the sweet delight. Would you have a mocha made without the coffee and the chocolate…
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Vegan Dining

Unity Diner: Earthling Ed’s Popular Vegan Restaurant in London Announces Closure

Anay Mridul Jan 2, 2025

Frequently named one of London's best vegan restaurants, Earthling Ed-owned Unity Diner is set to close after Veganuary due to rising costs. While Veganuary is usually a celebratory month for plant-based businesses, it spells a…
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Plastic Pollution

How Microplastics Damage the Gut Microbiome & Raise the Risk of Chronic Diseases

Anay Mridul Jan 2, 2025

Researchers in India highlight how microplastics harm the human gut microbiome, and subsequently our overall health. From takeaway coffee cups and washing machines to sea salt and tap water, microplastics are omnipresent in the…
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