In an article published on Jan.28, 2021 in Nutrition Business Journal, synthetic biology ("synbio") was identified as a major threat to the North American supply of food and supplements at grocery stores. In particular, natural and organic food brands, retailers, and consumers are in danger of finding these unregulated and unlabelled GMOs in their shopping carts.

Tovala, a meal service paired with a countertop smart oven that scans, steams, bakes, and broils its chef-crafted meals, announces the close of a $30M Series C funding round led by Left Lane Capital, an investment group focused on high-growth internet and consumer companies, with participation from previous investors Finistere Ventures, Comcast Ventures, OurCrowd, Origin Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, and Joe Mansueto.

PLT Health Solutions, Inc. announced today that it is has named Stephen Cook as Director of the company’s Supply Chain operations. Prior to joining PLT, Cook spent 15 years working in a variety of roles in  The Bountiful Company’s supply chain operation. His most recent position was Director of Supply Chain and Operations, Natural Products Group.

France’s Nexira, a world leading supplier of acacia gum, has designated Quadra Ingredients, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, as Nexira’s exclusive Canadian distributor, effective April 1, 2021. This will replace a former agreement with L.V. Lomas. 

Kellogg Company announced more details about its collaboration with Future Food-Tech to launch an Innovation Challenge, giving new talent in the industry a chance to shine on a big virtual stage. Wellness is a major area of focus for Kellogg, and through this challenge, the company is seeking pitches on unique plant-based ideas that support digestive wellness.

Global warming now requires the acceleration of actions and investments to limit carbon emissions. Current laws under consideration call for government-sanctioned projects, which are underway to support the decarbonization of the industry, precipitating the arrival of environmental labelling. In response to these new needs, Nexira now has the ability to supply our customers with inavea™, the first line of carbon neutral ingredients.

Innova Market Insights identified “plant forward” is a worldwide phenomenon and one of 2021’s Top Ten Trends. Experts also predict that the rising popularity of plant-based products—especially among flexitarians—will lead to growing demand for new formats, plant proteins and higher-end alternatives. 

The funds will enable PeaTos to continue driving its mission to revolutionize chips by adding nutrient-dense peas to the traditional corn base and replacing the artificial colors and flavors with more natural ingredients.

To continue its mission to provide the highest level of customer service in the industry, Idaho Milk Products promoted Daniel Perttula to the position of sales manager.

La Tortilla Factory, Inc. announced that Flagship Food Group, LLC has agreed to make an investment into the company to support its future growth strategy. Flagship will become the majority stake holder in the company while the third generation Tamayo family members continue to remain valued partners.