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Modern Meat opens new “Modern Commissary” kitchen to launch new food start-ups

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It has been reported that it is expanding the Company’s presence in the food innovation space by opening the “Modern Commissary” kitchen facility to tap into the growing trend of ghost kitchens, meal prep, and innovative food start-ups, and has already received extensive interest from a number of unique food players.

“There is an abundance of local and ethnic talent in the lower mainland, and we are ecstatic to be able to offer an accessible and well-equipped kitchen facility for passionate food and beverage companies to do what they love.

Our community-focused approach aims to provide affordable means for companies to continue to innovate and grow. The facility is well equipped and can provide the necessary scalability needed for growing business and allows the Company to better utilize its space while generating additional revenue. Given our own humble beginnings, we are happy to be able to serve as a starting point for small businesses to create, connect, and have access to the resources needed to one day reach the same heights and success as Modern Foods,” explains Avtar Dhaliwal, CEO of Modern Plant-Based Foods.

The Modern Commissary tenants include food businesses that operate locally, have established reputations at some of Vancouver’s top food festivals, as well as Asian-focused food operators with past food development experience in Southeast Asia. The Modern Commissary provides top-of-the-line equipment that allows start-ups to scale their operations and grow into significant production scenarios. The Modern Commissary is a versatile facility that can accommodate a variety of food products and has the storage required for frozen, cooler, and dry goods, along with state-of-the-art packaging machines. The facility is perfect for small businesses in the research and development phase of their life cycle, including and up to, finished products being placed on shelves.

Tenants of the facility must meet the company’s guidelines for food preparation and safety. The facility is a bit unique providing around-the-clock access to tenants to create and experiment any time of day, seven days a week. This has effectively expanded the usage capacity of the facility and further solidifies the Company’s presence within the food sector. The facility allows Modern Foods to expand its presence in the Vancouver area and provide an additional revenue stream for the Company.

Two plant-based vaccines requiring no cold storage are in the works

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Amazing news for the developing countries, which don’t have cold storage facilities (minus 70-degree C) to store vaccines such as Pfizers.

“Studies are apace on now Phase 3 clinical trials for two novel Covid-19 vaccine platforms,” said CBS news in a special dispatch.

The studies have been published in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine showing promise of results for two novel Covid-19 vaccine platforms — a plant-based coronavirus-like particle vaccine, and a receptor-binding domain (RBD)-dimer-based vaccine.

The most significant feature of the new vaccines is that neither of them requires extreme cold chain storage, which makes them appealing candidates for low and middle-income countries, a key component of global Covid-19 vaccination efforts.

Vaccines Perform Well Despite Variants

The first vaccine is a plant-based particle vaccine developed by Medicago/GSK, which was tested on participants in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States as early as March 15 to September 2, 2021, CBS said.

The vaccine, CoVLP, was administered to candidates in two doses within a frequency of 21 days and the results were compared to a placebo. The study continued until at least 160 Covid-19 cases were detected in participants at least seven days following the second dose of the vaccine.

A total of 24,141 volunteers participated in the trial. Vaccine efficacy was claimed to be 69.5 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 56.7 percent to 78.8 percent) against any symptomatic Covid-19 caused by five variants that were identified by sequencing, the study found.

The results were even stronger for efficacy against moderate-to-severe disease, at 78.8 percent (95 percent CI, 55.8 percent to 90.8 percent).

No severe cases or deaths were recorded in the vaccine group. The vaccine group had more adverse effects, but none were severe, the study reported.

“CoVLP+AS03, like all currently deployed vaccines, was designed to target the original viral strain, but no case caused by this strain was identified,” the study said, adding, “The context in which vaccines are currently being tested has clearly changed since early in the pandemic.”

The performance of CoVLP is similar to the current vaccines in use against the current strains. Meaning they are effective against the Alpha, Delta and Kappa variants.

The second vaccine, ZF2001, was tested at 31 clinical sites in Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Ecuador, and later in China. The vaccine made by Anhui Zhifei Longcom of China was given to participants in a randomized manner of three doses within 30 days of each one.

Read more:

Daiya’s Latest Plant-Based Innovations, Inspired by Mediterranean Cheeses

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Daiya’s Latest Plant-Based Innovations, Inspired by Mediterranean Cheeses, Now Available: Unique Grilling Cheeze Block and a Made-to-Crumble Feta Flavour Block

The company announced its Daiya Grilling Cheeze Block, the first plant-based grilling cheeze made with oats and chickpeas, which forms a crispy, golden-burst outer crust without melting away when grilled or fried, and its new Feta Flavour Block, which crumbles easily—and beautifully!—for use in hot or cold recipes.
“The chance to once again gather with family and friends to reconnect over our favourite foods this summer provides the perfect opportunity to awaken new and exciting culinary experiences with people—and flavours, some new and some familiar—we love,” said Dan Hua, vice president of marketing at Daiya. “Our new artisan-inspired cheeze blocks, crafted with wholesome plant-based ingredients for an authentic Mediterranean taste, will inspire new tasty and robust creations and ensure those with dietary restrictions don’t have to miss out.”

Daiya Grilling Cheeze Block
This truly innovative cheeze—made with certified gluten-free oats and chickpeas and inspired by traditional Halloumi cheese from Cyprus—invites your taste buds to set sail on a new culinary adventure. This one-of-a-kind cheeze isn’t prepared like most others: Daiya’s Grilling Cheeze Block is meant to be grilled and pan-fried (or even deep-fried or air-fried!), maintaining its shape without melting. Crispy on the outside but creamy on the inside, this unique plant-based grilling cheeze also features tangy notes of herb and garlic throughout and will add an unexpected twist to all your favourite Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Not only is it the perfect addition to grilled burgers and kebabs, but it’s also a great compliment to salads, sandwiches, wraps and mezze platters.

Daiya Feta Flavour Block
Inspired by traditional Feta cheese from Greece, Daiya’s versatile and full-of-flavour Feta Flavour Block will transport you to the sunny seaside of Santorini: salty, tangy and bright with a semi-smooth bite. It is thinner in shape than Daiya’s other plant-based blocks, which allows for an easy and satisfying crumbling experience – the favourite way most consumers enjoy feta. Perfect for use in both hot and cold recipes, Daiya Feta Flavour Blocks are made with certified gluten-free oats and a touch of olive oil—an ideal addition to salads, wraps, and bruschetta, pasta, pizzas and more.

According to a recent Bloomberg Intelligence report, the global plant-based food market is expected to reach nearly US $162B in the next decade and could make up to 7.7% of the global protein market by 2030. These strong growth predictions indicate rising demand and Daiya remains committed to delivering flavourful and versatile category innovations that bring new possibilities to consumers while supporting the planet at the same time.

Empire becomes co-owner of Scene+; unveils refreshed loyalty strategy

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Empire Company Limited (“Empire” or the “Company”) (TSX: EMP.A) today unveiled a new loyalty strategy to thrill, reward and connect with customers through Scene+, one of Canada’s leading loyalty rewards programs. Along with Scotiabank and Cineplex, Empire is now a co-owner of Scene+. Together, these iconic Canadian customer-focused brands will transform the Scene+ program into a preeminent loyalty program in Canada.
The Scene+ rollout in Empire stores will begin in Atlantic Canada in August 2022 and then continue across the country, culminating in early 2023.
Scene+ will be introduced to Sobeys stores in Atlantic Canada beginning August 2022 and then gradually rolled out across the country, culminating in early 2023. (CNW Group/Empire Company Limited)

Today, Scene+ boasts over 10 million members and offers a superb assortment of opportunities to earn and redeem points across a broad spectrum of partners. Members can earn points through banking with Scotiabank; escape to Cineplex Theatres and entertainment venues; visit more than 700 Recipe restaurants across Canada, including Swiss Chalet, Harveys and Montana’s; and enjoy extraordinary experiences like trip planning with Expedia. Redemption partners also include retailers like Apple and Best Buy.

Evolving our loyalty offering is one of the final building blocks of our transformation strategy at Empire,” said Michael Medline, President & CEO. “This is such an important milestone in our loyalty and customer experience journey. Scene+ is a great example of the game-changing moves we can now make because of the strong foundation we’ve put in place at Empire. Coupling Scene+ with the investments we’ve made in technology, data and personalization will push the customer experience in our stores to new heights. Scene+ is on an exciting evolution to become a world-class loyalty program in Canada. We’re thrilled to be able to offer our customers significant opportunities to be rewarded when, how and where they want.”

“Scene+ members and extensive customer research tell us that grocery is such an important piece of any loyalty offer. We are thrilled to welcome Empire as a new co-owner of Scene+. Together, we will offer Canadians an innovative loyalty offering powered by some of Canada’s strongest and most beloved brands,” said Tracey Pearce, President, Scene+. “Scene+ intends to add select high-profile consumer and retail brands to the program to make the offers, collection opportunities and overall Scene+ member experience even more exciting for Canadians.”

Empire will gradually roll out Scene+ across its banners including Sobeys, Safeway, Foodland, IGA, FreshCo, Chalo! FreshCo, Voilà by Sobeys/Safeway/IGA, Needs, Thrifty Foods, Les Marchés Tradition, Rachelle Bery and Lawtons Drugs, as well as its liquor stores in Western Canada.

As Empire gradually transitions from AIR MILES to Scene+, AIR MILES collectors will continue to earn and redeem in Empire stores until the new Scene+ program is available in that region. Empire is committed to continuing to deliver great value and promotion opportunities to customers through the AIR MILES program as part of the transition.

Scene+ is anticipated to be incremental to sales and earnings in Empire’s first year of operating the program.

Grand Wailea Partners with Erewhon, Southern California’s Upscale Organic Grocer and Café

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Grand Wailea – an iconic resort nestled on 40 acres of lush, tropical gardens fronting Maui’s Wailea Beach – is proud to partner with Erewhon, the celebrated LA-based food and beverage market that has inspired a following of like-minded individuals focused on health and good decision-making for people and the planet. As Erewhon’s first hotel partner for the brand’s newly expanded membership program, Grand Wailea will bring exclusive resort benefits to Erewhon members and offer select Erewhon goods and offerings on property. With a resort-wide focus on farm-to-table, nutritious dining options, Grand Wailea shares Erewhon’s commitment to holistic wellness, creating a natural synergy for an exciting brand partnership.
“Much like Grand Wailea, Erewhon is more than just a place; it’s an elevated lifestyle destination and extraordinary community centred on world-class experiences and optimal well-being,” said JP Oliver, Grand Wailea’s Managing Director. “We strive to provide our guests the most thoughtfully curated, premiere wellness and nutrition options, and Erewhon’s offerings are second to none.”

Erewhon’s newly expanded membership program provides bespoke benefits including a point accrual program, exclusive access to upscale brand offers and promotions, and more. As a partnering brand, Grand Wailea will offer a $100 resort credit per night booked (up to seven nights) as well as a complimentary one-category upgrade, available for Erewhon members only. Later this year, Grand Wailea and Erewhon will also release a limited-edition, co-branded beverage inspired by the flavours of Maui that will be sold at Erewhon locations throughout Los Angeles.

Adding to the resort’s array of dining options, Grand Wailea will soon feature nutritious Erewhon cult favourites such as dried chilli lime mango, spirulina popcorn, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies throughout the property. In addition, gourmet takeaway outlet Café Kula and pop-up style food truck Aloha Trick Pony will offer “Curated by Erewhon” menus with items such as Toodaloo Trail Mix, French Squirrel protein bites, and many more fan-favourite items that cannot be found anywhere else in Hawaii. Grand Wailea and Erewhon will continue to build upon this partnership throughout 2022, including activations and promotions in LA and Hawaii later this year.

L’Oréal Canada Consumer Products Division is taking another step towards a greener world in collaboration with London Drugs and TerraCycle®

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Every year, Canadians throw away 3 million tons of plastic waste, only 9% of which is recycled. The vast majority of plastics end up in landfills and about 29,000 tons find its way into our natural environment*. The Consumer Products Division of L’Oréal Canada now enables Canadians to recycle their empty cosmetics products in all London Drugs locations across Canada, in partnership with TerraCycle.
Customers will be able to recycle their beauty empties, including foundation, mascara, and lipsticks, in the cosmetics section of their favourite London Drugs location. Once collected, TerraCycle will break down the waste, separate it by material, and convert it into usable recyclable forms.

“In partnership with London Drugs and TerraCycle, we wanted to develop a program that would empower Canadians to commit to a greener future,” explains Carole Maury, Brand Director at L’Oréal Canada. “We are thrilled to provide an opportunity to our consumers to integrate sustainable shopping practices that can enable everyone to be a part of the change.”

“We are thrilled to be collaborating once again with TerraCycle®, and with our excellent partner L’Oréal to give our customers the chance to recycle their cosmetics and help us in our commitment to sending zero waste to landfills,” says London Drugs COO and President, Clint Mahlman. “We are inspired by the communities where our stores are located, in their efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible, so are confident this will be a popular program in our stores across Western Canada. Our long history of finding innovative and responsible ways for customers to reduce their environmental impact is something we are proud to provide to our customers with partners like L’Oreal and TerraCycle®.”

In 2020, L’Oréal Group international launched “L’Oréal for the Future” which sets bold, measurable targets for 2030 on climate, water, biodiversity and natural resources, in accordance with what scientific experts demand and what our planet needs. This global program was embraced by L’Oréal’s Consumer Products Division and its growing commitment to reaching the company’s sustainability goals by 2030. “L’Oréal’ for the Future” marks the beginning of a more radical transformation and embodies what a company’s vision, purpose and responsibilities should be to meet the challenges facing the world.

Salmon fillet produced with 3D Technology premiers at a public tasting

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The Austrian 3D- and Food-Technology Startup, Revo Foods has presented an ultrarealistic plant-based salmon fillet for the first time in a public tasting event at Rooftop Bar ZOKU Vienna on the 30th of May, 2022. The fillet, which consists of 100% plant-based ingredients, was prepared by a Michelin star chef and evaluated by 10 tasters. The startup has already filed two patents on new technologies to produce plant-based fish products of Generation 2.0. Revo Foods’ first salmon fillets will be available in stores starting in early 2023.
Seafood Made in Austria
This new innovation by the Food-Tech Startup is the first of its kind and can be considered a game-changer for plant-based alternatives. It is a so-called “whole cut”. The fillet resembles the structure and the texture of a conventional salmon fillet and can be prepared (fried, cooked, steamed…) just as conventional salmon.

While the first generation of plant-based alternatives often lacks structure (hamburgers, chicken nuggets), Generation 2.0 products redefine both the eating experience and the global vegan food market. These new products provide a next-level taste and texture through new technological innovation.

“It’s all about structure and creating the perfect bite.”
Robin Simsa, CEO of Revo Foods

Flexitarians – a growing market
More and more people are classing themselves as flexitarians to obtain a more sustainable diet. Flexitarians make up roughly 20% of the European population and the demand for plant-based alternatives is rapidly growing.

Also, industrial fishing has an image problem: Overfishing, the destruction of marine ecosystems and loss of ocean biodiversity are just some of them. Many consumers are deeply concerned about the dramatic increase of heavy metals, microplastics and antibiotics in conventional seafood products. Flexitarians are looking for sustainable alternatives that are good for the ocean and for their own health, but also provide the longed-for eating experience in taste and “bite”.

The Fillet
“The structure is almost “too perfect”, are you sure this is vegan?”
one of the guests quoted.

The base of the fillet is various plant-protein sources, such as pea proteins. Other ingredients include algae extracts and plant oils. The fillet has a high protein and omega-3 fatty acid content, similar to wild-caught salmon. Plant-based fish sticks or fish burgers have been available on the market for some time, but finding an alternative for a fish fillet is the next level. The fillet was served with asparagus and hollandaise sauce and prepared by chef Siegfried Kröpfl who has previously also cooked for Queen Elizabeth II (at Harbour Castle in Toronto).

Pharmascience incorporates a new company, “Norwell Consumer Healthcare Inc”.

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Pharmascience has announced the launch of a new stand-alone company focused on leading growth within the over-the-counter (OTC) category with its OTC brands such as Helixia, Lax-A-Day, Hemovel, Cromolyn, Cystoplus and Rhinaris. This new company is called Norwell Consumer Healthcare Inc.
OTC products have been an important part of Pharmascience. By launching a more streamlined and targeted organization focused only on OTC brands, Norwell will have the agility and flexibility to drive the growth of its current OTC brands and launch new innovations into the Canadian marketplace.

Norwell’s vision is to help Canadians manage their health and wellness needs by offering trusted, clinically proven OTC solutions.

“Launching Norwell Consumer Healthcare provides a focused and experienced OTC team that is energized with the opportunity to grow our brands, bringing innovative solutions to the market and helping Canadians with their health and wellness needs,” said David Bloom, General Manager, Norwell Consumer Healthcare Inc.

“We hold high expectations for this new venture and will spare no effort supporting Norwell in providing top quality brands and services to our consumers, patients, and customers,” said David Goodman, CEO of Pharmascience Inc.

PharmAla Biotech Supports Decision to Decriminalize Possession of MDMA in BC

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“This decision is critically important. As a company focused on the manufacturing of legal MDMA for clinical research, we strongly believe that MDMA is safe for human use, and of medical benefit, if taken as part of a treatment regimen,” said Jodi Butts, Board Chair of PharmAla Biotech. “While more work needs to be done, we are happy to see the Government of Canada take this historic action in British Columbia.”
PharmAla Biotech is the only manufacturer of MDMA for clinical use in North America. It does not engage with, nor will it benefit in any way, from the decision taken by the Governments of British Columbia and Canada over the possession of illicit MDMA.

“MDMA does not fit the profile of a Schedule I narcotic. It is, generally speaking, well tolerated. However, the threat of illegal supply and toxic contaminants is a serious public health risk,” said Nick Kadysh, PharmAla’s CEO. “PharmAla developed the only MDMA manufacturing value chain in North America in order to provide clinical researchers with the supplies they need to complete valuable scientific research – and our own research into novel MDMA analogs will heighten the safety profile of this molecule, so it can be used as a medicine.”

The Well Told Company reports Q1 2022 Financial Results delivering 113% increase in YOY net revenues

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Net Revenue for Q1 2022 increased by 113% over Q1 2021 and 30% over Q4 2021 driven by gross revenues of $812k, as a result of the Company’s growth in all channels in both Canada and the U.S.;
Gross profit for Q1 2022 improved by 56% over Q1 2021 and 159% over Q4 2021 as the Company continued to focus on cost reduction, greater efficiency in supply chain fulfillment and shipping in 2022;

In Q1 2022, the Company increased its total wholesale gross revenue by 122% compared to Q1 2021;

The Company saw a 65% YOY increase in its Direct-To-Consumer revenue, fueled by growth across all e-commerce channels, and in particular Amazon, where the Company’s Bye Bye Bloating product continues to hold the coveted “Amazon’s Choice” badge for bloating relief;

Net loss and comprehensive loss was $1.67 million for Q1 2022, representing a significant improvement over Q4 2021 net and comprehensive loss of $6.1 million. This is the result of significant efficiencies gained in marketing and other areas. The loss also includes several one-time expenses including financing fees ($111k), investments in research and development ($87k), annual stock option awards to management and directors ($331k) and one-time public company-related fees ($165k).

Operational Highlights:

In Q1 2022, the Company increased its points of distribution by 26% reaching a total of 18,345, driven by its continued expansion in Canada and the U.S. in which the Company increased from 1,700 points of distribution at the end of Q4 2021 to over 5,000 by the end of Q1 2022;

The Company engaged a new fulfillment and shipping partner in the U.S. market and expects to see gains in efficiencies in terms of cost and speed of delivery as a result of this change.

Management Commentary

“We are proud to report another quarter of terrific growth across all channels and significant gains in efficiency both in Canada and the U.S.”, said Monica Ruffo, CEO of Well Told. “Although we recognize that the capital markets continue to be very challenging, we continue to focus on building a solid sustainable business with strong values and a culture of growth as we remain committed to paving the way towards profitability by 2023.”

2022 Outlook

As of the end of May 2022, the Company had surpassed its 2022 goal of quadrupling points of distribution in the U.S. with over 8,000 points of distribution as the Company continues to expand into natural food retailers, independents, regional grocery and drug retailers;

The Company’s main priority for 2022 is to continue to move towards profitability by focussing our growth on the U.S. market, as well as Amazon in Canada and the U.S. The Company will also be looking to continue to improve cost efficiency with a focus on fulfilment, distribution and shipping costs;

The Company continues to see stronger re-orders from Canadian and American retailers which began selling prior to 2022;

The Company expects Amazon sales to continue to grow significantly in 2022.