Category: Protein

Protein News covers the production, processing, and distribution of protein-rich foods derived from animals, including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy. This section explores the entire supply chain, from farming practices and animal nutrition to processing methods and market trends. It also delves into sustainability, animal welfare, and innovations in protein sources, including alternative options like plant-based, insect, and lab-grown proteins. The Protein category is essential for understanding the role of all protein types in global nutrition, economic impacts, and evolving consumer preferences.

Calysta’s Protein for Pet Food, Made with Microbes, Carbon, and Renewable Energy, Arrives in Europe – vegconomist

FeedKind Pet, an air-based protein for pet food claimed to be nutritious and super sustainable, will soon be available to pet food manufacturers across Europe to cater to consumers looking for high-quality, health-supporting, eco-friendly pet food products.

The multinational biotechnology company Calysta, its developer and producer, announces it has shipped the first large batch of FeedKind Pet to its warehouse in Poland.

“For the first time, Europe’s pet food sector has the option to choose a fermented protein”

The shipments originated from Chongqing, China, produced by Calysseo, a joint venture between Calysta and Adisseo, which is one of the world leaders in animal nutrition with a turnover of €1.72 billion in 2023 and more than 4,200 customers. According to Calysta, Calysseo’s facilities include two of the world’s largest fermenters, each having a 10,000-ton capacity, to ferment the protein at full commercial scale.

Herman Sloot, Vice President of Commercial Development at Calysta, said: “For the first time, Europe’s pet food sector has the option to choose a fermented protein that is nutritious and kind to the environment. Starting today, FeedKind Pet will be available globally at commercial scale.”

Animal-free protein for pet diets

This milestone follows Calysta’s partnership with the German pet food manufacturer Dr. Clauder’s to launch the world’s first dog treats made with FeedKind Pet in the old continent. The treats debuted at the Interzoo trade show in May.

A vegan protein source, FeedKind Pet, is non-GMO, grain-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. It is said to be a nutrient-dense and highly digestible ingredient, offering a complete amino acid profile, while featuring postbiotic properties that help maintain a healthy gut. It can be incorporated into all kinds of cat and dog food products, from dry kibble to tinned food and treats. The novel protein has been approved for use in the EU, UK, Canada, and other countries after extensive safety and toxicity testing.

“Pet parents want ingredients that will benefit their pet’s health in the long run”

Besides FeedKind Pet for pets, the biotech has introduced FeedKind for fish and livestock, which recently received MARA approval in China as aquaculture feed; and Positive Protein for foods, described as highly nutritious, rich in branched-chain amino acids, with the best possible digestibility rating (this protein is not yet available).

Sloot adds, “In the last decade, the number of pet-owning households has increased by approximately 20 million, with few indications it will slow any time soon. There is a growing appetite for high-quality, animal-free protein in pet diets, and pet parents want ingredients that will benefit their pet’s health in the long run. FeedKind Pet uniquely meets that demand.”

Sustainability for the pet food industry

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, USA, Calysta has two fermentation facilities, one in England and the other, as mentioned before, in China. The biotech raised $30 million from Cargill and other investors in 2016 and $40 million in 2017, led by Mitsui & Co with participation from Temasek, for its sustainable proteins.

Over the years, the company has developed a fermentation platform powered by renewable energy that uses a microbe strain that converts carbon and energy into nutritious, non-GMO protein, hence the name air-based protein. Its fermentation method is said to use minimal water and no agricultural land since it does not use sugars, contributing to environmental conservation, protecting biodiversity, and improving global food security.

Alan Shaw, CEO and co-founder of Calysta, shares: “Calysta and its partners have now established a robust international supply chain with global reach. FeedKind protein is the culmination of 10 years of hard work and brings disruptive innovation to both the aquaculture and pet food industries at a scale that matters.

“FeedKind is the best kind of innovation – a partnership between nature and human ingenuity.”

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Gary Ford to join Bfrepa as PR and policy advisor

BFREPA has announced that Gary Ford, currently chief executive of the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC), will join the organisation as a PR and policy advisor from November.

Mr Ford has worked in the agricultural sector for more than 30 years and brings with him a wealth of expertise, Bfrepa said.

He joins the organisation from the BEIC, where he was most recently chief executive.

Prior to that, Gary had a long career at the NFU, where he held various roles, including chief poultry adviser.

Mr Ford said: “When the opportunity to work with BFREPA arose, I didn’t hesitate.

“I am passionate about supporting producers; it’s where my roots are both in my working career and family history.

“The egg industry is in my blood, and I have seen how hard the BFREPA team works to support the free-range sector, and I am really excited to be a part of that.

“The next few years will likely bring a range of challenges for our sector, and I look forward to working with BFREPA to help steer us through them.”

One priority once in post is to meet members in a series of roadshows, helping them to understand what they want to see from the organisation in the future.

James Baxter, BFREPA chairman, added: “The egg industry is constantly evolving and faces some difficult challenges.

“Adding someone of Gary’s calibre to our team is a real coup for the organisation. His extensive knowledge in the poultry sector, combined with his willingness to engage with producers, will be a tremendous asset as we continue to navigate ever-changing policies from welfare and environmental to a cage-free commitment in 2025 and beyond.

“Gary will add to our team substantially, further strengthening our representation of members.”

Mr Ford starts his new position in November.

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Australian farmers increasingly concerned about government policy

Australia is one of the world’s biggest agricultural exporters

22 August 2024

2 minute read

A rising number of Australian farmers are disgruntled with the government’s climate and agricultural policies, a survey showed on Wednesday, as measures to protect the environment draw farmers’ ire in Europe and some other places, reported Reuters.

Australia is one of the world’s biggest agricultural exporters, shipping nearly $50 billion worth of products as varied as beef, wheat and wine in the 2022-23 financial year.

Since coming to power in 2022, the country’s Labor government has passed legislation that will ban exports of live sheep and restrict the use of water for farming in some areas.

It has also sought to raise more money from farmers for biosecurity and pushed ahead with renewable energy projects in rural areas, causing anger in the farming sector.

Seventy-three percent of 1,026 farmers surveyed across the country said government policies were harming the industry, up from 54% a year ago, the poll by the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) and communications agency Seftons found.

Eighty percent said the government did not understand or listen to farmers, up from 41% last year, with only 10% saying the government had a positive plan to grow the farm sector.

Half of respondents thought Australia’s food and fibre production would increase over the next decade, down from 56% a year ago.

“The results are unsurprising. Critical issues like the live sheep export ban, biosecurity tax and water buybacks have weighed heavily on farmers,” said NFF President David Jochinke.

“Farmers are frustrated,” he said. “They feel they aren’t being heard and they are being steamrolled by harmful policies – that appear to be driven by activist groups or politicians, not farmers.”

Earlier this year, farmers in numerous European countries staged protests over a range of issues including excessive environmental rules.

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Certified Angus Beef honors Glen Dolezal for industry achievements

With notable contributions to academia and trade, Dr. Glen Dolezal has made his mark on the meat science world — its people, the science and implications for all sectors of the beef industry. He was presented the 2024 Certified Angus Beef Industry Achievement Award at Feeding Quality Forum on Aug. 20, 2024, in Dodge City, Kan.

Stepping stones

Born into a family with its own packing plant in Hallettsville, Texas, Dolezal was brought up in the trade. That gave him a personal familiarity with protein processing, with the kill floor as an early memory.

His family’s farm, ranch and packing interests helped open doors to educational opportunities. In high school FFA, Dolezal judged everything from dairy cattle to poultry, livestock and meat. But it was the latter that really captured his imagination.

: Dr. Glen Dolezal, 2024 Certified Angus Beef Industry Achievement Award winner. Courtesy of Certified Angus Beef

Dolezal looked to Texas A&M University for collegiate judging. Dean of Agriculture, Dr. Richard Potts, advised Dolezal to match his judging interest with an education in science – and to work with legendary meat scientist Gary Smith.

Dolezal began undergraduate studies while on the meats team under coach Daryl Tatum, who would go on to an iconic career in the field. Following meats, Dolezal joined the livestock judging team, then graduated and asked, “What’s next?”

Still at A&M, he worked with Smith and department head Zerle Leon Carpenter on a master’s degree while coaching the meats team.

On the academic path, he continued to Colorado State University to work with past judging coach Tatum and begin work on a doctorate. Not long into that program, Oklahoma State University called in need of a faculty member to teach meat science and coach the judging team. An agreement was forged, and after completing his doctorate, Dolezal moved to Oklahoma for a 16-year career there.

Boxed beef calculator

Dolezal considers the boxed beef calculator his chief accomplishment at OSU. From cutting tests on many cuts with known percent yield and yield grade, his team back-calculated a price. The result? A calculated carcass value different than values seen in the cash market or any other form of trade.

At Cargill Meat Solutions, Dolezal’s team still relies on the formula daily, proving the enduring value of that research and the scientist’s foresight in creating a much-needed tool.

Outside of packing, Dolezal collaborated with Nebraska Angus rancher Bill Rishel on additional real-world use for the boxed beef calculator.

The rancher wanted to evaluate his own sire evaluation program, but he needed Dolezal’s help. Using Rishel’s progeny information that included carcass merit, Dolezal ran ribeye area, yield grade, back-fat thickness, marbling and quality through the boxed beef calculator. The results were favorable, pointing to sires with the potential to sire calves that would yield more dollars in a value-based marketing system.

The scientist has certainly earned his stripes in the beef community, especially its ranchers. With the drive to study what matters on the ranch and the skillset to explain results, Dolezal became a fixture at producer events. Often speaking on trends and current research, he keeps putting those educator skills to good use.

And though he’s years past his actual professor days, colleagues still call him “Doc.”

Quality

Quality has always been at the top of Dolezal’s career interests. Research on tenderness and palatability led to a “snip and shock” process to improve the eating experience. As a result, Cargill became the first major processor to earn USDA tenderness certification, on the heels of its groundbreaking offer of “guaranteed tender” beef for retailers. Cargill launched brands with Kroger and Harris-Teeter in 2002, followed by a guaranteed and certified tender program with 13 divisions at Safeway.

Alongside Cargill, Dolezal patented new processes and worked with USDA to change quality grades, upgrading a high-quality “hard bone” carcass to the greater value it deserved.

“Glen Dolezal is an icon in the industry,” Rishel said. “And one of the main reasons is that Glen is always about proving something to be really valuable,” not just for packers but as a meat scientist to all.

In the late 1980s to early 1990s, Dolezal pioneered instrument grading at OSU, testing it in labs and figuring out how to make it work at line speeds. Once at Cargill, he pressed for instrument grading because of variation in calls between graders. He led Cargill’s move as one of the first companies to make the switch.

“I think it’s created better brands, a more consistent product within those brands, and I think Doc’s done an excellent job of pushing the industry to move toward these cameras,” said Bill Thoni, beef industry consultant and Cargill’s former vice president of cattle procurement.

Camera grading has become an industry standard, he said, largely thanks to Dolezal’s foresight and efforts to create a more consistent system.

Dolezal also leads as a voice for animal welfare and sustainability, advocating for Beef Quality Assurance and BQA Transportation. This all leads up to quality beef production.

“We’re more focused on carcass quality than ever before, and it’s a good thing,” Dolezal said.

According to Brad Morgan, vice president of research and development at iQ Foods, quality means something a bit different to Dolezal. Morgan nods to weight and efficiency as anyone in packing would, but said Dolezal expects more. It’s not just pounds, but “quality pounds.”

“He wants something that, from a carcass-weight standpoint, can be merchandised at retail or foodservice,” Morgan said. That is Dolezal’s leadership style: setting the example, doing more than just punching the clock and ultimately influencing change.

Legacy forward

“Doc” places a lot of weight on developing the next generation of meat scientists, drawing passion from what’s mattered to him. His pride is in those he’s mentored, educated or coached. Seeing their successes, jumpstarted by an extracurricular like competitive judging, is a bright spot in Dolezal’s own long list.

The positive difference in students’ lives is part of Dolezal’s legacy, alongside his own lasting contributions to meat science, packing and the greater beef industry.

“You contributed and you contributed in multiple ways,” he said. “It could be human resources; it doesn’t have to be science. It’s just to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Source: Lindsay Graber Runft, Certified Angus Beef director of producer communications

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Preliminary 2025 Bristol Bay salmon forecast released

The earlier-than-usual projections show some stability for the region’s catch.

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First Watch fall menu brings back Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich

Fall is coming to First Watch as the breakfast, brunch and lunch concept rolls out its seasonal, chef-driven menu, available at restaurants nationwide through Oct. 28, 2024, with the exception of the Tampa Bay, Fla., area.

“This menu delivers on cozy fall flavors, including pumpkin and salted caramel, and seasonal produce, like brussels sprouts,” said Shane Schaibly, senior vice president of culinary strategy at First Watch. “We’re also bringing the heat with the return of the customer-favorite Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich, which uses Mike’s Hot Honey—a spicy-sweet partnership that dates back to 2019.”

First Watch’s seasonal menu includes:

Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich – Million Dollar Bacon, all-natural pork sausage patty, an over-easy cage-free egg, smoked Wisconsin Gouda, fresh arugula and Mike’s Hot Honey drizzled on a griddled English muffin. Served with lemon-dressed organic mixed greens.
Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast – Two cage-free eggs cooked any style plus one of First Watch’s signature spiced Pumpkin Pancakes and a Jones Dairy Farm all-natural chicken sausage patty.

“First Watch has regularly featured Mike’s Hot Honey on their menu over the last five years and we’re grateful for it,” said Mike’s Hot Honey founder, Mike Kurtz. “Each menu item that features Mike’s Hot Honey has been thoughtfully crafted and delicious … We’re excited for the return of the Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich. It’s one of my personal favorites.”

First Watch’s seasonal menus embody the restaurant’s “Follow the Sun” approach to sourcing fresh ingredients of the season. Its menus change five times a year and have received national awards for their innovative, trend-forward approach.

Source: First Watch

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Pythag Tech Launches the “Clean Meat Terminal,” All-in-One Platform for Deep Industry Data – vegconomist

New York’s Pythag Tech, a technology company dedicated to “all things cultivated meat,” announces the launch of a market intelligence platform — the Clean Meat Terminal (CMT) — designed specifically for the cellular agriculture industry.

CMT is said to offer a comprehensive, reliable, all-in-one source of deep industry data, aiming to simplify the navigation of the sector’s complex landscape. It caters to anyone invested in cultivated meat from investors seeking opportunities to researchers needing the latest data or companies staying updated.

Sami Nabulsi, CEO of Pythag Technologies, shares: “As skeptics of the cultivated meat industry persist, Pythag Tech launches CMT with the opposite view.”

Image courtesy of Pythag Tech

Sector-specific data

Pithag’s platform offers sector-specific data for business and academic needs. The platform’s key features include:

Detailed metrics and insights on relevant companies in the industry.
Access to academic and company research
Tools to identify and locate products and facilities
Up-to-date news specific to cellular agriculture
Key metrics aimed at guiding investment decisions
A weekly email covering industry news

Above all, Pythag Tech says CMT is accessible. Unlike traditional market intelligence platforms with hefty price tags, CMT offers affordable pricing tiers to suit individuals, businesses, and academic institutions.

Nabulsi continues, “Cellular agriculture will continue to grow as scientific efforts compound over the next few years, and we hope CMT will play a pivotal role in supporting these efforts.”

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Consumers see food prices as rising more than other goods and services, find ways to adapt

21 August 2024

5 minute read

More than 80% of consumers perceive that food prices have increased a little or a lot over the last 12 months, according to the May 2024 Consumer Food Insights Report (CFI).

The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index measure of food inflation shows a 12-month increase in food prices of 2.2%, down from 4.4% a year ago. “While food inflation has slowed in 2024, consumers are feeling the cumulative effect of the high inflation we’ve experienced,” said the report’s lead author, Joseph Balagtas, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue and director of CFDAS.

The May CFI survey asked consumers to report their experiences and responses to rising food prices over the last 12 months. The survey included a question asked previously in February and July 2022, seeing how consumers have adapted their grocery shopping in response to food price inflation.

The researchers found that the most common shopping adaptations to food inflation are seeking out sales and discounts, switching to cheaper and generic brands, and buying fewer nonessential foods like ice cream.

“We also wanted to understand how perceived changes in food prices compare with perceived price changes for other common household expenses,” Balagtas said. “Consumers were more likely to report price increases for food than for any other good or service in the economy.”

Similarly, when asked which goods and services saw the largest year-over-year price increase, 56% of consumers selected “food,” despite official inflation data that show prices of insurance, housing and child care have risen faster than prices for food in the past year. “It’s possible the high frequency with which we shop for food could make higher food prices more salient to consumers. Media attention to food could also play a role,” Balagtas said.

The May survey revisited generational differences analyzed in past reports by categorizing consumers into Gen Z (born after 1996), millennials (born 1981-1996), Gen X (born 1965-1980), and boomer-plus (born before 1965).

“One area where we see bigger generational differences when asking about recent consumer experiences is the source of funding that consumers reported relying on to purchase food,”
Balagtas said. “Around 37% of Gen Z and millennial consumers report drawing on savings or going into debt to finance their food purchases over the past year compared to 28% of Gen X and only 13% of boomer-plus consumers. It is concerning to see over a third of young adults needing to stretch their finances to afford food.”

Food insecurity is highest among Gen Z adults, with around one-third of consumers from this group also reporting having trouble accessing quality food. This is much higher than the rate of food insecurity among older Gen X (13%), and boomer-plus (5%) consumers.

“More research is needed, but these results are likely driven in part by a stage-of-life effect, as income and wealth increase are drivers of food security and tend to increase with age,” Balagtas said.

The April consumer price index measure of food price inflation — the most recent available — remained unchanged from March at 2.2%. The inflation rate seems to have stabilized, having stayed around 2.2% for the last three months, noted Elijah Bryant, a survey research analyst at CFDAS and co-author of the report.

“According to the center’s data, consumer estimates of food inflation over the past year of 6.2% and expectations for the coming year of 3.6% continue to remain higher than the CPI estimate,” Bryant said. This suggests that consumer experiences with food prices have been different than the official measurement.

“Consumers’ inflation estimates continue to hover around 6%, showing that the dramatic increase in food inflation in previous years may still be affecting consumer food price sentiment. However, consumers have been consistently more optimistic about future food prices relative to their inflation estimates over the past 12 months,” Bryant said.

Consumers are asked to allocate 100 points among the six attributes — taste, affordability, nutrition, availability, environmental impact and social responsibility — based on the importance of each in their grocery purchasing decisions. Though CFDAS began measuring food values on a quarterly basis in January 2024, the researchers have yet to observe significant changes in the importance level of these attributes.

“Taste, affordability and nutrition continue to be heavily considered by consumers when making a purchasing decision at the grocery store, whereas environmental impact and social responsibility are of lower importance,” Bryant said. “Americans’ values have proven to be fairly consistent despite changes to the economic landscape over the past couple of years.”

The survey results show generational differences in food values, too, between the younger Gen Z and millennial groups and the oldest boomer-plus group. Younger generations place more value on the environmental and social responsibility of their food when choosing what to buy. Older consumers are more concerned about taste.

The frequency of certain shopping and eating habits also differs across age groups. For instance, younger consumers are more likely to choose nonconventional foods compared to older consumers.

“We see this with organic foods, grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs and plant-based proteins,” Bryant said. However, all consumers regardless of age report checking food date labels often.

“We also observe older consumers report eating unwashed produce, raw dough and rare meat less frequently than younger consumers,” he said. This aligns with differences seen in risk attitudes among consumers of different ages. “Young adults are more willing to take risks with their food than older adults,” Bryant said.

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Ghent, Belgium hosts NMC Regional Meeting

The meeting welcomed 450 participants from 35 countries

21 August 2024

2 minute read

Four hundred fifty milk quality professionals from 35 countries attended the National Mastitis Council (NMC) Regional Meeting, held Aug. 12-14, in Ghent, Belgium, according to a press release from the council. The event attracted udder health researchers, dairy processors, veterinarians, dairy producers, milking equipment dealers and dairy suppliers.

In a captivating first session, Ynte Schukken, chief executive officer at Royal GD in Deventer, the Netherlands, and a professor of management of farm animal health at Wageningen University and professor at Utrecht University’s Veterinary College, addressed udder health challenges for an evolving dairy industry.

“Numerous challenges face the dairy industry that impact udder health,” Schukken said. “Technologies continue to evolve that will help dairy producers reduce antimicrobial use, reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, improve animal welfare and improve cattle life expectancy.”

Additionally, Schukken shared some current research and innovations that are fostering many positive outcomes to improve milk quality, udder health and animal welfare.

Furthermore, the three-day event revolved around the latest updates on mastitis and milk quality – presented by world-renowned mastitis experts. Topics included mastitis diagnostics, employee training and communication, machine learning, dairy equipment automation, data analytics, mastitis monitoring, antimicrobial stewardship, genomics, nutrition, treatment innovation through bacteriophage-derived endolysins and mammary gland immunology.

“This year’s NMC Regional Meeting was truly an unforgettable experience,” said Sarne De Vliegher, NMC Regional Meeting co-organizer and Ghent University, professor in veterinary law, deontology and practice management and M-teamUGent chair. “Speakers shared the latest innovations in the field of mastitis prevention, treatment and control.”

Sofie Piepers, also with the Ghent University, CEO of MEX and meeting co-organizer, added, “These leading udder health experts offered cutting-edge insights in a variety of topics – challenging attendees to ‘up their game’ in improving on-farm milk quality metrics. Plus, some presenters projected future technologies that may lead to enhanced milk quality.”

“Ghent provided a phenomenal setting to help NMC further its global reach,” said NMC president Keith Engel, business development manager – hygiene & milk quality at GEA Farm Technologies. “NMC leaders send a hearty thanks to Sarne and Sofie and their team for organizing an outstanding event that fostered outstanding networking opportunities and future collaborative projects.”

The National Mastitis Council 64th Annual Meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27-30, 2025, in Charlotte, NC, USA. Next year’s NMC Regional Meeting is set for July 22-24, in Rochester, NY, USA.

National Mastitis Council is a non-profit professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides science-based information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality, animal welfare and food safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

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First Watch launches fall flavors

Fall is coming to First Watch as the breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept rolls out its seasonal menu highlighting flavors of pumpkin, salted caramel, apple butter, and hot honey. The chef-driven menu is available at restaurants nationwide now through October 28, with the exception of the Tampa Bay area.

“This menu delivers on cozy fall flavors, including pumpkin and salted caramel, and seasonal produce, like brussels sprouts,” says Shane Schaibly, senior vice president of culinary strategy at First Watch. “We’re also bringing the heat with the return of the customer-favorite Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich, which uses Mike’s Hot Honey—a spicy-sweet partnership that dates back to 2019.”

First Watch’s seasonal menu includes the below, plus more:

Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich – Million Dollar Bacon, all-natural pork sausage patty, an over-easy cage-free egg, smoked Wisconsin Gouda, fresh arugula and Mike’s Hot Honey drizzled on a griddled English muffin. Served with lemon-dressed organic mixed greens.
Pumpkin Pancake Breakfast – Two cage-free eggs cooked any style plus one of First Watch’s signature spiced Pumpkin Pancakes and a Jones Dairy Farm all-natural chicken sausage patty.
Salted Caramel Holey Donuts – Cake doughnut holes tossed with pumpkin pie spice sugar, served over warm apple butter and drizzled with crème anglaise and sea salt caramel. Topped with gingerbread cookie crumbles and powdered cinnamon sugar.

“First Watch has regularly featured Mike’s Hot Honey on their menu over the last five years and we’re grateful for it,” says Mike’s Hot Honey founder, Mike Kurtz. “Each menu item that features Mike’s Hot Honey has been thoughtfully crafted and delicious! We’re excited for the return of the Million Dollar Breakfast Sandwich. It’s one of my personal favorites.”

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