ANZ Focus: Woolworths-backed accelerator Seedlabs, New Zealand's Off-Piste Provisions, Fonterra's microbiome focus and more feature in our round-up

Australian opportunity: Plant-based and better-for-you alternatives centre stage in Woolworths-backed FMCG accelerator​

Plant-based, better-for-you alternatives, and functional snacks dominate the latest accelerator cohort in Australia led by a Woolworths-backed accelerator.

Nine out of 15 businesses in the plant-based, better-for-you alternatives, and functional snacks space feature in the latest batch of firms identified by Seedlab Australia.

Seedlab’s founder Dr Hazel MacTavish-West said products included Lupini beans and Kakadu plum, as well as functional snacks such as nutrient-dense protein balls.

‘Chance to chew’: Mouthfeel and convenience major drivers for plant-based food industry​

NZ-based Off-Piste Provisions has outlined how consumer demands for healthy convenience food and a ‘chewing experience’ are key drivers guiding its product development strategy amidst plans for Australia and United States expansion.

Founded in November 2020, Off-Piste Provisions has produced some of New Zealand’s first plant-based jerkies and toppers, specialising in flavoured plant-based snacks, with other products including biltong and crackling.

Gut feeling: Fonterra’s new venture arm eyeing China and US investments for microbiome personalised nutrition solutions​

Fonterra says the microbiome is increasingly taking the centre stage when it comes to human health, with its new nutrition science venture arm identifying China and US as key investment targets for personalised solutions.

Known as Nutrition Science Solutions (NSS), it announced its first investment of US$10 million last month in Pendulum Therapeutics – a US biotech developing microbiome-targeted products focused on restoring metabolic health.

Beefing up on sustainability: NZ firm ‘upcycles’ male calves into protein-rich beef bar​

New Zealand’s Alps 2 Ocean Foods is launching a protein-rich and nutrient-fortified beef bar made from male calves that are otherwise killed shortly after birth or made into lower-value ground beef – a move that the firm believes is more sustainable for the local dairy beef industry.

The beef bar, marketed under the name Miti, is fortified with nutrients made from other local New Zealand (NZ) ingredients, such as kiwifruit, medicinal plant kawakawa, and seaweed karengo.

Beyond sugar reduction: Functional benefits and taste key to drive healthy beverage NPD – experts​

Experts have highlighted the need to balance functionality and taste to move healthy beverages into the mainstream in APAC, with some consensus that personalised nutrition, gut health, and mental wellness are set to become emerging growth areas.

The perspectives were shared in the recent Healthy Beverage Innovation APAC interactive broadcast, hosted by FoodNavigator-Asia and NutraIngredients-Asia​. In an interactive panel debate, several industry experts discussed about the scope for NPD innovation in the healthy beverage space, and growth markets in APAC.