All PFN ARTICLES

Global blueberry demand is no longer a trend, it’s a structural shift. The market is now worth USD $10.8–$11.5 billion, heading toward $17–19 billion by 2030, and the numbers explain the momentum. In the US, per-capita consumption has shot past 1.3kg a year, backed by soaring imports up 300% over the last decade. Shoppers aren’t dabbling, they’re committing.

Did you know China is now sitting on 10,000–15,000 hectares of G3-type gold kiwifruit, all descended from stolen New Zealand genetics? Most shoppers haven’t a clue. They just see sweet, gold-fleshed fruit and buy whatever looks good and a huge chunk of that “gold kiwi” is Chinese, not Zespri. Quiet, massive, and maturing fast, China’s shadow G3 world is now too big to ignore.

Air India just pulled a move most airlines keep avoiding. by making plant-based the norm, not novel. Forget the token vegan meal baked in 1992, this is a full cabin rollout of vegan, gluten-free, allergen-friendly and low-oil dishes designed to feel like real food rather than “special meal” purgatory. Khichdi, stuffed paranthas, curated veg mains, it’s the first time an old-school flag carrier has presented plant-based eating as part of modern Indian aviation rather than a fr

Let’s call it like it is, when almost 21,000 Dutch consumers were asked whether terms like vegaworst or veganburger were confusing, a thumping 96% knew exactly what they meant. That alone pulls the rug out from under claims EU shoppers can’t tell a plant-based sausage from an animal one. The data couldn’t be clearer, consumers aren’t confused, regulators are.

Veggie tea drinks have moved from niche novelty to legitimate new category, led by brands like Millie’s Sipping Broth in the US, essentially broth in a tea bag and GOBBi, which positions itself as a savoury “energy tea” with tomato, mushroom and miso profiles. Add in the OGs like Numi’s early “Savory Tea” lineup, plus celery-ginger and herbal-vegetable hybrids across Asia, and the signal is clear: warm, vegetable-forward teas are becoming a recognised hot-drink ritual.

Alejandro Cancino (ex Fenn Foods and The Aussie Plant-Based Co) has always been one of the few operators who shaped its rise with real integrity. While others chased supermarket space at any cost, he obsessed over renewable energy, responsible packaging, and carbon-neutral production, often putting principle ahead of profit. Now, after stepping back and spending time in Indonesia, he’s returned with something feeling far closer to his food philosophy: Murni, and a clean, shel

Global pistachio demand isn’t just growing, it’s ballooning into a full-blown indicator of how consumers are shifting their diets. When a category leaps from US$7.9bn (2023) to a projected US$16.1bn by 2032, you’re looking at more than a nut trend; you’re looking at a behaviour shift. Pistachios hit the sweet spot in '24 and '25 for being plant-based, nutrient-dense, fibre-loaded, and snackable in a way almonds never quite managed.

Plant-based egg innovator, Crafty Counter’s new Protein Buns are the kind of functional convenience foods consumers are absolutely primed for - soft, gluten-free, microwave-ready, and stuffed with a hemp-based “egg” scramble packing 40% more protein per gram than a real egg. In a protein-obsessed food economy, this is the kind of micro-innovation that creates its own demand curve.

The food-innovation world is buzzing with hybrid meat products, blends of animal and plant proteins being touted as the “bridge” for flexitarian consumers. But when US based, The Mushroom Meat Co. co‐founder & CEO Kesha Stickland writes “ALL MUSHROOM, NO BEEF – WHY WE DON’T BLEND,” she makes a strong case for going full fungi. Her startup is committed to 80 % mushrooms + ~20 % whole plants (hempseed, seaweed, beets), consciously not blending in animal meat or hybridising wit

The arrival of a bioprinted meat product into the spotlight of a major industry awards show signals a turning point, as Redefine Meat’s 3-D-printed Flank Steak takes out the Plant-Based Meat Alternatives champion title in the UK's The Grocer’s New Product & Packaging Awards 2025. But it isn't just a trophy, it's recognition from the heart of the UK food trade.

It turns out the ancient Greeks had the right idea all along, energy on demand, no branding required. A mix of just honey and sesame seeds fuelled warriors, traders, and philosophers long before “protein bars” were a thing. Two ingredients. Infinite logic tied to sesame seeds known 'calmative qualities'. The Greek Pasteli !!

NXW, born in New Zealand in 2020 and now headquartered in Portugal, has achieved a category milestone with its Marine Whey™ ingredient. Together with SIG Group, they have completed their first commercial run of an affordable functional‐nutrition product for the MEA region: a UHT‐treated “Peach Power” marine whey yoghurt filled via SIG’s aseptic packaging solutions and tailored for local taste profiles.