All PFN ARTICLES

When it comes to plant-based innovation, New Zealand’s not just punching above its weight- it’s starting to cross oceans. LILO Desserts, the sweet little Kiwi brand crafting low-allergen, 100% New Zealand fruit treats, has just landed at #32 on RangeMe’s Top 50 Brands list, putting it squarely in the sights of major US retailers and consumers hungry for cleaner, smarter snacking.

Melbourne’s vegan food scene in 2025? It’s not a trend. It’s the table. As more diners ditch the steak and chase the umami high of truffle, tamale, and woodfired cauliflower, a handful of iconic plant food restaurants are shaping the city’s culinary DNA, one daring, dairy-free dish at a time.

In a city that once wrapped foie gras in bacon and served it with a side of veal, the idea of plant-forward dining might’ve once earned a baguette to the face. But in 2025, things have changed, dramatically.

After 5.5 years of playful meat mimicry with its ‘THIS ISN’T’ range, UK-based food company THIS is making a serious new play. Launching next week in major UK retailers, 'THIS IS SUPER SUPERFOOD' marks the company’s first official move into APT — A Protein Thing sector. And it’s not just a new product, it’s a category shake-up.

A new wave of seafood is hitting the shores and this one never swam a day in its life. Israeli FoodTech firm SimpliiGood by AlgaeCore Technologies is officially scaling commercial production of its plant-based spirulina smoked salmon made entirely from spirulina, the vibrant green microalgae best known for smoothies, supplements, and now, apparently, seafood.

And here’s a wild thought - EARTH is an anagram of HEART. Coincidence? Maybe. But let’s run with it. Because something is changing, not fast enough for the forests or the fish, but enough to whisper perhaps, just perhaps, we’re learning to eat with our hearts again. This isn’t just wordplay — it's a shift in planetary intimacy.

Leading the pack is Kisan Konnect, a farm-to-fridge juggernaut that’s tapped into India’s new obsession is right in the middle of India's fresh food frenzy delivering fast, fresh, and traceable food. Think e-commerce, but with tomatoes. Q-commerce is already redefining shopping in India (10-minute deliveries, no joke), but this is QF-commerce - Quick. Fresh. Local. It’s a dietary shift disguised as a delivery service.

In a quiet but seismic shift, Austrian food-tech startup Revo Foods has just released “The Prime Cut” - a 3D-printed mycoprotein product finally answering a question industry insiders are beginning to ask out loud. What if the future of alternative protein isn’t meat-like at all?

US based, The Better Meat Co. has scored its sixth U.S. patent, this time for the wild idea of fermenting spud waste with mycelium to produce a high-protein, cholesterol-free meat alternative called Rhiza. And it’s ready in just a few hours. Forget cow farts and climate guilt. This is meat made from mushroom roots and leftover mash.

Just when you thought plant-based deli slices had peaked, along comes Finland with a juicy little surprise. Meet ROAST BIFFI – a bold, 100% plant-based cold cut developed with a twist of AI wizardry and a whole lot of Nordic no-nonsense.

So lets look at the great American pastime: baseball, beer, and a dodgy meat tube wrapped in nostalgia and nitrates. But just as the crack of the bat returns, a new headline has us gagging on tradition, literally. A new media storm is brewing over the “Death in a Bun” hot dog bombshell, and suddenly that stadium frank looks less like fun and more like a colorectal time bomb.

Australian food tech outfit Nourish Ingredients has created Tastilux - an animal-free fat so convincing it could pass for the real deal in a blindfolded taste test. No cows, no pigs, no chickens involved. Just precision fermentation wizardry, a partnership with China’s Cabio Biotech, and a whole lot of science making your fake meat feel frighteningly real.