All PFN ARTICLES

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.

On October 7, 2024, the world watched in horror as Israel's Kibbutz Be’eri came under senseless attack. Lives lost. Hostages held. Families shattered. And for the team behind one of Israel’s quiet agricultural marvels - Hinoman’s Mankai - everything they’d built was left in ruins. The greenhouses once housing one of the world’s most efficient crops were torched. Gone in hours.

ALOHA, the plant-based nutrition brand with a cult following, has just dropped a new taro protein bar  not only fueling workouts but feeding a deeper mission: supporting Indigenous youth, regenerative agriculture, and the sacred roots of Hawaiian food culture. And yes, it tastes like mana in a wrapper.

Danone's still very much in the dairy game, but make no mistake its eyes are set firmly on the non-animal prize.

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.

What if your protein was clean enough for your body and smart enough for space? That’s the proposition behind Pureture, the next-gen protein biotech outfit quietly scaling a next-gen yeast-based casein with no gums, no stabilisers, no emulsifiers, just functionality, purity, and real-world performance.

Portugal-based Kiwi startup Nutrition from Water™ (NXW)  - founded by New Zealander Alex Worker - has just signed a deal with Nissei Kyoeki, one of Japan’s long-standing protein import royalty. Together, they’re launching NXW's Marine Whey, a next-gen protein brewed not from cows, but from the sea. Yep, it's protein. From water.

A new Spanish study shows people who stick to the Planetary Health Diet cut their risk of death by 22%. The Mediterranean Diet comes close.

Sustainable plant-based food production is heading to space, with Australian scientists preparing to trial next-gen tech that could one day

Sri Lanka’s once-mighty coconut export game has gone from boom to bust and fast. Factories are under pressure to stay operating, workers are