Japanese food tech group Next Food Ecosystem has announced plans to expand its innovative products across Asia. The group consists of plant-based meat brand Next Meats, vegan foie gras producer Dr. Foods (which is a spinoff of the former), and international partner Wayback Burgers. Together, the companies will work to expand beyond Japan, using Singapore as a springboard to launch across Asia. Wayback collaboration Next Meats first announced a collaboration with Wayback Burgers last year, when the US-based chain trialled plant-based sliders made with Next’s short rib. Wayback recently opened a flagship restaurant in Tokyo, and is now searching for Asian franchise partners. Wayback Burgers Asia is also set to launch a new business venture called Next Restaurant, which will offer bento boxes containing Next ... more

Japan’s Next Food Ecosystem Announces Expansion Across Asia

27 June 2022
The English language sure loves its neologisms. (Don’t look this one up in your dictionary. It’s not there…yet.) The one in the title adds an ‘ism’ onto ‘invasivore’ where this latter word is ascribed to species that have been accidentally or purposefully introduced into a foreign environment where there are no natural predators to keep their numbers in check, thus diminishing biodiversity. Foremost examples are the African cane toads that have ravaged the Australian continent and the zebra mussels that have similarly become endemic to the Great Lakes. Specific to you, it’s important for hoteliers keep tabs on these sorts of trends because, in the relentless progression of global climate change, customers will continue to demand more from their travel brands to help foster a culture of sustainability. Right now, environmentalism is largely a value-add to make guests feel good about their hotel selections (with the ability to command a few extra dollars in rate for the privilege). There may come a time soon, though, when sustainability is scored and businesses failing to get a good grade are shunned by prospective bookers. Invasivorism for hotel restaurants amounts to putting these foods on the menu as a means to:
Help build an economic system around the farming and the consumption of invasivores
Reduce the stigma of eating these species by transforming them into palatable dishes
Raise awareness for the need to cull invasivores to bring indigenous species back into balance
Offer a point of differentiation to help with the marketing and PR of your F&B program
Round out a brand-wide sustainability initiative that incorporates numerous departments
As you can already tell, the first of these five is hardly easy at present because the supply chains just aren’t there. This will change. Think back around two decades when the phrase ‘authentically local’ was first gaining steam. Stocking inventory from local providers back then required lots of effort because each relationship had to be set up one-to-one and we just didn’t yet have the critical mass of adjustable manufacturers to cost-effectively engage in small batch productions. Now, living local, buying local and eating local are all but the expectation from hotels, albeit they still require a hefty load of setup and care. We foresee invasivorism taking a similar trajectory with hotels benefited from their larger procurement networks to take advantage of this trend. Personal demand for climate action often begins with an awareness campaign for the ‘charismatic megafauna’ like a reminder about how few panda there are left, a news story about the recent extinction of the northern white rhino or a video of an emaciated polar bear struggling to find solid footing on a patchwork of half-melted ice blocks. Likewise, invasivorism will start with a ramp up in access to and the edible acceptance of one of the largest provocateurs. Our bet is on the four types of Asian carp invasive to the Mississippi river system – slimy and a pain to debone, but still a suitable substitute for salmon or tuna when minced and sauced. Not merely a soylent green alternative, invasivorism has applicability for haute cuisine, too. People opt for sophisticated fine dining experiences not only to attain satiety but also to be inspired by the chef’s wild, esoteric ingredient combinations as well as having something to talk about with friends at the next dinner party. This last reason may as well be called bragging rights, so give your restaurants something to brag out. To close, to merge together the haute cuisine element with the awareness and education ones, you are approaching an experience that can be classified as ‘transformative’ – leaving the guest better off than when they arrived at your hotel. By promoting the ingestion of foods that are not native to a land – in sharp contrast to local eating and the direct opposite of indigenous eating – you are inspiring your customers to reframe the environmental conversation and making them feel good in the process for their active contribution. If you build enough of these sustainability-related experiences into your brand – of which invasivorism is one possible inclusion – your guests will adore you for it and be willing to pay above market for the opportunity to stay with you.

Invasivorism as the Next Food Trend for Hotels

Why food brands should pay more attention to the most overlooked macronutrient
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Remember the rise of oat bran, and how everyone was really into antioxidants a few years ago? Ever wonder why so many foods seem to be yuzu-flavored right now? What about how every food product now wants to point out how much protein is inside it? You're noticing food trends. Predicting the next big food trend — and moving on it to create competitive advantage before consumer behavior changes — is a perennial food industry obsession. For many brands, hitting the right one at the right time is what defines success. Sustainable sourcing, plant-based eating and sugar reduction are all examples of current food industry macrotrends. Coming out of the global pandemic, people are more interested than ever in managing and safeguarding their own health, and one of the core ways we do that is through a focus on the macronutrients in our foods. This represents a growing opportunity for food brands . Fiber is an overlooked macronutrient 
The food industry has long focused on reducing sugar, carbs and fat content in packaged foods. More recently, it has focused intently on increasing protein content . However, protein deficiencies are so rare in North America and Europe that they don't even have a precise English name — "kwashiorkor" is actually a Ghanian word for protein-related malnutrition. In contrast, the one macronutrient that's most often ignored on our supermarket shelves is the one consumers and food formulators ought to pay the most attention to. I’m talking, of course, about fiber. Fiber offers the biggest opportunity to become the food macrotrend of the future. Like protein deficiency, we don't have a word for fiber deficiency, but we should. Unlike protein deficiency, almost every American today suffers from a fiber deficiency — studies show that 95% of Americans consume less than their daily recommended amount, eating on average only half as much fiber as they should. The Mayo Clinic recommends 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day for women, and 30 to 38 daily grams for men. Unfortunately, fiber deficiency contributes to an epidemic of non-communicable diseases and the rising health care costs that go with them. The US Center for Disease Control reports that in the U.S., cardiovascular disease costs $216 billion per year and causes $147 billion in lost productivity. That's not the worst, though. One of every four health care dollars goes to treating diabetes, which tops the non-communicable disease expense chart with an annual spend of $237 billion on direct medical costs alone. Making up the difference isn't simply a matter of downing an extra scoop of bran flakes. Fiber is naturally found in plant-based foods, but you need to scarf down a lot to hit the recommended daily 30 grams. A sample menu might include one oat bran muffin (5 grams), one cup chopped boiled broccoli (another 5 grams), one medium pear and a medium apple (4.5 and 5.5 grams, respectively), a raw carrot (1 gram), two slices of whole wheat bread (4 grams), 1 cup of chopped raw cauliflower (2 grams) and one cup of strawberries for dessert (3 grams). Fiber appeals to health-conscious consumers  
If the food industry invests in fiber, that proverbial ounce (or rather 30 grams) of prevention could lead to greater overall health outcomes. The research shows it clearly: Eating more fiber helps ensure better health. According to Harvard University , eating sufficient amounts of fiber can lower the risk of developing "heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation," and that it also appears that fiber may act as an anti-inflammatory in patients with these conditions. This research is backed by numerous studies worldwide. Researchers also note that fiber is a natural and effective way to remove toxins from the body. Plus, by regulating the body's glycemic response , it provides other beneficial effects, such as lower blood sugar. One of the most promising ways in which fiber's benefits are beginning to be communicated is through the impact on gut health. We need fiber to help our digestive systems function properly. As Laura Entis wrote in Entrepreneur , "the low-fiber, highly processed diets so common in our industrial society may be depleting the diversity of our microbiomes." That's because the fiber we eat creates a happy habitat that feeds our gut microbiota , the bacteria that live in our intestines and contribute to our overall health. In fact, researchers also keep finding stronger links between gut health and mental health, particularly with foods that are considered prebiotic. Prebiotic foods contain fiber that creates the ideal conditions for gut flora, setting our digestive systems up for optimal performance. A study led by Dr. Ali Boolani , a researcher in the Department of Physical Therapy and the Department of Biology at Clarkson University, found that gut flora can actually affect a person's mood. In addition, Boolani and colleagues reported an imbalance in gut flora contributes to persistent fatigue , which affects about 45% of the American population. "What you eat determines the bacteria and the microbiome in your gut," Boolani told Sci News . Many companies are leading the charge on this front. One is Gutsii, which makes prebiotic chocolate using inulin, a fiber found in many fruits and vegetables. Other companies have signed on to various initiatives to include more fiber, including the UK's Food and Drink Federation's Action on Fiber initiative. For me, I've spent my career as a carbohydrate scientist developing new ways to access and use plant fiber from otherwise underutilized sources and have made it the foundation of my work at The Supplant Company. It's clear to me that fiber has been, until now, the least-appreciated macronutrient. And yet, it's essential to human health, the most abundant biological resource on the planet and the most abundant product of our food system. As more people come to realize the benefits of getting enough fiber in their diets, and as more companies start to find ways to meet consumer demand for additional fiber in their food, we'll see that fiber offers fertile ground for the next wave of food entrepreneurs — especially those seeking to promote human health. Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
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Fiber: The Next Food Industry Macrotrend

8:30 PM IST, 08 Mar 2022
7:30 PM IST, 08 Mar 2022
8:30 PM IST, 08 Mar 2022
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(Bloomberg) -- Russia's invasion of Ukraine means the food inflation that's been plaguing global consumers is now tipping into a full-blown crisis, potentially outstripping even the pandemic's blow and pushing millions more into hunger. (Bloomberg) -- Russia's invasion of Ukraine means the food inflation that's been plaguing global consumers is now tipping into a full-blown crisis, potentially outstripping even the pandemic's blow and pushing millions more into hunger. Together, Russia and Ukraine account for a whopping portion of the world's agricultural supplies, exporting so much wheat, corn, sunflower oil and other foods that it adds up to more than a tenth of all calories traded globally. Now, shipments from both countries have virtually dried up. Commodity markets are soaring — wheat is up about 50% in two weeks and corn just touched a decade high. The surging costs could end up weighing on  currencies in emerging markets, where food represents a bigger share of consumer-price baskets. And analysts are predicting export flows will continue to be disrupted for months even if the war were to end tomorrow. The crisis extends beyond just the impact of grain exports (critical as they are). Russia is also a key supplier for fertilizers . Virtually every major crop in the world depends on inputs like potash and nitrogen, and without a steady stream, farmers will have a harder time growing everything from coffee to rice and soybeans. Plainly speaking, there are few other places on the planet where a conflict like this could create such a devastating blow to ensuring that food supplies stay plentiful and affordable. It's why Russia and Ukraine are known as the breadbaskets to the world. “It's an amazing food shock,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, an independent market analyst and a former senior economist at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. “I don't know of a situation like this in the 30 years I was involved in this sector.”
 The shock is already reverberating across the world. In Brazil, another agricultural powerhouse, farmers can't get the fertilizers they need because retailers are reluctant to provide price quotes. In China, one of the world’s biggest food importers, buyers are snapping up purchases of U.S. corn and soybean supplies amid concerns that fewer crop shipments from Russia and Ukraine could set off a global scramble for grains. In Egypt, people are worried that prices for the subsidized loaves of bread they depend on could rise for the first time in four decades, while footage of citizens in Turkey trying to grab tins of cheaper oil went viral . And within Ukraine itself, food is running short in some major cities. “The damage is done,” Abbassian said. “We'll have months before we return to anything called normality.”
The timing couldn't be worse. When the pandemic first hit in 2020, images of lines snaking around food banks and empty grocery shelves shocked the world as nearly a tenth of the global population went hungry. But at the time, food inventories were still abundant. That's no longer the case. Grains are the staples that keep the world fed, with wheat, corn and rice accounting for more than 40% of all calories consumed. But grain stockpiles are poised for a fifth straight annual decline. A combination of higher shipping costs, energy inflation, extreme weather and labor shortages have made it harder to produce food. As a result, global food prices are already at record highs, with the benchmark U.N. index increasing more than 40% over the past two years. The surge has had crushing consequences. Food insecurity has doubled in the past two years, and the World Food Programme estimates 45 million people are on the brink of famine. The current crisis is going to make things worse, likely sending hunger to unprecedented levels as the conflict turns millions of people into refugees and sends food prices even higher. “The bullets and bombs in Ukraine could take the global hunger crisis to levels beyond anything we’ve seen before,”  David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. agency, said in a statement. Wheat: Why It Matters
The world has grown hugely dependent on Ukraine and Russia for their wheat, a crop used in everything from bread to couscous and noodles. The nations account for a quarter of global trade. They are also cheap suppliers, which makes their exports favorites for importers in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Egypt, the world’s biggest wheat buyer. Benchmark wheat futures traded in Chicago reached a record-high price Tuesday. “You’re going to see a spike of starvation around the world,” Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer  told Bloomberg TV’s Surveillance. Wheat is a key commodity to watch because bread prices have a long history of kickstarting unrest. Going back to the days of the French Revolution, food insecurity has sent people into the streets demanding better conditions. Supplies from Russia have been part of this bigger picture before. In 2010, the country experienced a record heat wave that devastated crops, and the government banned exports. Wheat prices in international markets doubled in a matter of months, raising the cost of bread for millions of people. The price run-up simmered as part of the mix of factors that sparked uprisings in the Arab Spring. While Russia’s wheat hasn’t come directly under sanction, trade from the country has ground to a near standstill. Meanwhile in Ukraine, where farming is so core to the national identity that its flag depicts blue skies blanketing yellow farm fields, growers are finding fieldwork perilous, while some have joined the military just weeks before spring planting begins. Analysts are warning that lots of fields could go bare this year. “The potential is here for a serious hole in world grain supplies in 2022,” said Scott Irwin, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. International Food Web 
Food moves through the world in a complex web of imports and exports. Many countries have positioned agricultural production toward exporting a few key products, rather than for food sufficiency. So nations like Ghana and Cameroon can be big global players in the cocoa market, but are still hugely dependent on shipments for wheat. Meanwhile, grain-exporting nations can see what’s happening in Russia and Ukraine and decide that the world won’t have enough wheat or barley, so instead of shipping, they move to keep supplies at home. That can lead to a dangerous domino effect of increasing protectionism that hurts the world’s poorest and the countries most-dependent on imports. There are some early signs of protectionism brewing. Hungary is banning grain exports, and Serbia’s president said Monday the country will soon curb wheat shipments. Argentina and Turkey made moves last week to increase their control over local products. And Moldova, albeit a small shipper, temporarily halted exports of wheat, corn and sugar from this month. In Cameroon, which imports all of its wheat supplies, prices for grain shipments have jumped 70%. On top of that, the surging price of oil is sending freight rates soaring, so transportation costs for wheat have climbed by some 70% as well, according to Jean Marie Kakdeu, president of the Cameroon Coalition for the Promotion of National Production. “The country could experience famine if nothing is done to resolve” the increase in prices, Kakdeu said.

The World's Next Food Emergency Is Here as War Compounds Hunger Crisis

Shibolet advised Millennium Food-Tech and Meitav Dash on the deal. Millennium Food-Tech and Meitav Dash led a $70 million Series C funding round for TIPA, a company […]

Millennium Food-Tech and Meitav Dash’s Investment in Tipa

Fresh Start

Nitiloop

Agate Medical Investments

Beta-O2 Technologies

Discount Capital

Arkin Holdings

Cibus Fund

Consensus Business Group

DSM Venturing

Ginkgo Bioworks

Millennium Food-Tech

OpenValley

Stern Group

The Trendlines Group

Yossi Ackerman

Undisclosed Investors

Meitav Dash

Migdal Insurance

Millennium Food-Tech is an R&D partnership for the investment in food-tech companies.

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Name	Chanan Schneider
Work History	Fresh Start, Nitiloop, Agate Medical Investments, Beta-O2 Technologies, and Discount Capital
Title	Chief Executive Officer
Status	Current

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