Motif FoodWorks

A bipartisan bill in Congress will offer SNAP recipients access to frozen produce, Motif FoodWorks is launching a foodservice portfolio of its plant-based meat products and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ private equity firm RX3 Growth Partners announces a $150M fund II.

Motif Foodworks will begin selling its finished alt-meat burger products direct-to-consumer for a limited time, representing a pivot for the company’s previously stated business plan.

Cell-cultivated protein companies appear to be locked in a race to build commercial-scale production plants, even as the industry awaits full regulatory approval from both the FDA and the USDA, reflecting the long and complex road towards widespread commercialization and price-parity with conventional meat and seafood.

In this week’s roundup: PE firm Kainos Capital closes $1B fund; Nestle, Wholesome Crave and UMass Dining launch plant-based meal program; ADM faces labor union charges and Motif Foodworks expands by offering out bioprocessing capabilities.

Regardless of what it’s called – plant-based, alternative, animal-free, fake meat – 2022 saw plenty of money and movement in the category of non-animal-derived protein. Check out the timeline for highlights from the emerging and tumultuous industry.

Motif FoodWorks announced today it has filed four petitions with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to challenge aspects of Impossible Foods’ claim to heme-protein ingredients used in plant-based meat.

In this week’s roundup: CPG execs take action on regenerative ag, New Culture names new investment partner, celebrity chef Kai Chase launches new spice platform and Impossible’s patent holds up amid fight with Motif.

In this week’s Checkout: Conagra reports Q4 earnings, Flower Foods invests in Base Culture, Amazon automates an MA Whole Foods Store with Dash Cart, The Fresh Market scraps its IPO plans and Motif Foodworks restructures with layoffs.

In this week’s Checkout: Motif Foodworks rolls out products and secures new investment partner, KIND announces progress toward almond sourcing goals, BOOMCHICKAPOP launches its most expensive product and Abbott Nutrition reaches an agreement with the FDA to resume infant formula production

In this courtroom roundup: Kellogg’s fight against misleading veggie claims returns, Beyond Meat and Dunkin’ sued by Philadelphia plant-based meat company over trademark infringement, Motif challenges Impossible’s heme-tech patent and more.

Behind the excitement and energy of returning to Expo West in-person, a storm has been brewing in the red-hot plant-based meat category: after its first day exhibiting at the show, Motif Foodsworks, a spinoff of Massachusetts-based Gingko Bioworks, was served with a lawsuit claiming that the technology it had just showcased at Expo violated a patent held by one of the nascent category’s leaders, Impossible Foods.

After receiving Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status earlier this month, Massachusetts-based food technology company Motif FoodWorks announced last week that its patented heme protein HEMAMI has launched for large-scale commercial distribution.