Episode 14: Exploring Rapid Expansion in the Alternative Protein Market

There is a huge global movement of consumers seeking alternative protein options well beyond the vegetarian/vegan niche. While bean burgers and tofu have been popular for decades, the market for novel innovations from nut milks to cellular agriculture is on fire. This IFTNEXT Food Disruption podcast brings together experts from three different sectors to discuss the current and future state of the rapidly changing landscape in alternative proteins. We’ll discuss plant-based, cell-based, and fermentation technologies and explore both the challenges and opportunities to bring new products to market for an increasingly diverse consumer base seeking new alternatives to their diets.

Guests:

Andrew Ive, Founder and GP of Big Idea Ventures and New Protein Fund, founded Big Idea Ventures created to solve the world’s biggest challenges by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs. Andrew has invested in more early stage / pre-seed food companies than any other investor worldwide. Andrew serves on the Advisory Board for Tufts Nutrition Council, is a Friedman School Entrepreneurship Advisor, and served on the Small Business Council Board of the Department of Trade and Industry, advising the UK Government on entrepreneurship and high growth companies. He is a Harvard Business School graduate and Procter & Gamble brand management trained.

Lou Cooperhouse, President and CEO of Blue Nalu, is recognized as a leading global authority in food business innovation and technology commercialization, with extensive leadership experiences throughout his 35-year career in the food industry. Lou has considerable expertise in food safety and quality assurance systems, and has provide leadership at numerous FDA and USDA-inspected operations throughout his career, and has conducted third-party audits of dozens of food companies throughout the nation. He received an MS in Food Science and a BS in Microbiology, both from Rutgers University, and has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers Business School.

Julie Mann, Global Protein Program Manager at Ingredion, Inc., leads Ingredion’s Global Plant Protein Program. Her personal and professional passion for plant protein, health and nutrition, food safety, the environment/planet, and animal welfare drive all motivations. Her professional role is essential to Ingredion’s future in plant protein and pulses, and has established strategy, and driven alignment with key stakeholders across regions. She spent 20 years of her career at The Hershey Company, where she led and drove plant protein functional and nutritional understanding, technical development, and application into new snacking opportunities, as driven by consumer desires. Julie has earned her Master’s Degree from Drexel University in Food Science and Nutrition, and holds a Bachelor’s in Food Science from Pennsylvania State University. She holds 5 US Patents, with 1 additional patent pending approval.

Host:

Matt Teegarden, PhD, recently completed his PhD in Food Science at The Ohio State University where he also completed his B.S. and M.S. He now works as a Scientist in Product Research and Development at Abbott Nutrition. Matt’s scientific focus is in food chemistry and functional foods. He is also an active science communicator, as a co-founder of Don’t Eat the Pseudoscience and host of the IFTNEXT Food Disruptors podcast.