The world is moving quickly to new forms of protein, but the consumer is not there yet. Protein innovation is currently out of sync with consumer acceptance, but some companies are working to close the gap between the emerging proteins and the consumer.

Bay Area-based New Culture announced the hiring of Josh Kittleson, PhD, as the company's vp of biology. New Culture is part of the global movement to an animal-free dairy future, offering animal-free dairy products that are indistinguishable from conventional products in taste, texture, function, and nutritional content. Adding Kittleson's deep synthetic biology and R&D management expertise, the company has brought on board an industry leader to accelerate the time to market of its animal-free mozzarella.

Consumer preference is shifting toward plant-based meat substitutes perceived to be healthier for people and the planet. Meat analogs present an opportunity for food manufacturers, but they can be challenging to produce in order to deliver pleasing taste and texture.