Global plant-based CPG Upfield has announced its three finalists for the Innovation Challenge in partnership with Future Food-Tech: ‘Next Generation Fats & Oils’.

Miriam Ueberall, Chief R&D Officer said: “We are very impressed with a large number of very high-quality entries and look forward to engaging into deeper conversations with our finalists. The combined power of the start-up thinking together with our Upfield capabilities will create amazing impact for our portfolio.”

Congratulations to the finalists! Watch them pitch live on stage in London:

Next-Generation Fats & Oils: Closing the Quality, Taste & Performance Gap in Plant-Based Products

Can you create a fat profile that resembles buttermilk fats? Are you working on an alternative to lauric acid? Have you developed a natural emulsifier for delicious clean-label non-dairy cream?

Upfield, global authority in the spreads category since 1871, and owner of the power brands Flora, Becel, +ProActiv, Rama, Country Crock, BlueBand and Violife, has partnered with Future Food-Tech to run an exclusive Innovation Challenge at it’s European flagship summit in London on October 2-3.

Upfield is on a mission to drive change for both people and the planet by providing delicious, nutritious and natural food that is better for our health and our habitat, and is seeking to collaborate with companies that can help create the next generation of plant-based products!

A market leader in four core categories – plant-based Butters and Spreads, Creams, Liquids and Cheeses, the Upfield team is looking for fat and oil innovations for plant-based solutions that replicate and surpass performance and quality of dairy products. Naturalness is key.

Commenting on the challenge set, Miriam Ueberall, Chief R&D Officer, said:

“At Upfield, we strongly believe in partnerships in order to unlock novel technology pathways. We are a global player that leads the Future of Foods, and are committed to bringing great tasting products to our customers and consumers. We do this by pairing technology with innovation from Day 1, and this is why I am so excited about this Innovation Challenge. I am looking forward to seeing the richness of submissions, and wish all participants most of luck and success.”

Whether you’re a start-up, scale-up or an established business, if you have a breakthrough product or technology in the fats and oils space, apply before August 22 for the chance to pitch in London to a global audience of food industry leaders and investors, and partner with the largest plant-based CPG in the world to create a better plant-based future and drive positive change for people and planet.

All selected finalists will enjoy PR visibility to the Future Food-Tech global audience and pitch live on stage in the Challenge Final at the Future Food-Tech summit in London on October 2-3, with complementary passes to access both days of the summit’s networking and insights.

Senior Conference Producer for the summit, Chloe Nunn, caught up with Miriam Ueberall, Chief R&D Officer, to learn more on the challenges Upfield are looking to solve through innovation, the types of companies they want to work with, and tips for your application.