This week’s stories captured the protein sector at a moment where preparation met progress, even as policy, scale, and market realities continued to shape the path ahead.

We begin, though, with a look toward Chicago, where The Future of Protein Production Chicago next week frames why collaboration, infrastructure, and shared learning remain essential as protein innovation moves from promise toward delivery. It’s a reminder that scale rarely happens in isolation. Book you FREE exhibition pass to attend and network with +400 other industry thought leaders here

From there, attention turns to industrial capacity. New fermentation facilities backed by public funding highlighted how production volume is becoming a central test for microbial protein developers.

Policy and regulation add another layer. Court rulings, global guidance work, and labeling debates underscored how governance continues to define what reaches market and how quickly.

Elsewhere, candid perspectives on cultivated seafood scale-up, new ingredient challengers, and signs of profitability in cellular agriculture pointed to a sector balancing ambition with discipline.

Enjoy reading, and as always, let us know which developments you think will have the biggest impact next.

📍 FPP Chicago 2026 preview sets out 32 reasons protein innovators should be in Chicago next week

🏭 MicroHarvest plants its industrial flag in Leuna with a 15,000-ton fermentation facility backed by €5.46 million in federal support

⚖️ Oatly loses its ‘post-milk generation’ case as the UK Supreme Court backs Dairy UK on labeling rules

📘 FAO maps the evolving legal landscape for cell-based foods and precision fermentation as Codex work continues

🦐 Lou Cooperhouse outlines the value proposition for scaling cultivated seafood without illusions ahead of FPP Chicago 2026

🥚 The Bland Company aims to make eggs obsolete in food manufacturing with alternative ingredient development

🧪 Amai Proteins secures an FDA ‘no questions’ letter for its sweelin sweet protein, clearing a path to US commercialization

🔬 Aleph Farms shows its growth media can support third-party cell lines through a collaboration with Roslin Technologies

We’re back early this year – and this time we’re heading to the USA. The Future of Protein Production Chicago, co-located with the Cultured Meat Symposium, will take place 24-25 February 2026 and is set to bring together 400 attendees, 100 speakers, and +40 exhibitors. Expect two days packed with insights across cultivated meat, fermentation, plant-based innovation, and scale-up solutions – plus unbeatable networking with industry leaders, investors, and innovators. Book your tickets today to secure the best rate.

Then in the autumn, we return to Europe for The Future of Protein Production Amsterdam, taking place 4-5 November 2026. This flagship event will welcome 1,000 attendees, 100 speakers, and +60 exhibitors, all gathering under one roof to explore the breakthroughs shaping the next wave of alternative protein commercialization. From technical deep dives to strategic discussions, this is where the global industry meets. Reserve your place now to lock in the lowest rate.

🧬 The Molecular Leap: Why Better Nutrition Needs New Building Blocks – Not Better Blends

👉 Save your seat here

As companies push for better stability, performance and nutritional outcomes, it’s becoming increasingly clear that you can’t solve structural problems by remixing the same commodity ingredients in slightly different ratios.

Join us on Thursday, March 12, 2026 (4pm London/12pm New York City) for a deep dive into why the next step-change in nutrition will happen at the molecular level – not at the blending tank.

In partnership with Checkerspot, this free-to-attend webinar explores what happens when you stop treating fats as interchangeable commodities and start designing them with purpose.

Rather than producing and selling off-the-shelf ingredients, Checkerspot works through joint development and licensing models – starting from a consumer need and engineering backwards to the specific lipid structures required. It’s a fundamentally different way of thinking about fats.

And it raises a bigger question for the industry: Are we reaching the ceiling of what ‘better blends’ can realistically deliver?

Join us to learn:

🧩 Why incremental reformulation struggles to solve structural nutrition and performance challenges

🧪 How molecular interactions – not ingredient labels – govern oxidation, stability, texture and nutritional outcomes

🔬 What lipid–protein co-oxidation research reveals about the hidden limitations of commodity oils

🧬 How designing specific lipid structures unlocks capabilities conventional fats simply can’t deliver

🤝 Why licensing and joint development models may be a smarter route to access purpose-built lipids

🏗️ What this shift means for food, infant nutrition and specialty applications where performance margins are tight

Featuring J. Casey Lippmeier (CTO), John Krzywicki (CEO) and Walter G. Rakitsky (SVP of Development) from Checkerspot, plus more speakers to be confirmed.

If you care about oxidation, stability, texture, nutritional integrity – or just the limits of commodity thinking – this one is worth your time.

👉 Save your seat here

🎙️💡 Listen to our latest episode now! In this episode of the PPTI Podcast, Annick Verween (VIB), Ali Osman, Diana Oliveira, and Harry Barraza (PfX Biotech), Amy Williams (GFI Europe), Filipa Soares (Cell4Food), and David Laubner (Sennos) discussed how systems thinking could reshape the future of nutrition. The conversation covered precision fermentation, shared standards, digital and sensor technologies, and why closer collaboration across science, regulation, and markets is essential for scalable food systems.🎙️🥩➡️🌱

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