From the Mexican bakery delivering cook-it-yourself experiences to nutrition apps advising the healthiest meal plans during quarantine, Latin American start-ups and SMEs are adapting their business models to survive the coronavirus crisis.
Chile's Algramo sells branded goods in reusable packaging, saving money for manufacturers - such as Nestlé and Unilever - and reducing plastic waste. “We keep packaging in the economy and out of the environment,” it says.
A Brazilian biotech start-up is custom-designing novel, natural yeast strains that can be used to make plant proteins, replace artificial additives and boost the bioavailability of minerals.
Ice cream is a treat for most children, but a startup in Chile is incorporating a strain of probiotics as a healthy supplement in the form of a daily snack.
Brazilian plant-based startup Fazenda Futuro, recently valued at US$100 million, will launch vegan sausages made with a seaweed skin for crispiness next month. “We came to revolutionize this outdated, animal meat market," says its founder.
Made with vegetable extracts, a natural coating for fresh produce means people can eat just fruit, not synthetic chemical waxes, says the Chilean start-up behind the product, PolyNatural.
New data shows women could be struggling on just 23p (29c) a day, well below the extreme poverty line of £1.40 ($1.81) and organisation calls on government and chocolate companies to join the Alliance on Living Incomes in Cocoa, a new international initiative.
Cell Farm Food Tech is developing stem cell lines to provide cultured meat companies with a high-quality starter material from “champion” Argentine Hereford and Angus beef.
An Internet of Things (IoT) kitchen appliance that cooks gourmet desserts made with clean label ingredients in minutes is looking to shake up the dessert category, says its Argentinian founder.
Grupo Bimbo is looking to scale up innovative startups throughout Latin America with the launch of two accelerator programs, Eleva and BakeLab. “We're looking for the next great ventures in Latin America,” it says.
Tomorrow Foods says its turnkey protein isolates made from sustainably sourced pea, rice, mung and chickpea can help Latin American food manufacturers “join the plant-based revolution” without having to invest in R&D.
Operating in both Silicon Valley and Argentina, Michroma uses CRISPR-engineered filamentous fungi to create novel, natural food colors, and is already attracting interest from multinational food manufacturers.
Made from mango seeds and peel that normally go to waste, Manguifer is an insoluble fiber that can partly replace fat and sugar, making processed foods healthier and cheaper, says Genius Foods.
From Brazil's food guidelines - and its advice to avoid 'ultra-processed' foods - to the influence of social media, a number of factors are converging to help make the country's food healthier and nutrition-based, says one expert.
