Innovations in Sustainable Food: Protein Milk and Urine Fertilizer

Sustainable food innovations are seeing significant advancements with the introduction of new products and initiatives aimed at improving nutrition and environmental sustainability. One notable development is by Danone-owned Silk, which has launched a high-protein soy milk in Canada. This product boasts 18 grams of complete protein per 250ml serving, more than double the protein content of cow's milk. The milk is available in plain and chocolate flavors at major retailers, packaged in 1.42-liter bottles.

In a different venture, a collaborative project in Sweden, involving Oatly and the Swedish national research council Formas, is exploring the potential of human urine as a fertilizer. The project includes partners such as Malmö FF, Sanitation 360, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The initiative aims to determine if urine can be a safe and scalable alternative to conventional fossil-based fertilizers.

Other notable product launches include Daring’s vegan chicken products, which are now available in diced and shredded forms at Sprouts Farmers Market. Additionally, ADM has introduced eight new plant-based protein ingredients across Europe and North America, expanding its ProFam and Arcon lines.

On the corporate front, Swedish biotech startup Curve has partnered with Digital Tvilling to create a biomanufacturing platform designed to reduce costs in producing precision-fermented proteins. Meanwhile, US startup Actual Veggies has achieved significant financial success, reporting $20 million in revenue in 2025 and projecting $30 million for this year.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has also made a notable policy change by eliminating the surcharge for plant-based milk in its US locations, aligning with a growing trend among major café chains. In Belgium, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel's student council has voted to make 80% of on-campus menus plant-based by 2032.