Welcome to Talking Plant Protein. I am Nicole Astra and this is Trending News. Our first headline today should be a Guinness World Record entry because, ladies and gentlemen, the world’s largest plant-based smokehouse is ready for business. To the tune of 10,000 square feet, Barvecue’s production facility, aptly named Carolina Smokehouse, has opened their doors and will be delivering 8-hundred-thousand pounds of plant-based barbecue each year. Recently Barvecue launched in 360 Sprouts Farmers Market locations, as well as 10 colleges and universities across the US, including UNC Chapel Hill, University of Iowa, and Washington State University. Zack Werner co-founder and CEO said “We're thrilled to increase production capacity of our wood-smoked, plant-based proteins to meet this demand as we expand into over 700 grocery stores by year-end.” Hormel Foods venture company, 199 Ventures, has entered into an exclusive partnership with The Better Meat Company. The two companies will work together to develop the next generation of great-tasting, wholesome, and sustainable alternative protein products. The products will center around The Better Meat Co.'s innovative Rhiza mycoprotein ingredient. Produced via a potato-based fermentation, Rhiza is an all-natural whole food mycoprotein with a remarkable meat-like texture. Boasting more protein than eggs and more iron than beef, Rhiza offers a new generation of sustainable animal-free protein for the burgeoning alternative meat market. Greenleaf Foods, owner of Lightlife and Field Roast, is now the exclusive un-breaded, plant-based chicken provider for all Whole Foods Market prepared foods departments across North America. Whole Foods will be the first national retailer to offer Light life’s newest plant-based chicken product. The new alternative meat offering is an un-breaded, whole-muscle, plant-based chicken made from pea protein. Light life Plant-Based Chicken is now available in the prepared foods department of Whole Foods and will be used in a variety of recipes across its popular hot bar, cold salad bar, and grab-and-go offerings. Greenleaf Foods’ Executive Chef Tommy McDonald said “Chicken is the most popular animal protein in the U.S. because it can be used in a wide variety of different dishes. This product performs well in hot or cold food applications, and one of my favorite dishes is the new Whole Foods Market Classic Vegan-Chicken Salad.” On the start-up front, Grounded has raised 2-and-a-half million dollars in pre-Series A funding. Founded in 2019, Grounded’s vegan cheese is made from hemp and cauliflower using a proprietary fermentation process. This formulation is nut and dairy free allowing people with common food sensitivities to enjoy the taste and texture experience of traditional dairy. Coming shortly after the brand’s retail launch, Grounded CEO and co-founder Veronica Fil says the new funding will help expand their products globally. World Food Day 2021 was Sunday, October 16^th. This year’s theme was: Our actions are our future — Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life. World Food Day is one of the most celebrated days for the United Nations. Hundreds of events and outreach activities in 150 countries across the globe brought together governments, businesses, NGOs, the media, and the general public to bring awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure healthy diets for all. From a summit in Australia, to a lighting of Niagara Falls, and a youth expo in Dubai, the global community gathered together to empower transformation of the agri-food systems. The website of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations states: we can all learn from nature by acting with nature. And with that, I’m Nicole Astra for Talking Plant Protein and that’s your Trending News.