Orkla pays $239M to scale vegan gummies; vegan diets cut cancer risk 23%
Orkla Snacks agreed to pay $239 million for Dutch confectioner European Candy Group to keep up with demand for its viral vegan gummy brand Bubs, the latest deal in a two-year wave of alt-protein and vegan food consolidation.
3 top stories18 sources read97 articles scanned6 sides of vegan life
Orkla Snacks agreed to pay $239 million for Dutch confectioner European Candy Group to keep up with demand for its viral vegan gummy brand Bubs, the latest deal in a two-year wave of alt-protein and vegan food consolidation [75].
02
A meta-analysis of 17 publications found vegetarian diets cut total cancer risk 13% and vegan diets cut it 23% versus non-vegetarian diets, evidence the researchers call probable for total cancer risk [11].
03
A South Korean county turned discarded melon peels into a vegan leather now at 10% melon content, aiming to spare farmers from dumping unsellable fruit into the Nakdong River [76].
04
An Indian consumer study found concern for animal welfare, not disgust at "unnaturalness," is the strongest driver of willingness to try cultured meat, explaining nearly 70% of people's intent to try it [61].
The movement today▲Innovation▲Research & NutritionThe receipts →
The Stories: the day’s biggest developments, in the sources’ own words
01▲InnovationStory
Orkla Snacks buys European Candy Group for $239 million to scale vegan gummies
Photo: green queen
“CCI is a natural strategic fit for Orkla Snacks. The company brings unique expertise in the sugar confectionery market and a broad customer network spanning several European countries.”
$239 millioncash-and-debt-free price Orkla Snacks agreed to pay for European Candy Group, a deal expected to close later this year [75]
80+vegan and alt-protein companies acquired, merged, gone bankrupt, or shut down over the past two years, by the article's own tally of the sector's consolidation wave [75]
Meta-analysis of 17 studies finds vegetarian and vegan diets cut cancer risk
Wikimedia Commons / Vegetable
By the numbers
13%lower total cancer risk for vegetarians versus non-vegetarians (RR 0.87, 4 studies) [11]
23%lower total cancer risk for vegans versus non-vegetarians (RR 0.77, 3 studies) [11]
45%lower stomach cancer risk for vegetarians versus non-vegetarians (RR 0.55) [11]
Solid"Vegetarian diets compared to non-vegetarian diets are associated with reduced risk of total cancer and seven specific cancer types, while vegan diets are associated with reduced risk of total and breast cancer" (the study's own conclusion) [11]. Peer-reviewed systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 publications from prospective and case-control studies, with the authors grading strength of evidence "probable" for vegetarian diets and total cancer but only "limited-suggestive" for vegan diets, and flagging some cancer sites as "imprecise or near the null."
From(plant-based diet[tiab] OR vegan diet[tiab] OR vegans[tiab]) AND
03▲InnovationStory
South Korean county turns discarded melon peels into vegan leather
Photo: green queen
“This is an example demonstrating that even agricultural products with low marketability can become a new industry when combined with ideas and technology.”
10%melon content in the leather now, up from 4% at first prototype [76]
110kgCO2e produced per square meter of cow leather, versus 15.8kg for plastic-based synthetic leather [76]
WatchCounty plans to raise melon content to 22%, scale up production, and expand into automotive interiors [76].
FromGreen Queen
Worth Knowing
Food & Recipes
Try this: VegNews's Mediterranean chickpea pasta salad, a make-ahead dish with chickpeas, olives, and vegan feta built for potlucks and meal prep [64].
VegNews rounds up five vegan lobster roll recipes built on hearts of palm, oyster mushrooms, and tofu for anyone craving Maine's coastal classic without the crustacean [65].
Research & Nutrition
A UK Biobank study of 165,722 adults found air pollution raised inflammatory bowel disease risk mainly in people with low plant-based diet scores, with the risk shrinking among those eating more plants [25].
A meta-analysis of seven trials found plant-based diets lowered C-reactive protein by 1.13 mg/L versus omnivorous diets, though the researchers rated the evidence's certainty low [12].
A four-week crossover trial found a whole-food, plant-based diet cut LDL cholesterol 17.9% compared to a standard American diet in adults with familial hypercholesterolemia [6].
An eight-week isocaloric vegan diet lowered white blood cell and lymphocyte counts compared to a meat-rich diet in healthy German adults, a sign of reduced inflammation [20].
A meta-analysis of seven cohorts covering more than 221,000 people found higher adherence to healthful plant-based diets tied to a 21% lower dementia risk, while unhealthful plant-based eating raised it 24% [19].
Recreational runners and lifters at Stanford, Rutgers, Vanderbilt, and Reading showed no meaningful performance drop after four weeks on a plant-based diet, backing campus dining halls that add plant-based options [17].
Bacterial-cellulose scaffolds let researchers tune the texture of cultured pork, hitting the highest hardness and chewiness scores at a 6-to-4 cellulose-to-alginate ratio [50].
A University of Toronto trial found three daily servings of full-fat dairy didn't raise weight, body fat, or cholesterol over 12 weeks, muddying decades of low-fat dairy advice [21].
Activism & Animals
Eastern U.S. wildlife including elk, moose, and bison are rebounding after centuries of clearing, though new roads and suburban sprawl keep fragmenting the habitat they're returning to [77].
One Good Thing
In northern Zimbabwe, conservationist Moreangels Mbizah trains local guardians called Batabilili, "protectors" in the Tonga language, to track lions and help herders build secure livestock enclosures instead of reaching for poison or a spear. The program has meaningfully reduced conflict between people and lions, and this year it won Mbizah a £50,000 Whitley Award she plans to use training more guardians. Coexistence here looks patient and unglamorous, and the numbers say it works [79].
This Mediterranean Chickpea Pasta Salad is fresh, crunchy, creamy, and packed with flavor! Made with tender pasta, hearty chickpeas, crisp vegetables, olives, fresh herbs, and a…
25 min8 servings16 ingredients
See the ingredients
12 oz short pasta ((such as penne, fusilli, corkscrew, or bowties))
1 can (15 oz/ 425 g) chickpeas ((or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas) drained and rinsed)
