Bold Cultr, the animal-free cream cheese brand developed by General Mills corporate venture firm G-Works, was shut down after CPG decided to “deprioritize funding” from the project. The news was announced on February 27, just over two weeks after all three cream cheese flavors were made available for pre-order via Bold Cultr’s e-commerce website.
The cream cheese, which was lactose-free and made with proteins created through precision fermentation, was first launched in November 2021. It was touted as “one of the world’s first next-generation cheese alternatives,” and General Mills’ Doug Martin stated at the time that the product was “proof that we are finding new ways to test and learn outside of our core portfolio and into a food industry white space.”
In January, General Mills told reporters it planned to expand the availability of Bold Cultr products in both food retail and through the brand’s e-commerce platform, but the startup’s abrupt shutdown leaves more questions than answers about the future of animal-free dairy products as part of the food major’s portfolio.
“Dear fans and customers, it is with a heavy heart that we want to inform you that we will be closing our doors effective February 27, 2023,” said a statement on the Bold Cultr website.
“Bold Cultr was a unique emerging brand from G-Works, General Mills’ corporate risk studio, deploying small teams to solve food-related consumer problems through innovation: testing and learning-as-you-go. G-Works regularly reviews its innovation portfolio and evaluates investment decisions. Recently, the difficult decision was made to de-prioritize funding for Bold Cultr.
“We appreciate your support and thank you for being a part of our journey.”
DairyRepoter has reached out to General Mills for comment but has not heard back so far.
Canadian plant-based cheese maker Daiya has announced plans to invest in fermentation technology that will allow the company to create plant-based cheese “with similar characteristics” to dairy, including a softer, more elastic texture.
Daiya is investing in a ‘natural fermentation’ site to be located within the company’s production facility in Burnaby, British Columbia. Jamie Siu, Director of Research and Development, Advanced Research and Technology at Daiya, said: “We have worked with experts to develop a world-class facility and formulation. For our team, being able to deliver this fermented product has not been an easy task. It has involved extensive research and development into the traditional art of cheese making, applied in a plant-based environment.”
Plant Veda Foods completed the acquisition of non-dairy ice cream maker, Nora’s Non-Dairy. Nora’s cashew-based ice creams are sold in around 250 stores across Canada, including Safeway, Whole Foods Market, Thrifty Foods and online at Spud.ca. The acquisition means Plant Veda, which makes cashew milk, creams, lassis and yoghurts, will also be able to offer ice cream as part of its product portfolio.
