Latest news with #Forged
Boston Globe
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Wins would be nice, but it's also important that the Patriots bring the fun back to Foxborough this season
Note that he didn't promise more wins, or an improved team coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons. Of course, it's hard to have fun without the wins. But it's notable that Kraft specifically mentioned 'fun' as his No. 1 priority for the 2025 season. For his Patriots have become the NFL's biggest bore since Tom Brady left before the 2020 season. They are the only NFL team without a 1,000-yard receiver (or even 900 yards) in the five years since. They haven't won a playoff game. They haven't had an offensive player elected to the Pro Bowl since 2018. They are 31st in offensive touchdowns the past two years, ahead of only the Giants. And Gillette Stadium has been lifeless and half-empty come December. Advertisement The Patriots do have hope, with Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up That point has been driven home this week through a trove of entertaining NFL media content. Netflix released its seven-part series 'Quarterback,' following Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, and Jared Goff behind the scenes throughout the 2024 season. NFL Network also is slowly releasing its annual top 100 players list, while ESPN is revealing its top 10 player rankings from an anonymous survey of coaches, scouts, and executives. Advertisement It wasn't long ago that the Patriots dominated this type of content. We obsessively watched 'Do Your Job' documentaries, debated what Brady really meant when he 'plead[ed] the fifth' with Jim Gray, and argued that Julian Edelman and Devin McCourty were criminally under-ranked. Today, the Patriots aren't nationally relevant enough to be involved in a show such as 'Quarterback.' The only videos they appear in now are ones they produce themselves, such as Kraft Sports' 'Forged in Foxborough,' or from Stefon Diggs's boat party in Miami. And they're not talented enough, according to their peers, to appear on the top 100 or top 10 Tlists. Through Wednesday, no Patriots player had appeared on either list or received even one vote, including running back Rhamondre Stevenson and big-ticket defensive linemen Milton Williams and Christian Barmore. There are eight positions and 80 players still to be revealed, but don't hold your breath expecting to see any Patriots. Related : All of which leads to another interesting quote from Kraft — this one from the first episode of 'Forged,' the team's behind-the-scenes show. Meeting Diggs in his office after the receiver signed his contract in March, Kraft turned to Diggs's mother and said, 'We've been waiting to have someone of your son's caliber.' That comment has double meaning. One, the Patriots desperately need a No. 1 receiver for young quarterback Drake Maye. Last year's receiver room was the worst in the NFL. Advertisement But two, Kraft has been waiting for someone of Diggs's off-field caliber to make the Patriots consequential again. The Patriots have budding football stars in Maye and cornerback Christian Gonzalez, but neither yet has Diggs's crossover appeal. Diggs is Big Time — he dates Cardi B, attends the Met Gala, and is all over the tabloid media, as evidenced by the kerfuffle created by his Miami boat party. The Patriots haven't had a player this popular on a national scale since Cam Newton in 2020. Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs attended the Met Gala in May. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Diggs's boat video created some chatter that But Diggs shouldn't fret. The Patriots need him — both for his on-field prowess and off-field buzz — far more than he needs them. The Patriots have an awful reputation among players as being joyless, and a black hole for receivers. DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Brandon Aiyuk refused to come to Foxborough in recent years. Diggs, though, can reverse both narratives with a fun, productive season. Conversely, were the Patriots to fail Diggs on his physical and release him, it would be an epic disaster. He would get another job quickly, and the Patriots might never sign another free agent receiver again. So Diggs is here not just to give Maye another weapon, but to make the Patriots fun again. Advertisement Kraft, 84, doesn't just want to win games this fall. He wants to light up the scoreboard, play in the biggest games, and make sure the Patriots aren't ignored in next summer's media projects. Ben Volin can be reached at
Time Out
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time Out
Australia has officially become the third country in the world to approve lab-grown meat
From beyond meat and insect protein to vegan cheese and 3D-printed seafood, the past decade has dished up some bold food trends. Now, Australia's getting a taste of the future with the official approval for lab-grown (or cell-cultured) meat to be sold and consumed across the country. It's taken more than two years for Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to give the green light to lab-grown meat, which it granted to Sydney-based startup Vow on June 18. Founded in 2019, Vow has been selling its cultivated Japanese quail foie gras to more than 25 high-end restaurants in Singapore for a year under the name 'Forged'. The Asian country made history in late 2020 as the first country to approve cultivated meat, followed by the United States in mid-2023 with lab-grown chicken. This makes Australia officially the third country in the world to approve lab-grown meat for sale and consumption. Photograph: Supplied | Vow So, how exactly is cultured meat made at Vow? It all starts with selecting the perfect cells from an animal. These cells are then placed in a huge fermentation tank with a nutrient-rich liquid, which is designed to replicate the body of a living animal. From there, the cells grow and multiply naturally. After just 79 days, a 'harvesting' process occurs where the meat is separated from the liquid, like curds from whey, and then crafted into delicacies like parfait and foie gras. Quail might seem like an odd choice, but that's exactly the point – Vow intentionally steered away from everyday meats like chicken or beef to avoid direct comparisons. Rather than competing for shelf space at the supermarket, the startup is also focusing on fine dining. Its cultured Japanese quail foie gras is set to debut on menus at Sydney's Kitchen by Mike, NEL, Olio and The Waratah, plus Bottarga, 1Hotel and The Lincoln in Melbourne – all within the next few months, if everything goes to plan. Photograph: Supplied | Vow Vow originally created the product to address global food shortages, but cultivated meat also carries potential environmental and ethical benefits – it's made without farms, emissions or animal harm. That said, as a niche product, it comes with high costs and energy demands. There's also ongoing debate around how it should be labelled, with concerns that using the word 'meat' and livestock imagery on packaging could mislead consumers. Would you be game to give it a go? A 2023 FSANZ survey of Australians and New Zealanders found that only 24 per cent would readily incorporate it into their diets, with almost half (48 per cent) saying they wouldn't. But the food world is moving fast – so who knows what our dinner plates will look like in a decade? Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Australia newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED:
Sydney Morning Herald
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Lab-grown meat just became legal. Is it any good?
They are more ingredients than finished products, leaving room for chefs to add their twist. Italian chef Mirco Febrille, of Singapore's Bar Somma, has made a tortellini filled with Forged parfait in a hay-infused broth. 'Chefs are the artists of the food world. They're the ones that ultimately drive food culture,' said Peppou. Working closely with chefs also ensures quality control and a positive experience for wary first-timers. 'A lot of consumers' first contact [with meat-replacement products] was in retail. They brought it home, they cooked it badly and they were like, 'this shit product tastes like a hockey puck',' said Peppou. Chef and Vow ambassador Mike McEnearney will serve his popular sourdough bread with Pepe Saya butter and a cultured quail butter at Kitchen by Mike, and his new Melbourne restaurant inside 1Hotel, From Here By Mike, will feature a pan-fried 'Forged gras' on a bed of lentils. The bar upstairs will serve Forged parfait on toasted brioche. 'How often does something brand new come to market? That's what got me,' McEnearney said. 'I'd describe it [to customers] as a different way of farming … it's an educational process,' he added. 'It's not replacing anything. It's helping to support sustainable farming methods.' Food regulatory body Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has also passed updated definitions of genetically modified food to address progress in gene technologies while maintaining strong food safety protections, which the regulator says brings Australia in line with international approaches and will ensure the right labelling and oversight. 'Our safety assessment confirms that many modifications achieved through new breeding techniques are equivalent to those from conventional breeding, which is widely recognised as safe,' said FSANZ chief Dr Sandra Cuthbert. How lab-grown meat gets made The process of making lab-grown or cultured meat, this masthead was told in a tour of Vow's factory (sometimes referred to as Sydney's first 'meat brewery'), isn't too dissimilar to the fermentation process in brewing beer. A biopsy, or small tissue sample, of an animal – in this case, a quail – is taken and placed into a 20,000-litre temperature-controlled fermentation tank, which is designed to replicate the body of a quail. Hot water lines the tank, for warmth; oxygen and glucose are pumped in the tank, where the tissue scraping is given plenty of space to grow over the course of a month. 'Harvesting' then occurs every two to three days for about a month, where three-quarters of the glucose mix is removed from the tank and topped up for the growing process to continue. The liquid is then poured into a separator, which sorts out the liquid from the solid meat matter, akin to curd, or blitzed chicken mince. To sell their products, Vow had to undergo, and co-design, a lengthy regulatory process with food regulatory body – because the category of lab-grown meat didn't exist yet. Loading 'We are so new, we don't fit into any of the boxes for the food system,' said Peppou. 'Everything which is trivial, should be trivial, is really complex for us.' Peppou's first time trying his own products in a restaurant was April last year, alongside 14 influencers in a members-only club in Singapore. Now, he will be able to try it in his hometown with his parents at a six-course degustation at Italian restaurant Olio in Chippendale, or the Waratah Hotel with his mates. Now that Vow has FSANZ approval, the NSW Food Authority will conduct a final audit before awarding a food manufacturers' licence, which will allow it to sell in Australia. It's been a long journey for Peppou, who had to make 30 per cent of his staff redundant in January. The former biochemist is already eyeing other markets, including the UK, Middle East, and is working with nine regulators.
The Age
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Lab-grown meat just became legal. Is it any good?
They are more ingredients than finished products, leaving room for chefs to add their twist. Italian chef Mirco Febrille, of Singapore's Bar Somma, has made a tortellini filled with Forged parfait in a hay-infused broth. 'Chefs are the artists of the food world. They're the ones that ultimately drive food culture,' said Peppou. Working closely with chefs also ensures quality control and a positive experience for wary first-timers. 'A lot of consumers' first contact [with meat-replacement products] was in retail. They brought it home, they cooked it badly and they were like, 'this shit product tastes like a hockey puck',' said Peppou. Chef and Vow ambassador Mike McEnearney will serve his popular sourdough bread with Pepe Saya butter and a cultured quail butter at Kitchen by Mike, and his new Melbourne restaurant inside 1Hotel, From Here By Mike, will feature a pan-fried 'Forged gras' on a bed of lentils. The bar upstairs will serve Forged parfait on toasted brioche. 'How often does something brand new come to market? That's what got me,' McEnearney said. 'I'd describe it [to customers] as a different way of farming … it's an educational process,' he added. 'It's not replacing anything. It's helping to support sustainable farming methods.' Food regulatory body Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has also passed updated definitions of genetically modified food to address progress in gene technologies while maintaining strong food safety protections, which the regulator says brings Australia in line with international approaches and will ensure the right labelling and oversight. 'Our safety assessment confirms that many modifications achieved through new breeding techniques are equivalent to those from conventional breeding, which is widely recognised as safe,' said FSANZ chief Dr Sandra Cuthbert. How lab-grown meat gets made The process of making lab-grown or cultured meat, this masthead was told in a tour of Vow's factory (sometimes referred to as Sydney's first 'meat brewery'), isn't too dissimilar to the fermentation process in brewing beer. A biopsy, or small tissue sample, of an animal – in this case, a quail – is taken and placed into a 20,000-litre temperature-controlled fermentation tank, which is designed to replicate the body of a quail. Hot water lines the tank, for warmth; oxygen and glucose are pumped in the tank, where the tissue scraping is given plenty of space to grow over the course of a month. 'Harvesting' then occurs every two to three days for about a month, where three-quarters of the glucose mix is removed from the tank and topped up for the growing process to continue. The liquid is then poured into a separator, which sorts out the liquid from the solid meat matter, akin to curd, or blitzed chicken mince. To sell their products, Vow had to undergo, and co-design, a lengthy regulatory process with food regulatory body – because the category of lab-grown meat didn't exist yet. Loading 'We are so new, we don't fit into any of the boxes for the food system,' said Peppou. 'Everything which is trivial, should be trivial, is really complex for us.' Peppou's first time trying his own products in a restaurant was April last year, alongside 14 influencers in a members-only club in Singapore. Now, he will be able to try it in his hometown with his parents at a six-course degustation at Italian restaurant Olio in Chippendale, or the Waratah Hotel with his mates. Now that Vow has FSANZ approval, the NSW Food Authority will conduct a final audit before awarding a food manufacturers' licence, which will allow it to sell in Australia. It's been a long journey for Peppou, who had to make 30 per cent of his staff redundant in January. The former biochemist is already eyeing other markets, including the UK, Middle East, and is working with nine regulators.
The Verge
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Posted Jun 18, 2025 at 4:56 AM EDT
Australia's first cultured meat is... quail? Sydney-based Vow is the first lab-grown meat manufacturer approved to launch Down Under. Vow, which has sold its meat under the Forged brand in Singapore since last year, offers quail foie gras and pâté, plus a quail-based candle you can dip food into as it melts. They say they 'craft entirely new, never before seen (or eaten) meats,' which is certainly one way to get around how hard it is to make a lab-grown steak. 1/3
