Originally published by Green Queen on February 5, 2026

Author: Anay Mridul

"Bay Area chain Palmetto Superfoods has introduced a new Blade Smoothie, featuring Leaft Foods’s alfalfa-derived Leaf Rubisco protein and an “unmatched” amino acid profile.

Californians can now walk into a store and drink a protein smoothie made from 50,000 leaves.

Palmetto Superfoods, which operates 15 locations in the Golden State, has teamed up with New Zealand startup Leaft Foods to roll out a new drink built on the latter’s Leaf Rubisco protein.

Rubisco is the world’s most abundant protein, and is found in the leaves, not seeds, of green plants. Leaft Foods’s version, called Leaft Blade, is sourced from alfalfa grown in the Canterbury region.

This forms the base of the new Blade Smoothie at the acai chain, which is packed with fruits, seeds and superfoods, and fits right into the demand for high-fibre, high-protein options."

Originally published by Newsroom on December 17, 2025

Author: Suzanne McFadden

"While training at 2200m altitude in Mexico for seven weeks, the cyclist saw the change. “In an endurance sport, we try to monitor our cycles in terms of energy, making sure we don’t go into the red. And this was the first time I’d done an altitude stint for that long and kept a regular menstrual cycle,” she says.

“I didn’t change anything in my training, but I’d been taking the Leaft Blade every day. It must’ve been a combination of the macronutrients and the iron, and I felt better for it. I first saw it as a protein supplement to keep your muscles strong and help them repair from training – so to have that extra outcome was really cool.”"

Originally published by Foodstuffs on December 16, 2025

Author: Foodstuffs

“This really grabbed our attention,” said Daniel Te Raki, FSSI’s Bakery Operations Manager. “It’s great local innovation with the potential to change how some baked goods are made here.

“We wanted to get involved because it could help diversify where our ingredients come from and ultimately give more choice to our customers across the South Island.

“This partnership ticks those boxes and also presents the potential to strengthen the overall sustainability of baking and bakery products.”

Originally published by Petfood Industry on October 16, 2025

Author: Editorial team

“Leaft Foods announced its entry into the pet nutrition market with Alfalfa Protein Concentrate (APC), a protein ingredient extracted from green leaves. The company also announced a distribution partnership with Meateor Pet Food Ingredients New Zealand for the U.S. market, with European expansion planned for 2026.”

Originally published by Food Navigator on September 9, 2025

Author: Audrey Yow

This Food Navigator article highlights Leaft's partnership with Lacto Japan as a significant step in taking Rubisco protein from innovation to global scale. Lacto Japan’s technical depth and access to established food manufacturers provide a strong pathway for Rubisco to be adopted in real products, at commercial volumes, in one of the world’s most demanding markets.

For Leaft, this collaboration signals a shift from proof of concept to execution — embedding our protein into existing supply chains and accelerating market adoption through a highly credible partner.

Originally published by Green Queen on August 14, 2025

Author: Anay Mridul

"Targeting the performance nutrition sector, a New Zealand-based food tech firm is bringing the world’s most abundant protein to market in liquid form.

Unlike most plant proteins, which are derived from the seeds, Rubisco is found in the leaves of green plants, and is a complete protein with significant functional, nutritional and environmental benefits.

The concept is what lends Leaft Foods its name. The startup has introduced its first consumer product, Leaft Blade, a ready-to-drink offering featuring 17g of Rubisco protein that digests up to six times faster than traditional proteins."

Originally published by AgFunderNews on August 12, 2025

Author: Elaine Watson

"Leaft Foods extracts RuBisCO from alfalfa, and is “now at what we call commercial demonstration stage where we’re producing tens of tons of material per month,” says Milne, a chemical and process engineer with a background in scaling large-scale manufacturing projects.

“In the next few months, we’ll ramp that up to hundreds of tons per month of products, including our protein concentrate, which has over 80% purity, emulsification, gelling, and foaming characteristics, and an incredible flavor profile, which is what’s essential to gain traction in the ingredient space,” adds Milne.

“We’re also selling it in a slightly different format as a branded product (Leaft Blade) that we’re marketing direct to consumers such as performance athletes in New Zealand and the US.”"