How is Kroger viewing the plant-based meat opportunity? Join us October 13 in part I of FoodNavigator-USA’s Disrupting the meat and dairy case broadcast series

How is Kroger viewing the prospects for fresh meat alternatives, US retail sales of which were up just 1% year-on-year in Q2 (lapping a pandemic-fueled surge), but surged 116% on a two-year basis, according to the latest IRI data? And where is the white space right now (does the world need another plant-based burger)?
Find out on October 13 when we will join Marcellus Harris, assistant commodity manager, poultry, at Kroger (co-chair of the retailer’s Plant Based Eating Associate Resource Group), and a panel of industry experts in part one of FoodNavigator-USA’s new broadcast series: Disrupting the meat and dairy case: From plant-based bacon to ‘real’ cheese (minus the cows)
PART ONE: Where next for meat alternatives? From plant-based burgers to fungi-fueled bacon
Date: Weds October 13
Start time: 10am PT/1pm ET
Duration: About 90 minutes
The session begins at 10am PT/1pm ET with a fireside chat with Eben Bayer at Atlast Food Co – a startup making ‘whole cut’ meat products from mushroom mycelium.
This will be followed by a short presentation on incorporating natural colors into meat alternatives from Oterra.
And finally we will end with a panel debate exploring everything from formulation to consumer insights, merchandising, nutrition, and processing capacity challenges, featuring speakers from Kroger, Nature's Fynd, Nowadays, Roquette, and Oterra:
- Karuna Rawal, chief marketing officer, Nature's Fynd
- Marcellus Harris, assistant commodity manager, poultry, Kroger; co-chair of Kroger’s Plant Based Eating Associate Resource Group
- Max Elder, co-founder and CEO, Nowadays
- Aurelie Mauray, marketing manager, pea and new proteins Americas, Roquette
- AnnMarie Kraszewski application scientist, Oterra
What we’ll cover:
- The competing media narratives: Will ‘meat,’ ‘eggs’ and ‘dairy’ be pretty much decoupled from animals by 2035, or are we living in a VC-fueled fantasy world, and that the bubble is already starting to burst?
- How is Kroger thinking about what to bring in, and what to pass on? Where is the white space right now? Chicken? Seafood?
- What is 'nutritional fungi protein?
- Appealing to plant-forward consumers vs meat-enthusiasts: what are the different consumer groups looking for?
- The evolving toolkit for meat alternatives: From soy, pea, wheat and faba beans to barley, chickpeas, and novel microbes
- Formulation trends: Improving the taste, color, and texture of meat alternatives
- Nutrition and clean labels: Are meat alternatives good for you, and are consumer expectations changing?
- What are the primary purchase drivers for meat alternatives and how do shoppers feel about the next generation of products?
- Mycelium-based whole cuts: an untapped market?

Find out more and REGISTER HERE for our FREE 3-part series, which is sponsored by Oterra, RSSL, Roquette, CP Kelco, Cargill, Givaudan, Edlong Dairy Technologies, and Farbest Brands.
Oct 13: Where next for meat alternatives? From plant-based burgers to fungi-fueled bacon
Oct 20: Where next for dairy alternatives? From oatmilk to ‘real’ cheese (minus the cows) - featuring Danone, NotCo, BioMilk, Change Foods, RSSL, and CP Kelco
Oct 27: Where next for seafood alternatives? From tuna to shrimp - featuring the Good Food Institute, Good Catch, Ocean Hugger, New Wave Foods and Aqua Cultured Foods