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

30-Sep-2021 - Last updated on 01-Oct-2021 at 18:52 GMT

Image credit: Kroger

Do plant-based meat products deliver the kind of productivity on shelf to warrant their space in retailers’ regular meat counters? How are consumers shopping the category? Is this still a time of experimentation? And what are buyers looking for from new brands trying to enter the category?

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?

alt meat speakers graphic — Clockwise starting top left: Marcellus Harris, Kroger; Aurelie Mauray, Roquette; Max Elder, Nowadays; Karuna Rawal, Nature's Fynd; Eben Bayer, Atlast Food Co; AnnMarie Kraszewski, Oterra

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