Plant-Based Meat

Hooray Foods takes its allergy-friendly plant-based bacon to the retail market

07-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

San Francisco-based startup Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – is now in talks with retailers looking to expand their plant-based meat set.

Impossible Foods launches direct-to-consumer site and rolls out to hundreds more retail stores this month

05-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Impossible Foods has launched an e-commerce site to make its plant-based burgers available to all US consumers in the lower 48 states, offering free, two-day shipping of larger, family-sized quantities of the Impossible Burger.

New technology could improve, taste, texture, nutrition of plant-based meat and dairy, claims Motif FoodWorks

02-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

New technology could reduce saturated fat and significantly improve the taste and texture of plant-based meat and dairy products, claims Motif FoodWorks, which is working on a variety of ingredients to make these foods more “craveable.”

Whole Foods Market and King Soopers lead in plant-based product assortment and marketing, reports GFI

29-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As the plant-based food sector continues to grow (up 11% in dollar sales in 2019 to $5bn), the category has become an integral part of many grocery retailers’ store assortments, marketing, and promotional strategies, according to The Good Food Institute...

Plant-based meat: Rebellyous Foods pivots to retail; Lightlife, Field Roast gain momentum

22-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Rebellyous Foods – a Seattle-based startup that has been targeting high-volume foodservice accounts with plant-based chicken nuggets – has made a dramatic pivot to retail with the launch of family-packs at select retailers in the Pacific Northwest.

Beyond Meat to launch value packs, more aggressive pricing, and direct-to-consumer operation

06-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat is taking a series of “offensive measures” to chart a course through the coronavirus pandemic, including switching some foodservice production lines over to retail products, developing value packs, offering more aggressive pricing, and building...

Plant-based meat brands seize initiative as [animal] meat processors struggle, but no room for complacency, say Impossible Foods, Atlantic Natural Foods

05-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

As more meat plants temporarily close or operate at reduced capacity as coronavirus spreads, plant-based brands “have a window of opportunity to present themselves as more reliable alternatives,” says Lux Research. But no production facilities are immune...

Upton’s Naturals develops banana blossom… a novel entry to the plant-based food arena: 'It has a light, delicate, flaky texture like fish'

13-Apr-2020 By Elaine Watson

While the Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger have spawned a wave of soy- and pea-protein fueled copy-cats seeking to precisely mimic the taste and texture of beef, there is room in the plant-based foods market for products made from a broader range of...

How is coronavirus impacting plant-based meat? Impossible Foods, Lightlife, Tofurky, Meatless Farm Co, Dr. Praeger's, weigh in

06-Apr-2020 By Elaine Watson

While some shoppers have shared photos of empty meat cases next to fully-stocked shelves of plant-based meat on social media, the latest Nielsen data suggests that retail sales of meat alternatives increased significantly in March alongside their animal-based...

Impossible Foods raises $500m in Series F, brings total funding to almost $1.3bn

16-Mar-2020 By Elaine Watson

Impossible Foods has raised $500m in a Series F funding round led by new investor Mirae Asset Global Investments, with participation from existing investors including Khosla Ventures, Horizons Ventures, and Temasek. The move brings its total funding...

LIVEKINDLY Co. builds global plant-based protein empire, transforming incumbent food players into 'force for good'

12-Mar-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

LIVEKINDLY co., a new plant-based food company which recently acquired LikeMeat, The Fry Family Food Co., and content startup LIVEKINDLY Media, is building an economy of scale for plant-based chicken to eventually become the "most affordable protein...

Atlast Food Co plans small-scale launch of 'best in class' meatless bacon from mushroom mycelium

11-Mar-2020 By Elaine Watson

Atlast Food Co – a startup using mycelium (the filament-like roots of mushrooms) to create ‘meaty’ textured edible 3D structures – has been working with innovation consultancy Mattson to help commercialize its first product later this year: meatless bacon.

Beyond Meat rolls out frozen breakfast sausage patties, addresses pricing in plant-based meat sector

11-Mar-2020 By Elaine Watson

The latest innovation from Beyond Meat – the Beyond Breakfast Sausage - will hit the frozen breakfast meat section at ACME, Albertsons, Key Foods, Kings, Pavilions, Raley’s, ShopRite, Vons, Wegmans and Whole Foods later this month.

Impossible Foods slashes prices: 'Our goal is to reach price parity and then undercut the price of conventional ground beef'

04-Mar-2020 By Elaine Watson

Impossible Foods is expanding its product lineup and dropping prices to foodservice distributors by an average of 15% as it seeks to make plant-based meat "ubiquitous, super mainstream, and super mass market."

JBS enters plant-based meat arena via Planterra Foods with OZO brand

03-Mar-2020 By Elaine Watson

Meat giant JBS is making a big push into the plant-based meat arena via a new subsidiary – Boulder, CO-based Planterra Foods – which will make its debut in grocery stores across the US in mid-April with refrigerated burgers, grounds, and meatballs under...

Beyond Meat to go on the offensive in wake of attacks on 'ultra-processed' plant-based meat: 'We're proud of our ingredients and process'

28-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

While its CEO says engaging in an increasingly heated debate over the merits of plant- vs animal-based meat can be a “zero sum” game, Beyond Meat plans to go on the offensive this year with digital and media campaigns that celebrate its ingredients and...

Motif FoodWorks: ‘High impact’ ingredients at very low inclusion rates could significantly improve the texture of plant-based meat

25-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

Do plant-based meats and cheeses deliver the texture consumers crave? Food Navigator-USA caught up with Dr. Mike Leonard, CTO at Motif FoodWorks, which is developing ‘high impact’ ingredients that could be added to existing formulations in small quantities...

Don Lee Farms files 3rd amended complaint vs Beyond Meat, seeks damages

12-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

Don Lee Farms has filed a 3rd amended complaint vs Beyond Meat, accusing it of doctoring a food safety consultant’s report and sharing trade secrets with Don Lee's rivals to help them “actively solicit” to replace Don Lee as Beyond Meat’s co-manufacturer...

Cell-based meat in focus: In conversation with Meatable, Finless Foods, New Age Meats

11-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

While a new cell-based meat company emerges from stealth mode almost every month, the amount of money invested in the embryonic sector to date pales in comparison to the megabucks poured into plant-based meat over the past couple of years. So is slaughter-free...

Alpha Foods raises $28m to fuel growth of plant-based food empire

11-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based food brand Alpha Foods has raised $28m in a funding round led by VC fund AccelFoods and supported by New Crop Capital, Green Monday and Blue Horizon, bringing its total funding to around $40m.

GFI unveils 3rd restaurant scorecard: ‘Plant-based is definitely becoming bigger than burgers’

06-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

While 42 out of the top 100 US restaurant chains still don’t offer a plant-based entrée, new data from NPD Group commissioned by the Good Food Institute (GFI) shows US shipments of plant-based meat from major broadline foodservice distributors to restaurant...

Beyond Meat hits back at former co-manufacturer as shareholders file lawsuit: ‘We simply couldn’t get Don Lee Farms to meet our standards’

03-Feb-2020 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat has hit back at former co-manufacturer Don Lee Farms after experiencing further setbacks in its legal dispute with the firm, which alleges it wrongfully terminated a supply contract, telling reporters that, “We simply couldn’t get Don Lee...

Citrus fiber can help plant-based dairy and meat brands clean up labels, says Fiberstar

27-Jan-2020 By Elaine Watson

Growing demand for dairy and meat alternatives with shorter, cleaner ingredients lists is driving demand for citrus fibers, which can replace everything from carrageenan, gellan gum, mono diglycerides, and lecithin in plant-based milks, to methyl cellulose...

Gardein launches new version of Ultimate Plant-Based Burger, swapping out soy for pea protein

23-Jan-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Gardein, the second largest brand in the meat-alternatives space, has upped its plant-based burger game with the launch of the Ultimate Plant-Based Burger, which the brand says provides consumers with a craveworthy burger experience.

Plant-based Impossible Sausage to debut at Burger King via the ‘Impossible Croissan'wich’

07-Jan-2020 By Elaine Watson

The plant-based Impossible Sausage – the latest innovation from Impossible Foods – will debut next week at Burger King outlets in five states in the 'Impossible Croissan'wich' for a limited period.

Daring Foods launches clean label chicken made from five plant-based ingredients: 'This is not an alternative but an upgrade'

19-Dec-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Chicken is the world's most popular animal-based protein, but when it comes to a plant-based version, the market is due for some innovation, said CEO of Daring Foods, Ross Mackay.

Kroger begins test of plant-based meat retail concept in 60 stores

17-Dec-2019 By Elaine Watson

Kroger has started trialing dedicated three-foot plant-based meat sets within its conventional meat department in 60 stores in Denver, Indiana and Illinois in partnership with the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).

PBFA, Upton’s Naturals drop lawsuit as Mississippi revises plant-based meat labeling law: ‘This is a total victory’

08-Nov-2019 By Elaine Watson

Upton’s Naturals and the Plant Based Foods Association have dropped a lawsuit* challenging legislation banning plant-based foods sold in Mississippi from using ‘meaty’ terms on labels, after the law was revised to allow them to use such terms with qualifiers...

Meatless Farm Co. eyes more of US market, enters restaurant scene

04-Nov-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After entering 450 US Whole Foods locations across 43 US states earlier this year, UK-based The Meatless Farm Co, has launched its meat-free products at New York City restaurant, Pomodoro Rosso.

The Real MEAT Act 2019: Plant-based brands should use term 'imitation' meat

29-Oct-2019 By Elaine Watson

A federal bill that would require plant-based and cell-cultured meat products to be labeled as ‘imitation’ meat has been welcomed by beef producers and slammed by plant-based meat advocates, as the row over terminology in the burgeoning space heats up.

Impossible Whopper a 'huge hit' says Burger King, Beyond Meat raises forecasts, as brands hit back at ads attacking ‘ultra-processed’ plant-based burgers

29-Oct-2019 By Elaine Watson

A series of ads attacking the next generation of plant-based burgers as ‘ultra-processed’ products ‘hiding’ scary unpronounceable ingredients is a crude attempt by a “dark-money front group funded by Big Beef to mislead consumers and push propaganda,”...

Lightlife to enter thousands of new stores including Kroger, Publix, and Target supported by new marketing campaign

16-Oct-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Lightlife's new plant-based meat burgers, sausages and grounds are rolling out to more than 12,000 retails stores where they will be sold in the meat aisle alongside animal proteins.

Improved Nature makes retail debut at ShopRite with plant-based chicken line

16-Oct-2019 By Elaine Watson

Improved Nature – which is carving a distinct path in the plant-based meat segment with a fibrous protein that replicates whole muscle – is making its retail debut in 300+ ShopRite stores in the New York Metro Area with a line of nuggets, tenders and...

MycoTechnology unveils texturized fermented vegetable protein for plant based meat applications

09-Oct-2019 By Elaine Watson

As the race to expand protein options for plant-based meats heats up, Colorado-based MycoTechnology has thrown its hat into the ring with a texturized version of PureTaste, a vegetable protein produced via the fermentation of pea and rice proteins with...

news in brief

Nestlé gears up for 2020 launch of the ‘PB triple play,’ a 'no-compromise plant-based bacon cheeseburger'

09-Oct-2019 By Elaine Watson

In 2020, diners ordering Nestlé's plant-based Awesome Burger (in the US) or Incredible Burger (in Europe) will be able to pair it with plant-based cheese and bacon via the 'PB triple play’: a "no-compromise plant-based bacon cheeseburger."

Impossible Burger No. 1 packaged item at Gelson's: 'We had die-hard Impossible fans buying 10 packages at a time'

01-Oct-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Impossible Burger, which is sold in more than 17,000 restaurants nationwide, is now seeing explosive demand for its products at retail stores, new territory for the brand.

McDonald's to test plant-based Beyond Meat patties in 28 stores in Canada: 'It’s how we look– before we leap'

26-Sep-2019 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat has struck a deal with McDonald’s to test its plant-based patties in a 12-week trial in 28 restaurants in Ontario, Canada, starting September 30.

News in brief

Impossible Foods makes East Coast retail debut at Wegmans, Fairway Market

25-Sep-2019 By Elaine Watson

After a successful launch in 27 Gelson’s stores in southern California, the Impossible Burger is making its East Coast grocery-store debut at all 100 Wegmans grocery stores in seven states and at two Manhattan locations of Fairway Market (MSRP $8.99/12oz...

Smart Fat: Novel technology to transform liquid oils into solid fats could boost juiciness in plant-based meats, reduce sat fat, claims Cubiq Foods

19-Sep-2019 By Elaine Watson

Barcelona-based start-up Cubiq Foods has developed a mechanical process it claims can convert liquid oils from sunflower to olive oil into solid or semi-solid structured fats that can improve juiciness and reduce saturated fat levels in plant-based burgers,...

Atlast Food Co: Mycelium scaffold can unlock the ‘Holy Grail’ of plant-based meat: whole cuts

11-Sep-2019 By Elaine Watson

Mycelium (the filament-like roots of mushrooms) can create edible 3D structures enabling plant-based brands to tap into a major segment of the meat category – whole cuts – that has historically been closed off, says Atlast Food Co, a new company dedicated...

Kroger and PBFA to test three-foot plant-based meat retail concept in 60 stores

10-Sep-2019 By Elaine Watson

Kroger has teamed up with the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) to trial dedicated three-foot plant-based meat sets within its conventional meat department in 60 stores in Denver and parts of Indiana and Illinois.

Chickpeas: The next big protein source for plant-based meat? Nutriati unveils TVP

09-Sep-2019 By Elaine Watson

Virginia-based Nutriati has commercialized what it claims is the world’s first textured chickpea protein, providing plant-based meat formulators with a Non-GMO protein source that rivals soy, wheat, and peas in the functionality and nutrition stakes,...

In conversation with Givaudan: How do you create ‘meaty’ flavors in plant-based meat?

22-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

The next generation of plant-based burgers looks, cooks, tastes, and smells eerily like the real thing. But how do you deliver an authentically ‘meaty’ taste without animals, and which flavors (beef, chicken, pork, tuna?) are the hardest to emulate?

Nielsen: What will drive repeat purchase behavior of plant-based meat alternatives?

08-Aug-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Getting consumers to try trendy plant-based meat alternatives is a relatively low hurdle compared to encouraging long-term adoption of these products, which requires more convincing on the part of brands, says Nielsen, noting that the sector is "ripe...

Fiberstar touts citrus fiber as consumer-friendly alternative to methyl cellulose in plant-based meats

07-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

Citrus fiber – a byproduct of the juicing process – has properties that make it an appealing alternative to methyl cellulose (in combination with agar, native starch, and psyllium) as a binder in plant-based meat products for brands looking for a more...

Alpha Foods is heading to 8,000 doors by year end as shoppers embrace plant-based convenience food

06-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

The new wave of ‘fresh’ plant-based meats from brands such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods might be grabbing all the headlines, but there is still a “massive opportunity” in the freezer aisle for quick and convenient plant-based products from pizza...

Tyson Foods' Raised & Rooted nuggets ‘made with plants’ are rolling out to 4,000 stores by the end of September

06-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

Pea-protein fueled nuggets under the new Raised & Rooted brand will roll out to 4,000 stores by the end of September, with blended burgers combining pea protein isolate and Angus beef to follow, Tyson Foods CEO and president Noel White told analysts...

What are the purchase drivers for plant-based foods and beverages? And what’s the real size of the plant-based meat prize?

02-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

New consumer research from Health Focus International shows that perceived health benefits and taste preferences are more significant purchase drivers for plant-based foods and beverages than sustainability or animal welfare concerns, echoing recent research...

PowerPlant Ventures partner: ‘The plant-based milk market didn’t take off until they solved the taste issue; the same applies to plant-based meat’

02-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

Insect protein remains frustratingly niche, and cell-cultured meat – while groundbreaking - could be a tough sell. But plant-based meat is something mainstream consumers can understand and embrace, provided products truly deliver on taste and price, argues...

FDA approves color additive petition for Impossible Foods' soy leghemoglobin as it gears up for Sept retail launch

31-Jul-2019 By Elaine Watson

Impossible Foods is gearing up for the September launch of its plant-based burgers into retail after receiving the green light from the FDA to use its star ingredient – soy leghemoglobin – as a color additive. It also announced a co-manufacturing deal...