They say that where there’s smoke there’s fire. So, casual observers might suspect that the biggest new product news in foodservice meat, poultry and seafood—is that there’s actually no meat whatsoever.
This year’s National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago featured many exhibitors promoting plant-based products. For its part, The Good Food Institute (a non-profit dedicated to plant-based foods) identified 21 NRA exhibitors that showcased new plant-based meat options. And of 32 honorees in this year’s 2019 NRA Food and Beverage Awards (FABI), there were eight meat, poultry and seafood winners—including three plant-based products: Beyond Meats’ new Beyond Beef ground beef, Impossible Foods’ upgraded Impossible Burger, and a new UNCUT Breakfast Sausage Patty from Before the Butcher, Irvine, Calif.