Plant Based & Vegetarian

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Consumer demand for ready-to-cook plant-based meat alternatives is pushing brands to go beyond traditional freezer offerings into convenient, refrigerated products. Retail sales of plant-based meat alternatives reflect a shift happening in a dynamic category, as consumers bypass frozen products in favor of refrigerated ones. 

Vegetarianism and flexitarianism continue to grow in popularity, driven by health concerns as well as demand for greater sustainability and animal welfare. This means that alternative protein ingredients will continue to be of high interest to consumers, and therefore also to food and beverage formulators.

Wicked Foods, a plant-based food brand and UK market leader in plant-based meals, snacks and ingredients has announced the Summer 2021 launch of its pioneering product line in the US. The brand was created by world-renowned chefs and brothers Derek and Chad Sarno, who are recognized globally for their innovative approach to delicious chef-driven, plant-based cuisine.

Hooray Foods debuted an innovative meat-free bacon with a 300-store rollout in Whole Foods. The brand is breaking through barriers to entry with a product that looks like bacon, sizzles like bacon, smells like bacon and tastes like bacon, but instead puts health, environment and animal welfare first.

To accelerate innovation and drive further growth within the plant-based foods market, AAK AB (publ.) has joined the MISTA innovation platform, based in San Francisco.

Optimizing the texture, flavor, appearance, cooking experience, and other qualities of these and other items to be as close to their animal counterparts as possible to meet increasingly exact consumer expectations has pushed innovation to new levels.

In a changing environment, eggs remain the same. They are valuable ingredients for formulators who rely on their multiple functional properties, nutritional profile, and familiar taste for a consumer population seeking solace through food. Even as grocers and manufacturers consolidate SKUs, innovative new products made with eggs satisfy consumer demand for fresh ideas and flavorful adventure. 

NotCo, a food-tech company in Latin America and backed by key venture capital names, including Bezos Expeditions, announced its debut in the United States with the launch of NotMilk™ in Whole Foods Market stores nationwide.

Fresh From Texas, LLC (dba Fresh Texas) a San Antonio-based business in partnership with Texas Next Capital has acquired the manufacturing plant of Austin-based Veggie Noodle Company (dba CeCe’s Veggie Noodles), located in Austin.

Longève has an assortment of shelf-stable pea protein products for those who love to cook, adding diversity to the meat replacement consumer packaged goods (CPG) market.