7/29/2021
Plant-based nutritional and meal-replacement brand Soylent is "operationally profitable now" thanks to new flavors, lower pricing, a strong direct-to-consumer business and functional debuts such as Soylent complete protein and complete energy, according to CEO Demir Vangelov. Soylent's retail footprint will increase by 11,000 locations to roughly 28,000 by the end of the year, he added.
7/29/2021
A pandemic-related consumer focus on well-being and health is transferring to the pet product industry with consumers seeking higher-quality, health-focused items such as plant-based pet food, said Craig Neely, vice president of marketing for Mars Petcare in North America. Mars recently rolled out Karma, a brand with 60% vegetarian ingredients.
5/28/2021
Unilever is working with Enough, a food tech company based in Scotland, to produce more plant-based meat alternatives for its The Vegetarian Butcher brand. Enough has developed fungi-based mycoproteins via a zero-waste fermentation process that will help Unilever "launch more plant-based foods that help people cut down on meat, without compromising on taste," said Carla Hilhorst, Unilever's executive vice president of research and development for food and refreshment.
5/27/2021
The Trends Council at Whole Foods Market has released its predictions of the hottest plant-based trends for the summer as the category continues its robust growth among shoppers who want healthier options. The top five plant-based products, as forecast by the grocer, are cheese alternatives, meat alternatives for barbecues, snacks and drinks in kid-friendly packages, seafood substitutes and dips without dairy.
5/27/2021
Sales data from Instacart shows one-third of its customers have purchased a plant-based meat or dairy item, marking the transition of the fast-growing category from a specialty product into a "staple," said Instacart's Laurentia Romaniuk. A Harris Poll conducted for the delivery company in late February showed that the trend is likely to continue, with 30% of customers who responded saying they would keep buying plant-based foods as a way to eat healthier.
5/28/2021
A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that eating a plant-based meal for dinner was associated with 10% lower odds of cardiovascular diseases. The study, based on data from 27,911 adults in the US, also found that individuals who consumed a lot of fatty meats and refined carbohydrates during dinner had greater odds of developing heart disease than those who consumed the same foods during breakfast.
7/28/2021
Multiple plant proteins can be blended in food products to improve nutrition, texture or taste, or to make a product more cost-effective to produce. "Blending pea and canola protein is a new and compelling approach that formulators can utilize for developing products with complete protein in the plant-based space, which has traditionally been quite tricky," said Jeff Casper, director of research and development at Merit Functional Foods.
5/27/2021
Kraft Heinz plans to leverage its brand legacy and plant-rich portfolio to expand its presence in the plant-based space, said Cristina Kenz, international chief growth and sustainability officer. The company's future also includes a "fundamental shift" toward sustainability, as "the consumer has the right [and power] to choose companies depending on their ethical behavior," said Kenz.
7/28/2021
Wicked Kitchen, a plant-based brand backed by UK food retailer Tesco, will make its US debut at Kroger banners and Sprouts Farmers Market locations. The launch will include more than 20 items at 2,500 stores, including meals, ingredients and snacks.
5/26/2021
Nestle's plant-based brand Sweet Earth is entering the snacks category with two varieties of wheat gluten-based jerky: Spicy Kung Pao and Sweet Korean BBQ. The Spicy Kung Pao flavor is rolling out this month, and the Sweet Korean BBQ flavor will debut later in the year.
