Tyson Foods, the biggest meat producer in the United States, announced their plans to debut plant-based nuggets starting this summer. These nuggets will be the first product in “Raised & Rooted”, a new brand dedicated to plant-based and blended meat goods.
Company executives have been hinting at the possibility of the meat giant entering the meat alternative market since this February, where they will face competition from the likes of Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
Noel White, Tyson CEO, said in a statement: “We remain firmly committed to our growing traditional meat business and expect to be a market leader in alternative protein, which is experiencing double-digit growth and could someday be a billion-dollar business for our company.”
According to a report from Mintel, almost 60% of Americans are interested in eating less meat products. The flexitarian diet – also called a semi-vegetarian diet – is becoming more and more popular. It is a plant-based diet, with the occasional inclusion of meat. Euromonitor projects that by 2023 the meat alternative market will have a global net worth of $22.9 billion.
Tyson’s nuggets will use pea protein instead of chicken meat, and the company is also planning on releasing a blended burger made from a combination of Angus beef and pea protein.
Tyson Foods has also been heavily investing in startups that focus on alternative proteins. They have already invested into MycoTechnology, a mushroom-based protein producer, and Memphis Meats and Future Meat Technologies, producers of cultured meat.
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