Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs, NotSausages Debut at Natural Products West Expo
The Kraft Heinz Not Company LLC debuted NotHotDogs and NotSausages, the first plant-based Oscar Mayer offerings and the first plant-based meat innovation from the joint venture between The Kraft Heinz Company and TheNotCompany, Inc. With its mission to create mouthwatering plant-based foods for all, The Kraft Heinz Not Company’s Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages offer the savory and smoky experience that brand fans have known and loved for more than 140 years.
Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages offer fans the smoky, savory taste, meaty color, and thick, juicy bite they are craving in plant-based alternatives. The new innovations will debut at Expo West (booth #N1732) from March 12-16 and are set to begin rolling out in major retailers nationwide later in 2024.
The United States plant-based market is projected to skyrocket from $8.3 billion in 2023 to $19 billion by 2030. However, plant-based hot dogs and dinner sausage links remain underdeveloped and under-consumed within the broader plant-based meat category, largely due to disappointment in existing offerings’ taste and texture. With Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages – available in Bratwurst and Italian sausage flavors – The Kraft Heinz Not Company aims to deliver on these needs and consumers’ evolving preference in the plant-based space.
“At The Kraft Heinz Not Company, our goal is to create mouthwatering, plant-based foods that are delicious and accessible for everyone – from the devoted vegan to the plant-based curious,” says Lucho Lopez-May, CEO, The Kraft Heinz Not Company. “We know people are hungry for plant-based meat options from brands they know and trust. In launching the joint venture’s first product in the plant-based meat category, we saw an opportunity to satisfy these consumer cravings, leveraging NotCo’s revolutionary AI technology and the power, equity, and legacy of the Oscar Mayer brand.”
The launch of Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages is the latest example of The Kraft Heinz Not Company’s ambition to bring great-tasting plant-based innovations to market faster than ever before. Further, the launch marks another exciting step in the joint venture’s continued expansion of its plant-based portfolio, which includes KRAFT NotMac&Cheese, KRAFT NotCheese Slices, and NotMayo. Looking to the year ahead, The Kraft Heinz Not Company plans to scale into additional categories and recently began its international expansion.
Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages offer fans the smoky, savory taste, meaty color, and thick, juicy bite they are craving in plant-based alternatives. The new innovations will debut at Expo West (booth #N1732) from March 12-16 and are set to begin rolling out in major retailers nationwide later in 2024.
For more information and to stay up to date on all things Kraft Heinz, Oscar Mayer, and NotCo, follow along on Instagram (@kraftheinz , @oscarmayer, @NotCoUS) and TikTok (@hereatkraftheinz , @oscarmayer, @NotCoUS).
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Better Foods Attracts Investment From Cleveland Avenue
Better Foods and Shinsegae Food CEO Song Hyun-suk (left) and Cleveland Avenue Founder & CEO Don Thompson pose after signing the investment agreement at the head office of Shinsegae Food in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. (Photo: Shinsegae Food)
Better Foods, Shinsegae Food’s subsidiary specializing in plant-based products, announced investment attraction from Cleveland Avenue, a U.S. venture capital.
Shinsegae Food established Better Foods, in the United States in 2022 to strengthen the global competitiveness of plant-based products, which the company is fostering as a future growth engine, and to target the U.S. market. Since its establishment, Better Foods has set up a local operating organization for business expansion and discovered partners to increase production and online and offline sales.
Based in Chicago, Cleveland Avenue is a global venture capital established in 2015 by Don Thompson, the former president & CEO of McDonald’s. Cleveland Avenue is investing in lifestyle consumer brands and technologies that lead to growing markets in positive ways. The key investment targets are Bear Robotics, a self-driving serving robot company, and Bemyfriends, a global fandom business company, as well as Beyond Meat, a meat substitute startup in the U.S.
Cleveland Avenue decided on the investment after it highly evaluated Better Foods for its R&D capacity for plant-based products, such as not only meat substitutes, but also milk and cheese substitutes, using the company’s independent technologies, and future growth potential. In particular, Cleveland Avenue positively evaluated the steady business growth achieved by Shinsegae Food, the parent company of Better Foods, through the application of meat substitutes in various fields including food manufacturing, bakery, meal service and restaurant business.
In addition to monetary investment, Cleveland Avenue also agreed to actively cooperate with Better Foods for its global market entry as a strategic investor. Based on the cooperation, Better Foods will develop plant-based products including milk and cheese substitutes for which it is conducting R&D, perform consumer marketing activities, and expand their business in the U.S. market.
“This investment holds great significance as it indicates that Better Foods has won recognition for its growth potential in the U.S., the largest market for plant-based products,” said a Shinsegae Food official. “We will develop Better Foods as a company specializing in plant-based products that leads the global market through R&D on a variety of plant-based products including meat substitutes.”
Better Foods is a global alternative food company established in the United States by Shinsegae Group, Korea’s leading distribution group, in 2022. Under the vision of “We Dream Big to Make a Better World with Better Foods,” various activities are being carried out to develop and promote various alternative foods and to continue innovation for a better future.
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Armored Fresh Takes Oat Milk Cheese on Tour
Armored Fresh, a food tech company specializing in alternative dairy products, has announced a coast-to-coast tour for buyers and culinary professionals within the grocery, food service and QSR channels. Commencing on Jan. 2, the Armored Fresh Oat Milk Cheese Tour will provide an opportunity for buyers to experience Armored Fresh’s new zero-dairy Oat Milk American Cheese Slices and additional innovations yet to be released. The nationwide tour will begin in New York and end in California with stops in all major metropolitan destinations.
“Our R&D and culinary teams have perfected our new zero-dairy Oat Milk Cheese Slices and we’re excited to share these game-changing options with industry food service professionals and retail buyers,” said Rudy Yoo, founder and CEO of Armored Fresh. “Our mission is to create renewed enthusiasm in the industry with our dairy-free, plant-based cheese that is more sustainable and has the same taste, creaminess, and melting properties that consumers experience from traditional dairy cheeses.”
The exclusive tastings will be hosted by Armored Fresh’s U.S. sales team. This will include a curated menu featuring the delicious Oat Milk Cheese Slices. Industry professionals who are interested in scheduling a meeting are invited to contact Tour@armoredfresh.com, for more details and availability.
Armored Fresh was founded with the mission to protect human health and the environment by delivering delicious plant-based cheeses at an affordable price. The zero-dairy company offers a robust portfolio of cheeses, including Cubed Cheeses, Oat Milk Slices, and Almond Milk Slices.
All of the company’s plant-based cheeses are a combination of innovative science and culinary art, crafted by Armored Fresh’s team of chefs and R&D scientists who work hand-in-hand to create zero-dairy options through the same process as dairy cheeses. Armored Fresh cheeses are available at select retailers nationwide, including Kroger, Fresh Thyme Market, Town and Country Foods, and Fred Meyer, as well as food service partners.
Armored Fresh specializes in developing delicious, alternative dairy products. The brand brings its innovative approach and award-winning zero-dairy cheeses that taste, melt, and replicate the mouthfeel of dairy-based cheeses nationwide. All Armored Fresh cheeses are non-GMO and made 100 percent from plants, and are comparable to traditional dairy options in terms of taste and nutrition. The company offers a portfolio of cheese alternatives, including cubes, slices, shreds and spreads. Visit www.armoredfresh.com for more information.
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