The plant-based foods category—which encompasses a substantial amount of refrigerated and frozen items—had its most successful year ever in 2020, with $7 billion in sales, and a year-over-year increase of 27%, according to the Plant Based Foods Association and SPINS.
One of the category’s most recognizable brands is Greenleaf Foods, our 2021 Refrigerated Foods Processor of the Year, and a pioneer in vegan meats and cheeses, with popular brands Lightlife, Field Roast, and Chao under their umbrella. The company sees ingredient transparency as the future of the category, and a core tenet of its clean-label strategy. We caught up with Dan Curtin, president at Greenleaf Foods, to learn more about how the company procures plant-based proteins for its products, and how that sourcing program helps differentiate the brand among its competition.