On our latest From the Cold Corner Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Michael Costa catches up with Ryan Riddle, senior R&D specialist for plant-based meal solutions at Nestlé and its Sweet Earth brand. They talk about why refrigerated and frozen plant-based foods are so popular today, which consumer markets are key targets for plant-based foods, how Nestlé incorporates its plant-based products into the brand’s freezer-aisle favorites like DiGiorno Pizza and Stouffer’s, plus much more.
Path of Life, makers of plant-based, frozen quinoa, rice and veggie blends, has experienced double-digit sales growth from this time last year. This momentous growth has catapulted them to the number 12 spot across naturally positioned Frozen Entrées & Vegetables, making them one of the fastest growing brands across channels according to SPINS 12 week data ending 10/04/2020.
Plant-based brand Field Roast Grain Meat Co (“Field Roast”), owned by Greenleaf Foods, SPC, announced a bold brand redesign and a multi-year partnership with prolific chef Roy Choi. The new packaging and partnership promise to inspire culinarians to “Make Taste Happen.”
Tyson Foods announced the European launch of its plant-based protein brand, Raised & Rooted. This is the first expansion of the Raised & Rooted brand outside the U.S., in the brand’s pursuit to be the most loved alternative protein brand in the world.
Fresh From Texas, a San Antonio-based business, has acquired the manufacturing plant of CeCe’s Veggie Co., located in Austin, Texas. The purchase of the manufacturing facility increases Fresh From Texas’ production capacity enabling continued expansion into new avenues for growth in the refrigerated, premium product lines of high-quality, hand-crafted plant-based meal solutions. As part of the agreement, Fresh From Texas will continue to produce the CeCe’s varieties of spiralized vegetables in the Austin facility.
Mosaic Foods, the plant-centric frozen meal company based in Brooklyn, adds to their lineup today with a brand-new breakfast line. Six Oat Bowls join the brand’s growing collection, bringing protein-packed sweet and savory breakfast options to your freezer with creative ingredients, from Golden Milk & Blackberry to Sundried Tomato and ‘Everything’.
Green Giant has announced new product additions to its popular Green Giant Veggie Swap-Ins line, including new Green Giant Veggie Fries and Green Giant Veggie Rings. Additional introductions to the brand’s Green Giant Grilled Veggies, Green Giant Riced Veggies, and Green Giant Simply Steam lines will round out its new frozen offerings this fall.
Taking a giant leap toward their long-term vision of Plants Powering People, Bolthouse Farms has announced a new line of plant-powered products: Bolthouse Farms Wunderoots, exciting new carrot-based "swaps" featuring Carrot Dogs, Carrot Fettuccine kits and Riced Carrot kits that provide consumers easy and delicious ways to eat more carrots. This launch follows the company's recent introduction of Bolthouse Farms Plant-Based Protein KETO beverage line and their Plant-Based Refrigerated Dressings.
Plant-based meat company Heura has launched its new packaging, reducing the use of plastic by 80% and honoring the Mediterranean roots. Until today, the plant based meat segment has been led internationally by companies born in Silicon Valley. Heura, however, believes that the future of food must have its pillars in one of the most famous gastronomic cultures in the world, the Mediterranean.