MorningStar Farms announces “Incogmeato” plant-based meat
As plant protein rises in prominence, another major company is releasing a new line of products intended to be indistinguishable from conventional meat. Kellogg’s MorningStar Farms, a leader in plant-based proteins for 40-plus years, announced this week that they’re launching a new line of plant-based meat in early 2020.
“As more consumers are choosing a ‘flexitarian’ lifestyle and actively reducing meat, we’re thrilled to be extending the MorningStar Farms portfolio with a delicious and satisfying meat-like experience,” general manager Sara Young said in a press statement.
It seems like the real deal
Dubbed Incogmeato, the product line “looks like meat, cooks like meat, and tastes like meat,” according to a MorningStar Farms’ tweet. Incogmeato will bring burger patties, chik’n nuggets, and chik’n tenders right into the frozen meat sections of supermarkets across the United States.
Apart from vegetarians looking for animal-free meals, Kellogg’s hopes the items will appeal to those who consume traditional meat but who are looking for better, delicious, and familiar products.
“About three-fourths of Americans are open to plant-based eating, yet only 1 in 4 actually purchase a plant-based alternative,” Young said. “The number one barrier to trying plant-based protein is taste. These consumers are still seeking the amazing taste, texture, and sizzling qualities of meat but want a better alternative for themselves and the planet.”
MorningStar Farms currently boasts popular plant-derived offerings like breakfast sausages, corn dogs, and veggie burgers. But the Incogmeato burgers will take the food manufacturer’s plant-based game to the next level. These products have been developed to reach new consumers like the wildly successful products from Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
Plant-based meat is just booming
With its latest addition, Kellogg’s is following on the heels of many other large corporations making new investing in plant-based protein. As MorningStar publicized Incogmeato this week, Hormel Foods’ new Happy Little Plants products arrived in select stores. And Kroger’s Simple Truth will introduce a variety of plant-forward meat options this fall.
In the U.S., plant-based meat sales have climbed 37 percent since 2017, totaling $801 million as of April 2019. As this upward trend continues and more businesses dive into the market, we’re sure to keep seeing great news about innovative versions of everyone’s favorite meaty foods — without the animals!
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