Kellogg’s plant-based brand, Incogmeato, will introduce vegan Italian sausage and bratwurst in June. Like its plant-based burgers, the new meatless pork products will be sold in the fresh meat department.
The company introduced the Incogmeato line in September 2019 as an addition to its vegetarian Morningstar Farms brand. The line has also announced plans to offer plant-based chicken nuggets and tenders, but release dates have not been provided. Morningstar Farms plans to be completely vegan by 2021.
“If you think about it, seasonally, 800 million dollars of meat are consumed in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July, so just in time for consumers to have family barbecues and parties, this offers a ‘flexitarian’ a way to serve and cook a full portfolio of plant-based offerings for their family,” said Sara Young, Morningstar Farm’s general manager of plant-based protein.
Vegan burger brand, Impossible Foods, also recently announced its plans to introduce plant-based pork. While competitor, Beyond Meat, began selling its Italian sausage and bratwurst in April 2018.
Other traditional companies that have expanded into the plant-based protein arena include Nestle, Hormel, and Smithfield Foods. In addition to responding to increased consumer demand for meat-free options, they are also competing in a market that, according to UBS, should grow to $85BN by 2030.