Rebellyous Foods, a Seattle-based startup working to make plant-based chicken affordable, raised $9.5 million last February to build Mock 2, a production system that is said to be capable of producing plant-based meat at 60% lower cost than all available methods.
The food tech, which has recently unveiled the technology, now announces that it is accepting proposals (RFP) from USDA or FDA food facilities to install and operate the production system to make its plant-based chicken and potentially other companies’ products, starting in early Spring 2024.
Mock 2 consists of a fully continuous, automated, and chilled dough system that is said to improve and simplify the mix-and-form process, thus saving electricity and labor resources. According to the food tech, it can produce from 2,500 to 3,700 pounds per hour, with the potential to reach over 5,000 pounds per hour, finally allowing manufacturers to make plant-based meat at price parity with animal products.
Plant-based chicken for all
Christie Lagally, a former aerospace engineer, founded Rebellyous Foods in 2017 to make high-quality plant-based chicken at lower costs using food tech.
The company’s range includes nuggets, tenders, and patties. The plant-based chicken nuggets, which meet USDA child nutrition standards and are free from cholesterol, antibiotics, and hormones, received the KeHE On Trend Frozen Award in 2022.
Despite 2023 being challenging for the plant-based meat category in the USA, Rebellyous Foods is available in over 1000 retailers nationwide. However, the company’s primary customers are the National School Lunch Program cafeterias that serve Rebellyous chicken, a student favorite.
Recently, the food tech secured a major distribution with Vizient to supply its products to the healthcare sector and other educational institutions to extend its presence in the public sector further. With Mock 2, the plant-based chicken specialist expects to produce affordable chicken alternatives to meet the growing demand.
Says Lagally to vegconomist on the development: “We are already speaking with operators and brands at 9 locations who will benefit from the lower costs and high volumes the Rebellyous’ Mock 2 system can provide. This is the perfect time in our industry to deploy automation technology in plant-based meat production, as consumers are demanding price-parity plant-based meat now more than ever. Rebellyous is ready to deliver!”
Rebellyous Foods’ Mock 2 technology is patented in the US and Canada under Seattle Food Tech, Inc. and is filed internationally. Additional information on the RFP can be found here.
