Prime Roots

Prime Roots Plant-Based Deli Meat

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Company News

Prime Roots is Giving Away a Million Slices of Koji Mycelium Deli Meat

Prime Roots, producer of koji mycelium cold cuts, as well as plant-based pâtés and foie gras products amongst others, is giving away a million slices of its vegan koji deli meat alternative on a US tour. The Californian brand was recently recognized on Time Magazine’s America’s Top GreenTech Companies in 2024 list and has received several further awards as pictured below. Additionally, the B-Corp last month celebrated being featured in the hugely popular Netflix series You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment. In the series, Prime Roots was the “leading innovator” of the plant-based deli meat in the swap, in an experiment whereby in sets of twins one consumed an omnivore diet and the other plant-based, in order to compare the physical effects. Cybertruck …

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Prime Roots

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Food Service

Prime Roots Partners With Three Little Pigs to Bring Plant-Based Pâté to NYC

Prime Roots, the producer of koji-based deli meats, has partnered with Three Little Pigs, an artisanal charcuterie and pâté maker, to introduce its collection of plant-based pâtés and foie gras to customers in New York City. The range blends traditional French cuisine with the innovative and sustainable ingredients of Prime Root’s plant-based products, including its Black Truffle Koji-Pâté, Harvest Apple Koji-Pâté, and Koji-Foie Gras. These products are developed using koji, a fungi root commonly utilized in Asian cuisines for its umami-rich qualities, which is key to replicating the taste and texture of meat-based products. Founder and CEO of Prime Roots, Kimberlie Le, commented on the launch, saying, “It’s so fun to wow people’s tastebuds with a plant-based koji-pâté, and koji-foie gras that gives people the …

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prime roots pate

© Prime Roots - Photo by Andrea D'Agosto
Products & Launches

Prime Roots Partners with Fabrique Délices to Offer Koji-Based Pâtés and Foie Gras

Producer of koji-based alternative meats, Prime Roots partners with Fabrique Délices, an artisanal French charcuterie maker, to create and distribute a line of fungi-based koji-pâtés and koji-foie gras for foodservice. One notable highlight of this partnership is the introduction of the only legally approved plant-based foie gras that can be served in California’s restaurants, addressing ethical and environmental concerns surrounding traditional foie gras production. Prime Roots joins the ranks of other global animal-free innovators disrupting the foie gras industry, including Dr.Foods in Japan and Foodys in Spain. Prime Roots distinguishes itself as the first company to introduce a range of freshly sliced deli meat and charcuterie, pâtés, and foie gras crafted from koji. CEO and co-founder of Prime Roots, Kimberlie Le, explained the significance of koji …

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Konscious Plant-Based Sushi

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Market & Trends

Navigating Turbulence: 8 Plant-Based Brands Riding the Crest, Not Weathering the Storm

While some brands are struggling in the current economic climate (both plant-based and conventional), many are not just surviving but thriving, expanding into new markets and raising large sums of funding. Here, we take a look at some of the biggest industry success stories of 2023. Konscious Foods Canada’s Konscious Foods raised $26 million in seed funding at the beginning of this month, with the aim of making its plant-based seafood more widely accessible. The company now plans to launch at over 4,500 more stores across North America by the end of the year, while also expanding into more food service locations. The seafood alternatives are already available at all Whole Foods locations US-wide, and one investor says it expects Konscious Foods to “transform plant-based …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Kimberlie Le of Prime Roots on the Plant Based Business Hour

CEO of Prime Roots, Kimberlie Le, joins Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss the magic of whole-food, Koji fungi (best pâté ever!) and taking over the deli counter. Specifically, they discuss: How Koji can be meats from fungi Distribution and taking over deli counters. Prime Roots Koji bacon and pate, and The environmental impact and efficiency of using microbes for food production. Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast here. Display “How is Koji Being used to Create Fungi-Based Pate and Deli Meats?” from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “How is Koji Being used to Create Fungi-Based Pate and Deli Meats?” directly Elysabeth: Help us …

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Prime Roots x Quorn

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Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Quorn & Prime Roots Collaborate to Expand Market for Mycelium-Based Alt Meats

Quorn and Prime Roots have announced a collaboration in the US to develop market expansion opportunities for mycelium-based alt meats. The companies will also develop new products together, and Quorn will make a minority investment in Prime Roots. The collaboration is a natural fit, as both brands use proprietary mycelium-based technologies to produce meat alternatives. Both are also members of the Fungi Protein Association, formed last November to represent the interests of the industry. Based in Berkeley, California, Prime Roots makes deli-style products from koji fungus; these include alternatives to salami, pepperoni, bacon, pâté, and fois gras. Last month, the company secured $30 million in Series B funding, taking the total amount it has raised to $50 million. Prime Roots also became the first mycelium-based …

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Kim Le founder Prime Roots

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Investments & Acquisitions

Prime Roots’ Total Funding Reaches $50M Following Series B Round

Prime Roots, a producer of koji mycelium-based deli meats, has secured $30 million in a Series B round. The raise takes the company’s total funding to $50 million. True Ventures, Pangaea Ventures, SOSV/IndieBio, and Monde Nissin (the parent company of Quorn) all participated in the round, among others. Prime Roots will use the funding to scale and expand to deli counters and restaurants nationwide. Prime Roots claims to be able to identically replicate the microscopic texture of meat through proprietary fermentation and food science technology. The company offers a range of alternatives to deli meats, including cracked pepper turkey, black forest ham, hickory bacon, salami, and pepperoni — all developed alongside acclaimed chefs. The products can be made in just three days, compared to months …

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Prime roots deli sandwich quorn

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Company News

Prime Roots Achieves ‘First’ B Corp Certification for a Mycelium-Based Food Company

Prime Roots, maker of innovative Koji-Meats, announces it has become the ‘first’ mycelium-based food company to receive B Corp certification. Through this recognition, Prime Roots states its company will equitable benefits consumers, employees, communities, and the environment. Co-founded by Kimberlie Le, Prime Roots has transformed from a company primarily focused on ready-made meals to an animal-free deli meat brand. Aiming to disrupt the $300Bn bulk deli industry, Prime Roots creates realistic deli meat slices using koji mycelium – a versatile type of fungi.  Ancient ingredient According to the company, koji is a traditional ingredient used for centuries to make foods like miso and soy sauce, and is a popular ingredient in Michelin-starred restaurants. Prime Roots says koji’s long, microscopic fibers can closely replicate the structures …

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Prime Roots Plant-Based Deli Meat

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Fungi, Mushrooms & Mycelium

Prime Roots Launches First Sliceable Koji Meats to Disrupt $300B Bulk Deli Industry

Fungi innovator Prime Roots announces its breakthrough line of Koji-Meats is now available at select deli counters and sandwich shops in the San Francisco Bay Area. Offered in bulk sizes for fresh slicing, the launch is a preview ahead of a larger US retail and restaurant expansion in 2023.  Prime Roots’ preview launch features classic deli staples and charcuterie, including:  Whole Koji-Turkey in Classic Smoked, Cracked Black Pepper, and Golden Roast  Whole Koji-Hams in Classic Smoked, Black Forest, and Sugar Shack Maple  Koji-Pepperoni  Koji-Salami  Koji-Pâtés with apple & sage or black truffle  Koji-Foie Gras Torchon In the Bay Area, local diners can find the products at the following restaurants and markets: Berkeley Bowl Bi-Rite Market Rhea’s Deli Timeless Coffee Millennium and Above Ground Pizza Driver’s …

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Umaro Foods Vegan BLT

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Meat- and Fish Alternatives

Vegan Bacon Market to Soar to Almost $2.5Bn: Which Brands Are Helping Drive Demand?

Following a new FMI report which finds that the global vegan bacon market is projected to grow from US$1,280 Mn in 2022 to US$2,425.4 Mn by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.6%, we look at the most exciting producers in the current market and detail their current and most recent developments. Prime Roots – California Prime Roots creates plant-based bacon and a range of cold cuts based on the Japanese superprotein, koji fungus. When the product debuted in 2020 it sold out almost immediately, according to the founders. In 2021 Prime Roots introduced a full range of flavoured bacon products consisting of thick-cut strips in Black Pepper, Sriracha, Maple, and Hickory flavors, stating these were the first in the world of this kind. The …

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Prime Roots Koji Ham Deli Meats

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Products & Launches

Prime Roots Launches World’s First Koji-Based Deli Meats and Foie Gras

Prime Roots, pioneers of Koji-based Meat, announces the company has re-branded and is launching the first-ever line of Koji Deli Meats and Charcuterie. The new line includes sliceable hams, turkey and salami, as well as koji pâtés, pepperoni and foie gras.  Aiming to disrupt the $300 billion global bulk deli market, the brand intends to revolutionize the concept of deli meat alternatives, where it says there is currently a lack of strong leading players.  Prime Root’s koji protein platform has allowed it to create the first animal-free deli meats that can be freshly sliced and used to make traditional deli classics, like smokey ham and cracked pepper turkey sandwiches.  The groundbreaking meats and pâtés are crafted from koji – the same fungi used to make …

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BaconStrips Hooray Foods

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Market & Trends

Mmm, Bacon: Plant-Based Bacon Outselling Conventional as Market Doubles

Long-held as a taste icon for many diehard animal meat-eaters, now bacon is also experiencing plant-based disruption. Sales of plant-based bacon are up 25% – double the rate for the same period for animal-based bacon – and the plant-based bacon market as a whole doubled in 2020 to $267 million, reports Bloomberg.  As multiple players are entering the space from different angles, here is the vegconomist latest from the major disruptors in alt bacon: Robert Downey Jr. backed Atlast Food Co, a spinoff from Ecovative Design, has raised $100 million to create the world’s largest mycelium farm to create its fungi-based bacon flagship product.  Prime Roots has launched what it claims to be the world’s first plant-based bacon lineup of thick-cut, butcher-style bacon in Black …

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sriracha bacon spices Prime Roots

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Products & Launches

Prime Roots Unveils “World’s First” Range of Flavored Vegan Bacon for Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day, Prime Roots today unveils what it claims to be the world’s first plant-based bacon lineup. The new line of flavoured bacon products consist of thick-cut, butcher-style bacon in Black Pepper, Sriracha, Maple, and Hickory flavors, which are created with a Japanese superprotein fungi called koji. In March of last year, Prime Roots launched its first koji bacon for DTC home delivery and reported that stocks were sold out almost immediately. In October 2020 the San Francisco brand debuted a range of vegan ready meals featuring the plant-based bacon, including a Koji Bacon Mac and Cheese. In March of this year Prime Roots introduced what it says is the world’s first vegan lobster ravioli, also created with the koji fungus. We spoke with …

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Prime Roots Turkey

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Food & Beverage

Tofurky Unable to Keep Up With Demand, New Plant-Based Turkeys Emerge

Tofurky has reported a huge spike in sales orders amounting to the company’s largest annual increase since 2015, stating to CNN Business that demand is so high that it needs to increase production but is limited this year due to staffing. Meanwhile new vegan turkeys are on the 2020 pre-holiday market including Prime Roots and Whole Foods.

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Prime Roots

Kimberlie Le of Prime Roots
Interviews

Prime Roots: “We Have a Global Waitlist with Thousands of People From Over 50 Countries”

Prime Roots started life as Terramino Foods, then last year rebranded to Prime Roots whose first product to market – a koji-based vegan bacon – shot to fame when it sold out almost immediately upon its launch this March. This week its plant-based ready meals featuring koji fungus-based bacon, beef and chicken, launched into Whole Foods.

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