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UNLIMEAT Expands US Retail Presence with Plant-Based Korean BBQ Offerings at Kroger

April 30, 2025

South Korean plant-based food manufacturer UNLIMEAT is expanding its US retail distribution through a new partnership with Kroger, the country’s largest supermarket chain. Beginning in May, the company’s Korean BBQ Bulgogi and Pulled Pork Original products will be available in over 300 Kroger-affiliated stores, including Ralphs, Fred Meyer, King Soopers, and Smith’s. The new partnership comes amid continued consumer interest in Korean cuisine in the US, reflected in recent data from Circana showing a 10% increase in Korean restaurant locations over the past year. Michelin recognition for Korean restaurants has also grown, with 16 establishments now holding at least one star, and social media engagement remains high, with Korean food-related hashtags exceeding 15 billion views on TikTok. This rollout follows UNLIMEAT’s earlier entries into other …

Retail & E-Commerce

UNLIMEAT Rolls Out 5 “K-Vegan” Products into GIANT and MARTIN’S Stores as Korean Food Surge Continues

July 30, 2024

Plant-based food brand UNLIMEAT, producer of popular “K-Vegan” products from upcycled, discarded vegetables, has launched five of its products into 149 GIANT and MARTIN’S stores in the USA, as the surge of interest in Korean food continues worldwide. Following the brand’s retail partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market earlier this month whereby its BBQ products launched into around 400 Sprouts stores, this latest expansion brings further Korean-style plant-based cuisine to the US market. The company has a US office base as well as its Korean HQ and launched an online store last November. In interview with vegconomist last year, founder and then-CEO Keum Chae Min explained the brand’s strategy and MO: “We believe that the alternative meat market will continue to stagnate unless it also focuses …

Retail & E-Commerce

UNLIMEAT Brings Vegan Korean BBQ to Sprouts Stores Across the US

July 9, 2024

UNLIMEAT, a prominent Korean vegan food producer, has announced a significant retail partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market, launching its products in approximately 400 Sprouts stores nationwide. The initial lineup features plant-based Korean BBQ, bulgogi, and pulled pork. The company’s product offerings are designed to provide vegan alternatives to traditional Korean dishes, which have been gaining popularity in the US as part of a growing global interest in Korean culture. Rising interest in Korean cuisine According to data cited by The Food Institute, interest in Korean food spiked almost 90% in 2021 and has continued to grow since. UNLIMEAT notes that Google Trends data indicates a 35% increase in searches for Korean recipes and ingredients from 2021 to 2023. Ryan Chung, Co-CEO of UNLIMEAT, commented, “Korean …

Topics:

korean dishes

Food Service

UNLIMEAT Pulled Pork Wrap Launches at Starbucks Hong Kong

April 23, 2024

Korean plant-based meat brand UNLIMEAT has joined forces with Starbucks Hong Kong to offer a plant-based pulled pork wrap. The wrap combines UNLIMEAT’s pork alternative with carrot, red cabbage, and lettuce to create a “satisfying and guilt-free meal”. UNLIMEAT first entered the Hong Kong market in 2020, and has since secured several major collaborations in the region. IKEA Hong Kong launched an Earth Day Menu featuring the brand’s meat alternatives in 2022, and convenience store chain 7-Eleven has introduced two products made with UNLIMEAT’s signature Korean BBQ. “We have been dreaming of launching something at Starbucks ever since we launched our first products in Hong Kong,” said UNLIMEAT CEO Keumchae Min. “Our pulled pork has been our most popular product in the United States, so …

Topics:

Pulled Pork

Retail & E-Commerce

UNLIMEAT Opens Online Store, Plans to Launch K-Vegan Concept Products “Beyond Plant-Based Meat and Seafood”

November 21, 2023

Alt meat producer UNLIMEAT, which creates popular products from discarded vegetables, launched online store The UNLIMEAT SHOP earlier this month, showcasing bestsellers like pulled pork and Korean BBQ, along with new offerings such as frozen kimbap and gluten-free frozen desserts. The company, based in South Korea and the USA, states its plans to introduce limited editions, collaborative products, and popular Korean foods through the online shop, explaining that despite its retail rollouts at over 1,000 Albertsons stores across the US as well as at natural & organic stores in Northern California, there have been limitations to the range of items available in physical stores, and consumers have not previously had access to the full product lineup. Expanding beyond meat and seafood UNLIMEAT says it has …

Keum Chae Min, CEO and Founder of UNLIMEAT Inc

Keum Chae Min, CEO and founder, UNLIMEAT Inc. Image supplied

Interviews

UNLIMEAT: “It’s the Perfect Time to Enhance the ‘Deliciousness’ of Alternative Meat”

October 23, 2023October 19, 2023

UNLIMEAT, originating in South Korea and also enjoying success in the USA, is addressing a global issue that needs to be addressed more urgently by our food system, our producers, and our politicians. In the US alone, over 80 billion pounds of food is wasted each year, meaning that 30-40% of America’s annual food supply goes to waste, says founder and CEO Keum Chae Min. In response, the young entrepreneur set out initially in her home country to upcycle unused, “ugly” plants to create plant-based meat products tailored for diverse global cuisines. “We want to accelerate the transition to plant-based eating by making it convenient and delicious for consumers. That is why we’re relentlessly finding ways to expand our offerings, from Korean BBQ to Pulled …

Delivery Services

UNLIMEAT and JUST Egg Collaborate on ‘Rollicious’ Kimbap Delivery in South Korea

October 10, 2023

Korean alternative meat brand UNLIMEAT expands plant-based dining options in South Korea’s Gangnam and Seocho districts with the launch of its plant-based Kimbap delivery service ‘Rollicious.’ UNLIMEAT, known for creating nutritious plant-based products using by-products that are often discarded in the food production process, operates Asia’s largest plant-based meat-exclusive factory. Its commitment to reducing waste and repurposing ‘ugly agricultural products’ has led to the development of a range of vegan products with a Korean twist. The Rollicious menu offers a selection of seven ‘Protein Bomb Kimbap’ items. These Kimbap rolls incorporate UNLIMEAT’s range of products, including char-grilled galbi, tuna, and pulled pork, along with JUST Egg’s folded plant-based egg. They also include Gochujang, wasabi, and Cheongyang peppers to add a kick of spice. Collaboration with …

Retail & E-Commerce

PlantX Adds UNLIMEAT to Ecommerce Portfolio

September 25, 2023

Plant-based food platform PlantX Life Inc. (CSE: VEGA) is further expanding its ecommerce offerings by adding South Korea’s UNLIMEAT to its brand lineup. UNLIMEAT, owned by Korea’s Zikooin Company, specializes in a variety of Korean-inspired plant-based meat products, such as Korean BBQ, pulled pork, tuna, jerky, mandu, rice balls, and frozen Kimbap, made using upcycled ingredients like repurposed grain, rice and soy. Among the products soon to be available through PlantX are UNLIMEAT’s plant-based Korean BBQ, pulled pork, mandu dumplings, and a selection of ready-to-heat products inspired by Korean flavors, including frozen Kimbap and rice balls. Lorne Rapkin, CEO of PlantX, commented on the new distribution agreement, stating, “We are excited to support UNLIMEAT’s US expansion with this new logistics and distribution agreement. The brand …

Retail & E-Commerce

UNLIMEAT Furthers its Presence in US Natural and Organic Stores as K-Food Continues to Trend

September 5, 2023

South Korean plant-based meat brand UNLIMEAT expands its US retail footprint with increased presence in the Natural and Organic Market, as interest in K-Pop and K-Foods continues to trend globally. The fast-growing Asian company announces today the launch of its plant-based offerings into a list of natural and organic stores such as Mollie Stone’s Markets, Berkeley Bowl, Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins in California, and Good Earth Markets in Utah. The products introduced by UNLIMEAT in Natural & Organic stores consist of three SKUs: plant-based Korean BBQ; pulled pork; and Mandu, a large Korean-style dumpling. UNLIMEAT states that the expansion into said natural & organic stores marks its most significant achievement since its debut last winter into Albertsons, one of the largest supermarket chains in …

Topics:

korean dishes

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

UNLIMEAT Sees Further Success as Plant-Based Pulled Pork Launches at Good Earth Markets

September 4, 2023

Plant-based pulled pork by Korean alt meat brand UNLIMEAT is now available at Good Earth Markets, a chain of natural food stores in Utah. Described as “soft and shredded”, the soy-based product is high in protein and comes with Korean barbecue sauce. It can be found at Good Earth stores in American Fork, Layton, Orem, Riverdale, Sandy, and Spanish Fork. The launch is the latest in a long line of successes for Unlimeat, which arrived in the US last year with the introduction of plant-based pork and beef — advertised with a billboard in New York’s Times Square. This was followed by the company’s hugely popular vegan jerky a few months later. Ever since then, Unlimeat has rolled out at numerous US grocery stores — …

Topics:

Pulled Pork

JUST Egg X Unlimeat

Egg Alternatives

JUST Egg & UNLIMEAT to Co-Produce Innovative Vegan Egg Products for Asian Market

August 16, 2023

South Korea’s UNLIMEAT announces it is to introduce new plant-based egg products for the Asian market in collaboration with US alt egg leader JUST Egg. The two companies will together create co-branded innovations based on the JUST Egg folded egg format to include UNLIMEAT’s plant-based meat and cheese products. JUST Egg first entered the Korean market in summer 2021 as the country began to experience egg shortages, initially rolling out into leading bakery café franchises Paris Baguette and Paris Croissant. Eggs are ubiquitous in South Korean cuisine, as with Japanese, and are added to a majority of traditional Korean dishes. Vegan kimbap & breakfast sandwich coming to Korea One of the most popular foods in Korea which incorporates egg, is kimbap (also often anglicized as …

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

UNLIMEAT to Further Expand its Portfolio With Plant-Based Tuna

August 9, 2023

UNLIMEAT’s CEO and founder, Keum Chae Min, confirms that the company is preparing for the launch of its new plant-based tuna products, which will be available in three different flavors. The South Korea-based company is most known for its plant-based Pulled Pork and Korean BBQ lines, which are sold in 1,500 Albertsons stores across the US and were recently promoted through an LA Food Truck Tour. In May, the company further announced a partnership with the Korean-Style corn dog shop Two Hands to launch a vegan option containing UNLIMEAT’s vegan sausage. The plant-based meat company has now announced its first step into fish alternatives with a line of plant-based tuna products, as interest in alt seafood continues to rise globally. The new range, said to …

Topics:

Seafood

Tuna

UNLIMEAT X 2 Hands

Products & Launches

Cult Chain Two Hands Launches UNLIMEAT Vegan Corn Dogs in Response to Demand

May 24, 2023

UNLIMEAT, formed in South Korea and also operating from the US, announces a collaboration with Two Hands, a US franchise offering a range of Korean-style corn dogs, to launch a vegan option containing UNLIMEAT’s vegan sausage, in response to growing consumer demand. Two Hands Corn Dogs operates in more than 60 locations throughout the US and states there are hundreds more branches set to open across the rest of 2023. The business has gained attention in the United States for its unique offering of a diverse range of fillings and coatings, with the UNLIMEAT collab representing the chain’s first vegan option. UNLIMEAT claims that it runs the largest plant-based meat-exclusive factory in Asia, with a wide portfolio including several products suitable for the American palette …

Topics:

corn dog

UNLIMEAT Food Truck

Fairs & Events

UNLIMEAT Launches LA Food Truck Tour for Korean-Inspired Plant-Based Pulled Pork

March 27, 2023March 24, 2023

Korean-inspired plant-based brand UNLIMEAT announces the launch of its LA Food Truck Tour. Designed to promote UNLIMEAT’s pulled pork products at Albertsons, the event will travel across Los Angeles to sample the brand’s creations. The tour officially kicked off on March 19th, and is scheduled to appear at various community events and festivals, including Vegan Exchange, Smorgasburg Los Angeles and Vegan Street Fair on Sunday, March 26. The tour will also stop at select Albertsons, Safeway, and Vons market locations. According to UNLIMEAT, the food truck will serve a “delightful” menu of Mexican-Asian fusion dishes including: Bulgogi Tacos made with their signature plant-based Korean BBQ; Pulled Pork Sliders; and Fried Mandu Dumplings with chili oil and soy sauce. UNLIMEAT says it selected Los Angeles as …

Topics:

food truck

Pulled Pork

List of the best plant-based steak products in North America

Food & Beverage

The 9 Most Incredible Brands Disrupting Steak with Plants (North America)

March 31, 2023February 4, 2023

While plant-based burgers, sausages and meatballs have long dominated the alt-meat landscape, creating realistic steak from plants has always represented the highest, if seemingly unattainable goal, for many brands. But thanks to fearless and relentless innovation, a host of shockingly meaty and juicy plant-based steaks have arrived on the US and Canadian market, and are rapidly coming to the fore. Here, vegconomist takes a look at the most noteworthy names bringing animal-free steak to mainstream consumers. 1. Beyond Meat While not a fully structured filet, Beyond’s “revolutionary” plant-based steak tips marked a major milestone for the company, which previously only offered ground-textured products like burgers and sausages. According to CEO Ethan Brown, Beyond Steak took five years of extensive R&D to develop. The product can …

Topics:

Beef

Plant-Based Steak

Steak

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

UNLIMEAT Launches Plant-Based Korean BBQ and Pulled Pork at Albertsons Across USA

December 22, 2022

Korea’s UNLIMEAT is preparing to launch two products — plant-based Korean BBQ and pulled pork — at 1,500 Albertsons stores in the US. The Korean BBQ is a plant-based alternative to barbecued beef brisket, and according to UNLIMEAT can be grilled or stir-fried and used in both Eastern and Western cuisines. The pulled pork, which has already proven popular in pre-launch events, comes in two flavours — original (traditional barbecue flavour) and sweet & smoky (charcoal grilled rib flavour). The three products are UNLIMEAT’s most popular meat alternatives and are made with upcycled ingredients such as defatted soybean powder and rice bran. This prevents waste and makes use of highly nutritious byproducts; 90% of the nutrients in rice are found in the bran. “Tastier and …

Topics:

BBQ

Pulled Pork

Products & Launches

UNLIMEAT Plant-Based Meat Gyudon Now Available at 450 Sukiya Restaurants in China

September 30, 2022September 30, 2022

Sukiya, a global chain restaurant specializing in Japanese gyudon, is now serving UNLIMEAT’s Plant Energy Don Series at all of its restaurants in China. UNLIMEAT is a South Korean brand focused on developing alternative plant-based meat using a percentage of upcycled products in its production process, thus contributing to food waste reduction. Nine months ago, UNLIMEAT partnered with the restaurant chain to introduce its plant-based meat gyudon at 15 locations. Following the success of the menu items, both parties decided to expand the offer to all the restaurant chain locations in China, with the expansion coming into effect on September 15th. The Energy Don Series The Plant Energy Don is a plant-based version of gyudon, made with UNLIMEAT’s plant-based Korean BBQ meat. Gyudon is a …

Topics:

BBQ

Circular Economy

Soy Protein

vegan deli slices made by following the traditional European cuisine

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

UNLIMEAT Develops Plant-Based Pepperoni and Mortadella With Famous Charcuterie Institute

September 30, 2022August 9, 2022

Korean plant-based meat brand UNLIMEAT has collaborated with Germany’s Bayerische Fleischerschule Landshut, a world-renowned charcuterie institute, to create plant-based deli products according to traditional European cuisine. The products developed so far are plant-based pepperoni and mortadella. In November 2021, UNLIMEAT’s parent company Zikooin secured $23 million to construct one of the largest plant-based meat factories in Asia. Since then it has focused on expansion in the US, initially launching in the US market in January with a Times Square billboard, introducing its plant-based meats into food service through LA restaurant Jeong Yuk Jeom this June, then expanding into Amazon and GTFO It’s Vegan. While the company’s current portfolio features a specialty line of Asian-focused products including Korean BBQ, Pulled Pork, Jerky, and Beef Mandu, the …

Topics:

Pepperoni

©UNLIMEAT

Products & Launches

Korea’s UNLIMEAT Launches Popular Plant-Based Jerky on Amazon

August 1, 2022July 29, 2022

UNLIMEAT, a Korean alternative meat brand, is launching sales for its plant-based jerky on Amazon. The debut comes about a month after the jerky’s highly successful Kickstarter campaign, which hit 1,035% of its original funding goal in a single month. Target goal in 3 hours Made from non-GMO soy protein, wheat and other vegetable ingredients, UNLIMEAT’s jerky is created with proprietary texturing technology and features a meat-like chewy texture. The jerky also excludes artificial ingredients, using beet and pomegranate for coloring and citrus extract as a preservative. On Kickstarter, UNLIMEAT sold the jerky in Korean BBQ and Smoky chili flavors priced at $19.97 per box. The campaign hit its target of $10,000 in just three hours, the brand states. Sliced beef and more Owned by …

Topics:

Jerky

Company News

Korea’s Shinsegae Foods Reveals Plans for $10M US Plant-Based Meat Subsidiary

July 26, 2022July 21, 2022

Shinsegae Foods, the food business arm of South Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group, announces plans to create Better Foods, Inc., a wholly owned US subsidiary for plant-based meats. The news comes a year after the company released Better Meat, an alt-meat product line, in Starbucks stores throughout Korea. Boosting competitiveness To establish the US-based Better Foods, Shinsegae states it will spend $6M on setting up the subsidiary by next month, with an additional $4M allocated for the first half of 2023. Intended to boost Shinsegae’s competitiveness in the meat alternatives market, the US operations will support R&D and global expansion of Better Meat, which currently produces cold-cut sliced ham and meatball products. After debuting Better Meat in Korea in 2021, the company partnered with Starbucks Korea …

Topics:

Shinsegae Foods

The vegconomist-newsletterinformation for decision-makers

The vegconomist-newsletter
information for decision-makers