UNLIMEAT Frozen Kimbap

© UNLIMEAT

Retail & E-Commerce

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

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 …

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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”

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 …

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UNLIMEAT and JUST Egg kimbap

© UNLIMEAT

Delivery Services

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

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 …

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Vegan Korean BBQ Brisket

© UNLIMEAT

Retail & E-Commerce

PlantX Adds UNLIMEAT to Ecommerce Portfolio

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 …

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UNLIMEAT-upcycled-food-low

© UNLIMEAT

Retail & E-Commerce

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

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 …

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UNLIMEAT Vegan Pulled Pork

© UNLIMEAT

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

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

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 — …

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JUST Egg X Unlimeat kimbab

JUST Egg X Unlimeat

Egg Alternatives

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

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 …

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Unlimeat

© UNLIMEAT

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

UNLIMEAT to Further Expand its Portfolio With Plant-Based Tuna

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 …

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UNLIMEAT 2 Hands corn dog

UNLIMEAT X 2 Hands

Products & Launches

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

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 …

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Pulled pork food truck

UNLIMEAT Food Truck

Fairs & Events

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

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 …

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

© Juicy Marbles

Food & Beverage

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

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 …

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UNLIMEAT Vegan Pulled Pork

© UNLIMEAT

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

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

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 …

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UNLIMEAT-upcycled-food-low

© UNLIMEAT

Products & Launches

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

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 …

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vegan deli slices made by following the traditional European cuisine

© UNLIMEAT

Meat- and Fish Alternatives

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

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 …

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Unlimeat jerky

©UNLIMEAT

Products & Launches

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

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 …

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Better Meat Cold Cut Ham Sandwiches

©Shinsegae Foods

Company News

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

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 …

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Unlimeat

©UNLIMEAT/Zikooin

Retail & E-Commerce

Korea’s UNLIMEAT Launches on GTFO It’s Vegan

Korea’s UNLIMEAT has launched five of its alt-meat products on vegan marketplace GTFO It’s Vegan. Made with upcycled grains and proteins, the products are: Plant-Based Beef Mandu (Dumplings) Original Plant-Based Beef Mandu Hot Chilli Plant-Based Pulled Pork Original Plant-Based Pulled Pork Gochujang Plant-Based Pulled Pork Sweet and Smoky. UNLIMEAT products use soy and pea protein processed with proprietary extrusion technology to replicate the texture of beef and pork. Other ingredients used include coconut oil, cacao powder, and rice flour. UNLIMEAT in the US UNLIMEAT initially arrived in the US in January via Wooltari Mall USA — an e-commerce platform for Korean goods. The brand announced the launch with a billboard in New York’s Time Square. In May, UNLIMEAT launched its plant-based jerky in the US …

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La Vie accepts Carrefour award

La Vie accepts award, ©Carrefour

Fairs & Events

The Ten Winners of the Carrefour Plant-Based Contest!

Carrefour announced the final of its Plant-Based Contest last night, deciding between the 15 finalists. The aim of this contest was to find the most successful plant-based innovations that the retail giant will then offer to its customers. More than 250 start-ups from all over the world took part, of which 15 were selected for the final and 10 winners were chosen by the jury. Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard was present at the results announcement ceremony to hand out the jury’s “Coup de Coeur” award to La Vie for its ham — a new product due to be launched in September. Here are the 10 winning startups (in alphabetical order, there was no ranking): La Vie Lapp Libre Foods Novish Pink Albatross Rebl Eats Oy …

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alt protien manufacturer La Vie's vegan bacon burger

©La Vie Foods

Fairs & Events

Announcing the 15 Finalists of the Carrefour Plant-Based Contest

French supermarket chain Carrefour created a contest this March called the Plant-Based Contest, designed to help innovative startups advance to market. The contest has three categories: plant-based protein products, strong concept, and service offering. More than 250 startups from all over the world participated, of which 15 have been selected for the final that will be held on June 9 in the heart of Paris. On this occasion, 10 winners will be selected as well as the “coup de coeur” of the jury. Here are the 15 finalist startups: Cocoriton Cocoriton is a French company created by farmers. The company has created vegetable patties based on legumes rich in fibre and grown in the fields of French farmers. EATIC The French startup EATIC, created in …

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UNLIMEAT Grilled Meats

©UNLIMEAT

Gastronomy & Food Service

UNLIMEAT Launches Grilled Plant-Based Meats Menu at LA Restaurant Jeong Yuk Jeom

South Korea’s UNLIMEAT is launching a grilled plant-based meat menu at Jeong Yuk Jeom, a popular Korean BBQ restaurant in Los Angeles. Through the partnership, UNLIMEAT says customers now have the opportunity to enjoy plant-based versions of Jeong Yuk Jeom’s premium BBQ meats.  The new menu will feature UNLIMEAT’s protein in several dishes, beginning with UNLIMEAT Gui, pre-seasoned plant-based meat grilled over charcoal at the customers’ tables, just like real K-BBQ. Other dishes include plant-based fried dumplings, tteok-galbi (sweet minced grilled rib), and japchae (sweet potato starch noodles stir-fried with vegetables and plant-based meat). Designed for grilling Made with proprietary technology, UNLIMEAT says its products offer a flavor and texture very similar to beef. Unlike other plant proteins, which often come in sausage and patty …

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