Berger-Schinken, a German firm with over 130 years of history in ham and sausage processing, and Austrian upcycling and food tech company Kern Tec, have launched a co-branded product: plant-based cheese sausages.
The new vegan sausages are crafted from pea protein and feature Kern Tec’s most recent development — Berg-Gaudi — a plant-based cheese made from upcycled fruit pits.
This first-of-its-kind cheese launched in various flavors last year under Kern Tec’s brand Wunderkern, joining a range of no-milk drinks made with apricot kernels that became the most-sold product at vegan superstore BILLA Pflanzilla a few months later. Wunderkern also offers oils and chocolate spreads from waste seeds from the juice and jam industries.
The plant-based cheese sausages are gluten-free, lactose-free, certified vegan, and are available just in time for the barbecue season. Although crafted with an unconventional ingredient, Kern Tec says the cheese melts “perfectly” when grated or heated.
Tradition meets innovation
According to Berger-Schinken’s announcement, despite their varied focuses and experiences in the food industry, both companies worked together seamlessly and were impressed with the flavor of the collaborative product. The new product caters to the growing demand for plant-based options and follows Berger’s successful launch of vegan cranberry pâté in November.
Kern Tec has been enjoying success with retail listings in over five countries and has announced plans for a global expansion. Its approach to repurposing fruit processing by-products attracted €12 million in funding last year and significant industry partnerships.
Kerc Tec partnered with the German dairy giant Privatmolkerei Bauer to introduce plant-based dairy products made from waste kernels to the market. “This is not just a big milestone for Kern Tec, it is also a huge milestone for upcycled ingredients and a revolution for the dairy industry,” said the startup at the time.
More recently, the young food tech partnered with Swiss supermarket chain Coop and the Swiss dairy manufacturer Emmi Group to introduce a milk alternative made from apricot kernels, the Karma Kernel Apricot Drink.
“Kern Tec’s mission to reduce waste by upcycling fruit kernels into nutritious, eco-friendly food products aligns perfectly with Berger’s heritage of quality and innovation,” Kern Tec shared on social media.
