Coop Switzerland is now offering upcycled meat alternative chunks made with okara, a byproduct of tofu and soy milk waste, produced by Swiss startup Luya Foods.
“We are very pleased to have secured the necessary capital to launch Luya in the Swiss market and accelerate our mission to define a new category in meat alternatives”
Last November, Luya closed a seed round led by Redalpine Venture Partners, stating at the time its mission to redefine the plant-based protein space by creating a new category of animal-free, alt meat products created through the fermentation of upcycled okara. The startup is using the funding to expand production, develop new products, and expand retail footprint.
Repurposing okara
Worldwide, over 14 million tonnes of okara are wasted annually, despite its high nutritional value. Through its collaboration with Luya, Coop Switzerland hopes to reduce food waste and improve sustainability. The chain already offers over 1,200 plant-based products, including an extensive own-brand range.
Coop Switzerland will stock two flavours of Luya’s organic chunks — Garden Herbs, which is best suited to salads and curries, and BBQ. The chunks are manufactured in Switzerland and have received the Bio Suisse certification.
“Alt-meat that doesn’t try to be meat”
Luya says its chunks are different from most meat alternatives in that they aren’t trying to directly replicate meat. Instead, they provide flavourful alternatives that are free of processed protein isolates. A proprietary process, using a combination of traditional fermentation techniques and innovative technology, is used to make the products.
“We are very pleased to have secured the necessary capital to launch Luya in the Swiss market, prepare our international expansion and accelerate our mission to define a new category in meat alternatives with our natural and organic products,” said co-founder Flavio Hagenbuch.
