Texas

© Tofurky
Politics & Law

Tofurky Continues Pushback on Alternative Meat Censorship Laws in the United States

In recent months, a growing discussion has emerged in the United States surrounding the enforcement of alternative meat censorship laws. These laws, designed to regulate the labeling of plant-based and cultivated meat products, have faced legal challenges from advocacy groups and plant-based food companies, with Tofurky, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), and the Good Food Institute (GFI) taking the lead in opposing them. In Texas, the governor signed a labeling law for plant-based and cultivated meat in May. This law, which went into effect on September 1, 2023, mandates that products resembling traditional animal-derived items are prominently labeled with their nature as plant-based or lab-grown. Tofurky, represented by ALDF and GFI, has filed a legal challenge against this law, arguing that its requirements are …

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All Y'alls Foods

Brett Christoffel. © All Y'alls Foods
Meat- and Fish Alternatives

All Y’alls Foods Founder Outlines the Potential of Texas as an Epicenter of Plant Protein Production

Brett Christoffel, founder and CEO of Texan plant-based jerky brand All Y’alls Foods, has said that his home state has the potential to become a key player in plant-based protein manufacturing and innovation. While Texas is largely known for producing beef, cotton, and petrochemical products, Christoffel points out that the state is also the US’ largest generator of wind energy and its second-largest solar energy producer. He believes people are beginning to think differently about sustainability, becoming more open-minded — and this could open the door for new business models, such as growing and manufacturing plant-based proteins. Producing more plant-based foods and less beef could also help to save water, in a state that notoriously struggles with drought. There are already signs of change, with …

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Vegan jerky and bacon bits in cart

©All Y'alls Foods
Investments & Acquisitions

All Y’alls Foods Secures First Investment to Scale Up Plant-Based Jerky

Plant-based jerky brand All Y’alls Foods announces it has received an investment from Dr. Rizwan H. Bukhari, MD as part of a $1 million Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) note raise. Dr. Bukhari, a vascular surgeon, will also serve as the brand’s medical adviser.  According to All Y’alls Foods, it intends to use the investment to accelerate its growth.  “I am excited to join forces by investing in and becoming All Y’alls Foods medical adviser to help promote and develop healthier alternatives to animal-based products,” stated Dr. Bukhari, who is board certified in lifestyle medicine and owns the North Texas Vascular Center. Based in Texas, All Y’alls sells a line of meat-free jerky snacks and Big Crunchy Bacony Bits. In 2022, the company reported …

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Vegan Fast Food on Table

©Hart House
Fast Food

Kevin Hart to Open “Hart House” Drive Thru in LA, While Slutty Vegan Prepares to Launch First Texas Location

This month, two of the biggest-trending names in fast food – Kevin Hart’s Hart House and Pinky Cole’s Slutty Vegan –  are expanding their brands with breakthrough launches in California and Texas.  In Los Angeles, superstar actor and comedian Kevin Hart is preparing to open two new locations of Hart House – an all-vegan concept he launched in 2022. Opening May 23, the first of these (and third overall) is located on the famed Sunset Boulevard, where it reportedly replaces a former McDonald’s and will feature the brand’s first-ever drive-thru.  Inside, Hart House Hollywood offers a 2,130 sq ft space with 24 interior seats and 16 outdoor seats. The menu, originally created with a former Burger King chef, will feature Hart House’s curated plant-based sandwiches …

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Texas Passes SB 664 Meat Labeling Law

Credit: Photo by Ruben Reyes
Politics & Law

Texas Passes State Bill to Stop “Deceptive Labeling” of Alt Protein Products

Texas – America’s largest cattle-producing state – has passed State Bill 664, which will require meat alternatives to be labeled with qualifying terms such as “analogue, meatless, plant-based, made from plants” or “cell-cultured”, “lab-grown”, or similar language. According to the bill’s authors and proponents, SB 664 aims to prevent plant-based and cultivated meat companies from making misleading claims about their products and deceiving consumers.  On May 2, the bill passed the Texas state legislature and has been sent to Governor Greg Abbot for his signature.  According to the Texas Farm Bureau, which supported the measure, the bill defines meat as “any edible portion of a livestock carcass that does not contain lab-grown, cell cultured, insect or plant-based food products.” The definition of livestock is limited …

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GoodPop___Fudge_n_Caramel_Crunch

©GoodPop
Sweets & Snacks

GoodPop Launches Fudgy Oatmilk-Based Dessert Bars in Four Nostalgic Flavors

GoodPop, the Austin Texas-based producer of frozen treats, launches its first line of fudgy oatmilk-based frozen dessert bars in four flavors. The bars are non-dairy and gluten-free, Non-GMO Project Verified, contain 130 calories or less and are made with organic and fair-trade ingredients. The brand was conceived in 2009 by University of Texas student Daniel Goetz, initially launching natural frozen fruit bars into farmers markets, and now seeing success throughout natural and specialty retailers in 40+ states across the United States. GoodPop produces better-for-you frozen treats made without artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, is a certified B Corp and states it is the best-performing better-for-you novelty brand. The new dairy-free line debuts with four flavors: Fudge n’ Vanilla Crunch: A creamy oatmilk bar offering a …

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SunOpta New Facility/ Manufacturing

© SunOpta
Company News

SunOpta Opens $125M ‘Mega Facility’ in Texas to Double Plant-Based Milk Business

SunOpta (Nasdaq: STKL), a leading producer of healthy foods and beverages, announces the opening of a $125M plant-based beverage production facility in Midlothian, Texas. According to SunOpta, the new ‘mega facility’ will create 175 jobs and strongly expand the company’s manufacturing capabilities, allowing it to double its business by 2025 compared to 2020.  Strategically located in Texas, the new production facility currently features 285,000 square feet, where it will manufacture the company’s entire suite of plant-based milks and creamers, along with tea and other products. The facility will also offer a range of package sizes and formats, including 16-ounce and 32-ounce packages primarily used in retail, food service, and e-commerce, and 330-milliliter packages typically used for high-protein nutritional beverages. In the future, SunOpta states the …

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Vitacoco X Alfred

© Vita Coco
Beverages

Vita Coco Barista MLK Launches Exclusively With Alfred Coffee in LA, SF & Austin

The Vita Coco Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: COCO), a leading provider of healthy beverages and well-known for its popular coconut water product, has launched Vita Coco Barista MLK, exclusively with the LA-based Alfred Coffee chain. The uber-trendy Alfred Coffee also offers the PBBS, a Plant-Based Breakfast Sandwich featuring Impossible Sausage, folded JUST Egg and Violife Cheddar on a vegan potato bun. The new Vita Coco barista mlk product is made from a blend of coconut water and coconut cream, is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and non-GM. As part of the partnership, all Alfred Coffee locations across Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin will offer Vita Coco Barista MLK on its menus, and customers can add it to their beverages at no extra charge.   New Coconut Date …

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Vegan Hard Boiled Eggs

©Crafty Counter
Products & Launches

Crafty Counter Launches Plant-Based Hard Boiled WunderEggs at US Whole Foods Nationwide

Plant-based innovator Crafty Counter announces its egg-free Hard Boiled WunderEggs are launching into US Whole Foods Markets nationwide. Available in ready-to-eat packs of six, the company claims its products are the first plant-based boiled eggs to be made in the US.  Featuring simple, “closer to Earth” ingredients, WunderEggs are said to look, feel and taste just like chicken eggs while offering a wholesome and nutritious egg alternative. Made with cashews, almonds and coconuts, the nut-based eggs are also free of seven of the top eight allergens. As vegconomist reported in 2021, WunderEggs have a realistic “white” and a “yolk” and include other ingredients like probiotics, coconut milk, agar-agar, nutritional yeast, turmeric extract, and black salt.  Plant-based pivot According to Crafty Counter, 2023 marks the company’s …

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Earth Burger Dallas

©Earth Burger
Gastronomy & Food Service

In First Expansion, Texas-Based Earth Burger Opens Digital Restaurant in Dallas

Earth Burger, an award-winning vegan burger chain based in San Antonio, Texas, is opening a digital restaurant in Dallas, marking the brand’s first expansion beyond the state’s South Central region. The new concept will be available to order at Oomi Digital Kitchen, a digital food hall located at 3510 Ross Ave. in Dallas. Debuting on January 17th, Earth Burger’s menu will feature its signature Ranchero, Classic Burger and Chik-n Sandwich, as well as the Breakfast Warp Wrap, Tater Tots, and popular Crinkle French Fries. The company notes all of its burgers and sandwiches are made to order, along with fresh housemade sauces. Founded in 2014, Earth Burger describes itself as one of the first concepts to serve 100% plant-based fast food, and now operates three …

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Y'All Vegan Jerky Products

©Y'alls Foods
Company News

Plant Jerky Brand All Y’alls Foods Reports 100% Year-Over-Year Sales Growth

Plant protein brand All Y’alls Foods announces it has achieved it highest sales month yet, with Amazon sales of its jerky and bacon bits exceeding last year’s totals by 100%.  Based in Texas, All Y’alls sells a range of products including It’s Jerky Y’all and Big Crunchy Bacony Bits. The company states its online sales are experiencing strong growth, especially on Amazon, where year-over-year sales more than doubled in November.   “Amazon has grown into a vital part of All Y’alls sales,” said All Y’alls Foods founder and CEO Brett Christoffel. “The size and reach of the audience, the number of folks seeking what we offer, and the repeat purchases have made it a viable channel that continues to support our growth in the plant-based proteins …

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Skinny Butcher Chick'n Patty

©Skinny Butcher
Products & Launches

Skinny Butcher Debuts Crazy Crispy Chick’n Line at H-E-B Stores Throughout Texas

Plant-based poultry brand Skinny Butcher announces it best-selling chicken alternatives are now available at H-E-B supermarkets across Texas. The latest rollout continues strong retail growth for the brand, which launched in US Walmart stores nationwide last May.  H-E-B shoppers can now find Skinny Butcher tenders, nuggets and breasts in their local stores’ frozen aisle. The grocer is also offering $1 off Skinny Butcher items from Nov. 12-16 and then again from Jan. 4-17. Made from pea protein, vegetable fibers, and a proprietary spice blend, Skinny Butcher’s plant-based chicken features extra-crispy double breading and a tender inside. Its soy- and palm oil-free product line includes Crazy Crispy Chick’n Breasts, Tenders, Nuggets and Patties. Popular nuggets Last spring, Skinny Butcher partnered with Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things” …

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Earth Burger Franchise

©Earth Burger
Gastronomy & Food Service

Texas: Earth Burger Partners with Sinelli Concepts to Launch US National Franchising

Sinelli Concepts International, the parent company to hundreds of global restaurants and businesses, announces a partnership with Texas-based restaurant chain Earth Burger to launch national franchising across the US.  Aiming to “change the future of fast food”, Earth Burger will hold a launch party on Nov. 10th to showcase its brand to potential franchisees. According to Sinelli, which has helped launch successful concepts such as Which Wich Sandwiches, Genghis Grill and Paciugo Gelato, Earth Burger has already attracted strong interest and received hundreds of franchising inquiries.  Founded in 2014 in San Antonio, Earth Burger is led by award-winning chef Mike Behrend and serves a healthier, fully plant-based take on classic fast food. Its menu ranges from the signature Earth Burger (made with Beyond Meat) to …

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Boneless Butcher Vegan Ribs
Food & Beverage

The Boneless Butcher is Expanding Its Plant-Based BBQ Meats Across Texas and Beyond

While countless plant-based meat brands have filled store shelves with plenty of burger, meatball and sausage alternatives, there remains an enormous white space for animal-free “whole-cut” products, such as ribs, steaks and chops. The Boneless Butcher, a plant-based brand located in Dallas, TX, is helping to fill this gap with a handcrafted line of Texas-style vegan BBQ meats.  Founded in 2021 by self-taught chef and entrepreneur Crystal Gomez, The Boneless Butcher sells its packaged products at retail stores in several states, including select Whole Foods Markets in Texas. Using seitan, a wheat-based protein, Gomez tells VegNews she learned how to create a dense, satisfying texture that replicates the experience of eating real BBQ, which, she notes, is largely driven by the texture.  “Good barbecue is mostly …

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vegan caramel cookies

© Stroop Club

Sweets & Snacks

Texan-Dutch Stroop Club Announces New Plant Based Direction

Stroop Club, a maker of traditional Dutch caramel waffle cookies, has relaunched its products as vegan and organic certified. Additionally, the company announced the launch of a pancake and waffle syrup line, also vegan and organic.  When Stroop Club was founded in 2015 by Chantal Piëtn and Tako Vermeulen, its mission was to bridge cultural barriers by selling traditional Dutch stroopwafel (caramel waffle cookies). Stroop’s website declares: “What else could I bring but our stroopwafel iron when we immigrated to the US end of 2015? Sharing something so sweet and so traditionally Dutch, bridged our cultures immediately. Fast forward to 2022, we even improved our recipe into fully organic and 100% plant based!” In an interview for Bio Journaal, Vermeulen explained that he won the …

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Nada Moo Frozen Bites crop

© Nada Moo!

Sweets & Snacks

Cow-Free Innovator Nada Moo! to Launch Low Calorie Frozen Bites

Roughly nine months after raising $10 million in a Series B round, Texas-based NadaMoo! announces the upcoming launch of new innovation Frozen Bites, containing just 50-70 calories per serving, or 25-35 calories per bite. Founded in 2005 in Austin, Texas; Nada Moo! has cornered the market with its lower calorie, lower fat and lower sugar flavors of vegan ice cream, with a current range of over 12 dairy-free flavors. Additionally, the brand is proudly a certified minority business as well as a registered B-Corp enterprise. The Frozen Bites, which are non GMO and gluten-free certified, will launch later this year in five flavors: Salted Caramel; Mint; Peanut Butter; Mango; and Orange Creme, containing six bites in each bag.   “We’ve just made it even more …

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Project Pollo Vegan Chicken Fingers

©Project Pollo
Investments & Finance

Former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook Joins Chik’n Chain Project Pollo as Investor and Advisor

Plant-based chick’n chain Project Pollo revealed it has received a growth investment from former McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook.  Easterbrook is also serving as a direct advisor to the chain as it aims to open 100 locations by the year 2025.  Easterbrook’s investment closed a recent seed round for the brand, reports QSR, which has opened 15 units across Texas in two years. Specializing in vegan chicken sandwiches, Project Pollo has ambitious growth plans and intends to compete directly with top chicken franchise Chick-Fil-A, according to founder and CEO Lucas Bradbury. In the near future, the brand is preparing to open new locations in Boulder, CO, Tempe, AZ and Las Vegas, with plans to enter markets such as Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa and Miami in 2023. Franchise …

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Jerky Uses in meals

©Y'alls Foods
Retail & E-Commerce

Texan Y’alls Foods Says Amazon Sales Increased 25% in July

Famous for its plant-based jerky line and Big Crunchy Bacony Bits, Y’alls Foods is celebrating its best month, with Amazon sales up 25% in July 2022.  Founder and CEO Brett Christoffel says the plant-based jerky market is growing, and the better-for-you snacks, plant-based proteins, and gluten-free foods are too. Recent SPINS data shows 59% YOY growth for plant-based meat snacks within natural and conventional grocers, reports the company. Excited about market growth Amid a shaky market where many businesses are suffering due to inflation and Ukraine’s war, Texas’ alternative protein company is expanding next month into convenience stores and plans to grow its direct-to-consumer business. “I have never been more excited or had more confirmation in the growth of the plant-based space and All Y’alls …

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almond drinks by MALK Organics

© MALK Organics
Retail & E-Commerce

Clean Label MALK Organics Announces New Chocolate Oat & Retail Expansion

Founded in 2015, the on-trend brand MALK Organics claims it prides itself on “leading the charge for cleaner products in the plant-based milk category”. This week the Austin Texas producer announces the launch of its new Chocolate Oat variety as well as significant distribution expansion. Known for its clean label, cold-pressed almond and oat milks containing only 3-5 simple ingredients with no glyphosates, gums, fillers, or oils, MALK’s existing products include Unsweetened Almond, Vanilla Almond, Original Oat, and Vanilla Oat. MALK tapped into the burgeoning nut milk trend in its early days and its portfolio has been available in Kroger, Whole Foods and HEB since 2018. A year later the Texan team launched a MALK Creamer line exclusively into Whole Foods Markets, created with gluten-free organic …

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Project Pollo Compete with Chick-Fil-A

©Project Pollo
Fast Food

Project Pollo Opens 13th Texas Location As It Aims to Compete with Chick-Fil-A

Project Pollo, a Texas vegan chicken chain, announces it will open its 6th location in San Antonio, TX on August 20th. The outlet will mark the chain’s 13th overall location as it approaches its 2nd anniversary, and continues on its bold mission to open 100 restaurants by 2025.  Crispy chick’n sandwiches For the latest opening, Project Pollo will host an August 18th celebration featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. The new location will open its doors the following day, with the first 50 guests receiving free Project Pollo gift cards.  Founded by fast food veteran Lucas Bradbury, Project Pollo opened its first restaurant in Austin in September 2020. Less than two years later, the brand has swiftly expanded throughout Texas, …

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