THE PLANT BASED FOOD REVOLUTION IS EVOLVING INTO CLEAN BASED FOODS

As more existing food companies have become aware of the popularity of the plant-based lifestyle, many companies have started introducing their own lines. Some companies have also entered into partnerships with pre-existing plant-based companies to enter this thriving market.

Plant-based foods are favored alternatives to meat products because of the added benefits such as pea protein. With pea protein becoming a replacement in many people's diets, the future of food looks non animal-based. Plant-based products are also being found on many consumers' shopping lists as the products become more readily available in grocery stores.

Plant & Co. Brands, a health and wellness company curating plant-based foods, announced its plans to grow this sector when they acquired the plant-based butcher YamChops earlier this year. With Plant & Co. determined to inflate its reach, the company decided to franchise the YamChops vegan butcher stores in order to create further awareness of the brand across North America. YamChops is known for specializing in plant-based meats, chicken, pork, fish, and other variants of vegan foods by preparing and distributing its products to retailers. YamChops reportedly had a 689% increase in online sales in Q3 and Q4 2020. CEO of Plant & Co., Shawn Moniz, stated, "we strongly believe a YamChops franchise system that is operated by an experienced entrepreneur or restaurant operator is poised for growth and market leadership due to our first-mover advantage in the emerging plant-based protein or vegan butcher markets."

Plant & Co. has strategized for the growth of the plant-based industry and plans to make exclusive products, such as YamChops' high-quality plant-based Montreal style 'steak' and Szechuan 'beef'. Additionally, Plant & Co. has acquired a franchise program to offer system manuals and training programs, architectural and construction renderings with leading design firms, strategic retail sales strategy, as well as proprietary plant-based food products. Prior to its recent acquisition of YamChops, Plant & Co. completed the onboarding of the Holy Crap brand in early February.

Plant & Co. President Donna Reddy stated, "Our focus is to drive revenue by taking the best of acquired companies, like Holy Crap and YamChops, and offering healthy, high-quality plant-based products with superior customer service to a large and growing customer base."

In March, McDonald's and Yum! Brands announced their global partnerships with Beyond Meat. Both McDonald's and Yum! Brands recognize the long-term potential of plant-based meat and have faith the future entails a growing industry of plant-based foods. McDonald's, noted as the world's largest chain restaurant, commented that making plant-based products accessible in its restaurants will only alter decision making for consumers and eventually become a default choice. McDonald's has plans to incorporate plant-based pork, chicken, and egg in its products. Yum! Brands plans to distribute its innovative products to companies such as KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.

Maple Leaf Foods has made plans to continue the relaunching of two pre-existing North American brands, Lightlife and Field Roast. With Maple Leaf Foods being thoroughly invested in a future of plant-based protein, the CEO has voiced his determination for the success of his plant-based products. While plant-based products were launched in 2020 for both Lightlife and Field Roast, the success fell below average due to the impact of the world health crisis. However, the CEO of Maple Foods plans to improve product efficacy via upcoming product innovations, which should help the plant-based extensions do better in the coming years.

In early February, Kellogg Company announced its collaboration with Future Food-Tech with plans to launch an "Innovation Challenge". This new project will provide an opportunity for new talent in the food industry to present their ideas related to wellness, which is a prominent focus area for the Kellogg brand. With the Innovation Challenge, the Kellogg Company hopes to discover a unique pitch related to plant-based ideas, which will also encourage digestive wellness.

Plant-based products are the latest innovation to hit the market, something that was unheard of a decade ago, but quickly became a mainstream trend. As a modern health and wellness company, Plant & Co. Brands' growth plans suggest a promising future for the plant-based industry.

With the plant-based lifestyle continuing to make waves and sustaining a mainstream presence the past few years, companies are seeking out innovative ways for people to maintain their plant-based diets. As such, companies are introducing products they describe as more "clean-based". Plant-based ingredients can be found in an array of products, from protein shakes to baby formulas, and companies are working towards bringing forward these new, innovative, cleaner products to market.

Else Nutrition announced a new addition to its plant-based family, a patent-pending clean processing of ingredients for its infant formula. With Else Nutrition already known for its innovative idea of a non-dairy-based infant formula, the new process was created to further ensure the health, nutrition, and safety of the baby formula for all babies, toddlers, children, and their practicing plant-based families. The plant-based formula contains all the required amino acids and macronutrients. Else Nutrition is also committed to safely manufacturing its products while it improves the way it sources its ingredients. The main purpose of the company's actions is to enhance environmental and public health now and into the future.

"We're leading a clean revolution, disrupting the baby food industry by setting a new standard in quality, transparency and sustainability," explained Hamutal Yitzhak, CEO of Else Nutrition. "This latest development brings us even closer to bringing clean label, plant-based, minimally processed infant formula to wanting parents worldwide."

The core ingredients of Else Nutrition's baby formula contain almonds, tapioca, and buckwheat. When producing the baby formula, the ingredients go through a thorough clean and all-natural process that maintains the fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients. Else Nutrition aims to create the most optimal baby formula that is free of dairy, soy, and corn syrup. In addition to the expansion of its formula line, Else Nutrition has partnered with PlantX Life, which will carry Else's baby formula on the PlantX US platform.

Else CEO Hamutal Yitzhak commented, "we are thrilled to be listed on the PlantX platform. Joining this innovative online platform solely dedicated to plant-based companies aligns perfectly with our mission to bring clean label and sustainable plant-based options for parents to nourish their infants."

PlantX Life was recently named the digital face of the growing plant-based community. PlantX Life offers approximately 10,000 plant-based products and continues to grow its product line with partnerships and new additions to the company.

The onset of the world health crisis has caused an impact on the global meat industry, which has led a lucrative opportunity for the vegan food market. Beyond Meat has tried to fulfill the gap by producing products that have similar characteristics to animal-based meats, such as taste, texture, and appeal. Beyond Meat has produced items that mirror chicken, pork, and beef for consumers who are plant-based or looking for alternatives to traditional meat products.

The buzz around Kraft Heinz is that it may be looking into potentially producing a vegan cream cheese and entering the plant-based cheese industry. With consumers looking to make better and healthier choices, Kraft Heinz is trying to seek out what customers are looking for by releasing a survey asking about this product need. In the early 2000s, Kraft Heinz introduced a vegetarian burger under its alternate label "Boca". Kraft Heinz has since reformulated the item in order to tap into the growing industry of plant-based foods.

Burcon Nutrascience, a plant protein company, has also announced its new venture by partnering with Merit Function Foods to produce its latest innovation--Peazazz and Peazac proteins. Together, both companies are aiming to create protein items that offer all the benefits of a plant-based diet by creating alternatives to dairy and meat products, while maintaining a good taste and functionality.

As the plant-based industry continues to grow, this movement is becoming more trendy as time goes on. Else Nutrition is seeking to disrupt the traditional production of baby formulas and its latest innovation offers ingredients and a clean process that question traditional approaches.

For more information on Else, visit: www.elsenutrition.com