JBS USA, the beef-producing sister company to Pilgrim’s Pride, is joining its industry competitors within the plant-based meat segment. The Greeley, Colorado beef producer said it will launch a line of plant-based meat alternatives next month under the brand name Ozo with subsidiary company Planterra Foods next month.
JBS made its first move into the plant-based sector last June when it unveiled a plant-based burger, made from soy, beets, wheat, garlic and onion, under one of its flagship Brazilian brands, Seara.
Colorado-based Planterra said OZO, comprising a range of burgers and meatballs made from a blend of pea and rice protein fermented by shiitake mushrooms, would be rolling out in grocery stores nationwide in April.
The company’s prime target market for the brand is the “flexitarian” consumer,” said. Planterra CEO Darcey Macken. She suggested Ozo’s flavor and quality “will change the current plant-based food landscape, making them a staple in consumers’ homes as a new go-to-source of protein, regardless of whether meat is consumed as a regular part of one’s diet or not.”
“It’s all about people who want to eat something that is flavorful and also good for you and the planet,” said Macken. “The line of alternative burger products are meant to be consumed as part of a larger nonvegetarian diet. Our goal is to grow flexitarian consumption through offering a positive protein solution for everyone,” she said.
Tyson Foods, the world’s largest broiler company, that is active in beef, pork, and turkey production, recently exited its investment in Beyond Meat, revealing that it would be producing its own plant-based protein products. Tyson Foods anticipates that the new products will be launched this summer.
Hormel Foods and Perdue Farms have both introduced their own plant-based meat brands in the past few years as the industry scrambles to diversify its offerings as companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods gain popularity. Last year Swiss investment bank UBS predicted plant-based meat will be a $85 billion market by 2020.
