RIP Foods brings plant-based gyozas to life with shape-shifting Meatrix ingredient

14 Apr 2022 --- RIP Foods, a Spanish start-up based in Barcelona, is introducing the first plant-based gyozas across foodservice outlets in the country. The product is poised to ride the second wave of plant-based, “where the chef is the star” and premium ingredients shine. 

“Our gyozas use local ingredients. They are handmade, not produced in large quantities, and follow a century-old recipe,” a RIP Foods spokesperson tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

One follows a traditional Chinese chicken and cabbage recipe, and the other one a chicken curry recipe.

Both products use RIP Chicken, a plant-based protein recipe that can be cooked into different foods. RIP Foods’ key ingredient – Meatrix – allows the vegan recipe to “mimic and be very faithful to the texture and taste of animal meat.” 

“We launched [RIP Chicken] at the beginning of January. It’s a versatile product that can be shaped into any form you need, such as nuggets, burgers, meatballs or skewers.”

RIP Foods confirmed with FoodIngredientsFirst that multiple private investors are funding them, and in addition to that, they are also receiving governmental grants. However, it did not disclose the financial values of these transactions.

RIP Foods' CEO openly showcases his dislike for tofu (Credits: RIP Foods). A malleable and versatile food
RIP Foods, a name that stands for Rich in Plants, launched first its chicken that took two years of research. 

During this time, they worked on trying to avoid the “cliche tofu taste” of other plant-based alternatives, says Kevin Forssmann, CEO & founder of RIP Foods, a self-declared “opposer of tofu.”

“Tofu sucks. Who in their right mind would prefer it [tofu] to a meat burger?”

The versatility of Meatrix allows it to be used in “anything that the chef wants,” highlights the brand.

“This second wave of plant-based meat allows the chef to be the star,” says Forssman. “This is all while benefiting from the first wave products’ environmental benefits; consuming up to 85% less water and producing 80% less greenhouse gas emissions.”

Karana, a Singapore-based start-up, recently launched a jackfruit plant-based meat. Later this spring, they plan to launch their own plant-based gyoza for the APAC region. Their jackfruit meat is also specially made for chefs because it can pick up flavors and sauces like conventional meat.

Other companies like Meatless Farm have already launched plant-based (and tofu-free) gyozas on the market. In the case of Meatless Farm, it opted to simulate a pork alternative. In other instances, such as with Itsu plant-based gyozas, they chose to emulate chicken.

Plant-based adapts to global palatesRIP Foods' plant-based gyozas leverage Meatrix, a malleable meat-mimicking ingredient (Credits: RIP Foods)
Meatrix can be incorporated into any kind of cuisine – from Japanese and Korean to Mexican and Mediterranean dishes. “It can be used to make juicy burgers, meatballs seasoned to the chef’s taste, or used as a filling for empanadas or gyozas, amongst many other options,” details the company. 

Earlier this year, Innova Market Insights pegged “Plant-Based: The Canvas of Innovation” as its second Top Trend for 2022, evidencing the sustained consumer interest in meat-free offerings.

The trend is now adapting to global palates, with brands unveiling diverse launches of plant-based offerings tailored to various cuisines.

Evolution Meats, a Dutch meat analog specialist, features Indonesian and Japanese seitan-based satay together with meat-free soy-based kebab as some of their signature products.

“Plant-based has great potential to expand across many cultural grilling traditions,” Mark Lamponder, commercial director of Evolution Meats, told FoodIngredientsFirst at the Anuga trade show last October in Cologne, Germany.

Another company, Meeat Food Tech from Finland, produces Indian tikka masala for its local Nordic consumers. “The market is ripe for different flavor varieties for consumers. We are looking for different types of variations, such as Asian flavors,” said Mikko Karrel, CEO of Meeat.

By Marc Cervera