Unlimeat’s plant-based pepperoni and mortadella poised to hit US market

09 Aug 2022 --- Korean-based Unlimeat is launching alternative pepperoni and mortadella slices, high in protein and with improved cooking capabilities, to US markets. According to the company, the product can be heated without drying out.

The business chose to delve into deli slices to showcase the strength of its technology, with plans to expand into a sausage line in the future.

“We’ve developed new methods of texturing plant-based fats (from coconut) that bring juiciness to plant-based meats with only one-third the calories of animal fats and zero cholesterol. In developing our deli line, we wanted to create and showcase products that best use our new plant-based fats,” Jey Oh, brand strategy director at Unlimeat, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“Generally, vegan pepperoni is low in fat and burns easily when heated. However, Unlimeat pepperoni can be oven-cooked thanks to its infused plant-based fat. Meat-based mortadella is made from minced pork with diced pork fat, and our new plant-based fat lets us create a delicious plant-based alternative,” she continues.

Both products are made in collaboration with German Bayerische Fleischerschule Landshut, a charcuterie training institution.

Unlimeat used the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to unveil its jerky to US markets. (Credit: Unlimeat).Expanding into the US market
Unlimeat is currently selling plant-based Korean BBQ and pulled pork with Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) in California, with plans to expand its product line in the US market. 

“We just launched Plant-based Bulgogi in Korea this month, which will eventually be coming to the US market. We’re also developing Korean-style plant-based cutlets, corn dogs and vegan sausages. We got a great response during samplings in the US market, so we plan to actively sell these in the near future,” Oh explains.

The company also sells plant-based jerky, having a “sold out on release in Korea, and a great reception in the US.” The product comes in two flavors – Korean BBQ and Smoky Chili – high on soy protein, with zero cholesterol, and low in fats. With the use of beet powder for coloring, the product is artificial colors-free.

Crowdfunding for crowd knowledge
Unlimeat used the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to unveil its jerky in the US markets. The company set a goal of US$3000, which it reached in three hours, hitting over 1000% of its target in a month.

“We were the first manufacturer of plant-based meat in Korea. We export to Hong Kong, China, etc. and are well known in Asia, but we are a completely unknown, new brand in the US market. We felt that Kickstarter was the best channel to test the waters, meet American consumers, and directly see their reactions to our products.”

 “We hope that our product, which has now successfully begun sales in the US, becomes even more popular on Amazon,” the business highlights.

Unlimeat began to sell on Amazon US last week.

Plant-based movesThe company plans to bring more Korean plant-based foods to the US. (Credit: Unlimeat).
Innovation and demand for alternative plant-based ingredients remains strong as new developments reach markets each week. 

Also using soy, ADM and foot-tech player Benson Hill entered a long-term strategic partnership yesterday to scale new ingredients based on the plant. Using Benson Hill’s genomic research, the businesses look to harness water and carbon sustainability benefits. 

Merit Functional Foods revealed its high-protein new pea ingredient this July, high on protein and without the usual sedimentation left in ready-to-drink beverages formulations.

In an interview with Planteneers, the company’s global commercial director, Brian Walker, explained the focus areas of the plant-based space. A space focused on: cleaning up the plant-based label, strengthening sustainability, sharpening regional sourcing of materials and optimizing products on the shelf for more diverse offerings.

However, the path for plant-based companies is not an easy one, as giants such as Beyond Meat are struggling to transition into mass market companies. Last week, the business slashed its revenue prospects for this year and fired 4% of its workforce. In addition, the company flags weak sales of its new Beyond Jerky product across the US, Europe and Middle East markets.

By Marc Cervera