Vegans and vegetarians alike will soon have an opportunity to enjoy some grilling — all thanks to Oscar Mayer.
On Wednesday, parent company Kraft Heinz announced its partnership with TheNotCompany — a Chile-based food-tech company — to produce plant-based meats called NotHotDogs and NotSausages.
They are reportedly both the first plant-based Oscar Meyer products and the first non-meat innovations from the joint venture with The Kraft Heinz Company — now known as Kraft Heinz Not Company.
NotHotDogs and NotSausages will debut March 12 to 16 at the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, California, and will arrive at nationwide retailers later this year.
Will they differ from Oscar Mayer beef products?
The company stated that its plant-based products still hold a taste and bite similar to its meat products “known and loved for more than 140 years,” according to a statement from the company.
Per Business Insider, a four-pack of NotHotDogs will cost around $5.99, while a four-pack of NotSausages will cost around $7.99.
USA Today shared that Oscar Mayer’s plant-based products, featuring flavors such as bratwurst and Italian sausage, have more protein and less saturated fat than their beef counterparts, but hold more carbs and sodium. As an example, here is the nutritional information for NotHotDogs:
- Calories: 140.
- Protein: 10 grams.
- Sodium: 650 milligrams.
- Total carbohydrates: 7 grams.
- Total fat: 9 grams.
Here is the nutritional information for Oscar Mayer’s Uncured Beef Franks:
- Calories: 170.
- Protein: 6 grams.
- Sodium: 460 milligrams.
- Total carbohydrates: 2 grams.
- Total fat: 16 grams.
What led the company to the plant-based products
According to the company’s statement, the U.S. plant-based market is projected to grow from over $8 billion last year to $19 billion by 2030. It adds to a plant-based food market estimated to collect 7% of the global market in the next seven years — which if true, will value the total market at over $162 billion, Middleby reports.
According to VegNews, the global industry of vegan hot dogs is now valued around $496 million and is estimated to grow to $829 million by 2033.
However, the statement did acknowledge that plant-based hot dogs “remain underdeveloped and under-consumed” compared to other plant-based meat options, citing “disappointment in existing offerings’ taste and texture.”
“At The Kraft Heinz Not Company, our goal is to create mouthwatering, plant-based foods that are delicious and accessible for everyone — from the devoted vegan to the plant-based curious,” said CEO Lucho Lopez-May, per the statement.
Danielle Watts, associate director of marketing at The Kraft Heinz Not Company, shared to Brand Innovators that fans have been patiently waiting for plant-based Oscar Mayer products “since we first announced the joint venture in 2022,″ saying that the company’s cross-functional teams have worked hard on “developing recipes to unlock the smoky and savory experience consumers know, love, and expect from Oscar Mayer.”
Other Kraft Heinz Not products
Per Meat + Poultry, NotHotDogs and NotSausages join a portfolio of company efforts to add more plant-based products, including:
- NotCheese Slices.
- NotMac&Cheese.
- NotMayo.
In addition, the Kraft Heinz Not company is looking to expand beyond the U.S. in the coming years.