Kellogg's Incogmeato line will introduce meatless pork products this summer, following the lead of Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat.
The food company introduced Incogmeato as part of its vegetarian Morningstar Farms brand in September and said that it would be making meatless versions of burger patties and chicken. Ahead of the March launch for the burgers, Ingcogmeato unveiled two new products: bratwurst and Italian sausage.
The two soy-based pork alternatives will be available in grocery stores in June.
"If you think about it, seasonally, $800 million of meat are consumed in the weeks leading up to the Fourth of July, so just in time for consumers to have family barbecues and parties, this offers a 'flexitarian' a way to serve and cook a full portfolio of plant-based offerings for their family," said Sara Young, Morningstar Farm's general manager of plant-based protein.
Like the Incogmeato burgers, the bratwurst and sausage will be found in grocery stores alongside the products they're imitating. Incogmeato also plans to offer imitations of chicken nuggets and tenders but has not provided more detail on their release dates.
Impossible Foods, which pioneered the plant-based burger trend alongside Beyond Meat, announced its own forthcoming meatless pork product at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Beyond already sells meat-free bratwurst and Italian sausage. While pork is the most consumed meat around the world, it is only the third-most consumed meat in the United States, falling behind chicken and beef.
Kellogg is not the only traditional food company expanding into Beyond and Impossible's territory. Nestle and meat producers like Hormel and Smithfield are also creating their own imitation meats to reach consumers who are looking to reduce their meat intake. UBS projects that the plant-based protein and meat alternatives market could be worth $85 billion in 2030, up from $4.6 billion in 2018.
Morningstar Farms has the advantage of already being known for its vegetarian products, including frozen veggie burgers. The brand is also aiming to be completely vegan by 2021.
