As more consumers are looking for plant-based meat alternatives, Planterra Foods has launched a vegan bacon that tastes “unlike anything else on the market.”

A Vegan Bacon That Bacon Lovers Will Like

Planterra Foods, a Colorado-based plant-based protein company that is owned by meat giant JBS, has launched three new varieties of vegan bacon under its OZO brand: Cracked Black Pepper, Applewood Smoke, and Spicy Jalapeno.  The new plant-based bacon has been launched at Sprouts Farmers Markets across the United States and can be purchased online through the company’s website.

According to Planterra, its vegan bacon has the same texture, taste, and sizzle as traditional pork bacon. However, OZO’s version isn’t made with pigs; instead, it’s made with a blend of rice flour, wheat, soy, pea protein, as well as sunflower oil and coconut oil.

OZO’s new bacon products will satisfy the desire of waking up and enjoying the smell, sizzle, and taste of bacon, but with zero cholesterol and less fat. OZO plant-based bacon products are also easy to prepare. Crafted with a unique process that combines cutting-edge capabilities, culinary ingenuity, and plant-based expertise, this one-of-a-kind plant-based bacon will impress bacon lovers everywhere.

“We heard from bacon lovers that they’re open to plant-based versions, but they’ve yet to find one that fully satisfies their craving for the savory, flavorful taste and crispy, sizzling texture of bacon,” said Darcey Macken, Planterra Foods CEO. “Which is why we’re thrilled to launch this innovative plant-based bacon product as part of our True Bite promise to delight the senses, from first sight to last bite. OZO Plant-Based Bacon is unlike anything else in the market and we know food lovers everywhere will enjoy it.”

Macken says the goal with OZO’s vegan bacon is to bring it, and other exciting innovations, to consumers anywhere they might consume animal products, including in quick-service restaurants.  And because OZO Bacon goes from raw to cooked in three to five minutes and can retain its texture for an extended period, the product is already a viable candidate for larger QSR partnerships.

In addition to retail shelves, OZO’s vegan bacon will soon be added to the menu of vegan chain Veggie Grill, which plans to serve it in a classic BLT sandwich.

The World’s Largest Meat Company Is Growing Its Plant-Based Protein Platform

Planterra’s parent company, JBS has been in the animal meat business for 167 years. JBS is the world’s largest meat company, and its subsidiary JBS USA is the second-largest pork processor in the United States, operating five major pork processing facilities. It also owns two major pork-based bacon brands: Swift and Plumrose USA. 

While it likely won’t be ending its core business anytime soon, the company wants to be part of a future where plant-based meat becomes the norm, especially in light of its climate goal of reaching net-zero by 2040. JBS’s entry into plant-based alternatives to bacon is a significant development in a category largely dominated by smaller brands.

Led by Darcey Macken, Planterra launched its first plant-based brand, OZO, in 2020. OZO vegan burgers, minced meats (plain and Mexican-seasoned flavors), and meatballs with Italian seasoning were launched in early 2020. Before becoming the head of Planterra, Macken worked with major consumer packaged goods companies such as The Kellogg’s Company.

In March 2021, OZO expanded its product line with vegan sausages and meatballs. Its new vegan bacon comes after the November launch of True Bite Shreds and Cutlets, protein-rich vegan chicken products made from a proprietary blend of shiitake mushroom-fermented pea and rice protein, with a taste and flavor texture that mimic their animal counterparts.

In April 2021, the meat giant acquired Dutch plant protein producer Vivera for €341m to grow its global plant-based protein platform. 

In December 2021, Planterra Foods opened a brand new manufacturing facility in Denver, Colorado. The 189,000-square-foot factory increased Planterra’s production capacity, allowing the brand to reach new customers and retailers, and provide valuable employment opportunities to the local community. Between corporate operations and manufacturing positions, it created approximately 200 new jobs.

In May 2022, JBS moved into cultured protein with the purchase of Spanish cultured meat company BioTech Foods. The company also revealed plans to build a cultivated meat production plant in San Sebastián, Spain.

Other Companies Offering Vegan Bacon

JBS is not the first meat brand to enter the plant-based market. And it’s not the first to offer vegan bacon, either. New companies are entering the market with innovative bacon formulations which will likely compete with Planterra. 

Last year, British meat company Richmond continued its launch of vegan sausages with meatless bacon strips, made from soy protein. Much like Planterra, the company says it is working hard to use its expertise to make vegan bacon that “delivers on texture, flavor and crispiness”.

The company’s efforts seem to have been rewarded. In a test conducted by the non-profit organization Which?, a site that reviews and rates products for consumers, Richmond Vegan Bacon was voted the best amongst those tested. When tested alongside two other brands, 44% of tasters chose it as their favorite.

Last year, former Dunkin Donuts CEO David Hoffmann invested in Hooray Foods. He helped the California-based company raise $2.7 million in a round of extended start. Hooray also makes plant-based bacon. Hooray Foods has already sold more than 2 million strips of bacon since founder Sri Artham started the brand in his home kitchen. It has expanded into more than 1,000 stores across the US, including a national rollout at Whole Foods.

MyForest Foods, a New York based company and a subsidiary of biotech company Ecovative Design, makes whole bacon using mycelium, the root systems of fast-growing fungi. After raising $40 million earlier this year, the startup has signed a deal with Ontario-based Whitecrest Mushrooms Ltd. to increase the production of its vegan bacon.

More and more brands are recognizing consumer demand for meatless bacon. According to market research firm Fact.MR, the vegan bacon market is expected to experience “robust growth” over the next decade. The shift in demand for more organic, natural, and eco-friendly foods compared to animal-based foods continues to drive the demand for vegan bacon in the daily diet.

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