Spicy Impossible Chicken, Oatly’s Cream Cheese and more vegan food news of the week

It seems like every week the news in the vegan food world is more exciting than the last and this week is no exception. Impossible Foods is expanding its vegan chicken line with spicy patties and nuggets (plus tender), and we’re excited for the snacking possibilities. Oatly’s is the first vegan cream cheese—and company stress-Made in Philadelphia. And Coffee-Mate’s Natural Bliss line is venturing into new oat milk territory from vegan creamers. Read on for more.

1Impossible Foods expands vegan chicken line

Impossible Foods may be best known for its flagship Impossible Burger, but its plant-based chicken line is also becoming a big deal. The company made its first foray into the foodservice sector in 2021 with Impossible Chicken Nuggets, with notable launches at popular restaurants and AMC theaters. The company soon unveiled fun animal shapes of nuggets and added a crispy patty to the line in 2022.

This week, Impossible is expanding its vegan chicken line with three exciting new products: Spicy Chicken Nuggets, Spicy Chicken Patties and Chicken Tenders.

impossible food

“Our chicken products have quickly caught on with consumers, and they have served as a successful entry point to our brand,” Impossible Foods chief demand officer Sheren Zagla said in a statement. “At retail, our real nuggets are leading the plant-based chicken category in dollar sales and in foodservice, consumers.”

The new vegan chicken products are hitting select retailers this month, and a wider rollout is planned in the coming months. Impossible’s new vegan chicken tenders will also hit select menus including vegan fast-food shop Honeybee Burger, baseball stadium Trustmark Park (home of the Mississippi Braves) and meat-centric restaurant WNB Factory.

2Oatly’s take on Philadelphia with vegan cream cheese

Quirky vegan company Oatly is at it again with a fun new product and an equally fun way to announce it The brand is releasing its first vegan cream cheese in the U.S., which it says was developed by a team based in Philadelphia. In most cases in Philadelphia.

Although a wider US launch is planned for later this year, Oatley made the announcement alongside Olympic figure skating legend Tara Lipinski—a Philadelphia native—in the only city where it made sense to launch: Philadelphia.

Patrons of Spread Bagelery and Philly’s Bagels will be the first to taste Otley’s new vegan cream cheese, which will be available at both local chains until March 31 or while supplies last.

“This cream cheese is an important step toward expanding our portfolio of delicious plant-based products, and we want to introduce it in the city where it was first invented,” Leah Hoxie, SVP of Innovation for Oatley North America, said in a statement. .

“At its core, it’s a cream cheese with deep and authentic Philadelphia roots,” Hoxie said.

You know who else is making vegan cream cheese these days? Philadelphia, of course. However, it actually made it to New York—a fact that Oatley took up and ran with in Philadelphia.

3Macadamia milk for babies

While dairy milk is limited to a few sources, the versatility of vegan milk continues to expand. This week, Hawaiian brand PlantBaby announced the launch of a baby-focused organic vegan milk made from Mac Nut Kiki Milk, macadamia nuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, sprouted pumpkin seeds, oats, coconut sugar, coconut and aquamin (a marine mineral).

The new macadamia nut-based milk joins the company’s portfolio of products developed to support growth from infancy to adulthood, with its original Kiki Milk specially formulated for the nutritional needs of infants.

Plantbaby

“Since launching Kiki Milk in December 2021, we’ve seen consistent growth in demand for products free of gum, inflammatory oils and fillers while boasting whole foods and nutrient-dense ingredients,” said Alex and Lauren Abelin, co. – In a joint statement, the founder of Plantbaby.

“We didn’t realize there was no true, all-organic and original tasting mac nut milk on the market so we wanted to change that and create a super tasty and nutritious product without gums and fillers for everyone to enjoy,” they say.

4Sesame Street Vegan Pancakes

Another company looking to make vegan food appealing to kids is Toronto-based Nola Baking Co., which partnered with the iconic children’s show Sesame Street on its new product launch.

Nola Baking Co.

The company’s new Power Pancakes (in chocolate and original flavors) and Boost Bars (made with fruits and vegetables) are decorated with Sesame Street characters like Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird and formulated by nutritionists to help parents create healthy breakfasts. Snack choice for their kids.

Julie Mitz, president and CEO of Nola Baking Co., said in a statement, “We are excited to partner with Sesame Street to launch a new line of children’s products. “Beyond our love for the Sesame Street franchise, we share Sesame Street’s values ​​of educating families on the importance of good nutrition and laying the foundation for positive eating and lifestyle habits.”

The new products are available at retailers across Canada.

5Natural happiness is found in oat milk

In 2017, Coffee-Mate—a Nestlé-owned company—launched the first vegan creamer under its Natural Bliss line in four flavors: Vanilla Almond Milk, Caramel Almond Milk, Hazelnut Almond Milk, and Sweet Cream Coconut Milk.

Since then, Natural Bliss has expanded its vegan creamers with a variety of products, including cashew-based creamers and halves.

natural happiness

This week, the company announced its first product that isn’t creamer: oat milk, a vegan milk that just won’t leave. The new line is also formulated with fava bean protein and will be available in original and unsweetened flavors.

“As interest in plant-based beverages continues to grow, we are thrilled to expand our portfolio of natural delights beyond the creamer aisle to introduce our first-to-drink oat milk,” Daniel Zhong, president of beverages at Nestlé USA, said in a statement.

“We know our consumers look for products that are both tasty and nutritious, and this offering delivers with a first-to-market blend of oat and fava bean proteins that have more protein than leading oat milk brands, less sugar than dairy milk and variety any time of day. can be enjoyed in ways,” Zhong said.

The new Natural Bliss Oat Milk line will hit retailers nationwide in May 2023.