ProPlant Foods has announced its success in developing a chicken alternative range and is planning to introduce it in the market under the brand name ProMeat.
With its products, the company intends to offer its customers a healthy, tasty, and economical plant-based chicken with high protein content. “We are on a mission to bring about a major change in the way people consume proteins. ProMeat’s vision is to facilitate a shift from unsustainable proteins to sustainable smart protein. Combining cutting-edge technology, along with the use of indigenous and under-utilised crops, we have tried to deliver the best meaty encounter without any compromise,” Debabrata Das, Founder & CEO, told The Vegan Indians.
What makes ProMeat different from others in the segment are the ingredients that they are using to make their mock meat products. The brand is using Elephant Foot Yam, an indigenously grown tuber crop, in all its products, making it the first ever to do so. It is combining yam with textured vegetable protein to get the definite texture and meatiness.
On the reason behind choosing Elephant Foot Yam, Debabrata said, “There are three advantages of using Elephant Foot Yam. The first is cost, as the crop is priced at ₹9 per kg in India, which is very cheap as compared to other raw materials that normally go into making plant-based meats. Second, the tuber has a very fibrous texture and a bland taste, which makes it an excellent alternative as it easily blends into spices and curries, and doesn’t leave a taste of its own. The third point is the unavailability of good quality soy in India. Soy is mostly imported from other countries, and companies that depend on find it really difficult to get good quality soy. We believe that if our Indian crop can go out into the global market, then nothing like it!”
ProMeat is looking for seed funding with an aim to set up a pilot plant by the end of 2021. It is targeting to hit the market with its plant-based meat in the beginning of 2022. The first two products that ProMeat will roll out are plant-based chicken patty and plant-based kebabs to suit the Indian palate. It is also planning to cater to global consumers with its minced chicken offering.
ProMeat has been set up by Debabrata Das, along with Pranjuli Garg and Sugriv Gupta. Dr. Ritu Chhatwal and Jinesh Shah are advisors of the company.
ProMeat recently emerged victorious in the India Smart Protein Innovative Challenge 2020 under the ‘Plant-Based Meat Category’ with the guidance of Dr. Prarabdh, Assistant Professor at NIFTEM and other advisors. “The five-month intensive challenge was organised by The Good Food Institute India, along with Gastrotope and other partners, including Thought For Food, Mistletoe, Inc., ProVeg Incubator, CIIE. CO, AGNIi at Invest India, BIV, Omnivore, etc. Over 1,000 students, researchers and professionals under the age of 28 from over 250 top research, engineering and management institutions such as IIMs, IITs, NIFTEM, CFTRI, ICT, and others participated in this challenge.” Debabrata said.
Debabrata is confident that the company will be able to meet its target of launching its products in the market by 2022.
(Pictures shown here are for illustration purposes only. Actual product may vary.)
