Next Meats, a Tokyo-based sustainable foods company, has teamed up with Indian food-tech startup Vegan Meat India to launch a range of vegan meat options in the country, including Yakiniku cuts meant for barbeque.
The company, which is listed in the American stock market, will introduce Next Tandoori Chicken, Next Herb Chicken, Next Classic Chicken, Next Chicken Biryani, Next Butter Chicken Curry, Next Yakiniku Japanese Taste, Next Spicy Yakiniku and Next Burger Patty for Indian consumers.
It also plans to expand its product offerings by introducing plant-based cakes, vegan cheese, tuna, egg and soya milk. The products will be available online in five cities including Delhi/NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Mumbai.
Ryo Shirai, founder of Next Meats, said in a statement, “As our modern lives have become more convenient, it has taken an inconvenient toll on our environment. Thinking things through from the perspective of our planet’s well-being led to our discovery of plant-based meats. Now we know we can’t shift our global eating culture of meat-based diets overnight. But if we focus on delivering the best tasting plant-based products, we believe it will lead us to a future where people will choose better for themselves and our planet.”
“Our products are high in protein, low in saturated fats with no added flavors and cholesterol. These items are just apt for people suffering from diabetes and blood pressure. We are excited to cater our Indian consumers.”
According to the company, these plant-based meats are produced using non-GMO soy, pea proteins and other plant extracts in factories that meet HACCP and ISO standards. In the future, they are also planning to open a lab and manufacturing unit in India and develop the products with Indian taste.
The brand is also planning to launch their brick-and-mortar store in India in the next fiscal.
Deepak Yadav, chief executive officer, Vegan Meat India, said, “Considering all the aspects from human health and environment, we would expect the trend of meatless meats would be more popular in India as well as in all over the World. Diverse plant-based meat types such as plant-based chicken and seafood continue to grow in popularity, which is contributing to the growth of the market.”
Next Meats was officially launched in June of 2020 after its product development journey began three years ago. They have a presence in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore. Besides India, the company plans to launch in Italy, France, Russia, Spain, China and USA.
Next Meats specializes in researching and developing Japanese-style alternative meat products. Their plant-based products Next Burgers, Next Gyudon, and Next Yakiniku series have been met with great reviews and support, and they are currently developing other products as well. They plan to research various types of alternative proteins in the future and aim to replace all animal meats by 2050.
