Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 6/21/19



Tyson Foods’ top executives spent part of the company’s morning-long meeting with investment analysts Thursday making sure they were aware that the 800-pound gorilla has arrived at the alt-meat party.

Just last week the company announced it would roll out a new brand, Raised & Rooted, featuring a product line that includes both meat-and-plant blended products and plant-based meat substitutes.

Market leaders Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have a several-year head start on Tyson. But at the Investor Day presentation, Tyson’s executive vice president for alternative proteins and chief sustainability officer, Justin Whitmore, pointed to Tyson’s culinary R&D, consumer brand-building expertise, extensive established supply chain and customer relationships as reasons the company will prevail in the market.

“People will not have to change who they are or how they shop to enjoy our products. There’s no three- to five-year ramp-up time. We can do this as fast or faster than anyone,” Whitmore said.

Tyson Foods raised eyebrows when the company sold off its investment in plant-based meat substitute maker Beyond Meat just days before the latter company’s history-making initial public offering. Whitmore’s presentation took aim at what some market observers believe may be the startups’ weak spot: nutritionals that may not line up with the health halo many consumers have imparted to their products.

“As people look at the nutritional panels across many upstart alternative protein brands and start to realize that they aren’t as good for them as they initially thought, our products will stand out,” Whitmore promised, noting the omega-3s in the soon-to-be-introduced plant-based nuggets and the relatively low calorie and fat content of Tyson’s forthcoming Raised & Rooted blended burgers.

In answer to an analyst’s question, Tyson CEO Noel White promised that a “long list” of products will be rolled out under the Raised & Rooted brand name.

Whitmore added that Tyson’s goal with the new products is “familiar forms, familiar categories,” and that products will be available in the next 12 months.

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