Atlantic Natural Foods Rolls Out Five Vegetarian Proteins
Forget about Meatless Mondays, now you can go meatless five days a week and still enjoy tacos, tuna, chili and more. That's the message from Atlantic Natural Foods, Nashville, N.C., which is rolling out five vegetarian proteins under the Meatless Select brand. They are: Five Bean Chili, Meatless Taco Filling, Fishless Tuna, Chick-less Chicken Patty and Meatless Hot Dog. All are free of artificial flavorings and colorings as well as preservatives, and are made with high-quality renewable plant proteins derived from soy and wheat. Building on the sustainability attribute, the products also offer the convenience, reliability and recyclability of cans.
"We believe the market for low-cost, renewable protein will explode in the next few years," says Steve Morris, vice president of sales and marketing. "Our products provide a real alternative to meat-based protein and are not just for the vegetarian market. In side-by-side taste tests, meat lovers could not distinguish between our product and the meat-based alternative."
The 5-oz. canned tuna and taco products are designed for the dollar store channel. The taco also comes in a 20-oz. can, as do the chili and hot dog products. They have a suggested retail price of $2.89 to $2.99. The patty product is sold in 13-oz. cans for about $2.49. All five varieties are available to club stores and foodservice in 6.5-lb. cans. These items sell for $1.50 to $1.79 per pound, depending on product.