Plant-based dairy maker Elmhurst 1925 has launched into the vegan meat category with a clean-label dehydrated chicken under the new TerraMeat brand.
In a surprising move, Elmhurst 1925, a plant-based milk powerhouse in the US, has entered the meat analogue category.
It has done so through the launch of a new brand, TerraMeat, which makes Plant-Based Chick’n using only one ingredient: hemp protein. An ambient product, all consumers need to do is add water and oil to the hemp grain powder, and microwave it for 90 seconds – the result would be cutlets that can be seasoned and then grilled, baked, braised or fried.
“At 90 years old, I have seen many changes in the food industry, but I believe Elmhurst TerraMeat Plant-Based Chick’n has the potential to redefine the plant-based meat market,” said Elmhurst 1925 CEO Henry Schwartz, whose father and uncle founded the brand 100 years ago, in an interview with AgFunderNews.
TerraMeat powered by same tech as Elmhurst 1925’s alt-dairy range
Until now, Elmhurst 1925 – which switched from dairy to plant-based in 2017 – was known for its clean-label vegan milks, creamers, sour cream and ready-to-drink lattes.
Its move into plant-based meat is a curious one, considering the category is crowded and financially challenging. In the US, meat and seafood analogues saw sales drop by 12% last year – in contrast, plant-based milk witnessed a minor 1% increase.
Several players have been forced to cease operations over the last year, and plant-based meat and seafood only take up 0.9% of the overall market. For context, plant-based milk accounts for 14.5% of the milk category.
But Elmhurt 1925 is betting on its technology – the same HydroRelease milling process it uses for its plant-based dairy products – to stand out from the crowd. “We start with hemp grain [seeds from industrial hemp plants], which we’ve been working with to make hemp-based creamers,” said Cheryl Mitchell, senior VP of ingredient manufacturing at Steuben Foods, which is manufacturing the TerraMeat Chick’n.
She added: “We apply the same water-based technology that enables us to liberate all the different components, rather than taking nuts or grains and dry milling them to a flour or paste and then having to add stabilisers, emulsifiers, and oils. We had the hemp cream for our plant-based creamers, and it was a case of what do we do with the protein? So we started working with it and the functionality and the applications were endless.”
Mitchell explained that at relatively low temperatures, the protein starts to coagulate and change. “By contrast, when you extrude plant proteins at very high temperatures, it impacts their digestibility, and what I realised with this protein from the hemp seed, was that using our technology to liberate it, it had a functionality at relatively low temperatures, so you can set it at low heat,” she said.
“When you add water, a little bit of oil and you heat it, it develops the texture and the layering that you get in muscle meats, so you basically get a piece of meat in just over a minute from a powder that looks, cuts and cooks just like chicken.”
Leaning into consumer demand for clean labels
The powdered chicken is available in two formats: the first is a starter kit that also includes a mixing glass, spatula and seasoning blend, and the second is a refill pack featuring the hemp powder and seasoning.
“It has no real taste, so you can season it with whatever you want or just add salt and pepper and it has a far more appealing texture than extruded plant-based meats, which can be like chewing rubber bands,” said Mitchell.
The spice mix that comes with the product contains garlic powder, onion powder, champignon mushroom powder, ground sage, thyme powder, salt, basil and black pepper.
Elmhurst 1925 will be testing the TerraMeat chicken in foodservice via restaurants in New York City over the coming weeks. “It is amazing to work with, it is delicious – one clean ingredient, hemp grain protein,” said Camillo Sabella, a plant-based chef based in New York City. “Unlike any other plant-based chicken product on the market that have sometimes 40 or 50 ingredients. [With] its ability to take on flavours and textures, you can use it in a variety of recipes.”
“We are able to harness the full nutritional quality of hemp protein, making it a wholesome, protein-rich option that satisfies both dietary preferences and the desire for a more sustainable food future,” said Schwartz. Thanks to hemp’s superfood status, each serving of the vegan chicken contains 26g of protein, 62mg of calcium, 10mg of iron, and 6mg of protein.
Elmhurst 1925’s decision likely stems from a growing discontent around the ultra-processed nature of many plant-based meats. While the link between ultra-processed foods and health is often misinterpreted, consumers have constantly been looking for cleaner-label ingredients.
A survey by Innova Market Insights in 2022 revealed that over two in three global consumers are influenced by clean-label claims, and that almost half would pay more for these products. The absence of additives, the use of natural ingredients, and sustainability positioning are the three most important indicators of such products.
Moreover, for a quarter of respondents, cleaner labels indicate healthier products. This is why brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat have upped their focus on health and nutrition, both in product formulations and their marketing efforts. In fact, TerraMeat’s launch came the same week Beyond Meat introduced a new Sun Sausage range made from whole foods like vegetables, grains and legumes.
The post TerraMeat: Alt-Dairy Brand Elmhurst 1925 is Now Making Meat Analogues, With Just One Ingredient appeared first on Green Queen.
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