Chicago-based meat giant Oscar Mayer, a subsidiary of Kraft Heinz, has launched the EveryBun Pack, combining its meat and vegan hot dogs in the same packaging without cross-contamination.
While many companies are leaning into the demand for flexitarian options by blending meat with plants in the same product, Oscar Mayer is taking a novel packaging approach.
The Kraft Heinz-owned legacy meat producer is rolling out the dual EveryBun Pack on a limited trial basis, combining its signature wieners with the plant-based Not Hot Dogs it released last year.
The offering is the brand’s response to hot dogs’ popularity in the grilling season. This year alone, wieners have featured in over 1.5 million social media posts this summer and gone viral through fashion collaborations.
Trial will gauge interest for potential nationwide launch
Oscar Mayer’s packaging innovation seeks to please hosts who struggle to satisfy both meat-eaters and plant-based guests alike, and the 17 million-odd Americans who identify as vegan or vegetarian.
Each EveryBun Pack contains eight Oscar Mayer wieners and four meat-free Not Hot Dogs, packaged in a way that avoids cross-contamination.
The product is being rolled out in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Dallas, the country’s top hot-dog-consuming cities, on a test basis to gauge consumer demand for a potential nationwide rollout. Residents in these cities can order the EveryBun Pack via GoPuff at 12pm ET until Sunday (August 24), while supplies last.
“As a brand obsessed with hot dogs, summer is our most important season, and we understand that not everyone can enjoy our iconic Oscar Mayer Wieners,” said Oscar Mayer brand manager Anna James.
She added: “With plant-based eating becoming more popular, we wanted to provide one easy, delicious solution for all, no matter what’s in the bun.”
To promote the launch, Oscar Mayer is also pushing out its iconic Wienermobile to Los Angeles, which possesses one of the highest concentrations of both hot dog lovers and plant-based eaters, to give away free EveryBun Packs to fans.
Is this Kraft Heinz’s answer to blended meat?
The Not Hot Dog was unveiled in 2024 as part of the joint venture between Kraft Heinz and Chilean food tech company NotCo. Accompanied by two Not Sausages, the products are said to replicate the ‘snap’ of the outer casing and the savoury, smoky taste experience associated with Oscar Mayer’s conventional products.
Most vegan hot dogs fail to convince meat-eaters, with the average plant-based alternative impressing only 25% of omnivores in a large taste test this year. In contrast, 55% liked the animal-based benchmark.
This is why Oscar Mayer has taken a taste-first approach with its vegan wieners, which are made from wheat gluten, potato starch, bamboo fibre, and more. That said, health has also become more important for Americans. Hot dogs fit both the red meat and processed meat categories, which are linked to a host of chronic conditions.
The Not Hot Dog has 31% less fat, 75% less saturated fat), and 43% more protein than Oscar Mayer’s traditional wieners, keying into America’s heightened demand for protein.
The new EveryBun Pack is Kraft Heinz’s alternative to the blended meat category, which has become many companies’ go-to response to the struggle of plant-based meat. Globally, 64% of consumers are interested in blended protein options. And in the US, 74% of omnivores are interested in the concept, and two-thirds are likely to purchase them (versus 57% who say the same for plant-based meat).
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