Spanish firm Novameat has expanded its line of pulled plant-based meats with clean-label pork and lamb alternatives for foodservice.
A year after securing $19.2M in Series A funding, Novameat has introduced two new meat alternatives that meet consumer demand for clean-label formulations and improved texture.
The Barcelona-based startup has added lamb and pork to its signature pulled meat lineup, joining beef and chicken to round out the range. They will be available to foodservice partners, distributors and manufacturers from September 1.
The launch comes just as Spanish consumers actively look to cut back on animal proteins. But at the same time, vegan alternatives face a threat from the ultra-processed food (UPF) discourse, a fact Novameat looks to address with its recipes.
Pulled pork and lamb nail texture with minimal ingredients
The Pulled Lamb Style product is designed to take aim at a market with few competitors, but with a clean-label twist. It contains just six ingredients: water, pea protein, sunflower oil, seaweed extract, vinegar, and a plant-derived flavouring blend.
The startup said the lamb represents a “significant R&D breakthrough”, as its distinct flavour and delicate mouthfeel are hard to replicate. It can be used in traditional applications like slow-roasted dishes, tagine, and gyros, and contains 19g of protein and 3.5g of fibre per 100g.
The plant-based pulled pork, meanwhile, enters a much more crowded market. But Novameat is looking to differentiate itself with the shredded format, which helps mimic the “juicy, fibrous texture” of the meat. It works as a star ingredient in a range of dishes, from barbecues and burritos to bowls and baos.
This alternative is made from the same base of water, pea protein, sunflower oil, seaweed extract and vinegar, with added natural aromas, carrot and radish concentrates, and malted barley extract. It boasts 19.4g of protein and 3.3g of fibre per 100g.
Both products are free from soy and gluten and require “no complex additives”, the company said, positioning each innovation as an “inclusive protein source for everyone”.
They also key into a major consumer pain point. Globally, the texture of plant-based meats is as important as their conventional counterparts for 75% of consumers, but only about 60% are actually satisfied with it.
This is thanks to Novameat’s MicroForce technology, which uses standard food industry equipment with some patented tweaks to achieve the same fibrous texture as 3D printing, but on a much bigger scale.
“Our proprietary technology allows us to avoid complex additives like methylcellulose and carrageenan, which manufacturers commonly use for texture,” Novameat founder and CEO Giuseppe Scionti told Green Queen. “This is a major breakthrough, as consumers are now more conscious than ever about what they’re eating and are looking for a short list of natural, recognisable ingredients.”
Novameat bets on Spain’s shifting protein preferences
“By expanding our pulled category with two new, less common plant-based meats, we are providing a toolkit for chefs to explore a lot further than before,” said Scionti. “These products are a testament to our commitment to relentless innovation and a promise that the plant-based future doesn’t have to compromise on taste, texture, or culinary experience.”
Novameat’s pulled meat alternatives will appeal to Europeans deterred by the UPF tag, which has led many to think that plant-based meat is unhealthy, despite experts warning that the level of processing doesn’t define a food’s nutritional credentials. In fact, leading health organisations have suggested that vegan meat analogues are part of the good-for-you UPF subset.
Still, two in five Europeans are actively avoiding processed foods, and 60% would like to do so in the future, according to a survey of nearly 20,000 consumers this year.
For many consumers, the ingredient list is an indicator of a product’s processing level, although there is no defined definition of ‘clean label’. Research shows that two in three Europeans reconsider their purchases based on ingredient lists, with 60% of Spaniards finding it important to understand the origin of the ingredients.
Novameat will benefit from the relatively short and clean ingredient labels of its pulled pork and lamb, aided by Spain’s waning appetite for meat. A recent poll suggested that four in five consumers have either cut their meat consumption, thought about doing so, or are willing to consider it.
This is despite two in five Spaniards (39%) increasing their protein intake last year. Encouragingly for plant-based companies, 35% of them upped their consumption of protein through vegan food.
The main driver of meat reduction is health, as cited by 42% of people who have already cut back, and 41% who are mulling the change. Meanwhile, nearly half of the respondents believe vegan diets are better for the planet and their wallets, and 43% find them healthier.
These findings chime with another poll conducted by the country’s plant-based meat leader, Heura, last year, where 86% of Spaniards said they’d eat more plant-based meat if it offered nutritional and taste parity to animal proteins, alongside a lower environmental impact.
Novameat, which also sells products in the UK and the Netherlands, has been scaling up production both at its Barcelona facility and through manufacturing partnerships. Its products have appeared at Disfrutar, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant voted the world’s best last year. It will hope to impress more foodservice operators and consumers with the latest innovations.
“The fantastic feedback we have received on our new product range in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands has given us the confidence to roll out our launch into new regions in Europe, including France, Italy, and Germany,” chief commercial officer John Gray told Green Queen. “Our goal is to build solid foundations in these markets, collaborating to grow sales in both the foodservice and retail trade channels.”
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