Meati Expands Mycelium Meat Range with Nuggets, Spicy Takes & Holiday Bundles

Weeks after opening its D2C online marketplace, Colorado-based mycelium meat startup Meati has expanded its line of meat alternatives with new vegan chicken nuggets and spiced takes on its existing steaks and cutlets. The brand has also released two bundles in time for the holidays.

In September, Meati opened its new webstore, where it promised to offer never-seen-before products through a subscription service, allowing customers to give feedback. Now, it is launching four new SKUs and two bundles to mark the holiday period.

Meati’s current lineup includes chicken cutlets (regular and crispy), steaks (classic and carne asada) and jerkies made from its MushroomRoot ingredient. Now, it’s entering the crowded plant-based chicken nugget market with Crispy Bites, and adding spiced and herby twists to its existing portfolio with a Garlic & Pepper Steak, Spicy Crispy Cutlet and Italian Seasoned Cutlet.

As for the holiday bundles, The Merry Mixer includes the four original cutlets and steaks plus the four new products in Meati’s portfolio that adds up to 19 servings, with a $99 price tag. The Fresh Five contains the Crispy Bites, the three new cutlets and steak, and the jerky in 23 services, which will set you back $119.

The Crispy Bites are available as a standalone on its marketplace starting today, with a 1lb bag prices at $25 and giant 5lb bag at $135. The other three new products are available as part of the bundles on the webshop, and can be purchased individually from December. Alongside the online store, these products will also make their way into retail locations, with consumer feedback key to informing Meati’s R&D for new products.

“We’re looking forward to hearing reactions to each of these products geared toward convenient nutrition and the simple idea that flavour, nutrition and ease of cooking can be of equal prominence at the table,” said Meati president and COO Scott Tassani.

Meati highlights mycelium’s nutritional credentials

The products are touted to have an “extraordinary nutritional profile” including high protein and fibre content thanks to the mycelium base. Last month, Meati shared results from an AI-led study into the health benefits of its MushroomRoot ingredient, revealing that it contains some “exceedingly rare/non-existent” compounds in food that present “pointed” health benefits that could address “prevalent nutritional deficiencies” and enhance “cardiovascular health”.

“We knew MushroomRoot was nutrient-dense based on our early research to find a species ideal for food,” said Meati co-founder and CSO Justin Whiteley. “However, we did not know exactly what benefits we could claim to make it easier for consumers to understand why it is unique.”

Whiteley added that the goal is to “crystallise what health benefits are yielded by regularly consuming Meati”, and sharing this information with Meati’s customers: “Ultimately, we want to make claims about specific benefits, short- and long-term, addressing specific health needs and also overall health and longevity.”

“It’s easy for nutrition to fall by the wayside in favour of convenience and flavour when consumers are constantly on the go,” said Tassani. “Like all Meati products, Crispy Bites, Spicy Crispy Cutlet, Garlic & Black Pepper Steak and Italian Seasoned Cutlet are designed to make it turnkey to enjoy nutrient-rich and convenient meals that fit a range of taste preferences.”

Meati’s focus on health mirrors that of other plant-based meat companies as consumers prioritise taste and health over other factors when it comes to eating or avoiding plant-based meat. Beyond Meat’s latest ad campaign, for example, zeroes in on the heart-healthy aspect of its Beyond Steak.