The Week In Plant-Based: Impossible Joins Delta Airlines Menu, PeaTos Launches Vegan ‘Cheetos’

It’s been a week loaded with news about vegan cheese products. Primula, Daiya, and PeaTos all announced new products, the latter of them being a fully plant-based take on Cheetos. Elsewhere, Delta added more plant-based items to its in-flight menu courtesy of Impossible and others, and London’s vegan restaurant scene has a couple more mainstays to get excited about.

US: Delta Airlines, Impossible beef up in-flight vegan options

Delta Airlines is adding more plant-based options to its in-flight menus, with items from Impossible Foods, Black Sheep Foods, and locally grown produce items. The company said these menu changes are part of its larger plan to create a “wellness-focused travel journey.”

For now, distribution is limited. Impossible’s meatballs and burger as well as Black Sheep’s “lamb” meatballs will be served on flights of 900 miles or greater leaving from New York-JFK and LGA.

UK: Vegan food brand Fry’s unveils Popcorn Chick’n

Fry’s new offering is meant to mimic the taste and style of traditional popcorn chicken and take just 10 minutes to cook, according to the company. The offering is available in the frozen food section at over 700 Iceland stores as well as The Food Warehouse stores in the UK for £3 per package.

The Fry Family Food Co. joined global plant-based foods collective LIVEKINDLY in 2020.

UK: Primula drops four new flavors of spreadable “cheese”

New products for the plant-based cheese line include Perfectly Plant, Light Cheese ‘n’ Onion, Hot Cheese ‘n’ Sriracha and Squeezy Burger Cheese. The Perfectly Plant item is the company’s first offering to be available in a tube format. 

Product will be available at Morrisons, Asda, and Sainsbury’s stores across the UK. 

US: PeaTos is launching completely vegan Cheetos

Los Angeles-based PeaTos made a name for itself when it launched its Fiery Hot Crunchy Curls snack, a plant-based alternative to Cheetos, last year.

Responding to consumer demand, the company is now releasing completely vegan, dairy-free snacks including Classic Onion Rings and Classic Cheese Curls, both made with plant-based alternatives.

Snacks will be available at 4,700 US retailers including Von’s, Sprouts, and Kroger later this month. 

UK: Mildreds opens sixth restaurant in Covent Garden

Plant-based restaurant pioneer Mildreds’ most recent London location will showcase the first iteration of the company’s new branding. The restaurant itself will offer more of the same high-end plant-based dishes Mildreds is known and loved for with a mix of new and classic menu items.

The restaurant joins a booming vegan scene in London that’s home to a growing number of plant-based restaurant chains. 

UK: Ready Burger’s 99p classic is here to stay

The plant-based burger company says it sold more than 2,000 99p burgers in January. Given the public’s enthusiasm for the item, Ready Burger says it will keep it on the menu as a regular staple at both of its London locations. 

The 99p item is meant to be a plant-based competitor to traditional Big Macs and Whoppers from the likes of McDonald’s and Burger King. 

US: Dream Pops to challenge Mars, Hershey with new products

Best known for its plant-based frozen treats, Dream Pops is now moving into the confectionary realm. The Los Angeles-based company debuted six chocolate-coated plant-based candy bites at the 2022 Natural Products Expo West show as well as a line of plant-based syrups.

The Dream Pop Crunch candies are an all-natural alternative to Malted Milk Balls or Butterfinger and will be available next month. 

Singapore: Osome Food announces monthly meal subscription

Dubbed AWE by Osome Food, the new service offers more than 200 different meal and snack options that represent a range of cuisines all reimagined for the plant-based consumer. 

All foods are clean label, vegan-friendly, high in protein, and low in sodium and sugars. The six-month-long subscription includes four meals and six snacks every month.

Osome is known as the maker of the world’s first plant-based hard-boiled egg.

Canada: Daiya Foods unveils new plant-based products

Plant-based food-maker Daiya, best known for its line of vegan cheeses, unveiled new products this month at the Expo West event in California. 

New items include the Italian 4 Cheeze Blend, Feta and Grilling Cheeze Blocks, and Garlic & Herbs Cream Cheeze. The company also showcased three new plant-based Flatbread varieties.

Lead image courtesy of Skinny Butcher.