Zouz: California Food-Tech Launches Plant-Based Frozen Meals Featuring Beyond Meat

Tarik Batal, founder of Zouz, a food tech company that prepares flavourful plant-based versions of meat-based international dishes, recently launched a new line of ready-made, plant-based frozen foods featuring Beyond Meat.

Zouz’s aim is to provide people with hectic schedules, sustainable food options in the freezer, such as fresh vegetables and Beyond Meat’s 100% plant-based ground beef, thus saving time without compromising on taste.

Joining forces with New York-based partner Water Lilies, Zouz develops authentic Asian foods that are being prepared from generations with entrepreneur, entertainer, activist and now Zouz’s CEO Tarik Batal first experimenting with popular Asian-inspired dishes. As a result, the culinary team started developing plant-based Potstickers, Mochi Balls, and Spring Rolls that imitate the taste of conventional meat but without the use of any animals.

GMO-free and made with locally sourced ingredients, the Kung Pao Mochi Balls are filled with Beyond Beef and traditional Asian-inspired vegetables and spices, and the Potstickers are bite-sized appetizers topped with Beyond Beef and several other plant-based ingredients that can be boiled, steamed, or pan-fried.

Apart from this, Batal collaborated with leading chefs to release food offerings in global cuisines as well and with the help of Beyond Meat’s protein, Zouz has designed a menu that includes Latin, Middle Eastern, and Italian-influenced recipes.

In a press release seen by Green Queen, Batal said that Zouz’s product roadmap celebrates the country’s diversity through food with international meals and snacks to be enjoyed at home. “On our journey, we have focused on premium quality, innovation and sustainability. This led us to partner with Beyond Meat, an industry pioneer in plant-based meat whose delicious, nutritious protein products are made without GMOs or bioengineered ingredients. Together, we are making plant-based living deliciously convenient for our customers and their families.”

Tim Smith, VP of North American Sales, Foodservice at Beyond Meat, said of the launch: “We’re thrilled that Zouz chose Beyond Meat for their new line of ready-made plant-based foods and are proud to be their partner as they share our mission of creating delicious food that’s better for people and the planet.”

Our product roadmap celebrates the country’s diversity through food with international meals and snacks to be enjoyed at home. On our journey, we have focused on premium quality, innovation and sustainability. This led us to partner with Beyond Meat, an industry pioneer in plant-based meat whose delicious, nutritious protein products are made without GMOs or bioengineered ingredients

Tarik Batal, CEO of Zouz

Batal’s love for food started quite young as he lived in several countries with restaurateur parents who taught him what he knows today and together, he and his family created Zouz during the pandamic-imposed lockdown.

Aside from managing Zous, Batal and his wife launched an initiative called Superhope back in 2014, a company that aims to create empowering experiences for children battling cancer and works with hospitals and creatives to help spread positivity among these kids along with 1% of Zouz sales supporting Superhope.

According to a report commissioned by the U.N. and released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), one of the most significant ways to reduce carbon emissions is to shift towards a plant-based diet.

In September of last year, a poll showed that around 60% of the American public are now transitioning to a flexitarian or plant-based diet and due to the pandemic, there is a massive interest globally to transition to a plant-based diet or quit animal products and instead opt for plant-based alternatives.

Beyond Meat has partnered with several companies in the past with the most recent being the new joint venture with Pepsico, The PLANeT Partnership (TPP) that will see the development and production of new snack and beverage products created with plant-based proteins. This also resulted in the former’s stock surging up to 39% on the day of the announcement.

Aside from this, the company also has a Taco Bell collaboration that could explore a new plant-based protein and in its list of partners also has Pizza Hut and fast-food giant McDonald’s to co-develop its new McPlant line beginning with a new plant-based burger, followed by more substitutes for McDonald’s classic menu items in the near future.

With respect to its own developments, Beyond Meats is expected to launch two new iterations of its burger in the first quarter of 2021.