Meat Industry Giant JBS Launches Pea and Rice Plant-Based Meat Line

Though Brazilian meat seller JBS has been selling meat since ’53, they have now taken their first step into a more sustainable sector – plant-based meats.

OVO, their new line of fermented pea and rice protein has now hit the shelves in select Kroger stores in the U.S. Midwest and in California, and so far, it looks it’s bringing some competition to the table (literally). With 22g of protein, 2g of saturated fat, 4.7mg of iron, and 210 calories, it has already one-upped both Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger with its outstanding nutritional profile. And the best part? You get all of this for about the same price as other plant-based meats – $5.99 and $7.99.

Knowing they’d be entering the plant-based market a bit later than their competitors, they needed to be innovative with their ingredients. That’s why they introduced MycoTech’s PureTaste fermented pea and rice combination in their OVO formula. Shiitake mycelia are used for the fermentation process, which diminishes the tastes of the pea and rice proteins and improves the amino acid profile and digestibility of the protein!

As the price of meat steadily increases with the recent beef shortage, plant-based meats are thriving – Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger recently enjoyed a 264% increase in sales since March 2020. There has never been a better time to enter the plant-based meat market, and this information has not escaped big meat companies’ attention. In fact, about 93% of those who purchase plant-based meats like Beyond Meat are meat eaters.

Do you think Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger will be facing fierce competition once OVO hits stores nationwide? Share your thoughts in the comments!