The emerging plant-based meat snack set has put out conflicting signals in recent weeks. While one emerging brand extended into the space, another early player exited. Those with a presence in the category continue to refine their approach, but carving a scalable plant-based business out of the $4.6 billion dried meat snack category is proving to be no easy feat for both emerging brands and big names alike. 

On one end, Eat the Change recently announced it was discontinuing mushroom jerky, one of its inaugural products. The reason? Founder and CEO Seth Goldman said the market for meatless jerky is too small to make the line worth it long term.

But Colorado-based Meati (which recently raised a $50 million in new investment) quickly followed that news with a launch of its own on animal-free snacks. You guessed it… mycelium-based (a.k.a. Mushroom root) jerky. Meati believes its new three-SKU line has the potential to appeal “well beyond jerky eaters” and capture consumers who “seek out functional snacks,” said president and COO Scott Tassani.

Meanwhile, Beyond Meat has continually struggled with its own jerky product, which was developed through a joint venture with PepsiCo. 

Some large players have also remained in the game, albeit with mixed results. Country Archer offers an oyster mushroom jerky online. Sonoma Brands-owned jerky maker Krave launched an animal-free meat stick earlier this year, and already sells a pea protein-based jerky, signaling the company still has faith there’s juice left to squeeze in plant-based meat snacks.

So what gives? Are consumers going to jump on the plant-based bandwagon or not? Is the market just getting its footing or will it always be a small segment? According to one early adopter, it may be time to rethink branding strategy and play around with product mix.

Pan’s Mushroom Jerky was a first-to-market emerging brand, entering the alt-meat jerky category in 2018. Founder Michael Pan told NOSH at Expo East this year that the company is thinking of “branching out” from snacks eventually and is testing a re-position towards “mushroom snacks” as opposed to using jerky for its point of comparison.

“Jerky is analogous with on-the-go [snacks],” Pan said. “Mushrooms happen to be our hero ingredient and we're planning to build out this category for a long run, but mushrooms are amazing for other things and not just jerky or an on-the-go format.”

Go Deeper: Learn how the Eat the Change team decided to disco its shroom jerky on the NOSH Podcast.

What does it take for a brand to disrupt an existing food category and stand out from the pack? Charlotte Apps, Global EVP of Bain’s Consumer Products practice, examines this question every year as she and her team develop the global consulting company’s Insurgent Brands report. She’ll speak at NOSH Live to offer brands, investors and other executives a playbook for becoming an insurgent brand – based on years of data from companies that have broken out of the traditional order.

Takeaways from the session will include: 

• Common characteristics of insurgent brands, including examples of their growth capabilities and business models
• Ways insurgent brands have demonstrated their consumer purpose through distinct offerings
• Examples of unique marketing tactics insurgent brands have used to gain attention

Learn more and register.

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NOSH Live Winter 2023 takes place Nov. 30 + Dec. 1 in Marina del Rey, CA. As an Insider, you can save $200 per registration through this Saturday, October 21.

Meet one-to-one with retail buyers, sample the latest natural food innovations, learn from some of the best minds in the business on pressing industry topics, attend Boot Camp to learn the basics of starting a natural food business, build industry awareness by pitching in Elevator Talk at NOSH Live, participate in a livestream interview in the Taste Radio studio, and form new partnerships.

Register by Saturday, October 21 and save.

Changing course as a CPG food company is never going to be an easy decision. Wilde Brands founder and CEO Jason Wright had to shift gears more than once before the brand found traction with its current iteration. This week on the NOSH Podcast, Wright explained how Wilde evolved through various product types – including meat bars and chicken chips – and how the brand learned to whittle down its position toward its main proposition along the way. (Regional note: Wright realized his Carolina accent made “chicken chips” sound pretty unappetizing).

At the top of the show, the NOSH Team gives a preview of this year’s NOSH Live speakers and discussions, taking place in Marina del Rey, before diving into use cases for the hottest chili pepper ever made and a conversation about how some natural brands struggle to get a foothold in the convenience channel.

Click here to listen to this week’s episode. Like what you are listening to? Please don’t hesitate to rate our show and leave a review on your podcast platform of choice.

New Jersey residents may be able to buy new forms of cannabis edibles at local dispensaries, including beverages and gummies, following news that the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission has begun seeking public comment on the proposed idea this week. 

• The Garden State legalized adult-use marijuana in 2021 
• Currently the only edible formats permitted are syrups, pills, tablets, tinctures, lozenges and soft chews.
• The proposed rules would permit the sale of cannabis-infused single-serve beverages, candies and pastries, among other things. 

“We believe cannabis edibles have the potential to provide an alternative and convenient method for adults to access cannabis, and the proposed regulations aim to establish clear guidelines for their responsible production, labeling and sale,” said Jeff Brown, NJ-CRC Executive Director, in the release.

Specialty ingredient supplier Woodland Foods is switching up its executive leadership, announcing this week that food industry vet John Buckles has joined as CEO and the company’s former top exec, Aram Karapetian, has transitioned to the role of president of business development and culture. 

• Buckles joins Woodland with over 35 years of food industry experience, most recently serving as CEO of food manufacturer C.H. Guenther & Son
• He also spent a decade as CEO of Ventura Foods, a food solutions consultancy and manufacturing firm.

The news comes on the heels of an announcement that West African food brand Yolélé and Woodland have mutually agreed to dissolve their existing supply and distribution partnership as both businesses adopt new strategies and priorities. 

Read more on Yolélé and Woodland’s recent moves on NOSH. 

We can all agree there is absolutely nothing funny about food poisoning. But the bigger issues around food-related illnesses (i.e.: the chronic challenges and bureaucratic nonsense that still encompasses the federal food safety system) may be worthy of a cynical chuckle. 

Comedian John Oliver recently tackled the topic on MAX show Last Week Tonight, highlighting both the long-standing systemic challenges the FDA has faced to the impact of more recent events like the recall on JIF peanut butter and last year’s baby formula shortage crisis that was directly caused by improper food safety practices. Oliver gives an easy-to-digest rundown of how agencies including the FDA and USDA operate when it comes to human food, and the hurdles it still has yet to vault.

“We’ve known the way the FDA regulates food is some version of f*cked for decades, tonight let's talk about exactly why that is and why it's been so hard to fix,” Oliver states.

Wind down for the weekend and check out the segment here.