Thai Union Group PCL., the world?s seafood leader based in Bangkok, has just launched OMG Meat, a plant-based protein in the Thai market to meet surging demand in Asia for healthy, environmental-conscious and innovative protein products. OMG Meat?s alternative protein products not only have zero cholesterol, but they come with delicious taste and a high protein content. OMG Meat was developed by Thai Union?s Global Innovation Center with the aim of creating a plant-based protein that tastes and smells like meat. OMG Meat has created different food offerings for consumers to choose from, including dim sum, crab dumpling, crab meat, red-pork bun, fish nuggets and chicken nuggets.

Young consumers in Asia are increasingly adopting a more flexitarian eating style ? eating a mixture of plant-based foods and meats in a more flexible manner. They are interested in exploring food for better health while also caring for the planet, with plant-based protein producing less carbon. The launch of OMG Meat supports Thai Union?s commitment to ?Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans.?

The $9 million facility employs over 100 food scientists and engineers working on alt meat and seafood. Also the new Global Innovation Center, Thai Union has also partnered with several companies through a venture fund aimed at the production of cell cultivated seafood. The $30 million fund has seen agreements with companies including US cultivated seafood leader BlueNalu and Israeli cultivated meat pioneer Aleph Farms. 

Pursuing both plant-based as well as cellular agriculture innovation, Thai Union?s alt protein strategy includes its OMG Meat brand, launched in Thailand in 2021. Meanwhile, from a global perspective, the strategy also includes contract manufacturing services for alt seafood, with the company to start production orders for alt tuna products in Europe and the US imminently.

Recent moves

Thai Union has hired Maarten Geraets as head of its new alt protein department in Thailand, bringing over 20 years of marketing and R&D experience over from Nestlè. 2021 also saw plant-based brand V Foods sign an agreement with Thai Union to expand and develop jointly.

?We are innovating, we are pioneering a new segment, a new category, that has only just surfaced,? Geraets told Nikkei Asia. 

OMG Meat is now available at Gourmet Market and all the Mall supermarkets, and online at LINE: @OMGMeat.

For further information

Website : https://omg-meat.com/

Facebook : www.facebook.com/Omgmeat.th