Kerry Group has continued its investment in the meat substitute market by acquiring the Dutch brand Ojah BV for €20 million, according to the Irish Independent.
Ojah is controlled by the Belgian private equity firm Korys Fund Investments, which is connected to the wealthy Colruyt family who founded a Belgian discount supermarket empire.
The Belgian company produces “textured meat alternatives” from plant-based materials that are rich in proteins, low in fat and salt, high in fibre and free of cholesterol, according to its website.
Plenti Of Protein
The company launched its products in 2010 and began marketing its ‘Plenti’ meat substitute in 2016 to more than 21 countries, producing 1,600 tons of it annually.
Plenti is marketed as a plant-based meat alternative that can be processed into various types of different end products comparable to chicken, beef, pork or fish. The product is described as having a “unique bite, tenderness and meat-like structure".
It has protein levels comparable to meat, covers all the essential amino-acids needed by the human body, contains sufficient dietary fibres and has a low fat content, according to the company.
The plant-based protein sector has been rapidly expanding over recent years with the rise of low-meat or meat-free diets. The sector is expected to reach a value of over €13 billion by 2022.
Kerry Group unveiled its plant-based protein brand ProDiem at the end of 2016, offering dairy free, soy free and vegan proteins.
© 2018 - Checkout Magazine by Kevin Duggan
