Century Pacific Food Inc., one of the largest branded food and beverage companies in the Philippines, said Monday its plant-based brand, ‘unMEAT’, is launching in more than 2,000 Walmart stores, one of the largest retailer companies in the United States.
“This vote of confidence from Walmart affirms that we are heading in the right direction with respect to our plant-based business. We believe in the long-term potential of plant-based alternatives, and brands like ‘unMEAT’ have a role to play to sustainably address the food requirements of an increasingly growing global population,” said Century Food chief operating officer Greg Banzon in a statement.
Aside from Walmart, Century Food’s ‘unMEAT’ brand is also distributed in the U.S. through HEB, Harris Teeter, Meijer, and select natural and grocery stores as well as in specialty e-commerce sites such as GTFO, It’s Vegan, Weee! and Vegan Black Market.
Banzon said the introduction of “an accessible, shelf-stable format priced at parity to meat analogs” such as ‘unMEAT’ could be a game changer for Century Food as it attracts more customers and possibly unlock the segment’s potential.
Despite the skepticism on alternative protein’s growth potential, Banzon said the company remains optimistic of its long-term, double-digit growth rate. “Our business plans are calibrated for this kund of market environment, and we believe we can provide delicious but more affordable options to this market,” he added.
Starting with a refrigerated line in 2020, CNPF has expanded its ‘unMEAT’ portfolio to include new plant-based food formats. The company rolled out a shelf-stable ‘unMEAT’ luncheon meat line and a plant-based dairy alternative ‘unCHEESE’ in 2021, while it launched a domestic breakfast range and a seafood alternative ‘unMEAT Fish-free Tuna’ last year.
