Nestlé debuts plant-based products in China

11th December 2020 By Bridget O'Connell | bridget@foodticker.co.nz | @foodtickernz

Nestlé continues its march into the $15bn (US$11.1bn) global plant-based food market, this week launching its first product in China.

The multinational food giant debuted its Harvest Gourmet brand at an event in Beijing, and at the same time officially opened it first plant-based production site in Asia.

Located in Tianjin, China, the facility was already fully operational and would provide a wide range of plant-based food under the Harvest Gourmet brand including burgers, sausages, nuggets and mince.

The range would also include plant-based alternatives to local favourites kung pao chicken, braised meatballs, pork belly, and spicy wok.

Harvest Gourmet products were already available in Australia, and Nestlé said that it would now build a “strong presence” in Asia.

Nestlé greater China region chief executive, Rashid Qureshi, said the firm saw China “leading the trend towards a new generation of plant-based food in Asia”.

According to a study published last month by New York-based market intelligence and consultancy firm Polaris Market Research, the global plant-based meat market was set to reach over $50bn (US$35bn) by 2027. That was up from $15bn (US$11.1bn) in 2019.

Nestlé already had what it described as a strong plant-based presence in Europe with its Garden Gourmet brand and in the United States with Sweet Earth brands. 

In the past 18 months, Nestlé had introduced new plant-based burgers, sausages, mince, and alternatives to chicken and tuna, as well as plant-based meals including pizzas and lasagna.

It also debuted a fully plant-based ‘bacon cheeseburger’ for foodservice customers in the US.

Globally, Nestlé had around 300 people dedicated to the research and development of plant-based products.