Kellogg inks three-year deal to provide plant-based products to Sodexo

Kellogg inks three-year deal to provide plant-based products to Sodexo
Incogmeato Burger Patties offer 19 grams of 100% plant-based protein. <strong>Courtesy Kellogg Company</strong>

Kellogg’s Away From Home business-to-business sales division is making its Incogmeato plant-based protein brand available to a wider audience in the hospitality sector.

Battle Creek-based Kellogg’s Away From Home said June 22 that it is expanding its existing partnership with Sodexo to deliver a plant-based, meat-like experience with the new Incogmeato by MorningStar Farms Burger Patties at more than 3,000 locations in the U.S.

Sodexo — a global provider of catering, hospitality and food retail services with its U.S. headquarters in Elmhurst, Illinois — already serves the Spicy Black Bean Burger by MorningStar Farms. Sodexo said it is excited to meet the increasing demand for plant-based and meat-like options.

Incogmeato by MorningStar Farms is a new line of next-generation plant-based protein that “looks, cooks and tastes just like meat.” Incogmeato Burger Patties offer 19 grams of 100% plant-based protein and “sizzle, sear and taste just like beef.” The patties are a good source of iron and a high source of fiber, B12 and protein.

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with Kellogg’s Away From Home to offer our meat-loving customers a plant-based protein, who want to make more sustainable and plant-based choices without sacrificing what they love about meat,” said Rob Morasco, senior director of culinary development at Sodexo. “More people are exploring plant-based food options, and we’ve seen a growing demand in our industry. Sodexo is committed to a deep understanding of food-service trends, which allows us to satisfy more of our guests with options that meet consumer demand in an ever-evolving environment. Plant-based meat alternatives also support Sodexo’s carbon reduction goal to reduce operational and supply chain carbon emissions by 34% by 2025.”

While a study found two-thirds of Gen Z and more than half of millennials say they’re interested in plant-based protein, one size does not fit all. Sixty percent of those surveyed in a 2019 poll prefer plant-based proteins, like the MorningStar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger, while the remaining 40% prefer a “just-like-meat” experience. Sodexo’s choice to add the Incogmeato Burger Patties to its menu is meant to satisfy the latter wish.

“Our Incogmeato lineup is a delicious plant-based solution for Sodexo’s guests who are craving a truly meat-like experience,” said Zach Ramos, general manager, Kellogg’s Away From Home. “We are proud to offer our operator partners go-to plant-based options that give their guests what they’re craving — especially as consumer demand for just-like-meat products continues to grow.”

Sodexo is launching its Incogmeato offering now, beginning with the health care sector.