Unilever’s The Vegetarian Butcher leverages fat technology to unlock secrets of crispy vegan bacon

08 Jun 2023 --- Unilever is tackling the challenge of delivering the “authentic experience” of bacon with its latest plant-based iteration of the meat staple. The company unveils that newly added oil droplets in its NoBacon product increase fat release twenty-fold, allowing the product to be fried without using any additional fat while achieving a crispier rasher.

NoBacon is set to improve its fat release and offer a tender texture and better translucency and reaction to heat while cooking, according to the business.

Unilever will sell its plant-based bacon under its Vegetarian Butcher brand. It is made from soya and wheat protein and contains no artificial colors or preservatives.

Picky consumers demand perfection
Unilever affirms that “when it comes to bacon, expectations run high” and that the “perfect rasher” should not only be a balance of smoky, salty flavors but also have a crispy texture that is “neither dry nor chewy.”

Consumers being demanding in the alternative meat category is an affirmation backed by Innova Market Insights data.

The market research notes that one in two consumers globally says taste and flavor influence their purchasing decision of meat substitutes, with research showing that one-third of consumers “want to improve the taste and flavor of meat substitutes.”

NoBacon is set to improve its fat release and offer a tender texture and better translucency and reaction to heat while cooking. (Image Credits: Unilever).This 2.0 vegan bacon launch taps into one of Innova Market Insights Top Ten Trend’s of 2023 “Plant-Based: Unlocking a New Narrative,” which highlights how the rapid rise of the plant-based sector has, almost inevitably, hit some roadblocks, necessitating a refocus around consumer demands for high-quality, flavorful products. 

Moreover, companies should focus on the realness of their products, as one in five consumers globally say they don’t buy meat substitutes because they seen artificial.

Delivering texture and taste
The Vegetarian Butcher explains how high standards are already challenging to meet with traditional animal-based meat. However, they note that they have been able to “crack the code” for plant-based bacon, creating a recipe that “comes closer than ever to a like-for-like bacon experience, thanks to new plant protein technology.”

Unilever highlights that its use of plant oils is what really makes its bacon an authentic experience.

Unlike previous versions of its bacon, using plant oils allows for the release of oils during cooking – therefore, it can be cooked without adding extra fat. 

Moreover, using new fat tissue technology “made from a careful combination of plant-based ingredients,” the new product bacon strips can be separated easily when raw and crisp up better when cooked.

Furthermore, the tissue technology uses a selection of plant-based ingredients that make the rashers “fat” and translucent while cooking, just like their animal meat counterparts.

Sustainable bacon
Aside from tapping into vegetarian and vegan consumers, the new product will help Unilever’s sustainability commitments.

“Releasing all animals from the food chain is not just good news for animals, it’s also great news for our planet,” says Hugo Verkuil, CEO of The Vegetarian Butcher.The tissue technology uses a selection of plant-based ingredients that make the rashers “fat” and translucent while cooking.

“Taking animals out of the equation makes the food system more efficient and environmentally friendly. Instead of feeding legumes to animals and making meat out of these living creatures, The Vegetarian Butcher makes plant-based meat directly from legumes,” he explains.

By not relying on animals, Verkuil explains that less soy is used for animal feed, “reducing pressure on ecosystems and enabling more people to get the nutrition they need.”

Plant-based bacon business
Consumer interest in alternative bacon has propelled innovation in the category.

Prime Roots told us that it is partnering with Mycoprotein-producer Quorn Foods to tap into the capabilities of mycelium in the space, opening up the door for the company to potentially deliver a mycelium-based alternative bacon. 

Meanwhile, US-based Bakon said in October that it has patented a bacon alternative made from soy milk, composed of fatty and lean layers that “constitute a very similar texture and macronutrient values as traditional pork bacon.”

Kansas Protein Foods is also working in the plant-based bacon segment, introducing in September its Imagic Plant-Based Bacon Products, which are a flavored ready-to-eat textured vegetable protein made from soy flour – formulated to resemble crispy or chewy cooked bacon in flavor, aroma, texture and color.

By Marc Cervera