2023 JUNE – Century Pacific Food, Inc. (PSE:CNPF), one of the leading food and beverage manufacturers in the Philippines, expands plant-based brand unMEAT’s availability in the United States with its entry into Albertsons.
Among the top food and drug retailers in the United States, Albertsons has a strong local presence in 34 states. unMEAT is rolling out in close to 2,000 Albertsons outlets in a bid to expand its reach and increase market accessibility.
The Brand comes in with a range of plant-based meat alternatives – Luncheon Meat Style, Burger-Style Luncheon Meat, and the new Chicken Style Chunks, all priced at parity to meat analogs.
unMEAT Chicken Style Chunks is the latest among the brand’s innovations. It’s a versatile chicken alternative made entirely of plant-based ingredients, primarily non-GMO soy-based proteins. It has no cholesterol and is a good source of fiber and protein.
Christopher Po, Executive Chairman of CNPF, said, “We are pleased with the trajectory of our plant-based business. While still in their early days, unMEAT’s latest innovations in the space are penetrating more mainstream retailers such as Albertsons and gaining traction onshelf. We’re seeing this trend develop in other key markets as well.”
More recently, the category has come under scrutiny after all the hype these past couple of years. According to Po, CNPF remains committed to growing the business despite these developments.
“Two major factors are driving us in this pursuit. One, we believe that long-term trends remain. Consumers still want healthier and more sustainable food options, and we believe plant-based alternatives have a role to play in serving this need. Two, we see ourselves as a protein delivery company. We have the capability to build this vertical, learning along the way, and, hopefully, we can democratize the category in the process,” Po said.
He added, “This will be a long game. Much education and innovation are needed, so we are being patient, growing with the category by being methodical and deliberate with our choices.”
CNPF forayed into the plant-based business in 2020, where unMEAT had its institutional launch through an affiliate company, Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc. (PSE:PIZZA). Soon after, in 2021, unMEAT entered the domestic retail market and began its international rollout in select markets. Since then, unMEAT has expanded its footprint in mainstream retailers such as Walmart, Harris Teeter, HEB, and Meijer in the US, Carrefour in the UAE, and FairPrice in Singapore.
