Asian plant-based meat OmniPork coming the U.S. in 2021

OmniPork, the plant-based pork analog line from the parent company Green Monday, will launch its products in the U.S. in 2021, Food Navigator reported. There was no specific date announced for the products’ arrival in supermarkets, but OmniPork has already partnered with a few restaurants in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu to give U.S. consumers a taste of a product that is a global phenomenon.

Developed by a Canadian food science team and headquartered in Hong Kong, OmniFoods, which is the food tech subsidiary behind OmniPork, has developed into a global titan in the plant-based space. Although worldwide, the brand produces ready-to-eat products, including dumplings, stir fry and dim sum, the company will begin its foray into the U.S. market with only its plant-based pork grounds, strips and luncheon meat.

Representatives from the company told Food Navigator that the plant-based recipe deliberately has a bland flavor in order to make the ingredient a vehicle for robust flavors like Sichuan or Thai spice. Creating a plant-based canvas for Asian flavors allows OmniPork to be used in a wide variety of dishes across many Asian cuisines.

Since pork is the most popular meat globally, OmniPork has also positioned itself to grab a share of the largest potential segment of the plant-based meat market, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19.4% from 2020 to 2027, according to Grand View Research.

OmniPork is quickly taking advantage of this growing market and sells its products in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea and the Philippines with plans to expand to Indonesia and Australia, another top market for plant-based products, per Grand View Research. But Asian food is not only consumed in Asia. In the United States, Asian dishes are part of a major, mainstream ethnic cuisine type. However, Americans are also interested in consuming authentic fare rather than Americanized dishes.

OmniPork is tapping into U.S. consumers' interest in authentic Asian fare by choosing to introduce its products through foodservice partnerships with chefs. It is also a choice that could prove to rocket the brand to the top of consumer consciousness as not only does OmniPork fit onto the menus of finer dining, but it has established partnerships with McDonald’s, Starbucks and Ikea in Asia that could translate into potential foodservice deals in American branches. Such a move would boost the company's visibility and could place OmniPork in the same echelon as Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat, which dominate the plant-based market in the U.S.

While this Hong Kong brand will be new to U.S. consumers, it is likely that OmniPork will quickly make waves thanks to its well-known global presence. It will be worth watching whether it continues to pursue a retail path or pivots to focus on foodservice as it looks to grow its sphere of influence globally.