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https://scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/3001200/how-us-start-ups-plant-based-just-egg-plans-crack Leisure
How US start-up’s plant-based JUST Egg plans to crack mainland China’s market
Firm, which will first target biggest cities, also plans to launch cell-cultured chicken nuggets soon
JUST, the US food technology company, is focusing its plant-based JUST Egg product on the mainland China market because the nation is the world’s biggest egg producer and vegan food and drink firms have more than doubled in the past five years in Shanghai alone.
JUST, the Silicon Valley food technology start-up, has announced plans to roll out its innovative vegan egg product in mainland China over the the coming months.
The product, JUST Egg, made from mung beans and free of antibiotics and cholesterol, will be made available on shop shelves, e-commerce websites and food services.
View this post on InstagramVOTE: Ketchup with your eggs? #JUSTEgg
A post shared by JUST (@justforall) on
Speciality supermarket retailers City'super and Hema – owned by Alibaba Group, the owner of the South China Morning Post – popular business-to-consumer platforms Tmall and JD, and the healthy Shanghai restaurant chain, Hunter Gatherer, have all signed on as partners.
Food security is so critical in China and we think it is our opportunity for China to not only see itself in a more self-sufficient way, but also create a new industry
Before this, the award-winning food manufacturing company marked its international foray into Asia last year by way of Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.
The Asian-Pacific food and beverage industry news website, FoodNavigator-Asia, said JUST, which is backed by Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka-shing, will first target Chinese consumers in metropolitan cities such as Beijing and Shanghai and spread across the rest of the country within the next three years.
“Food security is so critical in China and we really think that it is our opportunity for China to not only see itself in a more self-sufficient way, but also to create an entirely new industry,” Josh Tetrick, CEO of JUST, said.
“Right now, food requires so much land, so much water and egg production requires billions of chickens.
“We can do it different[ly], in a way that’s simple and that’s better for the environment.”
View this post on InstagramPour in a pan and scramble like an egg. It's that simple. #JUSTEgg
A post shared by JUST (@justforall) on
China is the largest egg producer in the world – accounting for more than 35 per cent of all eggs produced around the globe.
While the demand for protein is increasing, many people are recognising the value of a plant-based diet and lifestyle.
Food requires so much land, so much water, and egg production requires billions of chickens, but we can do it different[ly]
Vegan food and beverage companies have more than doubled in the past five years in Shanghai alone.
As the vegan movement continues to proliferate and become more prevalent in Chinese society, the introduction of JUST Egg in the mainland market is prime for its cell-cultured chicken nugget. The company hopes to make a small-scale commercial meat sale somewhere in Asia soon.
Made from unmodified animal cells, the cruelty-free technology is processed in a similar way to brewing beer or yeast grown for bread making.
The company made headlines last year after joining forces with Japanese beef producer, Toriyama, to create lab-grown Wagyu beef from cultures of Akagi cattle in Gunma Prefecture.
This article originally appeared on Green Queen .