Tyson Foods is launching a range of plant-based products in Asia for the first time.
Sold under the First Pride brand, the products will initially launch in Malaysia and will roll them out to other markets in the region in the coming months.
“We’re thrilled to offer Asia Pacific consumers more high-quality protein choices as they explore flexitarian diets,” said Tan Sun, President of Tyson Foods APAC.
“The Asian market is a natural fit for this category with traditional plant-based products like tofu already entrenched in the culture.
“The key to meeting consumer preferences with new plant-based protein is through innovation and making locally relevant products that taste great, which is our expertise.
“Our new product expansion delivers on taste and quality, giving consumers a modern take on familiar tastes, local flavours and texture,” he said.
“We’re experts in the protein industry with a diverse, multi-protein portfolio and have the capabilities to produce great tasting plant-based products.”
The initial launch will introduce frozen Bites, Nuggets and Strips made with plants to consumers in Malaysia.
The innovations are halal certified and made with regionally sourced ingredients including bamboo fibre, soy protein and wheat protein.
While the alternative proteins category in Asia is still growing, APAC retail sales of meat substitutes reached $16.3 billion in 2020 and are expected to exceed $20 billion by 2025, according to Euromonitor.
“We’re excited to expand our internal capabilities globally as we build our portfolio of loved plant protein brands,” said David Ervin, Vice President of alternative protein for Tyson Foods.
“Our global culinary network and scalability positions us well to replicate the success we’ve had in the U.S. in Asia Pacific and provide consumers with great tasting plant protein options.”
