February 17, 2019: Plant protein food sources are impressively gaining preference across the globe as consumers have now become more and more conscious about the impact left by their nutrition choices on their health, wellness, the environment, and animal welfare. In line with this, the global meat substitutes market is expected to reach USD 5.2 billion by 2020, with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4 per cent.    

Global Food Industries (GFI), a world-class value-added frozen food manufacturing company that is part of Albatha Holding, one of the largest conglomerates in the UAE, is the first and only local company to address this new shift in consumer food preference by introducing its ‘Never from meat’ range of products under its Healthy Farm brand.

At the ongoing Gulfood 2019, GFI is going to officially unveil its new nutritious and deliciously tasty Healthy Farm plant-based pea protein burgers, infused with kale and quinoa superfoods. Matching or even surpassing in taste of their animal meat counterparts, these plant-based products are expected to appeal to a larger consumer base who are health conscious and concerned about the well-being of their children and family. They are also suitable for vegetarian and vegan consumers

An extensive study published in the Journal of American Medical Association and covered by Wall Street Journal shows that consumers who eat plant-based products live longer than meat eaters and are 19 per cent less likely to die from heart disease.

On the aspect of healthy ingredients, the newly launched burgers contain a healthy blend of superfoods with high amount of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. They have 20 per cent more protein, 40 per cent less calories, 50 per cent less fat, 40 per cent less carbs, 60 per cent less sodium, 70 per cent more calcium, and 60 per cent more iron than ordinary chicken burgers. The zero-cholesterol burgers – which are available both in regular and spicy flavors - have no preservatives, no monosodium glutamate (MSG), no artificial colors, no trans fats, no dairy, no eggs and no gluten.

Jacek Plewa, General Manager, GFI, said: “Taking a step further towards encouraging healthy living and mindful eating, Healthy Farm is changing the game yet again by introducing our new range of burgers to the market. Following our ‘Nothing to hide, the choice is yours’ principle, our plant-based burgers are a reaffirmation of our commitment to offer nutritious food and help build prosperous, healthy and happier communities in the UAE. More and more people are now becoming aware of the significance of healthy eating and we at Healthy Farm seek to further contribute to this movement by introducing our ‘Never from meat’ plant protein food range.”

The process of producing plant-based food generally promotes animal welfare and is more sustainable and more environment friendly than in the case of animal-based products. In the case of new Healthy Farm plant protein burgers, the process entails the use of significantly less water, less land, and less energy and the release of fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the traditional process. This is critical as less than four per cent of what animals eat goes into meat and milk production. The rest is released as methane, a high-potent greenhouse gas, stressed Plewa.

“Research shows that 29 per cent of US consumers are now ‘flexitarians,’ those who adopt a plant-based diet but with an occasional meat dish and growing in numbers. In the UAE, 40 per cent of consumers are open to choosing meat alternatives for health, animal welfare, and environmental reasons. They opt to go for plant protein food products not only to improve their health but also to reduce their carbon footprint. Plant-based eating promotes better agricultural balance because it complements healthy and sustainable living and this becomes even more relevant as two billion people will be added to the world’s population by 2050,” Plewa said.  

“The launch of the new burgers is followed by the unveiling of a revolutionary range of products introduced under the company’s Healthy Farm brand a year ago. Offering all natural, delicious in taste, and superfood-infused products in frozen food and biscuits categories, Healthy Farm aims to reach more than 2 million consumers across the Middle East region by the end of 2019. The company also recently launched its ‘Healthy Farm My Pledge’ initiative, which focuses on product reformulation to reduce the amount of salts, fats, sugars, and additives from the Healthy Farm range of food offerings year-on-year (YoY),” said Plewa.

“Healthy Farm plant protein, pea, kale, and quinoa burgers are nominated in the ‘Most Innovative Halal Food’ category of Gulfood Innovation Awards 2019. ‘A great honour, that confirms we are in the very right track of innovation, meeting consumer’s current and future needs,” concluded Plewa

The ongoing Gulfood 2019 kicked off last February 17, 2019 and will run until February 21, 2019 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).