Alsea reported that it will be starting this month to integrate NotBurger, NotChicken and NotMilk into its menus, made with some of the products from NotCo’s portfolio.
“The alliance seeks to capitalize on a market that grows and grows. There is recognition by Alsea that there is a mass market consumer who is looking for this type of product, whether in a coffee, a hamburger or a casual dinner (informal dining, a concept offered by Vips)”, says Matías Muchnick, co-founder of NotCo.
In Chile, through this alliance, the Burger King hamburger chain has been offering an option since 2020. plant-based, the Vegetable Whopper, which not only considers the meat, but also the mayonnaise. About a month ago, these food options have been extended to other products, such as nuggets and sandwiches.
“With Burger King in Chile and Argentina we brought new people to the stores, people who didn’t buy from the chain (because they couldn’t find vegetarian or vegan options on the menu) and now consume it because this alternative exists. We also added those people who perhaps had health issues (for example, lactose intolerance) and who now consume because they have the option of NotCo”, the manager points out.
The manager assures that they have even managed to add people without food restrictions, but who sometimes like to vary and try new things. “The acceptance of people who do not have food restrictions has been spectacular, it is the consumer base that we have.”
Settle in Mexico
NotCo also started the production of milk and alternative meat in Chihuahua. The co-founder of the company, who did not give details of the investment made, comments that for now the production scale is small, which opens the opportunity to negotiate with suppliers and reach agreements that allow products to be offered at a lower price. .
“Our first step is to position our cheaper products. As we grow, we will look to keep prices as low as possible or as close as possible to the products we want to replace,” he shares.
For the development of the products of its portfolio, the foodtech designed an Artificial Intelligence algorithm with which it replicates products of animal origin, which they named Giuseppe, who is in charge of developing recipes, which are tested by specialized chefs.
NotCo’s co-founder estimates that by 2035 food plant-based they will represent 22% of the global food market, and he sees great potential in Mexico to attract consumers, who are not exactly vegetarian or vegan.
Globally, food made from plants closed 2021 with a value of 35.6 million dollars and will reach 77.8 billion dollars in 2025, according to projections by Statista.