New Zealand Woman Develops Pea Protein-Based Chicken

New Zealand-based entrepreneur Shama Sukul-Lee recently spoke with local news station TVNZ about her chickenless meat product Sunfed. The show hosts touted Sunfed as “an incredible breakthrough that could change the world,” adding that Sukul-Lee’s meatless products could slow global warming, restore animal welfare, and promote heart health. Sunfed is made with yellow pea protein, water, vegetable powder, plant starch, and a yeast extract. While companies in the United States—such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods—focus on replacing red meat with plants, Sukul Lee found a plant-based alternative to chickens as they are the most consumed animals in the world. “I am the first female founder in this high-protein, plant-based meat space,” Sukul-Lee said, “and very strongly believe it is a competitive advantage.” Sunfed will be available in New Zealand within several weeks, and Sukul-Lee is currently working to develop alternatives to beef, pork, and fish. Israel-based company Super Meat has similar aspirations and achieved its crowd-funding goal of $100,000 recently to help make their slaughter-free chicken products a reality soon.