Meat Giant JBS Launches Vegan Breakfast Sausages at More than 2,700 Kroger Stores

This week, Colorado-based Planterra Foods—owned by Brazil’s meat giat JBS—launched its new OZO vegan frozen food line at more than 2,700 Korger stores nationwide, along with other retailers. The new line features vegan Smokehouse Burgers and Original Breakfast Sausages. In the coming months, Planterra plans to expand its OZO frozen line to include Italian Style Plant-Based Meatballs and two breaded items: Plant-Based Nuggets and Plant-Based Patties. 

“We’re excited to welcome the OZO Frozen Line into our stores,” Season Lawrence, Packaged Meat Category Manager at Kroger, said. “With more consumers looking for plant-based options to add to their everyday meals, this new line of soy-free products brings exciting new innovation to the frozen aisle and more delicious flavor to the full collection of OZO products.” 

JBS goes plant-based

Under its first plant-based subsidiary Planterra Foods, JBS—which is the world’s largest meat seller—first launched the OZO brand last April at retailers nationwide. The first products in the line included burgers, grounds (in plain and Mexican-seasoned flavors), and Italian-style meatballs, all made with a blend of pea and rice protein that is fermented with the help of shiitake mushrooms. The line is priced between $5.99 to $7.99 and packaged in recyclable containers. To promote its vegan meat line, Planterra launched a fleet of vans across the country to offer one million free samples of individually wrapped vegan OZO burgers.

“OZO continues to elevate the plant-based food category by listening to our customers’ needs. The launch of the OZO frozen food line is just another example of how Planterra provides more options to easily introduce meat-free options into your meal routines,” Planterra Foods CEO Darcey Macken said. “This year has changed the way so many of us enjoy and consume our meals. The OZO expansion into frozen plant-based proteins offers more opportunities for flexitarian consumption through high-quality foods with positive protein solutions. We remain committed to feeding future generations.”