Kroger Just Launched Its Own Meaty Vegan Burgers

This week, Kroger Co.—the largest supermarket chain in the United States—added Plant Based Patties and Plant Based Grind to its new Simple Truth Emerge line, an extension of its Simple Truth Plant Based line that it announced in September. The new vegan meat products are made from pea protein and stocked in the supermarket’s traditional meat case. “Kroger believes that everyone deserves to have access to fresh, affordable, and delicious food, no matter who you are, how you shop, or what you like to eat,” Gil Phipps, Kroger’s Vice President of Our Brands (the umbrella name for the chain’s private-labeled products), said. “And Simple Truth Emerge is an illustration of the commitment that Kroger has to providing our 11 million daily customers with new choices that fit their evolving eating styles and preferences.” 

Kroger plans to add 50 new vegan products to its Simple Truth line in 2020. “Kroger anticipates interest in plant-based products to continue to grow in 2020, with the category being one of the key drivers of our natural and organic sales,” Joe Grieshaber, Kroger Senior Vice President of Merchandising, said. Last month, Kroger installed a three-foot vegan meat display case inside of the meat department at 60 test stores in Denver, and parts of Indiana and Illinois over a 16-week period. The initiative is part of a collaboration with trade group Plant Based Food Association (PBFA)—which represents more than 160 plant-based food companies—to measure the sales and engagement impact of placing plant-based meat in the animal-derived meat department.