ABLC Preview – The Top 10 Industry Trends to Follow

NUTRITION

The news: This fall we reported that all of Dunkin’ Manhattan locations now have a plant-based sausage breakfast sandwich from Beyond Meat. This is Beyond Meat’s first U.S. partner to feature the Beyond Breakfast Sausage, which is made with a blend of pea, mung bean, rice, and sunflower proteins.

According to David Hoffmann, Dunkin’ Brands Chief Executive Officer and President, Dunkin’ U.S., “Beyond Meat has earned the national spotlight for its innovative products and for creating incredible awareness and excitement for the benefits of plant-based meat. Dunkin’ has always stood apart for offering new and exciting choices to meet the needs of our on-the-go guests, and we are proud to collaborate with this industry leader to become the first U.S. restaurant chain to serve a Beyond Breakfast Sausage option.”

In addition to offering a patty with 10 grams of plant-based protein, the new sandwich helps Dunkin’ deliver the better-for-the-planet environmental benefits of plant-based protein, according to Beyond Meat’s press release.

Why significant and what’s next: To date, almost all of the attention in the so-called vegan sector has been on burgers without the cow. The replacement of sausage shows that this is just chapter one of this story. Feed without the fish. Omega-3s without the fish. Eggs without the chicken. Chicken without the chicken. Milk without the cow. Fish without the fish. It’s all coming.