Pizza chain Papa John’s is now offering vegan cheese and meat options in 100 locations in Chile.
The new pizzas—called The Vegan Royal and The Vegan Queen—feature plant-based meat dubbed NotMeat, made by Chilean food tech company NotCo. The brand creates plant-based foods using artificial intelligence (AI).
NotCo’s AI software, called “Giuseppe,” analyzes foods on a molecular level in order to replicate the textures and flavors of non-vegan foods. The brand worked closely with Papa John’s Chile to develop the new meaty pizza topping.
Renowned American brand Follow Your Heart is supplying the dairy-free cheese for the pizzas.
The new plant-based options were designed for vegans, but also for those looking to reduce their consumption of animal products. “We have a strong commitment to deliver the best pizza for all Chileans,” Javier González, general manager of Papa John’s Chile, told Cooperativa.cl.
“We are very proud to expand our offerings,” he added. “Incorporating a plant-based line, with high-quality ingredients and specially designed for those consumers who wish to have 100 percent plant-based alternatives with ingredients of plant origin.”
Vegan at Papa John’s
Many of Papa John’s ingredients are already vegan-friendly. The pizza delivery chain’s hand-tossed dough is vegan, along with the pizza sauce and a number of toppings. The BBQ dipping sauce, garlic dipping sauce, pizza dipping sauce, and buffalo dipping sauce are also all vegan-friendly.
In January 2019, the pizza giant announced the UK launch of three vegan pizzas, featuring dairy-free Sheese. The chain also introduced a dairy-free version of its signature Marmite Scrolls. The following March, the chain launched dairy-free cheesy wedges. Its plant-based menu is still expanding; it now offers seven vegan pizzas, four of which feature vegan meat toppings.
Earlier this year, Papa John’s hired its first Chief Vegan Officer, Clare Every, to help develop new plant-based menu options in the UK.
Every—who runs a blog called The Little London Vegan—said on Instagram, “Now there’s a job title I’ll struggle to ever top, and yes, it’s very much a real role, and possibly the best one in the world. I’ll be the eyes and ears for the company, keeping them up to date with all of the latest trends and developments from the vegan world.”
Papa John’s Chile’s new vegan pizzas are available in stores between Antofagasta and Puerto Montt.