California-based food tech startup JUST—known for its vegan egg—has partnered with leading U.S. foodservice distributor Michael Foods.
The new deal will allow JUST’s mung bean vegan egg to expand into thousands of foodservice establishments. These include restaurants, healthcare facilities, and stadiums, reports Forbes.
“It’s such a momentous thing for the company,” JUST’s CEO Josh Tetrick told the publication. He continued: “It’s not about winning a new account or being in another retailer. We want to have an impact for the next 50 years, to make food products like this ubiquitous.”
Michael Foods—a subsidiary of Post Holdings—is the largest distributor of processed eggs in the U.S. The company manufactures and distributes more than one billion pounds of liquid egg to the foodservice sector each year, according to FoodNavigator-USA.
“It allows us to, one, plug into their manufacturing. And their manufacturing is high-volume, high-scale, so we’re going to be able to make a whole lot more of the product,” Tetrick told FoodNavigator-USA. He continued, “And the second reason it’s so important is we’re going to be able to sell a whole lot more [vegan eggs].”
JUST Egg Expansion
JUST’s mung bean plant-based egg is better for the environment than conventional eggs. JUST Egg requires 83 percent less land and 98 percent less water to manufacture. It also emits 93 percent less carbon dioxide.
The cholesterol-free, vegan egg is extremely versatile and can be used to make a wide variety of egg-based dishes, including scrambles, quiches, and omelets.
Earlier this year, JUST announced plans to expand internationally despite the ongoing pandemic. The Bay Area brand said it had acquired several new global partnerships in North America, Latin America, Europe, and East Asia.
In February, JUST partnered with global foodservice corporation Sodexo. The company serves 13,000 sites, including college and workplace cafeterias, across the U.S. and Canada.
The company says demand for its plant-based eggs has increased. As of March 2020, JUST had sold the equivalent of 30 million vegan eggs.
CEO Josh Tetrick believes the coronavirus outbreak exposes a need for a better food industry. In March, he Tweeted: “I want to express my deep gratitude to anyone in your life on the front lines of this pandemic. We owe them our continued commitment to building a stronger, safer, and more sustainable food system.”
