Oscar Mayer has been making hot dogs for 140 years, and they've always included meat — until now.
The hot dog maker's parent company Kraft Heinz announced Wednesday a new line of plant-based hot dogs and sausages that will soon hit store shelves. The company says it projects plant-based meat alternatives will go from an $8.3 billion market in 2023 to $19 billion by 2030.
Kraft Heinz says plant-based hot dogs and dinner sausage links remain underdeveloped and under-consumed because current options don't provide the taste and texture consumers are looking for.
Kraft Heinz said the Oscar Mayer NotHotDogs and NotSausages will have a "smoky, savory taste, meaty color, and thick, juicy bite."
“At the Kraft Heinz Not Company, our goal is to create mouthwatering, plant-based foods that are delicious and accessible for everyone – from the devoted vegan to the plant-based curious,” says Lucho Lopez-May, CEO of the Kraft Heinz Not Company. “We know people are hungry for plant-based meat options from brands they know and trust. In launching the joint venture’s first product in the plant-based meat category, we saw an opportunity to satisfy these consumer cravings, leveraging NotCo’s revolutionary AI technology and the power, equity, and legacy of the Oscar Mayer brand.”
Meat substitutes aren't just for humans. It's coming to pet food next
Meat consumption has a harsh environmental cost, giving rise to meatless alternatives for humans and now pets.
The new hot dogs and sausages come after Kraft Heinz previously unveiled other plant-based products, including Kraft NotCheese Slices, Kraft NotMac&Cheese and NotMayo. The company says it is continuing to look to expand plant-based options.
The Oscar Mayer products will be unveiled at the Expo West event in Anaheim, California, March 12-16. The company said major retailers will receive product shipments later this year.
According to a 2022 poll by the Vegetarian Resource Group,6% of the U.S. adult population considers themselves vegan or vegetarian. In 2015, a similar pollfound that 3.4% of Americans said they never eat meat, indicating that there is a growing number of Americans opting not to eat meat.
