US plant-based food firm JUST makes first foray into Asia
The San Francisco Company, which has raised over $200m in funding to-date and was formerly known as Hampton Creek, hopes to use the launch as a springboard into other Asia markets.
Its plant-based Just Mayo and Just Ranch products, made with canola oil and pea protein, are now available in Green Common’s six outlets, while its egg-free Just Scramble, made with mung beans, is on the café menu in two stores.
David Yeung, co-founder and CEO of Green Monday, creator of Green Common, said food innovation would play a critical role in feeding the planet sustainably and nutritiously.
“It is clear that our planet doesn’t have enough resources to sustain the population — 7.6 billion by end of 2017 and continuously growing,” he said.
“We are extremely proud that Green Common is the first to offer Just Scramble outside the US and we believe Hong Kong is the perfect gateway to spreading sustainable food and lifestyle choices across Asia.”
In the last four years, JUST has grown from zero to 100,000 points of distribution.
JUST CEO Josh Tetrick said: “Launching Just Scramble is the culmination of years of hard work by our talented team and bringing this and our other products to Green Common is a major milestone."
He added that the ingredients save more fresh water than conventional egg products and emit fewer greenhouse gases.
Investor boost
JUST is focusing on selling Just Scramble to restaurants for now, but a retail launch has been touted for later this year.
At its launch in November, the company also announced that Radicle Impact and Blue Horizon, two firms that invest in systemic social and environmental impact, will be investing in the company alongside other mission-driven investors.
“We're pleased to have the opportunity to continue our longstanding support of Hampton Creek's mission. We appreciate the team's work endeavouring to build a healthier food system and environmental resilience through innovative, plant-based protein solutions.
"The transformation of incumbent systems on a large scale is never easy, and we admire the food justice and sustainability goals Josh Tetrick and the team are trying to hold fast and accomplish,” said Dan Skaff, managing partner at Radicle Impact.
Udi Lazimy, JUST’s global plant-sourcing lead, said the company was also looking at additional factors such as soil health, overall fossil fuel use and fertiliser run-off.
“Ultimately, we want our environmental impact work to encourage stronger sustainability analytics across the food industry," he added.
